Unlucky For Some
It's a fair statement to say that we strive to include plenty of scenario hooks and adventure seeds in each of our supplements for Judge Dredd & the Worlds of 2000 AD, and the Apocalypse War will certainly continue that trend. From sidebars and footnotes that serve to offer inspiration for new scenarios to fully fleshed case files that will challenge any Judge out on the streets, we aim to offer plenty of ways to engage with the material in each sourcebook. Having set sail for adventure on the high seas of the Black Atlantic in last week's blog, we return to the Big Meg this week and the turmoil of the Block Wars that are beginning to grip the city, including the notorious Sector 13.
In the comic strip, the Block Mania story line served as the precursor to the Apocalypse War. Normally peaceable citizens began taking up arms and going to war against neighbouring Blocks in increasing numbers until almost the entirety of Mega-City One became engulfed in inter-Block wars. As chaos grips the Big Meg and the Judges are overwhelmed or begin succumbing to the fever themselves, it slowly becomes apparent that a covert and nefarious plot to destabilise the city is afoot. With the agent behind their plot exposed and the city in turmoil, East-Meg One launch the next phase of their plan and the Apocalypse War proper begins.
The Block Mania story line is almost as epic in scope as the Apocalypse War itself, although the Block names and misplaced mania of the former serve to provide a slightly more lighthearted tone than the grim and desperate visuals and script of the latter. Producing a supplement is a collaboration of writers that can really excite the creative juices. For this one, we all agreed that it would be great to tap in to the chaos and energy of Block Mania. Which is exactly what the Sector 13 adventure sets out to do.
Intended as a scenario for experienced Judges, Sector 13 begins by slowly introducing the players to the Block Mania that is slowly gripping the Sector. But it isn't just a case of boots on the streets, however. The Judges will need to navigate the internal politics of their own Sector House and try to stay on the good side of the SJS, all while trying to uncover exactly who is behind the escalating violence both inside and outside their Sector House walls. Sector 13 is an intriguing murder mystery sprinkled with more than a little frenzied Block Mania.
With the case solved, Sector 13 closes with an instantly classic one-liner... and then the SOVs attacked.
Check back in on our next blog as we delve into more story seeds and adventure arcs set during the character defining Apocalypse War!
As a side note, if you haven't noticed, we have managed to get our hands on the lovingly restored and recently released colour version of the epic Apocalypse War saga, which is now available over at the 2000 AD webstore. Originally printed in black-and-white, the new version brings a whole new depth to this sprawling tale. It is well worth checking out!
