Introduction[]
Hue City Vietnam, Tet Offensive, 7 February 1968
During the initial assault on Hue, one week ago, an operative due to report at the MACV compound was killed near the capital building. Yesterday, he was sighted wandering on Le Loi between the capital building and the hospital.
The PCs are military (or whatever) and armed with M16A1, bayonet, 3 frag and 1 smoke grenade, 12 magazines with 20 rounds each, 2 bandoliers 100 rounds each, flak jacket and helmet (AP 4). They are hardened against killing enemy soldiers.
(Any time the PCs Search, Alertness or Stealth, the GM should roll this behind a screen.)
Briefing in Phu Bai[]
The PCs are in Phu Bai, 8 miles South of Hue. They are assigned to help Captain Sablan, (Army Intelligence MACV-SOG, Delta Green clearance) in the ‘rescue’ of 1st Lieutenant Kurtz.
The PCs can question Sablan (he’s in a hurry to leave):
- Kurtz was returning from a mission.
- Kurtz was confirmed killed by his Montagnard scout who made it back to MACV before he died from wounds.
- Reports of his death must have been wrong.
- Marines from Fox company, 2nd battalion, 5th Marines reported seeing Kurtz as they retook the capital building.
- F/2/5 is taking back the rest of Southern Hue. Some of their lightly wounded are at the MACV compound. If questioned, they say they saw Kurtz at dusk hiding from bullets, leaning over a body rendering first aid. (Actually eating.) They waved him over, but he didn’t come.
The party rides with a supply convoy up Route 1 to MACV. It’s a 20 minute trip but Route 1 is still hot and several rounds will whiz by.
Have the PCs make a Luck roll. Those that fail need to roll a second time. Second failure results in 1d6 damage from an NVA bullet. PCs can try and Dodge.
Southern Hue[]
The PCs arrive at the MACV compound by 9am. It’s gloomy and overcast. Southern Hue is fairly secure from MACV to the power station and this is the area that will be searched. Most of Hue is still under NVA control. Firefights and explosions can be heard all day and night.
Sablan is anxious to begin. The plan is to search and observe for Kurtz in a zig-zag manner from MACV to the power station, returning by night. During patrol, Hue is mostly deserted. Dead NVA/VC bodies lie around.
For an idea of how Hue looked, watch this video.
To see map, click here.
During patrol, there will be several encounters, listed below.
Encounters[]
Booby Trapped NVA Body[]
As the party is searching an upstairs floor, with a blown out wall open to the outside, they hear moaning of ‘nuoc’ from a bloody VC body on the ground on his stomach. He says ‘nuoc’ several more times. Anyone with at least 10% Vietnamese knows he’s saying ‘water’. If body is lifted or flipped over, a grenade will explode, 5m radius with 15% lethality.
The PCs can try and dodge. (A PC can blindly dodge thru the open wall and automatically succeed. There’s a 4% lethality from falling, but damage is only 2d6.)
Sniper Across River[]
A bullet will whiz by a PC’s head. An NVA sniper on the other side of the river is shooting at the PCs, aim, fire, repeat. He’s hidden in a tree, range 470 yards (-40% to hit PCs). The patrol needs to search this area and it will take 10 minutes.
If someone suppress fires in general at the sniper, 60 rounds worth, the sniper will only take a total of 3 shots at the PCs then leave. Sniper will be additional -20% to hit.
Courtyard of Bodies[]
There are many stinking dead NVA soldiers and civilians scattered around a dirt and cobblestone courtyard the patrol is searching. They should check the bodies for Kurtz. (Roll the dice behind your screen and tell the players they heard a ‘tink’ sound, metal on metal.) If they stop and listen, it’s a loose belt buckle on a body hitting a canteen in the breeze.
As the party resumes, roll the dice then tell them they just feel uneasy, as if they’re being watched. (Make them feel uneasy.)
When the patrol leaves and is 5 steps outside the courtyard, roll the dice then tell them they heard a scrape in the courtyard. If they go back in, have them roll an Alertness. Success, they notice one or two of the bodies are missing or have moved, can’t quite place it. (A ghoul has quietly pulled several underground.) They will not be able to uncover any more information.
VC Stragglers[]
Two VC are trying to make it out of the city. They are moving quietly and tactically. If the patrol is moving quietly, the point man and lead VC both need to make opposed rolls Alertness vs Stealth.
If the VC are undetected, they will take cover and ambush the patrol aiming for the PCs. They will disengage after two rounds unless it looks like they are winning.
If detected or both parties run into each other, the VC will fire where they stand.
If the patrol wins and the PCs don’t suggest it, Sablan recommends taking cover and ambushing.
Family[]
Have the PCs roll an Alertness.
Success – they hear someone coming around the corner or thru some bushes. If they hold fire, children come around the corner.
Failure – someone is running at you, what do you do, shoot or not?
This is a group of 5 children ages 5 – 7. If the patrol opens up, they’re all killed. Make a SAN 1/1d3.
Kurtz[]
Nearing the capital building late afternoon, an unarmed American soldier is seen going into a building. Sablan says it’s him and says we need to bring him back.
If the patrol successfully sneaks up, they will see Kurtz with his back to them leaning over a dead NVA. They hear meat tearing then it will stop. Kurtz will stand and turn around quickly.
If the patrol doesn’t use Stealth, they don’t hear anything and Kurtz will be standing and facing them when they enter.
Kurtz appears out of it and will just observe the patrol.
Sablan asks, “Kurtz it’s Sablan, you okay?” Kurtz doesn’t reply. Sablan looks at him head cocked and ask him again in Vietnamese.
Kurtz then hesitantly replies in Vietnamese, “Sablan?… yeah, I think so. I need to get to MACV.” (the PCs will only know this if they speak Vietnamese). Kurtz only speaks Vietnamese.
Sablan then has the PCs set up a perimeter and pulls Kurtz into another room for a private debrief. They speak for 15 minutes, too low for eavesdropping.
(During this debrief, ask the PCs what their Alertness is and make several rolls. Keep them on their toes while on perimeter. They may see a VC, if so, use a straggler for stats.)
Sablan comes out with Kurtz and says we need to get back to MACV ASAP. The PCs can ask questions now if they know Vietnamese or to Sablan. Sablan won’t let anyone attack Kurtz since they’ve made a deal. If the PCs do, he and Kurtz will kill the PCs.
QnA[]
- Kurtz remembers being shot down and avoiding the VC/NVA.
- The dead NVA has bites taken out of it. (Successful Medicine or Zoology to know it’s not human).
- If the PCs specifically ask about the NVA body, have them roll INTx5 to sense Kurtz was eating it. If they succeed, then make a SAN roll 0/1d3. If confronted, Kurtz denies eating it. If pressed, Sablan intervenes and says that’s enough, gotta get back.
- If PCs specifically look, they will notice bullet holes and dried blood on Kurtz’s uniform but he’s not injured. If Kurtz is asked about it, Sablan will interrupt and say we’re lucky he’s fine.
- HUMINT won’t work on Kurtz. You just can’t get a read on him. (He’s a ghoul using Consume Likeness).
- HUMINT on Sablan, he seems very surprised to see Kurtz.
- HUMINT on Sablan, he saw the bullet holes and blood but ignored them.
The PCs will make it back to MACV. Maybe more VC stragglers encountered. Kurtz and Sablan leave on a helo.
Rewards[]
None, it’s a hell of a war.
NPCs[]
NVA Sniper Across River
STR 11, CON 11, DEX 13,
INT 10, POW 10, CHA 10
HP 11, WP 10, SAN 50, BP 40
SKILLS:
Alertness 45%, Athletics 55%, Dodge 40%, Search 45%, Stealth 60%
ATTACKS:
Model K44 Sniper Rifle 75%, 150m, 1d12+2, AP5, with scope
VC Stragglers
STR 10, CON 11, DEX 13,
INT 10, POW 10, CHA 10
HP 7 (wounded), WP 10, SAN 50, BP 40
SKILLS:
Alertness 45%, Athletics 55%, Dodge 40%, Search 45%, Stealth 60%
ATTACKS:
AK-47 50%, 100m, 1d12, Burst Lethality 10%, AP 3 (they have 3 magazines of 30 rounds each)
Bayonet 40%, 1d6 unattached or 1d8 if fixed
Lieutenant Wally Kurtz (really a ghoul posing as Kurtz with Consume Likeness)
STR 24, CON 24, DEX 15,
INT 12, POW 13, CHA N/A
HP: 24, WP: 13, SAN: N/A
SKILLS: Alertness 70%, Athletics 85%, Vietnamese 30%, Stealth 90%, Track (by scent) 65%, Unnatural 40%.
ATTACKS:
Bony Claws 45%, 1d8+5, AP 3
Bite 45%, 1d10+2, See p199 Handler’s Guide.
ARMOR: Resilient
Captain Antonio Sablan - Army Intelligence (MACV-SOG Delta Green)
STR 12, CON 13, DEX 13,
INT 13, POW 17, CHA 12
HP: 13, WP: 17, SAN: 77, BP 68: Violence Adapted
SKILLS: Alertness 60%, Athletics 60%, Bureaucracy 50%, Criminology 40%, Dodge 65%, Dreaming 33%, Dream Lore 14%, HUMINT 70%, First Aid 45%, Military Science Land 55%, Navigate 65%, Occult 30%, Persuade 65%, Psychotherapy 55%, Psychometry 60%, Psychology 76%, Search 60%, Stealth 60%, Survival – Jungle 50%, Swim 55%, Unnatural 5%,
LANGUAGES: English 80%, Chamorro 80%, Vietnamese 45%, Laotian 25%, Ghoul Meeping 20%.
ATTACKS:
M16A1 75%, 100m, 1d12, Lethality 10% if on full auto
Colt 45 75%, 15m, 1d10
Bayonet 65%, 1d6 unattached, 1d8 if fixed
M67 Frag Grenade 60%, 20m, Lethality 15%
GEAR: flak jacket and helmet = Armor 4, 3 frag and 1 smoke grenade, 9 magazines of 20 rounds, 2 bandoliers of 120 rounds.
Sablan is attached to a special forces team at Plei Me working with the Montagnards. Kurtz was returning from a mission with intel on an a VC hill tribe bio weapon, really Tcho Tcho Mother’s milk. He was to meet in Hue at MACV before Tet interrupted. Sablan recognizes the ghoul and is shocked, but okay with that as long as he gets the info. (Sablan has met ghouls before in the Dreamlands).
Credits[]
Walk This Hue was written by Michael Daumen for the 2017 shotgun scenario contest.
Published by arrangement with the Delta Green Partnership. The intellectual property known as Delta Green is a trademark and copyright owned by the Delta Green Partnership, who has licensed its use here. The contents of this document are © Michael Daumen, excepting those elements that are components of the Delta Green intellectual property.
Walk This Hue is not available here under CC-BY-SA.