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DONAR’S HAMMERC O M B A T O R D E R S N O . 1 : S I C I L Y , J U L Y 1 9 4 3

Table of Contents

Donar’s Hammer is produced by Arc Dream Publishing for GODLIKE: Superhero Roleplaying in a World on Fire, 1936-1946. This is a work of fiction. Any similarity with actual people and events, past and present, is purely coincidental and unintentional except for those people and events described in historical context. Donar’s Hammer is (c) Shane Ivey. The game mechanics of GODLIKE are (c) Greg Stolze. Illustrations are (c) Dennis Detwiller. Designed by Shane Ivey. ‘d20 System’ and the ‘d20 System’ logo are trademarks of Wizards of the Coast, Inc., a subsidiary of Hasbro, Inc., and are used according to the terms of the d20 System License version 5.0.

Pages 28-32 are designated Open Content under the Open Gaming License found on page 32. A copy of this License can be found at www.wizards.com/d20. Wizards of the Coast(TM) is a trademark of Wizards of the Coast, Inc. in the U.S. and other countries and is used with permission. Unless otherwise noted, no portion of this work may be reproduced by any means without the express written

permission of the copyright holders, except for purpose of review. Permission is granted to photocopy the following pages for personal use only: 2, 3, 4, 5, and 7. All rights reserved worldwide by their respective copyright holders. Special thanks to Josh Black, Dave

Blewer, Gary Bowerbank, Chad Bussell, Joe Crowe, Dennis Detwiller, David Esbrí, Eckhard Huelshoff, Rohan Light, Davide Mana, Kevin Pezzano, Rowdy Scarlett, and Brian Underhill for proofreading, playtesting, and translations.

ISBN 0-9727782-2-5 • ARC 1003 • AUGUST 2003

SUPERHERO ROLEPLAYING IN A WORLD ON FIRE, 1936-1946

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Table of Contents ........................................................1Order of the Day .........................................................3Map of Sicily ...............................................................4Welcome to Sicily: July 1943 .......................................5Game Moderator’s Background ..................................6Scene 1: Happy Landings ............................................7Players’ Briefing ...........................................................7Scene 2: The Red Devils ..............................................8Scene 3: Patrols ...........................................................8Scene 4: Counterattacks ............................................11Scene 5: Interrogations ..............................................11About Riconoscente ..................................................13Area Map ..................................................................14Scene 6: The Approach ..............................................15

Scene 7: Der Übermenschen ......................................15Scene 8: Patrols and Pillboxes ...................................16Scene 9: Der Panther .................................................16Mjollnir’s Übermenschen ...........................................17Scene 10: A Town Meeting ........................................20Scene 11: The Village ................................................21Scene 11: The Übermenschen Attack .........................22Scene 12: Steely Sunrise .............................................23Aftermath ..................................................................23The Allies ..................................................................24Optional Rules: Squad-Based Combat ......................26Optional Rules: Interrogation ...................................27Converting to ‘D20’ ..................................................28‘D20’ Conversions .....................................................29

By Shane Ivey

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ORDER OF THE DAY

Tonight you embark upon a combat mission for which our people and the free people of the world have been waiting for two years.

You will spearhead the landing of an American force upon the island of SICILY. You have been given the means to do the job and you are backed by the largest assemblage of air power in the world’s history.

The eyes of the world are upon you. The hopes and prayers of every American go with you.

The term “American Parachutist” has been synonymous with courage of a high order. Let us carry the fight to the enemy and make American Parachutists feared and respected through all his ranks. Attack violently. Destroy him wherever found.

I know you will do your job. Good landing, good fight, and good luck.

Col. James Gavin 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment U.S. Army 9 July 1943

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DONAR’S HAMMER

5SUPERHERO ROLEPLAYING IN A WORLD ON FIRE, 1936-1946

Welcome to Sicily: July 1943 Six months of hard desert fighting against the crumbling remnants of the once-proud Deutsches Afrika Korps recently ended with the Korps’ surrender in Tunis. Now battle-hardened Allied eyes turn to the next campaign. Scuttlebutt has it that the U.S. brass want to head straight for France, but the Brits want to make the most of their hard-won victory in the Mediterranean. Either way, the real goal was kept a tight secret until the last minute, while the most massive armada in the history of the world assembled on the North African coast. They’re calling it Operation HUSKY. Its target: Sicily. As the ships set sail on Friday night, July 9, the first Allied forces were already in the air. Airborne glider troops of the British 82nd Airborne, paratroopers of the American 505th, and the superhuman soldiers of the Talent Operations Groups and the British Special Sciences Office flew toward Sicily and foes known and unknown. On the southeastern tip of the island, British gliders were to land around Syracuse and secure vital bridges and airfields; on the southwestern coast, American paratroopers were to capture the airfields and town of Gela. The Talents were arrayed to support those missions, but they didn’t expect to run into any superhuman opposition; not a single Italian Talent has yet been found, and the high command said it had no indication that Germans were in the area, let alone German Übermenschen. At least, that’s what they told the troops. But they told the troops a lot of things.

The landings were supposed to be smooth. The weather was supposed to be clear. The pilots were supposed to be well-trained. The enemy was supposed to be taken by surprise. Instead, gale-force winds blew up around Sicily, throwing the transport planes out of formation. Some hove off into the wild dark yonder; others tried to stay on course. Then anti-aircraft fire came bursting all around—some of it from friendly ships. Then the flyers’ worst fears were confirmed: Übermenschen were in the air. All but invisible in the darkness of the stormy night, they only appeared when powers flared or when limned against the glow of an exploding plane. Allied Talents jumped out to meet them and the planes carried on, rocked by the wind or brought down by the enemy. The pilots, most of them fresh out of a hasty training course, zigged and zagged defensively and lost all semblance of order. Some turned too soon. Some tow-planes released their gliders early, forcing them to land at sea or slam into cliffs. Those that stayed on the mission came in from every direction, dropping their gliders and parachutists wildly across southeastern Sicily. Now a few bedraggled Allied troops have gathered in the hilly fields, surrounded by brittle grass and thin wheat stalks, rocky earth and low rock walls. The ack-acks are silent, the last of the Allied planes having dropped their troops and turned for the safety of Malta or Tunisia, but gunfire can be heard not far away, seemingly in every direction. The terrible wind and rain are only beginning to subside. Welcome to Sicily.

About Donar’s Hammer Donar’s Hammer is suitable for beginning characters and players, but it can be very difficult if the players are not savvy in their approach. The enemies are not balanced for a fair fight, and the players won’t get far charging forward in four-color superheroic style. Their best bet will be to find out all they can from enemy captives and the civilian populace, then attack their superhuman enemies singly and stealthily before they can do any real damage. Daring, intelligence, and a little diplomacy will help them make the most of their powers and weaponry—and survive to save the Allied fleet from disaster. Of course, if they somehow manage to survive a full-on charge and still accomplish the mission, they deserve to celebrate. Just remember to include extra characters. They’ll probably need them.

The Odal rune, symbol of the Übermenschen.

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