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HEX one-shot – The Opening Scene

For my upcoming Hollow Earth Expedition one-shot this Saturday, I decided to use my own idea of creating cut scenes for the game. I created an “opening scene” for the game to set the mood. Sticking with the pulp feel, I wrote it up in script format. The plan is to pass this out to the players and then “pitch” it to them so they can see it in their minds.

FADE IN:

INT. SMOKEY ROOM – DIMLY LIT – SINGLE LIGHT OVER TABLE.

WIDE SHOT – POKER TABLE IN FOREGROUND. COMMUNICATIONS EQUIPMENT AND PRIVATE TYLER IN BACKGROUND.

SERGEANT KOWALSKI sits at poker table with his Army buddies. He wears his fatigue pants and a white tank top. A cigarette dangles from his mouth. He is dealing cards as he speaks.

SERGEANT KOWALSKI (mockingly)
Come on, TYLER. We’ve been listenin’ to them Krauts for months now and we ain’t heard jack shit.

PRIVATE TYLER sits intently with headphones on, waiting with his stub of a pencil to write in an empty notebook.

PRIVATE TYLER
SARGE, we still got a job to do. Them Nazis is movin’ too quick. They’re scarin’ a lot of people higher up.

SEARGEANT KOWALSKI (laughing)
Whatever you say, TYLER. You just don’t want me to take more of your money.

Other soldiers at table laugh.

CAMERA STAYS FOCUSED ON SERGEANT KOWALSKI AS PRIVATE TYLER SPEAKS.

PRIVATE TYLER
Not my fault you deal from the bottom of the deck. Why…

SERGEANT KOWALSKI (turning towards PRIVATE TYLER)
Oh please continue, TYLER. I’m looking forward to hearing…

Tyler is writing FURIOUSLY in the notebook. All of the soldiers go silent.

CAMERA SLOWLY PANS THE SOLDIERS TO SEE LOOKS OF CONCERN AS PRIVATE TYLER CONTINUES TO WRITE.

CAMERA SHIFTS BACK TO PRIVATE TYLER.

PRIVATE TYLER stops writing and SLAMS the pencil onto the notebook. PRIVATE TYLER looks at Kowalski.

PRIVATE TYLER (curtly)
Call the Major.

QUICK CUT. INT. OFFICE HALLWAY. FOLLOWING MAN IN THE BLUE SUIT CARRYING MANILA FOLDER.

The MAN IN THE BLUE SUIT turns into an office. Behind the desk is Army COLONEL HOLLAWAY. The MAN IN THE BLUE SUIT puts the folder on the desk.

COLONEL HOLLAWAY (worriedly)
Are you sure about this?

MAN IN THE BLUE SUIT (through teeth clenching a pipe)
Unfortunately, yes.

COLONEL HOLLAWAY leans back in chair and sighs. Picks up folder and flips through it. Throws folder back on to desk, pictures of two main characters slide out.

COLONEL HOLLAWAY (resignedly)
Call them.

BLACK SCREEN

If this was a real campaign, I would then play out scenes for each PC meeting the Man in the Blue Suit and being invited to an important meeting in New York. Since it’s not, everyone will just already be at the meeting.

One thing I really like about HEX is the fact that, since it’s pulp, it’s really easy to make it move-like and use so many great films as inspiration.

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Posted in: Other Systems, RPG

One Response to “HEX one-shot – The Opening Scene”

Tom Cadorette December 3rd, 2008 at 8:35 AM

Good stuff, Tony. I’d definitely dig this as a player (and would certainly consider stealing this as a GM). As you know, cut scenes can be dicey with players, particularly those who don’t like reading at the table, but if they’re written right, they add a kick-ass dimension. Once you get the “movie” in the players’ head, they will continue to see the game in the terms of the images of their heads from there on out.

Visuals are always good — you should be able to find some pictures of Army Intel-like Joes, either playing cards or sitting at radio/wireless sets.