Rescue on Ruie - Amber Zone # 1

Amber Zone: Rescue on Ruie by Jeffery May from JTAS # 1

Location: the country of Nebelthorn, a small dictatorship on the planet Ruie (obviously). Ruie is a industrialized but pre-spaceflight balkanized world with a near Earth-normal conditions. The environment is not a factor in the scenario.

Patron: An Imperial corporation official, whose son is in trouble on Ruie.

Mission: The son's been arrested and sent to the cooler. The corporate man wants his son busted out. Nebelthorn is not under the Imperium so he's resorting to clandestine methods. The objective is simple – get into the prison and extract the son.

Payoff: the corporate man offers the group a used free trader (a 37 MCr value!) with which to make their escape.

Complications: The son is not being held at a county jail, he's in a maximum security prison doing hard time. Guards and active defenses are in use.

Strong Points: This scenario will appeal to those who like lots of action over puzzle-solving or social interacting. The goal is clear and the potential payoff is huge. This could be the start point for a mercenary campaign – the group establishes their cred by busting open the prison.

Weak Points: Did I mention that this is a maximum security prison they're breaking into? Unless they bring a huge gang they're going to be horribly outnumbered.  It will be a tough job for the Referee to provide a balanced adventure here that the PCs can survive. The guards will have no reason to hold back against the PC's and as this is a maximum security prison the guards should not be incompetent. There is also the fact that what the PCs are doing is a crime, possibly an Imperial crime. It is a blatant violation of their national sovereignty. There should be some kind of repercussion from this action, the Nebelthornian government is going to complain loudly to the Imperials. They'll know it was the Imperials because they know who the target is and target's father is. From there Imperial investigators can trace the PCs. The scenario states that the son was fairly convicted of a crime, and while the sentence might seem harsh, it is legal. This just makes the PCs' assault all the more criminal.

What I'd change: I'd make the prison a lesser security facility, and confirm that the son had faced a kangaroo court instead of a legitimate trial. I might change the payoff to a smaller ship, or travel vouchers, or a chunk of cash, depending on whether the PC group could actually crew a starship.

In My Traveller Universe, I'd put it on Latoria [Weitzlar subsector 0405]. Latoria is balkanized, TL 9 and near enough to either the United Planets or the Union to fit the general outline of the scenario.