Thunda Circuit

Deadstone • Thunda Sands • Blazing Garden

✿ Light-Hearted

⚑ Competition

☀ Desert Raceway

Adventure Description

The party sign up as last-minute entrants in the legendary 'Thunda Circuit', and are given their pick of Skimmer Teams to join for the notoriously chaotic race. So, strap yourself in, try to stay inside the Skimmer, and prepare for a thrilling ride.

Starting the Adventure

"In the midst of the scorching Thunda Sands sits an unlikely tourist destination. Decades ago, thrill-seekers began using the flat, rocky expanse for an annual race of crazy spell-engine-loaded platforms known as 'Skimmers'. They can hover, drive, crawl; doesn't matter as long as they're wicked-looking and engine-powered. As the years went on, the event grew into a spectacle that racing enthusiasts and inventors spend all year looking forward to. When you heard some of the racers were still looking for volunteers to join their teams, you rushed to sign up."

Arriving at the garages, the party can ally themselves with either Cutt, Soobi or Risky. However, each Skimmer only has space for three individuals, including its owner, so the party may have to distribute themselves across multiple vehicles. There are three roles on each Skimmer: a Driver to steer the vehicle, an Engine Cranker to keep the spell-engine churning, and a Gunner to weaken the competition. All Skimmers start with a 17 Defense Rating and 5 Hearts.

Important Characters

Cutt Throat — Chib, Male, 6 (Hinterland Noble)

Owner of the Conqueror's Hound, a horrifying wrought-iron contraption adorned in spikes that spews arcane fire straight from the Spell Engine. A warlord from the No Folk's Land come to compete for recognition.

"Rumors state that despite being relatively new in the No Folk's Land, Cutt has unified multiple clans from menacing gaze alone."

Soobi Deymond — Human, Female, 65 (Merchant Scion)

Owner of the Burgundy Blitzer, made of the finest fabrics and best materials. Head of the renowned Deymond Tailor Corporation out of Portia, she is a wealthy racer who delights in showing off her skill and attempting to advertise her clothing lines.

"Dressed in stunning Twilight Silks and Pilose Fleece, Soobi positively radiates upper class and style."

Risky Idea — Rai-Neko, Female, 20 (Startech Adept)

Owner of the Charcoal Chariot, a Startech-based sleek angular design that hovers silently. Ambitious, young racer from Nyanko who wants to prove to everyone back home she can win.

"Risky is dressed head-to-toe in black except for reflective glasses, and is muttering calculations under her breath."

Suggested Story

Set the scene, have the three Owners introduce themselves and their vehicles, then continue:

Prepare Your Vehicles

After choosing their team, party members can try to recruit extra crew to fill any vacant slots.
Consider all GMCs as relevantly re-flavored Blaster Mages [Source, pg. 366] without access to the Mana Burst Ability.
With all roles filled, the party must tighten rivets on their Skimmer's hover-jets, charge the Spell Engine, and add metal plates to the chassis.
Encourage creativity (and even pre-race sabotage!) in PC Abilities/thoughts, and give Bonuses where applicable.

Start Your Engines

At the starting area, the race begins! Initiative order is determined by how well each team prepared their Skimmers.
Three other Skimmers in the race are driven by: Old Iron Dwarves hoping to make their battalion proud; New Ore Goblins come explicitly to make sure the Dwarves lose; and the standard lot of Thunda Clan Barbarians.
On their Skimmer's turn, Engine Crankers can propel the Skimmer 1d10 × 100 ft; Drivers choose how to spend that movement; and Gunners try to weaken their rivals via Attacks, Stunts, Tricks, Abilities.

Buckle Your Seatbelts

The Skimmers race around the circuit, from the starting area to the Shale Canyon, then across the Arid Trail.
An angry Giga-Gruun, who was disturbed by the noise, will throw rocks at random Skimmers per Turn from the top of the Shale Canyon, while shouting childish insults. To handle this, the relevant Driver makes a Deftness Check. On Failure, a Falling Debris CLICK! Trap targets all members.

Photo Finish

As teams complete the circuit, the race ends and they are ranked based on their finishing position.
The racers thank (or curse out) each other for the thrilling race.

Made by Quagg

Key Locations

Deadstone, Starting Area

"Blinding sunlight beats off the white, stone track in the middle of this makeshift sandstone town. The smell of burnt Mana, electricity and molten metal fills the air."

Strategies need to be discussed before the race, because all racers gain the Deafened Ailment when they enter this area.

The first section of track is wide enough for three Skimmers. It runs for 1000ft before the Shale Canyon starts.

Shale Canyon

"The dusty cobbles descend into a careful drive through an enclosed, rocky valley. Jagged boulders and loose stones litter the parched ground."

This is a narrow passage through a bumpy chasm. Rocks in the road need to be expertly maneuvered between to get to the other side.

The track here is wide enough for two Skimmers, and continues for 2000 ft before reaching the Arid Trail.

Arid Trail

"The valley road climbs into a fenced-off route through the sand. Flags make a spectacle of an upcoming, steep jump."

Racers must test their strength in the form of Deftness or Might Checks to stay in control during the 'Leap of Faith' jump. Skimmers receive a -2 to their next Cranking Roll for each racer who fails.

This road is wide enough for five Skimmers, and continues for 2000 ft before reaching the finish line.

Secrets & Clues

The other Skimmers in the race are called the Iron Banner (Dwarves), the Rust Bucket (Goblins) and the Canyon Splitter (Barbarians).
Skimmers cannot move through another's space, so can only overtake if the track is wide enough.
Skimmers can exit the track before cranking to take a Pit Stop; they rejoin the race on their next Turn.
Crankers and Gunners can swap roles at any time, but a Driver change will require a Pit Stop.
Drivers who continue for more than five rounds of the race without swapping will gain Fatigue, and gain another stack for every Turn continued.
During a Pit Stop, unconscious racers regain 2 Hearts and Skimmers are repaired to 3 Hearts.

"Skimmer Inspiration"
Art by Celine Kim

Quest Resolution

🏆 Placement Rewards

The Team who finish in first place receive 100C each. The racers on the Skimmers who finish in second and third places receive 50C and 25C each, respectively.

✦ Bonus Rewards

If an Owner wins with the party, they will consider gifting the group their Skimmer [Source, pg. 198] as a thank you. Consider giving a Social Bond with the relevant Owner too.

Rank 3-4 Adventure

Lower Rank: You could lower the GMC's Hearts/Stats and remove the Big Magic Shot Ability.

Higher Rank: For a truly harder adventure, replace the stationary Giga-Gruun with a roaming Grimwing PCs have to contend with the entire time!

Sources & Adversaries

Storybeats & layout inspired from No-Horse Race by One-Shot Wonders. Some writing blocks used directly.
Story, mechanics, setting, characters, and vibes reworked to fit BREAK!!'s universe.