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Koop & Mursh - Reloaded |
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Written by Mike Baumann
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Thursday, 08 November 2007 00:00 |
Kaboom!
The sound of Professor Koop's musket echoed across the arroyo. The leaden projectile slammed into the "back-dirt" pile scarcely a foot away from Doctor Mursh's head, sending a shower of silt into the startled Orc's face.
"Hah!" Koop yelled, frantically trying to wave away the thick cloud of sulfurous smoke his musket discharged and thus see the effect of his shot. "That ought to teach you to keep your damned snout out of my diggings!"
"Your diggings!" Doctor Mursh screamed, while leveling his own fireloque.
Boom!
"This is my excavation!" He wailed. "We only left the area to get supplies!"
"Finders, keepers says I!" The professor replied in a thunderous voice.
"Koop, your nothing but a common thief!" The Doctor shrieked.
"And you know nothing of Draconian Evolution!"
"Well you don't even understand the Principal of Superposition!"
"Catostrophist!"
"Uniformitarianist!"
"Creationist!"
"By Durwhen, Mursh! You'll pay for that!"
Kaboom!
The main characters in this scenario are Professor Koop, of Bozzturn University, and Doctor Mursh of the Neü Ork Institute of the Sciences. Both Koop and Mursh are eminent Paleodracologists, highly regarded in their field, for the wealth of information they have unearthed about the extinct species of Dragon (Draconus tearyatobits). The Professor and the Doctor have a strong professional rivalry. To be more precise, they hate each other.
This antipathy grew out of a series of scholarly papers published in Scientific Valonican regarding the gestation period of a Draconic egg. Koop believed that the period was a century long, while Mursh placed the time nearer to fifty years. As the debate grew, the arguments on both sides became more heated. Both scientists took to slandering the others theorems and methodologies over even the most insignificant of discoveries. Things finally came to a head at the infamous brawl at The Yul Symposium on the Extinct Flora and Fauna of the Cantankerous Formation of Northern El Dorado. This altercation was but the first in a series of violent encounters between the two scholars.
This scenario depicts one of Koop and Mursh's encounters in the wilds of Eastern Valon. Doctor Mursh, having left the excavation to gather supplies, returns to find Professor Koop has taken over his dig. Mursh is determined to regain his site and its rich bone bed, while Koop is eager to keep this find for himself. It is designed to be played by two Players, with optional third Player rules presented in the Special and Optional Rules below. A Game Master would be handy to adjudicate disputes that may arise from the use of the new rules presented in this scenario, but is certainly not necessary.
Map and Setup
Koop's Player may set up his forces anywhere in and around the area of the excavation. Mursh's Player enters his forces from the East Edge of the table. These Characters are traveling in two wagons, laden with supplies.
If the third Player option is being used, the Centaur braves will enter the fray 1D3+1 Turns after the battle has begun. The Centaur Player may enter from any table edge (his choice) except the East.
The Backdirt piles are treated as High Walls for Movement and Firing purposes. The edges of the Excavation Block are treated as Low Walls for Movement and Firing purposes. Characters within the trench may move as if in normal terrain. The Players should use common sense when determining who gets cover while in the block.
Scenario Objectives
Here are the objectives for each force in the Scenario:
Professor Koop
To ensure the dig site does not fall into Mursh's hands so you get recognition for the find.
Doctor Mursh
To ensure the dig site does not fall into Koop's hands so you get recognition for the find.
The Native East Valonians (Optional Third Player)
Ten Mares looked down on the foolish Un-men, skirmishing in the valley below.
"What in the name of Coyote are they doing?" he wondered aloud.
Hunters had brought word that the Un-men were digging up the bones of "The Great Scaled Flyer". The idiots! Even the youngest colt of his tribe knew that to disturb the remains of the ancient dragons was to bring desolation to the area.
Ten Mares had often pondered on the motivations of the Un-men. Their "thunder sticks" were proof that they had great learning, yet they seemed to know so little about how the world worked. They were fools, he decided. Fools who did not understand or care about the consequences of their action. They must be stopped!
Game Length
This game scenario ends automatically upon the completion of the objectives.
Victory Conditions
Victory Conditions are simple. Whomever retains possession of the excavation site wins the scenario.
Scenario Forces
Koop's Team
Professor Koop [Experienced Ferach Elf Militia]
Standard Musket, Colliarre Revolving Pistol* (Standard Pistol) 27 Points
Professor Koop is the leader of his section as per the rules below.
Dean Swoire [Raw Ferach Elf Civilian]
Pocket Pistol* (Standard Pistol) 13 Points
Flaw: Unmotivated (What the hell am I doing here!)
Swoire is the Dean of the Bozzturn University Geology Department. He has accompanied the expedition as an observer and had no idea that he would be caught in the middle of a fire fight.
Albert O'Soor [Average Bog Orc Civilian]
Crusti Carbine* (Standard Carbine), Rock Hammer (+1) 24 Points
Merit: Motivated (Loyal)
Albert is Koop's graduate student assistant. A staunch supporter of the good Professor.
Ty Ranos [Average Orc Civilian]
Standard Musket, Pick (+2) 25 Points
Merit: Huge
Ty is attending University on a Smashball Scholarship. A hulking brute of an Orc.
Karl Nosoor [Raw Dwarf Civilian]
Dwarf Musket Mk I, Rock Hammer (+1) 14 Points
Terry Donn [Raw Ferach Elf Civilian]
Pepper-box* (Standard Pistol), Trowel (+0) 15 Points
Magical Ability: Winged Feet (Latent)
Don Smiley [Raw Higland Rat Civilian]
Trade Musket* (Standard Musket), Shovel (+1) 21 Points
Total Force: 3 Ferach Elves, 1 Bog Orc, 1 Orc, 1 Highland Rat and 139 Points.
Mursh's Team
Doctor Mursh [Experienced Orc Militia]
East Valonian "Chicken" Rifle, Two Cavalry Pistols* (Standard Pistol), Rock Hammer (+1) 37 Points
Doctor Mursh is the leader of his section as per the rules below.
Ryan Camb [Average Orc Civilian]
Orcton Double-Barreled Shottegun* (Standard Blunderbuss) 23 Points
Ryan is the Doctor's Graduate Student and has seen his fair share of scuffles.
Jerry Asick [Average Orc Militia]
Elf (Ferach) Musket, Pick (+2) 30 Points
Chris Taeshus [Raw Ferach Elf Civilian]
Standard Carbine, Rock Hammer (+1) 15 Points
Paul O'Scene [Raw Bog Orc Civilian]
Standard Musket, Shovel (+1) 22 Points
Ollie Goseen [Raw Dwarf Civilian]
Standard Blunderbuss, Pick (+2) 16 Points
Total Force: 3 Orcs, 1 Ferach Elf, 1 Bog Orc, 1 Dwarf and 143 Points.
Ten Mares' Braves
Ten Mares [Experienced War Party Centaur]
Standard Musket, Lance (+3), Knife (+1)
Ten Mares is the leader of his section as per the rules below.
Iron Hoof [Average War Party Centaur]
Trade Musket* (Standard Musket), Tomahawk (+1)
Gnatsum [Average War Party Centaur]
Trade Musket* (Standard Musket), Lance (+3)
Skill: Heal Another's Wound
Magical Ability: Dead Eye (Latent)
Onimalap [Average War Party Centaur]
Bow, War Club (+2)
Naibara [Raw War Party Centaur]
Lance (+3), Tomahawk (+1)
Tolc [Raw War Party Centaur]
Spear (+2), Knife (+1)
Merit: Motivated (Out to impress!)
This is Tolc's first raid and he wants to impress Ten Mares.
Total Force: 6 Centaurs
Scenario Special Rules
Adding more variety to a standard battle this scenario uses the follow quirky and unique special rules.
Centaurs: I do not know what, if anything, CCI intends to do about Eastern Valon and the Native American element. My personal preference would be to see many different fantasy races representing the polyglot of Native American tribes and confederations in North America. Centaurs represent a possible tribe of Plains Indians that the Players may use for other scenarios set in Eastern Valon. The following rules are by no means "official". Centaurs are treated as cavalry for movement purposes. I have not included points for the centaur forces listed above.
| Type | Walk | Trot | Run | Charge | Defence | Wounds | Melee | | War Party Centaur | 14 | 30 | 40 | 60 | 3 | 4 | +1 |
Merit: Huge: Due to their increased size the character gets a +1 modifier in melee combat and an extra wound.
Merit: Motivated (x): A character with this merit truly believes he is here to serve for the reason listed. They get a +1 modifier on any morale check.
Flaw: Unmotivated (x): A character with this flaw does not believe that the battlefield is where they should be for the reason listed. They get a -1 modifier on any morale check.
Skill: Heal Another's Wound: As the "Heal Own and Another's Wound" skill on p.81 of the Flintloque Reloaded rulebook but only other characters can be targeted.
Magical Ability: X: A character has the listed magical ability as per Alternative Armies supplement “Optional Rules for Magicke in Flintloque” which can be found in the files section of Alternative Armies Notables Yahoo group.
Leaders: This rule gives more "function" to section leaders: If a character fails a Morale Check within the command radius and in the line of sight of his/her/its section leader, the leader (who cannot be under any morale result) can try to alter the morale result by shouting at him/her/it and thus forcing a re-roll with the following modifiers for the leader's status: +2 for Veteran, +1 for Experienced, 0 for Average and -1 for Raw. The second roll stands, even if the result is worse than that of the original roll. Command radii are: 20cm for Militia leaders, 25cm for Regular leaders and 30cm for Elite and Guerrilla leaders. For larger sections there can be an "assistant section leaders" to take over after the death of the original leader.
Civilians: Civilian is a new type of unit status. Civilians are characters with no military or combat training. Whilst rarely encountered on the battlefield, they can still play a role in the skirmish-level conflicts of Flintloque. Civilians are treated as Militia for firing purposes (i.e. Guerrillas and Elite fire first) and misfire modifiers. In addition they receive a -5% to hit in missile combat except with improvised weapons. In Hand to Hand combat they get a -2 modifier. They receive a -1 Morale modifier. Finally it takes Civilians twice as long to load gunpowder weapons. Individual status of Civilians can be any level, but the majority should be Raw. I have arbitrarily made them cost 1 point less than the equivalent Militia unit for points purposes.
War Party: The War party is a new type of unit status. Tribal War Parties include the vicious Halfling warriors of Shaka Baginza and the natives of Eastern Valon. While individually brave and skilled fighters, most War Parties suffer from a lack of clear chain of command and are often defeated by inferior numbers of Regular troops. Members of a War Party have no recognizable uniform. They are usually led by the most experienced fighter (or the character with the biggest mouth). War Parties are treated as Militia for firing purposes and misfire modifiers. They receive a +1 bonus in Hand to Hand Combat. Normal Morale Checks are subject to a -1 penalty, but Death of a Section Leader is rolled at a -2. In addition, all War Parties receive the Light Infantry modifier to Movement and can add 20% (rounded down) to their movement speed at any rate each turn.
New Fyrearms (marked with a *): Many of the characters above are armed with a variety of new weapons, the stats for which originally appeared on the Filbanto Stew website. I have used suggested alternatives from the Alternative Armies supplement “Flintloque Statistics Tables v1.2” which can be found in the files section of Alternative Armies Notables Yahoo group and used the points values for these in calculating unit cost.
The Bow: Onimalap is armed with a bow, it has the same stats as an Othari bow as shown in the on the Alternative Armies supplement “Flintloque Statistics Tables v1.2” which can be found in the files section of Alternative Armies Notables Yahoo group.
Author's Notes
Those of you who have visited the Squirrel Central page will know that I am an archaeologist, by profession. Now any archaeologist worth his trowel will tell you that "We don't dig dinosaurs!" Some members of my calling take it as a personal affront when a person assumes that we do. A lot of these "hot-heads" keep their trowels razor-sharp, so for safety's sake I'll remind you that Archaeologists excavate human remains and cultural artifacts, while Paleontologists are concerned with prehistoric critters such as dinosaurs.
I'm a bit of an odd-ball (never would have guessed, would you). In addition to majoring in Archaeology, I also picked up a major in Geology. I've always had a fascination with dinosaurs. Just take a look at Kraggy Tor.
During the Nineteenth Century there were a pair of paleontologists named Cope and Marsh. These two characters were "dinosaur hunters" of the first order. Their expeditions scoured western America looking for new bones to add to the collections of museums world-wide. Cope and Marsh had a serious professional (and seemingly personal) rivalry to document as many new extinct species of dinosaur as possible and to discredit the work of his rival in the most demeaning way possible. This rivalry escalated, on occasion, to pitched gun battles over prime bone beds. That's right, they actually fought over dinosaur bones!
Characters like this were just too good to leave in the footnotes of some Geology text book. Even though Cope and Marsh post-date the Flintloque period by decades I had to design a scenario with them as the stars. I certainly hope you enjoy it.
Webmaster's Notes
This scenario was originally published on Mike Baumann's excellent Filbanto Stew Website.
I have added to the original text and also have made changes to the scenario in order to match Alternative Armies new scenario format and make the scenario more accessible to players of Flintloque Reloaded.
Apologies for the rough map, I only have this as a print off I made over ten years ago and it didn't scan in that well. The squares to the top left of the excavation block are tents. |
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