Blues Brothers in 3-D:

The Secret War

An Introduction to Blues Brothers 3D

Blues Brothers 3D is a role-playing campaign using the Feng Shui rules system and based roughly on the two Blues Brothers movies and the Feng Shui universe. You play friends and members of the extended ‘Blues’ family in a struggle in which the fate of humankind depends on your mastery of the blues, as well as, your ability to survive in an unfriendly world.

Blues Brothers 3D is intended to be run as a fusion of the musical and action genres. This does not mean that the players are expected to perform during the course of the campaign, but they are encouraged to contribute to the soundtrack. As a player, you can expect every session to end on a musical number and a cliff-hanger.

The Factions

The Speakers of the Light

The Speakers of the Light is a society that represents the fastest growing segment of religious affiliation in the modern day. They are clergy who covertly practice sorcery. They are trying to eliminate the blues in hopes of expanding their membership ever further.

The Gilded Hand

This is a group founded in the early 20^th century, with roots in organized crime. Members of the world’s leading crime families, they are afraid that the world is collapsing into moral laxitude. They want to capture control of all the world’s crime and stomp out even minor criminal rebellion that is not authorized by them. They regard all Speakers and Elected as irredeemably moral. Although it is possible to sympathize with some of their aims, the average Blues Brother is unlikely want to live in the strict world of controlled crime they wish to create.

The Elected

The Elected are member of a thousand year old conspiracy; its members are firmly established in government positions of almost every western nation. They recruit ambitious conspirators through a series of government organizations. The really promising ones are asked to join a secret group known as the Appointed, but the report in turn to a higher echelon called the Council. They rely on their vast resources and political clout. Their origins and goals are unclear, but only thing is clear. They aim to keep the power they have already gathered for themselves.

Architects of Society

The Architects of Society are the scientific masterminds and entertainment tyrants of the modern day. They have managed to turn the world into a drab and dreary place where only the music they choose is accepted. Along with their stranglehold on the era’s entertainment industry, the Architects keep a tight rein on the people through the use of technology. They always have new product for the masses to buy. Further, their mastery of technology has allowed them to create cybernetically altered super-soldiers. They want to conquer all remaining aspects of society, starting with eliminating the blues.

The Jammers

The Jammers are a group of paranoid anarchists who want to overthrow the Architects. Most of them are conspiracy theorists, although their leadership includes ecological terrorists. Unlike most other groups – who seek to eliminate the blues for their own ends – the Jammers just don’t trust anyone. Many who would sympathize with their rebel aims are afraid that their paranoid programs could lead to the elimination of all soul music.

The Four Monarch

Thought to be myths and rumored to include such luminaries as Elvis, the Four Monarchs are a minor force in the secret war. Each is a powerful musician. They used to rule the music world, back when the world was vastly different. Now exiled to the Inner Kingdom, they plot their revenge and their return to power. Some of them have formed alliances with the more important power groups.

Characters

The Blues Brothers and their allies are always a bit behind the eight-ball. As a result, they use slightly different templates than are listed in the book. Unfortunately, NPCs are not subject to the same Penalties.

In addition to any changes listed below, all PCs must start with Info/The Blues. They may either exchange an existing Info for the Blues or use free skill bonuses to pick it up.

On Being Awakened

Sometimes one is a Blues Brother (or Sister) for part of his or her life without knowing it. Once they have been Awakened, however, they can purchase Transformed Animal schticks as if they had started as a Blues Brother. Once Awakened, a Blues Brother can always be found in the signature black suit, tie and shades. The Narrator has details on being Awakened.

Template Changes

Abomination: Fortune +1, Arcanowave Devices (=12), Creature Powers (=12), Guns [Max 12], Martial Arts [Max 12]

Big Bruiser: Can be Awakened

Cyborg: Guns (=12)

Everyman Hero: Guns [Max 12], Martial Arts [Max 12], Can be Awakened

Ex-Special Forces: Fortune +1, Guns (=12), Can be Awakened

Gambler: Guns (=12), Can be Awakened

Ghost: Fortune +1, Creature Powers [=12], Sorcery [=12]

Journalist: Guns (=12), Can be Awakened

Karate Cop: Fortune +1, Guns [=12], Martial Arts [=12], Can be Awakened

Killer: Fortune +1, Guns (=13), Can be Awakened

Magic Cop: Sorcery (=12)

Martial Artist: Fortune +1, Martial Arts (=13), Can be Awakened

Masked Avenger: Guns (=12), Can be Awakened

Maverick Cop: Fortune +1, Guns (=12), Can be Awakened

Medic: Guns or Martial Arts (=12), Can be Awakened

Monster Hunter: Fortune +1, Arcanowave Device (=13)

Ninja: Fortune +1, Martial Arts (=12), Can be Awakened

Old Master: Fortune +1, Martial Arts (=13), Can be Awakened

Private Investigator: Fortune +1, Guns [Max 12], Martial Arts [Max 12], Can be Awakened

Scrappy Kid: Martial Arts (=12), Can be Awakened

Sorcerer: Fortune +1, Sorcery (=13)

Spy: Guns [Max 12], Martial Arts [Max 12], Can be Awakened

Supernatural Creature: Fortune +1, Creature Power (=13)

Techie: Guns [Max 12], Can be Awakened

Thief: Guns [Max 12], Can be Awakened

Transformed Animal: Special – True Blues Brother. Guns [Max 12], Martial Arts [Max 12], use Transformed Dragon package. Blues Brothers have no fear of reversion.

Power and Glory

Experience points are awarded during the course of play by the Narrator. At the end of each session, the Storyteller awards 0-3 experience points to each character. This award is multiplied by (1 + X) where X = the number of critical sites the character is attuned to. The Narrator has more information on what counts as a critical site and how one can attune to it.

Experience points are awarded for the following activities:

If a player contributes a song to the session’s soundtrack, they receive one experience point.

If a player’s song is chosen as the session’s finale track, they receive an additional experience point.

If a player contributes to the overall sense of fun (including running their character in an entertaining manner, playing according to the intended tone of the game, and the like), they receive one experience point.

Critical Sites

In most BB3 campaigns, the PCs should start attuned to a single critical site. In most cases, this will be a retired cop car or other convenient vehicle. In addition to providing transportation and the normal benefits of a critical site, this vehicle will also have the special property that it has just enough room to carry all attuned characters and gear that it needs to at any given time, though they will likely be cramped.

Other critical sites include locations that are important to maintenance of the blues. Some examples include: the boiler room apartment of an old blues master, a corner diner in a run-down section of a blues town, an independent spiritual church or hidden-away concert hall. Note that finding a critical site is not sufficient to attune to it, nor is every potential site critical. For Blues Brothers or their allies to attune, they must have permission of the owners and spend a sufficient amount of time jamming in the location before attunement will occur.