Their Finest Hour- Adventures in the Battle of Britain

Seven weeks and no Adventure Ideas! I guess it just shows how much there is to say about the Battle of Britain. I’ve been saving up odd bits of lore, legend, and history for a post of adventure hooks for Their Finest Hour. When the entire world goes to war and you spread a layer of fantasy on top there’s no end of adventure ideas.

Evacuation

In anticipation of bombers targeting metropolitan centers, the government evacuated thousands of city children to the countryside during Operation Pied Piper. Evacuated children stayed with relatives, generous families, and in special camps built and run by The National Camps Corporation. Much like a summer camp, the facilities had bunk houses, recreation halls, and  outdoor activities.

Five recently evacuated children from London disappeared from a camp in Surrey and haven’t returned. Some campers mentioned small “moon white” creature’s visiting at night. The strange superstitions of the children in local villages supposedly keep them safe from the beings.

Similarly, valuable treasures, such as the nations gold reserves, priceless works of art, and business records spent the war stored at secret locations in rural areas.

After France’s surrender, the Worshipful Company of Hermeticists quietly moved many of its most dangerous grimoirs to the home of a trustworthy Guildmember. While his manor’s security is impressive, this is the most vulnerable this rare collection has ever been to thieves or worse.

Gasmasks

Fearful of Nazi forces using the dangerous gasses used in World War I, the British Government distributed countless gasmasks to the civilian population. The gasmasks for children had bright colors and gained the nickname “Mickey Mouse”.

A gang populated by halflings, dwarves, and beastmen of short stature wear Mickey Mouse masks to hide their identities during their crimes. Their use of the sewer system, and the masks caused the press to name them “The Mickey Mouse Club”.

Black Out

One of the biggest annoyances to the British Pubic during the Blitz was the mandatory Black Out. All windows and doors had to be carefully prepared so no light escaped at night, and all streetlights were dimmed or extinguished. All headlights pointed downwards to prevent extra illumination that might catch the eye of an enemy bomber.

For evil doers, Black Out conditions present intruding opportunities.  One house seems even darker than others. No light escapes from under curtains, through cracks, or glows dimly through a layer of paint. Who knows what evil, driven back by brightened city streets, returns to old forgotten habits in the Black Out?

Chain Home

In the 30’s, the Air Ministry prepared for enemy bombing runs by building a line of radar stations along the eastern and southern coasts called “Chain Home”. Armed with powerful radar towers, CH stations watched for enemy sorties from the European continent. Once warned of incoming bombers, the RAF sent fighters to intercept the attack before the bombs could fall.  As the longest range guardian of the British Isles, enemy aircraft soon targeted CH sites. The ladies of the Women’s Auxiliary Air Force manned most radar stations during the war.

One station suffers from continuous false alarms. The receiver nightly indicates several large shapes flying over the English Channel apparently invisible to the naked eye. I’m sure it’s nothing.

Several Guild members complain of spell’s miscasting near CH stations. Do the continuous directed radio signals interfere with magic? Or is something using the signals to steal magical power?

While I could endlessly post adventure ideas about the Battle of Britain, we’re only doing one more next week, I promise. After that we’re looking at some more fantastic weapons of the Nazi war machine. That’s fantastic as in fantasy, not fantastic as in really great. Everybody got that?  After that, this Blog returns to Victoriana in the Victorian era.

Their Finest Hour: Firearms of 1940

Most of the iconic firearms of World War II find use after the Battle Britain, but there is still plenty of innovation between 1940 and Victoriana’s default setting of the 1850s. Weapons (specifically firearms) grew in deadliness, capacity, and accuracy. Here is a selection of weapons from 1940 used by the United Kingdom, and the German Army, along with some new rules for Fully Automatic weapons.

Revolvers                              Damage Dice     ROF        Shots      Reload   Range

Enfield Revolver No 2         7                              2              6              2              20

S&W Model 10                      8                              2              6              3              30                                          

Webley Mk VI                        10                           2              6              3              40                          

Colt M1917                            11                           2              6              4              40          

Semi-Automatic Pistols   Damage Dice   ROF        Shots      Reload   Range

Colt Model 1903                   9                             2              8              1              20 
Colt M1911                            12                           2              8              1              30          

Bolt Action Rifles               Damage Dice   ROF        Shots     Reload   Range

Lee-Enfield SMLE                 10                           1             10            2              550                                                                        

M1 Garand                             14                            2              8             1              500                                                        

M11903 Springfield            14                           1               5             2              900        

Submachine Gun                 Damage Dice    ROF        Shots      Reload   Range     Special  

Thompson M1928, M1        12                           3              20/50*   3              100           Fully Automatic    

*The Thompson submachine gun can be loaded with a variety of magazines. The 20 round magazine attacks as normal, but attacks using the heavy 50 round “drum” have +3 black dice.

Light Machine Guns            Damage Dice      ROF        Shots      Reload   Range     Special                                                  

Bren LMG                                   14                           4              30           2              600            Bipod mounted, Fully Automatic

Lewis light machine gun       14                           5              47           3              400             Bipod mounted, Fully Automatic

M1918 BAR                               16                           5              20           2              500            Bipod mounted, Fully Automatic

Anti-Tank Weapons            Damage Dice    ROF        Shots      Reload   Range     Special                  

Boys Anti-Tank Rifle             20                           1              5              5              300            Bipod mounted, Armor Piercing (6)

Firearms of the German Army

Semi-Automatic Pistols     Damage Dice      ROF        Shots      Reload   Range    

Walther PP                                8 (950)                  2              8              1              40                                          

Luger P08                                 10 (1148)              2              8              1              50

Mauser C96                              12(1,394)              2              10           1              150

Rifles                                     Damage Dice     ROF        Shots      Reload   Range                                    

Karabiner 98k                     14                           1              5              1              500                        

Submachine Gun              Damage Dice     ROF        Shots      Reload   Range     Special                                                  

MP18                                      10                           3              30           1              200            Fully Automatic    

MP40                                      13                           3              32           1              100            Fully Automatic

Anti-tank Weapons         Damage Dice     ROF        Shots      Reload   Range     Special                                  

Panzerbuchse 39                22                           1              1              5              300             Bipod mounted, Armor Piercing (8) 

Fully Automatic Attacks

Every attack with a fully automatic firearm spends 3 rounds of ammunition.

Because of their ability to quickly spray bullets over a target area, fully automatic firearms give their wielders two special combat options in addition to a normal firearms attack. Using these special combat options spends an additional 3 rounds of ammunition to a total of 6 per attack.

Spray Attack

To increase their chances of hitting the target, attackers using a submachine gun can perform a Spray Attack. Spray Attacks give +3 dice to Attack Dice pool and -3 dice to Damage Dice Pools.

Multiple Target Spray Attack

Attackers armed with a fully automatic firearm, can shoot multiple targets with one action using a Multiple Target Spray Attack. Attackers roll as normal, but divide their total damage (attack successes + damage successes) over multiple targets (rounding up) in close proximity to each other. How many targets, and what counts as close proximity is up to Gamemaster discretion. As a basic rule of thumb, you cannot attack more targets than half the weapons damage dice (rounded up).

Mounted Weapons (tripod, bipod etc)

Unless a mounted weapon is already set up, average sized characters suffer +6 Black Dice until they spend an action setting up the weapon. These weapons are heavy, unwieldy and often have a very high kickback. Ogres can wield most mounted weapons with little trouble.

All Light Machine Guns have a reduced penalty of +3 Black Dice due to their smaller size, and weight.

Next week’s post features adventure ideas for the Battle of Britain home front, and the week following we’ll look at adventures abroad. I hope you enjoy.