Genesis of the Daleks - first draft

Art by Daryl Joyce

The Board

In the centre of the board is the Wasteland, 24 inches by 24 inches of pseudo-gravel pit strewn with the debris of war; discarded pieces of equipment, fragments of barbed wire, shell craters etc. Because of the uneven terrain and the swirling smoke vision is limited to 12 inches.

In the middle are some ruins which provide a home to a wandering band of Mutos.

Along opposite edges of the board are the Kaled and Thal trench lines. Shooting at figures in the trenches from the Wasteland is at -2. Behind these lines are the Domes containing the cities of the two sides. The other two edges of the board are bounded by barbed wire, minefields and clouds of poison gas and are impassable to all figures.

At one end of the Kaled trench line is the door that leads to the Bunker, and at the opposite end of the Thal line is the entrance to their underground missile silo. There is no line of sight to these doors from the Wasteland. The door to the Bunker can only be opened from the inside although its mechanism can be jammed to stop it locking again.

The interior of the Bunker can be represented on the table if there is room, or on a separate board 24 inches by 12 inches. It consists of a series of rooms including Davros's laboratory (where the Time Ring is on a shelf), the cells, the guard room, and the mutations tanks where the Daleks Embryos are being bred. Three

Likewise the missile silo requires a one foot square board on which is the rocket and its launch gantry.

Forces

Kaleds

6 figures (Human Warriors) with UNIT/Battle Rifles and gas masks deployed in the Kaled trench.

The Elite

Davros
Nyder (Administrator, Leader [1]) armed with a pistol
2 Security Guards with SMGs

Davros is in his laboratory along with three (inactive) Mark III Travel Machines. The other figures must be either with him or in the guardroom.

The Thals

12 figures (Human Warriors) with UNIT/Battle Rifles and gas masks, deployed in the Thal trench but with at least 2 figures (in Hazmat suits) detached to guard 6 Muto and Kaled slaves in the missile chamber.

The Doctor

The Doctor and Harry Sullivan are in the Bunker having been released from their cell the door by Ronson (Human Scientist, Invent, Pistol), a friendly Kaled Scientist. Harry can use any gun he is able to acquire.

The Doctor has just opened the door to the Dalek Embryo Tanks, triggering an alarm. Harry and Ronson are either with him or hiding in another room. Their position must be secretly recorded by the player.

The Mutos

6 mutos are hiding in the ruins. Stats are as Human Warriors but armed with Brawl only and have Morale 6. One of them is Sarah Jane Smith but as she is disguised as one of their number only the Muto player knows which one she is.

Optional rule

Instead of all the Kaled and Thal soldiers being identically armed, give every group of six a Laser Rifle, four UNIT/Battle Rifles and a Victorian Rifle.


Briefings

The Kaleds

You are the military commander of this section of the front line. Your force is weak and badly equipped as all the best troops and equipment are taken by The Elite. At one end of your section is the door to The Bunker. No Kaled soldier may enter there.

Your mission is to defend the trench line and ensure that no Thal can cross it to attack the Dome.

The Thals are up to something in the Wasteland, and you must also send out a patrol of at least two men to disrupt their plans.

Mutos also roam the Wasteland. Although there existence is an affront to all true Kaleds, due to the shortage of ammunition you are not allowed to shoot them.

The Elite

Davros is about to unveil his greatest creation; the Mark III Travel Machine. He requires further time to complete his work and you must ensure he is not disturbed. Three, currently inactive, machines are in the Laboratory.

Two dangerous prisoners have recently been captured. They are being held in the cells and must not be allowed to escape.

Finally any traitors to the noble cause of The Elite must be exterminated.

The Thals

You are the military commander of this section of the front line.

Your primary mission is to defend the trench line and ensure that no Kaled can cross them to attack the Dome.

Your secondary mission is to complete the construction of a missile which will destroy the city of the accursed Kaleds. It is being loaded with nuclear fuel by Muto slaves and Kaled prisoners, but the current workers are nearly worn out and new slaves or prisoners must be caught.

Additionally there are intelligence reports of a secret Bunker located nearby and you are instructed to investigate and halt whatever is going on in there.

The Doctor

You have been sent here by the Time Lords to strike the first blow in the Time War by stopping the creation of the Daleks. To do this you must enter the mutation tanks where the Daleks creatures are being grown and devise a way of destroying them.

You must also recover the Time Ring from Davros's laboratory and then find Sarah Jane and get her and Harry back to Space Beacon) Nerva.

The Mutos

You are outcasts wandering in the Wasteland and your mission is to survive. You have recently been joined by a young girl who claims to be from another planet.

The Thals are known to be rounding up Mutos for some unknown reason and you must avoid being caught and if caught you must try to escape whatever the risk.

Victory Conditions

The Kaleds

Thal Dome attacked - Minor Victory
Thal soldiers attack your Dome - Minor Defeat
The city is destroyed - Major Defeat

The Elite

Davros completes his work - Major Victory
Davros dies - Major Defeat

The Thals

Kaled Dome destroyed - Major Victory
Kaled Dome attacked - Minor Victory
Kaled soldiers attack your Dome - Minor Defeat
Thals exterminated - Major Defeat

The Doctor

Daleks destroyed - Major Victory
All Companions returned safely - Minor Victory
A Companion killed or not rescued - Minor Defeat
Daleks created - Major Defeat

The Mutos

At least one Muto survives - Minor Victory
All Mutos killed - Minor Defeat
Sarah Jane killed - Major Defeat


Random Events

At the end of each turn roll a d6:

• 1-3 Sound of distant artillery fire

• 4 One figure that moved this turn has stepped on a mine - chosen by the player who activated first. The figure makes an immediate AGI test and if successful has noticed before the mine explodes. They may not move without detonating the mine. A friendly figure needs to spend one activation making the mine safe before the figure can move again. If detonated the mine attacks with STR 5.

• 5 One section of the Wasteland comes under artillery fire next turn. Any figures in the area are hit at STR 4 on a roll of 4,5 or 6. -1 for being in cover or prone (-2 if both).

• 6 One section of the Wasteland comes under gas attack next turn. Any figure which remains in the area at the end of the turn who is not wearing a gas mask is attacked at STR 4. The gas then disperses.

To determine where the last two events occur divide the Wasteland into four one foot squares and roll a d6. A 5 a 6 mean the attack fell on the Kaled (5) or Thal (6) trenches.


Playing the Game

Two Player Game

Player One controls The Kaleds, the Elite and The Mutos.
Player Two controls The Doctor and The Thals.


Inside the Bunker

Harry and Ronson may hide in one of the other rooms and their figure is not put on the board until a Elite figure enters the room they are located in to search it or they move into line-of-sight with an Elite figure.


Destroying the Dalek Embryos

Anyone inside this room is attacked each turn by a flailing tentacle which wraps itself around the figure on a 5 or 6. Any grappled figure must resist STR 3 next turn to free themselves.

Every turn he is undisturbed the Doctor can try an Invention Breakthrough and if successful has discovered how to make the tanks blow up. This is then achieved as a normal Invent. However before he can flick the switch the Doctor must overcome the morale dilemma of whether this makes him as bad as the Daleks. If he succeeds in an INT roll he realises it doesn't and he can destroy them.

There is no line-of-sight inside the tanks and any Security Guards entering to stop this can only use Brawl and can only fight one figure at a time.


Making the Daleks

Each turn Davros is undisturbed in his laboratory he can do d6 points of work.

When his tally reaches 30 his work is completed and, unless the Dalek Embryos have been destroyed, his Mark III Travel Machines come into operation as Daleks.

These Daleks are under the control of The Elite and can be used to attack the Thals. (They will only turn on the Kaleds and Davros after the game is completed.)


Arming the Missile

30  fuel cells must be loaded into the rocket before it is ready to be launched.

One Muto slave can load one cell in one turn.

The Mutos working at the start of the game are very ill from the effects of the radiation. The Thal player rolls a d6 at the end of his Activation and if the number is less than or equal to the number of remaining slaves then one dies.

Once the rocket is fuelled it can be launched immediately - killing any Mutos left in the missile chamber.


Catching Mutos

The mutos will not move towards the Kaled lines unless a Thal is moving towards them within 12 inches.

Although the Kaleds can't shoot the Mutos, they do not want them in their trenches and if any Muto enters he must be attacked with a Brawl by the nearest Kaled soldier. His unconscious body will then be pushed back into the Wasteland.


The Escape

If Sarah Jane is amongst the slaves she can persuade them to escape by succeeding in a Morale test for them. They will then start to climb the missile gantry to get out. She can now throw off her disguise.

Everyone climbs at once. It takes an AGI roll to climb one level. Roll once per turn. Three successful roles are required to get to the surface. Figures emerge in the middle of the Thal trenches, but not within 6 inches of a Thal soldier.

Figures that fail an AGI roll have got into difficulty. Lie the figure down and if they fail their next roll they fall. If Sarah Jane falls the nearest muto will try to catch her by making another AGI roll.

The guards will not climb up after the prisoners but may shoot at them until their Morale fails and they surrender. The survivors then climb down and resume work next turn. A guard can then be posted at the top of the gantry to prevent a second escape. If the guards do not want to shoot their work force they can pursue them on the surface, but it takes three turns for them to leave the missile silo as they need permission from their officious boss and time to collect their gas masks and equipment. They enter the trenches at a board edge.


Raiding the Domes

Any Kaled or Thal figures which can cross the enemy trench lines are assumed to be raiding their enemy's Dome and are out of play.


Ending the Game

The game ends when all events have played themselves out:

• The Daleks have been created or Davros is dead or the embryos have been destroyed.
• The Thal missile has been launched or the workforce is dead.
• The Companions are safe or dead.

Art by Daryl Joyce