Starting a new base

[Rswintek]

I have started a new group. They are a special forces team. They want to create their own settlement what should they build what should I build first??

[ArmySGT.]

Hi,

Could you provide some more details?

3rd or 4th edition?
Canon timeline or GMs?
Any veterans among your players?
What kind of settlement and for what purpose?
Snake Eaters or someone outside?

You should build a nice stack of 30 -60 NPCs from every imaginable post apocalyptic job skill set.

Also make some stacks (3x5 cards ) of low level mooks, cannon fodder, mine finder, expendables for them to mow down...... some with primitive weapons and a scarce few with firearms, and a rare modern firearm.

[Matt W]

Is this a base (for Morrow Project operations).or a settlement (a village for local people)?

[rob]

When I started my campaign, I had the MP team in cryo from their bolt hole in a rural setting. They settled in a small fortified village (population around 100), and started to get their bearings in the post nuclear war world. Over time, they started to help the villagers by increasing food production, the aiding with the MP EMDEE and other small things. Over time, the survivors from three other MP teams, joined by a Snake Eater survivor, joined the MP team. Now that winter is approaching, the group has helped establish a local government of about 10 villages, local defense forces in each one. a network of 'observers' based on the Snake Eaters (watch and listen), trade with other adjoining villages and a medical clinic in the base of operations. Now keep in mind, they have access to an old Federal Government base that has an AI computers system that makes Damocles look stupid (based it upon 2015/16 tech with enhanced capabilities). The group's next major issue comes from an organized religious group (not jihadists but almost as bad).

[rob]

When I started my campaign, I had the MP team in cryo from their bolt hole in a rural setting. They settled in a small fortified village (population around 100), and started to get their bearings in the post nuclear war world. Over time, they started to help the villagers by increasing food production, with the aid of the MP EMDEE and other small things. Over time, the survivors from three other MP teams, joined by a Snake Eater survivor, joined the MP team. Now that winter is approaching, the group has helped establish a local government of about 10 villages, local defense forces in each one. a network of 'observers' based on the Snake Eaters (watch and listen), trade with other adjoining villages and a medical clinic in the base of operations. Now keep in mind, they have access to an old Federal Government base that has an AI computers system that makes Damocles look a slow and old (I based it upon 2015/16 tech with enhanced capabilities). The group's next major issue comes from an organized religious group (not jihadists but almost as bad).

[dragoon500ly]

I have started a new group. They are a special forces team. They want to create their own settlement what should they build what should I build first??

Special Forces team?

Well, to build a new settlement you are going to need access to clean water, decent farmland, access to a fuel source/building materials.

First priority is water and securing it for your settlement, preferably a well or walled off spring for year-round use and large enough to allow for irrigation, if necessary.

With access to building materials, a team house, first-aid station, several homes, all within a defensive perimeter. This defensive perimeter can take the form of individual fighting positions, crew served weapons positions, stone or wooden walls, barbed wire barricades, etc. You will also need a tower or a lookout position for early warning.

For the farming and grazing lands necessary to support the settlement, you will need to consider the sizes necessary as well as the need to secure the plots.

Hope this helps!

[Rswintek]

I am doing morrow 4. I started them with a small base by lake Michigan in Gurnee Illinois.they have a small underground base with fusion power

[Rswintek]

It will be a new base. They encountered a slave group. Killed everyone of the slavers. Problem is the slavers burned down there farm. They have nowhere to go no supplies no food. And the group Of captives is a farm family. I mailman and two fishermen and a medic.

[Rswintek]

I picked them to be a special forces team. They are not gonna wait around for help to come from the government or morrow project. Also as a tribute to my brother that was a Green Beret

[Matt W]

Why build a base/settlement immediately? Isn't the absence of food a more urgent problem ? Why hold on to a farm that's lost its buildings in a firefight?

However

1. The presence of Slavers indicates that there are people willing to buy slaves. Those slave-owners have food and might be willing to trade (for something other than slaves)

2. The presence of a Mailman indicates that there are other communities - and that these communities are in contact with each other. They may be willing to trade for food. Freeing the Mailman should get some goodwill. In any event, this guy will not want to stay

3. You mention "two fishermen" and a Medic . So, presumably at least one community has access to fish. This community might be willing to trade (again, if only to show gratitude for returning their guys)

You also mention that they "have nowhere to go". That seems odd. The Mailman, the fishermen and the medic must have either come from somewhere else or, at least, be aware of other communities. What happened to these places?

So, IMHO, the first thing that your PCs should be building is transport. They need to get people to other places and bring back food (if they intend to stay at the "new base"). Perhaps the Slavers' vehicles can be repaired? Or at least towed by one of the team's vehicles?

Secondly, the "new base" needs a secure place to store food. After that, they can worry about rebuilding and/or fortifying the farm.

I would suggest that you give thought to the politics of the area. Were the Slavers "organized" and an accepted part of the local system? Perhaps the locals might not be grateful that the Slavers have been killed off? The PCs might be disturbed to find that the Slavers provided protection in exchange for "Tribute" (a few slaves every year)? Perhaps the nearby villages now worry that there's nobody to fend off attacks by outsiders who would be more greedy? This could be Bandits/Bikers/Mutants/Orcs or other Slavers who now "have to make an example".

[Rswintek]

Thank you that are some great ideas. What I am thinking of doing is the The mayor of Chicago has made a deal with the Kentucky Freestate he's providing slaves and free state gave him modern weapons in a few vehicles and troops. So he was able to take over Chicago.this is going to be a long campaign.

[ArmySGT.]

Thank you that are some great ideas. What I am thinking of doing is the The mayor of Chicago has made a deal with the Kentucky Freestate he's providing slaves and free state gave him modern weapons in a few vehicles and troops. So he was able to take over Chicago.this is going to be a long campaign.

That isn't going to make Maxwell's Militia very happy.

Building a base....
Clean year round water source.
Sanitation.... dig latrines at a minimum.
Shelter... Log style frontier forts .... Osprey books has many excellent examples.
Perimeter...... Defense is like an onion..... It has many layers and everyone is gonna cry.
Food.... Salted and smoked meat. Set the Mailman loose..... Send him around with a message your friendly, want to trade, and can use some help. Free land and help building a homestead to anyone that wants to join. Set the fishermen free and hope they can send back fish. If they can't you have a trade option to get fish in the future.
Trade.... ammo for starter stock of grain, tubers, and live stock. You will still have an overwhelming amount of firepower and the training to use it effectively. You need seed corn, millet seed, soy, and barley.... Probably alfalfa too. Some chickens and turkeys to start.

[Rswintek]

I was thinking of using the redline trader organization as a permanent small little town. Sorta like a neutral spot. The team can get resources if it does little jobs here and there. Like a few miles down the road there is a disease outbreak. Can you guys help.

[ArmySGT.]

The Opposition....

Probably didn't get all the slavers..... some had to be out hunting for food, capturing new slaves, buying new slaves, or delivering slaves to buyers.

The slavers had customers who have had their supply cut off, and some moral super guy killed them. Worse that moral superguy is gonna be a problem for them in getting more slaves or keeping the ones they have. Probably gonna have to send some troops to go kill moral super guy.

Raiders.... Someone is bound to hear that you farm got sacked... you have wounded, and probably a full basket of other problems..... Their coming for whatever is left..... You appear weak and their going to make a try at a raid.

Unfriendly neighbors....... Umm you killed the slavers, but that doesn't mean your good guys either. So you could well be fired on by anyone you approach.

You used modern weapons and modern radios........... Krell is coming.

[Rswintek]

Did you ever read the series out of the ashes ???and I was thinking of adding elements of aftermath.more good points thank you

[Matt W]

Thank you that are some great ideas. What I am thinking of doing is the The mayor of Chicago has made a deal with the Kentucky Freestate he's providing slaves and free state gave him modern weapons in a few vehicles and troops. So he was able to take over Chicago.this is going to be a long campaign.

Are you using the background in "Operation FallBack"? If so, the KFS invasion is creating refugees that are moving North. This will have knock-on effects for the communities between your base and Chicago

If you don't want to involve the 1st or 3rd Regiments there are alternatives. May I suggest the KFS Advisory Unit?
https://morrowproject.wordpress.com/2009/01/19/kfs-advisory-troops/
This might be interesting for a SF unit to counter. They're not as skilled or motivated as your PCs, but there are more of them

I was thinking of using the redline trader organization as a permanent small little town. Sorta like a neutral spot. The team can get resources if it does little jobs here and there. Like a few miles down the road there is a disease outbreak. Can you guys help.

I've just listed some possible "Local Initiatives" that could enhance local security and the local economy
https://morrowproject.wordpress.com/2016/09/03/ideas-for-local-initiatives/

I haven't assigned priorities. That will depend on PD decisions

BTW. When you refer to "redline trader organization", do you mean the Encounter Group I called the Red Stripe Trading Company? If so, I'd like to suggest that you use the Frozen Chosen as well. In my MP universe, the Frozen Chosen have infiltrated the Red Stripes

https://morrowproject.wordpress.com/?s=red+stripe

[ArmySGT.]

Did you ever read the series out of the ashes ???and I was thinking of adding elements of aftermath.more good points thank you

The only Johnstone book I have read is "last of the Dog team". Which is damn good BTW.

[Rswintek]

Try out off the ashes. It's about after the nuclear war.

[cosmicfish]

If they are going to be SF, then they will need two lists, one civilian, one military, with items on those lists addressed according to their urgency and importance. Food and water have to top the civilian list, site security and intelligence have to top the military list. After that, it depends on what you have and what you can get!

Do your players have any military experience or knowledge? I ask because the game you are setting up is going to be difficult and awkward for diehard civilians. You may find yourself spoon-feeding them everything, and that isn't any fun for anyone. Regular Morrow personnel can be justified as being ignorant, but it is harder for Green Berets...

[Rswintek]

Thank you


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[.45cultist]

If you can find them, Special forces skill manuals, and Paladin Press used to publish a book about A-Team camps. Chicago Module had "Fort Morrow" you may wish to study. One of the field manuals on guerilla warfare had the supply packages, with an update to equipment(M4/M16/M249 instead of M1 car/M1 Garand/M1918 BAR) you can create caches. It would be neat to see your PC' faces when one cache is centered around a disassembled 105MM howitzer(heaviest A camp armament)! The caches could be standard stuff to avoid suspicion, perhaps even marked DRMO or destroyed.

[cosmicfish]

If they are Snake Eaters, you should bear in mind that they will have a different mission and different resources than a Project team - I am not sure if 4ed changed them at all but in 3rd they were specifically tasked with investigating TMP and were likely minimally equipped (if at all) for civilization-building. It would not be unrealistic for them to stick to mission and hunt down leads on the Project rather than building villages.

[Matt W]

http://www.gia-vuc.com/virtual%20camp/gv%20virtual%20tour.htm

This is one of the websites I found that features details about Special Forces camps

[Rswintek]

This is extremely useful. Thank you


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[Rswintek]

I am using the group like the one in Chicago scenario. Plus adding some aftermath.

[RandyT0001]

I am using the group like the one in Chicago scenario. Plus adding some aftermath.

I always thought that a fusion of MP's module "The Ruins of Chicago" (R-004) and Aftermath's module "Chicago and the Illinois River Valley" (Campaign Pack: C1) with "Empire of Karo" (Adventure Pack K1) would make a good starting setting. IMO, J. Andrew Keith (RIP), a major contributor of material to the Traveller game by GDW, wrote the best module ("Chicago") for Aftermath. Either adjust the wake up time of the team to D+20 years and modify R-004 or modify the Packs C1 and K1 to fit into MP's D+150 years timeline.

Good luck!