Children the Soviet Union, Sellswords of the EastWelcome to this /qst/. In this quests you are going to be a private military company (PMC) during the early 2000s / Global War on Terror era. You will start with just some seed money and a few "Main Characters" with "Extraordinary" stats. The plan for now is just that you will be running the corporation, getting contracts, and picking from a few options for missions, contracts, or tactics during contracts. If the players want to branch out or pivot, we will do it.I looked over a lot of settings and dug up as many systems as I could, so I'm not walking on ice so much as dried concrete; but I didn't find all I needed so we are still testing some things.Why should I play?Because this will be my third /qst/ in this setting for this year. You stand on the shoulders of one of them, and another might stand on your shoulders or get a soft retcon. Anything you do could alter, damage, or shift the setting for better or worse.If you're a fan of MGS, Merc 2000, GURPS Mercenaries, or Tom Clancy; I might just be the questmaster for you.What is the catch?For good or bad, like those settings above, I need to drop some lore onto you.
"I'm not stupid, nor am I blind to the world.""This is The Guardian and I am Ian Traynor, reporting from Moscow.""If you could see what I could see, and you suffered as I suffered, you would understand.""For those of you not caught up, the situation in Moscow is startling. It's a new millennium and the people are far from optimistic.""You would have my doubts about the virtues of man and of power.""The economy has been in getting worse and worse for over a decade now, and it started before he Soviet Union even began to fall. The murder rate has skyrocketed, unemployment has been very high, and inflation is unlike anything I've ever seen."The sound of static as a channel was changed. Now it was Cable News Network, Inc."Well, for our viewers who are busy. Can you give us something a bit punchy? What do we need to know now?""Susan, crime is as bad as the days of Al Capone and the mobsters, complete with automatic weapons. Unemployment is like the Great Depression, and inflation is worse than anything the US has ever seen, closer to Germany during the 1930s. People won't even accept money, they pay for things in barter or vodka. Factory workers quit or are paid in whatever they are making, I saw a woman with a wheel barrow full of ash trays."The sound of static again and the then another channel, this time a Russian major channel like ORT or RTR."Grigory Yavlinsky should not be allowed to get his gay little hands on the Presidency, he is a puppet of the Jews and won't protect us from the Muslims, the Chechens, or the Gypsies. More static, New York Times."Putin still hasn't participated in any television debates or listed out any concrete economic policies or solutions. Our best guess is that the wall to wall positive coverage he gets, and all the attack ads against his opposition might carry him to the Presidency.""But you can trust me. I get what is mine and I look out for my people. I am not preoccupied with physical things. BMWs and summer villas. I understand that you need to eat now, you need to make rent now. I know this."More clicking, more static, the sound of the top of the hour British Broadcasting Corporation report on the Russian election."They're calling him "The Lawman". Senior Detektiv Pretashinko is a black horse in Russian politics, managing to have somehow gotten the liberals, libertarians, and moderate opposition to back him. He's got a moderate law enforcement and security background, and he's pulling voters from the Communist party because of his leftist reputation."But he's too new to politics to break the wall to wall coverage for Putin, right?""I don't know Laura."
>>>Chose your first eXtra-Ordinary Character! First to 3 or most in 24 hours! If we get a lot of votes, we might get a second XC!Be aware that if you pick a XC who isn't the best pick for running a company, you still get a bonus to recruiting from that region and you might start off with countrymen. So make a decision, do you want a guy good for running the company, or good for leading in battle or recruiting the kind of men you want?IndianThere is a pool of Indian veterans that have peacekeeping and counterinsurgency experience. They're not to the same standards as Spetsnaz or Green Berets, but 80% of people in the world with guns are idiots who can barely read.You get a +1 to tasks involving Education, Personal Endurance, and Social Interactions.UkrainianOne of the poorest nations in Europe, but still a "second world nation" with reasonable education standards. The military is generally underfunded and shit, but a small fraction are skilled professionals. The stereotype is that they are the mechanics and pilots of regimes in Africa.You get a +1 to tasks involving Education, and +2 to tasks involving Personal Enduranceor You get a +2 to tasks involving Education, and +1 to tasks involving Personal EnduranceCentral AsiansOut of the four locations, Central Asia is the poorest and it's full of wilderness, mountains, and deserts. You get a +1 to tasks involving Perception, and Personal Endurance; but a +2 to task involving Wilderness Survival (Including hiding, tracking, and looking around in wilderness).RussiansThe Russian mercenary has spent time either as a commando/recon unit in Central Asia or as counterterrorism within Russia. They have grit and a grim outlook on the world. You get a +1 to tasks involving Initiative or Reflexes, Personal Endurance and Perception, but +2 to Toughness
>>6482435>UkrainianDaughter gets trafficked in Epstein ring, son become gay Nazi that dies in a war for Israel.
>>6482435>Central asiantime for Cossack Larp as Mongols
>>6482435>Central Asians
>>6482435>Central AsiansWe will rule the steppes.
>>6482517>>6482523>>6482544Central Asia locked in. If we get more people, we can get more XCs, otherwise, you are free to ask questions and I am free to update the qst.
CNNSusan we are hearing that there is unusually high voter turnout in the remote provinces, which extraordinary high numbers for Putin.Static and the flipping of channels. A man whose suit appears to be a few hours into a party, but his face and posture say that the party is over, in other words, he looks distraught. NBC News. "Tom, remember those accusations that the security forces, the ones that were stumbled upon doing a training exercise? The ones involving explosives and buildings? Well, the opposition is saying they prevented and arrested two FSB teams, the same organization Putin is from, back in September.Are you okay? What seems to be the problem?The other reporter grabs the camera, like it's the sides of someone's face. Tom, we are hearing protests outside and their have been reports of gunfire out in the remote provinces. My sources have been calling me telling me that minorities are clashing with the authorities and their local security units are deserting or trying to come home to desert.Is that what is making you feel unsafe? Robert?One of us looked out our window and we saw a suspicious men with great coats moving up and down the street, and one of them accidently flashed what seemed to be an AK-47. Could be terrorists, could be a civil-war... Tom, I am not a conflict reporter, none of us are. We need to get out of here.Static and the flipping of channels."Actions speak louder than words. Silver actions are better than silver words. When the situation is bad, you have to triage, and someone has to die, otherwise, everyone dies. I regret that, and I should, but I should not be condemned for that. Nor should that be a light burden."The exit polls are so close that we don't know yet who exactly the winner is, but it's a toss up between Putin and the Pretashinko.Static and clicking, static and clicking, another station, a Russian station."Obviously, as we all know, Pretashinko openly works with hookers, homosexuals, and drug users. He's a homosexualized westernized, shill for the Jews. He claims he's tough on crime and yet he ignores the sex trade, and he's a previous heroin user. That's why voters are rejecting him in mass."It would've been hard on her, but you should've killed me or killed us both.... I will make you suffer for killing just her and leaving me alive.....British Broadcasting Corporation"Laura our informants tell us that it's likely, maybe even very likely, that Pretashinko slightly won this election. It's very very close, so we aren't 100% sure, but it's more likely than any other outcome. We're also hearing whispers that the Communist party is considering conceding the election to Pretashinko.
Time passes"Laura, I don't know what is happening, we have to leave. We're being ejected from Moscow. We started getting more and more reports that Pretashink won, and now... Laura, they're putting bags on our heads... They're outside and they're arresting all of us, I don't know where they're taking us....." The sound of loud, automatic gunfire and screaming. The camera is dropped or placed on a surface. More gunfire and more screaming. The footage is cut off."I overcame smoking, for her... I overcame losing her, I overcame the heroin... Anything else will be easier. I have already climbed the mountain. I will not be silent any longer. My will, will be law.Time passes, the footage comes back. The reporter from before is sitting in some dark room with only a single lightbulb on."Masked men in great coats, automatic weapons, and body armor attacked the security agents that arrested us in a violent ambush. Both sides are reinforcing and it's very ugly out there. The masked men are taking causalities, but they are dragging their wounded into safety and where some fall, more take their place. I've never seen anything like it... It feels like everything is falling apart." Static, time passes. The sound of a man talking and yelling in Russian. The camera pivots to him, a masked man in a great coat with an armband of green, blue, and red. He is arguing with the translator and pointing, holding his automatic rifle with a loose other hand. An older man in a great coat and glasses comes from around a corner, checking the hallways with a pistol as large as his head with a stock. As soon as he sees the camera, he says something in Russian to the other man loudly and then steps closer to the camera."I speak English, but with bad pro-noun.... I speak English badly, but you will have to forgive me." His hand goes to his chest. "I am Pretashinko. He seems to be shaking a bit, but he has a brave face on. His hands go behind his back. The man looks barely old enough to be the President of Russia. "We will escort you to the Airport or some means of extraction." He shakes a few hands and gives a hands up to the camera. "Thank you for your honest coverage of the election. It was rather rude at times, but at least it was honest. I wish you all well and hope we all live."
https://youtu.be/99pzLrtsfXk?si=6fI91PbR028J9BGSButtons clicking, the flipping from station to station. It stops on NTV, one of the independent stations of Russia.The anchor launches into this angry, spit laden vitriol about how Gregori Pretashink absolutely won and how the world should condemn the Russian state for cheating. The channel flips back and forth between independent and mass media stations, both sides are condemning each other of lying, cheating, stealing, kidnapping, murder, and having STDs. Things are said about peoples mothers.--Time passes. The anchor slams his fist on the table and continues in furious Russian. The channel flips and flips, it stops on the BBC again.A box in the corner of the television that says "NTV English" and a scrolling text on the bottom that says "This is being send to us from NTV and we do not endorse any statements reported as fact. This is merely an opinion."All across the nation, the people are rising up! Supporters of the legitimate president are fighting their way to the Kremlin right now!"Time passes. "The corrupt regime has legions upon legions of criminal elites guarding the Kremlin but they have taken heavy losses and been forced to shell train stations, highways, stores, and buildings with children in them, in their desperate bid to all be arrested for their crimes against the Russian people!"The channel flips and flips, before time passes.CNN"The Miracle at the Junction, has resulted in Major Petrov leading his ragtag band of conscripts and poorly funded internal security troops to fight the Kremlin forces to a draw. Volunteers are dragging the wounded to cover and taking their place.Static, flipping of channels.NBC"Tom, to the surprise of everyone, the Communists have not only declared Pretashinko to be quote 'The legitimate, although Revisionist, president... But they are pledging their support and taking up arms to install him into office."Time passes."Tom, update on that Russia situation. Aleksandr Lebed, who ran for president years ago and did very well, but he came in third place, is pledging support to the new regime and mobilizing VDV, paratroopers, loyal to him, to start storming government positions."
Months, maybe years pass. PBS. An African American woman sits behind a vest, calmer than many of the reporters before."What is known as The Russian Restoration, among popular circles, has propelled the Pretashino regime into power. Months of research and interviews have allowed us to have heavy suspicion that beyond the public arrests and trials, there have been private arrests and execution. We also have confirmed that figures on both sides have been assassinated. ""I said that I would fix things as best as I could. Well, I am doing it. My hands will never be clean, but standing and letting injustice happen, standing and letting people starve and be sold into slavery... How is that clean hands?"It has been confirmed that many of the current members of the new Afganistan government are indeed supported or backed by the Russian government. Their special forces not only participated in that invasion, but they are confirmed to be present in Liberia leading and training militias to topple Charles Taylor. The factions they backed have a better reputation for a regime rife with soldiers and militias make their money from kidnapping and theft."The television cuts to footage of Arabs in military uniforms and AK-47s walking along men in blue grey Russian uniforms and balaclava ski-masks."The Russian backed ''Democratic Autonomous Administration of Iraq'' emerged from an expansion of the previous Autonomous "Kurdistan Regional Government", resulting in a more multiethnic and larger parallel government to the Iraqi Interim Government known as the Coalition Provisional Authority. Both sides are comparable in territory control and accuse each other of undermining the security situation.
Wow that was a lot of lore.>>6482587Time to playWe are still accepting more players, and if we get more players we can get another XC. >>What does any of this have to do with us?>>What is our situation?We are a small private military contracting firm, that has been doing small contracts and local security work, along with trying to save up money, build up credit, and get approval from local authorities.We have 4.7 million USD equivalent, likely in USD to protect it from inflation. We don't have a main base, we don't have a lobbying firm, we don't have a team of lawyers, and we don't have authorization to buy anything civilians can't get. We don't even have a serious HQ and so we mostly use radios that are carried by pickup-trucks or men.We need to hire at least 100 infantry to win anything but the smallest contracts. That would also require us to hire a medium lift propeller aircraft, with mercenary markup, for a whole month, in order to transport in 100 men. That would cost us 200,000 Dollars.I will now be listing our places we can try and get contracts, and then I will pivot to listing who we can hire.
>>6482696The most important thing about PMC work, is that it requires a place where a lot of money can be extracted, but there is a lot of violence in the way, and the people "in charge of the area" have enough brains to realize the problem and solution. However, if making money from diamonds or child labor mines is TOO EASY, you have endless groups fighting like in the DRC.Contract SitesIraqIraq is a place that is very unstable and dangerous, and replete with natural oil wealth and expensive machinery that needs to be guarded. While there is plenty of local forces of one of the two "legitimate states" guarding the area, along with tons of Americans, there is still room for more security in the area.The problem is that it's crazy dangerous and crawling with super dangerous militias of various alignments. Maybe we should work ourselves up to that point.Central Asia is a bit too resource poor and it's normally controlled with an Iron Fist, however, we're new, we're a bit desperate and well...Kyrgyzstan (The Tulip Revolution)To quote the newspapers, "In March 2005, mass protests over disputed elections toppled President Askar Akayev—marking the first violent/popular overthrow of a head of state in post-Soviet Central Asia".The local area is more unstable now and we if we're trying to stay alive, this could be a place to get some experience. Maybe we could get a short contract or have low enough overhead for this to support us.Uzbekistan (The Andijan Massacre):Again, to read the headlines."In May 2005, government forces opened fire on hundreds of protesters and escaped prisoners in Andijan, killing hundreds. The event caused a major diplomatic rupture with the West and led Uzbekistan to expel the U.S. military from the Karshi-Khanabad airbase.The current regime in Russia has also disavowed the current regime, declared war, and is reported to have special forces in the area. We could work for either side or we could try and lobby for a "privateer license" to be authorized to attack enemies of Russia.We could also get a contract to protect NGOS or UN people. Maybe a western mining firm will pay us to protect their shit?--AfganistanThere is also Afganistan, where the people we might need to fight are the most illiterate and we could get paid by the Russians or some mining company, so we don't have to deal with the Northern Alliance scamming us out of our pay. It's the most rural and remote place, the least civilized technically, but also again, we get to fight people who can't read and maybe even can't aim.
We have 4.7 million USD.Possible transport costsIf we go over 50 infantry employees, we need to hire a mercenary Ukrainian pilot and plane team for 200,000 USD. If we go over 100 infantry equivalent weight, we need to hire another pilot and plane team.Cost of livingThe cost of living is about half in okay parts of Russia or nicer parts of Central Asia, which means a comfortable middle class life costs about 20,000 USD a year.Infantry employees are hired in batches of ten, typically squads or "groups".Employee choices>>ProfessionalsA team of ten Professional infantry contractors would cost us 180,000 USD if we hired them for 6 months and 310,000 if we hired them for a year. That includes better gear and these men would be paid better than officers in the Russian army. They would be 200% percent as powerful regular "Battle-Ready" men.Long-service professional soldiers, or troops from warrior backgrounds that emphasize early and realistic combat training. [Standard: US infantry after all their infantry-specific training. Russian infantry with more training or experience can reach this level.] [FFT3 (Average): Average troops are adequately trained, reasonably well-led, and effective, often with some combat experience. This describes most first-world regulars and NATO standing forces.[/i]>>Battle ReadyBattle Ready, being something the Russian ground forces struggle to be, but their VDV can pull off much more easily.The mass of ordinary soldiers. This can include decently trained and led conscripts; long-service soldiers in a force with indifferent leadership, training, or morale; and enthusiastic and skilled part-time militia. [Standard: The floor for second world professionals and first world professionals meant for support roles. Third-world troops with regular pay and more time under drill or experience can reach this level.] [FFT3 (Fair): Fair troops have some military training and may have limited combat experience, but may be lacking in skills, motivation, or leadership. Multiply Fair stands’ point cost by 0.75 (1).]Cost: A batch of ten would cost 110,000 for 6 months, but 180,000 if we hired them for a whole year---TrucksTrucks would cost us 50,000 USD for a year, for two of them, including buying the trucks, training guys to drive them, and paying for maintenance. Two can drive a group around.Big "1 ton" trucks cost about the same over the course of a year, but are bigger targets, but also better for moving logistics.Draft TeamA group of teamsters and beasts would cost us 10,000, but allow us to move a heavy weapon, the kit of 20 men, or a wagon with 10 men in it.
I was rushing because I had to make dinner, my bad.>>6482706Heavy Machine GunsEnough HMGs, likely one or two, to equal the firepower of ten men, costs the same as hiring ten men. However, we save money over time, provided we have the licenses and can transport them.They are slow to setup and can't do recon, but have twice the range of regular men and enough firepower to cancel out penalties for firing from moving vehicles. LicensesIt would cost us 1.5 million USD to be allowed to have automatic weapons and the rights to transport them. We don't get any automatic weapons, that's just licensees, regulation, lawyers fees, and bribery.
Choice Time!You now need to decide who you will hire, what vehicles or weapons or licenses you will buy, and so on.Or you can decide where you want to setup operations.Or both.If you vote for it, we can have a class system for our Main Character, but I avoided that so we didn't get bogged down.
>>6482709To get this discussion going I will propose:4 groups of professionals for 1 year (310k x 4 = 1.240k) (40 professional soldiers) 4 groups of battle ready for 1 year(180k x 4 = 720k) (40 battle ready soldiers)Troop cost for 1 year 1.240k + 720k = 1.960k (Remaining funds 4.700k - 1.960k = 2.740k)16 trucks, enough to make each group sorta mobile (16 x 50k = 800k) (2.740k-800k=1.960k Remaining funds)TBC
>>6483953Now I'm just spitballing how to integrate HMGS.I guess that an HMG can be integrated into a unit but adds to logistics. Do HMGs require separate transport from "group" transport?Is there a penalty for not having independent tranport?Would it be a good idea to have one or two mobile HMG groups to support other units?These questions are about both rules and operations so I hope the first set of anons respond with their ideas.
>>6483957Anyway, my proposed 80 man 16 truck force doesn't meet the minimum 100 man force. Licensing for HMGs is probably out of our price range for the moment, though we could drop professionals for battle ready to make up numbers and add fire power.Hope others have input on this.I propose >Uzbekistan Let's get our operation in order and see what opportunities await.
>>6483960>>6483957>>6483953Woah, wtf? I'm glad I checked on this just in case.
>>6483957HMG teams are the minimal size (3 or 4 men) to move a single HMG, often a 12.7mm HMG. They are man-portable, but move at 1/2th to 1/3rd the speed of regular infantry. They are expensive, but cheapish compared to hiring another 7 men for a year.Each HMG takes up at least one truck, but trucks are usually bought in groups of two. They are also often lacking a bed, like a UAZ, or an old fashioned Jeep. Toyota Hilux's are kinda small too and their cabin only seats a single passenger. An HMG is crewed by like 3 or 4 guys, so that soaks up a lot of passenger space. A truck comes with it's own driver and possibly it's own mechanic. Two trucks with HMGs could carry half a group of infantry amongst both of them.
Rolled 99, 11 = 110 (2d100)>>6483960Rolling for the quality of your jobs available.
Mazar-i-Sharif / Northern AfghanistanYou land closest to the border with Afganistan, and you have to not tell anyone right away what you are carrying with your flights. You show up with a mixture of hunting rifles, semi-automatic rifles, tactical semi-automatic rifles (maybe), shotguns, and whatever weapons your recruits brought with them, but didn't tell anyone. Getting uniforms and for the Professionals who insist upon it, body armor that isn't just rated against pistols, wasn't terribly hard or requiring a lot of paperwork or money.You don't have 100 infantry or equivalent, and so you end up with small contracts. However, you are a bit more lucky. Contracts are sorted by lowest pay to highest>>ContractsRussian "Privateer License" (Letters of Marque from Moscow)You will have to pay a considerable sum to them. You then will have to follow the contract and keep them updated, if you want the full payout, which will take the entire year. You won't get anything until half a year passes, and that will be only 25% of the total payout after the lisense (500,000 USD).Payout, After License: 2 million USD after 1 year (170,000~ a month)Expectations: You will not talk to anyone about who your client is until 3 years have passed. Maximum payout assumes you are capturing POWs and enemy logistics, and then turning them over to Moscow, so they can inspect them and hand them over to a Uzbekistan resistance.You will have to be fighting every single month to get the full contract. There is spacing and timing for men to be rotated or get R&R, but that's about it. You will also likely be supplied with logistics, if possible, based on the tempo of your aggression.Western Resource Corporation SecurityThere are some limited gold deposits and natural gas fields. They are not that big, but they are big enough to pay to secure them. Your job is to prevent looting and/or the two sides of the civil-war from seizing or destroying the infrastructure, on top of killing or kidnapping the workers, engineers, and technicians. Payout: 50,000 a month, but you get an additional 150,000 at the end of the year, assuming no damage at all happens. You get 100,000 a month if you can instead, buy enough time for them to move all the expensive stuff out via airfield.Expectations: Unknown except what is stated above.One last contract but I need to make dinner I think
International NGO EscortThe client is a group of NGOs that are paying together. They want you to spend part of your time guarding refugee corridors, guarding the distribution of food or medicine aid, with occasional guarding of convoys. If there are looters in the area, you will be asked to deter them. The same goes for bands of murderers or rapists. You will be provided rubberized batons, riot shields, tear gas, gas-masks, and rubber bullets/shotgun slugsPayment: 170,000~ a monthExpectations: It could make you look really good or bad, depending on how it goes. You will likely have to get into fist fights and things like that. There is the possibility that one of the sides of the civil-wars shows up and tries to do a massacre, or the refugees include Islamic extremists. >>Pick a Contract! First to 3 or most in 24 hours!
The company had a minor merger, during it's formation, with a smaller PMC that failed to fully form. Said firm was a Central Asia one with a 1 year contract for 10 Central Asian "Professionals", 10 Central Asian "Battle-Ready", and 4 trucks. Expense was around 600,000 USD, already spent, but having to be made up.That brings the PMC up to the needed 100 employees.
