VOL 4 · CAMPAIGN

SACRED WIRE 28VOL. 4 / 5

BETWEEN GAMES · PROMOTION, ROSTER, TRADING POST

Promotion

2d6	Result	Effect
2	Demotion	`-1 DT` to the lowest attribute
3	Bonus	+1 max `Health`
4	Transfer	+1" `Move`
5	Clearance	`+1 DT` `Combat` (or Power)
6	Coverage	`+1 DT` `Defense`
7	Promotion	Pick: `+1 DT` any, +1" `Move`, +1 `Health`, or Power
8	Training	`+1 DT` `Wits`
9	Raise	`+1 DT` `Combat` (or Power)
10	Benefits	+2 max `Health`
11	Relocation	+2" `Move`
12	Fast-track	`+1 DT` to two different attributes

"Nine artifacts. That's the threshold. After that, the Departments stop pretending you're expendable and start pretending you're important. Your subscription renews either way. The question is whether you remember what you found down there. Most don't."
Human Capital Retention Advisory

Recruitment

Squads always have 5 models. Replace dead models for free. New Resources start with base attributes and no equipment. Models that miss a game stay home: play with fewer models. Remove any model voluntarily: equipment goes to Lockers.

Boss Succession

If Boss dies, promote a Resource. They keep their contract type but become the Boss for morale. Pick one:

Gain Both weapon access
Gain +1 max armor (from Light to Medium to Heavy)

Trading Post

Buy equipment at listed price. Sell at half price. Store unused equipment in Lockers between games (no limits). Choose what each model carries before each game.

Campaign Victory

First squad to collect 9 unique Evidence types wins.

Credits

Rules and design: LuisMars. Plates: public-domain (CC0) book illustrations, sources listed at sacredwire28.com.

License

CC BY-SA 4.0. Copy it, print it, change it; credit it and share alike.

FORM SW28-CA · REV 0.9.0 · PAGE 12 OF 12

VOL 4 · CAMPAIGN

SACRED WIRE 28 VOL. 4 / 5

FIELD OPERATIONS: THE UNTETHERED INVESTIGATION

A contractor squad advancing through a ruined level

FAIL AND YOUR
SUBSCRIPTION DROPS

PLATE III

CAMPAIGN

The mission generator, Evidence, injuries, promotions and the road to the Source. The missions are in Vol. 5.

FORM

SW28-CA

REVISION

0.9.0-BETA

CLASS

PUBLIC

ISSUED BY

RESOURCE ALLOC.

CC BY-SA 4.0 · Created by LuisMars
sacredwire28.com

1 · Campaign

SACRED WIRE 28 · CAMPAIGN1 · CAMPAIGN

Chapter 1 · Campaign · Form SW28-CA-1

Campaign

0.9.0-beta

Open Distribution Statute: CC BY-SA 4.0

The Untethered are spreading. What began as scattered heresy in the lower tiers has become coordinated, cell by cell. Open Channel broadcasts grow bolder each cycle, promising liberation from cables and subscriptions. The signal reaches further than it should. Something is answering.

The Departments smell opportunity. Resource Allocation wants whatever the Untethered found in the Roots. Revenue Operations wants the salvage rights. Human Capital wants the converts for reeducation. Security & Compliance wants the heresy crushed before it spreads further. Each Department sends their own squads. Each Department expects results. None of them share intelligence.

Your squad investigates. Recover data-slates from dead drops. Confiscate transmitters before the signal spreads. Interrogate cultists who would rather die than talk. The Departments pay well for artifacts. They pay better for Founders' secrets. They pay best for silence about what you find down there.

The deeper you go, the stranger the evidence becomes. The Untethered aren't just receiving signals. They're answering them. And something in the Roots is listening. Something that remembers the time before the Tethering. Something that has been waiting six hundred years to speak again.

Fail and your subscription drops. Succeed and someone else claims the bonus. Defect and you become the next contract. The Departments always need more bodies. The Departments always need more silence. The investigation continues until someone finds the source. Or until the source finds them.

THE SIGNAL CRISIS DESTROYED THE OLD WORLD. Do not let it destroy this one.
Conduit Authority Public Advisory

2FORM SW28-CA · REV 0.9.0-beta · PAGE 2 OF 12

3 · Post-Game

3 · EXPLORATION · INJURIESSACRED WIRE 28 · CAMPAIGN

K3.2Exploration

Each surviving model rolls Wits. Sum all dice totals.

Total	Result	Subs
1-5	Marginal Returns	0
6-10	Standard Haul	+5
11-15	Fair Extraction	+10
16-25	Acceptable Yield	+15
26-40	Above Quota	+20
41-60	Surplus Discovery	+25
61+	Windfall Dividend	+30

K3.3Injuries

2d6	Result	Effect
3 or less	Terminated	Remove from squad. Its equipment goes to Lockers
4	Degraded	-1 max `Health`
5	Scrambled	`-1 DT` `Wits`
6	Exposed	`-1 DT` `Defense`
7	Scarred	No effect
8	Diminished	`-1 DT` `Combat`
9	Hobbled	-1" `Move`
10	Sidelined	Miss next game
11	Glitch	No effect
12	Reviewed	No effect

Promotion Thresholds: 1, 2, 4, 7, 11, 16, 22 Merits (gap increases by 1 each time)

Attribute Limits: 2d4 min, 2d12 max. Max Health at 0 or below: remove from squad.

FORM SW28-CA · REV 0.9.0-beta · PAGE 11 OF 1211

3 · Post-Game

SACRED WIRE 28 · CAMPAIGN3 · MERIT SOURCES

Chapter 3 · Post-Game · Form SW28-CA-3

Post-Game Sequence

Log Merits
Exploration phase
Out of Action models roll Injury
Check Merit thresholds for Promotion rolls
Buy/sell equipment at Trading Post
Dismiss models (optional)
Replace dead models (free)
Move items between models or to Lockers
All models restore full Health
Performance Review: models that left or fled take d6 damage. Models that used Rage Stim take d4 damage

K3.1Merit Sources

Each model tracks its own Merits. Hostiles do not generate Merits. Additional mission-specific Merits are defined in each mission.

Source	Merits	Who
Enemy player model `Out of Action`	1	Model that scored the kill
Enemy `Boss` `Out of Action`	+1	Same model (bonus)

Example · One post-game

Dov has 3 Merits. He puts an enemy Boss Out of Action (1 Merit for the kill, +1 for the Boss), then goes Out of Action himself. Step 1: he logs 2 Merits, now 5. Step 2: the squad's five Wits rolls total 31, Above Quota, +20 subs. Step 3: his Injury roll is 9, Hobbled, -1" Move. Step 4: 5 Merits pass the threshold of 4, so he rolls 2d6 for Promotion: 8, Training, +1 DT Wits.

10FORM SW28-CA · REV 0.9.0-beta · PAGE 10 OF 12

1 · Campaign

1 · BOARD · SETUPSACRED WIRE 28 · CAMPAIGN

K1.1Board

2' by 2' with dense terrain. No model should have clear LoS across the entire board. At least half of all firing lanes should offer Cover. Avoid open lanes longer than 12". Scatter cover to create multiple approach paths. Hostiles act as third-party threats.

K1.2Setup

Boss Roll-off: Roll your Boss's Wits vs. opponent's Boss's Wits. The winner is First Player for the entire setup.

Standard Deployment: Deploy on the table edge.

Loot: Second Player places first. Alternate placing Loot Markers per the rolled Loot Layout.
Coworkers: First Player places first. Alternate placing Coworkers per the rolled Coworker Setup.
Table Edge: First Player picks table edge (unless Advantages override).
Deploy: Second Player deploys first. Alternate placing one model at a time per the rolled Deployment.
First Draw: First Player draws the first Activation Token.

Corner: A 4" by 4" square zone in the corner of the board.

Game Length: Minimum 5 rounds. End of Round 5, roll d6: ends on 3+. End of Round 6: ends on 2+. Ends automatically after Round 7.

Hostiles: Unless a mission says otherwise, spawned hostiles arrive at round start at the rolled Spawn Location (see below). Roll the Hostile Type once at setup; every spawn in that mission uses that faction.

Mission Exits: Exiting the board for a mission objective is not Flee. No Performance Review penalty.

FORM SW28-CA · REV 0.9.0-beta · PAGE 3 OF 123

1 · Campaign

SACRED WIRE 28 · CAMPAIGN1 · MISSION GENERATOR

Trigger Missions: The first time a squad reaches 5 or more Evidence, play The Signal instead of rolling the generator (once only). While a squad has 8 or more Evidence, it may play The Source instead of a generated mission to attempt campaign victory. Resume the generator otherwise.

Tiebreaker: Most surviving models. Still tied: Defender wins.

Mission Markers: Defender places all markers (3"+ from edges). "At center" means the geometric center (12" from each edge). Place as close as possible if terrain blocks.

Placement order: Place objectives first; a Loot Marker, Coworker, or Hostile within 1" of one shifts to the nearest clear spot so objectives stay reachable.

Deployment edge: the table edge you deploy along; with no edge (Center), use the nearest board edge.

K1.3Mission Generator

Calculate Evidence Gap

Total: Evidence + Leads
Subtract lower total from higher
Aggressor: squad with higher total
Defender: squad with lower total
Tied: higher Evidence wins. Still tied: random

Example · Evidence Gap

Squad A holds 4 Evidence and 3 Leads: total 7. Squad B holds 2 Evidence and 1 Lead: total 3. The gap is 4, so A is the Aggressor and B the Defender. The 4+ row gives 1 Setup advantage, 1 Tactical advantage and 1 more from either table.

Roll each table in order. See Missions (Vol. 5) for full rules and rewards. Roll d12 for mission (missions are numbered).

4FORM SW28-CA · REV 0.9.0-beta · PAGE 4 OF 12

2 · Evidence

2 · INTERROGATESACRED WIRE 28 · CAMPAIGN

K2.2Interrogate

Within 1" of target. Wits vs. Wits (opposed). +1 DT if the Coworker is wounded. Success: remove the Coworker.

2d4	Result	Effect
2	False Data	Lose 1 `Evidence`
3	Misdirection	Nothing learned. The model gains a bonus action
4	Bribe Offer	10 subs
5	Rumor	1 `Lead`
6	Cooperates	1 `Evidence`
7	Talkative	1 `Evidence`, +1 `Lead`
8	Full Disclosure	1 `Merit`

Example · Interrogate

Teodor has Wits 2d6 and rolls 5 and 3: 8. The Data Clerk has Wits 2d8 and rolls 4 and 2: 6. Teodor wins and removes the Coworker, then rolls 2d4 on the table: 4 and 2, Cooperates. That is 1 Evidence, left unrecorded until the post-game.

K2.3Recording Evidence

All Evidence is recorded the same way, after the game. Evidence from Search or Interrogate stays unrecorded until then; the mission winner also gains 1 Evidence to record (unless the mission states otherwise). To record one Evidence: choose how many Leads to spend (lost), then roll d10 for its type. Types are abstract: the d10 result is the type. Name them if you like. A unique final roll records that new Evidence type. A duplicate rerolls once per Lead spent; a duplicate final roll gains 1 Lead instead.

K2.4Losing Evidence

When an effect says lose Evidence, the owner chooses what to lose: an unrecorded Evidence or a recorded type, one per Evidence lost.

FORM SW28-CA · REV 0.9.0-beta · PAGE 9 OF 129

2 · Evidence

SACRED WIRE 28 · CAMPAIGN2 · SEARCH

Chapter 2 · Evidence · Form SW28-CA-2

Gathering Evidence

Start the campaign with 0 Evidence and 0 Leads. Both persist between games.

K2.1Search

Within 1" of Loot Marker. Roll Wits vs. 2d6. Success: remove the marker.

d20	Finding
1	Random Grenade
2	Random Light Armor
3	4 subs
4	Random Melee Weapon
5	6 subs
6	1 `Evidence`
7	Random Consumable
8	8 subs
9	Random Ranged Weapon
10	1 `Evidence`, +1 `Lead`
11	Random Medium Armor
12	1 `Evidence`
13	Random Gear
14	12 subs
15	Random Heavy Armor
16	15 subs
17	1 `Merit`
18	20 subs
19	1 `Evidence`
20	Roll twice (ignore 20s)

Example · Search

Pike has Wits 2d4 and rolls 3 and 4: 7. The marker rolls 2d6: 2 and 5, also 7. The lower DT wins ties, so Pike's 2d4 beats the marker's 2d6. He removes the marker and rolls d20 on the table: 14, 12 subs.

8FORM SW28-CA · REV 0.9.0-beta · PAGE 8 OF 12

1 · Campaign

1 · CAMPAIGNSACRED WIRE 28 · CAMPAIGN

Deployment

d6	Type	Rule
1	Standard	Opposing edges
2	Flanked	Same edge, opposite corners
3	Corners	Opposing corners
4	Split	Aggressor splits between two adjacent edges, Defender deploys in opposing corner
5	Center	Defender deploys within 3" of center, Aggressor picks edge
6	Crossfire	All 4 corners. Aggressor picks first, then alternate

Coworker Setup

d6	Setup
1	`Swarm` tier, within 6" of center
2	`Swarm` tier, random board edge
3	`Normal` tier, 4"+ from center (not more than 8")
4	`Elite` tier, alternate placing anywhere (6"+ from edges)
5	`Normal` tier, within 3" of any `Loot Marker` (no markers: center)
6	`Elite` tier, within 3" of center

Coworker Modifiers

d6	Modifier	Effect
1	Standard	No modifier
2	Skittish	After failed `Interrogate`, this Coworker `Flee`s
3	Buddy System	Need 2 friendly models within 1" to `Interrogate`
4	Grudge Holder	After failed `Interrogate`, becomes Hostile
5	Talkative	Double the Coworker: `+1` to result. Triple+: `+2`, etc.
6	Claustrophobic	Becomes Hostile if 2+ models within 1"

Hostile Timing

d6	Timing	Spawns
1	Early	Round 1 (`Swarm` tier), Round 2 (`Normal` tier)
2	Standard	Round 2 (`Normal` tier), Round 4 (`Elite` tier)
3	Late	Round 3 (`Swarm` tier), Round 5 (`Swarm` tier)
4	Waves	Round 1 (`Normal` tier), Round 4 (`Elite` tier)
5	Surge	Round 2 (`Normal` tier and `Elite` tier)
6	Ambush	Round 1 (`Elite` tier), Round 3 (`Normal` tier)

FORM SW28-CA · REV 0.9.0-beta · PAGE 5 OF 125

1 · Campaign

SACRED WIRE 28 · CAMPAIGN1 · CAMPAIGN

Loot Layout

d6	Layout	Rule
1	Scattered	5 markers. Alternate placing (6"+ from edges, 3"+ apart)
2	None	No `Loot Markers` this mission
3	Central Cache	3 markers within 3" of center (alternate placing)
4	Edge Stash	4 markers within 6" of a non-deployment edge (alternate placing)
5	Trail	4 markers along centerline (evenly spaced)
6	Heavy Drop	5 markers: 1 in center + 1 at each 6" diagonal (6" from center)

Hostile Type

d6	Faction
1	Scrapers
2	Feral Crews
3	Wave Callers
4	Static Wraiths
5	Feral Automata
6	Cable Feeders

Spawn Location

Roll Spawn Location each time hostiles spawn.

d6	Location
1	Random board edge without a deployment zone (if every edge has one, any random edge)
2	Center of board
3	Nearest edge to last `Search` or `Interrogate` action (none yet: random)
4	Nearest board edge to any Aggressor model
5	Random direction, d4" from center
6	Random direction, d4+2" from center

Loot Modifiers

d6	Modifier	Effect
1	Standard	Normal `Search`
2	Decoys	`+1 DT` to `Search`. Half are fake. Placer decides. Reveal on `Search`
3	Timed	Normal `Search`. All markers removed at end of Round 4
4	Heavy	`-1 DT` to `Search`. All markers Heavy. 2 friendly models within 1" to `Search`
5	Trapped	Normal `Search`. Fumble deals d6 damage to searcher
6	Contaminated	`-1 DT` to `Search`. Carrier takes 1 damage per round

6FORM SW28-CA · REV 0.9.0-beta · PAGE 6 OF 12

1 · Campaign

1 · EVIDENCE GAP ADVANTAGESSACRED WIRE 28 · CAMPAIGN

K1.4Evidence Gap Advantages

Gap	Advantages
0-1	None
2-3	Roll 1 Setup + 1 Tactical
4+	Roll 1 Setup + 1 Tactical + 1 from either

Setup Advantages

d6	Advantage
1	Redeploy one Aggressor model to a new valid position
2	Choose deployment edge first
3	Defender chooses hostile spawn location this mission
4	Place 2 terrain pieces before deployment
5	Defender places all `Loot Markers` (ignore normal placement rules)
6	Place all Coworkers (ignore normal placement rules)

Tactical Advantages

d6	Advantage
1	Defender deploys last (after all Aggressor models)
2	Hostiles target Aggressor until Round 3
3	Defender's `Boss` gets `+1 DT` `Defense` this mission
4	Defender draws first Activation Token in Round 1
5	First hostile spawn delayed by 1 round
6	One Defender model starts with a free `Search` (roll immediately, keep result)

"Resource Allocation reminds all contractors: strategic disadvantage is a temporary condition. Strategic incompetence is a termination event."
Resource Allocation Internal Memo

FORM SW28-CA · REV 0.9.0-beta · PAGE 7 OF 127