Paleo Diet Pulp High Crusade

The team assembled in the transporter.  As usual the Captain was the last to arrive.  He noted that the Science Officer and Chief Engineer were busy collating the landing coordinates.  

A hunting party had been spotted, moving out from the large camp so designated IDA (Involved Dangerous Activities) and unlikely to be missed.  Statistically at least 2 could be of female gender for his more - detailed analysis.  

They were between a male carnivore of a species (smaller were kept as pets, was this a stray?) noted for group hunting, thus unlikely to be dangerous without its pack mates.  The other was a mere herbivore of no significance.

A young security guard.  Going on his first away mission.

"Perchins isn't it?  I served with your father.  On the old Repulse.  I was their when he exploded."

"Yes sir, that's why I asked to serve on Claw of Enterprise."

"Good.  This is our mission.  To boldly go where none have gone before,  To seek out new aliens.  Assess them.  Just remember your training."

"Sir, can I ask - why do we wear bright red?"

This is a re-run with complications of the recent http://unitrecon.blogspot.com/2021/08/palaeo-diet-fireside-tales-goes-bronze.html

This time the hunting party are NPC's rather than the main focus.  I've used a felt divided into squares to determine the landing site.

I pondered what rules to use- Rogue Stars & Flying Lead would have done same if different.

The inspiration is this.  1960. That's a decade before I picked up a bow--.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pJc-3nivYUc

This week we are mostly eating this Australian dessert.  I've never eaten a real joey so I cannot compare.

Away team from Khurasan https://khurasanminiatures.tripod.com/away-team.html

Humans by Museum Miniatures.  Lion by Battle Valour  Boar - I'm not sure.

Paleo Pulp allows for more weapons and personality types than Paleo Diet.

The weapons, pistols, carbines and rifles have short, medium and long ranges with double if aimed.

Characters- the Captain is an Egoist, has to be the first to activate & use 3 dice.

Science officer is a Loner, will never move closer than 1 Short & never partake in group actions.

Each is armed with a pistol and has 2 security officers armed with carbine & rifle.

The shuttle has a junior officer & security armed with pistol and carbine respectively.

The Game.  This is a cooperative game.  As per- I ran the books and Tony rolled all dice.

With a scintillating aurora the away team boldly come.  An archer spots them and yells a warning "Harpies!"  Aliens turning up would send everyone screaming, but a recognised creature of the gods - that means at least one god is watching, so behaving in the approved manner is appropriate.

The Captain advances determined to take the first captive.

The (European/cave) lion advances (reaction to their arrival) and kills the first alien, rending and eating it.

I cheated a bit, all animals and humans use Pack Predators chart.  All the aliens weapons are on Stun and each animal/human need 2 hits to stun.  The first one is going to hurt, make them groggy.  Shooting one allows use of Pelting table.  Aliens likewise take 2 hits.

Before he can shoot, a spearman lays him low with a well aimed throw, then dispatches him.

Not to be outdone, another spearman stalks a redshirt.

Shooting a lion may seem like a good idea.  It's groggy, partially stunned--.

Panic now!  The beast roars in frustration.  Ancient reflexes kick in and they flee.  Groggy, it doesn't pursue.

Embarrassed, a redshirt moves forward and shoots the lion.  It's now stunned-.  It occurred later that ignoring a stunned lion was probably not a good idea.

2 dead for 1 stunned lion.  Result.

Locals get in close.

They get wounded, partially stunned - but not skewered.

The science officer calls down the shuttle.

The boar goes for it, locals retreat.

But not for long, facing possible flanking they press forward.

Guns bark, javelins and arrows fly.

One flees the alien horrors then heads for the shuttle.  The boar attacks the craft, confused it retreats and waits.

The science officers runs for the shuttle but is intercepted by the partially stunned spearman. 

A javelin brings him down, but the pilot, now the senior, well only, officer stuns the spearman.  They got one!

On the other side, the redshirt has stunned the boar.

The archer gains the hill and shoots at the poor redshirts after they stun a second spearman.

The locals get to their fallen comrade - they realise he's only stunned and they advance on the pilot.

Sneaking, well as much as you can in a red shirt.

At last the redshirts subdue the archer on the grassy knoll.

The locals take the pilot and redshirt prisoner.

The other archer roars at the other 2 redshirts and they flee.

That went OK, alien weapons were a bit underpowered/ranged but that reflects the handicap of trying to take prisoners.

Alien armour is designed for beams and bullets, not heavy mass projectiles.

I can see the aliens as armed merchants.  They find a primitive culture then capture a small sample.  Impressing on the primitives their superior technology and weapons, they inform them that they can become slaves or slavers, using same to work factories and mines.  Some will become mercenaries.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f66W4M1k4Kw

Now for the aftermath.