Thursday, July 19, 2018

SWAJ 13


Just finished reading Star Wars Adventure Journal, Vol. 1, No. 13 (WEG, May 1997). A decent read. Includes parts 3 and 4 of the serialized short story "Side Trip:, written by Michael A. Stackpole and Timothy Zahn. A couple of other notable short story/adventure ideas are featured, including "Special Ops: Shipjackers" by John Beyer and Kathy Burdette. Always like the "Galaxywide NewsNets" and the olden days reports on upcoming Star Wars fare. The first novel in A.C. Crispin's Han Solo Trilogy, entitled The Paradise Snare, is set to come out in June of 1997.

In the "ISB Intercepts" segment, wherein WEG personnel answer burning questions from the readers, we learn a couple of cool things. One: WEG does not have a website, yet, but it does have 3 different AOL email accounts. Two: some products (like the Jedi Sourcebook) have been shelved indefinitely, as WEG does not want the content to be invalidated by the upcoming Prequel Trilogy. Ah, what a time to be alive in Star Wars fandom. The world is your oyster; Jar Jar and midichlorians do not yet exist, and hope is ever present.

Please send a self-addressed, stamped envelope to our Honesdale, PA home office. Pablo Hidalgo will be happy to answer your inquiries.

As always, you can check your Yellow Pages for a B. Dalton nearest you!


Friday, July 13, 2018

Tierfon Mission: Turncoat

This short scenario continues to develop the storyline introduce in Turbulence and Plunder, leading to a daring raid on a mag-lev train on the planet Corellia.

Turncoat

-Nate



Star Wars: Age of Rebellion: Turncoat
Recently operatives of the Rebel Alliance discovered a plot involving Jal Santhe, a Tionese nobleman who is indebted to Slarr the Hutt, and who arranged to sell details of shipping routes to pirates working for the crimelord. Armed with this information, and working in conjunction with a Tionese Rebel sympathizer named Gaea Rus, Special Operations has made a deal with the turncoat: He'll surrender himself to Alliance protective custody, as long as someone helps sneak his mistress, Fennix Taro, from under the noses of her Imperial minders on the planet Corellia. 

Natural, Rebel Intelligence looks to the Player Characters to do the job. In fact, Intel has learned that Taro is currently traveling by mag-lev train across the planet, providing the perfect opportunity for a quick and discreet extraction.

Note to the GM
While this scenario can easily be played as a stand-alone mission, it builds upon events depicted in Turbulence and Plunder. Playing them as a series helps develop a bigger, more immersive story arc for the Player Characters.


Adventure Summary
This adventure begins with some quick preparations by the PCs, outfitting themselves and their ship along with setting up any cover story that they might want to use. Once the mission starts, they can board the mag-lev train, seek out Taro, and make a plan for separating her from her minders. Then it becomes a race to board the PCs' ship and escape as reinforcements are arriving.


Planning and Preparation
While the PCs could spend all kinds of time preparing for this mission, it's probably best to keep such activity quick and easy. Those who think to ask for such information can obtain a layout of the mag-lev train, but that's about it. Characters who've attracted unwanted Imperial attention might need to obtain fake identification and prepare cover stories, too, which can become important during roleplaying situations later. There's also the question of where they want to leave their ship, keeping it hand for making an escape, but not leaving a pilot out of the other action. If need be, the Alliance can assign the PCs an R2 unit to act as a stand-by pilot.


Involving the Player Characters
After making their preparations, the PCs can quickly move into action, boarding the train and starting to search and plot.

Mission Objectives and PC Duty
Detailed below are some of the ways in which this assignment can tie into different characters' objectives.
  • Combat Victory: While one can hope that this assignment comes off without the need for combat, it's always good be ready for that possibility.
  • Counter-Intelligence: This character is, as usual, tasked with making sure that the operation isn't exposed by Imperial agents.
  • Intelligence: Helping secure the cooperation of Jal Santhe could be quite the coup for the Alliance, helping gain access to all kinds of useful information.
  • Internal Security: This character, too, should strive to make sure that the PCs are not revealed as Rebel Operatives, or that their mission is compromised.
  • Personnel: While he's only one person, the turncoat Jal Santhe is of considerable value to the Rebel Alliance.
  • Political Support: For this character, cementing the alliance with Gaea Rus and her noble family should be a priority.
  • Recruiting: Securing the aid of both Jal Santhe and Gaea Rus are important achievements for this character.
  • Resource Acquisition: Gaining access to information about, and possibly materiel from, the Santhe Corporations could be highly beneficial.
  • Sabotage: Removing Jal Santhe from Imperial influence would be a blow to the Empire in and of itself.
  • Space Superiority: Here again, while the PCs might hope to avoid ship-to-ship combat in this mission, it's likely to become a necessity.
  • Support: This character can, as usual, help fellow operatives in attaining any of the aforementioned duty objectives.
  • Tech Procurement: The Santhe Corporations deal in all kinds of technology, and Jal Santhe can provide information about it.

Episode 1: Boarding the Train
The PCs should be able to handle the first part of the mission, boarding the mag-lev train, just through good roleplaying. Even so, the following map and location descriptions are included to help set the scene, and in case the situation takes a desperate turn.

The Station
This building is often built into a natural hill, an area where the mag-lev rail passes above the level of the surrounding ground. For that reason, patrons enter below the main platform and access to the tracks is restricted.

1. Main Concourse
This broad, open area has double doors on both sides for patrons to come and go. At high-traffic times, naturally, the place is milling with beings of all sorts. Stairs and turbolifts provide access to the platform above. The ceiling is six meters high, and is supported by thick column of durasteel and pourstone.

2. Ticket Kiosk
Each of these booths has three stations for droids to buy and sell tickets. They do not normally check passengers' identification unless alerted by local authorities to do so.

3. Turbolift
These large carriages haul beings up and down all day long. In the event of an emergency, they can be locked down. Additionally, a locked door beside each shaft provides maintenance access.

4. Cafe
For those beings who wish to pass a little time or who wish to have sustenance during their travels, these two areas serve all kinds of food and beverages. Unlike the ticket kiosks, each is operated by organic staff.

5. Platform
Turnstiles lead from the stairways onto the platforms. One side is designated for each direction, and it is not uncommon for a being to find oneself on the wrong side of the tracks as the mag-lev train is approaching. As with the turbolifts, the turnstiles can be locked during emergencies, but they don't create much of a barrier.

Maintaining Cover
At the GM's discretion, they might need to make some Deception checks, opposed by the ticketing agents' Perception efforts. As always, the GM can add setback or boost dice, depending on good or bad roleplaying. This should make the PCs feel tense, but not present any real danger. 

Another possibility, of course, is that a character from one of the PCs' backgrounds makes an unexpected appearance. This could be a family member, an old romantic flame, a former criminal associate, or the like.


Episode 2: Planning for Departure

Refer to the map above and the area descriptions below once the PCs board the mag-lev train.

Control Cabin
The bullet-shaped front car of the mag-lev train features a small control room with a console and chairs for the pilots. There's also a small refresher unit and a storage area for personal items and emergency equipment. Note that one of these cars is usually situated at each end of the train, to provide a backup in the case of a breakdown or extra push when traveling in the mountains.

Baggage Car
Shelving units fill this car, providing space for stowing the luggage that passengers don't carry on with themselves, along with any cargo that the mag-lev train might be carrying. In addition to the doors at each end of the car, there is a set of double-doors on each side to facilitate loading and unloading.

Dining Car
Tables and chairs line the walls of this car, each situated beneath its own window. Uniformed beings provide table service.

Kitchen Car
In addition to cooking surfaces and food preparation areas, along with the related implements, this car has a cold storage room for keeping foodstuffs fresh.

Observation/Lounge Car
Those passengers who pay for the upgrade can take their ease in this car, which has comfortably upholstered chairs and sofa along with small tables. The same beings who work in the dining car also serve beverages and appetizers here.

Passenger Car
While this car provides the most cost-efficient means of travel, there are few frills involved. Pairs of seats line both sides of the aisle, and a pair of refreshers are located in the rear of the compartment.

Sleeping Car
Those beings who are traveling a great distance have the option of reserving a room in one of these cars. There are two varieties, with either a single or a double bed. Each type has its own refresher.

Finding Fennix
Once they're aboard the train, the PCs can start looking for Fennix Taro. She starts out in her private sleeping car, with the Imperial agents next door to her. Before long she emerges to eat supper, however, spending some time in the lounge car before moving to the dining car. When that happens, the Imperials stay close, but don't sit with her.

Fennix Taro—Use the stats for a Wealthy Noble from page 430 of the core rulebook.

Lieutenant Ennis Dul'Tir—Use the stats for an Intelligence Agent from page 419. This agent knows that he's been given a relatively minor assignment, but hopes that, by conducting himself well, he will be offered more important business in the future.

Minders—Use the stats for Naval Troopers from page 419.

Making Conversation
Approaching Fennis is, at first, pretty simple. After all, she's an attractive Human woman and so it seems only natural that someone would want to chat with her. Her Imperial minders try to seem disinterested, and might need to make Deception checks opposed to the PCs' Perception efforts in order to avoid being noticed or eavesdrop on any conversation. Subtle characters can use seemingly innocuous conversation to reveal who they are and why they're looking for her, however. Keep in mind that she is devoted to Jal Santhe, and turns away anyone who just seems like a flirt.

Creating a Distraction
This could be an opportunity for tech-savvy characters to shine. In order to separate Fennix from her minders, they could cut power to the car in which she is traveling, trigger an alarm for an automatic stop and evacuation, or something similar. The mag-lev train has decent protection against such sabotage, so any such efforts should be Hard (but manageable) tasks. As always, it's up to the GM to adjudicate any particularly clever (or crazy) schemes that the players devise.

Starting a Fight
This development is probably unavoidable for the PCs, and something that they should approach with caution. After all, most of the cars are also occupied by innocent civilian passengers, meaning that stray blaster fire could cause collateral damage. To reflect this, the GM could use Despair results in such a way, using the stats for Mechanic (page 413) or Nerf Herder (433) characters from the core rulebook to represent the wounded. The Imperials, of course, are not concerned about restraint once the shooting starts.

Calling for Backup
At an opportune moment, Lt. Dul'Tir calls for Imperial backup. This is a planet swarming with the Empire, of course, given the importance of the local shipyards, and so there's plenty of help to be had. Once he does so, the action should move to the endgame portion of this scenario.


Episode 3: Making an Exit
The Imperial response to the Dul'Tir's call for help comes in two parts. The first of these is an AA-70 Observation and Command speeder that arrives atop the train and drops to squads of stormtroopers, each consisting of a sergeant and four troopers. They force their way into the cars and begin searching for the Rebels. This should lead into a running battle, as the PCs try to escape aboard their own ship.

AA-70 Speeder—Use the stats from page 50 of Lead by Example.

Stormtroopers—Use the stats from page 420 of the core rulebook.

Stormtooper Sergeants—Use the stats from page 420.

Imperial Vehicle Corps Pilot—Use the stats from page 419.

A Complication
Fennix has a pet houjix named Nibbles. She loves this four-legged reptiloid very much, since it was a present from Jal. The problem is that she's keeping it in her sleeping car, and it doesn't like beings other than her at all. She refuses to leave without it, however, and so one of the PCs (probably a tough fighting-type) needs to retrieve it. The houjix does not cooperate, so that character needs to stun or otherwise incapacitate the creature in order to move it. Let the shenanigans ensue.

Nibbles the Houjix—Use the stats from page 27 of Strongholds of Resistance.



The second part of the Imperial response comes in the form of four TIE fighters that try to shoot down the PCs' ship.

TIE Fighters—Use the stats found on page 270 of the core rulebook.

TIE Pilots—Use the stats found on page 423.

This should not be a battle to death, but another running fight as the PCs try to escape with their quarry. While the pilot is trying to avoid being shot out of the sky, and any gunners are returning fire, other characters can engage with making repairs to damage suffered and, even more importantly, plugging in the coordinates for a hyperspace jump. It should take about six rounds for the PCs to clear Corellia's gravity well and thus be clear to jump. That last task is Average in difficulty, along with any setback or challenge dice the GM wants to add due to threat from the battle or the use of destiny points.


Epilogue
As long as the PCs do escape with Fennix Taro, they've won an important victory for the Alliance. Jal Santhe then arranges, via communication with Gaea Rus, to be taken into custody. He knows a great deal about the Santhe Corporation's workings, and thus can provide hooks for all manner of future missions—in particular, one secret project known as “Firestorm.”

Rewards for Risks
At the GM's discretion, the PCs should earn 10 experience points for a complete success, or 5 xp for a good effort; players who stick to their characters' motivations should earn another 5 xp. At the same time, they should each increase their Duty rating by 5.



Appendix 1: Opening Crawl
Presented below is an opening crawl in the style of the Star Wars movies for use with this scenario.


STAR WARS

AGE OF REBELLION

TURNCOAT

It is a time of civil war.

In order to recruit a Tionese noble and Santhe Corporation executive,

Rebel agents from Tierfon Base are preparing to extract his mistress

from under the noses of her Imperial minders. If they succeed,

they can win a valuable ally for the Rebel war effort. Failure, on

the other hand, could endanger scores of innocent lives...