Bay 12 Games Forum

This is a modified RTD game set in a low fantasy version of WWII. If you're looking for a parallel in terms of "Power level" think something like Indiana Jones.  We're not strictly realistic, but the fantasy we're gonna have is pretty toned down most of the time.

 For actions other than combat, its RTD standard. As you level up, your stats and skills can gain bonuses. These bounses go from +1 to +3 at the highest. These are not applied directly to the roll, instead each level of bonus you go up increases the "Success" section of the dice. At +1 4-5 is total success,  at +2, 3-5 is, and at +3, 2-5 is. 1's and 6's  retain their horrible failure and overshoot distinctions no matter how good you get. 

Each person has 3 dice: Physical, Mental, and Life.
Physical is rolled when you use a stat and governs things like stamina and non-lethal damage.
Mental rolled when you use a skill and governs things like how sharp your focus is and your sanity.
Life is used when someone attempts to do lethal harm to you. It will be used regularly.

Any sort of action or attack which could harm these attributes of your character is given a "Risk" level. These range from 2-10. When you are subject to damage from any source, the dice that corrisponds to the kind of damage being inflicted is rolled. If you roll at or above the risk level, then the damage isn't inflicted. If you roll lower, then minus is placed on your dice equal to the difference between what you rolled and what the risk level was. This negative effects all rolls made with that dice. 

These three dice can have bonuses applied to them, usually by equipment, but these bonuses DO NOT add to the rolls of the dice. They simply "absorb" minuses. For example. Someone who had +2 on their Life dice could take up to 2 damage and not have any minuses on their life dice.

What this effectively means is that only very rarely will something be able to just straight out kill you in one hit.  But it is very possible to die in two hits; and every bit of damage you take makes it harder to not take damage in the future.

I should also point out that risk ratings go up each turn you're under attack from the same threat. So a knife fight might start with two Risk 2 knives, but after a few turns those knives might be risk 6 or even higher. This works both ways, of course.

Here are your stats and your skills. They all start at +0.  With your stats, you have 5 points to invest. Each point is a +1. Remember, +3 is max. For skills, you have one +3, two +2's and three +1's to distribute as you like.

Stats:
Strength: Measure of how strong you are.
Speed: Measure of how quick you are.
Dexterity: Measure of how nimble and skilled in movement you are.
Will: Measure of the force of your will and how stable your mental standing is.
Knowledge: Measure of how much information you have in your head.
Senses: Measure of the sensitivity of your senses and your ability to perceive things.

Skills:
Hand to Hand: Used for fist fighting and improvised weapons (bar stool, beer stein, etc)
Melee: Used for standard melee weapons, such as bayonets and knives. Also for using guns in melee range.
Exotic Melee: Used for rarer melee weapons, like officer’s swords or sharpened shovels.
Pistol: Used for pistols and revolvers.
Submachine Gun: Used for submachine guns and machine pistols.
Machine Gun: Used for machine guns, both portable and mounted.
Shotgun: Used for all manner of shotguns.
Rifle: Used for standard rifles, regardless of their action.
Sniper rifle: Used for things like anti-tank and high power rifles, usually scoped and designed for long range.
Flamethrower: Used for flamethrowers of any kind.
Explosive: Used for rocket launchers, grenades, and other fired or thrown explosives.
Demolitions: Used for planted explosives or landmines.
First Aid: Basic medical skills. Usually requires minimal supplies, but also has limited effect.
Medical Training: Like first aid but needs special gear and has a greater effect.
Car: Used to drive cars, trucks and civilian vehicles
Tank: Used to drive tanks and armored ground vehicles
Plane: Used to fly planes, gliders, autogyros, etc.
Boat: Used for controlling ships, boats and submarines.
Operator: Used to operate machinery, such as Radios, Trains, tractors, and cranes.
Mechanic: Used to repair machinery and vehicles. Usually requires  parts.
Camouflage: Use of various items and techniques to hide yourself or someone/something else.
Interrogation: Used to get info out of an enemy
Traps: Used for making, and avoiding, traps.
Language: Used to speak to others in other languages.

Think up a name, an appearance, and a backstory. They don't have to be complex. Keep in mind that this is freaking WWII and you're coming from America (or one of the allied countries) so if you name yourself some stupid D&D name expect people to make fun of you. Me in particular.

Now Choose one of these starter packs.  Everyone starts with the stuff in the "universal" pack and gets the contents of the other pack they choose on top of it. Keep in mind that you'll be resupplied with ammo between missions.

Universal Equipment:
1 First Aid Pouch (Allows First Aid. Single use)
1 Entrenching Tool (A folding shovel)
1 Ration (Restores up to -2 on physical dice)
1 Clicker
1 L type Flashlight
1 Sewing kit
1 Mirror
1 razor set
1 Bar of soap
1 Toothpaste and toothbrush set
1 compressed TP roll
1 Pack of Chesterfield Cigarettes
1 Lighter
1 Mess kit
1 Knit cap
1 Notepad and Pen
1 Haversack
1 Gunbelt with Magazine pouches
1 Canteen and Cup
1 Compass
Rifleman Equipment
Helmet and flack vest (+1 life)
M1 Garand (8 shot, Risk 3)
5 M1 round clips
Bayonet (risk 3)
2 Frag Grenades (Risk 7)

Heavy Gunner Equipment:
Browning Auto Rifle (20 shot, risk 3, +1 risk for every 3 shots fired in a burst)
2 BAR magazines
M1910 pistol (9 shot, risk 2)
2 pistol magazines

Specialist Equipment:
Thompson SMG (25 shot, risk 2, +1 risk for every 5 shots fired in a burst)
3 Thompson  magazines
2 Land Mines (Risk 7)
2 Explosive charges (Risk 10)


Tank Hunter Equipment
M18 Recoilless Rifle (Risk 6, single shot, slow reload)
2 HEAT rounds
2 HE rounds
2 WP rounds
M1910 pistol (9 shot, risk 2)
Extra pistol magazine

Sniper
Scoped Springfield M1903 A4 (5 shot, risk 5 at long range, risk 3 at medium, risk 2 at close)
2 springfield magazines
Binoculars

Trench Clearing Equipment
 Winchester model 12 Shotgun (6 shot, 6 risk at close range, 2 at longer range)
18 shotgun shells
Trench Knife (risk 3)
OR
Flamethrower (Risk 8, expands to fill rooms)
Flamethrower Tank (5 shots)

Medic Equipment
Medic’s Bag (restores up to -3 on life dice. Usable repeatedly till failure)
M1910 pistol (9 shot, risk 2)
2 pistol magazines

Spy Equipment
Disguise kit
Stiletto (2 risk normally, but 6 risk if the target doesn't recognize you as a threat when you attack)
Silenced pistol (2 risk normally, but 8 if unnoticed. Does not draw attention by sound. 8 shots)

Commander equipment
SCR-300 radio Transceiver and handset
Thompson SMG (25 shot, risk 2, +1 risk for every 5 shots fired in a burst)
2 Thompson  magazines
Binoculars
5 signal flares (red, blue, green, yellow and black smoke) and flare gun


Chaplin Equipment
Holy book (Used to restore 0 to 3 mental damage. Every 0 roll deals 1 mental damage to user)
Holy Symbol (+1 Mental)
M1910 pistol (9 shot, risk 2)
2 pistol magazines
Knife (2 risk)


Mechanic's Equipment
Toolbox (Contains tools to allow for more complex repair/modification attempts than possible normally)
Wrench (risk 2, Not viewed as a weapon by enemies and civilians unless used as one)
M1910 pistol (9 shot, risk 2)
Duct Tape (use up to Automatically pass a repair check)
2 pistol magazines

Name:
Description:
Physical:(Just put any bonuses or negatives you have.)
Mental:(Just put any bonuses or negatives you have.)
Life: (Just put any bonuses or negatives you have.)
Stats: (only put stats that you have bonuses in)
Skills: (only put skills you have bonuses in.)
Inventory: (Make sure to track ammo and the risk rating for your weapons)

Post this with any action you take.

If your life die hits 0 or lower, you are dead. Since many kinds of attacks can do multiple types of damage, its possible to be injured in multiple ways at the same time.  If your other dice hit zero you can be either knocked out or driven crazy or similar.

Any number of people can join, but only a  certain number will be active at once. Before a mission the players choose who wants to go in. Most will have character limits. Some missions have the ability to send in reenforcements if people die or get injured.

GLORY (Not glory, you fascist sympathizer, GLORY) is our experience around here. You Get it for completing missions and doing things that help the cause. You get up right up to the point that you die and you also get some if a lot of people were so impressed with your actions that they demand you get some. GLORY is eternal and persists between characters. If you die with some GLORY, then you can use it on the next character.  Keep track of it.

GLORY lets you do 4 things: Get Training, Get Promotions, Requisition items to your Kit, and Get Medals.

Training: Training lets you boost the bonus on a stat or skill. It costs 100 GLORY to get +1, 200 for +2 and 300 for +3.  And you have to buy up through them, you can't just buy a +3 from a +0.

Promotions: Promotions give you Unique gear or Skills  and Cost 600 GLORY.

Requisition: Allows you to buy items to add to your basic kit. Cost varies depending on the item.

Medals: Medals give you nice little passive perks and can either be bought 350 GLORY or Earned in Missions.

Here's a list of the current Promotions and medals.

Medals

Iron Skull: Ignore any negatives from Physical damage during combat. If the negative hits -6 it will still knock you out.

Old Nick: You cannot be hurt by fire.

Sin eater: Any attack that would have killed you instead leaves you with 1 hp. The medal then breaks.

Justice: When you attack an enemy that has injured you, your attacks automatically gain +2 risk.

Deadeye: Always deal at least 1 damage with an attack.

Iron Heart: +2 Life

Fury: For every -1 Life you have, add +1 risk to your attack.

Hotfoot:  Reduce any damage taken from explosives by ½.

Fate: An attack roll of 5 adds +3 risk to your attack.

Reaper: Any kill with a melee weapon allows you to instantly attack another nearby enemy with melee. This effect chains.

Valkyrie: Killing an enemy refills your Medic’s Bag or first aid kit.

Philosopher:  Mental damage does not affect rolls, but you take twice as much.

Skinwalker: After killing an enemy, you may instantly take on their appearance and hide their body in the same turn. Acts as a disguise.

Pride: +2 to Mental

Saint: Using restorative items like First Aid Kits always heals at least 1 life regardless of the roll.

Berserker: You cannot be injured on turns where you kill an enemy with a melee weapon.

Holdout: Add +2 risk to your attacks whenever you are outnumbered in a distinct conflict.

Vampire: Gain +1 life for each kill you make, up to +0.


Promotions:

Iron Fist: Gain a pair of the 888th’s Iron Fist Gauntlets and the training to use them. Your unarmed attacks have risk equal to 2+strength bonus.

Bone’s Blade: Gain one of the 888th’s notorious straight blade sabres. It's a Risk 3 weapon that gains +1 risk for every kill made with it during a mission, up to risk 10. This resets after each mission. 

Sidearm specialist: Gain an 888th Snapshot pistol. Its Risk 2 but anytime someone takes a shot at you, you automatically take a shot back at them.

Slayer: Gain an 888th Soul Seeker (3 risk), a submachine gun designed for fighting crowds. Allows the user to fire 3 round bursts at up to 10 different targets at once, or focus bursts on smaller groups to increase the risk of each attack. 

Chaingunner: Gain the use of an 888th Man Portable Chaingun, Risk 2.  The Chaingun has a massive magazine of 100 rounds and gains +1 risk for every 5 rounds fired. Its real power, however, is as an area denial weapon. If the gunner chooses to hold a section of ground, anything that comes into that section will be hit automatically in a spray of Risk 5 bullets.

Assault Specialist: Gain the use of an 888th Gunner shield, a full body steel riot shield with mounted swiveling carbine. Allows Assault Specialists to effectively place directional cover anywhere they go. The shield will stop small arms and some rifle fire, but anything above risk 3 is a crapshoot. The rifle is risk 4 and 10 round, but can’t be fired unless the shield is placed.

Combat Physicist: Gain the use of an 888th prototype parabolic cannon. A miniaturized mortar system designed for sniping roles. Fires dense, non-explosive shells. Allows a sniper to strike targets even when they don’t have a clear line of fire, So long as there’s not a reinforced ceiling above their heads.  Works best paired with a radio so that other squad members can feed target locations back to the shooter. 6 Risk.

Fireman: Gain the use of an 888th fireman suit. This asbestos and rubber suit is virtually fireproof and comes with a built in arm mounted flamethrower unit  and fire ax. The flamethrower is risk 5 and has less coverage than the standard flamethrower, but holds twice as many shots. The fire ax is risk 3 and gets bonuses to rolls for hacking through doors and debris.

Scattergunner: Gain the use of a 888th Broadside scattergun. This shotgun like weapon fires what are in effect flak shells. They produce a cone of risk 7 shrapnel that travels out 1-3-5-7 spaces and can hit everything within it. 5 rounds.

Mad Bomber: Gain the use of the 888th’s “Turtle” vehicle, a machine designed to be driven over to targets, deploy bombs, and then drive away before the bomb detonates. It resembles a small tank and is driven via the use of a radio transmitter. It can lay explosives, throw grenades and even remotely fire a rocket launcher or recoilless rifle if one attached to it.

Building Killer: Building killers are given explosive charges specially formulated and designed by the 888th. These charges are high power and extremely directional, putting out the equivalent of an expanding knife edge of destruction. These bombs can be used to level or weaken structures in exactly the way the user desires. These bombs are scalpels and you get 3 of them.

Resurrectionist: Go beyond the bounds of normal medics. So long as the body is not gibbed (-3 life) and you reach it in time (3 turns max, but lowered by 1 for each -1 life past 0) you can return them to life with 1 Life, Physical, and Mental.

Driver: Gain the use of one of the 888th's Personal Vehicles. What the vehicle is depends  on the skill you want to link to it (Car, tank, plane or boat).


Empath: The 888th’s interrogators aren’t torturers; such blunt tools are beneath them. Interrogators of the 888th will always know when someone is knowingly lying to them and can, with a successful interrogation roll, learn a great deal about a man without him saying a word.

Trapper: Gain the use of an 888th advanced trap kit. Allows for the creation of complex traps, alarms, and snares. Packed with gear and items, from trip wires to bear traps that make complex traps possible and simple traps nearly instantaneous to set up. 

Current Glory Costs for items:
Binoculars: 40
Thompson SMG: 70
M1910 pistol: 30
Helmet: 30
Silenced Pistol: 50
Disguise Kit: 40
Stiletto (risk 2, risk 5 if undetected): 30
A silenced and scoped De-lisle carbine:200
A risk-3 trench knife:  60
Smoke Grenades: 10 each.
Satchel Charges:  30 each.
A spare First Aid Pouch: 50
A radio: 100
Fancy hat: 5
Medic's Bag: 100