Lancer: The Tithe of the Moonless Night
An Introductory Mission for the One-Eyed Foxes
For the GM. This mission is designed for five LL0 pilots in GMS Everests. It uses Lancer's Extraction sitrep (CB p.270) as its core structure, preceded by a narrative play infiltration phase. The GM should have the NPC section of the core book (CB pp.280–333) open during play.
Estimated session length: 3–4 hours (1 hour narrative, 2–3 hours mech combat).
Tone: A heist gone sideways, not a military operation. The Foxes are outgunned by both enemy factions. If they try to fight everyone head-on, they will lose. The mission rewards cunning, misdirection, and knowing when to run.
The Situation
Read or Paraphrase to Players
"Mirrorsmoke has a job. Low-profile, high-payout, morally flexible — your specialty.
An IPS-N freighter called the Silent Tithe has crash-landed on an unnamed tide-locked moon at the edge of Harrison Armory space. Inside the wreck is a black-box NHP casket — a prototype sub-sentient intelligence. Union doesn't want Harrison Armory to have it. Harrison Armory doesn't want Union to know they've lost it. Neither of them hired you.
Your contract comes from a third party — anonymous, routed through four layers of Mirrorsmoke cutouts. The terms are simple: retrieve the casket, deliver it to a dead-drop in the Long Rim, ask no questions. The payout is enough to clear Rubble's remaining indenture contracts twice over.
The problem: you're not the only ones who know the Tithe is here. An HA Acquisition Team is inbound from orbit — professional, well-equipped, operating on a corporate timetable. And a local pirate fleet called the Gilded Plague has already made landfall and is picking through the outer wreckage. Neither group knows you exist. Yet.
You have maybe six hours before the HA team reaches the crash site. The pirates are already here. Your ship is parked behind a ridgeline two klicks south. What do you do?"
What the GM Knows (Players Don't)
- The anonymous contractor is almost certainly a Union intelligence cutout. Cap might suspect this.
- The NHP casket is not inert. The intelligence inside is damaged but aware, intermittently broadcasting a low-frequency signal that drew the pirates in the first place.
- The HA team knows the casket's approximate location. They do not know about the pirates OR the Foxes.
- The Gilded Plague doesn't know what the casket is. They're here to strip the freighter for salvage.
- Ghost may recognize something about the casket's markings (see Aftermath section).
The Infiltration (Narrative Play)
This phase uses Lancer's narrative play rules (CB pp.12–14, 42–53). The Foxes are on foot, scouting the crash site, setting traps, and positioning for mech combat.
Structure: Tasks and Clocks
The infiltration uses two clocks:
SETUP Clock (6 segments): Tracks how well the Foxes prepared the battlefield. Filled by succeeding on infiltration tasks.
HA ARRIVAL Clock (4 segments): Tracks time until the HA team lands. The GM fills 1 segment after each task attempt (success or failure). When full, mech combat begins. This means the Foxes get exactly four task attempts — they must prioritize.
| Setup Segments Filled | Effect on Mech Combat |
|---|---|
| 0–1 | Ambush Failed. Foxes detected. Both factions hostile. Switch to Holdout sitrep. |
| 2–3 | Partial Setup. Foxes start Hidden. Enemy factions NOT fighting each other. Standard Extraction. |
| 4–5 | Good Setup. Foxes start Hidden. Enemy factions begin Engaged with each other. |
| 6 | Perfect Setup. As above, plus the freighter's turrets target both enemy factions. |
Task 1: Ghost's Overwatch — "Find the Angles"
Trigger: Spot (+2 for Ghost) or Read a Situation (+2 for Cap). Standard difficulty. Fills 2 segments on success.
Ghost scouts the crash site from the ridgeline, identifying both factions' positions, patrol routes, and comm frequencies.
On success: Ghost identifies a sheltered vantage point in the wreck's upper hull (the Sniper Nest) and intercepts the pirates' unencrypted radio chatter — they're arguing about salvage shares and their leader is losing control.
On failure: A pirate patrol drone spots Ghost. She deals with it quietly, but the Gilded Plague goes to heightened alert. All subsequent tasks increase by +1 Difficulty.
Character moment: Ghost can see through her scope that several pirate mechs are jury-rigged civilian frames. These aren't soldiers. They're desperate people with guns. Does she mention this to the squad?
Task 2: Smooth's False Flag — "Make Them Paranoid"
Trigger: Act Unseen or Unheard (+2 for Smooth) to steal transponders from a downed satellite relay, then Charm or Word on the Street (+2 for Smooth) to plant them convincingly near the pirate perimeter. First check standard, second check +1 Difficulty (motion sensors). Fills 1 segment per successful check (2 max).
On success: The HA team's sensors read a much larger pirate force. Lieutenant Voss decides to hit the pirate camp first rather than proceed to the casket. This starts the three-way fight.
On failure (first check): The relay is too damaged. Task closed.
On failure (second check): Smooth trips a motion sensor. Pirates send a scouting party — +1 Difficulty on stealth actions in Round 1 of mech combat.
Character moment: Near the pirate camp, Smooth overhears two pirates talking about their families on a mining colony. One is trying to save enough to buy passage off-world for her kid.
Task 3: Rubble's Demolition — "Set the Table"
Trigger: Blow Something Up (+2 for Rubble). +1 Difficulty (salvaged materials, unstable canyon). Fills 2 segments on success.
Rubble pre-sets HEX charges in the narrow canyon between the HA landing zone and the crash site.
On success: Any pilot can detonate the charges as a free action during mech combat. The canyon collapses: 10 spaces wide, 3 spaces deep of Difficult Terrain blocking the HA eastern approach. Any NPCs in the canyon make an Agility save or take 2d6 AP kinetic damage and become Prone.
On failure: The charges are unstable. The GM detonates them at the worst possible moment (GM's choice of round). Same terrain effect, but the Foxes don't control the timing.
Character moment: While placing charges, Rubble finds hull plating stamped with a Harrison Armory subsidiary logo — the same subsidiary that annexed his homeworld. He goes very quiet.
Optional: Oddball — Hack the Wreck
Trigger: Hack or Fix (+2 for Oddball). +1 Difficulty. Does not fill the Setup Clock — instead enables the Turret Hazard.
Oddball interfaces with the Silent Tithe's damaged systems to gain partial control of the freighter's automated turrets.
Complication — Pocket's Signal: While jacked in, Pocket detects the NHP casket's intermittent broadcast and describes it as "someone singing very quietly in a room with no door." This is the first hint the casket isn't inert. Oddball must decide whether to tell the squad.
Optional: Cap — Pre-Mission Briefing
Trigger: Lead or Inspire (+2 for Cap). Standard difficulty. On success: Every Fox gains +1 Accuracy on their first attack in mech combat.
The Tactical Map
The map should be roughly 30 spaces wide × 25 spaces tall. Fill with terrain appropriate to a crash site on a barren, tide-locked moon.
NORTH
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ │
│ ┌──────────┐ ┌──────────────┐ │
│ │ HA EDZ │ │ PIRATE EDZ │ │
│ │ │ IZ-N │ │ │
│ └──────────┘ └──────────────┘ │
│ │ │ │
│ │ ┌────────────────┐ │ │
│ CANYON │ THE WRECK │ │
│ (charges) │ │ SCRAPYARD │
│ │ │ OBJECTIVE │ (pirate camp) │
│ │ │ (NHP casket) │ │
│ │ │ [TURRETS] │ │
│ │ └────────────────┘ │
│ │ │ │
│ IZ-W │ SNIPER NEST IZ-E │
│ │ (elevated, │
│ │ hard cover) │
│ │ │ │
│ ┌─────────────────────────────────────┐ │
│ │ FOX ADZ / EZ │ │
│ │ (deploy and extract here) │ │
│ └─────────────────────────────────────┘ │
│ │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
SOUTH
Key Zones
The Wreck: Mixed Hard Cover and Difficult Terrain. The Objective (NHP casket) is in the center. Casket stats per Extraction rules: Size 1/2, 5 HP, Evasion 10, E-Defense 10, 0 Armor. When a character starts their turn adjacent, the casket moves with their standard move. If contested by both sides, it stops.
Sniper Nest: Elevated section of the upper hull. Hard Cover, 3 spaces above ground. Holds 2 Size 1 mechs. Ghost's ideal position.
The Canyon: 3 spaces wide, 8 spaces long. No cover — a kill zone. Collapsible if Rubble's charges are set.
Reactor Venting (Dangerous Terrain): 2–3 patches within the Wreck. Engineering save or take 5 Energy damage (CB p.62).
Turret Hazard (if Oddball hacked the wreck): Two automated turrets inside the Wreck. At end of each round, each attacks the nearest non-Fox mech: +1 vs. Evasion, Range 10, 1d6+2 Kinetic. Size 1/2, 10 HP, destroyable.
Enemy Forces
Faction 1: HA Acquisition Team — "Precision Lance"
Professional, disciplined, encrypted comms. Gunmetal and amber livery. Commander Lieutenant Voss issues orders from orbit — cautious, methodical. HA retreats if reduced to fewer than 2 NPCs.
| Unit | Class | Template | CB Page | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2× | Assault | Standard (T1) | p.290 | Reliable damage, Hunker Down. The backbone. |
| 1× | Sniper | Standard (T1) | p.316 | Long-range precision. Sets up in the Canyon or on high ground. |
| 1× | Sentinel | Standard (T1) | p.315 | Defensive. Protects the Sniper, locks down approaches. |
Reinforcements: 1 additional Assault via IZ-N on Round 3+.
Faction 2: The Gilded Plague — "Scrapyard Dogs"
Disorganized, aggressive, under-equipped. Salvage mechs — mismatched paint, exposed wiring. Leader Brightjaw is on the field. If Brightjaw goes down, surviving pirates scatter — remove remaining Grunts at end of round.
| Unit | Class | Template | CB Page | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4× | Assault | Grunt (T1) | p.290, Grunt p.327 | 1 HP each. Chaff — dangerous in numbers, fragile alone. |
| 1× | Berserker | Pirate (T1) | p.293, Pirate p.328 | Brightjaw. Avalanche Charge. Will rush the nearest threat. |
Reinforcements: 2 additional Grunt Assaults via IZ-E on Round 4+.
Three-Way Fight Rules (Setup Clock 4+)
Both factions start Engaged with each other. The Foxes start Hidden — revealed when they attack, enter LoS, or choose to reveal.
NPC Priority: (1) Engaged enemy from other faction, (2) Nearest visible threat, (3) Objective.
Faction Collapse: When reduced to fewer than 2 NPCs, survivors disengage and flee toward their EDZ.
Mech Combat — Extraction Sitrep (CB p.270)
Note: RAW Extraction starts with no enemy forces deployed — all held as reinforcements. This mission pre-deploys both factions to support the three-way fight. This is an intentional modification.
Victory Conditions:
- Fox Victory: A Fox in the EZ/ADZ extracts as a free action at end of turn. If the casket is adjacent and uncontested, it is safely extracted.
- Enemy Victory: Casket not extracted by end of Round 10.
- No Victor: Casket destroyed (5 HP).
Reinforcements: At the start of any round, the GM may deploy up to 2 NPCs (or up to 4 Grunts) in two Ingress Zones. Cannot use the same IZ twice in a row.
SIGNAL Clock (8 segments)
Fill 1 segment at the start of each round. When full (Round 8), the NHP begins interfering with nearby systems — all mechs within 5 spaces of the casket gain +1 Heat at the start of their turn. This is the mission's ticking bomb.
Round-by-Round Suggestions
Rounds 1–2: If factions are fighting each other, this is chaos. The Foxes position. An HA Assault should reach the Objective by Round 3 if the Foxes haven't acted — this forces their hand.
Rounds 4–5: Reinforcements. The fight intensifies. If the Foxes have the casket, they should be running.
Rounds 6–8: Desperate phase. The losing faction makes reckless plays. If HA is losing, Voss orders "scorched earth" — the Sniper targets the casket itself.
Rounds 9–10: If still going, something has gone wrong. Escalate: second HA dropship on sensors, tidal geology shifting, or Pocket screaming that the casket's NHP is waking up.
Fallback: Holdout (CB p.272)
If the Setup Clock reaches only 0–1, the Foxes have been detected. Both factions are hostile.
Control Zone: 10×5 space area centered on the Fox ADZ. Duration: 6 rounds. Scoring: Start with 4 points, lose 1 per enemy in the CZ at end of Round 6.
Reinforcements: At the start of any round, the GM deploys up to 2 characters as reinforcements in the IZ.
| Score | Outcome |
|---|---|
| 4 | Total success. Extract with the casket. |
| 2–3 | Partial. Extract, but the casket is damaged. Contractor displeased. |
| 0–1 | Failure. Withdraw without casket. Mirrorsmoke doesn't pay. |
| Negative | Catastrophic. Overrun. Recovery mission next session. |
Even in Holdout, the two factions are hostile to each other. If HA and Pirate NPCs end up adjacent, they fight each other preferentially. The Foxes can still manipulate the fight through positioning.
Aftermath & Seeds
If the Foxes Succeed
They leave with the casket. Mirrorsmoke pays. But:
- The casket is not inert. Pocket reports the NHP inside is "listening." Not communicating — not yet — but aware. Oddball must decide: report this to the handler, or keep it quiet.
- Harrison Armory knows someone took the casket. Lt. Voss survived and is filing a report. Forensics will find GMS Everest tracks — generic, untraceable, but Voss is thorough.
- Brightjaw may have survived. If she fled, she's alive and she saw their mechs. Pirates talk.
Ghost's Recognition (Optional Campaign Hook)
After the mission, Ghost sees the casket's casing up close: a serial number in a non-standard format, and a small etched symbol that looks like a closed eye. She stares at it for a long time. If asked, she says: "I've seen that symbol before." She doesn't say where.
GM only: The symbol is associated with a Union black-operations program — the same one that may have trained Ghost. Her past and the squad's present just collided.
Pocket's Diagnosis (Optional Campaign Hook)
If Oddball interfaces with the casket again, Pocket diagnoses the NHP inside as damaged but recoverable — and notes, with uncharacteristic hesitation, that its architecture is "familiar."
GM only: Pocket and the casket NHP may share the same base architecture. Whether this is coincidence or design is a question for the campaign.
Advancement to LL1
Regardless of outcome, the Foxes reach License Level 1. Each pilot gains: +1 License Level in a manufacturer, +1 Talent rank, +1 Pilot trigger at +2, +1 Mech skill point.
Suggested License Paths
Cap → IPS-N Lancaster I (CB p.136) What she gets: Cable Winch System, Restock Drone. Support tools that let her keep the squad operational. What it means: Cap's instinct has always been to protect her people, even when the mission says otherwise. The Lancaster license makes that instinct mechanical — she's building a mech that keeps others alive. At Rank II, the Lancaster frame itself becomes available: a dedicated support chassis with Combat Repair and Redundant Systems. Cap isn't just leading anymore. She's becoming the reason her people come home.
Rubble → IPS-N Tortuga I (CB p.148) What he gets: The Tortuga's Rank I systems (variable by build — typically defensive hardpoints and close-range weaponry). What it means: More armor. More bulk. More "I am the wall." On the surface, Rubble is building a machine that can take punishment. Underneath, he's building a shell — something between himself and a galaxy that has already broken him once. At Rank II, the Tortuga frame arrives: a walking barricade with the Guardian trait that lets adjacent allies use him as hard cover. Rubble has always put himself between danger and his people. Now his mech does it literally.
Oddball → SSC Black Witch I (CB p.160) What they get: Access to SSC's electronic warfare systems — specifically the ICEOUT Drone (Rank II) and Perimeter Command Plate, plus Rank I systems focused on tech control. What it means: Oddball's relationship with machines is about to deepen. SSC's tech is elegant, experimental, and slightly alien — exactly the kind of hardware that speaks Oddball's language. The Black Witch license gives them tools to control the battlefield through information rather than firepower. Pocket will love it. Whether Pocket should love it — whether feeding a fragile, possibly-illegal NHP the keys to an advanced electronic warfare suite is wise — is a question the squad hasn't thought to ask yet.
Smooth → SSC Death's Head I (CB p.164) What he gets: Long-range precision systems, including advanced optics and the Death's Head's trademark sniper-platform tools. What it means: Smooth doesn't want to be where the fight is. He wants to be where the fight isn't, looking at it through a scope and choosing when to intervene. The Death's Head license formalizes this philosophy: strike from concealment, control engagement distance, never let the enemy set the terms. At Rank II, the Death's Head frame arrives — a dedicated long-range platform that rewards patience and positioning. It's the mech equivalent of Smooth's personality: always at a comfortable distance, always with an exit.
Ghost → SSC Metalmark I (CB p.172) What she gets: Access to SSC's stealth and mobility systems, including shock weaponry and concealment tech. What it means: Ghost was already a ghost. The Metalmark makes it literal. SSC stealth technology — tactical cloaks, flash cloaks, reactive camouflage — is the kind of hardware that doesn't come from surplus catalogs. It comes from very specific, very expensive programs. The fact that Ghost gravitates toward SSC tech, that she handles it with the ease of someone who has trained on it before, is another data point in a file full of unanswered questions. At Rank II, the Metalmark frame's Flash Cloak trait makes her invisible while moving. She'll be the last thing the enemy sees, and only briefly.
Legal & Credits
This document is a fan-created supplement for Lancer, a tabletop RPG by Massif Press (Miguel Lopez and Tom Parkinson Morgan). Lancer's core rules are released under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License (CC BY-SA 4.0). The setting, lore, and art of Lancer are ©2019 Massif Press.
The characters, mission scenario, and narrative content in this document are original fan work. All mechanical references (talents, weapons, systems, NPC classes, sitrep rules) are drawn from or reference the Lancer Core Rulebook, First Edition by Massif Press.
Lancer is available as a free PDF at massif-press.itch.io. The character builder COMP/CON is also free and is the recommended tool for managing Lancer characters.
This handout is free to distribute and is not for sale. If you enjoyed it, buy the core book and support the creators.