0175 - Going Native - Part IX (The Checkpoint)

 1012 24 AUG 2000, Krakow, Poland (Hex 17358)

========================================

 

"Never in my life have I ever been so happy to see someone leave and this momentous occasion was when that herd of pigs moved off. The guards didn't even bother to question the guy, they just waved him and his oinking friends through. It was obvious what he was bringing to town. We go the treatment though.

 

As soon as the last squiggly tail was through, the barrier dropped faster than you can say stop. It was obvious they wanted to talk so Wally and Klasha went up front for a little chat. It seemed pretty routine until one of the guards pointed at our new friend. Things became more animated then."

 

Two weeks of vacation behind me in our family weekend house. No running water or electricity. Time for reading books and days spent painting Warhammer 40k miniatures with my youngest son. Would do it all over again in a heartbeat but I have to get back to work and so does the team.

 

When we last left the team, they had met up with a guide outside the city as the waited at a ORMO checkpoint for entrance into the city. The guide said he could find them lodgings in the city and the team decided to let him ride along in the hopes of finding some place to stay.

 

We know that the guide is the infamous Sgt. Cutler, but the team do not. They were not given any information from Lt. Fredrickson, as I feel that gives too much away. Cutler does live in the city and does know people that could provide lodging for the group. Those people are not in cahoots with Cutler. That much is known at the moment.

 

Time goes by and we can assume the team eventually makes it to the checkpoint and try to obtain entry into the city. We will pick up the scene there.

 

Scene K2 - Passing the Military Checkpoint (CF 5)

===================================

Scene Setup

Once the team reaches the barrier, Klasha and Wally will dismount and approach the barrier. They will explain to the guards that the group are weapon dealers and have come to the city to do some trading. They will willingly show the guards the cargo and allow them to inspect the trucks, if they wish. After the guards approve their entrance, the group will move off into the city.

 

Scene Resolution

 

Now to see how the scene progresses. We roll and D10, resulting in a 5, which is the current Chaos Factor, and since the roll is not greater that the Chaos Factor, the scene is altered (because the roll was odd) in some way. It is not going to be that simple.

 

Now we have to determine what has changed. The most obvious change would be the that the guards want a little bit of the action and want the characters to do some palm-greasing before the pass. I do not want to assume that all guards are corrupt but the chance is always there. We will give it a 50/50 shot.

 

[GME: Do the guards want a bribe to let the team in? - Chaos Rank 5 - 50/50 (50%) - 94% - Exceptional No]

 

What a great show of integrity. Not only do they not want a bribe, they would seem to be very much opposed to such a practice. We will file that away for future use.

 

Maybe the alteration centers around Cutler. Cutler probably passes many of the checkpoints when travelling in and out of the city, as do a lot of other people. There is a chance that the guards know him, although that may be unlikely. To find out, we can ask the GME.

 

[GME: Do the guards at the checkpoint know Cutler? - Chaos Rank 5 - Unlikely (35%) - 22% - Yes]

 

Now that is interesting. The guards do know Cutler but that does not mean they are on friendly terms with him. Cutler is not really the most trustworthy of people but he is a great talker. How do the guards feel about Cutler?

 

[GME: Are the guards at the checkpoint on friendly terms with Cutler? - Chaos Rank 5 - 50/50 (50%) - 96% - Exceptional No]

 

Ouch. They know Cutler and do not like him. Could it be because they know of the suspicions that Cutler is secretly dealing with marauders? Everyone knows the Krakow ORMO are not keen on marauders. Still, it can't be that open a secret or Cutler would probably be dead or run out of the city by now. They may suspect but they probably have nothing beyond rumors.

 

[GME: Do the guards at the checkpoint suspect Cutler is working with marauder groups? - Chaos Rank 5 - Unlikely (35% - Cutler is probably trying to keep his involvement secret while he is in the city. No sense in upsetting the locals when you really need a safe hideout) - 18% - Yes]

 

So they suspect the good sergeant of being in bed with the marauders. It goes to reason, that if they know that, the might try to warn the group of the snake in their midst.

 

[GME: Will the guards at the checkpoint attempt to warn the group about Cutler? - Chaos Rank 5 - Likely (75% - if they do not like corruption, we can assume they are honest and do not want to see anyone fall victim to Cutler's plans) - 33% - Yes]

 

And there we have it. The guards are not opposed to the group entering Krakow but they are opposed to Cutler. Now on with the scene.

 

We can assume that the guards make the normal inspection of the team, their vehicles and the cargo. Beyond Cutler, is there anything that might make the guards not let the team into the city?

 

[GME: Do the guards at the checkpoint find anything to keep the team from entering the city? - Chaos Rank 5 - Unlikely (35% - the group is probably not the first group of stragglers peddling weapons they gathered) - 16% - Yes]

 

Now that is a snag. It is probably that the presence of Cutler with a well-armed group of stragglers may lead the guards to think that the group are actually the marauders.

 

[GME: Do the guards at the checkpoint think that the characters are the marauders? - Chaos Rank 5 - Likely (75% - a lot of circumstantial evidence could support their suspicions) - 57% - Yes]

 

Guilty by association it seems. Now how to resolve the problem. Simply sending Cutler away would probably not solve the problem. Klasha needs to convince them somehow. She will explain that the just met Cutler while waiting here in line and have no business dealings with him and that the team simply wants to sell off the weapons and find a warm bed, a bath and a belly full of food. She will also tell them that they will send Cutler packing and thank the guards for their warning. Wally will assist her and pipe in as appropriate. We will assume that the sides are similar in size.

 

Task:	Convince the guards the team is not with Cutler
Ability Die:	Empathy B (D10)
Skill Die:	Persuasion B (D10)
Modifiers:	+1 Psyops Specialty, +1 assisted by Wally, +1 won't cost the guards anything, -1 request is dangers (if the group is marauders), -1 Guards have nothing to gain from the deal	= +1
Mod. Ability Die:	Empathy A (D12)	[+1 Step, total = +1]
Mod. Skill Die:	Persuasion B (D10)	[Unmodified]
Ammo Die:	--
Roll:	12,4,--
Result:	2 Successes

 

We will assume that the leader is a Polish officer and use the stats given in the Referee's Manual.

 

Task:	Resist the persuasion
Ability Die:	Empathy B (D10)
Skill Die:	Persuasion D (D6)
Modifiers:	--
Mod. Ability Die:	Empathy B (D10)	[Unmodified]
Mod. Skill Die:	Persuasion B (D10)	[Unmodified]
Ammo Die:	--
Roll:	1,3,--
Result:	Failure

 

Her arguments are enough and the officer agrees to let the team minus Cutler into city. As the group will not be allowed to take the BTR into the city, the officer assigns a runner to show them to the "valet" parking where they can store the APC and then to bring them to the Ratusz (town hall), where they will get proper papers to use during their stay.

 

Klasha and Wally return the group and explain the situation. Harris calls Cutler over and tells them that they will not be able to take him up on their offer but maybe they will run into each other in the city. Cutler looks over his shoulder and sees the scowls of the guards. "Yeah, no harm, no foul. Be seein' ya Major".

 

With Cutler gone, the barrier opens and the team moves into Krakow.

 

Scene close.

 

The team gained entry into the city but lost their guide. They did not find out the truth about Cutler but only the rumors that the guards had. We will leave that open. They need to visit the motorpool of the 221st Battalion in order to drop off the APC and visit the town hall. These are two new threads. As they have passed the checkpoint, that thread can be closed.

 

The Chaos Factor will remain at 5, as the team was able to enter the city but now have no guide.

Chaos Factor: 5

 

Lists

Character List	Threads List	Locations List
2LT Jade Marshall (PC) 2LT Wayne Logan (PC) SSG Michael Griffin (PC) MAJ Edward Harris (PC) SPC Walerian ‚Wally‘ Losinski (PC) MSG Eduard “Potato” Potapenko (PC) SFC Jack Robinson (PC) SSG Micheal Macron (PC) AGT Sukhikh Klara “Klasha” Kirillovna (PC) Serzhant  Iov Pushkin (NPC)	Travelling to Krakow Passing the Checkpoint Iov wants to travel home Find Reset Find the DIA Agent in Krakow Discover the fate of the SF team Find out the truth about Cutler Visit the motorpool of the 221st Battalion Get papers at the town hall.	Military Checkpoint

0174 - Going Native - Part VIII (Arriving in Krakow)

 0600 24 AUG 2000, Near Krakow, Poland (Hex 17357)

===================================

"El Dorado it was not. You hear travelling merchants talk about Krakow as if it was some kind of fantasy kingdom where anything can be had and anything was possible. To me it looked like a city that had taken a beating during the war and had the scars to show for it. What I did see was more people in one spot than I had seen in a very long time. It may not be everything it was talked up to be but it was a city, and that was a lot these days."

 

Work, family and school vacations are really cutting into my team for my favorite game. I would change it but it is really hard to get rid of any of those factors. I will just have to soldier on and deal with it.

 

In the story so far, the team has travelled from the cantonment of B Troop, 1/116th Armored Cavalry Regiment in Dobrodzień, Poland to Krakow. They are posing as arms dealers but their mission is to contact the DIA agent in Krakow in hopes of finding out what happened to the special forces team that the cav troopers were supposed to meet up with. On the way, they have had some encounters of the last three days, the most recent being an ambushed convoy and a dying lieutenant that whispered something about Operation Reset and the team needing to find it before giving up his dog tag. The team buried the bodies are prepared to make the run into Krakow.

 

Just a few notes from my side. I am using the v1 version of the Free City of Krakow because I like the internal power struggle within the city government itself as well as shady operations between the DIA, CIA and KGB. The team does not know about Cutler, as that gives too much of the game away from the start, in my humble opinion. I am not using the Reset as printed in any version of the game up to now so we are not looking for a chest of documents and it is not the last great offensive, however, Reset is actually in Cutler's possession, although he does not know what he has. Other organizations know of the operation but not it's exact details. The people with that information are pretty much all dead. The helicopter is there and may, or may not, play a part in the story.

 

The team is close enough to the city of Krakow so that they will not need to check for navigation and such. You would have to try really hard to get lost now. I will not be using the travel template but rather the Game Master Emulator scenes. In short, we move from scene to scene with a scene setup and resolution. The setup is how we think the scene will go and the resolution is the way the scene plays out. The resolution is affected by the Chaos Factor (from 1 to 10) which shows how well the characters have everything under control. The higher the factor, the less control that they have.

 

We will maintain lists of the characters (both player and non-player), threads and locations. These are found at the bottom of the post. These are important for random events and such. In the first scene, the characters are approaching the city and encounter one of the military checkpoints at the city's edge.

 

Scene K1 - Approaching the Military Checkpoint (CF 5)

===================================

 

"They had become garrison troops. Some of they may not have ever been anything else. There were others though, and they knew what they were doing. Low concrete barriers slowed traffic down a lot and each group or vehicle was waved forward to the next position, one at a time. All the turning and the stuff exposed our flanks and the RPG team in the bunker made their presence known a lot, often checking their optics on those approaching. It was meant to send a message and we understood it. "

 

Scene Setup

 

The team is approaching a military checkpoint at the edge of the city. The checkpoints control the traffic and keep out undesirables which means those that want to make trouble or who are just plain hungry. The team will roll up to the barrier in march formation with the barrel of the KPV elevated away from the bunker. Better not to make anyone nervous. Once the reach the barrier, Klasha and Wally will explain that the group are arms dealers and have come to the city to sell their wares. They will offer to show the guards the weapons in the truck before moving on once the guards wave them through.

 

Scene Resolution

 

The first step is to roll a D10. If the number is less than the Chaos Factor (5) then the scene is modified, otherwise the scene plays out as planned. We roll a 2 and since it is even, the scene is interrupted. If it had been odd then the scene would have been altered in some way. It basically means we can throw out our scene setup and start out with a random event.

 

Random events have an event focus, action and subject. This is determined by roll 3 D100s, one for each item.

 

• Event Focus: Move toward a thread
• Event Action: Triumph
• Event Subject: Magic

 

Threads are goals that the PCs want to achieve. We keep track of them in a list and these are updated at the end of the scene. Some threads will be closed and new ones opened. For our event, we will be moving closer to a thread and its conclusion. We have the following threads in our list:

 

1. Travelling to Krakow
2. Passing the Checkpoint
3. Iov wants to travel home
4. Find Reset
5. Find the DIA Agent in Krakow
6. Discover the fate of the SF team

 

The first has been completed but we will keep it in the list anyway. Five remain and we can roll randomly to determine which is the relevant thread and we roll the third thread or Find Reset. Now we need to interpret the results.

 

The action is Triumph, which is also a form of success. The subject is magic. I should probably, at this point, say that Mythic is system agnostic and we should not interpret magic to be literally magic as in a fantasy setting. It is something unexpected and probably more of a positive thing. We can ask the GME some questions to help us find the true meaning.

 

The first would be obviously if we find Reset. The chance is very low, as the characters do not really know what it is and Cutler will have taken it into the city. Still, one can ask:

 

[GME: Do the characters find Reset? - Chaos Rank 5 - No Way (15%) - 81% - No]

 

They may find something connected to reset. This is a little more likely not definitely not a sure thing.

 

[GME: Do the characters find something connected to Reset? - Chaos Rank 5 - Unlikely (35%) - 25% - Yes]

 

Oh, another clue. It is not Reset but it may be someone or something connected with it. We know that pretty much everyone except Cutler who have been involved with Reset are dead so it may be him. If it is not, then it would be something connected with Reset. Cutler makes a living by helping the marauders rob and kill groups entering the city, so he may be here keeping his eyes open. Still, it is a big city with many entrances and he cannot be at every entrance.

 

[GME: Do the characters meet Cutler? - Chaos Rank 5 - Unlikely (35%)  - 24% - Yes]

 

Now that is interesting. The man himself has made an appearance. Remember, we know who he is, the characters do not. For them, he is just another American in Poland. Cutler would probably approach the group and offer his "services" as a guide. He lives in Krakow and knows the city well and the team does have a lot of stuff that he would be interested in. A fat cow waiting to be slaughtered. Cutler has a back story that the PCs could eventually find out and we can add it to the Threads list. It will be interesting to see if they manage to find out the truth.

 

We should probably add some stats for Cutler, as the team will have some interactions with him. The description is from Rendezvous in Krakow (Copyright 1985, 1995 by Game Designers' Workshop, Inc.). Cutler has been converted using the rules from Free League in v4. The backstory and details have been modified to fit my Reset version. I chose the specialty based on the description of Cutler and his skills.

 

Background:

Randolph Lasalles Cutler is a deserter from the American 5th infantry Division (he left before the destruction of the division at Kalisz), but it is not likely that any of the PCs have met him before (a division is like a city-there are a lot of people who never see each other, even though they are in the same place). He began his career as a petty criminal, but was caught just as the War broke out, and given the choice of

entering the army or the penitentiary. Cutler is 25, but can pass as older or younger if necessary (disguise is a talent he acquired during his criminal career). He calls himself "sergeant" and has the stripes on his field jacket, but he never achieved a rank higher than private.

 

Recently, Cutler linked up with a band of marauders outside Krakow, leading parties outside the protection of the city into pre-arranged ambushes for a cut of the proceeds. This is what happened to Strike Force Zulu.

 

Appearance:

Cutler is 25 and is undistinguished in appearance, being of average height and build and usually carelessly, even slovenly, dressed.

 

Personality:

Cutler is a sociopath and is totally unconcerned with the welfare of any person other than himself. His relationship with Lucja is purely a matter of momentary convenience, to gain shelter and companionship. He will desert her as easily as he would discard an empty rifle magazine.

Refereeing Cutler:

Cutler will try to lie his way out of whatever unfortunate situation he finds himself in. He can be brave when he needs to, but usually his greed and sense of self-preservation overwhelm his courage.

 

Possessions:

In addition to a set of fatigues and a ragged backpack, Cutler has an M9 9mm pistol, a P-64 hide-out piece in an ankle holster, several concealed knives and one or two fragmentation grenades, in addition to a few dollars in gold and ration chits. The briefcase is not presently in his possession.

 

Type	Attributes	Hit Cap.	CUF	Skills
Petty criminal	STR B, AGL B, INT C, EMP C	5	C	Heavy Weapons D, Close Combat C, Driving D, Mobility D, Ranged Combat D,  Recon D, Survival D

 

Specialties: PSY OPS - Gives a +1 bonus to PERSUASION rolls for changing someone’s mind about a particular issue.

 

NPC Motivations:

• Primary Motivation: Very Greedy -  Cutler's overwhelming motivation is personal greed.
• Secondary Motivations: Ruthless - Cutler is totally ruthless, and will not let anyone or anything stand in his way. He has no loyalty and will betray allies if the benefits outweigh the risks.

 

We know that Cutler will always be looking for a good mark and he has no reason to believe that the group would not be such a mark. It would be probable that Cutler would engage the team in a conversation but how could this conversation look like? Using the Universal NPC Emulator (UNE), we can use it to help us set up the conversation, at which time the GME or the v4 Rules could take over.

 

We know the details of Cutler, being a ruthless petty criminal motivated by personal greed. We know his relationship to the characters and that he wants to profit of them. In his initial mood, he will be friendly and sociable, as he wants to gain their trust. Without that, he has no chance of getting them outside the city so his band of cutthroats can shoot them up. His demeanor will be friendly. Once we have the mood and the demeanor, we can roll a d100 on the bearing table and learn his bearing is (69) "promise". His focus will be (97) "enemy".

 

Despite the impression it may sometimes give, I believe Krakow is still a very dangerous place, despite the ORMO that may patrol it. A lot of old enemies in close quarters combined with scores of desperate people leads to a situation that would normally make you want to have your life insurance premiums paid up. The words "promise" and "enemies" probably means that Cutler would offer to help them find shelter in the town that would be safe and maybe a bit comfortable.

 

With the information we have, we can start the scene and Marshall will lead us off.

 

"People need to eat, I get that. I also understand why the Krakow ORMO was not throwing open the gates and just letting every Tom, Dick and Jane into the city, but the gods of fate hated us that day and we were stuck between a group driving a herd of swine ahead of us and a herd of cattle behind. Regardless of how the wind blew, it was bad and that is putting it mildly. I was adjusting my bandana for the umpteenth time when this Sergeant strolled up to us.

 

His nametag read Cutler and he had the Red Diamond on his on his shoulder, making him one of us. He saw our patches and gave us a friendly wave before strolling over and addressed us in a friendly tone, saying, 'You troops are gonna need a good bath after stinking around here all day and I might just know the place."

 

Where to go from there? Cutler might claim to know his way around the city, as he has been there several months (which is true).

 

[GME: Will Cutler claim to have experience in the city? - Chaos Rank 5 - Very Likely (85%)  - 7% - Exceptional Yes]

 

Not only will he claim to have knowledge of the city, he will REALLY stress that point. It would be important to know if Cutler actually knows of a place to stay in the city where the group could bunk down or his he spinning a tale?

 

[GME: Does Cutler know of lodgings in the city where the group could stay? - Chaos Rank 5 - Likely (75%)  - 18% - Yes]

 

He knows a place where the characters could stay in the city. Knowing Cutler, if they are on friendly terms with him, they may be in league with him as well. Right now, I have visions of Grandma Topolski running through my head.

 

[GME: Do the owners of the shelter work together with Cutler? - Chaos Rank 5 - Somewhat Likely (65%)  - 100% - Exceptional No]

 

That tells us that they are definitely not working with him and probably do not know of his activities. Interesting fact indeed. Let's see how Marshall saw it:

 

"This guy could talk. He said his name was Cutler and he had been separated from the 5th before the jump off into hell. Could be, sure were enough of us around back then. Today not so much. Anyway, he was yappin' about what to see in the city and where to go and claimed he had been there for a couple of months. I am no expert on the subject but it sounded like he knew his way around. He kept talking about a place he knew where we could crash while we were in town. Food and beds and the occasional presence of hot water. Sounded good to me."

 

He will make it sound good but can he convince the group to go with him? We could just throw a random die roll (D6, 1-3 yes, etc.) or make an opposed dice roll for Persuasion. The amount of people on one side or the other is unimportant here, as it is a friendly conversation.

 

Task:	Convince the Characters to go with him
Ability Die:	Empathy C (D8)
Skill Die:	--
Modifiers:	+1 won't really cost the characters anything, +1 presents the case really well, +1 Psy Ops specialty	= +3
Mod. Ability Die:	Empathy A (D12)	[+2 Steps, total = +2]
Mod. Skill Die:	Persuasion D (D6)	[-1 Step, total = +1]
Ammo Die:	--
Roll:	6,2,--
Result:	1 Success

 

Carrying the flag for the home team is Klasha. She will not really get her Pys Ops bonus, as she is not trying to convince Cutler of something.

 

Task:	Resist Persuasion by Cutler
Ability Die:	Empathy B (D10)
Skill Die:	Persuasion B (D10)
Modifiers:	--
Mod. Ability Die:	Empathy B (D10)	[Unmodified]
Mod. Skill Die:	Persuasion D (D6)	[Unmodified]
Ammo Die:	--
Roll:	7,4,--
Result:	1 Success

 

The would seem to indicate that the group is not really convinced at the moment but they can let Cutler accompany them. Maybe they could talk about it over a drink later. Cutler can climb up on the BTR as the team prepare to enter the city.

 

The scene closes. Nothing really happened to change the situation, so we will leave the Chaos Factor as it is, at 5. We update the Threads list and the next scene will be passing the checkpoint.

 

Chaos Factor: 5

 

Lists

Character List	Threads List	Locations List
2LT Jade Marshall (PC) 2LT Wayne Logan (PC) SSG Michael Griffin (PC) MAJ Edward Harris (PC) SPC Walerian ‚Wally‘ Losinski (PC) MSG Eduard “Potato” Potapenko (PC) SFC Jack Robinson (PC) SSG Micheal Macron (PC) AGT Sukhikh Klara “Klasha” Kirillovna (PC) Serzhant  Iov Pushkin (NPC)	Travelling to Krakow Passing the Checkpoint Iov wants to travel home Find Reset Find the DIA Agent in Krakow Discover the fate of the SF team Find out the truth about Cutler	Military Checkpoint

0173 - Going Native - Part VII (The Outskirts of Krakow)

 0200 23 AUG 2000, Near Miechow, Poland (Hex 17155)

===================================

"We have been through and seen a lot but it never stops bothering you. Finding them bodies strung out on the road and the rest executed in the woods was really hard on us all. Kill if you have to, I get that. There was no reason for this slaughter so."

 

The team is trying to get a good night's sleep. The merchant convoy pulling in late is probably not something to worry about, but you never know. The convoy would probably either a) make a camp, possibly near the characters or keep moving. If they keep moving, they are probably moving at night. This is not uncommon for those that want to avoid entanglements by limiting their visibility, but it also limits the sight of the guards. Often those cho0sing to travel this way have something to hide. We can ask the GME for more details.

 

[GME: Is the convoy intent on making camp for the night? - Chaos Rank 5 - Somewhat Likely (65%) - 26% - Yes]

 

It makes sense to camp near other groups in dangerous world of T2K. The presence of a large number of people could deter attacks since people viewing the scene may not realize the groups are not actually together. Kind of like having adjoining campsites, just with heavy weapons.

 

Night Shift (0000-0600)

 

Weather:

The weather remains fair.

 

Light Conditions:

The light conditions are Dusk.

 

Activities:

Macron will kick Griff awake. It is better to have a couple more eyes alert and watching with a large group nearby. All others will sleep, with their boots and weapons nearby.

 

Navigation:

n/a

 

Hazards:

n/a

 

Encounters:

None. It is a quiet night. Nobody out there but the group and the convoy next door.

 

Resolutions:

At this point, we could just say that the team spends a peaceful night camping near Miechow, but maybe Fate has different plans for the group. We can tempt Fate with a GME scene.

 

Maybe the convoy just wants to sleep without having to worry about a case of high-speed lead poisoning or maybe they have darker plans rolling around in their head.  We should probably take a closer look at that.

 

The leader of the convoy has the following motivations:

 

• Deceitful: The NPC is a liar and may be a traitor if the situation presents itself.
• Somewhat sociable: The NPC will be amiable, talkative, and cooperative with most people he meets.

 

He will talk your ear off but is probably not to be trusted. Good to know.

 

The merchants also outnumber the group but are not as well equipped; Mass instead of Class, as it were. The may still pose a danger though but we do not want to get hung up on a simple encounter, so we will let the Gods of Fate decide.

 

[GME: Do the merchants stay in their camp, leaving the group alone? - Chaos Rank 5 - Likely (75%) - 11% - Exceptional Yes]

 

So, they are definitely not going to venture out of their camp. The merchants stay in their camp and make a point of keeping others out of the camp. We can assume that this also means Griff and Macron.

 

[GME: Do all the merchants in the convoy want to stay in camp? - Chaos Rank 5 - 50/50 (50%) - 64% - No]

So the group is going to leave the team alone. It is probably a good idea. To nice a night for someone to die.

 

Record Keeping:

The team gets their night's sleep and the sun goes up on another day in war-torn Poland.

 

Morning Shift (24 AUG 2000 0600-1200)

The sun goes up and the team is on the road again.

 

Weather:

The weather stays fair as the sun rises.

 

Light Conditions:

The light conditions remain light.

 

Activities:

The team will continue to travel on the planned route.

 

Navigation:

Not required, as the team is moving by road.

 

Hazards:

In the lead vehicle, Wally will make the driving roll for the team.

 

Task:	Driving Roll for the Shift
Ability Die:	Agility B (D10)
Skill Die:	Driving C (D8)
Modifiers:	+3 Road Terrain Modifier	= +3
Mod. Ability Die:	Agility A (D12)	[+1 Step, total = +1]
Mod. Skill Die:	Driving A (D12)	[+2 Steps, total = +2]
Ammo Die:	--
Roll:	6,5,--
Result:	1 Success

 

No hazards are encountered this shift.

 

Encounters:

It is 50km to Krakow, which will take most of the shift for the players. I randomly roll and the encounter may take place in the 4th hex, just shy of Krakow. The territory is Terrorized, which fits into the story. The Krakow ORMO has been busy lately with marauders preying on the caravans entering the city.

 

The encounter type is a derelict convoy and that fits very well. I have planned to introduce a certain derelict convoy at some point. Now would be as good a time as any to introduce THAT convoy. As a side note, Operation Reset if for me neither the standard from the Free City of Krakow nor the operation detailed by FL. To each his own.

 

The rest of the shift can be handled with a narrative. This is based off the standard GDW text with embellishments from me, where appropriate.

 

It had been a small unit, maybe twenty-five, thirty men, three deuce-and-a-half's and a couple of Hum-Vees. Someone had been awfully thorough. Helmets, jackets, boots, and (of course)

all of their equipment, weapons, and ammo were long gone. Somebody even took the trouble to gather up the spent shell casings. There must have been quite a few of those, because

the trucks looked like Swiss cheese. It must have been quite a firefight, and it couldn't have lasted long. They'd been ambushed, caught in the open by heavy automatic fire from at least

three different spots among the woods thirty meters from the road.

 

They didn't have a chance. Five had been captured. We found them in an untidy pile off by the woods where they'd been herded together and machinegunned.

 

One truck had burned; the others had been shot to bits and then stripped of everything useful: tires, engine parts, canvas tops, they even drained the crankcase oil. It was like a plague

of locusts had hit, leaving the bare-bone skeletons and a sick-sweet death stench. Whoever had knocked off that convoy had gone over the place with a fine-toothed comb.

 

We were getting ready to move on when we heard the moan from deeper in the woods.

 

"Schaeffer, Frederick L... Lieutenant," the man manages to say. "Mission ... mission accomplished ... almost. Operation ... R..Reset. Got that? Reset. Got to get them through … Listen to me," he says with a desperate, burning intensity. "This is Operation Reset. Got it? Reset. You need to find…. Reset. Not among the trucks…… This will change everything… not today but the future………",

 

Schaeffer dies.

 

A few papers were scattered around from a Polish research facility in Lodz but it seem to be a lot of data on medical tests; height, weight, etc. The strangest thing among the flotsam and jetsam left from the attack was a book titled Polski Język Migowy (Polish Sign Language). This was one of those WTF moments. It seemed strange enough that we packed it up to take along."

 

This is the beginning of my Reset campaign. It is not the published campaign (not the v1 or v4 campaigns at least) but it ties into my other campaigns in other games.

 

Resolutions:

n/a

 

Record Keeping:

The team has travelled 4 hexes (40km) and has used a total of 96 liters of alcohol (24l for Jerry, 24l for Bad and 48l for Can-Can-2).

 

 

Day Shift (1200-1800)

 

Weather:

The weather turns cloudy.

 

Light Conditions:

The light conditions remain light.

 

Activities:

Macron and Potato cover the team as the rest form a burial party for the victims of the ambush. As it will take a while, Logan will set up camp.

 

Navigation:

n/a

 

Hazards:

n/a

 

Encounters:

No encounter this shift.

 

Resolutions:

Logan

Logan needs to find a suitable camp site.

 

Task:	Make a Camp
Ability Die:	Intelligence B (D10)
Skill Die:	Survival C (D8)
Modifiers:	--
Mod. Ability Die:	Intelligence B (D10)	[Unmodified]
Mod. Skill Die:	Survival C (D8)	[Unmodified]
Ammo Die:	--
Roll:	4,7,--
Result:	1 Success

 

Record Keeping:

n/a

 

Evening Shift (1800-0000)

 

Weather:

The weather becomes clear again.

 

Light Conditions:

Light

 

Activities:

Griff will take over guard as Macron turns in for the night shift. Griff takes over watch and Logan will prepare the meal. The rest will finish up the burials.

 

Navigation:

n/a

 

Hazards:

n/a

 

Encounters:

None

 

Resolutions:

Logan

Logan prepares a meal for the team.

 

Task:	Make a Camp
Ability Die:	Intelligence B (D10)
Skill Die:	Survival C (D8)
Modifiers:	--
Mod. Ability Die:	Intelligence B (D10)	[Unmodified]
Mod. Skill Die:	Survival C (D8)	[Unmodified]
Ammo Die:	--
Roll:	6,6,--
Result:	2 Successes

 

Just what the team needed, a warm meal after such a grisly task.

 

Record Keeping:

The team uses 10 rations of domestic food and Logan gets a shift of sleep.

 

Night Shift (0000-0600)

 

Weather:

The weather remains fair

 

Light Conditions:

Dusk

 

Activities:

Night falls and Macron takes over the guard as the team beds down for the evening.

 

Navigation:

n/a

 

Hazards:

n/a

 

Encounters:

n/a

 

Resolutions:

n/a

 

Record Keeping:

All the team, except Macron, get a shift of sleep.