[edit] and of course, the thread name has a typo.

I'm finally getting around to writing the next adventure in the chain after FSB Pious Piotr This should have the various brainstorming bits and design notes. Either I'll edit in the adventure as I write it, or I'll put it in another post.

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Situation:

One of the last combat-effective formations of the Skrynne-guard (several thousand men) is entrenched in a river valley and is in contact with ork forces.

The PCs regiment is still in the process of unloading from navy transports, but advance elements have established several fire bases behind the Skrynne-guards position.

The supply situation of the Skrynne-guard is critical. Priority has been given to unloading supplies for them as opposed to more combat troops. This change in unloading priority, plus harassment by ork air power and infiltration units will delay the unloading of significant combat forces from the PCs regiment for around 10 days.

Mission:

The PCs company must provide a team to establish a forward observation post significantly ahead of the Skrynne-guards position, so that the artillery can fire on any large ork forces that attempt to advance down the valley.

Forces:

Friendly Forces:

Two (2) under- strength regiments of the Skrynne-guard, roughly 5 km behind the projected position of the forward observation post.

On the order of 5000-6000 men total, down from a paper strength of around 4500 per regiment.

Three (3) fire bases established by the PCs regiment, each containing one battery (6 guns) of artillery.

Mission Forces:

One (1) squad (FOP Attie), from Fire Support Base 1

The PC's and their comrades (FOP Bess), from Fire Support Base 2

One (1) squad (FOP Ceile), from fire support base 3

Each FOP will exercise independent command.

Enemy Forces:

Ork forces in battalion strength or greater. (around 500-1000 orks) are currently in contact with the Skrynne-guard and are maintaining positions roughly 1 kilometer ahead of the Skrynne-guard.

It is expected that orks in regimental strength (3000-5000 orks) will attempt of move down the valley to engage the Skrynne-guard.

In addition, ork infiltration units of platoon size (30-50 orks) or smaller are moving through the valley at night.

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How the adventure is supposed to go:

The PCs establish a FOP along the valley. The morale score from the last adventure influences how effective their calls for artillery are. They spend several days blasting orks with artillery. They encounter several difficulties, both with just living in the jungle and with the nightly ork infiltrators. As times goes on, the orks begin exerting more effort to find the observation posts.

As time goes on, observant PCs will notice that they have called artillery on more orks passing through the valley than the intelligence report says are in the area, this should worry them. [What's the bonus for noticing this? Maybe fighter/bombers from the navy?]

On roughly the 9th day of the adventure, the will see a massive force of orks advancing down the valley. In addition, they will notice a visual distortion, similar to heat shimmer moving down the valley with the orks.

Their desperate calls for fire support will get them orbital bombardment from a navy frigate. However, just as it looks like the day will be saved by the Imperial Navy, the heat shimmer reveals itself to be an Ork (scout) Gargant (CREEEEED!) which, of course, has an anti orbital weapon. The gargant and the frigate proceed to have a gun fight. The PCs will probably be (temporarily) blinded by the weapon fire.

The frigate will be shot down and the gargant damaged. In addition the gargant will have fired up several random parts of the valley and at least part of the position of the Skrynne-guard . The (probably blind) PCs will need to get a brave helicopter crew to make a run down the valley to come get them before they are over-run by orks.

The fire bases will come under attack by ork infiltration units, and the PCs will lose contact with their fire base. (This is also to make the PCs withdraw if they aren't blind and decide to stay on post and continue to observe for artillery fire.)

Their helicopter will be damaged during he extraction. Just over the positions of the Skrynne-guard, their helicopter will (burn up, come to pieces, etc) in mid-air. Miraculously, the PCs will fall into a (miraculous) mud latrine-pit, which will cushion their fall. Because their helicopter exploding looked something like this:

The Skrynne-guard (who have just had their command post blown up by an ork gargant), will view the PCs recovery as a sign from the Emperor. (Our saviors, delivered on wings of fire!)

Adventure ends with many of the Skrynne-guard looking at the PCs and asking, "So what do we do now?"

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Special stats for this adventure:

Morale

From last adventure.

'Heat'

To show how much the orks are looking for them. Increased by getting into firefights, doing things that attract attention, etc.

Ork force

This represents how many orks made it through the valley while the PCs had it under observation. It's the stat that carries on to the next adventure, and should have something to do with how many orks they fight there.

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Observation post stats:

Concealment: this is how well the observation post is hidden

Cover: This is how defensible the observation post is.

Visibility: This is how much of the valley the OP can bring under observation, will effect how easily they can see ork forces and how long they can keep them under observation (coordinate with expected artillery fire times 10 minutes under observation seem to be the minimum).

These stats all modify different tests during the adventure.

The PCs have a choice of three places to establish the OP

Termite mounds:

Cover: Excellent

Visibility: Good

Concealment: Poor

Long Grass:

Visibility: Excellent

Concealment: Good

Cover: Poor

Trees:

Concealment: Excellent

Cover: Good

Visibility: Poor

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Skills:

If the PCs don't have the require skills (Navigate(Surface) and Scholastic Lore (Tactica Imperialis) they can 'consult the Lieutenant' (see the previous adventure) to reduce their untrained penalties to -10, instead of -20.

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Gear:

They should get VOX automatically, and then make rolls for a hand held targeter and a multi-compass.

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Living in the jungle:

One of the things to emphasize is how terrible the jungle is to live in. Most of their problems during the first third of the adventure should just be to show how much it sucks to be out here.

Samples;

If setup at the termite mounds:

The termites don't bite, but they do have a very good chance of getting into all the food. Survival rolls say that the termites are edible, so that's ok. If the PCs have horrible rations (see last adventure) the termites are actually tastier. Otherwise, PCs will get some fatigue from being hungry.

If setup in the long grass:

ref: Imperata cylindrica

That grass is sharp! It's not enough to cause any wounds, but PCs will develop several irritating scratches over the exposed parts of their bodies. This is an opening to infection. If the medic can't treat them, gain some fatigue from skin infections.

If setup in the trees:

ref: Ginkgo biloba

Horrible stench. Try sleeping, eating, and so on with that in your nose all the time. Gain fatigue.

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Water:

Still no good source for daily water needs in the jungle but would estimate 6-12 liters a day, depending on activity. As it's not the rainy season, the PCs will have to move as much as 120 liters (5 PCs + 5 comrades x 12 lites per person) from a stream to their camp every day. This will complicate their efforts to remain concealed. Place for survival suits to shine.

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Pilot rescue:

A pilot goes down in the valley. Will the PCs go get him? Will they rist giving away their position to medivac him? Results should effect their extraction by air at the end of the adventure.

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Supplies:

If they run out of ammo or some other critical supplies, they could possibly be resupplied by helicopter, but that increased the heat stat.

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Lighting up the darkness

If the gear includes photo-visors or preysense goggles, the group can continue to call fire at night, or to engage ork infiltration units of favorable terms. This should probably reduce heat, as less units will be available to look for them.

Air search by the orks:

Are there rules for ork death-koptas? or can something easy be ginned up?

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What to do with the other FOPs? Just take them out if the heat gets too high?

Allow command, tactics, motivational skills to ensure that FOPs provide good coverage, reduce the amount of orks getting through.

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How to keep the guy with the artillery skills from being the one who gets to have all the fun?

Edited February 20, 2015 by crusher bob

The next thing to look at is all the standard regiments. I'd assume they are pretty representative of what types of regiments people end up playing, so need to make sure every sample regiment has 'stuff' to do in the adventure, and if possible, that their weakness comes up.

Cadians:

Well, not a lot going for them, sneaking around in the jungle. And they won't have their Chimera, either.

Things to think about:

microbeads. if possible add some reasons for the PCs to be separate, so that having microbeads is useful

Command: all Cadians have command, so maybe there should be something explicit to do with command tests and the other FOPs.

Catachans

All have navigate(surface), and survival

All have stummers

So, they should probably have their weakness come up... maybe have an opportunity to apply charm/inquiry to some natives at the fire base to gain knowledge about native pests? This way, the other regiments (who probably don't have survival) can get some bonuses to survival checks that the

Catachans may miss out on...

Death Korps

Hmm, not a lot to work with here.

They do all have tech-use and some screamers. Maybe offer some mines as part of the mission gear? WIll have to look up how Only War screws up mines... might have to re-write that just so the Death Korps has an advantage...

Elysian Drop Troops

They all have survival suits and photovisors

So probably add some options on how the team is inserted, to effect starting 'heat'

At night (need photovisors / preysense goggles) less heat

Paradrop in (requires grav chutes) (less heat)

fast rope in (requires drop harness) less heat, but more than paradrop

Maccabian Janissaries

ungh

they at least have photo-visors and the upgrade that doesn't actually appear in the game! (purity seals)

Mordian Iron Guard

They are a tank regiment, so probably shouldn't be on this adventure.

Tallarn Desert Raiders

Sarge, why are we in desert camo in the @#$%@#$ jungle?

But they have navigate (surface), survival, magnoculars, fer crying out loud! and micro beads, so they should be doing ok.

They'll also have the same social issues as the Catachans during the talk to the natives phase, so that's good.

Vostroyan Firstborn

microbeads and survival suits, so not too bad...

So the ideal regiment for this adventure would have:

survival & survival suits

navigate (surface)

tech use (for planting mines)

charm and/or inquiry (for getting info from native phase)

command, for doing stuff with other FOPs

grav chutes and photo-visors (for lowest heat insertion)

stummers and Chameleoline cloaks, to avoid raising heat/ being hard to find.

silenced weapons, or maybe good close combat ability to engage ork units without anyone noticing

maybe AA missile launchers, if there are rules for death koptas...

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Ref: Chigoe fleas

appear to be appropriately horrible. So we'll have the native info survival thingy be related to something like this. The PCs will have to either have good survival roles or hear about them from natives, or they'll have special surprises after they **** up after the first night in the jungle. Probably won't have too much game effect, maybe some more fatigue. But that appear to be many disgusting pictures available on the Internet to creep the players out with and make them hate the jungle.

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Preparing the camp area/ Should probably add some things that you can skill test to do to improve your original FOP site, survival, security, tech use all seem to offer possibilities

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Water:

should runs for water be just a trade off of gear vs heat? For example, survival suits mean you need less water and photo-visors mean you can do water runs in the dark, where are are less likely to be spotted. Or should there be more 'adventure' about this?

Suppose a fight with terror cats is possible, since they have stats, but the water fetching team would probably just be one PC and his comrade...

Ah: they see evidence of terror cats the first time they get water, and then they have to think of something to do about it. Kill the local top predators so no one bothers you? Try to sic them on some orks? Poison or trap them? Come up with some other way to collect water? (possible to extract some water from trees / vines / fruit)

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Now, how to get some natives to the firebase so the PCs have a chance to ask them about survival in the jungle...

Of course, some of the Montagnards Skrynne Autochtons have heard the guns firing and have come to investigate. Also offer trading opportunities.

Transition from the previous adventure:

The Skrynne-guard and the newly established fire bases take on the orks from the previous adventure (estimated 2000-3000) of them and kill about half. But this pretty much runs the Skrynne-guard out of bullets. If it wasn't for the artillery, they'd be down to fighting the remaining orks with their bayonets. That causes the priority shift in what's getting unloaded from transports. And there is now a number of orks milling around up the pass, trying to come to grips with the Skrynne-guard without getting wiped out with artillery.

The first supplies of bullets get to the S-G so they can now shoot up the orks that are pushing on them, but there is great worry about more ork forces coming down the pass. That's why the PCs are getting sent ahead, so that there will be eyes on any large forces coming down the pass and the artillery can take them under fire.

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Adventure timeline:

Day 1

Warning order

The Lieutenant will brief the players on what they’ll need to do.

Briefing contents:

Do any of you know how to call artillery?

Possible FOP locations

The 3 different locations, ID’d by aerial photos?

Food and water

Water purification methods, don’t want repeat of water incident from last adventure

Resupply

By helicopter drop, but increases heat

Infiltration

Night or day?

Hop off, fast rope, or grav chute?

Exfiltration

Chopper LZs for extraction

Emergency foot route

Mission gear:

Given without logistics test:

1 VOX caster

Favored gear: multi-compass, hand held targeter, photo-visors?, camo cloaks?, claymore mines?

Next day or that night, natives show up. This gives PCs brief time to use social skills to find out about horrible bugs, why it’s a bad idea to sleep on the ground. Let them improvise hammocks or re-use the stinking bug repellant Lt. came up with last adventure (increases heat? Reduces stealth?)

1 ^st day:

Insert into area

Have options for improving FOP site with skills

Water crew spots signs of terror cats

Artillery targets: one ork company on foot

1 ^st night:

feral orks in the woods, moving through the valley. Player exposure to ‘heat’ stat

2 ^nd day:

PCs discover horrible bugs infesting their skin, if they weren’t prepared.

Make plans to deal with terror cats at water source

(possibly enact plans to deal with terror cats)

Artillery targets:

ork companies on foot x2

2 ^nd night

players see results of increasing ‘heat’ by what the feral orks are doing

3 ^rd day

survival challenge at the FOP site comes to the fore (termites, grass cuts, or stink)

artillery targets:

ork battalion on foot x2

Gretchen supply mob on foot

3 ^rd night

lots of waaag! And shouting in the night, orks have met wildlife and it is hostile no results from heat tonight

4 ^th day

Dealing with fatigue (from bugs or survival challenge at FOP site)

Terror cats make slight attack on water team is they have not been dealt with already. PCs must apply solution today or tomorrow

artillery targets:

ork battalion on foot x3

Gretchen supply mob on footx2

4 ^th night

if heat is high, 1 ^st possible night fight with feral orks or squigs

5 ^th day

observant PCs will notice that they’ve lit up 2 regiments or orks already, and that’s worrisome.

Possibility that they get access to navy air strikes as well

Daylight gunfight with terror cats, if no PC solution. Causes high heat.

artillery targets:

day:

ork battalion on foot x1

Gretchen supply mob on footx1

5 ^th night

night time artillery targets start showing up

artillery targets:

ork company on foot x1

Gretchen supply mob on footx1

6 ^th day

Navy aircraft shot down over AO, at least some crew suspected to be alive

PCs asked about looking for them

Possibly looking for pilots here

artillery targets:

ork company on foot x2

ork battalion on foot x1

Gretchen supply mob on footx1

6 ^th night

One of the other two FOPs possibly overrun in the night, depends on PC command actions

Possibly looking for pilot here

artillery targets:

Gretchen supply mob on footx2

7 ^th day

Observant PCs will notice that they’ve not seen what amounts to an ork division move through the valley. This should make them very nervous.

Possibly looking for pilot here

Artillery calls start being limited, S-G now needs fire support on a regular basis, especially if PCs have let much ork strength through the pass.

artillery targets:

Gretchen supply mob on footx3

7 ^th night

Last chance to look for pilot, he’ll be dead after this if he’s not found already.

artillery targets:

Gretchen supply mob on footx1

8 ^th day

Other FOP is spotted by orks, engaged. PCs may want to call artillery or air to help support. Command related stuff for whether the other FOP team is extracted or not

Artillery targets: none

8 ^th night

Possible pilot extraction flight here

2 ^nd chance for night fight vs orks if heat is high

9 ^th day

heat haze effect over far end of valley, does not look like weather

artillery target:

all the orks

surprise gargant

appearance of naval gunfire support

frigate vs gargant: fight!

9 ^th night

running for lives

10 ^th day (dawn)

fall upon S-G as chopper blows up be carried to S-G on wings of fire

adventure end

Fleshing out the encounter with the natives:

One of them has Tungiasis [GIS if you are brave] on a bit of his back. They are mostly here to see who's shooting, talk to the imperials, and maybe trade a bit.

[using medicae on the various minor ailments the natives have will give a +10 bonus to social tests.]

Things that can be learned:

The native got 'sand fleas' because he didn't tie his hammock tight enough; it drooped during the night and a bit of his back brushed the ground when he was sleeping.

Oh how they are laughing.

[sleeping in hammocks is a way to avoid the ‘sand fleas’. But note that you wouldn’t have any sort of cover if you came under attack while sleeping.]

Promethium is good for treating sand flea infestation. You just pour a bit of it on and the fleas pretty quickly burrow back out of the skin, you don't have to try to pick them out and worry about leaving some of them behind.

[using promethium to treat sand fleas gets a +20 to the medicae test. Sure specific drugs would be better (a +30), but promethium is everywhere around here.]

If you have to sleep on the ground, they recommend spraying a bit of promethium around where you plan to sleep. This discourages the sand fleas. However, it does make you smell like promethium. It’s also probably bad for you in the long run. One of the natives spits, "maybe worms that eat us will get cancer," he says. <They laugh>

[if you sleep on the ground, spraying a small quantity of promethium will keep the sand fleas away. But you’ll have a -5 to stealth checks for that day, unless you have some shower facilities or something to wash it off.]

If asked about sand fleas and the firebase, and why no one here has noticed them yet, the natives will discuss among themselves and thing that the original jungle clearing bomb dropped to create the firebase may have killed them. But they expect the sand fleas to be back ‘in a while’. They don’t really know how long because they don’t drop huge bombs in the jungle. But recommend that you either don’t sleep on the ground or you spray it with promethium first.

Rescuing the pilot:

Need to account for why the PC group is asked to do the rescue, rather than navy search and rescue (SAR) assets. Best idea I've come up with so far are that there are ork anti-air (AA) assets in the valley, and the navy can't risk more choppers. But then the question becomes, how are the PCs going to get out of there, on a chopper the navy doesn't want to fly into the area?

So I guess the PCs extraction LZ would have to be moved several kilometers away. Of course, that several kilometers away puts them much closer to the orks that were in contact with the S-G and whatever they've let through their position.

So, this makes going and getting the pilot yourself the easier option, but means you'll have more trouble getting out at the end of the adventure.

Option one:

Find the mobile SAM vehicle and either blow it up with hand weapons or call artillery on it. Then the navy SAR birds can come in and get the pilot.

Problem here is that the tests I can think of to make finding the SAM vehicle (navigate(surface) and Scholastic lore(tactics) (where would I be if I was a SAM vehicle?) are already extensively used in this adventure... I guess the effective penalty could be that it takes much longer than just going and getting the pilot, so the group may miss several artillery targets. On the other hand, the PCs may be encouraged to split the party instead, with some going to look for the SAM and others staying behind to call artillery on orks.

Navy is able to give rough location of SAM vehicle. Of course, it can move, so it the PCs are going to do this mission, they have to go now.

Option two:

Go in and get the pilot yourself

Pilot is closer that the possible SAM locations

He's got broken legs, so you have to carry him

some orks are wandering around the area looking for him

his rescue beacon is able to give the navy a very good idea of where he is, so there's no trouble finding him.

Really ambitious groups might try to do all three. Blow up the SAM, stay and spot for artillery, and go get the pilot. I;m sure that sort of extensive mission creep would never come around to bite them...

I'm going to assume tactical movement in the jungle is on the order of a kilometer and hour.

Pilot is maybe 2-3 km away.

SAM vehicle is maybe 5-6 kilometers away.