Pulp Alley: Operation SALAAM, Part II.: Almásy's team and the prologue to Act I

    The Almásy team consisted of four men, and unlike the opposing side, all of its members were based on real historical figures. The group was led by the mysterious Hungarian count and desert explorer Count László Almásy, a man with exceptional knowledge of forgotten desert routes and hidden oases. Travelling beside him was his close friend and fellow explorer, Count Nándor Zichy, whose calm nerves and knowledge of the terrain saved the team more than once. The convoy’s third member was Bakr, the quiet Sudanese cook and handyman who could somehow prepare a meal from a battered cooking pot even in the middle of a raging sandstorm. The fourth member was Ernst Zittlau, a German liaison officer and driver — a tough soldier capable of keeping even completely worn-out engines running.

L-R.: Bakr, Almásy, Zichy, Zittlau (photo by my playing buddy Báró Imi)

    The team crossed the endless desert with only two vehicles specially prepared for long-range desert travel: a captured Ford staff car and a dust-covered, heavily overloaded Steyr 1500 off-road vehicle. Both were modified for survival on extended journeys, fitted with extra fuel and water tanks, sand-driving equipment, and hidden storage compartments so they could operate for days far away from known routes. But their cleverest trick was not technical. Based on information gathered from local contacts, they placed two small signs behind the windshields of their vehicles, bearing a single word: PASS British checkpoint guards, seeing the signs, often assumed the vehicles belonged to senior officers and waved the convoy through without asking a single question. This small deception helped the team avoid unwanted attention several times during their desert journeys. By the time anyone became suspicious of the dust cloud on the horizon, Almásy’s men had already disappeared into the blinding golden sea of the desert.

Count László Almásy

A Hungarian explorer, pilot, and desert researcher who led several expeditions into the Libyan Desert during the 1930s. He possessed extensive knowledge of forgotten routes between Egyptian and Libyan oases, gained during years of exploration and mapping work. During the war he worked for the Abwehr and personally led the convoy behind British lines during Operation SALAM.

Count Nándor Zichy

A Hungarian aristocrat and longtime travelling companion of Almásy. He took part in desert expeditions and accompanied Almásy on several African journeys. He possessed solid field experience and also helped organize the logistics of long desert crossings.

Bakr

A Sudanese camp assistant and cook responsible for the expedition’s daily supplies and camp duties. During the long desert journeys he handled general camp work in addition to cooking, and his familiarity with local conditions made him a valuable member of the team. Surviving records mention only his first name.

Ernst Zittlau

A German soldier and liaison officer who participated in the mission as a driver and technical assistant. His responsibilities included driving and maintaining the vehicles during the desert crossing. Reliable navigation and keeping the vehicles operational under extreme conditions were essential to the success of the expedition.

League perk:

-Company of heroes (2)
-On the run (FREE!)

---

Count László Almásy

LVL4
HTH d10
Brawl 2d8
Shoot 2d8
Dodge 3d10
Might 3d10
Finesse 3d10
Cunning 3d10

Danger Sense
Hard-nosed
Inspiring

---

Count Nándor Zichy

LVL3
HTH d8
Brawl 3d6
Shoot 3d6
Dodge 3d6
Might 2d8
Finesse 2d8
Cunning 2d8

Speedy
Quick-Witted

---

Bakr

LVL3
HTH d8
Brawl 2d6
Shoot 4d8
Dodge 3d8
Might 2d8
Finesse 3d6
Cunning 2d6

Quick-shot
Marksman

---

Ernst Zittlau

LVL2
HTH d6
Brawl 3d6
Shoot 1d6
Dodge 2d6
Might 1d6
Finesse 1d6
Cunning 1d6

Unlucky
Short burst
Fierce

---

Equipment:

Ford WO
(Coupe, 3,5 Gear)
Light armor
Nimble
Reinforced

---

Steyr 1500
(Sedan, 3,5 Gear)
Light armor
Reliable

---

Act I

Number of Turns: 8

Table Size: 4’x4’

Location:

An Arab oasis town crowded with civilians.

Deployment:

Almásy’s Team: Deploy scattered across the table, at least 6” away from their own Plot Points.

LRDG: Deploy within 12” of one corner, at least 6” away from their own Plot Points and enemy models.

Plot Points

Almásy’s Team:

- Pour sand into the fuel tanks of the LRDG vehicles (No Drop, see also: Act II)

- Speak with the aircraft mechanic and convince him to sabotage the plane (see also: Act II)

- Recover the radio set (see also: Act II)

- Sabotage the LRDG ammunition supplies (No Drop, see also: Act II)

- Main Plot Point: Extract the German agent. This objective only counts as completed if the agent is successfully evacuated. The agent must remain at the designated extraction point for one full turn.

LRDG:

- Speak with the informant/bartender* May be completed multiple times, but Reward may only be gained from the first successful completion. (No Drop)

- Obtain the Rebecca codebook (see also: Act II)

- Speak with the aircraft mechanic to prevent the sabotage (see also: Act II)

- Speak with the Tuareg leader (see also: Act II) This can later be reversed by Almásy’s team, but does not count as a Plot Point for them.

- Main Plot Point: Capture the German agent. This objective may only be completed if the bartender/informant has first revealed the agent’s identity.

The German Agent:

Under the control of the Almásy player, approximately 5–6 civilian models may move D6” at the end of each turn. Civilians begin the game within a 12” diameter circle in the center of the table. One of these civilians is secretly the German agent. Only the Almásy player knows which model it is. 

The LRDG may attempt to uncover the agent’s identity by speaking with the informant/bartender and gathering information.

Informant / Bartender Rules

* After successfully completing the bartender Plot Point, the LRDG player may attempt a number of separate Challenges against suspected agents equal to the difficulty level of the bartender Plot Point Challenge (0–1–2–3–4). These mini-Challenges must be attempted by the same character who completed the Plot Point. For each successful Challenge, the Almásy player must reveal whether the selected suspect is truly the agent or not. If the attempt fails, the process may be repeated later. Once the bartender Plot Point has been completed once, the character no longer needs to complete the Peril portion on later attempts — only the very first visit requires it. If multiple characters complete the Plot Point together, the LRDG player may choose which character conducts the interrogation. Important: The agent’s identity cannot be determined purely through elimination. A suspect only becomes confirmed if a successful Challenge is completed against that specific model.

Capturing the Agent

The agent only counts as captured if the LRDG controls him as a Plot Point at the end of the game. In all other cases, he is considered to have escaped successfully.

Aircraft Sabotage

The aircraft counts as sabotaged if the Almásy team were the last side to successfully speak with the mechanic. If nobody completed the Plot Point, or if the LRDG were the only side — or the last side — to speak with him, then the aircraft is not sabotaged.

Tuareg Assistance

The LRDG only receives Tuareg assistance if they were the last side to successfully speak with the Tuareg chief. If nobody completed the Plot Point, or if Almásy’s team spoke with him last, the Tuaregs do not appear.

...to be continued!