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scenario_e_espionage_and_sabotage

Espionage and Sabotage

Level 3 Exploration Scenario

The advancing enemy army notably outnumbers defending forces. The mission is dangerous but necessary if there's any hope of victory - infiltrate the enemy encampment, uncover any information that can aid in the war effort, and sow as much chaos and damage as possible on the way out.

This scenario has a number of objectives available to the players. Of course their main goal is to get out without being seen; however, for a complete victory, they'll need to perform various tasks while sneaking about the camp. You can give them the details of these objectives beforehand or have them discover the possibilities as they mill about.

Because of the optional objectives, this scenario has degrees of success. You can allow your story to vary slighty or wildly depending on how the players perform if you so choose.

Map

Setting Wilderness
Type Stealth
Lighting Dark (except F); see Torch Bearers
  E   F ~ G
  ^ \ |   |
  B - C - D
    \   /
      A
(start & goal)

Objectives

  1. Get a solid estimate of enemy numbers (via a vantage point to count tents / fires / banners)
  2. Collect enemy war plans (by making rough copies of maps and other documents)
  3. Sabotage enemy stores

Regions

(Region A) Before the Enemy Camp
Hastily-erected barricades block the paths leading up the hill into the camp. Normally they're no issue for small numbers of people to walk past, but the darkness of night and efforts to be silent make the stationary spikes more dangerous. A single small torch here does little to illuminate the area, but it does make the strung-up scout corpses posted as a warning quite visible for interlopers such as yourselves to see.
Exit To Obstacle
Northwest B Wooden Blockade
Northeast D Wooden Blockade
South Goal -
Hazards
Macabre Display
(Region B) Camp West
You see a ledge above a cliff face just to the north of these rows of tents, which should provide a good vantage point for estimating the camp's size.
Exit To Obstacle
Up E Rocky Wall (Height 3)
East C -
Southeast A Wooden Blockade
Hazards
Local Watch No patrol Respawn: 2
Torch Bearer Patrols B-C-D; Move, then Action
Secrets
Fortune Hidden: 1d8
(Region C) Camp Center
Soldiers sleep in rows upon rows of tents. A few here and there are awake and milling about, so you have to exercise caution while passing through.
Exit To Obstacle
North F -
Up E Rocky Wall (Height 3)
West B -
East D -
Hazards
Guard Dog No patrol
Secrets
Fortune Hidden: 1d8
(Region D) Camp East
Based on the layout of the camp, you deduce that the most likely location of the supply depot is in the northeast, wedged in the cliffs and protected from attack.
Exit To Obstacle
North G -
West C -
Southwest A Wooden Blockade
Hazards
Local Watch No patrol Respawn: 2
Torch Bearer Patrols D-C-B; Move, then Action
Secrets
Fortune Hidden: 1d8
(Region E) Cliff Face
From this small ledge you can see enough of the camp to estimate enemy numbers using campfires, banners, and a general count of tents. However, you're completely exposed to the elements.
Note
(Objective I) A PC may spend an Action here to survey the camp.
Exit To Obstacle
Down South B Rocky Wall (Height 3)
Down Southeast C Rocky Wall (Height 3)
Hazards
Fierce Winds
(Region F) Command Tents
Officer tents located in this area should have all the maps and other documents you need to get your hands on. You can't just take them, though, as this would alert the enemy that their plans are known.
Note
(Objective II) PCs may spend a total of 2 Actions here to copy documents.
Exit To Obstacle
East G Hidden: 1d8
South C -
Hazards
Local Watch No patrol
(Region G) Depot
For a military operation, this supply depot is hopelessly disorganized. The tents are a mess; many crates and barrels are broken or overturned, with food, arrows, armor pieces, and the like scattered about.
Notes
(Objective III) PCs can spend a total of 3 Actions here to poison the stores.
Alternatively, a PC can spend one Action to set fire to the stores; doing so costs a Stealth Token, sets every Seeker in the scenario to Alerted, and any Seeker Respawn timers immediately complete.
Exit To Obstacle
West F Hidden: 1d8
South D -
Hazards
Bell Tripwires
Excessive Clutter Triggers on Actions to poison stores

Victory

The PCs make it out of the camp undetected, but what's next? If they completed every objective, this should be enough to ensure a good chance of victory in the coming battle, or the invading army might even delay or pull back as a result of events. Determine the outcome if the PCs only complete some of the objectives. Which are the most crucial to ensure victory? What happens if the battle is a stalemate instead?

At the very least, the PCs should get differing rewards as payment based on how much they accomplished.

Defeat

If the PCs run out of Stealth Tokens, they are seen. If you don't want them to be captured, the scenario ends immediately, and they only manage whatever objectives they've completed up until that point (varying your story in whatever way you choose). You also might have each PC receive an Injury during their escape, or you could run a combat scenario as the PCs fight their way out.

Alternatively, the PCs are captured. This could lead to a prisoner exchange, or maybe the PCs are recruited as mercenaries by the invaders. You could also run a military prison escape sequence.

Tweaks

With only three PCs, consider dropping the Height values of the Rocky Walls to 2. Either remove one of the patrolling Torch Bearers or the Local Watches in B and D.

With five PCs, you might add Respawn: 2 to all Seekers that lack a Respawn entry. Crank the difficulty way up by putting Rigged Nets in a region or two inhabited by Seekers.

This scenario assumes a temperate climate. Particularly since it's at night, you may want to make it cold (if appropriate for your setting). In this case you could switch the Macabre Display and maybe the Fierce Winds for Bitter Cold (or, especially with 3 players, perhaps a Blizzard). For persisting weather issues, place Chilled Winds, Sweltering Humidity, and/or Thunderstorms in every region other than F and G. This adds to the EP threat for PCs that aren't going up the cliffs, but it means players will be playing a ton of Reactions.

Despite being in a military camp, the setting is wilderness because it assumes the camp is of a temporary nature as the army moves through the area. For a somewhat more permanent set of fortifications, change the setting to civilization.

More level 3 exploration scenarios

scenario_e_espionage_and_sabotage.txt · Last modified: 2019/01/07 13:49 by triptycho