Battletech Campaign - The Devil's Aces

Back in March, I made a point that "in the weeks to come, I'll give you folks a rundown on the two [Devil's Aces] campaigns I've produced so far." Well... it's been about 10 weeks since I said that so I technically I'm still in that "weeks to come" time frame! ^_^

The initial self-titled campaign for the Devil's Aces campaign that I wrote was, at its core, a Battletech Level 1 ruleset eleven mission story adventure set during the events of the War of 3039. Couple things to take from that:

1. For leymans, the "Level 1" ruleset is effectively the base ruleset of Battletech as described in Battletech: Total Warfare and utilizing the units available in Technical Readout: 3039. It's pre-Clan Invasion (the introduction of "Level 2"), so hence it features base weapons, single heat sinks, standard armor, etc. For example, there are no pulse lasers. 
2. "Story adventure" - Essentially unlike most of the scenario books, the campaign isn't just about a series of battles intended to recreate an event in the Battletech history. The campaign was designed to challenge players to navigate their way through the overall conflict they would be involved in both on the battlefield and off. Hence, they wouldn't just show up for a battle, their decisions would be the reason they were.
3. "War of 3039" - This relatively small conflict in the overall scope of Battletech was a watershed moment for the course of the game's story. The conflict showed that the burgeoning power of the Federated Commonwealth was not absolute, that Comstar's goals were more than just rumors and conjecture, and that a massive successor state like the Draconis Combine could adapt to face a new, potentially overwhelming threat (with outside help...).

 Above that basis, the campaign was designed to feel less like the overall story was "on rails", to coin a term from video/PC gaming. Between missions, the players would be tasked with both the upkeep of their unit (repairs, modifications, new pilots if needed) and interacting with the major players (NPCs). It goes without saying, the campaign is meant to be GM'd. Over the eleven missions of the campaign, their choices would influence the progress of the battles either for good or for ill.

What about the story though?

The first campaign introduced the Devil's Aces as a down-on-their-luck mercenary unit - dispossessed, on the brink of collapse, about to go under. Their luck would change when they are approached by a corporate liaison named only Mr. Williams who was interested in hiring the Aces for a yet undisclosed mission on behalf of someone he referred to as his "Benefactor". To most mercenary units, so many unknowns would usually mean they'd turn down the contract, but Mr. Williams also offered a company of Battlemechs that the Aces would call their own if they accepted. Too good to be true? Sure, but what did the Aces have to lose?

So they accepted the mission and in the following weeks, they were transported in complete secrecy to a Fedcom staging area. They were tasked with providing support, intelligence gathering, and precision strike capabilities for a secret upcoming offensive to a joint unit consisting of the 42nd Avalon Hussars and the 3rd Lyran Regulars. The entire joint force would be under the operational command of Marshal Edward Valos, commander of the 42nd.

Once the Aces connected up with their new mechs, their dropship The Devil's Hand was loaded onto a jumpship with the other taskforce ships and they headed to their still unknown objective. After a pair of jumps, the taskforce was ordered into invasion status and they made their final jump to their objective - the planet Delacruz deep within the Draconis Combine. The War of 3039 had begun.

Delacruz, a primary trading hub for the sector, would not be an easy target. With only two medium-sized continents, numerous archipelagos, and a mix of mountainous and wet terrain, the planet itself would be difficult for maneuvering. Unfortunately, it was also the home base of the 8th Sword of Light, one of the elite Draconis Combine house units. Split between two bases, located on the main continent at Goi-pa and on the smaller continent at Thune, Valos could afford to have his taskforce split to exploit the 8th's separation and use the Aces to further exploit any weaknesses.

As the players progress, they will see involvement in a number of major battles, but also a number of side missions that support the main force thrusts and maybe some missions the Benefactor deems a better use of their time. Eventually, though, the players will come face to face with the turning point of the War of '39 - the Draconis Combine counterattack and subsequent reveal of their "lostech" Mechs and weapons.

Delacruz would eventually become a battle the Fedcom taskforce would eventually have to retreat from, with little gained for the effort. Still, what part would the Aces play? Holding the line against the resurgent DCMS or perhaps working in the shadows to blunt the DCMS advance? Why did the Benefactor want to be involved with this battle in the first place? What will the endgame be for the Aces?

If you're interested in how this campaign turned out the first time I ran it, I encourage you to check out www.gaspgamer.com and their forums. If you look under Miniatures > Miniatures: Sci-Fi Wargames > Miniatures: Battletech, you'll find a little thread called "The Devil's Aces After-Action Reports" which has a chronicle of how my group played out this campaign.

How does the campaign play?

The campaign is set up as a narrative building from the initial steps of the invasion to the desperate days of the DCMS counterattack. Aside from the actual battles, the campaign encourages both the GM and players to add RPG elements to add depth to the story. On top of that, the players must manage their unit's repair status, skills, and available mechs and the GM has a spreadsheet to help streamline all of this bookkeeping. On top of that, the narrative allows the players to effect their outcome, but reminds them that they are operating in a world with far more powerful, benevolent or malevolent entities who have stakes in this war.

I developed a mission book, a player/campaign tracker spreadsheet, force unit tables, and skill tables. My intent was to keep the story in canon as well. My development sources included Sarna.net, Historical: War of 3039, & TRO: 3039.

Player/Campaign Tracker

Mechwarrior Skills

Force Unit Tables

Missions

If you're interested in possibly running the campaign in your group or some more info on it, please email me or leave a comment below!

Next up? The Aces become embroiled in a shadow war while they themselves are far from home!