Tags: Special Forces, Modern Military, Anti-Terrorism, Tactical Squad Shooter, Alternate History
Brief Role-play Summary
Hello, and welcome to Global Ops, an anti-terrorism RP featuring a fictional counter-terroist organisation known as R.E.S.C.U.E (Rescue, Extraction, Security, Covert and Unilateral Executive). The organisation is privately funded by a former oil oligarch, who has dedicated his life to resolving terrorist situations in countries the wider world will dare not involve itself with. Operating from a fleet of warships with no official flag, R.E.S.C.U.E is above the law of many countries, and are the people who are first called when a situation cannot be resolved locally.
Players assume command of a fireteam, or squad, within R.E.S.C.U.E, and with other players, embark upon dangerous counter-terrorism missions. Whether evacuating hostages from IS in Iraq and Syria, or fighting Boko Haram in the rugged Nigerian highlands, no mission is too controversial for R.E.S.C.U.E, and no mission is beyond them… if the price is right.
I am not the smartest or the most well informed person, but I do try. So I'd politely ask that you take a leap of not-caring against the story's more... unrealistic points.
Background
A rich man's daughter is murdered, he tries to kill himself, fails, awakens angry and founds a Private Military Company to exact revenge. Gets arrested for war crimes, but as his results are quite staggering, the international community secretly releases him to continue his work. Through religious conversion, he refocuses his PMC from revenge to more noble causes, such as hostage rescue.
A Rich Man, A Dead Daughter
In 2013, Elisaveta Maximovna, daughter and only child to the multi-billionaire oil oligarch Savenkov Maximovna, is captured by Somali pirates as her and her friends attempt to sale around the world, with hopes of breaking the current world title.
Despite paying the hefty ransom fee (10,247,592,078 Russian rubles), Elisaveta is not returned, and her captors demand further payment. Unsure of her wellbeing, and whether the pirates would really release her, Savenkov appealed first to the Russian government to secure her release through other means. This they rejected, citing their attitude against foreign intervention, despite the ongoing Ukrainian Crisis.
Savenkov, without options, then paid the pirates a further 400,000,000 rubles. His daughter’s safe return was not forth coming, and so naturally he offered his money to anyone who would take up the mission. All foreign governments shunned him however, due to his Russian heritage and the Ukrainian scandal that was throwing his home nation’s international standing into the toilet.
The pirates, upon hearing of Savenkov’s plans to fund a mercenary team to extract his daughter from Somalia, were outraged.
Elisaveta’s rape, torture and subsequential beheading was recorded live, and posted on every social media outlet possible. Her broken body was then handed over to Kenyan authorities, from where it was passed on back to Russia. Savenkov shot himself in the head, on hearing the news. But he did not die.
Missing the vital parts of his brain by mere millimetres, Savenkov recovered from his self-sustained injury in less than a year. Once back on his feet, the oligarch was a changed man, filled with hatred and vengeance. He took it upon himself to put an end to all the bad people of the world, starting with his original tormentors.
R.E.S.C.U.E Origins
Ever since Sarenkov had awoken from his medically induced coma, he had been plotting his next purpose in life. Over the course of 2014, he sold his shares in his oil business group, OilTec, along with all of his properties and other financial valuables. With an almost unlimited amount of money to his name, Sarenkov moved quickly to bribe Russian officials into giving him a PMC (Private Military Company) permit.
By the time Sarenkov had been through physical rehabilitation, a Pauk-class corvette, purchased from the Bulgarian Navy, had arrived in Russia to begin a multi-million dollar refit. Whilst this was taking place, he actively sought to hire mercenaries from all over the world, who were willing to “take the fight back to the bandits, the perverse and the evil”. The money he offered brought a long list of potential candidates to his cause, and he accepted them all.
With over 600 contractors now working with him, and each being paid an annual sum of 300,000 U.S Dollars equivalent, Sarenkov rushed his revenge plans into action, with dire consequences.
The coast of Somalia burned for two months, as Sarenkov’s mercenaries waged a guerrilla war against the Somali pirates. It was unconventional fighting, with the pirates often vanishing into the local populace by day, and reappearing by night. Such dishonourable tactics, as Sarenkov termed them, demanded a dishonourable response.
“The peoples allow this to happen. Not one person can look at me, and tell me that these people are afraid of the pirates! Hell, they’re on those scumbag’s payroll!” Sarenkov had yelled, during one heated debate in the control room of his newly refurbished floating sea base, the Elisaveta, his Pauk-class corvette.
Sarenkov’s mercenaries, who were taking losses in the awkward fighting, complied with his rhetoric. Men and women, but seldom children, regardless of their garb or regardless of the evidence against them, were shot on sight if it was believed they were involved with pirate operations. The resulting massacres, though destroying Somali pirate capacity, sparked an international scandal.
Russia recalled Sarenkov’s PMC permit, but did not move beyond that. NATO had the Elisaveta surrounded for five weeks, until finally Sarenkov gave himself in. He was swiftly recovered by Interpol agents, and tried at The Hague for war crimes. He was sentenced to life in prison, in short order, but never admitted any regret for his actions. However, his bank accounts were neither frozen nor liquidated, and his contractors remained on the payroll. A political backhanding masterstroke was on the horizon.
12 months later, and the Somali pirates had still not mounted any serious raids. The international community, although not publicly, quickly surmised the potential advantage of having a self-funded contractor performing their dirty work for them. In secret, Sarenkov was released from prison, and given a five year probation to “bring down the enemies we deem fit as targets”.
During his detention, Sarenkov, a dedicated atheist, converted to Christianity. It is said that it was then, that his attitudes towards terrorism changed. He would rant frequently, to his cell mates, and to anyone who would listen, that what the world needed was, “heroes, not murderers. Good guys, who remain ultimately good in the face of grave evil.” He vowed then to never again to take another human life in anger, or in vengeance.
Under tight controls and regulations, a free Sarenkov went about rebuilding his PMC. The more unstable of his contractors were let go, whilst others, whose background showed restraint and discipline, were inundated with pay rises. He established a training camp in Botswana, after striking a dicey deal with the nation’s government, and with secret international support, he was able to access weapons previously denied to his men.
By 2015, Sarenkov’s restructured company, named R.E.S.C.U.E to promote its new purpose, numbered only 200 contractors, and was ready for another hit against the world. It was the CIA, as opposed to a private third party, who first contacted him with a mission.
Islamic State had once again captured themselves some American nationals, and were preparing to kill them. A special forces rescue mission had been ruled out, as the operation was listed as an almost certain failure. The potential of the public backlash would be monumental, if it was seen that it was the U.S Government’s bumbling in hostage affairs that ultimately cost the prisoners their lives.
So instead, R.E.S.C.U.E was sent in. No flag, no backlash. If they won, they won. If they lost? Well, probably just the Syrian Army meddling in matters… as far as the public would know, anyway.
The operation was a complete success, which shocked R.E.S.C.U.E’s benefactors, who believed the organisation would be more of a “safe hammer” to use on troubled regions. However, such professionalism and efficiency shown by the PMC’s contractors proved that R.E.S.C.U.E could be much more than a dirty tool in a global sickness.
Present Day, 2019
R.E.S.C.U.E has blossomed into a global brand name of privately funded security. Operating an entire fleet of floating bases, the organisation now has access to all parts of the world. A string of highly successful, and highly publicised missions, has carried it on to roaring success and investment on the back of popular support across Western nations.
Sarenkov, who is officially still locked up in prison, is a superstar of the Earth’s underbelly. He has taken his business beyond the servitude of foreign governments, and through careful negotiations and near-constant success, has received rights to operate in many of the West’s national waters, although nations further east still have misgivings towards it.
Nevertheless, R.E.S.C.U.E has become synonymous with counter-terrorism operations, and is openly funded by the U.S Military, among others. However, its main source of income are its clients. From national governments, to the very rich, R.E.S.C.U.E’s clientele come in many forms, and with varying requests, but most concern terrorism or very private security matters.
Not all is well, however. America’s involvement in the organisation has earned scorn from the likes of China, and motions are being floated through the U.N to disband R.E.S.C.U.E. Its contractors are highly prized trophies, with many terrorist organisations prepared to pay significant amounts to procure a live prisoner. Add this to the horrifying amount of legal challenges launched against it, primarily by governments whose countries R.E.S.C.U.E has operated on without permission, and the organisation’s future looks to be short lived.
However, whilst calls keep coming in, and whilst Sarenkov’s fleet of sea bases continue to operate, R.E.S.C.U.E will stand until the very end, performing actions the wider world has no interest in taking on themselves, and rescuing those who were abandoned long ago.
Roleplay Mechanics
Don’t be scared by the word “mechanics”. This is above all a narrative RP, with no dice involvement. However, the RP does have a certain structure to it, that might be referred to as a mechanic in itself.
So let me explain. After players have created their entry sheets, and the RP has launched, the GM (me), will float a mission briefing in the IC. There will be a map, with detailed intelligence mentioned in the post. Players, playing as their designated “Team Leaders”, will then roleplay the briefing. During this stage, they will suggest a plan of action, discuss what routes to take, and generally establish who will do what. They’ll also decide on what kind of weapons and equipment to take, which will vary depending on the mission.
After the plan has been made, a second map will go up, detailing each team’s proposed action. This is not to say the player must follow the route he/she has assigned themselves, but it will be there for reference.
Then the fun starts. Green lights all around, you’re in the rear entrance of an office building, preparing to breach and clear whilst Omega Team is covering blind spots from their sniper nest. Lots of shooting goes on, general ass kicking, hostage rescuing, and finally, the extraction. Then the process repeats, as we move onto the next mission. So to summarise:
- GM makes a mission briefing.
- Player characters discuss with each other the plan of action.
- Plan of action is… put into action.
Rules
- To those who are well versed in military lingo, terminology and equipment, go easy on those of us who may not understand what it is you're talking about. Not to say you can't use all of that stuff, but rather, if possible, write your posts in a way that the layman will grasp.
- This RP is fictional, featuring a fictional PMC, and does in no way disparage, parody or diminish the courage of real life fighting men and women. It is an exercise in imagination, and so any mistakes, flawed logic or unintentionally offensive assumptions are to be taken with a pinch of salt. Please remember this at all times.
- The RP will feature real world terrorist organisations and nations as protagonists. Please keep things clean and mature when dealing with these topics, as not to cause offence to anyone.
- Please state if you wish to withdraw from the RP, so that I can assume your team's command for the remainder of the mission. I have no problem with people leaving, regardless of the reason, but it helps me and the others out no end if you can at least inform us.
- Do your research. Whilst you do not need to be an "army nut", or have read volumes in special forces literature, I do expect a layman's understanding of the equipment you're role playing with. For example, if your team sneaks up on a tank, I'd expect them to hit its weak point. Not just round the corner, fire the "rocket launcher", big boom, much clap, go home.
- Ensure your post always "adds something" to the plot. I don't want any posts that just spend the whole time describing the condensation on the window. RPs die that way. If you post, ensure your character/s are making progress.
Team Entry Sheet
Squad size, including the Team Leader, is 5. Although, you can have less. Post directly into the character’s tab.
Wasn't quite sure where to put this, so I thought I'd try general checks. I guess we'll decide whether it's free, casual or advanced judging by who shows interest :)
I'm interested. Played a few military RPs before, I've run them too, that is for sure. I know the kit, the people, the politics and a lot of it quite well, I'm in.
I'm interested. Played a few military RPs before, I've run them too, that is for sure. I know the kit, the people, the politics and a lot of it quite well, I'm in.
Excellent. I'll be honest, whilst I have read my fair share of military stuff, I'm far from a professor. Someone like you should probably be hosting this, but I'm hoping so long as I don't make any glaring flaws in what I do and say, everything should be cushty.
Anyways, here is a preview of the type of maps the operations will be based around. I'm making them myself, so they might look a little crap to begin with, until I start discovering better ways of doing them.
So here's what you'd see in the briefing post:
And here's what you'd see after the team leaders have finished alpha male-ing each other.
I know it's a little messy, I'm looking into how to mark out the routes better. I think varying shades of the colour, for different stages, would be best, but we'll see.
I think with every operation, I'll list the possible routes of entry, their pros, and their cons. So in this instance, we might have:
Aerial Drop
Pros - Shock and awe insertion, with helicopter able to cover entry team.
Cons - Noisy, stealth goes out the window.
Climbing up the Fore Deck
Pros - Quiet entry.
Cons - Team vulnerable whilst climbing. Recommend over-watch. Must traverse deck to gain access to ship, which will likely be watched.
Climbing up the Aft Deck
Pros - Quiet entry.
Cons - No cover on Aft Deck, if team is spotted by sentries. Recommend over-watch
Clever, but sometimes, just structure it so that we kinda have to something. I wouldn't mind a Team Leader, perhaps being a grizzled vet. You don't have to do maps- just flesh it out with words, we'll understand the environment well enough. Do it if it's easier on you- but I tend to say vaguely what it looks like, and go from there. I like your insertion methods- there's many more I could add to that list, but I'll leave it. In particular, I want to maybe return a Polish GROM character I have....who hates Russians. :D
Clever, but sometimes, just structure it so that we kinda have to something. I wouldn't mind a Team Leader, perhaps being a grizzled vet. You don't have to do maps- just flesh it out with words, we'll understand the environment well enough. Do it if it's easier on you- but I tend to say vaguely what it looks like, and go from there. I like your insertion methods- there's many more I could add to that list, but I'll leave it. In particular, I want to maybe return a Polish GROM character I have....who hates Russians. :D
I understand where you're coming from, but whether its because I'm shite at describing things, or whether its that players sometimes lack creative edge or hate the responsibility of adding their own input, I always find vague or detailed descriptions leads to people scratching their heads and things stall. I thought maybe a visual representation would work better.
Perhaps you're right though. We'll see what others say, I'm new here after all, and RPG may have a more um... capable player base.
It might work- give it a shot, it's inventive, that's for sure. It'd be cool to see.
I like this first op. Definitely gives a berth on insertions- I mean, diving, or Zodiacs come into play, even HALO onto a ship like this....some SF operators are capable, in calm waters believe it or not.
This sounds like something with great potential. Not sure if I missed this, but how many people are you looking to run this? I'd definitely like to throw my name in the pot of liquid courage. :)
Sounds neat! I'm curious about what kind of characters are allowed / encouraged though, as the only modern military RPs that I've done in the past that I've enjoyed have usually involved supersoldiers or something along those lines.
Sounds neat! I'm curious about what kind of characters are allowed / encouraged though, as the only modern military RPs that I've done in the past that I've enjoyed have usually involved supersoldiers or something along those lines.
The operators of R.E.S.C.U.E are effectively mercenaries, or private soldiers. Usually, they're professionals, having served in an existing armed forces branch. Some of them might have joined R.E.S.C.U.E because the pay is outstanding, others, because they were for one reason or another booted out of their former outfit, and they want to get back into a military life style... and I guess, you get those who just love feeling all self righteous, being in an organisation that doesn't turn a blind eye to the wrongs of the world, just because there's no hefty oil pay off at the end of it.
So, no super soldiers, just your ordinary human beings, with one exception. R.E.S.C.U.E wouldn't just recruit any individual with a decorated military background, but rather, would be taking on those who were the top of their field. The cream of the crop. So in a way, yeah, super soldiers, just not the Master Chief kind.
This all being the case, the operators of R.E.S.C.U.E would come from all walks of life, and all backgrounds, and all nationalities. The management doesn't care much for skin colour, nationality, gender or sexuality. If they're the best for the job, then that's all they need to know.
This sounds like something with great potential. Not sure if I missed this, but how many people are you looking to run this? I'd definitely like to throw my name in the pot of liquid courage. :)
I'm not sure. I figured I'd see how many were interested, and cater the RP for that number. Within reason. I guess 5 players would be optimum, with me being the 6th - if I create my own team, which depends on how much GMing we're going to need.
Just an example of what a less claustrophobic operations map would look like. In this mission, the Teams would be extracting hostages and rescuing a V.I.P from execution.
And here's what it would look like after planning. Green team taking out the T-55, and then proceeding to the execution square. Red team entering from the north, with Blue team infiltrating the town and providing over-watch for the execution square.
Meanwhile Yellow Team extracts the hostages, whilst the terrorists are busy working out WTF is happening.
Presumingly, the Red and Blue teams would have secured the VIP prior to the T-55's demise, in case the terrorists forwarded their intentions. Then Green team would have launched into the chaos from the south, allowing Red team to extract the hostage. Blue and Green would have then withdrawn.
So with all that in mind, I guess any stages of a plan requiring teams to cooperate at certain junctions, will need numbering. Other than that, I think this could work really well. If nothing else, people have a framework to go by.
And here's what you'd see after the team leaders have finished alpha male-ing each other.
I know it's a little messy, I'm looking into how to mark out the routes better. I think varying shades of the colour, for different stages, would be best, but we'll see.
I think with every operation, I'll list the possible routes of entry, their pros, and their cons. So in this instance, we might have:
And here's what it would look like after planning. Green team taking out the T-55, and then proceeding to the execution square. Red team entering from the north, with Blue team infiltrating the town and providing over-watch for the execution square.
Meanwhile Yellow Team extracts the hostages, whilst the terrorists are busy working out WTF is happening.
Presumingly, the Red and Blue teams would have secured the VIP prior to the T-55's demise, in case the terrorists forwarded their intentions. Then Green team would have launched into the chaos from the south, allowing Red team to extract the hostage. Blue and Green would have then withdrawn.
So with all that in mind, I guess any stages of a plan requiring teams to cooperate at certain junctions, will need numbering. Other than that, I think this could work really well. If nothing else, people have a framework to go by. 
