IW Recon Team

[Ed the Coastie]

Assume an IW game in which travel between worlds is done through the creation of short-lived magical gates. You are putting together a four-man reconnaissance team (one of which must be able to create the gate so you can get back home) to investigate a newly-accessed parallel. The mission is to spend a couple or three days checking out the immediate area around the gateway.

You know the following:

• Only what can be carried on your person can be taken through the gateway. As yet, the technique for creating the gate does not allow for vehicles/animals/wheelbarrows/etc.
• The general local technology is assumed to be roughly equivalent to that possessed by late-medieval Europe. However, there is evidence of at least limited contact with a handful of persons from the mid-20th Century Homeline.
• Due to the lack of the necessary support infrastructure, devices such as cell phones (no cell towers) and GPS units (no satellites) are effectively useless.
• "Classic" weapons such as swords and bows are obviously as effective here as they are on Homeline. However, there is no evidence one way or the other as to the functionality of such modern devices as firearms, radios, etc.

With this in mind, how do you select your team, how do you equip them, and what kind of missions/experiments do you set for them? Remember that they will be returning in 2-3 days, and you want to keep as low a profile as possible, avoiding as much direct contact with the locals as you can.

[Jabani]

Normal mana since there's a magical gate?

[Classic Uncle Sam]

For a low profile I would look to have modern equivalents of what I expect the typical gear would be in that world. I wouldn't be shy about arming the team with "advanced" cross-bows or bows though. For recon this would be best; however, the "advanced" ranged weaponry may cause too much curiosity in town if I planned to venture that far. Give them an outside appearing authentic spyglass with inside cutting-edge goodies.

For ease of use; the fact that they can be hidden fairly safely while out; and with the strong belief that the team will not be found out, I would equip the team with modern survival equipment. Modern tents and the like seems very risky, but MREs, flares, a flint stick, and things like a compass should be okay.

You will need a linguist versed in archaic dialects of Europe

There is some consideration in my mind to give the team cyanide pills just in case they gated to a very terrible place not of our expectation. Didn't the first astronauts have that option too? The gamer in me believes that even if they did show up to the specified world but couldn't gate back, they may later be lucky to use said pills for some political intrigue to their benefit..

[Hannes665]

Originally Posted by Ed the Coastie

Assume an IW game in which travel between worlds is done through the creation of short-lived magical gates. You are putting together a four-man reconnaissance team (one of which must be able to create the gate so you can get back home) to investigate a newly-accessed parallel. The mission is to spend a couple or three days checking out the immediate area around the gateway.

You know the following:

• Only what can be carried on your person can be taken through the gateway. As yet, the technique for creating the gate does not allow for vehicles/animals/wheelbarrows/etc.
• The general local technology is assumed to be roughly equivalent to that possessed by late-medieval Europe. However, there is evidence of at least limited contact with a handful of persons from the mid-20th Century Homeline.
• Due to the lack of the necessary support infrastructure, devices such as cell phones (no cell towers) and GPS units (no satellites) are effectively useless.
• "Classic" weapons such as swords and bows are obviously as effective here as they are on Homeline. However, there is no evidence one way or the other as to the functionality of such modern devices as firearms, radios, etc.

With this in mind, how do you select your team, how do you equip them, and what kind of missions/experiments do you set for them? Remember that they will be returning in 2-3 days, and you want to keep as low a profile as possible, avoiding as much direct contact with the locals as you can.

Have you seen the Stargate SG-1 series?

You could build the team up like them. Instead of Dr. Jackson Scientific expert you would have a Mage that could re-open the gate.

1. Team leader - Spec ops, good survivalist, can handle himself in combat.
2. 2nd in command. - Also military. Expert in ancient warfare and weapons.
3. Specialist. Civilian with basic military training and survival. History expert and so on, any specialties needed. Geology and similar specialties would help.
4. The Mage. Expert in gate travel. Knows few spells that could help, mapmaker and so on.

Equipment.

Light weapons like SMG´s, pistols, rifles, knifes. Some may carry crossbow and even swords to blend in.
Light combat tactical vests. military fatigues, extra clothes for various environments, short range radios, rations for 7 days (double what is needed), basic camping gear, surveyor gear, cameras, telescopes and gold for local trait.