ideas for a fight through a city

[Deamonata 1]

I currently have my acolytes in a warehouse and they have to make their way back across the city, however an outback of nurgle has occurred so they are going to have to fight to make their way back, however I want to do something a bit more interesting that just waves of enemies does anyone have ideas of things/events that could occur?

[Magnus Grendel 11,679]

• Fire. If in doubt, always add fire.

Fighting enemies whilst a building is collapsing.

Finding the escape route (walkways, doorways) is collapsing

If facing cultists as well as just zombies/daemons, maybe they'll have enough sense to use the cargo-handling equipment - crane arms, big mono-task servitors, fork-lift trucks, dropping crates and containers

The possibility of making a getaway in one of said trucks. Of course, getting through an industrial district, during a plague outbreak/riot/ whilst being shot at, in a vehicle no-one really knows how to drive is challenging to say the least.

One of the most important things they need to do is get the word out. More specifically, they need to get a warning to Arbites/Magistratum precints and patrol stations far enough away from them to get a solid quarantine line set up before the nurglesque mobs reach them. Which means a public vox, or something similar

At the same time, they need to make sure that no infected make it out on public transport before the quarantine can be put in place. If that means blowing up a mag-train with other people on it too.....welcome to the Inquisition, kid.

A large number of wounded civilians in dreadful agony. Stopping and aiding them will take too long. Putting them out of their misery...you might have time for mercy kills. Might. Are you going to risk wasting the ammo before the fight, though?

Another armed group, seemingly uninfected, also trying to fight clear. Of course, heavily armed group of unknowns in a district like this probably means gang members. Are you going to trust criminals?

[Lynata 2,228]

Just to expand on the above:

 

A large number of wounded civilians in dreadful agony. Stopping and aiding them will take too long. Putting them out of their misery...you might have time for mercy kills. Might. Are you going to risk wasting the ammo before the fight, though?

 

Even more important: civilians being in the way. There's lots of people living in very crowded space in a hive, which means that pathways and access routes will probably be clogged by loads of bodies. Once bullets start flying or a fire breaks out, it's only going to get worse!

 

Also, depending on what level of the hive they're on, there will be less security and more gangs - who might be busy fighting each other, fighting the players, fighting the Chaos thingies, or fighting everyone.

 

For inspiration: http://www.games-workshop.com/MEDIA_CustomProductCatalog/m1330042_Necromunda_Rulebook.pdf

Edited October 16, 2013 by Lynata

[guest308838 122]

Wow, great ideas.

 

Depending on how they move about and if it is a hive city or not:

 

How about first leaving by truck or car? Initially, describe rising chaos in the streets, perhaps with some people trying to stop them and get a ride and others trying to stop them and steal their vehicle.

 

At some point, the road is blocked or their vehicle is disabled so they have to go on foot. Let them join a flood of citizens making their way to a mass transit point and board a shuttle/train. And then the train stops, either in a tunnel underground or on some kind of elevation and they (and all the others) have to walk while being pursued by infected cultists or just plague zombies.

 

In the end, their only true way of escape is reaching an Arbites fortress-precinct and getting an APC to take them to their destination. But talking their way into a fortress-precinct under siege and the loan of an APC and crew will not be easy....

[Lynata 2,228]

Whoops, for some reason my mind jumped straight from city to hive. Mea culpa!

 

But, if this is really to involve creepy Plague Zombies, the background of Sister Anastasia on this archived website from GW's old Inquisitor RPG gives a neat glimpse about how Imperial citizens may react to such chaos...

The sometimes self-destructive attitude of the people they aim to protect may be a challenge all unto itself for the Acolytes. 

[Askil 123]

I find when you want to keep frantic action going i a particular direction having a "creeping doom" like fire, water, atmospheric decompression or some other enviromental hazard following up behind helps to keep players ruthlesly focussed on forcing their way through obstacles. After all it doesn`t matter what guns and gadgets you have you can`t turn and fight a collapsing building.

 

Also maybe it`s just the frustrated dead space player in me but don`t allow them to get off too easy sure they found a truck but the fuel is almost out, the maglev train crashes due to bodies on the rail from jostling refugees at the station a series of unfortunate events dumping them back into new perils really escalates the tension.

 

I once had a group of PCs who escaped their stricken ship with only minutes of air to spare in their scavenged, patched and frankly bodged together voidsuits only for their escape pod to be hit by wreckage and torn open. Forcing them to spacewalk to the enemy ship in the middle of an ongoing battle before they died from suffocation.

[Lynata 2,228]

^ neat ideas! If Nurgle's gifts and public riots are involved, this "creeping doom" could even be triggered by the authorities, depending on the nature of the city section the players are in.

 

I recall a certain command level communique sent by GW to players participating in the 13th Black Crusade global campaign:

 

"To all forces on St. Josmane's Hope, get out.

 

Get out now."

 

Then this.