Dragon Magazine Adventures

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Vol. V, No. 1

©1980 by Mike Carr

NTRODUCTION“The Missile Mission” is an adventure designed

or use with TOP SECRET, the espionage role-play-ng game produced by TSR Hobbies, Inc. As present-ed on these pages, it includes everything which play-ers and the gamemaster will need to run the adven-ure, either as a one-time exercise or as an episodewhich takes place within the context of a larger cam-paign. The mission can be played by from two to eightplayers (a minimum of six players is highly prefer-able), with an Administrator who moderates theactivities of the players and controls the activities ofvarious non-player characters who may take a part inhe proceedings.

Besides being usable by itself, “The Missile Mis-sion” is designed to give TOP SECRET players andgamemasters an idea of the way in which they might

construct their own scenarios. This is just one exam-ple of the many types of adventures which may bedevised to be used with the game’s basic rules andcomponents.

BACKGROUNDThe rivalry between Soviet and Chinese world

goals manifests itself in many ways. The bitter com-petition between the Communist giants shows in-tensely in military, political, and propaganda circles.This of course carries over into the area of intelli-gence, where both adversaries strive to obtain usefulinformation about each other’s activities, aims, and

plans. But the two countries also maintain an activeespionage effort against other powers—and thistime that is the arena where the competing agentswill collide . . . .

* * * * *

The development of one of NATO’s newest (andmost secret) missiles has been the object of consid-erable interest by both the Soviets and Chinese forseveral years. Despite continuing efforts bythe intelligence agencies of both countries, few de-tails have been discovered. As the time nears forproduction and deployment of the missile, the in-

terest in the weapon has grown, although mostavenues of espionage have led to dead ends.Luck, both good and bad, plays a part in the

conduct of espionage. Whereas bad luck had beforethwarted various attempts at learning more about themissile, good luck (of sorts) had just now provided abreak. That is, if one team of agents could act quicklyenough . . .

At last night’s lavish New York City dinner partystaged by the Defense Contractors Association, bothSoviet and Chinese agents had been present. In therevelry which went into the wee hours of the morning,the drinking was heavy. The sales representative of

the Dynamics Engineering Company, producer ofthe guidance system for the missile, was particularlyfortunate, he thought, in persuading to his hotel roomthe young attractive Oriental woman who had been

tongue loosened by too much to drink, as well as theneed to impress, talk turned to company matters andthe work being done by Dynamics Engineering. Yes,the project was a success, and although security wastight, who knew that a duplicate copy of the plans waslocked away in the safe at the Dynamics Engineeringparts warehouse, in addition to the copy kept at theheavily guarded main plant? Who knew, indeed?!

The young Chinese woman knew now, and wast-ed no time in taking her leave to report the word to hersuperiors. At the same time, the Russian bug placedbehind the wall painting in the same hotel room alsocarried the news to the appropriate ears. The racewas on . . .

* * * * *

The Dynamics Engineering Company’s partswarehouse is in a rundown section of the city’s indus-

trial district. It is a typical building of its type, con-structed of cement-block walls and a flat, corrugatedsteel roof. There are two primary access doors, withseveral garage doors for the loading dock areas.

During the week, the warehouse is fairly busy, buton Saturday morning the crew is small: two shippingclerks working the forklift, a security guard, and twoGerman shepherds. Of the three around-the-clockshifts, this is the smallest.

* * * * *ADJACENT AREAS

The rough map provided with this module showsthe warehouse and its immediate environs, should

such information be needed for reference during play.

DRAMATIS PERSONAEThe three groups represented in this scenario are

the two opposing agent teams (Soviet and Chinese)and the unsuspecting employees of DynamicsEngineering Company who happen to be presentwhen the mission is executed. The arrival of localpolice personnel is a possibility.

Depending upon the number of actual players,the agent teams can be handled as desired. Fouragents are given for each side, with listings of the

appropriate Personal Traits for each, and weaponsor equipment carried. If this scenario isbeing used as part of a regular TOP SECRET cam-paign, the agents listed can be used or discarded asdesired; in some instances it may be possible tosimply substitute one or two player characters fornames given here, if practical. The best scenarios willuse either three versus three agents, or four versusfour.

The Dynamics Engineering employees areplayed by the Administrator, who will determine theiractions and reactions randomly, keeping in mind thatinitially they will not be aware of what is actually

occurring. At first, they may accost intruders andinquire about why they are on the premises, askingthem to leave (that is, unless player agents don’t givethem the chance ) Once a are of hat ma be


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fleeing, or calling for help) according to dice rollstaken by the Admin at probabilities deemed appro-priate.

The city police are not a regular part of the Sce-nario, but are included as extras. Should a call forhelp be made in time, or should the mission be unduly

delayed, there will be a chance (at the Administra-tor’s discretion) that the city police might arrive beforethe agents have departed the scene. Their roles areto be played by the Admin, and they will react appro-priately to the situation as they perceive it.

THE SETTlNGThe Dynamics Engineering warehouse is a ce-

ment-block building divided into three primary sec-tions: the main warehouse, the parts storage area,and the offices.

Main WarehouseThe main warehouse comprises the majority of

the building. It is a large, open area where cases ofpacked machine parts are stacked on pallets. Thestacks are of varying heights, ranging from 2’ to 6’ offthe floor. Each box is approximately a foot squareand weighs about 10 pounds. The boxes contain anassortment of different plastic and metal parts andassemblies. Bullets will pass through individualboxes fairly easily; it takes several boxes to stop suchprojectiles (the Administrator can determine such ef-fects randomly in each case, depending upon cali-ber, distance, number of boxes the bullet must pass

through, contents, etc.). Keep in mind that the gamemap shows stacks but not individual boxes.

Parts Storage Area

in height, a metal container holding parts or assem-blies of metal and/or plastic. An automated conveyorapparatus passes near each of the individual bins,and is part of an overall system which extends intothe main warehouse. The system is designed to pickout parts and assemblies for packing and shipping,

and deliver the packed boxes to the main warehousefor shipping. The conveyor apparatus is 3’ off thefloor, with supports located every six feet along itslength, which allows easy crawling underneath; two“drawbridge” sections of the conveyor are at themain aisles to allow passage of the forklift truck,which operates in both areas.Offices

The building’s offices are located in the west/ southwest part of the building. There are three indi-vidual offices, plus a traffic office with a window whichlooks out into the main warehouse. A supply roomand file room are also part of this area, as are the tworest rooms. A receptionist’s desk and sofa are in thehallway. The entire area has an 8’ suspended ceiling.

The building has no security alarm systems.Many doors are metal fire doors with small wire-rein-forced windows which, when locked, have a rating of-/40. Wooden office doors, when locked, have arating of -/20. The larger doors are overhead metalgarage doors which, when locked, have a rating of-/35 (and which will make some noise whenopened, either manually or by pushing an electricwall button on the interior wall near the door). The

garage doors also have wire-reinforced windowswhich are about 4’ off the floor.The building’s telephone and electric lines enter

on the west side of the building at a point which is 12’


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ROOM & AREA DESCRIPTIONS

The various parts of the Dynamics Engineeringwarehouse are described below in some detail. Be-fore using the mini-module, the Administrator shouldreview the descriptions given here and study theplaying map to familiarize himself with the setting andvisualize this building as a place for the mission.

Effort has been made to provide as useful andcomplete a description here as possible; however,questions about the physical surroundings or equip-ment/furniture present may arise which are not cov-ered in this outline. In such cases, the Administratorshould feel free to describe the setting and suchdetails as he desires, keeping in mind that the placeis a rather mundane warehouse.

1. Parts Storage Area: This large open roommeasures 48’ x 105', with a 12’ ceiling. It is filled withnumerous parts bins, each 3’ high. An automatedconveyor apparatus which is 3’ off the floor runsalongside the bins, but is turned off.

Access to the room is provided by five doors: anexterior garage door on the north wall (locked) whichis at a loading dock, the warehouse’s rear entranceon the east wall (locked), and three doors on thesouth wall—one without a window (locked) which

leads to the office hallway, one which opens to themain warehouse for foot traffic (unlocked), and asmall garage door alongside it which is for the forklifttruck (unlocked) Additionally there is an opening in

into the main warehouse. The space is a passage for

the guard dogs, as well (it could be a crawlway, too).On the south wall just to the east side of the

conveyor passage is a large computer console with akeyboard, printer and CRT screen, plus other assort-ed dials and knobs. This is the control board for theautomated conveyor packing system. It is turned off.

On the east wall just south of the rear entranceare stacks of flat cardboard boxes, each stack ap-proximately 6’ high. The box flats are bundled in twodozen lots, and are the standard size cartons.

One guard dog (“Rex”) is asleep at the conveyorpassageway; if aroused, he will be able to go intoeither room (see the TOP SECRET rules section onpage 40, AROUSING HUMAN OR ANIMALGUARDS, and subtract 15 from any rolls on theANIMAL GUARD REACTION TABLE to reflect Rex’stendency to growl and bark rather than attack strang-ers.). Rex has a Life Level of 7 and Injury Points of 4.He will respond to commands given by Chuck Evans,the plant security guard.

2. Main Warehouse: This large open roommeasures 90’ x 72’, with a 12’ ceiling. It is filled withnumerous stacks of packed cartons placed uponwooden pallets. The stacks are alongside the several

arms of the conveyor system for the most part, await-ing shipment out of the warehouse. The stacks varyin height and size, and the height is shown upon thegame map for each particular stack (the Administra


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Access to the room is provided by five doors: thetwo entrances from the Parts Storage Area previous-ly described, garage doors on the east and southwalls which lead to the loading docks (the east door isunlocked and open, the south door is locked), and aset of double doors (unlocked) with large, wire-rein-forced windows which lead to the office area. A large

glass window just to the south of the double doorsprovides a view of the Traffic Office, and vice versa.Along the east wall is a large stack of unused

wooden pallets which reach nearly to the ceiling.They are next to a storage room (locked) which con-tains miscellaneous items: unused conveyor sec-tions, cartons of paper goods, machine parts, tools,supplies, etc.

Along the south wall are two small rooms (un-locked). The first contains the heating and air condi-tioning equipment for the building and little else, whilethe second (nearest the loading dock door on thesouth wall) is an employee locker room containing

lockers, vending machines, a table, and severalchairs. Outside the door is a drinking fountain (one ofthree in the building) and around the corner near theloading dock door is a workbench which holds a pipewrench (1-20/NC/), screwdriver (1-20/-4/) andhammer (1-18/NC/) within a tool box atop it.

A forklift truck is parked in the southwest corner ofthe room. It is off, but the key is in the ignition switch. Itis a standard industrial forklift truck (powered by asmall LP gas tank). It has a maximum speed of 10mph. All three Dynamics Engineering employeesknow how to operate it; others have a percentage

chance equal to their Knowledge rating to know howto use it.Two Dynamics Engineering employees are in the

main warehouse at the start: Ed Landers is at theworkbench, looking over a mass of paperwork whichdescribe the prior week’s shipment orders; Mort Mc-Nally is near the eastern garage door (which is open),scrutinizing the shipping labels on the 5’ high stack ofcartons nearest the door. The room is relatively quietexcept for Ed’s radio at medium volume on the work-bench and the sound of the air blowers which circu-late the air in the warehouse.

If Ed and/or Mort perceive danger, they will un-

dertake any number of possible actions: alert theothers (including Chuck Evans, the guard), attemptto call the police (from a wall phone by the workbench, or from one of the offices), resist intruderswho are hostile (unless bluffed), or perhaps simplyflee. The Administrator can handle their actions usinglogic and appropriate dice rolls.

3. Office Hallway: The office hallway connectsthe main warehouse, the front entrance to the build-ing, the various offices and rooms, and the partsstorage area at the rear.

The building’s main entrance is a steel fire door

(locked) with a wire-reinforced window which is largerthan the others of similar design. The words “Dyna-mics Engineering Warehouse Offices” are stenciled

Vol. V, No. 1

with decorative paneling, while the exterior walls andthe walls separating the offices from the main ware-house and parts storage area are cement-blockconstruction). A sofa for waiting visitors is in the fronthallway, and a receptionist’s desk is at the intersec-tion. All drawers of the desk are locked (-/10). Adrinking fountain is against the wall across from the

receptionist’s desk.The second guard dog (“King”) is asleep under-neath the receptionist’s desk. He, like “Rex”, willrespond as previously noted. King has a Life Level of5 and Injury Points of 3.

4. Traffic Office: The Traffic Office is the nervecenter of the warehouse. Within it is a long counteralong the east wall underneath a large window whichprovides a view of activity in the Main Warehouse.The counter has numerous pigeonholes for all kindsof paperwork. Two desks with typewriters, a filingcabinet, and a computer terminal are within the of-

fice, and on the walls are an assortment of clipboardscontaining shipping orders, inventory reports, andother similar information. Both desks have tele-phones upon them.

Using one of the telephones is Chuck Evans, theguard for the building. He is talking to his wife whilesitting on the edge of the desktop, gazing out of theglass window and into the warehouse. He will con-verse until interrupted by some occurrence, at whichpoint he will investigate (with a 50% chance of tellinghis wife “There’s a problem, I’ve gotta go . . .” beforehanging up, and a 50% chance of telling her “Hold

on, there’s a problem”— in which case she will be onthe line until he either returns or doesn’t return andshe becomes suspicious of trouble).

Chuck Evans will investigate trouble promptlyand fairly aggressively, although he is not armed. Hewill ask that unauthorized personnel leave the build-ing immediately; if they are discerned as hostile, hewill either resist them (if feasible, unless obviouslydangerous), seek to warn the others and notifypolice, or flee if in great danger. Both guard dogs willrespond to his verbal commands (including “attack,”if necessary).

The door to the room is wooden, without a win-

dow. On the hallway side it has a plaque reading“Traffic Office.” It is open slightly, but mostly closed(sounds can be heard through the doorway depend-ing upon proximity and loudness).

5. Traffic Manager’s Office: The Traffic Mana-ger’s office has a wooden door (locked) without awindow. The room itself is a typical office, with adesk, bookcase, table and chairs, typewriter, andstand. There is also a computer terminal atop a smallfiling cabinet (locked) which contains an assortmentof business records, letters, and the like. A telephoneis on the desktop.

The office has two exterior windows (the onlywindows anywhere on the outside of the buildingexcept for those on the overhead garage doors). The


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A plaque on the hallway side of the door reads,“Traffic Office, R. Saunders.”

7. Women’s Room: This is a typical women’srest room with a sink, counter, two stalls, and acouch.

6. Men’s Room: This is a typical men’s roomwith a sink, one stall, and two urinals. 6. Central Office: This room is a typical office,

PHYSICAL STRENGTH 68 OFFENSE 56

CHARM 97 DECEPTION 84 HTH COMBAT VALUE 137WILL POWER 54 EVASION 69COURAGE 71 DEACTIVATION 52

WRESTLING VALUE 124

KNOWLEDGE 63 LIFE LEVEL 12 SURPRISE VALUE 153COORDINATION 40 MOVEMENT VALUE 162

SUPERIOR AREAS OF KNOWLEDGE:

Animal Science = 58Economics/Finance = 78

WEAPONS & EQUIPMENT:

7.62mm AKM assault rifle (x)with 20-round magazine

and spare magazine

PHYSICAL STRENGTH 79 OFFENSE 84CHARM 29 DECEPTION 67 HTH COMBAT VALUE 125WILL POWER 88 EVASION 46COURAGE 104 DEACTIVATION 55

WRESTLING VALUE 163


SUPERIOR AREAS OF KNOWLEDGE: WEAPONS & EQUIPMENT:

Computer Science = 100 9mm FN Browning pistol (e)Physical Education = 82 with silencer


WRESTLING VALUE 108



Astronomy/Space Science = 92 Switchblade (gg)Engineering. Transportation = 70 Sleep gas capsules (2)Engineering, Industrial = 81 Smoke grenadeMetallurgy = 58 Bulletproof vestPhysical Education = 91 (Note: Coordination traitPsychology = 89 already adjusted)

PHYSICAL STRENGTH 90 OFFENSE 67CHARM 75 DECEPTION 64 HTH COMBAT VALUE 168WILL POWER 65 EVASION 78

COURAGE 53 DEACTIVATION 67WRESTLING VALUE 157



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and contains four desks (each with a telephone and large corkboard with various routine companytypewriter), a computer terminal and printer, a photo- memos attached, a calendar, and two sizable paint-copying machine, several filing cabinets (locked), a ings, as well as a road map of the United States withword processor, and a paper shredder (with a box full pins marking various locales.of shredded printouts of no value). On the walls are a The door to the room (locked) is wooden and is

Chung YeeChinese Agents


WRESTLING VALUE 153



Physical Education = 94 .22 pocket Beretta pistol (d)

Yung KowPHYSICAL STRENGTH 54 OFFENSE 70

CHARM 86 DECEPTION 76 HTH COMBAT VALUE 134WILL POWER 70 EVASION 80

124COURAGE 66 DEACTIVATION 62 WRESTLING VALUE



Physical Education = 126 Fragmentation grenadeMilitary Science/Weaponry = 119 Stiletto (hh)

Sleep gas capsule

Liu Lung FuPHYSICAL STRENGTHCHARMWILL POWERCOURAGE

KNOWLEDGE

COORDINATION

654880718755

OFFENSE 63DECEPTION 60 HTH COMBAT VALUE 117EVASION 52DEACTIVATION 71 WRESTLING VALUE 128LIFE LEVEL 15 SURPRISE VALUE 112MOVEMENT VALUE 200


Architecture = 75Astronomy/Space Science = 92Engineering, Mechanical = 61

9mm short Walther PPK pistol (h)with silencer

Sun MingPHYSICAL STRENGTH 44 OFFENSE 70CHARM 52 DECEPTION 66 HTH COMBAT VALUEWILL POWER 78 EVASION 56COURAGE 80 DEACTIVATION 52

WRESTLING VALUE

KNOWLEDGE 44 LIFE LEVEL 12 SURPRISE VALUECOORDINATION 59 MOVEMENT VALUE 181

100

114

122


Animal Science = 55 9mm Uzi submachine gun (t) with25-round magazine andspare magazine

M8


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marked with a plaque on the hallway side whicheads, “P. Sloan, S. Miller, J. Slowinski, R. Ramsey.”

9. Executive Office: The executive office is fullycarpeted, paneled, and generally well-appointed.There is a small conference table with five chairs inhe western part of the room, and a single desk at theeastern side opposite the door. The desk is walnutand is the most impressive of any in the building.Behind the desk is a credenza, as well as a smallwo-drawer filing cabinet (unlocked) which containsmemos, letters, and the like. There are two sidechairs and a plush sofa also within the room.

The north, east, and south walls of the room eacheature a single oil painting. Behind the east paintingwhich is behind the desk) is a small wall safe (15/50)

which contains $310 in cash, a certificate for 80shares of Dynamics Engineering stock (worth $24per share currently) in the name of William Ferris,and a single one-ounce gold coin.

The door to the room is wooden (locked) and theplaque on the hallway side reads, “W. Ferris,Manager.”

10. Supply Room: The supply room containsmiscellaneous items: several folding chairs and two

ables stacked against the wall, shelves containingan assortment of paper forms (blank invoices, inven-ory reports, shipping orders, letterheads, envelopes,etc ) and a metal cabinet (unlocked) full of office

and the plaque on the hallway side reads, “SupplyRoom/File Room.”

11. File Room: A metal fire door (locked) givesaccess to the file room from the supply room. Theroom contains three large filing cabinets (locked), adesk with a chair, and a small but heavy (600 pounds)safe. The safe (-/50) carries a brand name and theword “tamperproof,” but is in fact nothing extraordi-nary. A sticker near the combination lock reads “Dy-namics Engineering Company policy limits the ac-cess to safeguarded material to those authorizedemployees with proper clearance as signified by theK300 yellow card. Others seeking access to safe-guarded materials or documents will be subject toimmediate dismissal.”

The filing cabinets contain bundles of past in-voices, shipping orders, personnel records, com-pany memos, and the like. The safe contains $500 incash, product drawings of several Dynamics Engi-neering machine parts, as well as an envelope with acopy of the blueprint plans for the new missile guid-ance system.

The safe will take a minimum of 20 seconds toopen, per attempt.

SETTlNG UP & CONDUCTING THE MISSIONDepending upon the number of participants, theAdministrator can run the mission as desired. Al-though four agents are listed for each opposing team


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Administrator is agreeable. Other adjustments mayalso be called for if the gamemaster deems themappropriate, as well.

Secrecy and limited intelligence are the keys to asuccessful and enjoyable mission, so it is stronglyrecommended that the Administrator emphasize thatfact to the participants: that their own enjoyment will

relate directly to their efforts to follow the gamemas-ter’s instructions and that they should not discussinappropriate information with the other players,even those on the same team.

Once sides have been chosen and agent identi-ties assigned (if the number of players is few, one cancontrol two agents, though one per player is prefer-able), the two groups should be briefed independent-ly of each other. The PLAYERS’ MISSION BRIEF-ING background (below) should be read to eachgroup, and the information thus imparted will be thesame for both teams. Although one group is Russianand the other is Chinese, they need know nothing

more than the fact that their mission is to locate andretrieve the plans as soon as possible-mention ofwho or what might oppose them is not needed.

parked along the wall just around the corner from thebuilding’s rear entrance (both the main and rear en-trances referred to are normal size doors, not thegarage doors at the loading docks). The missionbegins as both groups emerge from their cars along-side the building. Whether they wish to leave some-one in the car or leave the keys in the ignition (or

whatever) is up to them, but moving the car should bediscouraged, at least initially. In any event, it is as-sumed that there are two sets of car keys and theAdministrator should have the players decide whowill have them.

Both groups will be armed and equipped as listed.Extra gear or weapons should generally not be per-mitted, as the mission has been quickly and hastilyorganized; the Administrator’s judgment should pre-vail in this regard. Neither group will be familiar withthe warehouse, its construction, or who or what isinside.

The “Warehouse Environs” map is used to pin-point each group’s starting location (where they haveparked the car). It can be shown to both teams. TheSoviet agents start in the parking lot just south of thebuilding, and their car is parked near the sidewalkleading to the main building entrance. The Chineseagents start in the north parking lot, where their car is

As the mission is played, the Administrator

should be alone in a room which is separate from theother participants (who ideally should also be keptapart, with strict instructions not to discuss the gamein progress). The Administrator should then conductthe mission by calling first one side and then the otherinto the room to handle their movement and actions,monitoring the time passage as desired while alter-nating “moves” of the Russian and Chinese prota-gonists (the pace can be slowed when encountersand fighting occur). In the meantime, the Administra-

PHYSICAL STRENGTH 81 OFFENSE CHARM 39 DECEPTION HTH COMBAT VALUE WILL POWER EVASION COURAGE DEACTIVATION

WRESTLING VALUE

KNOWLEDGE 41 LIFE LEVEL 16 SURPRISE VALUE 99COORDINATION MOVEMENT VALUE 211


Military Science/Weaponry = 88 .357 Police Magnum revolver (j)Billy club (rr)

PHYSICAL STRENGTH 60 OFFENSE 51CHARM 51 DECEPTION HTH COMBAT VALUE 107WILL POWERCOURAGE

EVASION DEACTIVATION

WRESTLING VALUE 111

KNOWLEDGE 71 LIFE LEVEL 14 SURPRISE VALUE 102COORDINATION MOVEMENT VALUE 180


Law = 69 .357 Police Magnum revolver (j)

Military Science/Weaponry = 62 Billy Club (rr)World History/Current Affairs = 75


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or can handle the “neutral” non-player charactersaccording to logic and common sense, determiningheir actions by appropriate dice rolls which reflecthe existing situation and their perception of it.Agents within sight and sound of their fellows can actn concert and communicate, but those operatingndependently or away from others should be callednto the room individually. The Administrator canhandle this aspect as desired, depending upon thenumber of players, whether dual roles are beinglayed, etc.

The game map should be kept hidden from thelayers at all times. Prior to the game, the Administra-

or can prepare several wall outlines of the exteriorwalls only, filling in the interior details (by tracing,perhaps, unless a gridded sheet is used) as they areseen” by the exploring agents—each agent or teamaving their own floorplan outline. As an alternative,

he Administrator can shield his own game map care-ully, using paper sheets, and exposing what eachgent “sees” by moving the shielding sheets as ap-

ropriate during play. In any event, the intention islear; individual gamemasters can do as they wish.

The side removing the desired plans from thewarehouse and making a successful getaway with

them will be the winners, regardless of losses. If thismission is a part of a larger campaign, experiencepoints and payoff amounts can be awarded as theAdmin sees fit. Other adjustments in the backgroundinformation, agent assignments, and other detailscan be altered as appropriate for campaign play, aswell.

The Administrator should monitor time in handl-ing play, but should keep in mind that many actionstake time to accomplish. There is a normal tendencyin games like this to allow players to do much morethan otherwise would be possible in a short timespan, so the actions attempted and the number ofseconds passing in a “turn” should be considered.

PLAYERS’ MISSION BRIEFINGThe following mission briefing should be given

verbally to both teams prior to play. If the Administra-tor wishes, he can give the impression that eachteam has their own briefing, though in fact they areidentical . . .

In the war of intelligence between East and West,the information-gathering process is neverending.New weapons and new technologies are ever com-

PHYSICAL STRENGTH 70 OFFENSE 59CHARM 42 DECEPTION 46 HTH COMBAT VALUE

WILL POWER 39 EVASION 55

COURAGE 50

DEACTIVATION 52

WRESTLING VALUE



None applicable Pocket knife (/-18/-l/)

PHYSICAL STRENGTH 88 OFFENSE 56CHARM 76 DECEPTION 75 HTH COMBAT VALUEWILL POWER 60 EVASION 57COURAGE 74 DEACTIVATION 43

WRESTLING VALUE



None applicable None

PHYSICAL STRENGTH 58 OFFENSE 54CHARM 65 DECEPTION 57 HTH COMBAT VALUE 120

WILL POWER 41 EVASION 62COURAGE 48 DEACTIVATION 65

WRESTLING VALUE 112

KNOWLEDGE 70 LIFE LEVEL 10 SURPRISE VALUE119

COORDINATION 59 MOVEMENT VALUE 158


125

129

101

145

144

132


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ing to the forefront, and it is essential that accuratefirst-hand information be obtained and relayed to theappropriate intelligence offices of the People’s Gov-ernment. As field agents for this noble effort, youhave pledged your efforts and lives to ensure that thedirectives and aims of the central office are fullycarried out.

The development of one of NATO’s newest (andmost secret) missiles has been the object of consid-erable interest by our government for several years.As you know, despite our continuing diligent efforts,few substantive details have yet been discovered. As

the time nears for production and deployment of themissile, it has become more and more imperativethat we obtain the necessary details, though our or-ganization’s efforts have so far been fruitless.

Just early this morning, however, our most recenteffort provided an unexpected lead. A representativeof the Dynamics Engineering Company, producer ofthe missile’s guidance system, was encouraged toprovide details about the location of a duplicate set of

plans for the missile which are outside of the heavilyguarded main plant. Our source indicates that theplans are also contained in a safe at the DynamicsEngineering parts warehouse in a rundown section ofthis city’s industrial district. Since this is Saturdaymorning, there should be few people on duty andminimal security, since we know that the warehouseis not under the same heavy guard as the large mainplant.

You are ordered to proceed to the warehouseimmediately this morning, enter, locate, and seizethe plans. Discretion is advised, of course, but youshould not hesitate to act appropriately in doing what-ever is necessary to complete the mission. The or-ganization requires those documents (be they blue-prints, microfilm, or whatever) at all costs.

Due to the haste with which this mission has beenordered, we regret that full preparation and briefinghas not been possible. Use the tools you have beengiven and your own training and skill to reflect wellupon the organization and our peoples. Good luck.


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December 1981 Dragon

“Alpha reports loss of radio contact with Alulu Island,” announced cryptana- lyst Bradshaw.

“That would seem to confirm our sus- picions of subversive activity,” said Ma-

jor K. “Connect me with the Foreign Minister.”

The operator hesitated brief/y, then

handed the headset to the major. “No need, sir. She’s on the line for you....”

“Afternoon, Major. Brit Intel informs me that Mad Merc has taken over the protectorate.”

“Yes, ma’am,” choked the major. “The Japanese and the Americans will be informed.”

“See what you can do about getting it back. The Admiralty doesn’t want to be involved. I’ll call you in three days.”

The major handed back the headset. It was going to be a long night, to be fol- lowed by three days that would seem all

too short....

General introductionSo begins Operation Mad Merc, also

known as “The Mercenary Atoll Mission,”an adventure designed for use with theTOP SECRET™ game rules. The adven-ture is presented as a sequel to Doctor Yes (The Floating Island Mission), whichwas printed in issue #48 of DRAGON™magazine. It can be played as a sequel tothe first mission, or can easily be used asa mission in and of itself. The adventureis suitable for any number of players(agents) up to eight.

A reconnaissance briefing which fol-lows will serve to give agents a solidbackground of information. Players may

use their own pre-generated charactersfor this mission, and will be allowed tobring along any equipment they can af-ford which they deem necessary.

Reconnaissance briefingAlulu Island is located in the west cen-

tral Pacific Ocean, about 1,000 miles

south of Japan between the Ryukyu Is-lands and the Bonin Islands just north ofthe Tropic of Cancer. It is an indepen-dent atoll not associated with any islandchain. The small (less than a mile in di-ameter from outer shore to outer shore)island is outside the domain of the TrustTerritory of the Pacific Islands and isunder “unofficial” protection of the Brit-ish government. British missionaries main-tain an outpost on the island which alsoserves as a weather station.

Although the island is politically inac-tive and neutral and of little (if any) im-

portance strategically, it has apparentlybecome a pawn in a competition of in-ternational influence. Recently, a forceof mercenaries assembled from the sur-vivors of central African and Latin Amer-ican campaigns descended upon the is-land. Shortly after this became known,all contact with the island (via a radio inthe missionary outpost) was cut off. It isbelieved that Lt. Col. Martin Strikewell,commonly known as Mad Merc, is theorganizer of this invasion.

In the aftermath of World War II,Strikewell was discharged from the Brit-ish Army after an incident in which many

innocent civilians were killed. Since thattime he has kept a very low profile; rumorhas it that he has served as a mercenary

in military actions around the worldMost recently, he is suspected to be thperson responsible for the silencing oAlulu Island.

Direct military intervention in this mater is not recommended until reliable intelligence is received from the islandThe primitive native population of some

thing more than 100 individuals may bunder forcible detention, and their liveas well as the lives of the missionariemay be jeopardized if military action attempted.

Your mission is to investigate the iland and its surroundings to determinwhether or not the native population under duress, and to ascertain what MaMerc’s intentions are. You are NOTtake offensive action against the mecenary force, since this may endanginnocent bystanders. You should eithereport your findings by radio to an of

shore military vessel, or report in persoto military officials after disembarkinthe island.

Agents may approach the island in anfashion they deem appropriate. It is rcommended that a surreptitious submrine approach be made under cover odarkness, with agents swimming in frothe sub or paddling in with inflatabrafts. If a daytime approach is chosen obecomes necessary, agents should apear as (perhaps) natives in an outriggea team of scientists in a research vesseor tourists in need of boat repairs.

Player/agents who intend to acce

this mission should read no further. Thinformation on the following pages is fthe Administrator’s eyes only!


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FOR THE ADMINISTRATOR’S EYES ONLYAdministrator memoranda

The only other information player/a-gents should receive at the start of themission, aside from the briefing on theprevious page, is the player map of AluluIsland on the back page of this module.None of the information on the othermaps and floor plans herein should berevealed to agents until their activitieswarrant such action. Drawings and dia-grams which are provided as part of thedescription of a specific item or devicemay be shown to agents at the propertime, and should be revealed if there isany confusion over the physical appear-ance of the item in question.

Agents should provide the Admin withthe exact time and location of their arri-val into the mapped area. This informa-tion is necessary so that non-playercharacter locations may be determined,weather conditions verified, and tidaldepths ascertained. Agents should beaware that leaving the area defined bythe Admin’s map of the island will endthe mission for that agent — and thesame is true of any island personnel whoventure that far away.

In similar fashion, agents should pre-cisely specify points of attack on theoutside of the horseshoe complex. Ex-

actly where an explosive charge is plant-ed, or exactly where a cut is made in abulkhead, can have a bearing on internalflooding which can be harmful to per-sonnel and to hardware.

If the agents are operating with a strictdrop-off and pick-up schedule (as theyshould be), you should be aware of de-tails such as the exact time and place thedrops/pickups are to be made. This in-formation may affect sighting, momentof detection, strategy of defense, and di-rection of pursuit if the invaders are de-tected by security devices.

Island descriptionNote: Much of the information in this

section will become “obvious” to agentsas they approach the island, set foot onit, and/or investigate their surroundings.The Admin should freely dole out infor-mation about the physical nature of theisland once agents are in a locationwhere simple observation would revealthe information to one standing at thatplace. Note that this does not pertain tosuch things as geological information (ifagents haven’t done any digging) andinformation about, for instance, the depth

of the lagoon (if agents haven’t done anydiving).

Alulu Island (see Admin’s map on fac-

ing page) is an oblong coral atoll whichalmost encircles a shallow lagoon. Thereis a thin layer of topsoil inland, awayfrom the sandy, wave-pounded beaches.On the southwestern side of the isle,waves have carved a wide inlet whichconnects the ocean with the lagoon. Onthe northern side of the island, a shallowchannel of water divides the island athigh tide, but the channel disappears atlow tide and a sandbar three feet abovethe surface of the water rises in its place.

In recent months, the eastern part ofthe lagoon has been deepened by exca-vation, and a channel has been dugthrough to deeper water across the nor-

theast part of the island. These altera-tions are not represented on the agents’map and will not become known to theagents until they arrive on (or fly over)the scene.

The excavation and subsequent con-struction have created (among otherthings) a sea floor in the northeasternarea of the lagoon which is 150 feet be-low the surface. The natural floor of thelagoon is about 50 feet beneath the sur-face at its lowest point. The underseatopography lines on the Administrator’smap mark off the water depth in incre-ments of roughly 10 feet apiece. If an

exact determination of water depth at acertain spot must be made, remember totake into account the five-foot differencebetween high and low tide.

Alulu has a tropical climate, with uni-form temperatures ranging from 70° to80° F. Winds generally blow from south-west to northeast at 5-10 mph. DuringMay through December there is a 75%chance of a midday (2 p.m.) violentdownpour lasting for five minutes, fol-lowed by rapidly clearing skies and bril-liant sunshine. There is a 1% chanceeach day that a typhoon will strike, with

winds of more than 75 mph. If a typhoonstrikes, large trees will be snapped off oruprooted; buildings may be demolishedand will certainly be damaged; and waveswill swamp the island, washing anyoneon the outer beaches into the sea.

The reef encircling the lagoon is com-posed mostly of limestone and coveredwith bright and colorful coral. The beach-es are sandy but narrow; beyond theshore, the landscape slopes sharply up-ward. The inland part of the reef, al-though only a few dozen feet wide atbest, resembles a tropical forest. The soilis thin and poor for farming, but substan-

tial enough to support many growths ofcoconut palms. There are no streams orother regular sources of fresh water; rain

water “soaks” through to the limestonbase fairly promptly after each rainfaThere are some small caves in the limestone and some depressions in the suface which would hold water for at lea24 hours after a rainfall, but these irregularities in the surface are not extensive

The natives rely on the coconut palmfor many of the necessities of life—foodbuilding material, fiber, and copra (driecoconut meat) rich in oil. Tangled vineand low brush cover the inland arewhere the palm groves do not. Nativealso eat pandanus (screwpine) fruwhich grows in some abundance. Nativwildlife includes colorful birds, man

kinds of insects, and an occasional smapack of wild dogs or pigs.The shaded area around the shore

the island represents the area which lieunder water at high tide but which exposed at low tide. (Note that both thagents’ map and the Admin’s map cotain this information, but that the agentmap is incomplete in some respects.) Ahigh tide, the outer line represents thplace at which waves will break beforolling up toward the beach.

There is a difference of five feet btween the water level at low tide and high tide. When the tide is out, the nort

and west sections of the island are joineby a curved corridor of sand which three feet above water level at its highepoint. (At high tide, the same corridolies two feet beneath the surface.)

High tide occurs at 11 a.m. and 1p.m., and low tide occurs at 5 a.m. and p.m. each day. During each six-hour priod between the extremes, the watlevel rises or falls at a regular rate (slighly less than one foot per hour).

Alulu Island lies in the midst of thJapan Current, which flows toward thnortheast. Rip tides at the inner edges

the southwest channel may confuse antire swimmers headed for shore againthe current. The speed of the current about 2 mph (3 ft/sec) in general, athough the water moves somewhat fater when passing through one of thgaps in the reef.

The native populationThe Micronesians living on Alulu I

land have light brown skin, black ha(straight or curly) and Oriental featureThere are an estimated 140 natives othe island, each living in one of two vlages which are essentially identica

Note that the actual native population somewhat larger than the “official” esmate known by the agents — and th


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and handle of the toilet are wired to atrap which will go off if someone at-tempts to use the facility. Moving thehandle or lifting the lid will activate asmoke grenade which is concealed out-side the house beneath the window tothe weather room (see below). The gre-nade will spew out a thick cloud oforange smoke which, within 5 minutesafter being activated, will rise high

enough to be visible from anywhere elseon the island or the surface of the la-goon. (The grenade was rigged by theintruders who ransacked the outpost asa signal which would reveal the presenceof unwanted visitors, on the assumptionthat a native would not bother to attemptto operate the toilet but a “civilized” per-son might.)

5) Radio room: What’s left of a radioand a simple transmitter are scatteredabout this room. The few pieces of elec-tronic equipment here have all beenmangled by gunfire. Two chairs are over-turned on the floor.

6) Weather room: The words “Meteo-rological Office” are printed on the doorto this room in English. The door hasbeen smashed open. Radar equipment, abarometer, a hygrometer, a wind gauge,a weather vane, and a radio are all storedor housed in this room, and all of thesedevices are intact and able to be operat-ed — except that the radio needs elec-tricity. Inside the radio (45/05) in a com-partment is a hidden walkie-talkie unitwhich is operational and functioning.

7) Bedrooms: Each of these rooms hasa bed with springs and mattress but no

sheets, blankets or pillows. The roomsare devoid of furniture except for a foot-locker at the foot of each bed. Each foot-locker is unlocked and empty.

8) Kitchen: All of the cabinet drawersand cupboards are empty. The refrigera-tor and sink do not operate. Garbage isrotting in a waste can. The stove andoven, fueled by oil, will operate if thepilot ‘light on the stove is re-lit (HomeEconomics AOK of more than 50).

9) Pantry: Empty shelves line all thewalls of this room.

10) Diesel generator room: This gen-erator was used to produce electricity

for the building. It is not working at themoment, but it can be re-started by anagent with AOK of more than 50 in Me-chanical Engineering. There are threegallons of diesel fuel left in the fuel tankoutside the window to this room. (Thefuel gauge reads “empty” but the last bitof fuel in the tank can be used if thegenerator is started up.) This is enoughfuel to operate the generator at full pow-er for a total of roughly 3 hours. Thegenerator must be used at full power inorder to operate the radio, but half powerwill suffice to run electrical appliancessuch as the refrigerator.

11) Back porch: The door on the porchhas been smashed in from the outside.

There are five potted tropical plantsstanding around the perimeter of theporch (two in the right-hand corner, asviewed from the inside of the house).One of the pots (select at random) isinhabited by a poisonous green snake.An agent searching that particular potwill be bitten unless he rolls his Coordi-nation or less.

Roof: The corrugated-metal roof of

the missionary outpost sports a (nowstationary) radar dish, a weather vane,an anemometer, two radio antennas, arain gauge, a collection barrel for rainwater (with pipes leading down and in-side), and a grounded lightning rod.

The native villagesThe two native villages are identical in

configuration and appearance. In each,a small central campfire area is ringed byseven rectangular huts. The huts aresupported on poles two feet off theground (for protection from water athigh tide). The floors are made of wood

planks, the walls of woven fiber, and theroofs of insect-infested thatch.

If agents encounter a village in thedaytime, the adult males and the out-riggers will be gone on the daily fishingexpedition. At sunset the adult malespull up the outriggers on the outer shoreof the island. Fish nets and the day’scatch are hung out to dry on poles at the(low tide) water’s edge.

If agents enter a village peacefully, na-tives will offer them food and a place tostay. If a village is approached with hos-tility, a conch-horn alarm will be sounded,

alerting residents of the other village andanyone else in the vicinity who is abovethe surface of the water. Within seconds,menfolk at sea or in the other village willstop what they’re doing, grab weapons,and proceed to the source of the alarm.Each village has 15 fighting men, eachone armed with either (determine ran-domly) a spear or a machete (treat as(10/52) hunting knife).

The horseshoe, general notesThe “hidden horseshoe” is a nuclear-

powered floating drydock where thefloating island from the Doctor Yes mis-

sion (see DRAGON issue #48) was con-structed. There are no more such islandsunder construction. The efforts of thecrew are presently directed toward mak-ing the “horseshoe” seaworthy in prepa-ration for a scheduled journey to the wa-ters around Antarctica.

From the air, the complex appears as ahuge, battleship-gray, horseshoe-shapedstructure. Normally, the top ten feet ofthe complex (the first deck) is above thesurface of the lagoon. Six gun emplace-ments, five crane mechanisms, two peri-scopes, and four antennas can be seenaround the perimeter of the top deck.(The overhead view of the top deck onpage 39 — not the cross-section map

35

which appears on the following page —can be revealed to agents who obtainformation from a sucessful aerial rconnaissance of the horseshoe.)

If personnel within the complex rceive advance notice of an attempt aerial reconnaissance (via radar), or the horseshoe’s security devices detethe presence of unfamiliar persons on near the island, the horseshoe will su

merge. The ballast tanks on the undeside of the structure can take on enougwater in five minutes to sink the horsshoe to the lagoon floor in five minuteWhen it is submerged, there is only a 5chance of the horseshoe being visible aerial reconnaissance.

When the horseshoe is viewed durinthe day from several hundred feet awaat ground level, other details of the todeck become visible. The periscopeand antennas which protrude from thtop deck will be easily seen from grounlevel, although they might be overlookeor misidentified by aerial reconnaissanc

because of their small size. Agents wsee anchor chains stretching down at a

angle into the ocean. Various seams anfittings are discernible, both on the tosurface and the par: of the first deswhich is visible above the water. There a 10% chance that a small number people (1-6) will be visible atop thstructure.

When seen from the same vantagpoint at night, the top of the horseshowill be only a shadowy outline. None the exterior details of the top deck metioned above will be visible, except f

the large cranes whose frames stand oagainst the night sky. The agents’ viewill be further obscured and inhibited bthe illumination and glare from six rotaing searchlights placed around the primeter of the top deck.

When its systems and mechanisms aworking properly, the horseshoe complex gives off a low, steady hum which audible from any place on the eastepart of the island or the eastern half the lagoon. Personnel inside the complex do not notice the sound unless theattention is drawn to it. This humminsound is what the natives refer to as th

“many heartbeats” of the thing that rise from the lagoon.

PersonnelA day inside the horseshoe complex

divided into first shift (0000-0800 hrssecond shift (0800-1600 hrs), and thishift (1600-2400 hrs). Every employeeschedule calls for him or her to sleeduring either first or second shift, wione shift at work and the other shift rserved for recreation.

All personnel within the complex wknow that floating islands can be built othe floating drydock. All personnel (ecept the prisoners) will know where eacchamber is in the complex and what it


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used for. However, only qualified per-sonnel will be able to operate hardwareand devices within each chamber. Allpersonnel except the prisoners knowhow to escape the complex via the lowerairlocks, but they are uneasy about swim-ming too far from the horseshoe be-cause of the underwater minefield (seehardware descriptions below). Each em-ployee of the complex will possess theequivalent of 1-100 dollars, and eachworker wears a small, gold-plated tridentwith his or her name embossed on it.

Only the guards will know that MadMerc is on a solitary visit to the northernvillage, and he intends to be away fromthe complex for at least the next 72hours.

The horseshoe’s security setup is sim-ple but effective, and a bit tricky. If elec-tronic or visual surveillance disclosestrouble about to occur imminently, ageneral alarm will be sounded. At thefirst hint of actual trouble, Security ChiefBaker will head to the security controlroom (if he isn’t there already). He will

ascertain, via a wrist radio, as many dtails as he can from other observers. Hwill contact guards not in the contrroom and order them to close in on tsource of trouble. The guards will kein constant touch with the security chiThe rest of the crew, when an alarm sounded, will head directly to their sleeing quarters. They are given five minutto report to quarters, after which timthey will be automatically locked intheir chambers for at least 10 minuteThe missionaries being held prison

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December 1981 Drago

will also be locked in. No one will be ableto leave his or her quarters without thepermission of the security officers.

Security Chief Baker also has a way oflearning about intrusions that may notpose an immediate threat. He is in chargeof monitoring four walkie-talkies locatedaround the island as further protectionfor Mad Merc. Two walkie-talkies weregiven to the natives, one for each village.

The natives will promptly report any vis-itors or signs of visitors to Baker via theirwalkie-talkies (but without telling the vis-itors they are doing so). Mad Merc hasanother walkie-talkie, kept on his personat all times. The fourth unit is hiddeninside the radio in the missionary out-post, and is constantly in operation.Agents may be able to locate and removeit from the radio, but if they do so andthen destroy it, Chief Baker will instantlyknow that it has been tampered with. Aslong as it continues to operate, any con-versation sent or received through theradio will be broadcast directly to Chief

Baker.Guards are dressed entirely in black

—slacks, turtleneck sweater, and deckshoes. The sweaters each bear a smallgold trident emblem over the heart. Eachguard is armed with a .45 Thompsonsubmachine gun, a 9mm (p-08) Lugerself-load (f), 6 hand grenades clipped tohis belt, and 5 sleep capsules in a pantspocket. Each guard wears a two-waywrist radio/watch. Also carried on thebelt is a gas mask with a small canistercontaining a 2-minute supply of oxygen,and an extra clip of ammunition for the

Luger.Technicians, scientists and engineersinside the complex will be attired inwhite lab coats with slacks and shoes oftheir choosing. Each technician also hasa dosimeter pinned to his or her coat, fordetermining the amount of radiation thewearer has been exposed to.

Maintenance workers are usually at-tired in gray coveralls. They carry noweapons. The remainder of the person-nel wear casual clothing of their ownchoosing.

Hardware

Anti-personnel mines: Hundreds ofthese devices surround the horseshoecomplex, planted on fish lines at variousdepths. The mines are set to prevent un-derwater access to the complex, not ne-cessarily access across the surface ofthe lagoon. Even when the tide is at itslowest, there is a 10-foot depth of openwater along the surface. This allows soli-tary swimmers, rafts, or a small boat witha shallow draft to approach the complexwithout contacting the mines.

Each mine is a 6-inch diameter hollowmetal sphere covered with glass spikes.When a spike is brushed against andbroken, sea water enters the ball andcombines with the chemicals inside it,

causing an explosion that does 1-10points of damage to anyone within fivefeet.

Mines strung to the same line are al-ways spaced about 40 feet apart, but thelines are staggered so that the entirethree-dimensional undersea area aroundthe complex is covered by the mine net-work. There is never more than 10 feetbetween one mine and the nearest adja-cent one; thus, a swimmer going be-tween the mines would always be withinfive feet of at least one of them. (This can

be important if a swimmer becomes en-tangled in a line; see below).The natural buoyancy of the hollow

mines (about two-thirds of the interiorvolume is air) will keep the lines fairlytaut and reaching toward the surface,even if only one unexploded mine is lefton a line. There is only a 10% chance thatthe explosion of a mine will sever the lineto which it and other mines are attached.

An agent with experience in underseadiving, or even one who is simply careful,will not have much of a problem avoidingthe mines on a one-by-one basis. Buteven the most cautious swimmer stands

a chance of getting entangled in one ormore of the hundreds of lines. Anyoneattempting to swim through the mine-field has a 30% chance of being en-tangled for every 20 feet traveled anytime the swimmer is within 100 feet of thecomplex. At night, this chance rises to50%. If a swimmer becomes entangled,he must roll his Coordination value orless to get free, with a roll of 95 or higherindicating that a mine (the nearest one,which is always within the five-foot dam-age range) has exploded. At night, thechance of becoming untangled decreas-es by 50% (must roll Coordination minus50 or less).

Sonar equipment on the horseshoe

37

will detect the explosion of any mineany distance from the complex, and propriate security measures (see Psonnel, above) will be implemented.

Mad Merc’s wheelchair: This devoutwardly resembles most motorizwheelchairs, except for the very thback panel. It is self-powered (electand is steered by a joystick built into left armrest. On the inside of the riarmrest is a small square black buttPressing on this button will activate

jet pack which is built into the back of chair.Mad Merc is always strapped into

chair, in effect “wearing” the back aarmrests much as a camper straps obackpack. When he activates the pack, Mad Merc (plus up to 100 pounof extra weight he may be carrying) c“blast off“ and travel up to 500 yarGuidance of the jet pack is also accomlished with the joystick in the left arest. Turning the square black butclockwise increases the thrust of the (for takeoffs and fast getaways), aturning it counter-clockwise decrea

the thrust (for hovering or landing). T jet pack will keep its cargo airborne fomaximum of 60 seconds and can achiea top speed of 30 mph.

Security outposts: The six protrusiaround the perimeter of the top deck 6 feet high and 3 feet in diameter. Eacylinder is topped by a hemisphere (sdiagram) which contains a cameraperiscope, a heavy machine gun, andsearchlight. The hemisphere makescomplete rotation every minute.

A bulletproof glass window 6 incwide allows manual operation of periscope from inside the structure if camera ceases to function. The rotat


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of the hemisphere and the operation ofthe gun can be controlled from inside, or(as is usually the case) from a console inthe Security Monitoring Room (Room E,first deck).

Because of the rotation of the six out-posts, any area of the complex and thesurrounding water is covered at all timesby at least one camera and one gun em-placement. The heavy machine guns

(PWV 95; PB 0; S-2; M-30; L-80; WS S; R10) can be lowered from the horizontalplane to 45 degrees below horizontal,but cannot point downward at an angleextreme enough to fire on someone hid-ing right next to the same outpost.

Airlocks: To gain access to an airlock,it is necessary to go through a specialhatchway (see drawing) which resem-bles those found on submarines. Thereis a wheel with spoke-like handles whichmust be spun several times to eitheropen the hatch or seal it. Opening or

closing a hatch takes 5 seconds. The air-lock door has a small window of bullet-proof glass which allows a view of theinterior.

On the right side of the exterior of eachairlock is a control panel for that airlock(see drawing). Each panel contains aswitch and a timer. When the switch is inthe up position, water is pumped out ofthe airlock. When the switch is down,water is let into the airlock from a six-

inch-square grated opening in the cen-ter of the floor. The timer is for decom-pression purposes; it can be set for up toan hour, although it is only necessary(considering the maximum ocean depthin this area) to decompress for a minuteand a half. The airlock can fill with wateror be completely emptied in one minute.

The hatch to the outside opens out-ward, and is only left open when guards

are outside. All airlocks may be lockedshut from the security monitoring room.Curved lines on the deck maps indicatein which direction each hatch opens.

Sliding door: These doors will slideopen automatically when approached,stay fully open for five seconds and thenquickly shut again. If something solidstops them from closing (just like an ele-vator door can be kept open), the doorswill bounce open away from the obstruc-tion every five seconds.

There are sensors on the floor of eachchamber (five feet away from the door-

way) which detect footsteps approach-ing a door, and other in-floor sensorswhich detect any significant amount ofwater in the room. If the moisture sen-sors in a room are activated, the slidingdoors leading to that room will lock shutand cannot be opened unless overriddenby someone in the security monitoringroom.

The sliding doors are one inch thickand cannot be deactivated unless a cut-ting torch is used to melt a hole in theadjacent wall to expose the wiring. Someof these doors are slightly curved. Ar-

rows on the deck maps indicate in whichdirection a door slides to close.

Vertical passagewaysWithin the floating complex are four

vertical passageways large enough (5feet square) for a man to crawl through.On each deck where a passageway ap-pears, there is a small access panel ne-cessary for maintenance. Six screws holdeach panel in place, but anyone with aPhysical Strength of more than 100 canpry off or smash in a panel. Even whenintact, these panels are far from sound-proof. Any noise which is made on or

from within a passageway will resonatethrough the passage and may be audibleto someone who is near one of the ac-cess panels at any place along thatpassageway.

Passageway #1: This is a ventilationduct which usually contains nothing butfresh, clean air. The walls are slick, rivet-ed metal which echoes even the tiniestsound made from within. Due to a lack ofhandholds, anyone with a Coordinationless than 100 has a 25% chance, for each10-foot distance climbed up or down, ofslipping and falling to the bottom of thepassageway on the sixth deck.

Releasing a gas or lighting a fire in theduct will set off smoke detectors and

38

Vol. VI, No. 6

cause the duct to be sealed off for 30minutes. Other narrower passages between decks serve to carry fresh aithroughout the complex, but these ductsare all too small to move through. Theyare automatically sealed off from themain duct when the smoke detectors areactivated. This security system cannobe overridden.

Passageway #2: This shaft is a cable

passage lined with electrical conduit andcolor-coded wiring. Cutting even a single wire without an insulated tool is dangerous; there is a 75% chance of beingshocked each time. A person who isshocked will suffer an automatic 1-10points of damage; if the damage roll is 7or greater, the shock causes the personto fall to the bottom (sixth deck) of thepassageway. If the damage roll is 6 oless, the person takes that much damageplus an additional 1-5 points, but is ableto keep from falling.

Attempting to cut cables or wires arandom will possibly yield the desired

result, although that result may not beimmediately apparent to the person doing the cutting. For each wire or cablewhich is cut, roll percentile dice. On aroll of 01-75, there is no effect. (Note: Anagent with AOK of at least 75 in ElectricaEngineering will only experience “no effect” on a roll of 01-25.) On any higheresult, roll again and consult the following table to determine the effect:Roll Electric power cut to:01-30 Port top deck31-55 Port first deck56-75 Port second deck

76-90 Port third deck91-95 Port fourth deck96-00 Port fifth deck

Duplication of effect on subsequenrolls is entirely possible.

The cables provide some handholdsand footholds, but anyone with a Coordination less than 50 has a 25% chanceof falling down the shaft every time theytravel 10 feet up or down.

Passageway #3: This chimney-likecrawlspace is lined with hot and coldwater pipes. Cutting a hot-water pipe wilcause 1 point of damage for each minutethe water cascades down upon a person

beside or below the cut pipe in the passageway, even if the person has fallen athe way to the sixth deck. The passageway will never fill up with leaking waterbut the sides of the passage may becomeso slippery that only a person with aCoordination of more than 100 can climbup the pipes. Even when dry, the pipesare not easy to climb; anyone with aCoordination of less than 75 has a 25%chance of falling for each 10 feet traveled

Passageway #4: This passageway isidentical to #2, except that the wiringcontained here is for the starboard side

of the complex. Read “starboard” fo“port” on the table to determine the effects of a cut wire.


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DECK DESCRIPTIONSTop Deck

Measuring 135 feet stem to stern and

165 feet wide at the beam, this horseshoe-shaped deck is primarily used for con-struction and doubles as a helipad. Fivetower cranes, mounted on ballasted-base trolleys which run on rails, domi-nate the deck surface. The cranes will belocated at the farthest outboard positionpossible on each set of rails. Originally,the jibs (horizontal booms) will be slewed(turned) as illustrated in the overheadview.

After watertight covers are removedfrom the electrical switch-boxes, the con-trol cabin, diesel engine, and electricmotor, an agent with a Construction En-

gineering AOK of more than 75 who iswithin the control cabin will be able to

raise or lower the hook on a crane andmaneuver the crane back and forth on itstrolley (as long as the ignition key for the

crane’s motor is in the lock).If the watertight cover is removed from

the slewing motor and enough room isavailable, the same agent will be able torotate the crane. If the watertight cover isremoved from the diesel engine whichpowers the trolley in the base, the sameagent will be able to move the cranealong the fixed track and stop it at anypoint. There are 15 gallons of fuel in thetank of each diesel engine, enough tooperate the crane mechanism for 8 hourscontinuously.

Six periscope, camera, and gun-em-placement outposts ring the outer edgeof the deck. The guns will only workabove water. When the complex is to be

39

submerged, plastic bags can be fastearound the gun barrels in a matter ominute or two to protect them from d

age. The guns will operate when unwater, but if one is fired (or the plasbag seal is otherwise broken) when submerged, the gun will fail to functtreat it as a jammed shell for compurposes.

Scattered among the tower cranes outposts along the outer edge of deck are eight circular hatchways wno windows but a wheel lock on eside. All eight are hinged so that topen upward and out toward the dedge. Ladders below them lead to first deck.

Piercing the foredeck amidships

two periscopes, each flanked by a raantenna and a radio antenna. Each


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these scopes will be extended 0-19 feet(roll d20, minus 1) up from the deckwhen first encountered.

Near the starboard aft are two valves.The forward valve covers the diesel fur-nace snorkel intake and is held shut by asmall hydraulic piston. The aftward valvecovers the diesel furnace snorkel ex-haust and is also held shut by a piston.There is a 5% chance at any given hour

that both valves will be open. An agentwith a Physical Strength of more than100, or someone using an explosive de-vice, might be able to force a valve open.If the valves are open, there is a mildsuction detectable around the intakehole, and the hot, choking exhaust of adiesel engine can be felt and smelledcoming from the other hole.

First DeckPastel red wallsStuffy, humid atmosphereA: Hawsepipes (spurling tubes) — Se-

parating the first deck into six sections

are five IO-foot-wide hawsepipes con-taining anchor chain. Each hawsepipecan be entered by climbing the anchorchain or through a hatchway. There isenough room beside the anchor chain

for an average-sized person to squeezethrough the chain opening into the chainlocker below. There is no artificial lightsource here. An electric windlass oper-ated from the bridge sits near the open-ing to the locker below. It can be hot-wired in five minutes by an agent withElectrical Engineering AOK of more than75. The pulling of one anchor will notdislodge the other four, but will tilt the

complex and possibly raise that oneanchor.

B: Security Officer’s Quarters — Abunk bed, wardrobe, desk with chair,and a short-wave radio base station fur-nish this chamber. The radio antennapierces the wall and can communicatewith the four walkie-talkies around theatoll on a preset channel. Security ChiefBaker is nearly always in this room;though his official on-duty shift is third,he sleeps in this room during the day andrarely leaves even during first and se-cond shifts.

C: Security Decks — Each of thesefour curved-wall chambers has threeladders leading from hatchways on thetop deck. A sealed wooden box behindthe ladder leading to each security out-post contains 1,000 rounds of .60 caliber

Vol. VI, No. 6

belted ammo for the heavy machine gunabove. The security decks are differentiated by location: Amidships Port, Forward Port, Forward Starboard, and Amidships Starboard. Each chamber has astationary surveillance camera.

D: Recreation Room — Brightly colored, comfortable stuffed chairs andlong couches line the walls of this chamber. Tables for card playing, pool, foos

ball, table tennis, and drawing or writingare squeezed into all available areas inthis space. There is a fully stocked ba(which looks like it gets a lot of useagainst the port wall. The walls are decorated with worthless seascape paintingsA stereo is playing soft rock music.

Personnel present, 3rd shift: DrysdaleHorse, Krumm, Nitt, Alexander, Drimmle, Fox, and Harold.

E: Security Monitoring Room — Siswivel chairs face a bank of 15 television

screens. All controls are marked in English, and anyone with a Knowledge raing of 75 or more should be able to acti

vate and operate any device in the roomA single, well-aimed bullet will destroone particular device, screen, or controin the room.

Six of the monitoring screens show

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December 1981 Drago

the views from the cameras mounted onthe outposts on the top deck. In front ofeach of these screens is a joystick and apair of buttons (see drawing). The “StopPan” button locks a camera onto a viewed

target, stopping the rotation of the hem-isphere atop the outpost. The camera’smotion is now controlled by the joystick.Pressing the “Target” button magnifiesthe image on the screen and places acrosshair grid on the screen for moreprecise targeting with the joystick. If thethumb button atop the joystick is pressed,a stream of .60 caliber ammo will be firedfrom the machine gun at that outpost.The original 1,000 rounds of ammo ateach gun is enough to operate it forabout 1½ minutes.

The other nine cameras show staticviews of various locations within thecomplex. One shows a view of the air-lock on the fourth deck. Four others canview either the four security decks on

this level, or can be patched in for sur-veillance of the nuclear reactor on theseventh deck. Three others are for theinsides of airlocks, one on the sixth deckand two on the eighth deck. The lastscreen can be patched to either the Mainor Auxiliary Bridge in order to view theradar and sonar screens which are lo-cated there.

The hatches to the Security Monitor-ing Room can be locked from the inside.All sliding doors in the complex can belocked, unlocked, opened or closed fromhere by throwing the proper switches.

Fastened to one wall of the room is alarge, detailed map of the complex. Itcannot be taken down or removed fromthe room, and the dark background co-lor on which the map details are printedmakes it impossible to trace large sec-tions with any accuracy. The map maybe studied or photographed by anyonein the room. Three gas masks and a fireextinguisher are hung near each of thetwo hatches. An intercom links this areato the Main and Auxiliary Bridges below.

Personnel present, 1st shift: Drysdale,Horse. 2nd shift: Krumm, Nitt. 3rd shift:Rine, Thompson.

F: Boatswain’s Stores — Wire ropes,cable, rigging equipment, fiberglassrope, hemp rope, rubber hoses, metal

primer, enamel paint, light bulbs, smallchain, a couple of inflatable rubber rafts,and other materials are located here.

Personnel present, 2nd shift: Foreman.G: Maintenance Shop — The walls

here are lined with tools and workbenches. A large supply of various nuts,bolts, nails, cotter pins, shaft keys, C-clamps, and welding rods are sorted inbins along the starboard wall. Screw-drivers, wrenches, electric hand tools,extension cords, and a 200-pound weld-ing machine fill the port wall. Dissectedsmall engines and a myriad of engineparts are scattered on work benchesalong the forward wall. Against the aftwall is an air compressor with 900 feet ofrubber hose for it coiled nearby. Thewelding machine will only fit through theexternal hatchway; any other equipmentwhich is portable can be moved out theinterior hatchway.

Personnel present, 1st shift: Horton.3rd shift: Martinique.

H: Dry Foods Storage — Large sacksand cardboard boxes line the walls ofthis cubicle. The containers are filledwith cereal products, sugar, flour, beans,coffee, potatoes, dried milk, and salt.

Second DeckPastel violet walls

Warm atmosphereA: Head — In naval jargon, a head is atoilet. There are two small toilet areas on

41

this deck on either side of the horseshoand a larger room in the forward amships section. The smaller rooms ea

contain two toilets, a mirror, sinks, andpaper towel dispenser. The larger roohas two showers, one toilet facility, eletric outlets for razors and hair dryecloth towels, soap, and a bin for soillaundry.

Personnel present, 1st shift: Broo3rd shift: Broom.

B: Entertainment Center— Half of tarea has been converted into a smmovie theater. There is a blank whwall, chairs, and a projector. Six generinterest, English-language films are onshelf near the projector.

The other half of the area containspopcorn popper, unpopped kernels, sesoning, a vending machine (no coins ncessary) for soda, and four study carreIn the carrels are a manual typewriter, electric typewriter, and two compuconsoles which are only used for gamplaying. Each computer console is equped with a stack of six game cartridge

Personnel present, 1st shift: Atwoo2nd shift: Rine, Thompson, Jones, Hu3rd shift: Detmer, Begg, Short.

C: Chain Lockers — Each of the

chain lockers is 20 feet deep, unlit, apartially filled with anchor chain. Tsmell of rat droppings pervades the


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Dragon Vol. VI, No.areas. The floor in these areas is 20 feetbelow the first deck. Anyone who iswounded or not carrying a light sourceand drops to the floor of a chain lockerwill be bit by 1-6 rats for 1-6 points ofdamage per bite. A cable clench in theexterior bulkhead is where the end of theanchor chain is securely attached.

D: General Stores — A vast collection

of everyday objects and household itemscan be found here. Office supplies, eat-ing utensils, cooking utensils, motor oil,slippery hydraulic fluid, bolts of cloth,and color-coded electrical wire are storedin cardboard boxes along the walls.

E: Passageway — Usually a solitaryarmed guard is stationed here, and willbe sitting in a chair reading a book. A keyto the V.I.P. Quarters hangs beside thedoor.

Personnel present, 1st shift: Wicks.2nd shift: Zyme.

F: V.I.P. Quarters — The sliding doorto this chamber is electronically lockedfrom the bridge. Inside the room is a sin-gle bed, a wardrobe, a writing desk, achair, books of general interest, and writ-ing materials.

Father Tuck is being held prisoner inthis room. Occasionally an armed guardwill escort him to the head on the otherside of the passageway. If Father Tuck isrescued, he will not use a weapon.

Personnel present, all shifts: FatherTuck.

G: Sick Bay —

Personnel present, all shifts: Brother

Three single hospitalbeds and three clothes lockers, plus a

Robin, Brother John. 3rd shift only: Doc.

desk and chair, are in this room. FatherTuck’s assistants, Brother Robin andBrother John, are being held here be-hind the electronically locked door. Ifrescued, they will not use weapons.

H: Triage — Injured or ill personnelcome here to be diagnosed and treated.Counters and shelves along the star-board wall are filled with first-aid supp-lies, examining equipment, and medi-

cines. A guard is located here, keepingan eye and ear out for the prisoners inthe Sick Bay.

Personnel present, 2nd shift: Wicks.3rd shift: Zyme.

J: Operating Room — In the center ofthis clean room, below a set of operatinglamps, is an operating table. Crowdedinto the rest of the floor space are ananesthetic set-up, trays and cabinetscontaining surgical tools, a respirator, alocked (-/30) cabinet containing narcot-ics, and sterile packaged dressings andwrappings.

Personnel present, 2nd shift: Doc. 3rdshift: Hurt.

K: Cold Storage — This is a frost-coated freezer compartment full of hang-ing sides of beef, sausages, cheeses,poultry, vegetables, fruit, and ice. Theroom has a thermostat control above thelight switch which is currently set at 0°F., but can be altered from -5°F. to nor-mal room temperature.

Third DeckPastel orange wallsDry atmosphereA: Head — Same particulars as for the

corresponding area on the second deck.

B: Small Arms Arsenal — Lining thedouble-thickness walls of this chamberare six 9mm P-08 Luger self-load pistols

and four .45 Thompson submachineguns. Beside each weapon is a box of100 rounds of suitable standard ammu-nition. Eight-cartridge magazines for theLugers are plentiful, and the four Thomp-son magazines will hold 20 cartridgeseach.

C: Chain Lockers — These are thesame areas described under paragraph“C” for the second deck. The chambersare, as noted above, 20 feet in depth, sothe areas represented on the map of thethird deck are vertical extensions of theareas mapped on the second deck, with

no floor surface between the decks inthese locations.

42

D: Laundry Area — Among stacks clean and soiled security-guard uniformis an industrial washing machine anclothes dryer. White lab coats and casuamen’s and women’s clothing are waitinto be pressed in the mangle. Two electrirons, two ironing boards, and a sewinmachine are also in the room. Six pairs ovarious-sized combat boots wait besida shoeshine kit. Along the forward waare stacks of dry, folded towels, gramechanics’s coveralls, and men’s short

Personnel present, 2nd shift: Vallier.

E: Auxiliary Bridge — Lining the waof this chamber are seven consoles witmatching chairs. The consoles are foradar, the diving control center, the qua

termaster post, radio, sonar, SINS (Submarine Inertial Navigation Systems), anthe complex’s computer. A periscopflanked by a radio antenna and a radaantenna stands in one corner of throom. All controls on the auxiliary bridgcan be overridden by the main bridgcontrols unless the main bridge controhave already been disabled.

An agent with AOK of 85 or higher Computer Science, Electrical Engineeing, Transportation Engineering, or Mitary Science should be able to operaany console (one unit at a time). Bpressing a control at the quartermaster

post, the room can be bathed in red lighThe quartermaster actually pilots th


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December 1981 Drago

complex; the Diving Control Center Of-ficer is in charge of submerging and rais-ing the craft. An intercom links the auxil-iary bridge to the main bridge, the moni-toring room on the first deck, and thereactor control room below.

F: Female Day Crew Quarters — Sixsets of bunk beds line the outer wall ofthis chamber. The inner wall is lined with

12 padlocked (-/25) lockers full of wo-men’s clothing, personal belongings, and(1-100) dollars each. A bookshelf alongthe back wall is filled, predominantlywith gothic romance novels. A videotape player and television beside thebookshelf are stacked high with videotape cassettes.

Personnel present, 1st shift: Thomp-son, Schwattzkopf, Ekler, Smith, Hansen,Watson, Straum, Judge, Marconi, Stew,Doc, and Foreman.

G: Male Day Crew Quarters — Eightsets of bunk beds line the outer walls ofthis chamber. The inner wall is lined with16 padlocked (-/25) lockers each con-taining men’s clothing, personal effects,and (1-100) dollars. A stereo with twospeakers stands against one wall, whichalso has shelves stacked high with var-ious rock music albums.

Personnel present, 1st shift: Krumm,Nitt, Rine, Zyme, Tanaka, Hydrason,Jones, Berkeley, Alexander, Dolphin,

Flood, Koenig, Soup, Hurt, Begg, andShort.

H: Food Stores — Six levels of shelvescover the walls of this room, each stackedwith hundreds of canned goods. Everysort of food, from apricots to zucchini,can be found here — but there isn’t a canopener in the room.

Personnel present, 2nd shift: Soup.

3rd shift: Stew.

Fourth DeckPastel blue wallsChilly atmosphereA: Head — Same particulars as for cor-

responding areas on the second deck.

B: Male Night Crew Quarters — Eightsets of bunk beds with blankets line theouter wall of this cluttered chamber.Along the inside wall are 16 padlocked(-/25) lockers containing men’s clothing,personal belongings, and (1-100) dollarseach. The floor is carpeted in blue shag.A dart board with six darts hangs on theaftward wall.

Personnel present, 1st shift: ‘Box, El-ton, Vallier. 2nd shift: Horse, Fox, Ha-rold, Horton, Tsuji, and DeForest. 3rdshift: Wicks.

C: Female Night Crew Quarters — Sixsets of bunk beds are positioned alongthe outer wall of this well-kept room. On

43

the opposite wall are 12 padlocked (-/2lockers containing women’s clothinpersonal objects, and (1-160) dollaapiece. The floor is carpeted in light blushag. There are two clotheslines strunacross the room with undergarmenand sweaters draped across them to dr

Personnel present, 2nd shift: DrysdaDrimmle, Martinique, DuBois, AtwooDetmer, Guild, Bat, Kingston, Georg

Broom, and Lange:

D: Main Bridge — The main bridge furnished with consoles and chairs idetical in function but not in location those on the auxiliary bridge. As long these consoles are operating, the cotrols in the auxiliary bridge can be overidden from here.

An intercom links the main bridge the auxiliary bridge, the security motoring post, and the reactor control roobelow.

A portable tape recorder is sitting atothe radio in the main bridge. It containan audio cassette with a recorded mesage. In order for the message to be rplayed, the tape must be rewound. Thmessage is as follows:

“Gigantic Gun calling Mad Merc . . . Gigantic Gun to Mad Merc . . .”

“We read you . . .” “Is Stubby around?” “Um . . . no, he’s at the village.” “Well, tell him that Pong called,

and the Administrator got his sticky little fingers on the ‘Horseshoe’ blueprints. Got it?”

“Yeah, got it.”

“Over and out.” Personnel present, 1st shift: GuilBat, DeForest, Kingston, and Georg2nd shift: Judge, Dolphin, MarconFlood, and Koenig. 3rd shift: Baker not in security room).

E: Airlock — This small, empty chaber is used as a safety zone for those othe main bridge. The hatches at eacend of the room are waterproof, and thone leading to the main bridge can blocked from the bridge side. A sign beach hatch, printed in English and Geman, reads: “Only one hatch should b

open at a time. Seal both hatches durinCondition Red.” A security camera posted here and is linked to the securmonitoring station on the first deck.

F: Mess Deck — Nine tables, with 3chairs each, line the walls of this curveroom. Trays of food can be picked up the counters separating the mess defrom the galley. A tray return conveyand dishwasher runs along the starboawall connecting the mess deck and thgalley. When the dishwasher is operaing, the water inside heats to 150°F. an

would inflict 1-10 points of damage anyone coming into contact with it.Personnel present, 1st shift: Mart


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ique, DuBois, Detmer. 2nd shift: Begg.3rd shift: S

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