0124 - The Great Escape - Part IX - Heading Home - Day 3. Pt. 2

 1330 10 AUG 2000, Near Kamieńsk, Poland
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• "I couldn't be mad with them. The cavalry rolled up over a hillock like in the old westerns, just in the nick of time. As soon as the stopped rollin' there were troopers all over the place, fueling the trucks, putting the wounded on litters and handin' out cups of coffee. Yes, coffee. We made a very long, hard, dangerous and down right stupid trip through war-torn Poland and all came back and all the Cav brings has is a cup of coffee. I need a drink after that, that is all I am saying."
• 
  

Morning Shift (Continued)

The team will lose another hex of travel sorting things out in Nowehereville. The hunting weapons and the UZI are turned over to the townspeople, as are the marauders. Their fate now lies in the hands of the oppressed. Good luck with that.

In the meantime, we have a couple Medical rolls for the hits taken during the encounter. The list of the wounded is longer than we would like but not as long as it could have been:

• Marshall 2/5
• Robinson 2/5

We also have to make a roll for Wally because of his problem with the lice. Three in total.

Logan has a doctor's medical kit (+2 to Medical rolls) and is a Combat Medic, but this will not apply as no one is incapacitated.

• Task: Medical roll for Marshall
• Ability Die: Empathy B (D10)
• Skill Die: Medical B (D10)
• Modifiers: +2 for Doctor's Medical Kit = +2
• Mod. Ability Die: Empathy A (D12) [+1 Step]
• Mod. Skill Die: Medical A (D12) [+1 Step]
• Ammo Die: N/A
• Roll: 3,1,--
• Result: Failure

Although Marshall was treated with a Medical roll, it was unsuccessful. We will need to check for infection later.

• Task: Medical roll for Robinson
• Ability Die: Empathy B (D10)
• Skill Die: Medical B (D10)
• Modifiers: +2 for Doctor's Medical Kit = +2
• Mod. Ability Die: Empathy A (D12) [+1 Step]
• Mod. Skill Die: Medical A (D12) [+1 Step]
• Ammo Die: N/A
• Roll: 3,12,--
• Result: 2 Successes

No chance of infection here. Finally to Wally.

• Task: Medical roll for Wally
• Ability Die: Empathy B (D10)
• Skill Die: Medical B (D10)
• Modifiers: +2 for Doctor's Medical Kit = +2
• Mod. Ability Die: Empathy A (D12) [+1 Step]
• Mod. Skill Die: Medical A (D12) [+1 Step]
• Ammo Die: N/A
• Roll: 1,12,--
• Result: 2 Successes

Wally finally is rid of his little licey friends (if ONLY it were that easy).

In the mean time, Klasha and Harris will question the prisoners about the road ahead. Not time to unpack the rubber hose, but a mild interrogation may help us here. This will be an opposed roll, with the prisoner making a roll for his Stamina. For each success, the prisoner will reveal one piece of information. Each success by the prisoner will reduce the success by one.

• Task: Interrogation Roll
• Ability Die: Empathy B (D10)
• Skill Die: Persuasion B (D10)
• Modifiers: +1 Klasha has more people on her side, +1 the marauder is a prisoner, -1 the marauder has nothing to gain by helping, +1 Klasha as Psy Ops specialty = +2
• Mod. Ability Die: Empathy A (D12) [+1 Step]
• Mod. Skill Die: Persuasion A (D12)) [+1 Step]
• Ammo Die: N/A
• Roll: 10,2,--
• Result: 2 successes

Unfortunately for the marauder, he does not have the Stamina skill.

• Task: Roll to resist the interrogation
• Ability Die: Strength C (D8)
• Skill Die: --
• Modifiers: -1 the marauder is held captive = +1
• Mod. Ability Die: Strength D (D6) [-1 Step]
• Mod. Skill Die: --
• Ammo Die: --
• Roll: 2,--,--
• Result: Failure

Hoping to get into someone's good graces, the marauder talks, almost willingly. The group learns that there is a large force of marauders operating out of Radomsko and that they have an APC. Being a civilian, he does not know the type. The group will have to skirt the city if they want to avoid another encounter. Just in case, Robinson will take the RPG-7 and the last rocket, just to be safe.

After the triage, mopping up and interrogation are finished, the group sets off down south again. They want to avoid the marauders at Radomsko so this will be the last hex they move this shift, as they spend time avoiding the built-up areas.

Encounters:

• Hex 3 (near Radomsko, Poland): Five of Diamonds (The Final Rest)

The group stumbles upon an old impact crater. Hopefully they can detect it before they get too close. Macron will make the group roll.

• Task: Detect the crater
• Ability Die: Intelligence B (D10)
• Skill Die: Recon B (D10)
• Modifiers: +2 Macron has binoculars = +2
• Mod. Ability Die: Intelligence A (D12) [+1 Step]
• Mod. Skill Die: Recon A (D12) [+1 Step]
• Ammo Die: N/A
• Roll: 9,7,--
• Result: 2 Successes

Macron notices the flattened and burned trees nearby and the group avoids the crater. Since they made two successes, they are able to avoid the crater without losing any travel time due to a side road at the right moment.

Record Keeping: 

• 36l of alcohol used (104l of alcohol left for both trucks)

Day Shift
They can almost smell the home-cooked stew and the group will press on. They might even get home today.

Weather: The weather remains fair

Light Conditions: Light

Activities: Macron and Griff are on watch. Wally and Robinson are driving. The rest are resting in the back as best they can.

Navigation: Not necessary, as the group is traveling by road.

Hazards: Time to check for Hazards. Wally will make the roll with Robinson assisting.

• Task: Hazard roll during travel
• Ability Die: Agility B (D10)
• Skill Die: Driving C (D8)
• Modifiers: +1 Robinson assisting, +3 Terrain (Road) = +4
• Mod. Ability Die: Agility A (D12) [+1 Step]
• Mod. Skill Die: Driving A (D12) [+2 Steps]
• Ammo Die: N/A
• Roll: 4,2,--
• Result: Failure

Just what the group did not need.  More on that later.

Encounters:

• Hex 1 (near Radomsko, Poland): Eight of Diamonds (Hunters and Their Prey)

This is an off-road encounter and can be ignored.

• Hex 2 (near Czestochowa, Poland): 4 of Spades (The Battlefield)

The team stumble on to an old tank battleground. As they have places to go and people to see, they choose to ignore the carnage and continue.

• Hex 3 (outside Czestochowa, Poland): Hazard

The hex when the hazard would happen was rolled randomly and now here we are. The engine on Bad overheats, spewing steam into the air. Wally and Robins must repair it before the team can proceed any further. Fixing the problem requires a TECH roll. Each repair attempt will cost the group two hexes of movement.

• Task: Repair the over heated engine (Wally)
• Ability Die: Intelligence B (D10)
• Skill Die: Tech B (D10)
• Modifiers: +2 assisted by Harris and Robinson, +1 Vehicle tools (from Harris), +1 Mechanic specialty, -2 no spare parts available = +2
• Mod. Ability Die: Intelligence A (D12) [+1 Step]
• Mod. Skill Die: Tech A (D12) [+1 Step]
• Ammo Die: N/A
• Roll: 5,12,--
• Result: 2 Successes

Somehow the grease monkey gets the truck rolling again. A lot of bubblegum was consumed in this exercise and the last of the 100mph tape. Still, it works and we will not question it. The group loses two hexes of movement.

• Hex 4 (near Czestochowa, Poland): 2 of Diamonds (Dense Fog)

As the approach the ruins of the city, a dense fog forms, making driving difficult and forcing the team to reduce speed. They loose an additional hex of movement (judgment call since they have made their hazard roll).

• Hex 5 (near Czestochowa, Poland): 6 of Clubs (Full Tank)

The group does not want to get distracted and keep on truckin', leaving the abandoned gas station behind.

• Hex 6 (near Lubliniec, Poland): 5 of Spades (Armageddon)

Another large crater, this one aimed at a large armored group. Time for Macron to scout again.

• Task: Detect the crater
• Ability Die: Intelligence B (D10)
• Skill Die: Recon B (D10)
• Modifiers: +2 Macron has binoculars = +2
• Mod. Ability Die: Intelligence A (D12) [+1 Step]
• Mod. Skill Die: Recon A (D12) [+1 Step]
• Ammo Die: N/A
• Roll: 7,2,--
• Result: 1 Success

The group sees the crater but loses another hex of travel avoiding it.

• Hex 7 (near Lubliniec, Poland): 10 of Clubs (Murderous Bastards)

A large group (18) of US Stragglers flag the group down. The gang has no more room for them but points them west, toward Dobrodzień, where the group has their friends and this whole adventure started.

• Hex 8 (near Lubliniec, Poland): 6 of Clubs (Full Tank)

Also here, the group keeps moving. They have somewhere to be.

• Hex 9 (near Lubliniec, Poland): Jack of Clubs (Shoot on Sight)

What would the trip be without a huge firefight at the end, so close to home? Not something I am looking forward too. Maybe Macron can spot them first.

• Task: Spot the approaching group of Soviet soldiers
• Ability Die: Intelligence B (D10)
• Skill Die: Recon B (D10)
• Modifiers: +2 Binoculars = +2
• Mod. Ability Die: Intelligence A (D12) [+1 Step]
• Mod. Skill Die: Recon A (D12) [+1 Step]
• Ammo Die: N/A
• Roll: 3,8,--
• Result: 1 Success

Macron give his driver the heads up the group leaves the road to let the Soviets pass. Unfortunately, the group is now out of gas.

Record Keeping: 104l of alcohol used (0l of alcohol left for both trucks)

Evening Shift
The group is now at a decision point. The trucks have no fuel and some of the American stragglers cannot walk. If the group moved closer to Dobrodzień then they could probably radio the cavalry to come rescue them, quite literally. A small group will have to advance on foot with a radio to contact friendly troops.

A three-man party will advance with one of the radios (Marshall and Klasha both have a AN/PRC-119 SINCGARS). The party will consist of Klasha, Griff and Robinson. The rest will look for a defensible position and hunker down. After that is decided, the scouting party sets off.

Weather: Cloudy

Light Conditions: Light

Activities: Klasha, Griff and Robinson will march along the road to the west and make radio contact with the friendly troops at Dobrodzień. The need to move once hex closer, consuming approximately half a period.

Navigation: Not necessary, as the group is traveling by road.

Hazards: No hazard roll is required, as the group is on foot.

Encounters: 

We will draw two cards, one for the scouts, one for the group.

• Scouts (near Dobrodzień, Poland): 4 of Diamonds (Viper's Nest)

The group will not be distracted by any derelict buses any time soon, they have a mission and a lot of people depending on them.

• Camp (near Lubliniec, Poland): 8 of Diamonds (Hunters and their Prey)

This is an off-road encounter and can be ignored.

Record Keeping: None.

The scout party finds a good OP on a hill overlooking the highway before contacting the base. We can assume that the cavalry troops roll out, bringing fuel, water, food and medical supplies for the group before returning with them to Dobrodzień. Finally, this adventure is over and the group is back in friendly lines.

I will review the trip and the new rules later. Now it is time for a celebration.