Recon Mission - solo adventure

[kcdusk]

Mason Geddes is used to a life of being a solo operator, behind enemy lines. Collecting intel, tracking high value targets and causing a touch of mayhem on the side. Living outdoors and surviving for weeks at a time where most people couldn’t survive a night is Masons version of down time.

However, with current hostilities hotting up, Management has decided to pair Geddes with another operator.

That person is Diesel. No first or last name, Just Diesel. For the most part Diesel is happy to let those around him believe he is a mechanic - hence the single name reference. But in reality Diesel has two outstanding skill sets. One, he is a hand to hand and close fighting expert. And secondly he has a friendly outgoing nature that has seen him cultivate personal contacts wherever he has travelled. This people skills combined with his specialist operator skills are why he has been paired up with Geddes. Their strengths and weaknesses compliment each other.

Together, they should have created a great two-man team. However there introduction did not go well, a fight ensured and a frosty beginning to their relationship began (Diesel failed a social conflict role to determine how their relationship starts. Then Diesel failed his push roll!). On the plus side, Geddes largest concern was whether Diesel could handle himself, and in the ensuring fist fight Geddes learned the hard way that he can. Onto new beginnings.

The new two person unit was instructed to cross the border and investigate new infrastructure being built 15 miles from the make shift fence line that delineated the two warring sides. The fence line itself was no longer the robust protective defence system it was intended to be. Today, it was breached in many places. In fact every couple of hundred meters or so there were large holes, enough to drive convoys of vehicles through.

Rumours were that both sides had heavily mined the demarkation line to account for the holes in the fence. How true these stories are, is not clear.

While full scale war has yet to break out, most fear it is not far away. Cold wars and hot wars are in many ways easy to operate in. Black and white. This grey war presented unique challenges.

Geddes and Diesel were in country preparing to cross the border and get eyes on new infrastructure being built. A contact only semi-known to Diesel has arranged a meeting to provide necessary equipment for the op.

Diesel warmly greets their new friend. Pleasantries are exchanged before getting down to business. Diesel has taken the lead, and is doing all the talking. Geddes stands an uncomfortable distance apart. Too far away to be in the conversation, but too close that he remains conspicuous.

Fortunately Diesels negotiations this time go as well as advertised. The contact has brought the necessary equipment which includes a handful of fragmentation grenades, a white phosphorus grenade, 2 x smoke grenades and 2 x claymore mines. As a bonus they are offered an Armburst anti take weapon. Diesel gives Geddes a look “do we want this?”.

Geddes makes an exaggerated shrug with his palms up “Of course we’ll take it!”.

The exchange has gone well. The contact accepts payment and offers his latest intel on where to cross the border. Diesel suggests that their work does not involve crossing the border, but what else would these two be doing here? And needing this kind of equipment?

Nevertheless, Diesel listens to where a successful crossing recently took place. Yes, the hole in the fence was abut 300m wide. “But stick to the wheel marks, there are many mines there but the vehicles have left an obvious trail through the minefield that should be safe.



As a solo referee i am trying to include more iPC and NC interactions. This will mean more social conflict situations. The above negotiation for starting kit included opposed rolls between Diesel and the contact. Diesel had a +1 for his negotiating specialy, +1 because he imposed no additional cost on the contact and a -1 because Diesel had some difficult/valuable preferences he wanted met.

I created a small matrix to help me decide how the negations went.

• Failure meant negotiations stalled and no change took place.
• one success would pistols and a SMG available.
• 2 successes would make SMGs available and 50% chance of a LMG.
• 3 successes would mean the PCs could choose starting gera and inclusion of an AT weapon which ended up being the case, and an armbusrt was choosen due to low weight and being single use (ie not overly powerful).

I have created a 4 stage solo mission that i am playing through.
For each stage i have a set of tables (rumours, moods, radio chatter) and a selection of encounters that could come from the 52 card playing encounters or my own created self-prepared encounters. So even sitting here now as the Ref, I do not know where the story line will go or what the outcomes will be.

Next up is the infiltration stage.

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Having secured weapons, gear and a locals tip for where to cross the border, Geddes and Diesel head to the infiltration point.

They choose to travel and cross at night time. This will reduce the chances of running into a random encounter, but does introduce some other difficulties that are deemed less risky.

Firstly there is a navigation check to ensure they follow the correct path to the crossing point and then onto the target. Navigation is difficult due to travelling on ground they are not familiar with (-1 navigation check) and also travelling at night (-1 navigation check). The result of the roll is 1 and 3, so a complete fail. Geddes decides to push his roll, but can only roll the die that came up a “3” as any die that come up as “1’s” are not able to be pushed. The pushed single die roll is successful (9). Therefore there are no navigation issues encountered.

Both soldiers decide to engage in a hard march, to push through the night and cover as much ground as possible. The trade off is a stamina check needs to be passed, but the upside is that they gain time on target. Both men are considered fit and the risk is worth taking. Geddes, perhaps living an outdoor woodsman kind of life pushes on like a trojan. Diesel is no slacker, but rolls a 1 and 4. Again, the result is pushed but with only a single die which comes up 10! Both soldiers have successfully navigated and force marched through the night.

Come dawn, a random encounter presents a single UAZ Jeep approaching along a road that Geddes and Diesel have had to cross. Unfortunately, Geddes fails his passive recon roll and is unable to push it. Therefore the vehicle spots the two shadows crossing the road and speed up to investigate. Encounter starts at range 20 hexs / 200m.

First combat round
In the first combat round the UAZ travels 60m to close the distance to 140m. Both soldiers hear the vehicle approaching now. They are not expecting any contacts and are not aware of any friendlies in the area, so assume the contact is hostile. Geddes decides to fire his FAL (-1 medium range, -1 dim light, -1 moving target and +1 for having a scope) and gives a full burst of bullets (4 ammo die). The result is 17 bullets expended and a single hit. 3 damage points are done, -1 for armour with hit location being internal cargo.
Diesel moves off the road 20 meters.

Second combat round
For the second combat round the UAZ closes the distance from 140m to 80m. Geddes has only 3 bullets remaining in his clip and decides to fire on the UAZ (no ammo dice) as a fast action (ie no aim) and then try to reload as a fast action for his second action (he’ll need to pass a weapons check to successfully reload). Geddes secures a single hit to the engine, for 2 damage points. I roll a D6 to determine the random starting reliability of the engine and roll a 5, which is reduced to 3 after the damage. For his second action to reload Geddes rolls a 12 and 3, so successfully reloads his magazine.
Meanwhile Diesel moves another 20m off road, to now be 40m away from Geddes.

Third Combat round
The UAZ continues to drive straight at Geddes who is standing in the middle of the road. The distance closes from 80m to 20m.
Geddes goes full ROF with aimed shots at the driver. (A+A) +1 scope -2 called shot -1 moving target -1 dim light resulting in (B+C)+4 ammo dice. The result of the die rolls are (7+8), 1,1,6,2. Therefore there are two hits and the location result is head! The driver is killed. The “6” rolled on the ammo die could be used to hit the driver a second time but isn’t necessary, so instead i use it to hit another target in the same hex being the front passenger. Both front seat occupants of the car are down, out of the fight.

Fourth Combat round
The vehicle slews to the side and passes by Geddes who stands motionless in the middle of the road. I make up my own random table to determine what happens to the now driverless car.
Roll D10 and;
1-3 the car continues to drive into the night (dead man at the wheel)
4-6 the car rolls to a stop not far past Geddes, with the remaining 2 x NPCs exiting the car to continue the fight
7-8 the car crashes and the two remaining NPCs are injured
9-10 the car crashes and the two remaining NPCs are killed

The result of the D10 roll is a “5”. The car comes to a stop 20m from Geddes, and two NPCs get out of the rear doors to continue the fight.

Geddes fires from close range (A+A) +1 scope -1 dim light and uses two ammo dice (A+A)+2D6. The result is (7+3),3,6. Therefore one hit (damage 3) and an additional hit with the 6 on the ammo dice OR an extra damage point which would mean a critical hit. I rule that the 6 on the ammo dice cannot be used to hit the second NPC as they exited from the rear doors, i do not consider them in the same hex. Therefore 1 NPC is downed by Geddes.
Diesel has seen all of the above, and chooses to quick draw his M9 pistol and fire on the lone remaining NPC. The range is long, in dim light though, and a single D6 is rolled for a miss.

Fifth Combat Round
The lone remaining NPC and Geddes get a chance to win initiative. Geddes wins and fires from close range with two ammo dice. The result is (12+7) for a hit +2 damage which is a critical hit, to the legs. From the critical hit table this results in a crushed ankle. The lone NPC is down.

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Turn 6
Both remaining enemy soldiers are down with critical wounds. This raises an obviously difficult question, what to do with them? In the interests of time Geddes and Diesel march on, but away from their intended target (they will tab around once out of LOS). They leave the enemy in pain but alive and unrestrained. It will still be some time before they are able to raise the alarm.


Geddes and Diesel march on, changing direction a few times to make following them more difficult before arriving on target at the village behind enemy lines. They are able to find an observation point with reasonable cover and prepare a makeshift camp as the sun rises.

As per page 147 of the Players Manual, making camp is a survival skill check. Failure sees a roll on the camp mishaps table on page 148.

Diesel has the lowest survival skill at level B+B, therefore I use his stats for the survival check. He rolls 9+6, therefore 2 successes. Geddes and Diesel find a hollow in the ground that enables them to stow their gear from view of the village. And there is just enough undulating ground that they are able to observe the village with little chance of being seen.

In order to have a hidden camp, a roll on recon is required. Diesel again has the lowest skillset here at B+C, so he makes the roll and gets 4+8. Therefore one success.

Over the course of the day they learn via intercepted radio chatter that there are civilians in the village pleading for help (taken from random encounter generator). A slight breeze stirs the grass between the PCs and the village. The breeze provides welcome coolness and the moving grass helps screen their vantage point while they decide on their next moves from here, to occur in the coming night.

Geddes and Diesel will have to tab around the village in order to locate the SCUD site. However the pair are reluctant to leave, knowing there were innocent civilians asking for help in the village. Discussion centred around using the Armburst ATG to target the enemy leader either during the night or in the morning and hit the building he was in. However, a combination of not being close enough and also alerting the entire village to their presence meant this option didn’t get seriously considered. Instead, Geddes decides to infiltrate the village under the cover of night, and eliminate the leader where he sleeps. Diesel will be on overwatch.

This will require Geddes to defeat two layers of security. The first layer is getting to the village unseen. The second layer, is entering the building where the leader is sleeping.

Geddes begins moving towards the village at 4am. This requires an opposed recon roll to ambush as per page 60 of the players manual. Geddes recon stats are A+A modified by terrain (shrub which is +0) and darkness (-2 to the opposition roll). The enemy recon are D+D with -2 mods due to darkness, meaning they don’t get a roll. So Geddes only needs a single success and rolls 5+8, therefore 1 success and Geddes has made it into the village unseen.

Geddes is now required to pass the second layer of security to enter the building, which is another ambush attempt. Geddes is A+A, with +1 for being in a city/indoors. The security is a little tighter here in the building, and is C+D.
Geddes rolls first and gets 4+11, therefore two successes. The opposition rolls 4+4 therefore no success, and Geddes is in the building unseen.

Geddes is essentially bedside, and takes out his knife to perform a killing blow. The target is prone (+2 to hit) and defenceless (+3 to hit). Geddes close combat is A+B, boasted to A+A due to the mods. Geddes rolls 5+2. Misses! Geddes pushes his rolls. He rolls 10+7 for 3 successes. Due to not rolling a “1” on any of these rolls, he is not subject to any damage from pushing his roll. After a brief struggle (due to pushing his roll), the evil despot leader is killed in his sleep.

I determine that Geddes needs to pass one more recon opposed roll to exit the village unseen. If he is successful, the enemy soldiers wont know who killed him. To be fair, the end result could go anywhere from there. The new leader could make an example and kill villagers to enforce his will. Or at the other end of the spectrum, the new leader and soldiers may exit and flee the village, if they didn’t believe in the direction their old leader was forcing them to take.

For Geddes and Diesel, it was a risk they took to give the villagers a chance for life to improve.

Geddes recon is A+A verse enemy of C+D.
Geddes rolls 11+4 for two success.
Enemy rolls 8+1 for a single success! Geddes wins the opposed roll though, having two v one success. Geddes returns to the hide unseen.

The following night, Geddes and Diesel pack up and stealth away into the dark, in search of the mobile SCUD launcher thought to be on the other side of the village.