I'm designing a passenger/cargo train that will be hauling some precious materials across the Czech border. The time is set right after night begins. It is fairly advanced (partially PL6) but most of what's on board it can be envisioned as high end PL5 (current).
Now, I plan to have heat sensors in the cargo cars that are set to go off at a certain temperature and unless a proper code is entered on the outside access door before entering. For anyone that's seen Mission Impossible (1996), you'll know what I mean.
I am going to implement cameras, but am still deciding whether I want fixed angle or 90 degree cone sweeping variants.
Basically, i'm keeping the majority of the train "guard light" and "tech high". Disable Device and Computer Use are going to come into play for sure. I expect the majority of challenges to run EL 10 to 14.
Anyone here have ideas on other sensors or security features that could make things interesting?
If it was a US security, it would be high detection focus. If it was Russian security you can get the fun stuff, like the car is sealed & filled with a poisonous gas, automated gunturrets, rabit badgers with bodyarmor on PCP, or a really sinister looking rat with 3Strong/3MA perched on a skelleton guarding the case.... sharks with lasers on their heads?
Of course, there are always the classics:
- Floorless: yes, everything was bolted to the ceiling at the vault, and the crazycar was put to track without a floor.
- Decoys: 3 cars with 5 vaults each, the real item is in the Colonels car trunk cause he changed his mind at the last minute but the train was already paid for.
- Disinformation: The colonel personally was chatting it up in the enlisted chowhall last week about the train security, and just how few people have the safety codes. He wont get in trouble for that, cause he is renting a truck near the train depot & driving it there himself.
- "Trap" counter & mines: Put a few mines "behind cover" from the vault, and give the oldschool digital countdown from 5sec when they touch the vault.... I love driving folks into mines. Be sure to write the mine locations down, so you can defend against players complaining about you making the mines up after they dove for cover.
Depends on who is doing the securing?
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[*]Floorless: yes, everything was bolted to the ceiling at the vault, and the crazycar was put to track without a floor.
A U.S. security company under the guise of a Czech name fabricated for them so they could conduct business overseas. They don't want to risk exposure, so capture of the PCs, well...;)
I don't envision Captain Ahab coming out of his room unless a major attack happens (where he'll be warned by one of this soldiers), or codes are needed to examine certain containers.
As for the floorless car, that is a great idea. I have an image of what the entire housing would look like, but assuming they want to move something off of there, what options should be available to them?
I also like the view of different people going different directions, either detect and surgically elimiate, or simply autodestroy anything. Not just russains, but that would work for organized crime as well.
General motion detectors, especially vibration detectors. Vault is suspended inside the car to eliminate rail vibrations (maybe the fancy stuff inside doesn't lke to get shake about either)
pressure detectors, detect you sneaking across the floor
moisture detectors, picks up sweat and breath
Once threat is detected, knockout gas is delivered, or electric shock.
Or somewhat along the lines of the whole 'fill vault with chlorine gas', electrify the floor/other surfaces. Depending on style, this could be always on, or turned on when the other detectors are triggered. Also, depending on style, voltage could be in pulses and enough to knock your socks off and send you flying, but not kill you, the other could be extreme crispy critter setting.
Yes, they have prior intel regarding countermeasures, but intel is not always perfect (hence, the surprises they will encounter along the way)
The Smart Hero / Fast Hero / Infiltrator should handle the cameras alright though.
On a side note for your game perhaps there is another team wishing to sneak in and steal the stuff too?
It also would not hurt to have a gaurd patrolling the train with a german shepherd or other large dog. The dogs good scent and good listen checks should make things a little more interesting.
Helicopter is always a classic (if some one has the pilot skill, snipe the npc)
Also disconnecting the car from the engine and waiting for some hired trucks to come by works out for some fun. Especially if you bribed the conductors not to stop in this event.
If the loot is... durable, you can roll the car off the side of the mountain, into the river... where a hired boat is waiting with some wet suit.
There are 10 boxes in question - the actual dimensions are small, but the fuel source inside is very dense...upwards of ninety pounds each. They've also had shock absorbers and waterproofing installed. This way, if one tumbles loose off the tracks into the river below, the PCs still have a chance to retrieve it.
Each guard is CR 8, equipped with G36cs, USP Compacts and stun grenades. Fairly resistant to intimidation, the PCs will soon see their best bet is to snag their keycards. However, the Captain can remotely lock out the signature of each card, so if the PCs let their presence be known, some on-the-fly rewriting will have to be done
."Shoot anyone that trys to get my cargo Soldier."
Whats in the box Sir?
"The cargo Soldier... you gonna start following orders of stand around asking fool questions"
Dont we get keys to the vault?
"See, there you go with more fool questions <BAMM!>. You, you there, you are now the team leader."
Sir yes Sir! Guard the cargo, No Keys.. Can Do Sir!
Lets say it is a 4 hour train ride...
the passenger car where the troops would be lounging should be empty,
and there should be 15 guys crammed into the car with the cargo,
uncomfortable, hot, and miserable for 4 hours.
Because they are soldiers, not commuters, they do stuff like that.
Getting into the smaller divisions that hold the cargo containers (complete with traps)? Those are only accessible by the Captain. Otherwise, the PCs will have to spend time getting around aforementioned hardware and software.
Haven't decided the total guard amount yet. However, I doubt it will exceed a dozen.
In game terms, lots 'o balance checks would be in order, especially while folks are engaged in combat.
The system of going from car to car on Amtrak is: 1) press the open door button, 2) grab onto handhold number one, 3) step into the coupling area with both feet before door closes, 4) grab handhold on far side, 5) press open door button on next car, 6) step through before door closes. All while the cars are bumping and swaying!
This can give you lots of security and trap opportunities: a) the doors can only be opened via card; b) the handholds have sensors on them; c) the floor where you step has sensors on it. Players would have figure out how to go from car to car without using handholds or stepping on the coupling floor, and still use the key cards.
Perhaps some cars won't even have doors allowing you to go from car to car. The train I was on separated the Engine from the passenger cars with a cargo car that didn't have doors, so the Engine was isolated from everyone else. To get to the engine you'd have to walk on top and jump from passenger car to freight car to engine.
That can also be daunting, as jump checks to go from car to car would have to factor in a) the swaying and bumping and b) fact that not all cars are of equal height.
As an aside, I do have to say AMTRAK's peanut butter torte is very good.
I'll actually be going home via AMTRAK tommorow, 5/31, so let me know if there is anything else you want to know.
what else did you figure out by taking the train?
You need to add some constraints that encourages the PCs to think "inside" the box and meet your challenges rather than circumvent them. In short: you need a bit of railroading.
-DF
The train needs railroading to keep the campaign on track
liquid / gel filled tankers with the payload ` suspeneded ` in the centre
pressurised rail road cars - either over pressure or negative pressure - maintained by a pump compressor that can compensate for seal inefficency - but not a mansized opening
making the opening part of the inegrity of the train - i did this with an ICBM transport train - the missile pods were slung betteen bogies - on fexible mounts - and formed the structural ` back bone ` of the train
-DF
For the entire length of the train, place a cluster AT munition between every other rail tie,
except for the length of track where the cargo car is,
and a special set for the caboose to blow the bogies off,
detcord fused to one single trigger to be hit by the locomotive.
Train rolls along, the engine nose hits the trigger,
and the entire train gets a bunch of AT mines punching thru the floor every 3' except the safe 'cargo car',
and the caboose loses it wheels to become a 'drag chute' to prevent derailment. The 'salsa train' is then ready to be boarded by the extraction team
For the defense team,
an a few locations ahead of the train
have rail runner trucks run ahead as scout / decoy / ambush abatement,
both squad firewagons and technicals with an armored turret 20mm Vulcan.
The can retract the railwheels and drive cross country off the track before the destination to avoid annoying the civvies.
I cant see how we can even be Annoying The Train,
much less Infuriating The Train
For even more fun, have the players discover that NONE of the 100 boxes hold the stuff. They'll probably only figure this out after opening the majority of the boxes.
If you REALLY want to be a jerk, you can take the decoy idea one step further. Simply fill the decoy containers with something that looks an awful lot like the substance they're after.
Picture a heavily guarded train car filled with 100 identical locked containers all with something that looks like the McGuffin, but isn't. They only discover that they got dupped after they return home in 'triumph'. So much for that promotion.
Good times. :D
The thing to remember in a scenerio like this is that the bad guys don't have to stop the players, only delay them until the train reaches it's destination.
Have another team of 'Das Professionells' working a heist of their own, from the opposite point of PC entry.
Maybe a dozen RoboRats or CyberWeasles,
pawns of the professionals team, that make off with the cargo and lead the PCs toward a loud & lead-y encounter with the professionals... and their Verminmacht tiny robot army
.... and nobody is really sure where Das Professionells and their Verminmacht come from ;), but you might have a problem with the Israeli secret agent embedded infiltrators in with them. I would tell you more, but they'd kill me