[Modern Firepower] Technothriller gear for secret DHS team in 2017

[Icelander]

Originally Posted by tanksoldier

Gangsters used to carry Tommy guns in violin cases. Doubtful anybody thought they were violinists.

Their covers are supposed to look sketchy, indeed, but in a way that won't invite unnecessary attention. The villagers will probably wonder if the hard looking gringo bodyguards are armed, but even in Mexico, security personnel actually can get licenses to carry weapons (in non-military calibers and with considerable bureaucratic trouble, but it's possible).

The PCs are trying to avoid actually passing through a military or police checkpoint, going so far as to drive off-road around them when their intelligence support tells them one is ahead. Guadalupe isn't supposed to have any police presence at all, but much to the PCs' consternation, there seem to be around a platoon of Mexican Army soldiers quartered in a former gym there. Still, the soldiers aren't patrolling, beyond manning a couple of semi-permanent posts along the road, and seem thoroughly unprofessional.

Originally Posted by tanksoldier

In the environment you describe it's likely that concealment of weapons is superficial by all the regular "players". What are all the locals carrying THEIR rifles around in? Unless your party is trying to look like completely moronic tourists superficial concealability should be fine unless there's some reason the bad guys can do this and your players can't.

Well, the local cartel gunmen were last seen dropping by the gym where the soldiers live in pickup trucks loaded with scantily dressed women and alcoholic beverages. There was loud narcocorrida music playing and they were openly smoking joints, not to mention openly carrying what appeared to be assault rifles, both AKs and ARs.

Then again, the PCs' mission is to find and contact the Jefe of the local Knight Templars cartel, eventually setting up a meeting with him and offfer him a deal. Their covers are meant to enable them to deal with lower ranking members of his organisation (who don't need to know about the deal) and any rival criminals they might encounter.

Originally Posted by tanksoldier

If that IS the case they are NEVER going to outgun or even equal-gun enemies who really don't have to worry about concealing long arms when the players do especially if the olayers have to be able to withstand a search of the vehicle.

Yeah, it sucks when the opposition controls the area and seems to have the local authorities in their pocket.

Originally Posted by tanksoldier

There are some compensations that can be made: Sig MPX or Serbu Super Shorty with folding stocks would fit in a messenger bag or similar but still can't compete with enemies who can carry long arms openly or semi-openly.

Well, the shortest weapon the PCs have is the MP7A1, which is 16.5" long overall when folded. Fits in a laptop bag or attache case.

The Alexander Arms Beowulf SBR fits in a messenger bag too, given the 12" barrel, folding stock (with Law Tactical Folding Stock Adapter) and 21" OAL folded.

The Zastava N-PAP, Colt LE6920 and Bushmaster Carbon 15 rifles, even with after-market folding stocks, really need large rucksacks, gym bags or duffel bags. OAL 25" to 28".

Originally Posted by tanksoldier

You could stash a rifle in the headliner of some trucks, or in a crate in the bed or under the dash but in an ambush that's going to take time to get into action.

As it happens, the custom luxury appointed F-350 that the PCs arrived in was seized from a Legitimate Ethnic Businessman, who had in fact had a secret compartment built into it. To transport the various tools of his legal enterprises, such as pharmaceuticals, stacks of currency, automatic weapons and more exotic wares, without unduly troubling law enforcement or border guards.

One PC also has an absolutely huge piece of luggage with a false bottom built in, made to conceal the Alexander Arms SBR, even from a careful search or scan.

These solutions, however, are specific to a vehicle. I'm looking for solutions for when certain PCs travel by motorcycle or on foot.

Originally Posted by tanksoldier

The way a criminal enterprise or foreign intelligence operation would do it is by subverting someone like your client.

Oh, indeed. The PCs are allegedly working for the US government, but it's an open question whether their bosses have wide legal latitude by super secret presidential finding or whether they are just breaking a whole lot of laws and lying like a rug to any and all representatives of oversight mechanisms.

In Mexico, they certainly represent a foreign intelligence operation and it might well be that their acts are criminal by both US and Mexican laws.

[Icelander]

Originally Posted by Þorkell

Is a briefcase a must? Can it be something like a laptop bag or a messenger bag?

The briefcase is not a hard and fast tactical requirement, no. Let's call it my personal OOC aesthetic, based on the view that we already have a classic messenger bag which the same character could elect to carry.*

I just wanted something that would look different than the other choice, but would still fit well with her motorcycle leathers. I think her colours are black and gold, which means that a black leather attache case would accessorize well.

Also for aesthetic reasons, I'd kind of like the container to be very slim, ideally not more than 3" 'deep' or so. That is, if it's a case. I'm still open to a purse, but I doubt those can be that long. It has to fit a 16.5" long weapon, so that means that the inside has to be this long or longer. That means an outside diameter of slightly more, basically twice the thickness of the material of the case or bag plus the inside diameter. I guess that briefcases are less than half an inch thick, so slightly over 17" to 18" might be a typical outside diameter for something which could fit the MP7A1.

From a realism point of view, she is borrowing the MP7A1 and the carrying method from a male DEVGRU operator, so I'm guessing that it's not a purse. Although it probably wouldn't surprise anyone in his platoon if PO1 Abel Schultz owned a man purse. For most of the other SEALs, it would be a bit of a stretch, however. More likely to be something that wouldn't look out of place when carried by a professional looking man wearing either a suit or business casual clothing.

*I'm hoping she'll find one longarm sufficient when travelling on foot or by racer motorcycle, but I'm not betting on it. Special Agent Ilana Rubio contrived to equip herself with not one, not two, but three longarms in preparation for this mission. One is a personally owned Alexander Arms Beowulf SBR, which would really drive her superiors mad if they knew about it, as it's a FFL subject weapon most likely registered to Ms. Rubio herself (not her current cover ID, though I suppose it's possible that the GM would allow it to be registered to a different cover ID, as part of some prior off-screen operation) and .50 Beowulf bullets aren't exactly so common as to give ballistics technicians nothing to work with.

One is an MP7A1 she borrowed, unofficially, from a Navy SEAL DEVGRU Special Warfare Operator more concerned with survivability of the principals than sterile forensics (and maybe suspectible to a Beautiful woman with real tough guy / fellow warrior credentials and good rapport with SOF), which would similarly give secrecy-obsessed Onyx Rain planners fits if they were aware of it, 4.6x30mm ammunition being tantamount to leaving a calling card saying 'Special Mission Units were here'.

The third is a used Colt LE6920 rifle she bought on the black market in Mexico, apparently so she would have a deniable longarm that she could use without leaving clear forensic evidence of her origin.

Originally Posted by Þorkell

Would something like this Samsonite work? Or this one?

Well, it looks like 16.5" is the outside diameter for both of those, meaning that the MP7A1 either wouldn't fit or would be a very tight fit, which would make accessing it quickly problematic. Though I suppose I could be wrong.

That being said, I object to brown leather on the basis of aesthetics. Black leather fits her gold and black motorcycle leathers much better. And I want something that looks sleek, high-speed, low-drag. Special Agent Rubio's player selected a Moto Guzzi V7 III Stone racer as her personal motorcycle, even when almost anything else would have been more practical, so I think it's been established that she has very specific stylistic preferences.

Imagine something that would appeal to the person who'd drive that motorcycle and who wears a tight leather bodysuit in Almighty Latin Kings and Queens Nation gang colours, complete with stylish* motorcycle helment in the same colours, possibly with a crown motif of some sort.

*To be established later, when the player finally has time to play a session with us. I'll be suggesting such offerings as the Scorpion EXO-R710 California Golden State, Scorpion EXO-T510 Azalea Black Gold Helmet, ICON Airframe Pro COTTONMOUTH Helmet, Gloss Gold Ironman Wolf 3 Custom Helmet Masei 815 Gold Motorcycle Helmet, Masei 830 IRONMAN Gold Chrome Helmet, Premier Trophy Helmet - Carbon NX Gold Chromed, Vega Off Road Ranger Black Gold Helmet, and, of course, the ever popular skull motif, with or without Ghost Rider references.

[Þorkell]

Originally Posted by Icelander

Well, it looks like 16.5" is the outside diameter for both of those, meaning that the MP7A1 either wouldn't fit or would be a very tight fit, which would make accessing it quickly problematic. Though I suppose I could be wrong.

That being said, I object to brown leather on the basis of aesthetics. Black leather fits her gold and black motorcycle leathers much better. And I want something that looks sleek, high-speed, low-drag. Special Agent Rubio's player selected a Moto Guzzi V7 III Stone racer as her personal motorcycle, even when almost anything else would have been more practical, so I think it's been established that she has very specific stylistic preferences.

I was more thinking about the style of the case and neglected to check the dimensions. It seems to me (based on no research whatsoever) that an attache case similar to what you linked to would stand out more in a Mexican border town than something in a similar style to what I pointed to. Besides according to style blogs etc. those square-ish attache cases are sooo out of style...

I picked the brown leather one just because I personally prefer brown leather for my leather goods. Also I had forgotten what color clothing the PC in question was wearing. But cases like in a similar style to what I linked to ought to be available in black as well.

[Icelander]

Originally Posted by Þorkell

I was more thinking about the style of the case and neglected to check the dimensions. It seems to me (based on no research whatsoever) that an attache case similar to what you linked to would stand out more in a Mexican border town than something in a similar style to what I pointed to.

Well, obviously, no sane person would try to be inconspicious in a Mexican border village while riding a flashy racer motorcycle, dressed in in form-fitting leather bodysuit in gang colours and wearing a motorcycle helmet out of an Army of Two DLC swag catalogue.

Ilana Rubio is highly functional for a former Project Jade Serenity test subject, seeing as she's neither in prison or a mental institution, nor is she on the run from the US government, but she's not entirely without her little peccadillos. Like a serious adrenaline addiction and a towering opinion of her own competence, even higher than her supersoldier abilities justify. Risk-seeking behaviour, probably pathological, as will become evident when she is formally introduced in the upcoming Jade Serenity S2: Once Upon a Time in Mexico.

A more sane way to conceal a personal defence weapon in a poor, rural area of Mexico would be to carry it in a shoulder rig under a loose, fairly shapeless item of clothing, something exactly like a poncho, in fact...

Clearly, by dressing in form fitting clothing, Ms. Rubio delights those who appreciate the female form, but she is doing her ability to pass unnoticed or to conceal anything no particular favours.

That being said, it's important to note that the container for the MP7A1 is not designed to be used in a Mexican village. It was designed for unobstrusive VIP bodyguard duties or providing security to technical intelligence collectors or HUMINT case officers in places like Baghdad, Basra, Kabul, Kandahar, Karachi, Lahore, Peshawar, Islamabad, Tehran, Aleppo, Damascus, Beirut, Amman, Sana'a, Aden, Algiers, Casablanca, Marrakesh, Tripoli, Benghazi, Cairo, Alexandria, Dakar, Lagos, Nairobi, Mombasa, Addis Ababa, Mogadishu, Djibouti, Khartoum-Omdurman, Mexico City, San Salvador, Tegucigalpa, Bogotá, Medellín, Lima, Caracas, Buenos Aires, Sao Paolo, Ciudad del Este, etc.

She's just borrowing the case (or bag, purse or whatever) along with the weapon, because it happens to be among the equipment available to the DEVGRU personnel deployed to Fort Bliss in preparation for this mission. The SEALS themselves are probably going to be dressed in more appropriate clothes for rural Mexico, complete with baggy ponchos that allow them to conceal their weapons, if necessary.

But then, they are not PCs and thus presumed to be rather more mentally stable. No 'failed/suprise success' supersoldier experiments in their past.

Originally Posted by Þorkell

Besides according to style blogs etc. those square-ish attache cases are sooo out of style...

That is indeed a serious concern.

If so, it is certain that it would not have been PO1 Abel Schultz who lent her the weapon, at least not in an outdated and unfashionable case. Though possibly there is a logistics officer somewhere along the line who bought several cases as a unit purchase, in order to modify them for covert carry of MP7A1s, and that character did not have Fashion Sense and just wanted an updated version of the MP5K briefcase, so he opted for the same shape.

Personally, I like the squarish, classic attache case shape, at least if it's really slim. But I am open to any 'modern' design that appeals to my aesthetic sensibilities. Not to mention that Ms. Rubio's player may favour a different design* than I would, so it's good to explore options.

*Though, somehow, his preferences are not strong enough to find pictures of every piece of gear his character carries. They are, however, strong enough to object if the ones I pick aren't pretty enough.

Originally Posted by Þorkell

I picked the brown leather one just because I personally prefer brown leather for my leather goods. Also I had forgotten what color clothing the PC in question was wearing. But cases like in a similar style to what I linked to ought to be available in black as well.

Well, in real-world, logical terms, the specific case design would have been chosen by JSOC, or by this the specific platoon of DEVGRU's Black Squadron, to be unremarkable when carried by suit-clad men in a wide variety of Third World metropolises.

Most people don't connect a briefcase carried by a man in a business suit with a gun, whereas a dufffel bag carried by the same man might as well be clearly marked 'for shooting people'.

But, I confess that I have no idea what kind of briefcase design would be fashionable. Personally, a carry a beat-up ten year old synthetic fabric and plastic laptop bag as a briefcase, even though I own like two leather briefcases that look much like the ones you linked to.*

What are the cool, suits- and sunglasses-wearing guys in Lagos or Mexico City carrying as their briefcases? Assuming it fits at least something 16.5" x 8" x 2.2", that is.

*I don't know what it is, I don't like the looks or feel of these irregularly shaped leather ones. C'mon briefcases! If you are going to be made of leather, have the decency to look classy and old-fashioned, like a traditional attache case. If you don't have any self-respect and are going to be shaped like a pillow, then you can just be made from some synthetic fabric, like my own ugly-looking thing.

[Þorkell]

Originally Posted by Icelander

But, I confess that I have no idea what kind of briefcase design would be fashionable. Personally, a carry a beat-up ten year old synthetic fabric and plastic laptop bag as a briefcase, even though I own like two leather briefcases that look much like the ones you linked to.*

What are the cool, suits- and sunglasses-wearing guys in Lagos or Mexico City carrying as their briefcases? Assuming it fits at least something 16.5" x 8" x 2.2", that is.

While I can't answer for the cool guys in Lagos or Mexico City, the same sources as previously (style blogs etc.) suggest something like this, this, or this for the modern stylish businessman on go who needs a briefcase.

[Icelander]

Originally Posted by Þorkell

While I can't answer for the cool guys in Lagos or Mexico City, the same sources as previously (style blogs etc.) suggest something like this, this, or this for the modern stylish businessman on go who needs a briefcase.

My first thought was that the first one, the Lotuff Bridle Compass Lock, doesn't look that bad for a briefcase that's not classical in shape. Then I realised that this probably has something to do with the fact it costs almost three thousand dollars. You'd have to try quite hard to ensure that the weapon you kept in there was more expensive than the case. :-)

By contrast, the fake leather S-ZONE is less than $50 and only slightly ugliers. Well, no, it's actually a lot uglier, but from a distance, it might pass. The LederMann Companion is at a reasonable price point, $350, but, of course, in that brown leather and buckles design that suggests saddles 'n' boots and cowboys who are frequently, secretly, fond of each other to me.

Worryingly, not one of them will fit an object 16.5" long without problems. This suggests to me that fashionable, stylish briefcases are usually not that long, with internal dimensions of 14" to 15" being more common. Of course, with the barrel angled downward, the MP7A1 will probably fit in a slightly shorter case, but it might be harder to draw quickly if the case is so small compared to the length of the weapon.

[Agemegos]

How about the "hard-sided leather briefcase" from Saddleback Leather?

[Icelander]

Originally Posted by Agemegos

How about the "hard-sided leather briefcase" from Saddleback Leather?

It certainly meets every requirement, though I imagine that a hypothetical JSOC supply NCO might consider the price fairly steep. That is easily explained away, by deciding that the specific case is a personal purchase by a style-conscious DEVGRU operator, and only an MP7A1 scabbard insert and other minor modifications were unit purchases.

I suppose it boils down to whether people believe that the Saddleback is cool and fashionable? What do the forumites say?

Would it accessorize with a skin-tight black and gold leather bodysuit and a full-face motorcycle helmet?

Come to think of it, I think she also has a 'casual' outfit of tight leather pants, tank top and leather jacket, also in Almighty Latin Kings and Queens Nation black and gold colours.

Depending on the player's taste, she may also have brought jeans and some slightly frillier tops, and she has some exercise clothes as well, but probably wouldn't wear her comfortable sweatpants, running shorts or MMA gear in public.

Special Agent Ilana Rubio

Even though the original owner wouldn't have selected his briefcase with Special Agent Rubio's wardrobe in mind, I imagine that she would have been able to befriend more than one member of the SEAL platoon during the planning phase, allowing her some choice in what kind of container the personal defence weapon she eventually borrowed came in.

[Þorkell]

Originally Posted by Icelander

Would it accessorize with a skin-tight black and gold leather bodysuit and a full-face motorcycle helmet?

It's not like the fashion police would intervene if the selected case didn't accessorize perfectly with the outfit.

[Icelander]

Originally Posted by Þorkell

It's not like the fashion police would intervene if the selected case didn't accessorize perfectly with the outfit.

In-setting, you are, of course, right. No one other than Agent Rubio is likely to care how well her belongings accessorize with her outfit. It certainly won't have operational ramifications.

On the other hand, the player of Special Agent Rubio might well object to my choice of an accessory for his character which clashed with his outfit, when next we play. After all, I have no special authority to force other players to accept my rulings on equipment, just an incredible level of dedication to the procrastination of real life stuff, which allows me to spend hours online equipping and dressing fictional characters, not to mention writing up their adventures.

Maybe the player would delay our start while he looked for an alternative that was more flattering to his character. Not being the GM, I couldn't gore him with my Viking Hat and, I'm sure, the actual GM is far too polite for goring. There might be time-vasting Googling, comparisons involving other players and, at absolute worst, the PC, Ms. Rubio asking, in character, whether the offending briefcase made her hands look mannish or, gasp, somehow contrived to make her posterior appear undesirable in some way.

In the end, the GM would have no alternative other than break up the fashion show by ritually humiliating all the players by humping their buttocks and screeching. It would just be a really ugly scene, all around. I'd much prefer to avoid it.

Deliver satisfaction from the start, make the other players feel good about the fancy, stylish equipment you've chosen for them, making the campaign world just a little bit more immersive and making everyone look cooler than if they were carrying 'Generic Non-Brand-Name Stats', and no one has to get ritually humped.