About scenarios, adventures and campaigns

[Marc]

Ei! Bon dia!

When I discovered this forum by chance, I was lurking through the Internet in search of a quick disposable material regarding Twilight:2000. This is task I use to do, looking for materials not only about T2K, but about Traveller, GURPS or Star Wars. Sometimes I must prepare a new adventure in a short time and I’m always looking for prepared scenarios, seeds for new adventures and possible plots for new campaigns. Developed NPC’s, good maps, deckplans and schematics go in an important second place.

You can easily find a good number of house made, ready-to-play adventures, adventure seeds or short scenarios about other games, (Star Wars or Traveller would be a good example), but, always in my opinion, this kind of direct aids to the GM are scarce in Twilight, when compared to other games. And actually, in this forum, while discussing about a wide range of matters, I’ve discovered some interested plots to exploit in a campaign or in a single adventure. So, please, put your developed or undeveloped adventure or campaigns ideas in this thread. From a little seed, to a ready-to-play scenario. There’s not need to detailed explanations, if you don’t want it (though I think it would be great!). A little seed can create a great adventure.

[Marc]

Campaign Seed: This one is based on the French Orbat thread. As a good point, it could imply a wide variety of characters, some of them not in the military. As a background, a not much damaged France tries to exploit the imminent retreat of the US Forces in Europe (operation omega). Central Europe territories are devastated by the war, and the information gathered by the French intelligence service seems to point that certain border zones will fall easily under French control through diplomacy and with only a limited use of military force. The characters would be the members of one of the contact groups entrusted by the French high command to get the needed info, establish contact with the inhabitants of the designated zone and try to convince them, if possible, about the advantages to live under the French banner.

An idea for the GM would be to prepare accurately a map of the area assigned to the group and to decide things as the number as the inhabited communities and their relationship, the number of people, available resources, military forces and their alignment, important personalities, etc. The group would enter in the balance of power of the region, with the help provided by the resources assigned to them by the French army. These resources, their number and their quality could vary depending of the success achieved by the group through the time. I’m thinking in some kind of table with the prize in “resource points� for each available type of help the group can ask for to the French High Command, from a power generation or a truck with medical supplies, to a Special Forces squad. The rest is up to the group. Diplomacy, local knowledge, the proper contacts, perhaps selective military actions, the supply of weapons and resources to friendly communities, the protection against marauding parties to convince the undecided, etc.

[Mohoender]

Nice one. I can imagine that it could extend further from the border, especially in Germany.

[headquarters]

great .

Former colonies maybe ? All areas of interest where they speak French - could take the team further as they progress.

[Marc]

I was thinking more in the European theater and particularly in Germany, tough other setups are possible. Would France be able to annex a significant part of the territories at the other side of the Rhin without an uprising from Germany population or the opposition of the remnants of the German Army? In the v2.2 timeline, German government “has ceased to exist� and the area 50Km east of the Rhin “is either devastated or in anarchy�. These territories could be the places where the campaign would start, still without the need to deal with the military cantonments of former NATO units. The way to seize these first areas would set the pace for the future. If word spreads that France is providing things like safety, medical care and resources, more territories would see a French intervention as a hope, instead of as a conquest. After all, the average German citizen in the 2000 would be struggling to survive in a completely devastated country. In the best of the cases her/she would live in an isolated or independent area near Switzerland.

And I’ve just remembered the thread about propaganda. This would be one of the few cases where I think that propaganda would have any chance work in the Twilight:2000 setup. The GM must choose the way that the French government conceives all the operation and the group of characters must be well aware about the directives of the French government. If they are smart enough, they will present France as the only organized entity that can assume the lost functions of a central government. They will emphasize the terrible disorganization and helplessness of the rest of German territory and spread the word (for sure, true in some cases) about conflicts erupted between civilians and soldiers in the cantonment areas. Even the group can try to incite this kind of conflicts to gain some local advantage. And, above all, try to keep national differences between France and Germany at minimum. These special contact groups where the characters would be integrated must be ready answer some embarrassing questions from the German population. They can try to present the war as a terrible error where France has not been involved and that European reconstruction can be a common task done by Europeans, now that US is evacuating its units from Europe. I think that the France of Twilight would see a great opportunity to exclude the US from any immediate influence in Central Europe.

[headquarters]

It sound slike a cool premise for a campaign .

Some ideas :

motivation for the PCs:

one or more of them could be of mixed descent and thus get into a mixed feelings situations regarding loyalties

one or more of the PCs could be career officers and the successrate will impact directly on the career with medals,promotions and demotions etc -a factor the GM cant use much in a typical devestation scenario .

[FMDeCorba]

If they are smart enough, they will present France as the only organized entity that can assume the lost functions of a central government. They will emphasize the terrible disorganization and helplessness of the rest of German territory and spread the word (for sure, true in some cases) about conflicts erupted between civilians and soldiers in the cantonment areas. Even the group can try to incite this kind of conflicts to gain some local advantage. And, above all, try to keep national differences between France and Germany at minimum.

The powers that be would probably want to play the EU card, claiming to have the reconstruction of the whole of Europe as a goal. Of course, nationalist sentiments will be a strong factor, the idea of belonging to a "nation" based on a common language is after all a European invention. But before that became prevalent, local cultural identity was as, if not more, important. See a pattern? The sphere with which we supposedly identify expands. First it was the family/group, then village/clan/tribe, all the way up to the idea of UN. If we´re attacked from outer space, most people will probably start thinking of themselves as earthlings rather than whatever else.

[Mohoender]

Originally Posted by FMDeCorba

The powers that be would probably want to play the EU card, claiming to have the reconstruction of the whole of Europe as a goal. Of course, nationalist sentiments will be a strong factor, the idea of belonging to a "nation" based on a common language is after all a European invention. But before that became prevalent, local cultural identity was as, if not more, important. See a pattern? The sphere with which we supposedly identify expands. First it was the family/group, then village/clan/tribe, all the way up to the idea of UN. If we´re attacked from outer space, most people will probably start thinking of themselves as earthlings rather than whatever else.

The EU card is one but I don't think that it might be the best.

However, France can emphasize the idea that it wants to rebuild the prewar collaboration that existed between France and Germany. Moreover, we often forget it but (except for the 19th and 20th century) France often went to war in support of the German population.

When talking about Propaganda, it could be the time to remember the fact that France and Germany were once one single country. Carlus Magnus remain an important figure to these days. Could even be interesting to see the french relocate their capital at Aachen.

Collaboration would probably come from several German populations inlcuding those of Sarre, Bavaria, Schelswig-Holstein...

However, people in tyhe Rurh could draw some bad memories from the inter war french occupation. Moreover, Hannover, would certainly be an oppising force. Finally, Most opposition would probably come from what was eastern Germany: Prussia and Saxony are not that supportive of the french.

Outside of Germany, a french intervention for peace could appeal to many people in Poland and Cezcoslovakia.

[FMDeCorba]

Originally Posted by Mohoender

The EU card is one but I don't think that it might be the best.

I agree that playing only the EU card would not be the idea most captivating for people, but propaganda tend to say different things to different target groups, so some places, the PSYOPS-units would perhaps emphasize some historical connections, other places they would perhaps portray the French Government as helping the German populace until they can manage themselves, whatever is suitable. But what would be the overall goal of a post-apocalyptic French govt.? Are they fiercely nationalistic, then the focus would probably be physical expansion based on various historical claims, otherwise, perhaps a return to pre-war borders and peaceful relations would be the goal?

[Marc]

Originally Posted by headquarters

It sound slike a cool premise for a campaign .

one or more of them could be of mixed descent and thus get into a mixed feelings situations regarding loyalties

one or more of the PCs could be career officers and the successrate will impact directly on the career with medals,promotions and demotions etc -a factor the GM cant use much in a typical devestation scenario .

Cool! I like that.

[Mohoender]

About a post-apocalyptic french government (especially one which would have escaped almost intact), I would mostly say nationalistic and looking back to some kind of old time "Grandeur".

Historical claims would be plenty and probably drawn from a kind of fantasy mix combining Carlus Magnus, Louis XIV and Napoleon I. I would also expect the French to drive to Rome and try to control the Pope again. May be by garrisoning Rome or may be by bringing him back to Avignon as in the Middle Ages.

As the navy would be the most powerful one left, you can expect the French to close the Mediterranean to most shipping.

They also would be very active at the diplomatic level, being involved in Quebec, probably supporting an independent scotland, helping Serbia, being involved in Poland and czecoslovakia, present in Africa and in the Middle East. It would probably avoid Russia, however. One Berezina in a country's history is enough. Iberia might be left alone also except may be for Catalonia, Navarra and the Basque country.

Don't forget also that they might be the only country to retain some kind of space capability.

On the bright side, I would expect the French to be sincere in their will to help the German population but with little consideration for their own culture and free will. After all we are the country of Freedom and Liberty . We also all know (the French I mean) that if we don't have oil, at least we have ideas (right but what about the quality of these ideas ). I would also expect the French government to put heavy taxes everywhere whenever possible (I still don't know why but taxes seem to be our main solution to solve problems ).

[FMDeCorba]

Sounds look a cool campaign to me

[Marc]

Well, my intital thought was that the goal of the entire operation was the expansion of the territory under French control, not returning to the pre-war frontiers. Gaining as territory as France could keeps safe, without the eruption of a major confrontation. And if conflict erupts with military cantonments or more organized areas, take it one by one, trying to avoid the formation of an anti-French coalition.

In my opinion the use of certain kind of propaganda will be useless with a hungry population, hardened by war, disease and the fight for the available resources. I can visualize the characters of this hypothetical French special contact group standing before the inhabitants of a semi-destroyed German village. People are waiting to listen the words of the soldiers of what remain of the civilized Europe, with a mixed feeling of hope and disbelief. Then one of the Frenchs turns to the other and whispers: "Must we begin with all the stuff about Carlus Magnus, sir?"

As Mo said, the idea of rebuilt the prewar collaboration between Germany and France will be the strong point, emphasized by the relatively untouched capacity of France to provide the needed resources, if we compare it with the rest of the European countries. Anyway, for the interest of the campaign, the initial French plan can have major problems that the units must solve on terrain. Perhaps the French High Command has given to this special units a kind of "Red book about how to treat the citizens of the beleaguered nations". This booklet could be plenty of trivial information, a few good advises and some major weak points written by someone who is very far away from the place where the men and women in charge the operation use his or her book. Each unit would adapt the directives to reality to maximize the chances of success.

Anyway it can be funny to imagine the contents of such a book an include some misjudgment about the real situation to complicate the things to the characters.

BTW Any idea about the composition of the group of characters and the equipment they would have at the beginning?

[Marc]

Originally Posted by Mohoender

Historical claims would be plenty and probably drawn from a kind of fantasy mix combining Carlus Magnus, Louis XIV and Napoleon I. I would also expect the French to drive to Rome and try to control the Pope again. May be by garrisoning Rome or may be by bringing him back to Avignon as in the Middle Ages.

LOL
These things are will be in the final chapter of the Red book!!! Written by some major ideologist in the French government and, hopefully, ignored by our heroic operatives. It reminds me here when I was in Spanish Army. The continuous references about glorious past can be really boring... One would thing that we were in the "Tercios", ready to go to Flandes to defend the Catholicism against the evil, heretic Calvinist! Pikes Up! Muskets to front ranks!

[headquarters]

whoever turns teh lights back on and puts grub on the table will have the consent to hoist their colors up the town square pole

imho ...

Originally Posted by Marc

Well, my intital thought was that the goal of the entire operation was the expansion of the territory under French control, not returning to the pre-war frontiers. Gaining as territory as France could keeps safe, without the eruption of a major confrontation. And if conflict erupts with military cantonments or more organized areas, take it one by one, trying to avoid the formation of an anti-French coalition.

In my opinion the use of certain kind of propaganda will be useless with a hungry population, hardened by war, disease and the fight for the available resources. I can visualize the characters of this hypothetical French special contact group standing before the inhabitants of a semi-destroyed German village. People are waiting to listen the words of the soldiers of what remain of the civilized Europe, with a mixed feeling of hope and disbelief. Then one of the Frenchs turns to the other and whispers: "Must we begin with all the stuff about Carlus Magnus, sir?"

As Mo said, the idea of rebuilt the prewar collaboration between Germany and France will be the strong point, emphasized by the relatively untouched capacity of France to provide the needed resources, if we compare it with the rest of the European countries. Anyway, for the interest of the campaign, the initial French plan can have major problems that the units must solve on terrain. Perhaps the French High Command has given to this special units a kind of "Red book about how to treat the citizens of the beleaguered nations". This booklet could be plenty of trivial information, a few good advises and some major weak points written by someone who is very far away from the place where the men and women in charge the operation use his or her book. Each unit would adapt the directives to reality to maximize the chances of success.

Anyway it can be funny to imagine the contents of such a book an include some misjudgment about the real situation to complicate the things to the characters.

BTW Any idea about the composition of the group of characters and the equipment they would have at the beginning?

[Krejcik]

I always liked the Kelly's Heroes seed.

and then one of my favorites:

Warhead: Word gets around among locals, NATO and PACT forces that a local warlord held up in an abandoned missile base has somehow ended up with a nuclear warhead. He's not bright but is trying to broker a sale of the warhead to either side, while NATO + PACT forces are just trying to kill him and take it. Another maruader who wants it offers the group something they need to go get it.

Group chases after the small warhead (briefcase? in a crate?) with a dummy crate running around as well with dirty laundry.

Fun adventure. Clumsy with bad guys that aren't so bright.

[Marc]

Originally Posted by Krejcik

I always liked the Kelly's Heroes seed.

and then one of my favorites:

Warhead: Word gets around among locals, NATO and PACT forces that a local warlord held up in an abandoned missile base has somehow ended up with a nuclear warhead. He's not bright but is trying to broker a sale of the warhead to either side, while NATO + PACT forces are just trying to kill him and take it. Another maruader who wants it offers the group something they need to go get it.

Group chases after the small warhead (briefcase? in a crate?) with a dummy crate running around as well with dirty laundry.

Fun adventure. Clumsy with bad guys that aren't so bright.

Kelly's Heroes would be a great RPG adventure. The size of the unit is ideal for a group of playing characters. And some of the characters of the film has enough outstanding features to allow their direct translation to a Twilight character sheet without any problem. Mmmmm... and in the crucial moment of the adventure, "Burning Bridges" on the CD player...

Warhead would be a funny adventure, too... Mmmm... And just an idea: when the group the group seizes the silo to get the warhead, the warlord confesses that it is not functional and that he only wanted to disappear after close the deal with the highest bidder. What about a profitable association? Will they decide to do the same with the marauder with the false warhead?
Ok, I agree, the bad guys must not be very bright. But it would be funny,anyway

[TiggerCCW UK]

Originally Posted by headquarters

one or more of the PCs could be career officers and the successrate will impact directly on the career with medals,promotions and demotions etc -a factor the GM cant use much in a typical devestation scenario .

In my current campaign (on hiatus at the minute ) I awarded the PC's with a meritous unit citation (no idea if this is a real award or not) and it actually instilled a degree of pride in them, and they are all draftees. Prior to getting this there was a certain amount of consideration being given to them just going rogue, but they now seem to have a new found faith in MilGov and its plans.

[Legbreaker]

I like that idea! Great for keeping the players on track I think without having to load them up with expensive and game balance destroying toys.

[TiggerCCW UK]

It certainly worked for me, and the group seem to like it - it instilled a sense of duty and esprit de corps for them. The main effect its had for them is getting them a little extra support from higher ranking officers, slightly better rations and accomodation etc plus it gives me a reason for them being selected for 'special' missions.

[Matt Wiser]

Our group did a Kelly's Heroes adventure; just transferred the setting to Poland, have T-80s instead of Tigers, GRU officers in command, and have troops from a Guards Tank or MR division guarding the town. And just like the movie, we wound up making a deal with the last tank commander to share the loot. They made off with 3,000 bars and took off for Krakow. We took our share and headed north for the Baltic Coast, but instead, ran into 5th ID....

[Marc]

Did you buy a T-80, too?
Mmmmm... perhaps "Kelly's Heroes" could be an interesting turning point in my current pre-Kalisz campaign.

[Marc]

Target: Boris Yeltsin

I’ve run this game a few years ago, but it was a mini-campaign more than a single adventure (three days of gaming). Here you have the opportunity to put your players in the critical moment where v2.2 timeline starts to diverge from reality, the assassination of Boris Yeltsin.

In my mini-campaign the characters were approached by the agents of the hard-line communist faction who aspire to seize the power through a coup d'état, indignant because the retreat of the soviet troops inside the borders of the Soviet Union, the abolition of the Pact of Warsaw and the growing instability in some of the republics. The group of characters was made up of a mix of intelligence agents and former soldiers who did not know between each other. Of course each character had his own reasons, but all of them were totally convinced about the need for a strong hand to guide mother Russia to the “right path�. In a very secret meeting in some remote site, they are informed about what they need to know about the oncoming rebellion and their assigned paper in the conspiracy.

The first mission is not to kill Boris Yeltsin (this is a kind of “opportunity goal that emerges in the final mission of the “mini-campaign�), but to eliminate certain important key general who is serving in a Central Asiatic Republic and is about to return to Moscow to be informed by the legitimate government about certain signs that can point that a conspiracy against the government is under way. The rebel faction is afraid that if this general keeps himself loyal in the out coming rebellion (as it seems to be), an important part of the hesitant generals would eventually keep their adhesion to Gorbachev’s government. The mission is to eliminate the general before he arrives to Moscow, preferably in some way that allows to blame any insurgent group in the Asiatic republic. When we run this game, the players accomplish the objective with a portable missile launcher, destroying the transport plane of the general just after its take off, still at few meters above the runway.
The second mission of the “mini-campaign� was, in fact, an urban combat in the streets of Moscow. I thought it would be funny a good firefight, with the 4th Guards "Kantemir" Tank Division and the 2nd Guards Motor Rifle “Tamanskaya� Division trying to take control of the important points of the city, defended by loyal forces.

And finally, in the third mission, the military heads of the rebellion discover that Alpha Team and other Military units designed to spearhead the attack against the Russian White House, where some members of the parliament and Boris Yeltsin have locked up themselves, have not appeared in the assigned starting points. Afraid of an unsuspected defection, the rebel commanders orders the group of characters to do the dirty work. In the game, the players assaulted the Parliament building from helicopters and, after sweep the upper floor of opposition, demolished it over the parliament main chamber where the politicians were concentrated.

[Badbru]

I can't see the French Adventure seed working for me though.

France and England have a refugee/illegal immigrant problem now. Add in the effects of the Twilight war as detailed in either v1 or v2.2 timeline and you can multiply that by whatever figure you can guess at.

The reason given in the timelines that French forces move/invade to the Rhine is to provide a solid geographical barrier against hordes of refugee's that threaten to overwhelm their nation.

The reason that there is a 50km wide swath of lawless anarchy land beyond their border is because French forces go out of their way to create, encourage, and maintain it. That 50km swath is a French controlled free fire zone. They have no reason and no desire to obtain more of it, quite the opposite.


Thus, turn the adventure seed around.

For the rag tag bunch;
Have your player's try getting through that maelstrom. Worse still for the players have them need to escort (you may read smuggle here if you wish) civillians through that to the promise of life as it was pre war with electricity, and all the wonders that entales, running water, and the promise of hot showers that entales etc etc

For the stable military unit group;
Have them working for the German government, not the French, trying to bring some semblance of peace to that area so German citizens can repopulate the region.

[Matt Wiser]

No, Marc, we didn't buy the T-80, mainly because we had our own armor (an "unmanned" M-1A1 and a captured T-72), but we couldn't eliminate the last T-80 because our tanks couldn't manuver into the town without getting spotted. We drew out the other two T-80s and the M-1 nailed one, and an antiarmor team with RPGs and a Carl Gustav nailed the other one in an alley. Besides, the other vehicles the Russians had in the town got trashed when a demo charge in the attic blew down the Russian HQ. (all that rubble comes down on something...) The tank crew needed their T-80 so they could get away.

[headquarters]

I like the conspiracy ( reminds me of the 1990s ) and of course - the Russian take on things

Originally Posted by Marc

Target: Boris Yeltsin

I’ve run this game a few years ago, but it was a mini-campaign more than a single adventure (three days of gaming). Here you have the opportunity to put your players in the critical moment where v2.2 timeline starts to diverge from reality, the assassination of Boris Yeltsin.

In my mini-campaign the characters were approached by the agents of the hard-line communist faction who aspire to seize the power through a coup d'état, indignant because the retreat of the soviet troops inside the borders of the Soviet Union, the abolition of the Pact of Warsaw and the growing instability in some of the republics. The group of characters was made up of a mix of intelligence agents and former soldiers who did not know between each other. Of course each character had his own reasons, but all of them were totally convinced about the need for a strong hand to guide mother Russia to the “right path�. In a very secret meeting in some remote site, they are informed about what they need to know about the oncoming rebellion and their assigned paper in the conspiracy.

The first mission is not to kill Boris Yeltsin (this is a kind of “opportunity goal that emerges in the final mission of the “mini-campaign�), but to eliminate certain important key general who is serving in a Central Asiatic Republic and is about to return to Moscow to be informed by the legitimate government about certain signs that can point that a conspiracy against the government is under way. The rebel faction is afraid that if this general keeps himself loyal in the out coming rebellion (as it seems to be), an important part of the hesitant generals would eventually keep their adhesion to Gorbachev’s government. The mission is to eliminate the general before he arrives to Moscow, preferably in some way that allows to blame any insurgent group in the Asiatic republic. When we run this game, the players accomplish the objective with a portable missile launcher, destroying the transport plane of the general just after its take off, still at few meters above the runway.
The second mission of the “mini-campaign� was, in fact, an urban combat in the streets of Moscow. I thought it would be funny a good firefight, with the 4th Guards "Kantemir" Tank Division and the 2nd Guards Motor Rifle “Tamanskaya� Division trying to take control of the important points of the city, defended by loyal forces.

And finally, in the third mission, the military heads of the rebellion discover that Alpha Team and other Military units designed to spearhead the attack against the Russian White House, where some members of the parliament and Boris Yeltsin have locked up themselves, have not appeared in the assigned starting points. Afraid of an unsuspected defection, the rebel commanders orders the group of characters to do the dirty work. In the game, the players assaulted the Parliament building from helicopters and, after sweep the upper floor of opposition, demolished it over the parliament main chamber where the politicians were concentrated.

[Marc]

Originally Posted by Badbru

I can't see the French Adventure seed working for me though.

France and England have a refugee/illegal immigrant problem now. Add in the effects of the Twilight war as detailed in either v1 or v2.2 timeline and you can multiply that by whatever figure you can guess at.

The reason given in the timelines that French forces move/invade to the Rhine is to provide a solid geographical barrier against hordes of refugee's that threaten to overwhelm their nation.

The reason that there is a 50km wide swath of lawless anarchy land beyond their border is because French forces go out of their way to create, encourage, and maintain it. That 50km swath is a French controlled free fire zone. They have no reason and no desire to obtain more of it, quite the opposite.


Thus, turn the adventure seed around.

For the rag tag bunch;
Have your player's try getting through that maelstrom. Worse still for the players have them need to escort (you may read smuggle here if you wish) civillians through that to the promise of life as it was pre war with electricity, and all the wonders that entales, running water, and the promise of hot showers that entales etc etc

For the stable military unit group;
Have them working for the German government, not the French, trying to bring some semblance of peace to that area so German citizens can repopulate the region.

Mmmmm… You have touched some important points I had not thought about. Ok, let me see…I agree about the problem of the illegal immigration on the present day. We’ve got the same problem here in Spain, mainly with people coming from North Africa, South America and East of Europe. But I’m afraid that the France of T2K would not have any problem or any considerations with illegal immigration. Sadly, if the host country is not worried to provide help, shelter, water, food and return the immigration to the other side of the border, the problem for this country nearly disappears. Any foreigner trying to illegally trespass the frontier would be shot at sight. And with a government enforced with emergency powers little could be done for the French population to admit any refugee without risking the resources received from the state. And the same could be said about a refugee that would have managed to trespass the border and live in French territory. Without the resources supplied for the government and with the fear to be denounced by a civilian or seized by security forces, his or her life would be as miserable as at the other side. This seems a plausible situation for France as a starting point of a campaign situated in 2000. Well, I’ve not thought about it before, but it sounds ominously similar to a totalitarian country…

Another point I’ve not thought about before your post is the effect over the neighbor territories of closing the borders and shot at sight to any person in the 50 Km wide strip in the French border. One thing is true. These neighbor territories at the other side of the Rhin would feel little affection to France in 2000, regardless to any previous historical relationship. All the refugees that after the first stages of the war tried to go to France, still unaware of the real meaning of the “La Zone Morte”, would have pass trough or being camped in these territories. Stories about people being shot, starvation and all the problems originated by improvised refugee camps in villages and towns that were yet struggling to survive before the arrival of the refugees.

Anyway I would not let aside the campaign seed. The contrast between what the French expect to found and what they will found in reality it’s a good and interesting point for me. And more, with characters of mixed origin, like was suggested by HQ. Of course changing the point of view and put the characters as a helping force in the German side is a good alternative, too. But it would not be the same shocking feeling for the characters coming from a relatively untouched country, entering in “Indian Territory” with a mission that probably obeys to a misjudgment of the people who has conceived it.

Mmmm… it seems that the entire seed has gained some grim, realistic perspective.

And finally, I like very much the seed of smugglers trying to pass people trough the frontier. It’s a good idea for a group of characters from Catalonia and the South of France, per example. The French frontier here, according with the v2.2 book, seems a little more permeable. Mmmm… but I must confess that my English skill still not reach to the expression “rag tag bunch” .

[Slappy]

New guy here. Just ran into this forum while googling in a bout of T2K nostalgia.

While territorial annexation might be out of the question for the French, it would be reasonable to expect that they might have reasons to exert influence in the dead zone. They would probably want to prevent organized units moving into the area unless they could be controlled. Missions could include interactions with 'puppet states' or bandit gangs covertly supported by the French in exchange for respect of the border and help with refugee control. There will also be things and people of value that appear in that area from time to time. No rumors of destruction will be strong enough to keep out all comers. Gold, warheads, importaint scientists, high profile French national refugees could all potentially be of interest to the French regime. The players could be a team of French commandos sent to recover the items or negotiate with a local power moving into the zone.

Another angle might be characters in the area contacted by such a team and offered a chance to 'earn their citizenship' by performing a dangerous mission for the French. This would be a sort of Merc:2000 / T2K crossover. Whether the offer is legit would of course only be learned later.

[Mohoender]

Welcome on board Slappy

I see some very interesting point in what you are saying but I can't imagine these kind of people (scientists, engineers...) travelling solely through Germany. Actually I would imagine them going to Switzerland and may be to France through Switzerland.

Moreover, from what I have read in v2.2 bribery and some means of support (high proficiency is exactly that) will get you in France anyway.

About the Dead Zone, from what I understand, it was carved through military operation and by letting people starve to death or die from sickness. Someone, said that France could be somewhat Totalitarian and I wouldn't be surprised by that. I expect to see several concentration camps (so called refugee camps) around that area. Actually, I wouldn't be surprised to see France relying on forced labor as well.

IMO, the military figures given per cannon are way too small. They are based on peace time numbers while the country would at least rely on partial mobilization. They also overlooked the Gendarmerie, Police and Custom forces.

On the dead zone, one question remains about the populations who had been living there before it was established. For the Dutch, you can expect the worse as that country remain at war with France. It seems that some German units also opposed the french advance but that couldn't have lasted very long. Nevertheless, I would expect the German to have face a better situation than the Dutch. People would have been expelled but with no needless violence, part of them being brought to the "New France", another part leaving the area to other regions of Germany.

After all, you have German speaking people in Belgium and France while the people of Luxembourg are simply German. I doubt that none of them would accept any violent action on German people (of course locally things could be different). Many of them would have family living there and they would care.

Things would be very different for refugees, however. Anyway, as long as people don't know or can say they didn't know... (Watched the movie Fatherland, or read the book, it's interesting on that subject).

You ruled out the idea of territorial conquest. I disagree. France may not look at Germany for strict territorial expension but it could very well hope to form some kind of federation with several Landers (especially the non-catholic ones). Germany still retain several valuable mineral ressources.

Moreover, France would need some kind of safe route to Poland. After all, the Polish community of France is really important (my ex-wife family is still sending present there every year and that is more a rule than anything else to Poles) and among our major politician's names are the Poniatovskis. Among their ancestors you'll find the last king of Poland, and the Marshall Josef Poniatovski (1st Empire). I also just realized that another major french politician family is of major Polish descent (Kosciusco-Morizet). One of their ancestor is Tadeus Kosciuszko (a Polish and American hero from the war of independence and from the Polish uprising of 1794: directed against Russia). With Poland in such terrible situation (and all other contenders virtually gone) I would not be surprised to see the French attempting to create some new Polish states (such as the Duchy of Warsaw). And if you want to add some history to that one of our king had been king of Poland. Actually, in a T2K Poland, France hold many Polish symbols that could be as important as the Black Madona.

[Marc]

Bon dia! And welcome, Slappy!
Other possible scenery for this campaign is Catalonia. Little is described about the situation in the Iberian Peninsula, but given the state of the things in the present day, it would be extremely difficult for any rebellion to succeed if opposed by the Spanish Army. So, if we accept the canon situation as described in v2.2 timeline, with an independent Catalonia, I must suppose that the rebellion have been unopposed by the Spanish Army, for the moment, taking advantage of the anarchy and the loss of control from the Spanish authorities. But, knowing the inevitable future retaliatory reaction from Spain (for historical experience), one of the choices available for Catalonia is to ask for help to France, offering the annexation in exchange of an important degree of autonomy. A dangerous game, yet tried in the past (for example in 1640), that has never worked . Sadly, another time like a puppet between two states, but seems a plausible explanation and, given the situation, it could be the only choice.

A lot of the possible plots mentioned regarding this seed would match in this zone, too.