DAY 5 – APRIL 22nd 2000
PRASZKA, POLAND – MORNING
MARIA takes a box from a shelf and from it she produces an old map which she then unfolds on the table. It shows Powiat Oleski (Olesno County) and was made in the early 90s by the automobile club. She puts the tip of her finger on Praszka, in the norther part of the map.
“Most people here, including the council and the militia, believe the key for our survival is closing ourselves to the world. For the past year and a half all our efforts have been focused on creating a defensive perimeter and build a somewhat acceptable level of self-sufficiency. Well, 18 months later we can barely defend our town and there’s a good chance we’re not going to survive the coming winter. Do you follow so far?”
“Yes, ma’am”
“We do a little trading with the occasional merchants but it’s not much. Most people approaching town are told to turn around. But we used to conduct regular trading with other villages from the area and small towns from even further away. Then more bandits started to appear and that meant more distrust of what was outside. The result was our almost complete isolation. The world is changing out there, and we know nothing about it. I’m afraid change will eventually sweep us away, even if hunger spares us”.
“What can we do?” asks LED.
MARIA smiles “you have no idea how rare it is to hear someone use those words”
“Counselor, I don’t want to get your hopes up. Apparently, we can’t even help a wounded guy in a town of civilized, yet a bit narrow-minded people” says LED before adding “I didn’t mean to offend”
“You have not. I think Praszka would be better off establishing relations with our neighbors. There must be someone out there that we can trust. People think there’s just bandits past the barricades; if we can get some friends, we will no longer feel surrounded, and our chances will improve dramatically. We cannot survive on our own”
“Doradca, we know very little about this region” says ALEX “and our information is likely outdated”
“I didn’t expect you to know about the current state of the region. You came from Kalisz, so you’re traveling South, can I suppose you’re going to keep moving South when your time here is up?”
“It’s a possibility” answers LED.
“Then I would like to make a suggestion. I managed to talk to most foreigners that were not scared off by the militia, and I think you might want to visit the town of Dobrodzień, here” MARIA moves her finger to the southern part of the map, roughly 35 km south of Praszka. “I believe you will find something worth the hike there”
“Such as?”
“Americans”
LED and ALEX both raise their brows while looking at the map.
“I have multiple travelers’ confirmation: there is a US army unit either in town or around it. Last one was from a week ago, so they should still be there”
“Suppose we go South, suppose we get there. What then?”
“What I need you to do is gather information about our surroundings, then bring it back. The militia knows who you are, they won’t turn you back. We need to know what is happening in this region, and my best bet is this American unit. They should know”
“And if they don’t, or if they refuse to share?”
“We’re doomed anyway” MARIA then checks the main nave “I know I am putting a lot of trust in strangers, but I’m out of options. The town is out of options. And I know I seem arrogant, but I think I am the only one who understands it. Anyway, you have three days to think about it. I doubt we will speak again, as your custodians are under strict orders not to allow it, so hopefully you will be back with news, any kind of news. And if not, then good luck to you”
She then proceeds to fold the map and puts it back on the shelf. “One last thing: I got a sense of… something by observing you, and I cannot ask because you would not tell me the truth about it, but…” she stops briefly, her eyes clearly reflecting some internal struggle “…promise me you will remember my name”
“Your name?” asks ALEX.
“Yes, MARIA, my name is MARIA, can you promise you will remember that?”
“Sounds easy enough, but what for?” asks LED.
“You might… find me in Dobrodzień, well… not me, but… just remember my name”
“Doradca, your name is very common in this country” observes ALEX.
“I know, and I’ll think of something more for you. But, as I said, this is probably the last time we will speak, so remember that, please”. She then moves for the chapel’s door “as I said, good luck”
“You too counselor”
LED and ALEX inform DONNA and NASCAR of the conversation with MARIA and their failed attempt to save the LEADER they’ve taken prisoner. Any subsequent attempt at helping or even seeing the prisoners fails (the group doesn’t even know where the prisoners are held). There’s a brief discussion about whether or not they should try to get the pickup and repair it, but they conclude their chances of doing it in time are virtually non-existing.
WITH the EYES of the REFEREE – the PICKUP [click to expand]
Recovering the pickup would require:
- Getting tools and the needed parts from the town’s arsenal (which the players can do)
- Marching 2 hexes of open terrain to get to the vehicle (which the players can do in 1 shift)
- Repairing the vehicle (which they can do with a successful TECH roll and will take a full shift)
- Driving back 2 open terrain hexes (which they can do in 1 shift)
The total time is 3 shifts, but the followings have to be considered:
- DONNA and LED are already sleep deprived
- LED has suffered a critical injury and is almost at his stress limit
- The players would need to drive back at night (higher chance of mishaps)
- Marching and driving off-road requires a navigation (SURVIVAL) roll and the players might fail it, prolonging the journey
- Encounters along the way might prolong the journey as well
- The pickup may have been taken, destroyed, further damaged or scavenged by someone else
Also, every shift the captured LEADER has to make a survival (STAMINA) roll to stay alive. The more you roll, the higher your chances of failure. If everything goes smoothly, he would need to succeed 3 survival rolls plus another roll for the morning shift (which is basically over at this point).
And finally, there’s no guarantee that the council will let the players help the prisoners, even if they bring a pickup.
Going back to the previous conversation the players had right after the assault on the school, they reluctantly agree the best thing for them is not to take more risks and leave the captured LEADER to its fate. After one last failed attempt at checking on the prisoners, the players are escorted to their quarters by the militia.
WITH the EYES of the REFEREE [click to expand]
This concludes the morning shift for day 5 of the campaign.
Regarding the captured enemy LEADER, I was hoping for another outcome, and possibly a subplot to carry forward at least for a stretch (not in the in-game sense) of the campaign. I tried multiple ways but the dice have spoken and their answer was “no”.
DAY SHIFT [click to expand]
The weather improves during the day, grey clouds dissipate and the sun starts to shine. The players are served a meal by the militia which they consume together.
- LED is exhausted and collapses on a thin and worn yoga mat, using a backpack as a pillow. LED loses his Sleep Deprived condition and heals 1 point of damage.
- DONNA can’t sleep so she spends the shift restoring her M16A1 to full reliability; this requires a TECH roll every success of which restores 1 point of REL:
- DONNA rolls TECH [D8+D8] = 1 SUCCESS (rolled 6 and 5)
It’s enough to restore her rifle to a 5/5 REL, so she doesn’t need to push it.
- NASCAR offers to train the town’s militia as per agreements. He goes alone, claiming he doesn’t need a bodyguard and the others can use some rest more than he does.
- ALEX has his AKM to take care of:
- ALEX rolls TECH [D10+D10] = 0 SUCCESSES (rolled 5 and 5)
He pushes the roll:
- ALEX rolls TECH [D10+D10] = 1 SUCCESS + 1 FAILURE (rolled 6 and 1)
I suppose they cancel each other, so ALEX restores something while degrading something else
EVENING SHIFT [click to expand]
Still fair weather as the day ends.
LED keeps busy maintaining his AK-74:
- LED rolls TECH [D10] = 0 SUCCESSES (rolled 2)
He pushes the roll:
- LED rolls TECH [D10] = 0 SUCCESSES (rolled 2 again)
LED is a bit rusty on his knowledge of Soviet weapons.
DONNA manages to get 6 hours of sleep, losing the Sleep Deprived condition and healing 1 point of damage.
NASCAR is back from the (in his opinion useless) training session and takes care of his M249, trying to figure out why it jammed during the assault on the school.
- NASCAR rolls TECH [D8+D6] = 0 SUCCESSES (rolled 1 and 2)
He doesn’t push it.
ALEX leaves his AKM and dedicates himself the remaining hunting rifle they looted:
- ALEX rolls TECH [D10+D10] = 1 SUCCESS
ALEX restores 1 REL point of the hunting rifle (goes up to 5/5, improving its market value)
NIGHT SHIFT [click to expand]
Fair weather all through the night
LED spends the night resting, and DONNA tends to his wound:
- DONNA rolls MEDICAL AID [D10+D10] = 1 SUCCESS (rolled 7 and 2)
The day counts as double towards LED healing from his critical injury (he had 10 days to heal, tomorrow he will have 8). LED also heals 1 point of damage and recovers 1 stress point.
ALEX spends the shift sleeping.
NASCAR spends the shift sleeping, recovering 1 stress point.
FINAL COMMENTS
The first hook has been presented, and it points further South. Much like in TW2K 1st edition, most of the detailed and interesting areas described in the official expansions (modules) are located South of the starting point of the campaign (assuming a classic Kalisz opening).
Of course, you are free to set your campaign wherever you want, and playing outside of the areas detailed in the expansions can grant your group much wider latitude for creating original and interesting situations.
It is my first TW2K campaign, and I have now read The Black Madonna expansion booklet cover to cover, and liked it a lot. I think it will serve as a great backdrop for my players’ actions; I am therefore luring them further into the Silesia region.
Rolling for TECH, again, and again, and again. I was expecting this to a degree. Aside from bringing their own equipment to full REL, the players can get better deal at the local arsenal if they trade in weapons in good conditions. Moreover, the Player’s Manual (page 91) states that each week a stretch of time should be employed in gun care activities for every gun the players have used in the previous 7 days.