On the Ground

You arrive in a vibrant and hectic situation. There is a cultural festival happening in the old open air mall. Camera drones zip around recording and broadcasting the festivities. Music and outdoor vendors are scattered about creating large crowds which would be ideal for discreet meetings. You were also briefed that there are six buildings in the area that seem to have larger heat signatures than would be expected, likely indicating that something of importance may be there. You also know of two local informants who may be able to give you information. Gather information to identify and then take the Alchemist.

Scenario notes

At the start of the game assign numbers to the red buildings and then roll to determine where the Alchemist’s lab is and where the Machiavellian hideout is.

Then roll to determine where the tech handoff is happening and where the Alchemist is located (possible locations are open air markets or music stages).

Timeline:

At roughly an hour into the session a tech handoff occurs between representatives of the Alchemist and the machiavellian. The Alc representatives can be followed back to the alchemist.

At roughly an hour and a half into the game if nothing has been disrupted, the Alchemist will leave via buildings and an underground maze of passages unable to be followed. And the Machiavellians will leave via motorbikes.

The alchemist will have himself, Two Grunts, and a lookout on a nearby roof. One of the grunts ill be posing as the alchemist and the alchemist will be posing as a grunt. This can be found out by finding out identifying details about the alchemist. (An example might be that the real alchemist has an eye patch, or a facial scar).

Machiavellian Base will have Grunts equal to the number of players and a lookout on the roof. It has a tech loadout with screens connected to camera drones throughout the city. It will contain the Tech handoff location, Alchemist identifiers, what half of the map the alchemist is on, and a reference to ‘plan B.’

The Alchemist’s lab appears to be a building that is for sale with an empty storefront, but has a door with an electronic lock leading to a supposed back room (It is doable to kick this door down). This leads to a cellar with a more intimidating metal door (can be kicked in with a flight suit with a daunting check, or hacked with a challenging check, or blown up with a challenging check).. If the door is kicked in or a hack is failed, if/when they players get in a grenade drops dealing 2 damage to anyone within 10 feet of the door, causing 1 noise and destroying most of the evidence in the room. If the password is used or it is successfully hacked you find information on a deal with the Maccevellians, meeting location, which type of location the alchemist is in (Stage or market), And Alc Identifiers

Informants will tell you 1 one the following: Tech handoff location, Alchemist location, Alchemist hideout location, Machiavellian base location, How to identify the Alchemist, alchemist hideout password. (roll or choose at your discretion).

Environment Table

Overarching Danger:

Execute Hostages (Time 3, 6)

• Hostages will be executed after 3 and 6 environmental effects are activated.

• On activation one set of hostages are executed.

• If one set of hostages have been saved upon activation, flip a coin to see which set of hostages are ordered to be executed.

1: Move Hostages (Danger, Max 2)

• The hostages move locations and are no longer known (Immediate) 

  • Diffuse: a Drone and be used to track them

  • Resolve: in 8 mins in game the hostages will be in a different location.

2: Ambush! (Danger, Max 2)

• Two Machiavellians get a drop on you. If identifiable as vanguards immediately trigger combat after they have one round of actions. If you look like civilians they will order you into a room.

• Diffuse:

  • If a player has an active Drone the enemies do not get surprise and combat is initiated normally or they are able to evade

3: Explosion! (Danger, max 2)

• An explosion erupts above you threatening to rain glass and debris on civilians below. If not in combat all players get one round to react to the situation (in any order)

4: Disrupt comms (Danger, max 1)

• Your com system is disrupted. All verbal communication is now out loud and can potentially give away your position.

• Diffuse: 

  • Find and Disable comm jammer (Doable Wit or Calculation check once found)

  • Hack frequency and disable remotely (Requires Hacking, Challenging roll)

• Continues till defused

5: “Cut the Lights” (Opportunity, max 1)

• All stealth rolls gain +2, all ranged attacks take -1, all attempts to analyze objects take -1. Puts our all fires

• Last until one more environment roll..

6: Fire! (Timer(2), Max 2)

• A fire has been started in an adjacent area and the sprinkler systems are not triggering.

• Diffuse

  • Fix the sprinklers (Engineer Doable roll)

  • Mix chemical compound from supplies (Medic, challenging roll)

  • Break a nearby water pipe to put out fire (2 Challenging rolls)

• Add up to (1) to the timer by moving civilians in immediate danger away (3 doable actions)

• On Trigger, a set of civilians are critically injured (and will die if not medically attended to)

Environment notes

Overarching Danger:

Cloak and dagger:

This is a stealth mission, the more noise you make, the more likely you are to have consequences, at 6 noise your target starts escaping.

Noise consequences:

1 Noise: nothing
2 Noise: have to start rolling stealth to move around: Doable by important area: easy by anywhere else
3 Noise: stealth to move around: Challenging by important area: doable by anywhere else
4 Noise: The Machiavellians will start to come after the Alchemist

5 Noise: Alchemist will add two thugs to their detail
6 Noise: The alchemist will flee

Table:

“Whoa… can I get a selfie?” (Danger 2 max)

• A slightly intoxicated civilian notices you and requests a selfie. +1 noise

  • Diffuse, no one is in a flight suit or Daunting wit roll.

Thugs in the wings (Opportunity, 1 Max)

You notice two tough looking folks, one flashes a gun to a merchant, they are likely in league with the Alchemist or the Machiavellians.

• Follow them discreetly - Daunting stealth roll

• Follow with a drone - doable stealth roll.

• Get caught following +2 noise

Noisy buskers: (Opportunity, 3 Max)

• A stage show happens nearby drawing attention away from you, all stealth is easter by 1 Difficulty rating until another roll is triggered

Vip lounge: (Opportunity, 1 Max)

• You notice a VIP lounge set up displaying various tech, you suspect it may be a good place for the Alchemist to find clients, and you to find information

• Sneak in (Daunting stealth roll 2 noise on failure)

• Use a crawling Drone

• Show up in vanguard uniform (1 noise) 

Heavy Crowds (Opportunity, any number of activations)

• The streets are swarming with people. All plans or investigations suffer -3,and all stealth (outside of restricted areas) is easy till another roll

• Flying Drone makes the plan/investigation penalty -1

Parade: (Timer(2), 2 Max)

• As you go to cross the main road there is a parade that blocks your way. You can either go around or incur 2 noise if you fail a Daunting stealth check.

Noise can be caused by:

Flying in a flight suit (1 noise)

Environment rolls

Being near the handoff or the Alchemist while in a flight suit and failing a challenging stealth roll. (1 noise)

Anything the GM says.

Notes on environment effects:

When “Thugs in the wings” is drawn, roll a d6. If its odd they will lead the player to the Machiavellian hideout, if even the tech handoff. 

Enemies

Alchemist:

2 Armor (hidden)

2 Health 

Self preservation: Will surrender at 1 health

Pistol

2 flying drones (Will ram players with their drones if engaged.) 

Alc Grunt:

2 Armor
2 Health
Stun Baton
Pistol

Speed 8

Mac Grunt: 

Armor 2

Health 2

Machine Gun

Speed 7

Lookout:

Armor 1 

Health 2

Speed 11

Silenced Sniper rifle.

Scoring:

Alchemist escapes: Failure

Player dies: Failure

Capturing the Alchemist: +3

Gathering Alchemist lab intel: +2

Gathering tech at handoff point: +2

Instances of Civilian death, each: -1

End with 2 or less noise: +1

Reach 5 noise: -1

Ranking 

S: 7

A: 6

B: 5-4

C: 3

D: 2-1.