The Modern Dispatch 035 - Leads and Complexities, Podreczniki RPG, The Modern Dispatch
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the modern dispatch
leads and complexities
by charles rice
Leads and Complexities
is an adventure for Blood and
Guts 2. While the adventure can be played without
access to that book, the game master and players will
benefit most if they have that book in addition to the
modern d20 core rules.
The adventure takes place in Iraq and casts the PCs
as members (or military advisors) of the Coalition
forces, attempting to quash the
terrorist-led insurgency that
threatens the attempts of the native
Iraqi government to achieve self-
sufficiency. This adventure could
be run as a sequel to the previous
dispatch adventure
Operation: Dry
County,
which also took place in Iraq
and cast the PCs as members of the
mysterious Task Force 121.
conventional attack.
Assuming the PCs are in Iraq, getting them involved
in the adventure should prove relatively simple.
Experts will be needed to defuse the IED. Soldiers
will be needed to set up a perimeter so that no one will
be harmed should the device go off.
#35
content managers:
charles rice and chris davis
layout:
chris davis
proofreading:
chris davis
getting the
pcs involved
At the beginning of Leads and
Complexities the PCs are called in to
help defuse an Improvised Explosive
Device or IED. These devices, which
are commonly referred to in the
media as
roadside bombs
, are one of
the major weapons of the insurgency.
These devices can take almost any
form and are designed to make
moving around the country difficult
and dangerous, while posing much
less threat to the insurgents than a
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Requires the use of the d20 Modern Roleplaying
Game, published by Wizards of the Coast, Inc.
d20 Modern and Wizards of the Coast are
trademarks of Wizards of the Coast, Inc. in the
United States and other countries and are used
with permission
‘d20 System’ and the ‘d20 System’ logo are
trademarks of Wizards of the Coast, Inc. and are
used according to the terms of the d20 System
License version 6.0. A copy of this License can
be found at www.wizards.com/d20.
leads and complexities
page 1
the modern dispatch
episode 1: roadside
iraq primer
The PCs have been called in to assist in the defusing
of an IED. The device was noticed by an alert patrol
of U.S. Marines and is placed in an abandoned car left
on the side of the road.
A character with binoculars or a rifle scope can spot
the IED on the front seat of the car with a Spot check
(DC 15). A character with no aid to his vision still has
a chance to spot the device with a Spot check but the
DC is 10 higher.
The device is composed of a cell phone, which acts
as the detonator and is connected to a satchel filled
with explosives. The back seat of the car is filled with
metal gas cans and bags of nails to increase the force
and lethality of the explosion.
history
Iraq was originally a part of the Ottoman Empire and was occupied by Britain during the course of WWI.
In 1920 the League of Nations ratified Britain’s administration of Iraq and the country did not regain its
independence until 1932, when it emerged as an independent monarchy.
In 1958 Iraq emerged from monarchy as a republic. In reality, however, the Republic of Iraq was ruled by
a series of dictators, the last and most infamous being Saddam Hussein. Hussein’s regime was marked with
both internal bloodshed (including persecutions of the majority Shiite religious faction and the minority
Kurds to the north) and external conflict, including a costly 8-year war with Iran (1980-1988).
In 1990 Iraq seized Kuwait, sparking the nation’s first conflict with the United States, which led an
international coalition to drive Iraq out of the tiny, oil-rich nation. As result of this first Gulf War, the
United Nations imposed several sanctions on Iraq, including the forced abolition of all programs seeking
to produce a Weapon of Mass Destruction (WMD), an inspection regime to assure compliance with this
directive and the imposition of “no fly” zones.
After continuing violations of these U.N. resolutions over a period of 12 years, the United States again
led an international coalition into Iraq and removed Saddam Hussein from power. Coalition forces remain
in Iraq to help the nation rebuild its infrastructure, combat a terrorist insurgency and facilitate the formation
of a stable, democratic government.
In June, 2004 the Coalition Provisional Authority transferred power to the Iraqi Interim Government and
in January, 2005 the Iraqi people successfully held free elections, selecting Ghazi al-Ujayl al-Yawr as their
President.
defusing the ied
The simplest way to defuse the IED is to remove
the detonator from the picture. The device is not
sophisticated enough to detonate when the cell phone
is removed, so this will render the device harmless.
While a character could approach the vehicle and
cut the cord connecting the cell phone to the IED
(with a Disable Device skill check DC of 15), a
simpler method will occur to the PCs if they make
a Demolitions skill check (DC 15) or a Knowledge
(technology) skill check (DC 20): a well-placed rifle
shot could take out the cell phone with no danger to
the characters.
This method of disarming the explosive requires
two rifle shots. The first need only hit a Defense of 10
and will take out the car window, clearing the way for
the shot at the cell phone, which must hit a Defense
of 18. Under normal circumstances the shooter could
take as many shots at the detonator as he needed to,
but in this case they will be pressed for time by…
geography
Iraq is a country of 437,000 sq. km in area or about twice the size of Idaho. It shares borders with Iran,
Jordan, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Syria and Turkey. The nation is largely composed of desert terrain with
only 13% of the land being arable. The country’s borders with Iran and Turkey are mountainous and these
areas sometimes experience heavy snowfall during the winter. When these snows melt areas of Central and
Southern Iraq experience seasonal flooding.
ethnicity and religion
The population of Iraq is 75-80% Arab, 15-20% Kurd, 5% Turkoman, Assyrian and other. 97% of the
population is Muslim with the remaining 3% composed of all other religious orientations. Of the Muslim
population, 60-65% are of the Shi’a sect and 30-35% are of the Sunni sect. The major languages are Arab,
Kurdish, Assyrian and Armenian.
leads and complexities
page 2
the modern dispatch
episode 2: suicide
bomber
episode 4: umm qasr
crossfire
with 400 feet of the suicide bomb when it is detonated
will suffer 10d6 fire damage, while those within 200
feet of the suicide bomb will suffer 15d6 and those
within 100 feet will suffer 20d6 damage.
The suicide bomb will ignore up to 5 vehicle
hardness because of the intensity of the explosive
materials used in its construction.
Determine PC casualties normally. If either blast
inflicts more than 20 points of damage half of the
ordinary soldiers present will die from failing Massive
Damage saves. If the damage exceeds 30 points every
ordinary soldier present will be killed.
While the devices used by the insurgents are simpler,
their tactics grow more sophisticated by the day. After
the PCs decide on how they will disable the device
(either by disarming the IED manually or simply
destroying the detonator with a well-placed rifle shot)
a car will appear in the distance, careening down the
road at high speed toward the roadblock and the first
IED.
The car is moving at 200 feet per round (the
vehicle’s maximum speed). If the PCs guarding
the perimeter make a Spot check (DC 15) they
will see the car when it tops the distant rise and is
1,200 feet away, which will give them 6 rounds to
decide how to deal with it. If they fail this Spot check
they will not notice the vehicle until it is 600 feet
(three rounds) away.
This suicide bomber holds a kill switch in his hand
that will detonate both the IED in the roadside car but
also a much larger one in the trunk of his own vehicle.
The roadside bomb was merely a diversion to draw
more soldiers into the area, with the goal of trapping
them in a lethal kill zone between the two explosives.
The suicide bomb vehicle has a Defense of 13 (9
base + 4 for all-out movement), a Hardness of 5,
and 30 hit points. When the vehicle’s hit points are
reduced to 0 its engine will sputter and die. If the
driver is still alive he will detonate both explosives at
this time.
If the perimeter defenders concentrate on the driver
rather than the car they must inflict 20 points of
damage to kill him. After his death the vehicle will
swerve to the side and barrel roll 100 feet closer to the
PCs at which time the driver’s grip on the detonation
trigger will slip and both IEDs will detonate.
Anyone with 200 feet of the roadside bomb when
it is detonated will suffer 10d6 fire damage. Anyone
As the PCs enter the port city they find that the term
“under control” is sometimes used loosely by their
superiors. While en route from Baghdad a massive
insurgency uprising has put Coalition forces on the
defensive. On their way into the city, the PCs will feel
the full brunt of that offensive as the lead and trailing
vehicles in their convoy are seriously damaged by
fire from enemy rocket launchers, trapping them in a
crossfire set up by the insurgents.
The PCs will not have much help from the other
two vehicles in their convoy, as these vehicles were
severely damaged by the initial rocket attacks and the
soldiers inside suffered heavy casualties.
While the PCs will be better equipped than the
insurgents they will be seriously outnumbered. If the
PCs are a typical 7
th
level party the insurgents should
outnumber them by two to one. If the PCs are 10
th
level the insurgents should outnumber them three to
one. A 5
th
level party should be outnumbered by 50%.
episode 3: tracing the
bomb
The key to tracing the source of this sophisticated
roadside attack is the car driven by the suicide
bomber. This will require some detective work, which
the PCs will be asked to assist in if they have the
appropriate skills. Either way the PCs will get 10 days
of down time to rest and heal while the investigation
takes place. If the PCs were seriously injured (or
need to recruit replacements for fallen comrades) the
game master could have the DNA identification of the
suspect take as long as necessary to allow the PCs to
be ready for the next stage of the adventure.
An examination of the driver’s remains (of which
there will be little) will reveal his identity as an
unemployed dockworker from the port city of Umm
Qasr. During the reign of Saddam Hussein he was the
dock foreman but lost his job after the old regime’s
fall for attempting to smuggle explosives into the
country. Tipped off by friends, he was able to escape
apprehension and has not been seen since.
The PCs are asked to go Umm Qasr and investigate
the dock areas. They believe that the suicide bomber’s
friends are still helping him funnel weapons through
the busy port and into Iraq.
Umm Qasr Insurgents (Strong Hero 3/Assault
Training 2)
CR 5; Medium-size humanoid; HD
3d8+3 plus 2d10+2 plus 2; HP 32; Mas 12; Init +2;
Spd 30 ft; Defense 17, touch 15, flatfooted 15 (+0
size, +2 Dex, +3 class, +2 equipment); BAB +5; Grap
+6; Atk +6 melee (1d4+3/19-20, knife), or +7 ranged
(2d8+0, AK-47); FS 5 ft by 5 ft; Reach 5 ft; SQ ; AL
Insha Allah; SV Fort +6, Ref +3, Will +0; AP 2; Rep
+0; Str 13, Dex 14, Con 12, Int 10, Wis 8, Cha 10.
Occupation:
Military (Demolitions, Hide)
Skills:
Climb +3, Craft (structural) +3, Demolitions
+6, Hide +8, Intimidate +3, Knowledge (Tactics) +6
Feats:
Advanced Firearms Proficiency, Armor
Proficiency (light), Exotic Firearms Proficiency
(rocket launchers), Personal Firearms Proficiency,
Urban Warfare
leads and complexities
page 3
the modern dispatch
episode 5: warehouse
assault
Talents (Strong Hero):
Melee Smash, Improved
Melee Smash
Talents (Assault Training):
Tough as Nails, Shock
Assault 1
Talents (Insha Allah):
+4 competence bonus to
Demolition and Craft (chemical) skill checks for
improvised explosives; +2 morale bonus to attack and
damage vs. infidels.
Possessions:
Pull-up pouch vest, knife, AK-47
episode of the adventure.
Inside the warehouse the PCs will face another five
insurgents and Hoshyaar Rahim, the leader of the
Umm Qasr insurgency.
As the PCs gain the edge on the insurgents, back up
arrives in the form of a friendly helicopter. This craft
begins to shower the insurgents with fire from above
and forces them back. The insurgents retreat to a
warehouse on the docks, setting the stage for the final
combat in the warehouse
Combat in the warehouse is a very tricky affair and
could have an explosive end. The warehouse is filled
with crates of explosive ordnance. Every round
of combat there is a cumulative 1 in 20 chance of
weapons fire setting off one of the crates. This creates
an explosion that inflicts 5d6 on anyone within 10
feet of the crate in question. An explosion has a 50%
chance of setting the warehouse on fire, which will
cause
all
the explosives to go up in 2-12 rounds,
inflicting 20d6 damage on anyone remaining in the
warehouse.
Hoshyaar Rahim (Charismatic Hero 5)
CR 5;
Medium-size humanoid; HD 5d6+10; HP 28; Mas 14;
Init +1; Spd 30 ft; Defense 13, touch 13, flatfooted 12
(+0 size, +1 Dex, +2 class); BAB +2; Grap +1; Atk
+1 melee (1d6+-1, weapon), or +3 ranged (1d6+0,
weapon); FS 5 ft by 5 ft; Reach 5 ft; SQ ; AL Insha
Allah; SV Fort +5, Ref +4, Will +1; AP 2; Rep +6; Str
8, Dex 12, Con 14, Int 14, Wis 10, Cha 15.
Occupation:
Religious (Knowledge [Behavioral
Sciences], Knowledge [Theology and Philosophy],
Sense Motive)
Skills:
Bluff +10, Craft (writing) +10, Diplomacy
+12, Gather Information +12, Intimidate +10,
Knowledge (Behavioral Sciences) +10, Knowledge
(Civics) +6, Knowledge (Current Events) +6,
Knowledge (Streetwise) +10, Knowledge (Theology
and Philosophy) +10, Sense Motive +8
Feats:
Armor Proficiency (light), Henchmen,
Personal Firearms Proficiency, Renown, Trustworthy
Talents (Charismatic Hero):
Charm, Favor,
Captivate
Possessions:
Pull-up pouch vest, knife, AK-47
leads and complexities
page 4
the modern dispatch
organizations
unit features
All of the following are features of Task Force 121.
These specialties and abilities take effect 30 days
after you join the unit and last until 30 days after
he leaves the unit. Any additions to your bonus feat
list, as well as the ability to take levels in the Special
Operations Prestige Class are lost immediately upon
leaving the unit, unless you transfer to another special
operations unit.
For units working together the ability to function
as if possessing the Teamwork feat lasts until 30 days
after you stop working with the units in question.
Unit Specialties:
+4 bonus to Reputation when
dealing with terrorists (including the Reputation
modifier’s effect on skills granted by the Counter
Terrorist class ability).
Unit Abilities:
You gain access to the Semper Fi
class ability when working with other members of
Task Force 121 only (normally Semper Fi affects any
Teamwork feats the character possesses).
You also gain a +2 morale bonus to attack and
damage when combating terrorists.
If possible information on these missions are
kept from media attention as they could harm the
reputation of both Central Intelligence and Special
Operations Command or (perhaps worse) cause
Congress to add restrictions to these agencies ability
to work together or even reduce their budgets.
Missions include, but are by no means limited to:
assassination, reconnaissance and “snatch” mission
(the kidnapping of an individual either for arrest or
interrogation).
During the hunt for Saddam Hussein, members of
Task Force 121 used cash, green cards and threats of
physical violence to “convince” former members of
Hussein’s regime into divulging information about his
hiding places and potential whereabouts.
Following the capture of Hussein this group turned
their attention to capturing terrorist leader Abu Musab
al-Zarqawi, a leading al Qaeda operative whose
capture or elimination has been placed on a par with
Osama bin Laden’s. The closest the unit has come to
capturing Zarqawi was in Falluja. However by the
time they arrived at the city he had disappeared.
The willingness (and indeed necessity) of this group
to act autonomously, with little or no contact with
superiors was described by author James Dunnigan as
“playing speed chess in the dark- when an opportunity
appears you determine where the enemy is and go for
the throat”.
task force 121
The unofficial name (this group has also been referred
to as Task Force 5 in Afghanistan and Task Force
20 in Iraq) for an elite group comprised of Special
Forces, Delta Force, SEALs and agents of Central
Intelligence, Task Force 121 takes on missions even
more challenging (and dirty) than those given to other
special operations units. Arab-speaking soldiers and
intelligence agents, Task Force 121 is notorious for
entering countries in civilian dress (often without
the knowledge or consent of the government of
that country) and moving on intelligence without
contacting superiors when speed is of the essence.
Units like Task Force 121 have existed for longer
than there has been a Central Intelligence Agency.
The precursor to the agency, the Office of Strategic
Services frequently found itself operating behind
enemy lines with special operations groups including
the British Commandos, the French Maquis and the
American Rangers. In the conflicts after World War
II the newly formed Central Intelligence Agency
frequently worked with special operations forces,
particularly in the Vietnam conflict when participation
in so-called “paramilitary” operations was considered
a badge of honor by the Agency (in the words of
an agent of this period “Until you’ve eaten with a
Montagnard you are not a real agent”).
Today as the War on Terror becomes a paramount
concern special operations forces and intelligence
agents seem to be working hand in hand once again.
This group is largely responsible for the capture of
Saddam Hussein in Iraq and is heavily involved in the
hunt for Ossama bin Laden in Afghanistan. Agents of
Task Force 121 have also been operating in the Horn
of Africa (including Somalia) for well over a year and
have conducted official and “unofficial” missions in
Somalia on numerous occasions.
insha allah
The central antagonists in the adventure will be
members of this new, radical extremist group. Insha
Allah means “the will of God” and is a very common
Arabic phrase usually used to denote the future
(in other words everything to come is the will of
God). The name thus serves three purposes for the
organization: it is common and attracts little attention
even when used in open conversation, it links the
organization to God and shows that the organization
will write the future (of Iraq as a Muslim theocracy
like Iran).
Holy Wars:
United States Military (especially Iraqi
presence), moderate Iraqis, Israel.
Operatives:
Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Syria
(despite a widespread presence in the Middle East
there are many areas even there where this group has
unit requirements
To qualify for Task Force 121 a character must meet
the following criteria.
BAB:
5+
Skills:
Knowledge (tactics) 5 ranks
Feats:
Urban Warfare, Desert Warfare
Special:
Counter Terrorist class ability
leads and complexities
page 5
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