The Reepor Campaign - Q4SF

[Hat Guy]

I'm trying something a little audacious at my local club; instead of finding a SF rules system, building an army and seeing if anyone else is interested, I'm flipping that all around. I'm gathering a group of players with SF armies and we're trying out a variety of systems, tying it all together with a loose narrative. As things get organised and arranged, I'll be posting more here, but for now, enjoy some background:

(the setting is very Rogue Trader/Starship Troopers is feel, not that it matters too much)

Planet Reepor

   Deep within the Praxis sector, Reepor is, like many fringe worlds, perhaps best known for a battle fought there back in the days of the Galactic Crusades. Once home to a unique and thriving culture, Reepor had only just begun to be ground under the twin heels of the Imperial Cult and Corporate Exploitation when much of the Praxis sector was wracked with catastrophic cosmic storms; cutting off military and commercial shipping lanes. Settlers, survey teams, Colonial forces and natives alike were trapped on Reepor for centuries until the deadly storms broke. With the Imperial Navy a shell of its former glory and Colonial Law almost impossible to enforce on the fringe, Reepor is ripe for exploitation once again.

History

   Abundant with natural resources, Reepor was targeted for colonisation as soon as it was discovered, at the time, there were only sparse populations of intelligent native species to oppose the Imperial Crusade and it was assumed that the conquest would be an easy one. Though many pirates and petty warlords make the Praxis sector their home, Reepor had yet to be conquered despite riches and an apparent lack of resistance. The native culture was, at best, feudal and more often tribal in nature, but most of the disparate settlements worshiped Magogg, a native earth deity that was said to protect the planet.
   The pacification and exploitation of Reepor happened almost simultaneously, Imperial forces raining down on local settlements and merchant ships staking claims within earshot of the battle. With superior numbers and firepower on the side of the invaders, the natives were overrun in hours, though pockets of resistance remained in undesirable wilderness areas.
   A few years passed and Reepor was developed at a rapid pace with only the usual few corporate skirmishes and alien raids to slow progress. A couple of mining and surveying teams had disappeared in the outlying areas of Reepor, but these isolated incidents were put down to carelessness and aggressive local flora and fauna; it was not until an entire settlement was wiped from existence that the Colonial militia began to suspect that something was amiss. Somehow, the natives had managed to find and revive a creature that they believed to be Magogg and unleash it upon the colonies.
   A mountain of living flesh and bone, Magogg flattened everything in its path, laying waste to most of the northern continent before a response could be organised. Conventional land and air forces failed to make much impact and only a handful of settlements remained by the time the Imperial Navy arrived and emptied their batteries into Magogg, destroying it, and most of the northern continent in the process. Days after the crisis was over, the cosmic storms began and no more was heard from Reepor.


Geography

   Reepor is dominated by two large continents, one in the Northern Hemisphere and one in the Southern, as well as countless island chains. The Northern continent was once home to great swathes of woodland, but mining and Magogg’s rampage and subsequent destruction have left much of it an irradiated wasteland. The wasteland is sparsely populated by scavengers, mutants and natives, eking out an existence looting the ruins hidden in the sand. Several developed cities that survived Magogg cling to the coastline, acting as ports to move the goods found in the wasteland.
   In contrast, the Southern Continent is densely populated with surviving colonies and native settlements and kingdoms, though a deal of wilderness still remains, filled with dangerous indigenous flora and fauna. The continent is split by two great mountain ranges, separated by a gigantic valley filled with dense jungle. Almost no exploration of the valley has taken place because of difficulty of access, though some natives recognise the jungle as a holy site.
   Aside from the myriad islands, there is a permanent ice cap over the Southern Pole of Reepor, shrinking a growing with the seasons, but never smaller than one thousand square kilometres. A few aggressive and territorial animals live on the ice, but no permanent settlement has ever survived a winter there.

Places of Interest

Blackthrone Fortress: After Imperial hold on Reepor was lost, the primary Military citadel was used by local warlords until some enterprising Ork Freebooters came along, cleared out the local inhabitants and turned the structure into a prison. The Orks of Praxis Sector have done well out of Blackthrone, keeping the place running on almost no upkeep (the inmates are fed whatever mushrooms grow in the cells) and locking up anyone “No Questions Asked”, so long as the money is good. Intended to withstand siege from space, Blackthrone is almost unassailable from the planet’s surface and most locals don’t dare to try.

Magogg’s Tomb: When Magogg fell, its body dropped into a chasm left by the bombardment. When the dust settled and it was clear that the Imperial Forces weren’t coming back, the natives constructed a small pyramid on the site in the middle of the wasteland dedicated to the god that had died to free their planet. The pyramid itself is only an entrance to a winding labyrinth of rock and bone that twists down through the corpse of Magogg. Native priests took to hiding precious relics in the maze, knowing that only one of their number would be able to find them there.

Stratus City: Stratus City was the Imperial Capital on Reepor before the cosmic storms and has remained an outpost of Imperial Culture since. Cut off from trading, the technology of Stratus City has backslid slightly and the harsh environment of Reepor has kept the population in check, resulting in no new expansion to the city’s territory. Even with the shipping lanes reopened, Stratus City remains one of the only places on Reepor where advanced technology can be found and purchased.

[Hat Guy]

As the end of the month approaches, so do the "rules" of the Reepor Campaign become better defined. In order to link disparate games systems together, each player will have 6 Objective Cards (4 resources, 2 territories) which can be "gambled" in each game, traded outside of play or even sold off. All of a sudden, Ross and Leith trying out ITEN becomes a pitched battle between The Crew of Rogue Trader Fleet Lagrange and The Terran Authority Star Marines over some mysterious Alien Artifact.

Of course, I (and others) shall be posting up pictures, AARs and fluff from the campaign here for all of you to enjoy.

First off a look at the armies taking part, starting with my own:



Player: James/Hat Guy
Force: Saurian Amalgamated Security
Alignment/Faction: Mercenary
Commander: Ulysses (Current Employer)/ Field Marshall Grimlock
History: With Imperial forces stretched thin, private military companies like Saurian Amalgamated Security are making a literal and figurative killing in the employment of the wealthy. Saurian Amalgamated has carved out a reputation for ferocity and barely fulfilling contracts, but remains in high demand, as it is one of the only Saurian Mercenary Companies in the galaxy, and certainly the largest. Ulysses, an enigmatic, self-styled adventurer has employed Saurian Amalgamated to aid in the recovery of several items of “Cultural Significance” from planet Reepor. Field Marshall Grimlock, Commander-in-Chief of Saurian Amalgamted, cares little for Ulysses’ schemes, but sees Reepor as an opportunity to grow his own business.
Objective: A keen collector of relics and artefacts relating to mythology, Ulysses has had a tendency of turning up on the fringes of great conflicts in the galaxy for over a century. Some whisper that he is immortal or a time traveller, others ponder if the identity is hereditary or shared by a group. Whatever the truth may be, Ulysses has little interest in conquest, only the rare and the wondrous.

Objective Cards
Human Meat “H Rations” (Resource)
Erotic Literature “Play Dino” (Resource)
Surplus Neo-Soviet Ammunition (Resource)
12 Light Year Old Scotch Whisky (Resource)
Evaporator Plant “Skywalker Ranch” (Territory)
LZ 221 (Territory)

[Oldben1]

I really like your miniatures and paint jobs.  What a cool idea (blending games and miniatures).  Where are the Dino's from?

[Marauderman]

Keep us posted with how your games goes, like the look of your troops, always keen on sci-fi reptilian troop types, like your conversions.

[The_Baron]

My contribution to the campaign!

Force: The Crew of Rogue Trader Fleet Lagrange
Alignment/Faction: Imperial/Mercenary (depending on the situation)

Commander: Rogue Trader Stardust Lagrange

History: Like many of his peers living in the Upper Spires of Necromunda, Stardust Lagrange grew tired of the staleness and rigidity of life amongst the noble houses, with only the occasional assassination attempt or hostile takeover to contend with.  He first tried to sate his boredom by participating in dangerous sky-surfing races through the mid-hive levels, and then experimenting with a plethora of banned hallucinogenic substances. When that trend became unfashionable, he began to meddle in another of those favoured pastimes of the noble-born; hunting trips into the lower hives. He fell in with the notorious Brat gang, The Dandys, and made quite a name for himself Scavvy-baiting  and rumbling with rival gangs. All that was to change on his sixteenth birthday, when his father made a return into his life. 
 
Stardust's Archeotech-hunter father had been off-world for over fifty years (noting that Stardust was of course born and created in a gene-tank, as is the way of things), and had brought with him something even his considerable wealth could never have afforded; a Warrant of Trade bestowing the status of Rogue Trader. By all accounts, the Warrant had been won in a drunken game of Regicide in a dive bar on Tatooine IV. This had of course not sat well with the majority of the Ex-Rogue Trader's fleet, who questioned the  veracity of his claim, and the reasoning behind such high-stakes gambling for that matter. They promptly disbanded to seek their fortunes elsewhere. The disbanding had not entirely been without bloodshed, and despite Stardust's father shooting first, he was gravely wounded. It was for this reason that he returned to Necromunda; his life-force fading, he wanted to pass on this most treasured possession to his son before he died. 

Unfortunately for Stardust, news of his father's return and ill-health was learnt by the other Noble families, and sensing weakness they formed a temporary alliance and organised a coordinated attack, hoping to wipe out the Lagrange line forever. The attack was devastating, and the Lagrange estate was razed and looted, stock-options were forcibly transferred, and the household guard massacred fighting a desperate rearguard action. With little more than his (rather splendid) clothes on his back, a few loyal arms-men, and his father's old tramp-trader "Persephone", Stardust fled off-world. While the Noble families toasted their success at wiping out such a long-term and powerful rival, the Persephone broke atmo, and Stardust's face broke into a smile; the Warrant of Trade tucked safely inside his silk vest...

Objective: The recovery of valuable Xenos artifacts, Expansion of Imperial territory, Profit... and revenge
Resources:
 Resource - Tramp class freighter Persephone
 Resource - Warrant of Trade
 Resource - Support of the Bounty Hunters Guild
 Resource - Support of the Squat Brotherhood
 Territory - Rogue Trader Fleet
 Territory - San Holo's Cantina


Rogue Trader Stardust Lagrange and Crew


Bounty Hunter Spa-tula


Crew Members


More crew members


Space Marines


Apologies for the crummy photod and some unpainted bases, just moved house and need to dig up my paints.

Cheers
The Baron

[phreedh]

Great crew, Baron! Nice mix of figure sources with some good colouring in. Hope Lagrange gets his revenge. =)

[Hat Guy]

Thanks for the compliments guys; my Saurians are just GW Lizardmen heads on kitbashed bodies, pretty straightforward, but I'm really happy with the finished look.

Still waiting on a little background, but here's a peek at another faction:

[Sinewgrab]

Impressive.  I am hoping to get something like that together myself in the next month or two.

[Doomsdave]

Awesome.  I love that you included those old Star Frontiers minis.  I'm painting some myself, right now. 

[Hat Guy]

Finally finished a complete squad:


Saurian Veteran Assault Squad. Made up of the most battle-hardened and least sane Saurians, the Veteran Assault Squad is prepared to lay down fire or get up-close and personal as the situation dictates.


Veteran and NCO


Two Veterans


Veteran with SAW.

[eilif]

Looks like an awesome project! I love the Saurians. They don't look at all like GW bits to me, and that's a good thing.  The background is cool as well. 

Our club has a similar setting. It's called the "Galactic Frontier". 
http://chicagoskirmish.blogspot.com/p/galactic-frontier-homebrew-sci-fi.html It provides the loose setting for many of the sci-fi games we play, whether using Tomorrow's War, Panzer8 Sci-fi, ITEN, Full Thrust WarEngine,  or other rulesets across multiple scales.

If you can get the club to buy into the idea it can payoff for years. Even when you're not in the midst of a campaign,  having a setting you can use for pickup games just makes things a little more fun and dramatic.

[The_Baron]

Awesome.  I love that you included those old Star Frontiers minis.  I'm painting some myself, right now. 

Thanks Doomsdave. The Star Frontiers minis are lots of fun, you need to turn the highlights up a bit as there isn't much detail. Post them up when done?

And here are some slightly better pics of the crew, my now with painted bases






Cheers The Baron

[Hat Guy]

Saurian Crichton Class Tank wip:

[Hat Guy]

More finished Saurians, also tomorrow (Friday) night will see the first games played in the campaign, so expect some AARs next week.

[Hat Guy]

Week 1, Game 1: Pulp Alley

Deep in the Underhive of Stratus City, Rogue Trader Stardust Lagrange and his crew search for an ancient computer terminal that once belonged to an Imperial Survey team, little do they know that Saurian Amalgamated Security are looking for the very same information.



The Underhive


Computer Terminal - Major Plot Point


Alien Fungus - Minor Plot Point


Energon Crystal - Minor Plot Point
Hidden in a pack of roving dinosaurs, a Peril.


Supply dump - Minor Plot Point
Hidden in unnecessarily large, slowly rotating fan, another Peril.




SAS Deployment



Rogue Trader Deployment


Lagrange confronts Thin Lizzie, just as she's about to access the terminal.


A Saurian Mercenary becomes Dino-food.


Whilst officers clash and duel, the Saurian Servo-Skull silently hacks the terminal, retrieving the vital information.


"This isn't over Saurian! I'll have my revenge!"


"I've got him general!"


"Better luck next time, monkey."

Of course, this is the battle from the Saurian perspective, hold on for the opposing viewpoint, coming soon.