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OURCEBOOKFOR STEVE JACKSON Stock #37-0308Version 1.0 � October 2008 Written by SEAN PUNCH Illustrated by JOHN HARTWELLand DAN SMITH Shawn Fisher and Hans-Christian Vortisch Paul Chapman and Steven Marsh , Warehouse 23, and the all-seeing pyramid are registered trademarks of Steve Jackson Games Incorporated. , e23, and the names of all published by Steve Jackson Games Incorporated are registered trademarks or trademarks of Steve Jackson Games Incorporated, or u sed under license. GURPS Action 2: Exploits is copyright � 2008 by Steve Jackson Games Incorporated. All rights reserved. System Design Page Design and JUSTIN DE WITT Production Artist NIKOLA VRTIS NIKOLA VRTIS VICKY �MOLOKH� KOLENKO An action movie is first and foremost a showcase for the heroes� astonishing abilities. There might be calm before the storm, emotional interludes, and slice-of-life moments, but we�re holding our breath for the stunts and pyrotechnics � for Without high-speed car chases, fights of all descrip- tions, and races against the clock to disarm bombs, hack com- puters, crack safes, and so on, action movies would seem stupid, but excitement forgives a lot! Consequently, GURPS Action 2: Exploits cuts to the thrills and ignores inconvenient realities. It�s a collection of simple rules for resolving classic action situations without worrying Steve Jackson Games is committed to full support of players.Our address is SJ Games, P.O. Box 18957, Austin, TX 78760. Please include a self-addressed, stamped envelope (SASE) any time you write us! We can also be . Resources include: www.sjgames.com/pyramid ). Our online rules and articles. It also and many more top games � and other Steve Jackson Games releases like Illuminati, Car Wars, Tran- shuman Space, Every search for a hero must use a few simple rules Unlike a lot of other rules in these ones aren�t especially extreme and wouldn�t be inappropriate for other kinds of games. They would probably come in handy in campaign where heroes foil villains through skillful heroics. IFFICULTY A simple-but-effective way to challenge the heroes is to use skill penalties. Many tasks in the Early in an adventure, the heroes are tracking As the above examples suggest, BAD need not remain fixed for the entire adventure. Part of the action-movie formula is that challenges mount as the plot unfolds: the closer the heroes N My god! Do we really suck or this guy really that good? �Hertz, Shoot �Em Up a penalty equal to group size. Most uses of work this way, making it possible for a military squad to �carry� a few civilians. Forced Entry, the GM must first An action adventure begins with the GM simply heroes a motivation to undertake a mission, such as: Police or security officers are charged with an If the adventure has a time limit, this is when the clock starts ticking! Each day, the squad makes a roll at 8 or less to rep- resent the day�s efforts. If the enemy is working against them even at this stage, apply BAD. However, each hero can of the follow- if knowing to look matters and At the Wheel: If the PCs control their own vehicle, the GM should assess whatever travel time he deems fair � and note that it�s not to leave the heroes sufficient time to com- A hero might be without a phone or a radio for many reasons: dead battery, escaping prison, and so on. Finding a working payphone in the city is automatic when time doesn�t matter � but in a hurry, make an roll once per minute of frantic searching until you succeed. A use of always turns up a phone (or some sap whose phone you can commandeer), and can even put you next to a payphone just as someone tries to call ORMATIONS The players should agree on formations for operations on foot: single-file through a door, a loose line in the jungle, and do this, possibly specifying that certain team members are One problem facing the GM of a TL8 action campaign is cheap, reliable, high-tech communicators � notably mobile phones. Plots that rely on isolation simply when the heroes can summon help or share clues by pushing a button. With clever planning, though, it�s possible to work around this without straining willing suspension of disbelief. �Track His Cell!� Cell phones are easily tracked; see Bugs, Beacons, and Wires (pp. 12-13). Against high-tech Concealed Carry: for all gear, at the modifier for the bulkiest item plus another -1 per item with a Holdout penalty (even -1) you try to hide at the same time. For guns, use Bulk, modified for holster type and quality; for body armor, use DR if rigid or DR/3 (round up) if flexible; and for other gear, use the listed modifier. Apply the +1 or +2 for undercover clothing, and/or +4 for a long coat, at the very end. This roll becomes a Quick Contest against Search for an arouse suspicions. Man in the Crowd: In a crowded urban situation � such as Go-To Skills is all that matters and the GM doesn�t want to consult even the quick rules in �When in doubt, roll and shout� is excellent advice (see p. B497). The players paid points for their PCs� skills, though, so it�s fairest if the roll uses a skill. Some The generic police skill. On a success, the GM might give a �free� clue, point out suspi- cious behavior, or otherwise do whatever it takes to RICKSOF ATHERING The GM should create a list of critical facts or clues for each plot development, with notes on means by which the PCs can discover them. Any success roll that depends on that informa- tion � e.g., an roll to confront a mook with enough proof that he cracks and reveals the next plot develop- ment, or an Assistance Roll to convince the Company to authorize armed intervention � might suffer an penalty: BAD, double BAD, or worse. Each success at the fact- finding activities below or under Social Engineering serves as a complementary skill roll whose bonus erodes the penalty. The heroes can skip steps, but without enough particulars, it won�t be easy to take things to the next level! The GM should make most intelligence-gathering rolls in Your powers of observation continue to serve you well. �V, deduce enough about what the crooks were doing to reveal a clue; critical success might hint at the criminals� organization or identity. In a military or espionage situation, can work the same way. This gizmo captures conversations as if your ear were at its location; use the rules for listening under (p. 12). The wire rat kit�s transceiver receives the sig- nal, which can be sent to an audio recorder or a computer for Conventional Mike: Any electronic microphone can be left in place and made to work like an audio bug by attaching a A realistic treatment of fill chapters and bore gamers who aren�t playing hackers or wire rats. These guidelines are designed to make such exploits work like in the movies: fast, risky, and unrealistic. To hack a computer system, the hacker needs a line in. In thrillers, systems are often conveniently online, allowing differs from a bug (pp. 12-13) in that nothing is planted in the surveillance area. The spy captures signals using a remote receiver or by splicing into a nearby phone line. To gain access to utility lines or loiter in an area without arousing suspicions, either be sneaky ( may convince the brass to authorize a raid or other action immediately. A few bad guys are dumb enough to advertise. If so, a basic Computer Operation roll for websites or a rent Affairs roll for daily news will suffice � and BAD doesn�t apply, because the whole point is that the enemy is incompe- tent! This takes 1d minutes. When locating a bomb, working from files My lawyers are going to have a field day with this. Entrapment, jurisdictional conflict . . . �Max, These tasks often work as complementary skill rolls that whittle away at penalties to rolls to precipitate major plot breakthroughs, much like the feats listed under Gathering Intel- (pp. 11-14). They can also achieve important goals of their own; e.g., distracting or deceiving a guard. Either way, the There are two common ways to improve your odds with these activities. In the movies, everybody has a price. The base bribe is a C- note ($100), which gives +1 to one social engineering attempt NTERVIEWS individual to learn what he knows is an uncontested roll. This isn�t a hostile attempt to squeeze out information � the roll is to channel the discussion productively. If bad guys reached the interviewee first and made threats, BAD applies (the GM can instead treat this as a Quick Contest against the thug�s Intimidation skill, if roll is complementary; success also Action movies aren�t known for their realistic treatment A tie has no effect. Loss casts doubt on the truth or confirms a lie: Adjust the modifier Action heroes rarely do this � it�s villainous and takes too long � but brainwashed NPCs are common. Some are hostile when they shouldn�t be, others follow the bad guys� cause (BAD applies to the team�s social engineering rolls), and still oth- ACT and BAD modifiers that applied to the �big picture� roll; +2 if that roll critically succeeded; complemen- planning skill above that isn�t the master skill; complementary skill bonus for (in the movies, fancy 3D maps make Read the planning roll as a complementary skill roll. The GM will apply the modifier directly to the BAD of the part of the adventure covered by the plan; e.g., if the mission had BAD -5, critical failure would mean a disastrous plan that makes BAD -7! Leave the plan itself abstract; whatever heroic tasks the PCs perform on the mission are �part of the plan.� Grand plans in action movies often involve heroes (espe- cially commandos) quickly teaching NPC cannon fodder how to impersonate bad guys, fight back against evil drug lords, and How to Game Fact-Finding The reason for asking questions, bugging phones, and stealing data might be to accumulate enough complementary skill bonuses to act suc- cessfully, but that doesn�t mean the GM should drone, �You got a success at Dumpster-diving, so take +1 on Computer Hacking. You win � you�re in. Now try Computer Operation to steal data. Critical success! The team Except for the roll to toss a line, these rolls take a penalty equal to encumbrance, and a critical failure Tossing Lines: Failure at many feats under (pp. 18-19), and (below) results in a big helping of crushing damage. Ignore the math on p. B431 and use the table below. Roll 12d for falls from above 100 yards � they�re �terminal� in several senses! DistanceDamageDistanceDamageDistanceDamage 1 yard1d15 yards3d+245 yards6d 2 yards1d+120 yards4d50 yards6d+2 3 yards1d+225 yards4d+260 yards7d 4 yards2d-130 yards5d70 yards7d+2 5 yards2d35 yards5d+280 yards8d+1 10 yards3d40 yards6d-1100 yards9d+1 You can spin to face direction at the end of a roll at -2. Failure means you end up facing a roll 1d. Critical failure means you fall over. To spin after diving, skidding, or sliding, make the usual roll for that stunt instead, but at an extra -2. to wiggle through a narrow crack, like a door pushed open with a security chain in place. Use the rules for Blowing Stuff Up Explosives just sitting there roll damage as usual. Explo- sives packed in contact with the door inflict Weak36Bedroom door. Standard611Suburban front door. Tough1122Commercial security door. Extra-Tough2244Institutional security door. Door and Gate DR and HP The door itself can always be Wood/plastic doors have ablative DR (p. B46); other doors don�t. Household Interior118N/AN/AN/AN/A Household Exterior123423428 Security22930293047 BlastN/AN/AN/AN/A70*60* * At minimum! Grille and Bar DR and HP Security grilles, prison bars, and so on can be Cheap ones lack reinforcing cross-mem- Home or Cheap Commercial Security611 Commercial Security, Biker Fortress1122 Prison Cell or Heavy Teller�s Cage2244 If a locked door has a small window in or next to it, you can cut or smash the glass, reach in, and simply unlatch the lock � unless the lock has keyholes on sides (GM�s decision). A While BAD affects many tasks, the rules for doors and sense in action cinema. Of course has big, chunky things with piles of HP, and Use the rules under (p. 20) to open safe and vault locks, with these changes: Base time per attempt is an hour, Basic equipment for defeating mechanical locks is a Local Bank Vault*400127 Major Bank Vault*800345 dealt with first; see For burglaries, snatching the goods is automatic . . . after climbing the walls, cutting the fences, eluding the dog patrols, avoiding the mines, picking the locks, deactivating the motion sensors, and cracking the safe. Even so, there can be complica- tions. And not every snatch-and-grab job involves a break-in to grab a portable, inanimate objective. INDINGTHE The Renoir, incriminating evidence, or whatever doesn�t have to be sitting out in the open. If it isn�t, use the applicable rules under Physical Searches (pp. 11-12). Apply BAD if the object was hidden deliberately. Each such task attempted in a place where you�re not supposed to be also requires a roll to avoid alerting guards, if any. an item for someone else. In principle, grabbing a person is like any other theft � that is, until you run into real, live people. If you can reach your mark by using A blast door with DR 70, HP 60 calls for (70 + 60)/3 = 130/3 = 43d to blow open, or (70 + 2�60)/3 = 190/3 = 63d to blow away. To convert dice to a number of standard explosive charges estimate the nearest whole multiple of 9 for dynamite (9d+1) or 15 for plastique (5d�3), and multiply this 43d is 5 � 9 or 3 � 15, so it takes 5 � 5 = 25 dynamite sticks or 3 � 3 = 9 plastique blocks to open a blast door. If the GM prefers exact math, he�s advised to do it in advance � not during play � for anything the heroes have to demolish. He shouldn�t require skill rolls to learn how many the player of any PC who Engineer (Combat) Explosives are deadly, but in the movies, clumsy demo men mostly just singe their eyebrows and dignity. When failure on the tasks below spells an �explo- sives disaster,� use the Cinematic Explosions rule (see matic Combat Rules, p. 38) for the demo man, any assistants, and those covering them. Preparing and Using Explosives: previously rigged with blasting caps or a timer, or push the but- ton on an exploder or a remote. To prepare these things for use calls for an roll. The GM rolls in Tamping: A demo man with tools can roll against to tamp his charges carefully. Success halves the number of charges needed, rounding up; e.g., merely 13 sticks o� dynamite or 5 blocks of plastique for that darned blast door. Failure means the explosion doesn�t do its job. Try again! Critical failure means an explosives disaster. Tamping calls for drilling and pounding on things. It�s fast or stealthy � save it for when you have all night in a Alternatively, the demo man can roll for a vehicle to place his charges so that they blow key structural elements. Success and failure on this roll work as for tamping, but the surrounding circum- stances differ in several ways. On the upside, strategic place- ment can be quick and stealthy � just slap the charges down on the critical hardware. The downside is that this isn�t possible and indeed requires full access to vital areas: a damage � anybody can rip out a hard drive. Cutting Power: To shut down electric fences, electrical alarms, electronic locks, and so on by cutting mains access requires an roll. Critical failure results in a shock: 3d burning. Possible complications are to find the right junction, rolls to reach it, and BAD on any of these rolls if the enemy took pains to isolate the power supply. Vehicles: Use the appropriate specialty. Only The trick to selling an assassination attempt is to use a lot more fire power ... and an explosion or two doesn�t hurt. �Michael Westen, Burn Notice RICKSOFTHE Obscuring the truth about a deed, an object, or a person might be preparation for a job (often alongside Social Engi- pp. 15-17), the whole point of an operation, or an aspect of the cleanup after clandestine criminal, espionage, or military activity. The most important kind of deception on an actual opera- tion is cleaning up behind the squad. These tasks are the cleaner�s department. Corpses can be burned using (p. 24); carried off-site and surreptitiously buried or tossed in the river with a roll; dissolved in acid (perhaps conve- niently available due to fed to pigs or dogs, if you have access to them, with a suitable Animal Handling roll; handed over to criminal pected terrorists turn up dead or the Mona Lisa goes missing, fact-finding efforts are at -2, or -4 on a critical success. Failure has no effect. Critical failure spills the beans; PCs will face Rank loss or termination. of high-profile skullduggery can also spin what they know, where they�re looking, whom they OLYGRAPHS There are tricks for this � and these seem to work in action movies! When subjected to a polygraph test (see Talk, pp. 16-17), you may substitute a HT- Fast-Talk for Will in the Quick Contest. This doesn�t represent talking, but your ability to control involuntary responses that accom- Voice doesn�t. If you Compulsive Lying, fer -5 to machine-aided Interrogation. If you�re MPERSONATION Impersonation can be as potent as false ID (p. 26) for bypassing security. These tasks can also complement social engineering; e.g., a spy posing as a cop to interview people. The rolls below don�t suffer BAD, but most become Quick Contests against an effective Perception or Observation skill of 10 + absolute value of BAD when attempting to deceive guards, the players may wish to do the same. Roll a Quick Contest against the mooks� Will. Use to give a prisoner erroneous ideas about the squad to carry back to his mates when released; when delivering confusing radio broadcasts, text messages, or what have you; and to use voices, timing, and so on to mislead the enemy about team strength and tactics. Victory by 0-4 erodes BAD by -1 when dealing with mooks; victory by 5+ removes -2. Loss stiffens their resolve: Add -1 to BAD � or -2 for loss by 5+. RICKSOFTHE ATCHES The most basic security task is keeping watch. This can arise even when the squad isn�t on security duty; e.g., when camped in hostile territory. Whenever the crew posts sentries or guards, the players must state who�s watching and in what order. Only the skills of those on watch affect rolls made dur- ing entryways, airport and border checkpoints, and so on, observing who and what tries to pass through. For general crowd-watching, use the rules for spotting trouble under (p. 28). Some other important cases: Hollywood depicts dogs as expert bomb and drug Computer Security: (p. 13), but now the shoe is on the other foot and the squad rolls against (Computer Security). To boot out a hacker who�s roll a Quick Contest of Computer Hacking each time he tries LTRA Range Band Table Distance, too, is abstract in a chase. It uses five range bands: Range BandStarting Range*Range Penalty*Description* Close0-5 yards0 to -2Can touch rival, at least some of the time. Short6-20 yards-3 to -6Can talk to enemy, or toss things at him. Medium21-100 yards-7 to -10Can only shout at rival; need a gun to attack him. Long101-500 yards-11 to -14Opponent is out of earshot, at scoped rifle range. Extreme501+ yards-15 or worseRival difficult or impossible to see If the chase diverts the heroes from a time-critical task down), assume that after the chase, the task suffers a generic haste penalty of -1d, no matter how long the chase runs. 1. Quarry chooses a 2. Pursuer chooses a chase maneuver. 3. Pursuer resolves any attacks or skill rolls for his maneuver. 4. Quarry resolves any attacks or skill rolls for his maneuver. 5. If neither side wipes out badly or is too damaged to con- tinue, roll a Quick Contest of Each side must select one chase maneuver per round. The quarry picks and declares his maneuver. Then the pursuer maneuver in response. In poor visibility, the GM may have both decide blindly. Each maneuver indicates who can use it, and has one to Special conditions required to enable the maneu- ver. �Suitable scenery or Lucky Break� indicates a maneuver that only works if the surroundings support it. If the GM didn�t describe the scene that way � e.g., you want a ramp on a city Everyone on your side with a ranged weapon may roll an attack, adding his weapon Acc; see Static maneuver. Leave or enter a vehicle. Leaving is valuable when pursued by a faster vehicle and there�s a nearby building to dash into. If your pursuer doesn�t pick Disembark/Embark, too, then you can perform a Mobility Escape (pp. 32-33) next round. Must be in a vehicle to leave one, or have access to a vehicle to board one; the latter requires suitable scenery or Make a vehicle control roll to start a vehicle (or it, p. 23); if you fail, you can try this maneuver again next round. Passengers can attack with ranged weapons; see Static maneuver. Regain control after a wipeout. If you experienced a close call last round, you do this (or Stop); otherwise, you can�t choose this maneu- ver. See Wipeouts Attempt to force an enemy vehicle off the road. Round starts at Close range you�re in a vehicle that could strike your rival�s (no boats forcing motor- bikes off the road!). Attempt to duck out of sight of pursuer in a cluttered area � dash through a door and hide next to it, make several tight Round starts at Medium range or greater; suit- able scenery or Lucky Break. 10 at Medium range, -5 at Long range, or +0 at Extreme Range. On foot, you must make your Chase Roll If you win the Quick Contest of Chase Rolls, then your foe shoots right past! You may opt to escape, ending the chase, to pull out behind your rival at Close, Short, or Medium range, making you the pursuer next round. If you don�t win, your pursuer is automatically at Close range! Mobility Escape Escape pursuit by going where your pursuer cannot; e.g., evade a car by taking a boat out to sea or a motorbike down a narrow alley. chase (e.g., air vs. land suitable scenery or Lucky Break. A Lucky Break can enable a Mobility Escape even if your opponent is equally mobile; e.g., in a foot chase, you could board the subway and flee your pursuer. LTRA LTRA If your pursuer truly can�t follow you, his maneuver is treated as static even if it otherwise wouldn�t be, on this and all future rounds. He can, however, use his own Lucky Break to prevent this (e.g., board that subway himself) if he doesn�t select a static maneuver. Mobility Pursuit Cut off your quarry by taking a route that he cannot; e.g., fly over some buildings in a helicopter to thwart a motorcyclist. or Lucky Break. A Lucky Break can allow this even when both parties are traveling the same way � e.g., you catch a ride on a conveyor belt to cheat in a foot chase. +5. If you win, you use any range shift to Chase or flee your rival using sheer skill and speed. This is the �default� maneuver: no conditions apply, there are no Chase Roll modifiers, and nobody attacks (take Move and Attack for that). Move and Attack Attack your rival while continuing flight or pursuit. Everyone on your side with a ranged weapon may roll an attack, but only heroes with add Acc; see (p. 35). At Close range, attacks are possible; if anyone successfully grapples, the chase ends immediately. 2 for pedestrians, or for a vehicle operator who attacks while driving. Attempt to collide with or run down your quarry. Round starts at Close range you�re in a vehicle that could strike your rival. Roll against vehicle operation skill to hit. The tar- Turn sharply and come back at your pursuer! 10. On foot, you can opt to make your Chase In all cases, regardless of the Quick Contest of Chase Rolls, failing your roll sends you to Wipeouts (p. 35). If you win don�t wipe out, you�re the pursuer next round! Win or lose, range automatically becomes Close. Stop dead, ending the chase. Roll against the skill you�re using for the chase, at A vehicle�s operator chooses its maneuver, possibly after consulting with his crew. Each passenger aboard of these actions during the round: If the vehicle operator took a suitable maneu- ver, a passenger can attack; see If the round starts at Close range, a passenger can try to board an enemy vehicle! Roll a Quick Contest vs. the opposing driver�s vehi- cle skill. Each contestant adds his vehicle�s speed bonus. If the passenger wins, he leaps aboard the enemy vehicle and can continue to attack those on board as if at Close range � a distraction that gives the enemy driver -2 to Chase Rolls. If he ties, or loses by 1-4, he stays on his own vehicle. If he loses by 5+, he falls out, is run over as if the Escape pursuit with a flashy move; e.g., drop from an over- pass onto a truck during a foot chase, or take a car down an alleyway on two wheels. Suitable scenery or Lucky Break. Execute a Stunt exactly as usual, but declare that you�re using the scenery or Lucky Break specifically to +1 to your Chase Roll per -2 on your Stunt roll. If your pursuer responds with Stunt at the same penalty or worse, he receives his Stunt bonus; if he has superior mobility wipeouts are resolved, each party rolls against the skill govern- Riding, Running, Skiing, Submarine, Swimming, Multi-Party Chases The chase rules are one-on-one to keep things simple and fun; involving several participants per side leads to a hairy tactical combat. But movies feature swarms of Stop the car? This is a car chase! I went to considerable LTRA Once you�ve chased down the bad guys, it�s time to shoot and beat them. The one for success and two for making the roll by twice Rcl. If For 1-3 hits, roll damage normally. For 4+ hits, it�s quicker not to roll. Use damage for the weapon (3.5 per die, plus any modifier), subtract DR, multiply by number of hits, and drop fractions. To save time, note average damage for Shooting Two Guns Shooting two one-handed guns uses the same rules as shooting one gun. Treat each hand as attacking separately. While shooting two guns, all attacks have an -4 unless the shooter improves the Dual-Weapon Attack technique. To buy off the whole -4 costs 5 points, so the GM may treat this technique as an all-or-nothing 5-point Off-hand attacks have a -4. A shooter can eliminate Off-Hand Weapon Training skill or full Ambidexterity. Shoving People into Stuff: To hold somebody�s face to a table A basic -5; encumbrance penalties; +5 if team is ambushing, no modifier in a stand-up fight, or -5 if squad is ambushed; and -5 if there�s cover or shadow. You want me to be half monk, half hitman. �James Bond, Violent conflict is the soul of Action heroes never shut up in combat � an actor has to Optional Modifiers: - 4 if grappled; -4 for the off hand; -4 if crawling or lying down, -2 if crouching, kneeling, or sitting, or hanging upside down; -1 from a shoulder or concealment hol- OMBAT ITUATIONS eventually prevail � the genre requires it � but victory need not be painless. Rallying from near- defeat to save the day is a time-honored tradition. And those in an campaign, unlike loner movie heroes, work with a whole team of professionals whose skills can make short work of misfortune. -5 if all he has is a crash kit, but no modifier for a proper surgical kit; -2 at -3�HP or worse or -4 at -4�HP or worse; -2, cumulative, per repeated attempt; -5 if the victim failed his original HT roll by more than 2 (that is, his mortal Cinematic poison should inflict 1d to 6d fatigue or toxic Action heroes are to win. This fate is often termed �script immunity�: Victory is ultimately assured because the script says so. Scripting isn�t fun in an RPG, but �lucky breaks� can provide the benefits of script immu- nity without the script. There are many ways to engineer Lucky Advantages offers Serendipity. heroes� fat out of the fire, but in different ways. This only works during physical risk-taking. Given how skilled most action heroes are at such deeds, +1 to skill rarely saves the day; the true benefit is the ability to reroll critical failures. However, not all unfortunate out- comes are critical failures! Optionally, when a Every rule so far has been directed at GM and players alike. This is because while the GM keeps AMPAIGN Action 1: Heroes mentions nine campaign types and rec- ommends a good mix of PCs for each. Just as important, their adventures consist of wall-to-wall (pp. 31-35), and (pp. 36-39). Mercs rarely enjoy the sort of official backing that enables Assistance Rolls, so they must finagle outside assistance through smooth talking Social Engineering, pp. 26-28), and patch up injured personnel ( Troubleshooters: Private �men in black� are usually hired to provide protection ( Providing Security, pp. 27-30). They might have a full-time employer or pick up a new contract at the start of each adventure ( p. 6). The players decide just how far they�re willing to go for cash! Driving ( pp. 36-39) are routine occurrences dur- ing cinematic bodyguard duty � and some clients expect hirelings to do whatever it takes to steal back their property A few rules slow game play, render PCs less-than-heroic, or simply clash with �action realism.� The GM should use these only when they�re truly needed. This will make them suitably dramatic when they Tactical Combat positions abstract in combat. This makes it possible to fudge action scenes: heroes can reach cover when neces- Travel, pp. 7-8) � and as a valid alternative to escape ( p. 42) when being held by legitimate authorities. This can be requested as part of (pp. 6-7). For the purposes of (p. 15) of an NPC who doesn�t demand actual cash, success can arrange string- pulling that counts as 10 times the usual amount the heroes could request (exactly as if acquiring cash for show). Cover-Up (p. 26): This is a AR, even when it logically involves a combination of bailouts, disappearances, false ID, This AR can request supercomputers that give machine shops good for +4 to (pp. 41-42); and even the resources needed to cure plagues Success here bypasses the need for the tasks under Fake ID Records Search: These forms of assistance can substitute for success at the tasks under (p. 14) in situations where the PCs� employer would have access to the files or records. The heroes can use this as an alternative to (pp. 24-25) No advantages unless the adven- bodyguards � to challenging opponents built on templates Action 1: Heroes with an extra 50-100 points! IRECTINGTHE heroes often tidy up loose ends before the credits roll � especially if there�s e a sequel! Since campaigns tend to be episodic, with sequels, the GM might want to lend some thought to this. In general, after-action activity should be brief and to-the- point � in game terms, a few lines of banter and a skill roll. Some example rolls: to create a map of the area where the action took place. Law (Police) to ensure that evidence or an arrest is admis- at least -1 per gross violation of rights, Not all enemies arehuman! Some cinematic villains IRECTINGTHE ers. The templates in Action 1: Heroes assume a campaign with four or more PCs, however, and so portray specialists in order to guarantee everybody spotlight time. To make this work, each adventure must offer If the squad includes a specialist, the GM should include events that demand his unique skills. If the team lacks such a member, the GM can gloss over those moments rather than annoy the players with situations that the PCs can�t handle. No action movie would have an all-shooter squad foiled by a lock for want of an infiltrator � they�d shoot the lock or find a key nearby, or their over- confident foes simply wouldn�t lock the door! Some suggestions: object, so other challenges are welcome � notably using tech- nical skills to defeat bombs, locks, and traps, and to repair weapons and vehicles. Every adventure needs works, though, from a distracting squib to a blown bridge. When there�s significant PC-NPC interaction, the face man needs no help � he�ll dominate the spotlight. Action campaigns often have the opposite problem, though, so have a few NPCs talk rather than attack! Don�t relegate Accumulated Complementary Total (ACT), 17. Acquiring gear, 6-7; directing the action, plot steps, After-action activities, 46-47. Ammo, keeping track of, 7. Area electronic surveillance, 29. Artillery, 25, Assassins in campaigns, 47. Assembling kit, 6-7; Incendiaries as traps, 25. Infiltrators in campaigns, 47. Infinite Ammunition combat rule, Inspection of gear, 8, 29. Investigators in campaigns, 47. Keeping track of expendables, 7. STUCK FOR AN ADVENTURE? e23 is part of Warehouse 23, the online store at Steve Jackson Games.
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