French Foreign Legion to Invade Wild West Town (1882)

[Silver Moon]

Here's the situation. The game is set in March, 1882 on a world that also has D&D races, religions and magic. The playing characters have just stolen a large and highly valuable artifact and are in the process of transporting it by train from Louisiana to Arizona. They are currently in route to Dallas by train having just left Houston.

A group of eight French wizards and wizard/thieves had also planned to steal the item but the party beat them to it. They followed the PC's to the train station and saw them purchasing tickets bringing them west and then north. The wizards in turn booked passage on a train going north and then west, which will bring them to Dallas an hour before the PC's train. In Dallas the PC's will have to move the item from the northbound to a westbound train.

I am not an expert on 19th Century railroading, but I know that several on this board are. What should the wizard's strategy be at this point? How specifically should they try to do this?

And assuming the party manage to get on a westbound train, where between Dallas and Arizona would be the best place for the French to try again. Assume that they have access to Teleport and would be able to bring in a squadron from the French Foreign Legion to help (as I have a dozen nicely painted Legionaire miniatures that I'd like to use).

 

[gamecat]

Thats an awesome setting... I don't know much of 19th century railroads tho.

 

[Imperialus]

elder earth elemental rips the tracks out from under the moving train. Wizards pick through the wreckage to find the artifact.

 

[Liolel]

elder earth elemental rips the tracks out from under the moving train. Wizards pick through the wreckage to find the artifact.

You don't need to be quite so elebrate. Since the wizards have teleport spells as you say, if they believe that they have superior fire power, destroying the tracks ahead of the train the pcs are on would be an almost certain way to stop the train, with a good chance of inflicting more damage if the destroyed segment isn't discovered ahead of time. Then they can take the artifact and teleport away to safety before most partys that would be upset at the destruction of the railroad track can arrive.

Of course while this might work if someone else can come up with a more creative idea it would probally be more fun than this one.

 

[Silver Moon]

Then they can take the artifact and teleport away to safety before most partys that would be upset at the destruction of the railroad track can arrive.

I forgot to add, the artifact in question is a stone sarcophagus weighing almost a ton. It is therefore too heavy to teleport and also resistant to magic so that a "Reduce" spell would not work either. If the wizards have to destroy the train to get it they will probably then need to find another train to use to move it.

 

[Mark]

I would teleport in with a portable hole in my pocket, open it on the floor and remove a hinged six by six foot board (folded in half to fit in the hole), place the hole on the now opened six by six foot board to give it a "surface", slide it over one end of the sarcophagus (enveloping it), put the hole back on the floor, refold the board and drop it in the hole, pick up the hole and refold it to put it back in my pocket, then teleport away (perhaps, setting a nice little train fire to cause confusion and "cover my tracks!" ).

 

[Catavarie]

I would teleport in with a portable hole in my pocket, open it on the floor and remove a hinged six by six foot board (folded in half to fit in the hole), place the hole on the now opened six by six foot board to give it a "surface", slide it over one end of the sarcophagus (enveloping it), put the hole back on the floor, refold the board and drop it in the hole, pick up the hole and refold it to put it back in my pocket, then teleport away (perhaps, setting a nice little train fire to cause confusion and "cover my tracks!" ).

Teleporting a portable hole would result in a huge explosion inthe space-time continum, the result would be one big blood smeer over the west where the poor wizard tried to go

And if the Sarcophagus is immune to magic it might possibly dispell the portable hole when you attempted to place it inside.

Just a few thoughts.

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Now if it was me I would teleport in a few legionares to create a distraction and draw the players away from the sarcophagus, perhaps on the roof of the train? It's worked in countless movies why not your game?

Then have another wizard teleport in with more legionares and move the sarophagus to say a forward car and then disconect the cars so that the players are left stranded int he middle of nowhere while the wizards have their prize?

 

[Mark]

Teleporting a portable hole would result in a huge explosion inthe space-time continum,

That's not true (unless it is a house rule you have).

And if the Sarcophagus is immune to magic it might possibly dispell the portable hole when you attempted to place it inside.

That's not true, either (unless it is a house rule you have).

 

[driver8]

Are the wizards of high enough level to create a delay on the railhead? Illusionary trains clogging the tracks, or even illusionary herds of cattle (this is 19th century Texas after all) on the tracks blocking it, for those not able to see though the ruse.

Also, could the wizards not cast a spell to change the gauge (the width of the train track rails) causing the train to derail? Differing train gauges were a problem in the US in the earlier part of the 19th century when local train systems could connect with other neighborig systems. Vice versa, the PCs could maybe do this to the wizards.

If the wizards have enough coin could they have it loaded on another train and go north or even go by wagon?

As for a good spot for the Foreign Legion how about El Paso? Its on the Texas /New Mexico/Mexico borders and surely had a rail route..although a US Army base would havebeen nearby- Fort Bliss.

There could be other routes as well Im sure. The Gadsen Purchase was put through by the US beacuse of the railroads, so some rail routes went through southern Arizona/New Mexico. And the border there would be pretty open.

 

[Silver Moon]

Are the wizards of high enough level to create a delay on the railhead? Illusionary trains clogging the tracks, or even illusionary herds of cattle (this is 19th century Texas after all) on the tracks blocking it, for those not able to see though the ruse.

Not a bad idea, although regarding herds of cattle, real ones would be easy enough to obtain for this purpose. Wizard level hasn't been determined although the party level is comprised of 6 characters ranging from 3rd level to multi-class 4/4 with an average of 6.

Also, could the wizards not cast a spell to change the gauge (the width of the train track rails) causing the train to derail? Differing train gauges were a problem in the US in the earlier part of the 19th century when local train systems could connect with other neighborig systems. Vice versa, the PCs could maybe do this to the wizards.

That could be easily done.

If the wizards have enough coin could they have it loaded on another train and go north or even go by wagon?

Yes, provided the party would let them. That will be the objective in Dallas, although the objective would probably be either Mexico or the Gulf, possibly even Yuma Arizona to then catch a ship in the Gulf of California. The key there is to have another train to use.

As for a good spot for the Foreign Legion how about El Paso? Its on the Texas /New Mexico/Mexico borders and surely had a rail route..although a US Army base would havebeen nearby- Fort Bliss.

Yes, Fort Bliss and El Paso have already been referened. Near El Paso would probably make a good spot for an ambush, as that city has rail lines in multiple directions, south to Mexico, east to Dallas, southeast to San Antonio and north to Alburquerque.

There could be other routes as well Im sure. The Gadsen Purchase was put through by the US beacuse of the railroads, so some rail routes went through southern Arizona/New Mexico. And the border there would be pretty open.

The party's end destination is Cochise County, in southeastern Arizona. In our campaign the only rail lines into the county run from Tucson to Tombstone and another to Wilcox. There aren't any lines running east into New Mexico in that part of the Territory yet due to ongoing problems with the Apache, first Cochise and now with Geronimo. The party could get as far as El Paso by train and either take a train north to Albiquerque and into Arizona from there, or alternately they could get a wagon in El Paso and travel overland the remainder of the journey.

Note: The longer this "chase" goes on the more potential opponents they could have as both the France and Spain want this artifact at all costs. The party already eluded the Spanish team who hadn't realize they've been tricked until the party was long gone. But they haven't given up, they just need to find the item again. A battle with the French could alert the Spanish to where the item has now gone.