Abstract Combat - Battle at PetroPlas!

 My son's Mercenary outfit got its first big battle yesterday.

On the war-torn banana republic world of Faldor, the Wolfpack is protecting a town. The populace are called the Gath, genetically modified Very Tall humans. Many of them work in a factory for a company called PetroPlas (guess what they make?)

Earlier, the Wolfpack had tangled with a local Armed Group called the People's Popular Development Front. The PPDF attacked the factory to gain control of resources and a labor supply.

The Pack sprang into action to defend the factory and the Gath from town.

I have written before about the Abstract Battle system in Book 4, Mercenary. It works fine for streamlining large battles. I have added on a few factors, nothing changing the mini-game, elaborating a bit.

Manpower is the key value, and their weapons/armor/gear is all folded into the Equipment Tech Level.

A unit, whether PC or NPC, squad or Battalion needs to note only a few things:

Manpower and the 'preservation level'. Preservation is the point at which casualties cause the unit to surrender or withdraw. I decided that the NPCs who hit this level will surrender on a 1-3, and flee on a 4-6.

Unit Efficiency is a comparative value. This affects the nature of any round of an engagement. Are the PC forces attacking, defending, surprised? The Referee determines this by a die throw, modified by size and efficiency ratings.

Tech Level of their loadout. This is a static value, and compared against the opposing forces' TL. Advantage to the side with higher TL gear.

Mission: is this unit committed to attacking an enemy force? Defending a position? Conducting a commando raid? This also influences the resolution of a battle round.

This information fits in a box on a sheet of paper, like this:

Abstract Combat with Book 4

My older son wanted to try his hand at running a mercenary unit. He's got a six month contract on Faldor, defending a town as unrest and civil war swirls around them. He's got about a platoon worth of troops and light vehicles.

His PC is the owner of the PMC “Wolfpack Security Corp.”, while an NPC is the field commander. His patron is the King of Pampati. A contingent of Pampatian Gath emigrated to Faldor to find work. The King is concerned about anti-Gath prejudice among the competing factions. Gath are genetically modified humans, standing 2.7 to 3.3 meters tall. Sounds like they could take care of themselves, but they moved there to work, not fight. Wrong place at the wrong time, you might say.

I've run most of his time so far as a set of random encounters as detailed in the Encounters chapter of TTB. A mix of hostiles and friendlies, government and rebels. A week or so back, a scout group from another PMC came snooping around their town. They exchanged shots before the scouts broke contact and retreated. They took one prisoner, who identified the group.

The People's Popular Development Front (PPDF) worked for the government, bolstering its forces. Then the PPDF leadership decided to renege on the contract. They saw an opportunity to establish themselves as a local power.

Last night we played out the next encounter with the PPDF. Three squads rolled into town to do “recon-in-force”.

We've been working from a sketch map of the town,

and I drew up a second hex map. The battle map noted important features like the HQ building and town gates. We both laid out counters for our units. My son's PMC is divided into about a dozen teams and squads. We did not worry about scale of the hexes, or length of turns. This is abstract, to resolve the battle quickly but without 'GM fiat'.

I added on a few simple rules to the abstract battle system in Book 4. Each turn both sides roll 1D and add the leader's Tactics skill. This is the number of counters that can move on a given turn. Each unit that moves can go one hex in any direction. This became an important factor for one side, later on. Neither side had Leadership skill on the board, but a Leader can make a throw to move a unit 2 hexes instead of one. (We'll see another time if that rule works well or not)

In the Avalon Hill game Antietam (part of the Blue & Gray series) the Union side can move only 6 of its 40+ counters per turn. This reflects McClellan's dithering during the actual battle. The movement throw added a variable to the game. It reflects the difficulties of command & control over a spread out force.

By the Numbers

Fire for Effect! the Forward Observer Skill

The Forward Observer skill has long puzzled me. When I was a teenager getting into Traveller (in the 1980's) I could not get my head around what the Forward Observer skill was good for. Why did they include it? Now these many years later, I have an answer for that. It turns out that I've missed out on some exciting adventure opportunities!

 

The first reason that FO skill confused me is that to me this skill deals with Big Guns - mortars & howitzers; you know, artillery. Classic Traveller has next-to-nothing to say about Big Guns, at least ground-based ones. The Book 1 Gunnery skill is primarily about starship weapons. The skill text does say that “Gunnery may also be used for similar weapons mounted on ATVs or air/rafts.”

which suggests that these vehicles can have energy or projectile weapons. The Vehicles section mentions AFVs but nothing whatsoever about how to adjudicate fire from Big Guns. Starter Traveller didn't even mention AFVs.

 

A quick digression. Back in the day I did not conceive of the rules as a toolkit for adding my own features into a Traveller setting. I expected the publishers to do it all for me. I have since changed my outlook.

Where was I? Oh yes. Without rules to define and use Big Guns, I had no way to actually use the FO skill except in the most abstract sense. I also lacked the real world information and the sci-fi reading background to make use of the FO skill by whipping up some Big Gun rules.

I think the FO skill did not survive past the Classic edition of Traveller. If later editions still have it, please enlighten me in the comments. If you open up Book 1, it is available on the Service skills table for the Navy, and the Army. If you look in Book 4, Mercenary, FO skill appears on the Artillery and Marine MOS tables, the Staff and Shipboard skill tables. Note in Book 1 this is a skill for Navy and Army types; in Book 4, it becomes a Marine skill as well. It appears in Book 5, High Guard on the Shore Duty and Gunnery MOS tables. Book 4 also introduces the Field Artillery gunnery skill. I'll add a thought on that later.

Abstract Combat in Book 4 Mercenary

I bought the Mercenary book back in the mid eighties, and have built lots and lots of PCs with the expanded book 4 rules. I've even a few times tried building a mercenary unit by following the system laid out in the book. But until now the Abstract Battle system didn't make much sense to me. I figured out what I was doing wrong: I tried doing it totally in the abstract. 

The Abstract battle rules work the best when they are integrated into a story, so that both sides have specific objectives, which are determined by their particular missions. Let me explain.

This evening, my boys and a friend were finishing up the adventure of rescuing a princess, who was kidnapped by a General in her world's army. He was trying to usurp the throne and marrying the princess was part of the plot. 

As I have mentioned before, this was my re-imagining of the Amber Zone adventure Coup D'Etat, which I reviewed a few years ago. The setting is Pampati, in Holtzmann's Corridor, and the princess is Princess Aurelia. 

Well, the guys rescued her from the General's army base where she was held hostage, then retreated to the Summer Palace where the King was trying to keep his government together by radio and telephone. 

It may be cold outside, but the princess is Hot!

I provided the PCs with a small force of household guards, and a few hours to prepare defenses before General Kang's troops rolled in. The guards needed officers to direct them, so the King commissioned the PCs to lead the troops. They blocked the entrance road with trucks, hid in the woods and dug in on the front lawn. 

Kang's forces were attempting to capture the palace (and therefore the Princess & the King) and the PCs were there to prevent that from happening.

Here's where the abstract system came in. I drew a map of the area on hex paper. Each of the defending squads had a die-cut counter, and the attackers had a number of counters as well. As rebel and defending counters were moved adjacent to each other, I resolved each of the encounters as a battle round under the abstract system.

Expanded Rules for Military Skills from CT Book 4 Mercenary

You're in the Army now!

Your players want to run a military or mercenary campaign. Great, What do you do? The abstract battle system in book 4 works, but it is little more than rolling dice and consulting tables. This does not keep players engaged for long. And it's, well, abstract. A commando mission plays out exactly the same as a security contract.

The rules state that the Abstract system is “particularly valuable in resolving a mercenary mission involving large numbers of troops . . .in which player characters are not primary participants.” Even if the PCs are platoon or company leaders, there's not a lot for them to do that will affect the outcome of a battle.

Book 4, Mercenary, was a very popular rules expansion for Traveller. More guns! All those new weapons, though, were just more ways for the PCs to die. Large scale battles run very slowly when done at the PC level (no, Striker does not play quickly) and the chances are good the PCs will be taken out very quickly. This is not good roleplaying fun. What to do?

I recommend that you keep the PCs front and center of the action by diverting action from mass formation slug-outs to actions at the PC's level. Use the standard Traveller combat system while the PCs are performing their part, then resolve the rest with the abstract system.

What part do the PCs play? They're the mission specialists. In addition to all the fancy new guns introduced in book 4, there are several new skills that are directly applied to combat situations.

Specialist PCs can do lots of things to turn the tide of victory besides fight. To do so they must employ these new military skills. Let us consider the following skills:

• Combat Engineering (CE)
• Demolitions (DO)
• Field Artillery (FA)
• Reconnaissance (RA)
• Forward Observer (FO) [from book 1]

which do not have much definition in the Bk4 rules. I thought about them for a while, and here are some expansions to the rules as stated, that can make this group of skills more valuable.

How to Lose a Battle

Or, Fighting Smart in RPGs Part Two.


OK, this isn't really about how to lose - it's about how to avoid losing. Take some advice from two books that make a study of winning and losing in war - first  How to Lose a Battle by Bill Fawcett, (ISBN 9780060760243) followed by 'commentary' from The Art of War by Sun Tzu.

The man with the Plan.

 Fight on your terms, not your enemy’s. Sun Tzu says: Therefore the clever combatant imposes his will on the enemy, but does not allow the enemy's will to be imposed on him. (VI , 2)

Confirm all intelligence reports – don't believe everything at first glance. Sun Tzu says: Without subtle ingenuity of mind, one cannot make certain of the truth of their (spies') reports. (XIII, 17) 

Always try to take away your enemy's advantages. Sun Tzu says: Attack him where he is unprepared, appear where you are not expected. (I, 24)  

Lack of decisiveness is fatal. Sun Tzu says: There are five dangerous faults that may affect a general: Recklessness, cowardice, a hasty temper, honor which is sensitive to shame and over-solicitude for his men. (VIII, 12)

Disorganized troops are ineffective troops  Sun Tzu says: Maneuvering with an army is advantageous; with an undisciplined multitude, most dangerous. (VII, 5)

Scouting is critical – know where your enemy is and what he's doing. Sun Tzu says: By discovering the enemy's dispositions and remaining invisible ourselves, we can keep our forces concentrated while the enemy's must be divided. (VI, 13)

It is as dangerous to underestimate your enemy as it is to overestimate him. Sun Tzu says: Which of the generals has the most ability . . . on which side is discipline most rigorously enforced . . . on which side are the officers and men more highly trained?  By means of these  . . . I can forecast victory or defeat. (I, 13-14)

Orders to subordinates should be clear and simple. Sun Tzu says: When his (the general's) orders are not clear and distinct . . . the result is utter disorganization. (X, 18)

You can surrender an advantage now if it means that your enemy will give you an advantage later.  Sun Tzu says: hold out specious allurements and make them (enemy chiefs) rush to any given point. (VIII, 10)

Make the terrain work for you, whether you hold it or not. Sun Tzu says: That general is skillful in attack whose opponent does not know what to defend; and he is skillful in defense whose opponent does not know what to attack. (VI, 8)

Build flexibility and alternatives into your plan. Sun Tzu says: Do not repeat the tactics which have gained you one victory, but let your methods be regulated by the infinite variety of circumstances. (VI, 28)

Expect that your plan will have to be revised once you see what the enemy is doing. Sun Tzu says: If, on the other hand, in the midst of difficulties we are always ready to seize an advantage, we may extricate ourselves from misfortune. (VIII, 9)

Three ways to lose a battle you should win:
Be overconfident. Sun Tzu says: IF you know neither the enemy nor yourself, you will succumb in every battle. (III, 18)
Fail to view intelligence data. Sun Tzu says: Hence it is  . . . the wise general who will use the highest intelligence of the army . . . and thereby they achieve great results. (XIII, 27)
Fail to employ appropriate security measures. Sun Tzu says: Hence the skillful fighter puts himself into a position where defeat is impossible, and does not miss the moment for defeating the enemy. (IV, 14)

I would say, in summary, that the victorious side is the one that has the most information about its own side and the opponent, and makes the most use of that information.

Grenades for Traveller

"Boy, it sure would be nice if we had some grenades, don't ya think?"

 - Jayne Cobb, Serenity. 

Book 4, Mercenary, introduced hand grenades into Traveller combat. Striker had a few of them as well, but I want more! So here's my list of grenades for Traveller. Each item lists the type, (introductory TL), cost in Cr, and effects. Grenade vs Armor DMs are presented in Bk4, Mercenary. All grenades weigh 1kg.

Fragmentation grenades (5) Cr 10
at TL 5-6, 4D damage at TL 7-8 6D, at TL 9+ 8D
Mini grenades (8) Cr 15
4D damage, enough to destroy equipment or damage a door.
Micro grenades (8) Cr 20
2D damage, sufficient to destroy a door lock


Smoke grenades (6) Cr 10
Covers a 10m radius in white or colored smoke. Lasts for 4 rounds.
Sonic grenades (9) Cr 25
Emits highly uncomfortable audible sound. All within 15m must throw END or less on 3D or retreat at top speed for 2 rounds. Sound lasts 4 rounds. Hearing protection or sealed armor: throw 3D-4 for END or less.
Tranq grenades(9) Cr 20
Releases a tranquilizing gas. All characters in a 3m radius take 2D against END. If END is reduced to zero, character falls unconscious for 10 minutes.
Anti-laser aerosols (9)
Covers a 10m radius in chemical smoke designed to defeat lasers. Treat all laser fire through the smoke as having an additional Armor DM of -6. Lasts for 4 rounds.
Irritant gas grenades (7) Cr 15
Releases a cloud of gas that causes nausea and temporary blindness. Roll END or less on 3D to resist the effects. Cloud persists for 4 rounds. Characters in sealed armor or gas masks are unaffected.
Cryonic grenades (10) Cr 40
Releases a super-cold gas that does 3D damage, and causes all liquids to freeze. Characters even in sealed armor can be frozen in place by ice accumulation and by the armor stiffening.
Thermite/Incendiary grenades (6) Cr 20
Used to destroy material. Will burn through metal or stone, and set flammable objects alight. Grenade lasts for 2 rounds. Characters within 1m take 1D heat damage, characters in contact take 4D damage.
Fusion grenades (14) Cr 50
The high-energy version of the thermite grenade. Will burn through even starship hulls. Danger space 10m radius. Heat damage in danger space 6D, in contact 16D. Armor DMs as FGMP-14.
Visual Distortion grenades (12) Cr 45
Uses subsonic vibrations to blur the air in a 5m radius. All fire through the distortion is at -4, laser beams get scattered, losing 2D from damage. Nothing can be seen clearly through the distortion field.
Entangling grenades (11) Cr 30
Releases adhesive strands much like a spider web. Any character within 3m must roll DEX or less on 3D to avoid being entangled. If entangled, throw STR or less on 4D to escape. Cutting a strand with a blade takes 9 points of damage against Cloth armor.
Illumination grenades (5) Cr 10
Negates all darkness penalties for targets within a 25m radius.  Any character who looks right at an ignited grenade must throw END or less on 3D or be blinded for 10 minutes.
 Lubricant grenades (10) Cr 35
Covers a 5m radius with ultra-low-friction silicone spray. Any character on foot in this area must roll DEX or less on 3D to remain standing. Lubricant is persistent,  it must be cleared away with surfactants.
Shock grenades (10) Cr 25
Releases an electrical charge that affects all characters at Short range on 5+. 3D damage.
Acid/chemical grenades (13) Cr 40
Releases an Acid spray designed to degrade Battle Dress. Roll 1D, armor loses that many points of Armor DM (CT) or AV (Striker). Alternatively, it releases a magnetic 'paint' that covers visors and distorts on-board sensors, rendering the suit blind.
Thermal decoys (9) Cr 15
Emits a thermal signature that simulates body heat. Lasts for 6 rounds.
Contra-gravity grenades (13) Cr 100
Creates a localized gravitational field. Can be set to negate local gravity, causing everything in a 4m radius to float, or to amplify gravity, inducing weight penalties for a size A planet (see the gravity effects table in TTB).

Rules for throwing grenades. Use the Throwing Blades rule in the combat section as a guide, but extend range to Medium. Thrower is considered Evading while throwing. If thrower has thrown 25 or more grenades in combat, add DM +1 to roll to hit. For every additional 25, add another +1.* Any grenade thrown at short range may affect the thrower (7+ to hit yourself); and grenade thrown at Close range will affect the thrower. 

Rifle Grenades are fired from rifles, auto rifles or carbines. The grenades come with an adapter and blank round to launch. Loading time is one round, during which the firer is treated as Evading. Maximum range is Long. 

Readers feel free to suggest your own specialty grenades in the comments! 

* There is no 'grenade throwing' skill in CT, and I don't see the need to create one, given the restrictions on skills. This DM advantages the experienced thrower without creating a new skill. 

Aces & Eights - Amber Zone #23

Check out the series introduction here.

Over at the Amber Zone site, this adventure is rated #1 of the Top Ten Amber Zone Adventures.

Amber Zone: Aces & Eights, by John M. Ford from JTAS # 14

The famous Dead Man's Hand - but what's the hole card?

Location: Aboard ship, the cruise liner Domine Allegro, and the planets it visits.

Patron: Firenze Ltd., the cruise line owners.

Mission: The line's administration wants the PCs to take a journey aboard the ship, and observe a professional gambler aboard, a retired soldier named Sgt Major Prester, who the line suspects is cheating. Get some proof either way, and keep the pro from bankrupting other passengers – this would be negative publicity for the line. It's a pretty easy assignment – keep your eyes open, play a lot of cards, and don't tip your hand to the target.

Payoff: The line is offering transportation and good accommodations, an initial block of chips with which to gamble, and the ability to keep any winnings above the initial stake. If the PCs don't gamble or don't win, they effectively lose nothing – it's the house's money.

Complications: The Sergeant Major is not the only soldier on board, and some of them seem to have interest in Prester as well. Prester gambles well. and talks a lot but not about his old Army unit (the 1188^th  "Aces and Eights" Brigade); he might be cheating, but it is difficult to tell because he's so good. The mission takes an unexpected turn when Prester is directly accused of cheating by another gambler. The search for the truth will lead to revelations about Prester's old unit, and who else is interested in it. The other interested parties are willing to play hardball to get what they want, and the PCs may find themselves in the way!

Strong Points: This is a well constructed adventure, where the mission is clear, and there's no railroading by the referee. The players face one then two mysteries, and the second can expand into another adventure or easily a whole new campaign. The second mystery is a real puzzle, but like all mysteries, it is obvious once you know what you're looking for. The opposition is tough, but not overwhelming, and there is plenty of opportunity to use brains and skills, but the PCs better have their guns handy.This is another adventure that I really want to play out.

Weak Points: The key to this mystery is hidden pretty well, if the players don't catch on quickly, the other interested parties may well get away and disappear.

What I'd change: This adventure stands well as it is. I would change nothing but the details to put it into my TU.

In My Traveller Universe: I would begin this adventure in the Ostrander Federation, with the cruise liner travelling in a sweep towards Gringamore, the last stop on the cruise ship's line. 

Maps: If the referee has access to the FASA Adventure Ships set of deck plans, the plans for the Type M Subsidized Liner would work well for the shipboard action. Or use the Starships and Spacecraft booklet from Judges Guild. There is a planetside stop, but as a map would give away important plot points, I will not include one. 

The illustration is taken from the Wikipedia article "Dead Man's Hand" and is licensed to be shared.

Tarkine Down - Amber Zone Reviews #19

Amber Zone: Tarkine Down, by Roger Moore 
Check out the series introduction here.

Free Trader Beowulf, now landing at Dock 12.

Location: Tarkine (District 268/Spinward Marches)

Patron: Administrator of Scout Base Tarkine

Mission: A one-year security ticket for a battalion sized mercenary unit. The mission is to provide security for the base and starport, as the local populace is in a state of unrest.

Complications: The planet is under Imperial occupation, and is mostly cut off from the rest of the District. Anti-Imperial rioting has been on the increase. A riot in a nearby town spreads towards the starport, and the mercs are subjected to harassment attacks, bombs, mortar & rocket attacks, snipers, sabotage, etc. It is likely that any kind of offensive moves against the populace will result only in more anti-Imperial feeling. An unexpected guerrilla attack is launched against the starport and base, in near-equal strength, and with near-comparable weaponry in the hands of the guerrillas.

Payoff: 4 MCr up-front money, MCr 0.5 per month in payroll, and a success-only bonus of 5 MCr at the end of the year.

Strong Points: This is another adventure for the Mercenary/Striker players, but again, it could be undertaken by BK1 characters, taking the part of the mercenary leaders and keeping the major action centered around the PCs. Once the assault described in the adventure is resolved, the referee still has the bulk of a year in which to challenge and bedevil the players. The cause of the civil unrest is beyond what the mercs could manage to change, but diplomatic PCs could give it a try. The group will be on Tarkine long enough for the referee to develop other adventures out of this setup.

Weak Points: Once again, this scenario is set on a world with only near-current Earth technology. If the mercs are armed with TL 11+ weapons, putting down the guerilla incursion will be too easy. The description of the facilities to be defended are sketchy, the scout base is not described at all.

What I'd change: I don’t think that I’d change anything about this adventure; I’d flesh it out some (introduce important NPCs) if I were to use it as a campaign basis, but that’s all. It is a solid, if unspectacular adventure.

In My Traveller Universe: This adventure would make sense on an Independent planet that is near to one of the Big Four. Urdova (Five Worlds-American 0703) has a larger population but comparable tech level, and it is within Jump-2 range of the UPA planet New Georgia. 

The Map: this map was made by me, using Hexographer (www.hexographer.com) it may be used or modified without restriction.

 Legend: the red building is the Scout Base office. The smaller buildings are other buildings. The Skyscrapers are the starport, with four spaceships around it for the four landing pads. The fence is light gray, the paved surface of the port is darker gray. The anchor is the river port, the ships are the docks. The four corners are the guard towers. The triple dots are the minefields surrounding the port. The infantry figure is the mercs barracks.

Cout D'etat - Amber Zone Reviews # 16

Amber Zone: Coup D'etat by Loren Wiseman from JTAS # 10
Check out the series introduction here.

It's like Prisoner of Zenda - in SPACE!

Location: Anywhere; the planet is not named, the only information is that it lies at the borders of the Imperium, and has a constitutional monarchical government and only moderate tech level.

Patron: The Crown Princess Glorinna Firella. Because rescuing princesses never happens in RPG's.

Everything is better with Princesses.

Mission: This adventure is a mercenary ticket for a company sized unit, as a security/pacification mission. The King, Glorinna's father, is in danger of overthrow by armed revolution and the Princess is trying to arrange damage control. The mercs will supplement the royal forces while the Princess tries to ride out the unrest.

Complications: The revolt touches off almost as soon as the mercs land; so the mission changes on the fly to protecting the Princess. She's got a palace in the country where they can hole up, but it's a summer home, not a fort. There are lots of local forces joining the rebels, so the PC's group is very outnumbered. The rebel leader is intent on getting control of Glorinna – guess what happens if you marry the princess? Holed up in the castle with the princess are a lot of loyal non-combatants to take care of. In a week's time, a ship will arrive to evacuate them, but there may not be enough room for everyone.

Payoff: 750,000 payroll, with the promise of continued employment

Strong Points: I really want to do this adventure. The setup is simple yet it can be fiendishly complex to keep the patron safe. The tension level should be high at all times, what with all these rebels knocking on the gates, and taking pot-shots at anyone sticking their head out a window. The referee can keep the PCs one die roll from disaster for a week. There's plenty of opportunity to trot out fun hardware from Book 4 like artillery and use the abstract battle system. However, the rebel forces are limited in their attack options, as their goal is to capture the Princess, which means they can't just level the palace with artillery. The PCs can also take the offensive, sneaking out of the castle to launch raids against the enemy's encampments. Depending on the outcome of the one-week stand, there is potential for a long campaign to re-conquer the world, or rescue a captured Princess, or even start a counter-revolt to take over on their own.

Weak Points: There will be a lot of record-keeping for the players and the referee in this one. Tracking ammo expenditure is no-one's idea of a good time, but the referee should insist on it, as the PCs have no source of resupply. Also the referee will have to make up several maps beforehand, at different scales, as there will be lots of tactical movement to be monitored.

What I'd change: I would give the option of a small group of well-equipped (TL 11+) PCs instead of the merc company; the size of the opposition would have to change as well for the sake of balance.

In My Traveller Universe: I'd put this adventure on Pampati (Holtzmann 0406) I specifically crafted this planet for my TU with this adventure in mind; it's low tech, poor and has the right government type and is lightly populated.