From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia The Morrow Project
The Morrow Project
The Morrow Project The plan was for the Morrow Project to be coordinat-
Designer(s) Kevin Dockery, Robert Sadler, Richard ed by a central command post and record-keeping facili-
Tucholka ty called "Prime Base." This is an immense self-contained
Publisher(s) TimeLine Ltd bunker with various annexes, hidden underground in Ne-
vada, in the canyons near Soldier Meadow. Its details are
Publication 1980 (1st edition) explained in the game book entitled "Prime Base." The
date 1980 (2nd edition)
facility’s advanced life support systems and huge variety
1983 (3rd edition)
of other equipment were intended to allow the Project’s
Genre(s) Post-apocalyptic fiction leaders not to sleep through the war, so as to chronicle
it and be in the best position to figure out what should
System(s) TimeLine System
be done next. The Project’s "Phoenix Team," a highly se-
cret tier-I special operations unit of approximately pla-
The Morrow Project is a science fiction role-playing game
toon strength, was also here, but kept frozen to be used
created by Kevin Dockery, Robert Sadler and Richard Tu-
only on the highest authority if there was no alternative.
cholka and published by TimeLine Limited. It is set after a
Prime Base was built in isolation according to sched-
devastating nuclear war. It was first released in the 1980s,
ule, but just before it could assume its role it was sab-
and it still has a loyal following. Recently the game’s web-
otaged and bombed by a shadowy madman called Krell,
site has indicated that the Project’s motto is Ordinary Peo-
sustaining serious damage. The sudden attack wiped out
ple, Extraordinary Mission.
the Morrow Project leaders, but 150 years after the war,
the damaged central computer at Prime Base finally be-
History gan to issue one or more wakeup signals. This revived at
In 1974, Robert Sadler wrote an outline for a post-apoca- least one of the Morrow Project assets -- the team that
lyptic adventure. Richard Tucholka added a second chap- the player characters are on. The status of other Teams is
ter, but then the project was buried for a year or more. In purposefully kept unclear, so that details can be worked
1975, they were introduced to role playing, and Tuchol- out by the person coordinating the game, who is called
ka suddenly realized that the Morrow Project could be an the Project Director.
adventure background for a roleplaying game. He used Is the Project hopelessly compromised, or can the
Sadler’s story as a guide to write that game background. scattered outposts reconnect and replace the missing
Then the two joined forces with Kevin Dockery to flesh headquarters? Must they try to confront huge recon-
out the military portion of the game. struction tasks alone, when it was expected that thou-
After months of playtesting, it was run at an early sands of Project members would help them? Do they
Michicon and became a real hit. From there, Timeline have the courage to try?
Games was born and shortly thereafter, due to internal
conflicts, both Richard Tucholka and Robert Sadler left Initial Scenario
Timeline Games and created Tacky-Tac Games that later The initial scenario may be played with nothing other
became Tri Tac Games. than the game book, dice, paper and pencil. Expansion
sets are available introducing further scenarios, weapons
Setting and equipment.
One hundred and fifty years after the Third World
The game is based around the idea that a group of Ameri- War, the members of the Morrow Project wake to a
can industrialists predicted the coming of an apocalyptic strange world. Instead of being part of an organized plan
nuclear war, and began to create a plan for an emergency to rebuild their civilization, they find themselves isolated
operations and reconstruction infrastructure that would in a world where the War is only a distant legend, the
survive that war. This plan is the eponymous "Morrow people are ignorant of anything but the struggle to sur-
Project". A number of volunteers were cryogenically vive and strange mutated animals haunt their footsteps.
frozen in hidden bunkers called boltholes. They were Players of the Morrow Project must not only survive,
provided with caches of supplies and equipment, intend- but must carry out their original mission: to rebuild the
ed to help the teams rebuild civilization -- once the war world. To do this they have their equipment and training,
had ended and the resulting nuclear fallout had dimin- their team and their own guts and imagination. Together
ished enough.
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From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia The Morrow Project
with their teammates they must try to do alone a job that equipment and personnel. Specialty groups
thousands were trained to do. generally consist of assets frozen with orders to
Included in the game book is targeting information meet at a predesignated point. Most Specialty teams
for the missiles that fell, full details on Morrow Project are not as heavily armed as Recon or MARS teams,
teams, vehicles and equipment, weapons, complete med- because the Project’s planners felt that those teams
ical details, and information about the people and crea- could not operate to their full extent if survivors felt
tures who live in the post-holocaust world. threatened by them. Specialty groups assigned to the
Project include:
MARS, Recon, Scientific and Specialty Engineering:
Engineering Building, construction, repair and
While each team is equipped to survive on its own, it maintenance of Project and civilian equipment.
proved impossible to equip all the teams for every post-
Agricultural:
Agricultural Farming and livestock preserved by
war contingency. For example, some Recon Teams are al-
using frozen embryos. Equipped to build and assist
most as heavily armed as MARS Teams, while others are
farming communities.
not.
With teams having been put to sleep over a course Psychological:
Psychological Formed to handle extremist groups,
of several years from the 1960s onwards, there will also riots, negotiation challenges, and other serious
be variations in the equipment they have. In some cases, problems caused by stress.
teams may wake to find new equipment they are not yet
trained on, and will have to teach themselves from in- Aviation:
Aviation Air survey reconnaissance, fire support,
structional materials. and air mobility support for other teams. These
Below is a general summary of the Project groups: missions are done with fixed-wing aircraft
• : The general purpose teams of the Project and the including cargo planes, as well as light helicopters,
most numerous, Recon teams are equipped with early types of unmanned aerial vehicles, and
varying types of weapons and equipment ranging custom-built autogyros that are modular and man-
from V-150 armored cars to SK-5 hovercraft. Their portable.
orders are to reconnoiter the countryside, report on
local conditions, and provide advice to Prime Base Command:
Command Oversight of Combined Group assets,
concerning which teams should be awakened next. both mobile field teams and fixed installations,
• : These teams make up the military arm of the generally for a city or limited geographical area
Project—they are extremely formidable and heavily such as. Combined Group Seattle.
armed. In addition to conventional weapons, some of
Watch:
Frozen Watch Casualty replacement personnel for
these teams have man-portable laser rifles, and some
the field teams, as well as Morrow Project field
have an early generation of no-nonsense, minimalist
police, internal security, and counterintelligence
powered armor. The purpose of the MARS teams is to
functions.
support and defend civilians and other teams. A
large portion of MARS team members are ex-military Reception:
Power Reception Reception of electrical power
personnel with combat experience. MARS stands for which is scheduled to be transmitted via
Mobile Assault, Rescue and Strike. Some MARS teams microwaves, once Morrow Project power satellites
have heavy vehicles such as the Mars One. The Mars have been lofted.
One is a large custom-built articulated vehicle with
very heavy armor and powerful weapons. It is able to Support:
Support Logistical support such as supply, repair,
carry troops, employ onboard sensors, provide early and replacement operations.
warning, and serve as a command post.
• : The Scientific teams are broadly cross-trained Communications:
Communications Restore radio frequency, laser
scientific and technical units that can cope with a microwave, and eventually even satellite
wide range of situations—from complex medical care communications. They also maintain the Project’s
and epidemiology to understanding unusual hazards clandestine Extremely Low Frequency systems that
and dangerous creatures. Their areas of knowledge very slowly accumulate Prime Base’s messages,
range from biology to nuclear physics. They are such as briefings, for teams to read when they
equipped with a second type of versatile custom- awaken—thus counterbalancing the minuscule
built articulated vehicle, called the Science One, and data rate. For security reasons, ELF systems were
have armament second only to that of the MARS not for use until after the war.
teams.
• : This is a broad term applied to Project groups that Medical:
Medical Health care for the general population
have a non-standard function in regard to their and for Project assets. Generally equipped with a
fixed installation.
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From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia The Morrow Project
Decontamination:
Decontamination Render safe personnel, vehicles Dwarf (Games Workshop) (Issue 42): 16.
and structures contaminated by radiological, ISSN 0265-8712.
biological, or chemical hazards. Also assist in the
salvage of equipment and materials recovered
from unsafe areas.
External links
• Timeline Ltd home page
• Morrow Project Travel and Adventure Guide
References • Entry in RPG.net Game Index
• Masters, Phil (June 1983). "Open Box: The Morrow • Morrow Project Ideas blog
Project - Liberation at Riverton" (review). White • Morrow Project North blog
• Another Morrow Project blog
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=The_Morrow_Project&oldid=449843799"
Categories:
• Science fiction role-playing games
• Post-apocalyptic role-playing games
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