1105-002

Note: this was the first time we’d used Foundry for combat; the first time in a Traveller combat for some players; and the first time in a few years since I’d run one, so it took longer than usual, most of the sessions. I’ve narrated the combat shot by shot, on this occasion.

The group is made up of: Boris Bogdanov, Magnifikk, Girvana Vannek all former Imperial Navy; Gustaf Sjöström, a merchant from a ‘famous’ family of civil servants; Lucia Reyes a former Imperial law enforcement agent; and Travis Knoxville, who has just been released from an Imperial prison. They have just crashed on the planet of Marduk in the Trojan Reach sector, after their shuttle was attacked by what is thought to be raiders from the planet Oghma. Both pilots of the shuttle were killed in the crash landing. Soon after the crash another ship appears, and started searching. Fearing this was one of the raiders ships, the group moved away from the crash site and hid. The ship briefly landed and dropped off a man on a trail bike who proceeded to search the area. The ship also continued its search, before quickly flying off.

The group are accompanied by three other passengers:

• Evan Gar’harzvn Sanderson – a Vargr corporate lawyer, he’s not used to being hunted. Very well dressed and neat and tidy.
• Phynan Trevix – a rather annoying man, who complains about everything.

• Karine Lukowiak – she is from Marduk, working at the Downport. She is practical and helpful. She thinks the Downport is to the west.

The man on the trail bike, is armed with a rifle, which Magnifikk identified as a Advanced Combat Rifle despite the range and the failing light. Travis and Gustaf use their medical skills to patch up the light wounds. After searching a bit in the dark the motorcyclist stops moving (his engine can no longer be heard), and a dim light can be seen in the distance. The group concludes he is camping for the night.

There is then a debate on whether the group attack him in the night; start trekking west towards the Downport; or setup an ambush. Eventually, the group decided on an ambush at the crash site. They move back to the crash site in the dark.

Having finally found the crash again in the night they light a fire, and arrange clothing and other items into two approximations of people sleeping near the fire. The group then conceals themselves in the dark around the crash site. Over half an hour passes, just as the group have started to get bored, there is a gunshot, one of the ‘bodies’ jolts as it’s hit, ten seconds later another shot rings out and the other ‘body’ jolts. Magnifikk saw the flash from the gun to the south.

A few minutes later he appeared in the dim light from the fire, moving in the examine the bodies. He figures out quickly that it is a ruse, and starts to move out of the light into the semi-dark, when the party attacks.

Boris was on the north side of the wreck as the combat started, the opposite side to the fire, and initially moved away, a little unsure of his best move. Lucia uses a Cold light lantern on a narrow beam to illuminate the raider. Girvana aimed and then fired a burst from her gauss pistol hitting the raider, much of the hit was absorbed by his armour. Magnifikk also aimed and shot with her shotgun, also hitting and doing significant damage. Travis was unarmed, but ran into the lit area around the bonfire to try and distract the raider. Gustaf climbs up on the wreckage next to Lucia and took the light, making sure to keep the raider illuminated.

The raider fired fully automatic into the darkness in the direction of Magnifikk, but missed. Boris run behind the wreck, looking to tackle the raider in hand-to-hand combat. Lucia, having handed the light over to Gustaf, picked up her rifle, fired and missed. The raider had concealed himself behind some cover, so Girvana had to move to get a shot, she fired at fully automatic, but the shots were absorbed by the cover and his armour. Magnifikk also had to reposition, but also missed. Travis ran at him, moving just short of the raider. Gustaf adjusted the light, so the raider was fully visible.

The raider, who was wielding a rifle, but the range was practically point-blank, and he missed. Boris ran closer and shouted for the raider to surrender, but if anything this made him more determined. Lucia fired again, from her position above the wrecked cockpit, but missed. Magnifikk shouted to Travis, who threw himself to the ground, and then took another shot, the shotgun blast flew just over Travis’ head, but missed the raider. Travis leapt up, and threw himself at the raider, but completely missed. Gustaf climbed down from above the cockpit, still carrying the torch, keeping the raider illuminated.

The raider drops his rifle and pulls a pistol, but his shot at Travis missed. Boris , his attempt at persuasion having failed, attacked with his hatchet, hitting him but not doing much damage. Lucia, then fired and caused him to suffer another minor wound. At this point the raider was being kept in the fight by his really good armour (Poly Carapace). Girvana then downed him with her gauss pistol.

The group stripped him of his equipment – Poly Carapace armour; Advanced Combat Armour; Stunner; some combat drugs; and a stunstick.

1105-001

The travellers are a group of friends who; having all recently left their previous careers, or in one case been released from an Imperial prison; have started travelling together, lately in the Outrim Void. They have done a few jobs together, and have just arrived on Marduk (C577436-5), having heard that they might be able to get a few months’ work. They buy passage on a liner and arrive at Marduk’s Highport.

The Highport is quite basic. There are a few shops, a bar, a hotel, and a restaurant. The seating is basic and uncomfortable. The group quickly tires of the Highport, and books passage on the next shuttle to the Downport, a flight that should take approximately two and a half hours.

The shuttle is quite basic. The main cabin consists of rows of four seats across separated into pairs by a central aisle, there are approximately fifteen rows. Behind the rows of seats is a refreshment area, with a coffee machine and vending machines for assorted other drinks and snacks. There is also a hatch to the hold. Apart from the travellers, there are three other passengers: A woman, who spends most of the flight reading a book and sipping coffee; a very smartly dressed Vargr, who consults papers from his attaché case, occasionally marking them carefully with his pen; and a slightly over-weight man, who seems to complain – he complains about the cabin temperature, he complains about the quality of the coffee, and he gives the travellers an annoyed look when they chat among themselves.

The flight proceeds normally for the first couple of hours. Suddenly, an alarm sounds loudly and a red light at the front of the cabin starts to flash. The shuttle goes into a steep dive, everyone is thrown about the cabin, desperately grabbing for something to hang onto to. After being knocked about, and most incurring injuries, all the passengers managed to get themselves into seats and strapped in. After levelling out, the shuttle starts violently manoeuvring, before making another, more controlled, dive. The is a rushed announcement from the bridge: ““Starport under attack… many ships, maybe from Oghma. Strap in, we’ll get you down safe….”

A few moments later, this is followed by, “Strap in NOW! Missile alert!”

The shuttle evades violently, they dodge two missiles, but the third explodes close by. Fragments are penetrate through the cabin, luckily missing all the passenger. The travellers hear explosions as other fragments of the missile damage the shuttle, and it stards to lose height rapidly, though it still seems to be under control.

Through the cabin windows the travellers see that they cross the coast and is now flying over a large land mass. The pilots seem to be keeping the shuttle barely under control, and bring it down in a controlled crash landing, after skidding across the surface for some distance the shuttle crashes into a rock formation. Luckily none of the passengers are suffer further injury, they quickly make their escape from the cabin.

They discover they have had a very lucky escape. The bridge was crushed when it hit the rock, killing both pilots. The small hold, located behind the passenger cabin has also been destroyed, possibly by the missile exploding behind the shuttle – all the travellers gear, with the exception of a few small items, was lost with the hold.

The travellers and the other passengers, conscious of the fires burning in the wreckage, quickly search the remains of tyhe ship for stores and equipment. They find the shuttles emergency survival kit, which includes food, breathing masks, a water purification kit, a number of personal survival kits, and a rifle. The pilots also had a shotgun in the cockpit.

There is a debate about burying the bodies, but this is cut short by the appearance of a ship high overhead. After briefly thinking it might be a rescue craft, they soon conclude they shouldn’t trust it and make for cover away from the crash.

With the light fading, the ship appears again, this time much lower. It does a low pass over the wreck and then seems to search around the area. It briefly lands and an armed man on a trail bike is unloaded, who starts searching the area. Two other men search the wreck, and seem to have concluded there were survivors, they consult with the man on the trail bike, and soon after re-embark on the ship and it takes off and resumes it’s search. The man on the trail bike does pass quite close to where the passengers are hiding, but not close enough to spot them. He appears to be well armed, and a couple of times takes shots at distant targets. I rides quickly over the landscape, in now virtual darkness. Meanwhile the ship leaves, powering off into the night sky. The passengers, after a debate head west, moving initially in complete darkness, away from the dim light where the man on the trail bike has stopped for the night.