Out in the badlands your car is your life, and for nomads their trucks are their community. The loss of one can spell death for a community, and so when one is stolen it’s well worth risking a fight to get it back.
In this shorter session the cybermercs (the players) will track a band of Wraith bandits across the badlands, sneak into the encampment, and either fight their way out or create a loud enough distraction they can sneak out with the truck.
Setting:
This narrative takes place in Night City (NC), a neon metropolis of towering skyscrapers, high-tech advancements, and urban decay. The city breathes with glitzy life 24/7, and there's nothing you can't find here for the right price provided you also know the right guy. Even if you don’t, this city’s a melting pot of neocorporations, street gangs, and the increasingly rare ordinary person; use your wits and I’m sure you’ll do just fine.
Specifically this session takes place in the ashen badlands that cover the territory between cities. It’s an area filled with dead towns, abandoned factories, and the spirits of ghost stories long passed.
Tracking:
The cybermercs begin out in the badlands behind a crash barrier, vehicles concealed a short distance away. About a hundred yards on the opposite side of the road is a service station with a faded sign reading Debras Gas. Moths swarm a flickering floodlight while inside 3 Wraiths, a local pack of bandits, are attempting to extort the proprietor for smokes and cash.
Curro Gallop, the younger nomad who’s come along as a guide, makes a hesitant suggestion they all wait for the Wraiths to leave, then follow them back to their camp. The Wraiths have arrived on 3 motorbikes, one of which has the aerial of a long range radio on the back. Chasing them would mean waiting this interaction out, and then attempting not to be seen. Else the cybermercs could also make the riskier attempt at approaching the Wraiths directly and interrogating them before they can run or alert their main camp.
If the characters don’t already know each other prior to the session, then a suggested hook is each cybermerc is travelling between cities in this nomad caravan. After the truck was stolen, the cybermercs have been selected to retrieve it.
If the Wraiths spot the cybermercs and are allowed to get away on their bikes, then they will radio for backup, and their allies will race out from the camp to assist. Although if the bike with the radio is disabled, then the Wraith encampment won’t know about any disturbances until the riders get into camp.
Infiltration:
The Wraith camp is currently in an old dry dam, with 2 rocky walls and a concrete one to its back. The Wraiths currently rely on a series of tripwires and automated cameras to keep these three areas safe from intruders, with the only overnight guards being posted around the open fourth side of the camp, nearer to the others.
Within the encampment itself is a campfire close to the eastern side surrounded by various road vehicles, which is where most of the Wraiths are currently gathered to drink and be merry. Around the back of the camp are the larger long haul trucks which are currently being used for storage, as mobile generators, and one serving as a bunkhouse.
If the cybermercs were seen chasing the Wraiths, or they managed to call for help then a large group of raiders will gather up to help their raid buddies. This leaves the camp reasonably quiet, allowing for an easier infiltration if the cybermercs give them the slip. If no such alarm was raised though, the camp will be a bit more crowded, but less alert; requiring the cybermercs to manufacture some type of distraction if they’re going to get the truck out intact.
Confrontation:
Attempting to sneak through the camp, Curro sees the Wraith leader and is enraged. They’re named Mateo, and are a former member of their community they presumed dead after a previous Wraith raid. Although given the increase in raid effectiveness, and the fact they’re standing right there, it looks like they’ve switched sides.
Depending on narrative pacing, an additional obstacle to overcome at this stage might also be retrieving the truck keys from one of the Wraiths currently watching the fight between Curro and Mateo. The cybermercs may also need to sabotage the other vehicles to ensure they don’t give chase.
There are two possible outcomes, depending on actions taken earlier in the session:
If the cybermercs did not alert the Wraiths before now (either at the service station, or by tripping an alarm), then Mateo will attempt to flee from Curro via motorcar. Curro will give chase, and a large portion of the Wraiths will give chase because they want to see where this entertainment goes.
If the cybermercs did alert the Wraiths before now (either at the service station, or by tripping an alarm), then Mateo will face Curro down in combat while the other camp Wraiths gather around to watch.
This reduces the Wraiths around the trucks to a more manageable number for the cybermercs, who should now be ok to retrieve the truck from the camp. Although a moral choice now presents itself, as the cybermercs must make the choice whether to complete the objective and get the truck back, or risk it all to save Curro from Mateo’s Wraiths1.
Returning the truck to the nomad community will net the cybermercs their pay as required, but bringing Curro home intact will net the community’s gratitude and possibly help in the future. City slickers might not be used to trusting others, but out here trust and having each other’s backs means everything.
What did you think? Any ideas, feedback, want anything expanded on, or do you intend to use this in a session? Let me know!
This session was originally written with Cyberpunk Red in mind, and the original prompt was breaking into a desert camp away from the city.
Bonus: I had this on repeat while writing the session
Cowritten/Edited with the assistance of Alsanna.
HowTTaS is unofficial content provided under the Homebrew Content Policy of R. Talsorian Games (Creators of Cyberpunk Red) and is not approved or endorsed by RTG. This content references materials that are the property of R. Talsorian Games and its licensees.”
Noting if they leave Curro, then he may return at a later stage much like how Mateo was thought dead.