Campaign: A Time to Work
This is the second campaign of my home game of Classic BattleTech using a combination of rules available to me. The goal of the campaign is to run an open sandbox for fifteen in-game years between 3033 and 3048 to advance the timeline, and avoid simply "time-skipping" through to the next major era. There are two player forces: Priam Company and the Harbingers. Each of these are fresh off the White Reach Incident campaign, given time to relocate, repair, and rearm. A number of personnel left the outfits, and some equipment was sold off to slim down each outfit and reduce maintenance and overhead costs. However, now they are prepared to move ahead along different paths.
While the Commonwealth might not see the value in striking heavily at mercenaries who haven't been active for more than a couple years, the chances of a reprisal increase with any fame or infamy his outfit accumulates. While these chances start low, they aren't zero. Settling in the Free Worlds League is only going to go so far to protecting his people, and taking contracts to fight more Lyrans is going to get them noticed. But those problems are for "future Adamant", as right now he is more concerned with keeping money coming in to hold his outfit together.
In this case, the Federated Commonwealth has done some work for her. The reorganized Tamar March has a governmental liaison put in place to deal with mercenaries seeking work. Sitaara Dawar may consider it beneath her to deal with mercenaries, but the Lyran Intelligence Corps has left her a small document telling her Priam Company can be trusted. Commander Garrido is certain to find some work, though how pleasant it will be is a different matter. The developing situation inside the Draconis Combine has many people locally worried, and the Tamar Pact has been quietly unhappy about a lack of support from the higher reaches of Lyran government.
Each contract is backed by a faction in known space, ranging from the Successor States to lesser nobles or corporations. The terms of the contract are to bring a certain amount of Battle Value (BV) to emply in one to three scenarios. Some of these contracts have extra rewards which can help a mercenary outfit grow easier, and others can generate additional resources in the form of allies or contacts. Failing a contract is not the end of matters, as partial payments are possible under Good Faith clauses. The only things which would spell the end for a player force is running out of money and running out of personnel. Of course, running out of one or the other will cause the participation in the more open nature of this campaign to narrow into a particular path in order to generate either funds or personnel to become capable again.
Most scenarios will be played on a battlemat measuring 48" by 48" with hex spaces measuring the BattleTech standard of 1.25" in size. Terrain is provided, and agreed upon by both players before beginning. A few house rules are in effect regarding the flow of battle and some dice methods. (Note: These will be detailed later as they are finalized.)
Total Warfare: This is the basic set of rules regarding how to play Classic BattleTech in its entirety. As such, this is a necessary component to the referenced rules.
Campaign Operations: As the name implies, this is a book which offers seriously detailed rules on how to create and run a unit. Furthermore, the maintenance and repair rules have been moved into this book from previous editions of "Strategic Operations".
Handbook: House Steiner and Handbook: House Marik: These books were referenced primarily for extra data on the two Successor States where the player forces are based. The parts referenced were mostly in regards to how the government was organized, and how local areas have managed to keep things in order.
Sarna BattleTech Wiki: This site is a fan-run wiki covering much of the data concerning BattleTech, and listing sources. When I needed to find information and a source, this was instrumental in figuring out what I needed.
Overview
The Harbingers
Commander Adamant Dupree has never exactly been shy of making enemies, but this time he's left himself a target with the Lyran Commonwealth. Having dismantled a battalion of the Twenty-Second Skye Rangers who underestimated his outfit, the next strike would undoubtedly come from a heavier hand. With most of the original members are still loyal and helping train up newer recruits, and picking up others who went independent to join the Harbingers, success is a necessity. Parlaying the successful contract against Andurien loyalists on White Reach into a simple retainer for defense , Commander Dupree relocated the entirety of his outfit to the planet of Cascade in the Free Worlds League. Their local point of contact is Alexander Mandel, who never expected to be put in a position to be dealing with mercenaries or having instructions to "keep them from becoming a liability". The details of the contract allow for basic provisions and necessities to be provided, as well as the space for the Harbingers to set up a base. But the costs of local labor, parts for repairs, and ammunition for rearmament are not covered and will need to be paid for. This arrangement suits Dupree just fine, as it allows him to focus on what is more important to him: finding work and building the Harbingers up.While the Commonwealth might not see the value in striking heavily at mercenaries who haven't been active for more than a couple years, the chances of a reprisal increase with any fame or infamy his outfit accumulates. While these chances start low, they aren't zero. Settling in the Free Worlds League is only going to go so far to protecting his people, and taking contracts to fight more Lyrans is going to get them noticed. But those problems are for "future Adamant", as right now he is more concerned with keeping money coming in to hold his outfit together.
Priam Company
Commander Olivia Garrido has problems stemming from incredible success, and having an ally she can't completely trust. Contracts related to the White Reach Incident have been paid out and closed, but most information regarding those events have been deemed "classified" to most. Furthermore, the previous commander has gone missing and many of the non-combatant officers have resigned in the aftermath. Most of the outfit trusts her as an intelligent ’MechWarrior, but as a commander she is untested. Settling back into Salmacis Base at Twycross has been a difficult task, with reorganization leaving her with a bunch of mercenaries needing work and many BattleMechs ready to fight again. Luckily, she has a plan on how to proceed which is the same as every other mercenary command in their first days: put their name out there in a fishing expedition and see who bites.In this case, the Federated Commonwealth has done some work for her. The reorganized Tamar March has a governmental liaison put in place to deal with mercenaries seeking work. Sitaara Dawar may consider it beneath her to deal with mercenaries, but the Lyran Intelligence Corps has left her a small document telling her Priam Company can be trusted. Commander Garrido is certain to find some work, though how pleasant it will be is a different matter. The developing situation inside the Draconis Combine has many people locally worried, and the Tamar Pact has been quietly unhappy about a lack of support from the higher reaches of Lyran government.
Campaign Scope
After the first campaign, there are fifteen years of time to cover before any planning into the next major era. Rather than skip across it, we will play out a series of contracts to fill fifteen years of in-universe time. With most contracts tending to take up to eighteen months, it is expected most of the pre-prepared contracts will see use. There are currently thirty-eight contracts for each player force defined with objectives and parameters, and many of them lasting over eight months in time. It is possible to ad-lib extra "side contracts" which will yield smaller payouts and take shorter periods of time, but do not necessarily require combat. As time proceeds, each of the player forces will be also having to keep track of expenditures and morale. Failing to pay your mercenaries means they may resign, or even turn deserter at a time of opportunity.Each contract is backed by a faction in known space, ranging from the Successor States to lesser nobles or corporations. The terms of the contract are to bring a certain amount of Battle Value (BV) to emply in one to three scenarios. Some of these contracts have extra rewards which can help a mercenary outfit grow easier, and others can generate additional resources in the form of allies or contacts. Failing a contract is not the end of matters, as partial payments are possible under Good Faith clauses. The only things which would spell the end for a player force is running out of money and running out of personnel. Of course, running out of one or the other will cause the participation in the more open nature of this campaign to narrow into a particular path in order to generate either funds or personnel to become capable again.
Most scenarios will be played on a battlemat measuring 48" by 48" with hex spaces measuring the BattleTech standard of 1.25" in size. Terrain is provided, and agreed upon by both players before beginning. A few house rules are in effect regarding the flow of battle and some dice methods. (Note: These will be detailed later as they are finalized.)
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