This game is going to be a series of interconnected skirmishes and engagements across a single planet, in a living campaign [meaning events continue to shape the world around you even if you are not present at that location] where your actions, as well as success or failures, will help determine the final outcome of that world's fate.

After each mission completion, regardless of success or failure, two or three new missions will open up. Despite the Imperial Guard being the opposite of a democracy, it will be the Players who decide which direction they want their unit to proceed, and which objectives to attempt to complete. An overview of the entire battle will be made available, with updates given each time the unit is rotated back off the front lines for short-term medicae treatment or long-term garrison duty. In the event of a tie in the choice of which follow-up mission to undertake, the GM will be the final deciding vote. :)

There are several aspects of the game that need to be fleshed out before we can begin. These are, in no particular order: Enemy, Location, Unit, and Scope.


ENEMY

The first enemy the unit will face will have to be chosen. I am familiar with, and consider myself a good controller/writer/strategist of, the forces of Orks, Tyranids, and Chaos.

 - Orks, because of the very nature of their propagation as a species, can lie dormant on any world and rise up as a threat every few years or decades. It is entirely possible that any one of the worlds humankind has settled is beset by this invasive and warlike species. Agri-worlds, forge worlds, outposts, etc...all can come under the influence of the Green Tide once an initial ork invasion has occurred.

 - Tyranids are of course a remorseless and dealy adversary, turning the very air and soil into poisonous death for the armies of man that seek to stop their inexorable progress in consuming a planet. Therefore, for realistic purposes, this would have to be a spur of a hive fleet, or a single vanguard scout ship that seeded a remote section of the planet and was discovered before its initial infestation could grow to deadly proportions. Alternately, the unit could be part of an anti-rebellion detachment sent to remove a genestealer cult infestation on a planet deemed too valuable to enact Exterminatus, or too remote to bring in the Deathwing.

 - Chaos has so many facets and subtypes of creatures available to bring against the Imperial Guard that this seems almost too easy a choice. Traitor factions of Guardsmen, summoners, cultists, and so forth leading right up to the actual denizens of the warp itself being brought out onto the battlefield to challenge the soldiers of mankind. Never mind that there would have to be some serious Inquisitorial procedures for the survivors of such a campaign to deal with after it was all over...

I could, if it was a unanimous request, bring forth Dark Eldar, Tau/Kroot, or Necrons. I have rules for all of these, but would be most comfortable having the Players facing a Necron awakening, as I feel I could GM that scenario best with my knowledge and background, rather than the other two.


LOCATION

The location of the conflict will have to be determined. I have already begun making plans for the individual missions, and they are pretty much universal in their design and implementation [with a few exceptions], so it matters not if the Players decide to be on an earth-like planet, a Tallarn-style world, a deathworld, a moon, a hive city, or anything in between. I'm sure this will become a much easier decision once the choice of Regiment has been established, and if it comes down to the Players leaving it up to me to decide the starting location, I am prepared for that as well.


UNIT

The characters will have to decide their Regimental background. I want to keep it very compact and simple from the outset, so there will only be four options available: Choice A, Choice B, Choice C, or Choice D.

Choice A is the standard Cadian 99th Mechanized Infantry found on page 43 of the Core Rulebook.

Choice B is the standard Catachan Jungle Fighter found on page 45 of the Core Rulebook.

Choice C is the standard Mordian Iron Guard found on page 53 of the Core Rulebook.

Choice D would be for the first group of Players [who do not choose Option A or B above] to create a single, unique Regiment to use as the initial jumping-off point for this game. They have 12 points to spend and can choose from the following Regimental types: Reconnaissance, Light Infantry, Line Infantry, Close Assault, or Siege Infantry.


SCOPE

This is actually the least important of the things we need to determine, as it is quite possible that the normal attrition rate of RPoL games will rear its ugly head and allow this game to falter or die. But, in the interests of my own vanity and the future of humanity, we should discuss how far into an actual 'campaign' we want to go. Will this be a one-shot adventure with five or ten missions and completion? Rescue this world and move to another to face a different enemy? Obviously this doesn't have to be answered right away, as the flavor and feel of the game will be felt differently by each player, and their experiences and expectations will shape their decision.
This message was last edited by the GM at 03:47, Mon 31 Oct 2016.

Everyone knows that a good posting rate makes a good game. As this one will mostly revolve around combat situations and scenarios, we can't let things bog down too much in the minute details; we will push forward with each round and continue to bring the Emperor's justice to the enemies of mankind!

While I would like to see a daily post from each person, that is often not realistic, and sometimes people quit when they feel overwhelmed, or like they're falling behind. So, the time limit for posting will be 48 hours [give or take] from when I make my update. If everyone posts faster than that, I will update without waiting for the actual deadline, and the clock will begin anew with my post. If you should miss a posting deadline, fear not - your character will take the most defensible position or stance possible for the current situation.

In this digital age, it seems unlikely that people are very far removed from their computers and phones. If you expect to be absent for more than a couple days, say something about it in the OOC thread. Holidays do not count against us for the '48 hour' deadline, so there's no need to get nervous about Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Years...and if you have a special event coming up [as I know my Canadian neighbors have a 'holiday' every other week it seems...lol] let me/us know and we will be prepared to step in and cover for you. A person who is absent for a week but continues to log in will be deleted at the end of that week. There is an unspoken social contract we all agree upon when we play games in a worldwide forum like RPoL...please do not screw over your fellows by not posting but still visiting to read the adventure.

I will try to include all relevant information the unit will need to make their maneuvers and engage the enemy, including distances, amount of cover, and enemies available, but if I should miss something, you can ask questions in the main OOC or via PM. Do not make a post in the game thread that says PM and then proceed to post me a private message. That is annoying as fuck and I will delete it. The game thread is for actions and action posts only. Post relevant dice rolls and other OOC information at the bottom of your text - most games use orange coloring to denote OOC information and I am happy to continue that tradition here.

I will generally use RED for enemy dialogue and BLUE for allied dialogue. Characters are free to use any color they want for their own speech text, or none at all, but Red is reserved for enemy speech.

The initial mission given to the unit will be pretty straightforward. It will detail the situation, the opposition, the plan as detailed by your higher-ups, and the requirements for successful completion. It will be up to the players to decide if there is a better way to tackle the mission without endangering their allies or getting themselves shot for insubordination.

Once that first mission is completed, two more will be made available. If the players were successful, then the two follow-up missions will be advances, or tactical strikes, or special target eliminations. If the mission's goals were not met, then the follow-up missions offered will be regrouping, defending, or withdrawal actions. Every mission will have two follow-up missions offered when it is done...thus, there is a very large matrix of possibilities for the PC unit to wrestle success from the jaws of defeat in this campaign.

Never give up, never surrender! ;)

After a mission is finished, Experience will be awarded to the survivors. This XP can be spent immediately, even if the unit is not scheduled to be rotated back off the front lines to the rear area for rest and resupply. Note that only your primary [active] character will get this XP award; your Comrade is still a normal grunt with the basic 'intro build', following you and hoping you both don't bite it.

Some missions will have a potential for Outstanding Success. If this level is reached, special rewards and commendations may be awarded to some or all of the surviving members of the unit. These include, but are not limited to: medals, citations, accolades, special weapons, special gear, and additional resources. Weapons, gear, and resources are transferable between survivors and their comrades/replacements; medals and citations go to the individual and are buried with their remains.

It goes without saying that it will never be an option to refuse a mission. The firing squad detail is usually quite bored, as most Commissars dispense justice in the field, before word of cowardice ever reaches the main HQ element.

The Disciples of Thule are, like any Mechanicus group that follows the preachings and guidance of the Omnissiah, inveterate tinkerers. Theirs is a constant and unwavering dedication to preserving, repairing, modifying, and upgrading every bit of technology they come in contact with...all for the betterment of mankind and the furtherance of their understanding of the world of Machine Spirits.

To this end, they have placed a dedicated laboratory-workshop at the disposal of their units whenever they are engaged with enemy forces. This scientific arm of the organization is always located orbiting in space, safely away from the battlefield, tucked away within the safety of the rest of the fleet. Other than the actual minutions and supplies needed to sustain the fighting forces, it is given one of the highest priorities for allocation of resources during a campaign - for how else can they hope to continue their overarching mission if they do not continually evolve and grow themselves?

The game mechanics of this workshop are simple: before each mission begins, during the selection process, the players will discuss and choose two items that they currently have in their possession, and for which they currently have lab/shop facilities. These items can have any one aspect of their functions improved by +1 or 10%, as appropriate.
   - Thus, a weapon might gain +1 to its damage output [since most use a base of d10].
   - Another weapon might gain +10% to its range increment.
   - A piece of equipment might increase its duration of effect by +10%
   - Another piece of equipment might improve a skill bonus by an additional +10%

Obviously, some things won't fall easily into the +1/10% category. You can't add +0.3 armor to a location, or give yourself a 10% bonus to determine your exact location with a Locator Matrix. Well, you *can*, but it would be rather silly. Therefore, in all cases where the math does not easily fall into line with the game mechanics, the GM will be the final arbiter of what benefits are gained for a particular item or weapon. These will be determined before the unit makes their final request, so there will be no surprises.
   - An outstanding success on a mission *may* result in a slightly greater modification, or a secondary, unrequested effect being added to the item in question.

Note that these upgrades will only be released to the unit upon successful completion of the current mission. If the unit made two requests and then does not meet the mission requirements, the upgrades are delayed or withheld until the follow-up mission is completed successfully, and no new items may be sent to the workshop until the first two are completed and released.