DAY 5 – APRIL 22nd 2000
PRASZKA, POLAND – NIGHT
By this time LED and NASCAR are back with the loot. ALEX looks at the small pile of weapons and ammo, then continues “they sent you to capture the observation post in the apartment complex in the middle of the night; no support? No radio? Not even a flashlight?”
“Is it the same apartment complex the guide was pointing at when they left us here?” asks LED in English receiving a positive nod from ALEX.
“We’re new” answers one of the prisoners, “they don’t trust us. They assigned us a scout and sent us across the river”
ALEX quickly briefs LED and NASCAR about the condition of the enemy LEADER and the prisoners’ story. “And there’s about fifty more men attacking the town tonight” he concludes.
“I saw a technical when we were observing the fight in the afternoon” says LED, “ask them if it’s operational”
The prisoners confirm it: the attackers have an up-armored [front, side, and rear protection +1] pickup with a pintle-mounted PKM and about 150 rounds.
LED and ALEX step aside and quietly whisper in English.
“Remember the defenders at the roadblock? They weren’t a lot” says LED.
“And they didn’t look exactly like professionals” adds ALEX.
“I’m afraid the town’s defenders will be outnumbered and outmatched”
“Well, they had some AT, and we intercepted one prong of the enemy attack” considers ALEX.
“Yeah, I still would not consider it an even fight”
The duo is interrupted by the prisoners. “Please, we told you what we know, help our commander now”
ALEX is quick to translate, and LED turns to doc “DONNA?”
“He needs surgery, which I don’t have the instruments for, not to mention a sterile environment, which we are far from” says DONNA looking around.
“We have medkits” suggests NASCAR.
“Yes, and that’s a band-aid for a gun-shot wound” then DONNA looks at the LEADER one more time “literally” she adds.
“We need to try, that was the deal” replies LED. “What do you need?”
DONNA sighs “sterile gauze, a surgical tray, antibiotics, anesthetic, sterile gloves, prolene and an operating room”
LED just stares at her.
“Okay, I can try to stabilize him, but he’s still gonna need surgery. His best chances are the townspeople and a miracle”
“Anything we can get you?” says LED quickly adding “that we have”
“Another set of hands. And light, I need some light to see what I’m doing”.
“Fire’s still going, we can light another one here” says NASCAR.
“No, not here” quickly responds LED, “we’re too exposed here. We’ll have to move him and the prisoners to the fire”
“Moving him is risky” observes DONNA.
WITH THE EYES OF THE REFEREE [click to expand]
Page 74 of the Player’s Manual: if you move when suffering from a lethal critical injury, you must make an immediate death save. If someone else moves you, they must make a MEDICAL AID roll (no action) – failure means you must make an immediate death save.
I’m considering the enemy LEADER as a major NPC, meaning players’ rules apply to him as well.
DONNA takes a jacket from one of the corpses and packs it on the LEADER’s abdomen, then with the sleeves of a second jacket – cut with one of the looted knifes – she fashions a bandage to wrap around the body and keep the jacket in place. Then DONNA, NASCAR and two of the prisoners start moving the LEADER while LED and the other prisoner push the car blocking the unit with the fire.
“We go slow and we go steadily” says DONNA “got it?”
MOVING THE ENEMY LEADER [click to expand]
Roll for MEDICAL AID for DONNA (who has the highest skill) + 3 for the other carriers helping:
DONNA rolls[D12+D12] = 0 SUCCESSES -> she pushes the roll = 1 SUCCESS]
The group moves 1 hex (there’s roughly 4 hexes to move to the unit where the fire is).
Again page 74 of the Player’s Manual: When carrying another person, each running action will move you only one hex (plus one hex for every success on your MOBILITY roll.
Roll of MOBILITY for the prisoner (who has the lowest skill) +3 for the other carrier helping.
PRISONER rolls [D12+D6] = 1 SUCCESS
The group moves an additional hex covering half the distance.
Roll of MEDICAL AID for DONNA (who has the highest skill) + 3 for the other carriers helping:
DONNA rolls[D12+D12] = 2 SUCCESSES
The group moves another hex.
Roll of MOBILITY for the prisoner (who has the lowest skill) +3 for the other carrier helping.
PRISONER rolls [D12+D6] = 1 SUCCESS
The group gets to the unit with the fire.
They carefully move down the row of units, their small steps resonating in the empty garages as they proceed through a light cloud of spent gownpowder, closer and closer to the fire, where they eventually deposit the injured LEADER.
“Hey, looks like he’s still breathing” says NASCAR while looking at the LEADER.
“Yeah, it’s his lucky night” comments DONNA with palpable sarcasm.
“Come on, you know what I mean” replys NASCAR.
“And you know what I mean, so what?”
“Enough” steps in LED “tonight is not over yet. DOC, get to work, the sooner you start, the sooner you’ll finish. NASCAR, keep an eye on our guests here”
The two wounded prisoners are placed in a corner watched by NASCAR and the non-wounded prisoner gets ready to help DONNA. LED retrieves the loot and places it in the unit where their backpacks are.
As they are regrouping, the sound of small arms fire starts echoing in the night, its origin point close nearby.
The assault on Praszka has started.
WITH THE EYES OF THE REFEREE [click to expand]
Torn intestines caused by a gun-shot wound require surgery. DONNA cannot possibly fix the damage, but for the sake of the story I’ll say that she can stabilize the patient and gain some time.
Here’s a list of what conditions I will apply:
- As by the rules, a successful roll will increase the time between death saves to a shift, but a new MEDICAL AID roll will require specific tools for performing the surgery.
- The procedure will consume 2 medkits (DONNA and LED’s) whether successful or not; using the medkits won’t grant any bonuses.
- DONNA can have a maximum of 1 helper (no one else is trained in medical procedures and she will have to guide him through it).
- A single success means the patient is stabilized and more than one success means DONNA also retrieves the bullet.
DONNA and the prisoner start working on the injured LEADER, with ALEX translating DOC’s instructions.
WITH THE EYES OF THE REFEREE [click to expand]
DONNA rolls for MEDICAL AID with a +1 from being helped by the prisoner
DONNA rolls[D12+D10] = 2 SUCCESSES
DOC bought the LEADER some time.
The procedure takes a full stretch [about 10 minutes, which I elevated to 15 counting preparations and the need to guide the helper through the procedure], but DONNA manages to stabilize the LEADER and remove the bullet from his abdomen; in the meantime, ALEX and LED are arguing over what to do regarding the now in progress assault on the town.
FINAL COMMENTS
Gameplay-wise, this is a good way of introducing the concept of critical hits, critical injuries and death saves. Having an NPC go through all of it serves as a lesson for the players, and hopefully a reminder that it’s best to avoid dangerous situations.
The players know there’s a much larger fight about to start, and that the town defenders might find themselves at a disadvantage. Time to decide whether they want to bite the hook.