DAY 5 – APRIL 22nd 2000
PRASZKA, POLAND – NIGHT
ROUND 04
When the invisible RPK gunner squeezes the trigger once more, LED and NASCAR make their move. As the angry noise of the led-spewing machine reverberates in the apartment, they move as quickly as they can through the rubble entering the next room.
OPPOSITE RECON ROLL [click to expand]
This is again an opposite RECON roll. NASCAR (lowest skill level) rolls with a -1 for the rubble, -1 for traversing the cone of light projected by the flare, and +1 for the machinegun covering the noise of his steps. The ENEMY SOLDIER rolls with -1 for the machinegun fire covering all noises and a +1 for the light of the flare being blocked by the intruders. This is getting risky for the players…
NASCAR rolls[D6+D6] = 0 SUCCESSES (rolled double 1, which he won’t – and can’t – push)
The ENEMY SOLDIER rolls[D8+D6] = 0 SUCCESSES
The players failed to have more successes than the enemy and they got spotted. The Player’s Manual states that (page 60) when trying to get close to an enemy to ambush it you roll for Recon and apply the relevant modifiers, “if you fail, your target spots you at your starting distance”
As soon as NASCAR takes his first step, he kicks a chunk of concrete the size of a tennis ball against the tiled wall of the small room. ENEMY 2 turns towards the door and shouts something in Polish, his voice clearly alarmed.
DRAWING INITIATIVE [click to expand]
Time for combat. The players have been spotted, so I’ll draw initiative for everyone involved in the fight, meaning LED, NASCAR, the ENEMY 2, ENEMY 1 (the machine-gunner) and their LEADER. The order will be as follows:
- LED for whom I drew the initiative card #1
- The enemy LEADER for whom I drew the initiative card #3
- ENEMY 2 for whom I drew the initiative card #7
- NASCAR for whom I drew the initiative card #8
- ENEMY 1 (the machine-gunner) for whom I drew the initiative card #10
Could have been worse…
LED quickly realizes they’ve been spotted and doubles his initial movement getting in cover right next to the door leading to the enemy occupied room (fast action).
The enemy LEADER moves from his position to partial cover behind a flipped table (unseen by the players).
ENEMY 2 decides to move to the nearest cover and enters another room (fast action). There’s a hole in the wall right next to the door he went in, which he’ll be able to fire from.
NASCAR sticks to the original plan and moves right behind his buddy, taking a sharp right after he enters the room and proceeding to the end of it, where a collapsed wall grants access to the stairs’ landing (fast action).
ENEMY 1 gets up (fast action) and moves to the corner of the room, his attention splitting between the two doors the visitors could come from [this is unseen by the players].
There’s more shouting in Polish, but neither LED nor NASCAR understand it.
[Five more seconds have passed]
End of Round 04
ROUND 05
LED has noticed the movement of ENEMY 2 and assumes overwatch position, his AKM trained at the portion of the wall between the door and the hole.
The enemy LEADER is now shouting something in Polish.
[the players don’t know it, but he’s trying to signal another enemy unit at street level]
ENEMY 2 peeks through the hole trying to aim his hunting rifle at LED, triggering his overwatch.
LED’S ROLL [click to expand]
LED fires his AKM: he is in close quarters with an assault rifle so he suffers a -2 penalty. He also rolls 4 ammo dice (max ROF for the AKM):
LED rolls:
- RANGED COMBAT [D8+D6] = 2 SUCCESSES
- Ammo dice [D6+D6+D6+D6] = 1 + 1 + 1 + 5
- Hit Location die = ARMS (this was rolled after deciding not to push the ranged combat roll)
LED hits ENEMY 2 in one of his exposed parts (head and arms), dealing 2 base damage +1 for the extra success = 3 damages. It’s a critical hit and ENEMY 2 is killed as a result (simplified rules for NPCs). LED fires 1+1+1+5 = 8 rounds.
A burst of bullets from LED’s AKM hits the enemy as soon as he’s in sight and he drops to the ground lifeless.
From his position NASCAR can see the enemy being dropped to the ground; he carefully moves out of the small tiled room into the landing, and hugs the wall until he reaches the door of the apartment, without exposing himself.
“I’m gonna use the perfect tool for this!” he shouts (free action) before grabbing a frag grenade.
“I’m ready!” replies LED (free action) having understood the meaning of what his buddy just said.
ENEMY 1 drops to the ground and keeps overwatch on the door to LED’s room (unseen by the players).
A puff is heard and the red light ceases. The flare has been consumed.
End of round 05
ROUND 06
[LED and NASCAR exchange initiative, which they can do as long as they are able to speak to each other, according to the Player’s Manual, page 55]
NASCAR has a frag grenade ready, he pulls the pin (fast action) and tosses it (slow action), yelling “frag out!” (free action).
NASCAR’S ROLL [click to expand]
Frag grenades have a range of 3 hexes (30m) which is more than enough. For a thrown weapon, NASCAR has to roll using his MOBILITY. Given the distance at play, the grenade will certainly land in the target room even with max deviation (which is half the distance between the person tossing the grenade and the intended target). I will roll anyway to see if he gets an extra success and lands the grenade in a favorable position, otherwise it will be center room (NASCAR has good odds here):
NASCAR rolls[D12+D6] = 2 SUCCESSES
The frag grenade lands exactly in between ENEMY 1 and the LEADER, bypassing the latter’s cover. Both enemies are in the BLAST C area and benefit from no cover, but ENEMY 1 is prone and the damage is reduced by 1 step for him, down to blast D.
Let’s roll for the LEADER:
- Explosion (BLAST C) roll[D8+D8] = 2 SUCCESSES
- Hit location die = HEAD (doesn’t matter since the LEADER is wearing no armor)
The LEADER suffers 2 damages (base damage for a C blast) +1 damage for the extra success for a total of 3 damages which is a critical injury that instantly kills him (he’s not a major NPC).
Let’s roll for ENEMY 1:
- Explosion (BLAST D) roll[D6+D6] = 0 SUCCESSES
ENEMY 1 suffers no damage, but he’s suppressed and loses his next round.
A loud bang resonates in the empty rooms while dust and rubbles are projected everywhere. LED has been warned and waits for the explosion to occur before lifting his AKM and pivoting around the door frame to shoot at the first target in sight. He sees ENEMY 1 prone still shellshocked and fires at him.
LED’S ROLL [click to expand]
LED fires his AKM: he is in close quarters with an assault rifle so he suffers a -2 penalty. He also rolls 4 ammo dice (max ROF for the AKM):
LED rolls:
- RANGED COMBAT [D8+D6] = 2 SUCCESSES
- Ammo dice [D6+D6+D6+D6] = 2 + 2 + 5 + 6
- Hit Location die = ARMS (this was rolled after deciding not to push the ranged combat roll)
Quite the roll: ENEMY 1 suffers 2 base damages + 1 for the extra success + 1 for the 6 on the ammo die for a total of 4 damages which is beyond the threshold of critical for the AKM. ENEMY 1 is sprayed with bullets and dies on the floor. LED has spent 2+2+5+6 = 15 rounds, and has 7 left in his mag.
ENEMY 1 is sprayed with bullets and killed right where he is. LED scans the room with his eyes, the AKM still trained on his last victim while he inhales the smell of spent gunpowder.
The room is cleared.
End of round 06
