Turn 3: A Change in Plans
General Summary
"Margaret Galer?"
"Captain Galer. What do you want?"
"Come with us, please."
"I'm on my way to see a client. Leave your name with my First Officer and-"
"Captain, come with us."
Maggie turned to face the speaker. He was tall, with an Enforcer's haircut and a clean suit, dark glasses, and an earpiece.
"Cold of space, you all seem serious. Cosplaying secret agents, fellas?"
One of them opened the door to the large, black speeder silently.
"Fine," Maggie said, throwing up her hands. She turned to Yevesa, "Can you tell Ms. Patton I'm going to be late?"
"Sure thing, boss," Yevesa said smoothly, her eyes not leaving the goons.
Maggie got in the speeder to see Morgan Churchill sitting opposite her. The Provost's Assisstant's face was grave.
"Sorry for the drama," Morgan said, "But I figured you wouldn't make a scene and I needed your attention."
"Comms work, Morgan. What the hell?"
"I didn't want to be tapped," she said back simply. Maggie raised an eyebrow, "I have a job for you. Highly confidential, highly sensitive."
"We just met. Why me?"
"Because I have an open contract with you and can meet without raising suspicion," this was a level of paranoia above Maggie's pay grade, "Do you accept?"
"What am I accepting?"
"Another job."
"I'm going to need more details than that."
"Not until you've agreed to complete this job."
Maggie stares at her blankly for a moment, "No, then," and begins to open the door.
"We'll pay for the risk."
Maggie pauses, "I want Detective-Inquisitor Axtell off our backs."
"Done."
"And specialized training."
"Done."
"And... anything found on-site is ours first."
A sigh, "Done."
Maggie thought about pushing her luck, but figured that was about as good a deal as she could hope for, "Alright, Morgan. What's the job?"
"We need you to carry a package to a drop location and handoff to our contact there."
"I'm a package girl?" Maggie said incredulously.
"I... suppose."
"What are the contents?"
"Data."
"About what?"
"Classified subjects."
Maggie was becoming less and less enamored of this deal as time went on, but at least it sounded easy enough.
"I want more time to close the gang job, then. If I'm doing this for you it's going to eat into our schedule."
"Very well. The details will be sent to the Wyvern."
"Pleasure doing business with you, Morgan, see you around."
Maggie got out of the vehicle, it hadn't moved. Neither had the goons. Yevesa was nearby, which made Maggie frown. She got out of the speeder and made her way to her companion.
"Patton is going to get upset, we don't want to lose that one."
"Just in case you needed backup. We can replace Patton, we can't replace you."
"Touching, Vey, but we also have to pay the bills," her tone was serious, but she knew it was a losing battle, and she appreciated her friend's vigilance.
"Let's go talk to our very rich friend... We're gonna have some bad news for her, I think."
Shootout
"Captain," said Thasra, a new recruit Radley had found. No doubt expecting to go on a date again he found a serious and culturally-adrift warrior, instead. Iyanna was thrilled, "Bots are back with some data. Looks like we have some warriors ahead of us."
The crew leaned over. Yevesa and Iyanna, along with Sark and Two, who had chilled out after their discussion. Two was silent and emotionless as ever, but had stopped sulking, so the crew decided to assume it was some kind of apology. The readout showed four lifeforms in two groups armed with PDF-issued weapons. One of them had a larger gun and had set up a gun nest.
"This was supposed to be a secret meet, what the hell are they doing here?" Maggie said.
"Best guess, Captain: this represents a small contingent of a larger force, spread over a variety of locations they calculated to be likely meeting spots. I would guess they are instructed to call for reinforcements upon contact. Unity military training suggests they would spread out no further than four minutes from one another," said Two.
"I concur," agreed Sark, "Local database suggests the PDF has sufficient forces to pull that off, but no record of deployment exists. I would assume this is a renegade group."
"What the hell did Churchill get us into?" Iyanna said.
"They look sleepy to you?" Yevesa said.
"They do. Let's go quietly. Thasra, you take Two and Sark to check out that anomaly," she points to the readout, "I'll take Vey and Iyanna to flank that gun nest.
The field is silent as the team creeps forwards, trying to get into position. The sentry spots Iyanna, however, and opens up with his machine gun, pinning her. Maggie steps forward and fires down-range at the attacker, trying to give Iyanna some cover as she dives behind a bush.
When Maggie takes a hit Sark, listening on the open comm channel, loses its patience.
"Up we go, Two," it said, grabbing the diminutive Engineer by his harness, and then jumped the distance from the ground to the roof, depositing him behind cover nearby. Thasra curses below. "Cover the Captain," Sark says back, "I will gather data on the anomaly."
Two and Thasra take some shots at the machine gun nest, and have a few returned for their efforts. Maggie and Iyanna follow suit while Yevesa creeps around the back of the buildings, waiting to engage.
Two footsoldiers move up in an attemp to flush out the crew, but don't count on Yevesa covering their flank. She downs the first, and while his partner flees for cover she brings him down in a hail of needles as well. The field open, Maggie and Iyanna move up while Thasra and Two prepare to cover their advance - when a huge noise rips through the clearing. A huge vehicle crashed through the underbrush, taking down trees and crushing rocks... and blocking their line of sight.
"I'll go around front," Thasra said.
"I will follow around the rear of the vehicle momentarily," Sark said, its voice distracted, "Collecting the final data."
The words are barely out of its mouth before the fog starts rolling in once again. Before long the battlefield feels small and silent, cocooned in the padding of dense water vapor. Visors began to fog, and breath came heavily as the air became thicker.
Even as the captain of the Auk waved to Maggie the fog provided her the cover to advance on the gun nest with Iyanna covering her flank. In the cover of an exchange of gunfire, the machine gunner and spotter jumped down to close, knowing the fog would provide cover and obscure their targets. The crew was too quick and too numerous, however. The machine gunner was taken down in a hail of laser fire from a few different angles.
The crew regrouped at the boarding ladder, and all jumped into the transport before it trundled away from the battlefield.
Getting Paid
"What in the fuck was that?" Maggie shouted at Morgan after entering her sinister black vehicle once again.
"A successful mission," she says, "Thank you, Captain. Your payment," she holds out a datapad for Maggie's thumbprint, which she gives without hesitation.
"Successful thanks to our ability to dodge military grade weaponry. Why didn't you tell me that's what we would be facing?"
"Details of the job were need-to-know," Morgan says simply, "You didn't."
"Like hell."
"Just know you are doing your part to keep Lamiria secure. Thank you, Captain, we'll be in touch," she said. One of the goons opened the door and Maggie took her cue, but not before giving Morgan a bit of a dirty look.
Maggie leaned back into the car, "Next time you come calling, I might not answer."
"Don't make threats you're unwilling to follow through on, Captain. It would be unwise," Morgan said in reply, the goons pushed Maggie out of the way and closed the door.
Aftermath
"It's not any different than the OUP, is it?" Yevesa said, her shoulders hunched around a tumbler of something strong.
"Not really, I guess," Maggie replied. Her posture just the opposite of her friend's - leaning back, arms hanging to either side, her face tilted towards the ceiling. Her own glass sat empty before her, "They expect us to do as we're told all the same."
"I thought we were free, Mags. I thought we were independent. If fucking Morgan can threaten and bully you... what the fuck is the point?"
"I dunno, Vey. Sometimes you gotta just play the game."
"Fuck the game."
Maggie looked over at her friend. She got into moods like this sometimes. Anarchist, 'burn it all down' moods. She'd snap out of it by the time the drink worked its way through her.
"We could go further. Leave the Fringes and go into Uncharted."
Yevesa sighs, "I thought we decided that was too dangerous."
"Iyanna, Radley. Now Val and Thasra. They're all fighters."
"Val's temporary."
"Well what if she's permanent, Vey, what if we could hack it, now."
Yevesa pushes back from the bar, downs her drink, and says "I guess, Captain. We can go wherever you want," she pats her Captain on the shoulder and walks away. Maggie thinks about following her for a moment before realizing Vey's heading towards the bathroom. I don't think she's fargone enough to need help in there. She stays put.
When Yevesa doesn't come back, she looks for her friend in the bathrorom, but doesn't find her. Maggie headed back to the Wyvern, defeated for the moment, and begins preparing for her meeting with Ms. Carmen Patton, Eccentric.
World Steps
- Upkeep is paid from the ship's coffers: 3 Cr
- No repairs or medical care is needed.
- Current debt: 29
- 1 Cr in interest gained
- 2 Cr paid
- New total: 28 Cr.
Crew Tasks
Patron jobs still on offer
Patron: Sector Government- Danger Pay: 3, +1 Cr
- Time Frame: 8, Can be completed this or the following Turn
- Benefits: 4, No
- Hazard: 9, Yes. 1, Dangerous Job (+1 Opponent)
- Conditions: 9, Yes. 5, Full Squad (must have 6 available crew)
- Battle Details
- Deployment Condition 1d100: 84, Bitter Struggle
- Notable Sights 1d100: 55, Shiny Bits
- Objective 1d10: 3, Eliminate
- Enemy Encounter 1d100: 27, Criminal Elements
- Criminal Elements Subtable 1d100: 5, Gangers
- Unique Individuals roll 2d6: 4, No.
- Armaments Columns 1, A 1d6: 2, Handguns & 4, Hunting Rifles.
- Danger Pay: 9, +3 Cr
- Time Frame: 1, This campaign turn.
- Story point reroll: 8, This or the following 1 Turn.
- Benefits: 7, Yes. 9, Persistent
- Hazards: 9, Yes. 8, Private Transport
- Conditions: 2, No.
- Battle Details
- Deployment Condition 1d100: 57, Toxic Environment
- Notable Sights 1d100: 93, Curious item.
- Objective 1d10: 10, Fight off
- Enemy Encounter 1d100: 77, Interested Parties
- Interested Parties Subtable 1d100: 65, Swift War Squad
- Unique Individuals roll 2d6: 11,+1 for Interested parties.
- Unique Individual table: 78, Nomad Scout
- Armaments Columns 1, B 1d6: 2, Handguns & 4, Hand Flamer.
New Crew Tasks
- 54-RK B00k-R - "Sark", Billie Pedley: Trade.
- 77: A chance to unload some stuff. A revolutionary will buy any weapons for 2 Cr each, provided they are not damaged.
- Selling 7 items: 1 Frakk Grenade, 1 Dazzle Grenade, 3 Colony Rifle, 1 Scrap Pistol, 1 Hunting Rifle for 14 Cr.
- 45: Something interesting. Roll once on the Loot Table.
- Loot 1d100 result: 25, Weapon. Weapon Category 1d100 result: 51, Special Weapons. Special Weapons Subtable 1d100 result: 57, Fury Rifle
- Iyanna Prest, Radley Thoburn: Explore.
- 71: Arms dealer. Purchase any number of rolls on the Military Weapons table for 3 Cr each. Buying 5 rolls
- Military weapons table 1d100 result: 67, Auto Rifle
- Military weapons table 1d100 result: 35, Infantry Laser
- Military weapons table 1d100 result: 61, Auto Rifle
- Military weapons table 1d100 result: 77, Rattle Gun
- Military weapons table 1d100 result: 28, Infantry Laser
- 19: Make a new friend. Roll a new character and add them to the crew. If your character is Feral the new character is also Feral.
- Thasra Jodehn
- Crew Type 1d100: 5, Baseline human
- Background 1d100: 99, Alien Culture (+1 High Tech Weapon 1d100 result: 97, Glare Sword)
- Motivation 1d100: 54, Discovery (+1 Savvy, +1 Gear 1d100 result: 25 Combat Armor)
- Class 1d100: 20, Soldier (+1 Combat Skill, +1d6 Cr result: 5)
- Yevesa, Val-reid: Train.
- 1XP added to their Character summaries.
- Maggie Galer: Find a Patron
- D6 roll: 2, +1 for Maggie, +4 for additional contacts. 7, Two patrons!
Determine Patrons
Kai Ainsworth has approached Maggie with another offer from Viridian Dynamics- Danger Pay: 9+1 Corpo. 10, +3 Cr and roll twice when rolling for mission pay.
- Time Frame: 9, This or following 2 campaign turns.
- Benefits: 9, No
- Hazards: 7, No
- Conditions: 6, Yes. 4, Small Squad - deploy no more than 4 crew.
- Battle Details
- Deployment Condition 1d100: 33, No condition.
- Notable Sights 1d100: 53, Shiny bits - Gain +1 Cr
- Objective 1d10: 8, Protect
- Enemy Encounter 1d100: 45, Hired Muscle
- Hired Muscle Subtable 1d100: 50, Secret Agents
- Unique Individuals roll 2d6: 8, no.
- Armaments Columns 2, C 1d6: 4, Military Rifle & 1, Marksman's Rifle.
- Danger Pay: 9, +3 Cr
- Time Frame: 2, this campaign turn
- Benefits: 2, No.
- Hazards: 8, Yes. 7, Low Priority - Reduce enemy numbers by 1.
- Conditions: 2, No.
- Battle Details
- Deployment Condition 1d100: 65, Surprise Encounter - the enemy can't act in the first round.
- Notable Sights 1d100: 83, Peculiar Item - Gain +2XP
- Objective 1d10: 2, Deliver
- Enemy Encounter 1d100: 68, Interested Parties
- Interested Parties Subtable 1d100: 3, Renegade Soldiers
- Unique Individuals roll 2d6: 5, +1 for Interested Parties. 6, No Unique Individuals
- Armaments Columns 2, B 1d6: 2, Military Rifle & 5, Rattle Gun.
Items Equipped
Maggie Galer Yevesa Iyanna Prest Thasra Jodehn Two-Shaper 54-RK B00k-R - "Sark" Radley Thoburn Billie Pedley Val-reidResolve Rumors
- Currently on a Quest!
- Number of Rumors: 0
Choose Your Battle
Given the pressing nature of Morgan's request, the crew opts to do a good deed for the law in the hopes that Detective-Inquistior Axtell get off their backs, for now.Tabletop Battle - Patron Mission
Deployment Conditions
- Deployment Conditions 1d100: 65, Surprise Encounter
- The opponents may not act on the first round of battle.
- Notable Sights 1d100: 83, Peculiar Item
- Gain +2XP. It's non-specific, I'm choosing to mean this as +2XP across the board (since all other rewards are universal to the crew)
Mission Conditions
Objective: Deliver- A crew member of your choosing is carrying a package that must be delivered to the center of the table.
- Maggie Galer is carrying the package.
- A suitable marker should be placed there. Placing the package takes a Combat Action. The marker is the Auk vehicle. Center of the field is in the entry compartment.
- If the carrier becomes a casualty roll 1d6. On a 1 the package is destroyed. Otherwise it can be picked up using a Combat Action at the location they fell.
- If you drive off all enemies you Win as long as the package is undamaged.
Opponent
- Numbers - Die results: 2, 4. -1 for Low Priority, +1 for opponent Numbers
- Specialist: 1
- Lieutenant: None
- Carries a Blade
- Increase Combat Skill by +1
- Unique Individuals 2d6 result: 6 No Unique Individuals
Interested Parties: Renegade Soldiers- Game Details
Deserters, mutineers, and other scoundrels. These groups often declare themselves local warlords and overlords.
Special - Interested Parties: +1 to roll for Unique Individuals. During Quest missions when rolling for number of opponents, reroll any die scoring 1.
Special - Grudge: If encountered as Rivals they bring one additional figure.
Numbers
+1
Panic
1-2
Speed
4"
Combat Skill
+1
Toughness
5
AI
T - Tactical
Weapons: 2: Military Rifle; B: Rattle Gun
Pre-Battle
Terrain
Using the Auk transport to represent a governmental transport for precious cargo. Terrain is sparse given the handoff on the edge of town. I'm putting down much natural terrain as I have and creating a settlement from 3D printed container buildings around the edges.
Equipment
- Snooper Bot: Unncessary this turn.
- Scanner Bot: Crew will add +1 to Seize the Initiative
Battle Report
Seize the initiative 2d6 roll: 9, +2 for Savvy, +1 for Scanner. Result: 12, Initiative seized!
The Wyvern’s contact in the government reached out with a pressing request to transport key evidence in a conspiracy case against the planetary defense force. They’re meeting a transport vehicle on the outskirts of town to handoff a data stick.
Crew deployment. Maggie, Iyanna, and Yevesa stack up. Their scanner did them a favor and spotted the sentries. Two, Sark, and newest crew member Thasra prepare to investigate a strange reading from the scan, indicating a highly advanced piece of gear.
The sentries must really be sleeping on the job. Not only does the crew seize the initiative but they also get to act freely on Turn 1!
Round 1
Thasra leads her team forward to check out the strange reading. Since their contact hasn't arrived yet Maggie decides to reposition and see if she can take out some of those soldiers.
Round 2
Iyanna makes herself a loud target while Yevesa moves up to flank. They are both faster than Maggie, who decides she's going to provide cover fire and let her more experienced fighters do their thing. The soldiers on top of the container house take advantage of the easy shots, scoring two hits, but failing to get through Iyanna's armor.
Thasra and the two techies continue to work their way to the building's ladder.
Round 3
Iyanna dives for cover. She trusts her armor, but not that much. Maggie remains a target, however small, and gets winged by a round from the gun nest. Yevesa continues to move up.
Sark, hearing Maggie's distress, decides the long, safe way around isn't for him, grabs the diminutive Two and jumps onto the roof, telling Thasra to do what she can for the captain. He instructs Two to provide covering fire as well and quickly disassembles the tech and stows it in a sack for further study.
Thasra moves to the corner of the building, rests her weapon against it, and takes a shot, hitting one of the soldiers in the vest.
- 1d100 Battle Event for Round 2: 59, Environmental Hazard
- Select a random terrain feature. Any figure currently in on or within 1" of the feature must roll 1d6+Savvy and achieve a 5+ (enemies roll 1d6 and must roll 4+) or take Damage +1 Hit, ignoring any Amror saving throws, The feature is safe afterwards.
Round 4
The Auk arrives! Much to Sark's chagrin, his excellent firing position is now blocked by a hulking pile of steel on wheels. Looks like he'll have to move if he wants to assist the captain.
Yevesa finally makes good on her flanking maneuver, downing one of the soldiers through a gap in the fence as they respond to Thasra's shots from across the field.
Maggie and Iyanna move up behind a cargo container, ready to make a break for the Auk.
Thasra and Sark book it for the vehicle as well, taking advantage of the new cover to close on the enemies, leaving Two to catch up.
Round 5
Yevesa moves up and catches the retreating soldier, downing him before he can make it into cover. Just the two in the gun nest remain. Iyanna and Maggie maneuver carefully, keeping just out of sight and stepping with light feet.
The Auk lays on its horn and the driver, showing exactly no chill, waves to the Captain urging her onwards. Safe, no doubt, behind armorglass.
Thasra moved up in front of the Auk's tire and took some suppressive fire for her troubles. As more of the crew gets into position the soldier's fire discipline starts to break down.
- 1d100 Battle Event for Round 4: 31, Visibility Change
- If visibilty is currently reduced, increase the vision range by 1d6". If visibility is currently unlimited, reduce it to 1d6+6".
- Visibility reduction to 1d6+6" result: 2+6, 8" visibility.
Round 6
The custard-thick fog moves in once again, seemingly faster than the Auk, obscuring everything beyond a few meters, giving the crew just the opening they needed.
Iyanna, Maggie, Sark, Yevesa, and Thasra all rushed the nest, while the soldiers gave up their cover in favor of trying to stop the transfer. Unfortunately for them the crew of the Wyvern was ready.
Iyanna was the first one they spotted, but while they were busy exchanging gunfire Yevesa and Maggie charged around the corner and quickly dispatched the two remaining soldiers before everyone booked it to the Auk, sure that reinforcements would be on their way.
The Wyvern Holds the Field!
Post-Battle
- Resolve Rival Status
- D6 result: 2, not a rival
- Arbitrarily: -1 to the next roll for Renegade Soldiers (or related groups). I would imagine they hold a grudge.
- Resolve Patron Status
- Patron job successful!
- Morgan Churchill added to Patrons list.
- Determine Quest Progress
- No quest.
- Get Paid
- 3 Cr base pay
- +3 Cr Hazard pay
- Battlefield Finds
- Battlefield Finds D100 result: 64, Debris. 1d3 Cr worth of scrap on the market. D3 result: 3!
- Check for Invasion!
- Not an invasion threat
- Gather the Loot
- Loot 1d100 result: 35, Damaged Weapons. Two rolls on the Weapon Category Subtable, both need to be repaired.
- Weapon Category Subtable 1d100 result: 50, Energy Weapons.
- Energy Weapons subtable 1d100 result: 6, Hand Laser
- Weapon Category Subtable 1d100 result: 74, Melee Weapons
- Melee weapons subtable 1d100 result: 31, Brutal Melee Weapon
- Determine Injuries & Recovery
- No casualties.
- Experience & Character Upgrades
- Experience:
- Survived and won: +3XP
- Gathered Peculiar Item: +2XP
- First character to inflict a casualty: +1 XP for Yevesa
- Upgrades:
- Maggie Galer: +1 Toughness for 6XP
- Thasra Jodehn: +1 Speed for 5XP
- Invest in Advanced Training
- Applying for Advanced Training, paying 1 Cr. 2d6 result: 8. Application success.
- Two-Shaper going in for Mechanic Training, spending 7 XP (counting double), making up the balance with 1 Cr.
- Purchase Items
- No purchases this turn.
- Roll for a Campaign Event
- Campaign Event Table 1d100 result: 48, Equipment malfunction. If there are any items in your stash, a random item is damaged and must be repaired.
- Picking a random number between 1 and 21 result: 19, Snooper Bot
- Roll for a Character Event
- Random character D6 result removing Two & Sark: 2, Yevesa
- Character Event Table 1d100 result: 2, All this endless void is depressing you. Yevesa will refuse to participate in the battle next turn. Gain +1 Story Point as they gain a new perspective on life.
- Check for Galactic War Progress
- No planets previously invaded.
Rewards Granted
- 14 Cr
- 3 Base pay
- 3 Hazard pay
- 3 Cr worth of scrap
- 5 Cr from Thasra
- Thasra Jodehn joins the crew!
- 1 Damaged Hand Laser
- 1 Damaged Brutal Melee Weapon
- 5 XP base
- +1 for Yevesa
- +1 Story Point
Missions/Quests Completed
Character(s) interacted with
- Morgan Churchill
- Kai Ainsworth
- Thasra Jodehn
Comments