'Wacky Racing' Session

[Science Officer]

So, the PCs are heading off for a race out in the desert.
Any ideas for interesting events, hazards, opponents, sabotages?


The system is GURPS and the setting a weird modern day, but pretty much anything goes, or could go for other games.

[rorikdude12]

Throw in sandworms occasionally popping up and attacking a random person in the lead. Mininukes are advised if its really gonzo. "Boarding Parties" made up of one or two people leaping from car to car and jacking it or planting explosives on it and jumping off.

[nedz]

Half way around the second lap a giant sandworm swallows whoever is at the back of the field. Too harsh ?

Camels strolling across the track.

Snakes Scorpions in the car ?

Sand dune avalanche.

[Science Officer]

The race is taking place in the Mojave Desert, outside of Las Vegas, if that helps.

Animal hazards in the vehicle is a very good idea.

The players don't have much in the way of combat skills (they don't have anything in the way of driving skills, either).

It's pretty gonzo. Sandworms might be the limit.

I also like the idea of the vehicle sinking into quicksand, necessitating it being pulled out, or perhaps the hijacking of another...

If you think you might be one of my players (it's a long shot, but...), don't read this

Spoiler

Show

Threats:
-One player's Evil Twin. A demonic figure with illusionary magic. Competing in the race.
-A recurring villain, in the form of one-eyed Mad Scientist/Terrorist with a grudge. Favours explosives, but is terrible with them. His other mad science gizmos work pretty well... Also competing in the race. EDIT: Plan to have one of his bombs fail to detonate, but generate a thick cloud of obscuring smoke from under the hood.
-Bat Country
-Some creepy cybernetic twin-rotor "angels" will descend towards the end. Don't ask.

EDIT: Oooh yes, journalists, that's a good one.

[nedz]

You could have some journalists turn up and start interviewing them. Make them daytime TV journalists, or tabloid ones.

[NikitaDarkstar]

You mean to tell me you named a thread after one of the most awesome cartoons ever and need help with wacky racing situations????

[Jay R]

Go watch The Great Race. Then have Maggie DuBois show up, or Indians as a welcome party from a nearby town. One of the racers could be Professor Fate. (He could be **** Dastardly, too, but **** Dastardly is just Professor Fate with the Jack Lemmon character removed, and what's the point of that?)

Have somebody sabotage the gas re-supply station, or loosen the tire lugs, or any of a number of ideas.

Pretty much every funny idea for a car race is there in the movie. Go wild.

[Elvenoutrider]

- One of the drivers pulls into the lead and discharges hallucinagenic gas
- a train crosses the road - beat the train to the crossing
- YOUR GIRLFRIEND HAS BEEN KIDNAPPED BY **** DASTARDLY!!!!
- SAND LEVIATHANS!!!!!!!

[Treblain]

You could have the corporate sponsors scheming against each other and spies trying to steal unique racecar components or designs.

[nedz]

You could also have bizarre team orders, or strange instructions from the sponsors.

[Asheram]

Ostrich racing? You need the mob there to take bets and giving "handicaps"

[Doorhandle]

*Neo-Luddites swarm the field in an attempt to stop the evil, evil cars... and get butchered horribly.

*The involvement of the crazy train, a steam-locomotive that is possessed/robotic and is UTTERLY INSANE. Attacks everyone within it's reach.

*A monster-truck with tires so huge it causes earthquakes just by it's passing.

*aggro cactai, that alternate between firing poisonous spines, exploding, and just getting up and beating the crap out of your car.

*Hilariously misplaced narwhals or other tundra wildlife.

[randomhero00]

Depending on how the characters interact before hand, give them each a fan base. Then turn each fan base in to a percentage of likelyhood that they will try to sabotage the other racers.

Could be something as simple as digging a hole once you've past by your group of fans in a blind spot. I'm thinking of http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baja_1000 specifically as it really does happen.

A looney toons theme I thinking of, would be to make several splits in the course, with a sign pointing one way "Danger!" Then the players could play mind games by turning these signs as the pass. "Did he turn it? Or did he not turn it thinking I'd think he'd turned it and go the opposite way...hmmm"

[Science Officer]

I'm thinking one direct combat with a "boarding party" should be enough, with some indirect struggle with the villains, and some minor mishaps and sabotage (by chance, fans, or opponents) should do it. Some of the bigger threats could eliminate the other vehicles...

Thanks for all the great ideas!

[Joe the Rat]

A fork in the road. Those things are tire hazards, man.

[CarpeGuitarrem]

Aliens escaping from Area 51 who stumble across the race and wreak havoc.