[DH1e] The Damocles Contingency (OOC)

[Lysimachus]

2 hours ago, Mazer Rackham said:

Maybe you should just stick your head out? 

 

Fair enough, done! 

 

2 hours ago, Mazer Rackham said:

In other news, speaking of heads, maybe the trek back should be full of awkward explanations and guilt as to why Scourge nearly blew Nicios' off...

 

If it takes attention away from Reynard running off, I'm all for it... 

[Mazer Rackham]

I'm sure it will be completely forgotten...

Spoiler

Spoilers: It was never forgotten

 

[Necronaut]

2 hours ago, Necronaut said:

Let the self-flagellation commence! 

 

Edit: also a guy fails one Willpower test, spectacularly I might add, and he never hears the end of it! 

 

Wait a tick... I actually passed that test about as well as could be expected by a bloke with 33 WP. I forgot that Helene won on DoS! Bah! 

[Lord_Ikka]

Whoa, my post yesterday with Nicios saying it was Reynard completely disappeared or didn't go through. Time to investigate...

[Lord_Ikka]

Hmm. Looks like it never got sent through from my phone. Oh well, it was just Nicios saying that Reynard and crew were coming.

[Machine God]

The Wreck of the Gladius:

 

Hunted by time and unknown inbound contacts, our heroes search the stronghold.

 

Accompanied by a tense soundtrack:

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i5UU2TxOcZs&list=RDMMQ3_QOVaBA98&index=2

 

 

 

[Trokair]

  

15 hours ago, Mazer Rackham said:

Further 1D3 Magazines of contraband ammunition may be acquired per player (Nothing above Scarce, so no Bolt rounds etc).

 

Can Saxa cadunt, omnes moriuntur take Man-stopper rounds? 

 

If not then I will hope that there is some generic Galvanic Repeater ammo to be had.

 

 

@Machine God, do you want Kerr Restal to have a go at the Tech-Use test to get into the bunker storage area we need with Bardas assisting to further the narrative path he is on?

Edited April 14, 2023 by Trokair

[Machine God]

1 hour ago, Trokair said:

 

@Machine God, do you want Kerr Restal to have a go at the Tech-Use test to get into the bunker storage area we need with Bardas assisting to further the narrative path he is on?

@Trokair - Thank you. I just edited my post for Bardas' assistance.

[Mazer Rackham]

1 hour ago, Trokair said:

Can Saxa cadunt, omnes moriuntur take Man-stopper rounds? 

 

Yes.

[Lysimachus]

As Reynard has good Ag and Silent Move/Concealment, shall I scout ahead and take a peek?

 

(I hope, given that it sounds like it's properly kicking off, I might get some + mods on any required tests? )

[Trokair]

Would Bardas have been able to aquire more Vial of Sacred Machine Oil from the asorted suplies in the Wreck to go alongside the spare parts?

 

Secondly, would a asupex scan help us know where the other people are before we exsit the ship?

Edited April 14, 2023 by Trokair

[Machine God]

10 minutes ago, Trokair said:

 

Secondly, would a asupex scan help us know where the other people are before we exsit the ship?

@Trokair - Does Bardas have an Auspex?

 

Question: Has Bardas informed the group about his encounter with the Rock Cutter Gang, or is that still his secret?

[Mazer Rackham]

The machine oil isn't a problem, of the 7 Repair Parts you can mix and match how many vials of machine oil and parts you get, so 4 of one and 3 of other, that kind of thing. Completely up to you.

 

Auspex: I've kind of answered IC, but the visitors aren't on the hull, (they're roughly 50m away), and the hull is so thick, you'd have to be outside the wreck, and closer, to use it.

[Trokair]

10 minutes ago, Machine God said:

@Trokair - Does Bardas have an Auspex?

 

Question: Has Bardas informed the group about his encounter with the Rock Cutter Gang, or is that still his secret?

He does, was a team purchase and at the time he was the best deemed to use it. I forgot about it until I went to put the thrones, ammo and parts on my character sheet. 

 

He did not mention the Rockheads to the others, at the time when he rejoined the others things where a bit hectic with Greysons assault on the lab and the subsequent radiation tunnel sluice escape (I think).

 

9 minutes ago, Mazer Rackham said:

The machine oil isn't a problem, of the 7 Repair Parts you can mix and match how many vials of machine oil and parts you get, so 4 of one and 3 of other, that kind of thing. Completely up to you.

 

Auspex: I've kind of answered IC, but the visitors aren't on the hull, (they're roughly 50m away), and the hull is so thick, you'd have to be outside the wreck, and closer, to use it.

 

I’ll go 5 parts and 2 oil then.

 

Ok, will keep Auspex in mind for when we have to poke our heads out of cover.

Edited April 14, 2023 by Trokair

[Lysimachus]

I'm not sure how to answer Falk's question, I don't think the fight is going anywhere? Can we get a bit more info please?

 

How big is the square and how big are the gangs, are we talking 'munda-ish scale fight with 10 vs 10, or hundreds strong?

 

Where exactly is the van? I'm assuming what's left of the fountain is somewhere in the centre? Presumably there is another exit heading towards the HoJ that the van entered from? Can we sneak around the edge of the fight?

 

Or if they aren't attacking the van (much) can we just wait until they've finished killing each other off?

 

Will the Arbites not have a secure vox channel?

Edited April 15, 2023 by Lysimachus

[Machine God]

Sounds like a Block War. 

 

Arbites should have secure comms, Falc should have the authorisations to patch himself through.

 

Although it does seem to be the Arbites presence stopping a full on riot. They're the Cork in the Bottle.

 

 

 

 

Post edited:

 

https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/375260-dh1e-the-damocles-contingency-rpg-ic/?do=findComment&comment=5934593

 

 

 

Edited April 15, 2023 by Machine God
Don't like double-posting

[A.T.]

4 hours ago, Machine God said:

Arbites should have secure comms, Falc should have the authorisations to patch himself through.

 

The last time Falk contacted arbites forces he had to be relayed through the main controller - not sure how safe that kind of thing is with the golem.

[Mazer Rackham]

6 hours ago, Lysimachus said:

How big is the square and how big are the gangs, are we talking 'munda-ish scale fight with 10 vs 10, or hundreds strong?

 

The square is large, designed, rather just haphazardly erected, and sits at 50m x 50m give or take a shop front or hab block entrance. This is definitely a block war, with thugs having broken into homes and commercial properties, trading blows gangs of new york style in the middle (near the fountain) with battle lines swinging back and forth as the groups beat each other senseless, whilst the guys in the habs are tossing bullets and molotovs.

 

There's about 40-50 people here killing each other. It's a butcher's yard.

 

6 hours ago, Lysimachus said:

Where exactly is the van? I'm assuming what's left of the fountain is somewhere in the centre? Presumably there is another exit heading towards the HoJ that the van entered from? Can we sneak around the edge of the fight?

 

There are three entrances to the square, yours, one directly opposite (50m away), and off to your right there's the Arbites vehicle, blocking the exit to a hive 'road'. There is cover in the form of fallen masonry and busted infrastructure, broken benches, ruined planters, wrecked ground cars etc.

 

6 hours ago, Lysimachus said:

Or if they aren't attacking the van (much) can we just wait until they've finished killing each other off?

 

You can certainly wait for the bodies to stack up, but at some point one side or the other is going to break, and then the survivors are going to run down all the corridors in an excessively agitated state, possibly wounded or on fire, and bump into you....

 

6 hours ago, Lysimachus said:

Will the Arbites not have a secure vox channel?

 

Yes.

 

4 hours ago, Machine God said:

Arbites should have secure comms, Falc should have the authorisations to patch himself through.

 

Yes, Falk will have to patch in. He can't simply talk to them straight away. Secure comms works both ways.

 

4 hours ago, Machine God said:

Although it does seem to be the Arbites presence stopping a full on riot. They're the Cork in the Bottle.

 

Kind of. It is clear that the Arbites are actually on the back foot. They are folding in, and looking to use the gang's enmity for each other to withdraw.

 

Players can use the answers here as a reference, but will require an IC post to explain their thoughts to each other. (This prevents a lot of messing about posting things we all already know, since most of the characters have a hive background, and will know the score).

 

The options you have are basically:

• Attempt to assault through to the Arbites
• Sneak around to the Arbites
• Use the Arbites as distraction and sneak past everyone to the other side of the sqaure
• Bastion defence inside one of the buildings, and hope it blows over
• Retreat

If you want to try something else, have a think and let me know.

Edited April 15, 2023 by Mazer Rackham

[Lysimachus]

@team: I think Reynard's instinct would be to sneak around the edge to the Arbites van? Probably get on the vox to the Judges and warn them we are coming so that, if we are spotted/attacked by the gangs, they can give us covering fire?

 

That might be a struggle for less sneaky team members, though. Maybe we vox the Judges, get them to open fire on all of the gangs and then retreat down their tunnel. When everyone mobs up and chases after them, we run like hell across the hopefully empty square and carry on up the passage directly opposite us?

 

 

@Mazer: One last question: is there any outward sign that either of the groups is a Chaos Cult, in which case we and the Arbites could just pile on and help the 'loyalist' Gang kill the bad guys?

Edited April 15, 2023 by Lysimachus

[Mazer Rackham]

25 minutes ago, Lysimachus said:

One last question: is there any outward sign that either of the groups is a Chaos Cult, in which case we and the Arbites could just pile on and help the 'loyalist' Gang kill the bad guys?

 

Were it so easy...

 

No, there's nothing here to make you or anyone else immediately believe there is a chaos influence here. This is the sheer bloody stupidity of the normal human race, whose fear, anger and desperation are bubbling to the surface, when one bone-headed moron says "I know, let's go and banjo the bastards!"

 

That's the tragedy here.

 

This is the great irony too - whilst the Golem was 'in charge' and undiscovered, the hive was in relatively good order - with the Golem using law enforcement and the Imperial organisations to keep it's rivals-in-alignment in check.

 

Just a note - if you do want the Judges to open fire on the rioters, and make a nuisance of themselves as a bigger distraction, that's going to be a Hard (-20) Command Test.

[Lysimachus]

40 minutes ago, Mazer Rackham said:

Just a note - if you do want the Judges to open fire on the rioters, and make a nuisance of themselves as a bigger distraction, that's going to be a Hard (-20) Command Test.

 

 

Oof, might have to forget that idea then, I don't think any of us have Command Skill, so at best Reynard would be using half Fel45 = 23 -20 = 03...

 

Unless Falk has Peer: Arbites...? (Even then that would be 40/2 +10 -20 = 10. Not great odds!)

[Machine God]

23 minutes ago, Lysimachus said:

 

 

Oof, might have to forget that idea then, I don't think any of us have Command Skill, so at best Reynard would be using half Fel45 = 23 -20 = 03...

 

Unless Falk has Peer: Arbites...? (Even then that would be 40/2 +10 -20 = 10. Not great odds!)

None of you have Command or Peer skills

[Mazer Rackham]

Well Falk can Fellowship it, since he's a Magistrate and therefore has rank.

 

The reason it's a Hard test is because this is a riot turned up to eleven, and the Judges are outnumbered. If you've ever witnessed or been involved in something like this, it's utterly terrifying, the mob cannot be reasoned with, and in these circumstances, you will likely lose the unit.

 

The Test is basically to overcome the Judges self-preservation.

 

However, if you pull it off, you're looking at total distraction and a steady sneak through to safety.

 

How this will affect the player characters, is up to you.

[Lysimachus]

9 minutes ago, Machine God said:

None of you have Command or Peer skills

 

As it goes, Reynard has Peer: Underworld (from Rank 2 table, I think it was)

 

@Mazer: Are you saying Falk can use his full Fel rather than half? That seems slightly more viable, would still need under a 20 though...

[Mazer Rackham]

14 minutes ago, Lysimachus said:

Are you saying Falk can use his full Fel rather than half?

 

That is correct.

 

He may also receive assistance. Nicios perhaps can help here (since he's also a trusted agent of the Administratum).

 

Don't forget that Direct Action to help is possible. Invisible powers and suppressed weapons may help turn the tide without putting you at risk. Your options aren't all-or-nothing either, combine freely.

Edited April 15, 2023 by Mazer Rackham