Last week, in an answer to @TheGascon, I wrote about what my preferred rules for playing wargames in David Drake’s Hammer’s Slammers universe are. That response was predicated on the assumption (unstated by Jim or myself) that we were both looking for the best wargame rules. While I stand by my conclusion in that article that Hammer’s Slammers: The Crucible (Pireme Publishing, 2010) is best set of wargame rules for playing in the Slammerverse, the deeper truth is that Traveller: The Role Playing Game is actually my most preferred set of rules to use for Hammer’s Slammers. No, I’m not talking the combat systems in Book 4: Mercenary or Frank Chadwick’s Striker miniatures rules; I’m talking about the character generation and mercenary tickets found in Book 1: Characters and Combat and expanded upon in Book 4: Mercenary as well as later supplements like Mongoose Publishing’s Hammer’s Slammers (2009) and Spica Publishing’s Field Manual (2011).
A Bitchin’ Sailor is a Happy Sailor
Why do I prefer a roleplaying game over wargame rules for Hammer’s Slammers? That’s because, to me, the core of a Slammer’s story written by David Drake is not the blowers or the combat cars or the powerguns. It’s the people. Look at the first line in the first story in The Complete Hammer’s Slammer: Volume 1, “Under the Hammer:”—“Think you’re going to like killing, boy?”
Nothing here about iridium-ceramic tanks or powerguns; just a very personal question. The story goes on to tell us about Rob Jenne and his first day in The Regiment. The day he meets Chero, or Sergeant-Commander Worzer. The day he also meets Worzer’s father, an ex-Slammer who is now a priest. The same day [spoiler alert] that Rob has to call artillery in directly on top of Worzer.
That’s Hammer’s Slammers.
Narrative in Wargames
These days, I often look for a wargame that not only teaches me a bit about the history of the conflict or battle but also creates a story along the way. Some wargames do this in surprising ways, like the naval simulation Harpoon (now in a 5th Edition from Admiralty Trilogy Games) which author Tom Clancy used to help write a chapter in his novel Red Storm Rising. Personally, I find wargame narratives good in a very Clancy-esque techno-thriller way; i.e. where the focus is the technology instead of the people. David Drake’s Hammer’s Slammers stories are the inverse where the focus is on the character and not the tech. All of which is to say wargame rules, while able to recreate the technical conditions of a Hammer’s Slammers story, don’t quite capture the emotion.
A Cold Look at Rolling Hot
In my Wargame Wednesday Hammer’s Slammers article, I focused on the final battle in the novel Rolling Hot as my gauge of a good Hammer’s Slammers game. Let’s look at the description of the battle again:
Blue Three’s sensors had greater range and precision by an order of magnitude than those crammed into the combat cars, but the cars could process the data passed to them by the larger vehicle. The sidebar on Ranson’s multi-function display listed call signs, isolated in cross-talk overheard by the superb electronics of the tank pretending to be in Kawana while it waited on Chin Peng Rise north of the tiny hamlet.
There were twenty-five individual call signs. The AI broke them down as three companies consisting of three platoons—but no more than four tanks in any platoon (five would have been full strength). Some platoons were postulated from a single call sign.
Not all the Yokel tanks would indulge in the loose chatter that laid them out for Task Force Ranson like a roast for the carving; but most of them would, most of them were surely identified. The red cross-hatching that overlay the relief map in the main field of the display was the AI’s best estimate thus far of the the armored battalion’s disposition.
Blue Three was the frame of the trap and the bait within it; but the five combat cars of the west and east elements were the spring-loaded jaws that would snap the rat’s neck.
And this rat, Yokel or Consie, was lying. It was clear that the leading elements of First of the 4th were already deploying onto the southern slope of Sugar Knob, half a kilometer from the store and shanties of Kawana rather than ten kays their commander claimed.
In the next few seconds, the commander of the armored battalion would decide whether he wanted to meet allied mercenaries—or light the fuse that would certainly detonate in a battle more destructive than any citizen of Prosperity could imagine. He was being tested….
The two sharp green beads of Lieutenant Cooter’s element settled into position.
She heard a whisper in the southern sky. Incoming.
Rolling Hot, Chapter 12
That description is a good wargame scenario, but it only hints at the human factors. Let’s go back to the beginning of the story and meet the commander of Task Force Ranson. Here is how she is introduced to us readers:
Camp Progress was a Yokel—was a National Army—training and administrative center, while for the Slammers it served as a maintenance and replacement facility. In addition to those formal uses, the southern sector gave Hammer a place to post troops who were shoeing signs of having been on the sharp end a little too long.
People like Junebug Ranson, for instance, who’d frozen with her eyes wide open during a firefight that netted thirty-five Consies killed-in-action.
So Captain Ranson had been temporarily transferred to command the Slammers’ guard detachment at Camp Progress, a “company” of six combat cars. There’d been seventeen cars in her line company when it was up to strength; but she couldn’t remember a standard day in a war zone that they had been up to strength…
And anyway, Ranson knew as well as anybody else that she needed a rest before she got some of her people killed.
shoop
But she wasn’t going to rest here.
Rolling Hot, Chapter 1
How do you portray Junebug Ranson in a wargame? Sure, one can play with rules for training or morale. Personally I like how Dirtside II/Stargrunt II from Ground Zero Games use Quality Die for different training. I also really like the morale rules in a game like Panzer/MBT from GMT Games where advances aren’t automatic and crews more often than not bail out of tanks after the first enemy round clangs off the front. But none of that capture what is going on in Junebug’s head.
The only way to do so is to roleplay the character. Here is how the “Character Roster” entry for June ‘Junebug’ Ranson is presented in Mongoose Publishing’s Hammer’s Slammers sourcebook written for Mongoose Traveller 1st Edition:
Playing Ranson: At her best, Ranson is a very intellectual commander, breaking every problem down into the sort of question that might be posed at an officer’s exam. She is adept at using whatever resources she has, even when this puts her troops in a difficult position.
“Character Roster,” Hammer’s Slammers, p. 87
As cold an calculating Ranson sounds, she is not totally heartless:
“Speed’s essential, Hammer resumed. “You have authorization to combat-loss vehicles rather than slow down. The victory bonus’ll cover the cost of replacement.”
“I’ll be combat-losing crews, Colonel,” Ranson’s voice said. “But they’re replaceable too…”
Cooter gasped. Wylde grunted something that might have been either laughter or pain.
Hammer opened his mouth, then closed it with an audible clop. He opened it again and spoke with a lack of emotion as complete as the white, colorless fury of a sun’s heart. “You are not to take any unnecessary risks, Captain Ranson. It is necessary that you achieve your objective. You will accept such losses as are required to achieve your objective. Is that understood?”
“Yes sir,” said Ranson without inflection. “Oh, yes sir.”
Rolling Hot, Chapter 4
Traveller Mercenaries
The core rules for both every Traveller RPG edition, be it Classic or Mongoose or T4 or T5 has the Army and Marine career fields. Classic Traveller Book 4: Mercenary, like Mongoose Traveller Mercenary, expands those career fields into a more detailed character generation system. Both books also have another of those famous Traveller sub-games, in this case “Mercenary Tickets” which is a contract resolution system for mercenary units. Mongoose Traveller’s Hammer’s Slammers sourcebook provides a very detailed look at The Regiment (and other mercenary units) and has rules for continuing a career beyond the military into a mercenary unit. All of which helps a player to create and play a mercenary character like found in Hammer’s Slammers.
It also comes down to the situations a mercenary is in. While the final battle in Rolling Hot is certainly dramatic, such a large battle is the exception, not the rule. Here the front narrative from Spica Publishing’s Field Manual is more inspiring:
“Well, sergeant, what we have here is an Instellarms Forager scout car, six wheel drive, three man crew. On gunner, commander and a driver. They have a cover on the turret, hmmm…did you guys see anybody get in or out, troop or the like?” I shook my head as he scrutinized the vehicle as it ambled around the airfield.
“That thing doesn’t have the power for an energy weapon, and ordinarily has a troop compartment unless they mount something heavy. I think from the profile though…” He squinted into the glasses and concentrated. “Uh huh, there’s the designator, and the periscope…sarge, that’s a Hyperion Mark 18a2 rocket launcher…Obsolete, but it still packs a punch. Problem is, there is no telling what’s in it.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” I said, exasperated.
Rourke looked at me over the field glasses. “What it means is, the Hyperion launchers are a multi task weapons system, they’re designed to fire about a dozen different munitions, and I mean a lot of different stuff, AP, antitank, you name it.”
I could tell by his look just then that the same thought crossed both our minds.
“Let me guess, anti aircraft too, right?” He nodded at that.
“Sarge, if they deploy when the shuttle gets here…” Just then, we could hear the engines as the dropshuttle came into view, not three klicks out.
“Shit, boys, we gotta take the RV out, let’s hustle!” Rivalries forgotten, Rourke took team two as I moved in with team one…we had no more than three minutes to cross three hundred meters of field and blow away the RV before they nailed our shuttle and the platoon of men aboard.
No doubt about it, I thought as we moved onto the field…I need a raise.
“A Bad Thing in a Small Package,” Field Manual, p. 4
I’ll admit this is good fodder for a skirmish-scale wargame like Stargrunt II (GZG) or Tomorrow’s War (Osprey Publishing), but at the end of the day it’s characters and personal motivations that make it distinctive. For that, there is no substitute for the Traveller RPG.
Life’s a Forge
There are many character generation systems and I know that not everybody like Traveller’s career-path generation approach. Why not just buy a character? For me, the character generation sub-game in Traveller, with it’s legendary “die in character generation,” is way more inspiring. I really enjoy rolling up a character and seeing how they come into being. The character generation process is more informative (and formative) than any idea I might have going into the game. I actually play the game as I roll along. Let me show you how it works…
Joining the Slammers – My Way
Let me introduce Brant Wayhead, a young man just finishing high school on a low-technology world.
[For my example I am going to use Mongoose Traveller 1st Edition (MgT1e) as found in the Pocket Rulebook (Mongoose Publishing, 2008). This is not my current preferred Traveller rule set, that being Cepheus Engine as found in Independence Games The Clement Sector. I’m using MgT1e as it is “supposed” to work with the Mongoose Hammer’s Slammers, especially in terms of the skills list. In the interest of time I am also not going to use the advanced character generation system found in MgT1e Mercenary.]
The Universal Personality Profile for Brant is 7D7765 (Strength-Dexterity-Endurance-Intelligence-Education-Social Status). That “D” is hexadecimal for 13. This yield a +2 Die Modifier (DM) for all Dexterity-related actions and -1 DM for anything involving social graces. Brant hails from a Low-Technology world and comes out of school with Survival 0.
For his first term, Brant successfully joins the Army and is posted to a Cavalry (tank) unit. As this is his first term he acquires the basic Service Skills of Drive (Tracked) 0, Athletics (Coordination) 0, Gun Combat (Pistol) 0, Recon 0, and Heavy Weapons (Launchers) 0. Brant finds himself in the middle of a brutal ground war (Event 6) and successfully avoids injury and picks up skills in Gun Combat (Pistol) 1 and Leadership 1. Brant survives the war but fails to advance.
Still looking to make something of himself, Brant reenlists for a second term, again posted to the Cavalry. This time he learns to fly rotary wing aircraft (Flyer-Rotary 1). He finds himself in the middle of an Urban War (Event 4) and learns Stealth 1, Streetwise 1, and Recon 1. Not only does Brant survive this term, but he is also promoted to Rank 2.
It was during his second term that Brant met the Hammer’s Slammers. He decides to leave the Army and join the Slammers. On his way out of the Army he takes 10,000 Credits, a pistol, and is allowed to keep his Neural Comm implant.
Brant Waytread. Age 26. 7D7765. Two Terms Army (Cavalry). Rank 2. Homeworld – Low-Technology. Skills – Athletics (Coordination) 0, Driver (Tracked) 0, Gun Combat (Pistol) 1, Flyer (Rotary) 1, Heavy Weapons (Launcher) 0, Leadership 1, Melee (Knife) 0, Recon 1, Stealth 1, Streetwise 1, Survival 0. Possessions – 10,000Cr, Pistol, Neural Comm Implant.
[We now leave the Core Rulebook and move over the Mongoose Publishing’s Hammer’s Slammers sourcebook and the “Character Creation” chapter.]
Leveraging his two terms as a tanker in the Army, Brant successfully joins the Hammer’s Slammers as a Tank Driver. He picks up Driver (Hover) 0. Brant immediately makes an impact on The Regiment, distinguishing himself in battle (Event 12) and earning a battlefield commission to O1. Staying on with the Slammers for a second term (fourth overall), Brant is promoted to Tank Commander. The event roll this turn is “6 – Slammers Event Roll” which means I have to decide what era of Slammers history Brant is living in. I chose “Under the Hammer” and resolve Event 6 – “You befriend on of the other Slammers. Gain an Ally” as Brant is befriended by Danny Pritchard. The friendship may be professional as well as personal since Brant is promoted to O2.
Brant Waytread. Age 34. 7D7765. Two Terms Army (Cavalry)/Two Terms Hammer’s Slammers (Tanker) . Rank O2. Homeworld – Low-Technology. Skills – Athletics (Coordination) 0, Comms 1, Driver (Hover) 0, Driver (Tracked) 0, Flyer (Rotary) 1, Gun Combat (Pistol) 1, Heavy Weapons (Launcher) 0, Leadership 1, Melee (Knife) 0, Recon 1, Stealth 1, Streetwise 1, Survival 0. Processions – 10,000Cr, Pistol, Neural Comm Implant.
Brant is now 34 years old and his age is catching up with him (mandatory aging roll) but Brant keeps himself in shape and there is no effect. For the purposes of the game, I now move to “Chapter 10 – Conflict” in the Hammer’s Slammers sourcebook and see what the latest Slammers contract is.
The Pope Can’t Help You Now
This contract takes place on a planet (New Rome) that is 8,000 km diameter (.7g) with a Standard atmosphere but only 30% water covered. The hundreds of thousands of people on this world are all part of a company/central government. The law level is low (2) but the world has a Type B starport to go with its very hight technology level (TL11).
[Worlds are created using the standard world generation rules in the MgT1e Core Rulebook.]
While the core rules have a table for determining cultural influences, I decide to use the Cultural Influences table found in the sourcebook Chapter 10. I roll a 26 on the table which yields “Catholicism.” Hmm….
I decide that this planet is a Young Colony. Since this planet is young and ruled from offworld there is a -3 DM on the Seeds of Conflict table. The result tells me that this is a “Rebellion against parent world.” The parent faction, The Trade Federation, has a Faction Strength of 16 with advantages of Space control, Superior Equipment, and Planetary Capital. The rebels, who call themselves the Moderate Alliance and have a Faction Strength of 8, have the advantages of Familiar Terrain and Popular Support.
For The Contract, the Trade Federation wants to end the war quickly and hires Hammer’s Slammers (Elite Mercenary) to support its contract Regular, Green armed forces. The Moderate Alliance hires Ander’s Legion (Average Mercenary) to put some backbone in it’s Irregular, Militant forces.
Using Resolving the War, I roll to see how the first month of the war develops. Both sides must make a Conflict Check which is:
2d6+Faction Strength+Commander Tactics+Mercenary DMs+Mission Result DMs
Since this is the first month I gave the Slammers a +2 Commander Tactics DM. Rolling each faction gave the following results:
- Trade Federation – 2+16+2+7*+0=27
- Moderate Alliance – 7+8+0+2+0=17
- * [The Hammer’s Slammers sourcebook lists a +9 DM for the Slammers but because The Regiment is in an earlier “Under the Hammer” era I rule by GM fiat that the modifier is +7 because, as events in “The Butcher’s Bill” show, there are times even Hammer got a bloody nose.]
The Trade Federation loses no Faction Power but the Moderate Alliance loses 5 bringing it down to 3. After both sides pay their mercenaries the Trade Federation is at Faction Strength 13 and the Moderate Alliance is now 2. However, the Moderate Alliance leverages its Popular Support to gain back a single Faction Strength, bringing it up to 3. Even so, it looks like the Moderate Alliance cannot last another month unless something spectacular happens.
I now move to a Mission Scenario. As each scenario takes place over a two-week period I decide there will be two played with the results feeding into the next Conflict Check.
[Looking to generate a mission, I fall back on MgT1e Mercenary and the “Mercenary Tickets” chapter. I randomly roll that the mission is a Cadre-Training mission. This makes sense as the mission is described as, “Cadre missions of this type tend to be ‘hands on’ training runs that let the mercenary unit help one side of the conflict learn how to survive and hopefully be victorious” (Mercenary, p. 47).]
This makes me interested in what sort of army the Trade Federation has. Here I lean on Striker Book 2, “Rule 73: Military Spending.” To determine the Gross National Product one must know the Tech Level of the planet (11 or 14,000Cr) and any trade characteristics (Non-Industrial x0.8). Using a d10 to determine that planet has ~700,000 people, the budget is 14,000 x 0.8 x 700,000 should be 7.84 Billion Cr. I decide that the planet, depending on its parent world has only spend 1/3 of “what they should” giving a budget of ~ 2.6 Billion Cr.
Not wanting to get bogged down in building an entire Army, I stop at this point and go back to Striker Book 1 and build a basic Conscript Infantry Company of 100 soldiers that are 55% Recruit, 25% Regular, 15% Veterans and 5% Elite (Book 1, “Rule 5: Force Composition”). As this is a Cadre-Training mission I decide that Brant is assigned three blowers that are supposed to teach the local conscripts how to work with and not fear the supertanks.
For scenario specifics, I decide that Brant is in charge of an understrength platoon of three M1A1 tanks. These are first-generation blowers and as such they are more lightly armored and carry a 15cm powergun as compared to the “standard” M2A1 with the 20 cm guns. The Trade Federation conscript (green) troops generally have Gun Combat (Rifle) 1, Athletics 1, and no other real skills. They are armed with Flechette Rifles (TL9) and wear Ballistic Vests (TL 8, Protection 5). The Moderate Alliance Irregulars also have Gun Combat (Rifle) 1 and Athletics 1 but are armed with Assault Rifles (TL7) and wear anything from Jack (Protection 1) to a Flak Jacket (Protection 4). They also have more than a few Buzzbombs and tank mines. The situation is an ambush as the Slammers tanks and Trade Federation infantry are on a training march…
Beyond Reason
“Reason Six to all Reason Elements. Halt and lager. Take 15..” Lieutenant Brant Waytread watched through his tank’s optics as the local conscript platoon that the three Hammer’s Slammers tanks were working with paused awkwardly, looking around at one another until the few regular or veteran leaders barked out commands that the recruits, seemingly reluctantly, followed. The infantry troops spread out, mostly seeking shelter from the midday heat instead of taking good defensive positions.
“If they want to cool off that much, can I just run them over? They’d really like the fans.” That was Sergeant Vern Gamt in Reason Two. He didn’t have much patience for locals, unless they were of the female persuasion.
“Cut the chatter,” called Brant. “We’re here to train them,” he said with as little enthusiasm that he felt.
An icon winked on his HUD. The orange square with a “2” next to it was behind him and a bit further out than the platoon perimeter was supposed to be. The AI, by displaying the “2,” was warning Brant that something was amiss. As the hair on the back of his neck started to stand up he shouted, “Reasons! Button Up!” at the same time he hit his panic bar to lower himself into the turret—and not a moment too soon as buzzbombs lanced out at Reason One. Almost too late, Brant remembered the Automatic Defense System—ADS—was turned off because of all the “friendly” infantry nearby.
There were actually three buzzbombs, all coming at the rear of Reason One. Two hit while the third bounced off ineffective. Brant hadn’t been strapped in tight and he bounced around the turret. His helmet saved him from smashing his head against the cupola edge, but the electronics in it blanked.
[Buzzbombs are found in the “Equipment” chapter on page 119 of the Hammer’s Slammers sourcebook. They have a range of “Rocket” and score 1d6x6 damage if hit. Two hit, both 36 points each. Neither can penetrate the (still) impressive 120 points of rear armor on a M1A1, though both automatically score an Armor hit reducing the rear armor to 118.]
Blinking hard, Brant activated his Neural Comms implant. “Reasons! Advance and circle back. Get out of the killing zone!” Before he even finished the order Reason One surged forward, which just served to throw Brant off-balance again. The bright white flash from outside his tank momentarily blinded him. He saw the friendly icon for Reason Three change from a green square to a red X.
[Since this was an ambush the rebels had planted their few tank mines in the field. Reason Three drove straight over two mines that detonated near-simultaneously—close enough I treated them as a single attack.. Tank mines are found on page 172 in the “Vehicle Combat” chapter of the Hammer’s Slammers sourcebook. Against a heavy vehicle they detonate on a roll of 4+ and score 12d6 hits each. The combined attack of 41+45=86 hits overwhelms the 66 belly armor and translates to a Triple Hit against the Power Plant using the Expanded Damage Rules on page 173. Technically the tank should only be disabled but I decide to give the rebels a not-in-the-rules luck roll that (incredibly) is snake-eyes and therefore rule the plasma bottle is penetrated and the tank destroyed.]
Dead. Like he would be in a few moments unless he acted quickly.
A few minutes later it was all over. Reason Three was a burnt husk; nobody got out. Both Brant’s tank and Reason Two had taken several buzzbomb hits. No enemy were found—they faded back into the woods as quickly as they appeared. About half the friendlies were missing too. Only a few of those that stuck around had fired their weapons, but those who did hadn’t aimed at anything. Brant was sure the few friendly KIA were the result of friendly fire.
“Colonel ain’t going to be happy,” Brant thought as he dialed up Central. It took a few minutes but finally the Duty Officer took his report. As his AI updated, Brant learned that his ambush was not the exception. Many Slammers and local units were ambushed around the same time.
The second Mission Scenario I decide to approach in a much more narrative manner. This is actually my preferred way of playing Traveller; as a kind of solo choose-your-own adventure. I look at the skill checks as decision points that influence the action. Truth be told, this is often how I GM sessions too—a loose idea of a plot and let the player actions fill in the details. Sometimes it goes like I expected; other times not. That’s what make it interesting!
Gamt’s Gauntlet
“So just where is Sergeant Gamt?” Lieutenant Brant Waytread’s didn’t often raise his voice, but when he did those around him knew it was not a good time.
Corporal Emclub, Sergeant Gamt’s driver in Reason Two, swallowed hard under her commander’s withering stare. She responded, “I, uh, don’t know, sir. He went out.”
“Out?” Brant barked. “It’s dropping in the pot all over and he just went out?”
“He went to see his girlfriend,” Emclub said as she looked down at the floor.
“Oh, his by-the-hour girlfriend, right?” Brant didn’t need this, his helmet comm was full of chatter from other Hammer elements that all were reporting the same thing; the Moderate Alliance was striking at Trade Federation units across the continent, but most importantly they were striking at garrison units in cities that before had been off-limits. There were no attacks in this backwater town where Brant and his two blowers were training local infantry…yet. Brant had walked through town the night before and he sensed something was brewing [Successful Streetwise skill check.]
“Mount up. You’ll drive but slave Reason Two’s guns to my AI.” He didn’t have to tell his crew to do the same for they were already in the tank waiting for their commander. Brant turned and went down the hall to barracks room of the local forces. He entered without knocking.
“I need a two squads right now to search the town,” he declared out loud.
Blank stares came back at him from a few frightened recruits. Nobody moved. “Where’s your officers?” Brant demanded.
“It’s the weekend. They’re at home.”
“Well, your friends in the Moderate Alliance didn’t take the weekend off.” You could literally hear the sarcasm dripping off Brant’s words. “We need to go.”
Nobody moved.
“Via!” Brant exclaimed. It’ about to drop in the pot! Get off your asses!”
[I decided this was a type of Rally action that would depend upon leadership and charisma. I decided that the lack of local officers was a Formidable task based on -2 DM for no officers present, -2 DM for lack of initiative, and -2 DM for the innate hatred the locals have for Slammer troops. I also ruled that Brant’s +1 Leadership was not in effect since the locals intensely disliked the Slammers. Even a die roll of 11 became only a 5 after the -6 difficulty modifier leaving an Effect of -3.]
From the back of the room somebody said, “Thou shalt not take the Lord’s name in vain.” A few crossed themselves and bowed their heads.
“Newsflash, Father Book. The Mods don’t care about your Lord. I think today he’s foresaken you ,too.” Still, nobody moved.
“Via!” Brant repeated as he turned to leave the room.
[But what about that Effect -3? I decide that some of the local troops are secretly sympathetic to the rebels and will pass along a tip that the Slammers are coming. That Effect -3 will translate into a modifier for a surprise attack later on.]
.++++
Reason One and Two barreled through the gates to the compound and turned down the main drag of the town. “Do you know where to go?” asked his driver.
Brant had the hatch open but was lowered in the turret. “Gamt likes a place on the east side. Think it’s called Dolly’s.”
“Yeah, know it,” grunted his driver. “It’s expensive.”
“So I hear. It’s also in the old section of town with lots of brickwork buildings. Perfect ambush country. Keep your eyes open.”
The gunner seated beside Brant grimaced. ” We need some legs for this op.” Brant didn’t respond.
As they moved deeper into the east side the AI had difficulty tracking activity around them, On the display, the area covered around them kept getting smaller as even the advanced sensors on the tanks had difficulty penetrating the stone/brick buildings. Brant was on edge.
The first buzzbombs came at they prepared to pass through the gate that marked the entrance to the east quarter of town. Brant sensed as much as he saw the charges wired to the gate[Successful Recon check]. “Goose it, Reason! The gate’s wired!”
Reason One surged forward with Reason Two following close behind. The charges along the gate detonated but it fell just behind Reason Two [Attack roll 6=Fail]. Brant flipped the ADS to active…civilian casualties now be damned. The next few buzzbombs were swatted away harmlessly, but the streets were narrowing and the ADS would soon be ineffective.
The AI showed Dolly’s just a klick ahead. As Reason One and Two passed the last cross street the bright lance of a powergun shot out from a roof and connected with Reason Two. The bolt splashed off the turret.
[The powergun anti-tank cannon is found on page 118 of the Hammer’s Slammers sourcebook. Although it states that it is not useful against heavy vehicles, it still is worth a shot. Also, remember that Effect -3 from earlier? I decide that it doesn’t simply add to any surprise roll, but if a hit is scored it will add 3d6 damage to reflect the very short range and falling shot. It scores 9d6+6 Destructive damage which means the 34 hit points don’t penetrate the 132 side armor but it does reduce it by 9.]
“Hose the buildings.” [Brant, Significant Action/Coordinated Action. Leadership skill check. Die roll 10+ skill 1=Success with Effect +2] At the same time he worked to keep the data flowing between Reason One and Two. [Minor Action/Maintain Comms. Communications skill check. Die roll 9+ skill 1+ effect 2=Success with Effect +4.]
“Goosing it.” [Driver, Significant Action/Maneuver. Drive (Hover) skill check. Die roll 7+ skill 1 + effect 4 =Success with Effect +4.]
“Hosing the rooftops.” [Gunner using slaved tribarrel. Significant Action/Attack. Gunner (Turrets) skill check. Die roll 12+ skill 1 + effect 4 =Success with Effect +9.] Several rooftops collapse preventing at least 4 buzzbomb/anti-tank gun teams from attacking.
As Dolly’s came into sight the AI showed a green icon at the front door. That would be Gamt. Reason One slowed and passed the door while Reason Two came to a near stop to allow Gamt to board. Brant’s driver must have been watching his own AI feed because the tank accelerated as soon as Gamt was aboard his tank.
“Welcome, Sergeant. Glad you could join us,” Brant said.
Before Gamt could respond Brant was distracted. Reason One turned a corner and came face-to-face with a large barricade.
Brant shouted, “Goose and go. Fire!” [Coordinated Action (Leadership skill ). Die roll 7 + skill 1 = Success with no Effect.]
Reason One’s main gun shot at point-blank range at the barricade, but missed. [Attack Action (Gunner-Turrets). Die roll 3 + skill 1 = FAILURE with Effect -4.]
The 130 tons of Reason One hit the barricade, breaking through but slewing dangerously to the left as debris hung up on the tank. [Maneuver (Drive skill). Die roll 7 + skill 1 + effect -4 = FAILURE with Effect -4. Translate into two hits on the Front of Reason One. The Mine Net and Main Gun are hit.] Brant couldn’t do much as he was thrown around against his straps. Reason One finally straightened out.
“Uh, thanks for coming get me, L-T.” At least Gamt sounded a bit contrite.
Brant wasn’t in a generous mood. “Was she worth it?”
“Not really,” Gamt responded. “Matter of fact, she tried to kill me. I was lucky to have my pistol close by. Don’t worry, L-T, I’ll be keeping it zipped up for a while…”
Conflict Check-Out
In the next Conflict Check I rule that the multiple battlefield successes for the Moderate Alliance means the Trade Federation suffers a -2 DM for a Dismal Failure on the part of the Slammers. The next mission is a Partial Success (+0 DM) as the Slammers win but again civilian casualties work against them. Part of the reason the Trade Federation took casualties is that they decided to not let Hammer be in charge (no +2 for Commanders Tactics). The next Conflict Check is as follows:
- Moderate Alliance – 9+3+0+2+0 = 14
- Trade Federation – 4+13+0+7+(-2) = 18
A Conflict Difference of 4 on the Conflict Results Table says the Moderate Alliance loses 4 Faction Strength; it collapses while Ander’s Legion uses their Bond to leave quietly, and without full pay. The Trade Alliance falls to Faction Strength 12 before paying the Slammers reduces it to 9. The Trade Federation sends Hammer’s Slammers on their way, sure that they really didn’t need to hire expensive mercenaries to fight a rebellion that quickly collapsed. Colonel Hammer knows better; as he is given a cold send off at the Starport he feels in his bones that The Regiment will be back. This rebellion is not really over, just paused. The rebels tasted just a bit too much success on the battlefield to not come back in the future.
Brant takes heat for losing a blower but Captain Pritchard points out to higher command that many units were ambushed and the locals did little to support. He also is “counseled” about keeping better tabs on his troops. Brant retains his command of the tank platoon but is burning to remove what he sees as a stain on his reputation.
Every RPG is Narrative, right?
One criticism I often hear about the Original 2d6 Science Fiction Role Playing Game is that the “Roll 8+ on 2d6 for success” it that it is too simple. I hear complaints that the task system is too binary; success or failure. I vehemently disagree and point all those would-be detractors to the rules for Effect. Sure, the rules weren’t really codified until Mongoose Traveller but I can recall playing games in the early days (i.e. the early 1980’s) where we always asked what happened if you just missed a roll, or what happened if it was a blow out one way or another. We didn’t know it at the time, but we were already playing with Effect.
If the degree of success is important, then subtract 8 from the total of the dice roll plus Dice Modifiers. The margin of success is referred to as the Effect.
Mongoose Traveller Pocket Rulebook, p. 50
Effect can be used simply as a die modifier like in a chain of tasks rolls or it can be the key to opening narrative moments. That second use is what makes building a narrative simple—you don’t need a Big Damn Hero Die in Firefly (Cortex Prime) or a Drama Die in The Expanse using Green Ronin’s AGE or a Triumph/Despair roll in Star Wars Roleplaying (Genesys).
Building the narrative is what a Hammer’s Slammers story is really about. It’s not about the supertanks; it’s about the people. To play that you need a roleplaying game….
Feature image courtesy Beyond the Sprues.
Rocky Mountain Navy Gamer 
Great post- makes you think about the best way to model combat could well be GM/ single player scenarios to really get deep into the command and control/ man management issues.
Cheers,
Pete.