0048 - Recovering the OT-64 - Part I

1415 25 JUL 2000
=============
"We rolled up on the town as we usually did. I remember before the war, when we went on manuevers, you approached each town in a relaxed manner. The hatches were open, people were out in the sun, smokin' and jokin'. Not any more. When you roll up, you roll up like some may open fire on you because they just might. We rolled up on the town locked and loaded with weapons free.

Just before we reached the outskirts, two ORMO with a death wish stood in the road and waved us off to a side street on the right. Although there were signs of vehicles passing, it definitely was not the main route. Potato drew a bead on him but the convoy leader old Mr. Majkowski had assigned us seemed OK with it and waved off to the right too. It may be alright or it might not. Just in case this was an elaborate trap, Harris moved the barrel of his L7 in the direction of the convoy leader.

Finally after about 200m, the convoy leader waved us off into the parking lot of an old restaraunt. Large trees covered the parking lot and their branches kept out the sun. At least we could have a firefight in a nice place for once. No low crawlin' through the mud today. There were some more ORMO at the back of the parkin' lot and we pulled up in front of them. They seemed relaxed and were still at should arms, but I was pretty sure who the first two casualities would be if the fireworks started.

The convoy leader dismounted and signalled Klasha and Harris to follow him. They spent a few minutes jabberin' with them and the look of disbelief or suspicion on the major's did not make anyone feel better. Griff dismounted with Macron and the two moved nonchanatly off to the right, lookin' for a good position. Thankfully no one got any extra holes in them that day and the two came back from their impromptu meeting of the minds and let us know what the deal was. While we were discussin', the ORMO and the convoy moved off and left us to our discussion.

Harris told us there were Russians in the town and that the town council had asked that we stay out of their sight. It would be bad for business if we were to meet up appearently. The town council would be willing to put us up and keep the Russians occupied if we would assist them in locating some of their people. Since today was appearently "Help a Commie Day", the group decided to at least hear the proposal."

As detailed in the last post, the town council will relate the events leading up to the point where they lost contact with the mechanic and his team, They will request that the characters recover the mechanic and assist in the recovery of the items he was originally sent to recover. In return, the town is willing to offer shelter for the team for a period of up to three days.

Looking at it from the perspective of a NATO refugee stuck in the middle of Poland, it is not a bad deal, but could it get better. The group has a lot of odds and ends that they may want to trade. Since the tiown seems to be have a booming business going on, maybe the town would let them trade a bit too.

[GME: Will the town council give the characters access to the markets so the can do some trading before they leave - Chaos Rank 5 - Likely (75%) - 91% - No]

Now that is a surprise. Although this probably would lead to a rapid escalation, we can also use it as a carrot. The town council is not willing to let the characters access the market before they leave, BUT the are willing to give them free access after they return. First the work, then the pleasure.

Despite the set back, the deal is not bad. The characters willl take the deal and agree to find the missing mechanic. The town council will give the characters the location of where the mechanic was planning to go as well as the name and description of the mechanic. The characters agree to leave in the morning.

Before they leave, however, I can do a little record keeping (what would T2K be without it). The bullets, gas and beans used previously have to be removed as well as the medical supplies used to treat the wounded from our last encounter. Poor Klasha, that is definitely going to leave a scar.

The scratch wounds are gone. Griffin recovers from the slight wound to the left arm he recieved on the 22nd. Harris recovers from the slight wound to his chest, as does Macron. Currently, the only two wounded in the group are Harris and Klasha, both with a serious wound to the head. Pain meds are passed out and wounds dressed. Now we just need to wait.

Note on wounds: since my character sheets are in OpenOffice calc, I add comments to the wound boxes when the wound took place. This helps me track the progress. When the wound is healed, the comment can be deleted. Just a hack that some may find useful.

Now to determine the real situation. In the last post, we gave several alternatives for the scenario. I roll one D6 and determine that the mechanic and his party have been attacked (roll 2) and been captured (roll 6). I roll a group encounter to who attacked them and come up with Primitives. Oh, this got interesting.

Generally, primitives are a hard encounter for a referee (just my opinion, of course). The parties are generally well-armed and the primitieve are not. A straight out fight will not go well, so we need stealth. A single unit of primitives will also not be a challenge, so I roll three different group and combine them. I come up with the following:

• Encounter: Primitives unit with primitives. (Observation 12)
• ========================================================
• Veteran Polish primitive #1
• (Initiative: 4, Attributes: 7, Assets: 13, UCD: 4)
• 
  
• Motivation:
• -----------------------------------------------------
• Murderous: The NPC either has committed murder or is planning a murder. Murder in this sense does not mean a simple killing, rather means the secret and intentional killing of an acquaintance for reasons of personal gain. Although the world is a very violent place in the year 2000, murder is still rare.
• 
  
• Moderately violent: The NPC is aggressive and inclined to view violence as the preferred means of resolving disputes.
• 
  
• Hits:
• OOOOO OOOOO OOOOO OOOOO -1 Initiative
• OOOOO OOOOO OOOOO OOOOO -2 Initiative
• Note: initiative modifiers are culmulative.
• 
  
• Main Weapon: .38 Special Snubnose with 4 magazine(s)/belt(s) and 20 loose rounds
• 
  
• Food: 1kg of Wild Food
• 
  
• *****************************************************
• Veteran Polish primitive #2
• (Initiative: 4, Attributes: 7, Assets: 13, UCD: 4)
• 
  
• Hits:
• OOOOO OOOOO OOOOO OOOOO -1 Initiative
• OOOOO OOOOO OOOOO OOOOO -2 Initiative
• Note: initiative modifiers are culmulative.
• 
  
• Main Weapon: M9 with 2 magazine(s)/belt(s) and 20 loose rounds
• 
  
• Food: 10kg of MREs
• 
  
• *****************************************************
• Veteran Polish primitive #3
• (Initiative: 4, Attributes: 7, Assets: 13, UCD: 4)
• 
  
• Hits:
• OOOOO OOOOO OOOOO OOOOO -1 Initiative
• OOOOO OOOOO OOOOO OOOOO -2 Initiative
• Note: initiative modifiers are culmulative.
• 
  
• Main Weapon: .22 Automatic with 5 magazine(s)/belt(s) and 20 loose rounds
• 
  
• Food: 5kg of MREs
• 
  
• *****************************************************
• Experienced Polish primitive #4
• (Initiative: 3, Attributes: 6, Assets: 11, UCD: 3)
• 
  
• Hits:
• OOOOO OOOOO OOOOO OOOOO -1 Initiative
• OOOOO OOOOO OOOOO OOOOO -2 Initiative
• Note: initiative modifiers are culmulative.
• 
  
• Main Weapon: Hatchet
• 
  
• Food: 1kg of Domestic Food and 1kg of Soviet Field Rations
• 
  
• *****************************************************
• Experienced Polish primitive #5
• (Initiative: 3, Attributes: 6, Assets: 11, UCD: 3)
• 
  
• Hits:
• OOOOO OOOOO OOOOO OOOOO -1 Initiative
• OOOOO OOOOO OOOOO OOOOO -2 Initiative
• Note: initiative modifiers are culmulative.
• 
  
• Main Weapon: Club
• 
  
• Food: 8kg of MREs
• 
  
• *****************************************************
• Experienced Polish primitive #6
• (Initiative: 3, Attributes: 6, Assets: 11, UCD: 3)
• 
  
• Hits:
• OOOOO OOOOO OOOOO OOOOO -1 Initiative
• OOOOO OOOOO OOOOO OOOOO -2 Initiative
• Note: initiative modifiers are culmulative.
• 
  
• Main Weapon: Spear
• 
  
• Food: 4kg of Wild Food
• 
  
• *****************************************************
• Experienced Polish primitive #7
• (Initiative: 3, Attributes: 6, Assets: 11, UCD: 3)
• 
  
• Hits:
• OOOOO OOOOO OOOOO OOOOO -1 Initiative
• OOOOO OOOOO OOOOO OOOOO -2 Initiative
• Note: initiative modifiers are culmulative.
• 
  
• Main Weapon: Spear
• 
  
• Food: 2kg of MREs
• 
  
• *****************************************************
• Novice Polish primitive #8
• (Initiative: 1, Attributes: 6, Assets: 9, UCD: 1)
• 
  
• Hits:
• OOOOO OOOOO OOOOO OOOOO -1 Initiative
• OOOOO OOOOO OOOOO OOOOO -2 Initiative
• Note: initiative modifiers are culmulative.
• 
  
• Main Weapon: Spear
• 
  
• Food: 2kg of Domestic Food and 4kg of MREs
• 
  
• *****************************************************
• Novice Polish primitive #9
• (Initiative: 1, Attributes: 6, Assets: 9, UCD: 1)
• 
  
• Hits:
• OOOOO OOOOO OOOOO OOOOO -1 Initiative
• OOOOO OOOOO OOOOO OOOOO -2 Initiative
• Note: initiative modifiers are culmulative.
• 
  
• Main Weapon: Hatchet
• 
  
• Food: 1kg of Domestic Food and 2kg of MREs
• 
  
• *****************************************************
• Novice Polish primitive #10
• (Initiative: 1, Attributes: 6, Assets: 9, UCD: 1)
• 
  
• Hits:
• OOOOO OOOOO OOOOO OOOOO -1 Initiative
• OOOOO OOOOO OOOOO OOOOO -2 Initiative
• Note: initiative modifiers are culmulative.
• 
  
• Main Weapon: Spear
• 
  
• Food: 1kg of Wild Food and 4kg of Soviet Field Rations
• 
  
• *****************************************************
• Novice Polish primitive #11
• (Initiative: 1, Attributes: 6, Assets: 9, UCD: 1)
• 
  
• Hits:
• OOOOO OOOOO OOOOO OOOOO -1 Initiative
• OOOOO OOOOO OOOOO OOOOO -2 Initiative
• Note: initiative modifiers are culmulative.
• 
  
• Main Weapon: Spear
• 
  
• *****************************************************
• Novice Polish primitive #12
• (Initiative: 1, Attributes: 6, Assets: 9, UCD: 1)
• 
  
• Hits:
• OOOOO OOOOO OOOOO OOOOO -1 Initiative
• OOOOO OOOOO OOOOO OOOOO -2 Initiative
• Note: initiative modifiers are culmulative.
• 
  
• Main Weapon: Spear
• 
  
• Food: 2kg of Domestic Food and 2kg of MREs
• 
  
• *****************************************************
• Novice Polish primitive #13
• (Initiative: 1, Attributes: 6, Assets: 9, UCD: 1)
• 
  
• Hits:
• OOOOO OOOOO OOOOO OOOOO -1 Initiative
• OOOOO OOOOO OOOOO OOOOO -2 Initiative
• Note: initiative modifiers are culmulative.
• 
  
• Main Weapon: Longbow with 11 arrows/bolts
• 
  
• Food: 2kg of Wild Food and 4kg of Soviet Field Rations
• 
  
• *****************************************************
• Novice Polish primitive #14
• (Initiative: 1, Attributes: 6, Assets: 9, UCD: 1)
• 
  
• Hits:
• OOOOO OOOOO OOOOO OOOOO -1 Initiative
• OOOOO OOOOO OOOOO OOOOO -2 Initiative
• Note: initiative modifiers are culmulative.
• 
  
• Main Weapon: Spear
• 
  
• Food: 1kg of Wild Food
• 
  
• *****************************************************
• Novice Polish primitive #15
• (Initiative: 1, Attributes: 6, Assets: 9, UCD: 1)
• 
  
• Hits:
• OOOOO OOOOO OOOOO OOOOO -1 Initiative
• OOOOO OOOOO OOOOO OOOOO -2 Initiative
• Note: initiative modifiers are culmulative.
• 
  
• Main Weapon: Spear
• 
  
• Food: 4kg of Domestic Food
• 
  
• *****************************************************
• Novice Polish primitive #16
• (Initiative: 1, Attributes: 6, Assets: 9, UCD: 1)
• 
  
• Hits:
• OOOOO OOOOO OOOOO OOOOO -1 Initiative
• OOOOO OOOOO OOOOO OOOOO -2 Initiative
• Note: initiative modifiers are culmulative.
• 
  
• Main Weapon: Club
• 
  
• Main Weapon: Spear
• 
  
• Food: 2kg of Domestic Food and 1kg of MREs
• 
  
• *****************************************************
• Novice Polish primitive #17
• (Initiative: 1, Attributes: 6, Assets: 9, UCD: 1)
• 
  
• Hits:
• OOOOO OOOOO OOOOO OOOOO -1 Initiative
• OOOOO OOOOO OOOOO OOOOO -2 Initiative
• Note: initiative modifiers are culmulative.
• 
  
• Main Weapon: Spear
• 
  
• Food: 4kg of Domestic Food and 1kg of Soviet Field Rations
• 
  
• *****************************************************
• Novice Polish primitive #18
• (Initiative: 1, Attributes: 6, Assets: 9, UCD: 1)
• 
  
• Hits:
• OOOOO OOOOO OOOOO OOOOO -1 Initiative
• OOOOO OOOOO OOOOO OOOOO -2 Initiative
• Note: initiative modifiers are culmulative.
• 
  
• Main Weapon: Spear
• 
  
• Food: 5kg of MREs
• 
  
• *****************************************************
• Novice Polish primitive #19
• (Initiative: 1, Attributes: 6, Assets: 9, UCD: 1)
• 
  
• Hits:
• OOOOO OOOOO OOOOO OOOOO -1 Initiative
• OOOOO OOOOO OOOOO OOOOO -2 Initiative
• Note: initiative modifiers are culmulative.
• 
  
• Main Weapon: Spear
• 
  
• Food: 1kg of MREs
• 
  
• *****************************************************
• Novice Polish primitive #20
• (Initiative: 1, Attributes: 6, Assets: 9, UCD: 1)
• 
  
• Hits:
• OOOOO OOOOO OOOOO OOOOO -1 Initiative
• OOOOO OOOOO OOOOO OOOOO -2 Initiative
• Note: initiative modifiers are culmulative.
• 
  
• Main Weapon: Crossbow with 10 arrows/bolts
• 
  
• Food: 1kg of Domestic Food
• 
  
• *****************************************************
• Novice Polish primitive #21
• (Initiative: 1, Attributes: 6, Assets: 9, UCD: 1)
• 
  
• Hits:
• OOOOO OOOOO OOOOO OOOOO -1 Initiative
• OOOOO OOOOO OOOOO OOOOO -2 Initiative
• Note: initiative modifiers are culmulative.
• 
  
• Main Weapon: Spear
• 
  
• Food:
• 
  
• *****************************************************
• Novice Polish primitive #22
• (Initiative: 1, Attributes: 6, Assets: 9, UCD: 1)
• 
  
• Hits:
• OOOOO OOOOO OOOOO OOOOO -1 Initiative
• OOOOO OOOOO OOOOO OOOOO -2 Initiative
• Note: initiative modifiers are culmulative.
• 
  
• Main Weapon: Spear
• 
  
• Food: 2kg of Wild Food
• 
  
• -----------------------------------------------------
• 
  
• The unit is on foot.
• 
  

A bunch of primitives lead by a murderer. What could go wrong?

Now we need a map.

0047 - Arriving in Kepno

1415 25 JUL 2000
=============
Now I am going to do something I do often do and roll back the idea of using Solo for the next five posts. I thought a lot about the last post and the plan resolution and I found it to be a bit dry and missing some of the main elements that I have grown fond of in T2K. There was no cliff-hanger or that feeling that the characters might not make it out of the situation. In past episodes, for example, we have seen the heavy weapons damaged in the middle of a firefight and lost a HMMWV to enemy fire. Some of the characters almost drowned and it looked really bad for them. All that was missing in the last post.

As a result, I have decided to not use Solo for the rest of the posts. This should not be considered a criticism of the Solo rules and I continue to use elements, like relationships, to add depth to my game. Solo is just not a good fit here but that does not mean it might not be a good fit somewhere else or for someone else. That being said, on to the story,

The group has escorted a convoy carrying food from Zloczew to Kepno. We know from the description that there is a) a small Soviet MP detachment in the town and b) an ORMO that is not interested in moving beyond the city limits to pursue anyone. The question remains, what is the general reception in the town. For that, we can consult our T2K rulebook.

Kepno, Poland
Settlement Size: (2,000 with a militia/ORMO of 200)
Settlement Attitude: Open to contact
Settlement Government: Corrupt council
Settlement Crisis: Mechanic needed.

This information can be added to my reference entry on Kepno, helping to expand the information I have on the city over time.

Our picture of Kepno has a few more pieces. The detachment of Soviets (10 MPs) is small enough that they will probably not attempt to intercept the characters. They will defend themselves if attacked but would probably realized they are outgunned,

We also know that the MPs direct convoys that pass through the town several times a day. The population is doing a lot of trade with the convoys when they pass, so there is probably a strong interest in keeping the status quo. That would explain the settlement attitude. The more contact, the more business.

Although the local ORMO has been told to look out for stragglers, there is nothing to indicate that they will open fire immediately. This is probably very true for Americans escorting a merchant convoy.

Then there is the council. Corrupt councils come to power by force or rigged elections. That does not really work here so we can declare that the council is skimming off the frequent traffic passing through the town by keeping the Soviets busy when there are things they shouldn't see and providing "protection" for those elements doing their business within the city limits. This would also require the help of the police or ORMO, which would also explain their lack of motivation when it comes to pursuing stragglers. To create a little conflict, we can assume the officer leading the MPs is against this kind of arrangement. Despite that, the council will not want anything to happen to the Soviets, as they serve as their legitimate cover.

Now we only have one final piece missing and that is the matter if the settlement crisis (a mechanic is needed). So the settlement needs a mechanic and we know that convoys pass through the town several times a day. Something needs to be fixed that the Soviets cannot help the town with OR something that the town does not want the Soviets to know about. The latter makes the better story. It cannot be something simple and common place, like a still. It is likely that a lot of people could help fix that. That would make it uncommon and probably very valuable.

Finally, we can propose a create scenario hook out of our heads: the town is doing a lot of business revolving around the transport of goods, both legal and extra-legal. The transport of goods has become more dangerous and then town is looking at a way to stiffen their convoy defenses. Recently, the ORMO has discovered a OT-64 derelict that could be recovered. The derelict is one of a group of three, although the other two can probably only be salvaged for parts. The town council dispatched a small group with the resident mechanic, but they have not returned. The council is willing to offer shelter and an opportunity to trade if the group can recover the OT-64 and the mechanic's party.

We can use a Traveller trick here and propose several alternative outcomes or details for the hook.

    1D6 Roll  Details
======================================
1 
The mechanic and his crew recovered the OT-64 and set off to sell it to the highest bidder. The town council will not believe the characters and accuse them of stealing the OT-64 and doing away with the mechanic.
2-3
The mechanic and his party have been working at the site but have been attacked and 1-2) killed, 3-4) captured, 5-6) been run off. The characters will face resistance when they try to recover the OT-64.
4-5
The ORMO is as corrupt as the council and has been working with a local marauder group to help the towns people run into trouble. the mechanic had a lot of valuable tools and equipment with him when he left. The OT-64 exists but it is not a derelict and is fully operation and in the hands of marauders.
6
The situation is as presented. The mechanic and his crew are having difficulties salvaging from the wrecks. They would appreciate a hand and then everyone can go home and enjoy a little down time.

Now we are prepared and can begin play.

0046 - Zloczew and Beyond

Having successfully crossed the Warta, the characters have made their decision to continue on to Krakow. From a travelling merchant they have heard of the free city and are determined that is their best possibility for a reprieve from the war. They intend to stay in the relavtive safety of the city before planning their next steps.

Two main roads lead south (over Weilun) and south-west (through Kepno) from Zloczew. The team are interested in the conditions in both and ask the town council if anyone has travelled from there recently.

[GME: Has anyone arrived from Weilun recently - Chaos Rank 5 - Somewhat Likely (65%), Weilun is nearby and has a good road. There is probably a lot of merchant travel - 66% - No]

Unfortunately, no one has arrived from Weilun in the last week. Although that would normally be a rather odd occurrence, the recent hostilities may be to blame.

The question remains if anyone has travelled from Kepno recently.

[GME: Has anyone arrived from Kepno recently - Chaos Rank 5 - Somewhat Likely (65%), Kepno is also nearby and has a good road. There is probably a lot of merchant travel - 32% - Yes]

The town council points the characters to a old transport company that has, in the recent years, started transporting goods through the war zone. Time to find out how  Marshall saw it:

Through the dust and grime, you could just barely see the signs that the place used to be a transport company. There were pictures of tractor trailers, forklifts and pictures of naked women in the garage (one of things I am not going to miss). Now, the tractor trailers sit disused in a corner of the lot, gathering dust and a skirt of leaves. They had been replaced by a couple of used 5-tons, one American and the other Polish. Both sported heavy machineguns and improvised armor plating. They were dirty but seemed serviceable.

As we approached, two guards barred our way. They held their submachineguns, a pair of Sterlings, with practiced ease and they kept the barrels pointed in our direction, even if they had not raised them yet. Klasha explained to them what we wanted, to talk to the boss, in Polish. They seemed to be OK with that and one keyed his radio and apparently relayed the information to someone else. Then we stood there a bit, everyone pretending that they were not ready to gun down the other side at the drop of a hat.

After an eternity or two, the radio squawked, informing everyone that we could enter. The guards let us through and directed us to an open vehicle bay containing a box van that had seen better days. You could not miss the bullet holes or the blood stains under the door. Someone had obviously had a bad day. An older man with a cane and a noticeable limp was directing the repairs so we assumed that was the boss. Klasha called out and he turned our way, revealing his wrinkled face with quick eyes under bushy gray eyebrows.

The man is Antonin Majkowski, the owner of the transport company. It would be important to learn about his motivation in order to determine if he would be willing to help the characters.

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

Antonin is willing to help the characters. He can tell them of a small detachment of Soviet military police in the town and an extremely poorly motivated militia. All in all, it should not be a problem with the characters, seeing as how they handled themselves against the stragglers. However, if the characters are going that way, Antonin has a business proposal, He has a shipment of foodstuffs bound for Weilun. A recent trip, however, resulted in a good portion of his crew ending up on sick leave. Would the characters consider letting his truck tag along as far as Kepno?

The characters agree.

The Plan
The HMMWV Jerry will lead the way, followed by the 5-tons and the 3/4-ton Bud as tail end charlie. The separation will be 50m. Jerry will have the TOW mounted and both L7s are deployed on the 3/4-ton. Both vehicles will also have RPGs prepared, just in case. In case of contact, the closed guard vehicle will engage and dismount the passengers. The other vehicle will attempt to flank any aggressors.

The plan is rated as Solid but Dangerous. The mission is simple and the characters are equipped well for the mission, however, something can always go wrong. The characters receive +2 (they have both the assets and skill for the roll).

Resolving the Plan
The roll to successfully execute the plan is 8+ on 2D6. The characters receive a +2 bonus and the roll is 14 (12+2). That is a success. Now to check the consequences. The consequences have the same success roll as the plan (8+ on 2D6). The roll is a 7, resulting in a negative consequence. We can think up a negative consequence or roll one randomly. I decide to roll (2D6) and the roll has a modifier of +2 because the mission was a success. The result is 8 (6+2), resulting in "Part of the mission was failed or incriminating evidence left behind". The most obvious interpretation is that some of the cargo was destroyed in an encounter on the way to Kepno. The trucks were probably not destroyed, as the mission was an outstanding success. This may have on effect on our relations with Antonin later. We need to make a note of that.

Wrapping it up, we add Antonin to our NPCs list and make note of the damage to his cargo on our watch. The characters have now arrived at Kepno.