Savage Worlds Adventure for Necropolis: Outpost CVIII, please come in.

Hello World,

This Scenario is based on a Map by Dyson Logos from his “A Character for every Game” Blog. Luckily he graciously allows other blogs to use his maps.  For some reason I saw it and immediately had a Scenario in mind that I had to type out. So here my attempt at a quick Scenario.

“Lance VI, please come in, this is command. We received an emergency signal from Infantry Outpost CVIII. It was sent off by Chaplain Grefoy Mercer.  We lost contact however. You are the closest unit in the area. Immediately change course to sector 4QFK1348. Scout the area and report back any findings. Command out”.  This Patrol seems to never end. It is the third day we are out here, confined within  Deliverance, our trusty Prophet APC. My man are tired and our ammunition runs low.  The Rephaim are unusually active lately. But a Knight always fulfills his duty. “Man” the Knight shouts “Change of plans, we are not going home yet.  Franklin, pedal to the metal, we have us a Chaplain to rescue.”

Overview

On the surface this is a usual Rescue mission. Upon arriving at the Outpost there is at first no sign of a disturbance. The characters must first open the entrance with their a manual override since the power is out.  Just as they enter a nasty storm comes up and will interfere with their comms in the Pacifier. The only way to call someone is from the tower. Inside they will discover that the Outpost has been infiltrated and taken over by Rephaim. They have to use all their skill and cleverness to fight through the overrun base and rescue the Chaplain. Unless they find out how and where the Rephaim gained entrance this will be nigh impossible however as a steady stream of reinforcements arrives. When they have closed the entrance they are not our of trouble yet. In the Mess hall a truly Hellish abomination awaits. Only if they destroy this creature they will be able to save the Chaplain and the treasure he protects…

The Mission

Outpost CVIII looks like always. Thick concrete walls rise up from the dusty ground. No light is to be seen. That is wrong. There should be at least light at the tower. And where are the guards?

Instead of describing everything in minute detail I will only describe the Points of Interest on the map. I leave the details to you.

GM Map of the Outpost

Map Legend

Player Map of the Outpost

General Information

The power has been cut. The whole complex is in the dark. So better hold on to your torchlights and NV goggles. There are surprisingly few bodies around. They have all been collected in the Messhall.

There is a group of Rephaim roaming the complex at any time as long as the entrance the Rephaim used is not found and sealed. Roll a D6 when the players enter a room or area. On raise against TN 4 a roaming group is encountered in addition to whatever else is in the area. Add +1 to this roll for each room the Players have cleared where no random encounter took place. This is cumulative. Do not roll for the Entrance area, however count it for the bonus. If you reach 2 Raises no only do the players encounter the Patrol, but the Patrol is accompanied by a Wight that has set up an ambush and is in hiding. Whatever the Dice say: Use common sense. It should challenge the Characters but not kill them outright.

Patrol Group: D6+2 Zombies (p. 168 NC)  on even roll or Skeletons (p. 165 NC) on uneven roll.

Surprise: Wight (p. 167 NC)

If the Players ask where the Rephaim are coming from after an encounter and start to take time during combat to figure it out give them a +1 Bonus to any Notice  and Tracking rolls to find the Rephaim Entrance.

1. Entrance

The entrance is quiet. The Lights are off and in the darkness it is hard to see. An rotten smell is carried on the air and disturbing scratching and gnawing noises can be heard from further in. The Guard room is unmanned, only a thrown over chair and the dark screens show that something is wrong.

The Door (T 12)  to the north is barred from the other side and cannot be opened unless explosives are used.

2. Angel Dropship Hangar

You can only sense the Hangar roof above you as there is still no light. The air is cold and it smells like fuel and grime. Your torchlight shines on some overturned barrels. The Angel Dropship rests in the middle of the hangar, seemingly undisturbed. Your torchlight throws flickering shadows on the walls. It is eerily quiet.

The Hangar is not as empty as it seems. Two wights (p. 167 NC) have been left here to guard the entrance (4) through which the Rephaim entered the outpost. They will not act and try to stay hidden. They will only attack if the players actually find the entrance. If it comes to a battle roll a D6 each turn. On a six D4+1 Zombies (p. 168 NC) crawl up from the entrance and join the fight.

The entrance is hidden in the corner of the Hangar behind some barrels. With a  successful Notice at -2 due to lack of light the Characters see footprints leading into the Outpost. However the floor is clean so to follow the Tracks a Tracking check at -2 is necessary to follow them to the entrance. If a random encounter took place upon entry of the hangar the characters saw where the Rephaim came from so no roll is necessary.

Two wights (p. 167 NC)

3. Storeroom

A heavy metal door seals the Storeroom. The floor is dark and a bit grimy from the Oil and the Fuel stored in here for the Angel.  Ammunition for the Angels weapons should be in there too. There is a smell like… Iron in the air. Blood.

The Storeroom door (T 12) is locked from the inside, however through a hatch in the door one can see the slumped body of a soldier. His chest cavity is ripped open. Something must have been in there with him. He did not survive. As this room is locked there is no surprise attack here, it still counts for the Random encounter roll modifier however. The Players can try to open the door and search the storeroom. There are Tools, Fuel and spare parts as well as the expected ammunitions and rockets for different Angel load outs secured in there. In a side room there is the emergency generator. It is damaged as something exploded and left bloody chunks on everything. It could be repaired if someone is inclined to try. This will take some time and will attract the Wights from 2. When it runs it remains unstable and only gives off flickering twilight. However turning on the light will immediately draw the attention of a Patrol group. Roll for a Group with Wight.

4. Rephaim Entrance Tunnel

Something is not right here. There is dirt on the floor and the concrete is cracked! Damn, behind these barrels there is a hole in the ground, big enough for two man to pass through side by side easily. How did they dig through this? It looks like giant, razor-sharp Claws carved the hole from under the outpost.

If the Players go down the hole to investigate they are ambushed by the wights from 2. The entrance tunnel is dug out from the rock and dirt beneath and ends in a larger cave that is used as a gathering area for Rephaim. Add +2 to your random encounter roll in this area. Form here it leads even further down into the earth, but hidden from plain view behind rocks. If the players try to follow the tunnel to its other end have Rephaim come up the tunnel until they get the message. A simple explosion could seal the entrance as the tunnel is not very stable, but maybe the players think of something else, more quiet, to stop the tide of Rephaim.

5. Weapon Storage

As you approach the door you a shot rings out from behind the hatch and misses you barley.  Someone is alive in there! The smell of Urine sticks in your noses. You hear a frightened whimper and the sound of a gun being braced.

Inside the Weapon storage a Recruit and an Infantryman are holed up. The Infantryman is unconscious right now and the Recruit in total panic. If the Characters can talk him down he will let them in. Due to his fear he starts at Hostile. Otherwise the door stays locked till the end of the adventure. Inside there are a several weapons, Armor and explosives. Do not go overboard but choose something nice your players can use from the tables P. 44 – 45 NC.

6. Tower

The stairs up to the Tower are slippery with blood. The smell is almost overwhelming. You can hear gnawing an chewing sounds from above. Something is in there.

The Tower is home to D4 Zombies (p. 168 NC) and in the middle huddles am Exploding corpse (p. 159 NC). The exploding corpse could destroy all of the equipment in the tower. The equipment has toughness 10. When this happens there is no way to call reinforcements from here, even with emergency power . If the Equipment survives they can call in reinforcements. due to the storm they will be a while and will arrive as soon as the Rephaim is destroyed.

7.  Recruit Quarters

All the doors have been opened. There is no one inside. All you can see is blood and guts everywhere. Something must have taken them all.

Well, some survived and hide in the Kitchen. There is nothing to be found and is meant as a part to scare the players. Describe the horror, have them imagining movements in the shadows etc. With a successful Notice check they can find a note of a recruit.

Shiftplan has changed. Guard duty has been doubled to watch the package Chaplain Grefoy brought with him. You are back on duty at 0700 hours.  No late day for you brother!

8. Kitchen

As you approach the Door you hear muffled voices. Someone is inside this room. You can make out several different voices and it seems there is someone in charge in there. There is some loud and rhythmic banging to be heard from somewhere within the Outpost.

This is a safe room, no attacks will occur in here. There is a group of about a dozen Infantryman and Recruits in here. A Sergeant is in charge but is willingly following the characters lead.They are very willing to tell the Characters whatever they want to know.

• No one knows what is going on or where the Rephaim came from.
•  It was a sudden attack in the middle of the night.
• No one has seen the Chaplain since the attack.
• They tried to find him but where always attacked by Wights once they left the room.
• For whatever reason the Rephaim want them in here apparently.

If the characters have not found a note regarding the package the Sergeant will tell them of it´s existence but does not know anything more about it. If they have the note and ask specifically he will tell them that the heard the Chaplain refer to it as “A Transmogrifier” as he spoke to the commander.

They are all pretty battered and low on ammo. The characters can either  leave them here, get them out or take them with them as support. Only D4+1 Infantryman (p. 155 NC)  are in fighting condition however.

9. Messhall

The floor beneath your feet is slippery from drying blood. All the benches and Tables have been turned over and pushed to the walls in a chaotic heap. In the southern half of the room is  a grisly circle. Corpses have been piled up in the rough shape of monoliths. Two hooded figures walk slowly in circles from pile to pile. An upturned trolley seems to be used as an altar. On it rests a jet black pyramid. Runic Symbols along its edges glow in an unholy light and seem to bewitch you to come closer. But the most horrifying thing of them all is the homungus creature that suddenly stops banging on the wall with his deformed arms and turns its deathly gaze on you.

The two kneeling Figures are Cultists (p. 159)  in bloodied robes. They chant in an unspeakable tongue. Once battle has started they will continue chanting. Every round roll a D6. On a success one Zombie (p. 168 NC)  is raised from the dead to join the fight. For every round without a success add +1 to the following roll. This is cumulative.  On the first round 3 Zombies (p. 168 NC) are already awake and hidden. They will join the fight after the Digger has attacked. The Cultists will not attack or fight back. Once one Cultist is dead the other does not get any more bonuses for a failing summoning. If the Characters did not seal the entrance a patrol will appear in a round where a joker is dealt, regardless for whom.

The horrifying creature is the Digger. A unique Rephaim.

The Digger The Digger The Digger is an abomination of the Rephaim, mutated and ritualistic deformed for one purpose only. To crack the walls of the human forts. His arms are Tools and weapons what can kill a man in one blow and will crush and wall sooner or later. Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d4, Spirit d8, Strength d10, Vigor d10 Skills: Fighting d10, Intimidation d10, Notice d6 Pace: 8; Parry: 6; Toughness: 11(4) Special Abilities: Armor +4: The Digger is covered with tough, almost stony skin. This counts as Armor. Berserk: The Digger always fights in berserk. This adds +2 to Fighting and Strength rolls and increases Toughness by +2. However, the creature is –2 Parry, and if no enemies are visible, it attacks its nearest ally. The Berserk state may be canceled by making a Smarts roll at –2 at the beginning of its action (a free action). If a greater Rephaim commands the beast to cease its berserk state, it makes a Smarts roll at +2. Claws: Str+d8. AP 10. These count as Heavy Weapons for what the creature may damage. Combat Reflexes: The digger adds +2 to his Spirit rolls to recover from being Shaken. Fear (–1): Anyone who sees the Digger must make a Guts roll at –1. Fearless: The Digger is immune to Fear and Intimidation. Greater Undead: +2 Toughness. +2 to recover from being Shaken. Immune to poison and disease. No additional damage from called shots. Half-damage from piercing weapons. Ignores wound penalties. Thermal Vision: Rephaim halve all penalties for bad lighting when attacking living targets or vehicles with their engine running.

Once the Digger, the Cultist and the remaining Rephaim are dealt with Chaplain Grefoy Mercer will emerge from the Chapel.

10. Chapel

The heavy door is locked and there is light shining through under it. You can hear a man preaching inside. Rhythmic hammering from somewhere else in the outpost rings through the hallways. It smells like incense.

If the Charcters shout Chaplain Grefoy Mercer will open the door for them. He has secured it through Litanies and rituals, so the Rephaim are unable to enter through the door. That is why the Digger is working his way through the wall. When the Characters enter the chapel and want to talk to Chaplain Grefoy he finally breaks through the wall and the fight ensues. See 9. Messhall for details. The Chaplain is relatively spent so will stay back. He will aid anyone that is wounded as good as he can. Use the Faithfull Chaplain Stats (p. 154 NC) with only 10 PP left.

Conclusion

When all is over Chaplain Grefoy Mercer will explain that he was tasked to carry the artifact to the Inquisition, not knowing exactly what it is. Due to a Storm he had to take refuge here. It seems the Rephaim can use it to reanimate fallen soldiers in their foul image. He does not know how the Rephaim knew he was there. As soon as the Storm calms down he insists on being taken on the Angel with the cursed artifact so he can bring it straight to the inquisition.

Will he ever reach his goal? Will the Rephaim try to get it back? Will he be able to resist the whispering voices of the Transmogrifier? Thats for you to decide!

For their bravery  and performance above duty against uncounted adversaries the Characters get honored by their Ordo and are sworn into secrecy.  They get 2 full days off duty!  Oh, lest I forget: 3 XP for everyone!

Hope you liked this scenario.  Any suggestions? Let me know in the comments! Read you soon.

The Original Map is copyright Dyson Logos, used with permission. The Digger Artwork copyright Ade Smith, used with permission.