Off The Force

Off The Force is the title of the sixteenth episode episode of Jarren's Outpost Hustle, a D&D Is For Nerds Adventure. It features Adam Carnevale as the Dungeon Master. The episode was released on 22nd August, 2017. The introductory soundbite is "Sanspants radio: I can feel it coming in the air tonight" spoken by Joel Zammit. The previous episode is Little Teaglaigh and the following one is Piss' Gambit.

Events

 * 1) Greg Piss casts charm person on Commander Toltan, who subsequently points out potential locations the Surefoots might be keeping the weapon at.
 * 2) Greg convinces Toltan that Leo and Periwinkle are not to be trusted.
 * 3) At the Little estate, Periwinkle asks Papa Littlelow for help.  Papa expresses a desire to destroy the weapon and gladly agrees to help save Graggia.
 * 4) The Littlelow company, armed, head back into town.
 * 5) Leo finds Flip Sham outside the Militia building, they go for a walk together.
 * 6) Toltan, still under Greg's charm spell, has it out with Periwinkle and makes him resign.  Periwinkle learns that Greg has escaped the vault.
 * 7) Periwinkle acquires the support of the B-Team.
 * 8) Flip Sham and Leo catch up, and they arrange a meeting between Irky Timbers and Periwinkle.
 * 9) Leo and Periwinkle discuss what to do about Greg Piss.

Players & Their Characters

 * Jackson Baly as Greg Piss
 * Joel Zammit as Leo Shadow
 * Handsome Tom as Periwinkle O'Rourke

NPCs

 * Commander Toltan
 * Saturday and Thursday T
 * Papa Littlelow
 * Little Little
 * Seth Little, esquire
 * Flip Sham
 * Goggles

Locations

 * Jarren's Outpost
 * Militia HQ
 * The Little Estate

Plot
Commander Toltan greets Greg outside Militia HQ, who asks to speak with him privately. They go into his office, passing the unconscious Thrusday T and Saturday. Toltan ushers the aides from the room, then leans his good arm against the desk; immediately, Greg successfully attempts to use the charm person spell upon him. The first thing Greg asks him is about the location of the weapon, and Toltan reveals it is with the Surefoots. He then fetches a map and points out Surefoot safehouses across the city to him, as well as implying that he believes the Surefoots would take the weapon to the safehouse in the gnomish district. To get there, they would need either to convince the gnomes to let them in, or they would have to find their way through the sewers. Greg tells Toltan he'll approach the gnomes, and Toltan gives him a magic weapon and three healing potions. The pair shake hands, and before he goes, Greg plants the seeds of suspicion in Toltan with regards to the trustworthiness of Leo and Periwinkle.

Leo and Periwinkle arrive at the estate, and are brought up to Papa Littlelow's office. He asks the pair what they need, and calls Little Little to fetch the family cleric. Periwinkle recognises the Little lawyer, a halfling he came across in court before. Leo updates Papa Littlelow on recent events. Papa reveals himself to be one-hundred-and-ninety years old, and tells the two of the time before gnomish gunpowder. He believes that things in Jarren's Outpost started going downhill when guns were first brought to this town. The cleric enters and heals the pair.

Papa Littlelow asks Periwinkle a few questions about his wife; how they met, and what she looks like. He assures Periwinkle that as the Surefoots turned business affairs into personal ones, they would get the weapon and Graggia back. He draws a rapier from under his desk and says, "let's go." The party and some twenty-five other halflings, all armed, leave the manor in carriages.

Back at Militia HQ, Flip Sham awaits Leo. She tells him she was wounded in the gnomes' attack on the docks, but was nursed back to health, and upon regaining consciousness she was told that Leo had been "knocking" - Leo walks away with her to talk in private. Periwinkle heads into Militia HQ alone to discover that the triage has been moved to the temple. None of his team are present but an aide asks him to see Toltan, so he enters the office. Periwinkle notices aloud that Commander Toltan has not had his wounds seen to, but Toltan retorts, "I'm feeling a greater pain right now". He turns to face Periwinkle, a look of disgust upon his face; unbeknown to Periwinkle, he remains under Greg's charm spell. After their argument, Periwinkle seems to figure it out. Regardless, Toltan demand's Periwinkle's resignation and he obliges; "If you're gonna take Greg Piss' word over mine then I don't want this fucking badge, and you can take this captaincy and shove it up your arse." He leaves with this speech:

"When this town is on fire and this dragon starts killing people again, you'll stand up here and look out your window in your fancy suit and you'll say, 'help me,' and I'll say, 'no.'"

Periwinkle attempts to gather his men. A runner returns to tell him that Ian has boarded himself up in his house and is refusing entry and exit, presumably to ensure the safety of Periwinkle's kids. Saturday and Thursday T are too heavily wounded to help. The B-Team (Colin, Goggles, Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday), however, have survived, and are available to assist him. Periwinkle finds them, and Goggles pledges allegiance despite Periwinkle's ostracising from the Militia. They're all in.

Leo and Flip Sham have a little make-out session before Leo updates her on everything, including the difficulty he had with Irky Timbers. Flip Sham mentions that, days before, Irky was robbed by "a crazed human and a halfling". She rolls her eyes at the notion of destroying the weapon, and advises Leo that the weapon is worth a lot of money - he tries to reason with her, and succeeds to an extent: she forces him to promise that he'll try to destroy the weapon, but she wants him to bring the weapon to the gnomes. She doubts the gnomes will parlez with the Littlelows, but they might get further with a captain of the Militia. Flip Sham also mentions the sighting of a were-rat. As she walks away, she proposes a meeting between Irky Timbers and Leo's militia captain at the wall that evening.

Leo's having a cigarette as Periwinkle regroups with him, and they catch up to speed, calculating that Greg Piss will be looking for the weapon in one of the Surefoot safehouses.

''Will they wait for reinforcements or check the strongholds now? Find out next time.''

Quotes

 * "When Piss works, he works." - Jackson Baly
 * "I smooshed Cottonsocks' face." - Periwinkle O'Rourke
 * "This gnomish weapon is an affront to everything I stand for. It must be destroyed." - Papa Littlelow
 * "Suck a dick, Piss." - Handsome Tom
 * "Are you a mole? Are you a fucking rat?" - Commander Toltan to Captain O'Rourke
 * "I want your badge, I want your sword, and I want your resignation." - Commander Toltan to Captain O'Rourke
 * "Fuck you, sir." - Periwinkle
 * "Greg Piss is out there Greg Piss-ing around." - Periwinkle

Trivia

 * Halflings mature at 20 and reach about 150 years of age.
 * The "hand over your badge and your sword" is a common law-enforcement trope.
 * Periwinkle's parting shot to Toltan is a variation on a speech in Watchmen.