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I'm running a 1:1 campaign with my son, using the solo rules for relative simplicity. The RNG may have just handed us a "rocks fall, everyone dies" result, but I wanted to run it by the folks here to see if someone had a clever inspiration for a different direction I can take things than outright massacre.

The PCs are a 7-man component of an SOF group. In the wake of the defeat at Kalisz, the group split, with plans to rendezvous at Leszno. They got pretty roughed up en route, and have to spend some time recovering; there are still two critically injured men as they approach Leszno (crushed ankle, torn intestines)... and shower of ash causes rad sickness in 4 of 5 healthy soldiers.

Approaching Leszno, the group learns (without being spotted) that the Russians have captured the town, and are using it as a rail depot and supply hub. In no shape for a fight, they abort the rendezvous and head northeast overland through the outskirts. And that's when I draw "Murderous Bastards".

So, any suggestions for directions to take this that don't result in a TPK of my desperate for help and not very suspicious party?

At this point the group should go to ground for several days to heal and regroup. Do some forging to get meals and get better for the most part.
If nothing else try drawing a different encounter card and see if it might be better or worst the the last one.

If it helps simplify your story and record keeping, have some of the sick and injured die, or be left behind. A little bit of Darwins law. The strong survive. The players feel some loss, but can game on with surviving characters.

It feels like the theft of supplies is more key to that encounter than the murder of the PCs. If none of the NPCs have Killer and they don't want to waste bullets, they may simply rob the PCs and strand them on the side of the road.

Alternately, have the PCs come across a village hours after the Murderous Bastards moved through. The village was as trusting as your PCs but is now suspicious of American survivors... but behind the ref's screen, there's a chance that the PCs can talk them around (especially if they commit to bringing the marauders to justice).

- C.

A couple of ideas:

The MBs are zealots with a supply of something nasty (sarin, a suitcase nuke, a mysterious bioagent or the like). They offer the PCs shelter/aid, but expect the PCs to use the deadly stuff to commit an atrocity (e.g. a false flag attack on an open village).

or

The MBs deserted from a medical unit. They have intel on the unit's drug supply, but they need the PCs help them execute their scheme for a raid because they'll be recognized. The MBs want revenge more than survival, and go berserk as soon as the PCs help them enter the unit's perimeter.

Please keep us updated!

Another idea. Have one of the PCs make a persuasion roll. If they pass, they suspect something is wrong with the USA soldiers. If they get two successes, maybe they click very early the USA soldiers are not what they seem. This gives the playing group a chance to role play communicating with each other non-verbally to alert the whole group of PCs that something is wrong. This gives the team a chance to snatch the initiative.

Further, to try and use more than just the normal combat skills, i like to use lesser used skills more in my games. So instead of persuasion, maybe have a leader PC make a TATICS roll. With success, the leader senses the USA soldiers are "uptight" instead of relaxed. And maybe they determine the opposition NPCs have arranged themselves so they are front and rear of the PC group - ie being setup for a cross fire situation. The leader with a successful roll is the first to know this is not a friendly group.

Throwing my two cents...
PC's figure out that the MBs are not what they seem while sitting at the campfire together. Let them evade them stealthily during night, assuming they realize that they probably can't take them all out, even with surprise.
Then you could do a cool longer "First Bloodish" session where PC's are being hunted. They have to tell you how they cover their tracks, do anti-tracking techniques, perhaps lay booby traps or even sniper shot ambushes against the MB's who are now chasing them in polish wilderness. Lots of situations to get hypothermia and sleep deprivation, climbing rock faces and crossing rivers with the wounded... Perhaps an encounter with a wild animal? Or maybe a group of hunters who they could persuade to join them, though I don't know why but you never know. Perhaps a small russian patrol that PC's could lead the MBs into?

Thanks to all who have posted advice! Haven't played again yet, but there's a good chance it will happen tonight.

In the interim, I did do an accelerated solo play through to find out what happened to the other half of the detachment. The basically drove into an ambush (literally, as in a car crash) when they tried to run a marauder roadblock. That entire team was wiped out except for the commander (who was driving and responsible for the "crash through the barricade" plan, and their weapons sergeant, who had a rough day that ended in a fist fight worthy of Hollywood, where he managed to take out 3 different opponents before being dogpiled into unconsciousness.

At the moment, I am planning to play it by ear a bit, but will probably use some of the advice from @kcduck and @Vcutter. I like the other suggestions, but those are probably more complex, and I don't want to deviate too far from the "minimal interpretation, dice fall where they may" approach I have been using for the sake of time.

At the moment, I'm thinking that I will give a chance to sense some of the tension, then have the enemy leader stage a blatant power grab by shooting the PC's CO and telling the PCs they work for him now. Maybe they kick off a close quarters fight, maybe they bide their time... I'll report back when I know more.

Throwing my two cents...
PC's figure out that the MBs are not what they seem while sitting at the campfire together. Let them evade them stealthily during night, assuming they realize that they probably can't take them all out, even with surprise.
Then you could do a cool longer "First Bloodish" session where PC's are being hunted. They have to tell you how they cover their tracks, do anti-tracking techniques, perhaps lay booby traps or even sniper shot ambushes against the MB's who are now chasing them in polish wilderness. Lots of situations to get hypothermia and sleep deprivation, climbing rock faces and crossing rivers with the wounded... Perhaps an encounter with a wild animal? Or maybe a group of hunters who they could persuade to join them, though I don't know why but you never know. Perhaps a small russian patrol that PC's could lead the MBs into?

For the win!

We FINALLY got to play this out tonight. Here’s how it worked out:

The MBs spotted the exhausted PC group and welcomed them in, moving the two injured into a tent.

They subtly interrogated the PCs about whether they were part of a bigger unit or were in contact with command. When it turned out that the PCs were not, they concluded that the PCs were deserters similar to themselves.

The MB NCO made them an "offer they couldn’t refuse" to join up; the PCs went along with it initially. MB NCO’s biggest worry was the officer and the potential of being tried for treason. He warned the PCs that they could be prosecuted for desertion for fleeing from Kalisz. They didn’t believe him, but decided not to pick an argument.

So he said, he would take care of the problem, and walked into the tent with the wounded, including the unit's acting CO.

The PCs didn’t see it coming, and three gunshots later the CO had been murdered while helplessly resting.

A close quarters scuffle followed, ending with half the PCs and half the MBs on the ground, one PC with a lethal arterial bleed who somehow just kept passing the death checks, and a worry about whether the gunshots might be heard by the soviet scouts (occupied town was still only one hex away). PC morale meant that the MBs were the first to break.