Below is a beginner adventure that I have modified from a different game system. Unlike the beginner adventure published in the Rifter and in the Adventure Book, this adventure is meant to establish the team and provide an opportunity for the game master to begin a campaign rather than to simply initiate new players.
THE BACKGROUND:
LOCATION
The village is not be located near a major road, nor should it be located in the middle of a forest or in the mountains. It is off the beaten path, in a valley area that consists of rolling hills, farm fields, and some light woods. The Game master should create a map of the village based on the description in this article.
THE ENCOUNTER
Members of the party are travelling along a trail near dusk when they see a young girl (15 to 17 years old) lying on the trail ahead of them. She is wearing a dress that looks like it has been torn by bushes; she is shoeless, and her feet are bleeding. When the characters stop to examine her, they can see that she has received a superficial bullet wound to her upper right arm. She is barely conscious due to exhaustion and loss of blood. As the characters bandage her, she will regain enough strength to tell them that they are in danger and ask them to take her to the village. It is important that the party stop, so if none of the player characters want to, an NPC should suggest it.
THE STORY
The girl tells the party her name, Maria, and states that she was kidnapped by bandits while working in the fields near her village. She and 11 other villagers were seized before the village militia could intercede. They were taken to an old, pre-Rifts factory about twenty-five miles from the village where they were imprisoned in a compound. Over the next two days, they were joined by other prisoners – villagers and refugees – who surrendered to these well-armed and numerous bandits. On the third day, 10 prisoners were taken from the compound, and a short while later, those left behind heard thumps quickly followed by a whistling noise and explosions. Then they heard rail guns firing. All this happened out of sight, but, needless to say, the remaining prisoners were terrified. The next day, Maria was among the 10 prisoners selected. They were led to a field behind the factory and told that they would be free if they could reach the far end. Behind the prisoners were three men in a pit, grouped around a "cannon" (really a 120mm mortar). The gunners then raised a "shell" to the mouth of the cannon and told them to start. As the prisoners started to run, she heard a thunk, then a whistle, then she saw an explosion midway down the field. The explosion wasn't that big, but she saw a large cloud of smoke. The prisoners closest to the smoke started choking. She held her breath and ran to the woods to her left, clawed her way through some barbed wire, and ran away. She didn't notice that she had been shot until she was well away from the factory area.
Beginner Adventure
Moderators: Immortals, Supreme Beings, Old Ones
MORE BACKGROUND
WHAT’S HAPPENING
Basically, someone is testing the effectiveness of poison gas. This research is being conducted under the auspices of a larger organization that does not want its enemies to know that it is capable of manufacturing such weapons. This organization could be tailored to fit the location of the campaign, so it could be the Coalition, Free Quebec, a power in the Federation of Magic, Tolkeen, or New Awakening, the point being that it is a covert operation. Due to the covert nature of the setup, the player characters will not find any indication of the sponsor-identification marks on the vehicles have been erased, and soldiers are wearing a wide variety of uniforms. The village can be anywhere in North America that fits the Game Master’s campaign.
THE FACTORY SETUP
If questioned, Maria can describe the location of the factory and other basic information. However, she is not a trained observer and will make some errors in the description. For example, the armored car will be described as a tank and the mortar as a cannon, and she will not know the number of men in the weapons pits. She will also state that no bandits are bivouacked in the factory itself. If the player characters decide to conduct a reconnaissance, they will determine the following information-
-Sentry dispositions:
Three men in each PD position.
One man in the turret of the Triax MZ-10
Two men at the door of the factory.
One man walking between the various sentry posts and buildings.
-They estimate a total of 30 marauders.
-The off-duty marauders sleep in the two-story factory office building.
-The other buildings seem to be used for storage.
Basically, someone is testing the effectiveness of poison gas. This research is being conducted under the auspices of a larger organization that does not want its enemies to know that it is capable of manufacturing such weapons. This organization could be tailored to fit the location of the campaign, so it could be the Coalition, Free Quebec, a power in the Federation of Magic, Tolkeen, or New Awakening, the point being that it is a covert operation. Due to the covert nature of the setup, the player characters will not find any indication of the sponsor-identification marks on the vehicles have been erased, and soldiers are wearing a wide variety of uniforms. The village can be anywhere in North America that fits the Game Master’s campaign.
THE FACTORY SETUP
If questioned, Maria can describe the location of the factory and other basic information. However, she is not a trained observer and will make some errors in the description. For example, the armored car will be described as a tank and the mortar as a cannon, and she will not know the number of men in the weapons pits. She will also state that no bandits are bivouacked in the factory itself. If the player characters decide to conduct a reconnaissance, they will determine the following information-
-Sentry dispositions:
Three men in each PD position.
One man in the turret of the Triax MZ-10
Two men at the door of the factory.
One man walking between the various sentry posts and buildings.
-They estimate a total of 30 marauders.
-The off-duty marauders sleep in the two-story factory office building.
-The other buildings seem to be used for storage.
The Village
ENTERING THE VILLAGE
If the players have not taken Maria to her village yet, they should now do so, as the defenses of the factory are too formidable for the average party to take out. As the characters approach the village, they will note that with the fields surrounding it, it has good fields of fire but is also quite exposed to incoming fire. They will also note that the village has escaped the ravages of war.
When the characters are about 175 feet from the village, they will be slopped by a sentry. He will ask them to state their business and will be wary of strangers. He is about 17 years old and armed with a double-barreled shotgun. When he sees Maria, he will become very animated and yell to the villagers that “it is okay-they found Maria!”. He will escort the party in.
Upon reaching the village, the sentry will lead the party to the town hall and will instruct someone to get Gwellyn and the doctor. He will aid the party in bringing Maria inside and making her comfortable, all the while asking her questions about her ordeal. Maria is very tired, and someone in the party should step in and tell him what they know. After a short wait, two men will enter, and any villagers who followed the party in will be told to leave. The older of the two men, an elf, will tell the sentry to go back to his post. The younger man, a human, will immediately check the extent of Maria's wounds and, if required, will rebandage them. He is the village doctor (in reality, a former Coalition Special Forces medic with a firs aid skill of 80%).
The older man will introduce himself as Gwellyn, the mayor of the village. He will question the players about their background and will ask them about their encounter with Maria. If the players have not scouted out the factory, he will request that they do so. He will also ask their aid in freeing what villagers remain as prisoners. He will tell the party that the village can supply about 20 men to aid them, but they do not have heavy weapons. These men are his most experienced, and most have spent some time in one particular army or another.
He has little to offer the players except the hospitality of the village. They would be able to stay on as part of the militia, and, if the harvest permits, he may be able to provide them with some alcohol to fuel the vehicles in the spring. He would like to see the factory destroyed, as the village would not be safe if the marauders decided to use poison gas against them in retaliation for freeing the prisoners.
If the players have not taken Maria to her village yet, they should now do so, as the defenses of the factory are too formidable for the average party to take out. As the characters approach the village, they will note that with the fields surrounding it, it has good fields of fire but is also quite exposed to incoming fire. They will also note that the village has escaped the ravages of war.
When the characters are about 175 feet from the village, they will be slopped by a sentry. He will ask them to state their business and will be wary of strangers. He is about 17 years old and armed with a double-barreled shotgun. When he sees Maria, he will become very animated and yell to the villagers that “it is okay-they found Maria!”. He will escort the party in.
Upon reaching the village, the sentry will lead the party to the town hall and will instruct someone to get Gwellyn and the doctor. He will aid the party in bringing Maria inside and making her comfortable, all the while asking her questions about her ordeal. Maria is very tired, and someone in the party should step in and tell him what they know. After a short wait, two men will enter, and any villagers who followed the party in will be told to leave. The older of the two men, an elf, will tell the sentry to go back to his post. The younger man, a human, will immediately check the extent of Maria's wounds and, if required, will rebandage them. He is the village doctor (in reality, a former Coalition Special Forces medic with a firs aid skill of 80%).
The older man will introduce himself as Gwellyn, the mayor of the village. He will question the players about their background and will ask them about their encounter with Maria. If the players have not scouted out the factory, he will request that they do so. He will also ask their aid in freeing what villagers remain as prisoners. He will tell the party that the village can supply about 20 men to aid them, but they do not have heavy weapons. These men are his most experienced, and most have spent some time in one particular army or another.
He has little to offer the players except the hospitality of the village. They would be able to stay on as part of the militia, and, if the harvest permits, he may be able to provide them with some alcohol to fuel the vehicles in the spring. He would like to see the factory destroyed, as the village would not be safe if the marauders decided to use poison gas against them in retaliation for freeing the prisoners.
The Attack
THE PLAN AND ATTACK
The party should be able to approach and conduct a good reconnaissance of the objective if they have not already done so. Gwellyn will ask to go with them and will discourage any other villagers from accompanying them. He will explain that he served in the airborne branch, and his Recon skill will allow him to move with the party without increasing the chance of it being detected. He will suggest that the main militia party carry any heavy weapons and meet them in a clearing in the woods about three quarters of a mile from the factory.
The players can suggest a plan for the assault, and the Game master should consider whether it is realistic. If it is too risky, Gwellyn will suggest the following plan:
A party of 15 militia, led by Gwellyn and equipped with two RPGs, will crawl to the edge of the woods to the east of the Triax armored car. Once in position, they will take out the sentries in front of the factory, the armored car, and the machinegun post north of the factory. They will also position two snipers to cover the northern and eastern sides of the factory office. Once their objectives are destroyed, they will escort the prisoners to safety.
The player characters, augmented by five militia, will position themselves at the northwest corner of the gap, where they can fire on the mortar position, and the southern and western sides of the factory offices. They will also be responsible for taking out the machinegun post at the southwestern corner of the gap. The factory offices are about 250 feet from their position, well within range of their weapons.
The effect of such a barrage of explosives on the surprised occupants of the offices would be quite devastating. Of course, survivors will probably have to be cleaned out with grenades and melee weapons, but the approach to the offices should not be too dangerous if the characters use the other buildings for cover. This plan allows for maximum use of surprise and overwhelming fire power to demoralize and destroy the enemy. If the enemy is not expecting an attack, the plan should be rather successful. If, however, the players got involved in a firefight with the enemy during their initial reconnaissance, the marauders will be wary and have at least one party of 10 men sweeping the woods, and will post extra sentries and man the mortar pit.
FORCES
Forces for the militia and marauders are as follows.
Militia: One lvl 12 Airborne trooper (Gwellyn) with one GAW RPG-70 and four rockets and a Wilk’s Backup; four lvl 6-8 Mercenaries with one GAW RPG-70 and three rockets and 3 M16A1s with three 30-round magazines filled with enchanted bullets; eight lvl 4-5 Wilderness Scouts with composite bows and 48 enchanted arrows; seven lvl 1-3 Vagabonds with three 12 gauge shotguns and four 7.62mm bolt action hunting rifles with 30 enchanted rounds each. Each mercenary has one MD frag grenade, and Gwellyn has two smoke grenades. They are all wearing MDC leather armor (25 MDC main body, 10 MDC limbs, no helmets). They are also all carrying either vibro-knives or enchanted machetes.
Marauders: 10 lvl 5-7 Bandits, 10 lvl 3-4 Bandits, 10 lvl 1-2 Bandits, wearing Huntsman armor and all armed with 7.62mm Battle Rifles. Each has two MD frag grenades. They also have a total of two 7.62mm Machineguns, one 120mm mortar (see Merc Ops for 81mm mortar and add 50% to all characteristics), two GAW AT-6 Law, and a Triax MZ-10 Wilderness Crusader Vehicles, all well supplied with ramjet ammo (light) and mega-damage explosives. Those men not on duty are relaxing or sleeping in the factory office building. All of the bandits are wearing Ultra-300 Armored Huntsman’s Choice Fatigues.
The party should be able to approach and conduct a good reconnaissance of the objective if they have not already done so. Gwellyn will ask to go with them and will discourage any other villagers from accompanying them. He will explain that he served in the airborne branch, and his Recon skill will allow him to move with the party without increasing the chance of it being detected. He will suggest that the main militia party carry any heavy weapons and meet them in a clearing in the woods about three quarters of a mile from the factory.
The players can suggest a plan for the assault, and the Game master should consider whether it is realistic. If it is too risky, Gwellyn will suggest the following plan:
A party of 15 militia, led by Gwellyn and equipped with two RPGs, will crawl to the edge of the woods to the east of the Triax armored car. Once in position, they will take out the sentries in front of the factory, the armored car, and the machinegun post north of the factory. They will also position two snipers to cover the northern and eastern sides of the factory office. Once their objectives are destroyed, they will escort the prisoners to safety.
The player characters, augmented by five militia, will position themselves at the northwest corner of the gap, where they can fire on the mortar position, and the southern and western sides of the factory offices. They will also be responsible for taking out the machinegun post at the southwestern corner of the gap. The factory offices are about 250 feet from their position, well within range of their weapons.
The effect of such a barrage of explosives on the surprised occupants of the offices would be quite devastating. Of course, survivors will probably have to be cleaned out with grenades and melee weapons, but the approach to the offices should not be too dangerous if the characters use the other buildings for cover. This plan allows for maximum use of surprise and overwhelming fire power to demoralize and destroy the enemy. If the enemy is not expecting an attack, the plan should be rather successful. If, however, the players got involved in a firefight with the enemy during their initial reconnaissance, the marauders will be wary and have at least one party of 10 men sweeping the woods, and will post extra sentries and man the mortar pit.
FORCES
Forces for the militia and marauders are as follows.
Militia: One lvl 12 Airborne trooper (Gwellyn) with one GAW RPG-70 and four rockets and a Wilk’s Backup; four lvl 6-8 Mercenaries with one GAW RPG-70 and three rockets and 3 M16A1s with three 30-round magazines filled with enchanted bullets; eight lvl 4-5 Wilderness Scouts with composite bows and 48 enchanted arrows; seven lvl 1-3 Vagabonds with three 12 gauge shotguns and four 7.62mm bolt action hunting rifles with 30 enchanted rounds each. Each mercenary has one MD frag grenade, and Gwellyn has two smoke grenades. They are all wearing MDC leather armor (25 MDC main body, 10 MDC limbs, no helmets). They are also all carrying either vibro-knives or enchanted machetes.
Marauders: 10 lvl 5-7 Bandits, 10 lvl 3-4 Bandits, 10 lvl 1-2 Bandits, wearing Huntsman armor and all armed with 7.62mm Battle Rifles. Each has two MD frag grenades. They also have a total of two 7.62mm Machineguns, one 120mm mortar (see Merc Ops for 81mm mortar and add 50% to all characteristics), two GAW AT-6 Law, and a Triax MZ-10 Wilderness Crusader Vehicles, all well supplied with ramjet ammo (light) and mega-damage explosives. Those men not on duty are relaxing or sleeping in the factory office building. All of the bandits are wearing Ultra-300 Armored Huntsman’s Choice Fatigues.
The Aftermath of the Battle
THE AFTERMATH
Once the attack is over, the wounded treated, and prisoners set fee, Gwellyn will interrogate any surviving marauders prior to ordering them killed. They will not be able to tell much except to say that they were hired by Captain Wallace, and he's dead.
If any of the players object to the killing of the surviving along marauders, Gwellyn will ask them if they could think of a better way to ensure that whoever is behind this project won't be informed about the attack.
Gwellyn will instruct his men to gather up all the equipment and weapons. This will be loaded on the captured trucks and transported to the village, which will take two trips. The booty consists of three military trucks, 1000 lbs of food, cooking supplies, 20 jerry cans, a small chemistry lab, various tool sets, a small machine shop, six cases of 7.62mm light ramjet ammo, four cases of M.D. frag grenades, 250m of barbed wire, 60 120mm HE mortar bombs, 18 GAW AT-6 LAW, a surgical kit, four doctors’ medical kits, four 2km hand radios, 40 sleeping bags and gas masks, clothing, a small still, and eight cases of 7.62mm ammunition (belted). Additionally, any of the gear that the bandits were carrying that survived can be recovered.
The three unused buildings will contain most of this equipment as one was used for storage, one as a chemistry lab, and one as a maintenance garage. The weapons and webbing will come from the dead marauders, the wire from the woods, and the office supplies and sleeping bags from the factory offices.
The militia will also find 20 yellow painted mortar shells in the lab, and Gwellyn will insist they be destroyed. This can be accomplished by firing them into a vacant field and making sure the wind is blowing away from the firing point, or by digging a deep hole, placing the bombs and some explosives at the bottom, and, after covering the hole, setting off the explosives. This is a relatively easy demolitions task.
The armored car may also be recovered if the damage is not too extensive. The Game master should note that if the office building was set on fire during the battle, a certain amount of the equipment would be destroyed.
ACCEPTANCE AND INTRODUCTION TO THE VILLAGE
If the attack was successful and the characters got along with Gwellyn, they have established their usefulness to the village. Gwellyn will honor his offer of food and shelter to the characters. He will give them a brief history of the village and offer them positions in the militia. With the weapons they have just captured and the leadership of the player characters, the security of the village will be significantly increased.
Once the attack is over, the wounded treated, and prisoners set fee, Gwellyn will interrogate any surviving marauders prior to ordering them killed. They will not be able to tell much except to say that they were hired by Captain Wallace, and he's dead.
If any of the players object to the killing of the surviving along marauders, Gwellyn will ask them if they could think of a better way to ensure that whoever is behind this project won't be informed about the attack.
Gwellyn will instruct his men to gather up all the equipment and weapons. This will be loaded on the captured trucks and transported to the village, which will take two trips. The booty consists of three military trucks, 1000 lbs of food, cooking supplies, 20 jerry cans, a small chemistry lab, various tool sets, a small machine shop, six cases of 7.62mm light ramjet ammo, four cases of M.D. frag grenades, 250m of barbed wire, 60 120mm HE mortar bombs, 18 GAW AT-6 LAW, a surgical kit, four doctors’ medical kits, four 2km hand radios, 40 sleeping bags and gas masks, clothing, a small still, and eight cases of 7.62mm ammunition (belted). Additionally, any of the gear that the bandits were carrying that survived can be recovered.
The three unused buildings will contain most of this equipment as one was used for storage, one as a chemistry lab, and one as a maintenance garage. The weapons and webbing will come from the dead marauders, the wire from the woods, and the office supplies and sleeping bags from the factory offices.
The militia will also find 20 yellow painted mortar shells in the lab, and Gwellyn will insist they be destroyed. This can be accomplished by firing them into a vacant field and making sure the wind is blowing away from the firing point, or by digging a deep hole, placing the bombs and some explosives at the bottom, and, after covering the hole, setting off the explosives. This is a relatively easy demolitions task.
The armored car may also be recovered if the damage is not too extensive. The Game master should note that if the office building was set on fire during the battle, a certain amount of the equipment would be destroyed.
ACCEPTANCE AND INTRODUCTION TO THE VILLAGE
If the attack was successful and the characters got along with Gwellyn, they have established their usefulness to the village. Gwellyn will honor his offer of food and shelter to the characters. He will give them a brief history of the village and offer them positions in the militia. With the weapons they have just captured and the leadership of the player characters, the security of the village will be significantly increased.
VILLAGE HISTORY
RECENT HISTORY OF THE VILLAGE
A generation ago, the village was a minor town in the burgeoning empire of a local warlord. The village served as a minor market for farmers throughout the region, and there was a small school that taught the farm children as well as a local overseer that administered the area for the warlord. There were quite a few shops that catered to the farmers that lived within about seven miles of the village.
Apart from the service-based industries, the only other major employer was a small food-processing plant where local produce was canned, preserved, or, in the case of root vegetables, bagged.
The town also contained a theater, a community hall, a church, and a small inn. The town didn’t grow too fast because it was pretty far out of the way, even for this minor empire. Still, it was important to the several hundred locals that lived in the area.
About thirty years ago, a war broke out between the warlord and a band of monsters that were intent upon sacking the warlord’s town. The warlord and his men would lose the war and the warlord’s primary town would be razed by the monsters, but the monsters were not interested in and did not know of the village several dozen miles away. For the villagers, life went on as though nothing happened. The farmers continued to farm, the factory processed and packaged the food and loaded the food on trucks from travelling merchants. *Alternatively, the village could have been some outlying town that was part of Tolkeen or the Federation of Magic, or even a population center somewhere between Iron Heart and Free Quebec.*
Random monsters or small bands of bandits would attack occasionally, but they could normally be driven off. Fuel for vehicles and machines became scarce, and the farmers began to rely more heavily on horses and oxen for plowing and transportation.
The village, situated in a secluded valley, never saw large armies. Occasionally, a band would move through the area and the villagers would give the armed men what they demanded and the bandits would be on their way. About a year ago, a larger band of marauders came to town and took hostages. Tey ruled the village harshly, killing people without reason, violating the women, and taking whatever they wanted. Some farmers banded together to remove the marauders, but their attempt failed and many more villagers were killed in reprisal.
About a month after the marauders took over, Gwellyn came home. He had managed the food processing plant, but when war came to the area he left to fight. He served in the elite forces of his military but after long years of combat and the virtual destruction of his unit, he decided to return home. His wife was one of the hostages, and a farmer told him of the situation in the village when he approached it. The first night he was back, during curfew, he somehow entered the community hall, killed seven marauders he found there, freed the hostages, and, by daylight, was stalking the remaining four marauders that had fled to the woods. He returned that evening carrying four extra weapons.
Gwellyn will not go into detail about how he killed the marauders, he will simply state that “he dealt with them.” If the PC’s ask the villagers about the incident, they will state that he killed all the deserters silently, moving through the shadows and returning covered in the blood of the bandits. The villagers regard Gwellyn’s actions as almost supernatural, and the player characters will not find anyone who can give a better description of the action.
Gwellyn sought out and held trials for any voluntary collaborators. If they were found guilty, they were executed. He also organized the militia, formed a town council, rationalized the food production, and basically became the guiding force for the town.
A generation ago, the village was a minor town in the burgeoning empire of a local warlord. The village served as a minor market for farmers throughout the region, and there was a small school that taught the farm children as well as a local overseer that administered the area for the warlord. There were quite a few shops that catered to the farmers that lived within about seven miles of the village.
Apart from the service-based industries, the only other major employer was a small food-processing plant where local produce was canned, preserved, or, in the case of root vegetables, bagged.
The town also contained a theater, a community hall, a church, and a small inn. The town didn’t grow too fast because it was pretty far out of the way, even for this minor empire. Still, it was important to the several hundred locals that lived in the area.
About thirty years ago, a war broke out between the warlord and a band of monsters that were intent upon sacking the warlord’s town. The warlord and his men would lose the war and the warlord’s primary town would be razed by the monsters, but the monsters were not interested in and did not know of the village several dozen miles away. For the villagers, life went on as though nothing happened. The farmers continued to farm, the factory processed and packaged the food and loaded the food on trucks from travelling merchants. *Alternatively, the village could have been some outlying town that was part of Tolkeen or the Federation of Magic, or even a population center somewhere between Iron Heart and Free Quebec.*
Random monsters or small bands of bandits would attack occasionally, but they could normally be driven off. Fuel for vehicles and machines became scarce, and the farmers began to rely more heavily on horses and oxen for plowing and transportation.
The village, situated in a secluded valley, never saw large armies. Occasionally, a band would move through the area and the villagers would give the armed men what they demanded and the bandits would be on their way. About a year ago, a larger band of marauders came to town and took hostages. Tey ruled the village harshly, killing people without reason, violating the women, and taking whatever they wanted. Some farmers banded together to remove the marauders, but their attempt failed and many more villagers were killed in reprisal.
About a month after the marauders took over, Gwellyn came home. He had managed the food processing plant, but when war came to the area he left to fight. He served in the elite forces of his military but after long years of combat and the virtual destruction of his unit, he decided to return home. His wife was one of the hostages, and a farmer told him of the situation in the village when he approached it. The first night he was back, during curfew, he somehow entered the community hall, killed seven marauders he found there, freed the hostages, and, by daylight, was stalking the remaining four marauders that had fled to the woods. He returned that evening carrying four extra weapons.
Gwellyn will not go into detail about how he killed the marauders, he will simply state that “he dealt with them.” If the PC’s ask the villagers about the incident, they will state that he killed all the deserters silently, moving through the shadows and returning covered in the blood of the bandits. The villagers regard Gwellyn’s actions as almost supernatural, and the player characters will not find anyone who can give a better description of the action.
Gwellyn sought out and held trials for any voluntary collaborators. If they were found guilty, they were executed. He also organized the militia, formed a town council, rationalized the food production, and basically became the guiding force for the town.
The Village Today:
DEMOGRAPHICS
The population of the village is 188 consisting of 61 households. An exact breakdown follows along with Occupation and Demographics by Household Table. This should allow the Game master to provide more background to the players and assist the players if they decide to use the village as a base for future operations.
THE ECONOMY
The primary occupation of the village is food production – grain, corn, and vegetables are grown. There is also a dairy industry, pork, and some sheep. Each farmer is responsible for a portion of the land outside the village and owns the produce from the land. The cattle and swine are kept in the village, and the care of the herds is the responsibility of the village government. In addition, each household has its own vegetable garden. Draft animals are mostly privately owned, but the village has a pool of oxen and horses that can be rented by the farmers for a nominal fee. The village stores the food over the winter, recording how much each farmer contributed. If there is a surplus, the village acts as a broker in trade with merchants. The village council is responsible for providing medical care, day care, and schooling for the children, as well as for paying for the standing militia, the factory workers, and the small council bureaucracy. For these services, the village charges a tax of 20 percent of all grain produced and 40 percent of the products from the herds (milk, cheese, pork, beef, and wool). In this way, food production is maximized by allowing good farmers to become relatively wealthy, while ensuring that basic services are available to all. The only other businesses in the town are the inn/bar, the mechanic, the vet, the blacksmith, and the merchant/broker. All these are privately run and pay taxes to the village. The one exception is the broker, who conducts all the negotiations for the town with visiting merchants and receives a percentage of the goods to stock his store. This monopoly in dealing with outsiders allows the village to get better prices as the visiting merchant can deal with no one else and, thus, cannot undercut the price of the village goods.
VILLAGE INDUSTRIES
The town doctor and his assistants provide free medical care to all inhabitants to the extent of their ability and pharmaceutical supplies. As about 25 percent of the population is under 14 years old, the village pays the wages of the various teachers and day-care workers who look after the children while the parents are at work. The old factory is the site of the village industries, which includes a mill, a large still to make alcohol, cheese-production facilities, meat preparation (smoking, salting), and the conversion of animal and human wastes to fertilizer. In addition, saltpeter is collected from the waste and used to make gunpowder. The standing militia is a force of 20 villagers who form the core of the village's defense. While the farmers go armed into the fields and assist in sentry duties at night, the standing militia patrols the area, mans the heavy weapons, supervises the armory, escorts wood-gathering parties, and acts as the police force. As the standing militia members are free of the food-production duties, they are able to be trained year-round, as opposed to the farmers, who can be trained only during the winter. The militia headquarters is located in the basement of the town hall.
The population of the village is 188 consisting of 61 households. An exact breakdown follows along with Occupation and Demographics by Household Table. This should allow the Game master to provide more background to the players and assist the players if they decide to use the village as a base for future operations.
THE ECONOMY
The primary occupation of the village is food production – grain, corn, and vegetables are grown. There is also a dairy industry, pork, and some sheep. Each farmer is responsible for a portion of the land outside the village and owns the produce from the land. The cattle and swine are kept in the village, and the care of the herds is the responsibility of the village government. In addition, each household has its own vegetable garden. Draft animals are mostly privately owned, but the village has a pool of oxen and horses that can be rented by the farmers for a nominal fee. The village stores the food over the winter, recording how much each farmer contributed. If there is a surplus, the village acts as a broker in trade with merchants. The village council is responsible for providing medical care, day care, and schooling for the children, as well as for paying for the standing militia, the factory workers, and the small council bureaucracy. For these services, the village charges a tax of 20 percent of all grain produced and 40 percent of the products from the herds (milk, cheese, pork, beef, and wool). In this way, food production is maximized by allowing good farmers to become relatively wealthy, while ensuring that basic services are available to all. The only other businesses in the town are the inn/bar, the mechanic, the vet, the blacksmith, and the merchant/broker. All these are privately run and pay taxes to the village. The one exception is the broker, who conducts all the negotiations for the town with visiting merchants and receives a percentage of the goods to stock his store. This monopoly in dealing with outsiders allows the village to get better prices as the visiting merchant can deal with no one else and, thus, cannot undercut the price of the village goods.
VILLAGE INDUSTRIES
The town doctor and his assistants provide free medical care to all inhabitants to the extent of their ability and pharmaceutical supplies. As about 25 percent of the population is under 14 years old, the village pays the wages of the various teachers and day-care workers who look after the children while the parents are at work. The old factory is the site of the village industries, which includes a mill, a large still to make alcohol, cheese-production facilities, meat preparation (smoking, salting), and the conversion of animal and human wastes to fertilizer. In addition, saltpeter is collected from the waste and used to make gunpowder. The standing militia is a force of 20 villagers who form the core of the village's defense. While the farmers go armed into the fields and assist in sentry duties at night, the standing militia patrols the area, mans the heavy weapons, supervises the armory, escorts wood-gathering parties, and acts as the police force. As the standing militia members are free of the food-production duties, they are able to be trained year-round, as opposed to the farmers, who can be trained only during the winter. The militia headquarters is located in the basement of the town hall.
Major Players in the Village
PERSONALITIES
The following are important NPC personality descriptions.
Gwellyn Lyttwa
Born in a major city (Lazlo), Gwellyn is not a native of the village. In fact, he only came to the village 10 years ago after completing an enlistment in the Lazlo military. He started as the assistant manager of the factory but was quickly promoted after proving to be an excellent organizer and planner. He increased production through the use of incentives and by reducing labor strife. He also involved himself in municipal affairs and, despite being a ''foreigner," became one of the village's most influential citizens.
Due to his prior military service (he had been an officer in the Lazlo special force), he was called upon to serve in the military during the most recent conflict (Tolkeen War, War with Quebec, or whatever fits this Game master’s campaign). He will not speak of his service during the war, but he saw a lot of action. About a year ago he realized that the war was over, with no government to direct the military. Thus, he disbanded his unit and left for home.
After killing the deserters who had taken over village, he found himself de facto mayor of the village and reorganized it in order to improve its chances of survival. He has many plans to diversify the economy of the village, to make alliances with other villages, and to implement other plans that would improve the chances of the village surviving the approaching dark ages.
What he doesn't have is the time to carry out his plans unless effective and qualified subordinates can be found. Gwellyn is a level 12 Elvish Airborne trooper and always carries a hidden Wilk’s Backup in a shoulder holster. Gwellyn is an excellent leader who is motivated by the desire to ensure the survival of the village.
Huthgor Rontbor
Huthgor is the innkeeper of the Plowman' s Rest. He is a smallish man (for an Ogre) and stands at just over seven feet tall. He is around 45 years old, and has been in charge of the inn since his father died almost 20 years ago. Due to his virtual monopoly on nightlife in the village, he is one of the best-informed people in the village. Huthgor has two small stills in a shed behind the inn where he produces vodka and whiskey. He also brews small amounts of dark beer. His wife (a large, homely human woman that stands a whopping six and a half feet tall) does all the cooking for the patrons, and his children help in serving food, cleaning the rooms, and tending the bar when Huthgor is otherwise occupied. Huthgor is one of Gwellyn's greatest supporters due to his agreement with Gwellyn's goals, as well as the fact that Huthgor had his leg broken for refusing to serve the deserters when they controlled the town. Huthgor still walks with a limp from that experience. Huthgor is a level 6 Barman (see Barmaid, “WB: New West” who is loyal to Gwellyn and his goals.
A’adak Itann
A’adak is the Fingertooth Carpetbagger that is the village storekeeper. He is probably the wealthiest man in the village. He is about 50 years old and can always be found in his shop. A shrewd bargainer, he negotiates in the name of the village with all outsiders. Due to his monopoly of access to the produce of the village, he does extremely well in his negotiations. He is able to stock his store from his portion of the profit made, as well as from the proceeds of negotiations for goods not considered essential for the survival of the village (and thus not supervised by the council).
A’adak also profits from kickbacks provided by outside merchants in exchange for better deals. The council is not aware of this as the kickbacks and reduction in profit are not that large. A’adak resents that the most useful trade items (food, alcohol, ammo) are so strictly controlled and is attempting to find some way of increasing his access to them.
A’adak does not think the situation outside the village is as bleak as Gwellyn does and feels that the restrictions on trade, the rationing and taxes, and the emphasis on defense are reducing the potential for profits. At town meetings he frequently argues against Gwellyn’s proposals, to little avail.
A’adak feels he would be a better leader than Gwellyn, and while he will not actively oppose Gwellyn, he may be willing to provide covert support to those people who would. A’adak would attempt to become mayor should anything happen to Gwellyn and could become a real problem to Gwellyn’s successor.
A’adak s motivated by greed and lust for power. He is a level 6 smuggler who keeps a double-barrel shotgun beneath the store counter.
Gordon Wells
Gordon Wells was working on a Ph.D. in chemistry in Chi-Town when the invasion of Tolkeen kicked off. He immediately joined the army and requested employment as a medic in the special forces. Upon finishing his training, he was posted to General Jericho Holmes’ command where he was in combat almost continuously.
In PA 108 Wells’ team was supporting a human supremacist group in the Tolkeen area when the team received orders to delay a Tolkeen strike group that was moving to the front. The mission was beyond the human supremacist group’s capabilities, but the C.S. promised reinforcements once the strike group was engaged. The reinforcements never arrived and both the special forces team and the human supremacist group were destroyed. Gordon was the only surviving member of the special forces team and, when he made his final report from his safehouse he requested aid and an extraction. He was informed he had been recommended for a medal and that further orders would be forthcoming.
Angry at the lack of support and the impossibility of the tasks, as well as the attempts to “buy him with a freaking medal!”, he destroyed his radio gear, gathered his equipment, and walked away from the war in Tolkeen. What he did over the next few months are a blur. He describes that time period as “when he was mad” and suffering severe battle stress. He somehow overcame the trauma and wandered into the village about a month after Gwellyn took over.
Gordon is now the town doctor and spends his free time writing a manual of emergency medicine which he intends to distribute to other villages that lack doctors to allow them to treat their ill and wounded. His chemistry knowledge is extremely valuable, for he is including chapters on the manufacture and administration of various drugs. Gordon also spends some time researching herbal cures and alternative uses for folk remedies.
Gordon does not involve himself in village politics. He is only interested in curing the sick and working on his manual. He is well liked by everyone in the village and enjoys his present occupation. Despite his obvious potential as a warrior, he refuses to act in a military capacity, claiming that he is interested in saving lives, not taking them. He may accompany any military expedition, but only as a medic. Although he will be armed with a CP-40, he will only use it to protect the wounded in his care.
Gordon is a level 10 Coalition Technical Officer (Medic) with Advanced Training in Close Quarters Combat and Marksmanship, motivated only by the desire to care for those in need of medical assistance.
Hephsteth Alonray
Hephsteth has seen too much heartache in his long life and he just wants to live out his remaining days in peace and quiet. Hephsteth’s story began more than 130 years ago when he studied in Dweomer as a High Magus. As he grew in power, his curiosity caused him to request to participate in many of the patrols the Dweomer Defense Force sent throughout the Ohio Valley. On one patrol Hephsteth, four battle magi, a temporal warrior, and an accompanying Ley Line Walker (Anotta) encountered a powerful shifter and his demonic retinue. In the course of the battle, the battle magi were slain and both Hephsteth, Anotta, and the Temporal Warrior were wounded. Seeking to escape, the Temporal Warrior teleported himself, Hepsteth, Anotta, and the bodies of their slain comrades to a cottage he kept in England. Unfortunately for the Temporal Warrior and the rest of the party, the spell was unsuccessful and, while the party successfully arrived in England, they fell nearly thirty-feet from the sky and the Temporal Warrior was killed.
Hephsteth and Anotta spent several decades in England and, while they were there, they married and had Iphsta. Eventually, Ipshta married Senton and the entire family would return to North America when Hephsteth decided that New Camelot represented a major threat. Returning to North America using the same teleportation spell that stranded the family in England decades before, the family quickly made their way to the village as they found just about every other town they tried to settle in as either too dangerous, racist, or just unsuitable.
At 156 years, Hepsteth is old, even for a D’Norr Devilman. What makes Hepsteth even more unusual is that, while he is an adequate blacksmith, he was actually a wizard in his younger days as are the rest of the members of his family. Hephsteth is a level 8 High Magus and his son-in-law, Senton, is a level 7 elvish Scathach Druid. Hephsteth’s wife, Anotta, is a level 6 Ley Line Walker and is also a D’Norr Devilman, as is his daughter, Iphshta.
Even though Hephsteth and his family have been fixtures in the town for many years, most of the townsfolk fail to realize such a powerful mage, in fact, that an entire family of them, live in their community. Hephsteth provides enchanted arrows, bullets, and melee weapons to the militia on occasion, so most know that he has some magical ability, but most assume that he is an old, failed techno-wizard that couldn’t hack it. Hephsteth is happy to let them all continue to think that way
The following are important NPC personality descriptions.
Gwellyn Lyttwa
Born in a major city (Lazlo), Gwellyn is not a native of the village. In fact, he only came to the village 10 years ago after completing an enlistment in the Lazlo military. He started as the assistant manager of the factory but was quickly promoted after proving to be an excellent organizer and planner. He increased production through the use of incentives and by reducing labor strife. He also involved himself in municipal affairs and, despite being a ''foreigner," became one of the village's most influential citizens.
Due to his prior military service (he had been an officer in the Lazlo special force), he was called upon to serve in the military during the most recent conflict (Tolkeen War, War with Quebec, or whatever fits this Game master’s campaign). He will not speak of his service during the war, but he saw a lot of action. About a year ago he realized that the war was over, with no government to direct the military. Thus, he disbanded his unit and left for home.
After killing the deserters who had taken over village, he found himself de facto mayor of the village and reorganized it in order to improve its chances of survival. He has many plans to diversify the economy of the village, to make alliances with other villages, and to implement other plans that would improve the chances of the village surviving the approaching dark ages.
What he doesn't have is the time to carry out his plans unless effective and qualified subordinates can be found. Gwellyn is a level 12 Elvish Airborne trooper and always carries a hidden Wilk’s Backup in a shoulder holster. Gwellyn is an excellent leader who is motivated by the desire to ensure the survival of the village.
Huthgor Rontbor
Huthgor is the innkeeper of the Plowman' s Rest. He is a smallish man (for an Ogre) and stands at just over seven feet tall. He is around 45 years old, and has been in charge of the inn since his father died almost 20 years ago. Due to his virtual monopoly on nightlife in the village, he is one of the best-informed people in the village. Huthgor has two small stills in a shed behind the inn where he produces vodka and whiskey. He also brews small amounts of dark beer. His wife (a large, homely human woman that stands a whopping six and a half feet tall) does all the cooking for the patrons, and his children help in serving food, cleaning the rooms, and tending the bar when Huthgor is otherwise occupied. Huthgor is one of Gwellyn's greatest supporters due to his agreement with Gwellyn's goals, as well as the fact that Huthgor had his leg broken for refusing to serve the deserters when they controlled the town. Huthgor still walks with a limp from that experience. Huthgor is a level 6 Barman (see Barmaid, “WB: New West” who is loyal to Gwellyn and his goals.
A’adak Itann
A’adak is the Fingertooth Carpetbagger that is the village storekeeper. He is probably the wealthiest man in the village. He is about 50 years old and can always be found in his shop. A shrewd bargainer, he negotiates in the name of the village with all outsiders. Due to his monopoly of access to the produce of the village, he does extremely well in his negotiations. He is able to stock his store from his portion of the profit made, as well as from the proceeds of negotiations for goods not considered essential for the survival of the village (and thus not supervised by the council).
A’adak also profits from kickbacks provided by outside merchants in exchange for better deals. The council is not aware of this as the kickbacks and reduction in profit are not that large. A’adak resents that the most useful trade items (food, alcohol, ammo) are so strictly controlled and is attempting to find some way of increasing his access to them.
A’adak does not think the situation outside the village is as bleak as Gwellyn does and feels that the restrictions on trade, the rationing and taxes, and the emphasis on defense are reducing the potential for profits. At town meetings he frequently argues against Gwellyn’s proposals, to little avail.
A’adak feels he would be a better leader than Gwellyn, and while he will not actively oppose Gwellyn, he may be willing to provide covert support to those people who would. A’adak would attempt to become mayor should anything happen to Gwellyn and could become a real problem to Gwellyn’s successor.
A’adak s motivated by greed and lust for power. He is a level 6 smuggler who keeps a double-barrel shotgun beneath the store counter.
Gordon Wells
Gordon Wells was working on a Ph.D. in chemistry in Chi-Town when the invasion of Tolkeen kicked off. He immediately joined the army and requested employment as a medic in the special forces. Upon finishing his training, he was posted to General Jericho Holmes’ command where he was in combat almost continuously.
In PA 108 Wells’ team was supporting a human supremacist group in the Tolkeen area when the team received orders to delay a Tolkeen strike group that was moving to the front. The mission was beyond the human supremacist group’s capabilities, but the C.S. promised reinforcements once the strike group was engaged. The reinforcements never arrived and both the special forces team and the human supremacist group were destroyed. Gordon was the only surviving member of the special forces team and, when he made his final report from his safehouse he requested aid and an extraction. He was informed he had been recommended for a medal and that further orders would be forthcoming.
Angry at the lack of support and the impossibility of the tasks, as well as the attempts to “buy him with a freaking medal!”, he destroyed his radio gear, gathered his equipment, and walked away from the war in Tolkeen. What he did over the next few months are a blur. He describes that time period as “when he was mad” and suffering severe battle stress. He somehow overcame the trauma and wandered into the village about a month after Gwellyn took over.
Gordon is now the town doctor and spends his free time writing a manual of emergency medicine which he intends to distribute to other villages that lack doctors to allow them to treat their ill and wounded. His chemistry knowledge is extremely valuable, for he is including chapters on the manufacture and administration of various drugs. Gordon also spends some time researching herbal cures and alternative uses for folk remedies.
Gordon does not involve himself in village politics. He is only interested in curing the sick and working on his manual. He is well liked by everyone in the village and enjoys his present occupation. Despite his obvious potential as a warrior, he refuses to act in a military capacity, claiming that he is interested in saving lives, not taking them. He may accompany any military expedition, but only as a medic. Although he will be armed with a CP-40, he will only use it to protect the wounded in his care.
Gordon is a level 10 Coalition Technical Officer (Medic) with Advanced Training in Close Quarters Combat and Marksmanship, motivated only by the desire to care for those in need of medical assistance.
Hephsteth Alonray
Hephsteth has seen too much heartache in his long life and he just wants to live out his remaining days in peace and quiet. Hephsteth’s story began more than 130 years ago when he studied in Dweomer as a High Magus. As he grew in power, his curiosity caused him to request to participate in many of the patrols the Dweomer Defense Force sent throughout the Ohio Valley. On one patrol Hephsteth, four battle magi, a temporal warrior, and an accompanying Ley Line Walker (Anotta) encountered a powerful shifter and his demonic retinue. In the course of the battle, the battle magi were slain and both Hephsteth, Anotta, and the Temporal Warrior were wounded. Seeking to escape, the Temporal Warrior teleported himself, Hepsteth, Anotta, and the bodies of their slain comrades to a cottage he kept in England. Unfortunately for the Temporal Warrior and the rest of the party, the spell was unsuccessful and, while the party successfully arrived in England, they fell nearly thirty-feet from the sky and the Temporal Warrior was killed.
Hephsteth and Anotta spent several decades in England and, while they were there, they married and had Iphsta. Eventually, Ipshta married Senton and the entire family would return to North America when Hephsteth decided that New Camelot represented a major threat. Returning to North America using the same teleportation spell that stranded the family in England decades before, the family quickly made their way to the village as they found just about every other town they tried to settle in as either too dangerous, racist, or just unsuitable.
At 156 years, Hepsteth is old, even for a D’Norr Devilman. What makes Hepsteth even more unusual is that, while he is an adequate blacksmith, he was actually a wizard in his younger days as are the rest of the members of his family. Hephsteth is a level 8 High Magus and his son-in-law, Senton, is a level 7 elvish Scathach Druid. Hephsteth’s wife, Anotta, is a level 6 Ley Line Walker and is also a D’Norr Devilman, as is his daughter, Iphshta.
Even though Hephsteth and his family have been fixtures in the town for many years, most of the townsfolk fail to realize such a powerful mage, in fact, that an entire family of them, live in their community. Hephsteth provides enchanted arrows, bullets, and melee weapons to the militia on occasion, so most know that he has some magical ability, but most assume that he is an old, failed techno-wizard that couldn’t hack it. Hephsteth is happy to let them all continue to think that way
Other Places of Interest in the Village
PLACES OF INTEREST
The village has a number of buildings that stand out above the rest. These are described below.
The Town Hall: The town hall is the second most important building in the village (after the factory). This two-story brick building is where the village records are kept, where the village council meets, and where the doctor maintains his clinic, as well as the headquarters for the militia.
The Village Armory: The village armory is located in the basement and contains the ammunition and heavy weapons of the militia. In addition, the farmers bring their personal weapons (hunting rifles, shotguns, and .22s they carry into the fields) for periodic inspection, and repair or replacement. The militia carry personal weapons with them but store any additional weapons there. Currently, the armory contains a set of gunsmith tools, eight bolt-action 7.62mm hunting rifles, five double-barreled 12 gauge shotguns, four .22-caliber rifles, two 5.56mm Assault Rifles, three 7.62mm Battle Rifles, one 40mm grenade launcher, two GAW RPGs, 15 MD frag grenades, six smoke grenades, three MD plasma grenades, 60 homemade frag grenades (1D4 MD), one MD claymore mine, 2400 rounds of SDC 7.62mm ammo, 1000 rounds of 12-gauge ammo, 2000 rounds of .22-caliber ammo, 60 shots of enchanted 5.56mm, 120 shots of enchanted 7.62mm, four MD 40mm HE grenades, and 1000 rounds of 9mm ammo.
This will be in addition to any weapons or equipment that is captured during the assault on the bandits.
The village has a number of buildings that stand out above the rest. These are described below.
The Town Hall: The town hall is the second most important building in the village (after the factory). This two-story brick building is where the village records are kept, where the village council meets, and where the doctor maintains his clinic, as well as the headquarters for the militia.
The Village Armory: The village armory is located in the basement and contains the ammunition and heavy weapons of the militia. In addition, the farmers bring their personal weapons (hunting rifles, shotguns, and .22s they carry into the fields) for periodic inspection, and repair or replacement. The militia carry personal weapons with them but store any additional weapons there. Currently, the armory contains a set of gunsmith tools, eight bolt-action 7.62mm hunting rifles, five double-barreled 12 gauge shotguns, four .22-caliber rifles, two 5.56mm Assault Rifles, three 7.62mm Battle Rifles, one 40mm grenade launcher, two GAW RPGs, 15 MD frag grenades, six smoke grenades, three MD plasma grenades, 60 homemade frag grenades (1D4 MD), one MD claymore mine, 2400 rounds of SDC 7.62mm ammo, 1000 rounds of 12-gauge ammo, 2000 rounds of .22-caliber ammo, 60 shots of enchanted 5.56mm, 120 shots of enchanted 7.62mm, four MD 40mm HE grenades, and 1000 rounds of 9mm ammo.
This will be in addition to any weapons or equipment that is captured during the assault on the bandits.
Role of the Players in the future of the village
ROLE OF THE PLAYERS
Gwellyn is getting very weary of the multitude of tasks he has taken on. He would like to spend more time on food production as well as on the development of some light manufacturing in the town. He has plans to form some sort of mutual defense pacts with neighboring villages and towns, and maybe some sort of common market for dealing with merchants from outside the area.
He is also looking for some soldiers who could relieve him of the defensive tasks so that he could concentrate on the other equally important tasks that will ensure that the village’s long-term survival. It is for that reason that he will ask the highest ranking or most mature of the player characters to become captain of the militia. He is not worried about a possible takeover by these soldiers as the militia is composed of villagers who would not turn on their own. He will, however, become wary if the player characters start recruiting a large number of outsiders into the militia. If he interprets this action as a possible bid to take over the town, he will intercede and exile the foreigners without their equipment. That is, however, a worst-case option. Gwellyn will support the player characters and become a very reliable friend as long as they don't plot against the village.
MISSION GUIDELINES
The players have a multitude of possible missions to accomplish. More specifically, Gwellyn will provide them with objectives, and the players will plan and execute the mission. The overall objective is the survival of the village, which can be broken down into specific tasks.
Training the Militia: This would be in the form of using instruction skills and the scheduling of priorities, in terms of skills to be taught, as well as a rotation of personnel through the courses while continuing to protect the village. Remember, if everyone is on the training course, who will be on sentry duty?
Obtaining Weapons by Trade or by Raiding Marauders or Military Camps: This requires the player characters to search for weapons and to find out whether the present owners will trade for them and what they want in trade. The players may find it easier to steal the weapons, but they had better cover their tracks afterward. Another source may be by policing the battlefield after an engagement. In this way the village will increase its supply of arms and reduce the number of potential enemies. Weapons are also valuable trading items-thus, the village is always interested in obtaining more.
Planning the Defense of the Village: This task is manifold. The player characters should list the emplacements of the defensive stores, their nature (e.g., bunker with field of fire covering...) and the priority of their construction. Remember, it takes time to build these positions, and players must determine what is to be built first. If the village is under attack, the permanent militia will be augmented by the rest of the villagers who are armed. Position must be constructed for these people as well. As a rule of thumb, the time to build or emplace defensive aids is listed in the Defensive Aids Table.
Defensive Tasks
Construct Two-man slit trench: 6 man hours
Construct Two-man slit trench with overhead cover: 10 man hours
Construct Permanent trench additions (revetting, etc.): 8 man hours
Digging 300 feet of communication trench: 150 man hours
Revetting 300 feet of communication trench: 150 man hours
Emplacing mine fields (per 100' x 100'): 5 man hours
Emplacing 300 feet of barbed wire: 6 man hours
Constructing bunker: 50 man hours
Revetting refers to reinforcing the sides of the trench with sandbags, corrugated iron, or timber. It is required for the construction to be permanent. The timings are in man hours. Thus, two people can work on a given task at a time (six people working on one trench would get in each other's way). In addition, only one person should be used to emplace a given mine.
The village can supply approximately 100 hours a day to build defenses. This does not include any time the militia uses, but if all 20 permanent militia are building defenses, who is being trained or is on sentry duty?
Another task is to rehearse defensive drills: Who occupies what trench? What is the warning system? Where do the noncombatants go, and who guards them? Are there assembly points for reserves? Who is responsible for what? This is important, for if the village suddenly came under attack, the defense would not be conducted in accordance with the player characters' wishes unless they had developed standard operating procedures and drills. Most of the villagers would run about awaiting orders, or hide in their cellars, or rush to the scene of the firing, possibly responding to a diversion.
Ensuring the Security of the Area: The players should realize that the only way to allow the farmers to work unhampered is to locate, identify, and deal with threats as far away from the village as possible. Thus, the players should establish observation posts on key defiles. In addition, they should conduct patrols on a regular basis in order to locate anyone who may have slipped through. Remember, any band of marauders big enough to threaten the village is likely to approach on the main roads or at least through clear terrain, due to the need to save fuel, the difficulty of moving heavy weapons through woods or across rivers, and the ease of command and control. If such a security zone is to be effective, some means of reliable communications must be set up. This may mean a search for radios or the laying of cable for field phones.
Mutual Defense with Other Communities: Gwellyn feels that the security of the village can be improved through defensive alliances with other villages. In this way, the arc of observation and responsibility can be reduced for each village, and the various militias can combine to support each other in the face of large threats. To the player characters, this means they will have to scout out the nearby villages, determine who is in control and what sort of a benefit or threat the other villages pose, and provide an escort to the representative sent by Gwellyn. It could also mean overthrowing the existing group in control, especially if it is a gang of marauders which is ruling through terror. Gwellyn will determine what action is to be taken based on the information the players gain. In general, he will attempt to overthrow any government that is not of benefit to the majority of the villagers. If a nearby community contains a group of deserters or soldiers who defend the village in exchange for food and fuel, and do not interfere in the lives of the inhabitants, Gwellyn is likely to negotiate with them. If they have taken hostages and behave as criminals, Gwellyn will want to overthrow them and install a local council.
Escorting Wood-Gathering, Hunting, Trading, and Diplomatic Parties: This sort of mission is self-explanatory and relatively common.
Scrounging: If the village requires replacements for broken machinery, drugs to combat an epidemic, or other items that cannot be manufactured in the village, Gwellyn will ask the player characters to mount an expedition to obtain them. He may have an idea of where these items may be found and, if required, may provide the player characters with money to buy, or a person with the expertise in scrounging, that particular item.
Gwellyn is getting very weary of the multitude of tasks he has taken on. He would like to spend more time on food production as well as on the development of some light manufacturing in the town. He has plans to form some sort of mutual defense pacts with neighboring villages and towns, and maybe some sort of common market for dealing with merchants from outside the area.
He is also looking for some soldiers who could relieve him of the defensive tasks so that he could concentrate on the other equally important tasks that will ensure that the village’s long-term survival. It is for that reason that he will ask the highest ranking or most mature of the player characters to become captain of the militia. He is not worried about a possible takeover by these soldiers as the militia is composed of villagers who would not turn on their own. He will, however, become wary if the player characters start recruiting a large number of outsiders into the militia. If he interprets this action as a possible bid to take over the town, he will intercede and exile the foreigners without their equipment. That is, however, a worst-case option. Gwellyn will support the player characters and become a very reliable friend as long as they don't plot against the village.
MISSION GUIDELINES
The players have a multitude of possible missions to accomplish. More specifically, Gwellyn will provide them with objectives, and the players will plan and execute the mission. The overall objective is the survival of the village, which can be broken down into specific tasks.
Training the Militia: This would be in the form of using instruction skills and the scheduling of priorities, in terms of skills to be taught, as well as a rotation of personnel through the courses while continuing to protect the village. Remember, if everyone is on the training course, who will be on sentry duty?
Obtaining Weapons by Trade or by Raiding Marauders or Military Camps: This requires the player characters to search for weapons and to find out whether the present owners will trade for them and what they want in trade. The players may find it easier to steal the weapons, but they had better cover their tracks afterward. Another source may be by policing the battlefield after an engagement. In this way the village will increase its supply of arms and reduce the number of potential enemies. Weapons are also valuable trading items-thus, the village is always interested in obtaining more.
Planning the Defense of the Village: This task is manifold. The player characters should list the emplacements of the defensive stores, their nature (e.g., bunker with field of fire covering...) and the priority of their construction. Remember, it takes time to build these positions, and players must determine what is to be built first. If the village is under attack, the permanent militia will be augmented by the rest of the villagers who are armed. Position must be constructed for these people as well. As a rule of thumb, the time to build or emplace defensive aids is listed in the Defensive Aids Table.
Defensive Tasks
Construct Two-man slit trench: 6 man hours
Construct Two-man slit trench with overhead cover: 10 man hours
Construct Permanent trench additions (revetting, etc.): 8 man hours
Digging 300 feet of communication trench: 150 man hours
Revetting 300 feet of communication trench: 150 man hours
Emplacing mine fields (per 100' x 100'): 5 man hours
Emplacing 300 feet of barbed wire: 6 man hours
Constructing bunker: 50 man hours
Revetting refers to reinforcing the sides of the trench with sandbags, corrugated iron, or timber. It is required for the construction to be permanent. The timings are in man hours. Thus, two people can work on a given task at a time (six people working on one trench would get in each other's way). In addition, only one person should be used to emplace a given mine.
The village can supply approximately 100 hours a day to build defenses. This does not include any time the militia uses, but if all 20 permanent militia are building defenses, who is being trained or is on sentry duty?
Another task is to rehearse defensive drills: Who occupies what trench? What is the warning system? Where do the noncombatants go, and who guards them? Are there assembly points for reserves? Who is responsible for what? This is important, for if the village suddenly came under attack, the defense would not be conducted in accordance with the player characters' wishes unless they had developed standard operating procedures and drills. Most of the villagers would run about awaiting orders, or hide in their cellars, or rush to the scene of the firing, possibly responding to a diversion.
Ensuring the Security of the Area: The players should realize that the only way to allow the farmers to work unhampered is to locate, identify, and deal with threats as far away from the village as possible. Thus, the players should establish observation posts on key defiles. In addition, they should conduct patrols on a regular basis in order to locate anyone who may have slipped through. Remember, any band of marauders big enough to threaten the village is likely to approach on the main roads or at least through clear terrain, due to the need to save fuel, the difficulty of moving heavy weapons through woods or across rivers, and the ease of command and control. If such a security zone is to be effective, some means of reliable communications must be set up. This may mean a search for radios or the laying of cable for field phones.
Mutual Defense with Other Communities: Gwellyn feels that the security of the village can be improved through defensive alliances with other villages. In this way, the arc of observation and responsibility can be reduced for each village, and the various militias can combine to support each other in the face of large threats. To the player characters, this means they will have to scout out the nearby villages, determine who is in control and what sort of a benefit or threat the other villages pose, and provide an escort to the representative sent by Gwellyn. It could also mean overthrowing the existing group in control, especially if it is a gang of marauders which is ruling through terror. Gwellyn will determine what action is to be taken based on the information the players gain. In general, he will attempt to overthrow any government that is not of benefit to the majority of the villagers. If a nearby community contains a group of deserters or soldiers who defend the village in exchange for food and fuel, and do not interfere in the lives of the inhabitants, Gwellyn is likely to negotiate with them. If they have taken hostages and behave as criminals, Gwellyn will want to overthrow them and install a local council.
Escorting Wood-Gathering, Hunting, Trading, and Diplomatic Parties: This sort of mission is self-explanatory and relatively common.
Scrounging: If the village requires replacements for broken machinery, drugs to combat an epidemic, or other items that cannot be manufactured in the village, Gwellyn will ask the player characters to mount an expedition to obtain them. He may have an idea of where these items may be found and, if required, may provide the player characters with money to buy, or a person with the expertise in scrounging, that particular item.
Conclusion
CONCLUSION
The village provides an environment for players to help establish a little piece of civilization in the face of the approaching chaos. Many adventures are player generated, for they have a lot of work to do to improve the security of the village. The normal encounter tables may keep the players busy, but if things slow down, the referee can always send them off to trade or scrounge. The village also provides a place for the players to rest, to winter, or to be reinforced. It allows the players to plan ahead and offers depth to adventures that focus around battles and mere survival. The village should provide a basis for many exciting games. The key, of course, is the village's ability to rationalize and place events in a context of doing something good for a group of people who require help.
The village provides an environment for players to help establish a little piece of civilization in the face of the approaching chaos. Many adventures are player generated, for they have a lot of work to do to improve the security of the village. The normal encounter tables may keep the players busy, but if things slow down, the referee can always send them off to trade or scrounge. The village also provides a place for the players to rest, to winter, or to be reinforced. It allows the players to plan ahead and offers depth to adventures that focus around battles and mere survival. The village should provide a basis for many exciting games. The key, of course, is the village's ability to rationalize and place events in a context of doing something good for a group of people who require help.