Halt! Who Goes There?

A PISCES Scenario

The Mission

A section of bored British reservists from the Territorial Army man a roadblock in the Severn Valley in 1968 on the fringes of a massive PISCES operation.

The game starts with the players bored at the roadblock, stuck in a light drizzling rain. The orders are simple. Assist their intelligence liaison and obey their orders. Halt and detain any civilian traffic coming from Goatswood. Turn around any traffic coming from the other direction.

The day starts off overcast. All the players see are lorryloads of grim looking Gurkhas accompanied by armoured cars. Soon after the sounds of shots are heard but their platoon sergeant dismisses it as part of the exercise.

Halt!

The first car approaches from Goatswood. It halts when the players order it to and pulls in to be inspected. The players’ NCO and intel agent approach to chat with the occupants. This is when things go wrong.

The occupants will get out of the car without issue but it gets heated as the agent berates the civilians and starts to strike the driver. Sergeant Williams goes to intervene as he feels it’s going too far. Something flies out of the driver’s face and at the sergeant. (1/1D6 SAN)

The agent screams and guns down the driver. The sergeant shoots the agent and then turns on his soldiers. The other three civilians move to attack the reservists. The Shan infested NCO will fumble with the rifle for a turn as it gains control of its host.

The reservists now have a seemingly unhinged NCO leveling a weapon at them and three civilians attacking them with knives (and the agent’s pistol if they can grab it). (0/1d4 SAN)

Mutiny?

Assuming the players eliminate the threat, they are now left with at least two (and possibly six) bodies, two of which were their superiors. The shooting in Goatswood has intensified, punctuated by the occasional louder explosion. Their radio took a round during the confusion and is unable to transmit, only receive.

Examining the dead agent will find a detailed map of the area along with partial details on the operation and troop depositions. The players will quickly find out this is no exercise and that the Gurkha battalion in Goatswood are there to kill or capture the inhabitants.

Examining the dead or living civilians will reveal them to be a goat hybrid or satyr. The aberrations vary by individual. One has cloven hooves like a goat, another the beginnings of horns, a third the animal’s fur. (0/1d6 SAN)

The radio will begin to squawk insistently once the players have had their post-mortem and discussion. A strained voice, clearly an officer, will repeat his request for explosives, becoming less and less controlled if the players delay too long.

Checking the map will reveal there is a temporary supply depot between the player roadblock and the reported position of the soldiers. It’s up to them to save the day.

Supplies

Getting to Goatswood is easy, the players have a lorry right there. Driving along the road, the occasional body can be spotted and every now and then, a random shot will be fired at them. If the Handler wishes, they can have the lorry be ambushed by 1d6+1 Goatswood cultists which the players can either dismount and fight or drive on through.

En route to the town they come across the depot. Four lorries are there with several uniformed and civilian bodies lying about the place. All of the military bodies are mutilated while the mutant civilians are left alone. (0/1 SAN)

The radio there is still repeating its plaintive plea. Searching the supplies the players can find extra SLRs if they wish or handguns. There are also crates of explosives and grenades, just what they need.

Goatswood

The sounds of fighting intensify as they draw closer to the town. The players will catch glimpses of running figures, in khaki and civilian gear, and see plenty of corpses. The scene is surreal against the background of what should be a peaceful little English town.

Wild eyed Gurkhas will wave them down before they can drive too far. The rattling bursts of a machine gun emphasise why and they’ll gesture and use broken English to communicate with the players, encouraging them to dismount while other Gurkhas grab the crates off the lorry.

Curious players can risk peeking around the corner, several corpses of soldiers and cultists are lying in the street but the real shock is seeing what looks like a long stream of red paste across the road, with a few mangled body parts. The charred remnants of a still smouldering Saracen APC lies just a little further on. (1/4 SAN)

A rifleman will lead them to their officer, Captain Dunross. The company commander had an acute episode about an hour ago and is currently heavily sedated. Dunross took command but it’s obvious from his injuries that he’ll be lucky to see out the night.

He’s grateful for the arrival of the explosives and explains his company is currently bogged down in front of what is the last main line of resistance before the town square. He seems almost embarrassed to admit the next piece.

“There’s some sort of devilry afoot. Some weapon, the damned thing tore apart most of a section when we tried to rush it, just shredded them to pieces. Another group just dropped stone dead, we thought it was gas. They’re up at the end of that street but I’m short-handed as is. The other companies are bogged down like mine. If you can get close enough to level the building then my lads will take care of the rest”.

Dunross will appeal to their honour as soldiers first but if the players are reluctant at this ‘privilege’ then he will make it an order and he has several tough looking soldiers around him to enforce it.

Glory

The players have several ways they can approach this. A dozen Cultists are in cover in the building, firing at anything that moves, protecting a Sorcerer who is sure to annihilate anyone caught out of cover with Withering.

Assault

The simplest method but the bloodiest. The players can use their Mil Sci to set up their GPMG for a base of fire and then move to assault the cultist position with a section of Gurkhas. There isn’t much cover but fire and movement should help keep the enemies’ heads down.

Commando!

The players can mousehole or sneak through buildings to get close to the cultist position. 2 sentries are posted along the way but they’re mostly too busy watching the carnage out on the street and taking potshots at any Gurkha visible. They won’t notice until the players are almost atop them.

Regardless of the approach chosen, two turns will be needed for the explosives to be set at the base of the building and another to get clear. It will blast a gap in the street and eradicate the strongpoint.

Victory

The destruction of the cultist strongpoint is what the Gurkhas have been waiting for. They charge forward with cries of “Ayo Gorkhali!”, firing from the hip and brandishing khukris. The cultists lose heart, some run while others die fighting.

The reserve platoon moves through to exploit the opening while the remaining soldiers consolidate. Most seem delighted with themselves and the players as they emerge. Cultist bodies are scattered everywhere, killed where they fought or caught running.

Several prisoners have also been taken and they are herded into a line. They vary in age from early teens to middle age. The mood turns vengeful as a runner confirms that Cpt Dunross has died of his wounds.

The players can of course do nothing and let the execution go ahead (1/d6 SAN).

They can join in (1/1d8 SAN).

They can intervene physically or threaten the Gurkhas. The players are heavily outnumbered and heading towards a possible TPK if this escalates too far.

They can appeal to their sense of honour or memory of their late captain and adherence to orders. Even if the players can’t convince them, if they keep them talking just long enough then PISCES agents will arrive to take over. The prisoners are about to be guests of Her Majesty on a hulk and then Magonia.

Conclusion

Goatswood will fall, regardless of the players’ actions. Their actions may benefit them greatly. Survivors will be forced to sign the Official Secrets Act with possible invitations to join PISCES. They’ll find themselves bumped up a rank or two in the TA and find things that bit easier for them since they played ball.

Those who refuse are going to find themselves in the glasshouse for a few weeks until the furore dies down and they are expelled from the TA. They’ll be under watch for the rest of their days and any loud-mouthed offenders may become the subject of an unfortunate accident.

Stats:

Territorial Army Reservists

The section should have 9 soldiers in total so even if all 6 pregens are used, 3 more can be added as meat shields/backups if a PC is killed.

STR 10 CON 10 DEX 10 INT 10 POW 10 CHA 10 HP10,

Skills: Alertness 50%, Athletics 40%, Firearms 40%

ATTACKS: Unarmed 40%, damage 1d4-1

SLR 40%, damage d12+2

Helmet +1 armour (all reservists start with this)

Goatswood Cultists

STR 12, CON 12, DEX 10, INT 10, POW 10, CHA 10 HP 12, WP 10

Attacks:

Unarmed 40%, damage 1D4.

Knife 40%, damage 1D4.

Shotgun 40%, damage 2d10

Hunting rifle 40% damage 1d12

Sorcerer

STR 12 CON 12 DEX 10 INT 14 POW 16 CHA 10 HP 12 WP 16

Spells: WITHERING (one turn to activate) Inflict 1d20 HP to a living target.

The sorcerer is drawing power from a leyline so will not need to expend HP or WP to cast it.

Gurkhas

STR 11, CON 11, DEX 10, INT 10, POW 10, CHA 10 HP 11, WP 10

Attacks: Khukri 40%, 1d8, SLR 40% 1D12+2, SMG 1D10

Helmet +1 armour

Pregens

The below characters can be used as pregens by players or Handlers who just want to pick up the game and play. If players want to make their own characters then I recommend creating a character as normal and then add 50 points from the Soldier/Marine profession as well as another 20 to Athletics. Remove a Bond to represent the times on duty or at training.

Corporal Thomas Baker

Baker has reluctantly accepted that the army might be with him till he dies. A veteran of the Korean War, he found himself back in uniform as a Territorial quicker than he expected. He claims it’s for the money but part of him does miss the trappings of military life so serving a weekend every month is enough to kill the nostalgia.

STR 13 CON 14 DEX 12 INT 13 POW 12 CHA 13 HP 14 WP 12 SAN 60

Skills: Dodge 40%, First Aid 30%, Stealth 40%, Alertness 30%, Craft (Mechanic) 30%, Firearms 50%, Navigate 40%, HUMINT 30%, Persuade 30%, Drive 40%, Survival 30%, Unarmed 40%, Athletics 40%, Military Science (Land) 30%, Search 30%

L1A1 SLR  Dmg: 1d12+2 AP 5                        Helmet +1 armour

Lance Corporal Lewis Fox

They say lance jack is the easiest rank to be promoted to and the easiest to lose. Fox is on his fourth try at it, he’s been demoted three times already for various incidents of insubordination or drunkenness. He’s meant to be in charge of the gun group but he prefers toting the GPMG himself.

STR 16 CON 16 DEX 14 INT 12 POW 14 CHA 14 HP 16 WP 14 SAN 70

Skills: Dodge 50%, First Aid 20%, Stealth 20%, Melee 50%, Firearms 40%, Heavy Weapons 60%, Search 30%, Survival 30%, Athletics 40%, Alertness 30%, Unarmed 40%

GPMG Lethality 15% AP 3                                 Helmet +1 armour

Private Sidney Parker

Sidney is an enigma. His accent is either affected or learned in school and he’s one of the most educated men in the battalion, even including the officers. No one can quite figure out what he’s doing in the ranks. Bets are on whether he’s a disgraced royal, schoolteacher, or failed actor.

STR 12 CON 14 DEX 16 INT 15 POW 14 CHA 14 HP 13 WP 14 SAN 70

Skills: Occult 10%, Dodge 50%, First Aid 30%, Stealth 30%, Unarmed 50%, Melee 50%, Alertness 30%, Search 30%, Navigate 30%, Persuade 30%, Survival 20%, HUMINT 30%, History 30%, Law 30%, Firearms 30%, Bureaucracy 20%

L1A1 SLR  Dmg: 1d12+2 AP 5                                Helmet +1 armour

Private Danny Evans

An electrician’s apprentice in the real world, Danny joined up for some excitement and the uniform. The cash isn’t bad either.

STR 13 CON 14 DEX 15 INT 15 POW 13 CHA 16 HP 14 WP 13 SAN 65

Skills: Dodge 60%, Craft (Electronics/Electronic repair) 30%, First Aid 30%, Stealth 30%, Alertness 30%, Heavy Machinery 30%, Firearms 50%, Athletics 40%, Unarmed 50%, Swim 50%, SIGINT 10%, Drive 30%, Demolitions 20%

L1A1 SLR  Dmg: 1d12+2 AP 5                        Helmet +1 armour

Private Ronnie Archer

Ronnie is a bit scary, even to those who know him. He always says he’s going off to join the Foreign Legion but half the company think he’ll snap and be arrested before he even gets on the ferry to Calais.

STR 14 CON 14 DEX 16 INT 14 POW 11 CHA 14 HP 14 WP 11 SAN 55

Skills: Dodge 50%, First Aid 20%, Stealth 40%, Alertness 50%, Melee 50%, Athletics 50%, Ride 20%, Unarmed 40%, Firearms 60%, Survival 30%, Swim 40%, Demolitions 30%

Sterling SMG Dmg: 1d10 Lethality 10% (if firing bursts)                Helmet +1 armour

Private Declan Gray

If you need something then Declan is your man. He’s an entrepreneur businessman usually (a grand title for a man with a van selling knick knacks). Nearly everything he offers ‘fell off the back of a lorry’ but he has a reputation for being an honest dealer.

STR 12 CON 14 DEX 15 INT 14 POW 16 CHA 15 HP 13 WP 16 SAN 80

Skills: Occult 10%, Dodge 50%, First Aid 40%, Stealth 40%, Alertness 50%, Firearms 40%, Swim 40%, Persuade 30%, HUMINT 40%, Search 60%, Melee 50%, Drive 30%, Athletics 40%, Demolitions 20%

Lee Enfield Dmg: 1d12+2 AP 5                        Helmet +1 armour

Credits

Halt! Who Goes There? was written by Tetrarch for the 2021 Shotgun Scenario contest.
Source: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1tR2Hal2EwJkqxwuZJlSo1l1zkFIwHEeAIg-Uz8or8uo/edit