In December, I wrote a whole bunch of FIST modules in like, a week. After that, I fell silent – because I was working on the BIG FINALE. Now, 15k words later, BIG BANG is out!
First of all: it’s on Itch!
What Is It About?
It all led to this: PROJECT OBSCURA, first hinted at in FALSE SELF, then revealed in CHEAP TRICK and finally located following KUNDUZ GAMBIT has been located. STARGAZER’s covert “alien invasion” psy-op is ready to go, setting to be launched from an (in?)active volcano, codenamed THE CAULDRON, north of the Faroe Islands. Nothing stands in the way of the apocalypse – except for a certain Freelance Infantry Strike Team, also known as FIST.
Or, alternatively, you swap some parts around and use the base for whatever megalomaniac schemes looking for a lair. Up to you!
The Cauldron consists of 4 floors and 30+ rooms. Each with their own security level, interior, happenings, intel to be spied, resources to pilfer and more.
All of it comes together in a clockwork-sandbox-playhouse of a mission:
- A clockwork system in the way the various systems of the base interact (and a ripe for sabotage and disruption)
- A sandbox in the way it encourages tactical thinking, scheming, manipulation and other plots
- A playhouse in the way that it seeks to provide the backdrop for your wildest spy-fi fantasies
What’s It Like?
BIG BANG has various sources of inspiration:
- The Hitman games for using disguises and disrupting a living, breathing system
- The Evil Genius games for their depiction of evil lairs and clear roles for minions
- James Bond for being the quintessential source for volcano-lair shenanigans
- The Venture Bros for the flavor of characters and the worldbuilding
- Metal Gear Solid for existing on that strange edge of tacticool militarism and scenery-chewing foes.
What’s It For?
BIG BANG was written for FIST, but can easily be used for any other tactical espionage TTRPG. The main focus is on the dynamics of the base; the main FIST implementation concerns NPC statblocks.
Where Can I Get It?
On Itch, remember? At the top of the page!