Author Topic: D20 Companion for the Sadistic GM  (Read 7161 times)

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Hinthas

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D20 Companion for the Sadistic GM
« on: June 16, 2008, 11:18:20 PM »
AIRBORNE OPERATIONS SNAFU TABLE
« Last Edit: June 16, 2008, 11:30:41 PM by Hinthas »
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Tema69

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Re: D20 Companion for the Sadistic GM
« Reply #1 on: June 17, 2008, 07:52:33 AM »
 :evillaugh
Great, Hinthas! I'll get to this ASAP (exams in 48 hrs first).
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Tema69

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Re: D20 Companion for the Sadistic GM
« Reply #2 on: June 22, 2008, 10:57:49 AM »
Should we repost both our firearms fumbles tables here?
This thread could be as the title implies: a useful place to get nasty surprises for the PCs?
Tema69. 69 marks my affiliation to the ex-youth house on Jagtvej 69 in Copehagen, Denmark, a place where there used to be room for everyone until it was sold.

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Hinthas

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Re: D20 Companion for the Sadistic GM
« Reply #3 on: June 22, 2008, 03:02:01 PM »
Technically, I suppose that such a table would go here.

But I don't want to ""steal your thunder" and I'm interested in what it Could become if it wasn't lost in a more generalized table like this. Rifles are a specific piece of equipment. Airborne Operations are a sometimes complicated series of procedures with myriad pieces of equipment. I'm trying to represent the phrase, "The More complicated things are, the More potential of having something go wrong can happen." That's kinda the logic I'm following here.

If a compendium of these works is assembled wherever the end is, then YES, I'm going to gaffle the Firearms Critical Fumble Table charts. It DOES fit.
« Last Edit: June 22, 2008, 03:03:32 PM by Hinthas »
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backstabbist

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Re: D20 Companion for the Sadistic GM
« Reply #4 on: June 23, 2008, 01:24:46 AM »
Wrong place, wrong time
.... and how to get the PCs into it.

How many times has the party put the kibosh on your shadey plans with some untimely successful Sense Motive rolls?  How can you tell the players to go into a Hot LZ unprepared, if they are practically reading the minds of the NPCs you have feeding them info.

Middlemen.

Compare thes two methods of having the party go somewhere hurtful:
Case 1:
"I need you to deliver this briefcase to my partners on the eastside."
Whats in the case?
"Just some papers... documents... reports & stuff important to our business.  Just so you know I'm on the level, here <opens case for a quick peek & relocks it>.  See, papers.  No drugs, no bombs.. just papers"
     Player1: I sense motive, 22, whats the deal with this guy?
GM... Again?  Fine, he's anxious about you guys doing this
PLayer2: Oh, I Sense motive too.. 27
GM: What are you guys, a tag team?  Well... he's holding something back, something big, and you get the feeling ait aint gonna end good for you.

Case 2:
"The boss needs you to deliver this briefcase to his partners on the eastside."
Whats in the case?
"Did I say 'My boss want you guys to get nosey in his Stuff?'... Its some papers that need to get from point A to point B by Mook Express, and he wanted you guys to take it"
     Player1: I sense motive, 22, whats the deal with this guy?
GM.: He honestly doesnt think highly of you
Player1: No, whats with the case?
GM: He seems to be telling the truth.
PLayer2: Oh, I Sense motive too.. 27
GM: Oh in that case, he seems to be telling the truth.  You believe the boss really did tell him to have you do this.

See the difference?
When the boss got word of you guys killing some of his boys & taking the goods, he figured he would teach you a lesson in Employee Relations: Bad employees get whacked & peices show up on the street over a couple nights.  By using a middleman that wasnt told the boss' plan, the middleman can honestly say repeat what he was told by the boss... and Sense Motive will see that as fair & honest.  Now the Party can try to make the Delivery of Doom to the waiting ambush by recipients, without their SenseMotive Alarms going off.
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Hinthas

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Re: D20 Companion for the Sadistic GM
« Reply #5 on: July 01, 2008, 01:15:00 AM »
I'm gonna borrow a page from Mr Frisbee's website on MISSION COMPLICATIONS!!!!


MISSION COMPLICATIONS
By William S. Frisbee Jr.

 

This list is to give you some idea of the things that can go wrong and complicate a mission. Of course there are over two billion things that could go wrong but this list might help get you on the track.

"BUG" IN GEAR: The enemy is able to track the movements of the unit and maybe listen in on conversations. This can be fatal if the enemy is interested in stopping the unit.

ASSIST ADJACENT UNIT: In addition to their own responsibilities the unit must help another unit for some reason.

BETRAYED: Someone has betrayed the unit to the enemy.

COMM DESTROYED/LOST: This is a major problem. If the unit can't call for extraction then how will they get away. How can they call for fire support or assistance. Communication is often very critical and its loss can be fatal.

ENEMY BREAKS CODES: This can be disastrous. The enemy can now listen in on radio transmissions, jam them or fake them.

ENEMY SPECIAL FORCES/CYBORGS/Powered Armor: The enemy has dispatched an elite group to destroy the unit. Usually the unit will be seriously outgunned.

EQUIPMENT FAILURE/BREAKAGE: The most common complication. By design military equipment is supposed to be rugged, but frequently the people are tougher than the equipment. It is very common for a unit to carry backups for when (not if) the original breaks down or fails.

EXPERIMENTAL GEAR/WEAPONS: The unit or individual is tasked with testing something under real battlefield conditions. Lack of familiarity and the fact the item does not work as advertised can cause severe trouble.

EXTRACTION DESTROYED: This is usually very bad news and for one reason or another the unit's escape route has been destroyed.

FRIENDLY OPPOSITION: Internal politics forces the unit to go up against friendly units. The friendly units may or may not be aware of what is going on.

HEAVY PATROLS: For one reason or another the enemy has a large number of patrols out. The presence of so many patrols can mean the enemy is expecting them, they are very protective of something or they are looking for someone/something. Either way it makes it more dangerous because enemy reinforcements can arrive at any time.

INCOMPETENT OFFICER/SNCO: An inexperienced or just plain incompetent Staff NCO or Officer is assigned to the unit. In some cases the incompetent will let a more experienced individual guide them through the operation, sometimes they don't and their actions can threaten or compromise the mission.

INSERTION COMPROMISED: The unit lands in the designated area but the enemy is either waiting for them or learns about them thereby threatening the success of the mission.

MISSION COMPROMISED: The enemy has become aware of the units mission and is taking appropriate action.

NATURAL OBSTACLES: The unit runs into something that what not expected like an unscalable cliff or the stream is too deep and infested with hostile creatures.

SABATOGED GEAR: Someone sabotaged a critical piece of equipment. It may be accidental or on purpose.

SAFEGUARD POLITICIAN/REPORTER/ECT.: This can be a nightmare. Sometimes higher ranking individuals will send (or be pressured to send) an observer with a mission group who must not come to harm and does not contribute to the mission success.

SUICIDE MISSION: Sometimes the high command asks for volunteers, sometimes it doesn't and neglects to tell the 'volunteers'.

THIRD PARTY ATTACKING OBJECTIVE: For one reason or another the unit encounters another group either attacking or preparing to attack their objective. This third party can be allies, competitors or another enemy.

TRANSPORT DAMAGED ENROUTE: This can cause a great many problems for the unit. What about the pilot? Is the transport able to get them all the way to their objective? Is their mission compromised? Is the transport their way out? What do they do with the transport when it can't fly anymore?

UNTRAINED PERSONEL: The presence of an observer, politician or some other individual not trained or experienced can threaten the unit through his/her actions. A downed pilot can also cause trouble if he/she is forced to accompany a special ops team.

WRONG DROP ZONE: By accident (or design) the pilot inserted the team into the wrong area.

WRONG TARGET LOCATION: Due to a mistake at Intelligence their objective isn't where they were told it was and they must find it.


The rest of his goodies can be found on this website: http://www.military-sf.com/index.htm

Enjoy,
Doug

I am the thing that goes bump in the night and then I'll go, "F**k, that was my toe!"

Founder of the Rackhirean Social Club. Abusing and Terrifying players for  years and ourselves in the off season.