Dawn, Session 4: Postal Carrier

Having lost a day, Old Bear, Crow, and Clove get up early to set out again. They follow the same route as yesterday, through the railroad bridge and the industrial area on the west side of the river. This time they get further in.

Roll

Roll for stress for going to unexplored hexes
Old Bear, D8, result=5, fail, 1 stress
Crow, D8, result=6, success
Clove, D8, result=2, fail, 1 stress

For a quick moment, Old Bear feels the weight of "command," a burden he takes on because of a sense of duty to his community

Even though Clove volunteered, being so far from The Uni is making her nervous.

Roll

Roll for random encounter, D100, result=96, mailcarrier
Roll for distance, D8, result=6, long range
Roll for recon, Clove, D8, result=6, success

As they near the edge of the industrial area and into Downtown proper, they see a person in what looks like a postal carrier's uniform.

Roll

Roll for reaction, D10, result=4, wary
Roll on Mythic, is this person armed? Very likely, result=90, yes; rilfe with scope

They look a little lost, disheveled, and for a supposed postal carrier, carrying very little. But they are armed with a scoped rifle. Judging by their state, Old Bear decides to be extra cautious. He instructs Clove and Crow to find cover. Then he calls out.

"Hey, everything okay?"

The postal carrier immediately snaps up his weapon, pointing it at the general direction of the group...

Roll

Roll on Mythic, do they shoot? 50/50, result=2, exceptional yes

...and fires a few shots. They are off the mark but it's enough to get Old Bear to go immediately prone. Crow and Clove are a bit too slow for him so he instructs them to get down.

Old Bear curses and decides to engage. He's hoping he can neutralize the target quickly.

Round 1
Old Bear:

• Aim
• Fire

Roll

Roll for ranged, long range modifier, -2, D6, D10, 2 ammo dice, result=6, 8, 2 successes -- critical hit; ammo=4, 2

Old Bear fires a burst (6 shots) from his M4 and connects--the result of army training and luck. The postal carrier goes down hard.

"Did you hit him?" Crow asks. Old Bear says nothing, figuring Crow would figure it out for himself.

Old Bear waits a few beats before deciding what to do. He's worried that the shooting will attract more attention. His instincts tell him to start moving but he wants to check the postal carrier, maybe grab the rifle while he's at it.

Finally, he makes a decision. He tells them to stay while he checks it out, using a row of trees for cover.

Roll

Roll on Mythic, Does the shooting attract anyone? I have no idea, but from the narrative prompts, the postal carrier may have been on the run from marauders of some sort, but I choose 50/50 anyway, result=19, yes
Is it anyone connected to the postal carrier? again, 50/50, result=yes
I roll on the Faction table from T2K4, D100, result=6, Civilian (locals)
I do another roll to see if Clove, the one with highest Recon score sees them before they see our group, D8, D10, result=2, 7, one success

Clove notices another person further back and calls out to Old Bear to warn him.

Note

Here I pause and think about what this new individual will do in the context of my prompts and the situation. I'm going to back track a little...From the narrative prompts for the postal carrier, I got: "cultured villager," "lack of resources," "coup," "factions: criminals and marauder thugs."

My imagination interprets the situation of the postal carrier: The postal carrier was part of another settlement and may have been actually carrying out a postal service for their community (which from the prompts indicated that the faction they belong to were "criminals" which I then interpreted as maybe a "harder" "more brutal" community than The Uni.) But then a "coup" happened, and their settlement was attacked by an even more brutal faction of marauder thugs.

I was hoping Old Bear could talk to the postal carrier, find out what was going on, but since they had a tag of "wary" and they were maybe on the run from marauders, I asked mythic whether they would shoot immediately and got an "exceptional yes"--they are spooked and shoot a few rounds. Old Bear reacts of course (I randomly generated Initiative and Old Bear happened to take the first spot.)

I read that combat in T2K4 is brutal, but was still surprised by the outcome. The burst from his M4 combined with his skill as rifleman and luck of the roll just annihilated the NPC.

Back to the new individual. Since Mythic says that they are connected to the postal carrier, I expected the marauders, but instead I got "Civilian (local)." So, I interpret some more and I figure this is someone connected to the postal carrier and they had escaped the same attack as the postal carrier. Here I decide, seeing their friend shot or at least seeing them on the ground, not moving, and having heard shots, they decide to leave and save themselves.

Old Bear goes prone and scans. He sees another person but only for a brief moment. This new person leaves immediately. Old Bear takes a risk and rushes to the postal carrier's body. He searches the body and finds three magazines for the rifle and an unopened letter. He grabs the rifle and goes back to Crow and Clove. He hands the rifle to Crow.


"Let's get out of here before anyone else shows up," Old Bear says.

Result of Scene

NPCs: 3;

• 1 decently armed guard; no further information, except likelihood that this person is connected to leaflet
• 1 person or group who created pamphlet
• 1 person connected to postal carrier who Old Bear shot in Episode 4

Stress:

• Clove: 1
• Crow: 1
• Old Bear: 0

New threads:

• Baby left at settlement. Who are the parents?
  • Baby needs formula
• Recruited two teenagers, a boy and a girl. Found them drinking and smoking.
• Came across a dangerous postal carrier who Old Bear shot and killed. Someone was nearby and may have witnessed the shooting.

Chaos factor: 6+1=7

Tools used

Taking a pause here to share what tools I'm using:

Campaign and world tracking:

Obsidian

Obsidian is a powerful note taking software which has been adopted by some folks to track their RPG settings and campaigns. The power comes in its flexibility in the form of user-made plugins. And instead of me trying to explain what this is and how useful it is, I'm going to refer you to this YouTube Playlist on how you can employ Obsidian for TTRPG gaming. 

Roll20

I use this just to track movement on the campaign map. Although Obsidian has an interactive map feature (via a plugin), it's not sufficient for want I want to do. However, the map feature in Obsidian is good enough for me to run battles in.

GM Emulators and narrative drivers:

I'm new to this so I went with the one that most people talk about: Mythic Game Master Emulator. I use it to answer Yes/No questions. It can also be used as a random event generator. Then to provide narrative direction, I roll on a bunch of different tables pulled from the solo rules section of Twilight 2000, 4th edition, Ironsworn, Book of Modern Tables, and whatever else I have open.

NPCs and PCs

If appropriate, I'm using BOLD, Universal PC Stories and Deeds Generator to help generate backstories for NPCs and new PCs. And when necessary, I'm using UNE, The Universal NPC Emulator to help flesh out an NPC's appearance, motivations, and moods. I'm also using Junkyard Zine issue 1 to help with "vibe" and fashion of NPCs and PCs. 

Custom Tables

I've also created a bunch of custom tables to help with:

• PC character properties: (gender, look, pronouns, ethnicity, etc.)
• Random encounters
• Loot
• Scouting/rumors
• Quality/amount of loot

Combat behavior

Just learned about this subsystem to determine NPC combat behavior from The Lone Adventurer podcast. I'm going to paste it below for easier referencing. If somehow the author reads this and wants credit or for it to be removed, please just let me know!

NPC opponents have an Aggression rating of 1 to 6, with most starting on 4.

To find an opponent's tactic for the round, roll 2D6 of the same colour and one of a different colour. If the single die comes up a 1, 2 or 3, continue the same tactic from the previous round. On a 4 or 5, total the two same-coloured dice and add Aggression, then pick from the Tactic table. If it shows a 6, roll it again and pick an action from the Twist table.

As they take or inflict wounds, gain or lose the advantage in a fight, NPC opponents' Aggression will raise or lower. Experienced fighters will change only a small amount, while green, frightened or vengeful opponents will change more. Each time someone in the fight (either PC or NPC) suffers a setback, there should be a chance for Aggression to change. If the NPCs are nervous or demoralised, Aggression will drop when they suffer a setback and rise when a PC does. If they are angry or undisciplined, Aggression will rise when they suffer a setback and drop when a PC does.

If you don't want to bother with Aggression, roll 3D6 for a tactic. If you want a more straightforward fight, without unexpected moves, drop the Twist die.

NPC Tactic table

1. Panic - flee without caution, open self up to opportunistic attack
2. Surrender - throw down weapons and submit to opponent
3. Disengage - attempt to divert opponent's attention away from self
4. Retreat - move towards cover or out of range
5. Guard - defend only, no attack
6. Probe - attack cautiously, testing opponent's defenses
7. Wear down - draw the fight out and try to tire the opponent
8. Stand-off - wait for opponent to make the next move
9. Balance - attack and defend evenly, no particular strategy
10. Feint - try to trick opponent into defending against the wrong move
11. Reverse - rapidly switch from aggressive to defensive fighting to off-balance opponent
12. Taunt - try to anger or dismay opponent into making a mistake
13. Press - keep opponent on the defensive and hope their skill is inferior
14. Strike - try to penetrate opponent's defence with a fast attack
15. Charge - attack with ferocity, risking injury to wound opponent
16. Frenzy - attack wildly, risking death to wound opponent

Twist Table

1. Re-enforce - Call for help from allies/bystanders
2. Change - weapon/objective/ground
3. Disadvantage opponent - throw a burning candelabra, maneuver into uneven terrain, cut a curtain so that it falls over their head
4. Advantage self - take the higher ground, move so that they are not facing the sun, draw/pick up a second weapon
5. Bargain - try to persuade opponent to surrender/back out of combat/change sides
6. Trick - try to convince opponent they are about to suffer a setback or gain a false advantage

I did modify some of the tactics to be more in line with a modern setting. 

What tools do you find helpful?

Introducing Clove

Illustration by Bulletproof-Eggs

Born and raised in Portland, Oregon. Sara Lee, aka Clove, was a senior in high school when the Collapse happened. It started like any other day in class, but when the first bell had rung, half the class hadn't shown up. By lunch period, another half were gone, parents pulling out their kids in a panic. She was one of a handful of students who rode out the day in school and walked home after picking up her brother. Her parents, hard-working immigrants even during the Collapse, went home only after clocking out from work. They ate dinner as a family like they usually did, then watched the news transfixed.

There were reports of an outbreak, a virus that killed in 24 to 48 hours, and hospitals unable to deal with a surge of sick and dying. In 72 hours, most of the people in their block had left the city. Her family decided to stay put--no one was sick and it felt safer to stay. Anyway, there was nowhere to go. They could possibly go to family in Idaho, but the virus was there, too.

One by one, texts to friends stopped being answered. Social media showed a world gone mad--a horror movie come to life. Her parents had to take her phone away. Four days later her mom and dad started exhibiting symptoms. Her brother the day after. Sara felt it, too, but unlike them, she recovered. They called hospitals but no one picked up. She got up half lucid in the middle of the night to find her family gone. Her mother and brother were in bed together and her dad on the kitchen floor, his mouth left open gasping for air.

She fled to the backyard and stayed there for three days and nights falling asleep on the ground and drinking water from a hose. At some point she heard a man yelling, calling out for survivors. She ignored him. Then out of nowhere something snapped inside her. She went back inside, doing her best to avoid the dead bodies in the house, grabbed her phone, stuffed a backpack with what she thought could be of use, and roamed the neighborhood.

There were other people about, but she stayed away from them and stayed away from the homes. She assumed the houses were full of dead people, too. She found food in an abandoned, broken-in liquor store, and slept in parking lots, fields, and parks. She followed working open wi-fi signals until she couldn't find anymore. Then maybe a week later, or was it two--time had lost its meaning--she found herself at the University, known later as The Uni.

She slept in the quad, sheltered in a coffee stall. Dawn found her the next morning, a kind smile on the woman's face. Like a skittish animal, Clove bolted away. She spent the next few days circling the perimeter of the school, spying on Dawn and her friends during the day, and sleeping near the train tracks at night.

They had a garden. Sara's mom had a garden. Sara went to the garden. Dawn found her there, but this time she didn't run away.

"What's your name?" Dawn asked.

"Clove," she answered.

CLOVE

• Age: 18
• Nationality: Chinese-American
• Branch: Civilian
• Appearance: Jet black hair, medium height, likes to wear athletic wear, and always brings around a toolkit and a bag to stuff scavenge into with her.
• Military Rank: n/a
• Moral Code: Family above all else; tech is worth preserving
• Buddy: Dawn
• Big Dream: Bring sustainable electricity; find a family
• Trauma: Took care of her family during the Outbreak and watched her family die from the virus
• How did they meet the group: Rode out the virus mostly at home but came across Dawn when exploring the old University.

---

ATTRIBUTES AND SKILLS

STR	C	AGL	A	INT	B	EMP
Heavy Wpns		Driving		Recon	C	Command
Close Cmbt	D	Mobility	C	Survival	B	Persuasion
Stamina		Ranged	D	Tech	D	Medical Aid

Specialties:
Scrounger, +1 modifier to survival rolls for scrounging

---

• Damage: 0/5
• Stress: 1/5
• CUF: D
• Unit Morale: C/

---

Health

• Critical Injuries:
• Diseases:
• Starving:
• Dehydrated:
• Sleep Deprived:
• Hypothermic:
• Radiation
  • Temporary: 0/10
  • Permanent: 0/10

---

WEAPONS

Wpn	REL	ROF	DMG	CRIT	BLAST	RNG	MAG	ARMR	WGT	SPENT AMMO
Bow	3		1	3	-	2			1
Knife	5		2	3	-	2		1	1

---

GEAR

Carrying Capacity: 8/8, current weight: 7.75 lbs.

Combat Gear	Back Pack
1. Bow	1. Lockpicks
2. Knife	2. Crowbar
3. Flashlight	3. Basic tools
4. Binoculars	4. Small battery
5.	5. Sleeping bag
6.	6. Blanket (not on person)
7.	7. Flask/water
8.	8. First aid kit
9.	9.
10.	10.
11.	11.
12.	12.

---

VEHICLE

• Vehicle One: Bicycle
• Type:
• Reliability:
• Travel Speed:
• Combat Speed:
• Damage:

Setting

COLLAPSE

It has been eight to nine months since a deadly virus killed 80 to 90 percent of humanity. Collapse was quick and brutal. Within a month, the global telecommunication infrastructure ceased to exist, a month after that the power grid went offline. There were rumors that the collapse rekindled the settling of scores all of the world: sectarian violence, border skirmishes, and other small-scale wars. There were rumors of nuclear detonations in Europe, Russia, and the East Coast of the United States. For the survivors, those rumors quickly became lesser considerations. There was the reality of survival to contend with.

Humanity reacted in a myriad of ways: Some reverted to their basest instincts--stealing, killing, preying on the weak. Others retreated from what was left of society to ride out the plague on their own or with their families, employing their skills in hunting, fishing, subsistence farming, carpentry--whatever it took. Some survivors clung to demagogues, yearning for meaning in a world gone mad. Yet others clung to the idea of a civil society. These folks ended up establishing small communities or nomadic bands, helping other people when they could.

NOW

The characters have found themselves within one of these communities. There are eighteen people in all, each contributing whatever skill, knowledge, and hope they have left to offer. For now, it's a symbiotic community, each benefiting the other. It's a diverse crew: the youngest is 10 and the oldest 58, of all backgrounds and former professions.

Most have discarded their old names--"old names for an older time," the saying goes. Now folks go by names like "Crow," "Old Bear," or "Clove," a way to rid oneself from whatever sins and traumas they may have committed during the height of the Collapse.

THE SETTLEMENT

The community has established a settlement in the old bones of a university, each member taking residence within the school itself or one of the surrounding homes. There is a subsistence garden in the center, a kitchen, and classrooms turned into various workshops for butchering, carpentry, and for whatever the community needs.

The de-facto leader is Adrienne Greene, aka "Dawn."

The community survives through a combination of scrounging, hunting (birds, dogs, deer, coyotes, etc.), fishing, and gardening/farming. Scrounging parties are often organized with community members volunteering or taking turns.

Folks have come to call the settlement "The Uni" a reference to the site it's been established in.

ADRIENNE GREENE, AKA DAWN

From what community members can tell, Dawn was an engineer, maybe a professor, in the old world. She has a keen interest in tech and gathering tech. And despite all the tragedy around her, Dawn remains positive, even hopeful. While others tend to look directly at what is front of them, which usually means doing-the-thing-that-needs-doing for survival, Dawn somehow looks beyond, imagining a time of renewal, of rebuilding.

Regardless of what folks say openly, Dawn's hope is infectious, even when their imaginations, their experience will not allow them to hope.

THE WORLD BEYOND

It's mostly quiet out there and the small band of survivors spend most of their days taking care of the basics: food, shelter, and creating enjoyment where they can find it. But sometimes a nomad or a trader will pass through with stories. Most of the tales sound familiar--most folks have lived through some form of it or another. But sometimes there are rumors: of doomsday cults, slavers, folks that have gone feral, or ominous military vehicles in the night passing through.

The immediate surroundings (north and west) consist of mostly homes and strip malls. Directly east are warehouses and the port, just beyond the strip of trees that flank the university.

There is a highway nearby: The 5, but similar to most freeways, it is mostly clogged with abandoned cars.