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F A 5 A C ORPOR AT. o N

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I'HE FALL OF I'ERRA

INTRODUCTION 4 Croeso Y Cymru 38 How to Use This Book 4 Season's End 40 Weather and Terrain Rules 4 Interesting Times 43

Deep Snow and Mud 5 God of War 45 Fog and Ice 5 Per Ardua Ad Astra 47 Intentional Fires 6 End of the Line 50

OPERATION ODYSSEUS 7 WAR WITHOUT END 53 Gathering Storm 7 Troop Placements 53 A Wolf in Sheep's Clothing 8 Com Guard Activity 54 Homecoming 9 The Ongoing Campaign 54 Capricious Fate 10 Equipment 54 The Tide Turns? 10 TERRA IN 3058 56 New Order 11 Occupied Terra 57

SCENARIOS 12 In-Atmosphere and Surface Transport 57 Hold the Line 12 Economy 57 When the Bough Breaks 14 Government and Law Enforcement 58 Free Fall 16 Explorer Corps 59 Out Come the Knives 19 Military Forces 59 Down Into Darkness 21 Star League Bases 60 Nowhere to Run 23 NEW EQUIPMENT 61 Give Me Liberty ... 25 Flatbed Truck 61 Serve to Lead 27 Buccaneer 62 Scenarios 9-12: Mini-Campaign Rules 30 Toyama 64

Com Guards First Training Division (Light): PERSONALITIES 66 Sandhurst Training Regiment 30 Trent Arian, Word of Blake Precentor Martial 66

Word of Blake Militia, Task Force Steel, Adept Edelle Kearny, Acting Commander, Alpha and Beta Battalions 31 Com Guards 201 st Division, Alpha and Beta Battalions 67

Determining Forces for the Campaign 32 Suzanne Mulvanery, Commander, Shadow Lancers 68 Repair and Resupply 33 Demi-Precentor Sharon Gardbaum, Acting Special Units 33 Commander, Sandhurst Training Regiment 69 Experience 33 Precentor John Christopher, Commander,

Fields of Camlann 34 Word of Blake Task Force Steel 70 Who Dares Wins 36

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Writing Chris Hartford

BattleTech Line Developer Bryan Nystul

Playtesters BC Legion

Dan "Flake" Grendell Randall Bills Steve bob Pitcher Troy Allen Andy Ford Bryan Marty John Lollar Chad Dean Michael Jackson Jared Cluff

CONffNrs & CRfD.rS

CREDITS

Cover Design John Bridegroom

Illustrations Tom Baxa Storn Cook Kevin Long Mike "MIKEN" Nielsen Chris Trevas

Layout John Bridegroom

Author's Acknowledgments: This manuscript was produced on fou r different computer sys­tems (Apple Mac, Apple Newton, IBM PC and Amiga 1200), in two different countries: Germany (Bochum and Essen) and England (my flat in London, my parents' house in Nottingham, my office, the VWE center at the Trocadero and others) .

Boston's Best BattieTechers (sponsored byYour Move Thanks to: Games)

Hugh H. Browne, Jr. David J. Chernoff Michael DeFevers Robert R. Dougherty Robert Feehan Eric A. Hart Scott E. Johnson Harry Schaffer

Group W Andrew Bethke James W. Moorman, Jr. Robert G. Kranker Eric Munzinger Gregory K. Plambeck Edward C. Witzlib Bryan Moorman David Peterson Dan Hurda Steve Edmons

Editorial Staff Editorial Director

Donna Ippolito Managing Editor

Sharon Turner Mulvihill Associate Editors

Diane Piron-Gelman Rob Cruz

Production Staff Art Director

Jim Nelson Project Manager

Mike Nielsen Cover Art

Doug Chaffee

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Neil Dale, Darren Merriman and John Hague Moody who read early drafts (as always) and helped test scenarios ; Mike Stackpole for answering my queries about Malicious Intent promptly; Bryan Nystul for letting me loose (again! ); and my father, Michael Colin Hartford, for the loan of his 1894 copy of Rudyard Kipling's Barrackroom Ballads and Other Verses.

Thanks also to several who shall remain nameless , but who provided inspiration (you know who you are).

When you go home, tell them of us, and say, for your tomorrow, we gave our today.

BATTLETECH®, MECH®, BATTLEMECH®, and MECHWAR­RIOR® are Registered Trademarks of FA SA Corporation. THE FALL OF TERRATM is a Trademark of FASA Corporation. Copyright © 1996 FA SA Corporation . All Rights Reserved. Printed in the U. S. A.

Published by FASA Corporation 1100 W. Cermak Road· Suite B305 Chicago, IL 60608

FASA Corporation can be reached on America Online (E. Mail­FASALou (Earthdawn), FASAlnfo (General Information, Shadowrun, BattleTech) or FASA Art (Art Comments)) in the Online Gaming area (Keyword "Gaming"). Via InterNet use <AOL Account Name>@AOL.COM, but please, no list or server sub­scriptions. Thanks!

Visit our World Wide Web site at http://www.FASA.com

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THE FALL OF TERRA

INTROD UCTION

Terra is the homeworld of humanity, the prize of the Inner Sphere. For centuries, this place of history and hope has drawn conquerors and would-be conquerors intent on claiming it as their own. Once the capital world of the Star League and the Terran Hegemony, Terra was plundered and despoil ed by Stefan Amaris, whose brutal reign forced the planet's inhabi­tants to live in fear and depravation. The legendary General Aleksandr Kerensky fought a long and bitter campaign to liber­ate Terra , but the resulting peace was short- lived. Within months of Kerensky's victory, the Star League collapsed . In 2784, when the Great Houses of the Inner Sphere began gird­ing for war , the general assembled the remnants of the Star League Defense Force and led them on an Exodus beyond the boundaries of known space . Soon after, the Inner Sphere plunged into war yet again, and the prize of Terra was claimed by ComStar, which would maintain the planet as neutral territo­ry for more than 250 years.

In 3050, the descendants of Kerensky's Exodus fleet-the Clans-returned to the Inner Sphere. Intent on humbl ing the proud armies of the Successor States, the invaders were deter­mined to found a new Star League and claim Terra as the capi­tal of their empire.

The forces of ComStar spared Terra from the invaders' grasp by defeating the Clans on Tukayyid in a battle for control of Terra. But ComStar itself was rent asunder by internal politi­cal feuding. In the end, the group known as the Word of Blake fled to the planet Gibson in the Free Worlds League, whi le the remaining faction held onto the name ComStar, as well as con­trol of Terra.

For six years the two factions bided their time, waiting for the opportunity to destroy one anothe r. Then, as warfa re between the Successor States began to pl ague th e Inner Sphere yet again, the Word of Blake saw its chance ....

H OW TO USE THIS BOOK The Fa ll of Terra is a scenario pack for use with th e

BattleTech, BattleSpace and MechWarrior game systems. Most of the scenarios in th is book use the standard BattleTech rules found in the BattleTech Compendium : The Rules of Warfare (BTC). Several of the scenarios use rules presented in BattleSpace; MechWarrior, Second Edition (MWII) ; and the MechWarrior Companion. BattleTech Map Sets 2, 3, and 4 are also required to play the scenarios. Game stats for the 'Mechs, veh icles and aerospace ships are found in BattleTech Technical Readouts, 3025, 3026, 3050, 3055, 3057 and 3058. Completed record sheets for the 'Mechs and vehicles used in the scenarios can be found in BattieTech Record Sheets 3025 & 3026, 3050, and 3055 & 3058.

Each scenario in this book recreates one of the battles fought during the Word of Blake's campaign to take control of Terra. The conflict was fought on a global scale, with several off-world elements, and several of the scenarios are presented as campaigns-the outcome of one scenario affects the other scenarios in the campaign. Rules for playing such campaigns are included in the appropriate scenarios. Additionally, guide-

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lines for runn ing each scenario as a self-contained game are included in each scenario.

The rules in each scenario provide the information needed to understand and play the encounter, including guidelines for determining the winner and loser of each battle. Each scenario begins with a personal accou nt of the battle and incl udes Situation and Aftermath sections, which provide historical background of the engagement. The individual scenarios also include sections titled Game Set-up, Attacker, Defender, Victory Condit ions and Special Rules.

Game Set-up provides specific information needed to play the scenarios, including instructions on laying out mapsheets, directions for any special terrain features, and suggestions on appropriate BattleTech rules to use.

The Attacker and Defender sections provide rosters of the scenario's combatants and directions for deploying forces . The troop rosters include information on the vehicles used and the skills of the pilots. Assume all conventional vehicles are stan­dard models unless the text specifically states they are upgrad­ed or refitted versions. Some units listed in the rosters , most notably vehicle and spacecraft crews, have Unit Status ratings, ra ther than indivi d ual skill descriptions. When playing BattieSpace scenari os, re fe r to p. 62 of the BattieSpace Rulebook to determine the effects of Unit Status ratings. When playing BattleTech, consult the following table:

UNIT STATUS T ABLE (INNER SPHERE)

Unit Status Gunnery/Piloting Skill Green 5/6 Regular 4/5 Veteran 3/4 Elite 2/3

Victory Condit ions provides guidelines for determining the outcome of the encounter and vary from scenario to sce­nario. In combat, action rarely continues until one side is obliter­ated. Both sides may claim some measure of victory if they achieve their tactical objectives. Victory Conditions simulates this conduct by listing specific tactical objectives for one or both opponents in the scenario.

Special Rules lists any rules needed to play the scenario that are not contained in the standard BattleTech rules .

W E A T H ER AND TERRAIN RULES

Many of the battles in this scenario pack take place in bad weather or on irregular terrain . The following rules are designed to simulate these conditions. The Game Set-up section in each scenario notes any bad weather or irregular terrain features that apply in that scenario. Unless stated otherwise in the scenario's Game Set-up or Special Rules, the specified weather and ter­rain exist in all hexes of all mapsheets used in the scenario.

Note that all standard BattieTech terrain rules also remain in effect.

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INrRODucrlON

WEATHER ANO TERR A IN MOOIFIERS TABLE MP Cost Piloting Skill Weapon Attack Heat

per Turn per Hex Roll Modifier Modifier Terrain Type1

Mud2 +1 Deep Snow2 +1 Ice +14

Weather Condition Thick Fog +24 Falling Snow +0 Blizzard +0

Dusk +0

1 These terrain modifiers do not apply to hovercraft.

+1 +1 +4

_5

+1 +1 5

+ 1 energy weapons +1

+2 ballistic weapons + 1 all other weapons

+1

-1

-2

2 Units entering this type of terrain are subject to getting stuck (see Deep Snow and Mud, below). 3 Only BattleMechs with at least 1 operational heat sink mounted in a leg receive this bonus. 4 Does not apply to infantry units. A non-infantry unit entering this terrain may choose to ignore the additional MP cost. However, the unit may fall or crash as a result (see Fog and Ice, below). 5 Units jumping into Woods hexes must make a Piloting Skill Roll. Apply a +1 modifier if the target hex is Heavy Woods. Failure results in a fall in the target hex from a height of 1 Level.

The Weather and Terrain Modifiers Table summarizes the terrain and weather rules for the Fall of Terra.

Note that all MP modifiers are added to the standard MP cost of the underlying terrain, so entering a Heavy Woods hex covered in deep snow would cost a total of 4 MP. As with stan­da rd MP modifiers, these MP modifiers have no effect on Jumping units.

The Piloting Skill modif ie rs affect any Piloting Skill Roll made while in the particular terrain or condition . Unless specifi­cally noted , players do not need to make Piloting Ski ll Rolls to enter any of the listed terrain or cond itions.

OEEP SNOW ANO MUD Deep snow and mud slow the movement of units and may

cause them to become stuck. To simulate the effects of deep snow and mud, use the swampy terrain rules (p. 91, BTC), wi th the fo llowing modifications:

Deep snow and mud are not as li kely to trap a unit as swampy ground. Therefore, apply a -1 modifier to the Piloting Skill Roll made to determine whether a unit becomes stuck on entering the terrain. Apply the same modifie r to Piloting Skill Rolls made to free a stuck unit. For example, an undamaged BattleMech with a Regular MechWarrior would need to roll a 4 or better to avoid becoming stuck. This modifier replaces the usual + 1 modifier for Piloting Skill Rolls in these types of terrain.

Jumping units that land in deep snow or mud do not auto­matically become stuck. Jump-capable units using Walking or Running movement may become stuck, but they can free them­selves in subsequent Movement Phases by simply jumping out of the terrai n.

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Deep snow terrain rules apply when an area becomes cov­ered with loose snow that is more than a meter deep. Lesser accumulations of loose snow have no measurable effect on bat­tlefield units; treat hard-packed snow as ice or clear terrain , depending on how slippery it is.

The mud rules described here apply to mud less than one meter deep. Use the standard swampy terrain rules for deeper mud.

F OG AND IC E The increased MP cost of entering hexes enveloped by

th ick fog or covered by ice represents the extra caution needed to avoid tripping , falling or crashing under such conditions. (Units that pay this increased cost are not subject to skidding on ice.) Howeve r, lucky or skillful pilots may move through these conditions at full speed without mishap . Any player attempting to do so must announce his intention before moving his unit. After the unit's first hex of movement, the player must make a Piloting Skill Roll for the unit.

If the unit is a BattleMech and the roll fails, the 'Mech immediately falls and must stand up per standard rules before cont in uing its movement. If the roll succeeds, the 'Mech remains upright. The unit may then move per standard rules . However, the player must make additional Piloting Skill Rolls for each non-Clear hex or elevation change it passes through.

Vehicles moving th rough thick fog or ice must make Piloting Skill Rolls after their first hex of movement as well. If the ro ll fails in icy terrain, the vehicle goes into a skid (see p. 23, BTC). If the roll fails in thick fog , the vehicle crashes, unless it is in Clear terrain. In Clear terrain , the vehicle simply hits a

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