Combat Action from my Play by Post

[Haven]

Hey guys.

One of things i love most about these forums is seeing other players/GMs campaign actions.

I'll lurk PBeM games as much as possible...

Short stories, play by play, whatever i love it...great for game ideas, hooks, NPCs etc.


So i thought i would share with you guys my 'Learn the rules' twilight 2013 combat action i had with my one PC who i GM in a Play by Post game.

Timeline i am using is here:

http://forum.juhlin.com/showthread.php?t=316

This is before the EMP burst over the East coast. After the Terrorist attacks on America has reached a level of 'insurgency'.

Enjoy!

Comments welcome!!!!!!!!! (but remember i am a civilian!)
----------------------------

[Haven]

<Catch up on timeline!>


Once I get the rules next week we'll play out a pre-turn combat to get the feel for the rules.

basically we'll play out an attack on your militia check point from some PMC/Terrorist forces.

This will happen between Sept (initial attacks) and Dec (before the nuke).

More to come when we have equipment lists and rules and character sheets


Oct 27th – 5:30pm Local

It’s a cold and wet and there are a thousand different places you’d rather be. It’s not raining per se its just sorta spitting at you. It’s enough to get you wet and miserable but not raining hard enough to cut visibility down more than about 300 yards. Everything you touch is covered in a thin layer of water making it a pain to try and find some place to sit. Still you think to yourself ‘It could be worse, it could be a lot worse’.

For the size of your check-point you’re fairly well equipped. There are 5 total men in your group including Sam (PC’s group member).

You group is currently the Canton Militia – Fifth group. You’re doubling up because technically you still live in Acworth and are a member of that militia as well. Acworth has more active duty police to pull from because on Sept 17th – Canton’s baptism into fire - a huge truck-bomb targeted a police memorial service of a local cop who’d died in the original Sept 11th attacks. Canton’s police force was decimated.

So it’s you, Sam, a Canton PD survivor named Sergeant Fitts (making this whole thing ‘legal’) and two other guys named Mark Hatfield and Jeff Latell.

Sam looks about the Same, has kept his clean shaven face, now 30 years old is still staying in shape with his morning workouts. He’s wearing some old BDU camouflage cargo pants from the 1990’s Army, some police surplus (see previous owner no longer needs them) boots. He’s got a black long sleeve shirt on with black body armor with yellow ‘POLICE’ stuck on the front and back. He is wearing a black UGA baseball hat with a simple G on the front.
He is carrying an AR-15 provided on loan by the Canton PD – with AGOC sight.

Sergeant Fitts is wearing black BDU’s with ‘SWAT’ body armor. He never actually mentioned weather or not he was ever on the Swat team. He has a black Kevlar helmet on with a riot visor on and its up keeping the rain out of his eyes.
He has a MP5 attached to a tactical sling.

Mark Hatfield is an older man in his mid to late 40’s. He has a bit of a girth around his mid section. Its hidden more or less by wearing cold weather Realtree print hunting overalls and jacket with matching Boots. He actually originally showed up with an orange hunting cap before Fitts ‘gently’ chided him about the merits of Terrorist’s vision as opposed to those of a deer. So now he has no hat soaking his salt and pepper hair and is holding on to his matching realtree synthetic stock Winchester 70 with x10 scope pouting a little. You wonder if he can actually shoot it. Fitts made him take an AR-15 too which he keeps slung over his shoulder.

Jeff Latell is wearing blue jeans and a mossy oak camo print hunting jacket. He is in his late thirties, fit, and has a purple Canes baseball hat. Surprisingly, though, you feel more comfortable with Latell than Hatfield since Latell brought his own civilian semi-auto M4 with EOTECH and fore-grip. If he wasn’t in the military he sure seems like it.

Fitts is ‘in-charge’ of this check point.
You’re holding an exit over I-75.
It is basically designed to be a filter before vehicles get to Canton’s main exit off Main Street.
The exit itself is closed. No one on I-75 is allowed to exit unless they have a local area resident permit. Otherwise they get waived on to Canton Main Street exit where they get ‘processed’. This check point is designed to take down anyone who appears to be a threat before they get to the main exit or at least provide early warning to Canton.

Four lanes are closed down to one. North bound traffic only. Anyone coming south is assumed to have been processed by the more northern exits. The radio is supposed to let you know if someone is coming south.

Sergeant Fitts’ Ford Explorer patrol car is parked in at a 45 degree angle across two of the 3 left lanes the rest are closed off by orange cones.

There are concrete barriers at the ends of the bridge that overpasses the highway blocking traffic on the overpass.

There is a white trailer positioned in the middle of the bridge acting as command center. It’s basically a place to park the radio, a generator, and a coffee machine.
On afternoons like today it is an occasional way to get out of the rain.

Signs tell vehicles to stop 100 yards out from the exit where the militia is supposed to have a chance to get binos on the vehicle. (Chkpnt 1) There is also an intercom system in place for further instructions if needed.

Once a traffic signal (wired up to the generator on the overpass) gives them the go ahead they pull up to a second point where Fitts, on street level, takes a peek at them and questions them before signaling them forward on down to Canton Main Street exit. (Chkpnt 2).

Lattell is also down on street level with Fitts.

You, Sam, and Hatfield are providing ‘overwatch’ and are in charge putting binos on the vehicles as they approach. You then radio to Fitts what you see before he gives them the ‘go’ or ‘no go’. There are make shift bunkers with sand bags and a tin roof to keep the rain somewhat off you.

This is your new part-time job. You still work at <PC’s current work> but since the attacks started almost every company has put their workers on an ‘as needed’, remote access, type work schedule as the economy slows down. You’ve chosen to take a part time job as a member of the militia wanting a chance to kill these fuckers that keep bombing our cities and towns.

Things have been pretty boring so far in your new part time job…..

What are you wearing and what weapon are you using.
You have the option of using a Police AR-15 with iron sights or any of your own weapons.

Map otw…..
blue lines = concrete barriers
yellow-green line on bridge = trailer
brown lines on bridge = sandbags
orange dots = orange cones
yellow line = Fitts' police car

Green dots = Canton Militia - Fifth group members

Fitts and Latell are green dots on the ground.

Rest of you are three dots on bridge. Pick which dot you want to be


First stop is at Fitts' car where you're supposed to bino them... then they move to up to Fitts and Latell after that.

Wearing:

If they've got Body armor available, I want to be wearing that.

Mossy Oak 3D Camo Fleece Top
Olive Wide Brimmed ("Boonie") Had
Black Cargo's / BDU's
Black North Face Hiking Boots
Shooting Gloves

Weapons:
AR15-M4 w/4x Scope and as many 30rd Mags as I can pack on me
7mm Mag Slung across my back (If that's allowed)
Side Arm - USP .40 Cal
Gerber Folder

As far as placement, I'd like to be the west-most position, closest to the south-bound lanes.

Any other information that you need for me for now?

You get some black body armor with 'POLICE"
You're carrying 6 30-round mags.


That's it for now.... mainly waiting on PDF download which they say will be avail this week.

Then we have to generate char sheets for everyone.

Then we learn the combat rules and test them out here on pre-turn 1.0

then we start the real thing....

[Haven]

So you’re working the 5pm - 10pm block of time tonight.

You settle in and grab a cup of coffee in the trailer. It’s black and slightly burned. There is no creamer or sugar available. You also grab your ‘POLICE’ body armor and put it on.

You half trot from the trailer to the furthest west ‘bunker’, trying to stay out of the rain. It’s basically a DOT concrete barrier that you’d normally see protecting road construction. That is laid up against the guardrail overlooking the highway below. Behind the concrete is sandbags piled 2 deep as high as the concrete. The sandbags also surround you 2 deep on either side of you. This gives you about a 10ft long flattened – flattened on the guardrail - semi-circle bunker. Overhead is some metal sheeting giving you about a 6 ft clearance. It’s enough to keep the rain off your head, but the pinging sound of the rain on the roof eventually gets annoying.

There are binoculars resting on the bunker waiting on you. They are roped to the bunker with ¼ inch steel cable, like a pen would be attached to the desk or clipboard at a doctor’s office. Apparently, the city of Canton trusts the militia enough to kill terrorists but not enough to not steal the binos. Also attached to a ¼ inch cable is a radio pre-tuned to the militia frequency, it’s basically just a walky-talky.

You take a look over to your left. Hatfield is in the middle bunker between you and Sam. Each of the bunkers are built the Same. They each have binos and a radio.
Hatfield is smoking a cigarette with his Winchester 70 deployed on its bipod and AR propped up next to it. He looks bored already. You catch a glimpse of him pouring something from a flask into his coffee.

You look past Hatfield at Sam. Sam is chewing on the end of a cigar. He’d probably be smoking it except they are so damn expensive now. He has the AR lying across the front of the bunker on its side in front of him – rocking and chomping down on the end of the cigar like a baseball manager.

All things considered you’re lucking out right now. Fitts and Latell are down on the street level standing up behind their concrete barriers getting rained on.
Both Latell and Fitts are standing at ‘parade rest’ with their hands resting on their weapons hanging off their tactical slings.

It’s pretty slow so far. Mainly small commuter cars with single passengers returning home from work. Fitts recognizes most of the cars from this morning. First they pull up to Fitts’ parked Ford Explorer police car with the back open and a traffic signal propped up on the back. Fitts has a cable running to the traffic signal where he changes it to ‘green’ if yall give him the go ahead after getting a look though the binos. Then they pull up to Fitts and Latell to get the final go ahead after a couple questions and quick inspection. About six cars have gone though over the course of an hour.

You check your watch, three more hours to go. It is starting to get dark and cold.

“Hey, buck up gentlemen. This is an unknown.” - crackles Fitts over the radio. You snap back to attention and take a look down your binos. At the edge of your visibility you see a plain white mini van approaching the checkpoint at about 300m out. It looks like a normal contractors van so far.

Bum bum bummmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm….. =)


"Hatfield, get a bead on the driver with the rifle...Sam, grab your binos "

I wanna keep my rifle at the ready, but bring the Bino's up and watch the fan for anything suspicious; Anything moving in the back behind the driver's seat, anything odd laying on top of the dash, what the driver is wearing... anything that may stick out that something is fishy.

How fast is he approaching? Lights on? Any other vehicles on the road... south bound or north bound?

The van is approaching at about 40mph slowing up as it approaches the police SUV.

Lights on, which is sorta obscuring your vision of the cab.

So far its the only vehicles visible.

Sam cracks over the radio "Aight, on him." You hear him charge his AR15. Binos in his right hand peering at the van with his rifle in his left hand pointed up at a 45 degree angle ready to go. (OOC: damn lefty! almost forgot that detail)

Hatfield jerks awake(?) and shakes his head left and right real quick and then starts to settle in behind the scope of his rifle.
"Ro..*cough*.. Roger on it"

Sam and you both peer down your binos trying to see what you can behind the headlights.

<observation roll>

Sam’s observation roll:
<rolls and math stuff cut for story>
Obviously... since he needed a 2 or below.... he didn't get it.

James's Rolls….
<rolls and math stuff cut for story>
Margin of Sucess = 1.

With a Margin of Sucess of 1 - I'll give you a FEW details on the driver and passenger.

What you see:

2 men.
Age 20s to 30s.
Dark Hair on both.
Tan or dark skin.
Driver has a black beard about 2 inches long.
No visible weapons.

I want to relay the information via the radio:

"Two men visible, 20-30, dark skin, dark hair with 2inch beards, no visible weapons. Look alive.. we've got Incoming. I've got a draw on the passenger"

I want to put the bino's down and Bead-up on the Passenger.

Fitts comes on the radio,
"Good info. Stay on'um.
Sam and Hatfield make sure you keep a bead on the driver.
If they don't stop at the traffic signal next to the Police SUV. Shoot to kill.
Protect my ass down here."

You put down the Binos and grab your M4 and start lining up a shot on the Passenger.
You hear Sam chamber a round in his AR15.
Hatfield coughs a couple more times and settles on in on his rifle.


The Van approaches like normal and makes no erratic or sudden moves.

Fitts and Latell try and act normal but you can tell they are nervous.

The van approaches and slowly comes to a stop next to the Police SUV.

Fitts crackles back on the radio. "OK lets take a chance to get a good look at them. Anyone notice anything fishy let me know ASAP. I am gonn.... what the hell! We got people bailing out the back of the VAN!"

<roooooooooooooolllllllllllllll initative!>
Okay, give me OODA checks for initiative, and tell me what your total is. That's your base plus twice your margin of success... if you succeed.

Right now you are all Moderately Encumbered - aka Base initiative of 9


While you cannot be surprised their sudden movement means you're not surprising them either.

Base Initiative of 9 (Moderately Encumbered). Worst you can do.

Hatfield OODA - 3
Rolls: 19 and 3. Take the lowest. 3. Passes. But no MOS to improve his Initiative with.
Acts: 9

Latell OODA - 5
Rolls: 17 and 7. Fails both.
Acts: 9

Fitts OODA - 7
Rolls: 13 and 4. Passes with the 4. MoS of 3. Times 2 = 6. So.... 9(base) + 6 = 15.
Acts: 15

Sam OODA - 3
Rolls: 7 and 15. Fails both.
Acts: 9

Order of Initiative:

= Tick 17 =
Passenger
= Tick 15 =
Fitts
Passenger in Back of Van
Passenger in Back of Van
= Tick 11 =
Passenger in Back of Van
= Tick 9 =
Hatfield
Sam
James
Latell

Unfortunately... they had some good rolls.

Passenger of the Van throws open the door and jumps out (2 ticks) and sprints (can actually only trot due to encumbrance) from the Van and moves 8m to the East (5 ticks) and kneels in the ditch has his free action for moving.
(17 ticks - 2 - 5 = He goes again at tick 10)

Man #1 - Jumps out of the back of the van and runs (trots) 8m west to the Police SUV
He appears to be holding an AK variant (5 ticks)
(15 ticks - 5 = He goes again at tick 10)

Man #2 - Jumps out of the back of the van and runs (trots) 8m to the west behind the Police SUV. He appears to be holding an RPG.
(15 ticks - 5 = He goes again at tick 10)

Fitts takes seat/kneel behind the concrete barrier - currently his back to the van... MP5 just doesn't have the reach without some aiming.... (2 ticks)
(15 ticks - 2 = He goes again at tick 13)

Fitts:

back up with his MP5 now kneeling is gonna try to make a the reach.
Fitts fires off an Aimed Burst...

*brat-ak-ak-ak*! (hard to make the MP5 sound but you know it!)

... and sends 4 rounds down range towards the passenger on the East side who is kneeling in the ditch next to the highway.

<rolls and math stuff cut for story>
(Freaking fantastic rolls!)
<rolls and math stuff cut for story>

IN CHARACTER:
Fitts pops up behind the concrete barrier and props his MP5 over the edge of his cover and takes in and holds a quick breath before purposely squeezing the last pound of pressure needed to send 4 rounds down range.

The first round finds its mark center mass with a puff of dust on the dark-skinned man appearing about collar bone high and the second round hitting him in the right arm before popping in the right cheek. His head snaps back. He goes down with a scream falling backwards from his knelt position. The other two rounds skip off the ground near him.

So Fitts... burning 5 ticks for Aimed Automatic fire... goes again at 8.
(13 - 5) = 8

Passenger out of the back of the Van - AK Rifleman from now on.
Pops his head out from behind the Police Van and lets rip a long burst from his AK at Fitts.

’AK-47 Rifleman’

Burst shot at Fitts
<rolls and math stuff cut for story>

In character:
So Fitts catches a AK bullet (slight wound) graze wound on his left shoulder.

James:
Using a M4A1 Snap-shot against the target Kneeling in the ditch

<rolls and math stuff cut for story>

I'll let you do any in-character descriptions.. but basically, I *told* everyone I had the passenger! He got outa the van ran and kneeled in the ditch, and I put one thru his belly button. (Same target as Fitts with the MP5).

Sam

Takes an Aimed Shot at the driver.
<rolls and math stuff cut for story>

In character:
Sam breathes out, holds and pulls the trigger on his AR15. The bullet flies though the air smashes into the windshield, producing a nice spiderweb effect and slams into the drivers right lung.


Hatfield

Hunting rifle, bolt action .30-06 Dam:9 Pen:x2/x3 Rng:M/EX Cost:5/8/11

Hatfield is going to take a snapshot at the driver.

<rolls and math stuff cut for story>
Lower Abdomen (GM rules this a valid hit due to angle of attack from bridge)

In character:
Hatfield surprised at first keeps his cool and squeezes off a round and the driver as well.
*BOOM* the big bolt rifle rocks back and for an instant drowns out all other sounds.
The windshield further shattered takes another round though it and near collapses on its frame.
The driver of the van takes another round this time to his upper pelvis.

GM:
Now technically this happens the Same time as Sam, Hatfield and Latell.

Latell kneels down behind his concrete barrier.

The driver, with his passengers unloaded, slams on the gas of the van bearing down on Latell and Fitts.
First Sam' round punchs the windshield and rocks him back in the seat followed by the bigger .30-06 round from Hatfields big deer rifle.

<rolls and math stuff cut for story>

After about 25m the van vears to the right, the driver overcorrects to the left, causing the Van to fishtail out of control and tip over on its side. After sliding to a quick stop on it side, it lays there for half a second. *Crac-BOOOOOM* the van blows apart in an ear shattering explosion. A quick shudder ripples down your spine as you think about what might have happened if the van had made it under the bridge or next to Fitts and Latell.

All explosion related shrapnel safely bounces off everyone's cover.

Latell smartly uses 2 ticks to change stance to kneel behind the concrete barrier as the van explodes.

---------------------------------------------------
Current Ticks.

Driver n/a
Passenger n/a
RPG 6
RPK 6
AK 4

Sam 0
James 5
Hatfield 0
Latell 7
Fitts 8

Fitts is next to act.

<rolls and math stuff cut for story>

In character:

Fitts immediately after the explosion goes off pops up from behind his barrier and squeezes off another Aimed Burst.
This time at the man with the AK behind the Police SUV.
The man has his AK resting on the hood of the SUV.
Fitts’ first two bullets slam into the hood of the SUV with the next two catching the man in the left hand………….. taking it off.
You hear a scream and the man drops out of sight.

Latell

Aimed shot
<rolls and math stuff cut for story>

In character:
Latell pops up from behind the concrete barrier and shoots an aimed shot and the man peeking out from behind the back of the SUV.
The mans left arm, head, upper chest, and right hand are visible and unfortunately Latell’s shot goes low and strikes the SUV on its back left corner.
He adjusts for height and gets ready to take his next shot.

Tick 3

‘RPG guy’

<rolls and math stuff cut for story>
----------------------------------------
In character:
The man with the RPG slides around the front cab of the SUV aims and fires a snap shot at Latell.

*Phhissshhhooooooooooommm*

Latell who’s just fired a shot off at the Terrorist at the back of the van doesn’t see and react fast enough to the rocket to get back under cover and takes a RPG rocket to the head.
*bloOOOMMMPP*
Latell’s head vanishes in a gory red mist and his headless body, slack armed, slowly tumbles backwards away from the concrete barrier that was protecting him.

‘RPK guy’

Snap shot burst – at Hatfield

<rolls and math stuff cut for story>
Serious wound to Hatfield’s right forearm.
FIT Check – Pass… he doesn’t go into shock.

-----------------------

In character:
The man at the back of the SUV. Leans around the back of the SUV and fires off a long burst from his RPK at the center bunker on top of the bridge.
Which happens to be Hatfield’s bunker.

The tracers arc out and riddle the bunker with rounds poping off the concrete and sand bags.
*Thunk,thunk,thunk,thunk,SLAP!,thunk,thunk* a bullet slaps Hatfields right forearm. “ArrrgghhhhHHH!! I’m hit.”
He drops his rifle and crouches completely behind the bunker holding his right arm.


James:

I'm going to take a single Snap Shot at the Hostile with the RPK with Mag -1
<rolls and math stuff cut for story>

In character:
You hit the man with the RPK in the right shoulder and flay it open. He crumples to the ground a goes into shock.

[Haven]

Wrapping up:
The last Terrorist behind the Police SUV decides it’s not worth it and takes off towards the woods.

*Pop pop pop pop pop* - You all fire… someone got him. He goes down, lifeless.

A lull settles over the roadblock as you all come to grips with what just went down. It started and was over that quick.

You just killed 2 men and no one can touch you for it. You suddenly feel extremely tired as the adrenaline wares off.

Fitts walks out 50m to the Police SUV where there is some low moaning. You hear 3 additional single shots *pop pop pop*. There is no more moaning.

Sam comes on over the radio – “Going down to help Fitts with the bodies. Hatfield get your ass to the trailer and get some pressure on that arm. James switch over to the city band and let them know we need an two ambulances, one priority… the other *sigh*… tell them to send the other when they can… ”

Fitts and Sam police up the bodies.
The terrorist’s bodies are laid out in the ditch.
Latell’s body is covered with a tarp.

You see Sam has also managed to put all the Terrorist’s weapons in a pile over next to him as well.

--------------------------------------------

15 minutes later back on the bridge, an ambulance and 2 additional police squad cars show up.

Hatfield is escorted to the back of the ambulance and they drive off.

Fitts is holding a small mini-meeting with the two other cops that have showed up.

Sam comes up to you with all the weapons in a pile near his bunker. “Yo, we gotta take some of this with us.”

Fiits like he just heard what was said leaving his emeting and comes over to have a mini-meet with you and Sam.
“Good job guys.” He still looks a little shell shocked, and you can only imagine what it would be like to be standing next to Latell when his head vaporized. “Uhhh… look, I gotta take those weapons into police custody. And they’ve already called in CM-4 (Canton Militia – Group 4) to relieve us. So you guys get to take off a bit early”

Sam breaks in (I can just hear/see this in my head. As he looks down and brings his chin in a bit) “Uhhhhhhhh… look. Uhhhh… we uhhh.. we earned these weapons Fitts. I mean…. Uhhhh… I know this is probably against some protocol… but we just wasted these guys. Give us the weapons and we’ll bring um out to ever militia patrol from now on. I mean…. c’mon… we volunteer for this shit… give us at least some weapons to fight fire with fire. Besides half those weapons look beat to hell. We can take um and get um fixed up and ready to go next time. Just look the other way on this one”

<Persuasion roll>

After a second of Fitts staring in to Sam’s eye, lets out a sigh. “What weapons, right? I don’t know what you’re talking about. I am quite sure this won’t come back in bite me in the ass, right?
I need all the police issue stuff back though…. CM-4 is gonna need that.”

Here is what you get….

x3 AK47 – Wear of 3
x8 30rd Mags

x1 RPK – Wear of 4
x2 100 Drum Mags

520 rds of 7.62x39mm

x1 RPG-7 – Wear of 3
x4 RPG rockets

x1 AR15 (M4 style) w/ EOTECH and w/ Foregrip – Wear 6 (caught some RPG shrapnel)
x3 30rd Mags

59 rds of 5.56x45mm

How much of this do you want to take, and how much do you want to give to Sam?

Basically... what are you taking home... and what is Sam taking home?

No peeking at Turn 1.0!
GM retains veto power on everything!

I'd take:

1 AK-47 & 3 Full - Mags (I've got 7.62x39 at my house).. 150 Rds of loose 7.62x39

2 of the 30rds for AR-15/M16 and the EOTECH Scope (and try and fix it up if it's slightly damaged)

<roll 1d20.. less than 10 = RPG, more than 10 = RPK>

I'd take the RPG and Ammo.
That was no peaking.

End Pre-Turn 1.0

[Marc]

Good narration of the skirmish, Haven.
By the way. I've only played / refereed using v2.2 rules. What system have you used in this combat action? Seems quite deadly!

[Haven]

Twilight 2013 rules.



It was a little extra deadly this time because of a mis-interpretation of the rules.

But honestly with the rolls as they were i am not sure it would have made a difference.
It really seemed like the rolls were going to make this combat they way i would have liked to have told it.

Was half tempted to leave the rolls and math in ... but it made it too long.

Someone taking an RPG rocket to the head was .... well something i wouldn't have planned.

Poor bastard.

[Brother in Arms]

Wow those guys really got there S**T pushed in!

I am curious as to who actually got hit by what. Can you just give a brief summary of who hit who and what it did to them.

Brother in Arms

[Haven]

Yeah lemme see if i can break it down.



Fitts - Burst MP5 - Hit 'Passenger' in head and chest

T AK - Burst at Fitts - graze wound on right shoulder

James - Single Shot AR15 (M4 shortened barrel) - Shot/Killed 'Passenger' in lower abdomen

Sam - Single Shot AR15 - Shot/Killed 'Driver' in upper chest (same action as Hatfield)

Hatfield - Snap Shot with Bolt Rifle - Shot/Killed 'Driver' in lower abdomen (same action as Sam) - Shot by 'T RPK' right upper arm serious wound.

Driver - (same action as Sam and Hatfield) Drove forward - shot twice - failed to control 'car bomb' van (critical failure) turned van over and it pre-maturely blew up hurting no one.

Fitts - Burst MP5 - Hit 'T AK' in left hand with 2 shots - removing it - Incap.

Latell - Single Shot AR15 - Shot/Missed 'T RPK'

T RPG - Snap shot at Latell - got lucky and hit him in the head

T RPK - Long Burst at Hatfield - Hit him in the right upper arm - serious wound

James - Single Shot AR15 - Hit T RPK in right shoulder - critical wound - Incap.

T RPG - runs off and gets gunned down

[Tegyrius]

... wow. I'm a big fan of the face-shooting, but an RPG round to the face seems a bit excessive.

Good writeup.

- C.

[Haven]

The dice don't lie!

Lucky he was an NPC.

I was just expecting to scare the PC with the RPG


Shot a snap shot at Latell and with some like -7 to the roll and managed to pull it off.

So i was running though my mind how all i was going to need to do the penetration rules though a concrete barrier in twilight 2013 rules, and rolled location head.

Sooo.... yeah....

There was actually some debate as to if a skull could crush the nose of an RPG rocket enough to actually fire it.

I went with the rated R Hollywood version

[kcdusk]

Or you rolling D20, D100 or something else?

[Haven]

D20.. a lot like v2.2 Twilight.

You have a skill say... Longarm (aka Combat Rifleman).

(character creation is a lot like v2.2 with phases and you pick skills from your current phase EX: Force Recon - 2 years)



Depending on how many 'points' you get in Longarm determines your skill level. (Novice, Competent, etc.).

If you are ... say ... 'Competent' in 'Longarm' you get to roll 2d20 and take the lower roll trying to get under your CDN (coordination) stat.

If you are 'Professional' you get 3d20L (take lower) while trying to get under your CDN stat.

'Novice' gets 1d20 and hope for the best.

Completely unskilled gets 2d20H (take higher) - but at least gets a try.



Sounds easy but there are more penalties that apply to nearly every roll than v2.2
EX: Anything past 7 meters has some 'Visual Range' penalty.

[Snake Eyes]

Originally Posted by Haven

But honestly with the rolls as they were i am not sure it would have made a difference.
It really seemed like the rolls were going to make this combat they way i would have liked to have told it.

Haven, I see you mentioned that you got pretty much the results you were after, but what's your feeling for the ease of use of the Reflex System?

I understand this was play-by-post so you had a more relaxed time frame in which to work out the resolution, but how did it flow for you?

Was the basic mechanic (no. of dice to roll, rolling low, attribute as target no.) immediately intuitive, or - if not - how long did it take you to get the hang of it?

How did tick tracking (and bookkeeping) for initiative work for you?

How about the amount of die-rolling and modifiers? Burdensome or appropriate?

I ask because, since I've been involved in testing the system as it evolved, I really have no concept of the difficulty involved in learning it all fresh from scratch.

[Haven]

Haven, I see you mentioned that you got pretty much the results you were after, but what's your feeling for the ease of use of the Reflex System?

I understand this was play-by-post so you had a more relaxed time frame in which to work out the resolution, but how did it flow for you?

Well as a play by post i can't tell you how hard it would be to learn face to face. We were using gmail chat at this particular time.

Here goes anyways....

First attack roll took about... 45min (wanted to get everything right and had not read the section before starting) next one took 15min next one took 5min and after that I could do an attack roll (with 'In character' description in about 3~5 min). I kinda had a benefit of most of my characters in a fixed position on a bridge in a bunker so those modifiers needed to be figured once and then i could refer to them in the next action (aka post).

Was the basic mechanic (no. of dice to roll, rolling low, attribute as target no.) immediately intuitive, or - if not - how long did it take you to get the hang of it?

Originally, I was rolling against not my base Attribute that related to the skill but the skill itself. aka Trying to get under 13 in Longarm not the 7 in CDN as a 'Professional' (3d20L) shooter.

That could be stressed a bit more i think... but could just be me speed reading.

How did tick tracking (and bookkeeping) for initiative work for you?

How about the amount of die-rolling and modifiers? Burdensome or appropriate?

Some notes:

I kept up with ticks with an excel spread sheet. Everyone started on the far left column with their tick listed next to them. As they acted i would list what they did in the next column over and list their next tick in the next column to the right. In a live game a sheet of paper with 'Name : Tick' and continously erase/mark though the tick and update it would probably be more efficent and easier than what i did... but i was learning.

One thing that we started to do is start a 'quick reference' thread on our forum for all the various tables used in combat. Basically a GM screen.

This is I feel one of the most important things to build create for you guys as a 'freebie' because the tables for combat and skill resolution is kinda spread out at the moment and the pdf while you can click on the bookmarks will never be the same as keeping a couple fingers or post-it's on the pages you need.

You need all the range bands, task resolution modifiers (most of the screen would be this: moving, lighting, noise, light, weather, target size, target movement, etc...), hit location, wound effects, etc.

Finding the relatent tables is what slowed me down the most.

Once you wrap your head around how this system works it is very very intuative. Most of the time i was "now i know this has a penalty/bonus where is it and how much is it..."

FYI: we are using a mix of Tier II and Tier III rules because we have the luxury of time between posts. So i would imagine that Tier I is a snap.

[smokewolf]

Originally Posted by Haven

This is I feel one of the most important things to build create for you guys as a 'freebie' because the tables for combat and skill resolution is kinda spread out at the moment and the pdf while you can click on the bookmarks will never be the same as keeping a couple fingers or post-it's on the pages you need.

I'm working on it.

Also trying to through in an adventure, sample characters, Stage I Rules, and a few other things to go along with it.

[Haven]

Yeah i figured it was in the works... just wanted to stress its importance again.

Keep up the good work, as usual.

[cavtroop]

Originally Posted by smokewolf

I'm working on it.

Also trying to through in an adventure, sample characters, Stage I Rules, and a few other things to go along with it.

Ah, awesome news! I'm getting together on the 13th with a friend to try the system out, make a few PC's and get used to some simple combat. Any chance this comes out before then?

[TiggerCCW UK]

Originally Posted by cavtroop

Ah, awesome news! I'm getting together on the 13th with a friend to try the system out, make a few PC's and get used to some simple combat. Any chance this comes out before then?

Gaming on the 13th - my birthday, and I wish I was doing something that cool. Instead I'll be stuck in work with Alabama 3 in concert and a goth/fetish night to keep me company



Cue sympathy please....

[Targan]

I used to hang out with goths when I was in my late teens (first girl I ever slept with was a goth). Can't say I was actually a goth myself though. Not really emo enough. Lol.

[kcdusk]

Haven - any chance of another encounter write up from your play by post action?


On a different note. I'm trying to get myself an emo lawn. You know the type, it cuts itself?

[Haven]

Yeah actually I am about to have the PC's take down a house that some marauders/terrorists are holding some people hostage.

The PCs aren't anything but other civilians and don't have the proper gear (like flashbangs etc) so I am expecting some intresting dice rolling.


Should be up later today or tomorrow.

[Tegyrius]

I'll be interested in hearing about how any knife-versus-gun action plays out. Too bad about the lack of flash-bangs - I'd like to see if they're as potentially abusive in Reflex as they are in Spycraft.

- C.

Edit: learned2read. :P

[cavtroop]

Originally Posted by Haven

Yeah actually I am about to have the PC's take down a house that some marauders/terrorists are holding some people hostage.

The PCs aren't anything but other civilians and don't have the proper gear (like flashbangs etc) so I am expecting some intresting dice rolling.


Should be up later today or tomorrow.

Yeah, can't wait for this!

[Haven]

Dec 3rd - 5am

Alright. Since the last ‘combat action’ the East Coast has been devastated by EMP blasts and the PCs are basically in lock-down mode. There are rumors or the Chinese invading on the West Coast and Russians in Alaska and else where. See the timeline at the beginning of the post if you really want a full run down.

So at this point the PCs are meeting up a one of the PC homes, and they are in the process of savaging for things they think they’re going to need in the long run. So they decide to siphon the gas tanks of all the recently abandoned vehicles along the road near the home they are ‘hiding out’ at.

Since they are wearing the ‘POLICE’ vests they got from the city militia before the EMP blasts I thought I would throw them a ‘moral dilemma’ and see what they did and start building their reputation as bad guys or good guys.

Unfortunately, during the combat action 3 NPC’s were used to resolve the issue and so no PC had a first person perspective and so I auto-resolved the combat which makes it a whole less lot interesting from a Twilight 2013 rules perspective, but hopefully kinda intresting enough to read from a story perspective. Although in all honesty this is sorta a ‘skip ahead’ encounter.

Additional:

If you do take a second to read this and let me know if you think I am lacking in some areas in terms of describing the world. Specifically, I always wonder if I go into enough detail to what I can see clearly in my head.

My cop out here is going to be that the PC is familiar with a lot of the locations that I am talking about and some things we talk about in chat or in person and brevity is sometimes best to move the plot…. But I still want input……

Thanks! Suggestions welcome!

Actions?

PC:

"Ok, look... here's what we're gonna do:

Doc.. go get any Gas-Cans you can.... any big plastic containers, Jugs.. anything from your car garage. Oil Containers will work too, the big, sealable oil pans.

Sam, Joey, Jim, Me and Carter are going back to 16 Lane (another PC’s house). We're going to load up the Welder and the Cutter/Blow torch; we may end up finding a use for both. If anything.. we can cut the doors of the useless cars off, weld them to the windows of the house and we'll have our own little fortress, got it?

On our way back, we're going to stop at whatever cars we can and fill the tanks up. We're gonna need the gas, cause infrastructure is gonna have a hard time staying up, especially if we're being invaded. Ladies and Gent's we're in the gearing up stage before the shit hits the fan, the most prepared are gonna be what makes it thru this mess... so we're gonna be the most prepared, got it?

People may be starting to realize, if they've got radios... that the world just got a lot meaner, so we're going to have to keep our eyes peeled for people either 1) wanting our truck, or 2) wanting to keep us from getting their gas.

Sam... keep that AK ready; Carter you take one of the AK's too... Joey, you're on a M4 and driving. Jim, take the AR15. Jim, you're on a M4 too. Sam.. sling the RPG in the back of the truck too; just incase. (Weapons acquired from last combat action.)

Tom, Rick and Doc... y'all start getting a talley of everything we could use, and stuff we might need. Whatever we need, we may have to take by force; but just start thinking of things that we can do to consolidate. Once we get back, me and Sam... maybe Carter too, will head into town and take a poke around at the situation with the militia.

Lets move it."

Plan: Joey, Jim and Carter ride up front in the truck (Joey Drive, Jim middle, Carter passenger seat), me and Sam in the back
Joey - M4, Jim-AR15, Carter - AK, Sam AK, James AK (red dot). Riding back to 16 Lane Forest to pick up a Welder and a BlowTorch / Cutter. On the way back, we'll fill up whatever gas cans we have available with abandon cars' gas.. then once back at 313, me and Sam and Carter are going to head into town.

Carter - "Anyone taking the RPK?"

Good thought.... Sam, take the RPK instead of the AK; who knows what we might run into... give the big man the big gun! heh.

Alright... that said, lets get the ball rolling.

Everyone gets to work carrying out their duties.

Doc comes back with four 10 gallon plastic gas containers, as well as two 20 gallon clear plastic racing style gas tanks. (80 gallons total)
He is also holding three 3 feet plastic tubes for siphoning.

It’s probably all you’ll be able to fit in the back of the truck with the Welder and Cutter plus to gunners.

He says “Also make sure to check the trunks of the cars you drain. They could have some emergency gas container in the trunk or something. We might also give some thought into establishing some sort of control over Quiky-Mart. Something to think about. Hey I just thought of something too…. Be right back.�

He turns and goes back upstairs.

The various wives are in the process of clearing the house and setting up different living areas for different groups. Most of the nice china and furniture is packed away in closets or taken down to one of the garages for storage.

Doc comes back down stairs with 2 hand held civilian walky-talkies. “They work! I can’t believe they work! Must have been shielded by the gun safe! Here.� He hands you a walky-talkie. “I think they only work about 2 miles but that should be enough for now. We still have the Chevelle if we need to get to you in a hurry.�


Rick and Tom are down in the garage getting it ‘survival’ ready.

Finally after some final preparations everyone loads up in the old C10 truck.


It’s a pretty uneventful trip over to 16 Lane and you manage to get the Welder and Cutter loaded with only some curious glances form the neighbors. Once they see you they seem to go back to whatever they were doing before.

Mr. Williams comes out and has a small talk with Sam about what all is going on. Mr. Williams is worried about where his son is in all this and you can see it on his face between loading the welder. Sam assures him that his son (in Texas) would be ok that far south and that he’ll probably find a way to get back town.

You mentally marked all the cars that were on the road abandoned between 16 Lane and 313 (current address) and you counted about 7. You should be able to fill up all 80 gallons if those cars are at least about half full.

It takes about 30 min to get everything loaded up. You manage to go ahead and drain the gas out of your mom and dad’s car as a start - 10 gallons. No one keeps their gas tanks full anymore. Gas been getting more and more scarce and ridiculously expensive lately, and that was before the terror attacks in Sept.

Loaded up yall get back on the road. As you leave mission estates you see neighbors talking to neighbors on front porches and they stop and look at you as you go. You also see a number of people with car hoods up tinkering around trying to get their electric or newer cars to start.

Once outside of the subdivision you finally start to shake that ‘eye’s on your back feeling’ as you pull up to the first car to siphon.

[Haven]

Jim stays at the wheel of the truck while Sam provides overwatch in the back of the Truck while Jim, Carter, and You siphon.

This is repeated 6 times with no incidence when you pull up to the last car that is abandoned in front of the street that leads to 313. So far you’re at 85 out of 95 gallons capacity – you found three 5 gallon emergency containers in the back of a couple of the cars.

You unload and bend over the tank to start siphoning the gas out of the car.

“Freeze right now mother f**ker or you die!� Sam’ shout scares the hell out of you and you spin to see who he is talking too.

You see a man about 72 years old with wispy remains of grey hair on his head, and a kid about 15 years old next to him holding his right arm with a hasty bandage over his forearm who is looking down at the ground.

“Police? Right? We need some help…� you can’t help but think about the POLICE that is bold and yellow on your vest. Apparently it has its advantages (no one has bothered you yet even while they watched you siphon gas) and disadvantages…..

“We might be police what do you want?� Says Sam.

“Well, look, this kid here�, as the old man beckons the boy forward, “lives in that house there.� And the old man points to a house about 150m up and to the right.

“His name is Chris Roberts, and he says that some gunmen, terrorist probably the way he describes it, have taken his family hostage and are holed up in Chris’s house.

Chris was able to run out the back when they burst in but they shot and wounded him in the arm. He came to my house because he knows me and Mable.

I…I think they killed his pop, but he says his mom and 3 siblings are still in there. But I told Chris that yall were the police and would be able to help him, right?� The old man asks with a pleading face.

The boy chances a look up into your eyes and quickly looks back down to the ground.

PC:
"Shit....How many of them, and you'd better start pointing us towards your house.... I need to know everything that you know kid, that way we can deal with these guys are get your family back, ok? What kind of guns did they have? Guns like ours (hold up AK) or.. pistols and shotguns?

How about your house? 1 or 2 Story, and how many rooms?"


I want to do all this talking while we're moving.... whenever he lets us know which house, I want to make sure we all stay out of sight until we get some sort of plan together.

GM:
Chris looks up, "There were like 3 or 4 of them. They were wearing some sorta headband like you'd see on the news. We got a two story house, and I think they had AK looking weapons like you guys but I don't really know. I was out in the yard getting some firewood when they busted in our house. After hearing a couple of gunshots I tried to get closer when one of the guys came out the back door and I ran and he shot me in the arm."

"Tell them about your house, Chris" says the old me refocusing the kid.

"We have a front door that leads up to the stairs and the back door in the kitchen. We have the living room and dinning room down stairs and upstairs is all the bed rooms. You want me to draw it out or something?" says Chris.

Ok.. so 3 or 4 with probably Assault rifles... How many of your family is inside Chris?

Yeah, draw it out if you can... the more we know, the better chance we can get your family out of there."

"My Mom and my two sisters and my younger brother. All the other kids are younger than me."
He looks around for a second and grabs a stick and starts drawing a layout in the mud.

Map Inc....

First Floor
Second Floor

Is there any way I can get closer to the house, to see if I can see any movement in the windows, but without being seen?

You can try a fieldcraft check against their AWA or something, if you want to get closer.

"Ok... Sam, drop the vest and give it to Carter.

Me and Sam are gonna stay out front... I'll try and take pot shots at anyone in the windows. Sam is going to provide suppressive fire via the RPK.

This is how its gonna go... Joey, Jim, Carter... y'all are going to press around the house to the backdoor. Once me and Sam think we've given you enough time to get to the back; we're gonna start laying some suppressive fire thru the windows to keep their heads down. Once you hear that plow thru the door and go room to room... remember, it's gonna be tight. Keep yourselves as light as possible.. bring only what you need in there.

Me and Sam will provide overwatch from outside and will start leap frogging to the front door... clear the downstairs first, then we'll move upstairs.

Once the downstairs is clear... signal to us outside the window and we'll start throwing rounds upstairs, and you go press up during a break in the fusillade (spelling)....everyone got it?

Stack order for y'all at the backdoor is Jim, Joey, Carter... slice the pie, watch those corners... lets get everyone out of there OK."


Me and Sam are going to take up positions in front of the house, behind any available trees that we can... approx 100m from the house, both prone with as much of our bodies behind trees as possible. We're going to give Carter, Jim and Joey a little time before we open up on the front of the house.. Sam needs to lay about 20 rnds on the downstairs; rake them across the windows, then put about 10 upstairs.. I want to watch for any hostile movement and take any potshots I can (mainly adding to the suppressive fire).

Sam starts to take off the vest.

Jim chimes in, “What about your vest James? You’re sending us in and you’re gonna hold on to the vest? Aight whatever.�

Joey kinda just gives you a neutral look. But also looks to Jim too.

Sam chimes in, “Look it’s not going to matter. I am gonna hose them with the RPK anyways. You guys are just going in to mop up. Hell you think I’d let my brother (Carter) go in too if I thought it was f*cked to begin with?�

That seems to put doubts to rest but you can still pick up on Sam’s body language that he is nervous.

Carter slips on the tactical vest and adjusts some of the straps on the side and next area, then gives you a nod.

Joey chimes in again, “Look I’ve got the shorter gun so I’ll go first.� <M4 costs less ticks to shoot in a CQB situation>

With that you begin to split up. You tell the old man and Chris to stay next to the truck.

You and Sam start approaching the front of the house. You take your time as does the assault group and get bonuses to your field craft rolls for taking a slower pace. You quietly and deliberately move between pine trees not to fast as to attract the eye but quickly enough to minimize your exposure to the house.

[Haven]

You slowly get into position and so far it appears that nothing has been noticed in the target house. You’ve found a nice little dip in the Lanes right behind a line of pine trees that are growing closer together than the majority of the ones around you. You start to settle in and Sam finds a good pine to brace the RPK against. You slide down another 7 meters or so to the right of Sam and find another solid pine to brace your AK against.

You wait another 5 minutes before you think that Joey, Jim, and Carter are in position.

The sweat from moving into position is cooling and drying and it gives you a chill as the adrenaline starts to pick up knowing that this is about to get ‘real’.

You look to Sam and say in an intense whisper “Light the f**ker up!�.

Sam shoulders brace against the buttstock of the RPK one more time then takes a sharp breath in.
*RACK-ACK-ACK!*

Sam lets out about a long burst though the nearest window before walking the tracers of the RPK though one window down to the next and hovers for 5 or 6 rounds and then walks them to the next window and continues this until he’s put about 40 rounds into the house’s windows before stopping to scan for movement.

You notice something in the window closest to where the living room should be and think you see the barrel of a gun. You beat Sam to it and throw about 7 rounds though the window. *RACK-ACK-ACK!*

Whatever was there before is gone now. Moments pass…

*POP!* *POP!*
*RACK-ACK-ACK!*
Muffled gun shots come from the house. Then silence again.

You think you hear something that sounds like a woman scream but it’s so muffled and your ears are still ringing from Sam’ machine gun fire.

Then a flurry of gun shots AR’s and AK’s sudden and then over in a half a second.

Another 30 seconds pass with no sound.

*Crack-BOOOMM!!*
The part of the roof of the house on the second story master bed room corner flies upward by some large explosion inside. Smoke starts pouring out of a gapping whole that used to be the area of the master bedroom. The house is rocked on its frame and part of the roof collapses where the bedroom was before. The first floor wall sags under the weight of the debris.

“Holy shit!� Sam comments. He gets up and starts trotting towards the house.

“Not yet SAM! Not yet!� you say, but he isn’t listening.

Aww hell, you think and get up and follow.

Roofing tiles and small pieces of Lane start falling to the ground around you as you approach. Paper and shards of drywall paper and dust still flitter in the air at random. The smoke from the vaporized drywall is choking the air and cutting your vision down as you approach about 30m from the house.

Out of the swirling smoke and trash you see Joey appear hacking and coughing trying to clear the dust out of his lungs.
Your reflexes are keyed up you damn near shot him.

Jim then appears also hacking and coughing.
They are both covered in dust and soot. They look like they’ve been dusted.

Finally you hear a familiar voice, “Last f**king bastard blew himself up. Took the wife and kids with him. They were all huddled around him with blind folds and he was all wired up.� And you see Carter appear out of the smoke, he bends over and hacks a couple times himself before finishing. “I guess when most people would go for a gun, this asshole went for his C4 vest. How do you fight that?� then he continues to cough and pat himself down trying to get rid of the dust.

Joey sits down and starts ripping at his pants on his left thigh which you see has a 2 inch diameter red spot.
“I think it is just a graze. Guy on the second floor almost got us all. He was shooting his AK with his left hand only so he wasn’t very accurate after the first shot.� As Joey gestures to his left thigh. “That saved us. I think yall might have wounded him in the initial burst. Good shooting.�

Carter and Jim start patching up Joey’s leg with a piece of ripped clothing they get from the rest of Joey’s pant leg. It is just a graze. Enough to cause a limp around the house but not noticeable when the adrenaline is pumping. “I don’t know what you’ll find in the house but maybe it is still worth checking.�

“Got it.� Sam jumps in and starts searching though the house.

He comes back 5 min later with a half filled garbage bag slung over his right shoulder and a AKSU slung over his left shoulder.

“Three bad guys killed, counting the guy who blew himself up. Chris’s dad was stuffed in the closet with a head shot to the back of the head. No big pieces of the rest of the family. Chris is now an orphan.�

He pauses a second before continuing. “Cleared out the pantry of some of the less perishable stuff but it looks like the bad guys got most of it.�

You've got the truck to get back to 313 to deal with. And Chris and the old man to deal with.

Plus whatever you want to do here at the Roberts' former residence.

<Actions?>

[Brother in Arms]

Wow! That CQB didn't go very well for Chris's family....

I can see Chris becoming a formidable NPC, like Robert in red dawn! 15 is old enough for a young man avenge the death of his parents. I think the members of the team should give him the AK-74SU its the perfect gun for a kid, Light weight and short low recoil and great for CQB. Chris would be an interesting Angle and a awesome NPC.

Sounds like his family's would be saviors where kind of bumbling with there siege of the house.
I Hope they learned something. Maybe Chris won't fault them for there ineptitude.

Brother in Arms

[kcdusk]

yeah, um. Two things

1) good write up/action. Not as good as the road block, but top marks for putting pen to paper.

2) what the??? i was surprised the PCs chose the spray and pray technicque "to keep heads down" by firing through windows when they knew there was a family inside. I would have thought the chance of friendly fire hitting a family member was high (note to everyone; friendly fire, isnt).

No pressure, but if you posted more encounters, i'd read em.

[Haven]

Yeah... i really wanted to say something before they took down the house about their 'plan'...

but .. i'm just the GM.

If i was really evil i would have killed off an NPC for that sort of 'plan' but its so early I really want to save them for something later.

So they came away with a botched hostage rescue and a wounded NPC and only one weapon out of the whole deal.





I do think that Chris will be a reoccuring NPC ... even if they don't know it yet.

Haven't decided yet if he will be reoccuring in the 'Young brilliant guerrilla commander' or in the............ "I'm going to kill all of the PCs" npc yet.






Edit:

I'll keep posting on this thread about what happens in my campaign as sort of my website update thread.
Its a good way for me as GM to explain all the neat cool things in the campaign that you can't share with PCs

[Brother in Arms]

I actually was Amused by the the cavalier approach when taking out the house. But that is more the sort of thing Id do in Poland, when you don't know if there are innocent people inside or not and you just cross your finger and throw frags.

Wow I just realized that I advocated a child soldier as an NPC.

on the other hand having a 15 year old bent on killing the entire party would be pretty amusing.

Brother in Arms