Twilight - 2000 - Urban Operations - vgJX5W

URBAN OPERATIONS

LEAD GAME DESIGN ER

Tomas Härenstam

LEAD SETTING & SCENARIO WRITER

Chris Lites

L E A D A RT I ST

Niklas Brandt GRAPHIC DESIGN

Christian Granath COV E R A RT, A D D I T I O N A L A RT

Gustaf Ekelund MAPS

Niklas Brandt BRAN D MANAGEMENT

Marc Miller/ Game Designers’ Workshop I NSPI RED BY

The Free City of Krakow, by William H. Keith, Jr., Frank Chadwick, and Loren Wiseman PROOFREADING

Brandon Bowling L AYO UT

Dan Algstrand

ISBN

978-91-89143-85-2

™ & © 2022 GDW and Fria Ligan AB. All rights reserved.

01 PLAYING IN CITIES

05

THE FIRE OF CIVILIZATION 06 WHAT IS GONE 06 FOOD & WATER 06 LAW & ORDER (& ANARCHY) 07 ECONOMICS07 TRANSPORTATION08 POLITICS & POWER 09 RUINS & RADIATION 09 COLLECTIVE TRAUMA 09

02 CITY RULES

11

URBAN ENCOUNTERS

23

THE COP

12

NEW ENCOUNTERS

24

THE CRIMINAL

13

LIST OF ENCOUNTERS

26

CITY WARFARE 14 FOG OF WAR 14 CITY MOVEMENT 14 BUILDINGS15 CLOSE QUARTERS COMBAT 17 CITY TRAVEL 20 CITY MAPS 20 TASKS21

02

03

STATIONARY ENCOUNTERS 31 RADIO CHATTER 31 RUMORS31

04 CITY FACTIONS THE VOROVSKOY MIR THE WHO FREE POLISH 6TH BRIGADE LIFE REGIMENT HUSSARS

35 36 37 38 39

05 URBAN PLOTS THE SPEAR OF DESTINY POWER PLAY THE LAST OFFENSIVE THE PLAGUE ELECTION YEAR THE MAN WHO WOULD BE KING OPERATION RESET

41 42 43 45 46 46 48 50

06 SCENARIO SITES

53

THE BIG PLAYGROUND

54

THE CHURCH

62

THE POWER PLANT

66

THE BUNKER

73

APPENDIX I: KRAKOW79

APPENDIX II: KARLSBORG88

03

01

PLAYING IN CITIES The playground where I first kissed a boy was a blackened ruin, the trees behind it matchstick stubs. The school had been taken over by thugs. My house? It was just gone. The whole block was a field of blasted debris. But life went on deeper in the city, or some kind of life anyway. Not one I’d want, right? Hauling buckets of water up ten floors to apartments without heat. Trading god-knows-what for parts to keep your bike moving or to feed a damn horse. But it got me thinking about what kind of life I’m going to have. I’ve been bumming around with these soldiers for the last few months. Is that my life? I don’t remember what I wanted to be when I grew up. I don’t even remember growing up, but I’m 16 next month and I’m sure I did.

01 PLAYING IN CITIES

THE FIRE OF CIVILIZATION Before the war, historians and their like suggested the first spark of civilization began, most probably, with the birth of agriculture. The spark, in time, flared into the crown jewel of human progress: the city. From Babylon, to Rome, to New York, these towering edifices and conurbations were the high-­water mark of human achievement. In the span of five short years, we have destroyed them all. It has been said that it is far easier to destroy a thing than to create it. Mankind demonstrated this once again, perhaps for the final time. But the cities we once built still exist. Though ruined and decayed, not all are entirely abandoned. They are shadows of what they were, thrown back suddenly into a world lit only by fire where the darkness is close in the night and safety known by previous inhabitants seems now a fantasy. They have their towers and they have their walls. They have order and chaos. They contain the remains of the human endeavor, some terminal endpoint of our storyline we all knew was coming. Cities are sad places, for the most part, now. They remind us of everything we had and took so easily for granted. Yet, rumors of cities with electricity and functioning government run through the countryside of devastation likes tails of the Grail once did through these selfsame lands. History is nothing if not ironic. We sit not at the end, or perhaps the beginning or, if you’re an optimistic sort, of a great cycle of history. In the cities, where people still gather, when the towering achievements of the past are now cracked concrete and rebar, there, we will uncover the story’s last lines and close the book on whatever history shall call these last 5,000 years. What lies ahead for mankind shall come either from the final spasm of our cities’ demise or the reignition of that spark which once lit the streets so brightly that they were visible from the stars.

WHAT IS GONE Like many stories, that of the city, any city, now begins thus: “and then the war came.” Like the fall of a camera’s shutter, the war separates one moment from the next. A before and an after. Whatever a city was, it is no more. Forget what you know. Forget the cabs, the clubs, the streets coughing with petrol fumes, the people wending through mazes of concrete and glass to jobs in tall towers… all that is gone. People live in the burned-­out husks of that world. Hell, when is the last time you flipped a light switch and it worked? A small girl carries two pails of water in either hand. She marches up the long stairs of a Brutalist housing tower, but she doesn’t go far. The city is depopulated, so her family moved to a lower floor. It’s hard to tote water up fifty floors. Sandbags line the windows of her flat, makeshift

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KRAKOW AND KARLSBORG This module is designed to be used in any urban environment, but it also includes one example town for each of the two official settings of the game: Krakow in Poland and Karlsborg in Sweden. You’ll find these towns described in the Appendix I and II at the end of this book, and maps of the towns are included in the boxed set.

bars or stolen fencing behind that. Inside, there are only candles and oil lamps to light the way. Wood heats the house, a chimney drilled into the home above… those neighbors didn’t make it out during the first riots. A vignette, one typical of the year 2000. This girl and her family have it better than most. They have a home. They have access to water, perhaps even fresh. They are alive. Elsewhere in the city, things are not as good. There are neighborhoods that have burned all the furniture and books for heat. They cut down every tree. They have no fresh water. For food, sometimes they resort to each other. The girl’s family lives behind a wall, real or imagined. Patrolling that wall are local militia, police, or maybe even soldiers. They don’t live behind that wall for free. It is best we don’t think of the dark economics by which they settle their monthly bill. There are no phones, running cars, no major foot traffic. This place is dead in all but name.

FOOD & WATER The markets get no deliveries by trucks bringing food from the other side of the country, or the continent. Taps almost never flow and, if they do, the water may be poison to drink. The canned food ran out six months ago or more. Scraps are what people subsist on now, those things scrounged or whatever can be farmed. Streets laid to ruin or abandoned were cleared to make arable land. The soil is fickle, one cannot count on the season’s crop. Outside the city are larger farms. Citizens, slaves, or criminals work the fields. The people who run the city control the food. They control the water. There is no calling a plumber, for they are gone and anyway the pipes have no wellsprings from which to draw. The fast-­food franchise down the street went up in a cloud from an American bomb, or a Russian one. No one can be sure. You have a ration card and you live in something vaguely reminiscent of an organized city. Anything else you need to eat you must get elsewhere. Fires can engulf the entire town, for there is no proper fire department now. The fireplugs are all dry. Every day is a struggle for something to eat and clean water to drink. Neither are guaranteed. Commercials on television once asked for donations to the poor of the world who lived like this. Maybe you gave. Maybe you did not. Then the war came…

LAW & ORDER (& ANARCHY) The only sure remnant of a city, at least a populated one, is some kind of order imposed or denied, usually by someone with power. You may have heard of cities in anarchy, whether intentional or otherwise. Do not go there. You would not like what you find. Instead, stick to the cities that have some functioning protectors. It doesn’t matter who. If you’re a refugee heading to a city now, your other options closed long ago.

MILITARY The most common, and effective, form of protection remains the military. That said, the great armies of the world which ground each other under tread and boot have themselves been ground down by time, attrition, and the collapse of those societies for which they claimed to fight. Now, marauders might be police, or a small unit may control an entire town. Some towns have resources left, or access to new ones. These they trade for mercenaries who function as police force and pressgang alike. The farms do not tend themselves. The sewers must be maintained, if they are even intact. The military is the default law and order in most urban areas. They can be very bad. They can be almost good.

POLICE Those cities with resources, and the means to protect them, may yet have actual police. Now, these are not trained officers like before. They are largely recruits or volunteers, but they attempt to maintain law and order in the old sense of the term. Calling a group of thugs “the police” is common, but some few cities actually try to uphold justice… at least to a degree. Police enforce the most important laws. Murders are not investigated. Stolen property is never recovered. Police attempt to keep as many of the citizens from violating each other as they can. Yet, no matter how much the try, they almost universally fight a losing battle.

GANGS Where no police or soldiers are found, gangs invariably are. Some formed from older criminal networks or street gangs. Others are the rabble of local strongmen and warlords. Some are former military who now follow no orders but their own. Yet like their counterparts, gangs offer some sense of security if you are loyal to the gang or pay for their “protection.” Protection is part of economics, as detailed below. Suffice it to say, if you aren’t in a position of power, you likely have none at all. Gangs obey the laws they like and make. You don’t go to them to right wrongs. You pay them and hope they prevent another gang from killing you or those you love… if you have any loved ones left.

LAWS Laws vary between each city. There is no legal code anymore. Hammurabi’s Laws must be reinvented. Each urban center has its own ways, but the following are laws found commonly in most cities. 7 Murder is illegal (but rarely investigated). One must be caught in the act by someone. Justifiable homicide is broad, common, and often applicable. 7 Stealing food or medicine is punishable by death. Stealing needed goods is as good as murder to most folks. 7 Ownership is enforced by weapons and the willingness to use them. 7 Betraying the security of the city is punished by harsh, and sometimes inventive means. 7 Soldiers may be banned. Some folks want nothing more to do with the war. Soldiers are not allowed in every city. Then again, not every city can do something to stop them if they wish to come.

GETTING THE PLAYERS INVOLVED

ECONOMICS

Twilight: 2000 is a sandbox game, letting the

Money has no value anymore. Most of it was long since burned for cooking or warmth. Few coins had much useful metal in them prior to the war, and they, too, have been recycled for better things. No two cities have the same economy. Hell, two neighborhoods in the same city may not. Barter is the rule between neighbors and labor is the last human resource, most of it physical. Those with needed, rare skills like engineers and doctors live better than the rest, but almost no one lives well.

players decide where to go. In order to involve the PCs in the urban encounters and plots described in this book, you’ll need to give the players a reason to go to town - literally. This is best done by feeding the PCs enticing rumors or other intel about the town you want them to visit. Such rumors are included in the sections about Krakow and Karlsborg at the end of this book. You can easily adapt these rumors to other cities. You can also push the PCs instead of pulling them, placing large concentrations of enemy forces in the opposite direction. You can use the new rules for areas of control (page 24) to reinforce this.

CURRENCY Bullets, cigarettes, valuable metal, favors, sex… all of these are what pass for currencies. Ration cards entitle citizens to food and supplies. Beyond this, they must scrounge and trade for what they need or want. Some cities haven’t any ration cards at all. They simply distribute supplies on a first come, first serve basis.

PLAYING IN CITIES

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01 PLAYING IN CITIES

The strong and quick get the food. They then use that to lord over others. Some cities still value gold and silver, but this is not guaranteed. The currency of any city depends on its current needs. Food goes a long way. Antibiotics are worth their weight in illicit drugs. Alcohol is always in high demand. People want to escape the life they lead as often as they can. You might feel the same. Don’t expect anything to be worth what it was in the last city or town. The shifting needs of the population drive all trade.

FULL CITIZENSHIP Sometimes, those native to the city are considered full citizens. They are entitled to whatever rights and goods that city affords people of this stature. Nothing is guaranteed for those who do not meet the criteria of citizenship. Towns and cities look out for their own. Others must buy their way in or work for the privilege.

INDENTURED SERVITUDE

JOBS

Many people find themselves pressed into jobs in exchange, one day, for the status of citizen. Human labor moves the world once again. Goods are scavenged or hand made. There isn’t ordering anything from a catalog or going to the mall. The mall was turned into a penal facility or abandoned altogether. Many of the people who live inside a city are not free. They owe fealty to someone in exchange for a better station later (hopefully) or they simply toil for nothing because there is no one to stop armed, desperate humans from treating each other like property.

There are a thousand jobs to be done but no steady form of pay. Those with skills find food and lodging come their way. You might repair and clean the sewers for food. You might serve as a cop to get an apartment near a source of fresh water. Largely gone are the clerks and administrators of the pre-­war world. If it doesn’t keep one alive or increase their desire to be alive tomorrow, a thing has little value. There are no cinemas or stores or restaurants in a general sense. These jobs may exist in some form, but they are few and far between. Hell, the last film made was in 1995, so far as anyone knows.

THE BLACK MARKET

Gas and alcohol rarely power cars anymore and, when they do, those cars either serve a purpose or are owned by those in power. You cannot hail a cab. The subway hasn’t run in years. The tram is broken, rusted, and twined in vegetation. If you want to go somewhere, you walk. That’s it. You might have a horse, but you’re lucky if you do. If you have a vehicle, you surely have

Most cities have a black market. The boss of this market is a crafty criminal or simple an ingenious survivor who controls illicit trade. Often, the black market is a necessity. Ration cards rarely fulfill all needs. People turn to those who trade in the shadows for the rest.

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Sugar, salt, cigarettes – all can be found on the black market. Marauders and scavengers make a living providing these goods to the black marketeers. That new coat has a patched hole in it and a blood stain, but it keeps you warm. Who wore it before?

TRANSPORTATION

the means to defend it. Wagons are common again, pulled by all sorts of beasts of burden. Cars sawn in half, the beds of former pickups, these are makeshift wagons for many. The once-­ubiquitous shopping carts of supermarkets now carry produce under armed guard. You haven’t seen a plane in months, or a helicopter. Flying is the dream of Icarus once again.

POLITICS & POWER Once, an adage went around that said, after the bomb falls, at least the politicians will be gone. They proved as resilient as roaches in the post-­war world. People want to be led. This is the way of things, and those who can orate well, drum up inspiration or fear, still have sway. Some cities still have mayors. Some even still vote. The political machines that moved the city before aren’t gone, they’re simply different. The new order is more violent and directly aggressive, but it isn’t all that new. The veneer of civilization merely eroded in the wake of the bombs and bullets. Someone, somewhere still gives a speech about a better tomorrow, an end to the old ways. And for every person giving that speech, there are dozens or hundreds that still believe them. People don’t change. Power comes from the support of people who have access to resources or having access to one’s own. These resources are food, wood, medicine, fresh water, and weapons. A city may have a “duly elected” mayor or a warlord. It might be a cantonment now, and the highest-­ranking officer is in charge. It may have a self-­titled baron or duke, but everyone plays the same game: you trade goods for influence and influence for power. That’s how it works. That’s how it’s worked since the plow. We’ve simply stripped the system of all its trappings and revealed the cruel, hard iron machine underneath. Who runs a city, a neighborhood, or a street varies by the flow of goods and the emotions of the population. A lot of people thought the apocalypse would bring nothing but strongmen like in a post-­apocalyptic films. Sure, they are plentiful, but so are silver-­tongued orators, raging demagogues, apocalyptic preachers and, sometimes, those who offer what looks like genuine hope.

RUINS & RADIATION The war left few cities untouched. While they weren’t all bombed, conventionally or otherwise, each suffered from being unplugged from the network of distribution for food and electricity, as well as general order. One side of the street may be bombed out ruins while the other is relatively intact. In either case, none of the buildings may be safe, but the population decreased so significantly that space, at least, isn’t an issue. Areas of a city which lie in ruin see no patrols from local police or constabulary. Feral children and psychotics might lurk in the deep caves of urban destruction. Rats fester in huge numbers as does disease and, in some areas, radiation. The latter makes some cities uninhabitable for the next generation at the least. You all know the black and white pictures from after the last war – the chimneys standing over the broken bricks of dead houses. Streets clogged with rubble. A lone piano at an intersection surrounded by bombed-­out buildings. That world is back and colorized, now. It’s the

OFF-LIMIT CAPITALS Despite the vast freedom of move­ ment offered to players in the sandbox playstyle of Twilight: 2000, we recommend that they, for now, stay away from the capital cities of the two official game settings: Warsaw and Stockholm. These cities are largely destroyed by nuclear strikes and don’t offer much of the type of living urban environment that this book describes anyway. The ruins of Warsaw and Stockholm will be described in a later module for Twilight: 2000.

world of the city you live in. Post-­war Berlin circa 1945 is almost every city now. Virtually nothing is untouched. We don’t live in a wasteland of souped-­up cars and punk gangsters… we live in the ruins of our previous world, a constant reminder of just how badly we fucked up as a species. Welcome to the year 2000.

COLLECTIVE TRAUMA Look at people waiting in a ration line. Their eyes rarely meet. They keep to small groups. When they do look at another, it is with suspicion. Cities are psychic wells of post-­traumatic stress disorder. They are all in shock, perhaps perpetually. Sure, there are moments of laughter and fun. Mankind has ridden out lifetimes of suffering throughout their stint as masters of the planet. But, overall, everyone is a shadow of what they were. Everyone waits for the bomb that didn’t drop to find them. Or, if the bomb did find them, they wait for the reaper to come collect them because he is so very busy and so very behind. There’s a bond in this trauma, though, and one that sometimes emerges as strength, pride, and defiance. Cities are their own countries now, their own families. At least some. If you are lucky, you might encounter such a place. A city which survived the war together and, still as one, presses on to keep the candles burning in the dark night as they collect around tables and share food when they can and stories when they cannot. Surely such places exist? The world after the war must have some strain of human resilience left. Find it. And, if you do, stay there and don’t look back.

PLAYING IN CITIES

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02

CITY RULES Knew this guy in high school. He was only there a year. His dad and him moved around a lot. A “lyin’ Yankee” my dad called the kid. Tom was his name maybe? I forget. Anyway, this guy in Krakow reminds me of him. Lies like it’s nothing and you can’t tell until later that it was a lie. Smooth talker. Couldn’t place his accent and I figure maybe that’s the way he wanted it. But we were trying to get past a checkpoint and Kasia wasn’t making any progress when this little, skinny dude comes up and says we’re with him and then launches into a string of lightning-fast Polish I couldn’t follow, but I could see Kasia’s eyes go wide. Anyway, turns out he tells the guards we’re with the black market. And he has DETAILS. Like a ton. Stuff he made up on the spot. Kept us out of a firefight. Never thought bullshit could do that. Oh, that kid Tom back home? Heard he wound up in intel. No lie.

02 CITY RULES

NEW ARCHETYPES Cities are home to specific sorts of characters. Amongst those who blend in, who follow the law, who don’t create trouble are those who protect against the troublemakers and, of course, the troublemakers themselves. Two new archetypes for use with the archetype method of character creation (page 20 of the Player’s Manual) are offered here: the Cop and the Criminal. No city is without its share of both.

THE COP They may have kept the peace before the war or abused their power. They may have served and protected or merely served themselves or the state. Cops aren’t monolithic any more than another career, but they tend to live for the Job. The Job matters. Justice matters or, if you were ex secret police, the state matters. Maybe you became disillusioned and decided crime and justice were two sides of the same coin and you’d rather just collect the coins. It doesn’t matter. You were a cop. Maybe, you still are. Maybe, just maybe, that still matters in this world.

APPEARANCE

YOUR BIG DREAM

Choose from the examples below or decide for yourself. 7 Badge & sidearm 7 Your old uniform 7 A battered trench coat and smoker’s teeth.

Choose from the examples below or decide for yourself. 7 Rebuild your city’s police force into what it once was. 7 Find the perp that got away just before the bombs fell. You haven’t forgotten what he did. 7 Use your skill and authority to run this town.

SPECIALTIES Choose one specialty. Recommended options are: 7 Authority 7 Close Quarters Specialist 7 Interrogator

HOW YOU MET THE GROUP YOUR MORAL CODE Choose from the examples below or decide for yourself. 7 Without order, we are no better than animals. 7 Protecting people is the only nobility left in the world. 7 Authority is just another way to gain personal wealth and influence.

Choose from the examples below or decide for yourself. 7 You helped them out of serious trouble when they came to town. You’ve been together ever since. 7 You were military police or secret police and reassigned to this unit prior to the collapse of your command structure. 7 You were shot and beaten by looters while trying to protect much-­needed supplies. The looters got the supplies, but these people saved you.

GEAR ✓ KEY ATTRIBUTE: STR ✓ KEY SKILLS: Close Combat,

Ranged Combat, Persuasion C

✓ COOLNESS UNDER FIRE:

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You start the game with: 7 Any pistol appropriate for your nationality 7 D6 reloads for your weapon 7 D6 rations of domestic food 7 D6 rations of clean water

THE CRIMINAL Society was never stable. That was an illusion. You saw through it and decided to make the gears grinding down the world work for you. After it all fell apart, you weren’t surprised. You figure there are two forces in the world: order and entropy. Entropy always wins in the end, and you weren’t dumb enough to back a losing horse. You might have been a thief, a drug dealer, and gangster, or a hedge fund manager. It doesn’t matter. The world was always two steps away from Armageddon in your eyes. On the other side of it, you’re getting along better than most. 7

APPEARANCE Choose from the examples below or decide for yourself. 7 Jail Tattoos 7 Your gang’s colors 7 A fine, sharkskin suit and two missing fingers lost in a gambling “misunderstanding.”

7

SPECIALTIES Choose one specialty. Recommended options are: 7 Killer 7 Liar 7 Thief

YOUR MORAL CODE Choose from the examples below or decide for yourself. 7 Law and order are for the sheep. 7 The world forces you to take what you need and what you want. 7 It’s only crime if you’re poor. Otherwise, they call it business.

Some bad men were about to toss one of them off a roof and, for some reason, you intervened and talked them out of it. They needed someone to break into a house, an occupied one and, well, one thing led to another and now you’re all on the run.

GEAR You start the game with: 7 Any civilian firearm 7 D3 reloads for your weapon 7 D6 rations of domestic food 7 D6 rations of clean water 7 D6 rounds of ammo to use as currency

NEW SPECIALTIES YOUR BIG DREAM Choose from the examples below or decide for yourself. 7 Get by on your wits and your moral flexibility. 7 Find the cop that put you away. You almost died in that prison. 7 Rise to the top of the black market.

HOW YOU MET THE GROUP Choose from the examples below or decide for yourself. 7 You were in a tight spot, entirely of your own making, and they got you out of it.

✓ KEY ATTRIBUTE: STR ✓ KEY SKILLS: Close Combat,

Ranged Combat, Recon D

✓ COOLNESS UNDER FIRE:

The following new specialties may be added to those found in the core rulebook. ✓ AUTHORITY: You can roll COMMAND to calm down a rowdy crowd. This specialty cannot be used on hostile enemies. ✓ CLOSE QUARTERS SPECIALIST: The penalty for shooting in close combat (page 63 in the Player’s Manual) is reduced one step, i.e. no penalty for pistols, carbines and SMGs, and −1 for other ranged weapons. ✓ CRYPTOGRAPHER: Gives a +1 bonus to any TECH roll involving breaking or creating encrypted messages and codes. ✓ LIAR: Gives a +1 bonus to any PERSUASION roll when lying to someone. ✓ THIEF: Gives a +1 bonus to RECON rolls when picking pockets and TECH rolls when picking locks.

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02 CITY RULES

CITY WARFARE Warfare in urban environments is hell, even compared to combat in the open field. Distances are short and contact with the enemy is often brief and brutal. The benefits of superior technology and firepower are reduced, in favor of knowing the battlefield and using every inch of it to your advantage. This section outlines additions and modifications to the combat rules in the Player’s Manual for combat in cities. Unless explicitly stated below, normal combat rules apply.

FOG OF WAR A major element of city combat is the limited battlefield overview. Your enemy could be hiding anywhere. To represent this in the game, the Referee can use a separate smaller version of the battle map, hidden behind their screen. Printer-­friendly versions of all the battle maps from the core game and this module can be downloaded from the Free League website. On the Referee Map, the Referee can mark enemy positions and kill zones (below). It can even be used to track the movement of enemies that have not yet been spotted by the PCs.

AMBUSHES

no initiative draw is made. If they wish, the attacker can fire again, with yet another RECON roll afterwards to stay hidden.

CITY MOVEMENT Any troop movement through an urban environment is generally done very slowly and carefully.

HUGGING WALLS When moving on foot through a built-­up area, it’s a good idea to stay close to house walls. When hugging the wall, enemies in the same building will have a hard time targeting you without exposing their own position. In rules terms, whenever your character token is in a hex that borders or partially intersects a house wall, any enemy firing at you from inside the building along the same wall immediately loses the benefits of cover (page 60 of the Player’s Manual) and is fully exposed until their next turn. HUGGING WALLS

Ambushes (page 60 of the Player’s Manual) are common in an urban environment. When you’re about to move into an area controlled by hostiles, the Referee can set up ambushes before combat starts. Roll RECON for the hostiles and remember to use the bonuses for waylaying and the terrain type. The Referee marks enemy positions on the Referee Map to keep them hidden from the players. KILL ZONES: Ambushing hostile forces typically start the combat in overwatch mode (page 66 of the Player’s Manual). The hex targeted by overwatch is called a kill zone. NPC kill zones should be marked on the Referee Map before combat starts. Typically, an ambushing enemy will fire immediately when you enter the kill zone hex, before you have a chance to spot the ambush. It’s therefore a sound tactic to place a kill zone in the first visible hex where the enemy is expected to appear.

01 01

Ronson (blue fighter #1) is hugging the wall. If red fighter #1 (inside the building, in partial cover toward the street) fires at Ronson, it will lose the benefits of cover until its next turn.

COVER BY VEHICLE DEFENDING PCS: If your PCs are the defenders, you can set up ambushes

and kill zones before combat starts. You don’t need to keep this hidden from the Referee, who should act fairly and not have NPCs act on information that they don’t have.

SPOTTING SHOOTERS After a successful ambush, the target(s) does not automatically spot the shooter(s). Instead, roll another opposed RECON roll with the same modifiers as the initial roll (page 60 of the Player’s Manual), except that all modifiers for darkness are ignored due to the muzzle flash. This roll is not an action for either side. The target also gets a +2 modifier due to the loud gunshot unless the shooter used a silent or suppressed weapon. If the attacker wins the roll, they stay hidden, and

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If you have a friendly vehicle in your hex, you can take cover by it (full or partial). Mark the direction of cover normally. Any hit on a location behind cover will hit the vehicle instead. Additionally, you can move with the vehicle when it moves, to maintain cover. Such movement uses your normal actions but occurs out of your own turn. You cannot roll MOBILITY to move additional hexes.

OBSTACLES

 

To make it even harder for an enemy to advance through an urban environment, you can place additional obstacles in their way. These come in two main variants: sandbags and debris. These both work like the debris terrain type

described in the table on page 57 of the Player’s Manual, with the only difference being that sandbags have a standard cover armor level of 4.

they are considered hexes with the debris terrain type, intersected by brick walls (low barriers with armor level 2) around them.

PLACING OBSTACLES: Placing debris or sandbags in a hex on

All indoor hexes are either open or blocked. A blocked hex is boarded up or otherwise intentionally obstructed. You cannot move into a blocked hex until it is breached (below). You can move out of a blocked hex normally, however. Blocking a hex typically takes a shift of work. You can use the BLOCK tokens in this boxed set to indicate this status. The Referee can mark blocked hexes on their hidden map but should always inform players if an adjacent hex is blocked or not. A hex is always assumed to be open unless clearly designated as blocked.

BLOCKED HEXES a battle map typically takes a shift of work. To indicate the obstacle, you can place a DEBRIS or SANDBAG token in the hex.

BUILDINGS A major feature of urban warfare is, obviously, buildings. Close quarters combat inside buildings can be managed using the close quarters maps in this boxed set and the rules later in this chapter. Here follows guidelines for managing combat on the regular battle maps of urban areas.

INDOORS AND OUTDOORS For game purposes, the center dot of each hex on the battle map determines if the hex is considered indoors or outdoors. If the center dot is on the building, even if parts of the hex extend outside the building, the entire hex is considered an indoor hex. Conversely, if the center dot is outside of the building, even if parts of the hex extend into a building, the entire hex is considered an outdoor hex. RUINS: Areas of totally destroyed buildings are not considered buildings for the purposes of the rules. Instead, INDOORS AND OUTDOORS

A B

Hex A is an indoor hex, while hex B is an outdoor hex. RUINS

BREACHING A blocked hex can be breached by using explosives or heavy weapons against it from adjacent hexes. Only weapons with an explosive effect (blast power D or higher) can be used to breach. Shaped charges (page 70 in the Player’s Manual) are especially useful for breaching. If the damage done exceeds the barrier’s modified armor level (page 59 in the Player’s Manual), the hex is breached and no longer counts as blocked for any purposes. Flip the BLOCK token over to the BREACH side. When attacking a blocked indoor hex from inside a building, the armor level is typically 1 (indoor wall). When a hex is breached, the explosive effect will affect only the breached hex. In addition, any booby trap or overwatch token (below) in the hex is eliminated. For these purposes, it can be useful to breach a hex even if it is not blocked. SLOW BREACHING: A blocked hex can be breached using hard labor instead of explosives. This requires a STAMINA or TECH roll (your choice) and a shift of time. Multiple attempts are allowed.

MOVEMENT ENTERING BUILDINGS: To move between an outdoor and an open (i.e., not blocked) indoor hex requires an extra fast action, in addition to the movement itself. The outer walls of a building are high barriers, as described on page 59 of the Player’s Manual. Individual doors and windows are not shown on the regular battle maps. Instead, every building is assumed to have windows and doors, allowing entry. INDOOR TERRAIN: Inside a building, the indoors terrain type is used (page 57 of the Player’s Manual), but the maximum visibility is typically zero hexes – i.e., you cannot see anything beyond the hex you are in, and enemies outside your hex cannot trace a line of sight to you either. Note that this is a change from the rules in the Player’s Manual. There is one key exception to this rule – if you are in an indoor hex bordering an exterior wall and have taken partial cover against the outside of the building (page 16), you have unlimited visibility in this direction, and enemies on the outside can spot you as well. INDOOR MOVEMENT: On the regular battle maps, you can only move one hex per (fast) action indoors and no MOBILITY roll is allowed to move faster, because of walls and doors. This rule affects even a movement that starts in an outdoor hex and ends indoors.

These hexes are not considered building hexes.

CITY RULES

02 15

02 CITY RULES

FLOORS: For the sake of simplicity, buildings on the regular battle maps are assumed to have two floors – a ground floor and an upper floor. This rule may be overridden by the Referee or a specific scenario site. Inside a building, you can use a fast action to move up or down one floor. The corresponding hexes on two different floors count as two separate hexes also for the purposes of blocking and breaching (page 15). Use the tokens in this boxed set to indicate which floor you are on. ROOFTOPS: If you move one floor up from the top floor of a building, you’re on the rooftop. The rooftop does not count as the indoors terrain type, but rather as pavement – giving you a wide field of view, no obstacles to movement, and a bonus for firing from an elevated position when attacking enemies on the ground below. On the roof, you are exposed to enemy fire, however. ENTERING BUILDINGS

OVERWATCH: As a defender inside a building, it can often be effective to assume an overwatch position against your own hex. As the enemy has zero visibility beyond their own hex, your will be able to fire at the moment they enter your hex. You can also assume overwatch against a target already inside your hex, and fire at any time. Overwatch fire against your own hex does not get a negative modifier for “firing in close combat” (page 63 of the Player’s Manual). EXPLOSIONS: In an indoor hex, the power of an explosion is compressed, and therefore the blast power is increased one step (to a maximum of A). However, an indoor blast does not continue beyond the detonation hex. Note that firing an explosive weapon at a target in your own hex is not advisable, except for breaching (as the blast will then affect the adjacent hex instead). BOOBY TRAPS: Indoors, placing mines or IEDs as booby traps can be very effective. This works as per the rules for anti-­personnel mines (page 68 in the Player’s Manual) but failing the RECON roll when entering a booby-­trapped hex will automatically trigger a detonation (even if just a single device is present).

01 01

Ronson moves into the building, spending one fast action on the movement itself and one fast action to cross the barrier.

COMBAT TERRAIN: As per the terrain table on page 57 in the Player’s

Manual, all ranged attacks against a target in the indoor terrain type suffer a −1 penalty, while RECON rolls for hiding or sneaking get a +1 modifier. Additionally, don’t forget the modifiers for firing in close combat (page 63 in the Player’s Manual). COVER: In an indoor terrain hex, you can seek cover with armor level 1. This cover is effective even against ranged attacks from within your own hex. Note that this is a change from the rules in the Player’s Manual, and it only applies to indoor hexes. Furthermore, the outer walls of a building are generally assumed to have windows in every hex, on every floor. This means that when you are in an indoor hex adjacent to the outer wall, you can always find partial cover toward the outside of the building (typically with armor level 2).

16

When not in partial cover by a window, you are assumed to be in full cover from anyone outside the building, except if you have just fired against someone hugging the wall outside (page 14).

BREACHING: To avoid falling victim to booby traps and enemies on overwatch, it can be useful to breach an indoor hex with explosives before moving into it (page 15). Remember, you can breach a hex even if it is not blocked. FIRING BLIND: Since indoor visibility is limited to your own hex, you cannot fire accurately into an adjacent indoor hex. You can, however, fire blind. 7 If the adjacent target hex is open, you can fire blind through an aperture such as a doorway, hatch, or window. With a non-­ explosive weapon, you won’t hit anyone in the target hex, but you can suppress them. Roll for the attack with only your ammo dice. If you roll one or more , all fighters in the target hex must make a coolness under fire roll. The Referee should keep the result of such CUF rolls secret and can even make fake rolls when no enemy is present, to maintain the fog of war. 7 Using an explosive weapon (even a hand grenade) is very effective when firing blind – when targeting an adjacent open indoor hex (not an individual target), the hex is automatically hit (there is no risk of deviation). 7 If the target hex is blocked, you can still fire blind into it with non-­ explosive weapons (as per above) but only if the base damage of the weapon exceeds the modified armor level of the hex. For explosive weapons, firing at a blocked hex counts as an attempted breach (page 15). SMOKE: Thick smoke blocks line of sight even inside a hex. You can, however, fire blind at targets in a smoke-­filled hex. If the Referee deems you know the approximate location of your target, you can fire normally but with a −3 modifier.

FIRING BLIND

Except when explicitly stated here, a sector functions in exactly the same way as a hex for all purposes of the combat rules. TERRAIN: On the close quarters maps, there are two types of indoor

A 01

01

EXAMPLE Ronson, carrying an M4 carbine, is moving through a building where some rogue Soviet troops might be hiding. He wants to move into hex A, which is not blocked. The Referee has marked a Soviet soldier in partial cover and on overwatch in that hex on the secret Referee map. Taking no chances, Ronson fires blind into it before moving. He rolls three ammo dice and gets one . The Referee rolls a secret CUF roll for the Soviet soldier and fails – he is suppressed. Ronson moves into the hex. As the Soviet soldier loses both actions on his next turn, it’s Ronson’s turn again. He aims and fires, getting a −1 modifier for the terrain type and a further −1 for firing at an active target in his own hex with a carbine. Having AGL A and RANGED COMBAT C, his roll is downstepped to a double D8. Adding three ammo dice to his roll, Ronson hits the Soviet in the chest with two and one , for a total of 4 points of damage. The damage is reduced by 1 by the cover, but the 3 remaining points is enough to inflict a critical injury.

terrain: open and cluttered (typically by furniture or machinery). When in doubt, assume the sector is cluttered. Cluttered terrain offers cover, gives a −1 penalty to ranged attacks against targets in the sector, and a +1 to RECON rolls to hide in it. See the table below. WALLS, DOORS & WINDOWS: As opposed to the hexagonal battle maps,

doors and windows are indicated on the close quarters maps. Intact walls of an indoor sector are high barriers and can only be passed through a door or window, or a breach (page 15). Collapsed walls count as low barriers and can be passed with a MOBILITY roll (fast action). Multiple attempts are allowed. OUTDOOR SECTORS: Some close quarters maps have small outdoor areas, such as back alleys. These function just like indoor sectors except for the effect of explosions (page 16). LINE OF SIGHT: As a general rule, your line of sight is limited to your own sector on a close quarters map. There are two exceptions to this general rule: 7 In a larger room/corridor divided into several subsectors, you have line of sight to the entire room as long as nothing else is preventing visibility (e.g. smoke). 7 If you have taken partial cover by a door, window, or breach, you have line of sight into the adjacent sector (page 18). Note that you otherwise cannot trace line of sight through a door or window.

INDOOR TERRAIN TYPES OPEN

CLUTTERED

Ranged Attacks

TERRAIN

—

−1

Cover

No

Yes (1)

Infiltration

—

+1

CLOSE QUARTERS COMBAT In very close quarters, a greater level of detail than the regular battle maps offer might be useful. Included in this boxed set you will find two double-­sided close quarters battle maps, depicting four generic individual buildings in detail. More close quarters maps will be published in the future, and you can easily make your own.

CLOSE QUARTERS MAPS The close quarters battle maps have a larger scale than the regular battle maps (roughly 1:125 compared to 1:500). Also, they have no hexes. Instead, the close quarters maps have sectors. A sector is typically one room or hallway, but never larger than 10 meters across. Large halls and long hallways are divided into several subsectors, indicated on the maps by dotted lines.

SWITCHING TO CLOSE QUARTERS When to use close quarters battle maps is up to the Referee. Typically, a combat encounter will play out fully on one type of map or the other. It can happen, however, that a fight starts on a hexagonal battle map and then moves over onto a close quarters map, or vice versa. The Referee decides when and if the time is right for such a switch, and also determines the exact position of all participants on the new map type.

CITY RULES

02 17

02 CITY RULES

BLOCKING

CLOSE COMBAT

In close quarters combat, you block (page 15) individual doors and windows, not entire sectors. To block a door or window typically takes about a stretch of time. Place the BLOCK marker on the aperture on the battle map to indicate that it has been locked, jammed shut, barricaded, or otherwise covered up in some way. A blocked door or window blocks line of sight and cannot be moved or fired through, until it is breached. The Referee can mark blocked walls and windows on their secret Referee map but should always inform players about blocked apertures in the sector you are in.

To attack someone in close combat, you need to be in the same sector as your target. Place your character token in direct contact with the target token to indicate that you are now engaged in close combat. This movement (inside the sector) is part of your close combat attack and does not require an action. Being engaged in close combat has two effects: 7 Neither you nor your opponent can perform any slow actions other than close combat attacks. Fast actions can be performed normally. 7 If anyone outside of the engagement shoots at either of you, roll to hit normally, but a random roll is used to determine which one of you is actually hit by the attack.

BREACHING On a close quarters map, you don’t breach a sector but rather specific walls or (blocked) doors and windows. You can also breach floors or ceilings. Only weapons with an explosive effect can be used to breach. If the damage done exceeds the barrier’s modified armor level, it is breached. For a door or window, flip the BLOCK token over to the BREACH side. When breaching a wall, floor, or ceiling, place the BREACH marker where you want. A typical indoor wall, floor, or door has armor level 1. If a barrier is breached, the explosive effect will (only) affect the sector beyond the breach. In addition, any overwatch token in that sector is eliminated, and any booby trap on the breached door or window is eliminated (booby traps elsewhere in the sector are not affected). For this reason, it can be useful to breach a door or a wall to a sector even if the door is not blocked. SLOW BREACHING: A blocked door or window can be breached using hard labor instead of explosives. This requires a STAMINA or TECH roll (your choice) and a stretch of time. Multiple attempts are allowed. A solid wall can also be breached in this way, but it requires heavy tools.

MOVEMENT With a single fast action, you can move into an adjacent sector, as long as there is a door or window connecting the sectors, or if the wall is breached. You cannot roll MOBILITY to move additional sectors. Note that no additional action is required to move through a door or window, other than the move itself.

ENDING THE ENGAGEMENT: The close combat engagement remains until any of the following occurs: 7 You move away from the enemy. This requires a retreat action as per page 63 of the Player’s Manual. You can move into an adjacent sector or stay in the same sector if you prefer. Note that moving out of sector with an active enemy does not require a retreat action if you are not in a close combat engagement. 7 You knock your enemy down using the shove attack (page 63 of the Player’s Manual). You can also use the shove action to push your enemy away from you, instead of tripping them to the ground. If so, move the enemy character token to any location in the sector within a 180-degree arc away from your token. 7 You or your opponent is suppressed or incapacitated. DIVING BLOWS: You cannot perform a diving blow (page 63 of the Player’s Manual) if you pass through a door, window, or breach when entering your opponent’s sector.

RANGED COMBAT TOKEN PLACEMENT: When ending movement, you can place your character

token anywhere in the target sector. You are not allowed to move your token outside of your own turn unless the rules explicitly say otherwise. The exact position of the token matters for two reasons: 7 When in cover, the cover extends in a 180-degree arc from your character token. 7 To attack in close combat, your token must be in direct contact with your target. FLOORS: Just like on the hexagonal maps, moving up or down one floor in a building requires a fast action. However, on a close quarters map, such movement is only possible by means of a staircase or some other opening in the floor/ceiling. If there is no staircase, you need a slow action and a MOBILITY roll to climb. You can breach a floor or ceiling with explosives to create pathways up or down if there is no staircase nearby, or if you want to avoid staircases due to the risk of booby traps.

18

On a close quarters map, you have line of sight to anyone in your own sector (unless they are in full cover) and can thus fire at them. You do not have line of sight into adjacent sectors through doors, windows, and breaches unless you take partial cover next to them (below). A ranged attack against a target inside your own sector suffers the penalties for “firing in close combat” (page 63 of the Player’s Manual), i.e. −1 for pistols, carbines, and SMGs, and −2 for other weapons (but see the Close Quarters Specialist specialty on page 13). If the sector is cluttered, you suffer a further −1 modifier. COVER: On the close quarters maps, you can take cover inside a cluttered sector (page 17) or by a door, window, or breach to an adjacent sector. Taking cover is, as usual, a fast action. 7 When taking cover inside a cluttered sector, place your character token wherever you like in the

7

sector except in direct contact with an enemy, and a cover token (partial or full) next to your character token. The cover extends in a 180-degree arc in the direction of the cover token. When taking cover by a door, window, or breach, move your character token next to the aperture and place a cover token (partial or full) in the direction of the adjacent sector. In partial cover, you have line of sight into the adjacent sector – but enemies in that sector also have line of sight to you. In full cover, you can fire blind (below) into the adjacent sector.

BLIND FIRE: If you have full cover by an aperture into an adjacent sector, you can fire blind into that sector. Only roll your ammo dice (at least one is required). If you roll one or more , all fighters in the target hex must make a coolness under fire roll. The Referee should keep the result of such CUF rolls secret and can even make fake rolls even when no enemy is present, to maintain the fog of war. If the base damage rating of your weapon is higher than the modified armor level of the wall to another sector, you can fire blind through the wall without the need for an aperture. OVERWATCH: On a close quarters map, you can only assume overwatch position (page 66 of the Player’s Manual) against: 7 An aperture such as a door, window, or breach. The moment an enemy appears in the aperture, you can fire. 7 A specific character. You can fire at this specific enemy at any moment until your next turn.

FIRING AT WALLS: Using a heavy weapon to fire at a wall is a way to breach the wall (page 18). If the wall is breached, the explosive effect will affect the adjacent sector instead of your own.

EXPLOSIONS On a close quarters map, the blast power of an explosion in an indoor sector is increased one step (to a maximum of A). The blast does not continue beyond the detonation sector – except in the case of large rooms or corridors divided into several subsectors, in which the blast power is reduced one step for each subsector away from the blast. BOOBY TRAPS: On a close quarters map, a booby trap is placed on a specific location in a sector – typically a door or window, but it can also be a staircase. This works as per the rules for anti-­personnel mines (page 68 in the Player’s Manual) but failing the RECON roll when passing the booby-­trapped location will automatically trigger a detonation. Booby traps can be marked using the MINE tokens from the core set. The Referee can also mark out booby traps on their secret map.

SMOKE: Thick smoke blocks line of sight even inside a sector. You can, however, fire blind at targets in a smoke-­filled sector. If the Referee deems you know the approximate location of your target, you can fire normally but with a −3 modifier.

HEAVY WEAPONS When firing a heavy weapon on a close quarters map, you can aim for a sector or a specific target. When aiming at a sector, you automatically hit it (no risk of deviation). If you attack a specific target and miss, the explosion will still occur in the target sector. Note however, that you’ll likely only want to use a heavy weapon when firing into an adjacent sector from your own. FIRING BLIND: Using an explosive weapon (even a hand grenade) is very effective when firing blind into an adjacent sector through an aperture (see Ranged Combat above). You can’t hit a specific target, but the blast will affect everything in the target sector and the blast power is increased by one step indoors (page 16).

CITY RULES

02 19

02 CITY RULES

EXPLOSIONS

A 01

02

B 01

02

EXAMPLE Later, Ronson and Diaz are moving through a small housing complex to hunt down a marauder leader. They believe he is hiding in sector A (an apartment living room) with a henchman. Fearing (correctly) that the marauders have overwatch or even booby-­traps on the doors and windows, Ronson and Diaz decide on a different approach. Diaz places

a shaped charge (blast power C) at position B on the map and detonates it. The 3 points of explosive damage (the base damage of 2 is increased one step for the shaped charge) breach the wall and the explosive effect (blast power D, reduced one step for the shaped charge) hits the two marauders in sector A, who were behind partial cover in opposite directions and in overwatch mode against the door and window. Marauder #01 takes 1 point of damage, fails his CUF roll, becomes suppressed, and drops prone. Marauder #02 takes no damage but still needs to make a CUF roll. He makes it and can act. At this point, everyone draws initiative. Diaz automatically gets the #1 card for her surprising initial action. After detonating the shaped charge, she uses her fast action to assume partial cover by the breach. Ronson gets the #5 card and the marauders get the #3 and #9 cards. Marauder #01 loses both actions this turn due to being suppressed. Now it’s Ronson’s turn. He spends a fast action to move into the room through the breach, and then fires at Marauder #02. He gets negative modifiers for the quick shot, for firing in close combat, and the cluttered terrain, for a total of −3. Still, rolling a D8 and a D6 as well as three ammo dice, he scores a hit and inflicts a critical injury. The marauder can claim no protection from his cover since it was directed at the door.

CITY TRAVEL Just like combat, travel in urban environments is a lot slower than in the open field and is handled in much more detail. The rules in this section fully replace the rules for city travel on page 149 of the Player’s Manual.

WHEN TO USE THE CITY MAPS The city maps are only meant to be used for travel within key city areas, such as shown on the Krakow and Karlsborg maps in this boxed set. Use the normal travel rules in the core set for the move into or out of an urban hex on the main travel map (with a town or the ruins terrain type). Only use the city travel maps and rules when you are trying to reach a specific destination within the city.

20

CITY MAPS Travel inside cities is managed by city maps, with 200meter hexagons to regulate movement. You can find two sample city maps in this boxed set – one of central Krakow and one of Karlsborg. You can create your own city maps using the blank map templates on the Free League website. City travel works similarly to long-­range travel as per chapter 6 in the Player’s Manual, but it is tracked per stretch (5–10 minutes instead of per shift). In each stretch of time, you can move a set number of hexes and you might have an encounter (see chapter 3). TERRAIN TYPES: City maps have terrain types just like

regular travel maps. The new terrain type built-­up, for urban environments not yet in ruins, is added in this module. For the purposes of the game, it works just like ruins, but with one key difference – when driving “off-­ road,” i.e. not on a main road, the vehicle’s listed on-­road

4

A EJ AL

KRÓ

5 6

ARMII

LI JU

K

LEW SKA

NOWA WIES KRAJOW

ŁOBZÓW

EJ

7

MA

CHECKPOINTS

9 travel speed is used instead of the off-­road speed. The travel speed is still halved due to driving “off-­road.” For a 10 summary of all terrain types, see the table on page 138 11 of the Player’s Manual.

CZA R

TA

14

(STA

DRIVING PIA STO WSK A

During city travel, you15need to decide your task for the stretch just like for long-­ range travel, but most tasks will 16 be unavailable as they take a longer time to complete. 17 The only tasks you can perform in a stretch of city travel are marching, driving,18and keeping watch.

ALEJA 3 MA JA

DA RDYNAN ŁKA FE MARSZA ALEJA

ZWIERZYNIEC

CHECKPOINT

NTA

20

FOCHA

MU ZYG JA ALE

03

19

MARCHING

N OW IEJ SKA

WŁAD YSŁA W RE YMON

13

ALEJ A AD A

Most cities have checkpoints. These function as set encounters, pre-­ positioned in specific hexes. Your PCs might be aware of the locations CZARNA WIESwhile others will be unknown to you and known of some checkpoints, only to the Referee. As usual, a RECON roll is allowed to spot a checkpoint PIASEK before it spots you. If you succeed, you can back off as per the rules above.

12

TASKS

MIC KIE WIC ZA

NAWOJK I

MAŁE BŁONIA

8

EG SKI SIŃ KR A

In a stretch of time, you can march two 200-meter city 21 hexes on a road or in open terrain, or one city hex off road 22 in any terrain except open. You don’t need to roll for the 23 effects of weather or darkness during city travel, as the 24 distances are short. There is also no need for a forced march, as you can march 25 for as many stretches as you like (up to potentially 50 stretches per shift, but few city 26 travels will be that long).

03

NOWY SWIAT

O

ZWIERZYNIEC I SZK CIU KOŚ

KI NIC

EXAMPLE

ĘB T D MOS

ZA EUS TAD

VER

I ULA R VIS Tthe Diaz drives the M113 through Krakow, toward Old Town. She sticks to the main roads to keep the pace up. In the first stretch, she moves eight 200-meter city hexes (the on-­road travel speed of the M113 is 8). DĘBNIKI Ronson is keeping watch. After six hexes, they encounter a checkpoint. Ronson makes his RECON roll and spots the checkpoint early. Diaz decides to back off to find another path, off the main road. She has two hexes of movement left (as the on-­road travel speed is DĘBNIKI ZACHÓD still used in this built-­up terrain) which is halved due to going off the main road. Diaz moves one hex to the west, and then the stretch is over. LUDWINÓW The 1.4 km movement this stretch has consumed roughly three liters of alcohol fuel – the M113 fuel consumption of 8 is doubled for running on alcohol, then multiplied by 8 for the number of hexes driven (the last off-­ ZAKRZÓWEK road hex counts double), and finally divided by 50 to convert to city hexes. MA

RII

27

N KO

OP

28

J KIE NIC

DRIVING

MOS T Z WIE RZY

O SIN CAS TE

R

VE RI LA

TU

VI S

NK ELA KAP

A

The rules for keeping watch are the same during city travel as for regular travel as described on page 143 of the Player’s Manual. How encounters work in an urban environment is described in the next chapter.

BACKING OFF When backing off from an encounter after a successful RECON roll (page 143 in the Player’s Manual) on a city map, you need to immediately move back out the hex with your next move, or you will be spotted. You can go directly backwards (i.e., make a 180-degree turn) or into either of the hexes to your back left and right (i.e. make a 120-degree turn). If you have no movement left this stretch, you must back out of the hex with your first move in the next stretch.

ICKIEJ KONOPN

GO IE SK IŃ EL ZI

E

MARII

A

D

V

AN HD

C

RI

BO

B

A

ŁA

20

0m

WOODS

Z ALEW Z A K R ZÓ W EK

LONG-­RANGE CITY COMBAT

41 A

UL

RA NE GE

lated normally but divided by 50 to get liters per city 37 hex. To keep things simple, we recommend that you 38 MAP LEGEND wait until the city travel is completed before calculatBUILD UP LAKE/RIVER OPEN ROAD RUINS 39 ing the fuel consumption, and then round off to the 40 closest full liter of fuel.

KEEPING WATCH

NIE CKI

MON

35

FUEL CONSUMPTION: 36 The fuel consumption is calcu-

KI LDZ NWA

ST

KSIĘCIA JÓZEFA

RU T G MOS

VI

29 you use your vehicle’s travel When driving in a city, speeds as indicated in30chapter 5 of the Player’s Manual, but you travel the indicated number of 200-meter city 31 hexes per stretch (instead of 10 km travel hexes per shift). 32 The effects of terrain and night driving are the same as 33 indicated on page 141 of the Player’s Manual, but you do not need to roll for34mishaps.

F

G

H

I

J

K

L

M

MATECZNY N

O

P

The city maps with 200-meter hexes are detailed enough to be used to regulate long-­ range combat encounters - especially for artillery and other heavy weapons, but also for sniper fire. To play out combat using the city maps, we recommend using stretches instead of rounds, applying the rules for combat movement for ground troops and vehicles to the city hexes instead of 10-meter combat hexes. More detailed rules for long-­range combat and mass battles will be included in a future expansion to Twilight: 2000.

Q

R

S

21

03

URBAN ENCOUNTERS Diaz doesn’t say a lot. She’s cool under fire, friendly, but only as a way of keeping people away, if that makes sense. I’ve seen her lose it exactly once, and even that was clinical. We were on the outskirts of Krakow. Heard shots coming from an alley. Two men were shooting at a dog trapped in a dead end. Looked like they’d hit it once. They were laughing. The dog whimpered. Diaz raised her rifle. The one with the gun turned and she shot him in the head. The other held up his hands. She shot him in the head too. Then, she told Kasia to help the dog. Top nodded when Kasia looked at him. None of us said anything further. Diaz never talked about it, and we’ve never asked. They deserved it, I guess. Probably, we all do.

03

URBAN ENCOUNTERS

CITIES BRING LIGHT, LIFE, and promises of warm beds. They also bring unique danger, for humans are still the worst beasts that hunt the blasted landscape of the year 2000 and nowhere are they more plentiful than around the dead cores of their former world. When traveling in cities (page 20), the encounter rules from chapter 3 of the Referee’s Manual in the Twilight: 2000 core set are used, but with the modifications listed below. This chapter is for the Referee’s eyes only.

STACKING THE DECK You can adapt the encounter deck to the specifics of the city you are playing in. Simply use whichever cards, old or new, that fit the current conditions, and leave the rest out.

FREQUENCY: City travel is managed by stretches (instead of shifts), and as cities are so much more densely populated, you’ll typically draw one urban encounter per stretch. As always, as Referee you are free to draw encounters more or less often, depending on the flow of the game. ON-­ROAD AND OFF-­ROAD: All urban environments, no matter the terrain type on the city map, are considered “on-­road” for the purposes of encounters. That means that encounters listed as only occurring off-­ road will not occur on a city map. BACKING OFF: Remember that PCs who want to back off from an encounter after a successful RECON roll need to back out of the hex (page 21). They cannot just spend extra movement and carry on as in the normal travel rules – simply because the city hexes are much smaller.

AREAS OF CONTROL A new concept for encounters in Twilight: 2000 is areas of control, indicating hexes on the travel map that are controlled by a specific faction. Not all city hexes are under someone’s control – some are simply uncontrolled. There are two levels of control – limited control and total control. 7

NO CONTROL: Draw encounters in the area

normally.

NEW ENCOUNTERS This chapter adds 16 new encounters that are city-­specific, evoking the nature of the urban centers after civilization’s fall and the highs and lows found in this altered world. These new encounters are on cards in this boxed set. The new encounters are meant to replace the encounters on the corresponding cards in the boxed set. You can remove those 16 cards from the deck and shuffle the new cards into it. The new cards are all marked Twilight: 2000 Urban Operations along the side, so you can easily remove them from the deck again when the PCs leave the city. FACTIONS: Just like the encounters in the core set, the new urban encounters have suggested factions listed, helping you to connect encounters to the key players in the area. A number of new factions are found in chapter 4. PLOTS: In addition to factions, some of the new encounters offer suggestions on how to connect them to the plots. A plot is a longer narrative that can involve one or more faction. Read more in chapter 5.

7

7

LIMITED CONTROL: When drawing an encounter, replace any military faction on the card (US, Soviet, or local) with the faction controlling the area. TOTAL CONTROL: When drawing an encounter, replace any marauder or military faction on the card with the faction controlling the area.

Of course, you might need to adapt both the gear and the attitude of the NPCs encountered to fit the faction actually present. As always, you are free to choose encounters at will instead of letting chance decide. HIDDEN MAPS: As a Referee, you can mark out areas of control on a hidden copy of the city map. Players should not be allowed to see this map beforehand – getting intelligence on areas of control can be difficult and dangerous. In the appendix of this book, you will find two sample Referee city maps, one of Krakow and one of Karlsborg. CONTROL CHANGES: Areas of control are not static; they will change over time. This is generally left to your discretion. Areas of control can also be changed due to the PCs’ actions.

MODIFYING ENCOUNTERS CHECKPOINTS Most of the on-­road encounters from the core set may be used in cities, but some might require a little modification. For example, an encounter with a farm or a village should rather be seen as an apartment block. In such cases, we recommend that you adjust the encounter accordingly.

24

A ubiquitous feature in cities of the year 2000 is the checkpoint. Whether manned by an organized military force or just a few thugs from the neighborhood, city travelers will regularly encounter roadblocks. In rules terms, checkpoints function like encounters, but they are not randomly located. Instead, they have a set position on the map. The checkpoint replaces any random encounter in the hex.

AREAS OF CONTROL ON THE BIG TRAVEL MAP Areas of control are especially applicable in cities, as they (still) tend to be a little more organized than the countryside. But you are free to use the rules for areas of control on the big travel map as well, and you can have a hidden map indicating factions controlling certain areas of the land.

On the two sample Referee city maps of Krakow and Karlsborg at the back of this book, you will find checkpoints marked. The staff and gear at these checkpoints are detailed in Appendix I and II. For other cities, you can design checkpoints as you see fit or use appropriate encounter cards. The following

encounters can be used as a basis for a checkpoint, depending on the faction controlling the area: 7 7

MILITARY: Queen of Clubs, Queen of Diamonds, Queen of Hearts. MARAUDER: 9 of Clubs, 9 of Diamonds, 9 of Hearts.

STATIONARY PLAYERS Page 37 of the Referee’s Manual describes special encounters that might be triggered if the PCs remain stationary. This concept is even more relevant in cities, as a group of well-­armed and capable individuals will quickly draw attention from the locals. On page 32 and forward is an expanded list of stationary encounters for use in urban areas. You can roll on this table as often as you like, but we recommend doing so at least once per day. As in the countryside, add +1 to the roll for each subsequent day in which the PCs stay in the same place. As always, you are free to choose a stationary encounter rather than let chance decide. Of course, you will need to adapt the exact nature of the encounters to the specific location in which the PCs are staying. PLOTS: Just like the new city travel encounters, several of the stationary encounters offer suggestions on how to connect them to plots (chapter 5). Using these stationary encounters, you have a quick and easy way to draw the players into the nefarious plots and schemes of the city.

ROBBERY

URBAN ENCOUNTERS

03 25

03

URBAN ENCOUNTERS

TYPICAL NPCS TYPE

ATTRIBUTES

HIT CAP.

CUF

SKILLS

TYPICAL GEAR

Gang Member

STR B, AGL C, INT C, EMP D

5

C

Close Combat C, Ranged Combat C, Recon D

Pistol or SMG with one reload, knife or club

Street Kid

STR D, AGL B, INT B, EMP B

4

C

Close Combat D, Mobility C, Recon B

Knife or club

Police Officer

STR B, AGL C, INT C, EMP B

5

B

Close Combat C, Driving C, Ranged Combat C, Persuasion D, Recon D

Pistol with two reloads

LIST OF ENCOUNTERS Below, the 16 new urban encounters for Twilight: 2000 are described. You will also find them on cards in this boxed set.

2 

BURNING BUILDING

8 

SNIPER

A building burns along this road. A man frantically tries to rescue objects from inside. If the PCs help, he’ll split his belongings with them. If they pick on their own, he becomes irate but does not fight them. Inside the house, an intensity C fire rages. Each round, a PC can make a scrounging roll to find an item on the scrap table on pages 144–145 of the Player’s Manual. A total of D6 items can be found.

A sniper fires at the PCs and other people nearby. Citizens run for cover; they are used to snipers. A RECON roll with a −2 modifier can be made each round to spot the sniper, for the nest is well-­concealed.

PLOT: The fire was set by one side of the Krakow schism (page 46) as a warning.

PLOT: The sniper is sick with The Plague (page 46) or part of The Last Offensive page 45).

3  7 7

ROBBERY FACTION: Marauder NUMBER: PC

A robbery takes place before the PCs’ eyes. Some thugs (gang members) are beating an unarmed man who tries do hold them off. The PCs can intervene or leave the parties to their business. It’s a one-­sided fight unless the PCs stop it. PLOT: The victim of the robbery carries some piece of information or tech relevant to Operation Reset (page 50) or might

26

be a member of the Sanctuary at the power plant in Power Play (page 43).

7 7

2  7 7

FACTION: Marauder NUMBER: 1

DYING SPY FACTION: US Intelligence NUMBER: 1

A spy lies dying in an alley. Wet noises and coughing alert the PCs to the victim who, with their last few breaths, tells the PCs they must take a package at the end of the alley and deliver it to an intel agent. The spy doesn’t have time to say what is in the package, who they work for, or who killed them. PLOT: The package given relates to Operation: Reset or Power Play.

SNIPER

4  7 7

GANG FACTION: Marauder NUMBER: PC×2

One of the local gangs decides to shake down the PCs. This is their territory, they say, and the PCs must pay 100 bullets (or the equivalent in other goods) for access. They are armed and, if the PCs are better armed, claim they can call on reinforcements. PLOT: This gang threw in with one side of the Krakow plot. Alternatively, they’re deserters from The Last Offensive.

8  7 7

BAKER STREET IRREGULARS FACTION: Civilian NUMBER: PC+3

A pack of street kids takes interest in the PCs. If they think they can get away with it, they try to lift small items off the characters as they crowd around them. These kids see and hear a lot in the city and could be useful if the PCs make friends with them. However, they are suspicious, and wise beyond their years, causing any PERSUASION roll against them to suffer a −2 modifier. On the other hand, if the PCs give them food or supplies, the roll is instead made with a +2 modifier. PLOT: One of the kids works occasionally as the eyes and ears of a DIA agent. He’s been asked to listen for anyone mentioning Operation: Reset or The Last Offensive.

URBAN ENCOUNTERS

03 27

03

URBAN ENCOUNTERS

REFUGEES

K  7 7

REFUGEES FACTION: Civilian NUMBER: PC×4

A group of refugees walks through the town begging for assistance. The citizens do not want to help and might even pelt them with random objects and cutting insults. The refugees fled from a military/marauder attack on their nearby town. People here have their own problems. PLOT: These refugees fled after the initial Russian push in The

the two groups, and violence could erupt at any moment. The PCs must either find a way around the brewing riot or intervene. At your discretion, the violence explodes just as the PCs are in the thick of it. A lot of blood could be spilled. PLOT: The protestors are on one side of the Krakow schism, agitated about the coming changes. They might otherwise be gathered due to rumors of The Plague, demanding the city help.

5 

POLICE

Last Offensive. They might otherwise flee The Plague. 7

2  7 7

PROTESTERS FACTION: Civilian and Police NUMBER: PC×4 each

A group of citizen protesters squares off against the local militia or police over an internal matter. Things are very tense between

28

7

FACTION: Police/Militia NUMBER: PC

Local police or militia stop the characters with routine questions about their business. If the characters look overly suspicious, or are caught lying, the police try to bring them to the local courthouse or other HQ. The group itself isn’t that large, but they can call on reinforcements. PLOT: The police are on edge due to rumors of The Last Offensive or The Plague.

6  7 7

POP-­UP MARKET FACTION: Civilian NUMBER: PC×2

A semi-­regular market has set up shop here. There are several makeshift stalls and a crowd of people bartering for various goods. Local militia, gangs, or police patrol the area to prevent blatant theft. Many items are available. The market has common items automatically and scarce items on a 4–6 instead of 5–6 as seen on page 90 of the Player’s Manual. PLOT: This market tries to turn a quick buck as people stock-­up for The Last Offensive or The Plague. That’s why it’s very busy right now.

8 

2  7 7

IMPROMPTU CHECKPOINT FACTION: Military NUMBER: PC+2

Whatever faction controls the town has erected an impromptu checkpoint, stopping everyone who wants to pass. Causing trouble here follows the PCs throughout the city. There is an armored vehicle here, equipped with a mounted machine gun. PLOT: This is a new checkpoint erected during the events of The Plague plot as a containment measure. It might have likewise been erected due to The Last Offensive.

UNLOOTED BUILDING

Somehow or another this building wasn’t looted. It looks dodgy, near collapse, and maybe that’s why looters passed it by early on. A quick search and a SCROUNGING roll in here will yield D6 rolls on the scrap table on page 144–145 in the Player’s Manual. PLOT: Inside this house is a clue leading to the location of the church holding the Spear of Destiny or a clue to Operation: Reset.

Q  7 7

DRUNKS FACTION: Civilian NUMBER: PC+3

A group of drunks amble down the street. They’re in good spirits but turn when they see anyone wearing a uniform. They don’t like uniforms. If the PCs can’t calm them down, the drunks throw bottles and rocks at them. It could easily escalate. PLOT: These drunks were victimized by soldiers as part of the Last Offensive or fled from The Plague.

DRUNKS URBAN ENCOUNTERS

03 29

03

URBAN ENCOUNTERS

3 

Others simply pass by. His words are ominous, full of new apocalypses. Spotting the PCs, the zealot claims they are part of one of his prophecies and heckles them to join his deranged cause.

MUSIC

A group of musicians plays in the middle of the street. It might be Beethoven or NWA. It doesn’t matter. Live music is a rare thing, and it uplifts the souls drug low by war. Each PC heals 1 point of stress. Everyone on the street has stopped, staring, listening, some crying. PLOT: One of the musicians worked at the power plant in Power

PLOT: This street preacher knows something about the Spear of Destiny or The Plague. He’s still not well, but some bit of his ranting holds truth.

8 

FUNERAL

Play or is a deserter from The Last Offensive.

4 

STREET PREACHER

A man dressed in medieval-­looking garb stands on a box in the street and screams the prophecy of the The Shepherd’s Flock (page 62 of the Referee’s Manual). Some in the crowd listen.

MUSIC

30

The characters see a funeral procession. It is quite long, with the casket carried in a black painted wagon drawn by two horses. A functioning car slowly leads the procession (a seeming waste of gas, indicating the importance of the deceased). It is a somber affair and inflicts 1 point of stress on each PC. This may be mitigated by a CUF roll (see page 77 of the Player’s Manual). PLOT: This funeral sets off the Krakow plot (page 46). Alter­ natively, the deceased carried The Plague.

FUNERAL

STATIONARY ENCOUNTERS Cities bustle with activity. Just because the PCs stand still doesn’t mean everyone else does. If the PCs remain in the same hex for a shift, you may draw an encounter card (ignoring any result other than PP). If they stay for more than a day, start rolling on the table for stationary encounters on page 32. For each subsequent day after the first, add +1 to the roll. As always, feel free to choose encounters instead of generating them randomly.

RADIO CHATTER If the PCs have access to a radio set, and a character spends a shift monitoring it, roll on the table on page 33 to see if they pick up any transmission.

RUMORS Cities are a hub of gossip. People are social creatures and want to talk. There’s no end to the wild rumors, conspiracy theories, petty rivalries, and genuinely important intel floating around. Anytime the PCs find themselves in an area with more than a few people, they might hear a rumor.

URBAN ENCOUNTERS

03 31

03

URBAN ENCOUNTERS

STREET KIDS

STATIONARY ENCOUNTERS D10

ENCOUNTER

1–2

Draw an encounter normally. Only encounters marked

3

are triggered.

INCOMING!Artillery rounds land near the PCs, who are exposed to a blast power D explosion. The rounds came from

outside town. PLOT: The rounds were fired by a unit from The Last Offensive who got ahead of the operation and misconstrued orders.

4

STREET KIDS: A dozen kids come on as poor beggars. In fact, they’re trying to rob the PCs. The first group approaches the PCs while a second group takes whatever they can from the PCs’ stash. Anything the kids take winds up on the black market. PLOT: These kids fled the Last Offensive.

5

POLICE: Two members of the local police or militia approach the PCs, asking them about their business here. PLOT: The police ask the PCs to help out in any current plot affecting the town.

6

EXPLOSION!A building next to the PCs explodes. If they investigate, it looks like a small group was setting up a bomb that detonated early. PLOT: These are Spetsnaz or GRU agents who tried to wire this building to explode. The idea was that it would be sabotaged for the Last Offensive assault. The dynamite went off early.

6

CHASE: The PCs witness a chase while minding their own business. They can leave well enough alone, but it sure does look interesting. The pursued party screams for help. PLOT: The chased is a CIA agent who obviously needs help right now. He has two KGB agents on his tail, trying to stop him before he spills crucial intel on The Last Offensive.

7

SECRET AGENT: A local greets the PCs, offering to chat and gossip. They seem friendly. PLOT: The local is in fact an enemy agent (KGB or GRU) trying to find out what the PCs know about Operation: Reset or The Last Offensive.

8

VIGILANTES: 2D6 vigilantes (gang members) patrol a section of the urban terrain. They aren’t affiliated with the faction controlling the town but aren’t opposed to it either. They want the characters to move out of their area. Any combat causes the PCs’ reputation in the city to go down, as many citizens agree with the vigilantes. PLOT: The vigilantes are on edge about the rumors of The Plague. They want to get any outsiders off their turf.

32

D10

9

ENCOUNTER SHADOWED: Someone starts following the characters. If confronted, the person claims to be a friendly agent from the CIA

or DIA. They want to recruit the PCs. PLOT: In fact, the agent does want to recruit the PCs, but as a decoy. The agent’s real asset is in town for The Last Offensive, but they need someone for the KGB to target instead.

10+

SOLDIERS: A large patrol of PC+2 soldiers from the force controlling the town approaches the PCs. First, they ask for any papers the city might have issued. Then, they give them the third degree: what are they doing here? Who are they? Where did they get all these weapons? PLOT: The soldiers demand that the PCs help out against the Last Offensive (page 45) or some other plot affecting the town.

RADIO CHATTER D10

TRANSMISSION

1–4

Music, possibly from the Big Playground if you want to use this scenario location in the city (page 54), comes in.

5–6

The PCs hear sporadic communication between marauder units in the area. If the PCs understand the local language and make a COMMAND roll, they can gain valuable intelligence about the marauders.

7

The PCs overhear a conversation between two lovers, clearly separated by some sort of barrier. It is touching, some rare conjuring of past sentiment. If they triangulate the signal, they might be able to help the couple.

8

The PCs pick up a call for backup from a local police or militia unit which is under fire. The firefight is just 2D6 city hexes away. If the PCs intervene, they could earn valuable allies.

9

A series of numbers backed by strange, ambient sounds plays across their radio. This is what was once known as a “numbers station,” coded information for spies. A TECH roll might give a sense of which side the information is meant for. Finding the signal is hard, but not impossible. Decoding the message is possible. The resulting message leads to The Plague plot but was sent by a military agency such as the DIA or GRU.

10

A virulent stream of Hell and Brimstone pseudo-­Biblical ranting comes over the waves. This is a broadcast by the Shepherd’s Flock (page 62 in the Referee’s Manual). It chills anyone who listens to it, possibly as a result of the words themselves, or perhaps the fervor in the voice and the accompanying sounds effects. The signal is strong, which means it is likely coming from nearby. The empire of Heaven is coming.

RUMORS D10

RUMOR

1

Spies from the Shepherd’s Flock infiltrated the city. Word is, they’re doing early reconnaissance for some sort of attack.

2

A drunk claims that one side (NATO or the Soviets) created a doomsday disease to unleash at war’s end. He says it’s still out there. This is, possibly, The Plague (page 46).

3

Orphans scavenging about town say they’ve seen “suspicious characters” scouting the area. These are Russian soldiers, though not in uniform, looking for targets to hit during The Last Offensive (page 45).

4

Someone at a local clinic wants volunteers for a drug trial, so they claim. They work for the WHO and are tasked with investigating The Plague.

5

An American soldier came into town wounded. One of the local doctors fixed him up. Then, he mysteriously disappeared. This can be Sergeant Cutler (page 77 in the Referee’s Manual) and his disappearance connected to Operation Reset (page 50).

6

The major force in the area just made a deal with the citizens of this city. In exchange for fuel, they’ll take care of a serious problem. Some say this problem is a small group of former enemy soldiers. Sound like anyone you know?

7

A patient in the local clinic comes in and out of consciousness. While conscious, they say, “Reset! It’s all about Reset!” The doctors have no idea what they mean.

8

Indentured servants throughout town plan a general strike. Given they believe they’ll be met with force, they’ve planned thorough resistance. These folk are part of the Krakow plot.

9

A flood of refugees flees not combat but a mysterious disease. This ties into The Plague plot.

10

A church somewhere in Poland holds a priceless artifact. This ties into The Spear of Destiny plot (page 42).

URBAN ENCOUNTERS

03 33

04

CITY FACTIONS A kid from my school joined up as soon as he could. I heard he wound up with the 6th Polish Free whatever. He was popular, good-­ looking, and most other girls had a crush on him. I tutored him through biology one year. I hope he’s okay. Another kid I heard was in with the Vorvoskoy Mir because I ran into a mutual friend from school when we were in a little town north of Krakow. It’s odd how you run into people like the old days. I wonder sometimes if I’m talking to ghosts or if maybe I’m the ghost. Every time I see someone I knew as a kid I think, “My, God, they look like they’ve aged 20 years. Then I realize. I must look that way too. Mostly, we run into much younger people or much older people. People my age seem to be dead. Two-­Fer likes to remind me that he’s only three years older than me and he’s not dead… yet. He thinks he’s funny.

04 CITY FACTIONS

THIS CHAPTER ADDS FOUR new factions to your Twilight: 2000 game, in

addition to those in chapter 4 of the Referee’s Manual in the core set. These are primarily based in cities, but PCs can run into them in the countryside as well. Each faction has a faction type, which makes it easy for you to link encounters to them. Each faction also lists plots (see the next chapter of this book) that they might be involved in. Many factions described in the core set are also active in cities, especially the intelligence agencies CIA, DIA, KGB, and GRU.

THE VOROVSKOY MIR FACTION TYPE: Criminal PLOTS: Election Year, The Spear of Destiny

Criminals existed before the war, and they exist after. At least, groups who are criminal to someone, somewhere. The Vorovskoy Mir, or “thieves’ world,” isn’t a single organization, but a network of connected opportunists, marauders, scavengers, and the like who supply needed or wanted goods in return for some sort of profit. Most aren’t in it to help others but to help themselves. This is life after the war, isn’t it? The Vorovskoy Mir trace their roots back to the days of the Tsars. This world of thieves swore no fealty to any lord and vowed a life as an outlaw. By World War II, some in the Russian gulag system were offered pardons if they fought in The Great Patriotic War. Those who accepted were seen as traitors. However, Stalin lied, and these “collaborators” were returned to prison after the war. There, a war began between the old guard and the new breed who’d fought for the government, albeit briefly. The so-called traitors won and became the foundations of today’s Vorovskoy Mir.

In almost any city found amid the blasted landscape of the year 2000, the Russian mob (Red Mafiya) also runs alongside whatever means any official “government” has in place to keep people fed and equipped. But few such governments, or even militaries, can adequately serve the needs of even the decimated populaces of the cities which remain inhabitable. Thus, enter the black marketeers. The old Soviet Union was known for shortages on food, toiletries, and bans on foreign goods. That being the case, many of these black markets existed before the war, run by criminal organizations who, with the collapse of the system, find they have nothing against which to fight. In fact, the Pruszców Mafia takes its name from a 90s-­era group in the titular area near Warsaw. Though connections to it are loose at best, the name stuck. The point is, no matter where in the world one finds themselves, the Vorovskoy Mir fills a chasm left in the wake of the war between official services and what people actually consume. For this reason, coupled with the fact that most cities lack the ability to actually police the Red Mafiya, illicit goods are often acknowledged and, if the sellers pay the authorities, encouraged. Whatever you need, the Vorovskoy Mir says it can find it… for a price. That price might be gold, some barter, or even labor and slaves. How bad do you want that new oil pan for the Hummer? Or, how much do you need that intel? Intel, like anything else, is also a commodity. While the remaining spy agencies have the bulk of such information, the market is now open. There’s little chance any traitor selling secrets will ever face consequences and, really, to whom and what is their left to be loyal?

OTHER CRIMES GOALS While their primary role is dealing in goods otherwise hard or impossible to obtain, the Vorovskoy Mir doesn’t stop there. Anything which brings profit catches the eye of these vultures (or Robin Hoods) as they may be. Before the war, a citizen might know where to buy drugs or hire someone to commit an illegal service and never think of needing real connections to do so. That isn’t the case now. Now, the apparatus is all around the citizen. Anything not provided by a given authority might be found within the Red Mafiya. Below are some few examples of services it might provide. It is up to you to determine which, if any, of these are on offer in each city and how hard a PC must work to find them. ✓ Murder-­for-­hire ✓ Mercenary work ✓ Intelligence of all sorts

36

The Vorovskoy Mir has only profit as a goal, at least nominally. However, the world has a history of criminal organizations almost as old as war itself. In chaos, they flourish. This world is nothing if not chaotic. To accomplish the goal of maximum profit, the mafia wants to drive any competitors out of business or force them to join. That means any local illicit action usually gets invited to join the Vorovskoy Mir who then take a huge cut of that gang’s profit. Saying no ensures a war between the gang and the mafia. The mafia almost always wins. They’re like old casinos, that way. For most people in the year 2000, such conflicts don’t matter. If they can feed themselves, their family, and satiate whatever appetites they have, who brings it is of no consequence. Morality is a luxury of another era. What everyone knows is that no refrigerators full of food from the good ole US of A fall from the sky anymore. Their ration cards may not keep them alive. Anything else which adds another day to this life is welcome. No one cares how it was obtained or at what cost to whom.

FORCES It’s exceedingly difficult to determine what forces the Vorovskoy Mir has available. However, it is safe to assume that any local militia, military, or otherwise armed groups get some of their needed goods from the Red Mafiya. Simply put, messing with the Vorovskoy Mir in such a dire time is sure to draw the attention of armed folks who depend upon it. That said, most Vorovskoy Mir circles do have enough criminal muscle upon which to draw to at least discourage amateurs and locals. Assume any mid-­size city (Now 40,000+ people) can muster 15–30 armed toughs to defend the Red Mafiya. These are irregular forces and not always immediately available. 7 15–30 goons with assault rifles, pistols, and submachine guns 7 1–2 Pickup trucks with a mounted machinegun 7 1–5 horses 7 50 “conscripts” with nothing more than a pistol or melee weapon

VLADIMIR BASAYEV Basayev wasn’t much before the war, a low-­level criminal in the city’s local network. But, after the city was ravaged by the war, he was still alive. He marshaled the remaining forces of the criminal enterprise and declared himself the boss. Having been the guy who bribed the police prior to the war, he knew some key police to turn to for support. After that, it was simply a matter of figuring out how to keep supplies running. Basayev has been doing so for some while now. He’s not a brilliant mastermind but is possessed of a feral intelligence and willingness to go as far as he must to get what he wants. What he always wanted was power, and now he has it. He maintains this power through his connections, his supplies, and his ties to varying intelligence networks. Basayev knows one thing: the indispensable individual is the hardest to get rid of. He saw this in the old organization and made himself that person now. You see, Basayev isn’t just “the boss” of the Vorvoskoy Mir, he’s also the power behind whatever government exists in the city. He provides the goods that get rationed to begin with. He provides the intelligence needed on rival towns and organizations. He knows where to get the guns, the heavier equipment and the labor. He deals in weapons, booze, drugs, prostitutes, and anything else worth his time. Basayev is overweight, balding, a lick of hair constantly pasted across the broad expanse of his bar skull. He wears nice clothes or track suits, affecting a gangster look that was in vogue prior to the war. He’s forty-­five with a deep, seemingly mild voice, but he radiates violence, or tries to.

THE WHO FACTION TYPE: Civilian PLOT: The Plague

The World Health Organization was the major monitor of possible outbreaks and pandemics prior to the war. In addition to research and prevention, the WHO dealt with major outbreaks of diseases such as Swine Flu and Ebola during the 1990s and prior. With the outset of the war, the WHO began to fall apart, with small factions trying to prevent old diseases such as dysentery, cholera, and even bubonic plague from resurfacing. As the state of humanity can attest, their efforts were mixed at best. War brings disease, its companion horseman, wherever it goes, and this end war was no different. Untold millions who did not die in nuclear fire succumbed to disease in the aftermath. They still die today. The WHO is largely a memory to most, but some few members are still out there fighting for the survival of humanity in the face of its oldest terror: disease.

GOALS The WHO has a new goal, and a desperate one. They believe a new super virus is on the loose in Europe and it is their intent to stop it. Small villages have been wiped out by this strain of what some think is the flu and others believe is a biological weapon loosed during the war. Whatever the case, Miriam Haake, the last person to head the WHO (for a total of seven days before the end came) is in charge. Frightened civilians paint her as everything from a savior to an angel of death. The European countryside is rife with tails of WHO scientists, wearing NC gear and carrying flamethrowers, razing entire towns where they believe an outbreak occurred. This might well be hysteria. No one knows for sure. What is clear to all, however, is that diseases old and new stalk humanity through the ruins of its cities and towns and no one believes that either the Soviets or the Americans were incapable of unleashing a supposed biological horror as a last ditch effort to win the war.

ATTRIBUTES STR B, AGL C, INT A, EMP B HIT CAPACITY: 6 SKILLS: Close Combat B, Command B, Driving B, Ranged Combat B, Persuasion A, Recon B SPECIALTIES: Front Line Leader, Psy-­Ops GEAR: AK-74 with 4 reloads

CITY FACTIONS

04 37

04 CITY FACTIONS

FORCES While members of the WHO are equipped with NBC gear, scanners, and other medical equipment, they don’t have a proper army of which anyone is aware. They tend to ally with local remnants of either side, offering talented doctors in return for protection and aid in searching for what they simply call “the virus.” Popular legend gave it the moniker Pandora but that, too, is likely hysteria. 7 50 mercenaries with assault rifles 7 10 4WD cars 7 15 doctors 7 30 medics 7 One M113A3 APC 7 One Bradley M2 APC

antine and will go to any lengths to enforce such a state if she feels it is for the greater good. While it is unknown if she ordered the burning of towns as alleged, she has made deals with marauders and various military units to lock down entire towns until she felt the virus had passed or nearly all within were dead. It is her personal belief that the virus is an American biological weapon used by a rogue (and probably mad) commander late in the war. The Patient Zero for this virus is unknown and left to the Referee. Any city or urban area not destroyed in battle could have mysteriously “turned off” as a pandemic swept it, leaving behind only contagious corpses of the dead. For Haake, the Black Death once again walks this earth. Haake has short, straight hair with razor-­cut bangs and horn-­rim glasses, her only nod to any kind of preferred fashion. She otherwise wears whatever is field expedient. Her eyes bore into people like lasers, whittling away persona to dig down to the chemical entity she believes humans are below all the layers of self-­delusion. ATTRIBUTES

38

DR. MIRIAM HAAKE

STR C, AGL B, INT A, EMP C

Not yet thirty-­five, Dr. Haake was a stellar epidemiologist who, by virtue of the collapse of the WHO as a whole, became the brief default director before the entire organization fell apart. Early in the war, she worked in the field treating people for diseases Europe thought it would never see again. After the collapse of the World Health Organization, she became a crusader, dedicated to finding and eradication a virus she believes is killing untold numbers across the continent. Dr. Haake is uncompromising and driven. She understands the importance of quar-

HIT CAPACITY: 6 SKILLS: Close Combat D, Command A, Driving B, Ranged Combat A, Medical Aid A, Persuasion B, Recon A, Tech A SPECIALTIES: Field Surgeon, General Practitioner, Scientist GEAR: Makarov with two reloads, doctor’s medical kit

FREE POLISH 6TH BRIGADE FACTION TYPE: Military PLOTS: Election Year, The Plague, The Last Offensive NOTE: This faction is linked to the Polish town of Krakow (see Appendix

I on page 79) but it can be used as a template for other local military forces in Poland or elsewhere.

The Free Polish 6th Brigade was formed in May of 1999 under General Lis (page 85). By this point in the war, it was clear Poland would largely have to fend for itself as NATO had all but ground to a halt. General Lis decided to use the term Brigade as an intelligence ploy, even though he began with as little as 500 soldiers. But radio chatter soon heard talk of a Free Polish Brigade, and no one could verify how big it was. Even now, a year later, it’s nowhere near the pre-­war brigade size, but it is impressive for the times. Since its formation, General Lis invited all Polish units to join. Many did. A shattered collection of partial battalions, companies, local militias, and partial platoons showed up. Former ORMO and ZORMO, long since retired, showed up. Civilians showed up willing to train. General Lis took a rag-­tag collection of soldiers and turned them into a force ready to match any NATO or Soviet units left— at least in theory. To date, they have had no large-­scale engagements. It remains to be seen if their rumored combat efficacy is real. The Brigade is organized into three battalions and then broken down into companies usually based in a village or suburb. For example, one might encounter the Bronowice Company. The company then reports to a central headquarters, in this case Krakow. The Referee should feel free to put such companies anywhere they like.

GOALS The Free Polish 6th Brigade purposes itself toward freeing Poland of outside influence. This is, of course, a long-­term goal. On a day-­to-­day level, they seek to liberate Polish towns and citizens from Soviet, NATO, or marauder units. These are in no short supply. The Brigade sends advance reconnaissance to a given area, assesses the situation, and acts if it believes it can. However, they always keep a portion of their forces stationed outside Krakow as per an agreement they have with the Free City. Indeed, the Brigade is an important reason the city remains free. FORCES An eclectic mix of troops from old Polish units, civilians, and NATO-­units willing to pledge allegiance to Poland, the 6TH Brigade is comprised of three battalions numbering about 750–1000 soldiers each. Each battalion has a commander who reports directly to the general. 7 3,000 soldiers 7 250 mercenaries, mostly from former NATO units 7 Three T-72 MBTs 7 Two M1 Abrams MBTs 7 20 BTRs, Bradleys, BMPs and M113s 7 200 horses 7 50 trucks, cars, and other transports

LIFE REGIMENT HUSSARS FACTION TYPE: Local Military PLOT: The Man Who Would be King NOTE: This faction is linked to the Swedish town of Karlsborg (see Appendix

II on page 88) but it can be used as a template for other local military forces in Sweden or elsewhere. The Life Regiment Hussars is a Swedish elite regiment and one of the world’s oldest military units. The regiment descends directly from units set up by King Gustav Vasa in 1536 and was very active in the 17th and 18th centuries, winning several key battles for Sweden on the European continent. Over the course of the 20th century, the Life Regiment Hussars was transformed from a mounted infantry unit into a regiment focused on training ranger units and intelligence officers. The regiment was relocated to Karlsborg Fortress (page 88) in 1984. In 1994, the special operations unit SSG (Special Protection Group) was also headquartered at Karlsborg. In the initial stages of the Soviet invasion of Sweden in 1997, Karlsborg Fortress was hit by Soviet airstrikes and largely evacuated. Rangers and special forces from the Life Regiment Hussars and SSG carried out several operations behind enemy lines during the following two years. In early 1999, when the military command structures had largely collapsed on all sides of the war, units of the Life Regiment Hussars found their way back to Karlsborg Fortress. After evicting marauders squatting there, the Hussars took control of the facility again. The fortress was once built as the “reserve capital” of Sweden, and the Hussars were determined to finally let it serve this role – no matter how little now remained of the nation. Few in number, the Life Regiment Hussars have so far only a marginal presence outside of the fortress gates. They control some key junctions and bridges in the surrounding Karlsborg town. They offer some protection to the civilian population, but there is a growing discontent over the Hussars’ refusal to let refugees inside the gates. You can read more about the situation in Karlsborg on page 88. In a recent development, a relative to the Swedish royal family of Bernadotte, which has been missing since the early days of the war, showed up at Karlsborg Fortress. Claiming to be the rightful heir to the throne, he took the royal name King Carl XVII Johan. For more on this, see the plot called “The Man Who Would be King” on page 48.

GOALS In the short term, the Life Regiment Hussars want to fortify Karlsborg Fortress and expand their presence in Karlsborg town and the surrounding area. To this end, they are recruiting civilians and military stragglers – even Americans and other foreigners, offering protection in return for servitude. However, the Hussars are wary of alarming the numerous Soviet forces in the region under the command of the Admiral (page 60 in the Referee’s Manual), and try to keep a low profile. In the long term, the regiment commanders hope that the Kingdom of Karlsborg will become the starting point for a new and rebuilt Sweden. FORCES Soldiers: 500 7 Vehicles: 12 7

CITY FACTIONS

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URBAN PLOTS Did I really care if some crazy zealot thought an old spear would make him a god-­emperor? No. Not one bit. Not until we came through this little town, I’ve tried real hard to forget the name of. I’d seen a lot. I’d seen people do things that you wouldn’t think jackals would, but I haven’t ever seen people crucified, bodies bloated under the sun, swarms of flies around them like a crown of thorns. The New Holy Roman Empire had been through here. Nailed up everyone they thought unfit. People who weren’t white, people who were gay, they all had their crimes listed atop the chopped telephone poles they’d used for crucifixes. After that did I care about some spear and a crazy zealot? You bet I did.

05 URBAN PLOTS

THIS EXPANSION INTRODUCES A new concept for the Twilight: 2000 sand-

box playstyle – plots. While retaining the player freedom to navigate the open world, a plot offers a backdrop that can tie encounters and factions together into longer narrative arcs. A plot is not a detailed story that the PCs must follow. Instead, it offers you a context to draw inspiration from and a way to give the PCs’ travels a long-­term purpose. You should not force your players to follow the plot, but rather feed them plot elements throughout the campaign at a pace of your choosing. A plot can be as long as you like, and you can even have several plots in play at the same time.

COUNTDOWNS Each plot has a countdown of related events that can occur during play, drawing the PCs in and escalating the plot toward a final confrontation. The plot events should occur in the order listed but you can modify them to fit your campaign, and the frequency of these events is entirely up to you. You can also add additional countdown events to flesh out the plot even more. Use the countdown as a skeleton for the plot in your campaign.

THE SPEAR OF DESTINY FACTIONS: The Shepherd’s Flock, CIA, DIA, KGB, GRU SCENARIO SITES: The Church

The Holy Lance, the Lance of Longinus, the Spear of Destiny, this artifact goes by many names and has more than one claimant to authenticity. Broadly, though, the most famous of the would-­be lances is one previously housed at the Hofburg Palace in Vienna, Austria. The lance itself supposedly pierced the side of Christ while on the cross, done so by a Roman Centurion named Longinus. The lance in Vienna became associated with the leaders of the Holy Roman Empire, a symbol of both their right to rule as well as a holy artifact. While the

INVOLVING PLAYERS The countdown events for each plot offer multiple ways for the PCs to get involved with it. If your players don’t take an active interest in the plot after the first event, try another later and modify the incentives for the PCs to get involved. Don’t force your players. If, in the end, they choose to ignore a plot despite your best efforts, let them. This is a sandbox game, and the players are in control. They’ll hear about the fallout of the ignored plot sooner or later and must live with the choices they made.

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COMBINING PLOTS A plot is not a linear adventure. You don’t need to play a plot from beginning to end without intermission. Instead, you can drop the countdown events into your ongoing campaign as you see fit, in the middle of whatever else the PCs are doing. You can even have several active plots running at the same time, weaving them together or letting your players shift focus between them.

lance in Vienna dated to the 9th Century AD, it did have what appeared to be a first century Roman crucifixion nail suspended inside. Most academics dismissed the authenticity of the lance in terms of its relation to the time of Christ, but it had a history and legend surrounding the rule of Europe. He who held the lance would rule. Even Hitler may have had interest in this. The Germans took the lance during World War II until it, along with other regalia, was found by the Americans. It then returned to Vienna where it remained up until World War III. The fate of the lance is unknown, but the Hofburg Palace was ransacked early in the war by looters. Various claims hold the lance was sold on the illicit antiquities market, was never found by the looters, or was destroyed in a subsequent fire when Vienna was bombed. For Adelbert [Ansgar], the leader of The Shepherd’s Flock (page 62 in the Referee’s Manual), the lance is real, and he must have it. Holding the lance, he believes, gives him the right to rule as a divine king as his supposed Carolingian forefathers did. Further, he believes an army which carries the lance before it is unstoppable. Thus, he has his followers scurrying about Europe looking for some clue as to where the lance might be. It is more than a symbol for his vile, feudal lords. This Holy Relic will grant them victory in battle and reshape Europe as it was when the Holy Roman Empire ruled. With the Spear of Destiny in hand, Adelbert will tread the ruined cities of Europe under the hooves of his cavalry. Mankind will return to the divine right of kings and feudalism as is God’s intent. Of course, Adelbert [Ansgar] is likely mad. But those who wish to find him and stop him would do well to find the Spear of Destiny before he does. His zealots bring death and torment wherever they roam. Were

they to get the Spear, who knows what further fervor it might inspire. That is to say nothing of the value of the relic to history and to those in Europe who would see its culture preserved and are willing to pay handsomely for it. The Spear was actually saved from Vienna by a deeply religious conservationist who worked there. She was Polish [Swedish] and brought the Spear home with her when war broke out, believing it her holy duty to keep it safe for future generations and the new civilization that will be built on the ruins of the old. She brought it with her to a small church where she has now taken refuge with a congregation of like-­minded individuals (this is The Church scenario site, more below). They keep the Spear hidden and are ready to risk their lives to protect it. Adelbert [Ansgar] heard rumors that the Spear is in Poland [Sweden] and now scours the land for it.

COUNTDOWN 7

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A band of fanatics from the Shepherd’s Flock passes through the town where the PCs are. A preacher holds a fiery and hateful sermon, praising their leader Adelbert and describing how they will “cleanse” all non-­believers from the continent. The PCs hear a rumor about the Spear of Destiny that was lost in Vienna, and that some crazy religious fanatics calling themselves the “Shepherd’s Flock” are looking for it here in Poland [Sweden]. Maybe they’ll pay well for it? The PCs come across a village or city neighborhood that was recently attacked and is completely laid to waste. Some victims are crucified. A terrified survivor describes the attackers as crazy religious fanatics who asked about the Spear of Destiny. The survivor knows nothing about it. The PCs are stopped by a roadblock manned by the Shepherd’s Flock. They demand to know if the PCs have seen or heard anything about an old antique spear hidden in the area. They care for nothing else. If the PCs don’t have any answers, the Flock soldiers threaten them or even attack. It could get violent. The PCs hear a rumor of a woman who is supposedly hiding an old antique spear in a church in a nearby town or city neighborhood. Some people have been asking around about it. This should make the PCs understand that the church is in serious danger. The church is described in detail as a scenario site on page 62. The Shepherd’s Flock attacks the church with a large force, led by Adelbert himself, stealing the Spear and crucifying everyone inside – unless the PCs stop him.

ADELBERT [ANSGAR] Possibly Northern European, little is known about Adelbert. Some intel agencies believe he was a soldier at one point, though in what army they cannot say. There are several candidates who came to the fore during the chaotic mid-90s, leaders of extremist groups and fringe religious organizations who might have been the man that now calls himself Adelbert, but no photograph of Adelbert is known to exist. A thin KGB dossier describes him as “a would-­be messiah” with great charisma and control over crowds. Quite probably mentally unstable but possessed of rare leadership ability. It is said both the CIA and KGB tried to kill him during the war. No proof of this claim exists. For all his apparent lunacy, Adelbert is oddly calm, even-­tempered, and frighteningly sane-­seeming. His views may be demented, but the man himself appears stable and in control. Several other Christian groups view him as the anti-­Christ come to usher in the End of Days. Skinny and bald, some of his close lieutenants call him “the vulture.” His eyes track the lost in a similar way to how those of carrion birds follow the dying. He’s weather-­beaten, they say, and younger than he looks. He carries a staff every­where he goes, leading his chosen to whatever promised land they believe in. ATTRIBUTES STR B, AGL C, INT A, EMP A HIT CAPACITY: 6 CUF: A SKILLS: Close Combat B, Driving C, Ranged Combat C, Persuasion A, Recon D SPECIALTIES: Psy-­Ops GEAR: Adelbert carries a PM pistol with two reloads. Everything else he gets from his followers.

POWER PLAY FACTIONS: The Sanctuary, Marauders (any) SCENARIO SITES: The Power Plant

A group of people created a Sanctuary settlement at an old nuclear power plant. As part of the Sanctuary movement (see the Referee’s Manual), they are driven by an idealistic will to rebuild a new world. In this effort, they managed to restart a reactor and part of the electrical grid, to once again provide power to the nearby towns. It’s dangerous work though as the plant is damaged, and the project has attracted unwelcome attention from a local marauder group who sees the return of electricity as a threat to its power over the people in the area. Electricity is one of the major losses from the world before which might be remedied. No one can bring the dead back, but electricity offers

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05 URBAN PLOTS

some hope to reforge modern civilization – at least one area at a time. The Sanctuary found a nuclear power plant which wasn’t beyond repair. Once they did, they sent in experts to fire the plant back up. Of course, whoever controls the power plant controls the electricity. The Sanctuary has competition from marauders and, if there’s a conflict, the city must ensure that this hopeful torch in the dark doesn’t turn into an actual meltdown.

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COUNTDOWN 7

One night, without warning, the streetlights suddenly come to life in the neighborhood where the PCs happen to be. The locals are dumbstruck by the miraculous sight of functional streetlights for the first time in years. A celebration breaks out, lasting through the night. By dawn, the lights go out again. No one has any idea where the electricity came from.

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The PCs spot people working on an electrical power line. It’s a strange sight in the war-­torn landscape. Suddenly, marauders appear and start firing at the workers, who flee in a car. The streetlights come on again, in a different location. This time, a group of local marauders comes out and starts shooting out the lights. The PCs learn – through their own investigations or rumors told to them – that a nuclear power plant nearby is said to be operational, sending power through the remains of the grid. If they visit the power plant, the Sanctuary members are suspicious but can let the PCs in if they convince them that their intentions are good. Inside, there is a marauder traitor who is trying to sabotage the plant. At one point, the marauders arrive and besiege the plant, claiming that they are the ones who decide when the people here get light and heat, no one else. A battle might break out, and it will be very dangerous at the semi-­functional power plant.

THE LAST OFFENSIVE FACTIONS: Military (Soviet), CIA, DIA, KGB, GRU SCEANRIO SITES: The Bunker, The Divide, Big Playground

The war is over. The war is never over. We reduced the greatest of human achievements to little more than bone and ruin, but the machine wishes to grind ever finer. Ash on the wind, only that satisfies the great war machines of the East and West. Somewhere, out there right now, one side plots a final offensive. The death of the 5th Division was supposedly the final offensive, but now there’s another. They’ll be another until we are, as Einstein said, “fighting with sticks and stones.” Following the failed push by NATO during Operation: Reset, the Soviets mount a counterattack. There are still commanders out there. They assemble troops. There are still those who believe the war is somehow “winnable,” at least locally. Such is the path of madness. An offensive takes time, and this plot is best stretched over many sessions. This, then, is the beginning. Somewhere a high-­ranking commander gathers a force. It takes time to assemble. Rumors wend down the broken highways of the country. They flit in the impromptu bars in the ruined cities. Someone wants to prosecute the last battle of the war. But cities are now more Medieval, and a siege of that era (and horror) looms as a likely outcome. With the nukes gone, the planes all out of gas, and resources low, pummeling a city into dust is the last refuge of a failed war. For those caught in the middle, it is but another reminder of the price civilians pay in modern war.

COUNTDOWN 7

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The PCs hear rumors or chatter indicating large Soviet troop movements in the direction of the town or area where they are currently located. A DIA agent Cheryl Krause approaches the PCs (this can happen at the Bunker, page 73) and informs them that a major Soviet force plans an offensive in the area, and soon. The locals are dismissive, unwilling to believe it will actually happen. The agent asks the PCs for help to scout the approaching force, playing on their sense of duty. Whether by chance or having accepted the DIA mission, the PCs encounter a large Soviet force – thousands of heavily armed soldiers with artillery and armored vehicles. They must be careful to get in and out unnoticed. Firefights are likely. A bombing occurs in the town (this can also happen in the Bunker), killing several people including the DIA agent and possibly harming the PCs as well. Two unknown men are seen leaving the scene, and the PCs can pursue the suspected culprits. They are GRU agents. At dawn, the attack starts. Artillery shells rain down on the town, followed by armored vehicles and infantry. The town scrambles to mount a desperate defense. The PCs are asked to defend a large housing block at the edge of town (this can be the Big Playground, page 54) and a pitched battle starts. The initial attack is pushed back by desperate defenders, and the Soviet forces resort to besieging and shelling the town.

7

The inhabitants (and PCs) need to seek shelter. Casualties mount in the town while food and ammunition run low. The local commander asks the PCs to lead civilians to safety across the front lines. The local commander informs the PCs that an opportunity has presented itself to take out a Soviet commander, located in a field HQ near the town. He asks the PCs to do it. This very dangerous operation behind enemy lines could finally stop the offensive in its tracks.

CHERYL KRAUSE Krause joined the military out of high school, scoring high enough to get a slot in intel. She thrived there, and soon became fluent in several European languages. She was posted to Poland [Sweden] in the late 1980s, where she briefly thought that democracy won the Cold War. But the Coup of 1991 changed all that, and Cheryl knew war was coming. The intervening years took their toll. She is less the patriot now than the survivor. She feels deeply for the people of Poland [Sweden] and purposes herself to protect them with the resources she has. In truth, she feels guilt at participating in the war which ended the world. Cheryl is about 50 years old with a strong jawline and high cheekbones. She has walnut brown eyes and likewise hair, though that is streaked with gray. She favors utilitarian dress, as do most people these days. Her eyes are backed with determination. ATTRIBUTES STR C, AGL B, INT B, EMP A HIT CAPACITY: 6 CUF: A SKILLS: Close Combat B, Driving C, Ranged Combat B, Persuasion A, Recon A SPECIALTIES: Linguist GEAR: An M4 with three reloads

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THE PLAGUE

A new deadly virus spreads, and the WHO takes desperate measures to stop it – some would say too desperate. Cholera, dysentery, even biological attacks—these are all sadly familiar to the people of the year 2000. But what happens when a new disease, of unknown origin, begins to ravage villages across the country? Local doctors are baffled but, then again, they don’t have much modern equipment to help. Hysteria rises, for there are no vaccines and rumors tell of something like the Black Death. Rumors aren’t usually one-­hundred percent true, but even a little plague goes a long way in a world thrust back into savagery. Meanwhile, the World Health Organization (page 37) seems to be the savior everyone needed. But their containment procedures turn out to be brutal. Can they be trusted to devise a solution, or is the cure worse than the disease?

The heir apparent is one Anna Jankowski, a member of the city council. Her opponent is Jan Augustyn, a fascist who claims all of Krakow’s ills can be solved by an authoritarian regime that stops accepting “outsiders” – mostly foreigners, but anyone they don’t like fits the bill. Following the current mayor’s death. The city’s politicians divide along old opposing views. Among the new issues, is how long Indentured Servitude should last. Anna feels it needs to be shortened as it’s cruel and some indentured servants rally to strike. Jan wants to keep it as is. But the loss of the upcoming election, and its results, aren’t the end of the story. For some, losing isn’t an option. Jan is actually a puppet of Baron Czarny, the cruel leader of Warsaw, and his installation would end the notion of a free city. Indeed, he’d have thugs move in quite soon to clamp down on all rights. Can anyone save Krakow from such a fate?

COUNTDOWN

COUNTDOWN

FACTIONS: WHO, CIA SCENARIO SITES: The Bunker, Big Playground

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The PCs hear a rumor of strange teams in hazmat suits, burning entire villages and neighborhoods. No one seems to know who they are. The PCs happen to come across a WHO team, just about to “decontaminate” a village or neighborhood with flamethrowers. They are told to back off, “for their own safety’s sake.” It might get violent. The PCs meet some really sick people, suffering from some strange ailment that has not been seen before. The outbreak spreads and panic starts to spread in the community as more people get ill. PCs might also be infected. A WHO team arrives to quarantine the area. If the PCs do nothing, the WHO team “cleanses” the civilian population. The WHO continues to “cleanse” such places unless stopped by the PCs. If the PCs approach the WHO, they offer them a job: find a biological lab where they believe this disease originated. Bring back a sample. The PCs might convince the WHO to pause extreme measures while they do this. If the PCs do not find the lab, or do not try, the plague continues to spread through the population, and the WHO continues to quarantine as they see fit.

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ELECTION YEAR

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FACTIONS: CIA, KGB, Marauders, Polish Regiment SCENARIO SITES: The Bunker, The Church, The Power Plant NOTE: This plot is connected to the town of Krakow (see Appendix I on

page 79), but it can be adapted for use at other locations. After the mayor of Krakow dies, the city decides to hold the first election since the war to find a replacement. But things have changed a lot, and muscle is as important at the polls as anything else.

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The PCs hear of, or witness (page 31) the funeral for Krakow’s mayor. While everyone unifies to mourn, tension is clearly in the air. The city council declares an immediate election to find a new mayor. Two major contenders emerge, one who is accused of being a puppet for an outside power in Warsaw. The election takes place in three weeks. The city can’t wait any longer than that. Anna’s side asks the PCs to protect their candidate until the election. Attempts on her life ensue. The PCs are asked to secure a polling location. That location gets attacked regardless of whether or not they accept. The election takes place. Anna wins but Jan refuses to accept the loss. His followers take to the streets and demand his installation. Someone tries to kidnap Anna. If the PCs aren’t working for her already, they are asked to help find her. That night, Jan’s people stir up violence. People are hurt and even killed. The PCs are asked to help police the riots. It turns out that, during the night of the violence following the election, the followers of Jan took Wawel Castle. The PCs are asked by the city council to go in and get them out by any means necessary. If the PCs accept, they storm Wawel Castle and, hopefully, remove Jan and the other occupiers. If not, Krakow won’t remain free much longer.

JAN AUGUSTYN

Anna was a civil servant before the war. She had few political ambitions. But she became familiar with government and, once the war ended, was asked to join the city council. There, she proved charismatic and pragmatic. People liked her, and she became a political powerhouse in the newly free city. Krakow is her home. Her parents were killed here. Her house was bombed here. She will see it thrive again. Anna has dark brown hair and eyes. She’s in her mid-30s and favors turtlenecks and large glasses.

Jan was a politician before the war, one on the fringe. He was a mean fellow but had a beat-­like magnetism. He ran in several elections but never won. When the war came, however, people began to listen to his extremist ideas. Suddenly, the idea of forced labor, capital punishment for what used to be minor crimes, and authoritarianism were appealing. Until the death of the mayor, however, Jan was just a thuggish opposition voice. Now, he plans to take power. He did a stint in the Polish army and was recalled when the war broke out. He served under the Soviets, and thinks their doctrine is best. He’s cruel but enthralling. At forty, he has no hair on the crown of his head, deep blue eyes, and a well-­trimmed, pointy beard that some say makes him look like Lenin.

ATTRIBUTES

ATTRIBUTES

STR C, AGL C, INT A, EMP A

STR C, AGL C, INT B, EMP A

HIT CAPACITY: 5

HIT CAPACITY: 5

CUF: B

CUF: B

SKILLS: Command B, Close Combat D, Driving C, Ranged Combat D, Persuasion A, Recon C

SKILLS: Command B, Close Combat B, Driving C, Ranged Combat C, Persuasion A, Recon D

SPECIALTIES: Frontline Leader

SPECIALTIES: Logistician, Psy-­Ops

GEAR: An old .45 with one reload

GEAR: AK-74 with four reloads

ANNA JANKOWSKI

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THE MAN WHO WOULD BE KING FACTIONS: Life Regiment Hussars, KGB, GRU, CIA, The Admiral SCENARIO SITES: The Railyard, The School NOTE: This plot is connected to the town of Karlsborg (see Appendix II on

page 88), but it can be adapted for use at other locations. The war drastically changed life for everyone, but for some in stranger ways than for others. Count Carl-­Fredrik Johan Wilhelm Bernadotte was a Luxembourgish wine maker, who also happened to be the second cousin of the Swedish King. He did not pay much heed to his royal blood before the war, at times even suspected of using it for financial gain such as when he officially adopted an adult German man to grant him a princely title – supposedly in return for money. “Prince Gottfried” became a close friend and confidant of the count. Shortly after the Soviet invasion of Sweden in 1997, the entire royal family disappeared. Most presumed them to have been killed or captured, but nothing was ever confirmed. Count Carl-­Fredrik realized that he was, most likely, the heir to the Swedish throne. The now pauper count made the dangerous journey across war-­torn Europe to Sweden with his adopted prince – motivated by a newfound sense of duty, but also hoping that his kingly title would earn him some measure of wealth and security. Traveling the lands and nearly getting killed on several occasions, the duo came to hear of Karlsborg Fortress and its new occupants, the remaining forces of the Life Regiment Hussars (page 39). Upon arriving, the count declared himself the rightful King of Sweden under the royal name King Carl XVII Johan. The Life Regiment Hussars accepted him, believing the new “King of Karlsborg,” as he became known, could be a symbol of unity for the civilian population. However, the new monarch pushed for more than a token role, with rising tensions with the Hussar commander, Colonel Fält (page 92), as a result. Shortly after, the elderly King’s mental and physical state started to deteriorate. Step by step, his adopted son Prince Gottfried has assumed many of his duties, much to the chagrin of Colonel Fält. Being an island of relative order in a sea of chaos, Karlsborg has attracted elements of all major intelligence agencies. Colonel Fält’s second in command, Major Adolfsson, is a KGB informant and stooge. He reported all of the news about the King to his KGB superior Malekov (page 93), and a plan was set into motion. The KGB wants the rising tension between the King and Colonel Fält to boil over into open conflict, paving the way for Adolfsson – and thereby the KGB – to take control of Karlsborg. The PCs, being newcomers and with sufficient firepower, are the perfect tools to do it. But there are more things afoot than even the KGB has realized.

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COUNTDOWN 7

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Soon after arriving at Karlsborg, the PCs are attacked in the street by local thugs, hired by the KGB to test the PCs’ capabilities. If captured, the thugs don’t know the name of the man who hired them (it was one of Malekov’s KGB agents). The PCs are approached by Life Regiment Hussars informing them that Major Adolfsson wants to meet them. If they agree,

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he greets them at his office in the fortress and welcomes them to stay at Karlsborg, saying the Hussars “need more good fighters, no matter where they are from.” He invites them to join the next Council of the Realm meeting. The Council meeting is presided over by the King and Prince Gottfried. The King seems frail and confused, constantly prompted by Prince Gottfried. They question Colonel Fält on why civilians are not let into the fortress. The Colonel, trying to explain that the Hussars don’t have the resources to care for the entire civilian population, is clearly frustrated. The PCs can witness the Council meeting or hear of it afterwards. The PCs witness an angry demonstration outside the fortress gates, denouncing the “military rule” and demanding that all civilians should be let into the fortress. The PCs can meet the refugee leader Ingrid Lindberg (page 93) here. Some protesters shout “Long Live the King!” They have true grievances, but some have been egged on by the KGB who wants the situation to escalate. The PCs might intervene to avoid things turning violent. Major Adolfsson summons the PCs again. If they refuse, he will instead send his lieutenants to speak to them. Adolfsson says that there are rumors of the KGB infiltrating Karlsborg, possibly even the Hussars. He has received word of a KGB safehouse in the old railway station (page 90). He asks the PCs to investigate and, if necessary, capture or kill the agents. He offers something valuable that the PCs need in return. The safehouse is real – but it’s run by the GRU, not the KGB, something the PCs may or may not realize if they go there. There will likely be a firefight – Malekov wants the GRU agents killed before they report back to the Admiral (page 60 in the Referee’s Manual). The CIA agent “Mona Sax” (page 93) contacts the PCs, probably in the The Mess bar (page 91). She says both the KGB and GRU are active in Karlsborg and warns the PCs to watch out. There are rumors that the Admiral is planning an attack against the town. Suddenly, Mona is shot dead. The PC can hunt the killer (it’s one of Malekov’s agents), and/or befriend Mona’s pianist and lieutenant Sammy (page 93). Ingrid Lindberg seeks out the PCs, having heard of their presence in Karlsborg. She explains how the refugees outside the walls are suffering. If the PCs agree, she takes them to the school to witness the plight of the refugees firsthand (page 89). Lindberg believes that Colonel Fält is a despot with

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no regard for the civilians of Karlsborg under his heel. She asks the PCs to kill him if they get the chance. She says that a large demonstration is planned by the Götiska Vault very soon – that could be the opportunity to act. Major Adolfsson summons the PCs again. This time, he says he has a very serious matter to discuss. He now has reason to believe that Prince Gottfried is in the pocket of the KGB, and thus also the King is compromised. They are inciting the refugee population against the Hussars, to pave the way for a Soviet attack against Karlsborg. Adolfsson asks the PCs to kill them both as he cannot order his own troops to kill the king. The King and the Prince reside in the Royal Villa (page 91). He offers something of major value and permanent citizenship in the Kingdom if they accept. If the PCs refuse, an attempt on the King’s life will still be made shortly after, by Malekov’s KGB agents. It will succeed unless stopped by the PCs. The demonstration outside the Götiska Vault quickly turns into a violent riot, as the news spreads that the King is dead (if that is indeed the case). Hundreds of protesters try to storm the fortress with soldiers firing back. The PCs can try to stop the bloodbath, at serious personal risk. If the PCs make a move against Fält, he will, if given the chance, tell them that Adolfsson is a KGB agent – he has suspected this for some time. The thunder of cannons echoes over Karlsborg, as the Admiral’s forces attack en masse. Malekov has underestimated the Admiral, who knew what the KGB was up to via his GRU sources. Both the 76th Guards Airborne Division and the 1st Guards Motor-­Rifle Division take part in the attack – a total of over 2,000 soldiers with armored vehicles and artillery. The Hussars fight a pitched defense, and the PCs can join in or make a run for it. Malekov and Adolfsson, realizing that their game is over, try to flee using the helicopter (page 92). The PCs might stop them or join them.

AFTERMATH: This plot will have fundamental repercussions for the “Kingdom of Karlsborg” and the PCs. When it is all over, they can find themselves heroic defenders of the fortress or running for their lives, hunted by the Soviet army, the Hussars, or both.

KING CARL XVII JOHAN The “King of Karlsborg” believes it to be his destiny to rebuild the fallen Swedish nation. His notions on how to accomplish this were always vague at best, and recently his age and the traumas of war have dimmed his mind even further. He trusts his adopted son Prince Gottfried implicitly and now leaves most decisions to him. Count Carl-­Fredrik Johan Wilhelm Bernadotte was once a tall and handsome man with

aristocratic features and manners. Now, he is thin and frail, with a wisp of white hair blowing in the cold wind. Yet, he wears his fraying ceremonial uniform with pride and his grip is still strong enough to draw his old saber in battle if he needs to. ATTRIBUTES STR D, AGL C, INT C, EMP B HIT CAPACITY: 4 CUF: C SKILLS: Close Combat C, Ranged Combat D, Command C, Persuasion B GEAR: Antique saber (stats as a machete)

CROWN PRINCE GOTTFRIED The life of Gottfried Neumann changed forever when he met Count Bernadotte at a social gathering on the French Riviera. A small-­time German businessman with a trail of bankruptcies behind him, he hit it off famously with the count, who a few years later officially adopted Gottfried as his son. Some suspected Gottfried of basically buying a royal title from the cash-­strapped count, but both strongly denied the claim. Ever the opportunist, Gottfried now aims to use his princely title to wrestle control of Karlsborg from the Hussar commander. He has been secretly sharing information with the refugee leader Ingrid Lindberg to incite a civilian uprising. Gottfried knows that the King doesn’t have many years left, and expects to inherit the crown for himself soon. He is, however, blind to the fact that there are other forces conspiring against the town. Should push come to shove, he would rather flee than stand and fight for his throne. Gottfried is a short and stout man who has managed to maintain a fairly impressive waist size despite the war. He has a constant smile on his face, his departing hair is combed back, and he wears a ceremonial uniform similar to the King’s but less well fitting. ATTRIBUTES STR C, AGL C, INT B, EMP A HIT CAPACITY: 4 CUF: C SKILLS: Ranged Combat C, Recon C, Persuasion A GEAR: Pist 88 with one reload, knife, frag grenade

URBAN PLOTS

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05 URBAN PLOTS

OPERATION RESET FACTIONS: CIA, DIA, KGB, GRU

This plot posits that Operation Reset was something much more than the NATO military offensive in the spring of 2000. That was just the beginning of a massive undertaking, initiated by the remains of the CIA and its allies, to restore the world – or some version of it. But the military part of the operation failed, and the intelligence agencies now fight a shadow war to get Operation Reset back on track – or stop it forever. Unlike the other plots in this chapter, Operation Reset will not be explained here in its entirety. Instead, it will only be introduced here, then continued in the next expansion for the game, Hostile Waters, and finally concluded in the module named Operation Reset itself. A key part of Operation Reset is to find technology, documents, and individuals connected to Project Zavtra, a secret Soviet research program reaching back to the 1980s. The leader of the project, Doctor Aleksandr Kurchatov, published a science paper known as “the Kurchatov Paper” that was left to gather dust for years, until the Cold War was turning hot in the late ‘90s.

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The CIA, desperate for anything that could be used to counter the Soviet threat, came across the Kurchatov Paper in 1998 via the Kremlin mole Valeriya Mikhailova. The CIA station chief in Poland [Sweden], codenamed “Turner,” was spurred to act, setting an ambitious operation into motion. He called it Operation Reset. A piece of technology essential to Operation Reset could only be found in Warsaw [Stockholm], a city devastated by nuclear strikes and surrounded by hostile forces. An agent he sent there was exposed and killed. Secretly, Turner reached out to commanders of the remains of US and other NATO forces in Europe. Telling these commanders only as much as they needed to know, Turner slowly managed to build an alliance for a final military offensive toward the Polish [Swedish] capital in the spring of 2000. Despite Turner’s best efforts to keep his plans secret, word got out. The DIA, now a rival of the CIA, got wind of the operation early on and has been trying to discern its true purpose ever since. On the Soviet side, both the KGB and the GRU soon learned of the leak of the Kurchatov

ALEKSANDR KURCHATOV

BEYOND THE FRINGE The Operation Reset plot explores the fringes of known science and in some respects goes beyond them. If you know that this is something that you don’t want in your Twilight: 2000 game, we recommend that you leave this plot well alone, and instead let Operation Reset be nothing more than the military operation in the spring of 2000.

Paper to the CIA. The GRU played a major role in convincing local military commanders in Poland [Sweden] to mount a powerful counterattack against the NATO offensive. The KGB, acting largely independently from the Kremlin now, instead wants to co-­opt the operation and use it for its own nefarious purposes.

COUNTDOWN 7

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The PCs hear rumors that there was more to Operation Reset than the military operation. The various intelligence agencies are said to be hunting for technology and information related to an old Soviet research document, called “the Kurchatov Paper.” It’s connected to Reset somehow. Some say Operation Reset will save the world. Few take that seriously. The PCs meet the CIA operative Valeriya Mikhailova, perhaps by helping her or saving her somehow. This could happen via the King of Hearts encounter in the core set. The PCs may or may not learn that she is a CIA operative. Mikhailova later tells Turner about the PCs. The PCs come across an old Soviet encryption device, perhaps at the scene of an ambush or in the hands of the dying spy in the 2 of Diamonds encounter in this module. It could also be the zip disk in the scenario site The Prison (page 71 of the Referee’s Manual). Shortly after, the GRU attacks the PCs to get the device. Under no circumstance will they reveal what it is. DIA agents seek out the PCs about the device. They interrogate them and want to know what it is. If the PCs are Americans, the DIA appeals to their patriotism. If they still have the device, the agents want the PCs to hand it over. They also ask the PCs if they know of a Soviet national named Aleksandr Kurchatov. They probably don’t. By chance or because they seek him out, the PCs meet Kurchatov in person. He is bitter and just wants to be left alone. He mentions “Project Zavtra.” Before he can reveal what it was, both the GRU and KGB move in. The GRU wants him dead while the KGB wants to abduct him. One of them succeeds. That concludes Operation Reset for this module. The plot will continue in the future expansions Hostile Waters and Operation Reset.

Dr Kurchatov was a brilliant scientist who went far down the rabbit hole and managed to lose himself in the process. The leader of Project Zavtra, a secret Soviet research program reaching back to the 1980s, he made discoveries that could change the course of history. In the 90s, he faded into obscurity and became increasingly eccentric in the process. Now, he is a shadow of his former self, his mind wandering between confused ramblings of trivial matters and brief episodes of lucidity. ATTRIBUTES STR C, AGL D, INT A, EMP D HIT CAPACITY: 4 CUF: D SKILLS: Tech A GEAR: None

VALERIYA MIKHAILOVA This double agent fed classified information from the Kremlin to the CIA for years, seen as the most valuable US intelligence asset inside the Soviet Union by many in the agency. As the Cold War was turning hot in the late 90s, Valeriya Mikhailova leaked the Kurchatov Paper to her CIA handlers and shortly after fled Moscow. She is now CIA station chief Turner’s right hand woman in Operation Reset. She is tough, competent, and a true believer in the values of the free world. ATTRIBUTES STR C, AGL A, INT A, EMP B HIT CAPACITY: 5 CUF: A SKILLS: Close Combat B, Stamina B, Mobility A, Ranged Combat A, Recon A, Persuasion B GEAR: M9 pistol with three reloads, knife, AN/PRC-148 MBITR radio

URBAN PLOTS

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06

SCENARIO SITES It was one of those Soviet housing blocks, all concrete and grey as the sky behind it so the huge towers looked like maybe someone had just cut them out of that sky. One tower, though, had this huge mural on it. Some gangster-looking guy. A local told us he was the martyr of Big Playground, which is what they called the place. Two gangs ran the blocks, but they had a truce. Two-Fer and I wanted to go as soon as we heard someone rented out TVs and VCRs from the place. I haven’t seen a movie since 12 Monkeys came out. Talk about ironic. Dontcha think? Everyone in the unit hates that song. Anyway, I was real excited until we arrived and saw one gang toss someone off the roof of one of the towers. I hope it was the video guy. God, I’m getting as bad as the rest of them.

06 SCENARIO SITES

THE BIG PLAYGROUND A giant housing complex centered around a large playground and greenery where thousands once lived. Now, gangs run the territory but there’s thing you can get here not found anywhere else.

OVERVIEW Paneled slabs of concrete Brutalism against the slate-colored sky. Housing blocks looming rectilinearly over the horizon. But, on one of the buildings rises a giant mural. Something chaotic, nearly psychedelic. A celebration of humanity loosed from some bonds. It looks wild… and dangerous.

RUMORS ✓

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The PC’s hear Radio Free Europe when near Big Playground. They may decide to check it out and follow the signal. Someone in the city, or another city, seeks a rare copy of a Wim Wenders movie and claims there’s a video store in some gangcontrolled area that has it. This person will pay well for the PCs to fetch the video for them. The Soviets plan to take a former public housing block by force in the next few days. That site is Big Playground. The PCs hear that black market medicine — of whatever stripe they currently need — can be found at Big Playground. A strung out tweaker tries to sell the PCs some junk. He wants to score from Big Playground, which they’ll find out about if they ask him more. There’s a hidden helicopter atop one of the towers of Big Playground. They also have fuel.

THE SITUATION Big Playground is a housing block from the Soviet Era or one which looks similar. These are found all over Europe from the UK to the continent. These ominous farms of concrete towers were once home to the poor, to the citizens of the Soviet puppet regimes, to all kinds of people. They still are today, only the population isn’t as large and they don’t answer to any government but their own. Of course, their own may not be ideal either.

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Big Playground is just the nickname for this public housing monolith. It had some other name prior, likely something related to the municipal wizards who concocted the idea. Those days are over. Municipalities and governments are gone. Now, here on Big Playground, two rival gangs vie for control over the local resources and turf. One is known as the East Gang, also knowns as The Rooks, and is led by Big Gaz. The other is known as the West Gang, also called the Bishops, and is led by Mau-Mau. Both gangs are active rivals for the territory, the drugs, and other business that goes on here. Between them stands a man known as Ratkovitch, a member of the Vorovskoy Mir (page 36) trying to keep the peace so that goods and profit continue to flow. In addition, a chef runs a restaurant here, and a DJ spins music and politics on a nightly basis. It’s only a matter of time before a gang war erupts. The Rooks and the Bishops seem very similar to an outsider, but they do have differences. Mau Mau has a plan to revitalize the community. But, to do so, he needs Gaz and The Rooks out of the way. Now, Mau Mau isn’t any saint, but he wants to improve things for everyone living in Big Playground… so long as they answer to him. Gaz and The Rooks don’t have that goal. They want the community to do well enough that they can keep it under control, but any loftier ambitions are seen as a threat by Gaz. However, Gaz and the Rooks have stronger mafia ties and can get goods at a better rate. They also have some intelligence contacts the PCs might find useful. Mau Mau and The Bishops do not. Thus, it comes down to a choice of whether the PCs are willing to alienate Gaz and his connections for a slightly greater good. A further point involves energy. Big Playground has generators with fuel (most of the time). The gangs get this fuel through their connections with the black market. In return, the gangs serve as soldiers for the mob when needed. The gangs also have drugs. They make them locally in quantities large enough to trade for fuel when needed. Note that the areas which have power are the exception rather than the rule. A lot of apartments are lit with a single bulb if that. Candles and such are common. The theater, restaurant, and radio station receive near-constant power.

ARRIVAL Somewhere in the city, huge housing blocks rise before the PCs. Some of the towers are ruined but others remain intact. Music, the scent of food, woodsmoke, and electric lights hit the senses—this is something out of the world before. Tack-suited gangster types with gold chains mingle with refugee types and other survivors.

Upon approaching, one of the gangs (either side, Referee’s choice) asks their business. If the team is heavily armed, they aren’t allowed in with such weapons. A pistol each is all the gangs allow. They rule here. The gangs also give the PCs the standard speech about this being their turf, and they get a cut of any business that goes down. Mostly, the gangs just don’t want trouble from any military force. If they think the PCs are some sort of forward unit, they’ll make a show of force against them.

COUNTDOWN The two gangs aren’t peaceful. One always tries to get the drop on the other. When the PCs arrive, the two gangs are already plotting against each other. Gaz and Mau Mau both see the PCs as a new variable. Either might try to recruit them or set them up. Ratkovitch wants to maintain the peace for business reasons. He has connections to other cities and their black markets. Because the blocks have power and are defensible, military types see promise in taking them.

1. Gaz sends a representative to suss out the PCs’ intent on his turf. If they seem like mercs, he’ll make them an offer to help him take out Mau Mau. 2. Mau Mau and his posse approach the PCs. He wines them and dines them, trying to get them on his side. Predictably, he wants them to take out Gaz. 3. After each proposal, the gang who made it expects the PCs to join them. If they don’t, they see them as enemies. Even if the PCs throw in with neither gang, the gangs see turning them down as an act of disrespect. 4. A deal goes bad on Big Playground and a small firefight breaks out, resulting in the death of one ganger from each side of the conflict. A PC is blamed for one of the deaths. 5. The aftermath of the firefight stirs up a lot of big talk from Gaz and Mau Mau. Ratkovitch urges caution and tries to make peace, but they don’t listen. He pleads with the PCs to help. 6. A member of the Bishops gets shot on Big Playground, apparently by a sniper. The gangs look for a trained, military shooter. Guess who fits that description? 7. A mortar attack hits the Rooks’ tower. As above, it’s a solid, precise hit. If the PCs threw in with a gang, a friend they’ve made inside is killed by the mortar. 8. Unless the PCs stop it, an all-out gang war starts. Or they might be on one side or the other.

SCENARIO SITES

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DEFENSIVE NEST (ROOFTOP) HYDROPONICS (ROOFTOP)

DEFENSIVE NEST (ROOFTOP)

GAZ’S PAD (UPPER FLOOR)

DISTILLERY (GROUND FLOOR) DEFENSIVE NEST (ROOFTOP)

ROOFTOP GARDEN

BLOCKBUSTA VIDEO (GROUND FLOOR)

PLAYGR

DEFENSIVE NEST (ROOFTOP)

DEFENSIVE NEST (ROOFTOP)

DEFENSIVE NEST (ROOFTOP)

RADIO FREE EUROPE (UPPER FLOOR)

ROOFTOP GARDEN

ROUND DOC’S (GROUND FLOOR)

06 SCENARIO SITES

LOCATIONS Big Playground is comprised of a series of six, huge apartment blocks that are not nearly as heavily populated as they used to be. The interiors are covered in graffiti and the outsides in murals where local artists decided to brighten their gray world. The locations below need not be inside a single apartment block; indeed, some are obviously outside. It is left to the Referee to decide whether they wish to spread out the locations over the six blocks (and many, many floors) or not. Certainly, one gang controls one block and their opponent the other. Other than that, you can mix and match as you like. Big Playground gets its name from the central playground and “park” which sits as a sea of concrete and mostly dead trees between the rising blocks themselves. This was neutral territory prior to the war and remains so now.

BIG GAZ’S PAD Big Gaz is the head of the East Gang, also known as The Rooks or Gaz’s Gang. He has the top floor of the easternmost tower all too himself and his bodyguards and hangers-on. Gaz runs guns, prostitution, and liquor in Big Playground. His pad is the result of knocking down every plaster wall on the top floor and creating a huge open space punctuated only by support columns and load bearing walls. Huge parties take place here. Ragers. There’s drugs and booze you can’t find elsewhere. Gaz and his crew live a high life at the top of the stacks. The windows are all covered in blackout curtains lest Mau Mau have a sniper take a shot at him. The space is impossibly huge, littered with couches, beds, tables made of old doors, speakers and working electricity. Gaz’s generator always works.

The entire floor was opened up to make this greenhouse and it is guarded constantly. It’s a true, and truly odd, urban jungle. A firefight inside here would make quite the set piece.

DOC’S Doc’s is a medical clinic run by both gangs. This, among other things, is part of their deal with the community. The place is, like other locations here, made from tear downs of the interior floor of one of the towers. There’s medicine, EMTs, and even a few doctors. It was named in honor of a woman they all called Doc prior to the war, who used to provide care for those who couldn’t afford it or could wait for whatever health system was in place. She was killed by a NATO bombing on the city outskirts. Her portrait hangs over a few of the beds here, their patron saint of good causes and medicine. Outsiders must pay for services here. Citizens do not. People from the city proper often come here, barter in hand, for treatment.

BIG PLAYGROUND The huge concrete expanse between buildings, still home to a large playground and some dead foliage, is where Big Playground got its name. It’s neutral territory for the gangs and full of food stalls and other merchants during the day. These invariably pack up at night, retreating into the stacks or into the city itself if they have a deal with one of the gangs to sell here.

BLOCK BUSTA VIDEO This is really two apartments “remodeled” into one larger space. Old book racks, sagging shelves, piles of VHS tapes and CDs… all are organized by genre and title on hand-written cards. Citizens of Big Playground can rent TVs if they don’t have one or VCRs here. They are all prized items and everyone knows the West Gang protects Block Busta Video. In truth, Block Busta doesn’t have many functioning VCRs, TVs, or tapes that weren’t wiped by an EMP. But they have enough that people can come and use one of the apartments on the same floor to watch a movie or anything else they have recorded. They also have some CDs, vinyl, and bootleg concerts from before the war. It’s a small collection, even pitiful by pre-war standards, but here it’s like the king’s coffers.

RADIO FREE EUROPE Broadcast by an antenna atop one of the tower blocks, Radio Free Europe is a mix of music and politics. It aspires to some sort of Euro ethnic unity but usually involves talking old grudges, the roots of the war, and the eventual end of what little civilization is left. People tune in for tunes. It’s hard to find recorded music these days and Bebop, who owns the radio, has the largest extant collection of vinyl on the Continent (or so he claims).

HYDROPONICS The West Gang runs the top floor of their tower as a hydroponic garden for food and, more profitably, marijuana. Grow lights hang from the high ceilings helping foster row upon row of cannabis plants as well as vegetables and fruit where possible.

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DEFENSIVE NEST Several corner apartments around the housing complex are dedicated to emplaced weapons positions. Each has a heavy machinegun, snipers, and scouts with working walkie-talkie’s. Most of the time, they are on the lookout for a move by the opposite gang, but the whole community would come together under direct assault from an outside force.

DISTILLERY The basement of the East Gang’s main block is a large distillery. Some of the hooch that comes out of here is pretty good. The place is well-maintained for fear of fire because the only fire department left is people with buckets.

GARDEN (ROOFTOPS) A former park is now a community garden. It provides enough for Big Playground’s population and little extra which they sell to the city. Guards are posted at all times. Stealing food is punishable by death.

NPCS Big Playground is home to a host of different characters. The following are just some examples of the varied population of this micro-city.

GAZ Gaz is the head of the East Gang, who runs the East Side of Big Play­ground. Sometimes they are also known as The Rooks. Gaz was a member before the war, but a younger member. His elders and chief got conscripted as the war went on, leaving Gaz to tend to things. Thus far, no one who went to war came back and that is Gaz’s greatest fear. He’s young, and while he has experience as the chief now, he knows some of the old boys could come back and give him trouble. He’s always on the lookout for that. In that, Gaz has a kind of imposter syndrome, and he covers for it by being loud, opulent, and a bit crazy. He’s twitchy with his trigger finger always ready to shoot first. He and Mau Mau are opposite sides of the same coin. Gaz runs his show using fear, and those below him know the stories about getting hurled off the top of one of the blocks if you screw up. The truth is… they aren’t just stories. Bodies do find their way down to the playground for a variety of reasons… not all of them Gaz. ATTRIBUTES STR B, AGL C, INT B, EMP C CUF: B HIT CAPACITY: 5 SKILLS: Close Combat B, Command B, Driving B, Ranged Combat B, Persuasion B, Recon B SPECIALTIES: Frontline Leader GEAR: AKM with four reloads and a Makarov with two reloads.

MAU MAU Mau Mau was a refugee from a civil war that predated the Twilight War, what he calls “a trailer for the big show.” He got the name Mau Mau because he used to make the point that his people’s fight was like that of the Mau Mau in Kenya. He doesn’t bother anymore because everyone knows what war is like now. As an immigrant, Mau Mau tends to run a gang thick with outsiders to the local area. He is calm, calculating, and level-headed. He also deserted from the local army to come back here and take over the West Gang, also called the Bishops. In truth, he came back looking for his mom and kid brother but no one knows what happened to them. It’s assumed they were killed in the battle for the city, which lasted only a few days.

Now, the Bishops are Mau Mau’s family. He is the stern but fair father. He’s all of 27 but carries the years of someone much older in his eyes. ATTRIBUTES STR A, AGL B, INT B, EMP B CUF: A HIT CAPACITY: 6 SKILLS: Close Combat B, Command A, Driving C, Ranged Combat B, Persuasion B, Recon A SPECIALTIES: Brawler GEAR: An older, but well-maintained AK-47 with four reloads.

BEBOP Bebop is the local DJ who also runs Free Radio Europe, broadcast out of Big Playground. They don’t have much range, but everyone in Big Playground listens to his shows. Bebop is usually on-air 6 hours a day. Bebop’s real name is Samuel Travis Long, a UK citizen by birth trying to become a DJ in the burgeoning rave scene of the 90s in the city. He was doing alright, and amassed quite a collection of vinyl. As an immigrant, he qualified for housing in Big Playground and gained a bit of a rep. He still has that rep. He’s also got a newly-found belief in liberty, hence Radio Free Europe. When he isn’t spinning music on air, he’s got people talking about making Europe free again. Free of the great powers, now crumbled, which brought the world to its current state. He’s got a degree in political science back home, but became enamored with the idea of underground fame. It’s hard to tell how much of his politics is real and how much is part of his show as a DJ. If the GM includes The Bunker in the same city, Bebop spins there as well. ATTRIBUTES STR B, AGL C, INT C, EMP A CUF: D HIT CAPACITY: 4 SKILLS: Close Combat C, Driving C, Ranged Combat C, Persuasion A, Recon C, Tech B SPECIALTIES: Electrician GEAR: FN FAL with three reloads, a Walkman with extra batteries.

SCENARIO SITES

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RATKOVITCH

SCENARIO SITES

CHEF Chef only goes by the name Chef. She went to a culinary institute and damn well wants people to know it. But her roots are here in Big Playground. She grew up here. She knows all the locals. When the war hit, and it became clear that her dreams of her own Michelin Star restaurant weren’t going to come true, she came home. Her mother was still here, having lived through the war. Chef spent some time being sad as anyone else would after the collapse of civilization, but then saw it as an opportunity. She got some local boys to take hammers to the walls of one quarter floor of Big Playground and opened a restaurant. It’s got no star rating, but the food is world class… given the ingredients available. Chef runs the garden as well, or anyway has a stake in it. Fresh produce is a must. Meat is harder to source though she has black market connections. She prides herself on her meals and tries to maintain presentation while plating, no easy feat in these times. In a way, Chef is living the dream she had before the war which isn’t something most people can say. The community loves her. Her staff fears her, as any good kitchen should. She is a fixture of her community and wants nothing to interfere with them. Her restaurant “The Market,” is neutral ground between the two gangs. You don’t down anybody in her place.

Ratkovitch is the local representative of the Vorovskoy Mir. He lives in a nice apartment, having been a local prior to the war. Back then, he dealt in drugs and guns. Now he’s added medicine, information, and alcohol to his services. He’s also got a connection to a local military cantonment and might, if paid enough, turn on Big Playground for that military. There’s a lot of resources here a military unit might want, to say nothing of (usually) running water and generators. ATTRIBUTES STR C, AGL A, INT A, EMP B CUF: A HIT CAPACITY: 5 SKILLS: Close Combat B, Driving B, Ranged Combat B, Persuasion A, Recon A, Survival B SPECIALTIES: Interrogator, Trader GEAR: VZ 61 with three reloads, 2,000 bullets (stashed).

GANGER A typical ganger of either side. They take orders. The shoot when told. They sell what people want and need. They give back to the community in exchange for protection. Oddly, the relationship between the gangs and the citizens is healthier than the majority of such circumstances seen in post-war Europe. ATTRIBUTES STR C, AGL B, INT C, EMP D CUF: C HIT CAPACITY: 5 SKILLS: Close Combat C, Driving C, Ranged Combat C, Recon C SPECIALTIES: None GEAR: AK-74 with two reloads or a PM with three reloads.

ATTRIBUTES STR C, AGL A, INT A, EMP B CUF: C HIT CAPACITY: 5 SKILLS: Close Combat C, Driving C, Ranged Combat C,

Persuasion B, Recon D, Survival A SPECIALTIES: Cook GEAR: PSM with two reloads, knife.

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EVENTS Below you can find a number of specific, potential events that can occur at Big Playground. Some of them are related to the Countdown, others are independent from it. These events are all optional, to be used or not used depending on the PCs’ actions. Choose or roll a D8: 1. A man chases a dog across Big Playground, screaming at it. He asks the characters to catch the dog. If they do, he’s in their debt as the dog ran off with some packaged meat he just bought for his family. If the PCs help, the man is grateful, but the dog has an owner that wanted that food. They belong to separate gangs.

2. A woman screams at two gangers (from either side), dressing them down over recruiting her son into their “filthy hoodlum group.” One of the gangers has had enough and punches her. She’s no match for him and the other just stands there and laughs. If the PCs don’t intervene, she’s hurt badly. If they do, they’ve made enemies of the gang to which the pair belong. If they don’t interfere, the gang thinks they’re weak and tries to shake them down later. 3. The PCs see a middle-aged man trying to sell some papers to one of the gangs in the market. They can make out enough of the conversation to discern that the papers were found on what the man says is, “A wounded spy he has in his apartment.” The man asks if Mau Mau would be interested in meeting the man… for a price. He further says the man has valuable information about an upcoming “operation.” The PCs are free to ignore this, but it could tie into plots such as Operation Reset or The Last Offensive. 4. The PCs witness a group of gangers arguing. The argument results in a shoot-out. People dive for cover, but bystanders are hit. The gangs have no regard for the people trying to flee the hail of bullets. If the PCs don’t intervene, many are killed and injured. If they do, they’ve made enemies. 5. At night, a man is pushed from the roof of one of the blocks. He lands right in front of the PCs. Above, the PCs hear shouting from whoever pushed the man. The man is dead, but he clutches something in his fist – a disk. An odd thing to find

these days. If the PCs do nothing, a few gangers come down to get the disk, arguing about how it could have broken on the way down. That gang now keeps an eye on the PCs. 6. A kid runs from a group of bullies. They chase him and corner him. Their taunts are mean, but the rocks they throw are meaner. Then they pile on and give him a beating unless the PCs intervene. The thing is, one of the bullies is the scion of a high-ranking ganger who might not take kindly to outsiders interfering with his child’s “fun.” 7. An American soldier is put up against an old flagpole in the center of Big Playground. People bind him to it. It’s clear an execution is about to take place unless the PCs intervene. The crime isn’t specified, he’s just seen as the enemy, and they believe he was part of a war crime during the war. If the PCs stand by, he’s shot and the crowd cheers. If they don’t, they’ve disrespected the gang members, starting a fight. 8. A man passes out leaflets for The Church (page 62), trying to get people to come back to the faith. He’s hassled by locals who ask where God was when the bombs were falling. The man insists God is present everywhere and claims he has proof back at the church.

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THE CHURCH

RUMORS ✓

In the face of civilization’s collapse, the church took blame for failing man while others sought explanation within its walls. It stands today, relatively intact, as a connection to the deep past and, perhaps, hope for the future. But not everyone sees hope here. Some see an obstacle.

OVERVIEW At the end of the streets stands a Gothic-style church. Its stained-glass windows catch the morning light in a way that is, momentarily, awe-inspiring. On closer inspection, some of the stained glass is held in or replaced by epoxy, a dark, cancerous growth crawling over the two-dimensional saints.

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THE SITUATION The church is a place of hope and anger. Citizens seem to flock here for answers while at the same time blaming God for failing to protect them. Some believe the war was God’s punishment. Many other denominations have been absorbed since the war, other churches not having survived. All are welcome. This is not a time to be choosy, but the church is Catholic by origin. However, peoples’ faith is strained. Bishop Velky, who runs the church, tries to rally his flock. Unbeknownst to him, neither of his priests are honest. One is O’Neil, an American running from his past. The other is Caron, a member of The Shepherd’s Flock, a group of religious zealots bent on a return to medieval life and faith (see page 62 of the Referee’s Manual) trying to infiltrate and cause division. On top of all this, the Spear of Destiny (see Plots, page 42), hides in the catacombs below the church. A woman named Magdalena brought it here trying to hide it. Perhaps it is the answer to Bishop Velky’s prayers, for what could restore faith better than a true Holy Artifact?

ARRIVAL Everyone is welcome at the church, but no obvious weapons are allowed. The PCs aren’t searched, though. Inside is a high-roofed ceiling painted with fading frescoes. The stained glass was blown out in some parts and covered with epoxy in others, creating a kind of black, melted look to the saints—as if they have cancerous growths growing on them. Regardless of one’s beliefs, Bishop Velky gives mass and salvation, if one follows Catholic procedures while inside the Church. No one guards the church, which may seem odd to soldiers. However, that situation may soon change.

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A bishop offers absolution for any soldiers willing to lay down arms and work for the betterment of humanity. The church sits above old catacombs which house treasure. Some say it’s gold, other’s say the church secreted away fuel down there before it was all used up. Anyone seeking refuge can find it, no questions asked, at the church. The church welcomes all faiths. If you need a meal, or any kind of help, they’ll do their best. A fiery priest grows in popularity at the church, but what is his message? The church hides a holy artifact of great value and has done so for centuries. A priest at the church is actually a war criminal and has a high bounty on his head by both the CIA and DIA.

COUNTDOWN 1. Bishop Velky invites the PCs to visit the church. He gives them a tour and appeals to them for help with his growing problems. 2. The PCs see Father Caron talking with a stranger. The stranger seems to boss Caron around. Caron refuses to talk about it. The stranger is a messenger from Adelbert (The Shepherd’s Flock) who just told Caron to kill Bishop Velky. 3. Father O’Neill tries to get to know the PCs if he has not otherwise done so. He’s feeling them out. He needs someone he can trust to take care of Magdalena and the Spear. O’Neill is convinced it must be returned to the place of Charlemagne’s coronation. If he trusts the PCs, he explains the situation, possibly revealing who is he really is. He has the means to pay them if so required. 4. Caron attempts to poison Velky. While it cannot be directly died to him, Velky accuses him of doing so. This causes a rift in the church. Parishioners must choose a side. The PCs must as well if they want support from either side. 5. Caron begins to preach more extremist views. About half the congregation listens to him. A few days later, a small armed mob shows up outside to support Caron. People get hurt if the PCs do not intervene. 6. Velky formally asks the PCs to serve as protection for the church. If they refuse, the next mob causes a great deal more damage. 7. A team from The Shepherd’s Flock attacks the church at night. Without the intervention of the PCs, they take Magdalena and the Spear.

BAPTISTERY

NARTHEX

CLASSROOM CRYING ROOM

BATHROOMS

BATHROOMS

NAVE

ATRIUM

VESTING SACRISTY SANCTUARY WORKING SACRISTY

CATACOMBS ENTRANCE

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LOCATIONS

WORKING SACRISTY

NARTHEX

Nothing of value is left here. The rubble exposes the church to the outside, but it is so dense one would have to crawl through the small gaps to get inside.

This antechamber sports a high ceiling, a bowl of holy water, and checkered tile. Two large stained-glass windows on either side depict the execution of John the Baptist and the resurrection of Lazarus. Two members of the church ask anyone with weapons to leave. However, they themselves are not armed.

CLASSROOM This is a former Catholic school. The church intends to reopen it, but it’s closed for now. Magdalena lives here under the protection of Father O’Neill. He doesn’t know where else to put her, and no one comes to loot an old school, so he believes she’s safe for the time being.

NAVE The main chamber of the church is where services are held. Once gilded, the altar was stripped by looters. However, a candelabra and other ceremonial objects of gold and silver sit atop the fashioned wood. Behind that, some four meters high, is a giant crucifix with Christ’s body hanging from nails in his hands and feet. The figure has the usual crown of thorns. The enamel paint has chipped and bubbled in places over the years. It is a melancholy idol, full of redemption and the weight of the world. The church can seat at least 500 people, though it is not always full. The pews sit in neat ranks from the back of the church all the way to the altar, A mixed collection of Bibles line the backs of the pews. The donation plates are passed during services. Midnight Mass, especially, draws a large crowd such that it is standing room only. Candles are lit everywhere at night or on overcast days.

BATHROOMS These bathrooms no longer work, but a chemical toilet for Magdalena is in one. O’Neill brings her water as needed.

ATRIUM A pleasant place even still. The light falls in during midday. One can almost imagine students sitting out here once, enjoying the air and peace.

CATACOMBS The original structure was built over catacombs dating back at least to the 1300s if not further. A few in the know claim Caron is here to find a holy artifact below, but most do not take that seriously. Some say saints are buried down here. Others claim Romans and even the remains of early pagan kings who converted to Christianity can be found in the winding tunnels. Under the rubble in the Sanctuary is a trap door leading to the catacombs. The Spear of Destiny is hidden down here.

BAPTISTERY This domed chamber contains the pool used for baptisms. Paintings on the wall and the dome date to the early 16th Century. The church claims one of the paintings is by noted 16th Century artist Hans Dürer.

NPCS A strange coterie of people float around the church, including clergy, zealots, and criminals-in-hiding. Below are some of the more standout characters PCs might encounter.

CRYING ROOM A place for mothers to take crying babies during service, this room is almost soundproof. Comfortable chairs and a table afford mothers a rest. The church stores rations on shelves in this chamber.

VESTING SACRISTY This chamber holds the furnishings and vestments of the church. The priests dress (or vest) here before ceremonies. Nothing here is particularly valuable, though it’s all kept clean and polished. The church’s records are also here in a series of wooden dressers. Some go back all the way to the 1400s, though they are not complete. Father O’Neill also uses this as his quarters for now.

SANCTUARY The sanctuary is one of the areas hit by shelling during the war. The church fixed the roof, but rubble still occupies part of the room. The entrance to the catacombs hides under some rubble.

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“BISHOP” VELKY While Velky claims promotion by the Holy See in the final days the church had contact with it, he never actually got the nod. It was coming, probably, but he didn’t receive word. Thus, the title bishop is not official. That matters little to his congregation or the priests. No one knows if anyone still lives in Rome, anyway. Velky has been the leader of the community’s spiritual life since before the war. He continues in that role. Aside from the white lie of claiming the official promotion, Velky is a very honest man. He is close to God though he is not always sure God is still close to man. Forgiveness is what humanity needs. The species wasted what was given by the Lord then burned it all in shame. Still, Velky remains faithful…

or had, until the rise of Father Caron. Caron’s fire and brimstone preaching, violent oratories, and prejudice is not Godly in Velky’s eyes. Yet Caron is popular and Velky cannot simply dismiss him. He does not know what to do. Velky is over sixty with near-white hair and a small belly. When not in service, Velky dresses in plain white vestments. ATTRIBUTES STR C, AGL C, INT B, EMP B HIT CAPACITY: 6 CUF: D SKILLS: Command B, Persuasion A SPECIALTIES: Psy-Ops GEAR: Vestments

FATHER CARON Younger than Velky and more charismatic, Caron is actually a member of The Shepherd’s Flock, reporting directly to them. He is, plainly, a plant, a mole. He’s a virus injected into the faith of the city to twist believers into looking for vengeance and a return to a feudal church rather than any modern sense of divinity. He was sent to this church to assess the faithful in the area for possible conversion. However, he’s stumbled upon the prize his superiors seek – the Spear. He isn’t aware it’s right under his nose, but when he finds out, he’ll do whatever it takes to claim it. Caron has dark hair and eyes which glint with a near-mad zealotry. He wears the black apparel of a priest. ATTRIBUTES STR C, AGL C, INT B, EMP A HIT CAPACITY: 6 CUF: C SKILLS: Close Combat C, Driving C, Ranged Combat C, Persuasion B, Recon B SPECIALTIES: Killer GEAR: A PM with two reloads (hidden) not on him.

FATHER O’NEILL O’Neill is an American, but he is no priest. He adopted the identity of a dead chaplain because he’s a war criminal. His crimes were accidental but resulted in many deaths for which he was convicted. His crime was treason. After having been captured, he sold out his unit to save his own skin. However, during the chaos of the war he escaped and reinvented himself. Now, he begs God’s forgiveness for his crimes. He drinks at night, sometimes during the day, trying to keep those demons at bay. O’Neill, or Ellis as he was before, wants to know if redemption is possible. Velky doesn’t know the particulars of his history, but he does suspect the man runs from a hideous past. He grew up a strict Catholic, so he can pass as a priest to many. But he’s sincere in helping Magdalena. He’s determined to give his life for her, if necessary. It’s the only way he can right his past, in his mind. ATTRIBUTES STR B, AGL B, INT C, EMP D HIT CAPACITY: 6 CUF: A SKILLS: Close Combat B, Driving C, Ranged Combat A, Recon B SPECIALTIES: Killer GEAR: None

MAGDALENA MADEJA A devout Catholic from a small town in Northern Poland, Magdalena grew up in rural conditions with her parents. At the age of ten, she claims to have had a vision of the Spear of Destiny. Since that vision, she felt it was something she had to see in person. So, when she was twenty, she went to Vienna to view the artifact. By the time she got there, it had been moved and the war soon broke out. She returned home to find the Soviets occupying it. Her father warned her away and Magdalena obeyed. She tried to get out of the country, but there was nowhere safe to go. About a year later, she was a refugee in Krakow when she saw a man killed in front of her, shot by two other men. He bled out as she watched and, as the two killers approached, she wanted to flee but he held the package before her. Inside was the Holy Spear. The two murderers were in turn shot by American soldiers, who told her to get out of the way. She believes sincerely that this was divine intervention and she was born to protect the Spear.

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Her entire purpose was revealed to her that day, and she’s wandered since, keeping the Spear safe with no real idea what to do with it. Only Father O’Neil knows her secret and shelters her in the church. If Caron finds out, he seizes the Spear and gives it to the Shepherd’s Flock. If Velky finds out, he ultimately decides it must be taken to Rome, under guard. Perhaps the PCs would make this pilgrimage? Magdalena is about 20 years old with brown hair and eyes. She wears no make-up and looks away shyly when others meet her eyes. She wears a cross around her neck, given to her by her father. ATTRIBUTES STR C, AGL C, INT C, EMP B HIT CAPACITY: 4 CUF: C SKILLS: Close Combat D, Driving B, Ranged Combat C SPECIALTIES: None GEAR: The Spear of Destiny (currently hidden in the catacombs).

EVENTS Between the Spear, Caron’s treachery, and O’Neil’s real identity, a lot is going on. Below you can find several specific, potential events that can occur at this scenario site. Some of them are related to the Countdown, others are independent from it. These events are all optional, to be used or not used depending on the PCs’ actions. Choose or roll:

1. A US soldier comes looking for O’Neill/Ellis. He wants him dead as some of his troops were killed in O’Neil’s crime. He turns to the PCs for help. 2. Flagellants show up, whipping themselves and crying out in pain. It’s quite medieval, and Bishop Velky wants them removed as they begin to agitate, and even convert some of his members to brutal ritual. He asks the PCs to remove them “without much violence.” 3. The PCs see someone sneak into the church at night. It’s a kid, there to steal food. However, while he’s snooping around, he might find the Spear in the catacombs. 4. Local forces or marauders demand the church turn over the rations they store due to a shortage. Bishop Velky asks the PCs to help negotiate an agreement. If they refuse, the city sends armed “officials” to seize the food. 5. A fire breaks out at the church. If the PCs don’t help rescue people inside, some die. The fire may have been the result of arson, set by a woman who lost her entire family in the war and now blames God and the church. 6. A local gang shows up at night and demands everything of value in the church. If the PCs aren’t there to stop it, they get everything except the Spear, which they do not find in the catacombs.

THE POWER PLANT Once again, we live in a world lit only by fire. Gone are the electric lights of old. Gone are powered devices. Gone is the electric hum of the city… until now. For some streets have light. Power runs through wall sockets once again. And all of this comes from a nuclear power plant repaired and run by The Sanctuary. But where there is power, of any kind, there are those who would take it as their own. This scenario site links directly to the Power Play plot in Chapter 5. While you can use it without said plot, it’s intended for use in conjunction with that plot and the elements found on page 43.

OVERVIEW Beyond a perimeter fence topped with razor wire lies a nuclear power plant. The domed concrete containment building’s silhouette is unmistakable. Many such plants dot war-ravaged Europe but this one? This one is lit with electricity. Through binoculars, you spy a couple of guards walking the perimeter and more activity inside. It certainly looks like this place is functional. Electricity? After all this time? You must be dreaming.

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THE SITUATION The nuclear power plant is one of the few, perhaps the only, still working in Europe. Currently members of The Sanctuary (a utopian rebuilding movement, see page 63 in the Referee’s Manual) are in charge. They came to the plant about a year ago and began to repair it. It should be noted the plant never melted down. It was damaged during the war, but the operators shut it down safely. It was eventually abandoned until The Sanctuary came. Two women (Veronika and Masha) run the plant. Veronika is in command. The pair were lovers but had a falling out. The Chief, a former police officer, runs security. All three, as well as everyone else working in the plant, are members of The Sanctuary. Currently, they believe a saboteur thwarts their plans, but they have yet to find the culprit. Due to the high stress environment of a shortstaffed nuclear power plant (also beset by marauders, see below) everyone is on edge.

The power plant now provides electricity to a nearby city of your choice. This seems like a great thing, but there are marauders who don’t want the city powered. To prey on people, they prefer darkness. The marauders in question can be members of The Shepherd’s Flock (see Referee’s Manual page 62) or another group if you prefer. A city with power has independence and is less likely to subscribe to their medieval theology, after all. The saboteur is actually Ewa, a young, friendly girl just trying to survive. The Shepherd’s Flock promised her a better life if she would disrupt operations here.

5. Marauders on horseback show up outside the fence and demand the plant and its crew surrender in one day. Veronika refuses. 6. That night, and not the following day, the marauders attack in force. If the PCs aren’t there to help repel them, they take the plant and keep those useful as hostages.

LOCATIONS

ARRIVAL A perimeter fence stops people from having easy access to the plant. The Sanctuary posts guards at the entrances and also patrols the entirety of the fence. No one is allowed inside before being interviewed. The plant needs people, but they must determine their intentions before allowing them entry. Weapons are either confiscated or left off premises unless those coming inside are vetted as well-intentioned military/law enforcement types who can help shore up the plant’s defenses.

AUXILIARY BUILDING This building holds the offices, showers, cafeteria, and other practical employee needs of the facility. Parts of this building were converted to living quarters for the staff. Weapons are stored here, though the facility only has about seven guards of any use, not including the Chief.

CONTAINMENT BUILDING COUNTDOWN 1. Veronika offers the PCs a very good deal to help guard the plant for the next few weeks. 2. One of the turbines fail. Again, Veronika suspects sabotage. This time, she asks the PCs to investigate around the complex and find the saboteur. 3. Veronika and Masha get in a fight over the wisdom of keeping the plant running until the saboteur is caught. Veronika asks the PCs to keep an eye on Masha. 4. Marauders attempt to infiltrate the plant through the perimeter fence at night. If the PCs do not stop them, they inflict great damage on the turbine building and kill several staff.

RUMORS ✓ ✓

✓

✓

✓

✓

A functional nuclear power plant exists but is in the hands of a Soviet unit. A nuclear scientist who knows about Operation Reset works at a newlyrestored nuclear power plant. The nuclear power plant claims to dispose of waste safely, but it’s actually poisoning people in the area. The Sanctuary needs people with combat experience to guard a valuable installation. A pair of sisters (false) took control of the nuclear power plant and have a vision for a new Poland. A spy is said to have infiltrated the plant before the war and left something important behind.

The containment building is a dome-shaped building. It’s made of reinforced concrete three meters thick. The nuclear reaction takes place inside this building. A meltdown is the greatest fear of a plant, and that could happen here if everything goes wrong. This building is normally safe from radiation. In the event of a meltdown, the building becomes a hotspot with strong or even extreme radiation (1 rad per stretch / round, see page 80 in the Player’s Manual). Eventually, the entire surrounding area may become irradiated.

FUEL AREA The fuel rods for the reactor are stored here. Each fuel rod is about 5 meters long and 23 cm thick. The fuel pellets themselves (enriched uranium or plutonium) are inside the rods themselves. Spent rods must be processed before being disposed of. This area remains a hotspot with strong radiation (1 rad per stretch, see page 80 in the Player’s Manual).

DIESEL GENERATORS These are back-up generators used in case the nuclear reactor fails. These pumps keep water pumping, and the electricity on, so the plant itself does not melt down. This area is radiation-free.

TURBINE BUILDING Inside this building are large turbines powered by steam produced in the nuclear reaction. The steam turns the turbines which then power the electrical generator. The generator creates an AC current dispersed through what’s left of the grid in the city. The plant still controls which parts of the grid (what city blocks) get power. This area is radiation-free.

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PERIMETER FENCE

CONTAINMENT BUILDING

AUXILIARY BUILDING

TURBINE BUILDING

WATER PUMPS

FUEL AREA

RADIATION WASTE BUILDING

DIESEL GENERATORS

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RADIATION WASTE BUILDING The byproduct of the nuclear reaction produces a lot of waste which is stored here. Normally, this was done until said waste could be properly disposed of. That’s much harder in the post-war world. The Sanctuary works on better ways to dispose of the waste. Right now, they bury it where they can, usually in areas already contaminated. This is a hotspot with strong radiation (1 rad per stretch).

WATER PUMPHOUSE The facility requires a tremendous amount of water. That water is pumped through this building from a local river. The water cools the reaction in one part of the facility while it boils to create steam elsewhere. The water used in the boiling process is always highly radioactive and kept separate from the rest of the water pumped here. This area is not radioactive. However, the water used during the fission counts as a hotspot of extreme radiation (1 rad per round) should anyone come into contact with it.

how most civilized societies worked and contributed to her desire to start over here. Her own distrust of traditional leaders manifests in a low-grade paranoia. Veronika has short, dark hair and eyes and the lean body mass of most people who subsist on far less food than before. ATTRIBUTES STR C, AGL C, INT A, EMP B HIT CAPACITY: 5 CUF: D SKILLS: Close Combat D, Command B, Persuasion B, Ranged Combat C, Recon C, Tech A SPECIALTIES: Electrician, Scientists GEAR: Electronics toolkit.

PERIMETER FENCE The few guards here patrol the inside of the fence. The Chief is in charge. The fence itself is electrified and topped with razor wire. However, due to the saboteur (Ewa, to the right), the electricity may not flow through the fence during an attack. Besides the fence, the Chief has done his best to establish a few sandbag positions (one with an 82mm mortar) around the plant, but none are in the best defensive positions. He needs experienced military personnel to help, even though his ego won’t let him ask.

NPCS The Sanctuary claimed this site for the “betterment of humanity,” but they don’t have enough people to run the station alone. Everyone currently inside the plant is a member of The Sanctuary, giving PCs a good introduction to that faction. What this Sanctuary facility currently lacks, however, is highly trained guards. That’s where the PCs logically come in.

VERONIKA GRABOWSKA Veronika is the current leader of the nuclear power plant and a member of The Sanctuary. About 40 years of age, she led some of Warsaw’s citizens out of the ruins. It was then she met members of The Sanctuary who, recognizing her as a leader, brought her aboard. Veronika was an engineer prior to the war and still thinks in those terms. Many of the innovations and jury-rigged devices here are her handiwork. However, she also sees society in mechanistic terms. She previously worked for the city and found it corrupt. That informed her views on

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EWA Ewa is 12-years-old girl and one of the scavengers who finds parts for the plant. Being 12, she’s also not apt to follow strict guidelines as outlined by some of the adults and actually ventures secretly into the nearby city from time-to-time. It was there the marauders found her. They offered Ewa money to sabotage the plant. She agreed. Ewa has crooked teeth which in a better time would have received braces, and pale blond hair. She isn’t a bad kid, but she believes the marauders will come out on top and she intends to survive. However, she could be convinced otherwise. ATTRIBUTES STR C, AGL B, INT B, EMP C HIT CAPACITY: 4 CUF: C SKILLS: Close Combat D, Recon B, Survival B, Tech C SPECIALTIES: Scrounger, Scout GEAR: Hidden tools to sabotage the plant.

THE CHIEF The head of security is the former chief of police of a smaller city nearby. He was here on official business when the bombs came. His town was utterly destroyed. The Chief, Manfred, stayed on here and took brief control of the plant and its security (if they still exist) before the workers shut it down. He met Veronika on his way north with other members of The Sanctuary. The two struck a deal where he would join her to run security. He does so very well and is in love with Veronika. She does not reciprocate. The Chief is about 50 years of age with nearly shaved graying hair. He stands taller than most and wears a well-mended uniform from his former position. He lost a family when his town died but rarely speaks of them. ATTRIBUTES

ATTRIBUTES STR C, AGL B, INT B, EMP C HIT CAPACITY: 5 CUF: C SKILLS: Close Combat C, Command C, Persuasion C, Ranged Combat C, Recon C, Tech B SPECIALTIES: Electrician GEAR: PM-84 with four reloads, tools.

SANCTUARY GUARDS While members of The Sanctuary are idealistic and bold, they aren’t generally trained for combat. These guards are a mix of civilians and former military, but none have much genuine combat experience. The PCs could whip them into shape given enough time and training.

STR B, AGL B, INT C, EMP B

ATTRIBUTES

HIT CAPACITY: 5

STR C, AGL B, INT B, EMP C

CUF: B

HIT CAPACITY: 4

SKILLS: Close Combat A, Command B, Persuasion B,

CUF: C

Ranged Combat A, Recon B

SKILLS: Close Combat C, Ranged Combat C, Recon C

SPECIALTIES: Investigator, Interrogator

SPECIALTIES: None

GEAR: FN-FAL with 3 reloads, P-83 with two reloads, handcuffs.

GEAR: AKM with two reloads or a PM pistol.

MASHA SYMAŃSKA

EVENTS

Masha and Veronika were friends at school and later loves. It was Masha who vouched for Veronika when The Sanctuary found her. Masha was a founding member in Poland and, while she still has deep feelings for Veronika, she riles at her former lover being put in charge of her despite seniority. The more they are together, the more tumultuous their relationship becomes. Masha believes that Veronika returns the Chief’s feelings and her heart breaks at this. Coupled with her jealousy over leadership, she’s starting to doubt the peace and prosperity message of The Sanctuary applies to the world anymore. Masha has long, dark eyes hair and stands about five foot five.

A nuclear power plant attracts a lot of attention. It also requires a large staff who aren’t all professionals. Problems arise more than anyone likes. Below you can find several specific, potential events that can occur at this scenario site. Some of them are related to the Countdown, others are independent from it. These events are all optional, to be used or not used depending on the PCs’ actions. Choose or roll a D8: 1. A group of zealots (maybe from The Shepherd’s Flock) arrives outside the plant chanting and decrying “the energy that destroyed the world.” They camp out unless forcibly removed. They aren’t armed… this time. The PCs are asked to remove them. 2. The Chief orders the PCs to patrol alone, outside the perimeter. If the PCs question the wisdom of this, they make him angry, resenting their expertise even though they are right.

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3. The plant suffers an emergency shutdown. A full meltdown could occur, and people panic. It turns out it’s a systems glitch and the plant is not in danger. No meltdown happens, but people are on edge after. 4. Ewa asks the PCs to accompany her on a scavenging run to nearby ruins. While there, they encounter marauders. Did Ewa lead them into a trap? 5. A potential meltdown requires the PCs to complete dangerous repairs in the containment building, which is now an area of strong radiation (1 rad per stretch). A series of TECH rolls with a –1 modifier are required to fix the problem, each taking a stretch of time to complete (the Mechanic specialty gives a +1 modifier). Veronika is ready to go in herself, but Masha won’t let her. She wants the PCs to do it. Each roll can be done by a different person. When three rolls have succeeded, the meltdown is averted. If three rolls fail, a full meltdown is triggered (see event #8).

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6. Tensions inside the plant hit maximum levels. Veronika needs help keeping people aboard this project. She turns to the PCs to back her as she gives a rousing speech. 7. A staff member gets radiation sickness. The saboteur is suspected as the area was functioning until yesterday. The PCs may provide medical assistance and are again urged to find the saboteur before they do something irreparable. 8. A full-on meltdown occurs. The PCs must help evacuate all personnel. However, some people must stay behind to contain the meltdown lest it irradiate the nearest city. This requires a total of ten successful TECH rolls in the containment building, now flooded with extreme radiation (1 rad per round). Each roll takes one round to complete. Are the PCs willing to make that sacrifice? If not, is anyone?

THE BUNKER

RUMORS ✓ ✓

Even in the war-torn world of Twilight: 2000, people gather to drink, dance, and party under strobing lights. The Bunker is a club. A lot like the ones you used to know. A lot different, too.

✓

✓

OVERVIEW The thumping is too regular to be explosions, all of it coming from this big warehouse in the middle of a blasted field—the lone survivor of intense bombing. It takes a second to realize the sound is bass. The place plays music. People loiter outside like they might be at a club from before the war. It even has lights. The music sounds like someone taking apart an Abrams backed to techno, but this really seems to be a nightclub.

THE SITUATION The Bunker sits as a lone, boxy sentinel on a field of debris where bombs found their targets. The setting is much like the situation, with the club serving as a kind of “no man’s land” where one checks their allegiances at the door. That’s the theory anyway. Most people are here to have fun, to hook up, to drink, and generally forget the horrors outside the walls. Of course, the world is a far more dangerous place than it was, and armed club-goers drunk on bathtub hooch and crank sometimes produce… incidents. But for a city in perpetual PTSD, this is a lot of people’s idea of “escape.” It’s run by a war criminal from the Balkans named Zjelko. He’s vying with the Vorovskoy Mir (page 36) who want his territory and the Bunker. But the Red Mafiya is stretched pretty thin, and they’d like to take the Bunker with as few casualties as possible. Among the locals involved in the power struggle are Pierce, an American deserter, Geddy the Pimp, a psychopathic member of the Red Mafiya, and a former Stasi agent named Else Schneider. Watching it all is a lovelorn ex-boxer who just wants to be reunited with the woman he lost during the war. The PCs have the power to decide who wins this turf war in the end. Along the way, they might even have a little time to relax and gain valuable intel.

ARRIVAL All are welcome at The Bunker, but none are trusted. Everyone is searched at the door (you get your weapons back when you leave). The pounding bass hits the PCs on the way in. The interior is lit with old neon and a cheap club lasers. It’s an industrial club in the middle of the end times—probably how earlier club designers idealized

✓

Some crazy fool has a real live tiger on display at a club. You can find mercs, killers, almostdoctors, former media figures, and anyone else at a place called The Bunker. A former war criminal runs a bar around here somewhere. There was a bounty on his head before war’s end. The greatest ballet dancer in Europe now dances at a club in the city. A warehouse in the city survived bombing because it was run by a coven of witches who asked the triple-goddess for protection. Everything around it got flattened so… maybe it’s not so crazy?

their own visions. Guards are posted throughout in plain clothes. But the first thing everyone notices after the music is the giant tiger in the cage. The place is famous for it.

COUNTDOWN All good things must come to an end, and clubs had a short shelf-life before the war. The Bunker avoided all the bombs that ended the area around it. It’s on borrowed time. However, this could also be a regular spot for the PCs if they play things right. The following countdown needn’t end the club. It could simply change ownership. 1. Geddy the Pimp gets into an argument with someone at the club. He cleans the floor with him. Later, the victim approaches the PCs and asks them to take Geddy out for him off premises. If they do, they make an enemy of the Vorovskoy Mir. 2. Zjelko meets with some other rough-looking types inside the Bunker. Words are exchanged, most of them unpleasant. Afterward, he asks the PCs if they want a job working security. 3. Else Schneider watches the PCs for a few days. Once she decides they are competent, she tells them that the Red Mafiya intends to take the club over. She doesn’t want that, though she won’t explain why. She’s willing to pay them to hit a Red Mafiya safehouse elsewhere in town from where they plan their operation. 4. As Zjelko and his guards leave the club, they’re ambushed by Red Mafiya soldiers. If the PCs agreed to guard Zjelko, they’re in on the fight. If not, well, the bullets have no particular names on them and one of the PCs might be hit. 5. Lonnie was the one who sold out Zjelko’s exit to the Red Mafiya. Lonnie ran off after, but Zjelko wants him found (by the PCs) and brought back for interrogation. 6. Either via Lonnie (or another source if he winds up dead), Zjelko discovers the Red Mafiya plans to assault the club in force. They’ve had enough. He wants the PCs’ help defending it. A huge fight it about to explode. Winner takes all.

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SIDE BAR

CAGE

MAIN BAR

DANCE FLOOR

BASEMENT ENTRANCE

SIDE BAR

DJ BOOTH OFFICE

GALLERY

SEWER ACCESS

SIDE BARS

LOCATIONS There is one level above ground and one below. There’s enough space that The Bunker never feels too crowded (except on rare occasions) and cliques stake out their own territory. Pimps, dealers, politicians, VIPs, and regular folk mix and mingle under old, repurposed film stage lights, a single laser someone managed to salvage, and a lot of candles. Looking at the place, it’s entirely possible that, if they survived the war, Nine Inch Nails or Ministry would have shot a video here.

Little bar carts, really, these are found on the other floors at various intervals and rarely in the same place. Waitresses wander the premises with test tubes filled with… something potent (the actual contents vary).

DJ BOOTH A large American named Lonnie (page 77) is the main DJ for the club. He sits behind his DJ booth, reads the crowd, and reflects their mood in the music. He’s wired into the throngs of flesh as if he were implanted. When a crescendo of music hits, he’s the one surfing the tip of the wave. Two guards flank the booth regardless of who is spinning, but they do take requests. That said, if you request something stupid, they’ll let you know.

MAIN BAR

DANCE FLOOR

A long bar scavenged from another cub in the city sits along the north wall of the first floor. An array of bottles gleam from a backlit display, but one can never say what alcohol might be on hand. The Bunker gets its beer from an actual monastery whose monks have lived pretty much in the Middle Ages for five centuries. So, there’s always beer to be had, and good beer at that. The bartenders are friendly, connected, and better-looking than you. Zjelko hires them that way. This is a prime gig for any young person in the city. You better tip, too, because you won’t be coming back if you don’t.

The dance floor has a literal target painted on it. It’s a refutation of the bombs that missed this warehouse and of the war in general. A big middle finger to the world that fell apart around The Bunker. People dance here and they dance all night. They mosh, they freak out like galvanic frog legs, they have fun. It is an outlet in a world very much in need of one. The crowd shudders with eddies of various mixes of drugs and booze and, sometimes, just pure joy. There are worse places to be in current Europe, much, much worse. Tables ring the edge of the floor with some booths in corners as well as on upper levels. If you need a break, there might be somewhere to sit. Depends on the night, the crowd, and the music.

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THE BASEMENT This is where people hid during the bombing of the city back in 1997. The story goes that someone had a boombox with them, and they spent the night dancing while all around them the city lit up like a magnesium flare. That might be exaggerated, but The Bunker is in the industrial district and remains one of the few buildings standing. Down here, different music plays than above. It’s more ambient and not as loud, though it is weird. This is definitely the VIP area and has a door leading to the office. You get down here, you matter. You’re someone. You can see various gangsters, pols, and players posturing in the booths here (no two the same), and you might fit in with them if you have talent, moral flexibility, or access to antibiotics. Dancing down here is less frenetic than above, a bit more of a chill crowd.

THE OFFICE Zjelko runs the club, and his black market connections, from here. He’s a force in the city, and something of legend. His office looks like something a tin-pot dictator might have cooked up, with NATO small arms along the back wall, various captured flags hanging from behind the desk, and a bust that looks like one which was last seen in The Louvre on the desk. Zjelko, if he’s here, is never here without at least four guards. There’s a secret door which leads to the sewers and an escape to elsewhere in the city. Few know about it.

THE CAGE Zjelko’s semi-famous tiger is in this cage when he’s not at Zjelko’s side. It’s a Siberian tiger taken from the local zoo as a cub. Mostly, though, it’s a god damn tiger in the middle of a god damn club, in the middle of the fallout of World War III. Hopefully, they keep him well-fed.

THE GALLERY The gallery only exists during the day and, even then, not always. It’s an art gallery, or anyway that is the pitch. You can judge the art for yourself, but Zjelko fancies himself a connoisseur. That said, there’s genuine talent in the scarred city and, if they get in with Zjelko’s boys, they can get their work seen here. Moreover, Zjelko has a decent collection of actual, famous art. He’s connected to some of the people trying to preserve human cultural artifacts (see Plots), at least the ones willing to take money from a fellow like him for the “greater good.” You won’t see the Mona Lisa here, but there is a Van Gogh. The gallery replaces the mannequins on the floor, when so desired.

NPCS Expatriates, locals, what serves as law enforcement, Soviet deserters, prostitutes of all types, arms dealers, killers, junkies, drunks, and general party scenesters all collect here. It’s kind of Rick’s Café in Casablanca by way of millennium’s (and civilization’s) end. Below are some of the more colorful characters one might encounter at The Bunker.

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ZJELKO Zjelko claims to have been a Red Army paratrooper, but that’s dubious. When the war started, he engaged in what can charitably be called “ethnic cleansing” in some other part of Europe. However, when he got to this city, with the remainder of his unit, he freed a portion of it from some even worse people. He became a local hero. He also became a local gangster and immediately plugged into the existing criminal network here. But he’s not Red Mafiya. In fact, they want his business. They’ve offered to buy him out. Now, it’s a matter of muscle. Zjelko is an affable, sociopathic, purveyor of fun. He’s popular, has a beautiful girl at his side, and travels around with a white Siberian tiger… because he can. Regardless of what anyone thinks of him, he’s a force in the city, a good man to know if you want a job, information, or intelligence. ATTRIBUTES STR B, AGL B, INT A, EMP D HIT CAPACITY: 6 CUF: B SKILLS: Close Combat B, Driving C, Ranged Combat B, Persuasion B, Recon D SPECIALTIES: Killer GEAR: A white tiger and an AK-74 with three reloads.

“GEDDY THE PIMP” Geddy has a legend like Rasputin, having been shot, stabbed, and seemingly drowned before the war. Geddy was always a part of the local organized crime, but never the brains. Geddy is muscle. He has a stable of prostitutes. He didn’t come out until after the war. No one says anything about it now. While he’s done some nasty stuff in his time, Geddy isn’t psychotic. His workers get a cut of their proceeds and no one gets forced into the business. That alone, in the year 2000, is one of the nicer things you can say about someone. Geddy is over

­supply network in the US Army. That makes him valuable to the black market and to Zjelko. But Lonnie would also sell him out if he felt that was the best way to keep his skin. Lonnie has mid length hair in a 90s fade style and a Mr. T number of chains around his neck. He has a pencil thin mustache and a frame equally as slight. ATTRIBUTES STR C, AGL C, INT C, EMP A HIT CAPACITY: 5 CUF: D

six-feet tall and a block of muscle. He’s also not as dumb as he looks or pretends to be. He’s smart enough to have survived a few bosses in his day. They got assassinated. Geddy did not. Who’s the smart one now? ATTRIBUTES STR A, AGL B, INT C, EMP C HIT CAPACITY: 7 CUF: B SKILLS: Close Combat A, Driving C, Ranged Combat B, Recon D SPECIALTIES: None GEAR: A M1911 with three reloads.

LONNIE PIERCE Lonnie is an American deserter, but not one that bolted when the war fell apart. Lonnie ditched his uniform and traded it in for a civilian life, or what passed as one in WWIII, rather than fight it out for Uncle Sam. He was a draftee, prone to poker games and selling military goods on the side. No one really looked terribly hard for him. He was smart about how he made his exit. He used to spin for the troops when they were in the barracks. Now, he’s the house DJ and popular with all. That said, he knows other Americans might react poorly to him. He tries to suss them out. He’s a local now and still has contacts to his old underground

SKILLS: Close Combat D, Driving C, Persuasion A, Ranged Combat C, SPECIALTIES: None GEAR: Vinyl, man!

EMILIA SCHNEIDER Schneider claims to have been a non-tenured professor of philosophy in Berlin when the war hit. She plays the part well, cynical, prone to bouts of Hegel and Nietzsche and generally miserably happy about the species proving her worldview correct. The truth is Schneider was East German Stasi. Yes, she was recruited as a philosophy student, but she became very adroit at her new job. She ran a network of spies that would have impressed most KGB officials but, when the country reunified, she left her past behind… mostly. Recently, the KGB found her again. They want her to ensure that Zjelko stays in power as the KGB hates the Vorovskoy Mir. When the PCs appear, they look like the kind of natural talent she might use to make the Red Mafiya go away. ATTRIBUTES STR C, AGL B, INT A, EMP B HIT CAPACITY: 6 CUF: B SKILLS: Close Combat C, Driving C, Persuasion A, Ranged Combat B, Recon B SPECIALTIES: Intelligence GEAR: A PM with two reloads.

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JAN Jan was a pro-boxer before the war. He was the reigning champion of The Bunker before becoming head of security. There’s a story they tell of two Spetsnaz passing though town who started something at The Bunker. Jan supposedly took care of them both and, then, a third who burst in through the front door with a pistol. Jan will show you the scar. He’ll show you his fists if you start trouble. Jan’s actually a pretty melancholy fellow. He lost the great love of his life in the war and hasn’t been the same since. There’s a sadness that looms about him like a black cloud and he’s often drunk when not on duty. He sings somber songs from home during those times and does not sing them well. No one is dumb enough to complain. He’s fiercely loyal to Zjelko and would literally take a bullet for him. ATTRIBUTES STR A, AGL A, INT C, EMP C HIT CAPACITY: 7 CUF: A SKILLS: Close Combat A, Driving C, Ranged Combat B, Recon A SPECIALTIES: Brawler, Melee GEAR: A scarred heart and knuckles.

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There are, in every city, places to see and be seen. Places where you want to belong and, if you do, you feel a bit better. These places rarely last, turning over with the regularity of a season’s fashion. Here, in this city, right now, The Bunker is the height of popularity. It is the place everyone wants to be. Due to the reduced population of the city, everyone gets their chance. On this societal ladder, at least, the war made things more egalitarian… at least for now. Below you can find several specific, potential events that can occur at this scenario site. Some of them are related to the Countdown, others are independent from it. These events are all optional, to be used or not used depending on the PCs’ actions. Choose or roll a D6: 1. Theme night at The Bunker – Old Time American Rock ‘n Roll. This brings a lot of American soldiers who get drunk and get into a huge fight that must be dealt with. 2. The tiger gets out of the cage and Zjelko demands he be captured alive! Anyone who does gets a huge reward. Anyone hurting the tiger gets hurt ten-fold in return. 3. The club gets shelled during the night by marauders. People are killed and injured. The PCs’ medical knowledge is necessary to save lives. Afterward, Zjelko wants them to interrogate a marauder he captured. If the Referee wants, this can be a presage to the Red Mafiya assault. 4. The PCs stumble onto Emilia standing over a body, a bloody knife in her hand. The body is that of a member of the GRU sent to kill her. If the PCs help her get rid of the corpse, she tells them who she really is. 5. Jan receives word that his old love is in town but may not want to see him. He asks the PCs, pleads even, for them to look her up and find out if she still has feelings for him. 6. Lonnie suddenly disappears from the booth. The PCs see two men looking for him. These are two US soldiers who are not happy about how and why he deserted. If the PCs don’t stop them, they’re going to kill Lonnie.

APPENDIX I:

KRAKOW

Cities, by their nature, are not supposed to be quiet. Yet almost all went silent when the bombs fell. A city without noise is unnatural, without people more so. Yet in year 2000 the great cities of the world are dead museums. Krakow, however, is different, near legendary. Listen and you might hear the popping of coal or wood echoing up an old chimney, the squeak of a bicycle chain in need of oil or, on a rare day, the sound of an engine converted to run on alcohol. The din of people floods the streets. Lights, though mostly candles and lanterns, pour from windows at night. Horse-drawn trucks and wagons rumble over the streets. Krakow is a real city, just one thrown back in time. The city government even functions. Sort of. Official guards keep checkpoints on the streets, and a full market runs every day. While the cacophony of the oil-rich, electric world is gone, the sounds of pre-modern cities have returned. For anyone who has walked the blasted world outside this place, it is a miracle. Freshly painted ads and billboards decorate the walls around you. Touts call for business, luring one to buy a thousand different things. Independent Polish flags fly on municipal buildings and many neighborhoods are safe enough to walk at night. Mostly. This is Krakow. The Free City. The place never hit by the one, big bomb. A sample of a vanished world. A dream from the past reified by people dedicated to living on in the new world despite the dark woods of silence around them.

HISTORY In 1989, when communism fell in Poland, the city became officially free. However, it soon allied with NATO along with the rest of the country. That held until late 1998 when the city decoupled itself from NATO as well. Truly independent now, Krakow is an experiment in real time with real lives. The city manages thus far to support itself though not actually prosper. Like most living things in the year 2000, it gets by and that is enough. Krakow is an old city, dating back to a Stone Age settlement which grew into a 7th Century city along the Vistula River. The Medieval city left historical remnants. Old Town is a walled city having used the rubble from outlying neighborhoods to build its fortifications. Wawel Castle still stands as do other cultural landmarks centuries old. The city itself largely escaped the brutal bombings of the early war; only the industrial districts were hit and those by conventional explosives. What brought Krakow down was the overall collapse of civilization across the world. Its independence is fragile, and may either grow or be stamped out as the vagaries of the world demand. Your PCs may have something to say about the outcome.

I grew up on a steady diet of post-apocalypse films. They all had a look, you know? Mohawked punks fighting among the wastelands of Australia or the hero trying to save the President in the ruins of New York. You think of dead streets devoid of people, quiet as a graveyard. But here, in Krakow, it’s like the old world returned. This could be any city before Edison electrified everything. I can smell food vendors near the market. Hear the metal grind of the swings children play on and buy just about anything. And who misses bumper-to-bumper traffic? Civilization didn’t die, Kasia says, it just retreated to Krakow. It’s almost too good to be true, but after so long fighting for each day, each scrap of food, each bullet? I’m willing to risk a little hope.

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RUMORS Word has spread about the “Free City of Krakow” and many civilians have made their way there in the hope of finding safety. Below is a list of rumors, some true and some less so, about Krakow that you can feed to the PCs to entice them to go there. You can roll on the table or choose for yourself. D6

RUMOR

1

Anything you want can be found in Krakow… for the right price.

2

The CIA maintains a station in Krakow to this day. They often hire former US soldiers.

3

A functioning hospital exists inside an old castle here.

4

Information brokers sell intel to those in need at the Market Square, but you need to know the secret codeword.

5

An attack helicopter was seen flying over the city recently, then landing inside a castle.

6

The city is the closest thing to the world before the war within 200 kilometers – good food, warm beds, bars, and even a radio station.

ARRIVAL Vast tracts of blasted, rusted industrial hulks slope against the misty Carpathian Mountains at the foot of which sits the city. The area looks like old black and white footage of Europe at the end of World War II but worse… and in color, drab may it be as everything goes the color of ash, rust, and entropy if left alone by human hands for too long. Someday, green shoots will spark again but the radioactive rain keeps those days some while ahead. Major roads have checkpoints (page 82) and it’s hard to drive into town without being seen. Walking in, especially at night, is relatively easily but the People’s Militia may at any time stop someone for ID. You either pay your way or become indentured. For all that, there are people here and some functioning government. A rare thing.

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CURRENT SITUATION As the only “free” city in Poland, perhaps in all Europe right now, Krakow is something of a legend. Of course, like all legends, the truth is a lot more mundane than the stories. People here rarely have power. They work hard. Crime is rampant and the authorities only have control over limited areas.

GOVERNMENT AND ORDER The mayor (formerly the City Council President) runs Krakow with the Rada, or City Council advising and voting. However, The Vorovskoy Mir (page 36) is also highly influential. Currently a democracy, an extremist bloc recently gained traction and a new election looms. People are on edge. While free now, that freedom must be earned again every day. Prior to the collapse of Communism, a people’s militia (ORMO) defended Krakow along with the Free Polish 6th Brigade. A new People’s Militia, called ORMO derisively by many citizens, serves as both police and paramilitary.

Checkpoints exist on all major roads leading into the city. Without proper papers some sort of bribe must be arranged. Anyone who looks like they might be trouble may be rejected. Smaller roads are barricaded with rubble and wrecked cars to control arteries into the city. The People’s Militia holds great power in the city and maintains order under the direction of the Rada. It oversees the farms outside the city worked by laborers known as robotniki who work as near slaves in hopes of earning citizenship. Citizens enjoy some stability, rations, and protection provided by the People’s Militia and the Free Polish 6th Brigade. It is an easier life to be a citizen of Krakow than to be alone in the wild.

COMMERCE The city depends upon the Vistula River for a lifeline. The farms in former neighborhoods and suburbs do not support the current population. Thus, the city council must import a great deal of food. To do so, the city produces mortars, bicycles, ammunition, and other mechanical parts which are shipped down the Vistula in return for food. Inside the city, The Vorovskoy Mir can get almost anything one needs but the price is almost always high. Shops and stalls sell various

goods legally, mostly downtown. Barter is the usual system of trade though ration chits are a common form of currency, as are bullets. Forgery of ration cards or chits is punishable by death.

INHABITANTS Most of the current population lived in Krakow before the war, but refugees stream into the city continually. Approximately one in five people in Krakow are refugees. Only a tenth of those have citizenship status. The rest work as forced labor known as robotniki or live on the outskirts of the city as scavengers, marauders, or lunatics. The citizens of Krakow are religious as a whole, and extremely proud that the last Pope, John Paul II, came from their city. They have a connection to the Holy See few other populations boast in Europe these days. While not especially suspicious of outsiders, the people of Krakow are not overly welcoming of them either.

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Independence is serious business to them, and they want to remain removed from the affairs of what is left of the world. While alphabet intel agencies plot inside the city and rag-tag armies consider razing it, the people remain vigilant and dedicated to starting a new, smaller world within the confines of Krakow. Anything which places that goal in jeopardy is dealt with immediately and harshly. The People’s Militia is the main law enforcement presence in the city. A few still wear old police uniforms, fatigues, or simply civilian clothes. A red armband marks people as a member, but they must also back this up with “papers” if a citizen demands it. Of course, as a practical matter, citizens are rarely in a position to ask for such ID and abuses occur regularly.

NORTHEAST WARSAWSKIE

North of Lubicz Street is the central station for Krakow’s rail network. Mostly closed or ruined, a few lines have yet to be ripped up. A steam train leaves the city at regular intervals for shipping. At the central station one finds militia patrols to protect incoming and outgoing goods. Otherwise, the area is mostly home to refugees who’ve not yet been rounded up and sent to the farms to work. Some of these refugees arm themselves and secretly plot an uprising against the Rada. No one knows who leads this incipient movement.

OTHER POPULATED AREAS

NEIGHBORHOODS Several neighborhoods remain recognizable by landmarks if not people. Some are almost entirely abandoned. The outskirts of the city are mined, trapped. and patrolled by the People’s Militia. Barbed wire surrounds much of the city along with signs warning of the mines and the penalties for circumventing checkpoints (death or indentured servitude). A player map of central Krakow is included in this boxed set. A Referee version of this map can be found on page 86.

OLD TOWN (STARE MIASTRO)

WAWEL CASTLE

This is the historical “Medieval City” of Krakow. It was once surrounded by a moat and fortifications but those were turned into Planty Park in the 19th Century, only to be rebuilt in the last three years – at least the walls. The moat is long buried. This is the most secure neighborhood and built to withstand a direct assault from remaining NATO or Soviet forces in the region to say nothing of marauders. The Rynek Glowy, an old medieval square, is the heart of Old Town. St. Mary’s Basilica and other churches still stand in Old Town. It truly is a piece of a world even more distant than what we called modernity not a decade ago.

Wawel Castle is the last of many fortifications located on a limestone hill in Old Town. Restored in this century before the war, the museum is once again a fortress for elements of the Free Polish 6th Brigade, People’s Militia, and members of the city council, mostly while in session. Parapets and towers evoke centuries old sieges and the cries of battle as brutal and primitive as any seen today. Man, it seems, has not gone so far as he thought. Of particular interest is a helicopter which takes off from the courtyard. It is a Mil Mi-24. See the page 84. The Gothic architecture dates from the reign of King Casimir III in the 14th Century, but many renovations over the years give the castle a mottled appearance. Three of the original towers survive. The first parts of the castle were laid down over 1000 years ago. A rumor says the name Wawel relates to the Tower of Babel.

NORTHWEST ABANDONED DISTRICTS CZARNA WIES, NOWA WIES

Mostly abandoned and heavily damaged, these areas are full of crime and violence. Refugees (zbieg) often find their way here. The buildings are disused except by squatters and marauders. The People’s Militia rarely patrols these areas. Enter at your own risk.

SOUTH ABANDONED DISTRICTS ZAKRZÓWEK, DEBNIKI, LUDWINÓW, PODGÓRZE

South of the Vistula river lie abandoned areas. Four major bridges control access to the populated portion of the city, and it’s simpler to just leave everything south of that to collapse in on itself. This area was also once the home of the Jewish Ghetto of World War II, something the citizens do not want to repeat. Scavengers and squatters make up the populace here along with some would-be river pirates. The area is reputed to be haunted by those killed in this war or the last.

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KLEPARZ, WESOŁA, KAZIMIERZ

Besides Old Town, the above three neighborhoods comprise the bulk of the city outside the newly built walls. There is less crime here (though certainly some), regular shops and an open market. People live here and go to work in the distillery, machine shops rescued from ruin, and in traditional roles as tailors, doctors, and restaurateurs. Electricity sometimes powers portions of these neighborhoods. Even here, though, Edison’s inventions enjoy less use than the fire we discovered before we learned to speak.

KEY LOCATIONS A few key locations in Krakow town and the Wawel Castle are described below. These locations are all marked on the Referee map on page 86.

CHECKPOINTS The People’s Militia has checkpoints at a few key positions in the city and the castle. There are two types of checkpoints – minor (marked B on the Referee map) and major (marked A).

MI NOR CH ECKPOI NTS are manned in the daytime by a single squad of eight People’s Militia, including one officer. For stats, use the Polish Soldier/ Polish Officer entry on page 37 of the Referee’s Manual. Beyond their personal gear, the squad has one RPK machine gun and an RPG-7V anti-tank weapon. Minor checkpoints are protected by debris (armor level 3). MAJOR CHECKPOINTSare manned day and night by two full squads as per above. In addition to the squad gear, the checkpoint is also equipped with a searchlight, a DSKH-38 and a UAZ-469B vehicle (converted to run on alcohol). Major checkpoints are protected by sandbags (armor level 4).

NA ZDROWIE This small bar sits on a prominent corner near Market Square. It’s a walkdown and that keeps it cool in the summer. The wood stove and hearth keep it warm in the winter. The owners serve beer made locally and a few different types of hard liquor. Some old bottles of once famous liquor can be had by those willing to pay. Na Zdrowie is open until the wee hours, having an “understanding” with the People’s Militia.

HOTEL KRAKOW This old, once luxurious hotel has seen better days. The bottom floor carpet grows with mold. The place has no power, and the staff consist of about three people. However, the roof doesn’t leak, it’s old enough that the rooms have fireplaces, and it’s protected by the Vorvskoy Mir, making it safe-ish. At least you aren’t likely to be ripped off. And the beds are still far more comfortable than most soldiers have bunked in forages. This is as close to the Ritz as one is like to see these days.

RATUSZ (TOWN HALL) The Old Town Hall was abandoned by officials early in the war after heavy shelling. Now, its ruins overlook the Market Square (Rynek Główny) of the city. Here, tents and stalls huddle in serried ranks where each day vendors come to sell their goods. Official city ration chits and bullets are accepted as payment. One can find anything for sale here from medical supplies to weapons to intel if one has the right connections. During the summer, the favored spots are those that fall in the afternoon shade of the ruined Ratusz. The City Council, along with the mayor, claim they will rebuild and reoccupy the hall. For now, they stay behind the protective walls of Wawel Castle.

THIEVES’ TOWER Wawel Castle added Thieves’ Tower in the 14th Century under King Casimir the Great. A dungeon exists in the basement and it is where the tower gets its name. Originally, Teutonic mercenaries were imprisoned there, but now the enemies of the Free City find themselves in those ancient depths. Atop the tower are guards and a DSHK-38 machine gun.

UNIVERSITY OF KRAKOW Also used partially as a medical clinic and ration distribution center, there are constant rumors that some secret project was created, or at least worked on here, before the war. Referees may wish to tie this to Operation: Reset or any plot of their choice. Most of the campus is empty and long since looted but that does not mean everything of value was found.

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THE HIND A Mil Mi-24 (Hind) sits in the courtyard of Wawel Castle. It sees little use except in emergencies as there is little fuel on which to run her. The helicopter has a nosemounted flexible Yak-B 12.7 mm gatling gun (treat as NSV but with ROF of 8). It also has two gunpods on each nacelle with an AGL-17 in each. The Mi-24 has a pilot, a co-pilot and room for eight troops. A PC can manage to start and take off with the helicopter with a successful DRIVING roll (unless the PC has the Pilot specialty, in which case no roll is needed). The helicopter has reliability 3, combat speed 11, travel speed 42, armor level 2 on all sides, fuel capacity 1200 and fuel consumption 20. The tank currently holds 1200 liters of aviation fuel. When flying, the helicopter disregards terrain and travel encounters and is always considered to be in an elevated position. Any hit on the suspension or track/wheels is considered to hit the rotor instead, with the same effects. If the helicopter is rendered inoperable, a DRIVING roll is required to make a controlled landing. If it fails, or if the helicopter is permanently destroyed, it crashes violently, inflicting the equivalent of a 10-meter fall for all occupants and permanently destroying the helicopter.

ZUZANNA ZIELIŃKSA A political science professor in France at the time of the war’s outbreak, it took Zuzanna the better part of a year to get home to Krakow, where she felt she belonged. She served as City Council President before that position changed to that of mayor as the Council largely disbanded under siege. Zuzanna stayed through the hard times and eventually the Council was partly rebuilt. While popular, she’s made enemies in her twoyear tenure as mayor and various assassination plots always threaten her. A true patriot, Zuzanna belies in a free city and a free Poland. She is not overly fond of either Americans or Soviets given they brought the war to her home, but the Soviets were far worse, and she’ll side with an American over any Russian soldier. She has blonde hair starting to gray and deep, seamed cheeks. She’s only about 45, but the years have been hard and, like almost everyone, she looks older. She dresses in utilitarian clothes of paramilitary fashion since she sees herself as a war leader, at least for some while longer. ATTRIBUTES STR C, AGL C, INT A, EMP A HIT CAPACITY: 4

HOSPITAL This old hospital became offices at one point but has been converted back since the war. Citizens are allowed to use the services the hospital provides, but they are all searched upon entering the castle itself. Doctor Dulik (next page) is usually in charge with a small staff of former medical students supplemented by military medics and EMTs. The hospital is wellstocked given the circumstances but doesn’t have an excess of anything.

WAWEL CATHEDRAL The old cathedral is impressive even though its stained glass is long gone, and much of the roof needs replacement. But the better part of the western end of the cathedral remains intact. Inside, the city stores food distributed weekly as well as weapons for the People’s Militia. Outside the Cathedral, inside the castle courtyard, is a landing pad for a Mi-24 (Hind). A small supply of fuel (800 liters) is also stored in the cathedral.

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CUF: B SKILLS: Close Combat C, Driving C, Persuasion A SPECIALTIES: Frontline Leader GEAR: —

MAGDA SOFKA Magda runs the Bureau of Rationing, which is simply an office with many, many long lines. Daily, she oversees the dispensation of food at designated sites throughout the city. She used to manage a financial company but was never happy. She isn’t happy now, but she does feel useful. She has a purpose. Feeding people is among the best things one can do in this world, now. She is proud to do so to the best of her ability.

What plagues her is that there are so many she cannot feed. There is never enough food. Though she sneaks extra rations to mothers and children, there is still never, ever enough. Magda is a brown-haired woman 42 years of age. She stands five foot nine but no longer wears heels nor her business attire. ATTRIBUTES STR C, AGL C, INT A, EMP A HIT CAPACITY: 6 CUF: D SKILLS: Close Combat D, Driving C, Persuasion B SPECIALTIES: — GEAR: The key to the rations storage room.

DOCTOR DULIK Dulik is a morphine addict. His license was revoked at the outset of the war but, such was the need for medical skills, he was brought back into a local hospital. Dulik is a very talented surgeon. He has a keen mind. His problem is addiction. His state isn’t all that different from before the war. He lives for the rush, the needle, the respite from life. His only other desire is for Magda, though the two dance around their flirtation. His addiction isn’t a secret and, so long as he doesn’t operate while high, no one questions his authority. That’s just how desperate things are. Dulik is literally heroin-thin, very tall, and lanky. He has not an ounce of fat on him and a full head of brown hair. He’s 37 years old. He doesn’t expect to hit 40.

GENERAL ANTONI LIS Antoni Lis is the commander of the Free Polish 6th Brigade (page 38) and has served in the Polish army since the late 1960s. He came up through the ranks, rather than a military academy, and spent most of his career under the shadow of the Soviet Union. He found their military doctrine too reliant on nuclear weapons and was horrified at the prospect of a war between NATO and the Warsaw Pact. In 1989, Poland became independent, but Lis never believed that meant piece. Unlike many of his peers, he believed war was even more likely now. He was right. General Lis is an affable man. While he can be hard, he becomes so only reluctantly. He once led from the front, but his officers have convinced him to stop this of late. Pragmatic and tactical, General Lis is one of the finest generals produced from the Cold War and, perhaps, among the best five or six still alive. That he would never agree with such accolades makes him all the more popular with his troops. He is in his mid-50s and keeps his hair close shaven. He shaves every day but does not demand the same of his men. He is over sixfeet tall and wears sturdy, black glasses. He wears a BDU and it’s rumored he has not been seen in a dress uniform since the start of hostilities. ATTRIBUTES STR B, AGL B, INT A, EMP A HIT CAPACITY: 6 SKILLS: Close Combat B, Command A, Driving B, Ranged Combat A, Persuasion B, Recon A SPECIALTIES: Tactician, Front Line Leader GEAR: AK-74 with 4 reloads. Makarov with 2 reloads.

ATTRIBUTES STR C, AGL C, INT A, EMP B HIT CAPACITY: 5 CUF: C SKILLS: Close Combat C, Driving C, Ranged Combat D, Medical Aid A SPECIALTIES: Field Surgeon, General Practitioner GEAR: Surgical tools, morphine/heroin.

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1 2 3

A

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SHRUBLAND

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THIEVES’ TOWER

FOLIAGE

INDOORS

HOSPITAL (GROUND FLOOR)

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APPENDIX II:

KARLSBORG

The massive Karlsborg Fortress at the shore of lake Vättern in central Sweden took 90 years to build. It was intended to serve as the reserve capital of Sweden in the event of war. When it was finally finished in 1909, the rapidly evolving technology of artillery had already rendered it obsolete. As fate would have it, almost a century later, with Sweden devastated by the most destructive war in human history, the old fortress finally has gotten a chance to serve its intended purpose. But this stone seed of a new nation has drawn the attention of both civilians seeking refuge as well as powerful forces who seek to destroy it or subjugate it for their own purposes.

At the beginning of the Soviet invasion in 1997, Karlsborg Fortress was hit by airstrikes and largely evacuated. In 1999, when the military command structures had largely collapsed on all sides of the war, units of the Life Regiment Hussars found their way back. They took control of the facility again, determined to finally give it its intended role as the reserve capital of the country. When the Soviet forces in the area learned of what had happened, they lacked the capacity and will to do much about it. With no air power available and little heavy artillery, the massive fortress walls were now as impenetrable as they once were meant to be, before 20th century technology made them obsolete. Word soon spread about Karlsborg Fortress being back in Swedish control, triggering an influx of civilian refugees from the area seeking safety and refuge. Few of these have been let inside the gates, instead filling up makeshift camps in the surrounding town.

HISTORY The town of Karlsborg sprung up next to the fortress as it was built, and mainly consisted of housing for the thousands of personnel working there. Over the decades, it grew to a sizable community, also due to the Göta Canal which passes through the town. The fortress and its 672-meter long main rampart always dominated the town. It continued to be used as a military installation throughout the 20th century, serving as a base for a wide range of military units, among them the Life Regiment Hussars (page 39).

CURRENT SITUATION Karlsborg Fortress is now firmly in the hands of the Life Regiment Hussars (page 39) and its commander, Colonel Fält and his deputy Major Adolfsson. However, mustering just about 500 soldiers the Hussars have so far only a marginal presence outside of the fortress gates. They control some key junctions and bridges in the surrounding town and offer some protection to the growing refugee population, but much of the area is largely lawless.

“I can see why Hamlet was depressed,” Two-Fer said. I didn’t correct him that Hamlet was a Dane and this was Sweden. It didn’t seem to matter now. Everything was cold and gray but so was everything everywhere else we’d been. Two-Fer tried to talk to some of the locals where our barge landed, but they just shook their heads or ignored him. He seemed really down about it, so I told him Swedes don’t go saying hello to their neighbors let alone strangers. I read that somewhere, I think. Anyway, here we are in a new country. So far it looks better off than most of Poland. Hell, the fisherman just brought in a haul and no one ran a Geiger counter over them. There are Soviets everywhere, though, I hear.

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RUMORS Word has spread about the “Kingdom of Karlsborg” and many civilians have made their way there in the hope of finding safety. Below is a list of rumors, some true and some less so, about Karlsborg that you can feed to the PCs to entice them to go there. You can roll on the table or choose for yourself. D6

RUMOR

1

The old fortress at Karlsborg is controlled by Swedish soldiers, offering protection to anyone who comes there.

2

A relative of the lost Swedish royal family has come to Karlsborg and declared himself the new king.

3

Soviet forces are staying clear of Karlsborg because they cannot penetrate the walls of the old fortress.

4

There is an American singer performing in the old mess at Karlsborg Fortress. They say she’s really good.

5

Karlsborg is a nest of spies. The KGB, GRU, and CIA all have agents there. They are after something valuable.

6

The market inside the old fortress at Karlsborg has all the wares you’ll ever want.

Most of the town is considered an area of limited control (page 24) under the Hussars, while the fortress and certain areas of the town are under full control – see the Referee map on page 94. THE REFUGEES: Colonel Fält refuses to open the fortress gates to civilians,

fearing a deluge of refugees will swamp the base and quickly consume his limited resources. Instead, he offers only selected individuals with military training and gear a chance to join the Hussars’s ranks. Civilians are offered “citizenship” and a chance to settle inside the fortress walls only after a full year of servitude. Outside the walls, the squalor of the refugees has grown over the last few months and there is a growing discontent over Fält’s refusal to let them inside the gates. The refugee leader Ingrid Lindberg has repeatedly pleaded to Fält to reconsider, so far to no avail. THE KING: Recently, a relative to the Swedish royal family of Bernadotte,

which has been missing since the early days of the war, showed up at Karlsborg Fortress. Claiming to be the rightful heir to the throne, he took the royal name King Carl XVII Johan. This has created tensions with Colonel Fält. For more on this, see the plot called “The Man Who Would be King” on page 48. THE SPIES: The “Kingdom of Karlsborg” as it has become known has

attracted elements of all major intelligence agencies. Colonel Fält’s second in command, Major Adolfsson, is a KGB informant. His handler and the KGB chief in the town is Anatoli Malekov (page 93). The GRU also has a growing presence in the town, reporting directly to the Admiral (page 60 in the Referee’s Manual) from their safehouse in the old railway station. The CIA has two agents inside the fortress walls, posing as jazz musicians in The Mess bar (page 91).

ARRIVAL Approaching Karlsborg along the main road from the north or south-west, the PCs will see increasing numbers of refugees on and by the road until they encounter the first main checkpoint (marked A on the Referee map on page 94). A painted sign says “Kingdom of Karlsborg” and a squad of uniformed Hussars stops them. Civilians watch the newcomers but keep their distance. The Hussars question the PC briefly but let them pass unless they are hostile, and direct them to the fortress. After the checkpoint, the PCs enter the town proper. Dogs bark and gunfire echoes in the distance. It’s crowded with refugees of all ages. Street kids run after the PCs, begging for food or gear. If allowed to come close, some will try to steal anything they can. Other refugees are hostile to any uniformed PCs, throwing bottles and stones. Some walls have painted slogans such as “LET US IN,” “DOWN WITH THE TYRANT” and “LONG LIVE THE KING.” If the PCs ask, they will be told that the Hussars won’t let refugees into the fortress unless they pay or work in servitude for a year. Many civilians seem to admire “the king” who recently came to Karlsborg and is said to be the true heir to the Swedish throne. They hope he will take control of the fortress from the “tyrant” Colonel Fält and let the refugees in. For more, see the section Current Situation on the previous page.

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INHABITANTS There are two distinct types of inhabitants in Karlsborg that the PCs will meet: civilians and Hussars. THE CIVILIANSare mostly refugees from far and wide. This

small town of 7,000 people before the war has swelled to almost double that now – most living in squalor in burntout buildings and makeshift camps. They are cold, dirty, and hungry – living off whatever little they can fish out of lake Vättern, forage from the woods, grow in muddy fields, trade with the pirates on the Göta Canal, or gain in return for hard labor in servitude of the Hussars. Local gangs of marauders control most of the town, extorting the refugees in exchange for “protection” and sometimes engaging in bloody street fights. The civilians hope for the Hussars to give them protection, but many have come to resent the soldiers for not giving them the security and sustenance they came here seeking. Military-looking PCs visiting the town will often be met with suspicion or even hostility. THE HUSSARS came here with a noble goal to restore

the Kingdom of Sweden but have become increasingly beleaguered by the refugee population. They generally avoid interacting with the civilians except when picking up day laborers, finding themselves unable to help much anyway. The soldiers will react harshly to any attempt to confront them, even using lethal force if provoked. The Hussars’ morale has been dwindling in recent months, with many soldiers starting to doubt the judgment of Colonel Fält. This discontent is yet to become overt, however. When not out on patrol in the town, they perform guard duties or have time off inside the Karlsborg Fortress. Many spend time at The Mess bar, which can get rowdy at times.

KEY LOCATIONS A few key locations in Karlsborg town and the fortress are described below. A player map of central Karlsborg is included in this boxed set. A Referee version of this map can be found on page 94.

CHECKPOINTS The Hussars have checkpoints at a few key positions in the town and on the fortress walls. There are two types of checkpoint – minor (marked B on the Referee map) and major (marked A).

gun and a Pskott m/86 anti-tank weapon. Minor checkpoints are protected by debris (armor level 3). MAJOR CHECKPOINTS are manned day and night by two full squads as per above. In addition to the squad gear, the checkpoint is also equipped with a searchlight, a 81mm mortar with ten HE rounds, and a Tgb 13 terrain vehicle (converted to run on alcohol). Major checkpoints are protected by sandbags (armor level 4).

GÖTA CANAL The once famous Göta Canal, a 190 km waterway across Sweden dug in the 19th century to connect the east coast with the west, runs right through Karlsborg. It’s still being used to this today, but most of its 58 locks are now controlled by pirate marauders who claim a tribute from anyone who dares pass. Most avoid doing so when possible, but some civilians trade with the pirates.

RAILWAY STATION In the center of Karlsborg town is an old railway station, with rusting hulks of cargo and passenger cars now being used as shelter by refugees. The old 19th century station building is a secret safehouse of the GRU, who are posing as marauders. The refugees around suspect that these marauders are not what they pretend to be.

THE SCHOOL This three-story brick building used to be the main high school of Karlsborg. Now, it’s a massive refugee camp with over a thousand people seeking shelter inside its walls. Trash fires are burning in the old school yard, many dogs prey on the weak, and no one even has the energy to bury the dead, which are left on the pavement outside. The anger against the Hussars is rising here, channeled by the refugee leader Ingrid Lindberg (page 93).

HOTEL CARLSBORG This formerly quaint hotel looks burnt out, but it serves as the headquarters of a local marauder leader known as the “King of Ruins.”

GÖTA VAULT The main gate to Karlsborg Fortress is heavily guarded. This is a major checkpoint as per above, but further reinforced by a stripped down Strv 103C tank without tracks placed in front of the rampart next to the old gate. The soldiers will question visitors and demand to search any vehicle. Visitors who are clearly not Soviet will be let in if they pay for a one-day “permit” costing 100 rounds of ammo or the equivalent per person and vehicle. This can be bartered down (page 90 in the Player’s Manual). Once given the temporary entry permit, guests are told to report to the Command Center. The soldiers at the gate also tell them about The Mess bar.

THE FORTRESS SQUARE MINOR CHECKPOINTS are manned in the daytime only

by a squad of eight Hussars, including one officer. For stats, use the Swedish Soldier / Swedish Officer in the table on page 37 of the Referee’s Manual. Beyond their personal gear, the squad has one KSP 58B machine

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The main square inside the fortress is bustling with activity. The fortress is a city within the city, and this is its center. Most people here are Hussars, but a few hundred civilians who have earned or paid their way to “citizenship” also live here, and other civilians from the town are given temporary access to work here. Market stands line

the square, offering pretty much any common (C) item that the PCs might want (no supply roll needed) and even some scarce (S) items (roll normally). Fires in metal barrels provide light and warmth at night.

THE MESS This old stone mess building is the center of social activity in the fortress. It’s always busy in the roomy downstairs bar, often rowdy and sometimes violent, as Hussars let off steam drinking moonshine. The Mess even has rooms for guests, costing 50 rounds of ammo per night for a room that can fit up to six people in bunk beds. If the PCs have a permit to stay in the fortress, they can park their vehicle outside The Mess. The bar singer “Mona Sax” and her pianist “Sammy” are Americans, and both covertly work for the CIA. Colonel Fält suspects this to be the case.

COMMAND CENTER This heavy stone building functions as both living quarters and offices for the Hussar commanders, including Colonel Fält and Major Adolfsson. The building also houses the Council Hall, which is used for the weekly Council of the Realm meetings chaired by King Carl XVII Johan himself

(page 49). Hidden under a tarpaulin in the courtyard outside but clearly visible is the Hussars’ most prized possession – an operational HKP 3 army helicopter (the Swedish army version of the Bell UH-1 Iroquois). It even has half a tank of aviation fuel. The entire building is guarded around the clock by a platoon of Hussars. The basement holds a large arms cache.

ROYAL VILLA An old and partly crumbling but still beautiful wooden villa sits at the tip of the peninsula, in a forested area behind the fortress. This villa was built as a residence for the King when he visited, and it has now once again come to fill this role. Both King Carl XVII Johan and Crown Prince Gottfried live here, guarded by half a dozen Hussars. They rarely leave the villa other than to join the weekly Council of the Realm meetings at the Command Center. When they do, they travel in an old horse-drawn open carriage, accompanied by four Hussars.

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APPENDIX

THE HELICOPTER The HKP 3 helicopter outside the Command Center is only used in rare emergencies, as it has little fuel left and no way to be refueled. The helicopter has a pintle-mounted KSP 58B on the side. A PC can manage to start and take off in the helicopter with a successful DRIVING roll (unless the PC has the Pilot specialty, in which case no roll is needed). The helicopter has reliability 3, combat speed 10, travel speed 40, armor level 1 on all sides, fuel capacity 800 and fuel consumption 20. The tank currently holds 200 liters of aviation fuel. When flying, the helicopter disregards terrain and travel encounters and is always considered to be in an elevated position. Any hit on the suspension or track/wheels is considered to hit the rotor instead, with the same effects. If the helicopter is rendered inoperable, a DRIVING roll is required to make a controlled landing. If it fails, or if the helicopter is permanently destroyed, it crashes violently, inflicting the equivalent of a 10-meter fall on all occupants and permanently destroying the helicopter.

as both the KGB and GRU have their sights set on the fortress. For more on this, see the plot The Man Who Would be King on page 48. Being short, balding, and a little round about the waistline, Colonel Fält strikes an unexpected figure for a commander of an elite military unit. But his appearance is deceiving – Fält is a tough and experienced officer, earning the respect of his troops by leading from the front. ATTRIBUTES STR B, AGL B, INT A, EMP C HIT CAPACITY: 5 CUF: A SKILLS: Close Combat B, Ranged Combat A, Recon B, Command A, Persuasion C GEAR: Ak 5 assault rifle with two reloads, combat knife, fatigues

MAJOR ADOLFSSON Joining the Life Regiment Hussars was the greatest honor in Jon Adolfsson’s life, and he feels that it is his destiny to lead the unit. Only colonel Fält stands in the way of that. When the KGB contacted Adolfsson a year ago, he saw it as his chance to get rid of Fält, and allowed himself to be recruited. Since then, Adolfsson has been in constant contact with the KGB chief in the town, Anatoli Malekov, both by radio and messengers. Major Adolfsson has passed 50 but looks younger. Lean, dark, and tall, he cuts a perfect figure in his immaculately kept uniform. ATTRIBUTES STR C, AGL A, INT B, EMP A

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HIT CAPACITY: 5

The commander of the Life Regiment Hussars is caught in a bind. He came here to rebuild the nation, but his refusal to open the fortress doors to the refugees has turned the people against him. He fears letting them in will overwhelm the fortress and drain the Hussars’ limited resources, as well as risk allowing foreign agents to infiltrate the Kingdom. The colonel first thought the newly arrived “King” would help him control the civilian population and therefore allow him to settle at the fortress. This plan has also backfired as the monarch and his son the prince have demanded real influence and are even using the refugee situation to pressure Fält, alongside the refugee leader Ingrid Lindberg. If the PCs try to mediate between Fält and Lindberg, and even the King, the colonel could probably allow a compromise – letting more but not all civilians inside the gates. Reaching such an agreement will not be easy however,

CUF: B SKILLS: Close Combat C, Ranged Combat B, Recon A, Command B, Persuasion A GEAR: Ak 5 assault rifle with two reloads, combat knife, fatigues, AN/PRC-148 MBITR radio

INGRID LINDBERG This 46-year-old mother of three worked as a kindergarten teacher in the small town of Skövde before the war. Though always well-liked by colleagues, it was the outbreak of war that made Ingrid Lindberg realize her full potential. When Skövde was devastated by Soviet forces, people naturally rallied around Ingrid to lead the way to safety. Her following grew as the months passed, and when the Hussars arrived at Karlsborg, she led a delegation asking to be let into the fortress. Their refusal shocked her, and she has been trying to pressure them to change their minds ever since. The dark-haired Ingrid Lindberg stands tall and makes a strong impression on anyone she meets, despite her torn clothes and furrowed face. ATTRIBUTES STR C, AGL C, INT B, EMP A HIT CAPACITY: 4 CUF: B SKILLS: Recon C, Command B, Persuasion A GEAR: —

SAMMY Sammy is Mona’s subordinate in the CIA, and poses as her pianist at the Mess bar in Karlsborg Fortress. He is completely loyal to Mona and trusts her judgment. Should someone hurt or kill her, revenge will be Sammy’s main goal. Nothing much else matters to him in this world. ATTRIBUTES STR B, AGL C, INT B, EMP B HIT CAPACITY: 5 CUF: B

MONA SAX Mona Sax has been working undercover so long that her real identity seems like a fleeting dream to her now, long lost in the chaos of war. She remains loyal to the CIA and her local station chief Turner (page 66 in the Referee’s Manual), and reports to him regularly from her current base of operations – the Mess bar in Karlsborg fortress, where she poses as a bar singer. From there, she keeps a close eye on everyone of interest, especially Americans. Mona can be a source of information or even help in several Plots, especially Operation Reset (page 50). ATTRIBUTES STR C, AGL A, INT B, EMP A HIT CAPACITY: 5 CUF: A SKILLS: Close Combat C, Ranged Combat B, Recon B, Persuasion A GEAR: M9 pistol with one reload, knife.

SKILLS: Close Combat B, Ranged Combat C, Recon B, Persuasion C GEAR: Pump-action shotgun with one reload, knife.

ANATOLI MALEKOV Major Anatoli Malekov is the KGB chief in the Karlsborg area. As most KGB commanders these days, Malekov operates independently from Moscow and plays a very long game. In the short term, he wants to know everyone who comes and goes in Karlsborg and how he can use them to his advantage. His main adversary in the town is the GRU. As opposed to the GRU, Malekov does not have one set base of operations, instead preferring to keep moving and rarely staying two nights in a row at the same place. He commands a team of ten KGB agents (stats and gear as Soviet Intelligence on page 37 of the Referee’s Manual) and a handful of locally recruited assets, including Major Adolfsson. ATTRIBUTES STR B, AGL C, INT A, EMP B HIT CAPACITY: 5 CUF: A SKILLS: Close Combat B, Ranged Combat B, Recon A, Command B, Persuasion A GEAR: PM pistol with one reload, knife.

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