0013 - Scene III – Clearing the Mines (1500 21 JUL 2000) – Part II

The dismount team moves forward. The East Germans will not roll for Observation, as they are prepared in their positions. The characters have 9 characters (Asset Mod. -9) and two vehicles (Asset Mod. -10) facing a group of 9 marauders (Asset Mod +9, total of -10). The asset cannot be reduced by more than half and Klasha has the highest observation with 15. This is reduced to 7. The task level is Difficult (x1) and the roll is 6. One of the novice NPCs moves and spoils the entire ambush. Klasha calls out a warning and combat breaks out.

Turn 1 – Initiative 5

Actions:

• Robinson will drop prone
• Potato will fire at Experienced East German marauder #2-1

Order of Actions:

• Robinson (Agl 7)
• Potato (Agl 4 - Bulk 5 = -1)

Play:

Robinson is the first to react and runs forward before dropping prone.

Potato fires three bursts from the L7 at the bunker, targeting Experienced East German marauder #2-1 behind his Vz-59. From his position behind the cab of Bud, the range is 235m (Long). The number of die are reduced by 6 per burst due to range. 

• [First Burst – Asset Level 16 – Impossible (x1/4) – Target Number 4 - Roll(s): 17,1,5,20] - 1 possible hit. The marauder is protected from the chest down, meaning all abdomen and leg hits will miss. The round takes the marauder in the right arm for 13 points of damage, knocking him down and giving him a slight wound.
• [Second Burst – Asset Level 16 – Impossible (x1/4) – Target Number 4 - Roll(s): 9,8,16,18] – No hits
• [First Burst – Asset Level 16 – Impossible (x1/4) – Target Number 4 - Roll(s): 8,5,11,18] – No hits

Novice East German marauder #2-2 is within the bunker but also within the danger zone. He will be subjected to a possible hit from 2 rounds per burst. The target number remains the same and he is also protected from the waist down. 

• [First Burst – Asset Level 16 – Impossible (x1/4) – Target Number 4 - Roll(s): 18,8] – No hits
• [Second Burst – Asset Level 16 – Impossible (x1/4) – Target Number 4 - Roll(s): 20,18] – No hits
• [Third Burst – Asset Level 16 – Impossible (x1/4) – Target Number 4 - Roll(s): 3,5] – One possible hit. The hit location is also the right arm for 11 points of damage. He is also knocked down and receives a slight wound. This reduces his initiative to 0, effectively taking him out of the fight as he cradles his wounded arm. We will not check for panic, as the NPC is out of the fight anyway. The marauder does not panic.
  

Turn 1 – Initiative 4

Actions:

• Veteran East German marauder #1-1 will bound forward and drop prone
• Griffin will goes prone and aim at Experienced East German marauder #1-2.
• Mitchell prepares to drive forward, if necessary. Mitchell is driving Bud.
• Macron will go prone takes aim at Novice East German marauder #1-4, lying prone to his front.
• Klasha will bound forward and go prone.

Order of Actions:

• Veteran East German marauder #1-1 (Agl 7)
• Griffin (Agl 6)
• Mitchell (Agl 5)
• Macron (Agl 4)
• Klasha (Agl 4)

Play:

Veteran East German marauder #1-1 bounds forward before dropping prone.

Griffin goes prone and aims at Experienced East German marauder #1-2.

Mitchell prepares to drive forward, if necessary. Mitchell is driving Bud.

Macron goes prone takes aim at Novice East German marauder #1-4, lying prone to his front.

Klasha bounds forward and goes prone.

Turn 1 – Initiative 3

Actions:

• Harris will drop prone and fire three rounds at Experienced East German marauder #1-2
• Experienced East German marauder #1-2 will fire at Klasha
• Experienced East German marauder #1-3 will fire at Harris

Order of actions:

• Experienced East German marauder #1-2 (Agl 6 – Bulk 5 = 1)
• Experienced East German marauder #1-3 (Agl 6 – Bulk 5 = 1)
• Harris (Agl 5 - Bulk 5 = 0)

Play:

Experienced East German marauder #1-2 drops prone and 2 bursts at Klasha with his RPK-74. The range is approximately 200m (Long) and the number of die are reduced by 6 per burst due to range. 

• [First Burst – Asset Level 11 – Impossible (x1/4) – Target Number 2 - Roll(s): 18,7,14,9] – No hits
• [Second Burst – Asset Level 11 – Impossible (x1/4) – Target Number 2 - Roll(s): 9,9,15,1] – 1 possible hit. Klasha is prone so any abdomen or leg hits will miss. Unfortunately, it is a head hit (1). Klasha has a steel helmet but the round does not hit it (5). Klasha takes 4 points of damage to her head. This results in a slight wound. She does not panic. She is tough, got to admit that. Unfortunately, she is stunned, which also results in her being knocked down.

Experienced East German marauder #1-3 fires two single rounds from his AK-74 at Harris. Unfortunately, Harris is still standing so he can be hit at any location. The range is 200m (Long). 

• [Firing at Harris – Asset Level 11 – Formidable (x1/2) – Target Number 5 - Roll(s): 10, 4] – 1 hit. The second round hits (4) Harris in the abdomen (5). He has a kevlar vest but still takes 11 + 1 (blunt trauma) = 12 points of damage. This results in a scratch wound but Harris is knocked down anyway and will miss his turn. Harris keeps a cool head and does not panic.
  

Turn 1 – Initiative 2

Actions:

• Marshall will aim the TOW at the bunker
• Logan will prepare to drive

Order of Actions:

• Marshall (Agl 5)
• Logan (Agl 5)

Play:

Marshall decides to go bunker busting and aims the TOW at the bunker.

Logan remains ready to drive Jerry, if necessary.

Turn 1 – Initiative 1

Actions:

• Novice East German marauder #1-4 will fire two rounds from his AK-74 at Harris
• Novice East German marauder #1-5 will fire two rounds from his AK-74 at Macron
• Novice East German marauder #1-6 will fire two rounds from his AK-74 at Klasha
• Novice East German marauder #3-1 will aim his SVD at Griffin

Order of Actions:

• Novice East German marauder #1-4 (Agl 6 - Bulk 5 = 1)
• Novice East German marauder #1-5 (Agl 6 - Bulk 5 = 1)
• Novice East German marauder #1-6 (Agl 6 - Bulk 5 = 1)
• Novice East German marauder #3-1 (Agl 6 )

Play:

Novice East German marauder #3-1 aims his SVD at Griffin.

Novice East German marauder #1-4 fires two rounds from his AK-47 at Harris. The distance is 205m (Extreme).

• [Firing at Harris – Asset Level 9 – Impossible (x1/4) – Target Number 2 - Roll(s): 6,2] – One possible hit. Harris is prone after being knocked down. Abdomen and leg hits will miss. The round hits his chest (4). Harris suffers 7 + 1 (blunt trauma) points of damage to his chest, resulting in a Scratch wound to his chest. Harris is already knocked down and we have checked for panic, so we need not check again.

Novice East German marauder #1-5 fires two rounds from his AK-74 at Macron. The range is 215m (Extreme)

• [Firing at Macron – Asset Level 9 – Impossible (x1/4) – Target Number 2 - Roll(s): 14, 4] – both rounds miss.

Novice East German marauder #1-6 fires two rounds from his AK-74 at Klasha. Klasha is currently prone. The distance is 195m (Long).

• [Firing at Klasha – Asset Level 9 – Formdiable (x1/2) – Target Number 4 - Roll(s): 20, 12] – both rounds miss.

At the end of the first turn, the Marauders have definitely bitten off more than they can chew. The casualty percentage is at 22%, meaning they will start to pull back.

Two characters are injured, Harris with two scratch wounds and Klasha with a slight wound to the heard. She is currently stunned.

0012 - Scene III – Clearing the Mines (1500 21 JUL 2000)

In the last scene, the team traveled to the site of the abandoned convoy. They observed the scene and set up an overwatch team and decided that the rest would approach the minefield before clearing the mines and recovering the vehicles. Now for the scene setup:

Clearing the Mines: The overwatch team will remain in place. The dismount team will accompany Harris forward and provide security. Harris will clear a 10m wide corridor for the vehicles by probing, marking and removing the mines. Once Harris is finished, the dismount team will recover the remaining trucks and bring them to the position of the dismounts.

Now it is time to check if the scene is modified. The current CR is 6, meaning the scene will be modified on a 6 or less. The gods of the die decide to make the roll a 5, resulting in an altered scene.

The most logical alteration would be that such a valuable resource such as the convoy is not unguarded. There are several trucks just sitting there, loaded with food. Someone, besides the characters, is gonna want part of it. To be sure, we can consult the GME:

GME Question: Is the convoy being guarded? - Likely – Chaos Rank 6 (85% chance of yes) – 29 – Yes.

GME Question: Are those guarding the convoy Soviets? - Very Unlikely (if they were, the Major would not need the help of the characters) – Chaos Rank 6 (50% chance of yes) – 95 – Exceptional No.

Ok, not even close to be Soviets. That leaves a few options open. The first being marauders, as they are everywhere at the moment due to the chaos of the recent fighting.

GME Question: Are those guarding the convoy Marauders? - Likely – Chaos Rank 6 (85% chance of yes) – 35 – Yes.

Now, how to interpret the Exceptional No in combination with the fact that the opposition are marauders. Maybe they are NATO troops.

GME Question: Are those marauders NATO troops? - Unlikely (the number of NATO troops in the area is limited but that does not mean that they cannot be marauders all the same) – Chaos Rank 6 (50% chance of yes) – 19 – Yes.

Now that is an interesting twist. Now we need some marauders. For that I will use my handy-dandy generation tool hack. It would help to know the nationality. For this, I use a table I created when I made my own modified encounter rules (NEVER THROW ANYTHING AWAY!!) 

Die (1d10)	Nationality
1	Canada
2	Denmark
3	Finland
4-5	United States
6-7	United Kingdom
8-9	Germany
10	Norway

The die says that they are German (9). On a roll of 1-3 (D6, of course), they are West German, otherwise they are East German. Again, the Gods of the Die decide East German. I generate the stats and set up my NPC Record Sheet.

Anyway, I knew I drew that bunker in for a reason, and I then add the map as a layer in OpenOffice (or LibreOffice, does not matter) Draw and then disable the layer to prevent me from accidentally moving it. Once the stats and the map are done, the shapes for the PCs and NPCs are added to the map. It is important to prevent their size from being changed, believe me. You will know when you move them.

So, everything is setup. We can assume the East Germans have prepared camouflaged fighting positions in advance and that the bunker is camouflaged as well.

The scene is modified so that the East Germans are waiting in ambush. The characters will move one trn and then be allowed to roll for Observation. The East Germans, ideally, will wait until the characters reach the edge of the minefield before opening fire. We can safely assume that they know the extent of the minefield.

0011 - Just a Note

Just a note on who I am. I like to play the game. I like the idea and many aspect of the games. Despite the wrath I might call upon myself by saying this, but I like the ruleset too. I am a dedicated player.

What I am not, however, is a gear head. Yes, you can argue the virtues of this weapon system or that piece of night vision, that is your individual freedom and I respect that. I will not do so, as I believe that there is more fun to be had playing the game instead of arguing that the range of this is too short or that vehicle should have the pan-galatic gargleblaster Mk V mounted on the commander's cupola. If that is your thing, I encourage you to chase your interests.

My experience is that game is playable as is and all the fancy doo-dads do not add to the game. Instead, I like to see the game as a military adventure novel and not as a full combat simulation. My military experience sometimes results in my cringing at the passage in a book I may read, telling myself that that is just not realistic. It does not, however, detract from my enjoyment of the book.

0010 - Scene II – Traveling to the Convoy (1400 21 JUL 2000)

In the second scene, we can assume the characters have a general location of the convoy. We also know that the convoy was abandoned in a minefield from the setup in the previous scene. Knowing what we know, we can setup the scene.

Traveling to the convoy: The characters will travel to the convoy location and attempt to recover the food. They are worried about an ambush and will observe the area before approaching the minefield after setting an overwatch.

Now that we have our scene setup, we can see if it plays out as we imagined. This is the part where a higher CR has an influence. In order for the scene to play out as we planned, we have to roll greater than six on a D10, otherwise the scene will be modified or interrupted. Luckily, we roll a 10 and the scene play out as we expected.

The group arrives at the location of the stranded convoy. Now we need a map of the area. Being old school, I will draw this by hand.

You do not need to try to rival the great masters when you make your maps. Instead, a few simple lines are enough. I set the scale at 5m because this fits best to the coming task of finding and marking mines as defined in the rules.

The convoy is located in a shallow valley. Three bands of plowed earth cross a road that divides the map. Located in the plowed earth are anti-tank mines, with one having a mix of AT and AP mines. A couple bands of AP mines exist on the flanks and a directional mine with tripwire has been set up to make the mix interesting.

Two vehicles have triggered mines and are damaged. It is now the question, to what extent. Let us assume that the vehicles are trucks and each triggered a generic AT mine. First, I want to determine the type of truck and to do so, I whip up a quick table:

1-3 - ¾ ton truck

4-6 – 2 ½ ton truck

7-9 – 5-Ton truck

10 – 10 ton truck

The first truck is a 2 ½ ton truck (5) and the second is a ¾ ton truck (1). The mine in question is a generic AT mine, for which we will use the stats of the M15 (C: 22, B:22, Pen: 30C).

The first mine has a final penetration of 30 + 9 = 39. The suspension of the 2 ½ ton truck has a suspension value of W (3). Six points of penetration are used disabling the vehicle. The remainder of the damage (33) penetrates the armor (rear armor value = 1), resulting in one major hit. The major hit is Fuel (3). The remaining damage (33) is the percentage of fuel destroyed (33%) and is also the chance that the vehicle catches fire. The vehicle did not catch fire (96%) but the suspension is destroyed and the vehicle is immobilized.

It is a similar situation with the second truck, the 3/4-ton truck. The second mine has a final penetration of 30 + 8 = 38. The suspension of the 3/4-ton truck has a suspension value of W (2). Four points of penetration are used disabling the vehicle. The remainder of the damage (34) penetrates the armor (rear armor value = 1), resulting in one major hit. The major hit is Fuel (4). The remaining damage (34) is the percentage of fuel destroyed (34%) and is also the chance that the vehicle catches fire. The vehicle did not catch fire (65%) but the suspension is destroyed and the vehicle is immobilized.

We can assume that the rest of the vehicles were abandoned in the chaos of battle after the first and last vehicles were disabled. It is also save to assume that the crew could interpret the destruction of the vehicles as the beginning of an ambush and then they decided to use their own discretion and run for the hills. Regardless of the reason why, the group has found the abandoned vehicles.

Now the team can prepare to approach the convoy. The two vehicles will remain in overwatch and the rest of the team will dismount, with most of the team members providing security for Harris, who will attempt to clear a path to the trucks and back. If possible, the mines will also be recovered.

Mitchell and Potato will remain in Bud with Potato manning the one of the L7s. Logan and Marshall will remain in Jerry, with Marshall on the TOW.

Nothing really happened here, so the Chaos Rank will not be changed. We can add a new location to our lists (Abandoned Convoy).

0009B - Scene I – Entering Sieradz (1000 21 JUL 2000) – Part 2

Once again, the characters are point guns at someone who returns in kind. The persuasion roll went bad and produced the exact opposite reaction.

[

The dismount team gripped their weapons a little tighter and prepared to drop prone at the first sign of a hostile move. Klasha heard Harris and Potato shift in the bed of the truck as the brought the L7s to bear. Things had definitely gotten a little tense.

]

Now would be a good time for the major to enter before someone gets hurt.

[

“STAND DOWN!” bellows a voice in Russian from behind the barrier. A heads turn to see an overweight, balding Russian major approaching the barrier from the city. Being overweight these days is a feat that borders on a miracle.

Weapons are lowered and safeties click back into place. The major passes the barricade and moves to stand between both groups before addressing the LT: “Femerov, report my location to the headquarters”. The LT gives a deadly stare to Klasha before abruptly turning on his heel and stomping off behind the barricade.

]

Time to update our lists. We now know the LT to be called Femerov. We should also keep the grudge he has against Klasha in the back of our minds. There is a possible plot line here and we will add it as a thread.

Side note: of course you can do everything without the scene descriptions but they do make things more interesting. If you were playing face-to-face, the GM would add the descriptions too so there is no reason to skimp because you are playing solo. Now, back to the Major. First a rule roll:

Rule Roll: {Communicate in a given language (Difficult x1) against an average of the language skills – Klasha 14, Major 14, average 14.5, rounded to 15. Roll: 8 - Pass}

The two will have no problems communicating.

[

“I am Major R. B. Bologov, commander of the glorious Soviet forces defending this bastion of freedom against Western aggression. I understand that you would like to journey through the town. It is my duty to protect the innocent people of this town and my men. You may pass, but you will not pass for free.”

A small smirk crossed Klasha’s face while a short laugh bubbled out of Potato’s throat. “Just what exactly, are you expecting in return, Major? We are traveling light and do not have a lot of trade goods.”

“The people of the town require food. Give them food and I am sure they will agree to let you use their street.” The major spoke in a business like manner, all the while eyeing Potato.

]

The characters have food but are unwilling to trade it, as they need it themselves. Maybe the Major would be interested in something else.

[

“We have no food to trade, but we can trade weapons and ammunition. We have some extras”, Klasha offers with her best poker face.

]

The persuasion roll will be set at formidable since the major really wants something else.

Rule Roll: {Persuade the Major to trade for weapons (Formidable x1/2) against Persuasion 8. Roll: 20 – Catastrophic Failure}

Again, things worked out spectacularly opposite of how they should have.

[

“Food or you will not pass!”. The Major raises his hand and the familiar sound of safeties fills the air again. He stands there for a few seconds, before slowly lowering his arm again. “I do know where food is. If you can recover it, you may pass. My men are too wide spread to recover the food and the people here are desperate”.

]

Here is the hook. The characters can choose or refuse the offer. Being an experienced player, I know the discussion would start and very likely end with the characters coming to the conclusion that they may be able to keep part of the recovered food for themselves. The characters would then accept the mission/offer. The characters here will also accept the mission.

[

“Keep talking, you have our attention”, Klasha motions for the major to continue as the others relax a bit.

]

The hook is set, we can continue. We can make the assumption that the Major explains the details, such as location, opposition, etc. This is not really important at the moment. It is important that we have the hook and a general goal for this thread.

In our list, we will add a new thread “Travelling to the Convoy”, as that is the next logical step in the adventure. We can close the thread “Entering Sieradz”, which we used to start the adventure. We have another NPC (Major R. B. Bologov) for our list.

The characters blew two rolls rather badly. We cannot really say that they had the scene under control, so we will increase the Chaos Rank to 6.

As as side note: we have put a lot of effort into Lt. Femerov and with his aversion to Klasha, it would be worth the additional effort to create a detailed NPC record for both him and the major. The record should contain not only the stats, equipment and motivation, but also what the characters know about the NPC and when and where the characters have seen the NPC. You never know when we may see the good lieutenant again.

0009 - Scene I – Entering Sieradz (1000 21 JUL 2000) – Part 1

This is the opening scene and will serve as the beginning of the adventure. In our scene setup, we try to describe, based on logic and what has happened previously, we try to make a logical scene, describing what we believe will take place: this is our scene setup:

Entering Sieradz: The characters approach Sieradz with caution. They contact the unit in Sieradz, wishing simply to pass through. The lieutenant at the gate attempts to convince them to meet with the major, who may have something interesting for them.

Now we see if the scene is modified. Modified means that the scene can either be altered or interrupted. Altered means that the scene does not take place quite the way we planned. Interrupted is like having a random event that destroys your plans.

We roll a D10. If the number is greater than the Chaos Rank (CR), everything goes as planned, otherwise the scene is modified. If the roll is uneven, the scene is altered; if the roll is even, the scene is interrupted. The roll is 3, resulting in an altered scene.

An altered scene should also follow some form of logic. If we are not sure, we can think about what might be a logical change and then ask the GME Fate Table. The logical change would be that the major is at or approaching the barricade instead of the characters being asked to visit the major. That is what we will go with. Now we can start with the scene.

[

Griffin, Macron, Klasha and Robinson dismount and form a rough line in front of Bud. Klasha steps forward and addresses the lieutenant in Russian: “We just want to pass through. We do not want any trouble”.

]

Now we need a detailed NPC so we can check to see if they understand the group. I present our Lieutenant:

Elite soviet soldier #1-1 (Barricade Lieuteant)
(Initiative: 5, Attributes: 8, Assets: 15, UCD: 5)

Motivation:
-----------------------------------------------------
Moderately violent: The NPC is aggressive and inclined to view violence as the preferred means of resolving disputes.

Moderately ambitious: The NPC will wish to be in a position of real responsibility in an organization.

Hits:
OOOOO OOOOO OOOOO OOOOO -1 Initiative
OOOOO OOOOO OOOOO OOOOO -2 Initiative
Note: initiative modifiers are cumulative.

Main Weapon: AKR with 4 magazine(s)/belt(s) and 20 loose rounds
Melee Weapon: Hatchet
Grenades: HC Smoke Grenade []
Equipment: Fatigues, Kevlar Helmet, Pack, Gas Mask, Combat Webbing, Personal Medkit, Sleeping Bag
Food: 1kg of Domestic Food and 3kg of Wild Food

Rule Roll: {Communicate in a given language (Difficult x1) against an average of the language skills – Klasha 14, LT 14, average 14.5, rounded to 15. Roll: 15 - Pass}

Back to the scene.

[

The LT scrutinizes the group a bit before replying: “You could attack us after passing the barrier. I would prefer you go around the city.”

Klasha considers his words before replying: “Going around wound mean us backtracking the way we came and wasting a lot of time and fuel. You have to understand it would be better for us to pass through.

]

Klasha will attempt to persuade the LT to change his mind.

Rule Roll: {Persuade the LT to let the group pass (Formidable x1/2) against Persuasion 8. Roll: 15 – Catastrophic Failure}

Given the current situation and the motivation of the LT, things just went south.

[

The LT eyes go small as he fixes Klasha with a steely stare. It would seem that he is not used to his orders not being followed immediately. “I told you to go around and you will do so NOW!”

His AKR swings easily from behind his back. As he moves, the sound of safeties being removed is clear in the morning air.

]

0008 - Food for Sieradz – The Adventure

Now that the preparations are finished, we can start the adventure. The adventure will move through scenes. Every scene should have something to do with the adventure. Scenes where nothing relevant would happened can simply be skipped. The goal is not to produce a document to rival War and Peace, but to have fun. If it does not help or influence the story, skip it (exceptions being random encounters, of course)

I have prepared my adventure heading and lists. The lists are updated when new threads or NPCs appear or a new location is “discovered”.

Then we move to the first scene setup. This scene represents the characters approaching the barricade.

0007 - Food for Sieradz - Adventure Setup

Now that we have the hook, we can begin to construct the adventure. We know that the major knows where the food is and that he will want it recovered for the town. The question remains about what he can offer the characters. Considering the situation and Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, he can most likely offer something to cover their physiological and safety needs. In the current situation, that would be shelter and relative safety. Assuming they are successful, he could offer some food, but that is dependent on the situation. The aspect of shelter and safety is probably only temporary, as the Warsaw Pact forces will reorganize and continue to search for stragglers.

The mission and rewards: recover the food and in return the characters may rest, refuel and trade in the town for a short time.

Now we need some kind of resistance is also needed, otherwise it is a walk in the park. The characters have had a lot of combat in the past few days, so it should not be a direct confrontation. That would leave two other options; some physical impediment (mired in mud, blown bridge, etc.) or something involving the war. I choose the second and I believe it would be interesting if the convoy was stuck in a previously unmarked minefield.

The opposition: the convoy was abandoned in an anti-vehicle minefield. Most of vehicles are believed intact.

A narrative as preparation for the following scene:

We were following a wide road, headed East. When we topped a rise and saw Sieradz for the first time, Mitchell slammed on the brakes. Lookin’ past Bud, I saw why. Hull down behind berms, I could identify no less than two T-80s. The pucker factor increased immensely.

I swung the TOW around and was determined to take at least one with us but then something interesting happened: absolutely nothing happened. We had been on the run for a few days and had more than our share of run-ins with the Whiskey Pete troops but these seemed reluctant to engage. We waited twenty minutes with them watching us and us doing the same.

After it became almost certain that no one was going to die that day, we decided to roll slowly toward the town. Just outside the town limits, a makeshift barricade blocked the road. In front of the barricade, a tired lookin’ Russian lieutenant leaned on the barricade as we approached.

Mitchell stopped a good 50m from the barricade, behind which I saw about ten troopers. They looked rather roughly handled and I kind of smirked when I thought about why. We definitely gave out better than we got. Still, that was ancient history now.

Now, apparently, the LT wanted to talk. He ambled over slowly, stepping carefully with his right leg, the white bandage showing through the hole in his uniform trousers. He gave Potato a really dirty look before addressing Griffin in English: “No one shoot today. We talk.”

0006 - Sieradz, Poland - Approaching the Town

The characters have arrived on the outskirts of Sieradz, Poland. Sieradz is a town and a roll of the dice puts he population at about 4500. The militia strength is about 450. The description in Escape from Kalisz puts say that they are mostly armed with assault rifles. The settlement attitude is suspicious and the local government is a popular council and the city is currently suffering from a lack of food. The food was taken by the Soviets when they moved through the town. Therefore, the settlement crisis is set at Food shortage. This information is gained from the rulebook and the Escape from Kalisz (EfK) adventure.

There is a large group (ca. 200) of stragglers in the town lead by Major R. B. Bologov. The major arrived in town the day after 1st Brigade, 5ID destroyed the Soviet 124th Motorized Rifle Division, so we will assume that is his unit of origin. From the description in EfK, we know the major has been busy restoring order and reorganizing the troops as they wander into town. We also know, beyond the three T-80s (two of which are broken down), we know the Soviets lack both personal and heavy weapons. We also know that the major hopes that the T-80s will be enough to keep out any large American units.

In order to add more detail to the Major, we roll his motivation. The roll gives his motivation as:

• Primary Motivation - Generous: The character is generous to a fault and will gladly give away anything he has to someone in need, even if this leaves him with nothing. In less extreme cases, he will be inclined to make very generous trades and will always refuse payment for help with a task other than one directly related to his normal livelihood.
  
• Secondary Motivation - Moderately sociable: The NPC will have a strong sense of duty and loyalty to the group he belongs to.

Using all of this information, we can created a picture of the current situation in Sieradz. This is, of course, my interpretation and yours may be different.

The town is desperate for food and the population, combined with the major’s men need to find a solution for the problem until harvest time comes. The major wants to help and feels slightly responsible for the situation, as his unit took the remaining food in the town.

The major will try to avoid a conflict, as he knows his men are not equipped for the struggle and he would be willing to strike a deal for food. The towns people may be a little reserved but would also be open to contact.

Now it is time to interpret what we know with a little help from the GME.

• GME Questions:

1. Will the Soviets open fire upon contact? - Very Unlikely – Chaos Rank 5 (25% chance of yes) – 71 – No.
   
2. Will the Soviets seek contact with someone approaching the town? - 50/50 – Chaos Rank 5 (50% chance of yes) – 31 – Yes.
   
3. Will the major be willing to make a deal in order to secure food for the town? - Very Likely – Chaos Rank 5 (85% chance of yes) – 62 – Yes.
   
4. Does the major know where food may be found? - Somewhat likely – Chaos Rank 5 (65% chance of yes) – 27 – Yes.

With these few questions we now have a hook. The town is desperate for food. The major knows where food is and is willing to make a deal. We have a few details about the town and a major NPC.

0005 - Starting Equipment

Starting equipment is a big issue. Too much and it is too easy. Too little and someone is going to die, one way or another.

I have tried both. In my current campaign, I have used the rules as published as far as starting equipment goes. After character creation, I had a lot of cash to by equipment with. I stocked up on guns, ammo, beans and bullets.

After a few encounters, most of the heavy weapons the group purchased are now damaged and need parts to be repaired. As Mr. Murphy is a constant travelling companion, we of course have no parts. Now they are just expensive paper weights in the back.

The group has, of course, looted anything not tied down and they do have an undamaged TOW launcher that they bought at the beginning so there is a good chance they will survive the next encounter. Still, majorly disappointed now that the M2 is in the shop.

Another alternative is to limited the scope of equipment the characters can purchase. I have done this in some games by dividing the starting money by 10. This forces one to really consider what they buy. This raises the challenge bar a little.

Raising the challenge bar even higher can be done by a) NOT giving the characters initial starting vehicles and b) reducing their basic load. Not giving them vehicles is the easiest solution but has a great impact. It reduces their mobility and carrying capacity. Everything they was to carry has to be carried on their backs and fatique really becomes a problem. Well, we can buy 10 cases of 40mm for the Mk-19 but who is going to carry it or the Mk-19 for the matter.

I have also implemented random rolls for starting equipment and ammunition. This has a huge impact, even if the impact is not apparent at the beginning. When winter comes and you do not have the thermal fatiques, you are going to notice.

Here are a collection of my "house rules" on equipment:

Personal Weapons

Each character receives on personal weapon. This must be taken from the relevant personal weapon list from the character's country. No substitutions may be made. Officers and vehicle crewmen do not automatically receive a pistol. They must take a pistol as a personal weapon if they wish to have a pistol. Alternatively, they may purchase one during the equipment purchase part of character generation.

The characters automatically receive the two magazines for pistols and magazine-fed weapons and one belt for belt-fed weapons. If a weapon is capable of using both magazines and belts, the character may choose which he would like to receive. In addition, the character receives two fragmentation grenades.

Additional ammunition and grenades may be rolled for on the table below:

D10 Roll	Pistols	Magazine-Fed Weapons	Belt-Fed Weapons
1	Three magazines, two fragmentation grenades, two smoke grenades	Four magazines, two fragmentation grenades, two smoke grenades	Two belts, two fragmentation grenades, two smoke grenades
2	Three magazines, one fragmentation grenade, one smoke grenade	Three magazines, one fragmentation grenade, one smoke grenade	Two belts, one fragmentation grenade, one smoke grenade
3	Two magazines, one fragmentation grenade, one smoke grenade	Three magazines, one fragmentation grenade, one smoke grenade	One belt, one fragmentation grenade, one smoke grenade
4	Two magazines, one fragmentation grenade	Two magazines, one fragmentation grenade	One belt, one fragmentation grenade
5	One magazine	One magazine	No additional ammunition
6	One magazine, one fragmentation grenade	One magazine, one fragmentation grenade	One fragmentation grenade
7	Two magazines, one fragmentation grenade	Two magazines, one fragmentation grenade	One belt, one fragmentation grenade
8	Two magazines, one fragmentation grenade, one smoke grenade	Three magazines, one fragmentation grenade, one smoke grenade	One belt, one fragmentation grenade, one smoke grenade
9	Three magazines, one fragmentation grenade, one smoke grenade	Three magazines, one fragmentation grenade, one smoke grenade	Two belts, one fragmentation grenade, one smoke grenade
0	Three magazines, two fragmentation grenades, two smoke grenades	Four magazines, two fragmentation grenades, two smoke grenades	Two belts, two fragmentation grenades, two smoke grenades

Characters also receive loose rounds equivalent to the capacity of all the magazines they possess. The rounds should be totaled for the group and rounded down to the nearest case or belt..

Although this may seem harsh, remember that the characters are escaping from a unit that has been overrun. It is very improbable, that they escaped with a full load of ammunition.

Starting Equipment

The equipment a character receives automatically during character generation is determined on the table below:

Equipment	Weight / kg	Availability	Notes
Fatigues	4	Automatically
Steel Helmet	1	70%	American characters may take a Kevlar helmet, if available. The character must choose if both are available.
Kevlar / Ballistic Nylon Helmet	0.5	40%	American characters only
Kevlar / Ballistic Nylon Vest	4	40%	American characters only
Pack	2	Automatically
Shelter Half	1	70%
Gas Mask	1	Automatically
Combat Webbing	2	Automatically
Bayonet	0.25	70%
Sleeping Bag	4	70%
Flashlight	0.2	70%
Personal Medkit	0.2	70%
Thermal Fatiques	6	40%

This may also seem harsh but the premise remains, that the characters are trying to escape with their lives and may be forced to abandon equipment during their flight.

Starting Equipment Allowance

Each enlisted soldier and non-commissioned office (NCO) receives $500 per active military term. Officers receive $1000 per active military term. The money must be used to purchase equipment and no funds may be taken in the form of gold or other valuable commodities.

Gold Coins

Characters may take up to 10% of their equipment allowance as gold coins. Each coin weighs 10grams (0.01kg) and has a standard value of $50.

Starting Fuel & Ammunition for Vehicles

Like the characters, the vehicles the will never posses full loads of fuel and ammunition at the beginning of the game. The rational here is similar to that of the character equipment, namely that the characters are on the run after their division was overrun. During that last fight they will have been forced to expend fuel and ammunition. They may have also been unable to draw fuel and ammunition before the attack started.

Fuel: at the beginning of the game, the vehicles haven 30-80% (1d6 * 10% + 20%, round down) of their internal fuel capacity. Fuel purchased during the equipment purchased and stored in jerrycans or trailers are unaffected by this rule. Roll separately for each vehicle in the group.

Ammunition: vehicles have 30-80% (1d6 * 10% + 20%, round down) of their listed ammunition on board at the beginning of the game. Only weapons listed on the vehicle card are affected by this rules. Weapons (and ammunition) purchased during the equipment purchases are not affected. Roll separately for each weapon system on the vehicle.