LIVE FREE OR DIE, the free version
Copyright 2000 Michael Singleton/It’s unwise to steal from an expert marksman
Imagine a world where everything the far right wing gun nuts say is absolutely true. The United Nations has used influence, money and assassination to elect a puppet President. Imagine that this President has used his power to undermine and eventually destroy the Bill of Rights. He has created a domestic police force of unrestrained violence and corruption. He has used fear and lies to oppress a passive population, and overwhelming firepower to suppress the uncooperative. Imagine this world after the free and brave decide they have had enough and the next to last battle with an endless foreign enemy has been lost. This is the world of Live Free or Die.Copyright 2000 Michael Singleton/It’s unwise to steal from an expert marksman
The world as we knew it has ended. The Rights of Man are a memory. The simplest freedom Americans used to enjoy is now crushed under the jackboots of the United States Garrison Force and innumerable United Nations "Peace Keepers". American cities lie in ruins. Millions lie in unmarked mass graves for the crime of being American. Life is now an endless procession of food lines and ration cards and black uniformed "police" ready to make you disappear if you step out of line. But you never liked standing in line anyway…
"God grant that men of principle shall be our principle men." Thomas Jefferson
PLAYING THE GAME
The core of the game is the GO/NO-GO system. This is a simple set of character creation and interaction rules using special dice designed to reduce the need for number crunching. Simplicity of understanding and ease of use are the main focus of GO/NO-GO, not a bunch of unnecessary rules that 90% of the players won’t use anyway. If the choice was between a rule and common sense, common sense was used every time.DICE CONVENTIONS: Unlike the current trend in role-playing games to use many multisided dice or great fistfuls of six or ten sided dice, GO/NO-GO uses special math friendly dice. These are coded in three colors: Green, blue and red. The green dice are printed on two sides with "GO" and four sides with "NO GO". The blue dice are evenly split three "GO" and three "NO GO". The red has four "GO" and two "NO GO". Their use will become much clearer later, but all you need know for now is that they are read easily: GO is good, a success, NO GO is bad, a failure. A variable number of these dice are rolled during the game, but since they are simple binary yes/no, this eliminates the need to count large numbers, add handfuls of dice, figure square roots and other such non-fun nonsense that makes games too difficult for their own good.[1]
APTITUDES: The very basic abilities of a character are his Aptitudes. These are not his abilities to fire a rifle or play the tuba, but are how likely, with training, he is to excel in those areas. The five basic Aptitudes are Brawn, Brains, Presence, Prowess and Guts.
BRAWN-This is the Aptitude defining how much stuff a character can carry, how hard he can hit and how long he can march with a 75lb pack before he collapses.
BRAINS-This is a measure of intellectual power. It is also a measure of mental strength and psychic resistance (though there are no mental or supernatural powers in Live Free or Die). It is not a measure of specific knowledge.
PROWESS-This is the measure of agility, accuracy and manual dexterity. Characters with a high Prowess make excellent marksmen, martial artists and helicopter pilots.
PRESENCE-Presence is the measure of how a character interacts with his fellow humans. It is not a measure of any trained method of interaction like leadership or seduction.
GUTS-If your character, armed only with a big stick, will attempt to infiltrate the high command center of the United Nations invasion forces, capture the General in charge, kill his personal platoon of Spetznats commando bodyguards and drag your prisoner 100km back to friendly lines through a swarm of UN air cavalry and armor, your character probably has a high Guts aptitude. If your character surrenders to the first Bangladeshi peacekeeper he sees, he is probably low in the Guts area.
APTITUDE LEVELS
INFERIOR AVERAGE SUPERIOR
EXPLANATION OF LEVELS
INFERIOR- Uses the green die with 2 GO’s and 4 NO GO’s. Inferior represents a poor level of Aptitude, a clumsy oaf (Prowess), spineless worm (Guts) or cement headed doofus (Brains). While training in skills can overcome this disadvantage to some extent, the character with an Inferior Aptitude in an area will never truly excel in that area
AVERAGE- Uses the blue die with 3 GO’s and 3 NO GO’s. Average represents just what the name implies: Statistical mean, right in the middle, neither terribly good nor bad. By far most everyone has an average in all 5 aptitudes. Training in a skill for which you have an average aptitude is a decent proposition with a good return on the time invested
SUPERIOR- Uses the red die with 4 GO’s and 2 NO GO’s. Superior represents a statistically high level of aptitude, the mentally sharp, physically agile or personally magnetic. Training in a skill for which you have a superior aptitude gives excellent returns on time invested and gives skills that stand out from the non-superior.
SKILLS-Skills are, unlike aptitudes, specific areas of a character’s knowledge and training. While Prowess measures a character’s overall agility, a skill of say, Combatives is a measure of a character’s ability to do one thing or a specific group of things (in this case, beat the crap out of someone) Skills, like aptitudes, are divided into levels, from utterly unfamiliar with a skill to expert in it’s use.
SKILL LEVEL EXPLANATIONS
UNTRAINED-Roll one die of the appropriate type for this skill. This represents a total lack of training in the skill area, but not necessarily complete ignorance of the concepts involved. Any skill used by default (no training but I’ll give it a whirl) uses this if it can be used without training at all. Some really complex or dangerous skills must have some training even to use.
FAMILIAR-Roll two dice of the appropriate type for this skill. This is the lowest level of trained skill use. A couple of classes or being shown how to do the skill by a friend or a not so friendly drill sergeant is about it. Bad cooks and poor marksmen fall into this category.
QUALIFIED-Roll three dice of the appropriate type for this skill. The term "qualified" is militareese for "the lowest level of skill we’ll let you loose with". This can usually get the job done, if barely. To get this level of skill requires some dedication and time, a couple of weeks or so if a good teacher is available or much longer if you are learning the skill on your own.
TRAINED-Roll four dice of the appropriate type for this skill. This is a professional level of skill. Only thorough training and lots of practice can earn a character a trained level of skill. Most normal people have only one or two skills at this level of expertise, mostly related to their jobs of major interests.
EXPERT-Roll five dice of the appropriate type for this skill. One with an expert level of skill is in the upper ranks of that area. Expert sportsmen and academics gain widespread fame and respect
DIFFICULTY LEVELS: Every action has a difficulty level that is able to be cross-referenced on the Universal Task Matrix (UTM) to determine how successful an attempt at a skill is. The UTM will be explained in great detail later, but an explanation of difficulty levels will be used to start the explanation of how the game is played in general, leading up to the UTM.
There are four levels of difficulty, plus the difficulty of automatic. This fifth difficulty level is to be used as often as possible, in situations such as:
Rolling a bunch of dice seems unnecessary and would slow down a good game.
If an action fails it would ruin the game.
If an action succeeds it would ruin the game.
Whenever you please.
Use of automatic success and failure has a long and respected tradition in role-playing games and you should not feel bad in the slightest for using it. Just remember, don’t let the players know what you are doing. Just roll a handful of dice behind an obstruction, sigh and say you just barely made it or blew it. If it makes for a fun game, use it.
The other four levels of difficulty are:
Routine Standard Hard Oscar Charlie (Oh crap)
ROUTINE-A routine level of difficulty is just a little more difficult than an automatic success. If you are extremely unlucky or unskilled you could blow this one, but it would be surprising. Performing routine maintenance on a vehicle or weapon you are familiar with, speaking to an average foreigner in the foreign language you are trained in or finding your way in an area with lots of landmarks using a map and a compass are all examples of routine tasks.
STANDARD-A standard level of difficulty is one that requires a fair level of skill to accomplish acceptably, but is not a terrible strain to a fairly skilled character. Driving fast in bad weather, altering a semiautomatic weapon to fire on full auto or talking your way out of a traffic ticket when you are at fault[2] are all examples of Standard tasks. Standard tasks and routine tasks should make up the bulk of challenges to players, just as routine and standard tasks make up the bulk of challenges in our lives.
HARD-A hard task is a task outside of the realm of the casually trained. This is a job for an expert, or at least a lucky amateur. Doing a standard task under terrible conditions could be a hard task. Climbing a sheer rock face, finding your way in unfamiliar territory without a compass with only the stars to navigate by or stabilizing a critically injured comrade with the aforementioned Swiss army knife and a roll of gauze are all hard tasks. Hard tasks should be fairly rare, as most characters cannot get a satisfactory level of success with them, on average.
OSCAR CHARLIE-These are tasks only an expert should attempt, and even then he wouldn’t want to bet his life on a successful outcome. Doing a hard task under terrible conditions (navigating without landmarks in a blizzard, for example) hacking into the pentagon mainframe, convincing your girlfriend that the girl she caught you with is your long lost cousin; these are all examples of Oscar Charlie tasks.
LEVELS OF SUCCESS: You have skill levels and task difficulty levels, now to tie them all together you have what the interaction of the two brings-levels of success, or lack there of. There are five levels of success, corresponding to army descriptives used in almost every school and training center, they are in ascending order:
GOLF SIERRA (Goat Screw) UNSATISFACTORY SATISFACTORY EXCELLENT OUTSTANDING
GOLF SIERRA-Just about the worst you can do. This is a complete failure with the worst possible results. Not only did you fail, but also you probably look like a fool while failing. Blowing it this badly is usually very apparent to you and those around you (the bomb explodes).
UNSATISFACTORY-Still way below the standard but not as bad as a Golf Sierra. You still fail in your task, but it is possible that some small success comes out of it (you fail to defuse the bomb and it is about to explode, but you know this and have a few seconds to take cover). Unsatisfactory is for the most part not too good, but it could be worse.
SATISFACTORY-Good enough for government work, as they say. This kind of success isn’t pretty but for the most part it’s still a success. A satisfactory first aid attempt would save the victim but would leave a nasty scar. A satisfactory repair job fixes the item and it works acceptably, but it somehow isn’t perfect. In a numerical sense, a satisfactory level of success is about 85%. Good enough but it could be better.
EXCELLENT-An excellent level of success is 100% successful. You have done the task almost flawlessly and looked good while doing it. You might have even gotten a bit more than you expected, like not only finding your way back to base but also finding a better way to get there.
OUTSTANDING-This level of success is as good as it gets. Your demo charge not only destroyed the enemy command center but also torched their fuel point as well. The bluffed enemy not only surrenders but begins to spill all he knows about an upcoming attack. You accomplish 125% of what you set out to do and awe onlookers in the process. Outstanding successes are what reputations are made of.
THE UNIVERSAL TASK MATRIX: The Universal Task Matrix is the way you determine if something works or doesn’t work and to what extent. To use the chart is simplicity itself. Find the difficulty of the task (Routine, Standard, Hard or Oscar Charlie), find the level of the character’s skill (Untrained, Familiar, Qualified, Trained or Expert) and roll the dice. Find where the number of GOs lies and you have the results of the action.
UTM
Difficulty Level of Success/ # of GOsRoutine GS/- Uns/0 Sat/1 Exc/2 Out/3
Standard GS/0 Uns/1 Sat/2 Exc/3 Out/4
Hard GS/1 Uns/2 Sat/3 Exc/4 Out/5
OC GS/2 Uns/3 Sat/4 Exc/5 Out/6
Find out how hard the task is, roll the dice and look across the chart. Nothing could be easier and that is the core of the GO/NO-GO system. Some of you astute number crunchers have probably already noticed that it is impossible to score an outstanding success on an Oscar Charlie task on the chart, and it is very hard for characters of average skills and aptitudes to succeed at just about anything. This is not a misprint or an attempt to make it easier for a sadistic GM to torture his hapless players (sorry, you blew it again, roll up a new character). The numbers of dice associated with each skill level is not really the best that can be done at that skill level. It is the best that can normally and comfortably be done at that skill level. If a character really needs to succeed at an attempt he can use some of his inner reserves and will to make a maximum effort. In live free or die, this inner reserve is called HOOAH.
HOOAH- What is Hooah you nonmilitary types are asking? Hooah is an Army term that has many meanings, but is most frequently used to describe something that was done well or better than expected. "That was Hooah" could describe hitting 40 out of 40 at the rifle range or living through a 20-mile road march in full gear in high summer. Whatever the situation, Hooah is the extra stamina or concentration needed to get the job done. In game terms it is extra dice rolled to get more GO’s. Hooah can double the number of dice rolled for a particular task. So if you are qualified in a skill and normally roll three dice for a task, using Hooah can add up to three extra dice for a total of six dice. As you can see, Hooah can make the impossible possible and the hard merely standard. As in all things, however, there is no free lunch. Each character has a limited number of extra Hooah dice, and once expended they are not easy to get back.
DETERMINING HOOAH-A character gets one Hooah die for each inferior aptitude, two Hooah dice for each average aptitude and three Hooah dice for each superior aptitude. So the minimum Hooah for a character is 5 Hooah dice (if the character had all inferior aptitudes) and the maximum is 15 Hooah dice (if the character had all superior aptitudes). The average Hooah is 10. After it is gone the character must make all of his rolls unmodified on an unforgiving UTM.
GETTING BACK EXPENDED HOOAH-Under normal conditions, Hooah returns in the morning after a good night’s sleep and normal American meals. This is the best-case scenario. The life of a freedom fighter is usually short on both rest and food. In this type of circumstance, only half of the Hooah expended returns at the beginning of each day, so a character will almost always be at a deficit in this department. This is why a chance to rest and recuperate is so highly prized, almost as much as intelligence information or a tactical advantage.
SKILLS AND EXPLANATIONS
BRAWN BASED SKILLS
COMBATIVES, PHYSICAL EDUCATION (PHYS ED), TOUGHNESS
BRAINS BASED SKILLS
AWARENESS, BASIC MILITARY TRAINING (BASIC), DEMOLITION, HOBBY/MOS/PROFESSION (HOBBY/MOS), LANGUAGE, MEDIC, MILITARY SCIENCE (MIL SCI), ORIENTEERING, PREPAREDNESS, REPAIR/MAINTAINENCE (REPAIR/MAINT), SCHOOLING
PROWESS BASED SKILLS
COMBAT DRIVING (CBT DRIVING), COMBATIVES, DODGE, PHYSICAL EDUCATION (PHYS ED), SMALL ARMS, SNIPING, VEHICLE
PRESENCE BASED SKILLS
COMMAND, INTERROGATION (INTERROGATE), PERSONAL INTERACTION (PERS INTER)
GUTS BASED SKILLS
ESCAPE/EVADE/INFILTRATE (ESC/EVADE), HEAVY WEAPONS (HVY WPNS), PHYSICAL EDUCATION (PHYS ED), SURVIVAL, TOUGHNESS,
SKILL EXPLANATIONS: BRAWN BASED SKILLS
COMBATIVES-Whether you use a jump spinning wheel kick, a broken bottle or just hold your opponent down and pound the living daylights out of him you are using the combatives skill. When based on brawn, combatives tends to be a less than subtle, Neolithic bashing skill of pounding your opponent until he stops wiggling. A full explanation of combatives can be found in the combat section.
PHYSICAL EDUCATION (PHYS ED)-This is the skill of athletic and physical action. Based on Brawn these skills are of the lift, heft and tackle variety. The subcategories are climbing, carrying and unsubtle manipulation.
Climbing: When a character wishes to climb anything more challenging than a ladder or flight of stairs he uses the Physical Education skill to determine success or failure. The following are sample difficulty levels.
Automatic-Stairs, ladder, tree with lots of low branches.
Routine-Very steep hill with lots of vegetation, wall a little over your height, knotted rope.
Standard-Extremely steep hill, wall you have to jump to reach the top of, rope without knots.
Hard-Rock face with many handholds, rough tree trunk with knobs.
OC-Merely rough rock face with few hand holds or cracks.
Proper climbing gear (hammers, pitons, ropes) could reduce the difficulty level by one or two. A climbing roll is made twice in the average climb, such as a few hundred feet up a cliff, once at the mid-point and once to complete the climb. If the roll is missed, the climber encounters a difficulty (no hand hold, a slip) and must take twice the time to complete the climb as determined by the GM. If the missed roll is a GS (utter failure), as they say in Airborne, look out below ‘cause I’m a comin’ through!
Carrying: When a character wants to carry a heavy object for a limited distance, he uses his Physical Education skill to do so. Carrying loads over a long distance is covered by the Physical Education skill under Guts. A character checks this skill once per minute (10 turns) under normal conditions (flat terrain, walking speed). Some sample difficulties are:
Automatic-Carry an object about half of your body weight (about 100 lbs or so).
Routine-Carry an object about your body weight (up to 200 lbs or so).
Standard-Carry an object of up to one and a half times your body weight (up to 300 lbs or so).
Hard and OC are levels only possible under adverse conditions. One level is added to the difficulty if the character is running and one level is added if the terrain is difficult (wet, uneven, rubble). So a character carrying a fallen comrade at a dead run over a shell pocked terrain would roll a hard level of difficulty every minute. If he failed, he would most likely fall at some very inconvenient time. A generous use of Hooah is recommended.
Unsubtle manipulation is breaking stuff. The sheer number of variations of breaking things is so vast, the GM will determine difficulties based on common sense and whim. A few sample difficulties are:
Automatic-Window glass, plaster-board.
Routine-Light wood (pine, redwood, plywood), normal door.
Standard-Reinforced door, hard wood, light metal
Hard-Safety door, fire door, wire reinforced glass.
OC-Security door with a heavy bolt
Reduce the level of difficulty if the character has appropriate tools (axe, big hammer, inert enemy to use as a battering ram).
TOUGHNESS-Once your character catches a 5.56mm round, falls off of a building or takes a whiff of type V nerve gas, you find out how tough he really is. This skill represents your character’s bodily integrity, resistance to pain and shock and his will to live. Toughness is compared to the damage rating of the thing harming the character. If the number of GO’s rolled by the character is more than the number of the damage rating, the character is unaffected by the harmful agent (and should consider himself very lucky). The bullet only hit the character’s clothing, he landed on a soft bit of ground, or by some miracle the nerve gas doesn’t take effect... yet. Given the power of modern weapons, this result will be rare.
If the number of GO’s is equal to the number of the damage rating, the character is pained or suppressed. If the damaging agent is anything except a full auto weapon or explosive, the character is pained. The attack hurts but does no real damage. The character loses his action if he has not acted in the turn and loses his action the next turn as well as the character flinches away and seeks cover. If the attack comes from a full auto weapon or explosive device, the character is suppressed. Not only does he suffer the effect of being pained, plus he must make a standard coolness under fire roll (explained later in the morale section). If he fails, he remains unable to act every turn he fails to make the roll (self-preservation is taking over).[3]
If the number of GO’s is one less than the harmful agent, the character is wounded. He immediately falls to the ground and loses his actions as if he had been pained. Until the character can make a standard toughness roll (at least 2 GO’s on the dice) he is unable to act and just "lays there and bleeds a while". After the roll is made, the character loses one die from all of his actions until healed.
If the number of GO’s is two less than the number of the damage rating of the harmful agent, the character is rendered combat ineffective. He immediately falls to the ground, dropping anything he holds. He is incapable of any action until healed to at least a wounded level, a will probably die if he is not given quick medical attention.
If the number of GO’s is three or four below the number of the damage rating of the harmful agent, the character has been killed. Heroic and sophisticated medical attention within a minute or so might save the stricken character, but these are almost always unavailable in a combat environment.
If the number of GO’s is five or more below the damage rating of the harmful agent, the character is blown away. The attack blows the character to pieces, burns him to bits of charred bone and teeth or reduces him to a meaty paste. Don’t bother with bandages and pressure dressings; try a sponge and a bucket.
BRAINS BASED SKILLS
AWARENESS- Hearing or noticing something that is almost unnoticeable falls into the realm of the Awareness skill. This skill is used if the character is about to enter a situation where something hidden from normal sight or hearing is about to impact upon his well being: An ambush, a commando coming up behind him while he is on guard duty, a strange scent of bitter almonds of freshly mown grass that tells the character he is about to be overcome by poison gas. In such situation, characters roll against their skill for something not to "feel right". You don’t tell them what is actually happening, just that they have a funny feeling about the situation or perhaps give them a small clue, such as the description of the strange smell, not "you smell nerve gas". What a character does with the information is entirely up to them, and they may do nothing if that is what they want to do. Occasionally throwing some false uses of the skill (I guess it was nothing) will discourage player dependence on it. Due to the capricious nature of the skill, all awareness skill rolls are made at a difficulty level of Standard.
A more common use of this skill is a comparison between this skill and the opposing skill being used by another character, such as someone using the Escape/Evade/Infiltrate skill. The character with the higher total noticed the noise of the other character or avoided being noticed. As in all things, the GM should use his best judgment.
BASIC MILITARY TRAINING (BASIC)-This is basic skill of how to be a soldier. It is taught in basic training units, military academies, ROTC programs and militia groups all over the USA and the world. This is not the skill of firing a rifle or throwing a grenade, it is how to act like a soldier and how to move like a soldier, as well as all of the minor soldier skills like packing a rucksack and using camouflage paint.
Its game effect is twofold. The first effect is that any character with at least a skill level of familiar with this skill can function as a soldier in a military or paramilitary unit without any major problems. He can put up a shelter half or tent, dig a foxhole, pull guard duty and many other minor military things he might be asked to do.
The other function of this skill is avoiding coming into the sights of an enemy rifle or spotting someone to put into the sights of your rifle. Avoiding being sighted in a firefight is the use of IMT (Individual Movement Techniques). These will be discussed in detail later, but these are basically ways to crawl and run without being spotted or being spotted for such a short time as to not give the enemy time to shoot you or finding good enough cover or concealment to avoid being a target.
The flip side of this use is being able to sight a target in a less than perfectly covered area or getting a shot off when a target keeps running for a split second too long before finding cover. These uses of basic military training will be covered in much greater detail in the combat section, but this description should be enough to show how valuable a skill this is.
DEMOLITION-Blowing things up and preventing things from getting blown up is made easier with the use of the demolition skill. Setting a charge under normal conditions (no pressure, no combat) is a routine task. Disarming a charge under similar conditions (a simple device, no overt pressure, a device that you are reasonably familiar with) is also a routine roll. To disarm a charge under less than ideal conditions (such as a charge set by another person with demolition training trying to keep the charge from being tampered with through the use of anti-handling devices) is a skill comparison. This concept will also be explained in the combat section, but its use in the demolition skill warrants its explanation here.
A skill comparison is a measure of the difference between the number of GO’s two opposing characters roll. For example, two characters are arm wrestling. One rolls his dice and gets 3 GO’s; the other rolls his and gets 2 GO’s. The character that rolls the higher number of GO’s is the victor. In a tie, the comparison continues or the "defender" is unaffected in the case of shooting at someone, for example.
In the case of demolition skill, the character setting the charge rolls his dice and the number of GO’s rolled is the number the character trying to disarm the charge is trying to beat. A tie results in an Unsatisfactory result with predictable consequences. Beating the number by 1 GO gives a Satisfactory result, 2 an Excellent and 3 an Outstanding. If the number of GO’s the disarming character gets is 1 or lower than the character that set the charge, he probably won’t realize it until he gets to the afterlife.[4]
Details on various explosives are found in the weapon section.
HOBBY/MOS/PROFESSION (HOBBY/MOS)-This very broad skill allows the players to create skills that are not on the skill list. The skills created should not be skills already listed with different names (martial arts instead of combatives for example) but should be used to round out a character’s skill list. If the character were a lawyer turned freedom fighter, Law would be an appropriate skill choice. A non-combat military character might pick a skill like communications or avoiding work as his primary military job. This skill can also be used to create very specialized and narrow areas of knowledge that many people learn to amuse themselves, like chess or the playing of overly complex and silly card games with cute little monsters on them. If the character has a skill like Law or Science, his level of Schooling (discussed later) should reflect this.
LANGUAGE-This skill allows a character to communicate in a foreign language. Language skill levels represent an increasing level of ease in communication.
Untrained: Could possibly recognize a major language that he heard, but not understand anything being said.
Familiar: Simple communication along the lines of "where is the bathroom" is possible.
Qualified: Enough of a language to get by under most circumstances. This level of language fluency is taught at the Defense Language Institute in its basic language course and could also be learned in the training for Mormon missionaries or through a few years of college level language courses
Trained: A level of fluency equal to almost native fluency. The character is able to function as a member of the society speaking the language, though he will still have a foreign accent, able to be concealed for just a few sentences at a time. This level of skill is only gained through years of practice or through a bilingual upbringing.
Expert: This level of fluency is equal to a native with full idiomatic command of the tongue and no accent. For all intents and purposes, this is the character’s native language. This level of fluency is almost unheard of and is usually only found among diplomats and Intel types under deep cover.
If a character tries to do something that seems not readily automatic (a qualified character trying to hide his accent) use the UTM and be reasonable.
All player characters have a level of trained in their native language. Each language is a separate skill and must be acquired separately.[5]
MEDIC-One of the hazards of the rough and tumble life of a character in a role-playing game is getting hurt. That is why it is necessary for them to have access to someone with the medic skill. A detailed explanation of the use of the medic skill is handled in the section on damage and healing. The levels of medic skill correspond to the following:
Familiar-First aid training at camp or basic training.
Qualified-Military combat medic.
Trained-Nurse, Paramedic
Expert-Doctor, Surgeon
MILITARY SCIENCE-Sometimes in a battle, the victory does not go to the force with the best weapons or the greatest numbers, but the best plan. In any tactical engagement, the person in charge formulates his plan and then rolls his Military Science skill (a bonus or penalty die can be assessed for a particularly bold, brilliant or stupid plan) against the opposing commander’s skill. The winner has the tactical advantage (such as access to the best terrain for cover or a chance to withdraw before the battle is joined, though not without being detected). If the winner gets two or more GO’s than the loser, the winner gains the element of surprise (attack from ambush, withdraw without being detected with some information about the enemy force, like rough size and composition),
A character with some level in the Military Science skill will also know how to move military forces of up to platoon size (about 30-50 troops) from place to place in a reasonably orderly fashion, set up adequate defenses like barbed wire and foxholes and keep a platoon sized group in some semblance of order. Characters with high levels of this skill are often military or militia officers or non-commissioned officers.
ORIENTEERING-This is the skill of finding your way around. In general, if you are at least qualified in this skill and have a map of the area and a compass as long as you begin knowing where you are on the map you will always be able to find your way around. A character that is at least qualified in this skill can also do the following tricks:
*Determine distance traveled using a set pace count (knowing how many steps he must take for increments of 100 meters, usually between 55 and 70).
*Use a map to identify terrain and location (see that hill on the map. That’s where we are).
*Use a map to analyze terrain and determine it’s suitability for use (for a base or ambush site).
Use of this skill gets more difficult without proper materials like maps and a compass. Using terrain association (using terrain features, like hills or buildings to give you an idea of where you are) to find your way is a Standard task, as is using the stars to navigate in the dark. Rough terrain, jungle, thick woods and so forth would make orienteering a hard task, at least. Failure that gains a result of Golf Sierra means that the character is completely lost but thinks he is going the right way.
Orienteering should generally be automatic as long as the character in question is at least qualified and has both maps and a compass or is familiar with the area. Only under non-standard circumstances should a character have to roll dice to use his orienteering skill.
PREPAREDNESS- Sometimes a little foresight is a more dangerous weapon than a rifle. Boy Scouts are legendary for having a high level of this skill. For purposes of the game, this skill has two specific functions. The first is that it helps determine what starting equipment the character possesses. If the level of skill is high, he was ready for the takeover and had a lot of stuff hidden away. If it is low, he has to start off at a disadvantage (without my rifle, I am nothing). More on this in the equipment section.
The second use is to free the players from having to write down every single thing their characters are carrying. If there comes a time where the characters need something they don’t seem to have (nobody brought a flashlight), the GM can have them roll to see if anyone just happens to remember they have the very item they need. This skill can only be used in a scenario as many times as the character has dice in it and Hooah may NOT be used to change the die roll. Some examples of difficulty levels:
Routine- Flashlight, pencil, string, matches
Standard- Knife, Pocket tool (Leatherman or Swiss army knife), wire, signal mirror, extra ammo (one level worth), compass
Hard- Stolen ID or ration card, Foreign language phrase book, area map
Oscar Charlie- Grenade, silencer, lock picks, forged identity papers
REPAIR/MAINTAINENCE (REPAIR/MAINT)-This skill is useful for fixing damaged equipment or keeping equipment in good working order. It can also be used to alter equipment that you are qualified in the use of (such as converting a rifle from semiautomatic to fully automatic fire). This skill can be used on weapons, vehicles, radios and any other relatively simple device (not super computers or jet engines). A trained level of skill with an item to he repaired will lower the difficulty of the repair by one level (familiarity with the function of an item makes it easier to repair or alter). Some guidelines for the use of this skill:
Automatic/Untrained-Changing the oil, cleaning a weapon, changing batteries.
Routine-Changing a flat tire, calibrating an electronic device.
Standard-Fixing a broken axle or thrown track, fixing a minor mechanical failure of a weapon (broken shell extractor, bent firing pin) pulling and replacing the right circuit board in an electronic device, altering a rifle to fire on automatic.
Hard-Fixing a blown engine, repairing a badly damaged weapon, jury-rigging a weapon out of parts of damaged weapons, repairing, not just replacing electronic parts.
Oscar Charlie-Doing a Hard task without proper tools, rebuilding a totaled vehicle or weapon so that it works reasonably well.
Repair tasks take at least an hour to even attempt at their simplest levels. The tasks above Standard could take from several hours to days. Common sense should be the rule.
SCHOOLING-This represents a character’s level of formal, civilian education and his knowledge about the world and his culture. While it might not be much help in shooting UN thugs, characters without much formal education are ignorant of much that is possible and tend to be 1 dimensional and easy to defeat by better educated and more flexible people. Levels of Schooling equate to the following skill levels:
Untrained-Grade School
Familiar-Junior High School
Qualified-High School
Trained-College or Technical Degree
Expert-Advanced Degree (Masters, Ph.D.)
College, technical or advanced degrees should be linked to a character’s other skills and interests (a character with a degree in computer science should have skill with computers).
PROWESS BASED SKILLS
COMBAT DRIVING (CBT DRIVING)-When you want to make it hard for someone to get your vehicle in their sights, the evasive action you take is combat driving. It is the vehicle equivalent of a Dodge (see the dodge skill below). What this amounts to is a comparison between the attacker’s weapon skill and the defenders combat driving skill. If the defender ties or wins the contest, the attacker is unable to make a damaging hit on the defender’s vehicle (this is not to say that the attacker does not hit his target, he just doesn’t hit the tire engine or fuel tank. The passengers might still be showered with broken glass from shattered windows and other cosmetic damage).
Combat Driving is also useful in pursuit situations. Comparison between drivers’ numbers of GO’s determine if a pursuer is lost or catches his opponent. Between two opponents of roughly equal speed and maneuverability, three to five successes will lose a pursuer.
NOTE: This running tally system could also prove useful in other pursuit situations, from foot races to jet combat.
COMBATIVES-Described earlier under Brawn skills, this version of the skill is based on finesse, not brute force. Note that a character that has the Combatives skill can use either version, but would probably use the one that is based on his better Aptitude. That might not always be the case. If, for example a character had his arms tied behind his back, the prowess base combatives might not be at such a severe disadvantage as the brawn based one, as the prowess based skill would probably allow agile kicks not greatly impeded by the character’s dilemma.[5]Some real world equivalents for the Prowess based Combatives:
Familiar- Beginning Karate student, basic trainee
Qualified- Novice Karate student, infantry trained hand to hand student
Trained- Karate Black Belt
Expert- Karate Master, Elite Commando Hand-to-Hand killer
DODGE-When the bullets start flying, it is good to be able to get out of the way in some manner. The dodge skill is a combination of all the ways people avoid getting dead, through speed and agility to get terrain between you and an attacker, to the luck of not being there.[6]
Better described in the combat section, Dodge is used as a comparison between an attackers dice roll and the defenders dodge dice roll. If the defender gets as many or more GO’s than his opponent, the attack misses. If the defender rolls fewer GO’s, he had better acquaint himself with the section on healing.
PHYSICAL EDUCATION (PHYS ED)-This part of the physical education skill is used for fine work and precision. Throwing a grenade or knife, for example, uses the prowess side of the physical education skill as its weapon skill.
Jumping form rooftop to rooftop, throwing oneself through a window before a bomb goes off, these are examples of this use of physical education.
One practical measure of this skill is speeds in running and distances in jumping. A character can cover any reasonable distance during a combat turn without a roll by simply stating he runs to his destination. If the character needs to outrun someone, the running skills of the two characters are compared with the highest number of GOs outrunning or catching the loser. A character can run specific distances in a turn using the following guidelines.
Routine-Cover 25meters in a turn
Standard- Cover 35 meters in a turn
Hard- Cover 50 meters in a turn
Oscar Charlie- Cover 100 meters in a turn
The above speeds assume a normal equipment load and clothing, not running shoes and shorts.
Jumping for distance is another ability covered in this skill. A character under combat conditions (gear and weapon) can jump specific distances, assuming a fair running start, using the following guidelines.
Routine- Jump 3 meters
Standard- Jump 4 meters
Hard- Jump 5 meters
Oscar Charlie- Jump 6 meters
The character is assumed to be unable to act the next turn after a Hard or Oscar Charlie jump (he does not land on his feet in most cases)
SMALL ARMS- This is the skill of using standard infantry small arms such as rifles, pistols, shotguns, submachine guns and light machine guns This does not include the use of general purpose machineguns, grenade launchers or other weapons included with the heavy weapons skill. This skill is covered in the combat section.
SNIPING- This is the art of shooting targets at very long distances with special high-powered rifles and scopes. In practice, if a character with this skill has access to a high powered rifle and scope (either military sniper rifle or bolt action hunting rifle), a secure place to aim and attack from, the character can fire his rifle against a surprised target at up to 500 meters without penalty to his dice (though the victim gets his dodge dice minus one die to represent the chance of moving at the wrong time and causing the bullet to miss). After a sniper has fired upon his target, he must roll his basic military training skill vs. the enemy’s alertness to remain unseen. Otherwise the sniper is likely to find his sniper’s nest surrounded and himself out of luck.[7]
NOTE: A character cannot have more dice in the sniper skill than he has in his small arms skill.
VEHICLE- Any character can drive a car under normal conditions. This skill covers other non-traditional vehicles, like aircraft and tanks. In it’s basic form, the vehicle skill allows a character to make a skill roll to figure out any land vehicle and drive it with a few minutes to get accustomed to the controls. A piece of construction equipment could be a routine task to figure out, while a modern Main Battle Tank might be a Hard task. If a character wants to know how to use a specific vehicle (like a tank) or fly an aircraft (fixed wing or helicopter) he must use some of his skill dice to purchase skill with that specific vehicle as well as the skill in vehicles. Each specific vehicle other than car (pick-up or van) or motorcycle costs one skill die per vehicle class (helicopter, APC, light tank) The basic skill represents a character with a broad knowledge of how vehicles operate and an intuitive understanding of how operate them, which is useful when dealing with an unfamiliar or foreign vehicle.PRESENCE BASED SKILLS
COMMAND- Motivating people in a crisis situation or in military or other hierarchical organization is the purpose of the command skill. A Leader gives orders and using the strength of his position and his personal force and charisma influences his subordinates to get the job done. Under normal and non-dangerous situations obedience can be expected with no roll required. In the heat of battle or other danger, skill rolls will he required. Some examples of increasing difficulty:
Automatic- In garrison, orders relating to upkeep of equipment or paperwork. No great effort or danger.
Routine- As above, but troops are exhausted or "don’t feel like it".
Standard- Motivating troops under fire, or hold a position that puts them in danger.
Hard- As above, but when the odds seem greatly against their side or the enemy is well defended and dug in.
Oscar Charlie- Motivating troops on a suicide mission, under poison gas attack or direct artillery fire.
Other modifiers apply. If your troops have reason to like and trust you or know they will be imprisoned or executed if they disobey orders, you could lower the difficulty level by one. On the other hand, if the troops have a reason to mistrust you (you are an untrained rookie and they are veterans, you are an unlikable jerk), add one level to the difficulty.
Command skill can also be used to inspire subordinates to action. Any character with the command skill and in a leadership position can use this ability. The leader must possess a greater level of the command skill than the troop he is attempting to inspire and be within 10 meters. He can then loan Hooah to that character for use that turn or next turn. The number of dice can be up to the level of Command skill the leader possesses. The inspired troop must use the Hooah immediately or the benefit is lost. The leader inspiring one of his subordinates can attempt no other action during the turn he is inspiring his troop, other than avoiding incoming fire.
INTERROGATION- When someone has information that you want and they are unwilling to share it, this is where the interrogation skill comes into play. Interrogation involves repeated questioning; deception and minor forms of harassment like sleep deprivation, hot lights Spartan living conditions and accusations of wrongdoing (you’re a spy, don’t try to deny it). Over time, this can wear down a victim’s resistance and cause him to slip and reveal information or even break down and cooperate. This can take quite a long time, especially if the subject is very strong willed and uncooperative.
This brings us to a related subject, torture. If time is a factor or the interrogator is just twisted, he can possibly extract information much more quickly by the application of extreme pain.
To use the interrogation skill, the victim must be questioned for at least eight strait hours. After this initial phase, the interrogator may roll his dice in interrogation vs. his victim’s toughness skill any number of times as long as he continues to roll more GOs than the victim. For each GO over the victim’s GOs, the interrogator learns the answer to one yes or no question. If the interrogator fails his roll at any time, the victim ha found the strength to keep quiet and no more rolls are made and no more questions will be answered until the process is started again with another eight hours of questioning. This process can take a long time.
To get information more quickly, truth drugs can be used. A person at least qualified in the medic skill must administer the drugs otherwise they have no effect. The drugs have the effect of subtracting two dice from a character’s toughness skill for the purposes of interrogation for about ten minutes. During this time, the interrogator can ask his questions. At the end of this time, the character will become unconscious for three hours.
If even this is not good enough, there is always force (hot coals, sharp implements, electroshock and so on). The base time for a torture session is 15 minutes, after which the interrogator/torturer may ask questions as the interrogation skill. Torture has a damage rating of 3 for purposes of wounding and death. If the victim is wounded, the torturer can either stop and wait for the victim to recover, or continue and risk killing the subject.
NOTE: Torture is almost universally condemned (but then again so is shooting a mother holding a baby in her arms, but that didn’t stop the FBI).
PERSONAL INTERACTION- This is the skill of dealing with other human beings and influencing their behavior. Everyone has his or her own unique method of this, so each character must define how he or she interacts. A tough and stern mercenary will interact differently than a devious and seductive double agent.This skill does not serve the same function as command but is for less structured encounters between people, such as seduction, persuasion (friendly or otherwise), intimidation, bribery or fast talk. The player using this skill compares his dice against his victim’s personal interaction or toughness skill (whichever is greater). Winning the contest means the victim is more inclined to see things your way. Winning the contest by two GOs or more means the victim is completely convinced and will do what the character wants short of an obviously harmful act. This could make you a useful contact or an annoying dependent.
GUTS BASED SKILLS
ESCAPE/EVADE/INFILTRATE (EEI)- Getting from one place to another unseen and unheard requires the ESC/EVADE skill. Situations using this skill are divided into two categories: Getting in/out and getting away.
GETTING IN/OUT-Escape or infiltration requires one or more rolls to avoid detection and success places you in or outside the desired area. An example would be the infiltration of an enemy base. If four rolls of the appropriate difficulty are made, the characters are given access to the enemy command center. Three successes and one failure might put the characters near the command center before they are found. Failing the first roll might not even get them within the fenced perimeter.
GETTING AWAY-Evasion is handled differently. Two groups: pursuers and the pursued are in a skill struggle using their ESC/Evasion skills. If the pursuers win the first roll, the quarry is within sight and weapon range. If they lose the first roll, they subtract one die from their next roll. If they win that, they gain the die back and so on until they either have no dice left or they win a roll with their original number of dice, in which case they are back within weapon and sight range. When they run out of dice the quarry has escaped.
Larger groups give no bonus (they are easier to hear and avoid). Bad weather, darkness or thick vegetation give the pursued an extra die. Electronic detection devices or night observation devices will give either side a bonus die if used.[8]
EXAMPLE DIFFICULTIES:
Routine-Lightly guarded civilian building
Standard-Military base
Hard-Military command center
Oscar Charlie- General’s command center
NOTE: These difficulties only apply to those trying to be stealthy. Just blasting your way in or out requires no roll.
HEAVY WEAPONS-The use of heavy arms like grenade launchers, light anti-tank weapons and heavier machineguns falls under this skill. These weapons are very powerful but not too subtle or accurate. If used against vehicles or installations, they have no penalty. There use against human targets is at a one-die penalty (except machineguns, which are made to attack human targets) and thrown grenades. This is offset by their blast area, which is generally five meters and is a DR of 4 or 5 that avoids all penalties for cover and concealment, unless the cover is a concrete bunker or the like. Heavy weapons have the additional advantage of extremely long range.More descriptions of these weapons and skill are covered in the combat section.
PHYSICAL EDUCATION- This part of the physical education skill deals with gritting your teeth and getting thee job done. Two example uses are:
RUNNING-This is how quickly your character can complete a 3km run in light clothing with no heavy encumbrance. He will be completely exhausted at the end of the run.
UNTRAINED-24 minutes
FAMILIAR-18 minutes
QUALIFIED-14 minutes
TRAINED-12 minutes
EXPERT-10 minutes (pretty good)
Heavily encumbered characters could take up to twice as long to complete such a run.
CARRY: This is how far a character can carry a heavy pack and weapon (about 30-50kg total) in a heavy uniform and boots before becoming exhausted and unable to continue for several hours
UNTRAINED-1km, maybe
FAMILIAR-10km
QUALIFIED-20 km
TRAINED- 35km
EXPERT-50 km or more if need be.
Other uses of this skill could be heavy physical labor (breaking rocks, cutting down trees, digging foxholes), treading water after a misadventure at sea and so on.
SURVIVAL- When facing a hostile environment or natural or man made disaster, finding food, water and shelter are of great importance. A high level of this skill can make this possible, and even a low-level can save your life. Under normal, somewhat prepared conditions, (readily available plants and animals, water sources, survival gear, modern weapons) no roll is needed to get from day to day. The smallest level of skill prevents stupid accidents. In worse conditions (no real survival gear, hostile environment without needed food and water sources) a routine or standard roll is needed (GM whim) to prevent starvation and exposure damage every day. In extreme conditions, like the desert or arctic, a hard roll might need to be made every few hours to avoid serious harm or even death. A successful roll avoids harm and finds shelter and sustenance for the character and up to a dozen companions. In all situations, the GM is final arbiter of difficulty.
TOUGHNESS- Explained under the Brawn based skill of the same name.
CHARACTER CREATION
"Live Free or Die" is a character driven game. The players don’t merely shift cardboard chicklets around a map and roll dice like in a war game. Players take on the persona of a hard-bitten mercenary or a righteous freedom fighter. Thusly, the character creation system should allow the players to freely create this persona. On the other hand, the game system, especially the combat section, is extremely deadly (fitting the theme of the game, violent insurgency and counter insurgency) and it will seem pointless to take two hours to create a character that dies in five minutes. Therefore, character creation is done on a "template" system. A template is a partially completed character sheet with the minimum levels of skill required for that type of character, so Special Forces soldiers have high small arms skills and freedom fighters have survival skills. The player has some extra dice to allocate to areas that he feels his character should be more skilled at or to start new skills to give his character life. Your Special Forces sergeant could be an avid chess player or your housewife character could be a kitchen chemist with demolition skills and a purse full of plastiqueTEMPLATES
There are seven such templates:
Elite Military: (Special Forces, Rangers)
Active Military: (Regular Infantry and other combat types)
Reservist/Support: (non-combat military Reserves and National Guard)
Paramilitary: (Cops, Government agents)
Resistance Fighter: (insurgents, militia guys)
Enthusiast/Nut: (civilians with guns and more enthusiasm than sense)
Civilian: (normal folks that don’t stand much of a chance).
These seven templates encompass most of the likely choices that players would want in the rough and tumble, pull the pin don’t stumble world of urban and suburban insurgency.[9]
DETERMINING APTITUDES:
Before the player can pick a template to customize into his very own slayer of jack booted thugs, he must first determine his aptitudes, the natural abilities that define how smart or strong the character can be. This is because certain templates require a minimum in a few aptitudes. After all, most Airborne Rangers in the 75th Ranger Battalion are a little stronger, smarter and braver than your average guy named Bubba in the Arkansas National Guard’s tactical latrine repair battalion. Thus, your character’s aptitudes will determine if he is a Delta Force officer or the assistant manager of Taco World.
APTITUDE DETERMINATION CHARTS:
Roll 1 standard die: 1- Inferior 2-4 Average 5-6 Superior
CUSTOMIZING A TEMPLATE
After you have rolled your aptitudes, the next step is to choose and customize a template. The following restrictions by template apply.
Elite Military: Must have a superior aptitude in Brawn, Brains and Guts and may have NO inferior aptitudes.
Active Military: Must have a superior aptitude in Brawn and Guts and at least an average aptitude in Prowess.
Reservist/Support: May NOT have an inferior aptitude in Brawn or Prowess.
Paramilitary: Must have a superior aptitude in Guts and at least an average aptitude in Brawn, Prowess and Presence.
Resistance Fighter: Must have a superior aptitude in Guts and an at least average in Brains, Brawn and Prowess.
Civilian/Enthusiast/Nut: NO minimum, as the civilian is just an average guy and the Enthusiast/Nut is a civilian with more guns.
After the template has been chosen, the player then has the option to add skill dice to the template to make the character more to his liking. The extra dice can be added with the following two restrictions.
1) Two dice may be added to two skills, only one die may be added to the remaining skills (these two skills are the character’s main focus in training for the job ahead, either making him an expert in the area or correcting a deficiency)
2) If a skill has not been developed on the template at all (has only one die), two dice may be added to the skill, bringing it up to a maximum of qualified.
The number of dice that may be added is a function of which template is chosen.
ELITE MILITARY: Has only eight extra dice (his profession has determined his training for him).
CIVILIAN: Has twelve extra dice, as he has had no previous restrictions from his profession on which skills he has been able to develop.
ALL OTHERS: Have ten dice to add to their template.
PREPAREDNESS
Preparedness is the measure of how ready the character is for the coming of the battle with the government, the UN and the rest of the world. Preparedness is measured in Preparedness Credits (PCs), the currency of the character creation process. These PCs are "spent" by the players while creating their characters to arm and equip them with what they need to survive in a dangerous kill or be killed world. In the basic character creation using templates, use the following system to determine Preparedness Credits.
All characters start out with 10 preparedness credits as a base. Add to this:
+15 if the character’s template has the term "Military" in it
+5 per die in the Preparedness skill
So if a character has 3 dice in preparedness (+15) and is an Active Duty Military character (+15) he adds 30 to his base 10 for a total of 40.
The following is a sample list of items and their prices in PCs. It is by no means a complete list, and any item can be converted to PCs by figuring 1 PC=$100.[10]
THE LIVE FREE OR DIE PC TRADING POST
*Full battle dress uniform and boots (Blouse, 6 pocket pants, leather boots, utility cap all in woodland, desert, urban or jungle) 1 PC *Bugout bag (rucksack or backpack, sleeping bag, small tent or shelter half, 20 meter rope, small shovel or entrenching tool, waterproof bags, flashlight, wool blanket, insect repellent, hygiene gear and enough socks and underwear to be reasonably comfortable) 3 PC
*One box of MREs (12 pre-packaged army meals, 1500-2500 calories each. Enough for survival on one a day. MRE stands for meals ready to eat, but are understood in army circles to mean meals rejected by Ethiopians or meals recently excreted) 1 PC per box
*One level of ammunition (any caliber, includes any needed magazines) 1 PC
*LBE (Load Bearing Equipment. Web belt, suspenders, ammo pouches, canteens and canteen covers, compass pouch and first aid pouch. Carries tons of useful gear almost unnoticeably) 1 PC
*Navigation Gear (good quality compass, protractor, pencils, and needed maps. The orienteering skill is almost impossible without this) 2 PC
*GPS (Military Global Positioning System. Tells you within 10 meters where you are in the world. Better than Navigation Gear if the satellites are working) 10 PCs
*NODs (Night Observation Devices, known as Night Vision Goggles or NVGs. Eliminate all penalties for working in anything less than total darkness. Bright light "blinds" them rendering them useless) 15 PCs
*Wind up short wave radio (wind for 30 seconds for 30 minutes use. Needs no batteries) 3 PCs
*Pioneer tools (Picks, shovels, axes and saws to construct foxholes, shelters and defenses) 2 PCs
*Walkie-talkies (good quality civilian 2 way radios. 5 km range, completely unsecured) 2 PCs per pair
*Surplus PRC-77 radio (multichannel military radio, 5-15km range depending on terrain. Works 12 hours per battery. Does not work with the radio above) 7PCs/1 PC per battery
*Medic bag (Field first aid kit, usable for emergency medicine and even minor surgery. The kit is the base tools. "Uses" of the kit represent expendable supplies and are bought and added to the kit separately. One "use" is expended for each first aid attempt) 5 PCs/2 uses per added PC
*Steel pot helmet and flak vest (bought as a pair, offer some protection against combat damage, but not much) 1 PC
*PASGT helmet (Kevlar helmet, fairly effective protection) 2 PCs
*PASGT vest (Kevlar vest, about as effective as the helmet) 5 PCs
*Really good survival knife 1PC\
As you can see, the more likely an item is to be regulated or outlawed by the government, the dearer it is in PC cost. Weapons in "Live Free or Die" are worth their literal weight in gold.
LOAD-This is the least used rule in all of role-playing. Coming up with a really realistic and complex system for penalties for how much junk you are carrying would be pointless. So here is a REALLY simple system for how loaded down you are.
There are three levels of LOAD (how much stuff you are carrying)
Light load- Less than 15kg of stuff. Bonus of one die for all movement type rolls, climbing, running and such. This is a character carrying only his weapon, some ammo and a bare minimum of other gear. This is what you carry if you know you are going into battle and have time to leave most of your gear in a safe place.
Combat load-About 30kg of stuff This is the default level for load, thus there is no bonus or penalty. This is the amount of gear you carry on an average mission of several days: Weapon, ammo, extra uniforms and boots, blanket, dry socks, water, beans, and a few other odds and ends. This load is a balance between mobility and survival.
Heavy load-More than 30kg up to 60kg or more. This is like a combat load, but more so. In addition to weapon and survival gear, the character may be carrying extra weaponry, heavy weapons (mortar, light machine gun) extra supplies, or even helping to carry a wounded comrade. Since the character is carrying a greater load, he is penalized by one die in movement type rolls and to Dodge and Basic Military Training until some of the load is shed down to a Combat load.
A simple system, but perhaps not simple enough. If not feel free to ignore it.
GUNS AND MORE GUNS
The following is a brief working extract of available firearms for use in "Live Free or Die". It is by no means intended to be a list of every possible military and civilian small arm; it is merely a list of weapons most likely to be found in an insurgent or counter-insurgent’s arsenal.Weapons are defined by the following characteristics:
NAME: The common name of the weapon CALIBER: Expressed in hundredths of an inch or millimeters
TYPE: Rifle, pistol etc. MODES: S-Single fire only/ SR-Semi auto or rapid/ A-Automatic fire
AMMO-Ammunition feed device: internal magazine, drum, detachable box or cylinder WEIGHT-Expressed in kilograms
DAMMAGE RATING-Damage the weapon does on a successful hit.
M-16A1/M-16A2
Caliber-5.56mm Type-Rifle Modes-S/SR/A
Ammo-20 or 30 round detachable box magazine Weight-3.5kg Damage Rating-4 The M-16 series is the primary assault rifle of the United States. Despite its bad reputation, it is an accurate and reliable if kept fairly clean. Other rifles with identical characteristics are the Ruger Mini 14 and the AR-15. Cost 15 PCs (M-4 18 PCs)
AKM/AK-74
Caliber-7.62x39mm(AKM) 5.45x39.5(AK-74) Type-Rifle Modes-S/SR/A
Ammo-20 or 30 round detachable box magazine Weight-3.5kg Damage Rating-4
The AK series of assault rifles are simple and robust weapons. All are meant to be used by troops unable to maintain them well. An AK can be filled with sand or mud and still continue to fire. The AKM and the AK-74 are standard assault rifles. The AK series weapons are the most common weapons on both sides. Cost 13 PCs (AKSU 15 PCs)
M-14/H&K G-3/FN FAL
Caliber-7.62x51 Type-Rifle Modes S/SR/A
Ammo- 20 round detachable box magazine Weight-5kg Damage rating-5 Classified as Battle rifles, these weapons were supplanted by assault rifles in the 1960s and 1970s as the main battlefield weapon. They are still in use as sniper weapons and where their more powerful rounds and greater range can be of use. Not all of these weapons can fire in fully automatic mode. The M-14 is an American battle rifle (still found in some National Guard armories), the G-3 is a German battle rifle and the FN FAL is a Belgian battle rifle. Cost 25 PCs
SKS
Caliber-7.62x39 Type-Rifle Modes S/SR
Ammo-10 round internal magazine Weight-4kg Damage Rating-4 The only rifle available that actually cost less than a decent load of ammunition for it. Heavy and unable to fire automatic fire without extensive modifications, it was still wildly popular. It was cheap, moderately reliable and fairly effective. They were imported from the Eastern Bloc and China in vast quantities and bought in huge numbers before the banning of private firearms ownership. Cost 3 PCs (5 PCs for the Plus version)
M-21 Sniper Rifle
Caliber-7.62x51mm Type-Rifle Modes-S/SR
Ammo-20 round detachable box magazine Weight-7kg Damage Rating-5 The M-21 is a finely tuned M-14 battle rifle fitted with a sniper scope and possibly a night vision device. The National Guard and Reserves use it and many are still in active duty armories, gathering dust next to Army M24’s and Marine M40A3’s. Cost 30 PCs
SVD Sniper Rifle
Caliber-7.62x54R Type-Rifle Modes-S/SR
Ammo-10 round detachable box magazine Weight-4.5kg Damage Rating-5 The SVD Dragunov is unmistakable with its extremely long barrel and keyhole stock. It is about as accurate and powerful as the M-21 and several kilos lighter. Cost 30 PCs
Bolt Action Hunting Rifle
Caliber-7mm, 30-30, 30-06, 8mm, 6.5mm and many others Type-Rifle Modes-S
Ammo-internal and detachable box magazines with varying capacities Weight- Varies, around 7kg Damage Rating-5 The weapon of choice for those with no choice. Uncounted millions of these were over fireplace mantles and in closets before the UN takeover. Useful at long ranges for sniping but inadequate in a stand up fight against modern rapid fire, high powered assault rifles. Still, powerful rounds meant to take down an angry moose can have a bad effect on human targets. Cost 10 PCs[11]
Mossberg 500
Caliber-12 gauge Type-Shotgun Modes-S
Ammo- 5 to 8 round internal magazine Weight-3.5 kg Damage Rating-4 (5 with 00 buckshot or slugs) The Mossberg is typical of many good quality pump action shotguns. While slow firing and ineffective past 100 meters, they are deadly at close range. Historically, shotguns were used extensively for last-ditch defense and trench clearing. Tactical police units also use them and anti-terrorist teams in situations where firepower is needed over subtlety. Cost 5 PCs
M-1911A1
Caliber-.45 Type-Pistol Modes-S/SR
Ammo-7 round detachable box magazine Weight-1kg Damage Rating-3
The M-1911A1 was the standard US sidearm throughout the 20th century, four major wars and countless brushfire conflicts. Its big, subsonic round has a powerful punch and it is reliable under all conditions. As its round never breaks the sound barrier, it is well suited for silenced operation. .45’s are common home defense weapons and with police departments and are still widely used in post takeover America. One drawback is that almost none of the occupying armies use .45 caliber ammunition. Cost 8 PCs
M-9
Caliber-9mm Type- Pistol Modes-S/SR
Ammo-15 round detachable box magazine Weight-1kg Damage Rating-3
The M-9 is the standard US military sidearm. It depends on greater magazine capacity and penetration over the .45’s massive knockdown. It uses the standard 9mm round most European pistols and submachine guns use, making ammo less of a problem. Cost 10 PCs
Makarov 9mm
Caliber-9mm Russian Type-Pistol Modes-S/SR
Ammo-8 round detachable box magazine Weight-1kg Damage Rating-3
A barely adequate military sidearm reflecting a Russian doctrine that does not view pistols as a viable weapon. It is fairly rugged but fires the underpowered Russian 9mm short round. As the 9mm short is only used by Russian and former client troops, the Makarov is not the pistol of choice. Cost 8 PCs
Magnum Revolver
Caliber-.357 magnum, .44 magnum Type- Pistol (revolver) Modes-S
Ammo-6 round cylinder/speed loader Weight- 1.5kg Damage Rating-4
Magnum revolvers were a common home defense weapon and police sidearm before the takeover. They are extremely powerful and deadly at close range, often blasting right through their target. Since they hold a very small amount of ammo and are reloaded from the slower speed loader, they are incapable of rapid fire. But as damaging as they are, they are still extremely popular. Cost 11 PCs
22 Pistol
Caliber-.22 LR Type-Pistol Modes-S/SR
Ammo-5-12 round detachable box magazine or 6-9 round cylinder Weight-1kg Damage Rating-2
.22 pistols were very common before (and even after) the takeover. They came in automatic and revolver form, long barrel and snub nosed. The short barreled pistols are very concealable, but unusable past close range. .22 revolvers can only use single fire. One advantage to .22 pistols is that the ammunition is even more common than 9mm. Not an extremely effective weapon, but better than a pointy stick. Cost 5 PCs
Uzi, Sterling, MP5, Ingram MAC-10, M-3
Caliber-.45 (M-3, MAC-10), 9mm (all others) Type- Submachine gun Modes-S/SR/A (M-3 A only)
Ammo-20 or 30 round detachable box magazine Weight-3kg Damage Rating-3
All of these weapons are fairly small automatic weapons firing pistol ammunition. The submachine gun is of limited military value but is often used by internal security troops and law enforcement. They are useful when limited range is no problem and a high volume of fire is desired. The M-3 "grease gun" and sterling are WW II vintage weapons but still found in reserve arsenals. The Ingram MAC-10, Uzi and MP5 are in extensive use in modern anti-terrorist forces (or terrorist forces, depending on your point of view). The MP5 comes in a version with a built in silencer. Cost 18 PC.
M-60 General Purpose Machine Gun
Caliber-7.62mm Type-General Purpose Machine Gun Modes-A
Ammo-200 round belt Weight-11kg Damage Rating-5
An aging support machine gun, the M-60 was in the process of being completely replaced in the active military arsenal at the time of the take over. It is temperamental, prone to malfunctions and older than most of the soldiers using it. But the roar of a 7.62mm round on full auto is very intimidating. The weapon comes with a built in bipod, tripod, extra barrel and an asbestos mitten for barrel changes. Known as a "pig" in the US Army (leading to the nickname "pig man" for a machine gunner). Often found mounted on helicopters and as a secondary weapon on armored and scout vehicles. Cost 55 PCs if available at all.
RPK Light Machine gun
Caliber-7.62x39mm R Type-Light Machine Gun Modes-A
Ammo-30 round detachable box magazine Weight-6kg Damage rating-4
The RPK is barely more than a heavy barreled, longer ranged AKM. It was a squad support weapon in the Cold War Soviet army and still in use in former client states. Its barrel is fixed and can’t be changed out like a standard machine gun (barrels are changed because the heat of continuous fire can actually melt the weapon). It makes a fairly workable insurgent machine gun and some were in the hands of private collectors before the take over. They were also brought to the US in large quantities by third world doofuses using them in addition to their rusty SKS and M-1 rifles. Cost 35 PCs, fair availability.
M-203 Grenade launcher
Caliber- 40mm grenade Type-Grenade Launcher-rifle combo Modes-S
Ammo-Individually loaded rounds Weight-5.5kg Damage-special
The M-203 is a grenade launcher and M-16 rifle combination. It replaced the old M-79 grenade launcher. It can fire high explosive, smoke, CS riot gas or parachute flare rounds. It is fairly accurate out past 300 meters and gives the rifleman added anti-personnel and some anti-vehicle capability. Rounds are loaded individually into the weapon by sliding the barrel apart and inserting a round into the breech. It has a complex sighting system but the firer usually uses "Kentucky windage" and an educated guess. Two are included in each army rifle squad. The M-16 component of the weapon is fired normally. Cost 65 PCs plus 5 per grenade, if available at all.
Other weapons will be discussed in the heavy weapons section.
MORALE/COOLNESS UNDER FIRE
When a character is in a life or death situation, the character must roll his Coolness Under Fire dice. These dice are always rolled in the following situations-*Character is first under fire
*Character faces artillery, poison gas or armored vehicles (and does not have the same)
*Character’s side loses 1/2 or more combatants
*Character must do an action that has a very good chance to cause his death (charge a machine-gun nest or the like)
Most Coolness Under Fire rolls are made at the standard difficulty. If the roll is Satisfactory or better, the character suffers no penalty at all until the next time to check. If the roll is unsatisfactory, the character is shaken and loses one die from all offensive actions for the rest of the combat. If the character is unfortunate enough to roll a Golf Sierra, he is unable to act, either performing an action (like charging the machine-gun nest) or if it is rolled due to the beginning of combat, the character cannot act at all for the rest of the combat and will cower or hide, surrender or whatever the situation calls for.[12]
Whenever a player wants his character to do something incredibly dangerous, call for a Coolness Under Fire roll at the appropriate difficulty level if such a roll seems appropriate.
Coolness under fire dice are like skill dice. Active and elite military start with 4 (trained) and all others start with 3 (qualified). You can add one more die to this during character creation.
NOTE: Bold characters (temperament) gain one extra die for the Coolness Under Fire roll. Crazy characters never need to roll Coolness Under Fire. They can act crazy if they want to, and will probably pay the price.
CLASS, ATTITUDE AND TEMPERAMENT
While Live Free or Die is meant to be pretty freeform and loose in nature, these three artificialities are necessary restrictions to keep the game from bogging down into hours of character generation and background (as one of my play testers put it, after seeing the deadliness of the combat system, why should it take two hours to get a character ready when he might get killed in the first five minutes of the game?).A character class system makes it simple to generate a character and also makes sure that all characters have the minimum levels of skill to make them half way realistic (no elite commandos without small arms skills). Take a pre-made character class template, customize it with a few additional skill choices and you are ready to play.
Attitude corresponds to the alignment systems of fantasy role-playing games. It is a measure of how the character views the world, good or evil. It is not really an unbiased measure of a character’s morality and personal standards, but a horribly slanted scale with those with patriotic fervor at the top of the moral heap and those unwilling to defend their country or actively trying to destroy it at the bottom. The Attitude concept allows the player to have a ready made set of mindsets to choose from, all them nicely cliched and easily recognizable. When looking over the attitude list, try to peg your favorite fictional characters on their attitude as a guide to help you with the most appropriate choice for you to play.
Temperament is a choice of how bold or foolish your character is. This is to prevent the player from saying that his character is bold and fearless then cowering from any danger. The character’s boldness or lack thereof is built into his dice rolls, reflected in penalties to defense or offense that help determine if he is an easily hit wild eyed flailing loon or a steely eyed veteran that knows the value of not getting hit. Also, the GM can use a character’s temperament to determine if the CHARACTER will really charge the machinegun nest or not, even if the PLAYER says so. This kind of character mutiny will be discussed in the morale section.
CHARACTER CLASS
This is not if the character knows what wine goes with fish or which fork goes to the far left of a table setting, but a pre-set template that defines a particular type of character, like a special forces sergeant or a duck hunter named Bob. The seven character classes are more of a guideline than a rigid description, so a character whose class is elite military could be an Army Ranger or just as easily a trained and fanatical terrorist. The player can use the skills, attributes, attitude and his own judgment to make the character his own.
CLASS DESCRIPTIONS
ELITE MILITARY
Attribute Requirements-Guts, Brawn, Prowess (Superior) No inferior aptitudes
Beginning skills-
Awareness-Qualified General Education-Qualified Personal Interaction-Familiar
Basic Military Training-Trained Heavy Weapons-Qualified Physical Education-Trained
Combatives-Qualified Infiltrate/Escape/Evade-Qualified Small Arms-Qualified
Command-Qualified Military Science-Qualified Survival-Qualified
Dodge-Qualified Orienteering-Qualified Toughness-Qualified
The Elite Military character begins as a well-trained military machine well rounded in military skills and tough physically. His attribute requirements restrict this class to a very few lucky players, but his superior skills and abilities make him a natural leader when he is present. On the down side, his abilities make him the natural choice to send when a dangerous task must be accomplished, making his careers often glorious and short. This would be doubly so because an Elite Military player character would almost certainly be a deserter from an active military unit or a recent retiree with his former unit keeping tabs on him. Choose this class with caution.
Examples of the Class- Special Forces soldier, Airborne Ranger, Marine Force Recon, Long Range Reconnaissance Patrol, Fanatical terrorist or trained assassin.
REGULAR MILITARY
Attribute Requirements-Guts, Brawn, (Superior), No inferior Aptitudes
Beginning skills-
Awareness-Qualified General Education-Qualified Orienteering-Qualified
Basic Military Training-Qualified Heavy Weapons-Familiar Personal Interaction-Familiar
Combatives-Qualified Infiltrate/Escape/Evade-Familiar Small Arms-Qualified
Dodge-Qualified Military Science-Familiar Toughness-Qualified
The Regular Military character is a member or former member of a well-trained military combat unit. The base skills represent a well-trained private or other enlisted soldier. Adding a greater level of General Education and the Command skill could make the character a non-commissioned officer or even a commissioned officer. Regular military characters have the same drawbacks as the Elite Military character, only to a lesser degree .As with all military trained characters not under the control of the UN invaders; they can count on being at the top of the UN death list.
Examples of the Class- Parachute Infantry (82nd Airborne), Air Assault troops (101st Airborne-Air Assault), Mountain Warfare troops, Tankers, Artillery troops, Marines, Military Police.
RESERVIST/SUPPORT
Attribute Requirements-Brawn, Prowess (average)
Beginning skills-
Awareness-Familiar General Education-Qualified Personal Interaction-Qualified
Basic Military Training-Qualified Heavy Weapons-Familiar Repair and Maintenance-Familiar
Combative-Familiar Military Science-Familiar Small Arms-Familiar
Dodge-Familiar Orienteering-Familiar Toughness-Familiar
Select two Scientific and Technical Education-2 qualified or 1 familiar and one trained
The Reservist is either a new soldier in the reserves or National Guard or a long time reservist or guardsman who has forgotten much of his military training. This class also represents non-combat troops in the active military: Cooks, medical technicians, communications, "clerks and jerks". As their attribute requirements are lower and military skills are less well developed, reservist/support characters are not under the same strictures that the Regular and Elite military characters are. They also have more access to non-military skills than do their more military counterparts as they have a "real" job in addition to their military one. With the right skill choices, the Reservist/support can be almost as dangerous as a regular military character and often better rounded.
Examples of the Class- Members of the Ohio National Guard, Communications troops in the 16th Signal Battalion at Fort Hood, the guy who gives you your yellow fever shot in Basic Training, the Vietnam Vet down at the VFW.
PARAMILITARY
Attribute Requirements-Guts (Superior), Brawn, Prowess, Presence (Average)
Beginning skills
Awareness-Qualified General Education-Qualified Physical Education-Qualified
Combat Driving-Qualified Medic-Familiar Hobby/Profession/MOS (job skill)-Qualified
Combatives-Qualified Military Science-Familiar Small Arms-Qualified
Dodge-Qualified Personal Interaction-Qualified Toughness-Qualified
The Paramilitary character is a trained and armed quasi-military type, like a cop or private security. Their skill choices are narrower than the military characters, but they have better combat abilities than any other nonmilitary characters. But like the regular military and elite military character classes, if they are not working for the UN invaders, they can count on being on the run because of their dangerous training.
Examples of the Class- Local beat cop, BATF agent, private bodyguard.
RESISTANCE FIGHTER
Attribute Requirements-Guts (Superior). Brawn, Brains, Prowess (Average)
Beginning skills-
Awareness-Qualified General Education-Familiar Repair/Maintenance-Familiar
Basic Military Training-Qualified Infiltrate/Escape/Evade-Qualified Small Arms-Qualified
Combatives-Qualified Military Science-Familiar Survival-Familiar
Dodge-Qualified Physical Education-Qualified Toughness-Qualified
Freedom Fighters are characters that have gained a considerable amount of military style training, either from unofficial training or from the school of hard knocks. This could be a member of the Memphis militia, a gang member gone right or someone on the run with nothing to lose. Freedom fighters tend to be on the fanatical side and a player should take this into account when deciding on this character class. When choosing an attitude, the freedom fighter can only be a Patriot, Avenger or Survivor.
Examples of the Class- Michigan Militia troops, the high school soldiers from "Red Dawn", the Afghans that kicked the heck out of the Russian army.
ENTHUSIAST/NUT
Attribute Requirements-NONE
Beginning skills-
Awareness-Familiar General Education-Familiar Repair and Maintenance-Familiar
Basic Military Training-Familiar Infiltrate/Escape/ Evade-Familiar Small Arms-Familiar
Combatives-Familiar Military Science-Familiar Survival-Familiar
Dodge-Qualified Personal Interaction-Familiar Toughness-Familiar
*The Enthusiast/Nut character class is the haphazardly trained insurgent that has liberated countless countries from totalitarianism with a hunting rifle and love of country. This class is the most flexible of all of the classes and the least likely to draw the attention of the UN thugs. This class could be anything from a duck hunter named Sid to a housewife with an AK-47.The skill mix of the class is of someone who had an idea that something was about to happen and took steps to be ready.
Examples of the Class-Guys that frequent gun shows, weekend paintball warriors, people that have seen every John Wayne movie ever made at least four times. In addition to the skills allotted by a character’s class, each class gets an extra 10 levels of skill to customize the skills mix (the Enthusiast/Fed up civilian class gets 15 levels of skills, not 10, to reflect the wide range of abilities this broad class might represent). When customizing a character, a player chooses 2 skills to be the focus of skill improvement. These 2 skills can be improved by 2 levels (from familiar to trained for example). The remaining skill levels can either be added to existing skills to raise them a maximum of on level (trained to expert for example) or to acquire a new skill at a maximum of qualified. One exception to these guidelines is the Enthusiast/Nut class. The players of these characters can choose 3 skills as the focus of skill improvement (to be increased by 2 levels) to reflect their greater flexibility as non-military types with rigid requirements.
CHARACTER ATTITUDE
The way a character reacts to the challenges in life, his view of what is good or evil, is his "attitude". The range runs the gamut from almost saintly to unspeakably corrupt and evil. The following descriptions should serve as a guideline to choose a character’s attitude that will be comfortable for the player to play. If you as a player are utterly patriotic and feel that your character should be the same, don’t pick an evil and traitorous attitude. Pick an attitude that would be fun and don’t worry too much about it.
ATTITUDE DESCRIPTIONS
GOOD AND JUST ATTITUDES
Humanitarian: The humanitarian character is a firm believer in the goodness of human beings and their worth. A humanitarian character wants to help others and is usually fairly non-violent. The humanitarian character is not necessarily a pacifist or ideological doormat, but will look for non-violent resolution to most problems whenever possible. The humanitarian will usually only resort to violence in self- defense (maybe) or to prevent a greater evil, not just out of convenience or revenge.
Patriot: The patriot character is a believer in the freedoms and virtues of his country (in this game the United States). His is not a passive belief or half-hearted support .The patriot character is willing to risk it all in the defense of his nation and his beliefs. Anyone who is in opposition to his goals are at best craven cowards unwilling to stand up for what is right and at worst traitors or invaders deserving nothing but a bullet in the head. The patriot views everything in black and white, good and evil. This makes them dangerous fanatics because they have something to BELIEVE.
Avenger: Similar to the patriot in his actions and fanaticism, the avenger is driven not by love of country (though he may still love his country) or desire to preserve freedom (though he may view this as a worthy goal), but out of a passionate hatred of the invaders and the unjust governmental powers and a desire to kill them and make things difficult for them. This could be a character that lost a brother in an attack by trigger-happy ATF agents, lost everything in the economic collapse after the invasion or lost an eye to a UN torturer. The avenger is driven by revenge and has a total commitment to achieving it, making him at least as dangerous as the patriot to the Blue-helmeted jack booted thugs occupying the US.
Survivor: A step down in commitment from the humanitarian, patriot or avenger is the survivor. Usually not consumed by ideology or passion, the survivor is interested in not getting dead. He might be a brave and fearless fighter, but his first priority is survival and the survival of his comrades. Most survivor types are well prepared and will take up arms and resist, simply because they see surrender as the quickest way to end up in a mass grave.
NEUTRAL AND UNCARING ATTITUDES
Sheep: The most common attitude is that of Sheep. This is someone who swallows whatever anyone with a badge or title or office tells them is so, no matter what they can see going on. "I don’t want to get involved" or "I can’t do anything about it anyway, so why cause trouble"? All sheep have this kind of mind set, though not all of them are meek and inoffensive. A hard as steel green beret and a nebbish accountant could both be sheep.
Mercenary: In any chaotic time there are those who are out to make a buck or ruble or 30 pieces of silver out of the deal. A mercenary goes where the best deal is, whether it is fighting the invaders or leading them to their former associates. All mercenaries are not necessarily ruthless or evil, though a great many are. Most are just trying to get by and don’t particularly care about anyone else.
EVIL ATTITUDES
Vile: Vile characters are simply put, evil. They are actively involved in the destruction of the freedoms and virtues of the US. Whether they are United Nations shock troops gunning down protesters or American intellectuals that embrace the socialist ideology of expedience and death. A vile character is not evil simply for the sheer love of evil and the pleasures it can bring, but is a believer on some level. Whether a patriot from a communist nation dedicated to the death of democracy or a warrior who believes that might makes right and his rifle gives him might, the vile character is a dedicated supporter of UN laws and order.
Scum: While the vile character serves out of belief and loyalty, the scum character is ruled by his stomach and gonads. Lack of conscience or virtue make life easy and pleasurable for the scum character, who serves a greater power for the power and authority it gives that can be used to get what he wants. Scum will do whatever they think they can get away with but will not take great risks and shy away from determined resistance, preferring to prey upon the weak and defenseless. Scum are not usually terribly brave or bright, but wreak havoc on the clueless sheep that make up most of the American population.
Psychotic: Really a variation on the scum attitude, except that the psychotic is much more dangerous. While a scum character might have some shred of humanity or decency, the psychotic is without that which makes us human. Woe be unto a character that falls into the hands of a psychotic enemy. Rape, torture, genocide and worse are completely thinkable to the psychotic, who doesn’t think like a normal human.
Attitude is a rough guideline for how your character should behave. It is not carved in stone, but serves as a tool for the novice role-player and a challenge for the experienced role-player to stick to.
TEMPERMENT
There are four general categories of temperament, ranging from the pragmatic to the insane. None are really a measure of courage or coolness under fire, as a person of limited courage could just as easily act in a careless and erratic manner as a person who disdains danger. Most characters are of normal temperament, with some in the less normal categories and very few in the most deviant category
Normal: No modifiers. This is the default temperament of most characters, not too eager to get into harm’s way but not too averse to it either.
Bold: +1 die to all offensive combat actions, -1 die to all defensive combat actions A bold character is one who doesn’t mind going through life with a bulls-eye painted on his forehead and often chooses to make his stands where others would get out. Due to the nature of this temperament, a character that has it must have a guts attribute of Superior.
Detached: +1 die to all defensive combat actions, -1 die to all offensive combat actions. A detached character is one who is calm and focused, not likely to make an imprudent move out of fear. Carefully considered actions and a clear mind make his survival more likely at the cost of the occasional missed opportunity. Due to the need for coolness under pressure, a detached character must have a guts attribute of Superior.
Crazy: +2 to all offensive combat actions, -2 to all defensive combat actions The crazy character is just a little too bold for his own good. Whether he is convinced he‘ll make it regardless of the odds or just doesn’t care, the crazy character has a disdain for his own safety. There is not Guts requirement for Crazy chatacters.
More on character temperament will be presented in the morale section.
No comments:
Post a Comment