I picked up Forgotten Ruin back end of last year. The premise of modern soldiers being dumped into a fantasy environment appeals, and takes me back to my school days, when we tried out the scenario from Dragon magazine where a WW2 German platoon winds up facing off against a Dungeons and Dragons wizard and his henchfolks. It has taken me a while to get around to playing though, because I have been in a bit of a solo-gaming slump for a while. Anyway, I finally got set up and played the first, very simple, training scenario. I'll try to keep the momentum going and head into a campaign, but we'll just have to see how it goes. Still, even getting one game in so 'soon' after buying the rules is winning. I have plenty of rules that I have had for years and have never yet used.
Tiger Troop
Tiger Troop (Felid Company, Predator Battalion, 53rd Bwendi Rangers) were sceptical. They had been training with the rest of the battalion for a secret mission, but the training made no sense. It was all about being rushed by soldiers with hand weapons and primitive bows but no guns. The only part of it that they truly understood was the survival training. They were the poor sods who got sent into every inhospitable, if not downright deadly, environment and had to get by with whatever they could take with them and find along the way. They were used to that. Even their troop leader, Panorama MacCaffery, was a veteran of that type of operation, so they had confidence in her, despite the fact she had only recently got her stripes.
- Sergeant Panorama MacCaffery (troop leader, personality) is Aggressive but Helpful. A veteran of many covert ops, she accepts only the best from her troop. Anyone not pulling their weight will soon regret it.
- Corporal Justice Adeyemi (A Team leader, personality) is Friendly and Supportive. He frequently soothes ruffled feathers when Panorama has been less than tactful, as happens often.
- Private Mary Smith (A Team, personality) is Accepting but also Determined (knack). Panorama's outbursts are water off her back. Even when she has received a tongue-lashing, Mary just gets on with the job and finds a way to make things work.
- Private Tarquin Bjornson (A Team, grunt)
- Private Wigbert Osmaer (A Team, grunt)
- Lance-Corporal Chidubem Bonolo (B Team leader, grunt)
- Private Vesela Sofi (B Team, grunt)
- Private Leaf Moondream (B Team, grunt)
- Private Selcuk Immaculada (B Team, grunt)
Basic Training 1
" B Team, Tiger Troop, you will face a wave of hostiles. Your mission in this exercise is to put the hostiles down. Simples!"
Panorama did not get what this training would achieve, or why they were doing it, but she would be damned if she would let her troop show her up in front of the brass.
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| The B Team (left to right): L-Cpl. Bonolo, Pvt. Sofi, Pvt. Moondream and Pvt. Immaculada (GZG New Israeli infantry figures) |
"Lance-Corporal Bonolo, your team better damned well be ready. You've been briefed. Get out there and destroy that opfor."
Lance-Corporal Chidubem Bonolo was just as much in the dark as his troop leader. he led the others out onto the training ground. The briefing had been minimal. Deploying his troops in a skirmish line he advanced the team into the exercise area. As he did so, two hordes of opfor soldiers out of the dead ground behind some rocky formations. One of them charged at full speed across the open. They were wearing ridiculous masks or rubber suits and appeared to be armed with antiquated swords and clubs!
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| The training ground. B Team is at the bottom. Two hordes of enemies are at the top. |
"Wot da funk?" muttered Bonolo. Despite the incongruity, he did not hesitate. "B Team, move to cover on our right, pick your targets! Aim! Fire!"
A crashing burst of fire rang out from his soldiers, who reacted slowly, shocked by the nature of the opfor. This was not normal!
Two of the orc horde fell in that first volley as the team moved towards the cover of the nearest rocky formation, although Pvt. Sofi clearly forgot to switch the Squad Assault Weapon to full auto, and Pvt. Moondream dropped her first grenade over the top of the orcs.
Yes, I forgot about the SAW in the first round and should have rolled a lot more dice! Lesson learned.
Undeterred the orcs and lizardmen continued to charge. Bonolo opened fire at point blank range at the two orcs charging him and missed by a good country mile. The others opened up on the lizardmen, dropping two and causing one to run away.
As the opfor charge continued, Bonolo emptied a magazine into one of the orcs, but was soon faced with the remaining large orc with a two-handed sword intent on cleaving him in two. By sheer grit and determination, he managed to fend it off and push it back, although his environment suit took a nasty gash from the enemy's sword.
The remaining lizardman put on a spurt and closed rapidly with Immaculada, who dropped it with a single shot. B Team had achieved their objective.
As they returned to barracks, B Team voiced their confusion, but were merely told that all would become clear soon enough. For now, they had earned their pay for the day and could chow down with a good conscience.
That went smoothly enough, apart from forgetting the SAW. There are a couple of wrinkles that are new to Forgotten Ruin, but I have two more training scenarios before getting into any kind of campaign.
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