Missions and the Morningstar

In Rhand the game-master easily organizes missions of attack and defense.

The mission generation of this section balances the skill and arms of the characters against the tactical risk of the mission they are undertaking to determine the strength of the enemy they must oppose.

This section quickly provides a great variety of challenges and adventures for the player while causing little work for the game-master.

This is not meant to limit the scope or complexity of play, but is meant as the first stepping stone for the creation of more involved quests and, perhaps, a world of the game-master's own.

The first consideration in performing missions is teleporting to and from the mission site.

The teleportation capabilities of the Morningstar separate all missions into four basic phases:

Vanguard, Primary, Mobile, and Spinward.

The differences between these phases become clear when the movements of the Morningstar are examined.

At any given location the Morningstar comes overhead once every fourteen days.

Unlike the heavenly bodies it rises in the south and sets in the north, visibly arcing across the sky in the course often minutes.

An hour and a half later it rises again 60 miles to the West.

In this manner it travels around Rhand, moving 60 miles west every 90 minutes.

Only when it is visible in the sky can the magic of the Morningstar be used.

Vanguard Phase: When the Morningstar rises 480 miles to the east (12 hours) of any point transportation to that spot becomes possible as the Morningstar reaches its zenith above the equator.

This ten minute, one way transportation period occurs four more times over the next six hours, once every 90 minutes until the Morningstar is 240 miles east.

This six hour phase is the Vanguard Mission Phase.

Any team transported “in” during this phase is on its own and cannot be transported out.

It can, however, be reinforced once each 90 minutes.

Mobile and Primary Phases: Over the next six hours the Morningstar moves from 240 miles east to directly overhead.

During this six hour period it rises four more times (once each 90 minutes).

During each of these ten minute periods, when the Morningstar is at its zenith, transportation is possible in two directions:

to the location or back to the Morningstar.

These four ten minute teleportation periods are Mobile Mission Phases, where the team can be reinforced or withdraw to the safety of the Morningstar in an instant.

The entire six hour period is the Primary Mission Phase;

during this time the Combat Team can withdraw or be reinforced only in a Mo bile Phase.

Spinward Phase: If the team remains at a locale after the Morningstar passes directly overhead (12 hours from the start of a Vanguard mission), they have committed to the most dangerous scenario, that of a Spinward Mission.

For the next thirteen and a half days they are on their own with no hope of reinforcements or pickup through the Morningstar.

After thirteen and a half days the location enters the Vanguard Mission Phase and the cycle Vanguard, Primary, and Spinward is repeated.

These devices focus the magic of the Morningstar.

On a mission there is one Thrall for each Team Member, mount, or large piece of equipment, and one Encoder.

The Encoder is a metal band which the mission leader wears on his wrist, while the Thralls are chains of various lengths which are worn as wristlets by Team Members or are wrapped around mounts and equipment.

The Encoder commands the powers of the Morningstar and allows the Team to teleport to the mission site and back to base.

Only the Guardians know the secrets of the Encoders and only they can set the target and return destinations.

The Encoder will teleport the Team to the target location only but will return the Team to base from any location.

An overriding factor in the use of Encoders and Thralls is that they only function when the team is within reach of the Morningstar, as described above.

Return to base occurs at the touch of a button on the Encoder.

At that moment any person or thing encircled by one of that Encoder's Thralls returns to the preset base.

Even Team Members who are separated from the main body return, as long as they are within range of the Morningstar.

Each month the characters have a choice of going on a mission or remaining at base to train.

If they choose to go on a mission the month is spent in briefings studying the terrain, enemy disposition, and intelligence reports, planning the mission, assembling the Combat Team, and holding dry runs.

Because of this process, even missions where the team is in the field only minutes, consume a month of the character's time.

If the characters choose to go on a mission they must first agree upon a Mission Risk level they are willing to accept.

This Risk level is a 1-10 number rating the mission's danger level.

The greater the Risk, the greater the danger as well as rewards, for the Mission Points awarded each surviving Team member is equal to the Risk level.

Once the Risk level has been determined, the specific kind of action the Team will perform is found on the following Mission Type table.

Cross indexing the chosen Risk level with a 1-10 random roll gives the mission type.

There are seven general types of missions.

Each of these types is further defined by the Morningstar Phase in which it takes place and is examined in detail below.

Before these types are defined in detail however, some general mission notes are in order.

Example:

Derek, a Man-At-Arms of the Primary Line, decides to go on a solo mission.

He decides on a Risk 3 mission.

The game-master then rolls a 4, which cross indexed with the Risk gives a Primary Rescue.

Once the mission type has been found a group of characters who wish to go on the adventure, the Combat Team, is assembled.

It is suggested that each player run no more than two characters on a mission.

If desired, Non-Player Characters (NPC's) may be requested from Orca headquarters to fill out the Team.

These NPC's are run by the referee and usually specialize in such things as magic, archery, medicine, or other skills such as sailing.

To find the number of NPC's available to the Team first find the Team's Combat Value.

This is simply the sum of the Combat Values (see character generation) of all Team members and measures the Team's overall combat effectiveness.

The referee should record the Team's initial Combat Value as it will be used later to determine the strength of encountered enemies.

The number of NPC's who may be taken is the Team's Combat Value divided by 75.

The skill levels of an NPC in his area of specialty will be the Team leader's Rank minus 2.

The Combat Values of these NPC's should be included in the Team's Combat Value.

As a general note, the phase of teleportation affects the makeup of the Team.

The longer the duration of the mission the greater the likelihood of having to avoid enemies, hence a Team going on a Spinward or Vanguard mission should include characters skilled in Scouting, Hunting, and Espionage.

Additionally the type of mission may necessitate the use of characters possessing specific skills such as Climbing.

Short descriptions of the mission types are given here to help the players form a Combat Team and prepare for the mission.

Guard: This low risk mission is an assignment guarding an Orca facility or allied city-state for 24 days.

Encounters met by Teams on Guard duty are usually disorganized bandits, hoods, or other criminal bands, but occasionally the Team must repulse an organized attack.

More like police work than military service, it makes a good starting job for young recruits.

Escort: In this 24 day tour the Team acts as a guard for VIP's or trading caravans as they travel between fortified cities or facilities.

Although the Team usually moves within the borders of friendly allies there are greater dangers than for a guard unit:

the enemy can ambush at a time and place where no fortifications are available to fall back on.

To increase the chances of detecting such an ambush at least one member of the Team should have some Scouting or Traps and Spotting skill.

Assault: Assaults are offensive missions that take the action to the enemy.

The assault may be a raid;

diversionary attack;

guerrilla action sabotaging a road, bridge, or fort;

or preemptive strike to throw the enemy off guard.

It is a hard hitting blow taking the initiative away from the enemy and inflicting as much damage as possible.

Although by their nature these missions have high casualty rates they are not suicide runs.

Retreat is not a totally unacceptable outcome of an unsuccessful assault.

Assault Teams are almost wholly composed of fighting men and medics, though the site sometimes makes the inclusion of Archery, Climbing, or infiltration specialists necessary.

Rescue: These are secretive missions to retrieve a person or artifact from the enemy.

Because of the need to protect the rescuee from reprisal these missions are done by finesse Teams skilled in Climbing, Infiltration, Con/Acting, and Espionage.

Holding Action: A Holding Action is part of a larger defensive or offensive battle plan.

In it the Team is assigned to hold a given position until ordered otherwise, preventing an enemy from getting past to reinforce the main target area.

Holding Teams usually defend natural travel ways such as roads, mountain passes, bridges, and river fords.

Defense: This is similar to a Holding Action except that the defended point is the main target of the enemy's attack and must be held if at all possible.

A defensive Team is called in when preemptive strikes or diversions have not disrupted the enemy and an attack seems inevitable.

They are almost always Spinward missions since the enemy launches the attack after the passing of the Morningstar.

Special Action Squads (SAS): These are the Orca equivalent to fire brigades.

The Team is held within the magic of the Morningstar in a state of no-time, unaware of Rhand spinning below.

When called upon the Morningstar teleports these Teams down as reinforcements.

If after 28 days no calls have been made the squad is teleported back to the original base.

Because of the nature of the Team's stay in the Morningstar they go into the Special Action “cold”, with no information provided about the enemy's strength, disposition of friendly forces, surrounding terrain, or anything else connected with the situation.

Missions and the Morningstar [R-FRP4-8.1.1.2]