Wing and Sword: a d20 Modern military campaign [METAGAME]

[The Shaman]

Will there be actual parachuting going on, ala WWII, or are they Paras in the more modern sense, like the US Airborne, utilized more as light infantry? I have a bad feeling about having to make a Jump check when parachuting, a solid chance of a broken leg would bite the big one.

The French paras made only a handful of jumps in Algeria, mostly relying on ground transport and long hard marches in very rugged terrain (...heh, heh...) early in the war, then extensive use of helicopters in the later years. The French Army was innovative in its use of helicopters in Algeria, building extensively on techniques pioneered in the Korean War about five years earlier - once the equipment was available the French utilized a thoroughly modern approach to battle, one that today's U.S. Airborne soldiers would recognize readily.

Your first adventure begins with your final training jump, however, so Marcel is guaranteed at least one chance to flirt with the nurses in the hospital....

 

[shadowbloodmoon]

To answer your questions:

A couple of quick questions/observations:

1. If I understand this correctly, Pyotr serves on the Russian front for three years, then leaves Russia to join the Legion shortly after the war, serving until joining the paras in 1956. He's been a soldier for the better part of 14 years, but he's only second level in game terms - it seems to me that the objective, mechanical measure of his experience is not consistent with his personal history. Could you explain this in more detail? (I have a suggestion if you're interested.)

2. The Soviet Union in the late 1940s or early 1950s wasn't eager to let its citizens or its soldiers run off to join the French Foreign Legion, or for that matter do just about anything outside of the Motherland. How does he excape from Russia?

To answer both of these, I suppose I should have mentioned that I was thinking of most of that time was spent trying to get him smuggled out of the country. Spending those years hiding from the MVD and such, of course having some help from his old CO's contacts and such. As borders were tightly closed, it wasn't easy, but it also didn't give him a chance to really gain experience except maybe in the field of his hiding and move silently skills. I would love to hear your ideas though, just to see if they fit a little better.

3. You can purchase the rifle if you'd like, but be advised your character won't be assigned formal sniper duties, at least initially, and he'll have to carry his Legion-issue MAS-49 to start. If Pyotr makes good use of Far Shot and Deadaim in action, that could change...

Fine by me. I was thinking that he would carry it 'for old times sake' or somesuch. Even if he couldn't take it into action, he would at least have something that he feels close to, since he doesn't have a family or a home any longer.

Let me know if that's cool with you. I look forward to starting the game. I hope he doesn't seem like too much of a combat monster. I wanted his sniper skills to also come in handy for observation, covert entry, etc. On another note, I had thought about the Zaitsev connection being a part of his motivation, but for some reason, I didn't think it fit just right.

 

[Bobitron]

I have it, actually. It's excellent and (relatively) inexpensive - the book provides an overview of the war with lots of great details about the uniforms and equipment for many of the French and ALN forces.

I picked it up today, thanks for the recommendation. Good book. Perfect for my purposes. I skipped the other one you mentioned, it seemed to cover far too broad a time period.

Two more slots open! Anyone else interested? If nobody shows up, I might have to start up a press gang

 

[The Shaman]

To answer both of these, I suppose I should have mentioned that I was thinking of most of that time was spent trying to get him smuggled out of the country. Spending those years hiding from the MVD and such, of course having some help from his old CO's contacts and such. As borders were tightly closed, it wasn't easy, but it also didn't give him a chance to really gain experience except maybe in the field of his hiding and move silently skills. I would love to hear your ideas though, just to see if they fit a little better.

My thought was that, instead of being a Soviet Army regular, Pyotr was a partisan, operating behind the German lines. After the war he returned home, his parents were gone, and so forth, and he became disillusioned with the Soviet system, as you described - he decides to escape and ends up in the Legion as a good place to utilize his wartime skills.

It serves to explain why his skill development slowed down - after the Soviet Army pushed the Germans back, his partisan band returns to the fields and factories (though in Pyotr's case much changed by the experience), so his experience tapers off until he manages to get escape with the help of a Soviet officer he met during the war and with whom he remained friends.

It's just a thought - take it or leave it. Your character is your character, and I don't like to step on the players' toes!

I hope he doesn't seem like too much of a combat monster. I wanted his sniper skills to also come in handy for observation, covert entry, etc.

I created a similar character for a Modern game, a hunter with very good Spot and Survival scores - he was the "eyes" of our group. In the terrain in which your characters will be operating, a good scout is going to be important.

Speaking of, if you can find the movie Lost Command somewhere, you'll get a good idea of what the terrain away from the coast looks like - it was filmed in Spain, but it looks a lot like pictures of the mountains and oueds of the Algerian desert.

 

[shadowbloodmoon]

I actually think the partisan idea might fit a little better. I think it would better explain his German language skill. I think I'll use that when I post my final in the Rogue's gallery when you are ready. Thanks.

I was looking into some pictures of Algeria. Looks pretty rough there. Should be a lot of interesting maneuvering sessions.

 

[Speed-Stick]

Before I do up a sheet, I have a question:
For people from other countries, other than a job, are there other benefits to joining the FFL? I mean like French Citizenship after your tour is complete or something.

 

[Bobitron]

Before I do up a sheet, I have a question:
For people from other countries, other than a job, are there other benefits to joining the FFL? I mean like French Citizenship after your tour is complete or something.

I'm sure that Shaman has a clearer picture of this, but the Legion was notorious for ignoring a person's past. Many of its recruits were criminals looking to hide from the law.

 

[shadowbloodmoon]

I was reading a bit about the FFL on the French Embassy website. It mentioned that after the first five year contract, you could muster out, sign another contract or become a naturalized citizen of France. This is the place I found too that helped describe such a life:

www.foreignlegionlife.com
http://www.info-france-usa.org/atoz/legion/index.asp

It helped me get a bearing on some of it.

 

[The Shaman]

Before I do up a sheet, I have a question:
For people from other countries, other than a job, are there other benefits to joining the FFL? I mean like French Citizenship after your tour is complete or something.

French citizenship is available to those who complete their five-year contract with the Legion. That's about the only tangible benefit, and of course it doesn't mean a great deal to the French who choose to enlist.

Men join the Legion for a variety of reasons, but it's important to remember that at the heart of it all, the Legion is a force of mercenaries. Legion enlistment tends to rise following wars - for example, the Legion had many Spanish enlistees after the Spanish Civil War, Germans after WWII*, and British after the Falklands War. The Legion attracts those with martial skills who chafe at the idea of routine or garrison duties, or for whom their military service was ended after winding up on the losing side of a conflict.

The idea that criminals seek out the Legion to hide from their past is based in fact, and in fact it was part of the recruitment strategy of the Legion from its earliest days. The anonymat, enlisting under a false name, was encouraged to attract those who wanted a break with their past. The goal of the Legion was not to enlist the worst of society however, but to attract men who had little or no allegiance to anything other than the Legion itself, men who failed in their lives and who could be encouraged to replace their failed loves with love of the Legion.

Finally, the Legion attracted adventurers - I don't think anyone has kept figures on how many recruits either PC Wren or Gary Cooper attracted to the Legion, but a romantic image of the Legion in the popular media has certainly drwn its share of men to the white kepi.

I hope that helps.

I've added a short story about basic training in the Legion to the campaign briefing above - this is a general experience that your characters can draw from if they choose.

Speed-Stick, please let me know if there's any other questions I can answer - I look forward to seeing your character!

Hopefully we can fill out our player roster this week.

*Germans have traditionally been a large part of the composition of the Legion, dating back to its origins in 1831. After WWII the French continued to accept former Wehrmacht soldiers but refused anyone who was in the SS. Some former SS troopers removed the tattoos under their arms with their serial number in order to get in anyway, and at least a few either were not detected or were ignored.

 

[Barak]

Ohhhh

Man I'd be really interested in that type of game! It will take me longer then usual to submit a character, however. First off, even though I have a smudgeon of a character concept, I'd want to fill it out more in my head before even thinking of statting him up. Secondly, I don't own D20 modern, so until I can borrow one of my friends' copy (hopefully I might do that wednesday), I'd have to make do with the SRD or some such.

As an aside, french is my first language, so that could be fun.

Edit: Darn me. I "wasted" valuable work time thinking about this and looking at stuff already.

At this point I'd be thinking about a strong hero, the "silent, look kinda slow" type. Probably one who had just started an amateur boxing career, got into semi-serious trouble, and chose to join the legion to get some structure and such in his life as to avoid getting into more trouble.

Edit2: Err.. I feel kinda sorry for asking this. The SRD looks pretty complete, and serves well to remind me of some stuff I forgot from the last time I made a D20 modern character.. But for one exception: Do we get the bonus feat and skill points for being human?