stand the wars that street gangs and corporate security goonsare fighting for the inner cities. I can accept the steady breakupof the old nations, even if I can't pronounce half the names ofthe new ones. I'm even used to grave robberies and bloodbank heists in California. After all, it's California, right?

But a few days ago, the Eastern Australian Air Force nukedMelbourne, and refuses to explain why. Black, spiky thingsthat only vaguely resemble fish are attacking people in theGreat Lakes. A radio station in Chicago is broadcasting onlya single, oscillating tone—all day long. Whole blocks ofMexico City have been abandoned—by people, anyway.

My contact in the Michigan Secret Service said we're beinginvaded, part of a centuries-old plot. I wanted to find out more,but before we could meet, he turned up headless in a park.

Now I have this feeling I'm being followed...

omething very strange is going on.Stranger than usual, I mean.Hell, I'm used to eco-commandos dyna-

miting oil refineries. I'm used to riots in theFarm Family Relocation Camps. I under-

To Pat, Jim, Joe, and Tim, for countless hours of mayhem.

And to Jenny, for putting up with it

Design: Lester W. SmithDevelopment: Frank Chadwick and Loren K. WisemanAdditional Development and Typesetting: Julia MartinFront Cover Illustration: Larry ElmoreBack Cover Illustration: Dell HarrisCover Design: Steve Bryant, Amy Doubet, and Julia MartinInterior Illustrations: Janet Aulisio, Timothy Bradstreet, Steve Bryant, Paul Daly, Elizabeth T. Danforth, Amy Doubet,

Larry Elmore, LaMont Fullerton, Earl Geier, Dell Harris, Rick Harris, April Lee, David Martin, Ellisa Martin, TimothyTruman, and Kirk Wescom

Colors: Steve Bryant, LaMont Fullerton, Mark Fullerton, Grant Goleash, and Kirk WescomArt Direction: Steve BryantGraphic Design and Production: LaMont Fullerton, Keith Ganske, and Lisa DeckersCopyediting and Additional Input: Stephen Olle and Eric W. HaddockPrimary Playtesters: Dan Beckwith, Joe Hideg, Mike Horn, John Langford, and Kevin WickartAdditional Playtesters: Kelly C. Davis, Ralph Faraday, Eric W. Haddock, Trevor Hoffman, Chuck Kallenbach, Ted

Kocot, H. Michael "Dain" Lybarger, Julia Martin and Loren K. Wiseman

Dark ConspiracyCopyright© 1991 GDW, Inc.All rights reserved. Printed in U.S.A. Made in U.S.A.No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any means without permission in writing from the publisher.

ISBN 1-55878-076-9

Permission: Any purchaser of this book may photocopy or reproduce for personal use the forms and data cards in thisbook in order to play Dark Conspiracy. In fact, photocopying for that purpose is encouraged and is the reason that theinformation included in those forms was published in that fashion.

Dark Conspiracy™ is GDW's trademark for its game of unearthly horror in a modern world.

PLAYERS 6INTRODUCING DARK CONSPIRACY 8

The Horror Begins 9How to Gse This Book 10If You're New to Roleplaying 11

CHARACTER GENERATION 12Character Generation Overview 13Background 13Attributes 15Initial Experience 16Skills 17Secondary Activities 18Military Rank 19Reserves 19Contacts 19

Generic Contacts 19Solid Contacts 21

Initiative 23Age 24Skill and Attribute Derived Values 25Starting Money and Initial Equipment . .26Skill Improvement 28Character Generation Examples 30

Dara Schwartz 30Herbert Vahn 32

CAREERS 34Education 34

Undergraduate University 34Graduate University 35Law School 35Medical School 35National Military Academy 35Technical School 35

Civilian Occupations 36Astronaut 36Athlete 36Attorney 36Bodyguard 37Bounty Hunter 37Civil Engineer 37Clergy 37Commercial Pilot 38Computer Operator/Programmer ....38Construction Worker 38Criminal 38Cyborg Escapee 39Drifter 39Entertainer 40Environmentalist 40Factory Worker 40Farmer 40Federal Law Enforcement 41Gambler 41Ganger 41Government Agent 42Homeless 42Journalist 42Manager 43Martial Artist 43Mechanic 43Medical Doctor 44Mercenary 44Merchant Marine 44Mystic 45

Nomenklatura (Idle Rich) 45Paramedic 45Paraphysicist 46Politician 46Prisoner 46Private Investigator 47Professor 47Prole (Corporate Welfare Recipient) 47Psychiatrist 48Psychic Test Subject 48Public Employee 48State/Local Law Enforcement 48Truck Driver 49

Military Occupations 49United States Army 49

Regular Forces 49Enlisted 49Officer 50

Elite Forces 50Enlisted 50Officer 50

United States Marine Corps 51United States Navy 51

Enlisted Seaman 51Naval Officer 51Naval Aviator 52Enlisted SEAL (Sea Air Land) 52SEAL Officer 52

United States Air Force 52Enlisted Airman 53Pilot (Officer) 53

Career List 53TASK RESOLUTION & SKILLS 54

Empathic Success 55Power Level Table 56

Empathic Difficulty Levels 56Skill Descriptions 56

Skill List 57DARK TIMES 65

The State of the Union 66Future Dark Earth America 66Onset Of The Dark Times 66The Decline Of Government 67

Urban Sprawl 67Life In The City 67"Are You Anybody?" 69

"God Shed His Grace on Thee..." 70"Don't Drink The Water;

Don't Breathe The Air" 70"You're Not From Around Here, Are You?".... 71

The Dark 72The Dark Minions 72Demonground 72

COMBAT & DAMAGE 73Combat Movement 74The Grid System 74The Combat Turn 75Actions 75Initiative 76Turn Sequence 76Panic 77Unarmed Melee Combat 78Armed Melee Combat 80Fire Combat 82

Direct Fire Hit Procedure 83Automatic Fire 86

Movement and Fire 87Ammunition 87Special Cases 88Direct Fire Deviation ,' 88Indirect Fire 88Thrown Weapons 90Hand Grenades 90Chemical Grenades and Rounds 90Shotguns 91Explosives and Demolitions 92

Frequently Used Burst Diagrams 93Damage 94

Gunshot Wounds 94Human/Animal Hit Location Chart... 95

Bums 97Explosions 98Falls 100Poison 101

WOUNDS & HEALING 102Wounds 102

Knockdown 103Stun 103Wound Severity 103

Healing 104First Aid... 104Stabilizing Critical Wounds 105Basic Healing Rate 105Recovery From Scratch Wounds.. . 105Medical Care 105Treating Poison Wounds 106Adequate Diet and Shelter 106Surgery 106

WHEELS OF FIRE:VEHICLE TRAVEL & COMBAT 107Travel and Encounters 108

Vehicle Movement Rates 108Terrain and Travel 108

Operating Aircraft 109Vehicle Combat 109

Combat Movement .. . 109Firing at Vehicles and Vessels 112Firing at Aircraft 113

Vehicle Damage 114Vehicle Hit Locations Chart 114Vehicle Damage Resolution Chart... 114

Hit Locations 114Damage Resolution 115

Turreted Vehicle Damage Chart 115Standard Vehicle Damage Chart.... 115CrewJn-HuU Vehicle Damage Chart 116

Damage Implementation 116Boat Damage Chart 117Aerospace Craft Damaqe Chart 118

Collision Damage 118SPACE TRAVEL 120

Spacecraft Characteristics 120Spacecraft Size Chart 120Launch Characteristics Table 121Reentry Table 121In-Space Transfer Table 122

Space Missions 122Launches ..„ 122

Landing 123Maneuvering in Space:

Avoidance and Intercepts 123Difficulty of Intercept

(Based on Travel Direction) .... 123Maneuver Times Chart 124

Intercept and Avoidance Times 124Launch Vehicles In Orbit 124Attaining Higher Orbits 124

Spacecraft 125ROBOTS 128

Robot Behavior 128Combat 129

Melee Combat 129Fire Combat 129Battle Damage

(Nonvehicular Robots) 130Battle Damage (Vehicular Robots) . . . .130Burn Damage 131

Typical Drudgebots 131

REFEREES 132REFEREEING DARK CONSPIRACY 134

The World 134The Story 135The Rules 135The Host 136

Conversion Notes 136DARK EARTH 137

We Are Not Alone 138The Door to Hell 140The Cities 142The Countryside 144Technology 146The Dark Ones 148Demonground 150Empathy 151

RUNNING ADVENTURES & CAMPAIGNS 152Beginning a Campaign 152Running an Adventure 152Making Roleplaying a Community Effort.... 152Setting the Scene 153Heightening Horror 153Maintaining Mystery 153Promoting Paranoia 154Preparing Adventures 154

A Detail of Corruption 155Time and Money 155Rewards and Experience 156

ENCOUNTERS 157In the C ty 158Travel by Highway 160Countryside 160Anywhere 162

HUMAN N P C S 163NPCs in Combat 166

HPCStats Chart 166Other NPC Skills 167NPC Motivations 167

Spades: Ambition 168Hearts: Sociability 168Clubs: Violence 169Diamonds: Greed 169

NPC Appearance 170Stock NPCs 170Major NPCs 171Contacts 171Sample Stock NPCs 172

Beat Cops 173Bikers 173Cultists 173Derelicts 173Dobies and Gidgets 174Eco-Warriors 174Gangers 174Gizmoids 175Good Samaritans 175Government Agents 175Igors 176Mother Earthers 176Security Guards 176

BEASTIES 177Beasty Combat 186

Beasty Movement 186Mounts in Combat 186Beasty Attacks 186Beasty Morale 186

Beasty Listings 187Designing Your Own Beasties 200

DARK RACES 201Darkling Attributes 209

Physical Attributes 209Mental Attributes 209Soul Attributes 209

Darkling Skills 209New Empathic Skills 209Dark Minions and Human Emotions ..211

Dark Races Listings 212Designing Your Own Dark Minions 232

DARKTEK 233Technical Imagery 234Dimension Walk Device 234

Proto-Dimensional Topology 235Dimension Walk

and Other Dimensions 235PCs and Dimensional Travel 236

Biocomputers 237Computer Empathy

and Darkling Computers 238Animator Generators 240Cyborgs 241UFOs 242Death Rays 243

ADVENTURES 2 4 4

Ravening Wolves 245Other Adventures 254

EQUIPMENT & REFER£NCE CHARTS ..258EQUIPMENT 260

Documents 260Fuel 260Tripods 260Ammunition 260Hand Grenades 263

Types of Rounds 263Explosives 264Tools 265Electronics 266Vision Devices 270NBC Equipment 270Body Armor 270Medical Supplies 271Other Equipment 272Personal Gear 273Cyber Hands 274

Cyber Hands Table 274

Weapons 277

Vehicles and Robots 300

REFERENCE CHARTS 316Language Table 316Nationality/Native Language Chart ....316Soviet Nationalities 316US Enlisted and NCO Ranks 317US Commissioned Officer Ranks 317Career List 317Skill List 317Character Generation Worksheet Part 1 ..318

Background Skills Chart 318Secondary Activities Chart 318

Character Generation Worksheet Part 2 .. 319Effects of Age Table 319

Character Sheet 320Tasks Chart 321Power Level Table 321

Body Armor Protection 322Human/Animal Hit Location Chart 322Combat Sequence 322Scatter Diagram 322Bum Damage 322Melee Weapons 323Bows 323Revolvers and Single-Shot Pistols 323Automatic Pistols 323Submachineguns 323Sporting Rifles 323Sniper Rifles 323Assault Rifles 323Battle Rifles 324Automatic Rifles 324Shotguns 324Machineguns 324Heavy Machineguns 324Grenade Launchers 324Rocket Launchers 324Antitank Missile Launchers 324Mortars 324Flamethrowers 325Surface-to-Air Missiles 325Hand Grenades 325Rifle Grenades 325Cyber Hands 325Fragmentation Attack 325Demolition 325Armor Values of Cover 325Armor Equivalent 325Explosive Penetration Formulas 325Frequently Used Burst Diagrams 326Belt Ammo Record Forms 326Ammo Record Forms 327Turreted Vehicle Damage Chart 328Vehicle Damage Resolution Chart 328Crew-In-Hull Vehicle Damage Chart.. .328Vehicle Hit Locations Chart 328Boat Damage Chart 329Standard Vehicle Damage Chart 329Aerospace Craft Damage Chart 329Terrain Effects on Movement Chart... .330Combat Move Table 330Cruise Speed Table 330NPC Stats Chart 331NPC Motivation Table 331NPC Record Forms 331

INDEX 332

With panic tightening his throat, the man stopped

and turned. He was certain he was being followed, but

the moon-streaked street stretched emptily behind, its

sidewalks bare. Across the way, a clock tolled the hour

from the tower of a marble-fronted building. Moonlight

gleamed silver on the words above its door: "Dayton

Federal Savings and Loan." Moon-shadows from its

columned portico lay still against its stone face.

But on his side of the street, the shadows moved.

They twitched and slid from alley to doorway, hollow

to hollow. He sensed the movement and spun to

confront it, backing warily into the door of a shuttered

shop. The shadows froze. A chill settled in his guts.

A mere dozen feet away, the shadow of a trash

can seemed to widen as a crouching figure leaned

out and raised its head. A pallid face revealed itself

to moonlight, eyes glistening feverishly, thin lips

stretched in a feral grin. Its teeth seemed unnatu-

rally long. Slowly, the figure crept forward. A score

of other shadows did the same.

Theman tried to run, but the air seemed suddenly as

thick as water. He felt as if he were running in slow

motion and the chase seemed to take hours. Behind

him, the stalkers closed the distance in long, graceful

strides. The pool of yellow light under the streetlamp at

the end of the block seemed to promise safety. If only he

could reach the light, theman told himself, perhaps he

would be safe. His tortured lungs strained, and his

sluggish legs pumped to drive him closer to the light

The first dark figure caught him and bore him to the

ground, the rest close behind. Dozens of rough, long-

nailed hands seized his limbs and tore at his cloth-

ing. He tried to remain face down, tried to curl up and

protect himself, but the hands rolled him over to face his

captors, and stretched his l imbs in four directions. A fist

locked in his hair and pulled his head back painfully,

baring his throat. Cold, hard fingers clenched his neck,

choking off his breath. He could feel his veins distend

with the blocked circulation.

Then sharp teeth tore his throat, splashing blood

across the sidewalk. In horror, he listened to the

creatures lap it up as his vision faded.

Hadyn sat up in bed with a cry. Reflexively, he

felt his throat: It was whole. Just a dream, then, but

so real. He stumbled to the bathroom, switching on

the TV along the way. He splashed water on his

face, then under his arms and across his chest to

wash away his sweat's stink. Then he sat on the

edge of the tub until a wave of weakness and

nausea passed.

Padding slowly into the kitchen, he opened the

refrigerator and got a can of cold beer. He drank half of

it in one long pull, with the refrigerator door open,

enjoying the cool air and the glow of the light

Returning to bed, he sipped the rest of his beer and let

the TV's chatter wash over him, soothing his nerves.

He had just begun to doze off when an an-

nouncement caught his attention:

This is Mike McDowell for WKXN News,

Chicago. Tonight 's t op stories: Governor

Jenk ins threa tens the CLU from his hospital

bed, Chrysler sells downtown St. Louis to

Tojicorp, and a Dayton reporter c la ims blood-

drinking cannibals stalk his city. All this, and

more , after these m e s s a g e s .

Hadyn stared blankly at the TV for a minute,

then he picked up his phone and dialed.

"Hunter, this is Hadyn. Yeah, I know what time

it is. Listen, if you haven't unpacked yet, don't

bother. We've got to go to Ohio. Dayton, Ohio.

Something big's happening there, maybe worse

than Iowa City. I'll be over in half an hour to

explain." Numbly, he set the receiver down.

He remained motionless for a moment, and then

sighed deeply. "No rest for the weary, "he mumbled. He

sat on the edge of the rumpled bed and hefted the

stainless steel Colt Python, wondering for the hun-

dredth time how much of an edge the six silver .357

magnum wadcutters in its cylinder really gave him.

Imagine an Earth where c h a o s reigns, an Earth

of the very near future. Runaway population growth,

diminishing resources , and h u m a n greed have all

t aken their toll on the planet. Mega-corporations

have slipped the reigns of national regulation, and

now they wage a continual economic war on

political governments . A global economic collapse

h a s plunged all but the mos t privileged into poverty.

The superpowers have collapsed from inertia and

economic stress. In s o m e p laces those federal

republics still exist in name, but their individual states

have stepped forward to fill the vacuum of power, and

where those states fall short, local governments take up

the slack. The result is a political crazy quilt of bizarre and

contradictory laws and practices. What is the custom in

one locale may well get you shot in another.

But economic and political chaos are only the

s y m p t o m s of the disease . Its c a u s e lies in the roots

of humani ty ' s deepest , darkest n ightmares . S o m e -

how, an ancient, unspeakab le evil has been un-

leashed on the Earth, an evil which thrives on the

anguish of a billion tortured souls. This malevolent

power now twists the minds of m e n and women,

using their ba se instincts to serve its purposes .

Par ts of the world have fallen completely under its

control, and from t h e m emerge its Dark Minions,

crea tures of another t ime and s p a c e that feed not

only on h u m a n flesh, but also on the h u m a n spirit.

But there are still people fighting to drive back

the Darkness . S o m e t i m e s they ' re agen t s of organi-

zations that retain s o m e small residue of their

former power and independence. Somet imes they're

m e m b e r s of what remains of the free press . Most

often they ' re just victims who 've e s c a p e d the hor-

ror and are now fighting back . But always, they

have to walk softly, because thousands of people

disappear every day, people who simply know too

much. People who know that Darkness has returned.

"We have a fighting chance. Anyonewho thinks that we deserve morethan that is probably a socialist.Nice philosophy—wrong century."

—Zena Marley(Early 21st -century mercenary-philosopher)

In Dark Conspiracy, t he players play the role of

normal , o r p e r h a p s not-so-normal , h u m a n beings

who a re fighting a global m e n a c e of unpreceden ted

proport ions. An alien, malevolent intelligence, im-

pr isoned for eons , h a s b e e n released to wreak havoc

on t h e world. It is doing a pretty good job .

Your charac te r h a s b e c o m e aware of this m e n a c e

and, along with a small b a n d of l ike-minded com-

pan ions , h a s set out to uncover and destroy t h e

m e n a c e .

The difficulty is that this in no simple back- room

conspiracy. The driving force behind it is an other-

worldly p re sence of profound power and evil. Its

minions that r o a m the Ear th are hauntingly similar

to c rea tures of dark legend from around the world.

Similar, but never quite identical.

But regardless of the power of the enemy, there

have b e e n victories. S o m e were small victories.

S o m e were costly. But enough small victories c a n

turn t h e t ide.

This book provides you with all t he information

you will need to run adventures in which a handful

of cou rageous charac te rs work to uncover hidden

nes t s of Dark Minions and eradicate them, thereby

battling a dark conspiracy to conquer their world.

Because Dark Conspiracy is a roleplaying g a m e , it

requires a n u m b e r of people to play (at least two) .

In e a c h group, o n e person will be referee, and the

rest will be players .

The first several chap te r s of this book contain

material intended primarily for players . It tells how

to c rea te characters , how to test skills, how to

conduct c o m b a t (an important e lement in adven-

ture fiction, including roleplaying adventures) , and

descr ibes the world, or at least as m u c h of i t as the

ave rage character would know.

Players should read through this section, paying

particular attention the "Dark Times" and "Character

Generation" and "Careers" chapters. Once you have a

feel for the g a m e , genera te several s ample charac-

ters . This will get you familiar with the mechanics of

character generation as well as the sorts of charac-

ters you are likely to meet and encounter. When you

feel ready, generate the character you will use in the

game or, if you prefer, pick one of the sample characters

that you have already generated.

If you a re to be a referee, you will want to read

through the "Players" section carefully for basic rules.

One of the referee's jobs is to be the local expert of the

rules. Familiarity with the basic rules will also m a k e

refereeing adventures easier. After you have read

through them, you are ready to proceed to the deeper

secrets of the "Referees" section.

The "Referees" section contains secre ts for the

referee, material tha t the players should not read.

Included here are chapters that explain how to run

and design Dark Conspiracy adventures , how to

handle nonplayer charac te rs and animals , and se-

crets of s o m e of the Dark Minion races and crea-

tures . Also, it reveals special information about

Dark Minion technology (DarkTek) and equipment

and contains o n e predesigned adventure (and sev-

eral adventure ideas) to get you started on your own

campa ign , demonst ra t ing how to turn this and other

material into horrifying plots.

Most importantly, it explains in greater detail the

logic and background of Dark Conspiracy Earth,

Players are encouraged not to read this section,

al though if they do so it will not ruin the g a m e .

However, par t of the early exci tement of playing

Dark Conspiracy lies in the gradual discovery of

these secrets . Do yourself a favor and skip this

section, at least for the first several adventures .

Finally, the last par t of the book lists statistics for

equ ipment that charac te rs m a y own, and contains

a collection of char t s and tables that a re frequently

used during play, as well as an index to aid easy

reference to the rules.

If you h a v e never played a roleplaying g a m e

before, there a re a few basic things you should be

informed of before going any further.

Roleplaying c o m b i n e s s o m e of the best e lements

of a n u m b e r of other activities into a special whole.

For o n e thing, it is a form of shared storytelling. Like

any other story, roleplaying concerns the experi-

ences of a select g roup of charac ters as it m o v e s

through a plot. O n e person, whom we'll call the

referee, p repa re s the bas ics of this plot and ac ts out

the par t s of secondary charac te rs the protagonis ts

encounter. E a c h of the other players m a k e s all of the

decisions for a particular character that he or she

h a s designed. Like the aud ience of a movie or novel,

roleplayers b e c o m e swept up in the exper iences of

the protagonis ts . But unlike an audience , which can

only obse rve the events , roleplayers actually decide

the o u t c o m e of the plot by the decisions they m a k e

for their charac ters . And unlike an audience , in

which e a c h person exper iences the story individu-

ally, roleplayers exper ience their stories in a shared

social setting that fosters friendship and personal

growth.

Another thing people enjoy about roleplaying is

watching a charac ter improve in abilities over the

course of t ime (from adventure to adventure , that

is). Designing a charac ter is something like bringing

a child to life: You want to watch that character grow.

For that reason , m a n y people enjoy the s ense of

accompl i shment they feel as their charac te rs col-

lect i tems and exper iences . And s o m e people just

like the c h a n c e to act a part .

We've ment ioned players, referee (in other g a m e s

somet imes called g a m e master , GM, dungeon m a s -

ter, DM, director, or other such t e rms) , and adven-

tures (plot situations that m a y be based upon a

locale, a special character, a m o m e n t o u s event, or

a n u m b e r of other things) . We've also ment ioned

characters : those run by players—player cha rac -

ters, or PCs—and t h o s e run by t h e referee—non-

player characters , or NPCs. Next, we should m e n -

tion rules.

Roleplaying rules, such as those in Dark Con-

spiracy, he lp to de termine the o u t c o m e of charac ter

act ions and to t ake s o m e of the burden of deciding

the o u t c o m e of events off of the referee. If a PC and

an NPC are wrestling over a gun, for example , how

does a roleplaying g roup decide who gets it? The

answer is by check ing the rules and rolling dice. The

rules explain what the c h a n c e s a re for e a c h charac-

ter, and the dice de termine the exact o u t c o m e .

Another function of the referee, then, is to be familiar

with the rules in order to decide how they apply to

specific c i rcumstances . It he lps if t he players are

also familiar with the rules, but it should always be

r e m e m b e r e d that the referee h a s the final say in how

those rules a re applied.

As you read through the pages that follow, you will

learn m o r e about how the rules work and what a

player 's and a referee's responsibilities are. The most

important thing to remember , though, is tha t the

purpose of roleplaying is to have fun. Let that thought

guide you as you explore the world of Dark Conspiracy.

I guess you'd say Dale's the leader of our group,

or as much of a leader as we've got He's art honest

cop, which makes him kind of a group conscience,

and he's got this sort of sixth sense that lands us in

the middle of the weirdest messes. That's our hobby,

by the way—cleaning up the weirdest messes.

After Dale, there's Kirin. She was the major

element in getting us all connected. But she's too

introspective—too lone a wolf—to be a leader.

As for Big Daddy G, he isn't stupid, but his

muscle is so obvious that it's hard to imagine him

as a thinker. Besides, his Jamaican accent is so

thick I have to listen to him twice on a good day to

be sure of what he's saying.

Then there's Manfred, the spooky German. He's

pretty bright, but I'd bet there's been insanity in his

family.

And finally there's me. I'm Cas, and I don't want

to be the leader. I could just see me making a wrong

call in a tight situation and getting us all killed, or

worse.

So I guess if you have to think of one of us as

leader, Dale's it. Lucky Dale.

Dark Conspiracy charac te rs are described in

t e r m s of innate attributes, skills, and a n u m b e r of

other characterist ics. During character creation,

the initial values for all of these are derived by a

combinat ion of die rolls and player choices . Over

the course of a series of adventures , m a n y of t he se

will increase to reflect skill improvement , advanc-

ing age , and the like. The rules in this chapter

explain the p roces s of character generat ion.

In order to m a k e the long p roces s of character

generation easier, a Character Generation Worksheet

is included with this g a m e . The Worksheet is largely

self-explanatory, but occasional reference to the

rules is necessary , at least for your first few charac -

ters. Players should read the rules as they genera te

their characters , filling in the appropriate b lanks of

a Worksheet as they go. O n c e a character is

completely genera ted , t h e information from t h e the

worksheet should be transferred to a Character

Sheet . After that , t h e worksheet m a y be discarded,

if you wish. Only the Character Shee t is necessa ry

for play. (Note: Always r e m e m b e r to save at least

o n e blank copy of each sheet to photocopy for

future characters . )

The abilities and limitations of a character are

determined by three general a r ea s of information:

background, attributes, and exper ience. Therefore

the charac ter generat ion procedure follows the se

three general s teps .

Background: Players decide on name and sex for

their characters, as well as on such things as nationality.

(Alternatively, these things can be decided upon after

attributes and skills have been determined.)

Attributes: Players determine the seven basic at-

tributes of their characters, either by rolling dice or by

using a point-based system described later. These

seven basic attributes are Strength, Constitution, Agility,

Intelligence, Education, Charisma, and Empathy.

Experience: Characters begin to accumulate expe-

rience at the age of 17, upon completing secondary

education. At that time, players start making career

choices for their characters. Each career choice repre-

sents four years of training and/or experience (four

years being an arbitrary number that helps regulate

character generation.) Each time a player makes a

four-year career choice, a hobby m a y also be selected

for the character. Careers and hobbies provide the

character with all-important skills.

Each career per iod—hence forth called a t e rm—

ages the character by four years . At the end of each

term, a roll is m a d e to see if charac ter generation

ends . If so, the charac ter ' s p r e g a m e experience is

comple te . (In other words, the character is this old

when the adventure campa ign begins.) If not, t he

player m a k e s another four-year career choice. In

this way, s o m e charac te rs will begin the g a m e

relatively young and unskilled, but with attributes

undiminished by age , while o thers will be older and

more experienced, but possibly less resilient than

their younger counterpar ts .

If the referee allows, players who prefer to choose an

age for their characters (i.e., a number of terms) may do

so, rather than rely upon random die rolls. At the end of

each term, then, such players simply decide whether or

not their characters will pursue another term.

Derived Values: Now that all c h a n g e s to skills

and attributes are completed, certain values a re

calculated that a re based on t h e m . These are things

like accuracy with different w e a p o n s at various

ranges , d a m a g e done by bare -handed at tacks, and

so forth.

Equipment: Finally, players determine how m u c h

equ ipment their charac te r s have accumula t ed

during their careers .

Note: During character generation, and through-

out mos t of this g a m e , m a n y references will be

m a d e to die rolls. If you are unfamiliar with nota-

tions for these , p lease see p a g e 54 .

Kirin doesn't talk much about her past All I

know about it is what Dale has passed along. He

was the arresting officer when she was finally

apprehended.

"She was the best cat burglar I've ever heard of,"

he told me. "She'd been operating Chicago for years,

and we just couldn't catch her at it. Never would

have, if she hadn't made the mistake of tackling a

Tojicorp executive's office."

The way Dale tells it, it was just after they moved

into their new corporate HQ. Kirin figured that she

could slip in and make a snatch before they got their

security up and running. Dale's not sure what she

wanted, but he suspects she was doing corporate

espionage for somebody.

Anyway, she got in all right. But the exec came back

while she was there. Exactly what happened next, only

Kirin knows. But when it was over, the building was

burning down, and she was stumbling into Dale's

precinct house, nearly dead from blood loss. No cuts or

anything, just these ugly sucker marks on her throat

Tojicorp didn't press charges, but Kirin confessed to

enough old burglaries to ensure a police guard at the

hospital. Then the feds showed up to talk with her, and

all those offenses were dropped. Since then, she's joined

the rest of us working with Dale on some of the weirder

cases his department turns up. Now and then she

contributes some pretty surprising information or equip-

ment, like she's got sources she's not mentioning. Her

secrecy worries me some times, but she's saved my

bacon more than once, and the way I figure things, that

makes her a friend.

Background facts about characters , th ings such

as n a m e , sex, and nationality, a re left to players '

imaginations. Also, while s o m e sorts of equipment

are m o r e fitting for o n e nationality than another, it is

entirely possible for a character to begin the g a m e

with foreign equ ipment if a player desires. All of

the se things are left largely to the discretion of each

individual player, al though the referee m a y impose

guidelines for a particular campa ign .

Note that m a n y players like to wait until at-

tributes, skills, a n d a g e h a v e been determined

before deciding upon n a m e , sex, and nationality.

Native Language: A charac ter ' s native language

is dictated by nationality. All charac te rs automati-

cally receive skill level 10 in their native language

without penal t ies or costs .

Charac ters of certain nationalities have a c h a n c e

of having a second native l anguage as well, receiv-

ing a skill level in it equal to their Intelligence rating.

In the Native Language co lumn of the Nationality/

Native Language Char t on p a g e 316 , possible

second languages are listed below e a c h nationality's

native l anguage . The n u m b e r in front of a l anguage

is the D10 c h a n c e that the character can speak it.

For Soviet nationalities and languages , see the

Soviet Nationalities Chart , also on p a g e 3 1 6 .

For example, a Mexican character has a chance of

speaking English ( l - 5 on 1D10), Nahuatl (1 on 1D10),

or Maya (1 on 1D10) in addition to Spanish. Players

m a k e D l 0 rolls for each language, in order, stopping at

the first success or after failing with all of them.

In addition to native languages, players may acquire

additional language skills as explained later in the rules.

Each character is described, in the simplest of

t e rms , by seven basic attributes: Strength, Consti-

tution, Agility, Intelligence, Educat ion, Char isma,

and Empathy. These attributes are divided a m o n g

three groups : physical attributes (Strength, Consti-

tution, and Agility), menta l attributes (Intelligence

and Educat ion) , and spiritual attributes (Charisma

and E m p a t h y ) .

Attributes m a y be determined in o n e of two ways:

random generation or point allocation. Random

generation gives players only minimal control over

the generat ion of charac ters . Point allocation allows

players greater input in shaping characters , but it

evens out the ex t remes of r andom fluctuation.

Random Generation: In this method, each attribute

except Empathy is determined by rolling 2D6-2 (reroll

any roll that would result in a 0 attribute score). This gives

a range of from 1 to 10 for these attributes. Empathy is

generated by rolling 1D6-1 , with a result of 0 remaining

0. (NPC Empathy is generated by rolling 1 D10-5, with

results of 0 or less counting as 0.)

Players who roll attributes totaling less than 33

points m a y add attribute points (allocated as they

see f i t ) to bring the total up to 3 3 . This ensures that

charac te rs are a lways at least average .

Point Allocation: Players who choose the point

allocation m e t h o d h a v e a total of 36 points to be

distributed a m o n g the attributes in any combinat ion

the player wishes. Each level of E m p a t h y cos ts two

points instead of one . No attribute other than E m p a -

thy m a y have a value of 0, and n o n e m a y have a

value of m o r e than 10.

Meaning of Attributes: Attributes have the fol-

lowing definitions.

Strength: The numerical quantification of a

charac ter ' s muscular power.

Constitution: Health and physical s tamina . This

de termines the charac ter ' s hit capaci ty and resis-

t ance to d isease .

Agility: A m e a s u r e of a charac ter ' s coordination

and nimbleness .

Intelligence: The ability of a character to perform

abstract reasoning. Intelligence primarily affects the

ability of the character to learn; it is not the s a m e

thing a s c o m m o n sense . (How m u c h c o m m o n

sense charac ters have is determined by the act ions

of the players themselves . )

Education: The ability of a character to gain

knowledge and experience from a formal a c a d e m i c

setting. This attribute determines how far a character

can advance at a university and serves as a pre-

requisite for certain forms of higher educat ion.

Charisma: A quantification of personality and

personableness . Char isma reflects skills tha t affect

how NPCs react to a character. It is not so m u c h a

m e a s u r e of physical appea rance as of natural charm.

Empathy: A measure of a character's sensitivity to

and attunement with the natural forces of the Earth and

its creatures, including other humans. Empathy reflects

a character's ability to sense and influence things

beyond the normal five human senses. Only half the

population has any discernible Empathy rating.

Abbreviations: The seven attributesof Strength Con-

stitution, Agility, Intelligence, Education, Charisma, and

Empathy are used throughout these rules. For brevity,

they will sometimes be abbreviated as STR, CON, AGL,

INT, EDU, CHR, and EMP, respectively.

/ was always something of a runt as a kid, and I

got beat up a lot. It didn 't take me long to learn how

to keep a low profile so I could avoid fights. The

funny thing is, I never really wanted to get even. I

guess I just figured the bullies were too stupid to

know any better. Of course, part of keeping a low

profile was never expressing that particular opinion

in public.

As I grew, 1 discovered that keeping a low profile

lets you sit back and gauge the situation. I found out

that if I kept my eyes open and thought about what

I saw, I could always find some sort of a solution to

any problem. You see, every opponent has a

weakness, and every trap has an escape route, if

you're sharp enough to discover them. Of course, it's

not all just a matter of observation. It takes training,

too, to recognize the value of what you see.

Charac ters begin the g a m e with m o r e than just a

background; they also have knowledge of a number

of different skills, reflecting training and experience

that they acquired before becoming Dark Minion

hunters . By age 17, after which career determina-

tion begins , charac te r s will have accumula ted s o m e

expert ise in a few skills due to hobbies and educa-

tion. To represent this, players should each choose

four skills from Background Skills l i s t on p a g e 3 1 8 ,

giving their charac ters a level 2 skill in each . (If the

referee allows, s o m e or all of t h e s e blocks of 2 can

be combined into o n e skill. Generally, this is not

r ecommended , however, as it c rea tes a character

that is too narrowly focused.)

Players have a reasonably free hand in choosing

detailed career backgrounds for their characters .

This background consis ts of formal educat ion a n d /

or o n e or m o r e ca reers .

Each character s tar ts out at age 17, with certain

min imum skills ( these are picked up in the p rocess

of growing up, as noted above) . Players m a y then

choose to have their characters further their education

or enter an occupat ion. (For purposes of character

generation, the t e rm "occupat ion" is defined fairly

loosely, including even such things as unemployment

and gang membersh ip . ) For e a s e of calculation,

career backgrounds are lived through in four-year

t e rms . Characters m a y do pretty m u c h anything

they please , but m u s t do it in four-year increments

for e a s e of record-keeping.

Each career listing (see "Careers," on p a g e 34)

details the nature of the career, t h e skills tha t are

received for the first t e rm, and any skills received for

subsequent t e rms , if applicable. As well, each de-

scription includes no tes of important contac ts m a d e

during the te rm and any special rules for the career ' s

effects on the charac ter ' s c o m b a t initiative and

starting money. Charac ters m a y enter any career

for which they m e e t the prerequisites, but mus t

spend at least one full four-year te rm in that career

before moving on .

Ju s t as attributes can be generated either randomly

or by player decision, so can a charac ter ' s total

career t ime and f ina l a g e . Players who wish to use

the r andom method simply roll 1D10 at the end of

each te rm through their charac te rs ' development . If

the roll is greater than the n u m b e r of t e r m s pursued

thus far, another t e rm is chosen and the character

proceeds ; if t he roll is less than or equal to the

number of t e rms , the charac ter ' s p rogress ends and

the adventure campa ign begins with the character

at that age . (For example , Dr. Irwin F. DiMicelli, a

professor of psychology, h a s been through five

t e rms thus far: o n e as an undergraduate , two in grad

school (to get both an M.A. and a Ph.D.), and two as

a professor. At the end of this fifth term, the DiMicelli

player rolls a 6 on 1D10, which is higher than the

current n u m b e r of t e rms , so the good doctor goes

on to comple te another. At the end of this sixth term,

the player again rolls a 6, which is equal to the

number of t e r m s served thus far, so character

generation ends and the adventure campa ign be-

gins. (Note that this does not m e a n that DiMicelli is

no longer a professor, merely that after 12 years of

teaching, he began to get mixed up in hunting Dark

Minions.)

Thos e p layers who prefer not to u s e this r andom

method m a y simply c h o o s e a n u m b e r of careers for

their charac ters . Note also that nothing in these

rules prevents a charac ter from entering the g a m e

at age 17, without pursuing any careers at all. But

very few people would be interested in playing such

an inexperienced, and unskilled, character.

Characters obtain two different types of skills: initial

skills and acquired skills. Initial skills include knowledge

of a native language (or languages) and skills supplied

by education and/or careers during character genera-

tion. Acquired skills are learned from instructors during

the course of a campaign (i.e., somet ime after character

creation has been completed, as explained at the end of

this chapter). All character skills, whether obtained

during character generation or acquired, are listed on the

Skill List on page 57.

Skill Rat ings: Skills a r e r a t ed in levels from 0

to 10 . A level 4 in t h e C o m p u t e r E m p a t h y skill

would be writ ten on a c h a r a c t e r ' s s h e e t as C o m -

pu te r E m p a t h y : 4 . C a s c a d e skills a r e a spec ia l

c a s e , however . A c a s c a d e skill is a col lect ion of

severa l c lose ly re la ted skills unde r o n e h e a d i n g .

For e x a m p l e , u n a r m e d c o m b a t a n d a r m e d c o m -

ba t a r e a s p e c t s o f t h e Melee C o m b a t skill a n d a re

written a s "Melee C o m b a t ( U n a r m e d ) " and "Me-

lee C o m b a t ( A r m e d ) , " respect ively , ( s e e C a s -

c a d e Skills on t h e following p a g e . )

Controlling Attributes and Skil ls: As c h a r a c -

t e r s a r e a w a r d e d skill levels for c a r e e r s a n d

s e c o n d a r y activity c h o i c e s , p l a y e r s add t h o s e

levels to p r ev ious skill levels . However, o n c e a

c h a r a c t e r ' s level in a par t icu lar skill e q u a l s t h e

va lue of t h e skill 's control l ing a t t r ibu te , all addi -

t ional skill level a w a r d s c o u n t only as half a level ,

ra ther t h a n a full level.

For e x a m p l e , Char lo t te , a c h a r a c t e r with an

Inte l l igence of 7, h a s a S ta lk ing skill of 5. If s h e

r e c e i v e d t w o skill levels for he r ca ree r a n d / o r

s e c o n d a r y act ivi t ies , he r skill level would go up

to 7. If she then received an additional level,

however, it would only go up to 7 ½, as the skill level

had already r eached the level of the controlling

attribute, in this c a s e Intelligence.

All half levels a re retained for long-term improve-

men t purposes , but they are rounded down for

purpose of actual skill use. Thus , when Charlotte

r e a c h e s a level of 8 ½ with her Stalking skill, she will

have an effective skill level of 8 until s h e receives an

additional skill level promotion.

Cascade Skills: A few skills a re called c a s c a d e

skills. A c a s c a d e skill is one that includes several

lesser skills under o n e broad heading. Example s of

c a s c a d e skills a re Pilot, which includes Fixed-Wing,

Rotary-Wing, and Shuttle, and Small Arms, which

includes both Pistol and Rifle skills.

Charac ters who receive a c a s c a d e skill mus t

decide on an a rea of special interest from a m o n g the

subskills covered. From then on, their skill level in

the chosen specialty is considered to be the level of

the overall skill. Their level in all of the other sub-

skills is half their level in the overall skill.

For example , Scirocco, a rock star character,

receives a Small A r m s skill level of 3 and decides he

will specialize in pistols. His skill level with pistols is

3, while his skill level with rifles is 1 ½, rounded down

to 1.

Normally, no notation will have to be kept for

these other subskills. However, some t imes it is

possible for characters to receive a skill level increase

in a subclass other than the o n e they have already

chosen as their specialty. In the example above,

Sci rocco h a s a Small Arms skill of 3 and h a s chosen

Pistol as his specialty. If he then goes through Army

basic training, he will receive o n e level of Rifle skill.

The Rifle skill level received a d d s to his Rifle skill

only, not to his overall Small Arms skill. However, if

this extra skill level would c a u s e his Rifle skill to

exceed his specialty Small A r m s skill, then Rifle will

b e c o m e his new specialty (and his overall skill will

go up , of course) . In either ca se , he will have to k e e p

track of his Rifle and Pistol skills separately from

now on.

Languages: E a c h Language skill level received

counts double for any l anguage in the s a m e group

as a character ' s native l anguage . As well, European

charac te rs always receive double skill levels in all

Germanic , Romance , and Balto-Slavic languages .

For example , s u p p o s e that J e a n , a French char-

acter, receives one Language skill level. If he t akes

it in Dutch (a Germanic language) he receives two

skill levels in Dutch, while if he were to t ake it as

Korean he would receive only one .

The careers players choose do not occupy 100%

of their charac te rs ' t ime. J u s t as in real life, a

person ' s hobbies and pas t imes c a n provide valu-

able additional skills. As a general rule, then, e ach

character is allowed one secondary activity e a c h

term. This allows the character to gain o n e level in

any one skill (player 's choice each te rm) from the

Secondary Activities Skill List on p a g e 3 1 8 .

S o m e careers allow two secondary activities per

t e rm (both of which m a y be devoted to the s a m e

skill, if desired), while a few allow none . The number

of allowed secondary activities per t e rm is the

n u m b e r of skill levels received.

Characters who spend more than one term in a

military career m a y receive promotions to higher ranks

than those they begin at. To determine if a character is

promoted, m a k e an Average roll versus Intelligence.

(Use the Tasks Table on the Character Sheet for Easy,

Average and Difficult formulas.) Graduates of a military

academy subtract 1 from their roll. Characters who

change branches of service add 2 to the roll that term.

S u c c e s s m e a n s that the character i s p romoted to

the next higher grade . S e e the OS Enlisted and NCO

Ranks and OS Commiss ioned Officer Ranks Tables

on p a g e 3 1 7 . (Note that for simplicity's s ake , the

various g rades of private h a v e been ignored, as

have the specialist ranks , which are currently being

phased out. Also, due to realistic s p a c e constraints,

only OS r anks a re listed. Players will need to re-

search the actual n a m e s of the r anks of other a rmed

forces—Twilight: 2 0 0 0 lists many—if their u s e is

desired.)

A character who comple te s one or more full

t e rms of active duty with the a rmed forces m a y

leave the a r m e d forces and enter the reserve c o m -

ponent . Charac ters m a y also enter the reserves

through ROTC. While in t h e reserves , t h e charac ter

m a y be active or inactive, at the player 's option. This

decision is m a d e separa te ly each career te rm.

An inactive reservist retains his previous rank but

does not roll for promot ions and d o e s not receive

any additional skills.

A charac ter who is an active reservist counts this

as his second activity for his main career for the

term. He rolls for promotion normally and receives

one skill level from the list of subsequen t t e rm skills

for his military career (or from the Army, regular

forces, officer career, if the reserves a re entered

directly from ROTC).

During the course of our lives, we all meet a great

number of people, many of whom become important

contacts. For a roleplaying g a m e to mirror reality, then,

it should take into account important contacts that PCs

acquire. Of course, it is easy enough to do this with

characters met during the course of an adventure

campaign; we need merely jot down a note that so-and-

so can be found in such-and-such a place and may be

able to help somehow in later adventures. But what

about contacts that PCs would have m a d e during their

education and development prior to play? In Dark

Conspiracy, those contacts are indicated in a note at the

end of each career description.

Contacts are categorized in two broad groupings:

solid and generic. In general, solid contacts are intended

as resources for PCs to use during the course of an

adventure, as people who can provide information,

special equipment, or some other source of needed aid.

(Note that the availability and quality of such aid will

be dependent upon a contact's situation, personality,

and relationship to the PCs.) Generic contacts can serve

well as a resource for a referee to use to help spur the

adventure plot along, allowing the him or her to drop an

unexpected ally into the story just when the PCs really

need one. How these two types of contacts are used will

become more clear from the explanations that follow.

Generic contacts are received as a result of career

t e rms during character generation. If p layers desire,

they m a y genera te n a m e s and statistics for these

charac ters , or they may leave this entirely up to the

referee. Perhaps best is a course that combines these

two, in which a player suggests the contact's name,

general description, and areas of expertise, and then the

referee genera tes the details of attributes and skills.

In this way, p layers de termine what sorts of pe r sons

b e c o m e important to their characters' lives, but some

mystery remains as to the contacts' exact abilities. That

fosters a s e n s e of contac t s being personalities rather

than merely lists of statistics.

The career no tes list con tac t s in t e rms of what

they were doing when a PC first m e t t h e m . A basic

description of e ach of those contact t ypes is given

below. However, just as a PC m a y have c h a n g e d

careers s ince the t ime the contact was originally

m a d e , so m a y have t h e NPC. The final determina-

tion of what h a s happened to a contact in the

intervening years (including what new abilities the

contact m a y have gained) is left to the judgment of

the referee, as with all NPCs.

Academic: The contact was a m e m b e r of the

intellectual community , mean ing s h e or he could

have been a professor, a writer, or a m e m b e r of a

social sc iences think tank. Most of t he se sorts will

still be working at the s a m e career when a PC later

m e e t s t h e m again.

Business: The contact w a s a m e m b e r of the

bus iness community, p e r h a p s a corporate execu-

tive, or m a y b e a powerful figure in banking or

investments . On the other hand, the contact m a y

have been the owner of s o m e smaller business that

was important to the PC. In either case , such

contac ts m a y h a v e m a d e or lost a fortune since the

t ime the PC last saw t h e m .

Criminal: This contact was making a career of illegal

activities when first met by the PC. Since that time, the

NPC may have gone straight, been imprisoned, or even

killed. In the last case, someone c lose to the original

contact, perhaps a partner or henchman, remembers

the PC and becomes the new contact.

Empathic: The contact was part of the little-known

empathic network that has been springing up around the

world of late. It is extremely likely that the contact is still

involved in that network, although his or her knowledge

and skills will likely have improved in the interim.

Entertainment: The contact was involved in the

entertainment industry, whether as an actor, director,

writer, or technician. In all likelihood, she or he still is,

although perhaps with more or less popularity than

before, particularly considering changes in program-

ming due to increased corporate competition.

Government: Such contacts were some form of

government official when the PC last knew them.

Chances are, that remains true when the PC mee t s them

again, although likely not in the exact s a m e capacity.

Intelligence Community: An intelligence com-

munity contact worked in esp ionage when the PC

first m e t him or her, either as a field operat ive, a

controller, or an intelligence analyst . In all probabil-

ity, such contacts , when the PC m e e t s t h e m again,

will still be involved in esp ionage , al though they will

likely have risen in authority.

Journalist: T h e c o n t a c t m a y h a v e worked

with t h e PC on a n e w s p a p e r , m a g a z i n e , or te le-

vision n e w s g a t h e r i n g staff before t h e major m e -

dia s e r v i c e s d r o v e virtually e v e r y o n e e l se ou t of

b u s i n e s s . Now, t h e journa l i s t will e i ther be a

m e m b e r o f o n e o f t h o s e m e g a m e d i a se rv i ces , o r

s h e or he will be s c r a p i n g by as a "yellow

journa l i s t " for a s t r ee t co rne r p r e s s .

Law Enforcement: The contact w a s a pol iceman

or investigator of s o m e sort, and is probably doing

the s a m e thing now, m o s t likely for a small c o m m u -

nity government .

Medical: The con tac t w a s a medical doctor or

administrator when the PC last knew him or her. It is

extremely likely that such con tac t s will still be

involved in that business .

Military: Military contac t s were soldiers when the

PC first m a d e their acqua in tance . There is about a

70 percent c h a n c e that these con tac t s will have

since left the military and moved on to a civilian

career closely associa ted with their military spe-

cialty.

Specialist: When the PC knew her or him, this

contact was a construction engineer, medical tech-

nician, or o n e of the other specialities ment ioned in

the career lists. It is t he nature of such specialists to

continue in their specialty, al though they will un-

doubtedly h a v e increased their expert ise s ince the

PC last m e t t h e m .

Wealthy: The contact was wealthy when he or s h e

originally b e c a m e friends with the PC. With the

economic turmoil now occurr ing in t h e world, how-

ever, there is no guarantee that the contact still h a s

the s a m e wherewithal. And any wealthy contac t s

who h a v e actually grown wealthier will be very

difficult to contact again, due to increased security,

higher mobility, etc . Nonetheless , it can be very

handy to have a wealthy friend.

Solid contac t s a re those whose present where-

abouts the PC knows, and with whom the PC h a s

fairly regular dealings. These include three different

types of characters . The first a re the other PCs in the

adventure group. When a g roup is first put together,

or whenever a new PC joins, t he players and referee

should work together to determine how the g roup

m e m b e r s know o n e another. As long as each PC h a s

s o m e link to o n e other in the group, that is enough

to justify their all working together. Understand that

while PC links are similar to NPC contac ts , they do

not actually use up any of the contact designat ions

given by careers . PC links are in addition to those

contac ts .

For example , f ive players get together and gen-

era te the following characters : an American ex-

soldier n a m e d Cass ius "Cas" Steele, a J a m a i c a n

profess iona l wres t le r n a m e d "Big D a d d y G"

Gadcheaux , a muscular , female ex-thief n a m e d

Kirin Deerfoot, an escaped , German psychic test

subject n a m e d Manfred Vandermark, and a Mid-

western c o p n a m e d Dale Hopfinger. The players

and referee put their h e a d s together to decide who

knows who. It is decided that Manfred (the e s c a p e d

psychic test subject) , who is now working as a

counselor at a small menta l health service, would

have me t Dale, t he cop , who brought s o m e inmates

to h im for t rea tment . Dale also knows Kirin, having

part icipated in o n e of her arres ts and then encour-

aging her to go straight. The players for C as and Big

Daddy G note that their charac te rs were both in the

military two t e r m s a g o (Big Daddy G joined in order

to b e c o m e an American citizen), and they decide

that they were ass igned to the s a m e unit.

But there is no link be tween the rest of the group

and t h e s e two until s o m e o n e m a k e s the suggest ion

that Kirin (who you will r e m e m b e r is very muscular

for a w o m a n ) and Big Daddy G work out at t he s a m e

local g y m . That and the decision by Kirin's player

that Kirin would have followed Big Daddy G's

wrestling career is enough to link the entire g roup

together. The referee no tes that this m a k e s Kirin

m o s t central to the g roup (she is linked to three of

the o thers ) , with Dale (who h a s links to two) second.

B e c a u s e Dale also h a s s o m e Foreboding skill, the

referee decides to u s e him as the key to the f i r s t

adventure session, as Foreboding is necessa ry to

launch this particular adventure .

He h a n d s Dale 's charac ter a supermarke t tabloid

and says , "When you f i rs t saw this paper, you had an

almost physical s ense of shock, followed by a

weight of oppress ion, but you ' re not sure which

headline, or headlines, are the c a u s e of it." Dale 's

charac ter tells the referee that he buys a copy of the

paper, t a k e s it h o m e , and calls Kirin and Manfred,

asking t h e m to c o m e over and t ake a look at i t with

him. Manfred identifies a handful of sinister possi-

bilities that ought to be pursued, and Kirin calls Big

Daddy G, who brings C as with h im. The entire group

is assembled , and the action can begin.

The second type of solid contact is basically a

generic contact that a PC h a s a s k e d to have as a

regular source of aid, even before the campa ign

begins. For example , in the g roup above, Kirin's

player a sk s to convert o n e of her criminal contacts

to a solid contact , so that s h e c a n have s o m e o n e in

the local area to turn to for underworld information

and equipment . The referee agrees , deciding that i t

would actually m a k e his job easier to have an

established source of such things. Note that this

type of solid contact does u se up o n e of Kirin's listed

contac t s from her careers .

Finally, the third type of solid contact also involves

generic contacts that have been converted. In this case,

though, the contact is converted during an adventure,

usually at the referee's instigation. For instance, while

investigating a story about vampires in New York City,

the PCs mentioned above are confronted by a threaten-

ing street gang. They run away, and manage to lose their

pursuers. Later, investigating the subway, the group

stumbles upon a nest of what must be vampires and

soon find themselves fighting a losing battle against

them. Just when it looks like there is no hope for the PCs,

the street gang turns up again and rescues them. The

referee, realizing that the PCs need some help, has

decided that the gang's second in command served

time in prison with Big Daddy G and recognized him. The

gang has been following the group ever since, watching

to see what they were up to. Big Daddy G's player marks

one of his generic criminal contacts off, and adds the

gang's second in command to his list of solid contacts.

Note that while solid contac t s cannot be turned

back into generic o n e s , they can turn up again in a

different p lace if t he referee desires. In general,

though, once a generic contact is turned into a solid

one , the referee m u s t pay a little closer attention to

that NPC's destiny, in order to remain t rue to the

charac ter ' s desires and unfolding history. The street

g a n g contact in the example above might b e c o m e

a drifter and end up in a completely different region

of the globe, for instance, but the mayor of a city is

m u c h less likely to wander about so freely.

I don't like to admit it, but the first time we got into

a scrap, it was all over before I even knew what was

happening. We had driven nearly 16 hours to check

up a lead on a slaver ring in Providence, and we hit

town late and tired. We checked into a motel, but we

were all too keyed up to rest, so we sort of congre-

gated in one room to make plans for the next

morning.

Eventually, I started getting foggy, and I was just

thinking about getting up and going to bed, when

suddenly the door crashed open, and these two

goons with shotguns jumped inside.

I froze. I'd never actually had a gun pointed at me

before, and I guess my brain just couldn't believe it.

So I sat there with my mouth hanging open, like a

perfect idiot, while the two big bozos motioned

angrily for us all to lay face down on the floor.

Out of the corner of my eye, I could see Big Daddy

G slowly moving to comply, and the goons were

watching real close to make sure he wasn't going to

try and rush them. Then Kirin came back in from the

bathroom. I've never seen anyone move so fast She

just seemed to sort of waltz up behind the first guy

and plant a knee in his kidneys before he even knew

she was there. He sagged into his partner, who took

his eyes off Daddy for just one second; but it was one

second too long. His shotgun thundered and took a

chunk out of the ceiling as Daddy shoved it upward

with his left hand; then Daddy's right fist took all the

fight out of the goon. I still remember the crack of that

blow sounding even through the echoing in my

ears. Next thing I knew, Dale and Manfred had

jumped on the pile-up of the two goons, Daddy and

Kirin. A few seconds more, and the bad guys were

trussed up all nice and neat

And through it all, I just sat there, frozen. It wasn't

fear, more like a s t o n i s h m e n t . Then Kirin saw me

sitting there with my mouth hanging open, and she

started laughing. All of a sudden, something sort of

clicked in my brain, like the clock was running

again. I could feel my face turning red. But then Kirin

came over, pulled me out of the chair, and slapped

me on the shoulder, and I knew it was okay.

Initiative represents a charac ter ' s ability to re-

main cool and ac t m o s t effectively in c o m b a t situ-

at ions. Charac te rs with a high Initiative score will

m o v e further and /or achieve m o r e act ions in a

c o m b a t round than will charac te rs with low Initia-

tives. This is not b e c a u s e the high-Initiative charac-

ters a re any faster, but simply b e c a u s e they react

m o r e quickly and spend less t ime hesitating.

Initiative values range from 1 to 6, with beginning

characterstendingto start out on the low end of the scale,

then increasing as they gain experience in combat. Each

combat turn in Dark Conspiracy is divided into six

phases, counting backward from six to one, and charac-

ters get to perform one action in each phase equal to or

less than their Initiative level. "Combat & Damage,"

beginning on page 73 , explains this all in a bit more detail,

but it should be obvious even now that initiative is very

important if you are to be involved in combat.

Each character's initial Initiative is obtained by a die

roll based upon the types of careers that character has

pursued. Education and civilian careers yield a begin-

ning Initiative of 1D6÷2, rounded down (0 counts as 1).

Military careers yield a roll of 1D6. Also, in each of these

two areas, there are some careers that give bonuses to

Initiative, as indicated in "Careers," beginning on page

34. (Note that bonuses listed for civilian careers only

apply to the civilian die roll, and military bonuses only

apply to the military die roll. As well, bonus points are not

cumulative—you can only gain a maximum of +1 to a

roll.) If your character has both military and civilian

careers, choose which of the two you wish to roll for. For

example, Bo Johnson h a s spent one term in the Army

and two in civilian law enforcement. The Army stint

would give him a 1D6 roll, and the law enforcement

terms would net him 1 D 6 / 2 + 1 . Bo's player decides to

take the civilian roll as the bonus guarantees him an

Initiative of at least 2.

If you prefer not to leave beginning Initiative to chance,

you may simply assign a 2 to the character, or a 3 if at

least one military career was taken. Career bonuses do

apply to this option, as well (a military character with a

bonus for being a Ranger (i.e., elite forces) would begin

with a 3+1=4).

A character's age at the time an adventure campaign

begins is determined by multiplying by four the number

of terms served and adding 17 to the result. In other

words, (4xTerms)+17=Age. Age adds a further dimen-

sion of reality to play, helping players visualize their

characters as actual people, rather than merely num-

bers on paper. It is possible for beginning characters to

have range anywhere from age 17 on up, although few

characters will be older than 37 or so.

Effects of Age: At age 33 , the effects of age may start

to take their toll on a character physically. Beginning at

age 33 , a character must check for the effects of age

each term. At the beginning of the fourth and fifth terms,

the character rolls 1D10 to check for losses in Agility. At

the beginning of the sixth and seventh terms, both Agility

and Strength must be checked. Every term thereafter,

Agility, Strength, and Constitution must be checked.

(The Effects of Age Table on page 319 illustrates this

progression.)

The character loses o n e point f rom the relevant

attribute if the 1D10 roll is less t han t h e current level

of that attribute. If t he roll equa l s or exceeds the

attribute, there is no loss. This check is m a d e at the

beginning of each t e rm.

Example: Idle Eyes enters her fifth term and must roll

for a reduction in her Agility, which is presently 7. She rolls

a 3 and, since that is less than her current attribute level

of 7, she loses one point of Agility. In another example,

upon entering his eighth term, Hunter must roll three

times, once for Strength (presently 5), once for Consti-

tution (presently 4) , and once for Agility (presently 6).

The rolls are 7, 6 and 2 respectively, so Hunter does not

lose any Strength or Constitution points, but has his

Agility reduced to 5.

O n c e t h e charac ter h a s f inished all s t eps of

character generat ion affecting skills and attributes,

the following values, which are derived from skills

and attributes, can be calculated.

Hit Capacity: Hit capacity is a measure of the amount

of damage (hit points) a character can take before

suffering serious injury. Hit points can be suffered in any

of seven different parts of the body: left leg, right leg, left

arm, right arm, head, abdomen, and chest. The hit

capacity of the head is equal to twice the character's

Constitution (CONx2).The hit capacity of the character's

chest is equal to three times the sum of his Strength and

Constitution—(STR+CON)x3. Each of the other body

parts has a hit capacity equal to two times the sum of the

character's Strength and Constitution—(STR+CON)x2.

Boxes are provided on the Character Sheet for

players to write in their PCs' wound level thresholds so the

players will know to what degree their characters have

been wounded. See pages 103 and 104 to determine

wound level thresholds and the effects of being wounded.

Except for the "Critical" column, the values in the boxes

represent the amount of damage the character can take

before progressing to a more servere wound status.

The "Current" b o x e s should be used to k e e p track

of how m u c h d a m a g e the charac ter h a s t aken . The

n u m b e r s in the slight wound boxes a re equal to the

b a s e hit capaci ty n u m b e r s of the character (gener-

a ted by the above procedure) .

Weight: A m a l e charac te r ' s weight in ki lograms is

equal to 8 0 , plus four t imes Strength minus Agility,

or [4x(STR-AGL)]+80. (One kilogram is approxi-

mately 2 .2pounds . ) Thus, a character with a Strength

of 6 and an Agility of 1 would weigh 100 ki lograms

(about 220 pounds) , while a character with a Strength

of 4 and an Agility of 8 would weigh 64 ki lograms

(roughly 141 pounds ) .

Physiological differences, particularly in bone struc-

ture, result in smaller body masses for women. There-

fore, weight in kilograms for female characters is calcu-

lated by substituting 65 for 80 in the formula, or [4x(STR-

AGL)]+65. Thus, a female character with a Strength of

6 and an Agility of 1 would weigh 85 kilograms (about

187 pounds), while a female character with a Strength

of 4 and an Agility of 8 would weigh 49 kilos (roughly 108

pounds).

Load: A person can lug a considerable weight of

equipment, even cross-country, but there is a limit. In

Dark Conspiracy, characters may carry, without being

heavily burdened, a total weight in kilograms equal to

three times the sum of their Strength and Constitution—

(STR+CON)x3. This is called a character's normal load.

Up to twice this weight can be carried, but the character

is considered burdened and has movement reduced, as

explained in the "Combat & Damage," beginning on

page 73 . A character may lift loads up to four times this

amount and carry them short distances (50 to 100

meters at a time).Note that multiple characters may add

their load capacities to lift heavy objects.

Throw Range: The dis tance (in meters ) a cha rac -

ter c a n throw a one-ki logram weight accurate ly is

called the charac ter ' s throw range . Throw range is

four t imes the charac ter ' s Strength (STRx4).

Unarmed Combat Damage: Unarmed combat dam-

age indicates the hit-point loss a character inflicts on an

opponent when that opponent is successfully hit during

melee combat. Unarmed combat damage is deter-

mined by multiplying Melee Combat (Unarmed) skill by

Strength and dividing by 10, rounding fractions down

(SkillxSTR)+10. The result is the number of hit points the

striking character will inflict per successful attack. (Note:

A result of 0 is considered 1.)

Example: Osca r h a s a Strength of 9 and a Melee

C o m b a t ( U n a r m e d ) skill level of 8 . 9 x 8 = 7 2 .

72+10=7 . Therefore, Osca r will inflict 7 hit points

per Melee C o m b a t (Unarmed) a t tack.

Things had come off exactly according to plan.

Only trouble was, we'd discovered that our plan

was flawed.

St. John and I had come to Toronto to investigate

a rash of ritual murders among that city's homeless.

In order to draw the murderers into the open, we'd

decided to dress like street people ourselves and

hang around alleys. In other words, we'd set our-

selves out as bait.

Just after midnight, St. John radioed me to report

he was being followed, and I ran to back him up. He

was being followed, all r ight . We could see them

lurking in the shadows. Whatever they were, they

liked to run in packs.

Discretion being the better part of valor, we de-

cided to call it a night, if we could shake our

pursuers. One thing led to another, and we found

ourselves in a blind alley, nothing but two-story

walls on three sides and a whole passel of mean-

and-uglies coming up from behind.

"If only we had a rope and grapple," St. John

moaned, "We could probably catch that right roof

edge and climb out"

"How's this?" He couldn't see my smirk in the

dark, but I'm sure he heard it as I pulled a rope and

grapple from under my coa t .

"Do you always carry one of those?" he asked.

"Ever since Salt Lake City."

A few moments later, we were on the rooftop,

watching the hunters below milling around the

alley in frustration.

J u s t as c h a r a c t e r s h a v e a h i s to ry of c a r e e r s

and c o n t a c t s before t h e s ta r t of a Dark Con-

spiracy a d v e n t u r e c a m p a i g n , t hey a l so will h a v e

a c c u m u l a t e d e q u i p m e n t a n d s a v i n g s . In order to

reflect th i s fact, p l a y e r s g e n e r a t e s ta r t ing m o n e y

for their c h a r a c t e r s , t h e n u s e t ha t m o n e y to buy

t h e e q u i p m e n t t hey des i re .

S t a r t i n g Money : In gene ra l , dur ing e a c h ca -

ree r t e r m , a c h a r a c t e r g a i n s $ 1 0 0 0 for e a c h point

of E d u c a t i o n p o s s e s s e d . This ra ther gener ica l ly

r e p r e s e n t s bo th a c h a r a c t e r ' s e a rn ing p o w e r a n d

ability to s a v e . Of c o u r s e , t h e m o n e y itself r e p -

r e s e n t s no t only s a v i n g s , bu t a l s o e q u i p m e n t

a c c u m u l a t e d . (That is, after s ta r t ing m o n e y h a s

b e e n ca l cu la t ed , a n y of i t t ha t is s p e n t on equ ip -

m e n t i s c o n s i d e r e d t o h a v e b e e n s p e n t ove r t h e

c o u r s e of t h e c h a r a c t e r ' s life t h u s far, not all at

o n c e . And a n y m o n e y left over i s c o n s i d e r e d

sav ings . )

As h a s b e e n s t a t ed , E d u c a t i o n i s typical ly t h e

va lue u s e d w h e n ca lcu la t ing s ta r t ing m o n e y . T h e

c a r e e r de sc r i p t i ons list e x c e p t i o n s to th is ru le .

(For e x a m p l e , g a m b l e r s u s e Luck ins tead of

Educa t ion , t o d e t e r m i n e m o n e y from t e r m s s p e n t

g a m b l i n g . )

Finally, while i t m a y be s o m e w h a t eas ie r to

g e n e r a t e all s t a r t ing m o n e y after c h a r a c t e r g e n -

era t ion is c o m p l e t e , i t is ac tua l ly m o r e a c c u r a t e

( a n d m o r e en joyab le ) t o d o s o t e r m b y t e r m a s

c h a r a c t e r s p r o g r e s s t h r o u g h their c a r e e r s . For

p u r p o s e s of fa i rness , i t is i m p o r t a n t t ha t all

p l a y e r s e i ther do i t t h e o n e way, or t h e other . Your

referee will tell you which way s h e or he prefers .

Ini t ia l E q u i p m e n t : A f t e r g e n e r a t i n g a

c h a r a c t e r ' s s ta r t ing m o n e y , a p layer c a n look

t h r o u g h t h e e q u i p m e n t c h a p t e r a n d p u r c h a s e

i t ems a p p r o p r i a t e t o t h e cha rac t e r . While do ing

this , t h e r e a r e a few t h i n g s to k e e p in mind .

First, in th i s world of t h e n e a r future, it is legal

to c a r r y kn ives , s w i t c h b l a d e s , p is to ls , a n d / o r a

bow a n d a r r o w s a s p e r s o n a l de fense w e a p o n s .

All o t h e r w e a p o n s r equ i re a spec ia l l i cense .

L icenses avai lable a n d t h e r e q u i r e m e n t s for gain-

ing t h e m a r e a l so inc luded in t h e e q u i p m e n t

chap te r .

Note t ha t legal d o e s n ' t necessa r i ly m e a n wise .

If you walk into a s t r a n g e b a r with a bow a n d

quiver a c r o s s your b a c k , a Luger s t r a p p e d to

your th igh, a hun t ing knife in e a c h boot , flicking

a swi t chb l ade in o n e h a n d , you c a n e x p e c t

t roub le from t h e loca l s .

Next , buy e q u i p m e n t tha t i s a p p r o p r i a t e for

your c o n c e p t i o n of your cha rac t e r . Your referee

will r eward you for a d h e r i n g to a realist ic c h a r a c -

ter c o n c e p t .

Finally, before buy ing e q u i p m e n t , a s k your

referee i f he or s h e h a s a n y gu ide l ines for you to

follow specific to t h e c a m p a i g n you will be p lay-

ing. For e x a m p l e , l aws c o n c e r n i n g wha t is or is

no t legal v a r y grea t ly from local i ty to local i ty in

Dark Conspiracy , so d e p e n d i n g u p o n w h e r e

your c h a r a c t e r s will b e , you m a y be a l lowed

m o r e o r l e s s t h a n usua l . Your referee m a y a l so

d e c i d e tha t ce r ta in i t e m s o f e q u i p m e n t a r e ea s i e r

or ha rde r to find in your c h a r a c t e r ' s loca le , which

could a l s o affect your p u r c h a s e s . By following

your re fe ree ' s gu ide l ines , you' l l h e lp to e n s u r e

tha t your a d v e n t u r e s h a v e a c o n s i s t e n t a t m o -

s p h e r e .

O n e of the m o s t significant rewards of an adven-

ture session is a charac ter ' s increased exper ience.

A m o n g other things, this includes improvement of

skills. Skill rat ings are increased by u s e of experi-

e n c e points .

Spending Experience Points: During the adven-

ture session, e ach player should note (pe rhaps with

a pencil checkmark , so it can be e rased before the

next session) the skills used during the session.

Only skills tha t the charac ter used during the adven-

ture skills a re eligible for improvement by u s e of

exper ience points.

Experience points are converted to increased skill

levels between sessions, even if a session ends with a

cliff-hanging situation. Of course, in many cases the

points will end up being spent in a lull between adven-

tures, but it is assumed that a character can even

improve a skill during the heat of battle.

To improve a skill, a charac ter s p e n d s exper ience

points to buy new skill levels. To buy a new level

cos ts points equal to its numerical value. For in-

s tance , to raise Archery 4 up to Archery 5 would

cost five exper ience points. A character m a y pur-

c h a s e m o r e than level a t once , but each level mus t

be paid for separately. For example , if the Archery

skill were to be improved from level 4 to level 6, the

character would have to spend 11 points total

(5+6) . Points that are not conver ted may be accu-

mulated.

Option: If the players don ' t mind the bookkeeping

involved, the referee may award points in specific

skills, for use only in that skill (Archery experience

points , for example , or Foreboding experience

points) .

Initiative: A sepa ra te exper ience point sys tem

exists for improving Initiative. Initiative experience

points are only awarded in sess ions in which there

is a life-threatening battle. Initiative points are used

to buy increasing levels of Initiative just like any

other skill, but Initiative exper ience points c a n only

be used for Initiative.

Advance by Observation: If a player character

carefully obse rves another PC successfully a c c o m -

plishing a task, the observing PC gains one experi-

e n c e point. This observat ion m u s t be a c lose-up

examinat ion of the task and mus t h a v e the coopera-

tion of the character actually performing the task. If

the referee considers the skill sought to be a compli-

ca ted one (such as Mechanic) , the task should t ake

longer than usual to finish (pe rhaps substantially

longer), to represent the fact that the character

performing the task is paus ing frequently to explain

what is being done or to answer quest ions. A

character m a y gain experience points from obser-

vation only if t he observed charac ter ' s skill level is

at least twice as great as the skill level of the

observing character.

Instruction: A charac ter m a y be taught a skill.

Teaching a skill requires an Average check of the

Instruction skill. An instructor m a y t each a number

of s tudents equal to that charac ter ' s Instruction skill

level and mus t h a v e a skill level in the skill being

taught . An instructor cannot t e ach a student whose

skill level in the subject taught is equal to or greater

than that of the instructor. The t a sk t akes four hours

per day for o n e week (seven consecut ive days) .

Successful complet ion of the task (rolled for at the

end of the week) results in experience points for both

the s tudents and the instructor. The instructor gains

exper ience for accomplishing a task as explained

above. S tudents gain a number of experience points

(in the skill being taught ) based on the number of

s tudents being taught .

If the n u m b e r of s tudents is less than half of the

instructor 's skill level, each s tudent gains three

exper ience points. If t he n u m b e r of s tudents is half

or m o r e of the instructor 's skill level, e ach student

gains one exper ience point.

New Skills: A character who h a s a skill level of 0

in a particular skill m a y still a t tempt to learn the skill.

This m a y be done either through observat ion or

through instruction. Since the character h a s a skill

level of 0, experience cost for the first level will be one.

Unskilled Tasks: If t he referee desires, charac ters

"Saying that democracy is the bestform of government is nearly asgreat an understatement as sayingthat the Pacific Ocean holds morewater than any tin cup you've everseen. The issues are so clear, thetruth so solidly anchored, that Ihave no patience with people whothink that there's even anything toargue about.

"Someone once said to me, 'Some-times the people are lazy and stu-pid, and make poor decisions. Itsometimes takes a strong leader toprotect them and choose the rightcourse.'

"So a nation of stupid and lazypeople, because of a strong, intelli-gent leader, is saved from its ownsloth and folly? Where is the justicein that?Democracy isn't just the best formof government; it's the only oneeven remotely worth a damn. Onlydemocracy guarantees that peopleget what they deserve."

—Zena Marley(Early 21st-century mercenary-philosopher)

u

m a y be allowed to a t tempt t a s k s they have no skill

for. In such a case , the controlling attribute for that

skill is used as if it were the skill's value, and task

levels modify it as normal , but percentile dice are

used instead of 1D10 when making the check .

To demons t ra te the character

generation system, we present two

annotated characters .

Dara will be generated using ran-dom die rolls.

Background: Dara's player decidesupon American for nationality andfemale for sex. Native language will, ofcourse, be English. The series of checksfor a second native language come up5 , 9 , 7 , 5 , and 1, failing respectively atSpanish, Gentian, Italian, and Polish,on the Nationality/Native LanguageChart, but succeeding at Yiddish (atwhich point the player decides uponthe character's name).

Attributes: Six rolls of 2D6-2 gen-erate 8 ,6 ,0 ,5 ,2 , and 5 for STR, COM,AGL, INT, EDU, and CHR. AGL isrerolled and comes up 7 this time.Next, a 1D6-1 roll generates an EMP2 for the character. The beginningstats, then, are:

STR 8

CON 6AGL 7INT 5EDU 2

CHR 5

EMP 2This totals 35 points, two over

the minimum 3 3 , or just above av-erage.

Experience: The character re-ceives four initial skills at level 2,which the player chooses as :

Archery 2

Stealth 2

Swimming 2Vehicle Use (Motorcycle) 2Career: Dara's playerdecides she'd

like the character to be in some sort offederal lawenforcemenLLookingoverthe career lists, she finds that thefederal law enforcement career re-quires law school and no prison recordas prerequisites. Law school requiresan undergraduate degree, which itselfrequires an EDO 5 or better. Dara'sbeginning EDO is too low, but it can be

raised through the Secondary Activi-ties List. So the player decides to beginin a career that will allow double thenormal secondary activities, in orderto most quickly increase the EDOrating. After looking over the careerlistings, she chooses public employeeto begin, a career with no prerequi-sites. (For story's sake, she explains itas a clerk/typist position at a local IRSoffice.)

First Term: Initial skills for thepublic employee career are Busi-ness 2 and Computer Operation 3.For her character ' s two points insecondary activities, the playerchooses EDU+2, and characterizesit as night school.

At the end of her first term, then,Dara has the following skills:

Archery 2

Business 2

Computer Operation 3Stealth 2Swimming 2

Vehicle Ose (Motorcycle) 2Dara 's EDO is now 4 (still one

short of allowing undergraduatestudy). The player chooses a gov-ernment contact . Savings for thisterm are $4000 (EDO 4x$1000) .Her age is 2 1 . A 1D10 roll of 3 isgreater than the number of termsserved so far, so the player contin-ues with the next term.

Second Term: Dara 's secondterm is again public employee . Theplayer h a s six points to spendamong Business, Computer Op-eration, Instruction, Leadership, andPersuasion. She spends o n e onComputer Operation, two on In-struction, two on Leadership, andone on Persuasion. For secondaryskills she spends o n e point on EDUand one on Language, choosingJ a p a n e s e because it s e e m s like agood thing for business. Dara's skillsare now:

Archery 2

Business 2

Computer Operation 4

Instruction 2

Language ( J apanese ) 1Leadership 2

Persuasion 1Stealth 2Swimming 2

Vehicle Ose (Motorcycle) 2

Her EDU is now 5, the mag icnumber needed for college entry.Savings for this term are $5000 , fora total of $9000 . The player choosesa business contact, then rolls a 4 on1D10 to continue, which is safelyabove the 2 for te rms spent thus far.Dara 's age is now 2 5 .

Third Term: For this term, Daraenters an undergraduate university.The entry says she has five points tospend as desired among a list of 11skills. Dara's player chooses Language2 (Japanese again). Leadership 1,Psychology 1, and Engineer 1. Daragets only the normal one secondaryactivity this term, which her playerspends on Observation. At the end ofthe term, then, Dara's skills are:

Archery 2Business 2Computer Operation 4

Engineer 1Instruction 2Language ( J apanese ) 3

Leadership 3

Observation 1Persuasion 1

Psychology 1Stealth 2

Swimming 2Vehicle Ose (Motorcycle) 2

From the contac ts allowed, theplayer chooses journalism. Darareceives no income while in school,so her total savings remain $ 9 0 0 0 .A n d a 1D10 roll of 9 is higher thanher three terms, so she can con-tinue. She is now 29.

Fourth and Fifth Terms: For herfourth term, Dara goes to law school,where she automatically picks upBargain 1, Observation 1, Persuasion2, and Interrogation 2 in her first term.She chooses Disguise 1 as a second-ary activity. Also, she picks up anothergovernment contact but saves nomoney while paying for law school.She then succeeds at her roll to con-tinue. Her age is now 33, which re-quires a roll for age effects on Agility.The player needs to roll a 7 or better(because Dara's Agility is 7) to avoida decline. She rolls a 3, so one point isb s t and Dara's new Agility is 6.

Her fifth term is federal law en-forcement , a n d now Dara h a sachieved her d ream. Dara 's playerhas her b e c o m e an agent of the

Securities Exchange Commission(SEC). Because it is her first term inthis career, she automatically re-ceives Interrogation 2, Observation1, Melee Combat (Unarmed) 1, andSmall Arms (Pistol) 2. For her sec-ondary activity, she chooses Will-power 1. This time, the player de-cides upon a criminal contact. AgainDara earns $5000 . But this time theplayer rolls a 4 to go on, well belowthe required 6 to start a sixth term.

Dara is now 37, which requiresanother roll for age effects on Agil-ity. This t ime the player needs a 6 orbetter and rolls a 7, so the attributedoes not decline any further.

At the end of career generation,then, Dara ' s attributes are now:

STR 8CON 6

AGL 6

INT 5EDO 5CHR 5

EMP 2

And she has accumulated thefollowing skill levels, either throughher careers or through secondaryactivities:

Archery 2Bargain 1

Business 2Computer Operation 4Disguise 1Engineer 1

Instruction 2

Interrogation 4

Language ( Japanese ) 3Leadership 3Melee Combat (Onarmed) 1Observation 3 .

Persuasion 3

Psychology 1Small Arms (Pistol) 2Stealth 2

Swimming 2

Vehicle Ose (Motorcycle) 2

Willpower 1

S h e a l s o h a s a c c u m u l a t e d$14 ,000 worth of equipment andsavings.

Age: We have already calculatedDara's age as 37. This required twochecks for decline of Agility, one atage 33 and another at age 37. Notethat normally it is quite all right to waituntil after all career terms have beenfinished before checking the effects of

age on STR, CON, and AGL How-ever, if a character wishes to enter anew career that has a STR, COM, orAGL prerequisite, effects of age shouldbe checked before the career is en-tered, to ensure that the character willstill pass the career's prerequisites.

Hit Capacity: Dara has the fol-lowing number of hit points in eachbody area:

Head: CON x 2 = l2Chest : (STR + CON) x 3 = 42Abdomen: (STR + CON) x 2 = 28Each Arm: (STR + CON) x 2 = 28Each Leg: (STR + CON) x 2 = 28Weight: As a female, Dara adds

65 to the quantity 4x(STR-AGL) todiscover how many kilograms sheweighs. In her case , the result is4 (8 -6 )+65=73 kilograms.

Load: Dara ' s normal load is(STR+CON)x3, or 42 kilograms.This is how m u c h she c a n carrywithout being overly burdened.

Throw Range: A character canthrow a one-kilogram weight fourmeters per point of STR, which makesDara's throw range 32 meters.

Unarmed Combat D a m a g e :Dara's unarmed comba t d a m a g e isequal to her STR multiplied by herMelee Combat (Unarmed) skill di-v i d e d b y 1 0 ( r o u n d d o w n ) .8x1+10=0.8 (rounds to 0 ) .

Since this would m a k e her un-a rmed c o m b a t d a m a g e 0, she isgiven the default value of 1.

Initiative: Having taken only ci-vilian occupat ions, Dara will have abeginn ing Initiative of 1D6+2 ,rounded down. The federal law en-forcement career qives a bonus of+1 if more than one term is spent inthecareer , but Dara spent only one .The player rolls a 5, half of which is2.5, which rounds down to 2.

Equipment: The player decidesthat Dara is still an agent for theSEC, so she ha s a pistol ass igned toher and is able to sign out agencyvehicles if necessary. However, shealso has $14 ,000 to spend on otherpersonal equipment . (The playerintends to have her purchase a pri-vate handgun, unregistered with theagency, and a motorcycle for per-sonal use, as well as an archery setand a switchblade, plus s o m e elec-tronic gear.)

Herbert will be generated by pointallocation.

Background: Herbert 's playerdecides upon American for nation-ality and male for sex. Native lan-guage will, of course, be English.The player declines checking for asecond native language.

The player h a s in mind a highlyEmpathic character , s o m e o n e soin tune empathically that he s e e m sslightly out of touch with reality.

Attributes: Herbert 's player has36 points to divide among the sevenattributes, with none to be higherthan 10 and none except Empa thyto be 0. In order to reflect the sort ofcharac te r desc r ibed above , theplayer decides upon the followingattributes:

STR 4COM 4

AGL 3INT 3EDU 1

CHR 5EMP 8

Experience: The charac ter re-ceives four background skills atlevel 2. It is decided that Herbert willbegin life on a secluded farm, wherehe can develop close ties to nature.Initial skills chosen are:

Animal Empathy 2Foreboding 2

Human Empa thy 2Stealth 2Career: There are only so m a n y

careers that grant empath ic skills,and mos t of them provide the m o r epassive ones . Herbert 's player de -cides upon psychic test subject, inorder to give Herbert the ProjectThought skill. In story terms, hesays that word of Herbert 's innateabilities spread through small townsin the area of his farm, eventuallydrawing the attention of a secretgovernment laboratory. Herbert waskidnapped at 17 and taken to thelab.

First Term: Initial skills for thepsychic test subject career are Hu-m a n Empathy 3, Project Emotion2, and Willpower 2. For his second-

ary activity, another level of Stealthis chosen . At the end of his firstterm, then, Herbert ha s the follow-ing skills:

Animal Empathy 2

Foreboding 2Human Empathy 5

Project Emotion 2Stealth 3

Willpower 2

The player chooses an em pathiccontact , describing it as a fellowtest subject. Because he intendsHerbert to flee the lab after o n emore term, no money is calculated(it would all be lost upon fleeing).Nevertheless, the player mus t rollthis term to see if the lab authoritiesconsider Herbert dangerous . Theplayer needs to roll a 5 or less tocontinue, a n d rolls a 4. Herbert 'sage at this point is 2 1 .

Second Term: Another four-yearterm is spent in the psychic test lab.This time, the player chooses Hu-m a n E m p a t h y 2, Empath ic Healing2, and Project Thought 4 as careerskills, plus Luck 1 from the second-ary activities list. His skills are now:

Animal Empathy 2

Foreboding 2Human Empathy 7

Empath ic Healing 2L u c k lProject Emotion 2

Project Thought 4

Stealth 3Willpower 2Again, no savings are calcu-

lated for this term, because of thei m m i n e n t e s c a p e . T h e p l a y e rchooses a medicalcontact this t ime,rationalizing it as a sympathet icworker who helps Herbert to es -c a p e the lab. When Herbert flees,h i s a g e i s 2 5 , and the player decidesto have him conduct another termin a different career.

Third Term: After escaping fromthe secret lab, Herbert moves to adifferent area of the country andbegins to work as a psychic inves-tigator. Mystic is the career chosenby the player to represent this, andHerbert more than passes the pre-requisite of Empa thy 4+. Skills forthe first term are Foreboding 3 andHuman Empathy 3 , and the player

decides upon Melee Combat (t in-a rmed) 1 as a secondary activity.Now Herbert 's skills are:

Animal Empa thy 2Foreboding 5Human Empathy 9Empath ic Healing 2

Luck lMelee Combat (Unarmed) 1

Project Emotion 2

Project Thought 4

Stealth 3Willpower 2(Note that his Human Empathy

skill would be pushed to 10 by thethree extra levels gained exceptthat his EMP attribute is 8, makingthe ninth and tenth skill levels re-ceived count as half levels.)

From the contac ts allowed, theplayer chooses empathic. Charismais the base for calculating savings,so Herbert ends he term with $5000.His age is 29, and the player de-cides to take the character onemore term.

Fourth Term: Mystic is again thecareer chosen for Herbert. Becausethis is a second term in the career, theplayer gets to choose six levels fromamong 11 different skills. He chosesAnimal Empathy 2, Empathic Heal-ing 1, Foreboding 1, and Human Em-pathy 2, with Melee Combat (Un-armed) 1 as a secondary activity. Thismakes Herbert's skills:

Animal Empathy 4Foreboding 6

Empathic Healing 3Human Empathy 10Luck lMelee Combat (Unarmed) 2

Project Emotion 2

Project Thought 4

Stealth 3Willpower 2

Another empa th i c con tac t isgained. Also gained is $ 5 0 0 0 insavings, for a total of $ 1 0 , 0 0 0 .Herbert is now 3 3 , and at this point,the player determines to concludeHerbert's generation; no roll is made .He decides that Herbert will beginthe g a m e still working as a psychicinvestigator.

Age: Because his age is 3 3 , hemus t roll to see if AGL is reduced.He rolls a 4, which d o e s not result in

an Agility reduction.

Hit Capacity: Herbert ha s thefollowing number of hit points ineach body area:

Head: CON x 2 = 8

Chest : (STR + CON) x 3 = 24Abdomen: (STR + CON) x 2 = 16

Each Arm: (STR + CON) x 2 = 16

Each Leg: (STR + CON) x 2 = 16

Boxes are provided on the char-acter sheet for players to write intheircharacter 's wound level thresh-olds so the players will know towhat degree their characters havebeen wounded. See pages 103 and

104 to determine wound level

thresholds and the effects of being

wounded. Each number representsthe upper limit of d a m a g e for thattype of wound.

Looking at Herbert's charactersheet, we can see that if he were to take44 points of damage to his chest, he'dhave a serious wound. Four points tothe head would be a scratch. Onemore point to the head, though, and hewould have slight wound.

Weight: As a male, Herbert hashis weight in kilograms calculatedby adding 80 to the quantity 4 (STR-AGL). 4 - 3 = 1 . 4x1=4. 80+4=84. SoHerbert weighs 84 kilograms.

Load: Normally, Herbert c a ncarry 24 kilograms (STR+CONx3)without being encumbered.

Throw Range: Like any othercharacter, Herbert c a n throw a one-kilogram weight four meters perpoint of STR. This m a k e s Herbert'sthrow range 16 meters .

Unarmed Combat Damage:Herbert 's unarmed comba t dam-age is equal to his STR multipliedby his Melee Combat (Unarmed)skill divided by 10 (round down).4x2+10=0.8 (rounds to 0)

Since this would m a k e his un-a rmed comba t d a m a g e 0, he isgiven the default value of 1.

Initiative: As with all other attributes,the player decides to take the pointallocation option for determining Ini-tiative. Because Herbert has only pur-sued civilian occupations, his Initiativewill automatically be 2.

Equipment: The player choosesappropriate equipment for Herbert'srole as a psychic investigator.

In Dark Conspiracy, careersare divided among three broadcategories: education, civilian,and military. Characters can pur-sue any type of career for whichthey meet the prerequisites.

Note that while the careerslisted here do not cover everypossible occupation a personmight pursue, it is possible toreflect other occupations by cre-

atively mixing those listed be-low. For example, a person whowanted to play the role of atelevision evangelist wouldchoose clergy as an occupationfor at least one term, followedby entertainer. Similarly, some-one who wanted to play a rock'n' roll superstar might chooseentertainer, concentrating uponLeadership and/or Persuasion

skills to reflect the power of themusic, and Luck to representthe breaks needed to make itbig, followed by nomenklaturafor the appropriate wealth.

Higher education is a prereq-uisite for many careers. Certainforms of higher education haveEducation requirements for ad-

mission, others do not. Allschools are limited to one termunless otherwise indicated.

It has been said that one ofthe benefits of gaining a liberalarts degree is that it makes youphilosophical enough to cope

with the fact that it'll never makeyou a lot of money. In the worldof Dark Conspiracy, that sayingis beginning to be applied to anydegree from a full university.

Entry: Education 5+.Skills: Total skill levels equal

to a character's Education at-tribute from any combination ofthe following, but no more thanlevel 3 in any one skill:

BiologyBusinessChemistryComputer OperationEngineerInstructionLanguageLeadershipPersuasionPhysicsPsychologyContacts: One per term, ei-

ther academic or journalism.On a 1D10 roll of 10, the con-tact is foreign.

Special: May elect to join ROTC(Reserve Officer Training Corps).If so, the next career choice mustinclude either entry into the regulararmed forces or enrollment in theReserve Component in lieu of asecond activity (see Reserves onpage 19). Rank is 2nd lieutenant orequivalent (officer). No income isreceived while attending under-graduate school.

Charac ters who wish toprogress from an undergradu-ate degree to a Master's or Doc-torate, go to grad school to doso. If you want your character tohave a degree in some subjectother than those listed below, becreative. For example, a degreein History can be representedby concentrating on the Instruc-tion skill (after all, there aren't

many jobs other than teachingthat build on such a degree).

Entry: Undergraduate degree,Education 7+, Intelligence 7+.

Skills: Four levels per term inany one specialty, plus a total oftwo levels in any electives.

Specialties:BiologyBusinessChemistryEngineerLanguagePhysicsPsychology

Electiues:Computer OperationInstructionLanguageLeadershipPersuasionContacts: One per term, aca-

demic or government On a 1D10roll of 8+, the contact is foreign.

Special: One term providesan M.A. or M.S., the second andeach subsequent term providesa Ph.D. (or equivalent). Degreesmust be taken in one of thespecialties noted above. No in-come is received while attend-ing graduate school.

If you want to be a lawyer,you have to go to law school.The same is true if you want togo into federal law enforcement.But a lot of other lines of workcan benefit as well from thethings a law student learns.

Entry: Undergraduate degree,Education 5+, Intelligence 5+.

Skills: The character auto-matically receives the follow-ing:

Bargain 1Interrogation 2Observation 1Persuasion 2Contacts: One academic or

government. On a 1D10 roll of9+, the contact is foreign.

Special: No income is receivedwhile attending law school.

Medical school is a prerequi-site for working as a medicaldoctor or a psychiatrist. Fewpeople go to the trouble of goingto medical school without goingon to pursue one of those ca-reers.

Entry: Undergraduate de-gree, Biology 3+, Chemistry 2+.

Skills: The character automati-cally receives the following:

Computer Operation 1Medical 6Observation 1Contacts: One medical. On

a 1D10 roll of 8+, the contact isforeign.

Special : After medica lschool, a character can enterthe military with a direct com-mission as captain, if desired.No secondary activities are al-lowed during medical school.No income is received while at-tending medical school.

Some corporate heads havedefended their demands for un-questioning obedience fromtheir employees as being nodifferent from the loyalty ex-pected from soldiers. Of course,they have neglected to mentionthat while most military forceshave a long tradition of honor,courage, and devotion to coun-try, the biggest businesses havean opposite tradition of cutthroatcompetition and devotion onlyto a few, ultra-rich stockholders.

Entry: Education 6+.Skills: All basic training skills

for the appropriate branch of

the armed services, plus a totalof 6 levels from any one or acombination of the following:

DemolitionsEngineerHeavy WeaponsHorsemanshipLeadershipSmall ArmsContacts: Two military. On a

1D10 roll of 10, this contact isforeign.

Special: Enter the Army, AirForce, or Marines at the rank of2nd lieutenant—Navy as en-sign—and must serve at leastone term. No income is receivedwhile attending a military acad-emy.

In the near future of DarkConspiracy, increasingly fewerpeople are able to afford a de-gree from a full university. Thedrive for a well rounded, welleducated populace has beennearly trampled in a mad dashto get people a skill and getthem to work. Of course, evenwith a degree from a technicalschool, jobs can be very hard tofind.

Entry: No prerequisites.Skills: A total of 6 levels from

any one or a combination of thefollowing:

BusinessComputer OperationElectronicsMechanicMedicalPilot (Fixed-wing or Rotary)Vehicle UseContacts: One specialist

(skill level 8) in one of the areaslisted above.

Special: No income is re-ceived while attending techni-cal school.

Civilian occupations includethe majority of things mostpeople think of as typical ca-reers, from farmers to govern-ment bureaucrats. But manythings that people do not nor-mally think of—such as home-less, psychic test subjects, andgamblers—are included here aswell.

With the economic downturn,space exploration has not justbeen back-burnered, it's beenput back in the fridge. Nonethe-less, NASA makes a decent in-come working as a satelliteplacement and repair servicefor the corps. Few people know,however, that much of thismoney goes into a secret fundfor investigating what the agencysuspects is a UFO invasion. Asan astronaut, you'll spend themajority of your time as a NASAinvestigator.

Entry: Undergraduate de-gree, Pilot (any) 5+.

First Term Skills: The char-acter receives the following skillsin the first term:

Computer Operation 2Pilot (Shuttle) 4Mechanic 1Electronics 1Subsequent Term Skills: A

total of 6 levels from any one ora combination of the following:

AcrobaticsBiologyComputer OperationInstructionMedicalObservationPhysicsPilotContacts: Two per term, gov-

ernment, intelligence agency,journalist, and/or specialist(PC's major skill). On a 1D10roll of 7+, the contact is foreign.

Special: A character who re-mains an astronaut after char-acter creation ends can join anyPC group without having a pre-vious connection to it. She or hesimply shows up, following aNASA lead.

The games get bloodier andbloodier, and the industry be-comes continually more con-cerned with enter tainment .Whether from football, hockey,professional wrestling, or gladi-ator-style competitions, the pub-lic demands violent escapism.

Entry: Strength 7+, Agility7+.

First Term Skills: The char-acter receives the following skillsin the first term:

Acrobatics 4Medical 1Melee Combat 1Subsequent Term Skills: A

total of 6 levels from any one ora combination of the following:

AcrobaticsAct/BluffBusinessLeadershipMelee CombatMedicalObservationWillpowerContacts: One journalist and

one business, entertainment,medical, or specialist (Acrobat-ics) per term. On a 1D10 roll of10, the contact is foreign.

Special: For each term as anAthlete, use lower of Strength or

Agility instead of Educationwhen ca lcu la t ing s tar t ingmoney.

This is one of the things youcan do with a degree from lawschool. See that entry for back-ground information.

Entry: Law school.First Term Skills: A total of 6

levels from any one or a combi-nation of the following:

InterrogationPersuasionBargainSubsequent Term Skills: A

total of 6 levels from any one ora combination of the following:

Act/BluffBargainBusinessComputer OperationInstructionInterrogationLeadershipObservationPersuasionPsychologyStreetwiseContacts: One per term, gov-

ernment or criminal. On a 1D10roll of 8+, the contact is foreign.

Special: Two secondary ac-tivities are allowed per term.

Sometimes you're hired forprotection, other times just forshow. In any event, the sort ofpeople who can afford to hireyou tend to draw the attention ofviolent types, so you often earnyour fee. Life as a bodyguardcan be exciting, and you like thefeeling of reacting to threats andovercoming them on a mo-ment's notice.

Entry: Melee Combat (any)5+ and Small Arms (any) 4+.

Skills: In each term, a char-acter gains a total of 6 levelsfrom any one or a combinationof the following:

AcrobaticsArcheryClimbingLeadershipDemolitionsElectronicsForeboding (if EMP 1+)InterrogationMelee CombatObservationSmall ArmsStealthStreetwiseWillpowerContacts: One per term,

criminal, business, or law en-forcement. On a 1D10 roll of

9+, the contact is foreign.Special: None.

Nowadays, the bounty hunterbusiness is booming. There areall sorts of organizations willingto pay to have malefactors cap-tured. It's not just the publicauthorities anymore; corps shellout a lot of money every year tohave escaped employees re-turned.

Problem is, the quarry is get-ting more dangerous every year,too.

Entry: Agility 4+.First Term Skills: The char-

acter receives the following skillsin the first term:

Small Arms (Pistol) 1Stalking 1Stealth 1Streetwise 2Melee Combat 1Subsequent Term Skills: A

total of 6 levels from any one ora combination of the following:

Act/BluffLeadershipDisguiseForgeryLockpickLuckMelee Combat

Small ArmsStalkingStealthStreetwiseContacts: One per term,

criminal or law enforcement. Ona 1D10 roll of 10, the contact isforeign.

Special: When figuring be-ginning cash, use Streetwiseinstead of Education for eachterm as a bounty hunter.

New construction materialsand design techniques are be-ing developed every day. Anti-earthquake, antiacid rain, anti-radiation, and bomb proof build-ings are the wave of the future.It takes a real expert to keep ontop of the rapid changes.

Entry: Master's degree, En-gineer 4+.

First Term Skills: The char-acter receives the following skillsin the first term: .

Demolitions 3Engineer 2Physics 1Subsequent Term Skills: A

total of 4 levels from any one ora combination of the following:

ClimbingDemolitions

EngineerInstructionNavigationPhysicsVehicle Use (Wheeled Ve-

hicle)Contacts: One per term, gov-

ernment. On a D10 roll of 10,the contact is foreign.

Special: None.

It seems the golden age ofscience as savior never came.High technology proved to beonly as good as the people whowield it, and as often as not,conflicts over the raw materialsit required escalated into wars.But people have to have hope.In the modern age of misery,they need more than ever tohave a shoulder to lean on andan ear that listens. And they'rewilling to pay for the privilege.Some of those who step in to fillthe gap do so for a quick andeasy profit. Others are self-sac-rificing saints.

Entry: Charisma 5+, Educa-tion 4+.

First Term Skills: The char-acter receives the following skillsin the first term:

Leadership 2

Persuasion 2Psychology 2Subsequent Term Skills: A

total of 6 levels from any one ora combination of the following:

Act/BluffHuman Empathy (if Empa-

thy 1+)LeadershipPersuasionPsychologyWillpowerContacts: One per term, any

type. On a 1D10 roll of 10, thecontact is foreign.

Special: No secondary ac-tivities are allowed during thefirst term as clergy.

When the high and mightywant to go someplace, they wantto get there fast, and they wantto get there in style. Flying givesthem that speed, and it makesthem feel like royalty as theygaze disdainfully down upon theworld below. But they also wantsafety. They're willing to payhandsomely for expert pilotswho are willing to be treated likea chauffeur.

Of course, if you want morerespect than that, there are lotsof operations keeping their air-

craft in the sky with chewinggum and baling wire.

Entry: Technical school, Pi-lot (Fixed-wing or Rotary) 3+.

First Term Skills: The char-acter receives the following skillsin the first term:

Navigation 2Observation 2Pilot (Fixed-wing or Rotary) 2Subsequent Term Skills: A

total of 6 levels from any one ora combination of the following:

MechanicComputer OperationElectronicsMechanicNavigationObservationPilot (Fixed-wing or Rotary)Contacts: One per term, spe-

cialist (Pilot). On a 1D10 roll of10, the contact is foreign.

Special: None.

Just as the invention of move-able type changed the face ofthe world by ushering in theIndustrial Age, so the develop-ment of the semiconductor hasrevolutionized our own era byushering in the Computer Age.

Electronic text transfer is fast—an absolute necessity in our timeof rapid-fire technological ad-vances. As a computer opera-tor or programmer, you serve asan essential cog in the elec-tronic machinery that makesthe world run.

Entry: Technical school orundergraduate degree, Com-puter Operation 2+.

First Term Skills: The char-acterreceives the following skillsin the first term:

Business 1Computer Operation 3Electronics 1Computer Empathy 1 (if

Empathy 1+)Subsequent Term Skills: A

total of 6 levels from any one ora combination of the following:

BusinessComputer Empathy (if Em-

pathy 1+)Computer OperationElectronicsInstructionContacts: One per term, spe-

cialist (Computer or Electron-ics). On a 1D10 roll of 10, thecontact is foreign.

Special: When calculatingbeginning money, use ComputerOperation instead of Educationfor all terms as a computer op-erator/programmer.

There will always be a needfor strong backs and skilledhands to crew constructionprojects. Of course, the ques-tion is. when and where. De-mands for construction workerschange from season to seasonand region to region. As long asyou're willing to go where thework is and are skilled enoughto compete with other laborers,you'll do fine.

Entry: Strength 4+.

First Term Skills: The char-acter receives the following skillsin the first term:

Climbing 1Demolitions 1Engineer 2Vehicle Use (Wheeled or

Heavy Vehicle) 2Subsequent Term Skills: A

total of 6 levels from any one ora combination of the following:

ClimbingDemolitionsEngineerMechanicVehicle Use (Wheeled or

Heavy Vehicle)Contacts: One perterm, spe-

cialist (Engineer). On a 1D10roll of 10, the contact is foreign.

Special: None.

Player characters in DarkConspiracy are supposed to beheroes. But sometimes they'retarnished heroes who have bro-ken laws to achieve their goals.Of course, sometimes a lawdeserves to be broken. For what-ever reason, then, a PC mayhave experiences reflected bythis career.

Entry: Agility 5+.First Term Skills: A total of 6

levels from any one or a combi-

nation of the following:ArcheryClimbingDisguiseForgeryLockpickMelee CombatSmall Arms (Pistol)Vehicle Use (Auto)Subsequent Term Skills: A

total of 6 levels from any one ora combination of the following:

ArcheryClimbingDisguiseEngineerForgeryLanguageLockpickLuckMelee CombatSmall ArmsStealthStreetwiseThrown WeaponVehicle Use (Wheeled Ve-

hicle)Contacts: One per term,

criminal or law enforcement.Contact is foreign on a 1D10 rollof 10.

Special: If more than oneterm is served, +1 to Initiative.Also, roll once per term versusIntelligence to avoid capture. Ifunsuccessful, the next career

choice must be prison.

You remember seeing bright1 ights coming for you. Then therewas a long time of darkness andpain. Finally, you found yourselfin unfamiliar territory, runningin terror from pursuers you knewwould follow. But you could notremember who those pursuerswere. When you reached civili-zation, you learned that fouryears had passed, although youhave no recollection of thetime.But during those years, yourbody was mechanically en-hanced. You don't know why.All you know is that the pursu-ers are still hunting, and youcan't let them find you again.

Entry: No prerequisites.Skills and Enhancements:

Each term, choose two sepa-rate items from the followinglist:

AGL +2STR +2Melee Combat 2Integral Body Armor (one hit

location)*Socket Hand***This armor works just like

regular body armor with an AV of1, but it can be built into the limbsas well as the head and torso. Head

protection is similar to a Kevlarhelmet, with a 1D6 roll of 5 or 6meaning an unprotected portionof the head was hit

**Either right hand or lefthand. Comes with a mechani-cal hand which works exactlylike the original organic equip-ment. This may be removedand replaced with one of severalalternate attachments. However,the player will not begin thegame with any of these attach-ments in his or her possession.

Contacts: None.Special: Agility, Strength, and

Melee Combat are allowed torise above 10 with these en-hancements. For each termcompleted, add +1 to Initiativeas well, to a maximum of 7.(This is exception to the non-cumulative nature of Initiativemodifiers, and the only way togain a 7 Initiative. Initiative 7acts once before phase 6 ofeach combat turn, then acts justafter Initiative 6 in each phase.)

Also, each term, subtract 1 fromEmpathy or Charisma, player'schoice. (Remember, Charismamay not reach 0.) If this makes anyskills governed by these attributeshigher than the attribute, thoseskills must be reduced, as well.

No money is made duringthis career.

Finally, there may be un-pleasant consequences otherth an the ones mentioned above.When the time comes, your ref-eree will let you know.

With the economic crashbrought about by break-awayinternational business conglom-erates, there has been a resur-gence of transients who wanderfrom farm to farm and city tocity looking for work. Generally,when they begin, they're look-

ing for somewhere to settledown. After a few years, though,the travelling life gets into theirblood, and they wouldn't putdown roots if they could.

Entry: No prerequisites.First Term Skills: The char-

acter receives the following skillsin the first term:

Streetwise 3Observation 2Melee Combat 1Subsequent Term Skills: A

total of 7 levels from any one ora combination of the following:

Act/BluffArcheryClimbingHorsemanshipLanguageLuckMechanicMelee Combat (Unarmed)ObservationPersuasionSmall Arms (Pistol)StreetwiseSwimmingVehicle Use (Motorcycle,

Wheeled Vehicle)Contacts: One per term,

business, criminal, government,or law enforcement. On a 1D10roll of 10, the contact is foreign.

Special: No secondary ac-tivities allowed.

When times are worst, that'swhen people need escapism themost. Ironically, what the poorwant to spend their entertain-ment money on is a chance tosee the glamor and glitz of therich. You're part of the industrythat gives them that vision. Itcan be depressing, because youknow it's all a facade. You knowthe diamonds they see are onlyrhinestones, and the Stardust isonly sequins. But when you'rereally on a roll, sometimes youcan see through their eyes, andfor just a moment the dreambecomes real.

Entry: Charisma 8+.First Term Skills: The char-

acter receives the following skillsin the first term:

Act/Bluff 3Disguise 1Observation 1Persuasion 1Psychology 1Subsequent Term Skills: A

total of 6 levels from any one ora combination of the following:

Act/BluffDisguiseHorsemanshipLanguageLuck

Melee CombatPersuasionSwimmingVehicle Use (Motorcycle or

Wheeled Vehicle)Vessel Use (Boat)Contacts: One per term. On

a 1D10 roll of 8+, the contact isin government, otherwise it is inentertainment. If it is entertain-ment, on a 1D10 roll of 8+ it isforeign.

Special: At the referee's op-tion, random NPCs may recog-nize the character as a favoriteTV or movie star.

One of the worst effects ofthe Greater Depression has beenthat no one has the clout any-more to enforce protection ofthe environment. As a result,the business world seems tohave abandoned itself to a madscramble to rape the Earth be-fore anyone else gets it all.There's not a lot an individualcan do to turn things around,but you're determined to pro-tect as much of the natural worldas you can, even if it meansusing violence.

Entry: No prerequisites.First Term Skills: In the first

term, a character gains the fol-lowing skills:

Biology 2Climbing 1Observation 2Tracking 1Subsequent Term Skills: A

total of 6 levels from any one ora combination of the following:

AcrobaticsAnimal Empathy (if EMP 1+)ArcheryBiologyClimbingEmpathic Healing (if EMP

1+)ForebodingHorsemanshipHuman Empathy (if EMP 1+)Melee CombatNavigationObservationPersuasionSmall ArmsStealthSwimmingThrown WeaponTrackingContacts: One per term,

criminal, law enforcement, orgovernment. On a 1D10 roll of9+, the contact is foreign.

Special: None.

You used to build cars. BigAmerican cars with sleek shapesand pinstripes and chrome trim,or pickup trucks. They werecars that the average Americandrove home in and parked intheir garages. Nobody buysthem anymore. Now they buyYugos or Russian Zils, if theycan afford them. Except thewealthy, of course, who still buyBMWs and Mercedes and stretchlimousines.

So now you build weaponssystems. You run the machinesthat plug components into con-trol panels for guns and missiles

to fuel wars in the Middle East,Asia, and Africa. It's mind-numb-ingly dull work, but it's a living.

Entry: No prerequisites.First Term Skills: The char-

acter receives the following skillsin the first term:

Business 1Mechanic 2Electronics 1Subsequent Term Skills: A

total of 4 levels from any one ora combination of the following:

BusinessLeadershipElectronicsMechanicContacts: One per term,

business. On a 1D10 roll of 10,the contact is foreign.

Special Factory workers areallowed two secondary activi-ties per career period.

Once, not too long ago, fieldsfull of crops stretched in everydirection farther than the eyecould see. Back then, familiesused to make a business out offarming. Then the agricorpscame and glutted all the mar-kets with their force-grown, hot-house crops. Family farmscouldn't stay in business, andthe majority of them just went to

seed. Now there are weed-filledfields as far as the eye can see,dotted here and there by aban-doned farmhouses gone to ruin.

But you swore you'd neverleave. So now you live evencloser to the land, raising justenough to keep yourself fed,with some left over to sell ortrade in town, treating yourequipment with kid gloves, try-ing to make it last. It isn't aneasy life, but it sure beats mov-ing to the city.

Entry: No prerequisites.First Term Skills: The char-

acter receives the following skillsin the first term:

Biology 2Mechanic 2Tracking 1Observation 1Subsequent Term Skills: A

total of 6 levels from any one ora combination of the following:

Animal Empathy (if EMP 1+)BiologyEmpathic Healing (if EMP

1+)HorsemanshipMechanicObservationTrackingVehicle Use (Wheeled or

Heavy Vehicle)Willpower

Contacts: One per term,criminal or specialist in one ofthe above skills. On a 1D10 rollof 10, the contact is foreign.

Special: None.

The local forces do a prettygood job of policing their ownneighborhoods, but to your wayof thinking, their focus is a bitnearsighted. Somebody has tokeep an eye on the largerscheme of things, tracking fugi-tives that stay on the move, andremaining on top of problemsthat affect whole geographicalregions. That somebody is you.With the state the world is intoday, your hands are more thanfull.

Entry: Law school, no prisonrecord.

First Term Skills: The char-acterreceives the following skillsin the first term:

Interrogation 2Melee Combat (Unarmed) 1Observation 1Small Arms (Pistol) 2Subsequent Term Skills: The

character receives a total of 6levels from any one or a combi-

nation of the following:Computer OperationInstructionInterrogationLeadershipLanguageMelee CombatObservationSmall ArmsStealthContacts: One per term, gov-

ernment or criminal. On a 1D10roll of 8+, this contact is foreign.

Special: If more than oneterm is served, add +1 to Initia-tive.

Your kind has been aroundsince the dawn of time, makinga living out of sharp wits, aknack for bluffing, and a little bitof luck. In a world that changesas fast as this one, you figureonly the gamblers can hope tosurvive.

Entry: Luck 5+.First Term Skills: The char-

acter receives the following skillsin the first term:

Act/Bluff 2Persuasion 1Bargaining 1Streetwise 2Subsequent Term Skills: A

total of 6 levels from any one ora combination of the following:

Act/BluffBargainingForeboding (if Empathy 1+)Human Empathy (if Empa-

thy 1+)LuckMelee Combat (Unarmed)PersuasionPsychologyStreetwiseContacts: One per term,

criminal, law enforcement, oranother gambler. On a 1D10roll of 8+, the contact is foreign.

Special: When calculatingstarting money, use Luck in-stead of Intelligence for eachterm as a gambler.

You're young, you're tough,and you're slick. You're part of afamily of the street, a motleycollection of disaffected youthsthat knows the world is going topieces and intends to party andrumble until the world's lastgasp.

But lately you've been won-dering if it's ever going to end.Maybe someone's manipulat-ing things to keep everyone righton the brink but never let them

go over. Maybe you and yourchums out to find out who thatsomeone is and kick some butt.

Entry: Charisma 3+.First Term Skills: In the first

term, a character gains the fol-lowing skills:

Act/Bluff 1Melee Combat (Unarmed) 1Stealth 1Streetwise 3Subsequent Term Skills: A

total of 6 levels from any one ora combination of the following:

AcrobaticsAct/BluffArcheryClimbingLeadershipForeboding (if EMP 1+)LockpickMelee CombatPickpocketSmall Arms (Pistol)StalkingStealthStreetwiseThrown WeaponContacts: One per term,

criminal, law enforcement, orspecialist (Streetwise). On a1D10 roll of 10, the contact isforeign.

Special: When calculatingstarting money, use CHRx$500for each term as a ganger.

Faced with corporate aggres-sion, the federal governmentstepped back into the wings.Most people think it's moribund,that it will never recover. Butyou know it's playing possum.All available money and re-sources have been poured intoclandestine operations to findout exactly what's behind thenew world order. It's no longerjust the CIA and FBI, either.Nowadays some of the mosteffective agents are FCC, EPA,

SEC, IRS, and the like. Usingtheir primary missions as cover,these agencies are collectingthe data that may turn thingsback around.

Entry: Undergraduate de-gree, Intelligence 6+, Charisma6+.

First Term Skills: The char-acter receives the following skillsin the first term:

Interrogation 2Language 1Observation 1Small Arms (Pistol) 2Subsequent Term Skills: A

total of 4 levels from any oneor a combination of the fol-lowing:

Act/BluffComputer OperationDisguiseForgeryInterrogationLanguageLeadershipLockpickMelee CombatSmall ArmsWillpowerContacts: One per term, gov-

ernment or intelligence com-munity. A result of 8+ on 1D10means the contact is a foreignone.

Special: None.

You're an expert at urbansurvival. You know all the latestscams for getting food and atleast minimal shelter out on thestreets. As well, you know prettymuch every face within yourterritory, every deal that's goingdown, every trap to avoid. Lately,though, things have been get-ting really weird. There's a feel-ing in the air, like somethingunhealthy has settled its netsaround the area. If you can't getsomeone with clout to listen,you figure it might be gettingtime to move on.

Entry: No prerequisites.First Term Skills: The char-

acterreceives the following skillsin the first term:

Melee Combat (Unarmed) 1Observation 2Streetwise 3Subsequent Term Skills: A

total of 6 levels from any one ora combination of the following:

Animal Empathy (if Empa-thy 1+)

ArcheryForeboding (if Empathy 1+)Human Empathy (if Empa-

thy 1+)LanguageLockpick

LuckMelee CombatObservationPersuasionPickpocketStalkingStealthStreetwiseWillpowerContacts: One per term,

criminal, journalist, or law en-forcement. On a 1D10 roll of10, the contact is foreign.

Special: No secondary activi-ties are allowed for the homeless.Also, no money is received forterms as homeless. Careers priorto and after this state do providestarting money, however.

Technically, the country stillhas a free press. But most of thenational news services havefallen prey to the big money ofthe corps. That leaves you to fillthe gap. You work for a street-corner rag that prints all thenews that fits. Across your frontpages headlines clamor aboutthe ghost of Elvis and two-headed babies born on rollercoasters. But in between thosestories are others like the one aboutthe ritual murders in Galveston.

That one was truth, intended todraw fire on the perpetrators, andapparently it worked, because themurders stopped.

You wish you could print noth-ing but stories like that. But themore sensational ones serve twopurposes. First, they draw buy-ers, keeping you in business.Second, they serve as camou-flage to screen you from therevenge of whatever it is outthere that's driving this worldinsane. As long as your truestories seem accidental, you'vegot a chance to survive.

Entry: Undergraduate degreeor Charisma 7+.

First Term Skills: The char-acter receives the following skillsin the first term:

Act/Bluff 1Computer Operation 1Interrogation 2Observation 1Persuasion 1Subsequent Term Skills: A

total of 4 levels from any one ora combination of the following:

Act/BluffDisguiseInterrogationLuckObservationPersuasionStealthContacts: Three per term,

criminal, government, and/orlaw enforcement. On a 1D10roll of 7+, the contact is foreign.

Special: None.

own slice of the pie.Entry: Undergraduate de-

gree.First Term Skills: The char-

acter receives the following skillsin the first term:

Bargain 1Business 2Computer Operation 2Leadership 1Subsequent Term Skills: A

total of 6 levels from any one ora combination of the following:

BargainBusinessComputer OperationInstructionLeadershipLuckObservationPersuasionPsychologyStreetwiseContacts: One per term,

business or government. Roll8+ on 1D10 for the contact to beforeign.

Special: When calculatingstarting money, use Businessinstead of Education for eachterm as a manager.

Sure the world is going crazy.But that's what makes businessopportunities so wonderful. Ev-ery second, it seems, someoneelse goes out of business, butthey are the bunglers. By drop-ping out, they leave all the moreroom for you to make your ownmark on the world, to grab your

The streets are more danger-ous than ever before, but you'rewell trained in self-defense and

can hold your own against mul-tiple foes in face-to-face com-bat. Even in fire combat, how-ever, your training gives you anedge, making your reactionsquicker and more exact. Also,your physical control translatesinto stealth when necessary.

The martial artist career in-cludes everything from martialarts instructors to Oriental as-sassins.

Entry: No prerequisites.First Term Skills: In the first

term, a character gains the fol-lowing skills and attribute en-hancements:

STR +1AGL +1Melee Combat (Unarmed) 3Willpower 1Subsequent Term Skills: A

total of 6 levels from any one ora combination of the skills fromgroup A. Alternatively, for each2 levels not taken from group A,1 level may be taken from groupB.

Group A:AcrobaticsArcheryClimbingDisguiseForeboding (if EMP 1+)Instruction

LockpickMelee CombatObservationPickpocketStalkingStealthThrown WeaponWillpower

Group B:AGL +1STR +1CON +1Contacts: One per term,

business, criminal, or specialist(Melee Combat). On a 1D10roll of 7+, the contact is foreign.

Special: Use INT instead ofEDU for determining startingmoney per term. If more thanone term is served, add +1 toInitiative.

There's not much romanceor mystique to being a me-chanic, but people sure hollerwhen they need one. It's notevery one that can take a look ata piece of machinery, figure outwhat's wrong, and then fix it.You can. As long as humans usemachines, then, you'll have workto do.

Entry: Agility 3+ or Intelli-

gence 3+.First Term Skills: The char-

acter receives the following skillsin the first term:

Electronics 2Mechanic 4Subsequent Term Skills: A

total of 6 levels from any one ora combination of the following:

BargainBusinessElectronicsLockpickMechanicVehicle Use (Motorcycle or

Wheeled Vehicle)Contacts: One per term, a

specialist in one of the aboveskills. Roll 1D10 for 10 for thecontact to be foreign.

Special: For each term as amechanic, use Mechanic insteadof Education when calculatingmoney.

For the past couple of centu-ries, doctoring has been a goodgig with high pay and lots ofperks. Lately, there has been anincreased demand for doctorswith lots of knowledge aboutemergency medicine. It lookslike business will remain goodfor a long time to come.

Entry: Medical school.First Term Skills: The char-

acter receives the following skillsin the first term:

Computer Operation 1Medical 1Observation 1Persuasion 1Psychology 1Subsequent Term Skills: A

total of 4 levels from any one ora combination of the following:

BusinessComputer OperationLeadershipMedicalPersuasionContacts: One per term,

medical. On a 1D10 roll of 7+,the contact is foreign.

Special: The first term is in-ternship and residency. No sec-ondary activity is allowed dur-ing this time. For each addi-tional career period, doctorsare allowed two secondary ac-tivities. Doctors get one doctor'smedical bag free. For each termas a medical doctor, use Medi-cal instead of Education whencalculating starting money.

With the old superpowerscooling their heels after the cor-

porate takeover, they're not ableto watchdog the world's troublespots as effectively any more.As a result, the temperature ofbrush wars has risen a numberof degrees, and the countriesinvolved are crying for some-one to come and train theirtroops in modern warfare tech-niques. Of course, part of train-ing them is supplying them, soif you're sharp, it's pretty easyto make a lot of money reallyfast. You just have to be carefulto duck when the bullets startflying.

Entry: STR 4+, prior militarycareer.

First Term Skills: The char-acter receives the following skillsin the first term:

Bargain 1Language 1Melee Combat 1Small Arms 1Stealth 1Subsequent Term Skills: A

total of 6 levels from any one ora combination of the following:

ArcheryClimbingDemolitionsHeavy WeaponsInterrogationLanguageLeadershipLuckMedicalMelee CombatSmall ArmsStealthSwimmingThrown WeaponTrackingVehicle ClseContacts: One per term,

criminal, government, intelli-gence community, military, oranother mercenary. On a 1D10roll of 6+, the contact is foreign.

Special: Roll 1D10 once perterm. On a roll of 9, the charac-

ter must spend the next term ina noncombat career due to se-rious wounds. A roll of 10 meansthe character was captured bythe opposition and must spendthe next term in prison (as aprisoner). If more that one termis served, add +1 to Initiative.

Even in this fast-paced world,there are some things that canafford to take days or weeks toget from place to place. Thebottom line is cost-effectiveness,and it's always going to becheaper to move things by boatthan by plane. The life of a mer-chant marine involves somehard labor, b u t it also allows youa lot of time between ports tothink. Lately, one of the thingsyou've been thinking about isthe increase in piracy. Targetpractice has become a dailydrill on board many vessels, anda few have taken to mountingbig guns in preparation for na-val battles.

Of course, there are otherthings to think about—like therumors of strange creatures thatare beginning to circulate. Andthe increasing number of "Over-due, presumed lost" entries in

the Maritime News.Entry: Constitution 3+.First Term Skills: The char-

acterreceives the following skillsin the first term:

Navigation 1Swimming 1Vessel Use (Ship) 3Subsequent Term Skills: A

total of 6 levels from any one ora combination of the following:

BusinessComputer OperationElectronicsLanguageLeadershipMechanicNavigationSwimmingVehicle UseVessel UseContacts: One per term,

business, law enforcement, orspecialist (PC's primary skill).On a 1D10 roll of 6+, the con-tact is foreign.

Special: None.

You've always been moreattuned to the nature of thingsthan most people. Lately, you'vefelt a sickness growing in theworld, like a sort of psychicgangrene. Even the common

people, who aren't as sensitiveas you, are beginning to feel itspressure, and it adds to theworld's problems, causing themto lash out in ever-increasingviolence. Someone has to lo-cate the source of that infectionand lance it. Unfortunately, itlooks like that someone will haveto be you.

As a mystic, you play thepart of a psychic investigator.Chances are that you will havesome other type of occupationto support you during your in-vestigations. (Teaching and writ-ing careers are good choices,for example, because of theirflexible schedules.)

Entry: Empathy 4+.First Term Skills: The char-

acterreceives the following skillsin the first term:

Foreboding 3Human Empathy 3Subsequent Term Skills: A

total of 6 levels from any one ora combination of the following:

Act/BluffAnimal EmpathyBusinessComputer EmpathyForebodingHuman EmpathyObservationPersuasionProject EmotionStreetwiseWillpowerContacts: One empathic per

term. On a 1D10 roll of 8+, thecontact is foreign.

Special: When determiningstarting money, use Charismarather than Education for allterms as a Mystic.

Nomenklatura is a Russianterm referring to sons and

daughters of Communist Partymembers, members of the privi-leged class guaranteed high-ranking jobs due to their familyconnections. In today's vernacu-lar, it refers to anyone from awealthy, privileged group .Nomenklatura (often calledgnome or nomen) charactershave almost unlimited funds.However, they are also highlyvisible in the international jetset, which means that if youbegin spending too much moneyfinancing Dark Minion hunts,you're likely to draw unwantedattention.

Entry: Charisma 8+, Luck 6+.Skills: A total of 6 levels from

any one or a combination of thefollowing:

Act/BluffBusinessComputer OperationForebodingHorsemanshipInstructionLanguageLuckPersuasionSwimmingVehicle UseContacts: One per term,

wealthy or government. A roll of6+ on 1D10 means it is a foreigncontact.

Special: For each term asnomenklatura, multiply by 10the money available to the char-acter, using Luck instead ofEducation as a base. This moneydoes not r ep resen t thecharacter's total value, but ratherhow much ready cash is avail-able at the beginning of the cam-paign. Also, at the beginning ofeach new adventure, the char-acter will have an additionalamount of money availableequal to Luckx$3000.

To your mind, the city streetshave become a war zone. Justto collect the wounded, you haveto carry firearms on the ambu-lance. And body armor is stan-dard-issue for ambulance teamsnowadays. One good thingabout it aill, though: You don'thave to worry about a layoff.Business is booming.

Entry: Technical school,Medical 2+

First Term Skills: The char-acter receives the following skillsin the first term:

Biology 1Computer Operation 1Medical 2Vehicle Use (Wheeled Ve-

hide) 2Subsequent Term Skills:

Medical 1 plus a total of 5 levelsfrom any one or a combinationof the following:

BiologyComputer OperationHuman Empathy (If EMP 1+)LanguageMelee CombatPsychologySmall ArmsVehicle Use (Wheeled Ve-

hicle)Contacts: One per term,

medical. A roll of 10 on 1D10means the contact is foreign.

Special: None.

As an expert in the workingsof the human mind, you havebecome very interested in whathave come to be called theempathic powers. This field wasonce known as parapsychol-ogy, but as the laws governingtheir use have become betterknown, it has been rechristenedparaphysics. You want to delin-eate the limits of those powers,to learn how they work, and todiscover what has brought abouttheir sudden upsurge in today'sworld.

But your interest has led youinto subjects you never ex-pected. You've begun to findevidence of a psychic invasionsweeping the planet. Now, yourealize that the research you aredoing is no longer merely simpleinterest: It may be the only thingthat can save the world.

Entry: Prior term as psychia-trist.

First Term Skills: In the firstterm, a character gains the fol-lowing skills:

Observation 2Willpower 2Human Empathy 1Foreboding 1Subsequent Term Skills: A

total of 5 levels from any one ora combination of skills from thelist below, plus 1 level in anyempathic skill.

Act/BluffBiologyChemistryElectronicsInstructionInterrogationLeadershipMedicalObservationPersuasionPsychologyWillpowerContacts: One per term,

medical, academic, or em-pathic. On a 1D10 roll of 7+, thecontact is foreign.

Special: Double normal start-ing money per term as a para-physicist. Free paraphysicist'sfield kit

In this increasingly complexworld, public governance is be-coming steadily more demand-ing. No one is really qualified tomake sense of things, but youbelieve that you are more quali-fied than mos t Most importantly,

you are able to inspire faith in themasses, and with their backingyou know you can achieve thechanges necessary to set theworld to rights. But they'll have totrust you to use that powerwisely, because you can't tellthem what's really wrong. If youwere to tell the public about theDark Minions, chances are you'dmerely be ridiculed by the elec-torate, and you'd certainly drawthe Dark Minions' attention.

Entry: Charisma 8+.First Term Skills: The char-

acter receives the following skillsin the first term:

Leadership 3Persuasion 3Subsequent Term Skills: A

total of 5 levels from any oneor a combination of the fol-lowing:

Act/BluffBargainBusinessInterrogationInstructionLanguageLeadershipLuckObservationPersuasionContacts: Three per term:

journalism, government, or mili-tary. Roll 1D10 for 7+ for the

contact to be foreign.Special: None.

If you're going to dance,sooner or later you have to paythe piper. If you're going to leada life of crime, eventually you'regoing to get caught. When thathappens, you'll end up here.

Entry: Forced due to capturewhile engaged in criminal activ-ity.

Skills: A total of 6 levels fromany one or a combination of thefollowing:

AcrobaticsAct/BluffBargainSTR +1BusinessDisguiseEDU +1ElectronicsForeboding (if EMP 1+)ForgeryInstructionLockpickMechanicMedicalMelee CombatObservationPersuasionPickpocketPsychology

StalkingStealthStreetwiseWillpowerContacts: Two per term,

criminal. On a 1D10 roll of 10,the contact is foreign.

Special: No secondary ac-tivities allowed. Released afterone term.

Do not count prison termswhen ca lcu la t ing s ta r t ingmoney.

It used to be you trackeddown missing husbands andtestified at divorce proceedings.Sometimes you'd get a real caseinvestigating crimes the policehad decided to let lie. Nowa-days you track monsters in thesewers and investigate crimesthat would get you an appoint-ment with a psychiatrist, if youtold anyone. You're not sure ex-actly what's happening to theworld, but you certainly intendto find out.

Entry: Intelligence 5+, Cha-risma 5+.

First Term Skills: The char-acter receives the following skillsin the first term:

Act/Bluff 1

Small Arms (Pistol) 1Observation 2Persuasion 1Disguise 1Subsequent Term Skills: A

total of 6 levels from any one ora combination of the following:

Act/BluffBusinessDisguiseForgeryInterrogationLockpickLuckMelee CombatObservationSmall Arms (Pistol)StealthStreetwiseContacts: Two per term,

criminal, law enforcement, orgovernment. Roll 1D10 for 9+for the contact to be foreign.

Special: None.

Research is an essential partof your career, in many wayseven more so than teaching.Recent research you've doneleads you to believe that there'ssomething alien and evil mani-festing itself in the world. Per-haps more research will revealto you how to combat it.

Entry: Ph.D.First Term Skills: The char-

acter receives the following skillsin the first term:

Specialty 1 (a level in thecharacter's specialty skill)

Instruction 3Persuasion 1Language 1Subsequent Term Skills: A

total of 5 levels from any one ora combination of the following:

InstructionLanguageLeadershipObservationPersuasionSpecialty skillContacts: Two perterm, aca-

demic or government. Roll 7+on 1D10 for the contact to beforeign.

Special: Professors may havetwo secondary activities perterm.

You used to be unemployed,homeless, and hungry. Nowyou're just unemployed. You livein a barracks or tiny apartmentprovided by a major corp. Youeat the daily rations they pro-

vide for you. You wear the clothesthey give you. And you watchthe television they pipe in. Allthe corp requires in return is thatyou sign a proxy allowing it tovote in your place in public elec-tions. All in all, it doesn't seem abad exchange, but it's awfullyboring, or would be if it weren'tfor the gangs, gambling, andgin mills. You also tend to meeta lot of strange people in theslums.

Entry: No prerequisites.First Term Skills: The char-

acter receives the following skillsin the first term:

Act/Bluff 1Observation 1Streetwise 2Willpower 2Subsequent Term Skills: A

total of 6 levels from any one ora combination of the following:

Act/BluffBargainComputer Empathy (if Em-

pathy 1+)Empathic Healing (if Empa-

thy 1+)Foreboding (if Empathy 1 +)Human Empathy (if Empa-

thy 1+)LockpickLuckMelee Combat (Unarmed)ObservationPersuasionPickpocketStreetwiseWillpowerContacts: One per term.

However, for each term, a roll of10 on 1D10 means that thecharacter receives one govern-ment or journalist contact. Oth-erwise the contact is criminal.On an additional 1D10 roll of10, the contact is foreign.

Special: No secondary ac-tivities are allowed for proles.Also, no money is received for

terms as a prole, and any moneyearned at prior careers is forfeit.Only careers held after proledomends count toward startingmoney.

Stress in the modern world isextremely high, and manypeople are suffering mentalbreakdowns as a result. Someof them lash out in violence,adding to the stress. Others be-gin to "see" strange things thathave no place in the real world.It is your job to help these peoplecope with their stress in a healthymanner. The problem is, you'rebeginning to wonder if some ofthese strange visions might notbe true.

Entry: Medical school andM.A. (or M.S.) in psychology.

Term Skills: In each term,the character receives a total of4 levels from any one or a com-bination of the following:

BusinessComputer OperationInstructionInterrogationLeadershipMedicalObservationPersuasion

PsychologyWillpowerContacts: One per term, spe-

cialist (Psychology), or medi-cal. A roll of 8+ on 1D10 meansthe contact is foreign. Alterna-tively, the referee may allow thecontact to be a patient with aninteresting background or linkto the Dark Minions.

Special: When calculatingstarting money, each term as apsychologist counts triple.

Here and there across theglobe, clandestine labs to studypsychic phenomena are beingbuilt by a number of differentorganizations. You have beenidentified as manifesting highpsychic potential and have beenrecruited or captured to becomea test subject. All sorts of stimul iare tried to bring your abilities tolight: hypnosis, drug therapy,and electrostimulus are just afew. The result has been a rapidimprovement in your empathicpowers. But you've learned afew things about medicine andpsychology along the way, aswell.

Entry: Empathy 5+.First Term Skills: The char-

acter receives the following skillsin the first term:

Human Empathy 3Project Emotion 2Willpower 2Subsequent Term Skills: A

total of 8 levels from any one ora combination of the following:

Any Empathy skillLuckObservationWillpowerMedicalContacts: One empathic,

government, or medical perterm. On a 1D10 roll of 9+, thecontact is foreign.

Special: Roll 1D10 versusCharisma each term orthe char-acter must flee from the lab afterbeing judged too uncontrollableto live. Characters who areforced to flee cannot return tothis career.

When calculating startingmoney, use Empathy instead ofEducation for each term as apsychic test subject. However, ifthe character has to flee the lab,all payment for this career is lost(i.e., do not count the termstoward starting money at all).

Not everyone can have the

cushy jobs. Someone has tosort the mail, drive the schoolbuses, and make out city waterbills. You're just happy to haveajob at all, especially as this oneprovides you with both themoney and the time to pursueyour hobbies.

Entry: No prerequisites.First Term Skills: The char-

acter receives the following skillsin the first term:

Business 2Computer Operation 3Subsequent Term Skills: A

total of 6 levels from any one ora combination of the following:

BusinessComputer OperationInstructionLeadershipPersuasionContacts: One per term,

business or government. On a1D10 roll of 10, the contact isforeign.

Special: Two secondary ac-tivities are allowed each term.

It takes a tough cop to keepthe locals in line in today's world,and that's where you come in.

You've worked hard to establisha reputation as a hard-bittenofficer who's tough but fair.You're proud to think of yourselfas a peace officer, someone whonot only enforces the law, butwho also defuses confrontationsbefore they escalate into vio-lence.

The trouble is, out-of-townersdon't know your reputation. Withthem, you have to prove your-self anew in each encounter.And you resent the added troublethey bring to your beat. Often asnot, you'll use the least pretextto send them packing backwhere they came from.

Entry: No prison record.First Term Skills: The char-

acter receives the following skillsin the first term:

Interrogation 2Observation 2Small Arms (Pistol) 2Subsequent Term Skills: A

total of 4 levels from any one ora combination of the following:

Computer OperationInstructionInterrogationLanguageLeadershipMelee CombatObservationSmall ArmsStalkingStealthTrackingVehicle (Wheeled Vehicle)Contacts: One criminal con-

tact per term. On a 1D10 roll of10, the contact is foreign.

Special: If more than oneterm is served, add +1 to Initia-tive.

As an independent operator,you've been all over the nation.In those travels, you've seensome really weird things and

learned to deal with strange cus-toms.

Most of the time, you haulloads for small companies strug-gling to survive in the shadow ofthe megacorps. But sometimesthose megacorps will contractan independent to supplementtheir own fleets on a particularrun. For them, it's cost effec-tiveness. For you, it's a windfall.

Entry: Agility 4+.First Term Skills: The char-

acter receives the following skillsin the first term:

Vehicle Use (Wheeled Ve-hicle) 2

Navigation 2Mechanic 2Subsequent Term Skills: The

character receives the followingskills in the second and in allsubsequent terms:

Bargain 1Mechanic 1Navigation 1Streetwise 1Vehicle Use (Wheeled Ve-

hicle) 1

Contacts: One per term, spe-cialist (mechanic), or law en-forcement. On a 1D10 roll of10, the contact is foreign.

Special: Truck drivers areallowed two secondary activi-ties per career period.

The following material pro-vides an overview of the armedforces of the United States. Play-ers can use this information tocreate equivalent foreign mili-tary characters, as well, bymerely choosing skills that seemappropriate. (If more detail isdesired, the referee may allowplayers to use the military ca-reer listings in Twilight: 2000 ,following the guidelines at theend of this book for conversionof skills, etc.)

Note that basic training isincluded in first term in any mili-tary career; it does not take anadditional term.

The US Army is made up ofseveral specialized arms, includ-ing Armor, Artillery, Aviation,Engineers, Infantry (which itselfincludes Airborne and Rangers),Medical, Military Intelligence,Special Forces, and Support.For simplicity's sake, these vari-ous arms have been collapsedinto two major groupings: EliteForces (Airborne, Rangers, andSpecial Forces) and RegularForces (everything else). Play-ers should choose skills to re-flect the particular MOS (Mili-tary Occupational Specialty) ofthe characters. For example, amedic would concentrate onMedical and Biology rather thanon something like Heavy Weap-

Entry: No prerequisites.Basic Training: The charac-

ter receives the following skillsas a part of his basic training:

Melee Combat (Unarmed) 2Small Arms (Rifle) 2Stealth 1Thrown Weapon 1Special: Characters with both

Intelligence and Education of7+ may enter OCS (OfficerCorps School). If so, they re-ceive a level 1 Leadership skill,are commissioned as a 2nd lieu-tenant, and then conduct theirfirst term normally.

Entry: No prerequisites.First Term Skills: Atotal of 4

levels from any combination ofthe following:

BargainClimbingComputer OperationDemolitionsElectronics

EngineerHeavy WeaponsMechanicMedicalMelee CombatNavigationObservationSmall ArmsStealthThrown WeaponVehicle UseSubsequent Term Skills: A

total of 4 levels of skills to bechosen in any combination fromthose listed below:

BargainClimbingLeadershipComputer OperationDemolitionsElectronicsEngineerHeavy WeaponsInstructionInterrogationLanguageMechanicMedicalMelee CombatNavigationObservationParachuteSmall ArmsStealthStalkingSwimming

Thrown WeaponTrackingVehicle UseVessel Use (Boat)WillpowerContacts: One per term, mili-

tary. On a roll of 8+ with 1D10,the contact is foreign.

Special: None.

Entry: OCS, military acad-emy, or commission.

First Term Skills: The char-acterreceives the following skillsin the first term:

Leadership 2Observation 1Willpower 1Subsequent Term Skills: A

total of 3 levels from any one ora combination of group A, plus2 levels from group B:

Group A:BusinessClimbingComputer OperationInterrogationLanguageLeadershipMelee CombatNavigationObservationPsychologySmall ArmsStealthWillpower

Group B:DemolitionsEngineerHeavy WeaponsMechanicSwimmingThrown WeaponVehicle UseVessel Use (Boat)Contacts: Two perterm, mili-

tary. A roll of 7+ on 1D10 indi-cates the contact is foreign.

Special: When calculating

starting money, count each termas an officer as double.

Elite Forces is a generic termthat includes the specialized in-fantry groups of Airborne, Rang-ers, and Mountain Infantry, aswell as the separate SpecialForces (Green Berets). Basictraining is the same as underRegular Forces.

Entry: Strength+Constitu-tion+Agility=17+.

First Term Skills: The char-acter receives the following skillsin the first term:

Heavy Weapons 1Melee Combat (Unarmed) 2Navigation 1Small Arms 2Thrown Weapons 1Subsequent Term Skills: A

total of 6 levels from any one ora combination the following:

ClimbingDemolitionsHeavy WeaponsInterrogationLanguageLeadershipMelee CombatNavigationObservation

ParachuteSmall ArmsStealthStalkingSwimmingThrown WeaponTrackingVehicle UseVessel Use (Boat)WillpowerContacts: One perterm, mili-

tary. Roll an 8+ on 1 Dl 0 for thecontact to be foreign.

Special: If more than oneterm is served, +1 to Initiative.

Entry Strength+Constitu-tion+Agility=15+, and OCS, mili-tary academy, or commission.

First Term Skills: The char-acter receives the following skillsin the first term:

Leadership 2Melee Combat (Unarmed) 2Navigation 1Small Arms 1Thrown Weapons 1Subsequent Term Skills: A

total of 5 levels from any one ora combination of group A, plus2 levels in any combination fromgroup B:

Group A:Business

ClimbingComputer OperationInterrogationLanguageLeadershipMelee CombatNavigationObservationParachutePsychologySmall ArmsStealthWillpower

Group B:DemolitionsEngineerHeavy WeaponsSwimmingThrown WeaponVehicle UseVessel Use (Boat)Contacts: Two perterm, mili-

tary. A roll of 7+ on 1D10 indi-cates the contact is foreign.

Special: When calculatingstarting money, count each termas an officer as double. If morethan one term is served, +1 toInitiative.

The United States MarineCorps (USMC) is a separate

branch of service from the USArmy. Traditionally, it has beenused primarily for amphibiousoperations, but more recently ithas come to be recognized as aforce ready for rapid deploy-ment for more conventional mis-sions.

Entry: Strength + Constitu-tion+Agility = 15+, and no prisonrecord.

Basic Training: Charactersreceive the following skills aspart of their basic training:

Small Arms (Rifle) 2Melee Combat (Armed) 1Melee Combat (Unarmed) 1Swimming 1Thrown Weapon 1Careers: Available careers

are equivalent to those for theArmy. However, the Elite Forcesdesignations for the USMC isForce Recon or Marine Sniper,instead of Airborne, Ranger, andSpecial Forces.

Special: Characters with bothIntelligence and Education of7+ may enter OCS. As a resultof doing so, they receive Lead-ership 1 and are commissionedas 2nd lieutenants, then con-duct their first term as normal.

As with the US Army de-

scription, the following materialconcerning the US Navy caneffectively be used to generatecharacters of foreign navies, aswell.

Entry: No prerequisites.Basic Training: Characters

receive the following skills as apart of their basic training:

Melee Combat (Unarmed) 1Small Arms (Rifle) 1Swimming 2Vessel Use (Boat or Ship) 2Special: Characters with both

Intelligence and Education of'7+ may enter OCS. If they do so,they receive Leadership 1 andare commissioned as ensigns,then conduct their first term asnormal.

Entry: No prerequisitesFirst Term Skills: The char-

acter receives the following skillsin the first term:

Mechanic 1Heavy Weapons 2Subsequent Term Skills: A

total of 5 levels from any one ora combination of the following:

Computer OperationElectronicsHeavy WeaponsInstruction

LanguageLeadershipMechanicMedicalMelee CombatNavigationObservationSmall ArmsSwimmingVessel UseWillpowerContacts: One perterm, mili-

tary. Roll 1D10 for 8+ for thecontact to be foreign.

Special: None.

Entry: OCS, military acad-emy, or commission.

First Term Skills: The char-acter receives the following skillsin the first term:

Heavy Weapons 1Leadership 1Navigation 2Subsequent Term Skills: A

total of 3 levels from any oneor a combination of the skillsin group A, plus 1 level fromgroup B.

Group A:Heavy WeaponsInstructionLeadership

MechanicNavigationObservationSmall ArmsSwimmingVessel Use (Boat or Ship)Willpower

Group B:Computer OperationElectronicsEngineerLanguagePsychologyContacts: Two per term, mili-

tary. Roll 1D10 for 7+ for thecontact to be foreign.

Special: Double the normalstarting money during each termspent as a naval officer.

Entry: Must be officer, Agility8+.

First Term Skills: The char-acter receives the following skillsin the first term:

Pilot (Fixed-wing or Rotary) 6Navigation 1Subsequent Term Skills: A

total of 3 levels from any one ora combination of the following:

InstructionLeadershipMechanic

NavigationObservationPersuasionPilot (Fixed-wing or Rotary)Small ArmsContacts: Three per term,

military or specialist (Pilot). Roll1D10 for 7+ for the contact to beforeign.

Special: Double the normalstarting money for terms asnaval aviator.

Entry: Strength + Constitu-tion+Agility=15+.

First Term Skills: The char-acter receives the following skillsin the first term:

Swimming 3Demolitions 1Melee Combat (Armed) 1Vessel Use (Boat) 1Subsequent Term Skills: A

total of 7 levels from any one ora combination of the following:

DemolitionsHeavy WeaponsNavigationObservationParachuteSmall ArmsStealth

SwimmingVessel Use (Boat)Contacts: One perterm, mili-

tary or intelligence community.Roll 1D10 for 8+ for the contactto be foreign.

Special: If more than oneterm served, +1 to Initiative.

Entry: Strength + Constitu-tion+Agility=15+, and OCS,military academy, or commis-sion.

First Term Skills: The char-acter receives the following skillsin the first term:

Demolitions 1Leadership 1Melee Combat 1Swimming 2Vessel Use (Boat) 1Subsequent Term Skills: A

total of 7 levels from any one ora combination of the following:

DemolitionsHeavy WeaponsLeadershipMelee CombatNavigationObservationParachutePersuasionSmall ArmsStealth

SwimmingVessel Use (Boat)Contacts: Two perterm, mili-

tary or intelligence. Roll 1D10for 7+ for the contact to be for-eign.

Special: Count each term asSEAL officer double towardstarting money. If more thanone term served, +1 to Initia-tive.

The US Air Force was origi-nally part of the US Army, but itbecame its own distinct serviceafter World War II. Its primaryfunction is to provide fixed-wingcombat and support aircraft.

Entry: No prerequisitesBasic Training: In Air Force

basic training, characters re-ceive the following skills:

Melee Combat (Unarmed) 1Small Arms 1Swimming 1Thrown Weapon 1Special: Characters with both

Intelligence and Education of7+ may enter OCS. If they do so,they receive Leadership 1, arecommissioned as 2nd lieuten-ants, and they conduct their firstterm normally.

Entry: No prerequisites.First Term Skills: The char-

acter receives the following skillsin the first term:

Electronics 2Mechanic 2Subsequent Term Skills: A

total of 5 levels from any one ora combination of the following:

ElectronicsInstructionLeadershipMechanicParachutePilot (Fixed-wing or Rotary)Small ArmsVehicle UseContacts: One perterm, mili-

tary. On a roll of 9+ on 1 Dl 0, thecontact is foreign.

Special: None.

Entry: Agility 6+ and OCS,military academy, or commis-sion.

First Term Skills: In the firstterm, a character gains the fol-lowing skills:

Navigation 2Pilot (Fixed-wing or Rotary) 4Subsequent Term Skills: A

total of 6 levels from any one ora combination of the following:

InstructionLeadershipMechanicNavigationObservationParachutePersuasionPilot (Fixed-wing or Rotary)Small ArmsContacts: Two perterm, spe-

cialist (Riot). A roll of 7+ on1 Dl 0 means the contact is for-eign.

Special: When calculatingstarting money, count each termof Air Force pilot double.

Undergraduate UniversityGraduate UniversityLaw SchoolMedical SchoolNational Military AcademyTechnical School

AstronautAthleteAttorneyBodyguardBounty HunterCivil EngineerClergyCommercial PilotComputer Operator/

ProgrammerConstruction WorkerCriminalCyborg EscapeeDrifterEntertainerEnvironmentalistFactory WorkerFarmerFederal Law EnforcementGamblerGangerGovernment AgentHomeless

JournalistManagerMartial ArtistMechanicMedical DoctorMercenaryMerchant MarineMysticNomenklatura (Idle Rich)ParamedicParaphysicistPoliticianPrisonerPrivate InvestigatorProfessorProle (Corporate

Welfare Recipient)PsychiatristPsychic Test SubjectPublic EmployeeState/Local

Law EnforcementTruck Driver

United States ArmyRegular ForcesEnlistedOfficerElite ForcesEnlistedOfficer

United States Marine CorpsRegular ForcesEnlistedOfficer

Elite ForcesEnlistedOfficer

United States NavyEnlisted SeamanNaval OfficerNaval AviatorEnlisted SEAL (Sea Air Land)SEAL Officer

United States Air ForceEnlisted AirmanPilot (Officer)

resolved using the roll of a die. Each such action is

expressed as a specific task, and the die roll deter-

mines whether the player attempting the task was

successful or unsuccessful, and if an extraordinary

success or failure occurred.

Dice: To play the game you will need a 10-sided die

(D10) and one or more six-sided dice (D6). A D10 is

read from 1 to 10 (with 0 meaning 10). A 1 before the

die notation (1D6, 1D10) means roll one die of that

type, a 2 (2D6, 2D10) means roll two of that type and

add them, and so on.

Die Roll Modifiers: Sometimes die roll results must

be modified. For example, 2D6-2 means roll two six-

sided dice and add the numbers together, then sub-

tract 2. Conversely, 3D6+2 means roll three six-sided

dice, add them together, and then add 2. (For ex-

ample, a 3D6-1 roll that resulted in rolls of 3, 5, and

2 would total 9: 3+5+2-1.)

Rolling vs. an Attribute or Skill: Sometimes, in order

for your character to perform an action, your referee may

instruct you to roll 1D10 versus one of your character's

attributes or skills. (Attributes represent a character's

innate abilities, while skills represent learned abilities.

The character generation rules explain these two in more

Most important actions in Dark Conspiracy are

depth.) Such an attempt is called a task, or sometimes an

attribute check or skill check. Generally, for your character

to succeed at the task being attempted, the die roll you

make must be less than or equal to the numerical

value of the attribute. Sometimes, instead, your target

number will be double the attribute rating or half, or even

a quarter or an eighth. Obviously, the smaller the fraction,

the more difficult the task is to perform.

Usually, tasks are attempted at one of three levels of

difficulty. A roll versus your attribute or skill rating is called

an Average task. An Easy task is rolled versus double your

attribute or skill rating. If the referee considers the task to

be Difficult, the check would be rolled versus half that

normal value. Only in very special circumstances will your

skill or attribute be divided any further, so no official names

are given for these difficulty levels. Your referee will simply

ask you to roll versus a quarter, eighth, etc. of the value.

Dealing with Fractions: If you are instructed to

halve (or quarter, or whatever) a rating, any fractional

values will be rounded down. (After all, Dark Con-

spiracy involves a bleak world.) For example, if you

are instructed to roll versus one-quarter of your

character 's Stealth skill, and the full rating is 7, the

quarter rating will be 1.75, rounded down to 1.

Succes s Quality: If, when making a task success

check, you m a n a g e to roll better than necessary to

succeed, your character may have achieved an out-

standing success at the task. Anytime you roll at least

four points below a task's target number, you achieve

an outstanding success. An outstanding success may

decrease the amount of t ime spent at the task,

increase the amount of information gained, or have

some other beneficial effect. The exact effect will be

determined by your referee, based upon the specific

task and the situation at the time (although players

are free to m a k e suggestions!).

For example, suppose your character were trying to

persuade a receptionist at a hospital to allow a peek at

some records. Your referee might say, "That sounds like a

Difficult task versus Persuasion," meaning you have to roll

half or less of your character's Persuasion skill. You check

the skill and discover it is rated at 10, so you need to roll

a 5 or less to succeed. But you get lucky and roll a 1, which

yields an outstanding success. When you point this out to

the referee, he or she decides that not only do you get a

peek at the records, the receptionist actually leaves the

room long enough for you to photocopy them on a

machine in the office.

On the other hand, it may be that you failed the roll

horribly, rolling a catastrophic failure. Anytime you roll at

least four points above a task's target number, you have a

chance of suffering a catastrophic failure. Roll the die

again, and if this second roll is above the task's target

number, you have failed catastrophically (if it is at or below

the target number, you have simply had a normal failure).

For example, in the situation described above, suppose

you had rolled a 9, instead of a 1. You would have failed in

your task attempt, with the possibility of a catastrophic

failure. When you rolled again, if you obtained a result of

6 or higher (again above the target number of 5) so you

would have failed catastrophically. The referee might

decide that not only does your character not get to peek

at the records, but the receptionist also calls security to

have him or her thrown out of the building.

Pretty much all of Dark Conspiracy's rules build

upon the basic concepts explained above. As you

read through later chapters, such as "Combat &

Damage," you will discover specifically how the basic

mechanics are applied in specific circumstances.

One additional rule appliesto the useof Empathy skills,

to reflect the varying effects these skills can have under

different conditions. When a character makes a task

attempt with an Empathy skill, if the attempt is successful,

1D6 is rolled to help determine the exact power level of the

success. This power level is equal to the empathic skill

rating, plus the number rolled on the D6, minus the

Willpower rating (if any) of the skill's target. In the event of

an outstanding success being rolled on the D10, the final

result is doubled. If the target's Willpower reduces the

power level to 0 or less, then the skill attempt fails.

Power level is used in two different ways. Some-

times it is translated point for point into a unit of measure,

such as range of effect in meters, or number of kilograms

affected, etc. At other times, it is used to determine stages

of effect, with each six full points equaling one additional

stage beyond basic success, and each extra stage indicat-

Power Level Stage

1-5

6-11

12-17

18-23

24-29

30-32

Basic

Stage

Stage

Stage

Stage

Stage

Success

Two

Three

Four

Five

Six

Power Level = E m p a t h ' s

Skill+1D6 - Target's Willpower

ing another

creature de-

tected, or an-

other sense ap-

pealed to, etc.

The exact ef-

fects depend,

of course, upon

the specific skill

being used, as

explained in the

individual skill

descriptions.

As a general rule, empathic skill

attempts are Easy when done under

very relaxed conditions, such as in a

safe and peaceful environment, and

with willing subjects. In normal condi-

tions, however, they become Average

in difficulty, due to general distractions

and normal resistance. In a stressful

condition, such as during combat,

they become Difficult. The referee, of

course, has the final word in determin-

ing which conditions apply to any

specific empathic skill use.

The skill descriptions and task ex-

amples in this chapter are intended to

give players a basic idea of how the

skills work in this game, so that char-

acters can be designed intelligently.

However, players should always re-

member that the referee has final say

in what skills apply to a particular task

and what the resulting difficulty level of

that task is, based upon the circum-

stances of the story at the time.

Acrobatics (AGL): The Acrobatics

skill allows a character to make Agility

checks involving overall body motion

at one step easier than normal. Note

that this makes a character better at

grappling and avoiding diving blows

(see Melee Combat). A character does

not have to be an acrobat per se to

have this skill. Any sort of sports

experience would serve as well.

Act/Bluff (CHR): This is the ability

to convincingly pretend you are

something you are not . For actors, it

means portraying a fictitious charac-

ter, of course, but it also covers such

things as effectively pretending you

are holding a winning hand at poker or

convincing voters that you will fulfill all

of your campaign promises.

Animal Empathy (EMP): Animal

Empathy is a sixth sense that allows a

character to perceive the mental and

emotional state of animals. (Humans

are much more difficult to sense, be-

cause of their more complex cogni-

tion and their habit of hiding their

thoughts and emotions. For this rea-

son, there is a separate Human Em-

pathy skill, and it is more difficult to

acquire expertise in it.) The exact

amount of information perceived de-

pends up on the type of creature being

scanned and the power level of the

scanning character's success.

Simple success reveals the pres-

ence and basic emotional state of

one creature within a sphere centered

on the sensing character and with a

radius, in meters, equal to the power

level of the success.

Each additional stage of success

allows the character to improve that

information in one of three ways: (1)

double the sphere's radius, (2) reveal

all creatures of one species, or (3)

reveal the exact emotions and

thoughts of a single target creature.

For example, a character who

gained a Stage Three success might

choose to perceive one creature within

four times the normal radius (doubled

twice), or know the exact emotions

and thoughts of two creatures within

the original radius, or perceive the

exact emotions and thoughts of one

particular creature while keeping tabs

on all creatures of a particular species

within the original radius.

Archery (STR): In many cities of

the Dark Conspiracy world, a hunting

bow is now a legal type of personal

defense weapon. Archery skill reflects

expertise in using such a bow for fire

combat

Bargain (CHR): When trying to

buy information or equipment, or get

a higher price for his or her services,

bargaining comes in handy for a

character. Although bargaining

should be roleplayed out between

the referee and player, the referee

should give in more easily to PCs

with a higher Bargain skill, or let the

player know critical information about

the bargain. For example, he might tell

the player that the NPC seems ner-

vous, as if there's more to this job

than meets the eye. Or the NPC

seems anxious that you not see the left

side of the car you're bargaining for.

Biology (EDU): This skill reflects a

general knowledge of the physical

functions of living creatures. While it is

not treated as a cascade skill, for

roleplaying purposes a character with

a high Biology skill should choose to

specialize in botany (concerning

plants), zoology (concerning ani-

mals), ecology (concerning environ-

mental relations), genetics (concern-

ing heredity), or biochemistry (con-

cerning the chemical nature of life).

Business (EDO): The Businessskill

indicates a familiarity with business

practices. It includes a knowledge of

bookkeeping procedures, an aware-

ness of resources necessary to con-

duct different businesses, and famil-

iarity with methods of locating or at-

tracting customers.

Chemistry (EDU): Characters with

this skill can, with the proper equip-

ment perform chemical analysis. They

can also create useful substances such

as chemical smoke (Easy), gunpow-

der (Easy), smokeless powder (Aver-

age), tear gas (Average), dynamite

(Average), explosive primer (Aver-

AcrobaticsAct/BluffAnimal EmpathyArcheryBargainBiologyBusinessChemistryClimbingComputer EmpathyComputer OperationDemolitionsDisguiseElectronicsEmpathic HealingEngineerForebodingForgeryHeavy WeaponsHorsemanshipHuman EmpathyInstructionInterrogationLanguageLeadershipLockpickLuckMechanicMedicalMelee CombatNavigationObservationParachutePersuasionPhysicsPickpocketPilotProject EmotionProject ThoughtPsychologySmall ArmsStalkingStealthStreetwiseSwimmingThrown WeaponTrackingVehicle UseVessel UseWillpowerWillpower Drain

AGLCHREMPSTRCHREDUEDUEDUCONEMPEDUAGLCHRAGLEMPEDUEMPAGLSTRCONEMPCHRCHRCHRCHRAGLCHRSTREDUSTRINTINTCONCHREDUAGLINTEMPEMPINTSTRINTAGLINTCONSTRINTINTCONINTEMP

Skill Controlling Attribute

age), and plastic explosive (Difficult).

(Note: Smokeless powder is the pro-

pellant in modem cased ammunition;

gunpowder is for old-fashioned weap-

ons in which the powder and shot are

loaded separately.)

Climbing (CON): This is the ability

to scale vertical surfaces, whether

rock faces or buildings, with the proper

equipment Climbing a steep slope or

sheer rock face with good handholds

is Average. Climbing a sheer, mostly

smooth rock face or a building wall is

Difficult. The above assume no spe-

cialized equipment. With climbing

equipment the difficulty level is one

lower. Rappelling is Easy.

An experienced climber may as-

sist an inexperienced climber. If so, the

inexperienced climber uses his or her

own CON attribute as a Climbing skill.

Computer Empathy (EMP): With

the Computer Empathy skill, a char-

acter can sense the flow of data within

a computer or computer network.

This allows the character to react

more quickly and smoothly to

changes in the data flow, making

Computer Operation (see below) tasks

easier. The character must be physi-

cally touching a computer (whether

keyboard, screen, or processor) in

order to initiate the empathy. When the

character makes a test of this skill,

empathic power level determines

how much Computer Operation is

enhanced by.

Basic success means the charac-

ter can sense the interior workings of

the single computer that is being

touched, revealing any interior dam-

age or any problem areas in its elec-

tronic flow. Stage Two success allows

the character to empathically "read"

any data the computer is accessing,

which lowers by one level the difficulty

rating of all Computer Operation tests

the character is doing (and you could

even "read" the computer without

looking at the screen). Stage Three

allows the character to sense the inte-

rior workings of any one computer to

which his or her own is connected (by

modem, for instance), or to "read" all

data stored within the computer being

touched, even data that is not pres-

ently being accessed. A Stage Four

success means the character can

"read" any data being accessed by a

computer that is in communication

with the one being touched. Stage

Five allows the character to em-

pathically "read" data stored within

that distant computer. Stage Six

m e a n s the character can perform

Computer Operation tasks at two lev-

els of difficulty lower than normal

(Difficult becomes Easy, for instance).

Computer Operation (EDU): As

migh tbe expected, Computer Opera-

tion indicates a familiarity with the use

of computers. The referee will deter-

mine difficulty levels for tasks a char-

acter wishes to perform with a com-

puter.

Demolitions (AGL): Demolitions

skill involves the Knowledge of explo-

sives, including how to place and

detonate them effectively. Typically,

placing an explosive charge to simply

bbw something up is an Easy task.

But the difficulty may increase if the

character wishes to achieve some-

thing fancy, such as making a wall fall

in a particular direction, or if the char-

acter has to improvise the explosives

and/or detonator.

Disguise (CHR): This skill involves

convincingly looking like something

you are no t . It includes use of camou-

flage as well as such things as make-

up and costume.

Electronics (AGL): Pretty much

everyone in Dark Conspiracy knows

how to operate most electronic de-

vices. Characters with the Electronics

skill know how to create and repair

those devices, and can figure out fairly

easily how to operate the more ad-

vanced sorts (such as radar systems,

power plant controls, and the like).

Empathic Healing (EMP): Em-

pathic Healing allows characters to

improve the healing rate for wounds

they have taken. Basic success lowers

a wound's healing time by one day,

and each additional stage of success

further lowers that t ime by another

day (to a minimum time of one hour).

An empathic healer m a y also

attempt to enhance healing of an-

other creature's wounds. First, how-

ever, the healer must m a k e a Hu-

m a n Empathy test (or Animal

Empathy, if appropriate) to estab-

lish empathic contact with the vic-

tim. This test then serves as a lim-

iter of success for the Empathic

Healing tests to be m a d e for each

wound.

For example, suppose that Alan,

an empathic healer with a skill level of

8, is trying to treat three wounds on

Frieda, who has a Willpower of 4. He

succeeds at his Human Empathy

check, and rolls a 6 on 1D6 for a final

power level of 10 (8+6-4), resulting in

a Stage Two success. On his first

Empathic Healing test, he succeeds

and rolls a 2 on 1D6, just barely

scoring a Stage Two success (8+2-

4=6). Rolling for the second wound,

he fails the skill test, but not cata-

strophically. For the final wound, he

scores an outstanding success, fol-

lowed by a roll of 5 on 1D6, for a Stage

Four success (8+5-4=9,9x2=18, and

18+6=3). The first wound's time im-

proves by two days (one day for basic

success, plus one day for the addi-

tionalsuccess level). The second does

not improve at all, because he failed

his Empathic Healing roll. The third

also improves by two days, despite

the outstanding success at healing,

because he is limited by the power

level scored for Human Empathy.

Note that only one Empathic Heal-

ing test can ever be performed for

each wound.

Engineer (EDU): The Engineer skill

reflects a general knowledge of struc-

tural design, material strengths, and

construction techniques.

Foreboding (EMP): Characters with

the Foreboding skill are prone to re-

ceiving impressions of events before

those events actually take place.

Sometimes this precognition hap-

pens days before the events occur.

Other times, it is merely a second's

worth of warning. Sometimes, the

prescience manifests itself as a

dream. At others, it comes as a wak-

ing hunch. Sometimes the warning is

terribly vague. At others, it is crystal

clear. The exact results are left to the

referee's discretion, based upon story

situation and quality of the Forebod-

ing power level rolled.

Forgery (AGL): Forgery is, of

course, the ability to create false

documents. When used in conjunc-

tion with the Electronics skill, Forg-

ery allows for the falsification of

electronic documents.

Heavy Weapons (STR): The Heavy

Weapons skill reflects training with fire

weapons larger than one-person ma-

chine guns. It includes, for example,

crew-served weapons such as mor-

tars, as well as single-person weapons

like the LAW.

Horsemanship (CON): This skill

indicates a knowledge of horses,

how to ride them, and how to main-

tain them.

Human Empathy (EMP): Human

Empathy is similar to Animal Empa-

thy, except that it allows a character to

perceive the mental and emotional

state of other humans, rather than

animals. The exact amount of infor-

mation gained depends upon the qual-

ity of the empathic character's die roll.

Basic success reveals the pres-

ence and basic emotional state of

one person within a sphere cen-

tered on the sensing character and

with a radius, in meters, equal to

the character 's final power level.

Each additional stage of success

allows the empathic character to im-

prove that information in one of sev-

eral ways: (1) the radius of the sphere

can be doubled; (2) an additional

person can be sensed; (3) the level of

mental activity can be increased, pro-

ceeding from emotional state, to sur-

face thoughts, to deeper thoughts.

For instance, an empathic char-

acter who made a Stage Three

success might choose to monitor

three people ' s emotional s ta te

within the basic radius, or one

person's surface thoughts within

double the basic radius, or any of

several other combinations.

Note that the referee may im-

pose additional levels of difficulty

based upon specific situations.

Instruction (CHR): A character

with skill in Instruction is able to

effectively teach skills to other

people. (See page 29.)

Interrogation (CHR): This is the

ability to obtain information from

people. Primarily, Interrogation in-

volves asking the right questions and

correctly interpreting the responses. It

does not only include interrogation of

unwilling persons, but also of con-

fused witnesses, and even of sources

who don't realize how much they

really know.

Language (CHR): Languages in

Dark Conspiracy are organized ac-

cording to groups and families (see

the Language Table on page 316).

Communicating in a language shared

by both characters is an Average dif-

ficulty task vs. the average of the two

characters' Language skill levels. If

one of the characters does not speak

the language, but is substituting

skill in another language of the same

group, the task becomes Difficult vs.

the average of the two Language

skills. Both of these tasks become

one level easier if only simple con-

cepts are being communicated ("I'm

hungry"). Also, if one character is

overhearing another character (lis-

tening at a door, empathically read-

ing thoughts—which are, of course,

in the thinker's native language—

etc . ) , t hen only t h e listening

character 's Language skill is used.

Identifying a language is Easy if the

identifying character speaks it, Aver-

age if it is from a group containing a

language the character speaks, or

Difficult if it only shares a family with a

language familiar to the character.

Leadership (CHR): Leadership is

the use of force of personality to con-

vince others to obey you. Different

people have different manners of

leading. Some do so by barking out

orders, while others simply inspire

loyalty in their followers. Players who

choose this skill for their characters

should consider their character's per-

sonality when roleplaying its use.

It is typically an Average difficulty

task to use the Leadership skill to

convince NPCs to follow your orders.

To recruit NPCs is usually a Difficult

task. The referee may adjust this, of

course, depending upon other factors.

Lockpick (AGL): The Lockpick

skill enables a character to manipu-

late mechanical locks. To open simple

locks (like those on a briefcase, desk,

or normal door) or to hot-wire a ve-

hicle are Easy t a s k s . To pick

deadbolts or key locks on hand-

cuffs and jail cells is Average. Open-

ing combination and key locks on

padlocks, strongboxes, and safes is

Difficult. All of these assume the use of

proper lockpicks; they become one

level more difficult if tools have to be

improvised. Locks on vaults andhigh-

security facilities always require spe-

cial tools and are always Difficult

Luck (CHR): Some people just

seem to have fortune looking out for

them whateverthey do. The Luck skill

is intended to reflect this innate ability

to beat the odds. Whenever in an

adventure session a character fails a

check against some other skill, the

player may ask the referee for a Luck

check. If the Luck roll is successful, the

player may reroll the original skill

check. It is possible to check Luck

repeatedly, hoping to gain a second

roll on the original skill. However, as

characters press their Luck, it deterio-

rates. The first time that Luck is

checked in a session, the difficulty

level is Easy. Each time thereafter, the

difficulty increases by one level.

For example, Consuela, a Mexican

pilot is trying to pull her damaged

plane out of a nosedive. The referee

decides it is a Difficult check vs. her

Pilot (Fixed Wing) skill, and she fails.

She asks to test her Luck for the first

time in this adventure session, hoping

for a second chance at the Pilot roll,

and the referee agrees. But Consuela

fails the Easy roll versus her Luck.

Desperate, she asks fora second Luck

check, now at Average level, and

again, the referee agrees. She makes

her roll this time, and as a result gets a

second try at the Pilot skill, at which

she also happens to succeed. If

Consuela uses her Luck skill again in

this adventure session, the check will

be at Difficult level. The first time

she uses it in a later adventure session,

however, it will be at Easy level once

again, and so on.

Mechanic (STR): This reflects a

knowledge of how to build and

repair machinery in general. Diffi-

culty of the build or repair task will

be set by the referee. If improper

tools are available, increase any

task difficulty levels by one.

Medical (EDU): The Medical skill

allows for the treatment of wounds

and diseases. For wounds, see

"Wounds & Healing," beginning on

page 102, for details. Diseases are

left to the referee's discretion.

Melee Combat (STR): Melee Com-

bat is a cascade skill that includes both

Armed and Unarmed combat. See

"Combat & Damage" on page 73 for

details on the effects of both..

Navigation (INT): This skill indi-

cates an ability to maintain a sense of

direction, read and follow maps, and

use other basic navigational equip-

ment such as a compass. When pos-

sessed by a character who has the

Vessel Use (Ship) skill, it allows for use

of more specialized nautical naviga-

tion equipment.

Observation (INT): Observation

reflects a quality of alertness and/or a

training in noticing important infor-

mation in one's surroundings. The

skill is used for such diverse things as

detecting ambushes, discovering hid-

den compartments in luggage, and

finding one important file within an

entire drawer full of them.

Parachute (CON): Parachute is

the ability to safely descend from an

aircraft us ing a p a r a c h u t e or

paraglider. To land safely in most

terrain is Easy. To land safely in

woods, cities, swamps, or water is

Average. To land in a particular spot is

Difficult with a parachute and Aver-

age with a paraglider. Rigging or

checking a rig is Easy. Flying a hang

glider is Average. Repairing a para-

chute, paraglider, or hang glider is

Easy. Making a parachute, paraglider,

or hang glider is Difficult.

Persuasion (CHR): Persuasion, a

skill at convincing other people to act

as you wish them to, includes such

things as haggling fora bargain, rous-

ing a crowd to action, and convincing

an enemy to let you go. The referee

will set the difficulty level based

upon the specific situation and ex-

actly what sort of a speech you make.

Physics (EDU): Physics represents

a theoretical knowledge of the work-

ings of the universe. Although not a

cascade skill, for roleplaying pur-

poses, players who choose this skill

for their characters should desig-

nate some area of specialization.

Examples include geophysics, astro-

physics, or molecular physics.

Pickpocket (AGL): This skill in-

volves both misdirecting a person's

attention and then surreptitiously re-

moving an item from their person.

Generally, the victim will get an Obser-

vation skill check to notice the theft.

The Observation skill check is

treated as an opposed test, compar-

ing the Observation skill level to the

Pickpocket skill level.

Pilot (INT): Pilot is a cascade

skill including Fixed-Wing, Rotary,

and Shuttle operation.

Project Emotion (EMP): The Project

Emotion skill allows a character to

use an empathic link to instill emo-

tions in other creatures. In order to

use this skill, first an empathic link

must be established, using either Ani-

mal Empathy for animals, or Human

Empathy for humans. As with Em-

pathic Healing, the success level of

the contact established serves as a

limiter for the quality of emotion

projection. Note that if the target's

Willpower rating causes the attempt

to fail (lowering the power level to

0), the target will feel the emotion

but will recognize it as originating

from outside themselves.

Basic success with this skill means

the target must make an Easy test vs.

Intelligence to avoid acting the emo-

tion out (running or cowering if fright-

ened, arguing or fighting if angry,

etc.). Each stage of success beyond

basic increases the difficulty of the

target's Intelligence save by one level.

Project Thought (EMP): Like

Project Emotion, Project Thought re-

quires a preestablished empathic link

in order to be effective, using Animal

Empathy for animals and Human

Empathy for people. Only simple

thoughts may be communicated to

animals ("climb the tree" or "attack

the man to the left,"for example). With

human targets, the amount and qual-

ity of information communicated de-

pends upon the power level of the

empathic character 's attempt. Ba-

sic success means that a single,

simple sentence may be commu-

nicated (as with animals). A Stage

Two success allows the empath to

project a ghostly (transparent, two-

dimensional) vision. Stage Three

makes this vision opaque andthree-

dimensional. Stage Four adds au-

ditory hallucination, and Stage Five

appeals to all senses (except Em-

pathy). A Stage Six success allows

the empathic character to control

the target like a puppet.

As with Project Emotion, if the

target's Willpower reduces the power

level of a Project Thought attempt to 0,

the target will recognize the thoughts

as originating from someone else.

Psychology (INT): This skill al-

lows a character to judge the mo-

tives of another character. It can be

used, for example, to determine

the truth or falsehood of statements

the character makes . Other uses

are left to the referee.

Small Arms (STR): This indicates

a familiarity with firearms. Small Arms

is a cascade skill, with Pistol and Rifle

as its two subdivisions. See "Combat

& Damage" on page 73 for their uses.

Stalking (INT): Stalking is the ur-

ban equivalent of Tracking (below). It

involves following a quarry that typi-

cally does not want to be followed. But

instead of looking for prints and drop-

pings, the stalker is skilled at judging

the quarry's path by watching for

unconscious signs from bystanders,

gauging distances to alleys, peering

into shadows, and the like. Characters

adept at Tracking can substitute that

skill for Stalking at one difficulty level

higher than normal.

Stealth (AGL): This is the ability to

move about without drawing notice. It

is an Average difficulty task to move,

unnoticed, to within one meter of an-

other character at night The same

task becomes Difficult in daylight

(assuming there is some reason-

able route to approach by). Also,

attempts to track or stalk a stealthy

character require the trackers to sub-

tract their target's Stealth level from

their Tracking or Stalking skill before

making their task rolls.

Streetwise (INT): Streetwise is

a general knowledge of how to

survive in the roughest parts of an

urban environment. It includes such

things as knowing how to project

an image that engenders respect

among the locals and recognizing

where to go to find what you need.

Swimming (CON): Swimming is

the ability to stay afloat and move in

water. Floating is an Average difficulty

task when fully clothed; Easy with little

or no clothing. Each kilogram of

equipment effectively reduces a char-

acter's Swimming skill level by one.

If the task is failed, the character

sinks and will drown within a number

of combat rounds equal to his Consti-

tution score. Shedding clothing and/

or equipment (one round) allows a

new attempt at the task.

If the task is successful, the charac-

ter floats and may swim at a speed

equal to her (adjusted) Swimming

skill, in meters per combat round.

Characters have a swimming endur-

ance equal to five times their Con-

stitution. Floating without clothes

uses 0 endurance points; floating while

clothed uses one point per minute (10

combat rounds). Swimming unclothed

uses one per minute at half speed and

five perminute at full speed. Clothed

swimmers use double that endur-

ance and move at half that speed.

To tow another person while swim-

ming requires an Average skill check

and halves speed. Diving without an

aqualung is an Average task for up to

five meters in depth, or a Difficult task

up to 10 meters.

Thrown Weapon (STR): This is a

skill at throwing objects to hit other

objects. Specifics of this skill's use in

combat are explained in "Combat &

Damage," which begins on page 73.

Tracking (INT): Tracking is a skill

used for trailing creatures in a rural

environment. It includes knowledge of

prints, droppings, and habits of wilder-

ness animals, but can be used to track

human quarry as well. Characters

adept at Stalking can substitute it that

skill for Tracking at one difficulty level

higher than normal.

Vehicle Use (INT): Vehicle Use

is a cascade skill that includes Motor-

cycle, Wheeled Vehicle, and Heavy

Vehicle. Wheeled Vehicle includes

everything from sports cars to semi-

trucks. Heavy Vehicle involves pri-

marily military vehicles and very

large construction equipment.

Vessel Use (CON): Vessel Use is a

cascade skill that includes Boat, Ship

and Hovercraft. Boat involves any-

thing from a rubber raft to a large

motorboat, while Ship indicates water

craft from yachts to oil tankers.

Willpower (INT): This skill reflects

a strength of character that resists

domination by outside forces and per-

severes in the face of adversity. The

skill is typically used in two different

ways. First, it is an automatic subtrac-

tion from the power level of all Em-

pathic attacks directed at the charac-

ter. Second, the referee may require a

Willpower check to be made if the

character witnesses particularly horri-

fying events. The difficulty level of the

test will be decided by the referee,

based upon the exact circumstances,

and the results of failure could range

from characters losing their most re-

cent meal, to running away, to fainting

from shock. Exact results are to be

decided by the referee. In general, the

easier the Willpower test, the less se-

vere the effects of failure.

Willpower Drain (EMP): Some-

times, in order to succeed at an em-

pathic attack, a character first has to

overcome a victim's Willpower. Will-

power Drain allows a character to

do so. It requires an Average oppo-

sition test of the attacker's skill

level minus the target 's Empathy,

and each stage of success reduces

the target 's Willpower by one point

for the duration of the encounter.

Often, several successive attacks

are required to "soften up" the tar-

get sufficiently for other EMP skills

to have a chance of success.

Depending upon the circum-

stances, the referee may choose to

adjust the Willpower Drain's difficulty

level upward or downward to account

for such things as a wounded defender

or attacker, a captive target, etc.

The world of Dark Conspiracy isour own, but projected just a fewyears into the future. This world hassuffered a global economic collapse,sometimes called the Greater De-pression, and a disintegration of thetraditional nation-states. Nations stillexist, but their actions are increas-ingly irresponsible or irrelevant, andmany people argue that they havebecome obsolete. Large megacorpo-rations rival the nations in power.

But the greatest change from to-day has been the appearance, gradu-ally at first, of the Dark Ones. Now wholeareas of countryside and urban centershave been taken over. In previous times,these areas would be called haunted.Now they are called Demonground.

The United States of the near future is similar to that

of today in outline, but differs dramatically in detail.

Throughout the 1990s , the world stood poised

on the brink of the abyss . Global population ap -

proached critical levels. The socialist world was

imploding economically, which placed major strains

on the rest of the world's financial institutions. The

capitalist world was at the end of several d e c a d e s

of reckless investments . Internationally, hundreds

of billions of dollars had been loaned to govern-

m e n t s which faced insolvency and loan default.

Domestically, investments by even traditionally

conservat ive institutions, such as banks , insurance

compan ie s , and savings and loans, had been in-

creasingly concentra ted in high-risk ventures, such

as large real es ta te development s c h e m e s , s tock

speculation, and "junk" bonds .

Rather than drawing back , humank ind s e e m e d

compel led to leap into the yawning c h a s m . Greed

and hostility s e e m e d the principal motivations of

key players in world finance and government .

Waves of nationalist secess ion m o v e m e n t s swept

Europe, Asia, and Africa. The Soviet Union pro-

vided the largest and mos t gro tesque examples of

nationalism gone wild. Republics seceded from the

Union, provinces seceded from the republics, dis-

tricts seceded from the provinces, until virtually all

that was left were warring b a n d s terrorizing the

"foreigners" in the next village.

Greed fueled the speculative binge a m o n g finan-

cial institutions. Senior officials, in their rush to

m a k e their fortune quickly and get out before the

collapse, has tened the collapse itself.

Then c a m e the wars—wars over oil in the Middle

East, over land in the Indian subcontinent, over

nationality in Europe . China slipped into anarchy

and civil war, while new regional powers struggled

for domination of their neighbors by force of a rms .

Mining facilities, factories, oil wells and refineries—

all were targets in the flurry of border wars that left

the belligerents impoverished, but still a rmed .

The result was an economic decline greater than

any in m o d e r n history. Over a decade later, the

Greater Depression still grips the world, and shows

no signs of improvement .

Economic and social ruin outstripped the ability of

government to deal with them, and so traditional institu-

tions which promoted order began breaking down.

Government still exists, but it is far more remote and less

powerful.

As income plunged, so too did tax revenues, leading

to a moratorium on debt repayment that sent a massive

shock through the world financial community. Now few

borrowers will buy government bonds (making deficit

financing nearly impossible) and meager tax revenues

will not support the previous levels of activity.

In the political arena, passage of the Voting Rights Act

of 1997, which included provisions for voters to give their

proxy votes to others in government elections, just as

they previously could in corporate elections, has con-

centrated tremendous political power in the hands of

large corporations. They, in turn, have done everything

possible to limit the size of government.

The result is not only a dramatic decline in basic

government services, but also a retreat from even

trying to control certain geographic areas. Large stretches

of country side are now refered to as the "Out- Law," since

they are out of the legal jurisdiction of any active

governmental authority. Rural areas are the responsibil-

ity of county police, but in counties where there are no

permanent residents, there are obviously no police.

State police patrol the interstate highway system, but

little else. The FBI still has nominal authority over a wide

variety of situations, but financial and manpower re-

sources are so limited that intervention is infrequent and

haphazard.

With the rise of huge agricorps and the collapse

of traditional marke t s , people fled the countryside

for the cities in accelerating number s . The result is

that in excess of 80% of the population of the United

Sta tes now lives in a few gigantic, t eeming urban

metroplexes .

As the city populat ions have swelled with rural

refugees, quality of life in those cities h a s declined

even further. Unemployment is high around the

globe, and crime h a s skyrocketed as a direct result.

Many small businesses—restaurants , shops , and

light manufacturing facilities—have remained open,

but it is m o r e of a struggle than ever for t hem to k e e p

the wolf from the door. Average salaries have steadily

declined, while prices have continually increased.

Transportat ion costs , in particular, have risen astro-

nomically, forcing working people to m o v e into the

inner cities, closer to their jobs.

This h a s left the suburbs for the unemployed and

rural refugees of the Farm Family Relocation C a m p s .

Consequently, those suburbs have degenera ted into

nightmarish ghet tos of squalor and cr ime.

Municipal police are responsible for order in the

sprawling metroplexes , but large a r ea s of urban

slum are entered by the police only when in hot

pursuit, and then with great caution. These a r ea s are

surrounded by signs reading "You Are Now Leaving

A Controlled Zone."

With large a r ea s no longer under police control,

violent subcultures have inevitably grown up . Many

gangs are based in the abandoned par t s of town and

strike out on raids into the controlled zones. Police

at tempting to follow them are increasingly sub-

jected to a m b u s h e s , and infrequent a t tempts to

clean out these a reas resemble a military c a m -

paign, with the police suppor ted by a rmored ve-

hicles and clearing the area building by building.

Yet, in the very center of the cities, new skyscrap-

ers attest to the wealth of the international business

conglomera tes . Whole downtown a reas a re pur-

chased by these corpora te entities, then fenced off

and reworked to h o u s e their employees in comfort

while the rest of the world sits outside and watches

with hungry eyes . Here, safe within well-patrolled

walls and fences, a few glittering towers s tand

surrounded by lush green lawns and sparkling

fountains. Many municipalities have ceded police

authority to megacorpora t ions for their own proper-

ties, relieving government of a financial burden

while giving corporate execut ives virtual life-and-

death power in their own domains .

Working from the very center of a city outward,

we find a region of high-tech, corporate affluence.

These islands of affluence a re surrounded by a

mixture of depressed , but still surviving, middle-

class housing and true s lums. Picture the bulk of

20th-century Hong Kong, with streets packed with

pedest r ians and bicyclists, dotted with a sprinkling

of c h e a p autos , through which an occasional el-

egant stretch l imousine p a s s e s on its way to the

megacorpora te heart . Outside the city proper stretch

miles upon miles of decaying suburbs , filled with

despera te souls and rocked regularly by violence.

Much m o r e rigid deliniation exists between social

c lasses than h a s been true in the past . Broadly

speaking, there are three c lasses of society in

industrialized nations: g n o m e s , mikes , and proles.

Gnome is a double play on words, hearkening both to

the old term "Gnomes of Zurich," meaning the Swiss

financial community, as well as to the contemporary

term nomenklatura, or privileged class. Gnomes (or

nomens) are the absolute financial elite of the world.

Most g n o m e s are born to their station, with family

m o n e y guaranteeing a superb private education and

family influence securing choice entry-level posi-

tions in corporate m a n a g e m e n t .

Mikes are what is left of the middle class, and

actually consist of two radically different groups:

wage slaves (a te rm considered extremely offen-

sive) and outsiders (or true mikes ) .

Wage slaves form the bulk of the salaried work force

for the large corporations which control over 90% of the

productive capacity and distribution channels of the

industrialized worlds. They are middle- and tower-

echelon managers, accountants, clerks, technicians,

janitors, and security thugs. They are responsible for

keeping the corporate machine running, both figura-

tively and, in the case of the automated factories, literally.

O n e area of economic endeavor at which corpo-

rate y e s - m e n have never proven adept at, however,

is the creative p roces s itself. The outs iders a re

responsible for a lmost all creative effort in society.

Not only are they artists, writers, and performers,

they are design engineers , software designers, ad

jingle writers, toy inventors, and hundreds of other

occupat ions necessa ry to creat ing and selling prod-

ucts . Most work on a royalty or piecework fee basis ,

selling their work to the highest bidder.

The last g roup is the proles. Prole is the general

t e rm used to describe the vast underc lass that clings

decay, and even nuclear radiation contamination are

accepted as unavoidable.The corporations are uncon-

cerned about what happens to the masses , as long as

their own playgrounds remain clean, while federal

governments have little or no ability to enforce the

antipollution laws they once made .

A few aspects of environmental ruin apply globally.

Background radiation has increased, both as a result of

a thinning ozone layer and radioactive fallout from

the few nukes and m a n y R-bombs that m a n y Third

World countries have used. (R-bombs are a poor man 's

nuclear weapon, ideally suited to nations without the

technical capability to build nuclear devices. They

consist of a high-explosive charge surrounded by

nuclear waste. Upon detonation, they contaminate a

sizable area with lethal radiation for 1000 or more years.)

Heavy levels of air pollution have brought about

an increase in acid rain; polluted water is t aken for

granted in mos t populated a reas . Even in the mos t

developed countries, no o n e drinks water any more

until it h a s been treated.

Weather pat terns have been severely disturbed

by a tmospher ic pollution. Ext reme fluctuations in

to survival on the fringes of society. They are largely

without regular income, and often without a regular

residence. Many eke out a m e a g e r existence as

ballotmen, selling their vote proxies to the megacor -

porat ions in return for a subsis tence stipend used to

buy food and clothing from c o m p a n y stores. Others

live by cr ime and violence.

The nearly deser ted countryside between the

metroplexes , o n c e the m o s t p leasant land on the

face of the Earth, h a s b e c o m e a howling wilderness,

nightmarish in its hostility.

The global tensions and economic collapse imposed

a war mentality on America, and during any war,

environmental conce rns t ake a backsea t . Oil spills,

toxic was te contaminat ion, acid rain, ozone layer

t empera ture and precipitation are m u c h m o r e pro-

nounced than ever before. Rains are heavier, droughts

are m o r e severe, freezes often reach well into the

tropics, and tropical hea t occasionally finds its way

nearly to the arctic.

The countryside has been almost completely aban-

doned. Only monster agricorps, a scattering of die-hard

farm families, and bands of outlaw drifters remain. Many

of the fields have become tangled wildemesses of brush,

dotted here and there with copses of the fastest growing

trees (given anotherfew decades, they will havereverted

to forest). Roads still run through rural regions, of course,

but only a few interstate highways are maintained.

About one town or village in five remains in existence;

the rest are ghost towns. Technologically, these areas

have taken a step back roughly 50 to 100 years.

With the abandonment of the countryside, natural

wildlife has multiplied, but it is an imbalanced growth, a

rbtous explosion of life, without many of the biological

checks and balances characteristic of earlier times.

Insect populations have increased astronomically, some-

times covering the sky in dense clouds. In some areas,

there has been a resultant explosive increase in the

number of insect predators such as birds and bats,

followed by increased numbers of larger predators, and

so on. But disease organisms have been on the rise too,

and unpredictable p lagues sweep through these

burgeoning populations, dotting the countryside with

thousands of dead, bloated creatures. Consequently, the

life forms that have been most successful are carrion

eaters such as crows, vultures, and the like.

O n e of the mos t important social c h a n g e s h a s

been the increase in parochial ism—the tendency

for communi t ies to view themse lves as self-suffi-

cient and to distrust, even hate , all outsiders. This

h a s b e c o m e particularly pronounced in the few

surviving small cities and rural comunit ies . Travel-

lers are faced constantly with distrust, envy, and

antagonism.

With the decline of federal and state govern-

men t s , local governments have been forced to t ake

up the slack, and they have c o m e to resent any

federal or s tate intrusions into their authority. Very

few people have the m e a n s to travel any d is tance,

so s t rangers are, by definition, wealthier than nor-

mal, and locals resent being reminded of their own

poverty. The fact that m u c h less effort than ever

before is devoted to educat ing the general popu lace

increases that populace ' s isolation from outside

ideas, cultures, and viewpoints, resulting in wide-

spread bigotry. Finally, the very fact that the world

h a s b e c o m e such a miserable p lace for mos t people

does nothing to e n h a n c e their friendliness toward

strangers .

The rural Out-Law is m u c h worse. Gangs wander

the deser ted back roads on motorcycles or heavily

modified cars , m a n y of t hem with weapons mounts .

They live by robbery and extortion.

Worse t han all the natural disasters which h a v e

befallen the world is a clearly unnatural one . A dark

force h a s returned to Earth, and now is causing even

greater turmoil and misery. Its influence on the

act ions of humankind is detectable , but subtle.

Increasingly, however, there a re m u c h less subtle

manifestations of its p resence .

For eons, humanity has whispered stories about evil

beings of supernatural origin: trolls, demons, vampires,

zombies, elves, morlocks, and many more. Now crea-

tures similar to these legends have begun to appear. The

harried authorities dismiss repor ts about t h e m as

hoaxes , or the product of de ranged minds . S o m e of

the authorities deliberately cover the reports up, for

sinister r easons of their own.

Most of what you know about the Dark Minions is

rumor. You suspect that they are the servants of the

evil force feeding off of the world's agony, rather than

the actual source of the evil. You know they have

s o m e similarities to the crea tures of legend, which

m a y give hints to their weaknesses . But you also

know that the legends were only the a t tempt of a

primitive person to describe a very sophisticated

being which he or she only vaguely understood.

Bizarre a reas are beginning to appea r in uncon-

trolled territory, both in the cities and the country-

side. Locals call t h e m a variety of n a m e s , but the

mos t c o m m o n is Demonground. Since marauding

bands no longer strike out from these areas , the

police leave t h e m alone, and attribute the s t range

stories about t h e m to ignorant superstition. Most

h u m a n s who venture into such a reas never return.

In the countryside, Demonground usually h a s

bizarre vegetation: bleak, twisted t rees and tangled

thorn b u s h e s are the m o s t c o m m o n , with consider-

able s t re tches of bare , m u d d y ground or exposed

bedrock. In cities, decayed buildings are often altered to

include mazes of weird organic-looking tunnels. These

are found either inside buildings or linking separate

buildings, and they wander in seemingly random direc-

tions. Often they slope up or down and connect to the

sewers or even lower levels of excavations.

Dark Minions often inhabit t he se a reas ' hear ts .

In Dark Conspiracy, t he m o s t exper t adventurers

rely heavily u p o n careful investigation and thor-

ough planning before mak ing their mo v e . Even the

experts m a k e mis takes somet imes , however. That ' s

when good c o m b a t skills b e c o m e extremely im-

portant .

Movement and relative positions of figures dur-

ing c o m b a t can be handled in m a n y different ways,

depending upon the exact situation being repre-

sented. In s o m e cases—those involving only a very

few figures, for example—charac te r s ' changing

positions can be kept t rack of in the players ' heads ,

as the referee descr ibes them. In slightly more

complicated situations, a rough sketch on pape r

can often serve well enough. Even more complex

c o m b a t s can be represented with counters or min-

iatures on a m o r e detailed m a p . Any convenient

scale can be used; m o v e m e n t ra tes and weapon

ranges in this book are listed in mete r s .

Humans: In general , h u m a n s m o v e at one of four

different ra tes : crawl (2 meters ) , walk (8 meters ) ,

trot ( 1 5 mete rs ) , or run (30 mete rs ) . Burdened

charac te rs travel half this fast. Note that crawling

charac te rs are considered prone.

All m a p s included in Dark Conspiracy p roducts

are executed with a squa re grid to help m e a s u r e

m o v e m e n t and f ir ing ranges . Two different sca les

of grids are used, one for large-scale, outdoor

c o m b a t s and another for smaller-scale c o m b a t s

such as inside buildings or in alleys. The outdoor

grid u se s squares representing eight me te r s on a

side. Obviously it is fairly ea sy for people to m o v e

about a squa re this large without interfering with

one another. In the first d iagram below, this large

grid system h a s been super imposed upon an Ameri-

can-style 100-yard football field, in order to give a

good sense of the actual area covered within each

of these squares . In the diagram, the offensive t e a m

is shown lined up for a play with the ball on its own

40-yard line.

The indoor grid is used for smaller a reas , and

generally includes m o r e detail of the contents of

such a reas . Therefore, a two-meter grid is used for

these . In the second d iagram below, the s a m e

offensive line shown on the eight-meter grid above

is shown again on a two-meter grid. Note that three

large eight-meter s q u a r e s are reproduced and

broken into their c o m p o n e n t two-meter squares .

Atthis scale, e ach person occupies a single square .

Theoretically, it is possible for m o r e than one to

occupy a two-meter area, but it would difficult for

both of t hem to conduct any sort of activity without

interfering with each other.

These grid sizes h a v e been chosen to m a k e them

as easy a s possible to u s e with t h e m o v e m e n t ra tes

and ranges in Dark Conspiracy. For example , when

using the two-meter grid, a character can crawl one

grid square , walk four, trot eight, and run 15 in each

action. When using the larger grid, t he s a m e char-

acter could walk one , trot two and run four squares

per action. It would t a k e four act ions worth of

crawling to m o v e o n e square .

It is completely possible to m o v e and fire diago-

nally through a square as well as orthogonally

(straight up and down or from side to side), but the

diagonal dis tance is greater. This c a n be repre-

sented fairly accurately by counting a square as

being half again as long diagonally as it is or thogo-

nally. In other words, a two-meter square counts as

three me te r s diagonally, and an eight-meter one

counts as 12.

E a c h c o m b a t turn is 30 s econds long and is

divided into six five-second c o m b a t p h a s e s . A

character m a y perform one action per c o m b a t

phase , and each action is considered to t ake the

entire p h a s e to comple te . An action is a precisely

defined activity as listed below.

A c o m b a t turn doesn ' t a lways h a v e to be broken

down into discrete phase s , however. S o m e encoun-

ters, such as long car c h a s e s with sporadic gunfire

for instance, m a y be better handled by treating the

c o m b a t turn as a whole. In such a case , t h e players

tell the referee what their charac ters intend to do

during the turn. The referee then de termines the

activies of the NPCs, resolves fire, and tells the

players what their charac te rs s e e and hear as a

result. In m a n y c a s e s , however, it is important to

preserve a m o r e rigorous division of t ime and

action.

A charac ter m a y only perform o n e action per

comba t p h a s e . Players decide e a c h of their charac-

ters ' ac t ions only when it is actually t ime for the

character to act . The possible c o m b a t act ions are

explained below:

Fire: The character fires a weapon at any target

that is within line of sight or tha t h a s been within line

of sight at s o m e point during the current phase . With

s o m e w e a p o n s this action m a y be combined with a

walk or trot.

Aim: Aiming improves t h e c h a n c e s of hitting a

target. It is done immediately before firing. Aiming

at a target or area also enables charac te rs to fire at

any target which m o v e s through their line of sight in

a later p h a s e . In effect, the firing character is waiting

for the target to appea r before taking a shot.

Reload: I t generally t akes one c o m b a t p h a s e to

reload a weapon, al though s o m e w e a p o n s t ake

longer (and thus require several reload act ions to

finish).

Melee: This consti tutes either an a r m e d at tack

with a me lee weapon (which m a y be combined with

a walk or a trot) or an u n a r m e d or hand- to -hand

attack. There a re four t ypes of u n a r m e d a t tacks :

strike, grapple, e s c a p e (any of which m a y be com-

bined with a walk or a trot), and diving blow (which

m a y be combined with a walk, trot or a run) .

Ready/Change Equipment: This can consist of

putting down your rifle and taking out a knife,

drawing a pistol, linking two a m m o belts together,

readying a radio to transmit, etc .

Crawl: The character m o v e s two me te r s (one

small grid square) in a p rone position.

Walk: The character m o v e s eight me te r s (one

large grid square ) .

Trot: The character m o v e s 15 m e t e r s (two large

grid squares ) .

Run: The character m o v e s 30 me te r s (four large

grid squares ) .

Go Prone/Stand Up: A crawling character is

prone . A p rone charac ter m a y s tand up a t any t ime,

either as an action by itself or as part of a walk, trot,

o r run action. Standing up cu ts t h e dis tance m o v e d

in an action in half.

Mount/Dismount: Get in or out of a vehicle (on or

off a m o u n t such as a horse) .

Talk: During comba t , p layers will often want to

discuss their p lans . But for real ism's sake , the

referee i s encouraged to k e e p t h e s e discussions to

a reasonable length and complexity. Since each

action is only five s econds long, p layers should not

say m o r e than o n e sen tence or so during a c o m b a t

p h a s e . Note that while talking c a n be combined with

mos t other actions, i t cannot be combined with

firing.

The n u m b e r of act ions that charac te rs m a y con-

duct in a c o m b a t turn, and the order of their act ions,

is de te rmined by Initiative values ( a s explained

under "Sequence ," below). These n u m b e r s range

from 1 to 6 initially, but they c a n be reduced due to

panic or wounds .

Characters who are slightly wounded have their

Initiative reduced by 1, by 3 if seriously wounded.

Charac ters who h a v e had their Initiative level re-

duced to 0 m a y not act at all. (They are not

necessar i ly unconsc ious , merely too wounded,

s tunned, and frightened to act effectively.)

The six p h a s e s of a turn are numbered in reverse

order, with p h a s e 6 coming first, p h a s e 5 second,

and so on . In e a c h p h a s e all charac te rs with an

Initiative equal to or greater than the p h a s e number

m a y conduct an act ion. In p h a s e 4, for example , all

charac ters with Initiatives of 4, 5, and 6 conduct

act ions.

Actions in each p h a s e a re conduc ted in a specific

order. Characters with the s a m e Initiative as the

p h a s e number go f i rs t , followed by the next higher

Initiative, followed by the next, and so forth. The

referee will m o d e r a t e this flow of act ions by calling

out Initiative n u m b e r s in the order in which they act.

When a charac ter ' s Initiative n u m b e r is called, the

responsible player tells the referee the action the

character is conducting, as in "firing at the creatures

in the doorway."

When an NPC's turn c o m e s to act, the referee will

a n n o u n c e t h a t NPC's action provided it is detectable

to the charac ters .

The effect of this s e q u e n c e is both to limit the

number of act ions a charac ter c a n perform to his or

her Initiative rating and also to regulate the se-

quence of act ions in a turn. A typical turn proceeds

as follows:

Phase 6: 6 acts.

Phase 5: 5 acts, 6 acts.

Phase 4: 4 acts, 5 acts, 6 acts.

Phase 3: 3 acts, 4 acts, 5 acts, 6 acts.

Phase 2: 2 acts, 3 acts, 4 acts, 5 acts, 6 acts.

Phase 1: 1 acts, 2 acts, 3 acts, 4 acts, 5 acts, 6 acts.

Note that this not only m e a n s that high-Initiative

charac te rs m a y a t tack m o r e frequently in a turn

than m a y lower-Initiative characters , i t also m e a n s

that i f they choose to m o v e , they c a n usually m o v e

farther. This does not m e a n that high-Initiative

charac te rs could run faster in normal competit ion,

only that they can in a c o m b a t situation because

they hesitate less. Even lower-Initiative characters

have the option of choosing m o v e m e n t as a repeti-

tive action, however, and thereby m a y m o v e as far

in one turn as a high-Initiative character.

"'Steady.'"—Zena Marley, quoting Walter Cronkite

(late 20th-century journalist)

Agility and Weapon Bulks: If two charac ters have

the s a m e Initiative and are conduct ing act ions a t the

s a m e t ime that m a y interfere with each other (such

as firing at e ach other) , t he character with the

highest Agility goes first. However, for pu rposes of

this determination, subtract the bulk rating of e ach

charac ter ' s weapon from that charac ter ' s Agility.

Repetition: A character who decides to do ex-

actly the s a m e thing for an entire turn m a y conduct

that action in every p h a s e of the turn. All repetitive

act ions a re conducted at the beginning of the phase ,

regardless of the Initiative level of the charac te rs

conduct ing t h e m . However, charac ters who inter-

rupt their repetitive act ions in the middle of a turn

m a y not t a k e any other action until their next regular

opportunity to do so in the action sequence , and that

next action m a y only be to go p rone or to duck

behind cover.

Opportunity Fire: Characters who are aiming in a

specified direction or at a specific area may fire imme-

diately upon an enemy who passes through their line of

sight. This fire is resolved as if it happened simulta-

neously with the target's movement. If the target was

visible at the beginning of the aiming character's action,

the first shot fired counts as an aimed shot; otherwise all

individual shots are considered quick shots (see page

84). (In the case of automatic fire, no shots count as

aimed fire. See the automatic fire rule on page 83.)

Characters m a y fire opportunity fire in a p h a s e in

which they would not normally be able to t ake an

action. O n c e they fire opportunity fire in such a

phase , however, they m a y not do so again until they

conduct an additional aim action.

A character who conduc t s opportunity fire is

considered to have t aken an action for that p h a s e

and m a y not t ake another, even if it is his or her

normal turn to do so. In the next p h a s e the character

is still considered to be aiming at the s a m e point until

she or he t a k e s s o m e other action.

A player m a y only conduct opportunity f ire o n c e

during a p h a s e .

Ambush: An a m b u s h consis ts of one or m o r e

charac ters f ir ing at an e n e m y force from previously

undetected posit ions. S ince the a m b u s h e r s will be

undetected, it is probable that the moving force is

not conduct ing c o m b a t movemen t , but simply

moving. For pu rposes of this f irst c o m b a t turn, then,

all charac ters in the moving force with an Initiative

other than 6 are considered to be conduct ing repeti-

tive movemen t , and thus m o v e every p h a s e . (Char-

acters with an Initiative of 6 m a y t ake act ions

normally.) The a m b u s h e r s m a y o p e n fire when one

or m o r e of t hem reach a p h a s e in which they

normally can act, or, if they are aiming, when the

target enters their line of fire.

Whenever characters are knocked down by wound

damage (see "Wounds & Healing," page 102) or sur-

prised (attacked from an unexpected direction, am-

bushed, etc.), there is a chance that they will panic. This

is not blind panic which sends them screaming away, but

which rather causes them to freeze momentarily.

To determine if a character panics , roll 1D6. If t he

result is greater than that charac ter ' s Initiative rat-

ing, the character panics . A panicked character

m a y not conduct any action for a n u m b e r of p h a s e s

equal to the a m o u n t by which the die roll exceeded

the character ' s Initiative. However, a character who

is forced to freeze for m o r e than o n e c o m b a t p h a s e

m a y choose to go p rone in the second p h a s e , in

which ca se he or she remains there until able to act

again.

Charge: Charac ters on foot who are charged by

a vehicle (not a bicycle) or running horse within 100

mete r s (that is, they are about to be run over by

someth ing large and fast) mus t e a c h check for

panic . Any character who pan ics d o e s not hesitate;

instead, he or she runs . Subtract 1 from the panic roll

of any character holding a weapon with a good

chance of s topping the attacker, if that charac ter is

prepared to fire it.

Characters must be within two meters of each other tomake unarmed combat attacks. There are five types ofunarmed attacks: strikes, grapples, escapes, strangling,and diving blows. Strikes and diving blows attempt to dodamage to the target, while grapples and escapes at-tempt to seize and hold the target or to escape from ahold. Strangling is similar to grappling, except that oncea secure hold is achieved, damage begins to be inflictedon the target. As with other actions, a character maymake only one unarmed combat attack per combatphase.

Strike Attacks: A strike attack is an Average difficultytask versus Melee Combat (Unarmed) skill. Successmeans that the attack hits. An outstanding success doesdouble damage.

Blocks: If a character successfully hits an opponent,the opponent may be able to block the blow. Charactersmay attempt to block an attack at any time when a blowis directed at them, but the block counts as one of theblocker's actions for that combat turn.

For example, Gigi, a character with an Initiative of 3,is struck in phase 5 and elects to block. She must chooseto lose an action in phase 3, 2, or 1, the phases in which

she would normally act. She could elect to act in phase3, lose her action in phase 2, and act again in 1, forexample. Or she might decide to lose phase 3, then actin 2 and 1, or act in 3 and 2 but not in 1. The decision neednot be made immediately; it can be made as each phasecomes up.

Blocking is a Difficult task versus Melee Combat(Unarmed) skill. Success means that the attack has noeffect. An outstanding success means that the blockingcharacter does not lose an action.

Surprise attacks cannot be blocked (that's why they'recalled a surprise).

Aimed Attacks: Characters may decide to concen-trate their attacks against one particular body part. Thisis a Difficult level task versus Melee Combat (Unarmed)skill. If such an attack succeeds, the die roll for hit location(see below) is not made; instead, the attacker choosesthe hit location. (An outstanding success still doubles thedamage done.)

Hit Location: Hit location (if the attack succeeds andis not blocked) is rolled on the appropriate column of theHuman/Animal Hit Location Chart (biped or quadru-ped). The die roll for hit location is not made for a surpriseattack (an unexpected strike from behind) nor for anaimed attack. In both of these cases, the attacker is

allowed to choose the hit location.

Damage: Damage inflicted from a strike is equal to

either the attacker's unarmed combat damage rating or

the damage value of the weapon used.

Armor: Armor absorbs points of damage equal to its

armor value from each strike attack and suffers no

damage itself. For every two hits absorbed, one hit (round

off to the nearest whole number) is inflicted on the body part

the attacker used to make the strike (right arm, left arm, right

leg, left leg, or—in some rare cases—head).

Thus, if Sarah Mitchell landed a right hook into Big

Daddy G's abdomen and caused 6 points of damage,

but Daddy was wearing a flak jacket, Daddy would

only suffer 5 hits, while Sarah's right arm would suffer

1 hit.

Grappling: Grappling is an Average difficulty task

versus Agility. It is somewhat simpler to resolve than a

strike because blocking is not possible, there is no hit

location to be rolled, and armor has no effect.

While grappling "damage" is calculated in the same

way as for a strike, the results of the attack are termed

controlling hits. They are not actual damage, but rather

a measure of the extent to which one character has

physically controlled another (with a hammer lock, a

bear hug, etc.). Once a character has inflicted controlling

hits on another character equal to or in excess of the

target character's Strength, that character is totally

controlled and ceases struggling. The controlled charac-

ter may not move, nor may the controlling character

move without releasing control (all controlling hits disap-

pear). Until that time, however, the target character may

attempt to escape or may grapple with the original

attacking character. If both characters grapple, the first

one to achieve hits equal to the opponent's Strength

controls the other.

Escape: An escape attempt is resolved in exactly the

same way as a grapple, but if the attempt is successful,

hits are removed from the accumulated total which the

other character has already built up.

Strangling: Strangling is handled like grappling, with

three main differences: (1) It may be blocked; (2) armor

does have effect; and (3) a character who becomes

"totally controlled" becomes unconscious and begins to

suffer head wounds equal to the attacker's unarmed

combat value every phase thereafter, for as long as the

hold is maintained. If the hold is released before death

ensues, the victim rolls to regain consciousness per the

serious wound rules. Note: Garottes double the attacker's

unarmed combat damage rating for strangling attacks.

Diving Blows: Diving blows are attempts to throw

oneself at an enemy and knock him or her down.

Blocking is not possible and armor has no effect.

Avoidance: If a character is surprised (an unexpected

attack from behind) the attack always hits. If not sur-

prised, the character may attempt to avoid the attack: an

Average test versus Agility. If this succeeds, the attacker

is knocked down, but an outstanding success means the

avoidance does not use up the target's action for the

phase. A catatrophic failure means the avoider takes

double damage from the attack. (See Effects, below.) If

the attack is not avoided, it automatically hits.

Effects: If a diving blow hits, either the attacker or

defender is knocked down and suffers wounds. If

lD6+(2xConstitution) of the attacker is greater than the

Strength of the defender, the defender is knocked down

and suffers hits equal to the difference. Otherwise, the

attacker is knocked down and suffers hits equal to the

difference. Defenders who are surprised use only thier

Constitution for the comparison.

A r m e d me lee c o m b a t is conduc ted with hand-

held striking weapons .

Range: There are two general categories of m e -

lee weapons : short and long range . Charac ters m u s t

be within two mete r s of e ach other (the s a m e as for

u n a r m e d c o m b a t a t tacks) for shor t - range a t tacks ,

or within three me te r s for long-range a t tacks . If a

charac ter with a shor t - range weapon (including

u n a r m e d comba t ) encounters a character with a

long-range weapon , the short-range weapon m a y

not a t tack in the first p h a s e of contact (although a

shor t - range m e l e e w e a p o n m a y be used to block in

this ca se ) .

The r anges of m e l e e w e a p o n s a re given on the

Melee Weapons Chart on p a g e 3 2 3 .

Hit Procedure: An a rmed me lee at tack is an

Average difficulty t a s k v e r s u s Melee C o m b a t

(Armed) . In the c a s e of a surprise a t tack (an

unexpec ted a t tack from behind) , no roll is m a d e ; the

at tack automatically hits.

Modifiers: S o m e melee w e a p o n s add a modifier

to the character ' s Melee C o m b a t skill, as shown on

the Melee Weapon Chart . This modifier is added to

or subtracted from the charac te r ' s skill; however, it

m a y never r educe the charac ter ' s skill below level 1.

Blocks: If the target of a me lee at tack is also

a r m e d with a me lee weapon and wishes to a t tempt

to block the strike, the character m a y do so. How-

ever, t he block counts as one of the character ' s

act ions for the c o m b a t turn.

For example , J e r o m e , with an Initiative of 2, and

Miguel, with an Initiative of 3, a re battling each other

with m a c h e t e s . In p h a s e 3, Miguel m a k e s a success -

ful a t tack on J e r o m e , who decides to try and block

it. ( J e r o m e knows that he is going to run out of

act ions before Miguel does , but he is hoping that

Miguel will miss in a later a t tack or that s o m e o n e will

c o m e to his rescue.) The block is successful, so it

s t o p s Miguel ' s a t t a c k , but J e r o m e h a s s p e n t a n

ac t ion for t h e t e r m . W h e n p h a s e 2 c o m e s , he will

h a v e t o d e c i d e w h e t h e r t o t a k e a n o t h e r ac t ion

t h e n a n d lose his c h a n c e to a c t in p h a s e 1 , o r sk ip

his ac t ion in p h a s e 2 a n d re ta in t h e o p p o r t u n i t y

in p h a s e 1.

A block is a Difficult level task versus Melee

C o m b a t (Armed) . S u c c e s s m e a n s the a t tack i s

blocked, but an outs tanding s u c c e s s m e a n s the

blocking charac ter d o e s not lose an action for the

turn.

Hit Location: Hit location is rolled on the appro-

priate hit location chart . The die roll for hit location

is not m a d e for a surprise at tack, however. Instead,

the a t tacker picks the location.

Aimed Attacks: An at tacker m a y a t tempt to

specify the hit location before making a m e l e e

at tack, but this m a k e s the task Difficult level. If t he

attack succeeds , the a t tacker chooses the location

hit.

Other Considerations: The referee m a y choose

to m a n d a t e hit locations if the situation s e e m s to

warrant it. For example , if an injured character

crawls up to an e n e m y and a t tacks with a knife, the

at tack is unlikely to hit the target anywhere but in the

legs. Similarly, a character s tanding on the roof of a

truck and swinging a short chain is not going to hit

the leg of an opponen t on the ground.

Damage: D a m a g e inflicted from a melee at tack

depends upon the type of weapon being used . The

Melee Weapons Char t gives t h e n u m b e r of d a m a g e

dice rolled for e a c h type of weapon .

S o m e me lee w e a p o n s have a notation indicating

that t h e Strength rating, or half t h e Strength rating,

of the a t tacker is added to the total from d a m a g e

dice rolled. This reflects added d a m a g e caused by

heavy blows from stronger charac ters .

Armor: Armor absorbs hits equal to twice its

a rmor level from each a rmed m e l e e c o m b a t at tack

and suffers no d a m a g e itself.

Obviously, f i re c o m b a t can be conducted a t

considerably greater d is tances than any sort of

m e l e e comba t . Fire comba t w e a p o n s (and hand

grenades ) are listed on the w e a p o n s char t s (pages

3 2 3 - 3 2 5 ) , which give a variety of information on

each weapon . Weapons capab le of firing m o r e than

a single t ype of round have o n e listing per type . The

use of this information is explained in the subse-

quent rules.

There a re two general varieties of f ire comba t :

direct fire and indirect fire. Direct fire is conducted

by charac te r s who c a n actually s e e their target and

who fire in a direct line toward it with the intention of

obtaining a direct hit. Indirect fire is usually con-

ducted by charac te rs who cannot see their target

and instead fire at a high angle to lob their rounds

over intervening obs tac les with the intention of

coming down in the near vicinity of the target . For

the m o s t part , only certain heavy w e a p o n s (gre-

n a d e launchers , mor ta rs , and howitzers) a re ca-

pable of indirect fire.

Human Limits: A single character can fire only

o n e weapon at a t ime. Charac ters with no skill in a

particular weapon type m a y not f i re it.

Rate of Fire: Each shot in the g a m e represents a

single bullet. It is, however, possible to fire m o r e than

a single bullet from mos t w e a p o n s in a five-second

action phase . All weapons in the g a m e have either

a reload rating (Rld) or a rate of fire (ROF) rating.

Weapons with a reload rating hold only one round

in the weapon at a t ime, and o n c e that round h a s

been fired (one act ion), a number of action phases

mus t be spent reloading before the weapon can be

fired again. The reload rating defines how m a n y

reload act ions a re required. If t he weapon is listed as

having m o r e t han one loader as part of its crew, each

loader m u s t spend t h e indicated n u m b e r of act ions

reloading. For e a c h loader missing from the crew,

add 1 to the reload rating for all other c rewmembers .

Weapons with a rate of fire listing have either a

letter code or a number . These notat ions are ex-

plained below:

SS (Single Shot): This weapon can only fire one

round and then m u s t be re loaded.

BA (Bolt Action), LA (Lever Action): These weap-

o n s can f i re o n e round per p h a s e . Each t ime a round

is fired from o n e of t he se weapons , the bolt or lever

m u s t be worked to eject the spent cas ing and

c h a m b e r a new round. But this c a n be d o n e in t h e

s a m e p h a s e in which the weapon is f i red.

PA (Pump Action), DAR (Double Action Re-

volver): T h e s e w e a p o n s m a y f i re up to three rounds

per phase . P u m p action refers to shotguns , and

involves working a lever between shots to eject the

spent cartr idge and chamber a fresh one . A double

action revolver c o c k s its h a m m e r with the f irs t part

of the trigger pull, then fires with the second. This

m a k e s the trigger pull somewha t harder t han in a

semiautomat ic pistol (see below).

SA (Semiautomatic): Semiau tomat ic w e a p o n s

m a y f i r e up to f ive shots per action p h a s e . E a c h

squeeze of the trigger f i res o n e round, and the force

of its firing automatically r ecocks the weapon .

Automatic Fire: Weapons with a number instead

of a letter code are capab le of fully automat ic fire as

well as semiau tomat ic f i re . The n u m b e r shown is t h e

number of bullets in a typical burst from the weapon .

Each automat ic weapon can fire up to either five

individual shots or five burs ts per fire p h a s e . As a

practical matter, however, no charac ter m a y f i re at

m o r e than three different targets in the s a m e f i re

p h a s e .

Reloading: All small a r m s h a v e a magaz ine

(Mag) listing which consis ts of a number and, in

s o m e cases , a letter code . This shows the type of

feed device used for ammuni t ion in the weapon and

the n u m b e r of rounds in it. The m o s t c o m m o n form

of feed device in small a r m s is a box magaz ine which

a t t aches through the stock or pistol grip. Weapons

with no letter code after their feed value are fed by

box magazines, e a c h of which conta ins the number

of rounds shown.

O n e reloading action is sufficient to de tach an

e m p t y box magaz ine and insert a full one .

Other forms of feed devices a re noted by letter

code as explained below:

R (Revolver): A revolver 's feed device is a non-

detachable revolving cylinder which usually holds

six bullets. If loaded individually, th ree bullets c a n be

put into the cylinder per reloading action. If a quick-

loader is available (a circular clip holding six car-

tridges which enab les all six to be dropped into the

o p e n cylinder a t once ) , o n e reloading action is

sufficient to reload the weapon .

i (Individual): Weapons with n o n d e t a c h a b l e

magaz ines , particularly under-barre l tubular m a g a -

zines, often have to be reloaded one shell at a t ime.

Up to three bullets m a y be loaded into an i- c lass feed

device per reloading action.

B (Belt): The weapon, either a mach inegun or

automat ic rifle, is fed by a belt usually containing

from 50 to 100 bullets. Two reloading act ions a re

necessa ry to replace a belt. However, if t he m a -

chinegun h a s a two-man crew (gunner and loader),

this requirement can be me t by both expending o n e

action reloading in the s a m e p h a s e .

C (Cassette): A casse t te is a large self-contained

ammuni t ion feed sys tem which t akes one full turn to

replace.

Direct f ire is o n e of the two m o s t c o m m o n forms

of comba t in the g a m e (the other being me lee ) . In

direct fire, t he target is visible to the firing character.

Both small a r m s and heavy w e a p o n s u s e direct f i re .

Small a r m s are rifles, pistols, mach ineguns , shot-

guns , and the like. Their two principal distinguishing

characterist ics are that they are generally m a n -

portable and they fire a simple nonexploding round

of less than 2 0 m m in diameter. Small a r m s fire is

mos t effective against living targets , but it c a n be

used against other types of targets , such as vehicles,

for instance.

Heavy w e a p o n s f i re rounds which are 2 0 m m in

diameter or greater, and which are capab le of

containing a significant explosive filler. Most heavy

w e a p o n s in Dark Conspiracy a re man-por tab le .

They include such things as g renade launchers ,

rocket launchers , and s o m e antitank missiles. Other

heavy w e a p o n s m u s t be moun ted on vehicles or

heavy f ie ld carr iages (things such as howitzers).

Few c o m b a t s in Dark Conspiracy will involve such

large weapons , but rules for their u s e a re included

for those rare except ions.

Heavy w e a p o n s u s e high-explosive (HE) and

other similar ammuni t ion to a t tack living targets

and light vehicles, but s o m e m a y have an array of

specialized rounds for at tacking a rmored vehicles.

In direct fire, t he c h a n c e of hitting a target with

individual shots is dependen t primarily on three

things: ma rksmansh ip , range, and recoil. The com-

bination of these factors will p roduce a D10 c h a n c e

of hitting a target. The person controlling the firing

player throws 1D10 for each bullet fired. Any die

that h a s a result less than or equal to the neces sa ry

hit n u m b e r m e a n s that the bullet i t represents h a s hit

t h e target . Any roll higher than the hit n u m b e r

m e a n s that bullet missed .

Marksmanship: All small a r m s use Small A r m s

(the appropr ia te subskill) as their m a r k s m a n s h i p

skill except for bows, which u s e the Archery skill.

Crossbows u s e Small Arms (Rifle). Large-caliber

guns a n d howitzers u s e Heavy Weapons . Grenade

launchers u s e Small Arms or Heavy Weapons ,

whichever value is greater. All other heavy w e a p o n s

use the Heavy Weapons skill.

Aimed Shots : An a imed shot is an action that

t a k e s p lace after o n e action (phase) h a s been spent

aiming the weapon . For an a imed shot to be al-

lowed, the target m u s t be visible in both the aiming

and f i r ing p h a s e s . Also, the player m u s t declare the

target being a imed at. While it is possible to aim at

one target and then fire at a different one , the

benefits of the aiming action are lost in doing so .

Quick Shots : Any shot that is m a d e without

being p receded by an aiming action is considered a

quick shot. (This includes shots at a target other

than the o n e originally a imed at.) Even if an aiming

action is performed prior to fire, if m o r e than one

shot is f ired in the phase , only the first counts as

a imed; all subsequen t sho ts a re considered quick

shots .

All quick shots a re conduc ted at one level of

difficulty higher t han normal (i.e., an Easy difficulty

shot b e c o m e s Average, an Average b e c o m e s Diffi-

cult, etc.) .

Laser Sights: Laser sights m a y be f i t ted to any

small a rm (at additional cost) , and can only be used

in semiautomat ic fire. Laser sights m a y only be

used a t 40 m e t e r s or less, and enable up to three

shots f i red during a p h a s e to count as a imed shots

instead of only the first one (all other shots fired in

the p h a s e count as quick shots) . All other modifiers

(movemen t by target , m o v e m e n t by firer, etc.) still

apply. Ultraviolet and infrared laser versions exist.

(For m o r e detailed information, see "Equipment"

on p a g e 258.)

Range : There are four r anges for direct fire: short,

med ium, long, and ext reme. The value printed in

the range column of the weapons tables is the

weapon's short range in meters. Medium range is

twice short range, long range is twice medium, and

extreme range is twice long range.

For example , a w e a p o n with a printed range of 50

h a s a short range of 50 mete r s , a m e d i u m range of

100 meters , a long range of 2 0 0 meters , and an

ex t reme r ange of 4 0 0 me te r s .

It is an Easy t a sk versus the appropriate marks -

m a n s h i p skill to hit a target with direct fire at short

range . At med ium range i t b e c o m e s an Average

task. At long range, the t a sk b e c o m e s Difficult. At

ex t reme range, the t a sk b e c o m e s one s tage more

difficult, which m e a n s that o n e fourth the character ' s

skill level is used . (Remember to always round

down.)

Note that charac te rs f i r ing quick sho ts a t ex t reme

range will be checking versus one eighth their

m a r k s m a n s h i p skill level (marksmansh ip quar-

tered for range, and halved again for a quick shot) .

Rifle S c o p e s : Sniper rifles c o m e with a s c o p e

fitted to t hem, and other rifles m a y be purchased

with a s c o p e a t tached, for an additional price. The

printed range on the appropriate tables is for a rifle

without a s cope . If a s c o p e is mounted , add 15

mete r s to the printed r ange figure when conducting

aimed shots. In addition, a imed shots at ex t reme

range are conducted as if at long range for purposes

of hit determination. Note that s c o p e s have no effect

on quick shots .

For example , a rifle with a printed range of 75 and

a s c o p e would be t reated as having, for pu rposes of

a imed fire, a short r ange of 90 me te r s (Easy task

versus m a r k s m a n s h i p ) , a m e d i u m range of 180

mete r s (Average t a sk ) , a long range of 3 6 0 mete r s

(Difficult t a sk) , and an ext reme range of 720 mete r s

(also a Difficult task, b e c a u s e of the scope) .

Recoil: Recoil is a m e a s u r e of how m u c h a

weapon kicks when it is fired. This recoil affects

accuracy in two ways . First, people t end to flinch in

anticipation of the kick. Second , when firing shots in

rapid success ion (i.e., m o r e than o n e per phase ) ,

recoil m o v e s the weapon off target for all shots after

the first.

For the pu rposes of this g a m e , recoil affects only

small a r m s , not heavy weapons . E a c h small a rm

h a s a recoil value listed for a single shot. If it is

capable of au tomat ic fire, it also h a s a recoil value

listed for firing a burst. Whenever a character fires a

small a r m s weapon , total t he a m o u n t of recoil the

weapon genera tes that p h a s e by multiplying the

recoil of a single shot or a burst by the number of

single shots or burs ts fired.

For e x a m p l e , Nicki h a s an M 6 0 s lung from a

shou lde r s t r a p a n d is f ir ing i t on full a u t o m a t i c .

S h e f i res f ive b u r s t s for t h e p h a s e , e a c h with a

recoil va lue of 4, for a to ta l recoil of 20 for t h e

p h a s e . If, i n s t ead , s h e w e r e f i r ing two s ingle s h o t s

from a . 3 5 7 m a g n u m , he r total recoil for t h e

p h a s e would be 6 ( two s h o t s with a s ing le - sho t

recoil va lue of 3 ) .

O n c e you know how m u c h recoil t h e weapon

genera tes in a phase , c o m p a r e the total to the f ir ing

charac ter ' s Strength. If t he recoil is equal to or less

than the charac ter ' s Strength rating, f ire is resolved

normally. If it is greater than Strength, reduce the

final hit number (after range , etc.) by the difference.

In t h e e x a m p l e a b o v e , if Nicki h a s a S t r e n g t h

of 7 , t h e recoil from her s h o t s with t h e pistol a re

less t h a n he r S t r eng th , s o s h e suffers n o n e g a t i v e

effects to he r s h o t s . I f s h e were to f i re t h r e e s h o t s ,

however , recoil would j u m p to 9 , so s h e would be

at -2 to hit. (Recoil effects from autofiring t h e

M60 a re f igured slightly differently, as exp la ined

unde r A u t o m a t i c Fire on t h e following p a g e . )

Note that this m e a n s that high recoil w e a p o n s

can physically be fired as rapidly as low recoil

weapons , but it b e c o m e s m u c h m o r e difficult to hit

anything with t h e m .

Pistols: Pistols m a y be steadied by using both

h a n d s and bracing yourself. This m a y only be done

while stationary, and it r educes the printed recoil

value by 1.

Two Weapons: Charac ters who are carrying two

w e a p o n s at once (one in each hand) m a y f i re either

one in a single phase , but not both. For purposes of

controlling the recoil of either w e a p o n the effective

Strength ratings of such charac ters are reduced by

10%, rounding fractions down.

Automatic fire u s e s a somewha t different proce-

dure from that for individual shots . Whenever char-

ac ters fire a weapon on its au tomat ic fire setting,

they fire one or m o r e bursts of rounds, up to a

m a x i m u m of five burs ts . The n u m b e r of actual

rounds in each burst is listed in the weapon ' s ROF

column. Each t ime tha t a burst is fired, roll a number

of D6 equal to the n u m b e r of rounds in the burst (a

weapon with a ROF of 5 would have 5D6 rolled for

each burst fired, for example ) . E a c h die roll of 6

exactly represents a hit by one round.

For instance, when Nicki fired the M60 in the

previous example , she actually put out 25 rounds in

the p h a s e (5 bursts of 5 rounds each , b e c a u s e the

M60 h a s an ROF of 5) . Therefore her player would

roll a total of 2 5 D 6 for hits, were it not for the effects

of recoil and range , explained next.

The actual number of dice rolled per burst m a y be

reduced by range and /or recoil.

Range: Subtract one die from each three-round

burst, two dice from each five-round burst, and three

dice from each 10-round burst for e ach range band

beyond short.

For example , a small a rm weapon which fired 10-

round bursts would roll 10D6 per burst at short

range , 7D6 at med ium, 4 D 6 at long, and 1D6 at

ex t reme range. A weapon which fired five-round

bursts would f i re 5D6 at short range, 3D6 at m e -

dium, and 1D6 at long.

Recoil: Recoil is calculated in the s a m e way as for

individual shots . If it is greater than the character ' s

Strength, reduce the n u m b e r of dice rolled per burst

by the difference. For weapons with 10-round bursts,

reduce the n u m b e r of dice rolled per burst by twice

the difference.

For example , suppose Nicki is f ir ing that s a m e

M60 toward a motorcycle gang that is pursuing her

and h a s r eached short range . The M60's recoil

rating is 2 per burst . Nicki could fire up to three

bursts (a total recoil of 6) without penalty. If she fired

four bursts , her total recoil would be 8, which is one

greater than her Strength of 7, so she would have to

subtract one die from each of the four bursts . If she

were firing an M249 from a bipod, instead, her total

recoil in each c a s e would be the s a m e , but because

the weapon f i res 10-round bursts , she would have to

reduce each burst by two rounds when her total

recoil r eached 8. Now imagine that the motorcycle

gang begins fleeing, and Nicki k e e p s shooting at

them. When they reach m e d i u m range, if she fires

four bursts from the M60, s h e will have to subtract

two dice from each burst: one for recoil and one for

range . If she is firing the M249 instead, she subtracts

four dice: two for recoil and two for range .

Danger Zone: The danger zone is the area where

charac te rs that are not actually a imed at m a y be hit

by stray bullets from a burst of automat ic fire. The

danger zone is an a rea four m e t e r s to either side of

a line drawn between the firing player and the target,

and including all potential targets which are within

the s a m e range band a s the target.

O n c e a player had rolled all automat ic fire hit dice

and noted how m a n y rounds hit, half of the dice

which missed (rounding f ract ions down) a re t aken

and rolled again. E a c h 6 rolled on this second set of

dice is a hit on s o m e other target in the danger zone.

The referee will ass ign these hits to the other targets ,

beginning with those closest to the intended target.

Any dice which missed from this second roll (or

half of all dice that missed the first roll, if there were

no other potential targets) are set as ide and will be

used to a t tack any character moving through the

weapon ' s danger zone until the charac ter ' s turn for

action in the next c o m b a t p h a s e . (If t he character

would normally receive no action in the next phase ,

the danger zone lasts only until t he end of the

present phase . )

No te tha t by careful u s e of th is effect, a u t o -

m a t i c w e a p o n s fire c a n be u s e d to interdict

m o v e m e n t o r k e e p e n e m y t r o o p s u n d e r cove r b y

s imply firing t h r o u g h o p e n d o o r w a y s , over t h e

t o p s of walls , e t c .

Minimum Dice: A three- or five-round burst will

never be reduced to less than o n e die per burst,

regardless of the n u m b e r of reduct ions m a d e for

range and /o r recoil. A 10-round burst will never be

reduced to less than two dice per burst.

Long Bursts: S o m e Gatling-type miniguns in

future and compat ib le products have a burst size of

50 . Treat this as a 10-round burst for pu rposes of hit

determination, but each hit achieved counts as

three actual hits.

Movement by either the f i r ing character or the

target r educes the c h a n c e of scoring a hit.

Advancing Fire: Charac ters m a y not fire while

crawling or running. No a imed fire is possible while

walking or trotting, but charac te rs m a y fire quick

shots or bursts . For pu rposes of controlling recoil,

however, a walking character ' s Strength is reduced

by 10% and a trotting charac ter ' s Strength is halved

(rounding fract ions down) .

Fire From Moving Vehicles: Charac ters m a y not

conduct a imed fire from a moving vehicle. They

m a y f i re quick shots or burs ts a t o n e s tage greater

difficulty than normal . (See also p a g e 110.)

Fire From the Saddle: Charac ters firing while

mounted on a draft animal or saddle horse do so the

s a m e as d ismounted characters , with two excep-

tions. First, their m o v e m e n t ca tegory is based on

the m o v e m e n t of the animal. Thus , charac te rs on

running animals m a y not f i re at all. Second, the

m a r k s m a n s h i p skill used to de termine the c h a n c e

of hitting with single shots is either the charac ter ' s

appropriate weapons skill or Horsemanship skill,

whichever is lower.

Target Movement: If t he target is moving 30

mete r s or more in the current p h a s e , any a t tempt to

hit it is conducted as if at greater t han normal range .

For normal f i r e , this merely m e a n s o n e s t age m o r e

difficult t han normal , but for au tomat ic fire, it m e a n s

that the number of dice rolled per burst is reduced.

Every t ime a weapon fires, it u s e s ammuni t ion.

Ammunit ion Record F o r m s are provided in this

g a m e on p a g e 3 2 6 - 3 2 7 . They are intended to be

photocopied, and permission is herein granted to do

so. Page 3 2 6 is laid out for ammuni t ion belts, and

p a g e 3 2 7 is for box magaz ines . Players should each

have one or m o r e copies of this form to k e e p t rack

of the ammunit ion their charac ters are carrying.

Write down by each magaz ine the type of bullets

loaded and mark off the excess rounds so that the

n u m b e r of boxes is equal to the n u m b e r of bullets

loaded. When a magaz ine is

loaded into weapon, the player

simply circles it on the form

and m a r k s off bullets as they

are f i red. The boxes a re laid

out in rows of five each , so

m o s t w e a p o n s c a n record

bursts fired by marking off

one or two comple te rows. To

avoid confusion, it is sug-

gested that individual sho ts

be m a r k e d off from the top of

the magaz ine form and burs ts

be m a r k e d off from the bot-

tom.

A 32-roundbox magazine

for a 9mmsubmachinegun.

The following special c a s e s further modify the

basic f ir ing rules.

Target Obscured: If the target is partially ob-

scured (in brush, fog, mist, light s m o k e , etc.) at-

t e m p t s to hit i t with direct f ire a re m a d e at o n e s tage

greater difficulty t han normal .

Firing at Riders: If the target is a rider on an

animal , motorcycle , or bicycle, a t tackers m u s t de-

clare whether they a re f i r ing at t he rider or the

mount . In either ca se , fire is resolved normally, but

if a single shot m i s s e s its intended target it h a s a 10%

c h a n c e of hitting t h e other. In the c a s e of au tomat ic

fire, mi s se s a re rerolled for additional hits in the

danger zone as noted above , but half of all such

additional hits a re t a k e n on t h e secondary target.

Multiple Modifiers: All modifiers to the number of

dice rolled or the range at which fire is delivered are

cumulat ive . However, when firing single shots (ei-

ther a imed sho ts or quick shots) , all rolls of 9 or

higher mi s s the target and all rolls of 1 hit the target,

regardless of the charac te r ' s skill level or any modi-

fications to it. When a weapon is firing bursts , the

n u m b e r of dice is never reduced to zero (see p a g e

87 ) .

Certain weapons , such as rifle g renades and

g renade launchers deviate if they miss , when fired

in direct fire. The die is rolled for d is tance and

direction in the s a m e way as for indirect f ire as noted

below; the dis tance die roll is multiplied by o n e

meter.

Indirect fire is generally fired at a target which t h e

firing charac ter canno t see , in which c a s e the firer is

directed by a forward observer who can see the

target . Only w e a p o n s with an indirect f i re r ange

(listed on t h e w e a p o n s chart) m a y u s e indirect f i re .

These a re rifle g renades , g renade launchers , how-

itzers, and mor ta rs .

Calling Fire: In order for indirect fire to be pos -

sible, the firing character or gun crew mus t be in

communica t ion (usually by radio) with a character

(called a forward observer) who can s e e the target.

The target is actually a stat ionary position; it can be

a building but not a moving vehicle (although it can

be the p lace where t h e forward observer believes

the vehicle will be when the fire hits). Before fire

begins , t he forward observer m u s t talk to the f irer for

o n e turn. After f i re h a s begun , the forward observer

m a y want to call in corrections to m a k e the f i re more

accura te . The s a m e restrictions on both characters '

act ions apply as with other communicat ion; in

particular, the f i rer m a y not f i re the weapon during

t h e conversat ion.

Hit Difficulty Level: Conducting indirect fire is a

Difficult t ask versus the Heavy Weapons skill of the

firing character or of t h e forward observer, which-

ever is less .

Exception: Indirect fire with a rifle g renade or

hand-held grenade launcher (M203) is o n e degree

m o r e difficult. (It u s e s one-quar ter the skill level, in

other words, rounded down, of course.)

Deviation: If the round deviates, t he referee deter-

mines the dis tance and direction from the target of

the impact point. First t he referee rolls 1D10 for

dis tance of deviation. For g renade launchers and

rifle g renades , t he result is multiplied by five meters .

For mor ta r s and howitzers, it is multiplied by 10

meters . If t he indirect fire weapon is firing at greater

than half its indirect fire range, double the result of

the deviation roll.

After determining dis tance of deviation, the ref-

e ree rolls 1D10 and consul ts the Scat ter Diagram on

p a g e 3 2 2 to de te rmine the direction of deviation.

Corrections: If t he shot doesn ' t hit, the forward

observer m a y call in corrections. After e a c h correc-

tion, add 1 to the c h a n c e of a hit and subtract 1 from

the die roll for d is tance of deviation if t he round

misses . Thus, four corrections would raise the chance

of a hit by 4 and would lower the deviation die roll by

4. A deviation roll of less t han 0 is changed to 0.

There m u s t be a t least o n e additional shot after each

correction before another correction is possible.

Accuracy: There is a m a x i m u m limit to the

accuracy of indirect fire. The m a x i m u m chance of

a hit is 7; for rifle g renades and hand-held g renade

launchers , t he m a x i m u m c h a n c e is 5. In addition,

the deviation dis tance roll m a y never be reduced by

m o r e t han 5; for rifle g r enades and hand-held

grenade launchers t h e roll m a y never be reduced by

m o r e than 3 .

Subsequent Shots : If a shot hits, subsequen t

shots will cont inue to deviate around the target

b e c a u s e of t h e m a x i m u m limits of indirect fire

accuracy. If a shot does not hit, subsequent shots will

deviate a round the initial impact point (not the

target) . In both ca ses , t h e deviation dis tance roll is

reduced by 5 (for m o s t weapons ) or 3 (for rifle

g renades and hand-held g renade launchers) .

For example , Wako h a s an M203 grenade launcher

and a Heavy Weapons skill of 9. His partner, Monty

(skill 6 ) , is on a hillcrest watching a group of

mercenar ies coming up the hill at him. Wako is on

the other side of the hill. Monty radios Wako and tells

him to fire, giving approximate direction and dis-

t a n c e to a im for. Wako fires one g renade , rolling for

a 3 on l D 1 0 (a Difficult t ask versus the lower of their

skills, in this c a s e Monty 's) . A 5 is rolled, indicating

a miss . Now the referee c h e c k s for deviation dis-

t ance , rolling an 8: The g renade m i s s e s the target by

40 mete rs . A roll for direction c o m e s up 6, so the

round falls short.

Wako fires another; this t ime there is no roll to hit,

and the g r enade deviates from the point where the

first g r enade hit. T h e referee rolls a 3 for dis tance,

reduced by 3 , which m a k e s the deviation dis tance

0; a direction roll is unnecessa ry and the g renade

hits in the s a m e place .

Monty radios a correction, which t a k e s up the

next c o m b a t turn. This correction increases the

chance of a hit to 4 (the b a s e of 3, plus one

correction). On the turn following, Wako fires again

but rolls a 5, t hus missing again. The referee rolls a

6 for d is tance. Because of the correction, this is

reduced to a 5, or 25 m e t e r s from the target. A 4 is

rolled for direction, mean ing t h e round falls to the

right.

The next turn Monty radios another correction

and when Wako fires again he h a s a hit c h a n c e of 5.

This t ime he rolls a 3 and hits the target . Having hit

the target , all further deviation is around the target,

subtracting 5 from the dis tance roll.

Self-Observed Fire: Firing charac te rs m a y act as

their own observer if they can s e e t h e target. (This

is done if t he target is out of the weapon ' s direct fire

range or if t he weapon is a mor ta r with no direct fire

capability.) The rules above apply except that there

is no delay for corrections; fire is corrected auto-

matically after every shot until a hit is scored.

Any hard object can be thrown at a target . Hitting

the target with an object weighing one kilogram or

less, at a d is tance less t han or equal to a charac te r ' s

throw range (as calculated in character generat ion)

is an Average task versus Thrown Weapons skill.

Long r ange is twice the normal throw range and

requires a Difficult check versus Thrown Weapon. If

the thrown object weighs m o r e than o n e kilogram,

the charac te r ' s normal throw range is divided by the

weight of the object to determine an adjusted throw

range .

For example , Manfred Vandermark h a s a normal

throw r a n g e of 12 mete r s . It is an Average t a sk

versus Thrown Weapons for him to hit a target within

12 m e t e r s with a one-kilo weight, or within six

me te r s with a two-kilo weight, or within four me te r s

with a three-kilo weight, and so on . He can hit a

target within 24 m e t e r s with a one-ki logram weight

if he s u c c e e d s at a Difficult t ask versus Thrown

Weapons . If he wanted to throw a six-kilo weight, it

would be an Average t a sk up to two me te r s away, or

a Difficult o n e up to four me te r s dis tance.

If a thrown object hits, it c a u s e s d a m a g e equal to

the throwing charac ter ' s Strength divided by 2 p lus

the object ' s weight in ki lograms {(STR+2)+ weight].

Thrown objects h a v e an a rmor penetration of Nil.

Exception: A throwing knife will always inflict 1D6

hits, regardless of the r ange or the Strength of the

thrower. Its a rmor penetrat ion is likewise Nil.

Like other thrown weapons , hand g renades are

thrown at specific targets . The basic procedure for

doing so is exactly as described under Thrown

Weapons , above .

If the throw misses , roll for d is tance and direction

of deviation in t h e s a m e m a n n e r as for indirect fire,

but multiply the dis tance of deviation die roll by one

mete r if within normal throw range , or by two mete r s

if within long range . The total deviation m a y never

be greater than half the dis tance to the target. Thus,

if a g r enade is thrown at a target 20 m e t e r s away, it

canno t deviate m o r e than 10 me te r s .

A player m a y throw additional g renades at the

s a m e target to increase c h a n c e s of hitting. If the

target does not m o v e , add 1 to the thrower 's Thrown

Weapons skill for all g r enades after the first.

Referees m a y alter the c h a n c e s of a hit based

u p o n other factors. For example , a referee might

reduce the difficulty level by one for throwing a

g renade at a large target like a semi truck, or

increase it by one for trying to to s s a g renade

through a second-s tory window.

Occasionally, characters will find smoke or tear gas

grenades to be useful (or perhaps they wMl find them

being used against them). Smoke and tear gas can also

be delivered in rounds from some indirect fire weapons.

When a chemical round explodes , t he cloud

released h a s a width equal to the round ' s listed burst

radius, and its length is four t imes that dis tance. A

chemical g r enade with a burst radius of 12, for

instance, would re lease a cloud 12 m e t e r s wide and

48 m e t e r s long. This cloud begins at t he point of

impact and ex tends downwind.

If charac te rs a re within the burst radius when the

round explodes , they h a v e a c h a n c e of suffering

d a m a g e from fragmentation. However, as this burst

is designed to spread the chemical cloud (not

specifically to c a u s e d a m a g e ) , the explosive force is

less than with t rue explosive rounds . To reflect this,

fragmentation d a m a g e is restricted to 1D6+2, with

a penetrat ion of Nil, and it hits only one r a n d o m

location on a character . (See Explosions, on p a g e

9 8 , for an explanat ion of explosive d a m a g e effects,

and the Human/Animal Hit Location Chart , on p a g e

9 5 , for hit location procedure . )

S m o k e : S m o k e is intended to obscure vision; i t

c a u s e s no d a m a g e of itself. I t c a n be genera ted by

rounds of HC (hexochloroethane) or WP (white

phosphorus , which c a n a lso c a u s e burns ) . During

the turn in which the round lands, not enough s m o k e

is emitted to have an effect. For the next six c o m b a t

turns, however, enough s m o k e is in the air to

obscure visibility. On the seventh turn, the s m o k e

h a s thinned enough to be of no effect o n c e again.

S m o k e can a lso be genera ted by normal f i r es .

Tear Gas: As with s m o k e , a tear g a s round h a s no

effect during the turn in which it burs ts . For the next

six c o m b a t turns, however, i t c a n c a u s e t empora ry

choking and bl indness.

When charac te rs first c o m e into contact with tear

gas , they m u s t m a k e a panic check (see Panic, p a g e

77) . If they fail this check , they mus t flee the cloud

and spend o n e c o m b a t turn (not p h a s e ) recovering.

Also, during each c o m b a t turn that charac te rs a re in

contac t with a tear g a s cloud, they mus t m a k e an

Average check versus their Constitution to avoid

being o v e r c o m e by t h e gas .

PCs who fail the Constitution check are t em-

porarily blinded and incapaci ta ted by coughing

(disoriented, confused, and only able to m o v e at a

Shotguns m a y fire either slugs or buckshot rounds.

Slugs a re f i red in t h e s a m e way as a n y other small

a r m s f i re , using the ratings provided on the small

a r m s char t for t h e weapon . If t he shotgun fires

buckshot , however, several special rules apply.

Buckshot m a y only be f i red a t short and m e d i u m

range; i t m a y not be fired at long or ex t reme range .

At short range, e a c h shot is t reated as a normal

single shot, but i t does 9 D 6 d a m a g e . At m e d i u m

range , e ach shot is t reated as a 10-round burst of

automat ic fire (and reduced immediately to 7 dice

for being at m e d i u m range) . Each round which hits

does 1D6 d a m a g e .

Note that a CAW is a shotgun capable of automatic

fire. At short range it rolls 5D6 for hits (as modified by

recoil and such things as target movement) , with each

die roll of 6 hitting and causing 9D6 damage. At medium

range, calculate the number of dice normally rolled for

a five-round burst (subtracting 2 immediately for being

at medium range) and after all reductions are done,

multiply the remaining number by 7 to determine the

number of D6 rolled for hits. Each hit does 1D6 damage .

Buckshot h a s a penetrat ion of Nil at all r anges .

crawl). They remain incapaci tated for 20 turns (but

need m a k e no further c h e c k s for panic or incapaci-

tat ion).

Characters who p a s s both rolls m a y function

normally.

Explosives, in addition to providing the b a n g for

high-explosive rounds , a re u sed to demolish struc-

tures a n d b reach barriers.

Types of Explosives: For simplicity's s ake , these

rules deal only with the two m o s t c o m m o n types of

explosives: dynamite and plastic explosive. The

units u sed in these rules are the quarter-kilogram

stick of dynami te and the one-ki logram block of

plastic explosive. All demolition effects are resolved

in t e r m s of the n u m b e r of demolition points (DP)

used . A stick of dynami te h a s one DP; a block of

plastic explosive h a s six. Plastic explosive is flexible

and m a y be molded to any s h a p e desired o r broken

into smaller cha rges of one or m o r e demolition

points . Several s t icks of dynami te and /o r b locks of

plastic explosive m a y be joined to form larger charges.

Setting Charges: E a c h demolition cha rge t a k e s

15 minutes (30 turns) to emplace . A demolition

charge is defined as o n e or m o r e sticks of dynami te

and /o r b locks of plastic explosive connec ted to

e a c h other, up to a m a x i m u m weight of 10 kilo-

g rams . Additional explosives m a y be a t tached as

extra charges , but they require additional t ime to

e m p l a c e . If several larger cha rges a re emplaced ,

several charac te rs m a y work on emplacing t h e m

simultaneously.

Setting a charge requires a detonator, and m a y

require fuses or electrical wire. A character mus t

have a demolition kit, or mus t have improvised the

required par ts . Improvised fuses/detonators will

have a m i s h a p on a D10 roll of 8+. Such a mishap

is a hangfire (5 -10 on 1D10) or a comple te dud (1 -

4 on 1D10) . A hangfire will de tona te 1D10 p h a s e s

later than expected; a dud will not detonate at all.

The referee will m a k e these rolls secretly.

Setting a charge is an Easy task versus Demoli-

tions skill, with failure indicating that the charge

does not go off when triggered, and catastrophic

failure indicating that the cha rge goes off while

being set.

Radio Detonation of Explosives: Detonating ex-

plosive by radio is a risky business , not b e c a u s e it is

hard but b e c a u s e i t is so ea sy ( s o m e electrical

blasting c a p s c a n be accidently de tonated by in-

duced current from radio signals) . Rigging an explo-

sive to be radio-detonated requires an explosive

charge, a s tandard electrical blasting c a p , and a

radio detonation receiver (all with the charge) , plus

a broadcas t unit to send the required signal. The

task is Average: Demolitions or Electronics given

proper equipment , Difficult: Demolitions or Elec-

tronics given improvised equipment . Ordinary fail-

ure m e a n s the charge does not de tonate . Cata-

strophic failure m e a n s t h e charge de tona tes p rema-

turely (at a t ime determined by referee).

Improvising a radio detonat ion receiver or t rans-

mitter from a normal radio is an Average: Demoli-

t ions o r Electronics task . The t a sk b e c o m e s o n e

level m o r e difficult without an electronics tool set.

Tamping: Tamping consists of covering a charge so

that the force of the explosion is contained and directed

in toward a structure. Tamping must be done with dense

or heavy material, such as rocks, sandbags, steel plates,

etc. Tamping generally adds five minutes to the time

required to set the charge, but the referee may increase

this time requirement for difficult tamping jobs. (It is very

difficult, for example, to t a m p a charge taped to the side

of a free-standing girder.)

Effects: Like anything which blows up, explosives

have a concussion, burst, and penetration value.

Concussion: It requires progressively larger quan-

tities of explosives to p roduce a linear increase in

concussion. To determine the concussion of a charge,

consult t he Demolition Table on p a g e 3 2 5 . This lists

demolition points and their corresponding concus -

sions. In reading the chart , you will notice that there

are several g a p s in t h e listing of demolition points .

The DP value listed for a given concuss ion is the

minimum number of DPs required to achieve that value.

If m o r e precise results are desired, the following

formulas c a n be used to calculate the concuss ion

value of a given demolition charge and the size of

charge needed to achieve a given concuss ion. To

determine the concuss ion of a charge , divide the DP

value of the cha rge by 2, extract the square root of

the result, and multiply by 5. To de termine the

n u m b e r of demolition points needed to achieve a

given concuss ion, divide the concuss ion by 5,

square the result, and multiply that result by 2.

C: Concuss ion DP: D a m a g e points .

DP=2[(C+5)2]

C: Concuss ion DP: Number of d a m a g e points

needed to arrive at a certain concuss ion.

Burst: O n c e the concuss ion of the explosion h a s

been determined, de te rmine the m a x i m u m concus -

sion radius of the explosion the s a m e way as for a

high-explosive round, as described above . This

m a x i m u m radius of concuss ion is a lso t h e pr imary

burst radius of the explosion. The secondary burst

radius is twice this.

Unlike a high-explosive artillery round, a demolition

charge does not contain the material necessary to

produce a large quantity of fragments, but these are

usually produced by the destruction of the object being

demolished. If the demolition charge is simply lying on

the ground, it does not produce fragments.

Penetration: The b a s e penetrat ion of a demoli-

tion charge i s t h e s a m e as its concuss ion value, but

is modified by its m e a n s of emplacemen t . If the

cha rge is t a m p e d , its penetrat ion is doubled. If t he

c h a r g e is s imply laying on t o p of or leaning agains t

a s tructure ( a s in t h e c a s e of a thrown satchel cha rge

or stick of dynamite) its penetrat ion is halved.

Unlike o ther explosions, t he listed penetrat ion value

of a demolition cha rge is its actual penetration;

players do not add a roll of 2D6 to it.

Breaching Barriers: Breaching a barrier basically

m e a n s blowing a hole in it. Demolition cha rges c a n

be used to b reach walls, a rmor plate, e m b a n k -

m e n t s , e tc .

To de te rmine t h e size of the b reach m a d e by a

demolition charge , f i rs t de te rmine its m a x i m u m

penetrat ion. To do so , divide t h e penetrat ion value

of t h e charge by t h e a rmor value cons tant of the

material of t h e barrier. This cons tan t is listed on the

Armor Equivalent Table on p a g e 3 2 5 . The result is

the n u m b e r of mil imeters penet ra ted by the charge .

For example, a charge with a penetration of 8 would

penetrate 40 millimeters of armor plate (8+0.2), 267

millimeters of brick or concrete (8+0.03), and 400

millimeters of stone, packed dirt, or wood (8+0.02).

Next, t he actual d iameter of the breach m a d e is

determined. The diameter of the breach, in millime-

ters , is t h e penetrat ion (in millimeters) of the charge

minus the th ickness (in millimeters) of the barrier.

For example , Vanna wants to b reach a 500-

millimeter thick (about half a yard) reinforced con-

crete wall. The charac ter is using nine one-kilogram

blocks of plastic explosive (a total of 54 DP).

Consulting t h e Demolition Char t s h e u s e s t h e 50

row for DPs and no tes that this h a s a penetration of

2 5 . S h e s p e n d s an extra f ive minutes carefully

placing and t amping t h e cha rge for m a x i m u m

effect, t hus doubling the penetrat ion to 50 .

S h e divides t h e penetrat ion value of 50 by the

reinforced concre te ' s a rmor value cons tan t of 0 .04,

obtaining a total penetrat ion of 1250 millimeters.

Subtracting the th ickness of the wall from this

leaves a hole 7 5 0 millimeters ( 3 / 4 meter, or over

two feet) ac ross .

Characters should t a k e cover from the blast, as

an explosion with a concuss ion value of 25 will

injure cha rac t e r s within th ree e ight-meter grid

s q u a r e s (24 meters ) of t h e explosion, and it will

throw concre te sha rds to twice this dis tance.

There a re several ways in which a character can

be injured as a result of comba t .

E a c h hit by gunfire wounds the ta rgeted charac-

ter. The extent of t h e injury is determined by three

factors: hit location, w e a p o n d a m a g e rating, and

target protection.

Hit Location: Whenever a charac ter is hit, roll

1D10 and consult t he Human/Animal Hit Location

Chart at right. This indicates the body part s truck

and injured by the shot.

Weapon Damage: All w e a p o n s do the s a m e

d a m a g e at all r anges . The d a m a g e value of e a c h

weapon i s listed on the w e a p o n s char t s (pages 3 2 3

and 324) and is the n u m b e r of D6 rolled. S o m e

w e a p o n s have a d a m a g e value of - 1 . In this case ,

roll t h e die and subtract 1 from the result.

S o m e w e a p o n s f i r e exploding rounds . These

w e a p o n s h a v e a d a m a g e rating consisting of two

separate listings: concussion and burst. (See Explo-

sions, on page 98 , for an explanation of these listings.)

Penetration (Target Protection): If t he target is

wearing body a rmor and the bullet strikes a pro-

tected body part , t he bullet m a y not be able to

penet ra te t h e armor. Flak j acke t s and Kevlar ves ts

protect both the ches t and a b d o m e n . Helmets par-

tially protect the head . If a round hits t h e head , roll

1D6. The bullet strikes a steel he lmet on a roll of 1 -

3, a Kevlar he lmet on a roll of 1 -4 . On any other

result, t he round m i s s e s the helmet and strikes an

unprotec ted portion of t h e head . (The a rmor values

of various t ypes of body a rmor a re summar izes on

the Body Armor Protection Table on p a g e 322. )

Each weapon h a s a penetrat ion rating that re-

flects its ability to p u n c h through armor. This rating

Biped: Table a s s u m e s front/rear shot . For side shots , far

side hit equals near side hit.

Prone Biped: Table a s s u m e s t o p shot (shooting down

onto target) . For side shots , far side hit equa l s nea r side hit.

For front shots , a leg or a b d o m e n hit equa l s a miss . For rear

shots , a head , a rm, or chest shot equa ls a miss .

Quadruped: Table a s s u m e s side shot. For front shots , a

hindquarters or a b d o m e n hit equa l s a miss . For rear shots ,

a h e a d or forequarters hit equa l s a miss .

Die Roll

1

23

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

Biped and Prone Biped

Head

Right Arm

Left Arm

Chest

A b d o m e n

A b d o m e n

Right Leg

Right Leg

Left Leg

Left Leg

Quadruped

Head

Forequarter

Forequarter

Forequarter

Chest

Chest

Abdomen

Hindquarter

Hindquarter

Hindquarter

m a y consist of the simple notation Nil, indicating

that the bullet will be s topped by any a rmor protec-

tion, or i t m a y have up to three different numer ic

rat ings. If so, the first rating applies to both short and

medium range, the second to long range, and the

third to extreme range. If a weapon ' s penetrat ion

d rops to Nil a t any r ange band , i t r emains unable to

penet ra te a rmor at longer r anges (which is why no

additional entries are m a d e on the char ts ) .

The penetration value of a weapon is the number

of damage dice it loses for each armor value that it

is required to penetrate. Multiply the target ' s a rmor

protection by t h e w e a p o n ' s penetrat ion value and

subtract the result from the weapon ' s d a m a g e

value. If t he remainder is a positive number, t he

bullet pene t ra tes and that m a n y dice are rolled for

d a m a g e . If t he remainder is zero or a negat ive

number, t he round fails to penet ra te .

For example , Marco fires a S&W Model 29 .44

m a g n u m at short r ange and hits his target in the

chest , which is protected by a Kevlar vest. The

Model 29 h a s a d a m a g e value of 3, a penetration of

2 at both short and m e d i u m ranges , and the Kevlar

vest h a s an a rmor value of 1. Multiplying the pen-

etration (2) by the a rmor value (1) and subtracting

the result (2) from the weapon ' s d a m a g e value (3)

leaves a remainder of one die 's worth of d a m a g e

that penetra ted the armor.

Blunt Trauma: When a small a r m s bullet strikes

a person, it p a c k s considerable force, and it will

c a u s e injury even if it does not penet ra te the target ' s

body armor. This d a m a g e is called blunt t r auma . A

target suffers one actual point of damage for each die

worth of damage absorbed by the armor. Bullets

which penet ra te and c a u s e s o m e normal wound

d a m a g e will still a lso c a u s e blunt t r auma d a m a g e .

In the example of Marco firing the Model 2 9 ,

above , the target would t a k e two points of blunt

t r auma d a m a g e for the two d a m a g e dice absorbed

by the Kevlar vest .

Cover: Charac ters and vehicles m a y hide behind

obs tac les as protection from fire. If the hit location

rolled is covered by the obstacle , the shot h a s no

effect unless it is able to penet ra te the obstacle . The

Armor Values of Cover Chart on p a g e 3 2 5 gives the

a rmor values of c o m m o n types of cover.

For example , Marco is under cover behind the

corner of a brick building. The referee dec ides that,

since Marco is firing a weapon , his head and right

a r m are exposed , and that b e c a u s e the comer i s

actually two walls meet ing, the cover value is 9, as

for a thick brick wall. If Marco is hit in the chest , the

bullet strikes t h e building instead, which provides an

a rmor value of 9.

Obviously, d a m a g e dice absorbed by cover do

not c a u s e blunt t r a u m a injuries against the target

character .

Quick Kill: Any aimed shot which hits the chest

or head m a y consti tute a killing shot . Roll a D10. If

the roll is less than or equal to the d a m a g e value of

the shot, the target is instantly killed except on a roll

of 10 exactly. If t h e hit was scored on an area

protected by armor, roll versus the remaining dam-

a g e value of the round. For automat ic fire, roll only

once per p h a s e (regardless of the n u m b e r of shots

that hit). This rule should be applied only to NPCs.

It is r e c o m m e n d e d that PCs who suffer a killing

wound instead suffer enough d a m a g e to increase

the wound level of the head or ches t to at least

serious if unwounded (and critical if already seri-

ous ) , a n d in addition t a k e t h e normal d a m a g e

inflicted by the round.

SLAP Rounds: Note that the M2HB mach inegun

m a y fire the special SLAP (Saboted , Light Armor-

Piercing) round in addition to its normal ammuni -

tion. Characterist ics of the SLAP round are the s a m e

as the normal .50 BMG round except that the

penetrat ion is superior, as noted in the footnote on

the Heavy Machineguns Chart (page 324) .

Charac ters m a y suffer burn d a m a g e from ex-

ploding vehicles, f lamethrowers and other pyro-

technic w e a p o n s (WP grenades , etc .) , and open

flames.

Charac ters c o m e in contac t with burning fuel by

being inside or near a vehicle when its fuel t a n k s

explode. The pr imary burst radius of an exploding

vehicle is 12 me te r s . All charac te rs inside the

vehicle when it explodes are covered with burning

gasoline.

PCs c o m e in con tac t with burning fuel from a

flamethrower if hit by a burst from such a weapon .

S e e the flamethrower description on p a g e 2 9 8 .

Charac te rs c o m e in contact with thermite or

white p h o s p h o r u s when they are hit by fragments

from t h e explosion of o n e of these types of shell or

grenade . Whether the charac ter is hit and by how

m a n y fragments is determined exactly as for nor-

mal fragments, as explained in the explosions rule

on t h e following p a g e , but if a character is hit by a

fragment, burn d a m a g e is suffered instead of a

normal wound.

Charac ters c o m e in contac t with open f lames

when moving through a burning structure or a g rass

fire, usually to e s c a p e , but p e r h a p s to r e scue a

wounded companion .

The a m o u n t of burn d a m a g e caused is deter-

mined by the t empera ture of the flame and the

length of exposure .

Temperature: Thermite and white phosphorus

c a u s e 2D6 d a m a g e per second in contac t with a

body part . Burning gasoline c a u s e s 1D6 d a m a g e

per second in contact with a body part . Moving

through a burning structure or g ras s fire c a u s e s 1D6

d a m a g e per p h a s e per body par t in proximity to the

flame. This is summarized on the Burn D a m a g e

Table on p a g e 3 2 2 .

Exposure Time: In the c a s e of o p e n fires, t he

exposure t ime is m e a s u r e d in t e r m s of c o m b a t

p h a s e s actually in close proximity to the fire. In the

c a s e of burning fuel, exposure t ime begins at t he

start of the c o m b a t p h a s e immediately after the

character was hit. Charac te rs hit by burning fuel will

instantly begin a t tempt ing to extinguish the f lames.

They will make one such attempt per second in the

phase, as an Average test versus Agility. Each

successful a t t empt extinguishes the f lames on one

body part (character ' s choice of which body part) ,

al though charac ters still suffer burn d a m a g e during

the second in which they extinguished the f lames.

For example , Sybil 's minicopter h a s been shot

out of the air, and as Sybil crawls from the wreckage ,

the fuel t ank explodes, spraying her with blazing

fuel. S h e begins rolling on the ground in an a t tempt

to extinguish the flames, but in the first second she

fails to extinguish any fires a n d t a k e s 1D6 d a m a g e

to e a c h hit location. In the second second, she

m a n a g e s to smother the f lames on her head , but still

t a k e s 1D6 in all locations. In the third second, she

extinguishes her right a rm, then t a k e s 1D6 d a m a g e

to each location except her h e a d (which was extin-

guished o n e second ago ) . At the end of the next

second, s h e will t ake no d a m a g e to head or right

a rm, and s o on.

A character who suffers sufficient d a m a g e to lose

consc iousness partially through a p h a s e (pe rhaps

after three or four seconds) will remain consc ious

until t he end of the p h a s e and c a n cont inue to work

at extinguishing flames until then .

Other charac te rs m a y help extinguish the b u m -

ing character , m a k i n g o n e a t tempt per second of the

p h a s e in the s a m e way as described above .

Protection: Any sort of he lmet will protect the

head from an o p e n flame. Blazing fuel will b u m

through a helmet , or its hea t will be conducted

through after one turn. The he lmet m a y be removed

and discared in one second without need for an

Agility check . Flak j acke t s and Kevlar ves ts will

protect charac ters from o p e n flames, but they will

ca tch fire if contac ted by burning fuel.

Many types of ammuni t ion do d a m a g e mainly by

virtue of their kinetic energy, their impact , in other

words. (Of course , t he holes that they crea te in their

targets tend to h a v e an important effect, as well.) In

"We say that the Dark Ones are un-knowable, unfathomable, indecifer-able. We say that their motives aretoo twisted, too otherworldly, forhumans to understand. I have neverfelt so, though I do sometimes thinkthat about humans.

"For generations we have killed ourbrothers, robbed our neighbors,abandoned our children, polluted ourworld. Now the Dark Ones encour-age us to do so even more, as theybenefit from the suffering that re-sults.

"What's our excuse?"—Zena Marley

(Early 21st century mercenary-philosopher)

this section, however, we will delineate the effects of

explosive ammuni t ion .

Descriptive Terms: The power of an explosion is

described by two ratings: concussion and burst.

Concuss ion is the effect of the mass ive overpressure

wave genera ted by t h e explosion, while the burst

radius is the a rea fi l led with small , high-energy

fragments, often called shrapnel . These j agged

meta l f ragments c a n c a u s e severe injury, but they

lose energy quickly d u e to their eccentric ballistic

shape , and thus do not travel anywhere near as far

as a bullet.

Concussion: Concuss ion c a n affect part or all of

the body, so the n u m b e r of concuss ion d a m a g e dice

called for a re rolled and divided evenly a m o n g the

various body pa r t s . Simply divide the total d a m a g e

suffered by seven (representing the seven hit loca-

tions) a n d add that m a n y points to e a c h body part .

All points left over which are not evenly divisible by

seven are added to body pa r t s as instructed by the

referee. At least o n e of the extra points should be

added to the head , and the remainder should be

distributed on the side facing the explosion or on any

previously injured part .

T h e l isted c o n c u s s i o n va lue for an exp los ion i s

t h e n u m b e r of d a m a g e d ice rolled if a c h a r a c t e r

is in phys i ca l c o n t a c t with t h e exp los ion . Char -

a c t e r s no t in phys i ca l c o n t a c t bu t within t h e

s a m e e i g h t - m e t e r grid s q u a r e a s t h e exp los ion

suffer half th is c o n c u s s i o n ( round ing f ract ions

d o w n ) . C h a r a c t e r s in an ad j acen t e i g h t - m e t e r

grid s q u a r e r ece ive o n e - q u a r t e r o f t h e original

c o n c u s s i o n va lue , r o u n d e d down , a n d s o o n until

t h e c o n c u s s i o n i s r e d u c e d t o 0 .

The following example table shows the reduction

of concuss ion d a m a g e at success ive r anges for an

explosion with a concuss ion value of 3 0 .

Range Concussion

Contact

S a m e squa re

1 squa re

2 s q u a r e s

3 s q u a r e s

4+ s q u a r e s

3 0

15

7

3

1

None

Cover: Charac ters complete ly under solid cover,

such as behind a thick wall, completely inside a

t rench or foxhole, or inside an a rmored vehicle, do

not suffer the effects of concuss ion. Charac ters

under partial cover (such as partially behind a wall,

in a foxhole, or in the hatch of an a rmored vehicle)

or prone, halve the concuss ion value of a n y a t tack

on t h e m . (This d o e s not apply to explosions which

are in physical contact with t h e m , such as g renades

dropped into their laps.)

Fragmentation: The burst rating for an explosion

is its pr imary fragmentation radius, the a rea satu-

rated with a high density of fragments . The second-

ary burst radius, which h a s a lower concentrat ion of

fragments, is twice this. Primary and secondary

burst radii a re expressed in meters , but are s tepped

in increments usable with t h e tactical grid sys tem.

Explosions with a burst rating of four meters , for

example , include the impact squa re in the pr imary

"How do we fight them?"If we wish to battle the Dark Ones,

we must recognize the nature of ourstruggle. First, we have to under-stand that most people do not evenknow they exist. Of those who doknow of them, the majority are theirservants. That leaves only a scatter-ing of us who actively oppose them.

"like their own Minions, then, wemust use secrecy as our greatestweapon. Fortunately, the world hasbecome a chaotic welter of politicalstates, megacorporations, and citi-zens1 groups all struggling forpower. Often, we can strike andthen retreat into the chaos beforethe Dark Minions can respond.

"But there will be no quick or easyvictory."

—Zena Marley(Early 21st-century mercenary-philosopher)

burst radius and the surrounding adjacent squa re s

in the secondary burst radius. Explosions with a

burst rating of 12 me te r s include the impact square

and all adjacent s q u a r e s in the pr imary burst radius,

the next two squa re s out in the secondary burst

radius, and so on .

Hit Procedure: Roll 1D10 for each charac ter

within either the pr imary or secondary burst radius

of an explosion. Charac te rs within the primary burst

radius a re hit by multiple fragments on a roll of 1 - 3 ,

a single fragment on a roll of 4 - 6 and no fragments

on a roll of 7 -10 . Charac ters in the secondary burst

radius a re hit by multiple fragments on a roll of 1 -2 ,

a single fragment on a roll of 3-4, and no f ragments

on a roll of 5-10.

If a character is hit by multiple fragments, roll 1D6

to de termine the number .

Damage and Penetration: F ragment s do dam-

a g e as small a r m s fire. F ragmen t s closer to the

explosion are m o r e dange rous than those farther

away. F ragmen t s in the pr imary burst area do 2D6

d a m a g e and expend 1 d a m a g e die per level of

a rmor value (AV) struck. (Thus, they m a y penetra te

AVI and still do 1D6 d a m a g e . ) F ragment s in the

secondary burst a rea do 1D6 d a m a g e and will not

penet ra te armor.

All hit, d a m a g e , and penetrat ion information is

summarized on the Fragmenta t ion Attack Table on

p a g e 3 2 5 .

Penetration: All exploding rounds have a listed

penetrat ion value expressed as the min imum armor

value of penetrat ion. The actual penetration of the

round is the listed penetrat ion plus the roll of 2D6

(except for rounds with a listed penetrat ion of Nil).

If t he target was a vehicle, c o m p a r e this to the a rmor

value of the target vehicle and consult t he vehicle

d a m a g e tables on p a g e s 3 2 8 and 3 2 9 for details.

C h a r a c t e r s falling from a he igh t t a k e blunt

t r a u m a d a m a g e u p o n hit t ing t h e g r o u n d . This

d a m a g e i s e q u a l t o 2 D 6 pe r m e t e r fallen. D a m -

a g e i s d is t r ibuted a c c o r d i n g to t h e H u m a n / A n i -

m a l Hit Loca t ion C h a r t as follows: Roll t h ree

loca t ions . T h e first loca t ion t a k e s half t h e total

d a m a g e po in t s . T h e s e c o n d t a k e s o n e - q u a r t e r

t h e tota l , a n d t h e third t a k e s t h e r ema inde r . I f t h e

s a m e loca t ion is rolled twice , i t t a k e s addi t ional

d a m a g e accord ingly . I t is poss ib l e for o n e loca-

t ion to r ece ive t h e full d a m a g e .

D a m a g e from falls is reduced by Agility. Roll a

n u m b e r of D6 equal to the falling charac ter ' s Agility

and reduce the d a m a g e by that a m o u n t (removing

hit points from locations at t h e character ' s choice) .

Unconscious charac te rs m a y not u s e their Agility in

this manner .

For example , a charac ter with Agility 4 falling

from three m e t e r s would t a k e 6 D 6 d a m a g e , re-

duced by 4D6 .

Refereees m a y adjust the total n u m b e r of d a m -

a g e dice at their discretion to reflect intangibles and

variable such as t ype and ha rdness of surface

landed on . (Deduct several dice for landing in soft

snow, for example , or double the dice for landing on

a picket fence.)

S o m e creatures , such as vipers, do little actual

d a m a g e with their c laws and /o r teeth, but are able

to inject po isons into their prey. D a m a g e listings for

these crea tures a re given in the form of a number

followed by a small p (for poison) then another

number . The f i rs t n u m b e r represents the n u m b e r of

hits actually done by the delivery sys tem (fang,

stinger, e tc . ) . If t he se hits are nega ted by armor, then

no d a m a g e is suffered from the poison. However, if

any d a m a g e does get through the armor, the target

t a k e s that d a m a g e on the round in which was hit,

and on e a c h succeeding round i t also t akes d a m a g e

from the poison. Poison d a m a g e is always applied

to the ta rge t ' s chest , and it is expressed as a n u m b e r

of dice, as indicated by t h e n u m b e r following the p.

For example , imagine that Octavius h a s been

stung by assass inoids (from the "Beasties" chapter

on p a g e 177) twice in the right a rm, once in the

head , and o n c e in t h e chest , which is protected by

a flak jacket . Assass inoids h a v e a d a m a g e rating of

1 p 1 , so on this p h a s e Octavius t a k e s two points of

d a m a g e to the a r m and one point to the head , but the

jacket s tops the chest wound. On the next p h a s e

and each thereafter, Octavius will t ake 3D6 points to

the chest , from the wounds to h e a d and a rm.

For simplicity's sake , poison d a m a g e is consid-

ered to continue until the charac ter ' s ches t wound

level b e c o m e s critical. If t he referee desires m o r e

realism (and m o r e complexity) e a c h poison wound

can be considered to cause d a m a g e for 12 p h a s e s

(one minute) , after which the toxin b e c o m e s dis-

persed enough to lose its potency.

Wounds c a u s e a variety of effects, s o m e t empo-

rary and s o m e more lasting. Those effects are

explained here.

Charac te rs who suffer m o r e points of d a m a g e In

an action p h a s e than their current Agility are knocked

down and m a y not conduct any other act ions for the

rest of the current turn. Concuss ion d a m a g e counts

the s a m e as gunshot and fragmentation wounds for

determining knockdown, but burn d a m a g e and

cumulat ive poison d a m a g e do not.

Any d a m a g e to the head , including burn d a m -

age , h a s a c h a n c e of stunning a character . To avoid

stun, roll 1D6 and add the d a m a g e suffered from the

wound. If t he result is equal to or less than the

character ' s Constitution, the character is unaffected.

If t he result is greater than the Constitution rating,

the charac ter i s s tunned and remains unconsc ious

for a n u m b e r of c o m b a t turns equal to the a m o u n t

by which the total exceeded the Constitution rating.

For example, Tiger Jones suffers a 3 point wound to

the head and rolls a 6, for a total of 9. His Constitution is

7, so he is stunned (unconscious) for two combat turns.

Not surprisingly, stunned characters are also considered

to be automatically knocked down.

There a re four levels of wound severity: scratch,

slight, ser ious, and critical. If o n e of a charac te r ' s

body pa r t s h a s t aken d a m a g e less than o r equal to

half its hit capaci ty (round down), it is "scratched."

If One of a charac te r ' s body par t s h a s t aken d a m a g e

m o r e than half of its hit capac i ty up to equal to its hit

capacity, it is slightly wounded. If it h a s t aken m o r e

d a m a g e than its hit capacity, but less than or equal

to twice its capacity, it is seriously wounded. If it h a s

t aken d a m a g e in exces s of twice its hit capacity, it

is critically wounded.

Note: If a charac ter t a k e s enough d a m a g e from a

hit to immediately t ake a part of his body from

unwounded to slightly wounded, t h e effects of a

scratch wound a re super seded by t h e effects of t h e

slight wound.

Scratch Wounds: Scra tch wounds mainly repre-

"Darkness makes the sunlight sobright that our eyes blur with tears.Challenges remind us that we arecapable of great things. Miseryshaipens the edges of our joy.

'Life is hard. It is supposed to be."-Zena Marley

(Early 21st-century mercenary-philosopher)

sent the initial shock of suddenly being hurt The

first t ime that a character t a k e s d a m a g e during

comba t , he loses his next act ion. Charac te rs never

suffer m o r e than o n e lost action per day (24-hour

period) for scra tch wounds , regardless of how m a n y

they suffer in a comba t .

Slight Wounds: A slight wound immediately

reduces the charac ter ' s Initiative rating by 1 point.

However, charac te rs never suffer m o r e than one

Initiative reduction for slight wounds , regardless of

how m a n y they suffer. Slight wounds have no other

effect on comba t , al though the referee m a y decide

to penalize act ions mak ing u s e of slightly injured

a r m s or legs.

Serious Wounds: A serious wound reduces a

charac te r ' s effective Strength by half (rounding t h e

f inal Strength rating down) and c a u s e s an additional

immedia te 2 point reduction of the charac te r ' s

Initiative rating (for a total of three, including the

slight wound reduction). Charac te rs whose Initia-

tive ratings are reduced to 0 or less m a y not t ake a n y

further act ions during this comba t .

Characters who suffer a ser ious injury m u s t a lso

m a k e a special roll to avoid losing consc iousness .

This is a percentile roll (using two 10-sided dice, one

representing the t ens digit and the other the o n e s

digit) versus the Constitution rating. The roll mus t be

repea ted every c o m b a t turn in which the character

a t t empt s to conduct any activity. A serious injury to

the head automatically c a u s e s loss of conscious-

ness . Unconscious charac te rs m a k e a percentile

additional immedia te 2 point reduction to their

Initiative rating. Charac ters whose initiative ratings

are reduced to 0 or less m a y not t ake any further

act ions during this comba t .

roll against their Constitution at the start of e ach

c o m b a t turn to a t t empt to regain consc iousness .

Finally, a serious wound to the leg or a r m c a u s e s

the charac ter to lose the u s e of that limb until it is

healed.

Critical Wounds: A critical head injury c a u s e s

immedia te death . Critical injuries to other body

par t s c a u s e immedia te loss of consc iousness and

require medical attention within 10 minutes or the

charac ter will die from loss of blood.

Charac te rs who lose consc iousness due to a

critical wound m a k e a percenti le roll against their

Constitution at the start of every other c o m b a t turn

to a t t empt to regain consc iousness . O n c e such

charac te rs regain consc iouness , their Strength is

halved (round down) and they also receive an

Each of the body ' s seven hit locations m a y be

wounded to one of four levels: scratch, slight, seri-

ous , or critical ( a s explained under "Wound Sever-

ity," above) . In general , as wounded body par t s heal,

their wound level dec rea se s through those levels in

reverse order until they are no longer wounded—

critical hea l s to serious, serious hea l s to slight, and

slight hea ls to unwounded (healed) . (Note that

scratch wounds are a special case . ) When a wound

level dec reases from critical to serious, the d a m a g e

points a re reduced to the midpoint of t h e serious

level. When a wound level dec rea se s from serious to

slight, the d a m a g e points a re reduced to the mid-

point be tween slight and zero (which is technically

the high mark for t h e scra tch wound level—but the

scratch wound level is ignored once a wound reaches

slight, so this s ta tus is still considered slightly

wounded) . When a wound level dec reases from

slight, it r educes to unwounded.

For example , Hadyn N a k a m u r a ' s a r m h a s a hit

capaci ty of 28 points and h a s taken 32 points of

d a m a g e . It is seriously wounded. When it heals to

slightly wounded, the d a m a g e points are reduced to

14, which is halfway between the top end of the

limb's slightly wounded s ta tus and zero.

Note that penal t ies c aused by a wound level

(such as Initiative reductions) remain in effect until

that wound level is reduced to the next level (at

which point penalt ies for t h e next level remain in

effect).

It is bes t to treat wounds as soon as possible after

they are incurred. In order for f irst aid to be effective,

then, it m u s t be applied within six turns of the t ime

the wound was received. Effective first aid will

r educe a critical wound to a serious one , or reduce

the healing t ime of a serious wound by two days .

First aid h a s no effect on slight or scra tch wounds ,

except to prevent infection. To administer first aid to

d a m a g e c a u s e d by poison requires an antivenin

autoinjector or a doctor ' s medical kit (which con-

tains t h e m ) .

First aid is an Average task versus the Medical

skill, a s suming a doctor ' s medical kit is on hand . If

such a kit is not available, t he t a sk b e c o m e s Diffi-

cult. Consc ious charac te rs can a t tempt f i rs t aid on

themse lves .

Critical wounds mus t be stabilized within 10

minutes or the injured character dies. (Remember ,

though, that dea th is au tomat ic with a critical wound

to the head . ) Stabilizing a critical wound is an

Average t a sk versus Medical, but certain t ypes of

equ ipment add points to the effective skill level of

the charac ter performing the t rea tment . Blood

p lasma , s t rong sedat ives, or a medical kit of s o m e

sort each add +1 to the skill level, and t he se things

can be used in conjunction with o n e another for a

collective bonus . In a hospital or clinic setting, whole

blood m a y be used instead of blood p lasma , for a

bonus of +2 instead of + 1 .

A character without medical attention may heal from

a slight wound level to unwounded in three days. To go

from serious to slight takes four days, and from critical

to serious takes one week. Note that healing of various

body parts goes on simultaneously.

For example , on Monday, Pigeon is nearly ea ten

by a h u m o n g o u s sewer-dwelling alligator and re-

ceives a slight wound to his head , a serious wound

to his chest , and a critical wound to each leg. An

a m b u l a n c e t e a m stabilizes his critical wounds , and

Pigeon's r o o m m a t e t a k e s him h o m e to recover.

Three days later, on Thursday, his head wound h a s

healed. By Friday, his chest wound h a s reduced to

slight. On the next Monday, both critical wounds

reduce to serious, and his slight chest wound re-

duces to unwounded (it h a s been three days since

Friday). Four days later, on Friday, both legs reduce

to slight, and Pigeon gets in a fight with his room-

ma te , taking another slight wound to the head . By

t h e next Monday, all three slight wounds h a v e

healed completely. Now Pigeon is totally ready to go

out and get himself all m e s s e d up again.

Scra tch wounds require 24 hours to heal to an

unwounded state. If a scratch wound is t aken to a

body part , and then further wounds to that body par t

during the day push that body par t ' s wound level to

slight, the rates and rules for healing from a slight

wound are used . Slight wounds do not heal to a

scra tched state, they heal to unwounded without

pass ing through the scra tch wound level s ta tus .

Medical c a r e a n d superv i s ion will i n c r e a s e an

injured c h a r a c t e r ' s bas i c hea l ing ra te . If a char -

ac te r i s u n d e r successfu l m e d i c a l c a r e while

hea l ing , two d a y s a r e t r i m m e d from e a c h s t a g e

of hea l ing . In o the r words , critical w o u n d s hea l in

f ive d a y s , s e r ious w o u n d s in two d a y s , a n d slight

w o u n d s in o n e day. (In t h e e x a m p l e a b o v e ,

P igeon would h a v e h e a l e d c o m p l e t e l y in e ight

d a y s , ra ther t h a n two w e e k s . )

Success fu l m e d i c a l c a r e r equ i r e s two th ings .

First, t h e ca reg ive r m u s t s p e n d half an h o u r p e r

w o u n d level , pe r b o d y a r ea d a m a g e d , pe r day,

t end ing t o t h e w o u n d s . (For i n s t ance , w h e n

Pigeon w a s f i r s t injured, he would requ i re four

a n d a half h o u r s of c a r e pe r day. W h e n he

r e a c h e d only t h r e e slight w o u n d s , only an hour

a n d a half of c a r e w a s requ i red p e r day.) S e c o n d ,

o n c e pe r d a y t h e ca reg ive r m u s t p a s s a n E a s y

c h e c k of his or her Medical skill. If no m e d i c a l

e q u i p m e n t is ava i l ab le (a d o c t o r ' s kit is mini -

m u m ) , t h e n t h e t a s k c h e c k b e c o m e s A v e r a g e .

Fai lure m e a n s tha t o n e o f t h e two d a y s ' wor th

of t i m e to be s a v e d w a s lost . In o t h e r words , i f t h e

t a s k i s failed o n e d a y dur ing t h e t r e a t m e n t p e -

riod, on ly o n e d a y i s s a v e d from t h e n o r m a l

hea l ing t i m e . I f t h e t a s k i s failed twice , no d a y s

a r e s a v e d . Mote t ha t failing t h e t a s k a third t i m e

(or m o r e ) d o e s not a d d t i m e t o t h e bas ic hea l ing

r a t e u n l e s s a c a t a s t r o p h i c failure is rolled on this

third check (or beyond) .

Poison wounds c a n be t reated just like regular

wounds , with the exception that either a doctor ' s kit

or an antivenin autoinjector is essential rather than'

optional and confers no bonus point to the task, no te

that a successful first aid roll h a s the normal effect

on wounds incurred and halts any further d a m a g e

from the poison.

If the referee dec ides that a wounded character

h a s inadequate food or shelter, e ach wound level will

require an extra day to reduce to the next level.

These penalt ies are additive, mean ing that a char-

acter with both inadequa te food and inadequate

shelter will t ake two extra days to reduce each

wound level. For instance, imagine that Pigeon, in

the example above , is hiding out in an abandoned

warehouse and subsisting on nothing but water and

a c a s e of stale c h e e s e crackers . This is certainly

inadequate diet, so he'll suffer an additional day to

heal e a c h wound level. If t h e weather is cold, the

heat less warehouse will a lso qualify as inadequate

shelter, so Pigeon will require two extra days to heal

each level. Now, instead of heal ing his slight head

wound on Thursday, it will t a k e until Saturday, the

serious chest wound will t ake until Sunday to be-

c o m e slight, and the two critical leg wounds will t ake

until the next Wednesday to reduce to serious.

Surgery c a n r educe a critical wound drastically.

Like any other medical care , it will usually be

performed at a hospital , where all necessa ry equip-

men t is available and quality post-operat ive care is

available. But occasionally a character might have

reasons for not going to a hospital for this care (such

as insufficient money, or being sought by assas -

sins) . In t he se c a s e s , a friend might be asked to

perform the surgery.

Surgery can only be performed by s o m e o n e with

at least Medical 3, and it requires the use of surgical

instruments . It is a Difficult t ask versus Medical to

reduce a critical wound to serious, but if the task roll

is successful, t he reduction occurs immediately

after surgery is comple ted . T h e u s e of blood p lasma

and local anesthet ic e ach add +1 to the surgeon 's

effective Medical skill, and are cumulat ive. If whole

blood is used instead of p lasma , it a d d s +2 to the

effective skill level. Total anesthet ic adds +3 if it is

used instead of local anesthet ic .

Only o n e surgery a t tempt c a n be performed per

critical wound. Failure m e a n s that the wound re-

ma ins critical. Catastrophic failure can result in

extra healing t ime, loss of limb, or loss of life,

depending upon the hit location receiving surgery,

the severity of the critical failure, and the referee's

judgment of t h e situation as a whole.

Vehicles and w e a p o n s have been wedded f rom

the beginnings of recorded history. From the war

chariots of the anc ient Assyrians, to the most

m o d e r n battle t a n k s , from pickup t rucks with gun

r a c k s , to laser -wie ld ing sa te l l i tes , all be t r ay

humani ty ' s fascination with s p e e d and destruction.

In this chapter, we explain how to incorporate

vehicle c o m b a t into your Dark Conspiracy adven-

tures . Travel rules a re a lso included, for those t imes

when charac te rs m u s t t rek ac ross long dis tances ,

whether it be along well-patrolled interstates, through

decay ing backwa te r regions, or ac ross hideous

s t re tches of rural Demonground .

ground, t h e referee m a y decide to cut down travel

speed somewhat , to represent the necessity for

m o r e caut ious progress , for scouting ahead , for

vehicle mainta inance , and the like. Generally, there

will be m o r e likelihood for encounter during such

travel, simply b e c a u s e of the hazardous nature of

the region. But in every case , the decision is left to

the referee.

For long-range encounters or encounters with large

parties, the referee may decide to use 30-second

combat turns as the m e a n s of resolving the encounter.

When greater detail is desired, combat phases can be

used. The use of combat turns and combat phases is

explained more completely in "Combat & Damage."

Different adventure situations call for different

t rea tments of travel and t ime p a s s a g e . If a group is

making a 2 0 0 - or 300-ki lometer trip from one city

to the next, along well-kept highway, for instance,

the referee m a y simply have the players de te rmine

how long i t t a k e s to get there, b a s e d upon the exact

dis tance and the speed of the vehicle(s) being used ,

and then consider the trip accompl ished . On the

other hand , the referee m a y decide to throw in an

encounter to liven things up , or the adventure m a y

call for a travel encounter . If the group is making a

days- long trek ac ross a rural stretch of Demon-

Each ground vehicle card contains a pair of

m o v e m e n t listings: Cruise Speed , which is how

m a n y kilometers the vehicle c a n effectively travel

per hour, and Comba t Movement , which is how

m a n y mete r s i t can m o v e per comba t round.

Additionally, e a c h listing contains a pair of num-

bers: t he first is a safe on-road m o v e m e n t rate; the

second a safe off-road rate. Air and water craft have

slightly different ratings, as explained later.

Travel on a good road is largely unaffected by

the terrain through which the road pa s se s , but good

roads a re becoming scarce . A poor road (one

which is breaking up , partially washed out, or just

hasn ' t seen a road crew in three or four years)

allows travel at the full cross-country rate for

vehicles, regardless of the terra in through which the

road p a s s e s .

Aside from roads and rivers, there are four main

types of terrain encountered in the countryside:

woods, swamp , hills, and open terrain.

Woods: Woods are forested a r ea s of consider-

able density. While a person can walk through

virgin forest, it is an impractical m e a n s of travel for

vehicles and for a par ty of people for any distance.

Thus , all travel through wooded a reas is a s sumed

to be along only p a t h s and roads and through

clearings whenever possible. Travel m o v e m e n t on

foot through woods is at half the normal m o v e m e n t

rate. Vehicles travel through woods at half their off-road

movement rate unless following a particularly well-

travelled dirt road, in which case they move at their full

off-road movement rate. Bicycles may not be ridden

through woods except along such roads.

Swamp: S w a m p s are difficult to t raverse, but a

person on foot c a n m o v e at full m o v e m e n t rate . All

vehicles m o v e at half of their off-road m o v e m e n t

rate. Bicycles m a y not be ridden.

Hills: Hills are relatively s t eep but regular rolling

ground. All m o v e m e n t is reduced by half in hills.

Hills m a y also be wooded. If so , de termine the

m o v e m e n t rate for woods first and then apply the hill

terrain reduct ions to the result.

Open: O p e n terrain is generally flat or gently

rolling grass lands , and for the mos t par t consists of

former cultivated lands which have reverted to the

wild but are not yet wooded. O p e n terrain also

includes cultivated ground. All m o v e m e n t through

open terrain is at the full off-road m o v e m e n t rate.

The m o s t difficult thing about operat ing aircraft is

not the flying itself, but rather the takeoff and

landing. Taking off or landing an aircraft e ach

normally require an Easy level skill roll unless

complicated by mechanical difficulties, poor weather,

or s o m e other such trouble.

A failed takeoff or landing roll m e a n s that the pilot

h a s either pulled up from landing or groundlooped

at the end of the runway and aborted the maneuver for

the moment. A catastrophic failure means the aircraft

has crashed and is destroyed. The extent by which the

task was failed should indicate the seriousness of inju-

ries, if any, sustained by pilot and crew.

To this point, we have dealt a lmost exclusively

with c o m b a t a m o n g c o m b a t a n t s on foot. But occa -

sionally m o u n t s or vehicles will be involved. This

section del ineates the basic rules for incorporating

those things into a battle.

Incorporating vehicles into the c o m b a t s e q u e n c e

involves adding a few adapta t ions to the basic

c o m b a t rules. Most of these adapta t ions involve

vehicle movemen t .

Units of Measure: As mentioned above, movement

rates for ground vehicles are given in meters, first on-

road, then off-road. Movement rates for water vessels

and aircraft are given in eight-meter increments moved

per combat phase. When using a two-meter grid,

multiply this number by four; when using individual

meter measurement, multiply it by eight. (Note that

many water vessels have a movement allowance of 0.5,

1.5, 2.5, etc. When moving on the eight-meter grid,

these vessels move an extra square every other phase.)

Boating Maneuvers: A few special rules apply to

watercraft comba t movemen t .

Turning: Each vessel h a s a turn rating which is

the number of 45° turns i t can m a k e each c o m b a t

turn (30 seconds ) . Regardless of this rating, only

one turn can be m a d e per p h a s e (five seconds ) , and

only on the p h a s e s in which the h e l m s m a n (or

captain who is with the h e l m s m a n ) h a s the Initiative.

"I have come up with a good advertis-ing slogan for Zil cars. Its Zen-likeclarity and perfection please megreatly:

Buy a Zil—It's almost better

than having a root canal.

"The true beauty of this rests in thefact that, like all classic advertising,it is a lie."

—Zena Marley(Early 21st-century mercenary-philosopher)

Acceleration and Deceleration: Each vessel h a s

an accelerat ion rating which is the amount by which

it can increase its speed each c o m b a t turn. Regard-

less of the rating, only o n e point of increase c a n be

m a d e per p h a s e , and then only in p h a s e s in which

the h e l m s m a n (or captain who is with the he lms-

m a n ) h a s Initiative. A boat can decelerate at twice

its accelerat ion per turn , but still a t no more than o n e

point per p h a s e .

Rowed Boats: Rowboats m a y be rowed at up to

(but not m o r e than) twice their listed speed .

Sailboats: Sai lboats will not m o v e upwind, nor

within 45° to either side of that direction.

Motorboats: Size 1 moto rboa t s m a y be rowed if

necessary .

Fire From Moving Vehicles: Charac ters m a y not

conduct a imed fire from a moving vehicle. They

m a y fire quick shots or burs ts at one level greater

difficulty than normal . Drivers fire quick sho ts at two

levels of difficulty greater than normal .

Pilots or crew of aircraft firing w e a p o n s moun ted

on the aircraft are a special c a s e and do not apply

the above rule, a l though crew and pas senge r s firing

nonmoun ted w e a p o n s (such as rifles or pistols) do.

Target Movement: If the target is moving 30

mete r s or m o r e in the current phase , any a t tempt to

hit it is conducted as if at range greater than normal .

For normal fire, this merely m e a n s o n e level m o r e

difficult t han normal , but for au to fire, it m e a n s that

the n u m b e r of dice rolled per burst is reduced.

"Drive" Action: When vehicles are involved in com-

bat, Drive is considered an action added to the list of

normal actions. Drive includes the operation of all types

of vehicles, from bicycles to oil tankers to space shuttles.

In some cases, performing this action will require a skill

check. In others, the action is considered to be automati-

cally successful. For instance, a character who was

usingthe Drive action to pilot a helicopter through a train

tunnel might have to m a k e a Difficult: Pilot check, while

another character who was driving a family car along a

city street in good weather, or who was coming to a safe

halt at a well-marked stop sign, would be required to

m a k e no check at all.

A few other actions can be combined with the Drive

action. Talking and driving can be done together freely.

The Ready/Change Equipment, Reload, and Fire ac-

tions can each be done while driving, but any necessary

driving checks are a tone level more difficult (sometimes

requiring a check that might not otherwise be required).

Vehicle Movement and Driver Initiative: Driving a

vehicle is considered to be a special case of the repetitive

action option. That is, vehicles move every phase,

regardless of the Initiative rating of their operators. This

movement is considered to be simultaneous, although

for simplicity the referee will most likely choose to have

characters move their vehicles each phase in reverse

Initiative order (Intiative 1 acts, then 2, then 3, etc.).

At the beginning of each 30-second combat turn,

each player of a driving character tells the referee the

basic direction and speed ofthe vehicle. Thiscan include

such things as going in a straight line, following a road or

path, travelling off-road toward a landmark, driving to a

particular position and stopping, following a leading

vehicle, or any similarly simple plan. The vehicle then

follows the stated course through all phases prior to the

driver's Initiative point. The only change that can be

m a d e to this plan during these phases is to bring the

vehicle to a halt in response to an unforseen obstacle or

action (thus terminating the repetitive action).

Once a character's Initiative point comes up in the

combat turn, however, that character can divert freely

from the stated plan, choosing a new action each phase,

if desired.

For example, Dr. Willoughby, with an Initiative of 2, is

driving his Yugo Contempo to his office when a pack of

nomad bikers roars up from behind and surrounds his

car. The referee decides to go to combat sequence at this

point and asks the doctor's player what the doctor is

planning to do. The player decides to have the doctor

continue driving at the s a m e speed and continue straight

down the road. The referee secretly makes a determina-

tion for the bikers, not letting the doctor's player know

that none of them has an Initiative higher than 3. In phase

6, Willoughby continues onward, as do the bikers. On

phases 5 and 4, the s a m e thing occurs.

On p h a s e 3, however, one of the bikers suddely

swerves in front of the doctor ' s car and slows down.

Willoughby is still locked into his repetitive course

until next phase , so he h a s only one of two choices:

continue to follow his s ta ted course—in which c a s e

he'll run into the biker—or s top the car. The player

decides to h a v e him continue his course, and the

biker goes flying. If this had been one of the doctor ' s

Initiative p h a s e s , he could have chosen to do s o m e -

thing other than merely continue or s top. For in-

s tance , he might have swerved, or slowed down, or

sped up , or pulled a pistol from his jacket , or any of

a n u m b e r of other things.

Fast Driving and Mishaps: During combat, a vehicle

may travel faster than the listed safe on-road/off-road

speeds at the risk of a mishap. Driving at up to twice the

safe speed requires an Average check versus the

appropriate vehicle skill. Ground vehicles (with the

exception of bicycles, seethe following page) may travel

at up to three times the safe speed, but this requires a

Difficult task check. In either case, the roll is m a d e each

phase. Failure of the check m e a n s a mishap occurs.

Ground vehicle m i s h a p s m e a n the vehicle h a s

b e c o m e stuck in a ditch, or bo t tomed out in rough

ground. It canno t m o v e until it b e c o m e s unstuck. In

each p h a s e that the driver would normally act, a

Difficult roll versus the appropriate vehicle skill m a y

be m a d e in an a t t empt to correct the mishap .

S u c c e s s m e a n s the vehicle b e c o m e s unstuck. If the

mishap was the result of a catastrophic failure,

however, t he vehicle suffers s o m e sort of severe

d a m a g e . The referee will de termine the exact ef-

fects, b a s e d upon the situation a t t h e t ime and the

a m o u n t by which the die roll exceeded the mini-

m u m for catastrophic failure. I t m a y be that the

vehicle suffers a collision (pe rhaps with pas senge r

injuries), for example , or simply that it h a s b e c o m e

too mired down to b e c o m e uns tuck without the aid

of a towing vehicle.

Water vessel mishaps mean the vehicle suffers a stall

of some sort. Engines die, sails break loose, oars are

dropped, and the like. To get the vessel underway again,

the character in charge can attempt an Average roll

versus Vessel Use once per phase in which that character

would normally act. Success m e a n s the problem has

been resolved. If the mi shap was the result of a

catastrophic failure, however, the vessel has suffered

some sort of permanent damage, as determined by the

referee, based upon the situation at the time.

Aerospace craft m i shaps m e a n the craft goes out

of control and begins rushing toward the ground.

O n c e per phase , the pilot can m a k e an Average

check versus the appropriate Pilot skill to regain

control. S u c c e s s m e a n s that control is regained.

Based upon the speed of the craft and its altitude at

the t ime control was lost, the referee will determine how

many phases can elapse before the craft runs out of air

space. If the pilot has not regained control by this time,

the craft crashes, with damage being determined by the

referee's judgment. Note that if the mishap was the result

of a catastrophic failure, attempts to regain control are

t a k e s 1D6 points of d a m a g e , and the motorcycle

suffers o n e suspens ion hit.

at Difficult level, rather than Average.

Bicycles and Motorcycles: A character can at-

t e m p t to go up to twice the safe speed on a bicycle.

(Characters who are encumbered travel at half

s p e e d on bicycles and m a y not go faster.) Travelling

over s p e e d on a bicycle requires an Average check

versus Agility. Failure m e a n s the character falls off,

but no d a m a g e results. Catastrophic failure results

in d a m a g e to bike and /or rider.

Motorcycle m i s h a p s m e a n the driver h a s t aken a

spill. Characters suffer 1 D 6 - 3 d a m a g e unless they

succeed at Difficult: Agility. The rider can u s e the

next available action to remount the motorcycle and

cont inue. Catastrophic failures m e a n the driver

Firing at vehicles and vessels is similar in general

principle to firing at individuals, but there are a few

differences. Some additional die rolls must be made

when dealing with vehicular weapons and vehicular

damage.

Range Finders: Many vehicle-mounted guns have

range finders which provide a fire bonus to the gunner's

marksmanship. The bonus may only be used for aimed

shots and only when shooting at land vehicles, vessels,

and other large targets (such as buildings). The entry in

the equipment list for each vehicle gives its range finder

bonus. This bonus is added to the gunner's modified

marksmanship at medium and long range. Half of the

bonus is added at extreme range.

Note that factors which c a u s e a target to be

treated as being at a longer r ange (such as move-

m e n t or obscurat ion) do not c h a n g e the r a n g e finder

b o n u s used, only the effective m a r k s m a n s h i p of the

gunner. For example , firing at an obscured target at

close range is t reated as if at m e d i u m range for

determining the gunner ' s effective skill; it does not

allow u s e of the m e d i u m range range finder bonus .

Antitank Missiles: On rare occas ions , guided

antitank missiles m a y b e c o m e available to charac-

ters . Unlike other direct fire weapons , the range

given on the combat chart for an antitank missile is

its maximum range. Within this range, the chance to

hit is t he s a m e regardless of dis tance: It is an Easy

task versus Heavy Weapons skill. However, t he f irer

mus t t ake an a im action before f i r ing, and (except

for Tank Breaker, below) mus t continue to aim

during the entire flight of the missile or it will miss the

target. All missiles travel 1000 me te r s per comba t

p h a s e .

If a missile-firing charac ter is hit by any sort of

at tack, the aiming concentrat ion will be broken and

the missile will m i s s its target.

Tank Breaker: Tank Breaker is a fire-and-forget

antitank missile. That is, once it is aimed and launched,

it will continue to h o m e in on the target without further

guidance from the operator. The firing character must

still aim before firing, but once the missile is fired there

is no need to continue to aim.

Multiple-Barrel Guns: In extremely rare c a s e s

(you'd better hope ) , large guns with multiple barrels

m a y find their way into comba t . In such a c a s e , the

f i r ing procedure i s conducted as normal up to the

point of calculating the n u m b e r of hits achieved.

When this point is reached , the resultant number is

multiplied by the n u m b e r of barrels on the weapon .

For example , if a two-barrel gun were used , the

number of hits would be doubled.

Aircraft m a y be fired at by ground w e a p o n s or

other aircraft.

Ground Weapons: The only ground w e a p o n s

which m a y f i re at aircraft are automat ic w e a p o n s

and antiaircraft missiles.

Automatic weapons do so using the normal rules to

hit, but at one greater level of difficulty. All automatic

small a rms weapons cause minor damage. All larger

caliber automatic weapons cause major damage.

E a c h firing au tomat ic weapon can only achieve

one hit per c o m b a t p h a s e , regardless of the actual

n u m b e r of hit rolls successfully m a d e .

Antiaircraft missiles are fired using the Heavy Weap-

ons skill. The accuracy of the missile indicates the

difficulty level of the task. A successful task roll indicates

that the target aircraft suffers minor damage; an out-

standing success roll indicates major damage.

Air-to-Air Combat: Aircraft m a y also be fired at

by other aircraft using either automat ic w e a p o n s or

antiaircraft missiles. All rules for firing are the s a m e ,

with the following additions:

All hostile aircraft e n g a g e d in c o m b a t are either

advan taged or d i sadvantaged with respect to e a c h

other. The advan taged aircraft is t he aircraft with the

higher total of s p e e d points p lus Pilot skill plus

maneuve r points . Advan tage /d i sadvan tage is re-

calculated e a c h p h a s e .

Speed points are equal to the current combat speed

of the aircraft divided by 10, rounding fractions down.

For example, an aircraft with a printed speed of 40 is

being flown at twice its safe speed, or 80. ft has eight

speed points.

Pilot skill is the actual skill level of the pilot.

Maneuver points are gained by attempting difficult

maneuvers. An Average skill roll maneuver gains 1

point, Difficult gains 2, and one stage further (i.e., versus

one-quarter of the pilot's skill) gains4. Failure is treated

as a mishap.

If t h e a d v a n t a g e d aircraft 's total of speed+

skill+maneuver exceeds the disadvantaged aircraft's

total by 50% or more, the advantaged plane may break

off contact and successfully escape. Otherwise it must

stay and fight.

If a fight (exchangeof fire) ensues , the advantaged

aircraft p icks the range of the comba t , provided the

dis tance chosen is still within range of at least one of

the d isadvantaged aircraft's weapons . If the disad-

van taged aircraft h a s no weapons , i t m u s t be within

range of at least one of t h e advan taged aircraft's

weapons .

Fixed weapons (mach ineguns and cannon f ixed

to f i re forward) and antiaircraft missiles m a y only be

fired at hostile aircraft if the firing aircraft is advantaged

with respec t to the target.

Flexible m o u n t w e a p o n s (such as gun turrets or

door-mounted mach ineguns ) m a y f i re a t enemy

aircraft whether advan taged or d isadvantaged with

respect to t hem. If d isadvantaged, however, t he fire

is conduc ted at o n e difficulty level greater.

Die Roll*

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

Result

Turret /supers t ructure**

Hull

Hull

Hull

Hull

Suspension/water l ine***

Suspension/water l ine***

Die Roll*

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

Result

Wing

Wing

Wing

Hull

Hull

Hull

Hull*+l to die roll for side shots.**If the vehicle has no turret or superstructure, this becomes Hull.***Minor damage halves speed; major damage immobilizes the vehicle.

Two minor results equal one major.

Surface

Like human targets, vehicles in Dark Conspiracy

have various hit locations. When a hit is scored on a

vehicle, damage is determined by a series of steps. First,

a roll is m a d e for hit location on the Vehicle Hit Locations

Table. Second, the damage value of the round is

compared to the location's armor value, revealing a

damage severity table to be rolled on. Third.a roll is m a d e

on the appropriate damage severity table, and the

resulting damage is applied.

Vehicle Configuration: For simplicity's sake, vehicles

in Dark Conspiracy are divided into two main groups:

surface vehicles and aerospace vehicles. Aerospace

vehicles include all those covered by the Pilot skill (i.e.,

fixed wing, rotary wing, and shuttle). Surface vehicles

include all those covered by the Vehicle Use and Vessel

Use skill (i.e., all ground and water craft). Land surface

vehicles a re further subdivided into three types

(noted on each vehicle 's vehicle card) : s tandard,

turreted, and crew in hull.

Standard: These vehicles have a roughly rectangular

shaped body or "hull." Passenger cars and trucks are

standard vehicles.

Turreted: Turreted vehicles have a large, manned

turret on top of the hull. Tanks are turreted vehicles.

Crew In Hull: A crew-in-hull vehicle combines a

standard hull with a small, unmanned turret. (While

there are no crew-in-hull vehicles provided in the Dark

Conspiracy basic game, some will appear in later

supplements.)

Boat Target Size: Because boats are often much

larger than other types of vehicles, many of them are

m u c h easier to hit with weapon fire. When firing at

a boat , add 1 to the c h a n c e of hitting it for each

number by which its size rating exceeds 1. For ex-

ample , add 2 to the c h a n c e of hitting a size 3 boat .

Bicycles and Motorcycles: All small a rms hits on a

bicycle or motorcycle result in damage . All hits by larger

weapons result in destruction. A damaged bicycle or

motorcycle can no longer be ridden. Characters riding a

bicycle or motorcycle when it is hit fall off, taking no

damage if on a bicycle. Characters riding a motorcycle

at m o r e than its safe speed suffer 1 D 6 - 3 d a m a g e

unless they p a s s a Difficult test of Agility.

When a hit is scored on a vehicle, a 1D6 roll must be

m a d e to determine where it impacted. One point is

added to the die roll if the shot was m a d e upon the

vehicle's side. The final result is then compared to the

Vehicle Hit Locations Table, to determine exact hit

location. Those locations are explained as follows:

Hull: This reflects a hit upon the main body of the

vehicle, whether it be an aircraft's fuselage, an

automobile's body, or a boat 's hull.

Superstructure: Many water vessels have structures

built above the hull. This die roll result m e a n s the target

vessel was hit in that area. If the vessel is flush decked

(has no superstructure), treat this as a hull hit.

Turret: If t he vehicle h a s a turret, t he round

impac t s upon it. For vehicles without a turret, treat

P-AV*

0 or less

1 to 10

11 to 2 0

21 to 4 0

41 to 6 0

61 or m o r e

Result

No effect

1 minor d a m a g e result

2 minor d a m a g e results

1 major d a m a g e result

2 major d a m a g e results

3 major d a m a g e results

Aerospace

*P-AV: Penetration minus armor value.

this as a hull hit.

Waterline: This indicates a hit below the waterline

on a water vessel , resulting in flooding. (The exact

results of flooding are explained later.)

Wing: In the c a s e of rotary craft, this indicates a

hit upon the rotor. On all other aircraft, it is a hit upon

one wing or the other.

Suspension Hits: No d a m a g e tables are pro-

vided for suspens ion hits. O n e minor d a m a g e result

to a vehicle 's suspens ion halves that vehicle's move-

ment . A second minor d a m a g e , or any major

d a m a g e , immobilizes the vehicle.

Tracked suspensions are treated like any armored

part of the vehicle using the armor value listed. Wheeled

suspensions do not have an armor value, but instead

have a critical damage level. (See Armor on page 116.)

Each time a weapon hits the suspension, it inflicts

damage equal to its final penetration. Once the cumu-

lative damage reaches the critical damage level, the

suspension suffers minor damage. Once it reaches

twice that level it suffers major damage. (In most cases,

any hit on a wheeled suspension will immobilize the

vehicle. Only in the case of small a rms fire is the

cumulative damage likely to be important.)

Overhead Attacks: Tank Breaker missiles may be

programmed to fly over the target and attack it from

above. For overhead hit locations never add 1 to the die

roll for a side shot and treat all suspension hits as hull hits

instead. All attacks are resolved using the vehicle's side

armor value.

To complete determining the extent of the vehicle's

damage, the striking round's penetration and the armor

of the location hit, along with any other special factors,

must now be considered.

Penetration: Once the hit location is determined, the

penetration value of the attacking weapon is compared

to that location's armor value. But penetration is figured

differently for small a rms and exploding rounds.

Small Arms: When using small a rms against living

targets, the weapons ' penetration value indicates the

number of damage dice lost per level of armor on the

target, and this penetration value varies with range.

Die

1

2

3

4

5

6

Minor

Result

1 c r e w m e m b e r

1 c r ewmember

2 pas senge r s*

2 pa s senge r s*

Radio or sight/vision**

Major hull

Die

1

2

3

4

5

6

Major

Result

Engine

Engine

Fuel

Fuel

W e a p o n / a m m o

W e a p o n / a m m o*2 passengers becomes a 1 crewmember hit if this is not a passenger-

carrying vehicle. If it is a passenger-carrying vehicle but no passengers arepresent, the hit has no effect. Cargo destroyed may be substituted for thisresult at the referee's discretion. "Referee ' s choice.

Small a rms fire against vehicles is handled somewhat

differently. For attacks on vehicles, the number of

damage dice is divided by the appropriate penetration

value (rounded down). The result is the weapon's

penetration versus vehicles.

Exploding Rounds: Rounds which explode always

have only one penetration listed—either a number

Die

1

2

3

4

5

6

Die

1

2

3

4

5

6

Turret Minor

Result

Loader*

Sight/vision

Sight/vision

Traverse

Seconda ry

Major turret

Turret Major

Result

Loader*

Main a r m a m e n t

Main a r m a m e n t

Main a r m a m e n t

Major hull

Minor hull

Die

1

2

3

4

5

6

Die

1

2

3

4

5

6

Hull Minor

Result

1 c rewmember

Loader*

2 passengers**

2 passengers**

Radio

Major hull

Hull Major

Result

Engine

Engine

Fuel

Fuel

A m m o

A m m o*Loader is either a hit on the autoloader mechanism or the actual

crewmember loading the gun. This becomes a driver hit if neither arepresent.

**2 passengers becomes a 1 crewmember hit if this is not a passenger-carrying vehicle. If it is a passenger-carrying vehicle but no passengers arepresent, the hit has no effect. Cargo destroyed may be substituted for thisresult at the referee's discretion.

Die

1

2

3

4

5

6

Die

1

2

3

4

5

6

Minor Turrret

Result

Loader*

Sight/vision

Sight/vision

Traverse

Seconda ry

Major turret

Major Turret

Result

Main a r m a m e n t

Main a r m a m e n t

Main a r m a m e n t

Main a r m a m e n t

Major hull

Minor hull

Die

1

2

3

4

5

6

Die

1

2

3

4

5

6

Minor Hull

Result

1 c rewmember

Loader*

2 pas senge r s**

2 pas senge r s**

Radio

Major hull

Major Hull

Result

Engine

Engine

Fuel

Fuel

A m m o

A m m o*Loader is either a hit on the autoloader mechanism or the actual

crewmember loading the gun. This becomes a driver hit if neither are present.**2 passengers becomes a 1 crewmember hit if this is not a passenger-

carrying vehicle. If it is a passenger-carrying vehicle but no passengers arepresent, the hit has no effect. Cargo destroyed may be substituted for thisresult at the referee's discretion.

followed by the letter C (indicating that it is constant

throughout its range) or the notation Nil. If the value is a

number, roll 2D6 and add the total to the listed value; the

result is the final penetration value. If the notation Nil is

present, the round has no final penetration effect.

Armor: Once the penetration value and hit location

are known, consult the vehicle description and note the

armor value of that location. Hulls and turrets each have

a front,side, and rear armor value. Tracked suspensions

have one armor value which is used when hit from all

angles. Wheeled suspensions do not have an armor

value, but do have a critical damage value, which is

listed inparentheses to differentiate it from armor values.

Unarmored Vehicles: Unarmored vehicles have a

slight armor protection provided by their metal bodies,

but it is an incomplete cover. Whenever a shot hits an

unarmored vehicle, there is a 50% chance of the shot

hitting metal and a 50% chance of it going through the

windows or canvas cargo covers. If it hits metal, the shot

is resolved normally, and the vehicle gets the benefit of

its armor.If it goes through the window or cargo area, the

shot is always resolved as minor damage and damage

results except for crew or passenger/cargo are ignored.

Extent of Damage: Subtract the correct a rmor

value of the target from the final penetration of the

weapon and consult t he Vehicle D a m a g e Resolution

Chart (page 114) . If t he result is 0 or a negative

number, the shot had no effect. If it is a positive

number , t he result will read out (from the chart) as

from one to three d a m a g e results, and will indicate

whether they are minor or major.

When firing at aircraft, severity of damage is deter-

mined differently. All automatic small a rms weapons

cause minor damage when they hit, while all larger

caliber automatic weapon cause major damage. When

firing missiles, a successful task roll indicates that the

target aircraft suffers minor damage, while an outstand-

ing success roll indicates major damage.

Locate the damage table corresponding to the target

vehicle's configuration (standard, turretted, boat, etc).

Find the correct section (minor or major damage, hull or

turret damage) and roll 1D6 once for each required

damage result. The following results are possible:

1 Crewmember: If a turret hit, this is from the turret

crew; if a hull hit, from the hull crew (driver, most likely).

Which crewmember is hit is determined randomly. The

crewmember suffers 1D6 hits, each of which does 1D6

damage. Determine hit location separately for each hit.

2 Crewmember: Exactly as above, but two crew-

members are hit, and they are selected randomly from

the entire vehicle crew, not just those in the hull or turret.

2 Passengers: Two passengers are selected at ran-

dom and are hit exactly as noted above. If this is not a

passenger-carrying vehicle, then this is treated as a 1

crewmember hit. If this is a passenger-carrying vehicle

but none are present, this has no effect.

Sight/Vision: The gun sight or night vision equip-

ment is damaged. (The referee will determine which.)

Traverse: The turret traverse is j ammed and the turret

will no longer turn. This makes it impossible to fire any

fixed weapon (such as the main gun orcoax) in the turret

until it is unjammed. Repairing the traverse is an Average

task using mechanic skill. It takes a half hour and cannot

be done from inside the vehicle.

Secondary: One machinegun or grenade launcher is

destroyed.

Loader: Either the human loader is hit, as for a crew

hit above, or the vehicle's autoloader is destroyed.

Radio: The vehicle's radio is destroyed.

Main Armament: The vehicle's main armament is

damaged and can no longer fire.

Ammo: The ammuni t ion s torage of the vehicle

h a s been hit. The a m o u n t by which the f ina l penet ra-

tion exceeded the vehicle 's a rmor is the pe rcen tage

of stored ammuni t ion lost. If the vehicle is a r m e d

with any exploding rounds or large-caliber gun rounds,

it is also the percentage chance that the ammunition will

explode. If the ammunition explodes, the vehicle is

destroyed and the crew is killed.

Weapon/Ammo: O n e weapon sys tem is de-

stroyed. If no w e a p o n is present in the location

d a m a g e d , treat this as an a m m o hit. I f no a m m o is

present , t he hit h a s no effect.

Engine: The engine is hit and rendered inoperable.

The vehicle may not move.

Fuel: The fuel tank of the vehicle has been hit. The

amount by which the final penetration exceeded the

vehicle's armor is the percentage of fuel capacity lost. It

is also the percentage chance that the fuel will ignite. If

the fuel ignites, the vehicle catches fire and the crew must

immediately bail out.

Note also that s o m e rolled results convert the

d a m a g e into a different type. For example , if a minor

turret hit is achieved against a turreted vehicle but

a 6 is rolled on the damage table, the hit is converted

into a major turret hit. In this case, roll again on the major

turret table. If a 6 is rolled on this table, the damage is

converted to a minor hull hit. If a 6 is then rolled on that

table, it is converted to a major hull hit. There is no

possibility of any alteration to a major hull hit.

Fire: Water vessels are usually quite succeptible to

fire, as even steel-hulled boats tend to be full of combus-

tible material. Whenever a fire result appears on the

d a m a g e table, the boat h a s caught f i r e . The f ina l

penetrat ion of the gun which caused the d a m a g e is

the initial level of the fire. The fire will increase in

Die

1

2

3

4

5

6

Die

1

2

3

4

5

6

Waterline Minor

Result

Waterline hull

Waterline hull

Waterline hull

1 c r e w m e m b e r

Cargo

Major waterline

Waterline Major

Result

2 c r e w m e m b e r s

Rudder /screw

Engine

Fuel

A m m o

Minor hull

Die

1

2

3

4

5

6

Die

1

2

3

4

5

6

Hull Minor

Result

1 c r ewmember

Auxiliary machinery*

Seconda ry a r m a m e n t

Radio/radar**

Sight/vision***

Major hull

Hull Major

Result

Main a r m a m e n t

Main a r m a m e n t

2 c r e w m e m b e r s

2 c r e w m e m b e r s

A m m o

Fire

Superstructure Minor

Die

1

2

3

4

5

6

Result

1 c r ewmember

Radio/radar

Sight/vision

Seconda ry weapon

Secondary weapon

Major superstructure

Superstructure Major

Die

1

2

3

4

5

6

Result

2 c r e w m e m b e r s

2 c r e w m e m b e r s

Fire

Fire

A m m o

Major hull*Auxiliary machinery includes bitge pumps, power winches on the deck, generators, etc.**A radio/radar hit in the hull becomes 1 crewmember if this is a vessel with a superstructure.***A sight/vision hit in the hull becomes auxiliary machinery if this is a vessel with a superstructure.

Die

1

2

3

4

5

6

Die

1

2

3

4

5

6

Hull Minor

Result

1 c r e w m e m b e r

Controls

Controls

2 p a s s e n g e r s *

Radio

Major hull

Hull Major

Result

Engine

Engine

Ins t ruments

Inst ruments

W e a p o n / a m m o

Minor wing

Wing Minor

Die

1

2

3

4

5

6

Result

No effect

Mo effect

Controls

Controls

Controls

Major wing

Wing Major

Die

1

2

3

4

5

6

Result

Controls

Fuel

Fuel

Fuel

Fuel

Fireball*2 passengers becomes a 1 crewmember hit if this is not a passenger-

carrying vehicle. If it is a passenger-carrying vehicle but no passengersare present, the hit has no effect. Cargo destroyed may be substituted forthis result at the referee's discretion.

level by 1D6 each 30-second combat turn.

Characters may attempt to put out the fire by spend-

ing an entire combat turn fighting it. Extinguishing a fire

is Difficult task versus Constitution. For every successful

task roll made by a character, the fire is reduced in level

by 1D6. Outs tanding success reduces the fire by 2D6

levels. Catastrophic failure results in a burn injury.

If the level of the fire exceeds the vessel's tonnage

divided by 10, the fire will begin burning out of control

and cannot be extinguished. Roll l D 6 at the start of each

combat turn thereafter. The fuel and ammunition on

board will detonate on a roll of 6, destroying the vessel.

Flooding: Vessels which suffer waterline hull damage

will begin to flood. Each vessel has three rows of flotation

hit boxes, with boxes in each row equal to the vessel's

tonnage. The amount by which the final penetration

exceeded the vessel's armor is the number of boxes

marked off. All flooding hits are marked in the top row

of flotation boxes until the row is full, then in the second

row, then in the third.

When the first row of boxes is full, the vessel's speed

is halved. When the second row is full, the vessel is "dead

in the water" and may not move under its own power. (It

will drift with the current.) When the third row of boxes is

full, the vessel will sink.

If a vessel has pumps, each point of p u m p rating will

reverse one point of flooding per combat turn. A human

can bail one point per turn, as well.

No Effect: The round passes through the aircraft's

wing with no serious effect.

Controls: The control surfaces and/or connections

are damaged, making the craft more difficult to control.

All Pilot skill checks become one level more difficult.

Instruments: The craft's instrument panel is dam-

aged and instruments begin to fail (altimeter, windspeed

indicator, fuel indicator, compass , and the like).The pilot

must m a k e an Average task roll to avoid a mishap at the

start of each subsequent combat turn. Additional dam-

age results to the instruments raise this additional

difficulty levels.

Fireball: The craft explodes in flame, destroying

everyone and everything inside. It is Difficult: AGL to

jump out of the plane the instant before explosion.

Ejecting is Average: AGL or Pilot, whichever is higher.

It is entirely possible for vehicles to collide with

o n e another in comba t . The following general rules

apply in those situations.

Damage done depends upon the size of the vehicle

and the net combat speed. Net speed depends upon the

relative direction and speed of the two colliding vehicles.

Vehicles headed in opposite directions add their speeds

together. Those travelling in the same direction subtract

the slower's speed from the faster's. All others use the

speed of the faster for determining collision damage.

Ground and Water Craft: For ground vehicles and

water vessels, the damage value caused by a collision is

equal to the tonnage of the object collided with.times the

net speed of the collision, divided by 10. For ground

vehicles, this number is used as a penetration value

against a randomly rolled hit location. For water vessels,

the hit location is automatically considered waterline

hull, the collision value is divided by the armor value of

the given location, and the resultant number is then

applied as waterline hull damage, causing flooding.

Air and Space Craft: For aircraft and shuttles, colli-

sion damage value equals tonnage times net speed, but

not divided by 10. A random roll is m a d e as normal to

determine wing or body as hit location, then the damage

value is used as a penetration value versus the hit

location's armor value, the result being used on the

Vehicle Damage Resolution Table (page 114).

Vehicle Collisions With Creatures: When a ve-

hicle collides with a h u m a n or other figure, including

those riding bicycles or motorcycles , severe injury

can result. In order to calculate the effects of this

injury, first multiply the collision speed t imes the

vehicle t onnage . If the target charac ter is riding a

bike or motorcycle , this number is the pe rcen tage

c h a n c e that the bike or motorcycle is d a m a g e d

enough to b e c o m e inoperable. Next, t he n u m b e r i s

divided by two a n d b e c o m e s d a m a g e applied to a

randomly rolled hit location on the target. Target

figures have a c h a n c e to leap out of the way of an

oncoming vehicle, by succeeding at an Average

check versus Agility. If they succeed , they t ake no

d a m a g e ; otherwise they are struck by the vehicle.

Examples: For ins tance, imagine that a 5A-ton

truck going 60 and a Yugo C o n t e m p o going 35 were

to collide head on . The collision speed in this c a s e

is 9 5 . The t ruck weighs two tons , which m e a n s the

Yugo is hit with a value of (95x2)+10, or 19 .

Regardless of the hit location rolled, the Yugo's

a rmor is 1, which m e a n s that the full 19 (19-*-l=19)

is referenced on the Vehicle D a m a g e Resolution

Table on p a g e 114, for "two minor results."

The truck takes less damage from the lighter Yugo.

The collision speed of 95 , times the Yugo's weight of 1,

yields 9 5 , which when divided by 10 results in 9.

Again, regardless of hit location, the a rmor value is

1. As a result, the full 9 points a re t aken to the Vehicle

D a m a g e Results Table for a result of "one minor

result." (Of course , what yet r emains to be d o n e is

to roll t he actual minor results and apply them. )

In another example , a 20- ton boat collides with a

140-ton boat , with a ne t collision speed of 5 (re-

member , boa t s and aircraft a re ra ted in eight-meter

increments instead of me te r s ) . The 140-ton boat

suffers a waterline hull hit which is worth 10

[ (20x5) /10] d a m a g e points, which will c a u s e 10

flotation hits worth of flooding per c o m b a t p h a s e

until repaired. The 20-ton boat suffers a waterline hit

worth 70 [ (140x5) /10] d a m a g e points, enough to

immediately sink it.

Finally, two characters on a tandem bicycle are being

run down by a 5/4-ton truck moving at 45 . The vehicle's

speed is 45 , times two tons weight equals a 90% chance

that the bicycle is ruined. If the characters fail an Average

check versus their Agility, they will each take 45 damage

points to a random location.

Loss of Control: After all d a m a g e effects a re

calculated, opera tors of vehicles involved in colli-

sions mus t immediately m a k e a Difficult test of the

appropriate skill in order to remain in control of their

vehicle. Failure at this check m e a n s the vehicle

goes out of control. Ground vehicles will skid to an

uncontrolled stop, possibly colliding with s o m e -

thing else and requiring a second d a m a g e check (at

the referee's opt ion) . Water vessels will drift with the

current, spinning slowly until control is regained.

Aerospace craft will p lummet toward the ground at

m a x i m u m speed. It is a Difficult test versus the

appropriate vehicle skill to regain control, which can

be m a d e o n c e per p h a s e in which the driver is

normally allowed an action. A catastrophic failure at

the original test m e a n s the vehicle is d a m a g e d so

severely that control cannot be regained.

Size Value

0

1

2

3

4

Characteristics

Small (under 15 meters )

Moderate (16 -35 mete rs )

Large (36 -55 mete rs )

Very large (very heavy and /or

5 6 - 7 5 meters )

Huge (76+ meters )

W h i l e n a -

tional govern-

m e n t s h a v e

lost the where-

withal to main-

tain s p a c e ex-

ploration pro-

grams, the busi-

ne s s value of

s p a c e t r a v e l

h a s kep t a few p r o g r a m s alive. In the US, for

instance, NASA survives largely as a specialized

transporta t ion company . NASA rockets launch

corporate satellites to orbit, NASA shuttles carry

equ ipment and personnel to orbital factories, and

NASA s p a c e p lanes rush corporate heads from

continent to continent—all for a substantial fee

(which in turn finances NASA investigations of ET

sightings). Very few other s p a c e agenc ies rival

NASA in size.

Spacecraft are extremely complex mach ines .

Most of the s tandard vehicle da ta would be m e a n -

ingless in defining the pr imary attributes and ca-

pacities of spacecraft , so a simpler format is used.

Besides a brief description, the following data are

provided:

Source: The organization indicated is the source

which currently controls the inventory and launch-

ing of the vehicle.

Price: This indicates the dollar-cost of such a

vehicle (including fuel, e tc . ) . ( S p a c e enthusiasts

m a y note s o m e drastic c h a n g e s from today ' s rates;

these largely reflect the altered economic and

space exploration environment of Dark Conspiracy.)

Also listed here is a two-letter availability code .

V=very c o m m o n , C = c o m m o n , S=sca rce , and

R=rare. Letters to the left of the slash indicate a

general marke t availability. If such a rating is present,

it m e a n s that private contractors m a y negotiate for

such craft and launch suppor t on a strictly com-

mercial level. No gove rnmen t s a re involved. If there

is a da sh in the general marke t availability slot, it

m e a n s that such a sys t em is controlled by a

government (or its equivalent) , and the cargo and

purpose of the launch is likely to c o m e under

scrutiny. Approval for sale of the launch is contin-

gent upon whether or not the cus tomer ' s interests

and activities further the objectives of the govern-

men t in question (or at least, that they do not

contravene those objectives). The letter to the right

of the slash indicates special marke t availibility.

The m o r e difficult t he special marke t rating is, t he

more scrutiny the government will offer, and the

more it will need evidence of mutual benefit. If there

is no rating in the special marke t slot, it m e a n s that

any l aunches of such vehicles a re carried out by the

government , for government purposes . PCs might

still wind up on such a vehicle in a n u m b e r of ways:

being hired by t h e government , proposing a s p a c e

venture that the government wants t h e m to now

oversee, etc .

Size: This quantifies the general m a s s and

dimensions of the vehicle. Size values range from

0 to 4, and are detailed in the Spacecraft Size Table

on p a g e 120 .

Note that very slender (or very bulky) des igns

can offset t he se values . In the c a s e of orbital

sys tems , a second value is given in paren theses ;

this is the sys t em ' s m a s s in t onnes (metric tons) .

This is necessa ry to know, since these sys t ems are

launched as pay loads by launch s y s t e m s (i.e., the

launch sys tem mus t have a payload capaci ty that

is equal to or greater than the orbital sys tem ' s m a s s

in tonnes ) .

Payload: Payload is m e a s u r e d in tonnes and

defines the size of the payload that can be delivered

to low Ear th orbit (LEO). However, s ince m a n y

craft can deliver pay loads to orbits beyond LEO, it

is necessa ry to be able to define the m a x i m u m sizes

of pay loads that c a n be delivered to those orbits.

The following equat ions (while far from precise)

provide t h e s e values:

Launch Value

0

1

2

3

4

Definition

None (has no practical launch capability

from the surface of any world)

Temporary (produces short duration orbit—

0.1-10 days)

LEO (capable of inserting payload into a

stable low Ear th orbit)

G E O (stable geos ta t ionary ear th orbit—

36 ,000 k m )

OEV (orbital e s c a p e velocity—used prima-

rily for launching interplanetary payloads)

Tonnes deliverable to GEO=

40% of LEO delivery rating

Tonnes deliverable to Moon=

90% of GEO delivery rating

Tonnes deliverable to Mars/OEV=40% of GEO

Launch Characteristics: This is a broad defini-

tion of the vehicle 's ability to transfer a payload to

Reentry Value

0

1

2

3

4

Definition

None (Can't survive reentry attempt.)

Terminal(A nonreuseable capsule, similar to Apollo.)

Glide (This craft is reuseahle and can control its

reentry through aerodynamic properties alone.

However, it is very susceptible to unexpected

environmental conditions, since once it begins its

descent, it is fully commmitted.)

Partially powered (This system combines aerody-

namic lifting properties with limited capabilities for

powered flight, giving it greater maneuverability—

and therefore, security—than a glide-only vehicle.)

Powered (This craft may, or may not, incorporate

aerodynamic lifting properties. It is very versatile

with high survivability in the face of adverse

conditions. In-air refueling is possible if extended

airborne delays are encountered.)

Transfer Value

0

1

2

3

4

Definition

N o n e ( u n p o w e r e d / i n c a -

pable of in -space m a n e u -

ver)

Slow (low th rus t a n d / o r

short endurance)

Moderate (fair thrust a n d /

or endurance)

Fast (brief high-powerthrust

or extended m e d i u m thrust)

Very fast (extended dura-

tion high-power thrust)

orbit. It defines

t h e p r a c t i c a l

m a x i m u m or-

bit t o w h i c h

such a payload

can actually be

t r a n s f e r r e d .

Orb i t v a l u e s

range from 0 to

4 , and are de-

t a i l ed in t h e

Launch Char-

a c t e r i s t i c s

Table on p a g e

1 2 1 .

Atmospheric Reentry Characteristics: This mea-

sures the spacecraft's ability to enter / reenter an at-

m o s p h e r e . Most launch vehicles will have a rating of

0, s ince they a re expendable (nonreusable) sys-

t e m s that burn up on reentry. (See the Reentry Table

on p a g e 121.)

In-Space Transfer Characteristics: This m e a -

sures the vehicle 's capaci ty for in-space maneuver .

The listed value represents both the vehicle 's maxi -

m u m accelerat ion (V) and the endurance of its

propulsion sys tems . Generally, depending upon

initial vectors , a ship with a higher rating will (even-

tually) be able to ca tch one with a slower rating.-(See

the In-Space Transfer Table to the left.)

Crew: This indicates the n u m b e r of individuals

that m a y be carried.

Duration: This indicates the number of days that

the listed crew c a n pursue cont inuous operat ions

with full life-support and power.

Many par t s of a s p a c e mission are routine or

computerized, while o thers rely on the pilot's skill.

Launches a re controlled by computer , unless

something g o e s wrong.

To avoid a potential m i s h a p on launch, roll 9 or

l e s son 1D10. Add 1 to the roll if t he launch is rushed,

the spacecraft is poorly maintained, or the weather

is bad. Subtract 1 if the launch vehicle is a spaceplane.

All modifiers are cumulat ive. If a m i shap is avoided,

the craft achieves its mission orbit (or e s cape

velocity).

If a m i shap occurs , roll 5 or less on 1D10 to avoid

an actual sys tem failure. If the roll is successful, the

craft achieves its mission orbit (or e s c a p e velocity),

but the failure of s o m e sys tem on the vehicle is

noted. (The b a c k u p s took over successfully.) If the

roll fails, the launch fails.

If the launch fails, t he launch vehicle itself is

des t royed . However, t h e orbital s y s t e m being

launched m a y be able to e s c a p e the disaster. Total

the vehicle 's transfer and reentry values and add the

pilot's skill level. Roll this n u m b e r or less to m a k e a

successful e m e r g e n c y landing.

If an emergency landing is m a d e , the vehicle will

be badly d a m a g e d , but the crew will e s c a p e serious

injury. The vehicle will m a k e its forced landing 1D10

t imes 100 kilometers eas t of the launch site.

If t he emergency landing fails, the craft is com-

pletely destroyed, and only extraordinary interven-

tion by fate (or the referee) prevent the crew's death.

All landings are controlled by computer , unless

something g o e s wrong or the crew deliberately

overrides the compute r landing sequence .

When making a computer-control led landing,

roll 9 or less on 1D10 to avoid an irregularity in the

approach pat tern. Add 1 to the roll if the spacecraft

is poorly maintained, the weather is bad, or a

manua l landing is being a t tempted . Subtract 1 if the

landing vehicle is a spacep lane . All modifiers are

cumulat ive. If an app roach irregularity is avoided,

the craft lands safely. Craft with terminal a t m o -

spheric reentry characterist ics usually land in water,

while glide, partially powered, and powered sys-

t e m s land at s p a c e p o r t s or large airfields.

If there is an a p p r o a c h irregularity, the pilot m u s t

correct the reentry pa th . Correcting the reentry path

is an Average task in terminal reentry vehicles and

an Easy t a sk in glide, partially powered, and pow-

ered vehicles. If the craft is poorly maintained, raise

the difficulty level by one .

If the pilot succeeds , the craft lands safely. If t he

pilot fails, t he craft c rash- lands . It is d a m a g e d and

the crew suffers minor injuries. If a critical failure is

rolled, the craft c rashes . It is destroyed, and the crew

will suffer serious or critical injuries.

Powered reentry vehicles m a y be flown like an

airplane.

The difficulty of achieving an intercept with an-

other moving body in s p a c e is a function of the

intercept angle. It is comparat ively easy to intercept

bodies moving in the s a m e direction and c o m p a r a -

tively difficult to intercept those moving in the

opposi te direction. The char t above shows the

difficulty level (ranging from 1-6) of an intercept

based on the direction of travel.

If the referee wishes to de te rmine intercept diffi-

culty randomly, just roll 1D6 to do so .

E a c h ship then dec ides whether i t wishes to avoid

or intercept the other craft. If a ship is a t tempting to

avoid the other craft, then it adds its transfer value

to the intercept value; if it is a t tempting to intercept,

then it subtracts its transfer value.

The slower ship (the one with the lower transfer

value) dec ides f i rs t , and alters the intercept value to

the degree that it is able. The faster ship then further

modifies the intercept value with its transfer value.

Pilot skill can also change the intercept difficulty.

Influencing an intercept is a Difficult t ask using Pilot

skill. S u c c e s s priovides a modification of + 1 to the

intercept difficulty; outs tanding s u c c e s s provides a

modification of +2. This modification is added to or

subtracted from the intercept difficulty, depending

on the intent of the pilot.

If the final intercept value is greater than or equal to 1,

then intercept cannot be achieved. If the result is equal

to or less than - 1 , then intercept is achieved. If the result

is precisely 0, then the ships have matched vector.

In the event of m a t c h e d vectors , t hese ships will

continue onward indefinitely, unless o n e of the

following circumstances occurs:

(1) O n e of the ships m a n a g e s to gain additional

transfer value. This ship c a n then achieve either

intercept or avoidance , as per

its wishes.

(2) O n e of the ships loses

s o m e of its transfer value. The

other ship c a n then achieve

either intercept or avoidance,

as per its wishes.

(3) O n e of the ships elects to

c h a n g e course . The other ship

can then achieve either inter-

cept or avoidance, as per its

wishes.

Note that this m e a n s that intercepts a re very

difficult, and impossible when intercept angles are

ext reme. That is precisely the way it should be;

when it c o m e s to achieving intercepts, serendipity

is m o r e essential than thrust a t t he se early techno-

logical levels of spaceflight. Basically, h u m a n craft

m u s t commi t to a trajectory w e e k s in advance and

then stick with it (plus or minus 0.5%) for weeks to

c o m e . Either luck or t r emendous superiority in

m a n e u v e r capability is required to effect intercept.

If t he initial intercept values a re too disparate , it is

essentially impossible to "go into reverse" and ca tch

s o m e o n e .

The greater the degree of success , the less t ime

is required to achieve it. Therefore, if the final

intercept value was - 3 , this intercept would t ake a

m u c h shorter period of t ime than would a similar

a t t empt where the final intercept value was - 1 .

Conversely, t h e higher a positive intercept n u m b e r

is, t he faster that avo idance can be effected.

Referees will determine what these intervals m e a n

in t e r m s of precise t ime units. However, t he follow-

ing guidelines a re offered for their ass i s tance .

The scale of maneuver will have a great deal to do

with the basic t ime unit to use . If t he craft are

encounter ing each other in the course of low Earth

orbit maneuver ing , t h e t ime unit might be hours; a t

GEO, it would be days ; in cislunar space , it would be

weeks ; within the inner solar sys tem, months ; and

o n c e o n e is operat ing ac ross the vast d is tances of

the outer sys tem, i t could be years or even decades .

Using t he se t ime- to-dis tance sca les as your

basel ine ruler, r educe the baseline t ime scale by one

s tep for every additional level of intercept/avoid-

a n c e s u c c e s s (i.e., less than -1 or greater than 1).

Therefore, if a ship m a n a g e s to avoid a pursuer in

G E O s p a c e with a final intercept value of 1, the

entire maneuve r should require days . However, if

t h e final intercept va lue was 2, t he t ime unit used

should be hours (one less than G E O standard) .

Referees can also use this broad relation between

time scales and distances to determine the likelihood of

intercepts to begin with. For instance, let us say that

NASA detects a derelict alien craft nearing Venus, and

heading away from Earth. It wants to intercept. Well,

even though the NASA craft will be launching from LEO,

the time units used must be determined by the maxi-

mum scale, which in this case is the inner system scale,

where the base time value is months. Given the limited

duration of human spacecraft, they'd better have a

tremendous transfer rating if they want to have the

faintest chance of pulling off the intercept mission

successfully.

Note that this sca le also provides a useful yard-

stick for t imes to various orbits, with e a c h s tep

upward or downward using t h e t ime scale of the next

lower orbit. That is, it is minutes to LEO, hours (at

mos t ) t o G E O , d a y s to the moon , weeks to Mars and

the inner planets , m o n t h s to the m o o n s of Jupiter,

and years to the frozen outer worlds.

If a launch vehicle were to be transferred to orbit

(i.e., as ca rgo rather than as the launching sys tem) ,

its launch value b e c o m e s its transfer value.

At a transfer value of 2 or greater, a spacecraft can

attain the next higher orbital ( launch) value than its

launch took it to . So a craft in LEO with a transfer

value of 2 could m a k e it to G E O on its own.

Also, craft that can attain G E O can reach the

Moon if their loads a re only 90% of their GEO

m a x i m u m payload or less.

Distance

Suborbital

LEO

G E O

Cislunar

Translunar

Transmart ian

Transjovian

Time

Minutes

Hours

D a y s

Weeks

Months

Years

D e c a d e s

There a re two principal t ypes of spacecraft:

launch sys t ems and combinat ion ( launch and or-

bital operat ions) sys t ems . A representat ive s amp le

of each is shown below.

Launch S y s t e m s : Launch sys t ems essentially

are large rockets . Their function is purely to launch

platforms into space . They have little or no m a n e u -

verability once launched.

Combinations S y s t e m s (Launch and Orbital

S y s t e m s ) : A combinat ion sys t em is one in which

there are both launch and orbital sys tems , and in

which both a re essential to the launch p h a s e of the

sys tem. They are generally the m o s t complex, and

versatile, of all s p a c e sys tems .

A tried-and-true workhorse, the last models of this system

are now being marketed at somewhat reduced rates.

Type: Launch system

Source: Modeles Orbitaux (France)

Price: $90,000,000 (S/C)

Size: 3

Payload: 11

Launch: 2

Reentry: 0

Transfer: 0

Crew: 0

Duration: 0

Another American system, which is rapidly showing its age.

Type: Launch system

Source: NASA (US)

Price: $45,000,000 (C/V)

Size: 2

Payload: 8

Launch: 3

Reentry: 0

Transfer: 0

Crew: 0

Duration: 0

The National Aerospace Plane is the first runway-to-runway spacecraft ever built. New models with exanded cargo and crew

capacity are already entering service, but the three X-30s that were built are still an important part of the American space program.

Passengers can book seats (without any amenities) for $ 15,000 for a ride to LEO. Each X-30 has a landing-launching turnaround

time of only one week, so each is capable of 52 missions per year. It is powered by liquid hydrogen and is capable of brief spurts

of Mach 25 speed, as well as extended periods of Mach 6.5. It is approximately 60 meters long.

Type: Combination system

Source: NASA (US)

Price: $2,300,000,000 (—/—) booking for $15,000 (R/C)

Size: 3

Payload: 0.6 (or one passenger per 0.2 of cargo sacrificed)

Launch: 2

Reentry: 4

Transfer: 1

Crew: 2 (+up to 3 passengers—see above)

Duration: 5

STS stands for space transportation system, and refers to the integrated

whole that makes up the American shuttle system. Its performance depends

upon the engines on board the shuttle itself. Therefore, it cannot launch

payloads that do not include such engines.

Besides the shuttle, the STS consists of a mammoth external tank and two

advanced solid rocket boosters (ASRBs). The ASRBs are jettisoned long before

orbital insertion and are recovered from the ocean. The external tank burns up

in the atmosphere. However, on the last four shuttle flights, the external tank

was carried up to LEO. Their empty shells are now being used to expand the

capacities of Freedom Spaceport.

Type: Combination system

Source: NASA (US)

Price: $300,000,000 (—/—)

Size: 3

Payload: 110 (Shuttle or Shuttle-C)

Launch: 2

Reentry: 1/2 (ASRBs are jettisoned while still in atmosphere)

Transfer: 0

Crew. 0

Duration: 0

The first fully reuseable manned spacecraft, America's shuttles are still flying after well over 20 years of service. With the advent

of the NASP and other spaceplanes, fewer shuttle launches are required, but it is still a viable and important system, much prized

for its operational versatility and long mission duration.

Type: Combination system

Source: NASA (US)

Price: $2,000,000,000 (—/—)

Shuttle-C was developed in the mid-late 1990s as a cargo-

only complement to the shuttle. Disposable and requiring

vastly less preparation time (due to reduced safety require-

ments), shuttle-C is now the only true heavy lift launch

vehicle (HLLV) currently in use. It is reliable, and several

systems are always on standby.

Type: Combination system

Source: NASA (US)

Price: $200,000,000 (—/—)

Size: 2 (50 T mass)

Payload: 60

Launch: 0

Reentry: 0

Transfer: 1

Crew: 0

Duration: 0

This Russian vehicle was designed for the commercial

launch market and never got all its bugs worked out before the

Russian Space agency Glavkosmos effectively went out of

business. The few Zenits that remain are not in high demand,

since their failure percentage is twice the international aver-

age. (Count all Zenits as poorly maintained.)

Type: Launch system

Source: Glavkosmos (Russia)

Price: $55,000,000 (S/S)

Size: 2

Payload: 13

Launch: 3

Reentry: 0

Transfer: 0

Crew: 0

Duration: 0

Size: 2 (75 T mass)

Payload: 32

Launch: 0

Reentry: 3

Transfer: 1

Crew: 7 (10 possible with rotating sleep shifts)

Duration: 30 (20 if crew of 10)

Although originally designed to f ree h u m a n s

from dangerous or boring occupat ions , robots have

b e c o m e increasingly c o m m o n as corporate "em-

ployees" due to their unquest ioning loyalty and

d a m a g e resis tance. In Dark Conspiracy, robots are

t reated as a special c lass of NPC, capab le of

p r e p r o g r a m m e d act ions and responses to external

stimuli. They are not self-aware, al though the m o r e

sophist icated o n e s c a n simulate self-awareness

pretty well. Charac ters will mos t commonly en-

coun te r two c l a s s e s of robot: g u a rd b o t s and

drudgebots .

Guardbots: T h e s e a re robo t s specia l ly de -

s igned to pe r fo rm secur i ty funct ions . Seve ra l

var ie t ies exist , va ry ing in cos t , sophis t i ca t ion ,

a r m a m e n t , a n d a rmor . A few of t h e m o r e c o m -

m o n ve r s ions a r e de ta i led in vehic le a n d robot

ca rd s ec t ion of " E q u i p m e n t " ( robo t s s ta r t on

p a g e 3 1 3 ) . Tthis c h a p t e r c o v e r s e n c o u n t e r s

with t h e m in detai l , b e c a u s e c h a r a c t e r s m a y

c o m e into conflict with t h e m fairly frequently.

Drudgebots : D r u d g e b o t s a r e robo t l abore r s .

S o m e a re immob i l e a n d work o n fac tory a s s e m -

bly l ines; o t h e r s a r e mult i funct ional a n d c o m -

plete ly mob i l e . We h a v e l isted a coup l e of the

m o r e c o m m o n ve r s ions of t h e lat ter in "Equ ip -

m e n t , " but o the r t y p e s a r e d i s c u s s e d briefly in

th is sec t ion .

Most r o b o t s a re so strictly d e s i g n e d for a

specific t a s k t ha t t h e y a re little m o r e in teres t ing

t h a n a drill p r e s s or a milling m a c h i n e . Other

r o b o t s a re m o r e w ide - r ang ing in their abilities

(butler r obo t s , c l ean ing robo t s , e t c . ) , a n d m a y

seem intelligent, but o n c e a p e r s o n h a s exper i -

e n c e d their reper to i re of p r o g r a m m e d r e s p o n s e s

to va r ious st imuli , a n y s e n s e of "personal i ty" i s

lost . T h e r e a r e a few r o b o t s , however , w h o s e

p r o g r a m m i n g i s w i d e - r a n g i n g a n d flexible

e n o u g h t o m a k e t h e m s e e m c a p a b l e o f intelli-

gen t t h o u g h t (in t h e s a m e way tha t a g o o d

c o m p u t e r g a m e c a n often s e e m al ive) . PCs

shou ld t a k e c a r e no t t o a t t r ibu te h u m a n e m o -

t ions t o s u c h c o n s t r u c t s , n o m a t t e r how "alive"

they s e e m . A r o b o t ' s behav io r i s d ic t a t ed by

p r o g r a m m i n g , s o m e t i m e s a u g m e n t e d b y re-

m o t e ins t ruc t ion by rad io . Consequen t ly , e v e n

t h e m o s t "friendly" o r i n n o c u o u s robo t s c a n

s u d d e n l y p r o v e deadly , without warn ing .

For the purposes of comba t , robots are divided

in to t w o b r o a d c a t e g o r i e s : v e h i c u l a r a n d

nonvehicular. The particular ca tegory into which a

given robot falls is defined in the equ ipment de-

scriptions. The normal c o m b a t rules apply to hu-

m a n versus robot and robot versus robot f i re com-

bat, except as noted below. Melee c o m b a t can only

b e c a r r i e d o u t wi th n o n v e h i c u l a r r o b o t s .

Nonvehicular robots a re assigned attribute n u m -

bers to enable their u s e in melee combat .

Weapons: The w e a p o n s installed in robots a re

identical in pe r fo rmance to those used by charac-

ters, except that t h e magaz ine capaci t ies a re often

larger. Ratings for w e a p o n s a re included with the

individual robot entries.

of the speed and agility of their striking/cutting

a p p e n d a g e s .

Unarmed Combat Damage: This is t h e n u m -

ber of hit po in t s inflicted by a b low from an a r m

or o the r a p p e n d a g e .

Melee Weapon: Not all r obo t s h a v e m e l e e

w e a p o n s , but t h o s e with drills, s c rewdr ive r s ,

cu t t ing s a w s , welding t o r c h e s , a n d so forth, d o .

Robo t s with mul t ip le too l s like th is m a y h a v e

severa l w e a p o n l is t ings. I f t h e robo t c a n n o t u s e

m o r e t h a n o n e a t a t i m e , th is fact i s specifically

no t ed . W e a p o n effects a r e defined by t h e follow-

ing t h r e e cha rac te r i s t i c s :

• Range: Ei ther shor t or long . Long c o v e r s

t h i n g s on t h e end o f long s e r v o a r m s , while sho r t

c o v e r s th ings m o u n t e d c loser t o t h e t o r s o .

• Hit Modifier: S o m e w e a p o n s a re clumsier than

others . Hit modifiers can b e - 1 , - 2 , +1 , and +2.

• Damage: This is t h e a m o u n t of d a m a g e t h e

w e a p o n d o e s if i t h i ts . (Melee w e a p o n s a v e r a g e

a b o u t 1D6 d a m a g e . )

Vehicular r o b o t s m a y not e n g a g e i n m e l e e

c o m b a t . Nonveh icu la r r o b o t s u s e t h e n o r m a l

m e l e e c o m b a t ru les , with t h e following e x c e p -

t ions .

Unarmed Combat: Robo t s m a y m a k e s t r ike

a t t a c k s , e s c a p e a t t e m p t s , o r g r a p p l e a t t a c k s .

They m a y not m a k e diving b lows . U n a r m e d

a t t a c k s by r o b o t s a r e r eso lved normal ly , but t h e

robo t u s e s its Agility ra t ing in p l a c e of Melee

C o m b a t skill.

Armed Combat: Only robo t s which h a v e built-

i n m e l e e w e a p o n s m a y m a k e a r m e d m e l e e

a t t a c k s , a n d t h e y do so with t h e cha rac te r i s t i c o f

t h e w e a p o n . R o b o t s with m o r e t h a n o n e m e l e e

w e a p o n c a n a t t a c k with e a c h of t h e m in eve ry

p h a s e in which i t a t t a c k s , u n l e s s specifically

prohib i ted by t h e robo t desc r ip t ion .

Melee Ratings: For melee comba t , robots have

the following ratings:

Agility: This is the robot 's c h a n c e of connect ing

with a blow or a grapple a t tempt , and is a m e a s u r e

Fire c o m b a t aga in s t n o n v e h i c u l a r r o b o t s i s

car r ied out a c c o r d i n g to t h e conven t iona l fire

c o m b a t ru les o n p a g e s 8 2 - 8 9 . Fire c o m b a t

aga ins t vehicular robo t s i s car r ied a c c o r d i n g to

t h e vehicu lar c o m b a t ru les o n p a g e s 1 0 9 - 1 1 9 .

Hit p r o c e d u r e s a r e ident ical to t h o s e g iven in

t h o s e p a g e s , but ba t t le d a m a g e differs, a s n o t e d

on t h e following p a g e s .

Nonvehicular robots sustain d a m a g e as if they

were people or animals . Each robot 's description

sta tes which co lumn on the Human/Animal Hit

Location Chart (page 3 2 2 ) is to be used for that

robot. Bipedal and quadrupedal should not b e t a k e n

literally, they simply describe the general orientation

of the robot. (Note that the scra tch d a m a g e cat-

egory does not apply to robots.)

The specific results for robots are :

Head: This represents the electronic center of the

robot, and contains sensor sy s t ems and the robot 's

central process ing unit (CPU) or "brain." Slight

d a m a g e h a s no effect. Serious d a m a g e m e a n s one

sensor sys t em is destroyed. Critical d a m a g e m e a n s

the robot ' s CPU is d a m a g e d , and the robot is "dead."

Right/Left Arm: If a robot h a s only one arm, the

right/left designation is unneeded . If a robot h a s

m o r e than two a r m s , hits should be ass igned to

a r m s randomly, regardless of whether a right or left

hit w a s rolled. Slight d a m a g e h a s no effect other

than to c a u s e the limb to m a k e grinding noises;

serious d a m a g e m e a n s the a r m loses the use of any

tools or a t tached weapons ; and critical d a m a g e

m e a n s the a rm h a s been blown off.

Chest: The ches t is where a robot ' s w e a p o n s and

a m m o (if any) are kept . Slight d a m a g e m e a n s o n e

weapon (chosen randomly if m o r e than one is

present) b e c o m e s inoperative for the remainder of

the turn. I f no w e a p o n s a re present , t he d a m a g e h a s

no effect. Ser ious d a m a g e m e a n s a weapon (cho-

sen randomly) is put out of action permanent ly (if no

weapon is present , i t represents d a m a g e to t h e fuel

or batteries in the a b d o m e n , and the robot 's speed

is halved) . Critical d a m a g e m e a n s that an a m m u n i -

tion explosion h a s occurred, and the robot is ren-

dered inoperative (dead) .

Abdomen: This represents the power plant of a

robot. Slight d a m a g e m e a n s the robot begins to

s m o k e or m a k e grinding noises (but otherwise there

is no effect). Serious d a m a g e m e a n s the robot is

reduced to half speed . Critical d a m a g e m e a n s the

fuel h a s exploded or the batteries have been hit

(drenching the insides of the robot with acid), in

either c a s e rendering the robot inoperative.

Right/Left Leg: Legs can either m e a n a literal leg

or another m e a n s of propulsion such as a t rack unit

or wheel. As in the c a s e of a r m s , robots m a y have

a number of legs other than two or four, and leg hits

should be distributed at r andom. Slight d a m a g e to

a leg/ t rack/wheel h a s no effect other than to cause

grinding noises. Serious d a m a g e reduces the robot 's

speed by half (halved again with each success ive

leg hit causing serious d a m a g e ) . Critical d a m a g e

m e a n s the robot is immobilized (although all other

sys t ems m a y be operat ional) .

With the exception of different specific results,

the d a m a g e implementat ion sys tem for vehicular

robots is the s a m e as that used in conventional

vehicle c o m b a t (page 115) . The specific results for

robots a re as follows:

Crewmember/Passenger: If as a result of a hull

hit, this represents d a m a g e to the robot 's CPU.

Minor d a m a g e m e a n s that e ach task the robot

a t t empts to perform (firing one of its weapons ,

sending a m e s s a g e for help, etc.) b e c o m e s two

levels m o r e difficult. Major d a m a g e pu t s the robot

out of action—killing it, in other words. If the result

is a turret hit, this represents d a m a g e to one of the

robot 's sensor sys tems , picked at r andom. Any

d a m a g e whatsoever pu t s this sys t em out of action

(the type of d a m a g e is significant only when repairs

are a t t empted) .

Radio: This represents d a m a g e to a robot 's com-

municat ions equipment . This m e a n s the robot falls

back on its default p rogramming , and can no longer

receive instructions or communica t ions from else-

where.

Engine: This represents d a m a g e to the robot 's

power plant (either electrical or internal c o m b u s -

tion) . Minor d a m a g e m e a n s that the robot c a n only

m o v e a t half no rmal speed , a n d tha t i t canno t m o v e

and f i re a t the s a m e t ime. Major d a m a g e m e a n s that

the robot m a y not m o v e , and can only f i re o n e

weapon at a t ime.

Fuel: T h i s represents d a m a g e to the robot ' s power

source , either t h e fuel tank or its rechargeable

batteries. Fuel hits are adjudicated as in conven-

tional vehicle comba t . Battery hits result in the

immobilization of the robot.

Weapon/Ammo: O n e weapon sys t em is de-

stroyed. If no weapon is present in the location

d a m a g e d , t h e hit b e c o m e s an ammuni t ion hit.

A m m o hits a re handled as conventional vehicle

comba t . If no ammuni t ion is present in the location

d a m a g e d , the hit h a s no effect.

Burn d a m a g e agains t nonvehicular robots is

halved, to reflect the fact that m a c h i n e s a re harder

to d a m a g e by hea t than are people . Being on f i re

completely des t roys infrared (IR) sensors , however.

The following are typical of d rudgebo t s that the

PCs m a y encounter , in the right c i rcumstances .

Players should k e e p in mind that while these robots

are usually harmless , there have been ins tances of

t h e m being r e p r o g r a m m e d to a t tack. Of course , i t is

theoretically possible that the PCs might do such

reprogramming themse lves (using, for instance,

the ROM burner ment ioned in "Equipment") .

Cleaningbot: This is a small, vehicular drudgebot

with several a r m s (ending in various cleaning and

polishing a t t achmen t s ) , s o m e t i m e s found towing a

wheeled t rash bin.

Butlerbot: This nonvehicular robot resembles a

small, four-wheeled cart . It is fitted with serving

a r m s , a sensory a rm , and a n u m b e r of compar t -

m e n t s to k e e p food and drinks a t t he op t imum

tempera tu re . Butlerbots t a k e on comest ibles in the

kitchen, t ranspor t t h e m to t h e dining a rea , and se rve

t h e m , a c c o m p a n i e d by appropriate ph ra ses ("Din-

ner is served," "More wine?" and "Would you care

for s o m e freshly ground pepper?" ) .

Foodbot: A foodbot is a nonvehicular robot de-

signed to t ake food orders a t res taurants . The

m a c h i n e is equipped with voice-recognition soft-

ware and a limited n u m b e r of vocal r e sponses such

as "Thank you for dining at Zhukov's! May I t a k e

your order, p lease?" "Would you like to s p e a k to my

supervisor?" and the ever-popular "Would you like

c a b b a g e rolls with tha t?" Foodbots are similar to

butlerbots, except that they have provisions to

accept m o n e y and m a k e c h a n g e from an a rmored

"safe" within their body.

Receptionistbot: This nonvehicular robot is pro-

g r a m m e d to greet a n y o n e who c o m e s within range

and ask their business . The sophistication of this

robot 's voice-recognition software, and the pat tern

of responses , varies with the particular duties of the

robot. The cheapes t versions of this robot look like

beverage vending m a c h i n e s (and are extremely

rugged) . More expensive versions are humano id in

basic shape , and deluxe mode l s m a y even be

equipped with very realistic appear ing skin and hair

( these c a n easily be told from real h u m a n s by their

limited m o v e m e n t s and precise "machine" speech ,

as well as their inability to rise from their chair or

m o v e from behind their dais) . Needless to say, such

mode l s are very delicate, and are reserved for

corporate offices and the like.

Repairbot: This is a small, squat , nonvehicular

drudgebot with several a r m s ending in assor ted

tools, intended to perform preventat ive mainte-

n a n c e and s imple repairs on other machinery,

including other robots .

There is no doubt about it. The referee is the single most

important person in any roleplaying campaign. Good players

are essential, of course, but it is upon the referee's shoulders

that most of the work falls. In this chapter, we are going to give

an overview of the various aspects of a referee's function. Later

chapters will go into more detail about specific things such as

running NPCs, designing adventures, etc.

When we say that the referee is the single most important

person in a roleplaying campaign, we m e a n primarily that the

referee is central. In other words, the referee is sort of the

linchpin upon which everything hangs. Let's take a look at

s o m e of the areas in which the referee plays this central role.

First of all, it is t he referee who is primarily responsible

for the world in which the player charac te rs live. The

referee is the person who is mos t familiar with the

g a m e background , which m a k e s him or her the

touchs tone for the players ' imaginations. That is to

say, while each of the players h a s s o m e menta l

image of the world in which the PCs live, it is t he

referee who knows the m o s t about that world, who

serves as the shepherd of their collective imagina-

tions.

As such, the referee is responsible for m o r e than

just factual information about the g a m e world.

Pe rhaps even m o r e importantly, t h e referee is a lso

the pr imary conveyor of a tmosphe re .

The referee is also, of course , t he central force in

the individual stories (adventures) that the PCs

exper ience. This is t rue whether you tend to run

tightly paced , episodic adventures or instead just

let t he players wander where they will. Referees

who run pregenera ted adven tures are certainly the

primary force in the story, b e c a u s e they serve to

k e e p the PCs on t rack with the predetermined plot.

But the s a m e centrality is true of referees at the

other ex t reme, who c o m e to an adventure session

with next to nothing in t e r m s of no tes and run things

"by the sea t of their pants . " In either ca se , t he

referee r eac t s to the PCs ' act ions, telling the players

what their charac te rs see , playing the par t s of the

NPCs, and just generally being t he world that the

PCs live in.

In the field of roleplaying g a m e s , it h a s long been

cus tomary to think of the referee as the f inal arbiter

of the g a m e rules. The earliest roleplaying g a m e s

characterized the referee as an impartial judge,

m u c h like the referee of a spor t s event. (In fact,

tha t ' s where the widely used roleplaying t e rm

"referee" c o m e s from.) As a consequence , if t he

player charac te rs encountered s o m e nasty beas t

and began combat ing it, the referee was supposed

to serve as an arbiter of the g a m e rules, applying

t h e m equably to both t h e PCs and their opponent ,

then letting the chips fall where they may. The s a m e

thing applied, of course , to other sorts of conflict

bes ides comba t .

There a re s o m e problems with perceiving the

referee in this way, however. First of all, referees

could hardly act as dispass ionate observers of the

battle, considering the fact that they were also

responsible for playing the par t of (making tactical

decisions for) the PCs ' opponent . As well, in mos t

c a s e s i t was the referee who designed the opponen t

in the first p lace and set up the encounter. In other

words, while the referee in a sports event is expected

to have no par t in either t e a m ' s play, the referee in

a roleplaying session h a s traditionally had to adju-

dicate the rules while a t the s a m e t ime playing as

one of the t e a m s .

Another problem with viewing the referee as an

impartial arbiter h a s c o m e about as a result of

c h a n g e s concerning the ways in which people

roleplay. In early roleplaying g a m e s , play was

m u c h m o r e like a board g a m e in which the PCs

were p a w n s (being little m o r e than a collection of

attributes). But with the p a s s a g e of t ime, there h a s

been a growing t endency for roleplayers to think of

their characters as personalities. As a consequence ,

continually m o r e of the action in a roleplaying

session t a k e s p lace in the imagination, and less on

paper. Less action on pape r m e a n s fewer hard-

and-fast rules, which m a k e s refereeing a less m e -

chanical job.

There is a second important r eason why this

m o v e toward m o r e fully imagined player cha rac -

ters results in a less impartial referee. That is, t he

m o r e imagination and emotional energy a player

invests in a character, the less e a sy it is for the

player to watch that character die. As long as PCs

were little more than n u m b e r s with n a m e s , a PC

dea th as the result of an unlucky die roll could be

accep ted pretty easily. But the m o r e fully players

identify with their characters , t he more painful

losing those charac te rs b e c o m e s .

This is only natural. Think of it this way: The

m o r e fully players imagine their characters , t he

m o r e roleplaying b e c o m e s like creating f ic t ion ,

Because Dark Conspiracy, Cadillacs and Dinosaurs, and secondedition Twilight: 2 0 0 0 are all based upon the same general rules system,it is possible to use elements of one game in either of the others. However,due to differences among the central themes of the games, there may besome slight adaptations to be made. In order to accomplish that, you willneed to understand In what ways the rules of Dark Conspiracy diverge fromthose of the others.

Most obvious, of course, has been the addition of a seventh a t t r ibu te -Empathy—and its related skills. If you wish to use characters fromTwilight: 2 0 0 0 or Cadillacs and Dinosaurs in Dark Conspiracy, you maywant to allow a chance for Empathy skills to manifest in them at the timeof conversion. One way to do this is to roll 1D10-5 to determine eachcharacter's Empathy rating, and if that comes up greater than 0, roll againfor each Empathy skill, with the skill maximum limited by the value of theattribute. If you prefer, roll 1D6-1 for the attribute, but we recommend1D10-5 for the skills, nonetheless.

There are a few other skill differences among the games, as well.Because Twilight: 2 0 0 0 emphasizes military conflict, it has more militarilyoriented skills than Dark Conspiracy, with its emphasis on (civilian) horror,and both are different from the technologically more primitive world ofCadillacs and Dinosaurs. As an example, while Twilight: 2 0 0 0 has a Pilotskill with Fixed-Wing and Rotary as cascades, Pilot in Dark Conspiracyalso includes Shuttle as a cascade, while Cadillacs and Dinosaurs has noPilot skill at all. When converting from one game to another, referees willhave to judge references to skills on a case by case basis, determining whatskills overlap functions. Try to be fair to each particular PC's initial concept(don't consider Twilight: 2 0 0 0 or Cadillacs and Dinosaurs characters tobe lacking will just because there is no Willpower skill in the games, forinstance), and recognize that skill listings are not intended to definecharacters' limits, but rather their abilities.

If you wish, you may use career listings from one game to supplementanother. For example, in Dark Conspiracy, military career possibilities areless detailed than those in Twilight: 2000 . Marine sniper in Dark Con-spiracy is subsumed under "Elite Forces," for instance, while in Twilight:2 0 0 0 it is a separate listing. But there is nothing to prevent you from usingthe Twilight: 2 0 0 0 marine sniper career to create a Dark Conspiracycharacter. Just translate the career's Mountaineering listing to Climbing,and allow the character to spend an extra skill level or two for skills per term(Dark Conspiracy characters tend to get more skills per term to enhancethe game's more cinematic nature). Use the secondary activities list fromDark Conspiracy.

Equipment listings among the three games have largely the samestatisictics, but there are a couple of differences. First, the equipmentavailability codes mean different things in Dark Conspiracy and Twilight:2000 (Cadillacs and Dinosaurs has no availability codes). In DarkConspiracy, the first letter is availability without a contact, the secondthrough a contact. In Twilight: 2000 , the first letter is availability toWestern forces, the second to Eastern. Referees of one game, usingequipment listings from the other, should change these codes as seemsappropriate. Second, notice that while Dark Conspiracy vehicles have aCruise Speed listed (which is kilometers per hour). Twilight: 2 0 0 0vehicles have a Travel Movement (kilometers per four-hour period) ratinginstead. This is because in Dark Conspiracy travel is usuallly by road fromcity to city, while in Twilight: 2 0 0 0 it is generally cross-country andexploratory. Multiply Cruise Speed by two to get Travel Movement (anddivide Travel Movement in half to get Cruise Speed). In this way. Twilight:2000 ' s travel rules can be applied to Dark Conspiracy adventuresinvolving long, off-road travel through Demonground or protodimensions,if the referee desires to focus on the hour after hour grind of such travel. Bythe same token. Twilight: 2000 ' s fatigue rules and vehicle maintainancerules can easily be applied to Dark Conspiracy in such adventures. (Thereferee can extrapolate base maintainance values for Dark Conspiracyvehicles by comparing them to similar vehicles from Twilight: 2000 . )

and no o n e likes to s e e the protagonist of a piece of

fiction die. PCs are t h e protagonis ts of roleplaying

adventures .

If the referee's function is becoming perceived

less as that of an impartial arbiter of hard-and-fast

rules, and is now being thought of m o r e as a s tage

setter and coach , you might s u p p o s e that the task

h a s b e c o m e easier. After all, there a re fewer rules to

know. But actually, t he job of referee h a s b e c o m e , in

m a n y ways , m o r e demanding . Fewer hard-and-fast

rules m e a n m o r e d e m a n d s upon imagination, but i t

is this e m p h a s i s upon imagination that also m a k e s

the referee's j ob m o r e satisfying.

Let 's face it. Not only is t h e referee typically the

person who b u y s the g a m e , learns the rules, and

pu t s a g roup of players together, it is generally also

t h e referee w h o se t s the t ime a n d p lace for the

gaming session. If you think of a roleplaying session

as a social get-together, generally it is the referee

who plays host .

We'd like to m a k e a suggest ion at this point. We

strongly r e c o m m e n d that you, as referee, foist off on

s o m e o n e else in your g roup the j o b of hosting your

roleplaying session. I t m a y be the c a s e that you

think it necessa ry to call the players yourself before

a session, to m a k e sure you know who is going to

show up . But we urge you to have the session

actually held at s o m e o n e else 's h o m e . That way,

there will be s o m e o n e else to answer quest ions

about where the p a p e r c u p s are , or to point people

to the ba throom, allowing you to concentra te on

modera t ing the g a m e .

By the way, getting s o m e o n e else to t ake part of

the responsibility in this way is a pr imary s tep

toward establishing a strong s e n s e of communi ty

effort in your roleplaying sess ions . As we will ex-

plain in m o r e detail in the next chapters , this c o m -

munity effort c a n help to enrich the plots of adven-

tures , bring NPCs m o r e fully to life, t ranslate die

m e c h a n i c s into vivid story e lements , and generally

m a k e the referee's j ob m u c h easier while a t the

s a m e t ime enhanc ing enjoyment for everyone.

As t h e referee , you will h a v e t h e p r i m a r y

responsibi l i ty for se t t ing a n d ma in t a in ing t h e

appropr i a t e a t m o s p h e r e in your Dark Conspiracy

c a m p a i g n . In o rder to a c c o m p l i s h tha t , y o u

n e e d to h a v e a firm g r a s p of jus t wha t Dark

Conspiracy is really all a b o u t . So far in th i s

b o o k , we h a v e w o r k e d to evoke t h e s e n s e o f

m y s t e r y a n d w e i r d n e s s t ha t m a k e s Dark Con-

spiracy w h a t i t is. Now—for r e fe rees on ly—we

are going to ta lk frankly a b o u t t h e ing red ien t s

t ha t m a k e u p t h e Dark Conspiracy mil ieu.

Unless you intend to referee, you should re-

frain from reading the following section. Much of

your enjoyment of the first several adventures

will come from gradually discovering these se-

crets, so don't ruin it for yourself.

Dark Conspiracy is set in the near future. But it

is a bleak, shat tered future. The Earth h a s c h a n g e d

dramatically in t h e few years which have pas sed .

Obviously s o m e central event h a s t aken p lace to

alter the normal course of history. As referee you

need to be familiar with that event , while players will

only know (at f irst) t h e results of it. As g a m e t ime

pas se s , they will gradually p iece together the ex-

planation. In fact, solving this mys te ry will be a

major t h e m e in t h e early adventures of your play-

ers, so it is important that , at least at first, you not

let the cat out of the b a g .

Please do not let this betrayal of secre ts kill your

own sense of the Dark Conspiracy myst ique . The

material below is intended as a firm foundation

upon which you c a n build your own Dark Con-

spiracy c ampa ign . It is not m e a n t as a marking off

of rigid boundar ies . In other words, o n c e you are

privy to these basics , you can graft your own weird

ideas upon t h e m . In later chapters , you will find

amp le examples of how we applied t he se bas ics in

translating outside material into Dark Conspiracy

t e rms .

In 1 9 4 5 , a l a rge interstel lar exp lo ra to ry v e s -

sel e n t e r e d t h e ou te r so lar s y s t e m . T h e vesse l

h a d b e e n l a u n c h e d near ly 1 0 0 0 y e a r s earlier,

h u n d r e d s of l igh t -yea rs from Ear th . The crew,

which w a s c o m p o s e d of r e p r e s e n t a t i v e s of four

different, highly intell igent, space fa r ing r a c e s ,

w a s he ld in a s t a t e of s u s p e n d e d an ima t ion ,

wai t ing for t h e t i m e t h a t t h e s h i p ' s i n s t r u m e n t s

would d e t e c t a world c a p a b l e of sus ta in ing life.

B y ear ly 1 9 4 6 t h e s h i p h a d p e n e t r a t e d t o t h e

inner so lar s y s t e m a n d h a d identified E a r t h as a

hab i t ab l e world, t h e o n e - i n - 1 0 0 0 c h a n c e occu r -

r e n c e for which t h e sh ip h a d b e e n built. I t w o k e

t h e crew, which b e g a n t o s u r v e y a n d explore t h e

p lane t .

T h e first p r o b e w a s l a u n c h e d in m i d - 1 9 4 6 .

While p a s s i n g over t h e Pacific O c e a n , i t re-

c o r d e d t h e f i rs t of t h r e e nuc l ea r d e t o n a t i o n s of

t h e C R O S S R O A D S te s t se r ies a t En iwetok Atoll.

T h e n e w s terrified t h e exp lo re r s . I t m e a n t tha t

t h e inhab i t an t s of t h e world were not only intel-

l igent, but were po i s ed on t h e br ink of t h e a t o m i c

a g e . S p a c e explora t ion would follow s o o n . Fur-

t h e r m o r e , addi t ional a t o m i c d e t o n a t i o n s in t h e

a t m o s p h e r e ind ica ted a p r e o c c u p a t i o n with

w e a p o n r y a n d a nea r - to ta l d i s regard for t h e

p l a n e t a r y e c o s y s t e m . S t u d y o f r ad io a n d early

te levis ion b r o a d c a s t s ind ica ted a high d e g r e e of

x e n o p h o b i a a n d p a r a n o i a , p e r h a p s b rough t o n

by t h e long a n d cos t ly war recen t ly c o m p l e t e d .

While t h e i nhab i t an t s o f Ea r th could p o s e no

i m m e d i a t e t h r e a t t o t h e exp lo re r s , within d e -

c a d e s t hey would h a v e t h e ability to do so . I f

they b e c a m e a w a r e o f t h e p r e s e n c e o f t h e a l iens

and m a d e a c o n c e r t e d effort to des t roy t h e m ,

they could easi ly do so within as shor t a per iod

a s , p e r h a p s , 1 0 y e a r s .

How w a s th is s o , g iven t h e a d v a n c e d s t a t e of

t h e exp lo re r s ' t e c h n o l o g y ?

First, t h e exp lo re r s were a smal l g r o u p , no

m o r e t h a n a few h u n d r e d b e i n g s . T h e y were

comple t e ly i so la ted from their h o m e worlds ,

which were l o c a t e d literally h u n d r e d s of light-

y e a r s away. N o h e l p cou ld b e e x p e c t e d from t h a t

quar te r .

S e c o n d , t h e a l i ens were , for all p rac t ica l pur-

p o s e s , u n a r m e d . S i n c e their mi s s ion w a s o n e o f

explora t ion , t hey h a d a few s ide a r m s for de fense

a g a i n s t local a n i m a l life, bu t virtually no h e a v y

w e a p o n r y . T h e y were cer ta in ly u n p r e p a r e d t o

invade or c o n q u e r a p l ane t con ta in ing over a

billion inhab i t an t s . More to t h e point , t hey were

unwilling to do so—thei r in ten t ions h a d n e v e r

b e e n a g g r e s s i v e o r violent .

T h e dec i s ion w a s m a d e t o c o n t i n u e t o su rvey

t h e p l a n e t a n d t h e n e a r b y wor lds o f t h e solar

s y s t e m , bu t t o d o s o c landes t ine ly .

In ear ly Ju ly of 1 9 4 7 , a s c o u t s a u c e r exper i -

e n c e d a c o m p l e t e a n d c a t a s t r o p h i c e lect r ical

failure a n d c r a s h e d n e a r Corona , New Mexico .

F o u n d in t h e w r e c k a g e were t h e b o d i e s of two

ext ra te r res t r ia l s . T h e b o d i e s a n d t h e w r e c k a g e o f

t h e al ien craft we re t a k e n to Wrigh t -Pa t te r son Air

F o r c e B a s e w h e r e t hey were f i r s t s tud ied a n d ,

eventual ly, p e r m a n e n t l y s to red . Very little infor-

m a t i o n w a s g l e a n e d from t h e inves t iga t ion—no

m o r e t h a n an 1 8 t h - c e n t u r y sc ient is t would dis-

cover from t h e w r e c k a g e of a h o m e c o m p u t e r if

i t w e r e d r o p p e d from t h e t o p of a 2 0 - s t o r y

building.

After s o m e t ime , Air F o r c e a n d g o v e r n m e n t

officials were c o n t a c t e d by t h e ex t ra te r res t r ia l s .

This c o n t a c t w a s ex t r eme ly t en t a t i ve a t first, d u e

to a t r e m e n d o u s r e l u c t a n c e on t h e pa r t o f t h e

exp lore r s t o m a k e their e x i s t e n c e k n o w n to t h e

publ ic . They insis ted t ha t t h e g o v e r n m e n t m a i n -

ta in t h e c loak of s e c r e c y c o n c e r n i n g their exist-

e n c e for fear tha t t h e resul t ing publ ic hys te r ia

would lead t o an ac t ive c a m p a i g n t o e x t e r m i n a t e

t h e m . N e v e r t h e l e s s , t rus t g radua l ly grew b e -

t w e e n t h e ETs a n d h u m a n s , a n d a n u m b e r of

f r iendships d e v e l o p e d over t h e y e a r s .

In addition to clandest ine surveys of the Earth,

the explorers were busy investigating mos t of the

planets and m o o n s of the solar sys tem. In 1983,

however, ca tas t rophe struck. A small survey t e a m

discovered what were obviously structural ruins of

t r e m e n d o u s a g e on the Jovian m o o n Io and ven-

tured into the interior. Equipped with high-energy

fusion disrupter drills, the explorers tunneled deep

below the ruins, unknowingly breaking an energy

seal on an ancient portal to an al ternate universe.

The details of the encounter that followed will

never be known in their entirety. What is certain is

that the four extraterrestrial explorers encountered

an alien consc iousness which was both incredibly

powerful and evil beyond the exper ience of any

intelligent race . This was the f irst direct contact

between a sentient race and the Dark Ones , inhab-

itants of twisted, corrupted alternate realities. Oth-

ers were soon to follow. Three of the five explorers

survived that first encounter, but their personalities

were completely dominated by the darkling mind.

The four extraterrestrial r aces communica ted

empathically, and were a c c u s t o m e d to opening

their minds to their compan ions . This m a d e pos-

sible the ca tas t rophe which quickly followed. Over

the course of the next year, t he Dark O n e s ' influence

spread throughout the crew of the extraterrestrial

exploratory vessel like wildfire, taking over mind

after mind. By the t ime the crew realized what was

happening, i t had spread too far to s top. Those

extraterrestrials whose minds proved too powerful

to d o m i n a t e w e r e m u r d e r e d by their former

c rewmates . In the final weeks of the struggle that

followed, one of the last surviving uncontrolled

explorers offered the following observat ion to an Air

Force lieutenant general: "I fear we have opened the

wrong door."

Only a handful of extraterrestrials now remain

alive who are not dominated by Dark Ones , and they

are despera te , hunted fugitives. All have taken

shelter with secret communi t ies of h u m a n empa ths ,

who mentally shield t h e m from the probing thoughts

of the Dark O n e s and their minions. Only in this way

have they been able to e s c a p e detection. The

protecting g roups of h u m a n s carefully guard the

secret of their location and even their existence.

Even so , word occasionally leaks out due to one

careless act or another, and then shambling, bloody

horrors descend on the small cell, slaughtering all

they f ind.

Many of the mentally controlled extraterrestrials

were driven m a d by the experience, al though they

were se ldom reduced to a s tate of helplessness by

their condition. Instead, they b e g a n exhibiting bi-

zarre behavior. By 1985 repor ts b e g a n to appea r in

the news media , particularly the tabloids, of h u m a n

abduct ions by UFOs , followed by horrifying biologi-

cal exper iments . S o m e t i m e s victims were returned

to Earth, their m e m o r i e s erased. Neither the experi-

m e n t s nor the return of the subjects were the ac t s of

rational beings . In fact, the very irrationality and

seeming point lessness of the abduct ions m a d e it

difficult for the victims to gain a public hearing.

A few of the controlled extraterrestrials remained

rational (but p o s s e s s e d ) and, at the direction of the

guiding Dark Ones , began to visit n u m e r o u s ancient

sites on Earth. These sites were locked portals to

other d imensions , d imensions which were only

pale, dark shadows of our own, inhabited by twisted,

perverted beings . For count less millennia, t he por-

tals had been locked by energy barriers too powerful

for the Dark O n e s to ove rcome . Now, with the aid of

the technologically sophist icated drillingtools of the

extraterrestrials, they were able to breach barrier

after barrier.

The menta l efforts of these Dark O n e s through-

out the a g e s to bridge the g a p between our dimen-

sion and their own h a d left their m a r k s on h u m a n s

in the form of menta l impressions. These impres-

s ionshad resulted in myths and legends: werewolves,

vampires , zombies . In earlier t imes minions of the

lords of t he se dark d imensions had slipped through

the portals , but had eventually been either extermi-

nated or driven into remote a reas . Now, however,

they have reemerged and have been joined by new

monstrosi t ies from beyond the dimensional portals .

The cities of Dark Conspiracy are teeming, danger-

ous places. Many small towns have disappeared, and

the largest cities have now mushroomed into sprawling

metroplexes, each with millions of inhabitants. Most

cities are m a d e up of varying amounts of the following

seven distinct types of areas:

Dreamland: Usually the heart of the city is dominated

by the plazas of the largest and most important

megacorporations. This area is called Dreamland by

most city inhabitants, as the standard of living inside its

walls is far beyond anything they could aspire to.

Each of these plazas is surrounded by a sturdy wall

(often decorated with colorful mosaics or murals) and

typically covered with a geodesic dome, similar to those

over many sports arenas. There is considerable park

land in the plazas, as well as open spaces.

Corporate facilities are housed in massive towers.

These have shops and restaurants on the lowest levels,

followed by middle-income apartments (for corporate

employees), followed by the corporate offices them-

selves, and surmounted by the living quarters of the

highest executives of the company. Security is more

exacting at every level. Corporate security provides

virtually all law enforcement in Dreamland.

Living quarters at the top are palatial. Indoor personal

swimming pools, sound-activated fountains, personal

and robotic servants, and holographic entertainment

rooms are only a few examples of the luxuries enjoyed

by corporate leaders.

Mike-Town: Mike-Town is taken up with independent

shops and modest-income housing. It has the look of a

crowded and slightly run-down inner city neighborhood,

but it is vibrant and full of people making it on their own

(if just barely). Municipal police patrol Mike-Town on an

irregular basis, but local volunteer community groups

(a.k.a. vigilantes) supplement their efforts.

There is considerable night life in Mike-Town, as well,

and most business deals are, by tradition, negotiated

over drinks at noisy, poorly lit bars. Bars in Mike-Town

can be tough, but are usually not deadly.

'Bot City: Most industrial production is carried out in

automated factories. These are usually concentrated in

industrial areas of the city, called" 'Bot City" (due to the

extensive use of robots).There is little residential housing

(all of it very bad), and the only people usually found here

are police, corporate security, maintenance technicians,

and delivery personnel.

Precincts: Since passage of the Voting Rights Act of

1997, megacorporations have amassed tremendous

political power by buying the proxy votes of financially

destitute people. Many of these so-called "ballotmen"

live in corporate-suppl ied housing, similar to the

"projects" of the late 20th century. Most of these

projects h o u s e the equivalent of about one municipal

precinct's worth of voters, hence the name.

Ballotmen receive a corporate dole consisting of

small a m o u n t s of spending money, regular ship-

m e n t s of clothing (paper coveralls), food (similarto

c o m b a t rations, typically Russian), and s o m e luxu-

ries ( soap , eyeg lasses , e tc . ) . They spend their days

in barracks-style apa r tmen t s , watching free corpo-

rate cable TV, and their nights in the ramshack le sin-

mills that surround t h e m .

Ant Hills: Ant hills are the densely populated, low-

income (and no-income) slums of the city. Many build-

ings are collapsed, and those standing are heavily

damaged. (Only lucky inhabitants have running water,

electricity, and intact windows.)

Crime is rampant, and violence an accepted means

of interpersonal interaction. Many Ant Hill areas are no

longer patrolled by the police, and are posted "You Are

Now Leaving A Controlled Area." Occasional police

sweeps (growing less frequent) are supported by heli-

copters and armored vehicles. Some are now officially

police free fire zones, with 24-hour curfews.

'Burbs : The suburbs a re also populated by the

otherwise homeless poor. While there is occasional

opportunity for employmen t closer to the city cen-

ter, t he suburbs a re all but a b a n d o n e d except by the

destitute and m a d .

Demonground: Urban Demonground consists of

areas of the city now deserted by humans and inhabited

by Dark Ones. These areas have been altered into

habitats more familiar to their new residents.

Before t h e Grea t e r Dep re s s ion , near ly eve ry

inch of a r ab l e land in t h e world w a s d e v o t e d to

p r o d u c i n g c r o p s , with h i g h - t e c h fa rm m a c h i n -

ery, high-yield hybr ids , a n d a d v a n c e d fertilizers,

he rb i c ides , a n d p e s t i c i d e s all work ing to m a x i -

mize p roduc t ion . Mow, a few e n o r m o u s agr i -

b u s i n e s s c o n g l o m e r a t e s h a v e t a k e n ove r c r o p

p roduc t i on , a n d with their c o m i n g a n u m b e r of

significant c h a n g e s h a v e o c c u r r e d .

First , on ly a por t ion of t h e old f a rmland is in

u s e a n y longer . T h e a g r i c o r p s p r o d u c e s u c h h igh

yie lds t h a t m o s t smal le r o p e r a t i o n s h a v e g o n e

c o m p l e t e l y ou t of b u s i n e s s . But t h e c o r p s culti-

va t e on ly a smal l por t ion of t h e poss ib l e land , so

t h e res t l ies fallow, p r o d u c i n g (at bes t ) th ick

t a n g l e s o f w e e d a n d b r u s h w h e r e o n c e food

c r o p s f lourished.

S e c o n d , t h e a g r i c o r p s work by force-growing

e x p e r i m e n t a l h y b r i d s wi th y i e l d - e n h a n c i n g

c h e m i c a l s , and by tilling t h e fields with no regard

for e ros ion . After a few s e a s o n s of th i s intensive

agr icu l tu re , t h e land b e c o m e s u n u s a b l e , t r a n s -

fo rmed into a chemica l - s t i nk ing m o r a s s of clay

a n d m u d , worn to raw b e d r o c k in s p o t s . T h e n t h e

a g r i c o r p s m o v e on to new fields and s ta r t t h e

p r o c e s s all ove r a g a i n .

O n e resul t of all of th is is an a c c e l e r a t e d

d e p o p u l a t i o n of rural r eg ions . Only a relat ively

few d i e - h a r d s r e m a i n . S o m e a r e f a rmer s w h o

refuse to l eave the i r l and , working to p r o d u c e

e n o u g h t o feed t h e m s e l v e s , with e n o u g h e x c e s s

to b a r t e r with their n e i g h b o r s o r t r a d e rn t h e

s h r u n k e n t o w n s a n d vi l lages . T h e y a l so supp l e -

m e n t their d ie t s by hun t ing t h e n e w wi lde rness o f

a b a n d o n e d fields.

If i t w e r e no t for m o d e r n p r o b l e m s s u c h as acid

rain a n d radia t ion l e a k a g e t h r o u g h t h e E a r t h ' s

riddled o z o n e layer, t h e s e rural popu la t i ons would

s e e m to h a v e s t e p p e d b a c k w a r d near ly a cen -

tury in t i m e .

Corp F a r m s : Do t t ed a c r o s s t h e l a n d s c a p e a r e

h u g e ag r i co rp fa rm c o m p l e x e s . T h e s e va s t t r a c t s

o f l and a r e mos t ly r o a d l e s s , a s g ian t robo t p l o w s

h a v e obl i te ra ted m o s t o f t h e g rave l , dirt, a n d

b l a c k t o p r o a d s which o n c e l inked f a r m h o u s e s t o

t h e m a i n h i g h w a y s . T h e farm c o m p l e x e s h a v e

m a c h i n e s h o p s , b a r r a c k s for m a i n t e n a n c e work-

e r s , a he l i pad (he l i cop te r s a r e u s e d to i n spec t t h e

land a n d m o v e m a i n t e n a n c e p e r s o n n e l t o repai r

b r o k e n - d o w n m a c h i n e r y ) , a n d c r u d e r ec rea t ion

facilities.

Towns t h a t lie on t h e pe r iphe ry o f t h e s e c o r p

fa rms a r e bo th b l e s s e d a n d c u r s e d b y t h e c o r p o -

ra te p r e s e n c e . C o r p o r a t e worke r s a r e d i scour -

a g e d from mingl ing with t h e local popu la t i on ,

bu t t h e y often f requent t o w n b a r s a n d d a n c e

hal ls for d ivers ion . Re la t ions b e t w e e n t h e t o w n

p o p u l a t i o n s a n d farm w o r k e r s a r e s t ra ined a t

bes t , a n d m o r e often downr igh t hos t i le .

Rural i n t e r s t a t e s a r e still m a i n t a i n e d , to an

ex ten t , a n d pa t ro l led by s t a t e po l i ce c a r s . Never-

t h e l e s s , t rave l a l o n g t h e h i g h w a y s i s d a n g e r o u s ,

par t icu lar ly a t n igh t . M e g a c o r p s which u s e t h e

in t e r s t a t e s t o hau l bulk c a r g o by t ruck m a i n t a i n

g u a r d e d fuel a n d r e s t s t a t i o n s a l o n g t h e road , bu t

i n d e p e n d e n t dr ivers a r e forced to p u r c h a s e fuel,

food, a n d lodging in local t o w n s , often at exorbi-

t an t r a t e s . Also, local sheriffs a n d po l i ce in t h e

smal l road t o w n s a r e notor ious ly bruta l a n d

co r rup t .

The Out-Law: J u s t as there are par t s of the cities

no longer patrolled by t h e police, there a re large

s t re tches of the countrys ide which are officially out

of any legal jurisdiction (except for the federal

government ) . T h e s e a r e a s are called the Out-Law.

State law enforcement h a s long since been limited

to highway patrols, and local law enforcement

exists only where there is a pe rmanen t , gainfully

employed , t ax -pay ing popula t ion . S ince large

s t re tches of the countryside no longer m e e t that

criteria, there a re no police.

Much of t h e O u t - L a w is genu ine ly u n i n h a b -

ited. As it is a favori te toxic d u m p i n g g r o u n d for

t h e m e g a c o r p s , p a r t s o f i t a r e a l s o nea r ly unin-

hab i t ab l e . But o the r p a r t s a r e spa r se ly inhab i ted

by va r ious g r o u p s o f p e o p l e e s t r a n g e d from

soc ie ty for o n e r e a s o n or ano the r .

Biker is a gener i c t e r m for t h e m o s t d a n g e r o u s

of t h e s e , a n d i t refers not so m u c h to m o d e of

t r a n s p o r t a t i o n as to a bruta l , violent life-style.

Bikers t rave l in g r o u p s of from o n e to six dozen .

S o m e r ide m o t o r c y c l e s , but m a n y r ide heavi ly

modif ied t r u c k s a n d c a r s . T h e s e gaudi ly p a i n t e d

veh ic le s often h a v e improv i sed a r m o r a n d light

w e a p o n s m o u n t e d o n t h e m , a s well a s hav ing

bizarre d e c o r a t i v e add i t ions . Bikers live by hi-

j a c k i n g t ruck c o n v o y s , terror iz ing local t o w n s , o r

s o m e t i m e s hiring ou t t o t h e a g r i c o r p s a s local

m u s c l e .

Nomad c o v e r s a var ie ty of l e s s d a n g e r o u s

(usual ly) i nhab i t an t s . N o m a d s live off t h e land

by hun t ing a n d foraging, a n d genera l ly r e so r t t o

v io lence only in se l f -defense . N o m a d s inc lude

Nat ive A m e r i c a n s a t t e m p t i n g to r ees t ab l i sh their

b o n d with t h e land, e c o - u t o p i a n s p rac t i c ing a

s impler a n d less des t ruc t ive life-style, m e n a n d

w o m e n p u r s u e d b y powerful c o r p o r a t i o n s w h o

h a v e fled to t h e c o u n t r y s i d e , a n d a s ta r t l ing a r ray

of g e n u i n e e c c e n t r i c s a n d c razy p e o p l e .

O v e r s e a s : In Third World n a t i o n s , w h e r e t h e

c o u n t r y s i d e s w e r e n e v e r so well d e v e l o p e d , rural

p o p u l a t i o n s h a v e b e e n affected s o m e w h a t l e s s

severe ly t h a n e l s e w h e r e . But u r b a n a r e a s h a v e

b e c o m e e v e n m o r e economica l ly d e p r e s s e d t h a n

ever before . As well, in p o r t i o n s of Africa, t h e

Middle Eas t , a n d Cent ra l A m e r i c a , va s t s t r e t c h e s

o f l and h a v e b e e n r e n d e r e d un inhab i t ab l e d u e t o

r e s i d u e s from nuclear , c h e m i c a l , a n d biological

w e a p o n s .

"Many things just aren't what theyused to be. A weekend in the coun-try is fairly high on that list."

—Zena Marley(Early 21st-century mercenary-philosopher)

O n e of the r e a s o n s that Dark Conspiracy h a s

been set in the near future is because that allows the

referee to use familiar concepts for basics, against which

to contrast the world's strange twists. Technology in

Dark Conspiracy is an excellent example of this.

RetroTek: Basic, everyday technology in the

world is very m u c h like that of the 1990s . For

ins tance, peop le u s e t e l ephones , not futuristic

vidphones , nor archaic te legraphs, for long-dis-

t a n c e communica t ion . Televisions look like televi-

sions, au to s look like autos, there are still corner

laundromats, and so forth.

But there are several quirks to that m o d e r n

technology. First, o n e effect of the economic de-

pression h a s been a general deterioration of what is

c o m m o n l y considered m o d e r n . Most consumer

goods available t o the c o m m o n m a n and w o m a n

are no longer produced by corporat ions in J a p a n ,

Germany, or the US, but instead by the less t echno-

logically advanced co rps in Mexico and the Eastern

European s tates , and they resemble products from

t h e U S ' s ' 5 0 s and ' 60s . S o t e lephones a re once

again bulky, black things, rather than the sleek,

colorful, lightweight plastic o n e s we are familiar

with. Autos a re boxier, a t endency reinforced by a

1940s retro-style movemen t . TV sc reens a re smaller

(and often black and white rather than color); radios

are bigger. In fact, b e c a u s e of a growing shor tage in

semiconductors , m a n y consumer electronics have

reverted to vacuum- tube technology.

HiTek: But the second technological quirk runs in

direct contrast to the f irst . That is, for those who can

afford them. there exist virtual technological miracles.

I t is this marke t that J a p a n e s e and G e r m a n m e g a -

corps now target. The wealthy can purchase pocket-

sized por tab le c o m p u t e r s with mu l t imegaby te

memor ie s , holographic projectors rather than TVs,

p rog rammable h o m e appl iances (such as self-

powered v a c u u m c leaners tha t follow p r o g r a m m e d

routes and schedules) , ,u l t ra-sophis t ica ted elec-

tronic security sys t ems , and even high-quality m e -

chanical r ep lacemen t s for failing o rgans , or cloned

replacements , if they prefer. A variety of robots are

coming into use as well, although most of the mobile

varieties are the result of military research and thus tend

to be used for security tasks. In any case, the abundance

of ultra-cheap labor has m a d e personal servants afford-

able and fashionable for wealthy individuals.

The "Equipment" chapter contains examples of

high-tech i tems the players might desire for their

PCs. But referees a re also encouraged to k e e p an

eye open for experimental technologies described

in news publications and m a k e up g a m e descrip-

tions of t hem. Players should be surprised at what

they find should they enter the living quar ters of a

high-ranking corpora te official.

DarkTek: The third technological qu rk involves the

technology of the extraterrestrial explorers, who are,

a lmost without exception, in the service of the Dark

Ones . This is o n e of t h e sou rces of cyborgs , for

example . They also build organic computers com-

posed of thinly sliced brain tissue. This is explained in

greater detail in the "DarkTek" chapter. The thing to

remember at this point, however, is that their technology

is bizarre and quasi-organic in appearance and function.

SpaceTek: O n e area where technology h a s ad-

vanced slightly is the s p a c e p rog ram. Spacecraft in

service consist of old versions of craft presently in

use or on t h e drawing boa rds in the 1990s . Lack of

funding h a s slowed adopt ion of new des igns and

greatly limited m a n n e d flights. Several small re-

search stat ions a re in orbit, however, all with major

industrial and military applicat ions as well.

Conveying Tech Differences: So how do referees

convey t h e technology of Dark Conspiracy? First,

r e m e m b e r to think of the bulk of it in ' 50s and ' 60s

t e rms . Fas t food c o m e s from toaster ovens , not

microwaves; h o m e te lephones a re less prevalent

and t end to be out of order a lot. Similarly, when PCs

purchase w e a p o n s from a street source , what is

available should be ou t -moded mode l s stolen from

a closed-down National Guard armory. O n c e tha t

technologically degenera ted m o o d is f i rmly set,

start letting the PCs ca tch g l impses of how the

wealthy live, or have t h e m encounter an alien ray

gun. Many real-world publications occasionally

ment ion experimental devices and technological

deve lopments that you can incorporate, in f inal

form, in your campa ign . In e a c h case , m a k e sure to

play up the contras t between this ultra-tech and

day- to-day technology.

Global Production: There r e m a i n s o n e f inal topic

to be discussed concerning technology in Dark

Conspiracy. That is the division of production a m o n g

the nat ions.

It h a s been ment ioned previously that Mexico and

the Eas tern European s ta tes h a v e t aken over t h e

basic consumer marke t . In general , t h e East Euro-

p e a n s h a v e a lead on Mexico in t e r m s of production

facilities, but Mexico h a s m a d e a d v a n c e s in plastics

manufacturing, due to its pet roleum resources .

Most of t h e world's p a c k a g e d food c o m e s from

these two nat ions, as well, even though the CIS still

leads the world in agricultural production. Both

Mexican and Soviet corporat ions pu rchase c rops

from t h e CIS for their p rocessed food operat ions .

The CIS h a s greatly dec reased e m p h a s i s on

consumer goods production, concentrat ing instead

u p o n high-intensity agriculture, large a e r o s p a c e

and ground transportat ion equipment , and high-

tech weaponry. Most of the wars that r age on the

Earth f ind both s ides equipped with w e a p o n s pur-

chased from the OS.

J a p a n and Germany, on t h e other hand, now

concent ra te upon compet ing for the attention of the

ultra-rich. Most of the world's a d v a n c e s in c o n s u m e r

technology were developed by t he se two nat ions,

and mos t g n o m e high-tech consumer toys a re

manufactured in o n e of these two countries.

For a s l ong a s h u m a n i t y h a s walked t h e face

o f t h e Ea r th , t h e Dark O n e s h a v e b e e n with u s ,

i f only in ou r d r e a m s . T h e Dark O n e s a r e t h e

m a s t e r s o f a l t e r n a t e , bu t para l le l , phys i ca l uni-

v e r s e s , which b rush aga in s t o u r s in only a few

r e m o t e p l a c e s , ca l led con junc t ion p o i n t s . T h e

da rk u n i v e r s e s a r e , by c o m p a r i s o n to our own,

smal l a n d twis ted ve r s ions of reality. E a c h is

u n i q u e , a n d is d o m i n a t e d by a s ingle , powerful

life fo rce—a Dark O n e .

Dark O n e s h a v e occas iona l l y s l ipped tendr i l s

o f p o w e r - t h o u g h t t h r o u g h t h e d imens iona l barr i -

e r s which lie b e t w e e n t h e un ive r se s , a n d t h e

m e m o r y of their inf luence is ref lected in l e g e n d s

o f d e m o n s a n d m o n s t e r s which a r e r e m a r k a b l y

similar from cu l tu re to cu l tu re . O c c a s i o n a l hu -

m a n s c a u g h t g l i m p s e s o f t h e s e un ive r ses a n d

lived to tell t h e s tory, their n igh tmar i sh desc r ip -

t i ons forming t h e b a s i s for t h e h u m a n c o n c e p -

tion of Hell.

But i t w a s highly a d v a n c e d t echno logy , in t h e

form of a fusion drill u s e d by al ien a r c h a e o l o g i s t s

on t h e J o v i a n m o o n Io which f i na l l y b r o k e t h e

d imens iona l ba r r ie r a n d r e l e a s e d t h e c o m p l e t e

e s s e n c e of a Dark O n e into o u r un ive r se . S ince

t h e n , c a p t i v e s p a c e c r a f t h a v e visi ted o t h e r c o n -

junc t ion po in t s a n d o p e n e d t h e d imens iona l por-

t a l s to o the r Lords o f t h e Dark ben t on further

exploi t ing our u n i v e r s e .

Al though the re a r e var ia t ions in t h e phys ica l

laws o f t h e different d a r k u n i v e r s e s , o n e t h r e a d

which b inds t h e m all t o g e t h e r is t h e p o w e r of life

energy, which is t h e spiritual e s s e n c e of all living

b e i n g s . T h e p o w e r o f t h e Dark O n e s de r ives f rom

their ability to c h a n n e l a n d cont ro l th i s powerful

s o u r c e o f energy . T h e migh t i e s t D a r k O n e s live

off t h e life e n e r g y of l e s se r b e i n g s , feeding on

their spirit a s ea r th ly p r e d a t o r s would feed on

their flesh, thr iving on t h e powerful e n e r g y dis-

c h a r g e s g e n e r a t e d b y pa in a n d a n g u i s h .

For th is r e a s o n , t h e Dark O n e s u s e their pow-

ers sparingly, a n d a l w a y s with t h e goal in m i n d of

c r ea t i ng t o r m e n t a n d mise ry . T h e y do th i s i n

severa l w a y s . However , their t h o u g h t a n d rea -

son ing p r o c e s s e s a r e so different f rom t h o s e o f

h u m a n s tha t m a n y o f their p l a n s s e e m t o m a k e

no s e n s e . Many of t h e m , in fact, do not m a k e

s e n s e . T h e Dark O n e s a r e c rue l , i m p l a c a b l e ,

nonra t iona l b e i n g s .

Corruption: T h e Dark O n e s h a v e n o bodily

mani fes ta t ion in ou r o w n un ive r se . If c a p a b l e of

a s s u m i n g o n e , t h e y would p r o b a b l y (but not

neces sa r i l y ) be l a rge a n d g r o t e s q u e . However,

their phys ica l p o w e r would be little m o r e t h a n t h e

a v e r a g e h u m a n ' s , a n d t h e y would b e vu lne rab le

to phys ica l injury a n d des t ruc t ion . Consequent ly ,

t h e r e i s no r e a s o n to eve r a s s u m e s u c h a form.

Ins tead , t h e Dark O n e s inf luence t h e world by

twist ing t h e t h o u g h t s a n d mo t iva t i ons o f o t h e r s .

T h e r a m p a n t g r e e d a n d brutal i ty t ha t p e r m e a t e s

t h e Dark Conspiracy world is t h e resu l t of w e a k -

willed individuals giving in to t h e co r rup t ing s i ren

s o n g o f t h e D a r k O n e s .

S o m e o f t h e s e h u m a n s h a v e no belief i n t h e

s u p e r n a t u r a l , a n d m e r e l y th ink o f t h e m s e l v e s a s

rea l i s t s . O t h e r s h a v e jo ined c o v e n s o r s a t a n i c

cu l t s , t h ink ing t h a t t h e y h a v e m a d e a p a c t with

t h e biblical Devil.

W h a t e v e r t h e belief s t r uc tu re o f t h e s e h u -

m a n s , t hey wittingly o r unwit t ingly s e r v e t h e

p u r p o s e s o f t h e Dark O n e s , a n d t h u s a r e p a r t o f

t h e Dark Conspiracy. S o m e t i m e s th i s will t a k e

t h e form of a de ta i l ed , purposeful p lan . At o t h e r

t i m e s , t h e end resu l t will be ruin a n d m i s e r y for

all c o n c e r n e d , inc luding t h e h u m a n d u p e s . T h e

Dark O n e s do no t c a r e w h o s e spirit feeds their

b o u n d l e s s a p p e t i t e s .

Extraterrestrials: T h e m e m b e r s o f t h e four

space fa r i ng r a c e s w h o t ravel led t o ou r s ta r s y s -

t e m d e c a d e s a g o , c o m i n g in p e a c e a n d in s e a r c h

of k n o w l e d g e , a r e t h e m o s t pitiful of t h e sou l s

c a p t u r e d by t h e Dark O n e s . As their pr incipal

m e a n s o f c o m m u n i c a t i o n w a s e m p a t h i c , their

m i n d s were ext raordinar i ly o p e n t o c a p t u r e a n d

cor rupt ion . Now m o s t of t h e m a r e he lp l e s s s l a v e s

of evil, a n d m a n y o f t h o s e h a v e b e e n dr iven m a d

by t h e e x p e r i e n c e .

T h e ex t ra te r res t r i a l s a r e e x t r e m e l y impor t an t

t o t h e Dark O n e s , d u e t o their m a s t e r y o f t e c h -

nology. T h e Dark O n e s t h e m s e l v e s h a v e virtu-

ally no ability to u n d e r s t a n d t h e p r inc ip les of

t echno logy , a n d no p a t i e n c e for its s y s t e m a t i c ,

rout ine d e m a n d s . However, t h e t e c h n o l o g y p r a c -

t iced n o w by t h e capt ive-sp i r i t ex t ra te r res t r ia l s i s

a horr ible , b l a s p h e m o u s p e r v e r s i o n of their origi-

nal s c i e n c e .

Dark Minions: T h e Dark Minions a r e t h e very

e m b o d i m e n t of ou r wors t n i g h t m a r e s , a n d for

g o o d r e a s o n : I t i s t h e y w h o a r e t h e b a s i s of ou r

l e g e n d s of v a m p i r e s , trolls, we rewolves , z o m -

bies , a n d d e m o n s . T h e y a r e t h e d a r k fey folk of

faerie l egend , t h e lu rkers in t h e s h a d o w s , t h e evil

c r e a t u r e s of all o u r m y t h s . And t h e y a r e cruel

b e y o n d imag in ing .

T h e Dark Minions a r e t h e mino r c r e a t i o n s o f

t h e D a r k O n e s , f ash ioned from their own life

force a n d sen t ou t into t h e phys ica l world to

s p r e a d te r ro r a n d des t ruc t ion . Many o f t h e m c a n

feed off of f lesh or b lood , t h u s al lowing t h e Dark

Mas te r to c o n s u m e all of t h e life e n e r g y of their

v ic t ims . O t h e r s live off of life e n e r g y as well, but

g e n e r a t e e n o u g h addi t ional hor ro r a n d suffering

to m a k e th i s i n v e s t m e n t of life e n e r g y wor thwhi le

to their Dark Mas t e r s .

Wherever there are portals into a dark universe,

the surrounding countryside h a s been blighted and

infested with the lower forms of Dark Minions, who

serve a s guards t o k e e p wandering h u m a n s away

from t h e por ta ls (or k idnap the unwary and drag

t h e m in). H u m a n s who enter such a reas se ldom

return. H u m a n s who know of t he se a reas call t h e m

a variety of things, but in North America the m o s t

c o m m o n n a m e is Demonground.

Urban Demonground: Because the police have

so m u c h trouble with thugs raiding out of uncon-

trolled a r ea s and then fleeing b a c k to their Out-Law

fortress blocks, the police seldom ask quest ions

when the raids from an area suddenly s top. Since

these a r ea s were already Out-Law, there is no

reason for the authorities to ever investigate t h e m

again, and they h a v e m a n y other d e m a n d s on their

resources .

While buildings still s tand in these areas , they are

now often linked by bizarre tubes and tunnels ,

const ructed of a black or dark gray subs tance which

is a cross be tween epoxy and cement . S o m e tunnels

are several me te r s in diameter, o thers less than o n e

mete r (and h u m a n s c a n only crawl or wriggle

through these ) . These now link buildings, sewers,

a n d subway tunnels into an intricate maze-l ike hive.

Many Dark Minions of the lower, less intelligent, sort

lurk in t he se a reas .

Occasionally, t he very cen ters of t h e corporate

towers of Dreamland h a v e secretly been trans-

formed into hellish envi ronments suited to t h e par-

ticular Dark O n e s who control the m e g a c o r p . These

particular pa r t s of Demonground are usually ac -

cessed by way of the tower pen thouses , but they

then snake their way clandestinely through the

hear t of the building and down to the sewers below.

Rural Demonground: While urban Demonground

is se ldom larger than several dozen blocks, the rural

form can extend for dozens of miles. These a reas

were usually barren and heavily polluted before the

portals were opened , and are now even m o r e

desolate . There is virtually no vegetat ion as ide from

scrubby weeds , twisted thorn bushes , and a few

blackened, blighted t rees . Invertebrates a re the

m o s t highly developed natural life forms remaining.

Usually only worms and insects are seen.

T h e r e a r e s e l d o m a n y s t r u c t u r e s i n rural

Demonground . Most former h u m a n habi tats have

been torn down and the wreckage scat tered, as if in

an orgy of destruction. The Dark Minions who

inhabit t he region live in very primitive shelters,

such as ear then burrows, coves , and rotting hollow

trees .

Occasionally a building or two is left standing, but

usually for s o m e specific purpose . It m a y cover the

actual dimensional portal , or i t m a y merely be

intended to attract the curious, who will then become

the next meal.

Another major e lement of the Dark Conspiracy

milieu is the incidence of empa th ic powers a m o n g

h u m a n s . In r e sponse to the increased psychic activ-

ity on the Earth, m a n y h u m a n s h a v e begun to

manifest ext rasensory abilities, abilities that are

closely tied to that natural world.

How powerful, potentially, is empa th ic power? At

this t ime humani ty h a s no inkling, but there is a

growing suspicion that we have only scra tched the

surface. As a referee, you know tha t this is the case ,

as t h e entire m e a n s by which the Dark O n e s interact

with and manipu la te the universes around t h e m is

by the psychic power h u m a n s label empathy .

Empathy , as descr ibed in Dark Conspiracy,

a m o u n t s to the ability to sense and, in s o m e c a s e s

manipula te , t he life energy which is the spiritual

e s sence of all living beings . H u m a n s with empath ic

powers draw on their own life energy as well as the

Ear th ' s life energy field, which is generated by all

native life forms, but particularly the higher forms of

animal life. This shared life energy between higher

life forms is the r ea son forthe strong b o n d s between

h u m a n s and animals , particularly m a m m a l s .

The Dark O n e s resent, and even fear, this rise in

h u m a n empath ic powers , and even m o r e than

before seek to s epa ra t e h u m a n s from their natural

heri tage. This is the reason, for example , tha t they

have long been working toward mak ing the higher

forms of animal life extinct. The fervent desire of

m o s t of the Dark Races is to transform the Ear th into

a polluted, mechan ica l t ravesty of itself, with virtu-

ally no native living beings other than h u m a n s , on

whom they will feed.

When incorporating empa th ic powers into your

adventures , r e m e m b e r that they do not manifest in

m a n y people , and that even a m o n g those people

with empa th ic powers , they are often so minor as to

s e e m little m o r e than an advanced intuition. E m -

pathic powers are not publicly recognized as valid,

but instead are t h e subject of speculation and

conjecture, when they are d iscussed at all. Of

course , tabloids claim that there are people who can

predict the future by reading the lines in a c racked

windshield and other such things, but few people

give t h e m m u c h c redence .

Below the surface of everyday society, however,

there is an empa th ic community , c o m p o s e d of

people from all walks of life and all pa r t s of the globe,

who know that these powers are on the rise and

know something of how to u s e t h e m . There have

even been s o m e secret facilities established to study

the p h e n o m e n a — s o m e created by official govern-

men t agencies , and others by private concerns .

(This is the reason for the psychic test subject

career, for example . ) Among the entire empa th ic

community, there are even a good n u m b e r who also

have at least s o m e inkling of the Dark O n e s ' inva-

sion, as well.

In day-to-day happenings, then, characters with

empathic powers should be treated as mysterious. If

they flaunt those powers, they are likely to get into all

sorts of trouble, from locals who fear them or suspect

them of fraud, from agencies that would like to collect

them for experimentation, or from the Dark Ones who

find them threatening and want to destroy them. Let your

players know that empathic powers must be used subtly

if they are to be effective.

"The Dark Ones gained their free-dom, and suddenly there were moreempathically active humans. Sens-ing the threat, the Dark Ones huntus.

"Most problems in nature are ulti-mately self-correcting. The questionis, which of us is the problem, andwhich the correction?"

—Zena Marley(Early 21st-century mercenary-philosopher)

There is quite a lot involved in running adventures

and campaigns. In the previous chapter, we filled you

in on background secrets of the Dark Conspiracy

world. In this one, we speak more specifically about

the mechanics of running adventures.

When you begin a Dark Conspiracy adventure

campaign, there are a couple of things you can do to

m a k e it run smoothly.

First, find out what your players want out of

roleplaying. Some people enjoy solving mysteries;

others like the chance to act; and still others just want

to shoot big holes in things. As referee, you will have

your own preferences as well. By talking with players

individually before beginning a campaign, you will be

best prepared to m a k e things fun for everyone. You

can also use this pregame time to talk about the

players' characters. This can help you fit the PCs'

histories into the world, allow you to establish PC links

to one another, and familiarize you with the PCs'

abilities, so that you can design fitting adventures.

There are a few general principles that will help

m a k e an adventure session enjoyable for everyone.

Before the Session: Once you have decided upon

an adventure, m a k e certain that you are familiar with

it and with any special rules it may involve. Also, be

sure you have all the materials you will need: from

floor diagrams and NPC stats, to pencils, paper, and

dice. Ill-prepared referees have trouble running en-

joyable sessions.

During the Session: After your group has gathered

and everyone has had a few minutes for chitchat, you

need to focus their attention upon the adventure at

hand. A good way to do this is to have your players

recap the last session. This accomplishes several

things: (1) It gathers everyone's attention; (2) It

reminds everyone of what the PCs have discovered so

fan (3) It helps set the scene for the adventure to

come; and (4) It allows you, as referee, to learn what

aspects of the last adventure the players remember,

what they enjoyed, what they thought important, and

what significant items they might have missed.

Once everyone is focused, you can begin the

adventure itself. During play, be careful to balance the

attention you devote to each player. Make certain you

keep everyone involved. One way to do this is to

consciously rotate your attention around the table,

spending only a few minutes at a t ime on each player.

If the PCs have split up for some reason, have your

temporarily inactive players suggest events occuring

to other PCs (and maybe let them play NPCs their

fr iends meet) .

After the Session: When it gets near t ime to quit,

decide upon an appropriate stopping point. Make

sure that you leave t ime for players to wind down after

play. Generally, you should give out experience points

now, so that before the next session players can think

of how those points affect their PCs' abilities.

Many players have no idea how much labor is

involved in refereeing. While they run only one char-

acter, you have to run a whole world full, and players

expect that world to be both full-fleshed and consis-

tent. At the s a m e time, many players will expect you

to be expert with all the rules while they know only

those that apply specifically to their own characters

(and s o m e not even that much) . They may perceive

you as a champion of the rules (since you're probably

who suggested this g a m e in the first place), expecting

you to defend or change rules they dislike (often a

spur-of-the-moment dislike as their characters are

about to suffer the rule's effects). Finally, some

players are so wrapped up in having their own fun that

they take little thought of others. In a nutshell, some-

t imes players work against the referee.

There is a general solution to all of these problems,

and that is to train your players to think of roleplaying

as a shared responsibility. It is surprising just how

many things you can afford to let players take a hand

in, from looking up rules, to scene setting, to plot

suggestions. The more fully you involve your players,

the more satisfying your sessions will be for everyone.

As the primary storyteller, the referee is the play-

ers' window on the world. Everything the PCs see,

hear, feel, smell, taste, or otherwise sense is conveyed

by the referee. One of the most important ways of

building drama in the game is by carefully playing

upon all of these senses, painting a rich word picture

that projects your players into the Dark Conspiracy world.

When you begin a description, t ake a moment to

picture it clearly in your own mind. Then convey it to

the players as it appears to you. Remember to start

with their strongest sensory impression. If the first

thing the PCs notice upon stepping into a room is the

stench of decaying bodies, that is what you will want

to tell them first, then fill in their other senses. "There

are two bloated corpses lying on a stained drop-cloth

in the middle of the floor, illuminated by light from a

grimy picture window across from you. You can hear

the buzzing of scores of flies. Glancing around, you

see that there is no furniture, just a painting on the left

wall. Even from the door, you can tell it has been

mutilated." If you want to heighten player tension, toy

with their two main senses: sight and sound. Some-

times you will want to rob them of those senses; at

others, to overload them. And nothing gets players'

interest like a hint of danger. Even if there is no

immediate threat, you ought to drop a mysterious hint

or two just to keep their paranoia high.

Also, save the most important for last, so it has the most

impact Don't make your players wait through the rest of

your description before they can ask about that important

detail, or they will be distracted from your description, and

they will mistake the significance of the scene's details. In

the room description above, for instance, players' atten-

tion will naturally be drawn to the mutilated painting as

being somehow significant, and the importance of the

bodies is played down.

One of a referee's main tasks is to maintain an

atmosphere of horror, by which we mean a sense of

brooding menace, punctuated by moments of intense

fright There are a number of ways of achieiving this.

Striving to be dramatic, as mentioned above, is

important part of maintaining horror. Careful setting

descriptions and NPC characterizations do wonders

for helping to achieve a horriffic atmosphere.

Next, remember that while you may not want to kill

off player characters right and left, with NPCs you can

afford to be ruthless. One way to enhance the PCs'

own sense of danger is to have the creature they are

investigating kill off lots NPCs, beginning with strang-

ers and working steadily closer to the PCs. With this

sort of a progression, the players will feel the danger

growing ever closer, enhancing their horror.

Finally, recognize that we humans are just not

constructed to maintain one emotion unrelievedly.

We need a change now and then, and when we return

to the original emotion, it is fresh once again. Levity

makes a good break from the oppressiveness of

horror. For example, imagine that a PC named Mark

Douglas is at home and hears strange scrabbling

noises coming from the next room. Cautiously, he

works his way to the doorway and peeks inside.

Suddenly, his little sister leaps up and screams,

"Boo!" Mark jumps with fright, maybe gets angry, but

when she collapses in laughter, he finally relaxes and

starts tickling her to get even. Suddenly she looks

over his shoulder and screams horrifically, and Mark

turns to find a humongous thing, all muscles and

teeth, looming over him. The end result is more

terrifying than if the thing, rather than his sister, had

startled him in the first place.

One of the things that can ruin enjoyment of a role-

playing g a m e is for the players to discover all of its

secrets. After the PCs have encountered a particular

creature a few times, the players become familiar with

its statistics, and it ceases to seem like a living being

any longer. Eventually, after all of the creatures have

been encountered, all of the PC types have been tried,

and all of the standard plots have been spun, the game

can begin to seem mechanical. But that doesn't have

to happen. As long as the game world seems bound-

less, as long as the challenges the PCs face are always

new, in other words, as long as there remains a

powerful sense of mystery, player interest will stay

high. Maintaining that sense of mystery isn't really that

difficult to do. You just need to stay away from rigid

definitions and to avoid tying things off completely.

That is why some things in Dark Conspiracy are left only

partially defined. For example, somewhere in some other-

dimensional space the Dark Masters pb t humanity's

downfall. What are those Dark Masters like? No one knows.

They are too elusive, too distant forthe PCs to ever actually

encounter them. After all, they've been working behind the

scenes for millennia; it is unthinkable that any group of

investigators would ever fully penetrate their secrets. The

Masters, then, are the embodiment of mystery.

But even the Dark Minions are only provisionally

defined. Real-world myths and legends reveal a great

confusion of details concerning the supernatural. Jus t

because the PCs encounter a vampire, for instance,

that doesn't mean their next vampire will be anything

like the first. In fact, it is your job to make sure that the

next isn't, to maintain the mystery.

Closely related to this rule of keeping the players

guessing, is another of playing on their paranoia. Jus t

as they can never be certain of a Dark Minion's plans

or abilities, they cannot guess which of their fellow

humans is an "Igor" (from the typical name for de-

mented lab assistants in many "B" movies). But the

PCs have many other reasons to be paranoid. For one

thing, they are travellers in a world in which locals

mistrust outsiders. Often, they will experience as

much trouble from locals as they ever would from

Dark Minions. Also, because laws vary dramatically

from locale to locale, the PCs are almost guaranteed

to transgress some of them. Referees can enhance

player paranoia by having strange figures follow the

PCs when they arrive in a new town. Jus t mentioning

that a man at another table in the s a m e restaurant has

looked at them several t imes can be enough to m a k e

the PCs feel suspicious, in which case they will act

suspicious, thereby drawing even more attention.

When you create an adventure, it may help to thiruc

in terms of major elements of the task.

Adventure Concept: Generally, the first thing to do

in creating a new adventure is to come up with a

concep t It may be that you want to do one about a

particular creature. Or perhaps you have a basic plot

idea in mind. Good sources for either of these are

myths, modern fiction, and tabloids. Once you have

the basic concept, it is time to begin fleshing it out.

Adventure Location: Next, you need to choose a

location for your adventure. Let imagery and familiar-

ity be your primary guides. For instance, once we had

set our sights on the vampire adventure (see "Adven-

tures," page 258), we decided to place it in Dayton,

Ohio, partly because Dayton seems so innocuous,

and we wanted the bizarre imagery of vampirism in

such an unlikely location. But our author also chose it

to demonstrate the value of familiarity. Having grown

up in the Midwest, he felt most comfortable about

using a Midwestern city, especially as this allowed him

to extemporize freely during actual play.

Of course, location doesn't only mean geographi-

cal. It also includes things much smaller in scope.

Perhaps you want to set part of the adventure in a

meat-packing plant, or a mental institution. We started

ours on Dayton's downtown streets and ended it on a

farm outside of the city.

Adventure Plot: Now that you have your basic idea, it

is time to devebp a basic plot First, you need to come up

with a very basic sequence of events. In our vampire

adventure, for instance, it was decided that first the PCs

would hear rumors of cannibalism in Dayton. Assuming

that they followed those rumors, they would most likely

stake out the downtown streets, whereupon they would

encounter the vampire's followers, precipitating a fight

One of the followers would die, and his uniform would point

the PCs to the Wright-Patterson Air Force base northeast

of town. That location would turn out to be a red herring, but

from it, the PCs would be pointed to the University of

Dayton's ROTC program, which would in turn lead them

to a private farm, where the vampire was hiding out . Having

only encountered the minions, and having bested them

easily, the PCs were expected to be overconfident about

their abilities, but would be rudely awakened by the

surprising power of the vampire behind it all. Finally,

another investigator would show up with ultraviolet lasers

capable of destroying the creature.

Notice that in this synopsis, we have determined

how to get the PCs involved at the beginning, what

their mos t likely courses of action are through the

middle, and how they can succeed at the end.

Other Things to Consider: When you create an adven-

ture, design it to fit your player characters. Plant exciting

equipment in it, for instance, to satisfy players who like to

collect such things. In "Ravening Wolves," we have the UV

lasers, for example. Similarly, we have included an impor-

tant battle at the end, to satisfy the shoot 'em-up players.

Players who enjoy a good mystery ought to be intrigued by

the question of just what these creatures in Dayton are.

Next, referees should recognize that the illusion of

great danger serves much better than actual danger.

For example, when the PCs first encounter the "can-

nibals" in the adventure, they are outnumbered about

five to one, which ought to m a k e them very tense. The

referee knows, of course, that once the first of those

creatures falls, the rest of them will flee, so the PCs are

actually in little danger, but the players have no way of

knowing that.

Also, when you are designing adventures, m a k e

certain that the players always feel their characters are

fighting a personal enemy, not merely struggling

versus an impersonal environment. Suppose, for ex-

ample, that you want to have them climb a particularly

difficult mountain at one point in the adventure. But for

the players, besting an abstract thing such as Nature

is just no fun, and it is especially disappointing to lose

a character to something as impersonal as a rock

slide. However, if the PCs are on the mountain because

of a personal opponent, then the rock slide takes on

significance as a tool of the enemy, and the players will

feel proud when their characters survive it.

Another thing to remember is to include things in the

adventure that have little or nothing to do with the primary

plot, so that your players will not be able to predict precisely

what is going to happen, as they could if they knew that

everything their characters experienced was completely

significant. Plant a red herring ortwo. Have people show up

from previous adventures (a hit man sent by an earlier

opponent makes an interesting diversion, for example). If

you have other adventures planned out ahead, you can

plant the initial hints of them in the present adventure.

Finally, in order to make certain that all of your players

are getting equal satisfaction from your adventure ses-

sions, you may wish to design each new adventure to sort

of "star" a different PC. In other words, if your group consists

of a computer empath, a bounty hunter, a Mexican auto

mechanic, and a video star, you could design a first

adventure centered on computer work, a second involving

the recapture of an escaped convict, andsoon. Passing the

attention around in this way not only encourages all of your

players to feel completely involved in the campaign, it can

also give you some adventure ideas you might not have

thought of otherwise.

Remember that in Dark Conspiracy the emphasis

is on story. We don't intend for you to keep track of

In an overview such as this, it is impossible to give all of the

details of an ecologically ruined Earth. But there are multitudi-

nous real-world examples that referees can use for color. For

instance, because of swelling population in the Norfolk, Virginia,

metropolitan area, landfill reclamation has become an absolute

necessity. In particular, there is a city park that has been built upon

a landfill, which has to be evacuated on s o m e days because of the

gasses it gives off.

This is a relatively minor example, when compared to the

infamous Love Canal, where toxic wastes that had not been

buried deeply enough began to surface in what had become a

suburban residential area, forcing the area to be evacuated.

As referee, you should keep your eyes open for examples such

as these, which can be used as scene- and mood-setting details

for your Dark Conspiracy adventures.

every day of the PCs' lives, nor of exactly how much

money they earn between adventures, nor of exactly

how much they spend on meals and the like during

adventures. Instead, we suggest you handle your

campaign something like an anthology of stories.

During each adventure, you know exactly how many

days go by. But between adventures, the characters

return to their careers for several months.

When an adventure begins, decide how much money

each PC has available (based upon the character 's

career, and roughly how many months have passed since

the last adventure. A good rule of thumb is to divide the

career 's listed money per term by 30, and then

multiply that by the number of months since the last

adventure). But don't nitpick about money during the

adventure. You'll want to charge the PCs for major

costs, such as hotel rooms, travel expenses, and the

like, but don't keep track of the price of every single

meal they eat, every s t amp they buy, etc. Excessive

bookwork slows down the pace of play and kills the

drama. Ju s t a ssume they have enough pocket money

to pay for such things. (Of course, in a particular

adventure, you might want to strand the PCs some-

where with only a few bucks . In that case, it is perfectly

reasonable to m a k e them keep track of every penny

they spend, because their momentary poverty is an

important part of the adventure situation.)

Character aging can be kept track of in a similar

manner. If the PCs are getting in two or three complete

adventures per year of their life, for example, then after

about nine or 10 adventures, they will have aged one

term, which means that someone will likely have to

check for deterioration of attributes. If you prefer not to

have them check so often, you can increase the

number of adventures that can be fit into one term.

When your players complete an adventure session,

their characters ought to receive suitable rewards.

"There are lots of things that can serve as rewards,

depending upon the circumstances of the session. The

PCs might get specialized equipment, or money, or

favors, or perhaps they have made new contacts.

Be careful to m a k e the rewards match the PCs'

accomplishments. Don't go overboard. Remember, if

you give them too much, not only are they going to

tend to feel dissatisfied, you will also have more of a

problem giving them challenging adventures later on.

In general, it is a good idea to start out stingy, because

you can always m a k e up for it in later adventures as

you gain a feel for how fast the characters are pro-

gressing. But if you start out too generous, it is very

difficult to take things away later.

Skill Improvement: One of the most significant

rewards of an adventure session is a character 's

increased experience. Among other things, this in-

cludes improvement of skills. Skill ratings are in-

creased by use of experience points. In general, you

should award one experience point per adventure

session to anyone who survives. Bonus experience

points can be awarded in one of two ways.

Referee Determination: A bonus point can be

awarded for any skill that was used repeatedly or in a

particularly dangerous situation. An additional bonus

point or two can be awarded to a player who is

particularly good at staying in character during the

session or who performs a notably heroic deed.

Peer Determination: If you feel uncomfortable with

judging your players' performances, you may want to

rely upon your players to determine bonus points. To

do this, simply have each player secretly write down

two or three praiseworthy things that other players did

during the session (they cannot vote for themselves).

Then collect those notes and read them aloud. Every

time an event is mentioned in those notes, that char-

acter who performed the action receives a bonus

experience point. (Referees have the option to veto

any event that they don't believe sufficiently exciting

or important to gain an experience point.) This peer

determination of bonus points helps m a k e certain that

players are rewarded for actions the referee might

have forgotten, and it also encourages a shared sense

of responsibility in the campaign.

Initiative: Referees should award one Initiative ex-

perience point for each session in which there is a life-

threatening battle, awarding an extra point for a par-

ticularly outstanding shot or a superior feat of hand-to-

hand combat.

In m a n y roleplaying g a m e s , t h e referee is pro-

vided with a set of t ab les from which he genera tes

r a n d o m encoun te r s by rolling dice. This is appro-

priate to m a n y g a m e s , but i s less so to Dark

Conspiracy. The m a i n r ea son that die roll-gener-

a ted encoun te r s a re not appropr ia te is that they are

too r a n d o m . Most encoun te r s in Dark Conspiracy

should be deliberate.

This is so for two r ea sons . First, the referee

should a lways u s e encoun te r s to further his own

goals , t h e s e goa ls being es tabl ishment of m o o d ,

a d v a n c e m e n t of t h e story, and ma in t enance of

tension. Encoun te r s suit this pu rpose very well.

Second , p layers should never know for certain

whether t h e encounte r is threatening or not. They

should not be certain whether an event is related to

the current m y s t e r y or not , so that they won' t c o m e

to ass ign significance to absolutely everything that

h a p p e n s to t h e m . Tha t ' s b e c a u s e you don' t want

them to be hostile to and suspicious of absolutely

eve ryone they mee t ; not only is that not t rue to life,

i t a lso m e a n s tha t you h a v e no h o p e of ever fooling

t h e m that s o m e o n e is t rustworthy who actually is

not. You need to k e e p your players off ba lance , if

you a re to have e n o u g h f r eedom to m a k e the

adventure world rich.

So every adventure n e e d s to have a mix of

encoun te r s which re la te to the story being played

out as well as a n u m b e r of o thers which are not

related to t h e current plot, but which serve to add

t o t h e m o o d and m a k e t h e players uncertain a s t o

which even ts a re significant. It is bes t to invent these

encounte rs to suit t he c i r cums tances of the particu-

lar adventure taking p lace . But all of us need a spur

to creativity now a n d then , so in this section we

provide you with several encoun te r s that you can

u s e to a d d intricacy to your adventures .

The urban metroplexes of Dark Conspiracy

e m b r a c e an array of different environments , and a

wide variety of encounte rs are possible.

Abduction: Late at night, in an Ant Hill section of

town (see "Dark Ear th") , the charac te rs find t hem-

selves near a seemingly deser ted section of the city.

As they p a s s by, they hear s c r e a m s from the rubble

and w e e d s of the a b a n d o n e d block. Other pa s s -

ersby ignore t h e s c r eams , and refuse to even look

a t t h e a r e a . T h e v a c a n t a r e a i s a c t u a l l y

Demonground, and a h u m a n victim is being dragged

away by Dark Minions.

Bigwigs Take Precedence: O n e good way to

give the PCs a distraction is by having their p lans

delayed while s o m e high-up m u c k y - m u c k s get

priority t rea tment . It m a y be just that the bigwigs get

served before the PCs, or p e r h a p s they t ake the last

hotel room, the last s ea t s on a flight, t he last table

at a restaurant , or someth ing similar.

Blackout: O n e minute the city is operat ing per-

fectly well (at least as well as normal ) and the next

the electrical power goes out completely. In black-

outs , s o m e people get s t randed in elevators, while

others u s e the opportunity to loot storefronts. If t he

PCs are headed for s o m e place in a great hurry, a

blackout c a n work wonders to elevate their s t ress

level. Blackout c a n also refer to a sudden loss of

headlights on a winding mounta in road, if you like.

Eco-Commandos: You. run into a band of eco -

c o m m a n d o s preparing to m a k e an assault on a

major industrial facility. They are a r m e d and m a y

have a considerable a m o u n t of explosives they

plan to u s e to disable the manufacturing complex ,

or blow up the compute r records section. They m a y

try to a t tack t h e PCs, thinking that they are a

corpora te security t e a m , or just to k e e p them from

leaking word of their activities. On the other hand,

i f t h e P C s a r e invading t h e s a m e co rpo ra t e

stronghold, they m a y m a k e useful allies.

Gang War: In this encounter, the PCs are minding

their own bus iness , when they s tumble unexpect -

edly into a g a n g batt le for a contes ted turf. Tha t ' s

what c o m e s of not knowing t h e locale.

Health Alert: Loudspeaker t rucks m o v e through

the s treets announcing emergency anthrax inocu-

lations. Inquiry will reveal that a cloud of biological

toxins u sed in a war in Asia h a s blown across the

Pacific O c e a n and threa tens infection in certain

par t s of the United Sta tes .

Elaboration of this encounter into a series of

continuing background incidents is possible. O n c e

inoculations start, par t of the vacc ine m a y prove to

be defective, which will lead to s o m e death from

adverse react ions. When t h e defective vaccine h a s

been disposed of, there is not enough left to inocu-

late t h e city 's entire population. Very soon there will

be riots at hospitals and hijacked vaccine ship-

m e n t s will begin to show up in the h a n d s of various

city g a n g s at ou t rageous prices.

Mugging: If you find a PC alone on the street in

a city, why not have that PC get m u g g e d ? Muggings

can r ange anywhere from something as serious as

a severe drubbing to as little as a purloined wallet.

If you are nice, you might even face the PC with a

very minor talent, then allow the PC to turn the

tables on the mugger . After all, the encounter is

really only for enter ta inment value.

Protest Marchers: There is a lot of civil unrest in

the world of Dark Conspiracy, and m a n y people act

that unrest out by conducting public demonstrat ions

or protest m a r c h e s . S o m e t i m e s these m a r c h e s

turn violent, especially if confronted by g a n g s hired

to break up the m a r c h e s by politically motivated

corporat ions.

Random Shooting: S o m e o n e c racks from daily

pressure and mach ineguns a shopping mall, ba-

z o o k a s a bus , or wires him- or herself with dynamite

and threa tens to t a k e a restaurant full of people with

him. Unfortunately for the PCs, they h a p p e n to be

in the vicinity at t he t ime.

Robbery: There are few things in life more

disturbing than being caught in a dangerous situ-

ation entirely by accident . Such is the ca se of being

an innocent bys tander at an a rmed robbery. This

encounter can be run when the PCs enter a shop of

a n y kind; but it is especially n ice in a bank , where

the a m o u n t of m o n e y to be gained is so m u c h larger

and t h e lives o f bys tanders s e e m s so m u c h cheape r

by compar i son .

Rogue Robot: A security robot h a s gone rogue,

either due to mechan ica l failure or s o m e sort or

deliberate tamper ing with its p rogramming . It be-

gins shooting randomly at pedes t r ians and vehicles

pass ing by on the street. This could as easily be a

servant robot which suddenly drops the parcels it is

carrying and a t t acks its owner.

Security Sweep: A squad of well-armed corpo-

rate security goons sweeps through the slum area

the PCs are in. They are looking for s o m e o n e else

(probably), but a re n o n e too gentle in their m e t h o d s

or considerate in how they handle the locals. They

are also afraid, which m a k e s t h e m especially dan-

gerous .

Shadow: The player charac ters aren' t the only

investigators in the world. Thece are always local

talents lurking about , trying to m a k e sense of the

world, as well. T h e s e include local police, of course ,

plus private detect ives, news reporters , and even

neighborhood cr ime wa tches . Any and all of t he se

will t a k e an interest in t h e PCs when they show up

and start nosing around. Of course , t he PCs are

likely to get nervous when they notice that they are

being followed, considering the c rea tures they a re

themse lves tracking.

Solicitation: S o m e o n e wan ts to sell t he PCs

something, and the PCs don' t want it. The some-

thing c a n be anything from drugs , to stolen watches ,

to cult pamphle t s , to beauty products . What is

important is that the s o m e o n e doing the selling is as

pushy, obnoxious, and tenac ious as possible. This

can be a great encounter to foist on the PCs when

they are trying to s t ake out a p lace surreptitiously.

Street Thugs: These are mere ly p u n k s waiting

on a corner with nothing to do but watch the PCs. Of

course, the players c a n only a s s u m e that their

attention is purposeful. If, however, your players do

not panic , the street thugs m a y actually be a good

source of information.

Terrorist Bomb: As the PCs are walking down the

street, a vehicle or storefront on the other side of the

street suddenly blows up. The destroyed facility

could be a travel agency, airline, or information

bureau for an unpopular foreign government , a

restaurant which ca ters to the rich and powerful, a

bookstore selling books which s o m e group f inds

objectionable, or i t m a y be without obvious motive.

Most road travel is via the interstate highway

sys tem, which is all that remains in good repair.

There a re few towns left off of the highway.

Abandoned Vehicles: The players p a s s by a

stretch of road where there a re m a n y abandoned

vehicles. Most of t h e m are rusty. Windshields are

smashed , upholstery torn or rotted away, tires gone .

Many of the vehicles h a v e bullet holes or were

burned out .

Army Convoy: A military convoy p a s s e s the

players on the highway. It consists of half a dozen to

a dozen vehicles travelling at high speed . T h e core

of t h e convoy is several mass ive flatbed t rucks

hauling strangely s h a p e d cargo (covered by ta rps ) .

At e a c h end of the convoy are military police p ickup

t rucks with blue lights flashing and loaded with

heavily a r m e d soldiers in camouflage fatigues.

Bridge Out: A major highway bridge across a

river h a s collapsed recently, and h a s not been

rebuilt. This will necess i ta te a long detour.

Detour: A major toxic waste spill h a s contami-

na ted a length of the highway and the PC s are forced

to detour around it. The roadblock will be m a n n e d

by police and EPA personnel in "moon suits" who

will point out a safe route on a road m a p . The route

will carry t h e m well off t h e normal interstate system,

pe rhaps through par t s of the Out-Law.

Ghost Town: A small town along the road ap -

pea r s to be a b a n d o n e d and collapsing. I t m a y offer

shelter for the night to the players, but other wander-

ers o r crea tures m a y have c o m e t o the s a m e

conclusion.

Hijacking: The PCs c o m e across o n e or m o r e

t rucks pulled over on to the shoulder of the road. The

truck drivers h a v e their h a n d s up and are being held

at gunpoint by o n e or m o r e thugs , while half a dozen

to a dozen m o r e search through the semi-trailer to

inspect or off-load the cargo. Several a r m e d and

heavily modified vehicles a re parked nearby. If the

PCs slow down, the hijackers will fire warning shots

to encourage t h e m to k e e p moving.

Police Roadblock: In this encounter, police offic-

ers, or agen t s of s o m e other official agency, are

looking for s o m e o n e or something, and the PCs just

h a p p e n to be in the neighborhood. The power of this

encounter is in the guilt and fear it genera tes in your

PCs. Of course, to k e e p that alive, you-may actually

need to have t h e m arrested for something occasion-

ally.

T h e s e a re possible even ts the players might

encounter when travelling off the bea ten track.

Agricorp Troubleshooters: A small party of a rmed

guards , pe rhaps escort ing an engineer o rmechan ic ,

fly over the PCs by helicopter. They m a y land or just

k e e p going, depending on the mission the referee

ass igns to t h e m and , pe rhaps , to their NPC motiva-

tion result. If they land they m a y warn the players

away from agricorp land, a t tempt to intimidate

them, or actually a t tack.

Animals Flee: Someth ing s p o o k s all animals in

the PCs' vicinity and sends them scurrying for safety, or

maybe even m a k e s them flee the locale entirely. Only

penned creatures remain. You don't have to explain this

to the PCs at all—just let them wonder.

Biker Gang: There a re virtually no law enforce-

men t agenc ies patrolling the back roads anymore ,

and biker g a n g s r o a m freely. All of t h e m are a r m e d

and willing to defend themse lves against other

gangs , and m a n y live by extorting food and m o n e y

from the remaining local residents. A few enjoy

robbing and murder ing pass ing travellers.

Cultivator: Cultivators a re huge au tomated m o -

bile farm m a c h i n e s p r o g r a m m e d to plow, plant,

fertilize, spray, or harves t c rops . (See the Kraus

Maffei-Deere Auto-Farmer on p a g e 313.) Most

have obs tac le avo idance visual and radar sensors

and laser cut ters to enable t h e m to r emove t rees and

rocks which might d a m a g e their cultivating equip-

ment .

Cultivators will not normally react to the p resence

of the PCs, but if a cultivator h a s gone rogue ( see

Rogue Robot on p a g e 159) it will pursue t h e m and

a t tempt to kill t h e m . It is not very fast (16 mete r s per

c o m b a t p h a s e ) and h a s a very low Initiative rating.

Also, m a n y of its a t t empt s to kill will be misdirected

and ineffective. It may, for example , a t tempt to

spray t h e players with insecticide, or "weed" t h e m

(pick t h e m up and drop t h e m in a mulching c h a m -

ber, from which the PCs c a n e s c a p e fairly easily).

Local Law: A local sheriffs deputy d e m a n d s that

the PCs s top and submit to a search . He m a y arrest

t h e m on t r umped up charges , a t t empt to extort a

bribe, or simply let t h e m go on their way, depending

on his NPC motivation result.

Nomad Tribe: A clan of n o m a d s suddenly a p -

pears , or t h e PCs s tumble ac ross their e n c a m p -

ment . This c a n be anything from a Native American

tribe living in their original life-style to a '60s-style

hippie c o m m u n e , comple t e with rusty Volkswagen

microbusses and n a k e d children n a m e d Moon-

b e a m Love.

N o m a d s will be suspicious of any outsiders and

m a y react with violence or panic . If their confidence

can be gained, however, they m a y prove to be a

valuable source of information and even ass is tance .

Road Out: The back road the PCs are travelling

simply s tops . O n e of the giant agricorps h a s decided

that i t h a s no need of the road and so h a s just plowed

it under. As the road e m e r g e s from a c o p s e of t rees,

the players see only miles of muddy, plowed fields

stretching out before t h e m . Even a four-wheel-drive

truck will h a v e difficulty crossing it.

Toxic Dump: While making their way through a

remote area of the countryside, the players c o m e

across a secret toxic d u m p site. This m a y be very

old and abandoned or it m a y be new and still in use .

Perhaps it will form the basis of a new adventure .

Wandering Mystic: A wise (or crazy) m a n or

w o m a n is encountered. He or s h e lives off the land

and leads a solitary existence to better a t tune him or

herself to the land and its natural creatures . The

myst ic will be very familiar with the a rea and its

dangers .

These encounte rs can be added to any of the

above lists.

Dog Pack: Whether in a city or in the country, an

a t tack by a p a c k of starving animals c a n be a

wonderful way to get the PCs ' hear t pounding.

T h e s e n e e d not be dogs—rats and other crea tures

work nicely, too . (See "Beasties," p a g e s 1 7 7 - 2 0 1 ,

for statistics.)

Doldrums: For some unexplained reason, empathic

characters find their empathic powers halved, or even

negated entirely, for hours or days, as if a wave of

mundaneness swept the world. Fortunately for the PCs,

the Dark Minions are affected just as strongly.

Freak Accident: A wheel bearing goes out unex-

pectedly on the PCs ' vehicle, or m a y b e a tire goes

flat and throws t h e m toward the ditch. Lightning

strikes a t ree nearby, or a brick from a chimney falls

and almost hits o n e of t hem. S torm sewers wash out

the soil under a section of road and it col lapses under

t h e m . A twin-engine p lane loses power and c rashes

into their hotel room. All of t h e s e are examples of

freak accidents that h a v e actually h a p p e n e d to

s o m e o n e , somet ime . Why not have o n e h a p p e n to

your PCs? They are certain to believe there is a

mas te rmind behind the event .

Hit Man: An e n e m y h a s sent s o m e o n e to do the

PCs in. It need not h a v e anything to do with the PCs'

present mission.

Natural Disaster: This is someth ing like "Freak

Accident," above , but it involves events of a grander

scope , affecting m o r e creatures . Ear thquakes , tor-

nados , blizzards, hurr icanes, forest fires, volcano

eruptions, tidal waves , and even meteor strikes are

examples . The exac t disaster will usually depend

upon the PCs' geographical location.

Ozone Hole: Weather forecasts in Dark Con-

spiracy include m o r e than just t empera ture and

precipitation. They also include repor ts on the

Ear th ' s ozone layer. S o m e t i m e s the ozone will thin

in a particular spot, forming a hole that lets danger-

o u s radiation through for days at a t ime. When this

occurs , citizens a re warned to s tay indoors for the

duration. Long-term exposure to the radiation can

not only foster cancer, i t can also d a m a g e the retinas

of eyes , leading to bl indness.

Unexpected Ally: Not all r a n d o m encounters

need to be negat ive. The world contains s o m e

helpful people , too . In this encounter, t he PCs mee t

s o m e o n e who offers t h e m unsolicited help, pe rhaps

just in the nick of t ime.

Visions: For s o m e unexplained reason, empathic

charac te rs find their powers effectively doubled for

a period of hours or days . It m a y be that the Earth

is giving its defenders a boost , or that the Dark

Minions have weakened the fabric of reality. In the

latter case , the PCs won' t be the only o n e s with

enhanced powers .

Wild Hunt: If the PCs a re having too easy a t ime

of figuring out who is behind the current mystery,

throw a wrench in the works by having a completely

different Dark Race a t tack t h e m in a r andom sweep

through their a rea . Dark elves might be looking for

new playthings; ETs might be collecting lab speci-

m e n s ; other crea tures might just be hungry.

Yuri kept the van running while Hadyn and I

went in to find the girl. I forget exactly why, but

we'd all decided the time had come to check out

Col. Leeds' country estate. Only problem was, we

had just the v a g u e s t idea where to find it. All we,

knew was that it had a Rural Route 5 address,

which meant it was somewhere southwest of the

city limits.

That's where the girl came in. She'd told Hadyn

over the phone that her boyfriend had given her

directions to the place, forthe weinie roast where he

and all his buddies had disappeared. Fortunately

for us, she hadn 't gone to the festivities, or she'd be

missing, too.

The girl told Hadyn to meet her that evening at a

frat house party just off campus. Like I said, Yuri

stayed with the van while Hadyn and l went in. The

noise was incredible. We heard the stereo thump-

ing from two blocks away. Inside the building it

was deafening. People were jammed elbow to

elbow around the walls to make room for dancers,

and still they had to shout for their neighbors to

hear them. I took a glance around, decided I wanted

to keep my hearing for our trip to the Leeds' place,

and signaled Hadyn I'd wait for him outside. He

nodded understanding and started pushing his

way through the crowd; apparently, he'd spotted

the girl.

It was cold outside, felt like it might start spitting

snow anytime. I was getting chilly just standing

there waiting on Hadyn. We'd bought some bottles

of garlic extract for our little mission, and just for

something to do, I broke one out and started daub-

ing it on my clothes. But my fingers were stiff, and

I ended up spilling most of it down my pant leg.

Now I was not only cold and wet, I also stunk to

high heaven. I guess I was sort of irritable, too,

'cause when this big, blond guy leaving the party

made a remark about me sleeping in a pizzeria, I

threw the rest of the bottle on him. Hedrew back for

a punch, and I brought my fists up, squaring for a

fight, but then Hadyn came back out and started

shoving me toward the van. I hollered at the big guy

all the way, which made me feel somewhat better,

at least until Yuri started razzing me about stinking

up the van enough to make his eyes water. We

drove out to the Leeds place with the windows

down. Of course, I got all the wind in the back seat,

while Yuri and Hadyn had the heater blowing on

them in the front

With the girl's directions, it didn't take long to

find the farm. It was along a secondary country

road, one of those kind that twist and turn every

few hundred feet to follow a creek or avoid a

pasture, changing randomly from cracked asphalt

to thin gravel and back again. We turned a corner,

and there on the right was an old rain barrel with

a mail box up on top. In the moonlight we could

clearly see the name "Leeds" stenciled across the

front A narrow lane led off the road and disap-

peared in to a weedy grove of elms. The whole place

was fenced in like it had been used for pasture or

something in the old days.

Not wanting to arouse suspicion, we drove right

on past and stopped about half a mile down the

road. We checked our gear—Yuri had his AKM, l had

a pump-action shotgun, and Hadyn carried an Uzi

and some infrared goggles—and everybody but me

splashed on some garlic extract, then we got out and

clambered over the fence. Yuri caught his pants on

the line of barbed wire on top and tore his inseam

open, scratching his leg in the process. Even in the

darkness, I could see a trickle of blood against the

paleness of his thigh, but he just grunted and

moved on.

We 'd gotten about a dozen meters into the woods

when Hadyn stopped us with a curse. He said he'd

picked up a couple dozen human-sized heat sources

approaching through the trees ahead. He and Yuri

had a quick consultation and decided we were way

outnumbered, that we'd better go back. "Sorry,

guys," I whispered, "but that's gonna be kind of

tough. We got more company coming up behind."

They were close enough to spot even without the

goggles.

We couldn't go forward, and we couldn't go

back, so they only way to go was sideways, toward

the open field that bordered Leeds' land. Yuri and

Hadyn squeezed off some bursts of fire to discourage

pursuit, and we hightailed it. I could hear scream-

ing, so I knew somebody'd been hit, but Hadyn took

one last look with the goggles and swore the rest

were right behind us. I discovered I could run even

faster than l thought. I swear I vaulted the fence, then

I spun to cover my buddies as they climbed it. The

grove was full of pale shapes with glistening eyes

and teeth. One of the things was right behind

Hadyn, and my first shell took it in the head. My

second and third caught two more just as they left

the trees. After that, Yuri and Hadyn were over, and

we started a fighting retreat in the direction of the

van. The creatures kept coming, but after we dropped

eight or 10 of them, the rest ducked low in the

weeds. We couldn't see them, but we could hear

them howling to each other as they closed in on us.

My heart was hammering to beat the band. I

remember screaming "Run!" but it was no use. We

had only taken a few steps when we discovered

that there were more of the things laying in ambush

between us and the van. I emptied the shotgun at

dim shapes, never certain if I was firing at enemies

or at shadows, then pulled my knife and prepared

to sell my life dearly.

They came loping at us, screech ing like madmen.

I remember slashing one across theface, thenl was

blinded by a spotlight bouncing toward us across

the field. My eyes felt like they had been stabbed

with icepicks. I could hear an engine racing,.and the

light kept getting brighter, but I couldn't really see

anything. "This is it," I thought "It's Leeds come to

run us down, and I can't even see to get out of the

way."

The vehicle stoppedj ust a couple of meters away,

and the spotlight swept across the field. "Get in,

quick." I heard somebody say, and I obeyed. I could

just make out that it was a pickup truck, and as I

climbed in the back, I saw that it had black lights

strapped on all around. Yurijumped in beside me,

then cursed as Hadyn dropped in on top of him.

"Hang on" the driver shouted, and we started

jouncing across the field, back toward the road,

plowing through whatever got in our way. A few

minutes later, we were headed back into town, with

a new ally to help us fight the creatures.

And that's the story of how we met Fred Brody.

As we 've explained earlier, while t h e players in a

roleplaying adventure have only to concent ra te on

playing a single character, the referee h a s to play the

par t of an entire world of NPCs. In the narrative

example above, for instance, while the players

concent ra te on Hadyn, Yuri, and Marcus (the nar-

rator), t h e referee mus t play the par t of the girl

Hadyn s p e a k s to , t he crowd at the frat party, t he guy

who insults Marcus at the door, t he hordes of

crea tures at the Leeds farm, and the driver of the

rescue vehicle. But this narrative provides only a

tiny view of the work that is involved. What Marcus

sees doesn ' t reveal the referee's efforts at being t rue

to all the NPCs' motivations, nor the headwork

involved in keeping t rack of the NPCs' positions in

the fight and the wounds that individual NPCs suffer.

Of course , considering the multi tude of NPCs that

appea r in m o s t any adventure , it just isn't feasible for

everyone of t h e m to be genera ted in the s a m e detail

as a re PCs . Nor would it actually be helpful, b e c a u s e

the referee would easily b e c o m e lost in such detail.

For this reason, the vast majority of NPCs in Dark

Conspiracy a re kept t rack of in a sort of shor thand

notation, with the m o s t important o n e s receiving the

m o s t detail. This shor thand notation m a k e s t h e m

easiest for t h e referee to use during the hea t of play.

When player charac te rs f i r s t m e e t new acquain-

t ances , t he f i rs t thing that they should notice about

t h e m is their appea rance , just as in real life. Then

they will c o m e to learn something about their

personalit ies and major abilities, discovering m o r e

the longer they know the NPCs. For simplicity's

sake , however, let us d iscuss t he se things in reverse

order, beginning with c o m b a t statistics as a frame-

work u p o n which to h a n g the rest.

In t e r m s of c o m b a t statistics, t he majority of

NPCs are ranked a s o n e of four levels of experience—

Novice, Experienced, Veteran, and Elite—and these

exper ience levels dictate their Initiative, attributes,

and c o m b a t skills. T h e table below reveals t hose

s ta ts for e ach exper ience level. On this table, Level

refers to exper ience level, Initiative refers to the

corresponding Initiative rating, Attributes indicates

the ave rage attribute level, Skill refers to the aver-

a g e rating of the NPC's c o m b a t skills, and Damage

indicates t h e n u m b e r of wound points the NPC

c a u s e s in an u n a r m e d c o m b a t a t tack.

Note that while these attribute and skill number s

reflect the average for an NPC of a particular level,

referees who desire m o r e detail m a y choose to raise

or lower a statistic for a particular NPC. For instance,

an Experienced street gang m e m b e r h a s an aver-

a g e comba t skill of 4, but actually would likely have

a Heavy Weapons skill of 0, and might (if t he referee

desires) even have an Archery or Melee Combat

skill of 5 or 6. Similarly, tha t g a n g m e m b e r h a s an

average attribute level of 5, but might have an

Educat ion of 2 and an Agility of 8. The point is that

t he se average s ta ts are intended to help m a k e the

referee's job easier, not to lock referees into a fixed

set of number s .

NPC Panic: NPCs u s e the s a m e panic sys tem as

PCs. This m e a n s that while PCs can reach an

Initiative of 6, in which c a s e they never panic , even

Elite NPCs have s o m e c h a n c e of panicking.

NPC Hit Capacity: It is entirely too m u c h of a

h e a d a c h e to k e e p t rack of multiple wounds and their

locations on every NPC. For this reason, NPCs,

regardless of exper ience level, a re a s s u m e d to have

a s tandard, overall hit capaci ty of 20 , divided into

two rows of 10 ( see the s tandard NPC form on p a g e

3 3 1 ) . When an NPC f irs t t a k e s a wound, he or she

is considered slightly wounded and suffers a -1 to

Initiative. O n c e the first row is f i l led, excess points

are m a r k e d off t h e second row. With t h e first point

m a r k e d off the second row, the NPC is considered

seriously wounded and t a k e s an additional -2 to

Initiative. As well, seriously wounded NPCs mus t

succeed at a percentile roll versus Constitution

every p h a s e in which they a t tempt to act, or they

b e c o m e unconscious (just as with player characters).

Note that NPC d a m a g e is not assigned to specific

hit locations, as it is for PCs. However, hit locations

should still be rolled for two reasons . First, if an

at tack on an NPC strikes an a rmored hit location,

the a rmor t akes effect normally. Second , if any

at tack strikes an NPC in the head , d a m a g e for that

at tack is doubled. This reflects the fact that hits to

the h e a d by firearms are especially deadly. Also, it

allows PCs to a im me lee a t t acks to the head, trading

a m o r e difficult a t t ack for increased d a m a g e .

Level

Elite

Veteran

Exper ienced

Novice

Initiative

5

4

3

1

Attributes

7

6

5

5

Skill

6

5

4

2

Damage

4

3

2

1

Note also hit points for beasties and dark races are

not always divided into equal rows.

Of course , the c o m b a t skills listed above will not

be the only skills an NPC has . In fact, for m a n y NPCs

(perhaps mos t ) , t he player charac ters will never

have occas ion to know their c o m b a t skills. Instead,

they will be known for their expert ise in s o m e other

field. These skill levels should be ass igned by the

referee, as s e e m s appropr ia te to the situation.

For example , if t he PCs have sought out an expert

chemist, that character c a n be ass igned a Chemistry

skill of p e r h a p s 8 or 9. If it turns out that the chemist

h a s s o m e c a u s e to u s e a compute r while the PCs are

present , t he referee can assign the NPC an appro-

priate a m o u n t of Compute r skill. Note that these

skill levels need not even be decided upon ahead of

t ime, but can be set during play, allowing the referee

to create new NPCs at a m o m e n t ' s notice.

Also note that the expert chemist might only be

a Novice in t e r m s of comba t .

By NPC motivations, we m e a n the drives that

guide an NPC, giving that character a reason for

acting as an individual. In m a n y cases , the moti-

vations of NPCs are either obvious or unimportant .

The referee need not work up detailed motivations

for a cabbie who merely t a k e s the PCs to an airport,

or for every m e m b e r of a lynch m o b . Obviously, the

cabbie ' s motivation is to do a job and m a k e s o m e

money, and the lynch m o b m e m b e r s all share a

c o m m o n motivation to string someone up. Of course,

if the cabbie is actually a Dark Minion s tooge who is

t racking the NPCs, or if one of t h e lynch m o b

m e m b e r s is actually a government agent waiting for

an opportunity to free the m o b ' s victim, then these

NPCs h a v e slightly m o r e detailed motivations. But

even the se motivat ions are fairly straightforward.

For mos t NPCs, then , motivation will depend upon

the role the charac ter p lays in the adventure .

But s o m e NPCs play such a large part in the

player charac te rs ' exper iences that details of their

personalities b e c o m e very important. In such cases ,

referees have o n e of two choices . They can invent

the N P C s motivations themselves , based upon

what they think the NPC should be like, or they can

genera te the motivations randomly with a deck of

playing cards, using the sys tem described here .

To genera te an N P C s motivations, draw two

cards from a s tandard deck of playing cards . The

card with the highest value de te rmines the N P C s

primary motivation; the lower reveals the second-

ary motivation. E a c h card ' s suit dictates the direc-

tion that motivation t akes , and its face value de-

termines the motivation's strength or its particular

bent .

Aces and face ca rds indicate special motivations.

If a special card is drawn, it is automatically the

N P C s pr imary motivation. If two special ca rds are

drawn, the NPC h a s two pr imary mot iva t ions

compet ing with each other for dominance .

The various possibilities a re summarized in the

table on p a g e 331 and

explained below.

These NPCs seek

personal power and

influence. A "some-

what ambit ious" NPC

will be inclined toward

boas t fu lness a n d a

desire to impress other

peop le . "Moderately

ambit ious" NPCs are

driven to attain posi-

t ions of high responsi-

bility. A "very ambi-

tious" NPC will be overwhelmed by a desire to

manipula te and control others .

Jack, Pompous: P o m p o u s NPCs are conceited

and arrogant in their dealings with others . They

consider themse lves to be clearly superior to every-

o n e a round them, and they m a k e no secret of that

conviction.

Queen, Ruthless: This NPC will let nothing s tand

in the way of achiev-

ing any goal and feels

no c o n c e r n for the

n e e d s of others . Such

NPCs c a n feign affec-

tion, devotion, sincer-

ity, or anything else

that se rves their pur-

pose , but actually they

feel nothing.

King, Dece i t fu l :

The NPC h a s n o re-

s p e c t for h o n e s t y .

Depending upon the

r e f e r e e ' s d e c i s i o n ,

deceitful NPCs m a y be

pathological liars, or

they m a y use the truth

deceitfully, giving just enough information to guar-

an tee their victims are misled. The actual direction

of their deceitfulness will generally depend upon

their s econdary motivation.

Ace, Charismatic: The NPC is a charismatic

leader to whom others are naturally drawn. Often,

such NPCs have high empath ic skills. S o m e of these

NPCs are honorable and just, o thers a re cruel and

manipulat ive. The referee c a n decide based upon

t h e adventure situation and /o r the particular NPC's

secondary motivation.

Such NPCs are highly influenced by their love of

people . They tend to be friendly, loyal, and just. A

"somewhat sociable" NPC will be amiable , talkative,

and cooperat ive with mos t everyone . "Moderately

sociable" NPCs will have a strong sense of duty and

loyalty to their group. A "very sociable" NPC will

have a strong commi tmen t to justice and the welfare

of all people, and will look for the good qualities in

everyone, but will react with anger to injustice and

brutality.

Jack, Wise: The NPC is unusually wise, either as

a result of years of experience, or simply b e c a u s e of

as tu te observat ion. Such NPCs almost a lways ex-

hibit good judgment and, if a sked , offer sound

advice.

Queen, Loving: This NPC loves s o m e other

person devotedly, p e r h a p s a spouse , parent, child,

or close friend. S u c h NPCs would willingly sacrifice

themse lves for the o n e they love. Alternatively, the

NPC m a y be loving toward absolutely everyone.

The choice is up to the referee.

King, Honorable: Honorable NPCs are scrupu-

lously hones t in their deal ings with everyone . In

m a n y c a s e s this i s not so m u c h from any concern

for others, but from pride in saying that their word of

honor is their bond. Such NPCs will typically carry

out their p romises and social obligations even if it

m e a n s facing dea th . In this, they can be as difficult

to deter as a s tubborn NPC (Club Q u e e n ) . Honor-

ab le NPCs h a v e ut ter c o n t e m p t for liars and

oathbreakers .

Spades: Ambition

Hearts: Sociability

Ace , Just: This NPC s e e s justice as the greatest

virtue a person c a n display and the only truly

important consideration in deciding upon a course

of action. Such charac ters have no respect for

chea t s and swindlers, and they will wholeheartedly

assist any a t tempt to right an injustice.

These NPCs have a greater likelihood of reacting

with violence than do m o s t people . A "somewhat

violent" NPC is not frightened or intimidated by

threa ts of violence and will not hesi ta te to u s e force

if the situation s e e m s to warrant it. A "moderately

violent" NPC is aggressive and inclined to view

violence as the preferred m e a n s of resolving dis-

pu tes . A "very violent"NPC loves a good fight and

either is or wan t s to be a warrior.

Even a high violence rating does not, however,

necessari ly indicate that the nonplayer character is

brutal or a bully. For example , a "very violent" NPC

who w a s also "very sociable" could be described as

friendly, good-natured , and loyal, but also a good

person to have with you in a fight.

Jack, Murderous: This NPC is subject to sudden,

uncontrollable, murderous rages . C h a n c e s are, such

NPCs h a v e already killed at least o n c e in a fit of rage.

If not, it certainly will not be long before s o m e o n e

crosses t h e m a t the wrong t ime and dies.. .

Queen, Stubborn: S u c h NPCs are so stubborn

that o n c e they have m a d e up their minds about

something, i t is nearly impossible to pe r suade t h e m

differently. They t end to scoff at innovation and

insist that the "old ways" of doing things are best .

King, Brutal: These NPCs are sadistic brutes who

enjoy caus ing other people pain and grief. They

often serve as tools for the Dark Minions, m o s t of

t h e m without ever realizing it. Frequently, they are

d u p e s who f ind themse lves propelled to power,

seemingly b e c a u s e of unassai lable luck, but actu-

ally b e c a u s e of Dark Minion manipulat ion. J u s t

when they think they are m o s t secure , however,

their u n s e e n m a s t e r s suddenly bring t h e m to ruin,

and the victimizer b e c o m e s the victim.

Ace , War Leader: The NPC is an unusually good

leader in battle, able

to inspire confidence

in others , and receiv-

ing comple te obedi-

e n c e from followers.

In t e r m s of c o m b a t

rules, treat such NPCs

as having an Initiative

of 6 (they never panic),

and allow them to pre-

dict their opponen t s '

general s trategy and

be prepared for it.

The NPC wants to

be rich. A "somewhat greedy" NPC will be fairly easy

to convince to t ake a particular course of action as

long as m o n e y is involved. A "moderately greedy"

NPC will drive a harder bargain, but will actually be

m o r e willing to t ake larger risks, provided the pay-

men t is sufficient. A "very greedy" NPC will do

virtually anything for money, but will insist u p o n

very high fees, and will pe rhaps a t tempt t reachery

if it s e e m s that even

m o r e m o n e y c a n b e

gained by doing so .

Jack, Coward: This

NPC is a total coward

a n d will r un f rom

danger a t every op -

portunity. (You might

say such characters

are greedy about their

own safety.) If e s c a p e

is impossible, a cow-

ard will cower a n d

refuse to fight.

Q u e e n , Lustful:

These NPCs are driven

by lust for the o p p o -

site sex. Depending

Clubs: Violence

Diamonds: Greed

u p o n t h e c i rcumstances , t he referee m a y interpret

this as an impersonal lust for all m e m b e r s of that sex

or as an obsess ion for a particular person.

King, Selfish: A selfish NPC never helps without

demand ing p a y m e n t and will never give away

anything. Such NPCs are convinced that everyone

else is just as selfish as they are . As a result, they will

d e m a n d higher p a y m e n t t han they are due (believ-

ing their employers to be holding out on t h e m ) , and

they will jealously guard their own possess ions

(convinced that everyone else is just waiting for an

opportuni ty to steal t h e m ) . NPCs this selfish are

likely to steal what other people do not guard very

closely.

Ace , Generous: In t e r m s of the Dark Conspiracy

world, t h e s e NPCs are extremely generous . Those

who have another hear t card as a secondary moti-

vation are so gene rous that they will gladly give

away anything they have to others in need, even if

this leaves t h e m with nothing. All o thers will tend to

m a k e gene rous dea ls and will refuse p a y m e n t for

favors, unless t hose favors directly relate to their

normal line of bus iness .

W h e n you d e s c r i b e a n N P C s a p p e a r a n c e t o

t h e p l a y e r s , you shou ld k e e p in m i n d two m a i n

goa l s : You wan t to m a k e t h e NPC s e e m truly

alive, a n d y o u wan t t h e NPC descr ip t ion to he lp

d e v e l o p o r m a i n t a i n t h e m o o d y o u ' v e set for t h e

a d v e n t u r e . T h e r e a r e a n u m b e r of th ings to be

c o n s i d e r e d in do ing th i s .

First, it will help if you t ake a m o m e n t to build a

menta l picture of the NPC in your own mind. If you

can accompl ish that, you probably have already

succeeded at pretty m u c h everything else we are

about to tell you about NPC a p p e a r a n c e . O n c e you

have that menta l picture, you need to begin thinking

about the m o s t dramat ic way to convey i t to your

players .

Generally, this will m e a n painting a scene , not

merely a description of the NPC. After all, charac te rs

have to be somewhere when the PCs encounter

t h e m . Now paint the bas ics of that s cene in broad

strokes, working in sna t ches of mood-se t t ing detail.

Don't forget to appea l to other senses as well as

sight. Sound, smell, touch, and even e m p a t h y all

add to the impact of a scene . As you continue, work

inward from the setting to the NPC, giving details of

background before giving details of the character.

And add a sense of mystery—something unex-

plained—to m a k e i t obvious that there is m o r e to the

character than merely what the PCs sense , that the

NPC did not suddenly c o m e into existence just when

the player charac te rs arrived, but was living a life

long before they c a m e along.

Stereo types a re f ine , especially because they

serve as a sort of shor thand, getting a lot of informa-

tion ac ross to t h e players with a limited n u m b e r of

words. The bas ics of an NPC's appea rance , for

instance, will have a lot to do with the NPC's

attributes and skills. And o n c e you 've appea led to a

s tereotype in your description, any details that

break with that s tereotype will b e c o m e all the more

firmly fixed in the players ' minds . Along with this,

realize that the description you give will do a lot to

determine what the players think about that NPC

from this point on . J u s t as in real life, first impres-

sions do m a k e a major difference.

Finally, recognize that knowing when to avoid

detail can be as important as knowing when to

include it. The players a re likely to be m u c h more

nervous about a figure that their charac ters can ' t

quite s e e than about one they can see clearly,

however h ideous it is.

As we have ment ioned, in describing NPCs it is

often helpful to appea l to s tereotypes to mos t

quickly sketch out the mos t important information.

As a mat ter of fact, there a re a number of types of

NPCs that will be encountered so often that it just

d o e s not m a k e s e n s e for referees to envision t h e m

from scratch each t ime. We'll call t hese NPCs stock

NPCs. They work something like extrasfrom central

cast ing and include such things as gang m e m b e r s ,

innocent bys tanders , and security guards . Descrip-

t ions (and illustrations) for a n u m b e r of these sorts

of charac te rs a re a p p e n d e d to t h e end of this

chapter. Referees m a y wish to c rea te s tandard

descriptions for o thers that they find recurring fre-

quently in their adventures .

For the vast majority of NPCs, the type of stats ,

motivations, and descriptions discussed above will

be sufficient. Occasionally, however, an NPC will be

so important that t h e referee m a y wish to c rea te that

charac ter in m o r e detail. This is especially t rue if the

NPC is to be one that the player charac te rs encoun-

ter in m o r e than o n e adventure . In such cases ,

referees c a n c rea te the NPC using the full player

character generat ion rules.

Note that such major NPCs should be created

with as m u c h thought as is devoted to player

charac ters . Motivations, for instance, should arise

out of the NPC's history, rather than being chosen at

random. Of course , t he referee m a y still wish to use

the playing card sys t em above as a sort of person-

ality notation, p e r h a p s even choosing m o r e than

two cards to represent the character.

Also, a player m a y decide to a b a n d o n an old PC

and design a new one , in which c a s e the referee

might wish to have the old PC t ake on NPC status.

Such charac te rs will often b e c o m e either major

NPCs or important contac ts . Contac ts are explained

below.

W h e n gene r i c c o n t a c t s a re c o n v e r t e d t o solid

o n e s , t hey c a n be g e n e r a t e d with wha t eve r level

of detai l t h e re feree de s i r e s , j u s t as with o the r

NPCs . In g e n e r a l , t h o u g h , t h e m o r e impor t an t

t h e c o n t a c t i s to a PC, a n d t h e m o r e frequently

tha t c o n t a c t s h o w s u p i n t h e a d v e n t u r e c a m -

pa ign , t h e m o r e detai l will be requ i red for t ha t

c o n t a c t .

It is sugges ted that the referee allow players a

strong h a n d in designing the histories for their

contacts . After all, in s o m e ways a contac t ' s history

is part of the PC's history. But it is sugges ted just as

strongly that p layers not be allowed to know exact

n u m b e r s for the contac t ' s attributes and skills. To a

player, the contact should s e e m like a living person-

ality, not a collection of n u m b e r s that can be ex-

ploited. Ideally, then, a contac t ' s basic description

will be genera ted by the player whose character h a s

established that contact , and the referee will then

crea te appropriate attributes and skills to m a t c h the

description.

In designing a contac t ' s history, a player should

justify why that contact would have established a tie

with the PC. For example , let us a s s u m e that Dara

Schwartz ( the first s a m p l e character at the end of the

"Character Generation" chapter) h a s gotten herself

into a terrible m e s s in an investigation, and the

referee h a s decided to let Dara ' s player convert one

of her generic con tac t s into a solid o n e to help. The

player s ays she 'd like to convert Dara ' s first govern-

m e n t contact , from her charac te r ' s initial career as

a public employee . During Dara ' s generation, the

player had decided that public emp loyee m e a n t for

Dara working at a federal income tax office in her

hometown. You will r e m e m b e r that the player 's

reason for choosing that career was to allow Dara

double secondary activities, reflecting her taking

adult education courses to p repare for college. After

college, Dara went on to law

school, and from there to a

federal law enforcement ca-

reer.

With all of this in mind, the

player sugges t s to the referee

that her initial gove rnmen t

contact was a federal law en-

forcement agent who c a m e to

the income tax office on a c a s e

and was very impressed by

this young w o m a n who was

pushing herself so hard to get

a deg ree and b e c o m e a federal law enforcement

agent herself. He told Dara that if s h e ever needed

a favor, s h e should give him a call, and eventually,

when she finished her degrees , she a sked his advice

on what federal law enforcement agency to apply to .

Ever s ince that t ime, he h a s been keeping t abs on

her without mentioning it, letting her develop her

skills, but watching to m a k e sure she didn't get in

over her head . Now tha t she is in hot water, he j u m p s

in to help.

Of course , it is t he referee who de termines just

how old this contact is, what his attributes and skills

are , and just how m u c h clout he h a s in his field. If we

a s s u m e that the NPC was in his mid -20s when Dara

first met him, he will now be in his early 4 0 s (five

t e r m s have pa s sed for Dara) . That and the fact that

he is in a position to k e e p an eye on her would

indicate that he h a s attained a position of s o m e

authority, p e r h a p s even a regional directorship.

With this all in mind, we can look down the skill list

for appropriate skills, or we can simply define him as

a Veteran NPC, mak ing up any neces sa ry skill levels

as the need arises during play. It just depends upon

how m u c h t ime a n d energy the referee wants to

spend on the NPC.

Each of t he se charac te rs h a s a short description,

an experience level that de te rmines attributes and

c o m b a t skills, and a notation of any special skills or

abilities not related to the exper ience level. The

referee should give t h e m whatever equipment s e e m s

appropriate for their skills and the current situation.

Beat Cop

With the constant rise in urban populat ions, local

police forces have returned to putting walking pa-

trols b a c k on the streets . Beat c o p s patrol in pairs,

at a min imum, and they live in the neighborhoods

they patrol.

These c o p s do not try to deal with every cr ime

they see . Rather, they think of themse lves as some-

thing like dampen ing rods in nuclear reactor, keep -

ing the reaction from running completely out of

control. Nonetheless , they are heavily a rmed and

armored , and they are under cons tant radio surveil-

lance by their headquar te r s .

Few citizens a re foolish or depera te enough to

start a battle with their neighborhood cops .

Level: Veteran.

Skills: As per Veteran NPCs, p lus Leadership 6,

Interrogation 4, Observat ion 6, and Streetwise 6.

Normal Armament: Flak jacket and pistol, with

a p u m p shotgun or assaul t rifle available in their

vehicle (if any) .

The b reakdown of law and order in rural a reas h a s

led to an increase in br igandage. Due to the poor

state of m o s t rural roads , motorcycles are natural

sources of mobility, b e c a u s e of their off-road capa -

bility. T h e s e gangs , usually including one or two

dozen bikers (roll 4D6) , a re well-armed and mur-

derously violent.

Level: Veteran.

Skills: As per Veteran NPCs.

Normal Armament: Knives, pistols, shotguns ,

and occasional submach ineguns .

O n e c o n s e q u e n c e of the worldwide depression

h a s been the rise of literally millions of street-corner

prophets , e ach teaching their own brand of apoca -

lyptic "truth." As a result, the s treets a re filled with

religious disciples of every stripe. S o m e few hold to

justifiable teach ings of tolerance, k indness , and

hope . But m o s t just devo te t hemse lves to blindly

following a highly charismatic

leader, m a n y even to death .

By cultists, we m e a n the

latter type. They tend to be

fanatically evangelical, form-

ing b a r r i c a d e s a c r o s s city

streets and accost ing citizens

as they p a s s by. Generally,

they h a v e two m e s s a g e s for

their listeners—the first is that

love and p e a c e can be found

in their leader, and the second

is that they need money to

spread the m e s s a g e .

Unfortunately, their p e a c e and love cannot sur-

vive far from the p resence of

their leader. If t hese cultists are

separa ted from their group,

they tend to b e c o m e panicked

and confused, then despon-

dent or even suicidal.

Level: Novice.

Skills: As per Novice NPCs,

plus Persuade 2 .

Normal Armament: None.

Derel icts a r e t h e u n e m -

ployed and home le s s who have given up any hope

of regaining a normal life, but who lead a solitary

existence, rather than joining a corporate sanctuary

or cultist enclave. They can be

of any age ; m a n y are alcohol-

ics, drug addicts , or mentally

ill.

The main secret of living as

a derelict is to know how to

avoid trouble. O n e way of do-

ing this is to avoid drawing

attention to oneself. If that fails,

then the other me thod is to

m o v e on to somewhere else.

Successful derelicts c a n be

wellsprings of information, if

Biker

Cultist

Derelict

they trust s o m e o n e enough to

tell what they know.

Level: Novice.

Skills: As per Novice NPCs,

but additionally with Act/Bluff

4, Luck 6, Observat ion 7, and

Stealth 5 . S o m e also have

Foreboding 3 .

Normal Armament: Knife

or club.

In a lmost every society, there will a lways be s o m e

people who never look out-

side themselves . They blithely

a c c e p t w h a t e v e r t h e y a r e

taught by those in authority,

and they never even get a hint

that there a re other cultures

that see things differently.

In earlier t imes, these people

were called "clods," "peas -

ants ," or p e r h a p s "good old

boys." In the world of Dark

Conspi racy , s u c h m e n a r e

called Dobies (after "Dobie

Gillis," an American si tcom of the '60s) , and such

w o m e n are called Gidgets (after a series of popular

movies from around the s a m e t ime period).

B e c a u s e of the r e d u c e d

travel of the Greater Depres-

sion and the increased suspi-

cion of outsiders, most villages,

towns, and even small cities

can be considered to be popu-

lated primarily by Dobies and

Gidgets.

Level: Novice.

Skills: As per Novice level,

plus one career skill (referee's

choice) at level 4.

Normal Armament: None.

With any cause , if victories a re slow in coming

and the general public turns a deaf ear, t he people

of the c a u s e begin to b e c o m e militant. Such is the

c a s e with ecowarriors.

These people h a v e devoted themse lves to halt-

ing humani ty ' s ruination of the Earth, with violence

if necessary . Of course , as that violence escalates ,

the ecowarriors find themse lves forced to adopt

ever m o r e advanced , and m o r e destructive, weap-

ons . Eventually, m a n y of t h e m b e c o m e so caught

up in the battle that they lose sight of what they are

fighting for.

Pretty m u c h every city and town in Dark Con-

spiracy h a s a clandest ine g roup of ecowarriors. In

mos t p laces , they opera te as terrorists, blowing up

politically important facilities to pressure local gov-

e rnmen t s to m e e t their d e m a n d s . Note that the

facilities targeted are not necessari ly ecologically

harmful, nor are the ecowarriors ' d e m a n d s always

concerned with improving the ecology.

Level: Veteran.

Skills: As per Veteran NPCs, p lus Demolitions 5,

Heavy Weapons 6, Lockpick 4, and Vehicle Use

(Wheel Vehicle) 6.

Normal Armament: Pistol and submach inegun .

Explosives are often used as well.

If any th ing , s t ree t g a n g s in t h e Dark Con-

spiracy future a r e even m o r e w i d e s p r e a d t h a n in

t h e p r e s e n t . Tha t only m a k e s s e n s e : t h e ci t ies

a r e fuller, and a h igher p e r c e n t a g e of t h e p o p u -

l ace is u n e m p l o y e d a n d h o p e l e s s of a br ighter

tomor row. The n e e d t o b e l o n g t o s o m e t h i n g , and

t h e n e e d to r e l e a s e frustrat ion, give r ise to s t ree t

g a n g s .

G a n g s always have s o m e flashy n a m e , and they

usually have a uniform of s o m e sort, even if it isonly

a colored scarf or an emblazoned jacket . Members

are considered "family," like p r e - m o d e m clans, and

gang wars tend to concern either clan territory or

vengeance for clan dea ths .

Gidget

Eco-Warrior

Ganger

Most of the t ime, street g a n g s only battle e ach

other. But somet imes , just for fun, they will terrorize

neighborhood citizens who are not gang m e m b e r s .

Level: Experienced.

Skills: As per Experienced NPCs, plus Stealth 6

and Streetwise 7.

Normal Armament: Knives, zip guns , revolvers,

and occasional s u b m a c h i n e g u n s or assault rifles.

Gizmoids a re br ight p e o p l e with a na tura l

ta len t for m e c h a n i c s , e l ec t ron ics , or b io logy

( c h o o s e o n e ) , bu t who , for o n e r e a s o n o r an -

other, do not h a v e a s t e a d y j o b in their field of

expe r t i s e . For s o m e of t h e m , i t i s b e c a u s e t h e y

cou ldn ' t get official t ra in ing . For o the r s , it is

b e c a u s e t hey h a v e s o m e persona l i ty quirk t ha t

p r e v e n t e d t h e m from k e e p i n g a j o b o n c e t hey

got it. (Poss ib le pe r sona l i ty qu i rks migh t r a n g e

from inability to t a k e o r d e r s to s u c h bri l l iance

tha t t hey a r e a l w a y s working on s o m e t h i n g new

ins tead of f in ish ing t h e j o b a t h a n d . )

Most gizmoids satisfy themse lves with working at

their field of interest as if it were a hobby, support ing

it with s o m e menial job, or possibly even selling

enough specialty gizmos to k e e p themse lves sol-

vent, if barely. The latter are se ldom picky about

working on illegal equipment , whether building or

repairing.

Gizmoids tend to be care less dressers and social

klutzes. They a lso t end to wear thick glasses .

Level: Novice.

Skills: As a Novice NPC, plus Biology 8, Elec-

tronics 8, Mechanic 8, and /or Physics 8. Also

generally Business 4.

Normal Armament: None.

For Dark Minions, o n e of t h e m o s t frustrating

things about h u m a n s h a s been that in the very worst

of t imes is when m a n y of t h e m b e c o m e the mos t

selfless and loving. In every locality, there are people

who are open-handedly helpful, just for the s ake of

making the world a little brighter for o thers . This is

what we m e a n by the t e rm

"Good Samar i tans ."

Good S a m a r i t a n s c a n n o t

only offer p layer c h a r a c t e r s

mate r ia l aid toward a c c o m -

plishing their m i s s i o n s , bu t

t h e y c a n a l s o offer t h e m

h o p e , r emind ing t h e m tha t

t h e r e a re still bright s p o t s in

t h e world a n d t h a t t h e Dark

Minions h a v e no t ye t won .

As pe r sona l i t i e s , t h e y t e n d

to be to le ran t o f o t h e r s a n d

full of h o p e .

In t e r m s of adventure pacing, Good Samar i tan

NPCs serve to relieve players

from a cons tant s ense of im-

pending d o o m (which, per-

versely, can m a k e that sense

of d o o m fresher when the play-

ers return to it).

S o m e examples of Good

Samar i tan NPCs would be the

faithful village priest and the

warm-hear ted old couple who

take in s trays.

Level: Novice.

Skills: As per Novice NPCs,

but often with high empath ic and Medical skills, as

well.

Normal Armament: None.

Generally well dressed and

always coolly impersonal, gov-

e r n m e n t a g e n t s s ta lk t h e

streets, constantly seeking in-

formation that c a n be used to

shift t h e ba lance of power into

the h a n d s of their agencies .

These NPCs can show up with

no prior warning, whether to

lend the player charac ters an

unexpec ted hand in their cur-

Gizmoid

Good Samaritan

Government Agent

rent mission, or to warn t h e m

off. In either case , though, gov-

e rnment agen t s are likely to

treat the player charac ters as

rank novices who would screw

things up completely without

the help they offer.

Government agents tend to

have lots of nifty equipment to

pass out when the going gets

tough, but they are likely to be

very picky in their judgment as to

when that time has arrived.

Level: Elite.

Skills: As per Elite NPCs, plus Act/Bluff 7, Dis-

guise 6, Forgery 4, Interroga-

tion 7, Observat ion 8, Stalk-

ing 6, and Stealth 7.

Normal Armament: Pistol.

Igors is t he t e r m c o m m o n l y

used a m o n g Dark Minion hunt-

ers when referring to h u m a n s

who serve the Dark Minions.

These servants can be of nearly

any sort, but mos t are of less-

than-outs tanding intelligence,

al though they m a y be cunning, and are brutal,

sadistic, selfish, and completely dishonest, m u c h

like their mas te r s .

Igors often work in groups,

especially those who are too

stupid or cowardly to accom-

plish much on their own. Every

city has its share of Igors lurking

in the shadows, just waiting for a

chance to do some mischief for

their masters.

Level: Experienced.

Skills: As per Experienced

NPCs.

Normal Armament: Vari-

ous .

Despi te the co l lapse of a widespread farm

economy, m a n y people have refused to leave their

farms or villages. They remain on the land that their

families have owned for generat ions, raising gar-

dens large enough to suppor t their own needs , and

hunting the a b a n d o n e d f ields a round t h e m for wild-

life. As a result, they have regained a number of

skills tha t had been largely forgotten in the 20th

century.

In general, t hese people h a v e c o m e to be called

Mother Ear thers . They tend to be wary of strangers,

but if convinced of a traveller 's ha rmlessness , they

c a n be very o p e n h a n d e d in sharing what they have .

As well, mos t a re m o r e than willing to help out in any

sor t of t a s k aga ins t t h e corpora te farms tha t

f inancial ly ruined t h e m .

Level: Experienced.

Skills: As pe r E x p e r i e n c e d NPCs , p lus Me-

c h a n i c 3 , Medical 2 , Naviga t ion 6 , Obse rva t i on

5 , S t ea l t h 5 , a n d Track ing 7 . S o m e , a t t he

re fe ree ' s op t ion , m a y h a v e m o d e r a t e e m p a t h i c

skills ( a v e r a g e level 3 ) .

Normal Armament: None .

O n e of the m o s t plentiful occupa t ions in the Dark

Conspiracy world is that of security guard. For one

thing, valuables require m u c h m o r e protection than

before. For another, t h e turnover rate a m o n g secu-

rity guards is high, and not b e c a u s e of retirement—

it's a dangerous job .

Like bea t cops , security guards a re a lmost al-

ways found in pairs, and they tend to be heavily

a r m e d and a rmored . While c o p s a re concerned with

maintaining s o m e level of civic peace , however,

security guards a re concerned only for protecting

two things—their pos t s and their lives. Often, their

mot to is "If in doubt , shoot it."

Level: Veteran.

Skills: As per Veteran NPCs.

Normal Armament: Flak jacket , pistol, and ei-

ther an assault rifle, shotgun, or submachinegun .

Igor

Mother Earther

Security Guard

It is not quite accurate to call the collection of creatures in this chapteranimals. While most of them are animals, there are also some evil plants andsome mechanical creatures included in the mix as well. When referring to all ofthese creatures collectively, then, we use the term beasties.

Beast ies c a n c o m e in handy in several different

ways for Dark Conspiracy referees. For one thing,

true an imals c a n se rve as a referee p rop to p a s s

warnings along to the PCs. Imagine, for instance,

that the PCs are about to enter a Dark Minion-

infested area . O n e of the m o r e empath ic PCs might

scan the a rea for animal p resence . If tha t PC senses

that there a re no native c rea tures within the area, the

PCs will be alerted to be on their guard. Similarly, a

pe t dog w h o a c c o m p a n i e s the PCs might bristle a n d

growl upon being t aken into the area . In either ca se ,

the referee h a s been able to u s e an imals (or the lack

of t h e m ) to convey important information to the

adventurers .

Those s a m e examples demons t ra te another im-

portant u s e of beas t ies in Dark Conspiracy adven-

tures, however. That is, they can be used to help set

a tmosphe re . Whatever m o o d native animals dem-

onstra te is naturally p a s s e d on, a t least to s o m e

degree , to the PCs. In the examples above , the PCs

will feel a s ense of ominous m e n a c e hanging over

the area , and that m o o d will have been commun i -

cated m u c h m o r e effectively than if t he referee had

simply said, "You feel a s ense of ominous m e n a c e . "

Of course , another major way of using beas t ies to

convey the foreboding of Dark Conspiracy adven-

tures is by using muta ted creatures , or alien ones .

Alien c rea tures can portray the s ense of o therness

desirable in Dark Conspiracy. Mutated terran crea-

tures can do not only that , they c a n also convey a

sense of ruination brought about by the Dark Min-

ions. Their warped condition can play upon the PCs'

emot ions of pity and r ighteous anger: pity for the

despoiled creatures , and r ighteous anger to thwart

the Dark Minions' future plans .

Beast ies a lso help bridge the g a p between imper-

sonal c i rcumstance and personal enemies . That is,

animals can be as implacable as any natural force,

but if handled correctly, they can also convey the

sense of malevolent personality necessa ry to m a k e

players feel satisfied when their charac ters have

bested t h e m . It all d e p e n d s upon how the referee

port rays t h e m . If t he referee tries to get inside a

beas ty ' s mind, to feel its desires and fears as m u c h

as with any other NPC, that referee's portrayal will

be m u c h m o r e effective and entertaining t han if the

creature is merely played mechanically.

That brings us to our next point, which involves

the reason for putting beast ies ' statistics and com-

bat rules here, rather than in the "Combat & Dam-

age" chapter of the players ' part of this book. If the

players do not know exactly what abilities and

numerical ratings a particular beas ty has , they will

be m u c h m o r e likely to picture it as a living being

than if they know its every secret in g a m e t e rms .

Remember , the m o r e involved players a re with

story, and the less they ' re involved with n u m b e r s

and mechan ic s , the m o r e the essential s ense of

mys te ry is preserved.

Finally, it might be helpful to think of beas t ies as

low-grade NPCs. Generally, they will be easier to

best than h u m a n or Darkling opponen t s . Even if the

beas t ies a re physically powerful, t he PCs should be

able to ou tsmar t t hem, or at least t he PCs will h a v e

the advan tage of special equipment and firepower.

the type of creature , and is listed with that creature 's

statistics in the descriptions below.

Beasty o p p o n e n t s can give the PCs a c h a n c e to

develop their skills before taking on m o r e formi-

dable foes.

This chapter includes all sor ts of beas ty listings,

from natural terran an imals to entirely otherworldly

creatures . From these examples , referees will be

able to extrapolate o thers for their own g a m e worlds,

thus keeping those worlds ever fresh and changing.

Before looking at those listings, however, let 's go

over s o m e general rules for using beas t ies in c o m -

bat situations.

Basically, beas ty c o m b a t follows the s a m e rules

as h u m a n me lee comba t , with t h e following excep-

tions and clarifications. Note that , as with normal

c o m b a t , all d is tances here a re calculated in me te r s .

In general , beas t ies h a v e three different m o v e -

ment rates: walk, trot, or run (although s o m e beast ies

a re not able to run, a n d s o m e swim or fly). The

n u m b e r of me te r s m o v e d a t each rate d e p e n d s upon

Riding a draft animal is considered an action in the

s a m e manner as driving a vehicle. The referee should

refer to the vehicle movement rules on pages 109-112

for details.

Horses, mules, camels, and the like may be ridden in

combat. A walking animal can be ridden safely by

virtually everyone. Riding a trotting animal requires an

Easy test of Agility for characters without Horseman-

ship; those with this skill pass this test automatically.

Characters with Horsemanship skill have a maximum

safe speed on a horse equal to 20+Horsemanship. For

these characters, riding at or under the safe speed is

automatically successful. Riding at greater than the safe

speed—up to 40 meters per phase (full gallop)—is done

at the risk of falling off. To avoid a fall requires an

Average test of Horseman ship or a Difficult test of Agility,

rolled once per phase. Failure results in a fall, lD6-3hi t s

being suffered to a randomly rolled hit location.

Critical failure results in s o m e serious injury to horse

and /or rider, as determined by the referee, based

upon the exact situation in which the m i s h a p oc-

curred. Injuries to a horse might include breaking a

leg in a chuckhole , tearing a musc le during a leap,

or becoming bogged in m u d in such a way as to

c a u s e injury. As well, it is likely that the rider h a s

fallen and suffered d a m a g e as per a normal failure.

In general , beas t ies a t tack as if engaging in

a r m e d m e l e e comba t . This m e a n s that a beasty

at tack cannot be blocked by an u n a r m e d character,

but m a y only be blocked with a melee weapon.

S o m e beast ies a t tack with diving blows, which

cannot be blocked but can be dodged. S o m e beast ies

have poison a t tacks . Poison is covered in the "Com-

bat & D a m a g e " chapter .

Whenever a beas ty first suffers d a m a g e from a

comba t , there is a c h a n c e it will flee. Each beas ty

h a s a c h a n c e of at tacking listed with its other

statistics. This is t h e likelihood that the creature will

a t tack when first encounte red if t he PCs s tumble

upon it accidentally. (Of course , if the referee planted

the creature intentionally, whether it a t tacks or not is

entirely dependen t u p o n the referee.) That c h a n c e

of at tacking serves also as the likelihood that the

beas ty will continue to a t tack even if wounded. By

the s a m e token, when a beas ty is killed or rendered

unconsc ious , an equal c h a n c e exists that any other

beasties in its group will flee. This die roll is m a d e each

time a beasty is killed or rendered unconscious.

Agility: Again, not surprisingly, this refers to the

beas ty ' s Agility rating. It is useful for determining

such things as whether or not t h e crea ture avoids a

diving blow.

Skill: This n u m b e r represents the beas ty ' s ability

to hit an opponen t in m e l e e comba t .

Dam.: An abbreviation for "Damage , " this iden-

tifies the amoun t of h a r m a beas ty does with a

The listings below give iriforrnation necessary for

running any particular beasty, including basic statistics

and special rules applicable only to that creature. The

creature entries are listed in alphabetical order. The

statistic headings are explained as follows:

# Appear: S o m e crea tures a re typically encoun-

tered alone, o thers in groups . The # Appear listing

gives either a n u m b e r or a die roll to indicate how

m a n y of a particular type of beas ty will be together.

Attack: This heading gives referees an indication

of what the c h a n c e s are that the creature(s) will

a t tack if encountered . However, referees should not

feel bound by this notation. Specific c i r cumstances

m a y m a k e the creature(s) m o r e o r less p rone to

at tack, at the referee's option.

The Attack number is also the percent chance that the

creature(s) will continue to attack after being wounded.

Move: The first n u m b e r listed under "Move" is the

beas ty ' s walking speed , followed by its trotting

speed, and then its running s p e e d (if any) .

Initiative: This is t h e beas ty ' s Initiative n u m b e r in

comba t . I t ope ra t e s exactly as do h u m a n Initiative

ratings.

Strength: Obviously, this gives a Strength rating

for the beasty. It is useful in determining effects of

diving blows, e tc .

Constitution: J u s t as obviously, this gives a

Constitution rating for the beasty, which is a lso

useful for determining effects of diving blows.as well

as for s a v e s versus poison, e tc .

successful m e l e e a t tack. Note that while PCs have

a set n u m b e r for their u n a r m e d c o m b a t d a m a g e

rating, m a n y beas t ies have a die roll. (Some even

have a poison d a m a g e notation, as explained above.)

Hits: Beasty hit points a re split into two sections:

The first number listed is the f irst section; the second

one is the total number of hit points . Any d a m a g e is

a slight wound, and o n c e d a m a g e h a s begun on the

second section, it b e c o m e s a serious wound. When

the last point of d a m a g e h a s been crossed off, t h e

beas ty is unconsc ious or dying.

Average test of Willpower, and to save versus

blindness is a Difficult test of Willpower.

Creatures fighting blind against an a p e p do so at

o n e level increased difficulty. Aimed fire h a s no

effect (you can ' t hit what you can ' t see) but auto fire

opera te s as normal , with the exception that range is

t reated as being one band greater than the actual

dis tance.

# Appear: 2D6

Attack: 95%

Move: 10/30/80

Initiative: 4

Strength: 6

Constitution: 10

Agility: 10

Skill/Dam.:5/1D6

Hits: 4/8

# Appear: 3D 10

Attack: 90%

Move: 2

Initiative: 6

Strength: 0

Constitution: 1

Agility: 3

Skill/Dam.: 8/1

Hits: 1

A c c o r d i n g t o

E g y p t i a n l e g e n d ,

a p e p s were snake-

like c rea tures that

exuded pitch dark-

n e s s and prowled

t o m b s t o g u a r d

t h e m f rom robbers .

N o w a d a y s , t h e y

prowl the mazy, or-

ganic corridors of

Dark Minion corpo-

r a t e c o n s t r u c t s ,

guarding t h e m from

intrusion by outsid-

ers .

A p e p s are roughly of a size with the largest

pythons . They are highly empath ic by nature , with

incredible skillfulness at the u s e of Human E mp a th y

and Project Emotion. This latter skill

is used primarily to project a convic-

tion of bl indness , prevent ing the

a p e p s from being seen , but if an

a p e p elects to forgo a normal action,

it c a n a lso project panic into its

opponen t s . Targets of these a t t acks

get a s ave versus Willpower to resist

the effects: to save versus panic is an

O n e of the results of global warming h a s been a

poleward migration of equatorial creatures , espe-

cially insects. Army an ts have been encountered

even in s o m e par t s of the United Sta tes , for ex-

ample . When the se creatures are encountered, they

will be on a feeding frenzy, eat ing everything organic

in their path .

In combat , t he referee should describe t h e m as a

carpet of insects that begins at one side of the m a p

and sweeps steadily toward the other. When a

character f irst enters a square containing a rmy ants

(or vice versa) that character suffers a t tack by a

number of an t s equal to the "# Appear" notation.

That m a n y dice a re rolled for comba t , and for each

success , t he character t a k e s o n e point of d a m a g e to

a r a n d o m location. Each p h a s e thereafter, another

roll is m a d e for "# Appear," and that number of

a t tack dice are added to the previous total.

Hits on a rmy an ts a re automat ic , with the charac-

ter destroying a n u m b e r of an t s equal to his or her

una rmed c o m b a t d a m a g e rating.

Obviously, fighting a rmy an t s is a losing proposi-

tion. However, charac te rs can easily outrun them,

unless they f ind themse lves t r apped somehow.

# Appear: 3D6

Attack: 100%

Move: 12/24/36

Initiative: 4

Strength: 1

Constitution: 2

Agility: 4

Skill/Dam.:5/lpl

Hits: 3/5

A s s a s s i n o i d s a r e smal l ( h a n d - s i z e d ) , mul t i -

l egged robo t g u a r d s p r o g r a m m e d to r ecogn ize a

par t icu la r t y p e of c r e a t u r e ( typical ly h u m a n s )

a n d a t t a c k it. T h e y a r e c r e a t e d b y s o m e und i s -

c losed g o v e r n m e n t a g e n c y which u s e s t h e m

primari ly to p ro t ec t t o p - s e c r e t facilities. Vary

rarely a re t hey e n c o u n t e r e d a n y w h e r e e l se . T h e

only way to s t o p an a s s a s s i n o i d , o the r t h a n by

des t roy ing it, is to tu rn it off by m e a n s of a spec ia l

c o d e word t ha t its e lec t ron ic bra in will r ecogn ize .

Of c o u r s e , usua l ly th i s c o d e word i s c h a n g e d

regularly, to e n h a n c e securi ty.

In c o m b a t , a s s a s s i n o i d s a t t e m p t to l e a p o n t o

their v i c t ims ( t r ea ted as a diving b low) . O n c e

they s u c c e e d , t h e y cling to t h e vict im a n d try t o

inject their p o i s o n into it. ( S e e t h e po i son ru les ,

in " C o m b a t & D a m a g e " for de ta i l s . ) Hit l oca t ions

c a n b e ro l l ed a s n o r m a l , r e p r e s e n t i n g t h e

a s s a s s i n o i d s ' c l a m b e r i n g over their v ic t ims in

s e a r c h o f an u n p r o t e c t e d loca t ion . O n c e an

a s s a s s i n o i d h a s successfu l ly injected its vict im,

it d r o p s off a n d flees.

Most a s s a s s i n o i d s a r e l oaded with a s t a n d a r d ,

killing toxin , bu t o c c a s i o n a l l y s o m e ca r ry a

s l eep ing d r u g i n s t ead . Th i s d r u g d o e s n o real

d a m a g e . Rather , t h e vict im m u s t k e e p a s e p a -

ra t e a c c o u n t of " w o u n d s " i t c a u s e s . T h e effects

o f t h e d r u g a re t h e s a m e as for regu la r w o u n d s ,

but t h e w o u n d level n e v e r p r o g r e s s e s b e y o n d

se r ious , a n d s l e e p d r u g - i n d u c e d d a m a g e w e a r s

off comple t e ly after 10 h o u r s .

Generally, if an a s s a s s i n o i d is d a m a g e d it is

d e s t r o y e d . However, if it is r e d u c e d to exac t ly 0

hit po in t s , i t c a n be r epa i r ed by a Difficult c h e c k

of E lec t ron ics , a n d i t c a n be r e p r o g r a m m e d to

a t t a c k a different t y p e of c r e a t u r e or to r ecogn ize

a different c o d e word if a successfu l Difficult

c h e c k of C o m p u t e r O p e r a t i o n i s m a d e . I t m a y be

n e c e s s a r y for t h e c r e a t u r e ' s injector to be re -

filled, h o w e v e r (it is a Difficult t e s t of C h e m i s t r y

or Medical to m a n u f a c t u r e m o r e of its tox in ) .

# Appear: 3D10

Attack: 30%

Move: 10/20

Initiative: 6

Strength: 1

Constitution: 1

Agility: 8

Skill/Dam.: 5/1

Hits: Special*

'When a bat is hit, roll 1D6+2 (round down) . If the

d a m a g e it received exceeds t h e result of this roll, t he

bat is dead; otherwise, no effect.

Bats have a

long tradition

of i n v o l v e -

m e n t wi th

horror plots ,

and DarkCon-

spiracy adven-

tures are no

exception. As

insec ts have

proliferated in

a b a n d o n e d

ru ra l a r e a s ,

crea tures that feed on them, including bats , have

greatly increased in number , as well. Now, b a t s are

as c o m m o n in the night skies as birds are during the

dayt ime. And occasionally those ba t s will swarm to

at tack an imals and even h u m a n s .

In comba t , a flock of ba t s will swirl around the

characters , individually swooping to at tack at ir-

regular intervals, (roll 1D6-1 for e a c h character, to

de termine how m a n y ba t s a t tack the charac ter in

that p h a s e ) then dodging away. Because of this, it is

virtually impossible for the referee to k e e p t rack of

hits on individual ba ts . That is why the "Hits" listing

for ba t s h a s a variable n u m b e r a n d a note . As the

note says , whenever a bat t a k e s d a m a g e , the

referee should roll 1D6÷2 (round down) , a n d if t h e

d a m a g e received is greater than this number , t he

bat is dead . Otherwise, t he ba t is injured insuffi-

ciently to t a k e note of.

# Appear: 1D6*2

Attack: 40%

Move: 10/20/40

Initiative: 4

Strength: 13

Constitution: 13

Agility: 4Skill/Dam.:6/2D6

Hits: 20/40

If the PCs spend any t ime in

rural a reas , the re is a c h a n c e that

they m a y encounter dangerous

wildlife: bears , for instance. A

bear m a k e s two m e l e e a t t acks

per c o m b a t phase : o n e with its

c laws and o n e with its jaws. After

the first successful claw at tack,

later claw a t t acks b e c o m e grap-

pling a t tacks instead. (Remem-

ber, grappling a t t acks cannot be

blocked.) This grappling a t tack is special, inflicting

not only controlling hits upon its target, but also

causing 1D6 points of d a m a g e to the target ' s chest .

As well, o n c e controlling hits have completely sub-

dued t h e target, the bea r ' s jaw a t t acks hit automat i -

cally a n d do double d a m a g e .

# Appear: 1

Attack: 45%

Move: 10/25/50

Initiative: 3

Strength: 27

Constitution: 27

Agility: 4

Skill/Dam.: 7/3D6

Hits: 25/50

Brown bea r s and black bea r s c a n be dangerous

enough , but charac te r s might a lso h a v e t h e misfor-

tune of meet ing a grizzly or, if in the arctic, a polar

bear. Like normal bea r s , grizzlies and polar bea r s

m a k e two me lee a t t acks per c o m b a t phase—one

with their claws and o n e with their j aws—and after

the first success -

ful claw at tack,

all other claw at-

t a c k s b e c o m e

g r a p p l i n g a t -

t acks . (Remem-

ber, g r a p p l i n g

a t t a c k s c a n n o t

b e b l o c k e d . )

This g rapp l ing

at tack is special,

however, and in-

flicts both con-

trolling hits on

t h e t a rge t a n d

2D6 d a m a g e points to the target ' s chest . Once

controlling hits have completely subdued the target,

the bear ' s jaw a t t acks hit automatically, doing double

d a m a g e . Kodiak bea r s count as grizzly bears .

# Appear: 1

Attack: 95%

Move: 16/32

Initiative: 2

Strength: 1

Constitution: 3

Agility: 9

Skill/Dam.: 6/1D6

Hits: 5/10

B l o a t s a r e

a m p h i b i o u s

crea tures about

t h e size of a hu-

m a n fist, housed

in a l e a t h e r y

black shell and

covered on all

s ides with tough,

b a r b e d s p i n e s

which are about

four cent imeters

long . First r e -

p o r t e d i n t h e

Great Lakes region of North America, bloats are

evidently a form of life new to this planet .

The crea tures h a v e no evident external sensory

organs , and speculat ion is that they sense vibrations

through their quills. (Among the empath ic c o m m u -

nity, it h a s been hypothesized that they are at least

slightly empath ic as well.) On land and water, bloats

m o v e by rolling ac ros s t h e surface, which they c a n

do quite rapidly. Cinder water, they m o v e m u c h

m o r e slowly (one-quar ter the listed speed) by strok-

ing with their sp ines . T h e crea tures c a n also l eap as

m u c h as three me te r s straight upward by m e a n s of

flexing those quills.

Bloats get their n a m e from their m a n n e r of

feeding. Typically, a bloat will a t tack s o m e small

creature, up to twice its size, impaling the victim

upon the quills and slowly sucking body fluids from

it. After the victim h a s died, the bloat will remain

at tached to the decaying ca rcass , continuing to t ake

sus tenance from the bloating corpse while waiting

for carrion ea te rs to arrive. The bloat then a t t acks

those c rea tures as well, beginning the cycle o n c e

m o r e . In the water, it is not u n c o m m o n for a bloat

and its victim to be swallowed whole by a larger

creature, which then finds its life being drained from

the inside.

In comba t , a bloat a t tacks by leaping at larger

opponen t s , continuing to do so until i t h a s m a d e a

successful hit, which indicates that it h a s fastened

onto its victim. D a m a g e from that point on is

automat ic until t he bloat is dest royed. Any a t t acks

that miss a bloat o n c e it is a t tached automatically hit

the bloat 's victim instead. The only t ime a bloat will

not a t tack crea tures that encounter it is when it is

a t tached to a victim tha t is not yet quite dead .

# Appear: 1D6

Attack: 40%

Move: 20/40/80

Initiative: 4

Strength: 3

Constitution: 4

Agility: 6

Skill/Dam.: 4/1D6

Hits: 5/10

The only real difference between blood vultures

and regular vultures is that blood vultures do not

wait for dead prey. They a t tack the living, even the

unwounded (al though 20% is added to the listed

c h a n c e of a t tack if t he target is already bleeding) .

In combat , blood vultures drop upon their prey

and buffet it with their wings while pecking at it with

their beaks . They are m o r e likely to hit the head and

upper torso than the legs, so 1D6 is rolled on the hit

location table, rather than 1D10.

# Appear: 1D6

Attack: 10%

Move: 10/20

Initiative: 3

Strength: 17

Constitution: 13

Agility: 7

Skill/Dam.:4/1D6

Hits: 35/65

In desert environments, camels

can be indispensable, especially if

vehicles are not available or fuel is

limited. The creatures can be quite

cantankerous, however.

As a beas t of burden, a camel

can carry loads up to 120 kilo-

g r a m s in weight. Came l s se ldom

attack, but when they do it is a

bite a t tack. It is an Easy test of

Horsemanship to ca lm a biting camel .

# Appear: 1D6+3

Attack: 40%

Move: 10/30/60

Initiative: 6

Strength: 10

Constitution: 10

Agility: 8

Skill/Dam.: 8/2D6

Hits: 15/25

The category

"large cats" in-

c ludes such fe-

lines as l ions,

l e o p a r d s , a n d

cougars , c rea-

tures that m a y

be encountered

in the wild. (See

"Tiger" and "Sa-

b e r - t o o t h e d

Cat" for really

large cats .)

On the first c o m b a t p h a s e in which a large cat

a t t acks a target, i t m a k e s two s imul taneous a t tacks ,

o n e a diving blow and the other a m e l e e a t tack. (But

no m o r e than two large ca t s can be involved in

diving a t t acks on a single target.) In each p h a s e

thereafter, t he large cat m a k e s only o n e at tack, that

being a m e l e e a t tack.

# Appear: 3D6

Attack: 20%

Move: 10/20/25

Initiative: 2

Strength: 20

Constitution: 18

Agility: 5

Skill/Dam.: 4/1D10

Hits: 15/30

This listing represents an imals

such as the American bison, the

African gnu, and the Asian water

buffalo. But it also includes d o m e s -

t icated cattle, m a n y of which have

reverted to wild. (Cattle that are still

domest icated have only a 5% chance

of a t tack.)

In comba t , cattle m a k e diving

a t t acks whenever possible. Note that at tacking

cattle a re not knocked down if they miss their target,

unless that target sco res a critical s u c c e s s on the

a t tempt to avoid t h e diving blow. In all other ca ses ,

the a t tacking cattle simply turn and a t tempt another

diving blow in their next Initiative p h a s e .

# Appear: 2D6

Attack: 100%

Move: —

Initiative: 6

Strength: —

Constitution: —

Agility: —

Skill/Dam.: 6/1p1

Hits: —

Like h u m a n m e d u s a s (see the "Dark Races"

chapter ) , cerberoids a re terran c rea tures that have

h a d independently guided, stinger-tipped tentacles

grafted to their h e a d s and shoulders . Cerberoids

m a y h a v e originated as nearly any type of animal,

and the referee should use the statistics for that

particular creature in comba t . However, a cerberoid

also m a k e s poison a t tacks in addition to its normal

a t tacks , with each tentacle striking separately. Note

that in the statistics above , "# Appear" refers to the

n u m b e r of ten tac les grafted onto each animal, and

"—" m e a n s "not applicable."

O p t i o n a l l y ,

the referee m a y

wish t o a l low

d a m a g e t o a

cerberoid's head

a n d / o r c h e s t

count addition-

ally as a chance

that s o m e of the

tentacles are de-

s t r o y e d . E a c h

wound should be

c o u n t e d s e p a -

rately, and should be multiplied by 10 for a percent-

a g e c h a n c e that 1D6+2 tentac les (rounded down)

are lost. For instance, a blow that did 3 points of damage

to the chest would have a 30% chance of severing

tentacles.

# Appear: 1D6+2

Attack: 80%

Move: 15/30/60

Initiative: 4

Strength: 5

Constitution: 4

Agility: 7

Skill/Dam.: 7/lD6

Hits: 15/30

No o n e knows what ch imeras truly look like.

These elusive c rea tures a re highly empath ic , with

powerful natural skills of Animal Empathy, Human

Empathy, and Project Emotion, which they use to

stir up animal m e m o r i e s in their opponen t s ' minds .

As a result, o p p o n e n t s r e m e m b e r only confused

i m a g e s a m a l g a m a t e d from p o r t i o n s o f va r ious

c rea tu res . Because ch imeras invariably flee after

taking half their total hit points in d a m a g e , there

have been no c a r c a s s e s left to study, either.

# Appear: 1D6

Attack: 60%

Move: 15/30/60

Initiative: 4

Strength: 3

Constitution: 2

Agility: 7

Skill/Dam.: 6/lD6

Hits: 4 /8

T h i s l i s t i n g

covers quite a bit

of g r o u n d , in-

c lud ing e v e r y -

thing from pe t

C h i h u a h u a s t o

p a c k s of wild

d o g s p rowl ing

cities or aban -

d o n e d f a r m s .

T h e s t a t i s t i c s

above are for a

dog of average

size and ferocity;

the referee m a y

wish to adjust the

Strength, Consti-

tution, d a m a g e , and hits listings up or down to

represent very large or very small dogs .

In t h e first round in which a dog a t tacks , it is

allowed two s imul taneous a t tacks: o n e diving blow

(representing its l eap into comba t ) and one me lee

at tack (representing its a t t empts to bite). Due to

s p a c e restrictions, however, no m o r e than two dogs

can m a k e diving a t t acks on a single character in any

c o m b a t p h a s e . All other dogs at tacking the charac-

ter m a k e only their m e l e e at tack. Mote that the

diving blow is m a d e only during the first p h a s e in

which a dog a t t acks a character. As long as that dog

remains engaged with that character , i t m a y m a k e

no further diving blows.

# Appear: 1D6

Attack: 70%

Move: 5/10/20

Initiative: 4

Strength: 8

Constitution: 9

Agility: 3

Skill/Dam.: 7/2D6

Hits: 12/24

Imagine a deser t alligator slightly faster than a

h u m a n , with a voracious appeti te , and you will

pretty m u c h know what the beas t ies called d ragons

are like. No one is certain whether they are native to

the Ear th—perhaps at s o m e point in history—or if

they have been genetically engineered from exist-

ing terran stock. What is known is that they are

vicious, and that in arid rural regions they are giving

the coyotes and wolves s o m e stiff competi t ion.

In combat , a dragon gets two a t tacks on its first

p h a s e (like a dog) : o n e diving blow and o n e bite

at tack. On every p h a s e thereafter, i t gets only the

bite a t tack. Additionally, no m o r e t han two d ragons

can perform a diving blow on the target creature,

b e c a u s e of s p a c e limitations.

# Appear: 1

Attack: 20%

Move: 10/15/30

Initiative: 3

Strength: 26

Constitution: 26

Agility: 4

Skill/Dam.: 4/5D6

Hits: 30/60

It m a y s e e m odd, at first, to have a listing for

e lephants . However, not only m a y the charac te rs

encounter t h e m in Africa, they

might also e s c a p e from a local

zoo, and tabloid stories occa -

sionally ment ion e lephants be -

ing k idnapped by UFOs.

When used as beas t s of bur-

den, e lephants c a n carry up to

6 0 0 ki lograms.

If an e lephant b e c o m e s in-

volved in combat , its first a t tack is a cha rge at tack,

which is t reated as a diving a t tack for pu rposes of

determining s u c c e s s and d a m a g e done . (Note that

the e lephant does not fall p rone if t he at tack fails,

unless the target sco res a critical s u c c e s s on the

a t t empt to avoid the a t tack. ) As well, this charge

requires a pan ic check from its target . After the first

p h a s e of combat , however, an e lephant will usually

e n g a g e in m e l e e (s tomping, and goring with its

tusks ) , using the skill and d a m a g e listings above for

determining hits. When resolving collisions be-

tween e lephants and vehicles, t reat an e lephant ' s

weight as f ive tons .

# Appear: 1D6

Attack: 10%

Move: 10/30/60

Initiative: 5

Strength: 12

Constitution: 11

Agility: 7

Skill/Dam.: 4/lD6

Hits: 13/25

S o m e t i m e s c h a r a c t e r s m a y

wan t t o u s e h o r s e s ra ther t h a n

veh ic le s for t r a n s p o r t a t i o n , e s -

pecia l ly in rural se t t ings . As

well, t hey m a y e n c o u n t e r smal l

b a n d s of wild h o r s e s in t h e wil-

d e r n e s s . T h e s ta t i s t ics l isted

h e r e a r e ad jus ted t o r e p r e s e n t

t h e a v e r a g e e q u i n e , a n d refer-

e e s m a y wish t o adjust t h e s t a -

t i s t ics a bit for larger or smal le r

c r e a t u r e s , s u c h a s C l y d e s d a l e s

o r m u l e s .

If used as beas t s of burden,

horses can carry a n u m b e r of

ki lograms equal to 10 t imes their

Strength rating.

# Appear: 1D6+3

Attack: 40%

Move: 10/30/60

Initiative: 5

Strength: 10

Constitution: 10

Agility: 8

Skill/Dam.: 8/2D6

Hits: 15/25

# Appear: —

Attack: —

Move: —

Initiative: —

Strength: —

Constitution: —

Agility: —

Skill/Dam.: 2/3p4

Hits: —

Manticores are basically large ca t s that have had

a h u g e scorpion-like tail grafted onto them. The

crea tures are so rarely encountered that they are

generally thought only legendary.

In c o m b a t , m a n t i c o r e s ge t two a t t a c k s per

round : o n e with c law or t oo th at skill level 8 a n d

doing 2 D 6 d a m a g e , a n d t h e s e c o n d a t skill level

2 with tail s t inger a n d do ing po i son d a m a g e

ra t ed a t 3 p 4 . O n c e a p o i s o n a t t a c k h a s hit,

however , t h e s e c o n d a r y s t inger a t t a c k d o e s only

3 p o i n t s of p u n c t u r e d a m a g e for t h e rest of

c o m b a t .

# Appear: 5D10

Attack: 45%

Move: 4 /8 /15

Initiative: 6Strength: 1

Constitution: 1

Agility: 7

Skill/Dam.: 3/2

Hits: 1/2

With the world's general economic decline, m o s t

localities have less m o n e y to spend on keeping rat

infestation under control. As a natural result, the rat

population h a s b o o m e d , which h a s led to increased

competi t ion for food, which in turn h a s led to

mount ing n u m b e r s of rat a t t acks on h u m a n beings.

In comba t , ra ts fight in the s a m e square as their

targets . On the first p h a s e of comba t , e ach target will

be a t t acked by 1D6 rats, with an additional 1D6 ra ts

joining u p o n e a c h subsequen t p h a s e until all of

t h e m have been accounted for. Typically, hit loca-

t ions on t h e target will be lower body. To reflect this,

roll 1D6+3 on the hit location char t instead of 1D10.

# Appear: 1

Attack: 30%

Move: 10/15/25

Initiative: 3

Strength: 20

Constitution: 20

Agility: 3

Skill/Dam.: 6/4D6

Hits: 25/50

Like e lephants , rhinos can be encountered not

only in their native environment, but also as e s c a p -

e e s from zoos. Rhinos in c o m b a t do little e lse but

m a k e charge a t tacks . A rhino's cha rge does require

its targets to m a k e a panic check (as explained in

"Combat & Damage" ) , but for p u r p o s e s of deter-

mining hits and d a m a g e , the charge is t reated as a

diving at tack. (The skill and d a m a g e listings above

a re for those rare occas ions when the referee deter-

mines a rhino m a y be unable to m a k e a charge. )

When a rhino m a k e s a successful a t tack on a

vehicle, d a m a g e is calculated as a collision, count-

ing the rhino's weight as three tons .

# Appear: 2D6

Attack: 75%

Move: 15/30/60

Initiative: 5

Strength: 2

Constitution: 2

Agility: 8

Skill/Dam.: 4/lD6

Hits: 5/10

Most p eo -

ple think roach-

es are creepy.

In Dark Con-

spiracy, giant

roaches infest

s o m e a b a n -

doned build-

ings and sew-

e r s . At j u s t

under one m e -

ter in length,

they a r e la rge

e n o u g h t o b e

e x t r e m e l y

d a n g e r o u s ,

but smal l e n o u g h to still be c reepy .

Giant roaches a re fast and voracious, but they

scatter quickly when faced with tough opposition.

To represent this, while mos t beas t ies flee c o m b a t if

they fail a roll versus their a t tack pe rcen tage o n c e

o n e of their number h a s been killed, giant roaches

do just the opposi te . That is, they flee c o m b a t if they

succeed at that roll. Very bright lights, such as

floodlights, flares, or automobi le headlights, will

drive t h e m away as well unless they fail their

chance- to-a t tack roll.

# Appear: 1

Attack: 60%

Move: 15/25/50

Initiative: 4

Strength: 22

Constitution: 22

Agility: 5Skill/Dam.: 8/2D10+2

Hits: 25/50

Many Dark

Races have vis-

ited or inhab-

ited the Earth

for uncoun ted

ages , and a few

of them, nota-

bly the extra-

t e r r e s t r i a l s ,

have been col-

lecting animal

s p e c i m e n s for that entire t ime, keeping t h e m in

s u s p e n d e d animat ion for later use . So, it is possible

for PCs to c o m e face to face with creatures long

thought extinct. S u c h is the c a s e with saber- toothed

ca t s .

Saber- tooths conduc t c o m b a t in the s a m e way as

grizzly bea rs . However, a saber- tooth 's grappling

at tack d o e s 2D6+2 d a m a g e to the target ' s chest .

# Appear: 1

Attack: 90%

Move: 13/25/50

Initiative: 5

Strength: 7

Constitution: 9

Agility: 7

Skill/Dam.: 6/1D10

Hits: 13/25

B e c a u s e of the effects of water pollution on the

world's oceans , the aquat ic food chain h a s been

seriously disrupted. Hundreds of salt-water crea-

tu res have b e c o m e completely extinct, with the

result that the waters that o n c e t e e m e d with life now

s e e m relatively barren. If t he PCs spend any t ime in

the ocean , they have a m o d e s t c h a n c e of encoun-

tering sharks . It is a lmost guaran teed that those

sharks will be hungry enough to at tack.

For simplicity's s ake , b e c a u s e sharks are native

to the water and h u m a n s are not, c o m b a t can be run

as normal for the sharks , but all me lee t a sks for

h u m a n s should be at o n e level higher difficulty than

normal . Remember as well that the charac te rs will

have to be mak ing Swimming c h e c k s (see "Task

Resolution & Skills" for details).

# Appear: 1

Attack: 90%

Move: 2 /4/8

Initiative: 3

Strength: 30

Constitution: 35

Agility: 3

Skill/Dam.: 3/3D10

Hits: 60/120

No one is quite sure what the subterranean

creatures known as slithers really look like. Only the

barest g l impses of t h e m h a v e ever been caught , at

least by anyone who h a s survived an encounter. But

from the size of the tunnels t he se creatures leave, it

i s es t imated that they m u s t be a t least as large as an

elephant . Accounts of a t t acks by the creatures

describe t h e m as having clawed tentacles that erupt

from the ground to drag their prey, kicking and

screaming, into a cavernous beaked orifice. S o m e

have sugges ted that slithers are like immense ,

leathery squids .

Additionally, it is apparen t that t h e crea tures

exude a strong acid from their skins, as residue from

the tentac les h a s been tes ted chemically. It is hy-

pothesized that as the crea tures push themselves

through the soil (apparent ly by brute force), this

acid slime reac ts with the soil, compac t ing it and

firming it to create s emipe rmanen t tunnels . Typi-

cally, when a slither is encountered, it is in an area

that h a s been extensively tunneled, allowing the

creature m a x i m u m mobility in chasing its quarry.

Apparently, slithers a re incredibly sensitive to sound

vibrations, which is how they t rack their prey. They

have been known to c o n s u m e creatures ranging in

size from h o u s e ca t s to cows.

At least o n e account c la ims that , while slithers

cannot freely travel through rock, they can u s e their

acid to tunnel in it at a very slow p a c e , p e r h a p s up

to 25 cent imeters an hour.

In comba t , a slither a t tacks by positioning itself

under its victim, either by using existing tunnels to

lie in wait forthe victim to pas s , or, if hungry enough,

by tunneling through t h e soil toward the prey (at a

m a x i m u m speed of four me te r s per phase ) . In the

latter ca se , it is an Easy test of Observat ion to notice

the slither's approach , b e c a u s e the creature t ends to

burrow along near the surface, caus ing the ground

to rise as it m o v e s . O n c e the slither is under its

target, i t ra ises its mou thed end suddenly, s o m e -

t imes knocking the victim off its feet (Easy test of

Agility to avoid), then l aunches its ten tac les into the

air to pin the prey. If its a t tack is successful, the prey

t akes the listed d a m a g e as a combinat ion of acid

burns and crushing. This a t tack cannot be blocked,

but it can be avoided by an Average test of Agility,

using o n e of the dodger ' s act ions for the c o m b a t

turn. O n c e the prey h a s been grabbed, i t t ake s no

further d a m a g e , but it will be swallowed (instant

death) within 1D6 p h a s e s , unless the slither t a k e s

enough d a m a g e in the interim to p u s h it pas t half its

total hits. After taking m o r e than half its total hits, a

slither will d rop its prey and flee into its deeper

tunnels .

# Appear: 2D6

Attack: 90%

Move: 2

Initiative: 1

Strength: 3

Constitution: 6

Agility: 1

Skill/Dam.: 6/2D6

Hits: 8/16

Like its smaller cousin,

the garden slug, the gi-

ant slug is a slimy chunk

of dark gray-brown flesh,

like a snail without a shell

(for all p rac t i ca l pur-

poses , it is a snail without

a shell). While normal

slugs can be found above

ground, giant slugs dwell

only in sewers and caves .

Giant slugs reach a size

u p t o two m e t e r s i n

l e n g t h .

The crea-

tures are

t e r r i b l y

slow, but

b e c a u s e

they feed

on refuse,

speed is not normally an issue. Also,

in the sewer tunnels that they fre-

quent , it is not impossible for a num-

ber of t h e m to t rap a quicker crea-

ture in a dead end and at tack it en

m a s s e .

In comba t , giant s lugs suffer no

loss of Initiative until they have lost

half of their hit points , at which point

they c a n t ake no action except to

a t tempt to f lee . Note that salt se rves

as a deterrent to the crea tures .

# Appear: 1D10

Attack: 50%

Move: 5/15

Initiative: 4

Strength: 1

Constitution: 1

Agiliy: 7

Skill/Dam.: 7/1 p*

Hits: 2/4

*The n u m b e r of poison dice rolled is variable:

rattlers: 1 , a s p s a n d cobras : 2 , coral snakes : 3 .

T h o s e

s n a k e s rep-

resented by

th i s l ist ing

include poi-

sonous va-

rieties such

as a sps , co-

bras, and rat-

tlers. To re-

f lect the fact that they are quick and elusive, snakes

a re allowed an Average test of Agility to d o d g e any

m e l e e a t tack m a d e against t h e m . Like blocking,

however, this d o d g e u s e s up one of the creature ' s

act ions for the c o m b a t turn.

Note that s o m e s n a k e s a re m u c h m o r e poison-

o u s than others . To reflect this, the notation for

n u m b e r of po isonous d a m a g e dice rolled h a s been

m a d e variable. T h e referee c a n u s e the s n a k e s listed

a b o v e as a guide for rating other varieties.

# Appear: 4D6

Attack: 90%

Move: 2 /4

Initiative: 2

Strength: 10

Constitution: 12

Agility: 2

Skill/Dam.: 9/2D10

Hits: 35/70

J u s t a s h u m a n s use guard dogs to patrol an area

and k e e p i t secure , s o m e Dark Minions u s e crea-

tu res c o m m o n l y called spongies . Spong ies are

actually an ima ted plants . A spongy is a tall, tripedal,

fungoid creature , typically a little over two me te r s in

height, resembling an i m m e n s e sponge (sorel)

m u s h r o o m . Its wrinkled gray-brown surface is cov-

ered with hundreds of pale tendrils up to 30 cent ime-

ters in length, which writhe and twist continually.

Spongies receive their sus t enance by feeding off

animal life. They "hunt" in packs , surrounding their

prey a n d then closing in u p o n it, or t rapping it in an

enclosed a rea

such as a ra-

v i n e . W h e n

used as guard

creatures, they

typical ly t r a p

i n t r u d e r s u p

against a wall

or fence. O n c e

the prey is un-

able to escape ,

t h e s p o n g i e s

p r e s s t h e m -

selves against

i t a n d b e g i n

worming their

tendrils gradu-

ally into its ori-

fices and under

its skin, where

t h e y s t a r t t o

drain a victim's vital fluids until only a husk remains .

In t e r m s of Dark Conspiracy c o m b a t rules, once

a spongy h a s m a d e a successful at tack, it need not

roll to hit from that point on but continues to do

d a m a g e every phase ( a s a special sort of continu-

o u s action) until its last hit point is lost. Also, one

particularly horrifying thing about spongies is that

they apparently have no sense of pain. When one is

struck, whole chunks of vegetable mat ter m a y fall

away, but the creature itself will continue to at tack

with no adverse effects (i.e., no loss of Initiative)

until it is completely destroyed.

Note that spongies will a t tack 90% of the t ime

when encountered . The other 10% of t h e t ime, they

are dormant , having feasted to fullness and now

preparing to re lease spores .

# Appear: 1

Attack: 60%

Move: 8/15/30

Initiative: 2

Strength: 40

Constitution: 25

Agility: 5

Skill/Dam.: 3/4D10

Hits: 75/150

With the dec rease in o c e a n life as a result of water

pollution, a n u m b e r of carnivorous crea tures have

b e c o m e increasingly m o r e despera te in their hunt

for food. As well, hunters that o n c e prowled only the

dep ths have recently begun to haunt the o c e a n s '

surface. O n e result of this h a s been a recurrence of

sightings of giant squids , s o m e as large as whales.

Generally, a giant squid will not a t tack a single

h u m a n figure in the water. It will, however, a t tack

boa t s up to 50 tons . I f there a re any h u m a n f igures

on deck , it will a t tack t h e m as well, m o r e in reflex-

ively closing its t en tac les a round whatever it en-

counters t han in any deliberate plan.

In comba t , then, a giant squid usually gets two

a t tacks per p h a s e . The f i rs t i s an a t tack on the boat ,

t reated as having a penetrat ion of 4, and causing

hull hits as in a collision. This represents the boa t ' s

prow being slowly pulled under water. The second

at tack is against o n e h u m a n f igure on the craft's

deck (referee's choice of multiple figures). If this

a t tack hits, a hit location is rolled, and that body area

suffers the d a m a g e listed a b o v e not only in the

present p h a s e , but a lso automatically in every

succeeding p h a s e until t he creature is killed or

driven off. (Once a giant squid h a s t aken d a m a g e

totaling m o r e than half its hit points, i t mus t m a k e an

at tack check and will flee if that checked is failed.)

After a giant squid h a s completely submerged a

vessel, it will remain in the a rea for 1D6 minutes ,

at tacking any swimmers . Note that c o m b a t by

swimmers adds one level of increased difficulty to all

skill c h e c k s (although this does not apply to skill

c h e c k s by the squid, which is native to the water) .

# Appear: 1

Attack: 50%

Move: 10/20/40

Initiative: 4

Strength: 13

Constitution: 18

Agility: 6

Skill/Dam.: 8/3D6

Hits: 20/40

Tigers are very rare, but it is remotely possible

that PCs m a y encounter one in the wild in pa r t s of

Asia. Also, s o m e NPCs might k e e p a tiger or two as

a h igh-s ta tus watch animal.

In comba t , t igers fight in the s a m e way as grizzly

bears , above .

# Appear: 2D6

Attack: 60%

Move: 15/30/60

Initiative: 5

Strength: 4

Constitution: 3

Agility: 8

Skill/Dam.: 6/1D10

Hits: 3/5

With the abandon-

m e n t of vast t rac ts of

farmland and the re-

sultant increase in wil-

derness , s o m e ani-

m a l spec ies such a s

wolves and coyotes

h a v e g r e a t l y in-

c reased in number . If

the PCs are travelling

through rural a reas , a

good chance exists

that they will at least hea r wolves or encounter their

spoor. Given the right c i rcumstances , there is even

a fair c h a n c e that the PCs might be a t tacked by

t h e m .

Like other canines , a wolf receives two simulta-

n e o u s a t t acks during its f i rs t p h a s e of comba t . One

is a diving blow which represents its leaping upon its

victim, and the other is a biting melee at tack.

Because of s p a c e restrictions, however, no m o r e

than two wolves c a n perform diving a t t acks on a

single target in any c o m b a t p h a s e . If other wolves

a re a lso a t tacking t h e target , they get only their

m e l e e a t tacks . Note that the diving blow is m a d e

only during the first p h a s e in which a wolf a t t acks a

character. As long as that wolf remains e n g a g e d

with that character, i t m a y m a k e no further diving

blows.

The beas t ies listed above ought to be enough to

k e e p player charac te rs busy for s o m e t i m e to c o m e .

But after they have b e c o m e familiar with these

listings, it is important that they encounter some-

thing new. For that reason, m a n y referees will want

to c rea te their own crea tures to m a t c h myths ,

legends, and bad d r e a m s from their own experi-

ence .

Given the rules and examples above , it is not very

difficult for referees to do so . To begin with, the

referee should decide upon a general idea of what

the creature should be like. For example , is it big,

slow, and strong, or is it quick but frail? Then

translate t he se things into g a m e t e rms , using Con-

stitution and hits to reflect t h e th ing 's size; Strength

and d a m a g e to reflect its forcefulness; and Initiative,

skill, and Agility to reflect its s p e e d and accuracy. It

m a y be easiest to do this by using one of the listings

above as a starting point, choosing one that is

already somewha t close to the desired creature, the

adjusting it to fit t he new concept .

Remember tha t Initiative m a k e s quite a differ-

e n c e in t e r m s of c o m b a t effectiveness. A low-skill,

l ow-damage creature with a high Iinitiative is often

just as deadly as a creature with a high skill and high

d a m a g e but low Initiative. Referees can ba lance the

deadl iness of creatures , then, by lowering skill and /

or d a m a g e when Initiative is high, or vice versa.

As you well know by now, the Darkling Masters are served by

scores of different minion races . In this chapter, you will find

descriptions and statistics for a great number of them; more

will be published in future products . But we cannot

encourage you strongly enough to create your own Dark

Minions (using these examples as pat terns to build upon) , so

that your players will be constantly facing things new and

unexpected . Let us s t ress that the races below are only

samples of s o m e of the creatures that have spawned humanity 's

legends. Ju s t b e c a u s e we have a description of ogres

listed below, for example , you should not be

afraid to invent a totally different crea-

ture that could f i t the s a m e leg-

ends .

Attributes for the various Dark Minions described

in this chapte r are given in h u m a n t e r m s . But

obviously the Dark Minions a re not h u m a n , so there

are a few things that n e e d to be explained up front

about s o m e of t hose attributes. Note, for example ,

that s o m e of t he se c rea tures h a v e poison a t tacks .

See the "Combat & D a m a g e " chapter for an expla-

nation of poison notation and effects.

The Darkling physical attribute ratings reflect the

s a m e things as for h u m a n s . But m a n y secondarily

derived characteristics—such as hit capacity, weight,

load, throw range , and u n a r m e d c o m b a t d a m -

age—are m u c h different f rom what those primary

attributes would indicate. S o m e creatures , for ex-

ample , a re m u c h m o r e resistant t o d a m a g e than

are h u m a n s , and as a result their hit capaci ty is far

beyond what their Strength and Constitution would

suggest . In t h e descript ions below, such differences

are indicated. If a difference is not listed, a s s u m e

that the h u m a n n o r m applies .

The Intelligence rating reflects the same sort of thing

in Dark Minions as it does in humans . But Darkling

Education ratings are typically very tow, not so much

because the Dark Minions are ignorant, as because their

knowledge is so alien. The Education rating, then,

indicates their familiarity with human knowledge.

To k e e p things simplest for t h e referee, m o s t

individual skills are not listed for e a c h race . Instead,

referees should a s s u m e that the r aces have the

following skills at t he level of their associa ted

attributes. Any other appropr ia te skills a re indi-

ca ted in the individual descriptions.

Constitution Skills: Swimming, Climbing.

Strength Skills: Thrown Weapon. Melee Com-

bat (Unarmed) is indicated by the "Skill" notation

in the statistic listings.

Agility Skills: Acrobatics, Stealth. Remember

that Acrobat ics m e a n s the c rea tures m a k e normal

Agility c h e c k s versus this skill instead, and at o n e

level less difficulty.

Intelligence Skills: Navigation, Observat ion,

Stalking, Tracking, Willpower.

Education Skills: None at full value. Biology,

Chemistry, Compute r Operat ion, and Physics are

at one-half Educat ion unless otherwise indicated.

Charisma Skills: Act/Bluff, Leadership, Lan-

guage , Persuasion. Language will be appropr ia te

for the region in which the creature is encountered.

Leadership is generally through fear, and Persua-

sion is through greed, fear, or confusion.

Empathy Skills: Darkling E m p a t h y ( see below),

Foreboding,. Human Empathy, Project Emotion,

Project Thought , Willpower Drain. Most Dark Min-

ions rely heavily upon H u m a n E m p a t h y and Project

Emot ion to e n h a n c e the natural d read h u m a n s feel

upon encounter ing t h e m .

Obviously the Dark Minions a re not pleasant ,

c h u m m y crea tures with sunny dispositions. Many

of t h e m are , however, quite forceful and charis-

mat ic . T h e Char i sma rating, therefore, reflects not

how likable they are , but instead how fr ightful ly

impressive. As for t h e E m p a t h y rating, it indicates

the s a m e sorts of things as for h u m a n s ; but while

Empa thy in h u m a n s projects w a r m and whole-

s o m e feelings, Darkling E m p a t h y feels cold, cruel,

and twisted.

Some Dark Minions have empathic skills that do not

normally occur inhumans. If you want to allow your PCs

to acquire these skills, you m a y do so, but it is recom-

mended that they only be acquired through Darkling

contact and that the PCs be strongly encouraged to

keep them secret afterward (otherwise some clandes-

tine psychic agency may snatch them up for testing).

Note that the rules concerning t a sk difficulty and

power levels (from "Task Resolution & Skills")

apply to t he se skills just as with other EMP skills.

Darkling Empathy: This skill works just like

H u m a n Empathy, except that it allows contact with

Dark Minions rather than h u m a n s .

Dimension Walk: With this skill, a creature can open

a "portal" between our own world and a protodimension

in which distances are greatly diminished. See the

"DarkTek" chapter for a more detailed description of that

realm. Dark Minions with this skill use it to appear and

disappear from the Earth, and for rapid travel between

terran locations that are geographically far apart.

Creatures with this skill can create portals of varying

duration, depending upon the quality of their skill rolls.

In every case, the portal is centered upon the creature

that opens it. Basic success brings into existence a portal

just large enough for the creator, who is instantaneously

drawn through. A Stage Two success allows the portal

to be held open for one full combat phase after the

initiator passes through; a Stage Three holds it open for

an additional phase. A Stage Four allows the creator to

hold the portal open for a number of combat phases

equal to its skill rating; Stage Five doubles that time. A

Stage Six success allows the creation (or destruction) of

a permanent portal. While a portal remains open,

anyone who can move to its location can pass through.

Open ing a dimension portal requires concentra-

tion. If the initiating creature is surprised, or if it t a k e s

any d a m a g e during the p h a s e in which i t s e e k s to

o p e n the portal , it m u s t m a k e a successful Will-

power roll before rolling to open the portal.

Dissolution: A few types of Dark Minions are able to

control their bodies' molecular bonding to such an extent

that they can become semiliquid at will, allowing them

to ooze through small passages. The process is hideous

to observe, as the liquefying tissues lose their opacity,

making internal organs visible. Of course, the creatures

are able to return to solidity at will, as well.

Plant Empathy: This works the s a m e as Animal

Empathy, except with plants . Of course , there gen-

erally isn't m u c h to do with a plant o n c e you have

m a d e empath ic contact , unless i t is s o m e sort of

sentient Darkling plant.

Pyrokinesis: With this skill, a creature can raise the

temperature of an object by the power of thought. Target

range is equal to the power level, in meters.

Basic success with this skill allows the pyrokinetic

creature to do such things as m a k e a human-sized

creature feel feverish, or to boil a liter of water. Strangely

enough, a target creature may instead be m a d e to feel

chilled at this stage.

S t age Two s u c c e s s allows the pyrokinetic crea-

ture to boil up to 20 liters of water, or to c a u s e mild

blistering on a target creature .

Stage Three allows up to 50 1iters of water to be boiled,

or gasoline and other highly flammable substances may

be ignited. Alternatively, a human-sized creature can be

m a d e to suffer heat exhaustion—profuse sweating,

nausea, and weakness—making any task rolls by that

creature one level more difficult to perform.

At Stage Four, paper and other fairly flammable

materials can be m a d e to ignite, or a target creature can

be m a d e to suffer heat prostration. Symptoms include

hot, dry skin, headache, delirium, and possible uncon-

sciousness (failing an Average test of Constitution).

Unconscious characters may die (if they fail an Easy test

of Constitution). Targets that retain consciousness make

all other task rolls at two levels of increased difficulty.

A S tage Five s u c c e s s allows the pyrokinetic

creature to c a u s e an item such as a block of wood

to burst into flame; or a clip of small a r m s ammuni -

tion or g renade could be m a d e to explode. At this

s tage , living crea tures suffer an automat ic slight

wound to every hit location and m a k e heat prostra-

tion c h e c k s at o n e level increased difficulty.

Stage Six allows the pyrokinetic creature to cause a

target creature to burst into flame. Death inevitably

ensues. (It is from such instances that legends of

spontaneous human combustion have arisen.)

Note that these effects do not occur instantaneously.

Rather, they progress from stage to stage, taking one

combat phase (five seconds) per stage, beginning with

the phase just after that in which the Pyrokinesis roll was

made . For instance, for a human to spontaneously

combust would require six phases (one complete com-

bat turn). In phase 1, thetarget would feel feverish. Phase

2 would bring on heat exhaustion. Heat prostration

would occur in phase 3. Phase 4 would find the target

growing painfully hot to the touch, and phase 5more so.

Finally, in phase 6, the target would burst into flames.

Additionally, in order to p rogress a target through

these s tages , t he pyrokinetic creature m u s t main-

tain concentrat ion. The creature m a y perform no

other act ions and mus t k e e p the target in view. As

well, if t he pyrokinetic creature t a k e s d a m a g e dur-

ing this t ime, it m u s t m a k e a Willpower check to

maintain the Pyrokinesis. If slightly wounded, it

mus t m a k e an Average test; a Difficult check is

required if seriously wounded; and critically wounded

m e a n s the Pyrokinesis automatically ends (in which

case the target begins decreas ing in heat o n e level

per c o m b a t p h a s e ) . Mote that by maintaining con-

centration, a pyrokinetic creature m a y prolong

whatever s t age is achieved, thereby causing the

target to suffer r epea ted d a m a g e , for instance.

Telekinesis: Each point of power level achieved

on t a sks allows Telekinesis to m o v e up to 10

ki lograms/meter pe r c o m b a t p h a s e . That is, one

point would allow 10 ki lograms to be m o v e d one

meter, or f ive ki lograms to be m o v e d two meters , or

one ki logram to be m o v e d 10 meters , for example .

Similarly, 15 points of power level would allow 150

ki lograms to be m o v e d one meter, f ive ki lograms to

be m o v e d 30 mete r s , e tc . As with Pyrokinesis,

concentrat ion and line of sight mus t be mainta ined.

If not, t he object falls.

Telekinetic c rea tures m a y combine their results

for truly impressive feats. In such cases , if t he

concentrat ion or line of sight of o n e of their number

is disrupted, the object 's levitation m a y be main-

tained if t he remaining crea tures a re sufficient to do

so (but obviously s o m e of the effect—i.e., d is tance

moved—will be lost) .

Note that thrown w e a p o n s c a n be tossed tele-

kinetically.

As ment ioned above , mos t Dark Minion r aces

rely heavily upon the H u m a n Empa thy and Project

Emotion skills to e n h a n c e the dread that h u m a n s

feel for t h e m (as if their a p p e a r a n c e were not

horrifying enough) . S o m e of the m o r e empathical ly

powerful o n e s m a y even project feelings of good-

will, to lure h u m a n s off their guard . The mechan i c s

for this a re exactly the s a m e as those for PCs (as

described in the "Task Resolution & Skills" chapter ) ,

but there are a couple of ways in which referees can

dramatize the results to e n h a n c e the g a m e .

The referee should never tell p layers that their

charac te rs have been the victims of a Project E m o -

tion at tack. Whenever a PC is the target of such an

at tack, the referee should roll that PC's s aves se-

cretly. Then, if the s ave is failed, rather than tell the

player that the PC feels "terror," "irritation," or the

like, the referee should instead m a k e the player

believe that the PC h a s had a sudden s e n s e of

Foreboding, and it should be described in t e r m s

intended to evoke that emotion in the player.

For instance, a player whose PC is the victim of

an a t tack of rage might be told, "Beyond the door

you face, you s e n s e a terrified child, locked away in

a dark closet after having been tortured andmaimed ."

If the PC bursts through the door and finds a couple

of s m u g corporate execs sea ted inside, he or s h e will

be likely to t ake immedia te , rageful action, only to

discover later that there was no child, just a figment

of the imagination. As another example , a player

whose PC is the victim of a terror a t tack might be

told, "You have the certain s ense that the Dark

Minion you ' re facing isn't the only o n e in the vicinity.

In fact, even now, you can sense dozens of t h e m

closing in on your position, and they feel really

m e a n " (when, of course , there really aren' t any

m o r e in the a r ea ) . The trick is to invent a description

that will evoke as m u c h as possible the emot ion in

the PC, rather than stating the emot ion directly.

Similarly, the referee should m a k e secret saves

for PCs who are victims of Project Thought , and, if

those saves are failed, describe things in such a way

as to m a k e the players think the way the at tack

m a k e s the characters think. For instance, the victim

of a projected thought should be told that the

thought c o m e s from the Foreboding skill. As well,

when faced with hallucinations, referees should not

say, for instance, "You see a medusa , " but rather,

"Standing before you is a medusa . "

S o m e Darkling races , no -

tably the various extraterres-

trials, have extraordinary bio-

logic knowledge and tech-

nology. Among other things,

s o m e can create s imple life

f o r c e s c a l l e d a n i m a t o r s .

W h e n a n i m a t o r s a re p ro-

jected into objects, they bring

those things to life. They c a n

m a k e a disembodied hand

crawl, for example , by t e m -

porarily restoring life force to

the dead t issues. But they

can also m a k e a tricycle m o v e

about , or a block of s tone slide along, telekinetically

propelling whatever object they inhabit (this is a

special c a s e of the Telekinesis skill and requires no

task rolls to succeed ) .

Most things an imated in this m a n n e r betray

almost no signs of t rue intelligence, but they can

obey simple c o m m a n d s and perform straightfor-

ward t a s k s of limited duration (such as "crawl

upstairs , get the tablet of Ra, and return here," or

"at tack that person") . Statistics for the creatures

vary widely, depending upon the object being ani-

ma ted . Average statistics for a few of the m o s t

c o m m o n are listed below.

Strength: —Constitution: —Agility: —Intelligence: 1

Education: 1Charisma: 1Empathy: 1Initiative: 6

Move: *Skill/Dam.: 7/*Hits: *# Appear: 1

Strength: —Constitution: 1Agility: 8Intelligence: 1

Education: 1Charisma: 1Empathy: 1Initiative: 6

Move: 60Skill/Dam: 8/1D6Hits: 1# Appear: 1

*As automobile .

Special: At tacks per vehicle collision rules. Skill

value deno te s Vehicle Use skill appropr ia te to ve-

hicle.

Special: Two levels m o r e difficult to be hit, due to

small size and great speed .

Strength: 10Constitution: 30*Agility: 1Intelligence: 1

Education: 1Charisma: 1Empathy: 1Initiative: 2

Move: 2/8/15Skill/Dam.: 6/—Hits: 40/80# Appear: 1

*Two me te r s tall.

Special: At tacks by making diving blows.

Strength: 1Constitution: 1Agility: 7Intelligence: 1

Education: 1Charisma: 1Empathy: 2Initiative: 6

Move: 15Skill/Dam.: 4/1D6-1Hits: 4 /8# Appear: 1

Special: O n e level m o r e difficult to be hit, due to

small size.

Strength: —Constitution: —Agility: —Intelligence: —

Education: —Charisma: —Empathy: 4Initiative: 6

Move: 50Skill/Dam.: —/—Hits:—# Appear: 1

Special: Dimension Walk, drains life, i m m u n e to

normal weapons .

Looking like animated shadows of cloaked figures,

b leaks prowl deser ted streets and desolate loca-

tions, waiting for lone h u m a n s to feed upon . The

crea tures have no actual corporeal existence but

are instead merely psychic manifestat ions of utter

h u m a n despair. Somehow, they psychically feed

upon the life force itself, aging their victims in the

process . To do this, t he bleak m u s t be within me lee

range of its victim. E a c h successful a t tack c a u s e s

aging, with the a m o u n t varying, depending upon

the power level of the bleak 's at tack. A victim a g e s

o n e year pe r point of power level t h e bleak scores .

B e c a u s e they are incorporeal, b leaks cannot be

d a m a g e d by phys ica l w e a p o n s . Bright l ights

(floodlights, au tomobi le high b e a m s , etc.) will drive

t h e m a w a y but do no real d a m a g e . Bleaks c a n be

destroyed by empa th ic characters , however. To do

this, t h e charac te r n e e d s only establish empa th ic

contact with the bleak, using the H u m a n E m p a t h y

skill to t a p into its despai r and drain it away. Any

level of s u c c e s s des t roys the bleak, but the quality

of s u c c e s s de te rmines what effect the empa th ic

character suffers. To de termine this, the character

should roll a Difficult tes t of the Empa thy statistic

and calculate a power level for that roll. The charac-

ter will then a g e a n u m b e r of m o n t h s equal to 32

minus the points of power level scored

Legends of trolls and vampires have been spawned

largely by o n e Dark Minion race in particular, often

called the bloodkin. Bloodkin a re roughly humanoid

in s h a p e , with a hairless, slug-gray skin that covers what

would otherwise be a plated exoskeleton. Their a r m s

are longer t han a h u m a n ' s , with h a n d s and feet that

end in heavy claws. Bloodkin facial features differ

markedly from a h u m a n ' s , consist ing of a pair of

lidless yellow eyes surmount ing a muscu la r trunk

instead of a h u m a n n o s e and mou th . The t runk ends

in a pair of sha rp p incers set in horizontal opposit ion.

Bloodkin are incredibly difficult to wound. Their

skeletal plates provide impressive protection from inter-

nal damage . But even more importantly, their internal

organs are largely undifferentiated, meaning their are no

truly "vital" organs. Their nervous system is well dis-

persed throughout their bodies, and their circulatory

system consists of a slow-moving nutrient bath, which

makes it unusual for them to "bleed" to death, even from

the severest wounds. Also, they heal incredibly swiftly

from everything except burns, particularly if there is food

readily available. Bloodkin feed primarily upon blood,

the larger ones supplementing this diet with flesh.

Fortunately, bloodkin are very susceptible to damage

from ultraviolet light, which gives rise to legends of trolls

and vampires being afraid of sunlight. In general, the

larger a bloodkin is, the slower and less intelligent it is.

More specific information for bloodkin trolls and vam-

pires is given below, along with average statistics for each

type of creature.

Specia l : Trolls are t reated as having an overall

body a rmor value of 1. They do not suffer double

d a m a g e from h e a d hits, like mos t NPCs (see p a g e

166). They also heal very quickly, but UV light does

special d a m a g e to t h e m (see details below).

Trolls, the large, d u m b bloodkin, tend to hide in

caverns or abandoned buildings and wait for un-

wary travellers. (In days of yore, they often lay in

Strength: 12Constitution: 18Agility: 5Intelligence: 3

Education: 1Charisma: 1Empathy: 2Initiative: 3

Move: 1/5/10/18Skill/Dam.: 8/2D10Hits: 45/90# Appear: 1D6+3

wait under s tone bridges.) Leaping out of hiding,

they sna tch unfortunate victims, tear t hem limb

from limb, then suck the blood from the body and

eat the internal o rgans , particularly the bloodiest

ones such as the kidneys, spleen, liver, and lungs.

Trolls heal naturally from wounds at the following

rates: slight, 1 hour; serious, 1 day; critical 3 days. For

each half gallon of blood they consume, they heal one

wound level a lmost instantaneously (effectively

within o n e c o m b a t p h a s e ) . Note that a h u m a n body

contains approximately six pints of blood, enough

to heal th ree wound levels.

Ultraviolet light does extra d a m a g e to trolls.

Normal daylight does o n e point of d a m a g e per

combat phase, as do black lights. UV lasers do double

their listed damage against trolls. Thermite and white

phosphorus explosions do UV d a m a g e per the

concussion rules, in addition to concussion damage .

Strength: 4Constitution: 7Agility: 9Intelligence: 8

Education: 3Charisma: 12Empathy: 15Initiative: 6

Move: 3/9/16/32Skill/Dam.: 8/1D1OHits: 25/50# Appear: 1

Special: Bloodkin vampi res are t reated as having

an overall body a rmor value of 1. They do not suffer

double d a m a g e f r o m h e a d hits, like mos t NPCs, and

they heal very quickly from wounds ( see below).

Vampires, t h e smaller bloodkin, a re m u c h m o r e

intelligent than their larger

brothers, and are also highly

empathic . As a consequence ,

they rely m u c h m o r e upon

guile than upon brute force

(although they are no stranger

to that, either). A vampire will

u s e its powers of thought pro-

jection to m a k e itself appea r

as an attractive h u m a n , then

u s e emot ion projection to

draw victims near enough to

be feasted upon. Generally,

however, a vampire will not

kill its victim immediately, but

will instead k e e p a coven of

victims, all weakened from blood loss, to serve it as

slaves and bring it m o r e victims.

Like trolls, vampi res heal naturally from wounds

at the following rates: slight, 1 hour; serious, 1 day;

critical 3 days . For e a c h pint of blood they c o n s u m e ,

they heal o n e wound level a lmost instantaneously

(effectively within o n e c o m b a t p h a s e ) . This m e a n s

that a normal h u m a n body, if completely drained of

blood, will heal six wound levels for a vampire .

As with trolls, UV light d o e s extra d a m a g e to

vampires . Normal daylight d o e s two points of dam-

age per comba t p h a s e , as do black lights. UV lasers

do double their listed d a m a g e . Thermite and white

phosphorus explosions do UV damage per the concus-

sion rules, in addition to concussion damage.

Strength: *Constitution: *Agility: *Intelligence: •

Education: *Charisma: *Empathy: *Initiative: 5 /*

Move: *Skill/Dam.: */*Hits: *# Appear: 3D6

*As per h u m a n NPCs.

Special: Averse to bright light and garlic. Initiative

5 until o n e is downed, then normal Initiative ( see

below).

H u m a n v i c -

t ims of a v a m -

pire typically suf-

fer from a related

d i s e a s e ca l l ed

i ron-def ic iency

porphyria. This

d i sease c a u s e s

the g u m s to re-

c e d e , m a k i n g

t h e t e e t h look

e longa ted , and

crea tes a crav-

ing for blood in

its v ic t ims . As

well, bright light b e c o m e s painful to their eyes , and

certain natural chemica ls in garlic m a k e s t h e m

nauseous . Historically, bloodkin vampi res have of-

ten p layed upon the se s y m p t o m s , telling their vic-

t ims that they are becoming immortal vampi res as

well, t hus adding m o r e confusion to the vampire

legends.

Referees should choose an NPC exper ience level

for these "lesser vampires ," based upon where they

were "recruited" from. However, b e c a u s e they be-

lieve t hemse lves to be immortal , t hey will a t tack

with incredible ferocity—treat t h e m as having an

Initiative 5, regardless of actual NPC level—until one

of their n u m b e r dies. At that point, they revert to

their normal Initiative and a t tempt to flee. Unfortu-

nately, by the next t ime they are encountered , their

mas te r will have convinced t h e m of their immortal-

ity o n c e again (explaining away their c o m r a d e ' s

death as a fluke or illusion, pe rhaps ) .

Strength: *Constitution: *Agility: *Intelligence: *

Education: *Charisma: -1Empathy: +1Initiative: *

Move: *Skill/Dam.: */*Hits: *# Appear: *

Strength: +1Constitution: *Agility: +1Intelligence: -1

Education: -2Charisma: -2Empathy: -2Initiative: +1

Move: 3/10/18/35Skill/Dam.: +2/+2Hits: x2# Appear: 1

*As per charac ter being replaced.

Special: Dimension Walk, Telekinesis. Modifiers

listed a re adjus tments to statistics of the character

being replaced.

*As per charac te r being replaced.

Special: Internal a rmor of a rmor value 1. Modifi-

ers listed are adjus tments to statistics of the cha rac -

ter being replaced.

In faerie legend, the fey folk (see below) would

some t imes steal a h u m a n child and leave a faerie

imposter in its p lace . That imposter was known as

a changel ing. In Dark Conspiracy, even adults can

be replaced by changel ings, and nearly every type

of Dark Minion does so at o n e t ime or another.

The m o r e mystical races , such as the fey folk,

tend to leave changel ings that are in nearly every

way just like the h u m a n s they replace. These a re the

Type I sort, listed above. Empathically, these change-

lings read the p s y c h e s of their

targets , becoming intimately fa-

miliar with their personalities. As

well, the changel ings ' growth is

empathically guided to result in

an identical physical appearance .

But the changel ings do tend to

have higher empath ic skills and

lower Char isma ratings than the

people they replace (reflecting

tha t s o m e t h i n g feels slightly

wrong about t hem) .

The Type II changeling listed

above is a cyborg rep lacement

commonly used by extraterres-

trials. A h u m a n who resembles

the rep lacement target is surgi-

cally adap ted to e n h a n c e the

resemblance and to boost Agil-

ity, Melee skills, e tc . The change-

ling is then hypnotically prepared

to t ake the subject 's place. Be-

c a u s e they are less well-prepared

in t e r m s of m e m o r y and person-

ality than the Type I changel ings,

Type II changel ings a re gener-

ally intended for shorter t e rm

rep lacements . For example , a

state governor 's bodyguard might be exchanged

with a Type II changeling prepared to assass ina te

the governor.

There are basically only two

ways to recognize that a person

h a s been replaced by a change -

ling. The first is to notice l apses

in the changel ing 's m e m o r y or

behavior. This requires a test of

the Observat ion skill: Difficult to

recognize a Type I, and Average

for Type II. However, this test

should only be allowed when the

referee believes it appropriate ,

such as when the changeling is

under unusual s tress, or when a

charac ter is spending a great deal of t ime with the

changel ing or was extremely familiar with the per-

son replaced.

The second way to recognize that a person h a s

been rep laced by a changeling is when a friend

shoots you in the back .

Changel ings c a n be wonderful devices for the

referee to u s e for enhanc ing PC paranoia , especially

if you secretly have one of the PCs k idnapped and

replaced. (You m a y want t o k e e p this secret from the

player of that PC until the changeling u n m a s k s itself.

Or, if you trust the person, you c a n recruit the player

to run t h e changeling, promising to return the PC,

with b o n u s exper ience points or something, if the

job is d o n e well.) The first t ime t h e PCs encounter

such a changeling, t h e players will likely be shocked .

After that , they will be watching over their shoulders

all of t h e t ime.

por ted in the swamplands of the southeastern United

Sta tes .

Cobra people appea r h u m a n in mos t respects ,

but they are actually cold-blooded crea tures with

retractable fangs that inject extremely toxic poisons

into their victims. Reports a re that , like mos t terran

reptiles, they lay eggs , but there have been s o m e

rumors of their mat ing with h u m a n s . Cobra people

are carnivorous, swallowing their prey whole. When-

ever possible, they prefer to eat h u m a n infants, but

if pressed, they will settle for small an imals such as

ca ts , dogs , m o n k e y s , young pigs, e tc .

Typically, a small g roup of cobra people will

contact a tribe of h u m a n s , convince it they are

deities, a n d d e m a n d infant sacrifice in worship. In

m o r e civilized lands, the cobra people apparently

infiltrate t h e criminal underground instead, taking

positions of power, and using that power to obtain

h u m a n bab ies on the black marke t .

Strength: 5Constitution: 3Agility: 8Intelligence: 7

Education: 3Charisma: 7Empathy: 5Initiative: 5

Move: 5/10/18/35Skill/Dam.: 6/3Hits: 14/28# Appear: 1D6÷2

Special: Grapple to pin, then poison bite, d a m -

a g e 1 p 3 . Disguise skill at full Char isma value.

Until r e cen t l y ,

the cobra p eo p l e

dwelt only in the

m o s t r emote jun-

gles of Indonesia

a n d S o u t h e a s t

Asia, where they

were worshiped by

primitive tribes of

h u m a n s . With the

c h a o s r e s u l t i n g

from t h e Grea te r

Depress ion , how-

ever, they have be-

gun to expand their

r a n g e into India,

Africa, and Central

A m e r i c a . S o m e

have even been re-

Strength: 23Constitution: 18Agility: 6Intelligence: 6

Education: 2Charisma: 10Empathy: 16Initiative: 6

Move: 4/8/30/50Skill/Dam.: 8/2D10Hits: 25/50# Appear: 1

Special: Dimension Walk. S o m e also have Ani-

mal Empathy, Pyrokinesis, Telekinesis, and/or Psy-

chology.

Virtually every h u m a n culture h a s its d e m o n s , its

evil spirits tha t p lague humanity. There a re the

Hindu asuras, for instance, enemies of the benevo-

lent g o d s . A m o n g o the r th ings , they include

rakshasas—a type of being that can only enter this

world by taking on the form of an animal , monster,

or beautiful w o m a n — a n d nagas—which are ser-

pent d e m o n s . There a re the Persian djinni, spirits

with physical bodies m u c h like those of h u m a n s , but

with nearly limitless magical powers . And there are

also the ifrits, winged crea tures of s m o k e , impervi-

o u s to normal weapons , but suscept ible to mag ic .

There are the J a p a n e s e oni—huge creatures with

hideous faces, horns , and th ree digits on each

extremity—and the tengu—spirits that p os se s s the

bodies of others . In Western myths , there are gob-

lins, bogeys , ghos ts , devils, and faeries, and a

while m a n y of the other r aces u s e

h u m a n s for food or slaves, daemons

s e e m to have no need other than the

drive to create havoc .

The statist ics and skills listed

above are for the average daemon.

Referees should feel free to adjust

t h e m to reflect the particular legend

being recreated.

plethora of other beings. The n a m e s of the crea tures

vary as widely as the descriptions of their powers;

nearly every tale descr ibes t h e m differently.

In Dark Conspiracy, these crea tures a re collected

under one heading, daemon, from the ancient Greek

word for spirit (whether good or evil). Daemons are

physical creatures , but they are so highly empath ic

as to s e e m almost miraculous . The Dimension Walk

skill enables t h e m to enter protodimensions quite

easily, d isappear ing from the Ear th and reappear ing

at will. As well, they specialize in Human Empathy,

Project Emotion, and Project Thought, using the

latter in conjunction with their high Psychology and

Leadership skills to manipula te weak-willed people .

S o m e types are also quite good a t Pyrokinesis a n d /

or Telekinesis. A few have high Animal Empa thy

skill ratings, as well.

Daemons are p e r h a p s the mos t pernicious of the

Dark Minions, and there is speculat ion that they are

very close in na ture to the Dark Masters. That is,

Extraterrestrials, or ETs, m a y well

be the mos t difficult Dark Minions for

the referee to convey effectively. The

reason for this is tha t m a n y players

will not be used to thinking of ETs

horrifically. They m a y have images

of cute, child-sized humano ids with

overlarge eyes like Chihuahuas in

c h e a p velvet paintings, of aliens who

have c o m e to s ave us f rom our-

selves. On the other hand, there are

also ample examples of warty, bug-

eyed mons te r s who have c o m e to

steal away Earth women . Neither of these images is

quite appropriate for the paranoid horror of Dark

Conspiracy.

Dark Conspiracy

ETs are both subtle

and horrific. They

are mysterious crea -

t u r e s o f s o u l l e s s

superscience. These

extraterrestrials view

our planet as a c a g e

full of laboratory ani-

m a l s u p o n w h o m

t h e y c a n e x p e r i -

men t . For instance,

s o m e years back, a

m a g a z i n e c a l l e d

UFO Reports carried

within its covers sto-

ries of aliens taking

Naga

Ifrit

Djinni

Oni

Spirits,goblins,bogeys,

ghosts, devils,faeries

Tengu

over menta l hospitals in New York state and per-

forming h e a d t ransplant surgery u p o n the inmates .

Nearly every tabloid currently on the marke t carries

regular features about aliens abduct ing s o m e o n e

and performing exper iments on them. The paranoia

surrounding the se crea tures is a lso evident in re-

por t s that they have established secre t b a s e s inside

the Ear th .

In Dark Conspiracy, t hese sorts of stories a re all

too t rue. ETs are taking over the planet—or at least

they are trying to. It is they who were the major force

behind the worldwide economic c rash that b e g a n

the Greater Depression. They are the ones who

secretly control the largest megacorpora t ions . They

h a v e offices within every major government , and

secret experimental installations all over the world.

In p laces , they have even replaced entire popula-

t ions of towns. Like a metastasizing cancer, they

have infiltrated h u m a n society at all levels.

But ETs are not merely one race .

There are insectoid ETs, tentacular

ETs, humano id ETs with bulgy eyes

and foreheads, and even s o m e that

are pure energy. These disparate

races do not a lways work together

well, which m a y be all that k e e p s

t h e m from completely enslaving

the Earth. The o n e thing that all of

the extraterrestrials have in c o m -

m o n is that they are extremely ad-

v a n c e d t e c h n o l o g i c a l l y . T h e

"DarkTek" chapter d iscusses this in

m o r e detail, giving statistics for

s o m e of their devices.

Strength: 1Constitution: 1Agility: 9Intelligence: 13

Education: 20Charisma: 1Empathy: 1Initiative: 4

Move: 40Skill/Dam.: 6†/4D10*Hits: 2/4# Appear: 1D10+2

† P o s s e s s e s the following special skills: Darkling

E m p a t h y 6 , H u m a n E m p a t h y 4 , Project Thought

10, Telekinesis 4, Willpower Drain 8.

*This is an electrical a t tack with a m e d i u m range

of eight me te r s .

Special: Two levels m o r e difficult to hit, due to

small size. Armor value 1.

Each energy ET is a glowing sphere of pure

energy, two me te r s in diameter, centered upon a tiny

ball of mat te r (0 .10 ki lograms) that serves as its

focus point. In comba t , the creature gives off bolts

of lightning, t reated as a fire c o m b a t a t tack. It can

only be destroyed by damag ing its focal point, a

fairly difficult thing to accomplish , given that the

point is small a n d h a s a tough surface. O n c e that

focal point is destroyed, however, t he creature 's

energy disperses in a violent electrical display.

Inside the tiny ball that remains , there can be seen

circuitry of metallic veinings in a grainy, rocklike

subs tance .

Energy ETs are the least likely of any ETs to

directly intervene in h u m a n affairs. Typically, they

merely observe . Some t imes , however, they will

t ake action to destroy s o m e h u m a n endeavor: an

interplanetary craft, an advanced computer instal-

lation, or pe rhaps even a major nuclear power plant.

In such cases , t he devastat ion they c a u s e can spill

over on to local populat ions.

Strength: 3Constitution: 2Agility: 4Intelligence: 11

Education: 16Charisma: 2Empathy: 9Initiative: 3

Move: 2/7/12/20Skill/Dam.: 7/2Hits: 8/15# Appear: 1D6

Special: Pyrokinesis and /or Telekinesis. S o m e

carry death-ray w e a p o n s and /or Dimension Walk

devices.

These ETs are the s taples of tabloid newspaper

stories. (There is s o m e evidence that they are the

basis of s o m e legends of elves and faeries, as well.)

They look like hairless h u m a n s with small, slender

b o d i e s a n d

over ly l a r g e

c r a n i u m s .

Their faces are

small and deli-

ca te , with the

e x c e p t i o n of

theiroversized

e y e s , w h i c h

are generally dark blue or black with no visible

whites. Their features betray no emot ions . They

travel about in sauce r - shaped vessels that a re little

m o r e than f ly ing laboratories.

The mos t frightening thing about these crea tures

is their utter disregard for individual h u m a n life. Like

soulless laboratory workers, they collect spec imens

of humani ty (or occasionally other terran crea-

tures) , conduct psychological or surgical experi-

m e n t s with t hem, then destroy or discard the test

subjects when they are f in ished.

Most humanoid ETs stay very close to their

vessels . S o m e of the m o s t h u m a n looking, however,

will s o m e t i m e s infiltrate h u m a n society, if there is an

end to be gained. They might join the research staff

of a scientific facility, for instance, to sabo tage its

work.

Special: Armor value 1 (versus me lee only).

Animal E m p a t h y 10 (insects only—see below),

Project Thought 6.

Special: None .

Insectoid ETs want h u m a n s for o n e purpose only:

as food. But they would like to k e e p that food supply

running for as long as possible. So , like cattle

farmers, they work to k e e p their herds placid and

productive. In the c a s e of h u m a n cattle, this m e a n s

maintaining social and political sy s t ems as well as

feed and medic ine . For this reason, insectoid ETs

have been a m o n g the Dark Minions mos t directly

involved in terran politics. Many of the m e g a -

corporate s t rongholds in urban a r ea s a re actually

nes t s of insectoid ETs—their outer b locks main-

tained in terran style as a facade of normalcy, but

their inner regions t ransformed into bizarre, chiti-

nous tunnels , oozing with moisture , and filled with

hungry ET grubs . Ir is a terrible thing to be captured

by the se ETs and deposited in the nes t s as grub

food. Even though the grubs a re slow, there are

multi tudes of them, and a person cannot run indefi-

nitely.

The adults have a specialized form of Animal

E mp a th y that works only with insects . By u s e of

Project Thought , they are able to c o m m a n d any

insects they are in empa th ic contact with (including

their own grubs) .

In appea rance , the adults are roughly h u m a n size

and look something like a terran cockroach , but

standing upright like a mant is . The grubs a re s o m e -

what larger, averaging two m e t e r s in length and a

meter in diameter, with pale, bloated bodies and

glossy black h e a d s .

*Each does 1D6 a t t acks per action in m e l e e

comba t , due to their multiple tentacles .

Special: Swimming 10.

The tentacular ETs are p e r h a p s the mos t h ideous

looking of the ET r a c e s descr ibed here . They are

Strength: 5Constitution: 4Agility: 6Intelligence: 8

Education: 8Charisma: 1Empathy: 3Initiative: 4

Move: 4/12/20/30Skill/Dam.: 6/4Hits: 12/24# Appear: 2D6

Strength: 10Constitution: 13Agility: 3Intelligence: 1

Education: 1Charisma: 1Empathy: 1Initiative: 6

Move: 3Skill/Dam.: 6/1D10Hits: 20/30# Appear: 1D6

Strength: 11Constitution: 11Agility: 5Intelligence: 11

Education: 6Charisma: 1Empathy: 4Initiative: 3

Move: 2/4/8/15Skill/Dam.: 6*/5Hits: 13/25# Appear: 2D6

a m p h i b i a n s

that look s o m e -

t h i n g l ike a

cross between a

h u m a n a n d a

squid. A fleshy,

b u l b o u s h e a d

s u r m o u n t s a n

upright, fleshy

torso, ringed by

m a n i p u l a t i v e

t e n t a c l e s a t

shoulder level, and heavier, "walking" tentac les at

floor level.

Their pu rpose is simple: conquer the Earth and

m a k e it their own. Fortunately for h u m a n s , there are

very few of t he se c rea tures and they prefer to remain

near t h e o c e a n s .

The word "faerie" h a s not a lways mean t only "of

delicate beau ty and magica l cha rm" (as Merriam-

Webster pu t s it). Many of the creatures in faerie

legends a re beautiful but cruel, and best avoided if

at all possible. In former t imes, these were s o m e -

t imes called the "fair folk," a e u p h e m i s m used to

avoid drawing their attention, but not entirely accu-

rate . And h u m a n s who s e e m e d touched by t h e m

were called "fay," mean ing prone to faerie visions, or

"fey," mean ing d o o m e d or fated. It is from the latter

that we coin the t e rm "fey folk" to represent the Dark

Minions that spawned the faerie myths .

In legend, these creatures are strong with magical

power, particularly the power of illusion (in fact, no one

can be quite certain what they really look like), and

they dwell in a world that touches our own but is

s o m e h o w o n e step removed from it. In Dark Con-

spiracy, their entire purpose is to beguile in order to

enslave or destroy. They are dangerous creatures,

masters of terror and illusion, and they like nothing

better than to drive people to m a d n e s s and dea th .

T h e y fey folk all a r e highly e m p a t h i c , a n d t hey

a re so skilled a t p ro jec t ing t h o u g h t i m a g e s t ha t

t hey c a n give a v ic t im w a k i n g d r e a m s , c rea t ing

a total ly i l lusory world, if des i red .

Strength: 7Constitution: 3Agility: 7Intelligence: 6

Education: 4Charisma: 9Empathy: 20Initiative: 5

Move: 2/8/15/30Skill/Dam.: 7/10Hits: 8/16# Appear: 1

Special: Human Empathy, Project Emotion, Will-

power Drain, Dimension Walk.

This creature

projects its im-

a g e as a wailing

w o m a n in white

cloak and robes,

often at a s t ream

or river, washing

bloody cloths in

the water. Leg-

end is that i t a p -

pea r s to a family

when a death is

imminent . In a c -

tuality, the ban-

shee brings about

those dea ths by

driving its victims to despair, then taking advantage

of their weakened condition to m a k e its at tack.

Strength: 16Constitution: 14Agility: 9Intelligence: 1

Education: 1Charisma: 6Empathy: 18Initiative: 6

Move: 4/15/30/60Skill/Dam.: 5/12Hits: 15/30# Appear: 1

Special: Animal Empathy, Human Empathy,

Project Emotion, Willpower Drain, Dimension Walk.

Like t h e b a n s h e e , the barghes t haun t s its in-

tended victim for d a y s before finally at tacking. At

night, it s ends horrible d r e a m s of pursuit by fero-

cious hounds . During the day, i t projects an image

of a great mastiff, a lways prowling at the edge of

vision, seen only in from corner of the eye. Finally,

when its victim's terror h a s peaked , the barghest

a t tacks . This a t tack a lways c o m e s a t night, and

always when the victim is alone. S o m e people have

tried to protect t hemse lves by surrounding t hem-

selves with friends, but the barghes t is expert at

drawing its victims away from protection. O n e

theory is that it projects an image of a friend to lure

the victim out, then d rops the illusion just before it

a t tacks .

The dark elves a re incredibly cruel. In h u m a n

cities, they prowl the mos t elegant night spots ,

looking for victims to invite to a "very private party."

O n c e a sufficient n u m b e r of people have been

collected, the dark elves lead t h e m to an isolated

spot and slaughter t h e m in the mos t h ideous ways

imaginable. (For example , one particular slaughter

involved a locked warehouse a n d a threshing m a -

chine.) In rural regions, pairs of dark elves will p o s e

as travellers in need of shelter for the night, only to

turn on their hos t s and murder t hem in their beds .

The dark elves are quite capab le of using any

h u m a n technologies , a l though it is doubtful that

they ever develop new technologies of their own.

The one exception to this is the creation of animator

spirits ( see above) , which the dark elves are quite

accompl ished at.Strength: 6Constitution: 4Agility: 8Intelligence: 5

Education: 4Charisma: 9Empathy: 10Initiative: 4

Move: 3/10/20/35Skill/Dam.: 7/4Hits: 10/20# Appear: 2D6

Special: Dimension Walk.

The dark elves

a r e a p p a r e n t l y

very h u m a n in

appea rance , al-

t h o u g h fa i re r

t h a n a v e r a g e .

L e g e n d is tha t

they dwell in vast

s u b t e r r a n e a n

c a v e r n s , where

t h e y m a i n t a i n

e n t i r e u n d e r -

ground civiliza-

t i o n s . But t h e

dark elves have

always t aken a

great interest in

humanity, a pe rve r se interest which derives plea-

sure from h u m a n suffering and ruination. As a

result, individual dark elves often join h u m a n soci-

ety, where they p a s s themse lves off as h u m a n ,

generally preferring to p o s e as artists, poe ts , musi-

cians, or magic ians .

Strength: 10Constitution: 8Agility: 7Intelligence: 2

Education: 1Charisma: 3Empathy: 12Initiative: 6

Move: 5/10/30/60Skill/Dam.: 8 /8 ,Hits: 13/25# Appear: 1

F u a t h a s (pronounced "fyathas"), or pookas , are

a collection of various amphib ious creatures that

haunt bodies of water, in the guise of animals ,

intending to trick peop le in to drown. O n e of the

m o s t repor ted is the each-u isge ("ek-wiskey"),

which a p p e a r s as a horse , t e m p t s people (particu-

larly children) to ride, then carries t h e m underwater.

A related creature is shelly coat , which lurks

underwater waiting for a c h a n c e to g rab unwary

victims and pull t h e m in.

*Depends upon object being used .

Special: Telekinesis and /or pyrokinesis at double

t h e normal effect.

Ghosts are disembodied spirits that basically can

be subdivided into two distinct types . The f i rs t type,

some t imes called a "haunt," h a s no ability to physi-

cally affect reality, but relies upon the power of

emot ion to t ake its prey. Even without a physical

p resence , however, a haunt can kill, either by

overstressing weak hear t s or by driving their victims

to suicide. These beings rely heavily upon the

following empath ic skills: H u m a n Empathy, Project

Emotion, Project Thought , and Willpower Drain.

The first is used to establish empath ic contact with

the victim. O n c e that link is formed, either Project

Emotion or Project Thought follows.

Project Emotion is u sed to drive victims to a

frenzy offear. E a c h s t age of power level withthisskill

temporari ly m a k e s all skill c h e c k s by the victim one

level m o r e difficult. (For instance, a S t a g e Two

s u c c e s s at Project Emotion would m a k e all of the

victim's skill checks two levels m o r e difficult.) Project

Thought i s u sed to c o m m a n d victims to self-de-

structive acts , from throwing themse lves out of

upper-s tory windows to killing themse lves or at-

tacking their compan ions . If necessary, Willpower

Drain is used to soften the victims u p .

The second type of ghost, often called a "polter-

geist," i s able to m o v e objects , and so to m a k e

physical a t tacks . Occasionally, these ghos t s will

a t tack empathical ly as a haunt , but they prefer to

use their telepathic and pyrokinetic abilities. For

example , a poltergeist might telepathically lock the

only door to a room, pyrokinetically set the curtains

afire, then begin projecting sounds of insane laugh-

ter or empathically exaggera te the size of the fire.

Note that poltergeists get double the normal effect

for Telekinesis.

Many people believe that ghos t s are the psychic

Strength: —Constitution: —Agility: —Intelligence: —

Education: —Charisma: —Empathy: 12Initiative: 6

Move: —Skill/Dam.: —/*Hits: —# Appear: 1D6/3

Strength: —Constitution: —Agility: —Intelligence: —Special: None.

Education: —Charisma: —Empathy: 16Initiative: 6

Move: —Skill/Dam.: —/—Hits: —# Appear: 1D6÷2

Special: Makes grappling a t tacks to subdue ,

then drowns its victims.

residue of d e a d h u m a n s . In actuality, ghos t s are

merely another type of Dark Minion. (The o n e

exception to this, t h e "data ghost," is actually

nothing m o r e than a collection of h u m a n memor ie s

t r a p p e d within a c o m p u t e r ne twork . S e e t h e

"DarkTek" chapte r for details.)

Strength: 4Constitution: 2Agility: 6Intelligence: 3

Education: 2Charisma: 2Empathy: 2Initiative: 4

Move: 15/30/50*Skill/Dam.: 6/1D6Hits: 8/16# Appear: 1D6+1

*This is flying speed ; harpies walk 5 and run 10

when grounded.

Special: Drop s tones (treat as thrown weapon

at tack for 1D10 d a m a g e ) .

Harpies are filthy, vulgar, flying h u m a n o i d s with a

tas te for h u m a n flesh. Most s tand about a me te r tall,

with relatively h u m a n h e a d s and torsos, but with the

lower legs of a vulture, and with wings instead of

h u m a n a r m s . Like blood vultures ( s e e t h e "Beasties"

chapter ) , t hey are primarily scavengers ; but f locks

of t hem have been known to a t tack living creatures,

if the o d d s a re greatly in their favor. Their preferred

m e t h o d of a t tack is to d rop s tones on their quarry

(treat t he se as thrown weapon a t t acks doing 1D10

d a m a g e ) . Of course , this requires a suitable supply

of s tones and ample t ime to resupply between each

at tack. If t ime or h e a d r o o m is limited, they will hover

within m e l e e range of their victims and tear at t h e m

with their clawed feet.

Harpies usually haunt the wildernesses of the

planet , but they c a n s o m e t i m e s be found in the

employ of other Dark Minions, occasionally even in

inner cities'.

Strength: 4Constitution: 6Agility: 7Intelligence: 6

Education: 5Charisma: 3Empathy: 8Initiative: 5

Move: 2/8/15/30Skill/Dam.: 9/5Hits: 12/25# Appear: 1

Special: Poison-tipped ten tac les on h e a d and

neck.

Strength: —Constitution: —

Education: —Charisma: —

Move: —Skill/Dam.: 6/1 p1

Agility: —Intelligence: —

Empathy: —Initiative: 6

Hits: *# Appear: 2D6

* E a c h hit

to a m e d u s a ' s

h e a d h a s a

c h a n c e of de-

stroying ten-

tacles. See be -

low for details.

S p e c i a l :

Shor t m e l e e

combatrange.

Each tentacle

a t t acks sepa -

rately, and all

m a y focus on

different tar-

gets .

M e d u s a s

are an unusu-

al type of Dark

M i n i o n , b e -

c a u s e t h e y

originated a s terran h u m a n s . Each m e d u s a h a s

grafted on to its sca lp a n d n e c k approximately a

dozen independently minded, stinger-tipped ten-

tacles , e a c h about 20 cent imeters long. These

ten tac les give the c rea tures poison a t tacks in me lee

comba t , in addition to their no rmal h u m a n a t tacks .

In the tentacle statistics listed above , # Appear

refers to the n u m b e r of tentacles the creature pos -

se s ses , and the skill rating is e ach tentacle ' s c h a n c e

of hitting. Melee r ange for t h e tentac les is short.

E a c h tentacle strikes separately, injecting its target

with l p l of venom. Tentacles can even hit targets to

the rear and sides of the m e d u s a , and each tentacle

c a n a t tack sepa ra t e ta rge ts .

If t he referee allows, d a m a g e to a m e d u s a ' s h e a d

m a y count additionally as a c h a n c e that s o m e of the

ten tac les a re dest royed. E a c h wound should be

counted separately, and is multiplied by 10 for a

pe rcen t age c h a n c e that 1D6÷2 tentacles ( rounded

down) a re lost. For instance, a blow that did 3 points

of d a m a g e to the h e a d would have a 30 percent

c h a n c e of removing tentac les .

Many m e d u s a s let their hair grow long and thick

to disguise the tentac les . Others prefer to wear wigs,

hoods , scarves , turbans , or large ha ts .

Strength: 5Constitution: 3Agility: 5Intelligence: 7

Education: 3Charisma: 4Empathy: 6Initiative: 3

Move: 3/8/12/20Skill/Dam.: 5/1D6Hits: 6/12# Appear: 4D6

Special: Blind, but excellent s enses of smell and

hear ing.

In The Time Machine, H. G. Wells wrote of a far

future in which t h e descenden t s of humani ty h a d

split into two sepa ra t e r aces . O n e lived an idyllic,

carefree life on the Ear th ' s surface. The other race

hid underground and ca red for the first . . .because

they u s e d the surface dwellers as cattle.

Wells called that cannibalistic, subter ranean r ace

the mor locks . But he wasn' t just writing fiction; the

mor locks actually exist. They are short, pallid hu-

m a n o i d s with incredibly developed senses of hear-

ing a n d smell . Their eye s h a v e completely atro-

phied, however, leaving nothing but smoo th brow

between their snow-white hair and their wide, quiv-

ering nose s . Their j awbones a re m u c h smaller than

are h u m a n s ' , which m a k e s their pale, fleshy lips

s e e m even m o r e oversized, a n d their tee th a re small

and very pointed. Morlocks are primarily mea t -

eaters , their diet consisting mainly of worms , grubs,

and raw cave fish. On t h e rare occas ions when they

c a n f i nd w a r m m e a t , such a s moles , mice , o r ba t s ,

they go into a frenzy of ecstasy. But m o r e than

anything else, they prefer raw h u m a n flesh, torn with

their tee th from a living victim.

T h e problem for t h e mor locks h a s been that

h u m a n s are bigger and m o r e technologically ad-

vanced than they a re . Also, h u m a n s tend to stay

above ground, where their sight gives t h e m a long-

range advan tage over t h e blind mor locks . Below

ground, however, it is a m u c h different story. In the

Stygian da rkness of sub te r ranean caves , h u m a n s

panic without their sight advantage, and the morlocks

c a n a t tack t h e m en m a s s e . I t is a terrifying thing to

be lost in the da rkness and hear the pat ter of scores

of ba re feet approaching .

With the worldwide c h a o s that the Dark Minions

have brought t o Earth , h u m a n s h a v e b e c o m e s o m e -

what m o r e vulnerable to morlock a t tacks . There

have b e e n m a n y recent n e w s stories of entire

populat ions of isolated villages disappearing over-

night. The only c lues as to their whereabouts are

fresh tunnels dug into b a s e m e n t s and cellars. Few

people have b e e n brave enough to explore those

tunnels afterward, and even fewer of t hose who were

have ever returned.

Particularly frightening is the fact that n u m e r o u s

firearms and other equ ipment h a v e d isappeared

into those holes, as well. All indications a re that the

mor locks a re completely capab le of learning to u s e

h u m a n technology.

Strength: *Constitution: *Agility: *Intelligence: *

Education: *Charisma: *Empathy: *Initiative: *

Move: *Skill/Dam.: */*Hits: *# Appear: 2D6-l

*As normal NPCs, except o n e in 10 h a s an

Empa thy rating of 1D6+4.

Special: Empa th ic nukids h a v e Darkling E m p a -

thy skills, including Dimension Walk, Dissolution,

Pyrokinesis, or Telekinesis.

Nukids isa col-

lective t e rm for

street gangs com-

posed of mutated

h u m a n s . It origi-

na ted as a refer-

e n c e to radioac-

tive contamina-

tion ("that dude's

been nuked for

sure"), but h a s

c o m e to refer to muta t ions resulting from other sorts

of contaminat ion as well (chemical , for example ) .

The prerequisite for m e m b e r s h i p to a nukid "family"

is having a muta t ion of s o m e sort. Most of these

muta t ions are merely physical deformations. But

roughly 10% of the nukids also demons t ra t e one

Darkling empath ic ability or another, falling into one

of four different c lasses : geists, slimers, spooks , and

torches .

The t e rm "geist" is a shortening of "poltergeist,"

and these nukids a re highly telekinetic. "Slimers"

are nukids with the Dissolution skill; they also tend

to be slightly radioactive. "Spooks" a re those with

t h e D imens ion Walk skill. And " to rches" a re

pyrokinetic. All of t h e s e empa th ic charac te rs a lso

have other E mp a th y skills as per Dark Minions (as

explained under "Darkling Skills," above) .

Nukid g a n g s c a n be an excellent sou rce of infor-

mat ion for Dark Minion hunters , provided the ques -

tioners survive their first meet ing . In particular, a

n u m b e r of the m o r e hideously deformed gangs

have t aken up res idence in the sewers , and s o m e of

these a re great enemies to mor locks and dark elves.

Unlike t rue Dark Minions, nukids a re not actively out

to ruin humanity. Instead, like nearly any other street

gang m e m b e r s , they are merely unfortunate people

in a dead -end life-style, with no h o p e for the future.

Nukid g a n g s just have more to complain about than

mos t others .

Strength: 24Constitution: 21Agility: 4Intelligence: 2

Education: 1Charisma: 1Empathy: 1Initiative: 5

Move: 2/10/15/30Skill/Dam.: 5/4D6Hits: 28/55# Appear: 1

Special: Long u n a r m e d m e l e e range .

O g r e s a re basically huge , filthy, brutish h u m a n -

oids that love to tear weaker c rea tures l imb from

limb and eat t hem. Their ave rage height is about

three and a half meters , and they m a s s up to 2 5 0

kilos. Most of t h e m work as wa tchdogs for other,

brighter Dark Minions, but occasionally one will

e s c a p e into the wilds of the Earth. These e s c a p e e s

maintain a very primitive existence, hunting with

their ba re h a n d s and wearing un tanned animal skins

for clothing, giving rise to legends of bigfoot, yeti,

and (in ancient t imes) cyclops .

Strength: 8Constitution: 5Agility: 8Intelligence: 6

Education: 4Charisma: 7Empathy: 8Initiative: 4

Move: 3/10/20/40Skill/Dam.: 5/1D6Hits: 13/26# Appear: 1D6+2

tims, see below.

Special: Dimension Walk. Leech hea t from vie-

Like t h e bloodkin, the pale a re another source of

humani ty ' s vampi re legends . These crea tures are

m u c h m o r e h u m a n looking t han are t h e bloodkin,

however. Member s of the pale a re tall and gaunt ,

with relatively short torsos but long, spindly limbs.

(Generally the pale average a full two me te r s in

height and about 70 ki lograms in weight.) Their skin

is incredibly pallid, a n d their hair (which grows

thickly on head , neck , and shoulders , like a lion's

m a n e ) is pure white. Their eyes are pink, like an

albino's. To disguise their inhumanly long l imbs and

short torsos , t he pale tend to dress in billowy clothes

a n d wear flowing c loaks . They prefer black b e c a u s e

it m a k e s t h e m less visible at night.

Despite their relatively h u m a n appea rance , the

pale do not feed like h u m a n s . Instead, they leech

body hea t from warm-blooded creatures , prefer-

ably from h u m a n beings, leaving their victims as

cold corpses . (They c a n drain a body down to

almost 0° cent igrade—32° Fahrenheit—just short

of the freezing point.) To do this, they mus t c rea te an

empath ic link with the victim, while physically in

contact , skin-to-skin. (In order to establish the link,

a pale mus t h a v e a few minu tes to concentrate ,

which m e a n s that i t m a y not do so during comba t—

but it could grapple a victim to immobility, then

simply hold the victim while the link is created.)

Without this link, they cannot absorb hea t effec-

tively, which is why nonliving heat sources will not

se rve t h e m . Daylight, for example , might provide

t h e m with sufficient energy for survival, but it se-

verely burns their sensitive skin and eyes . Similarly,

rumor h a s i t that two FBI agen t s o n c e tried to keep

a capt ive pale alive in a hot tub, but the creature died

of hypothermia even as its outer skin layer was

blistering away.

The pa le a re nocturnal hunters , shunning the

bright, hot light of day. They a lmos t a lways opera te

in p a c k s . When prey is sca rce or h u m a n resis tance

is strong, the c rea tures can enter a hibernative

t rance to wait for better t imes . They c a n only leave

this t rance by absorbing m o r e heat , which m e a n s

that a victim mus t be within the immedia te vicinity.

The a m o u n t of hea t that can be leeched from

different victims varies considerably, of course (es-

pecially if the victims are of different species) . As a

rule of t h u m b , however, referees c a n es t imate that

for victims that a re drained completely, e ach kilo-

g ram of body weight t ranslates to about 45 minutes

of activity for a pale . The hea t from an average adult

h u m a n (let's say 70 ki lograms) , for example , could

maintain o n e pa le for a little over two days (52 .5

hours , to be exac t ) , or two pa les for one day, etc . A

good-sized rat might k e e p one pa le active for an

hour or so .

S o m e of the oldest and wiliest of the pa le are able

to s top feeding from their vict ims short of causing

death, saving t h e m to feed upon again and again.

The average h u m a n can survive down to a body

tempera tu re of about 25° cent igrade (77° Fahren-

heit), but will b e c o m e c o m a t o s e in the p roces s and

require special ca re to be rewarmed. H u m a n s can

remain coherent and able to care for themse lves

with body t empera tu re s down to a lmost 32° centi-

grade (90° Fahrenhei t ) . Below this, they b e c o m e

delirious and eventually incapable of any activity at

all. Following the se guidelines, referees who wish to

run pa les that k e e p capt ive victims c a n multiply

such victims' body weight (in ki lograms, of course)

by the n u m b e r of deg rees their t empera tu re is

lowered, then divide the result by 50 (100 if Fahren-

heit), to de te rmine the n u m b e r of hours activity the

pale gains. For example , a pale that leeched 5° C

from a 70-ki logram h u m a n would gain about seven

hours of activity ([5x70]+50=7). Assuming adequa te

food and shelter, t he victim's body heat could

certainly return to normal during that t ime, mean ing

the pale could feed o n c e again.

Referees are encouraged to e n h a n c e the frightful-

ne s s of adven tures involving the pa le by having

player charac ters captured by the creatures . Other

PCs will certainly be horrified to finally find their

friends locked in s o m e d a m p cellar, shivering and

blue with cold, and mumbl ing incoherently about

tall, gangly, pale m e n .

In Dark Conspiracy, t he t e rm "undead" refers

specifically to dead creatures that have been brought

back to a s e m b l a n c e of life, usually by an animator

spirit ( see above) . The three pr imary examples of

undead are an imated m u m m i e s , skeletons, and

zombies . Zombies a re covered in their own section,

below. Mummies and skele tons are described as

follows.

The ancient Egypt ians mummified their mos t

important dead , in order to e n h a n c e their s u c c e s s in

the afterlife. Mummification typically involved hav-

ing m o s t of the internal o rgans s cooped out, includ-

ing the brain, and the resulting cavities filled with

preservative herbs and linen padding. The impor-

tant o rgans were sealed in special funerary jars . The

rest of the body was t reated with special chemica ls

to des iccate it, then wrapped in linen, doused in

funerary resins, and p laced in a s a r cophagus . (It is

the desiccation and funerary resins that m a k e m u m -

mies vulnerable to fire, caus ing t h e m to t ake double

the normal burn d a m a g e . )

When this sort of m u m m y is an imated , it se rves

as nothing but a vehicle for the animat ing spirit. The

m u m m y is physically strong, but b e c a u s e of its

brittleness, it is anything but agile. Of course , with-

out a brain, t he body h a s no intelligence of its own.

The m u m m y ' s menta l and soul attributes a re merely

given by the animating spirit.

There a re c a s e s of mummified corpses , however,

in which the brain and internal o r g a n s were not

removed . Generally, these c a s e s involve accidental

dea ths by suffocation in condit ions that prevented

the corpse from decompos ing or being ea ten by

scavengers . For example , mummified co rpse shave

been found in ex t reme northern bogs , frozen in ice,

Strength: 9Constitution: 9Agility: 2Intelligence: 1

Education: 1Charisma: 1Empathy: 1Initiative: 2

Move: 1/4/8Skill/Dam.: 8/3D6Hits: 25/30# Appear: 1 D6/3

Special: Burns do double d a m a g e .

or buried in deser t s ands . Similarly, there have been

discoveries of s tone cairns preserving s o m e Es-

k imo and Viking corpses . If m u m m i e s such as these

are an imated , the animating spirit h a s a c c e s s to the

mummified brains ' knowledge and memor ie s (at

least what r emains after a g e s of dea th) . Such m u m -

mies c a n be quite cunning and self-aware. Of

course , it is entirely possible for the animating spirit

to be created with above average menta l and /or

soul statistics, as well.

Mummies a re m o s t often created by dark elves,

and are u sed to guard en t rances to their under-

ground facilities. Some t imes , however, they m a y be

m a d e by ETs or o thers of the fey folk.

Strength: 3Constitution: 2Agility: 8Intelligence: 1

Education: 1Charisma: 1Empathy: 1Initiative: 6

Move: 3/9/18/25Skill/Dam.: 6/1D6Hits: 4 /5# Appear: 3D6

Special: One level m o r e difficult to hit in fire

comba t .

Like m u m m i e s , a n i m a t e d

skele tons a re t h e r ema ins of

corpses , which are then raised to

a s e m b l a n c e of life by the infu-

sion of an animating spirit. Gen-

erally, they are created by the

dark elves to guard en t rances to

subter ranean facilities. The dark

elves also like to u s e skeletons to

terrorize small towns, animating

the contents of nearby cemeter-

ies for their grisly enter ta inment .

Occasionally, ETs or fey folk other

than the dark elves will c rea te an imated skeletons,

as well.

For the mor locks and dark elves, one of the mos t

appeal ing things about creating an imated skel-

e tons is that they require m u c h less life force to

an imate than m u m m i e s or zombies . For this rea-

son, greater n u m b e r s of t hem can be animated .

That e a s e of animation also m e a n s that skeletons

are m u c h m o r e agile than other an imated corpses .

Unfortunately, they are also m u c h m o r e fragile,

doing less d a m a g e in comba t , and able to withstand

m u c h less, as well.

There a re at least two different t ypes of were

creatures that have formed the bas is of legends of

shape-changing creatures . The primary type is

t e rmed "true weres," the secondary "Moreau weres."

Strength: 13Constitution: 15Agility: 4Intelligence: 4

Education: 4Charisma: 4Empathy: 7Initiative: 4

Move: 3/9/15/30Skill/Dam.: 6/2D10Hits: 18/25# Appear: 1D6+3

Special: Automatic h u m a n image projection.

Silver disrupts Empathy .

Strength: 11Constitution: 12Agility: 5Intelligence: 3

Education: 2Charisma: 3Empathy: 8Initiative: 5

Move: 3/6/10/18Skill/Dam.: 5/2D6Hits: 13/25# Appear: 1D6+2

Special: Automatic h u m a n image projection

Silver disrupts Empathy.

Special: Automatic h u m a n image projection.

Silver disrupts Empathy .

Strength: 8Constitution: 6Agility: 7Intelligence: 6

Education: 4Charisma: 6Empathy: 9Initiative: 6

Move: 3/9/17/32Skill/Dam.: 6/2D6Hits: 11/22# Appear: 1D6

Strength: 5Constitution: 2Agility: 7Intelligence: 8

Education: 6Charisma: 7Empathy: 10Initiative: 5

Move: 3/9/17/32Skill/Dam.: 7/1D6+lHits: 8/15# Appear: 2D6

Special: Automat ic h u m a n image projection.

Silver disrupts Empathy .

Strength: 17Constitution: 15Agility: 6Intelligence: 5

Education: 3Charisma: 6Empathy: 8Initiative: 6

Move: 3/9/18/35Skill/Dam.: 8/3D6Hits: 15/30# Appear: 1 D 6 / 3

Special: Automat ic h u m a n image projection.

Silver disrupts Empathy, True weres are bestial creatures that can walk

either upright like h u m a n s or, m o r e quickly, u p o n all

fours. They vaguely resemble normal terran ani-

mals such as wolves, bears , boars , or even tigers but

are able to disguise themse lves by empathical ly

projecting an image of h u m a n s h a p e and features.

Except during the period of the full moon , that is.

Weres have a monthly rutting s e a s o n which is tied

to the lunar phase s , and when the m o o n is full, they

revert to bestial habits , dropping their h u m a n guise

and mindlessly at tacking nearly any terran creature

they m e e t up with.

It is not possible for a h u m a n to b e c o m e a were,

but it is possible for the two races to interbreed, with

a 60% chance of producing were offspring.

Contact with silver disrupts a were ' s ability to use

empath ic powers , including the projection of its

normal h u m a n facade.

A spec ia l s u b c l a s s of w e r e s is m a d e up of

h u m a n s w h o h a v e b e e n best ia l ized i n ET exper i -

m e n t s . S o m e h a v e b e e n surgical ly modified,

hav ing c a t ' s e y e s i m p l a n t e d t o improve night

vision, for e x a m p l e . O t h e r s a r e t h e resul t of

c h e m i c a l t r e a t m e n t s t ha t t h i c k e n skin, s t imu la t e

a d r e n a l i n e p roduc t ion , e t c . S o m e h a v e even

b e e n c r e a t e d by g e n e t i c man ipu l a t i on , resul t ing

in c r e a t u r e s t ha t a r e truly half h u m a n a n d half

b e a s t .

Very few of these experimental subjects survive.

Of those , m o s t a re severely crippled. Only very

rarely do individuals result who are favorably modi-

f ied. Statistics for these crea tures are as varied as

their t ypes . Generally, t he referee should choose

s tandard NPC statistics, then add a special facility,

such as the ability to spray like a skunk or to c a u s e

extra u n a r m e d m e l e e d a m a g e with claws.

(These c rea tures a re called Moreau weres in

honor of H.G. Wells' The Island of Doctor Moreau.)

In voodoo myths , t he word z o m b i generally refers

to a dead body brought back to life to serve as a

mindless slave, usually for agricultural work. In

Dark Conspiracy, there a re two different sources for

t h e s e myths , p lus o n e m o r e m o d e r n t ype of zombie.

Strength: 9Constitution: 7Agility: 3Intelligence: 1

Education: 1Charisma: 1Empathy: 1Initiative: 2

Move: 2/8/15Skill/Dam.: 5/2D6+1Hits: 15/30# Appear: 2D6

Special: None .

The first source of t h e zombie m y t h s is a special-

ized form of an imator (see above) , one powerful

enough to restore an entire corpse to physical

function. Like m u m m i e s and an imated skeletons,

this sort of zombie is not actually brought b a c k to

life; instead, it is m o v e d telekinetically by the anima-

tor dwelling within it. (This is a special use of

Telekinesis that requires no rolls for succes s or

effect.) Like other animators , t hese zombies are

usually crea ted by ETs or fey folk, to function as

guards and t roops . As a result, they are typically

m a d e with very low Intelligence, Education, and

Char isma statistics. It is possible, however, for zom-

bies to be created with high scores in these statistics

(which ought to give the PCs quite a shock the first

t ime they encounter one ) . The statistics listed above

a re for ave rage zombies .

Strength: *Constitution: *Agility: *Intelligence: *

Education: *Charisma: *Empathy: *Initiative: *

Move: *Skill/Dam.:*/*Hits:*# Appear: 1D6

*As per appropriate NPC level.

Special: None .

Moss zombies are apparent ly the result of an

exper iment in biological weaponry g o n e awry. They

are not actually co rpses brought back to life, but are

instead living crea tures infected with a bizarre form

of plant life.

The zombie m o s s can only survive in warm, wet

cl imates, such as Southeas t Asia and Indonesia,

and it only affects m a m m a l s . Appar-

ently, when a m a m m a l encounters the

m o s s , i t inhales airborne spores . Those

spores remain do rman t through m u c h

of the year, but during the rainy season ,

they suddenly sprout within the circula-

tory sys tem of their victims, givingtheir

blood (and skin) a greenish tint. As the

infection moun t s , it c a u s e s a chemical

imba lance in the hos t which gives rise

to murde rous rages , m u c h like rabies.

The significant difference is that while

rabies p roduces blind, unreasoning vio-

lence, typically occurr ing only when the

subject is s o m e h o w provoked, the zom-

bie m o s s p roduces a cold-blooded, cun-

ning murde rousnes s in which its vic-

t ims stalk others of their kind. (There

h a s been speculat ion that the murde r s

are actually intended as mercy killings,

to prevent o thers from later contracting

the infection.)

By the end of the rainy season , the

infection h a s completely f i l led the host ' s

circulatory sys tem, and the victim dies.

Within two to th ree days , the corpse

bursts open from the m o s s ' r a m p a n t

growth, and new spores a re re leased

into the air, beginning the p r o c e s s all over again.

There have been s o m e isolated reports of m o s s

zombies in Oregon.

Strength: 8Constitution: 9Agility: 5Intelligence: 2

Education: 1Charisma: 1Empathy: 3Initiative: 4

Move: 2/7/13/25Skill/Dam.: 6/2D6-1Hits: 9/18# Appear: 3D6

Special: None .

Yellow zombies a re so n a m e d b e c a u s e of t h e

putrescent , curdled, yellowish fluid that swells their

skulls and ne rve pa ths . This fluid consis ts of a type

of microorganism that combines to form a c o m m u -

nity intelligence. It feeds on h u m a n nervous t issue

and is able to st imulate musc le activity in the s a m e

way that ne rves do . In other words, it is able to

invade a h u m a n body, c o n s u m e the nervous t issue

there , and replace i t a t t he s a m e t ime, keeping the

body functioning as long as there is any nervous

t issue remaining for sus tenance .

Unfortunately, living h u m a n s m o v e too quickly

for the organism to invade, so it generally settles for

corpses , then u s e s those bodies to c rea te m o r e

corpses from the living. The zombie organism be-

gins its invasion with the brain, then works its way

outward toward t h e extremities. Note tha t the or-

gan i sm does not actually return life to the corpse,

only movemen t .

After all of the nervous t issue in a corpse h a s been

c o n s u m e d (a p roces s that t a k e s approximately

three days) , t he zombie organism m u s t m o v e on to

a new body. Each hour that it s p e n d s in a u sed -up

corpse , port ions of the communi ty begin to die

away, and control of the body steadily worsens .

Generally, when the communi ty f inal ly leaves the

old body, it does so by oozing out skull openings

such as the ea rs and nostrils. Of course, i t a t t empts

to leave the old corpse while in the vicinity of several

new o n e s , in order to split up and expand.

If the organism c a n invade a living h u m a n , it c a n

feed for nearly a week, as it does not have to

c o m p e t e for its food with normal corrupting organ-

isms. A living victim will slowly lose its personality,

memor ie s , and physical control over the course of

the first few days of this period, and will spend the

t ime in a horrific waking nightmare during which it

h a s trouble separat ing hallucinations from reality.

When running such an infected NPC, the referee

should u s e the NPC's normal statistics to begin with,

then slowly adjust t h e m to reflect the infection's

taking control.

Sources of ideas for new Darkling races surround

us every day. Novels, movies , TV, and periodicals

abound with s t range crea tures that can b e c o m e the

basis for a new threat to your PCs and the world in

which they dwell. Or you m a y have an odd idea or

two floating a round in your own head .

In order to t ranslate o n e of these crea tures into

Dark Conspiracy g a m e t e rms , first write down a

word description of the creature ' s a p p e a r a n c e and

behavior, without worrying about n u m b e r s at this

point. As you write, new ideas will c o m e to you, to

help flesh out the description.

With tha t description firmly in mind, begin think-

ing about how to translate any special powers into

rules. With the pale , for instance, we knew that we

wanted crea tures that leeched hea t in a way similar

to the m a n n e r in which traditional vampires drain

blood, including the possibility of draining just a

little, leaving the victim alive for repea ted feedings.

J u s t a little bit of playing with h u m a n body hea t and

weight revealed a relatively simple formula that

would allow referees to easily k e e p track of hours

gained for hea t drained. A little testing revealed that

' the formula allowed for draining a h u m a n entirely

and receiving a full two days of activity, as well as for

keeping the victim alive by smaller feedings every

seven hours or so . Of course , we had to set a limit

on how low the hea t could be leeched (not quite to

freezing), as well as a rationale for ruling out other

heat sources .

After all of this is done , work through the statis-

tics, assigning n u m b e r s that s e e m reasonable , given

the other crea tures in the g a m e . Human NPCs can

be a great guideline forthis. For example , if you want

someth ing about as tough as an Experienced NPC,

you should give it an Initiative of about 3, attributes

that ave rage to about 5, and a c o m b a t skill value of

4. All h u m a n NPCs have a total of 20 hit points and

can t ake 10 before they suffer the results of being

slightly wounded. You should adjust this up or down

to suit your creature . NPC u n a r m e d c o m b a t dam-

age is one- tenth of the product of Strength and Skill.

Your creature m a y do m o r e or less, depending upon

natural weapons such as claws and teeth. Ideally,

then, you should establish a die roll notation that

ave rages about the s a m e n u m b e r ( remembering

that the average on l D 6 is 3 .5 , and on 1D10 is 5.5,

so 2D6 average to 7 , 2 D 1 0 to 1 1 , etc.) . When

adjusting these things, k e e p in mind that a low-

Initiative creature n e e d s a fairly high skill level, if it

is to hit in c o m b a t at all, while a high-Initiative

creature can afford a lower skill level, as it will get

m a n y m o r e c h a n c e s to hit during the course of a

battle.

Next, if you want the creature to be just a bit

tougher, give it o n e point of body armor, represent-

ing tough hide pe rhaps , or m a k e i t somewha t more

difficult to hit, due to small size, snake-l ike quick-

ness , or the like.

Finally, if you haven ' t done so already, give the

Dark Minion a n a m e that reflects its nature, s o m e -

thing that Dark Minion hunters will have coined for

it. (Alternatively, you can start with a jazzy n a m e ,

then build the description and statistics upon it.)

Now you are ready to turn i t loose upon your PCs.

Like everything else about the Dark Minions,

Darkling technology (or DarkTek) ought to be

mysterious to the player characters. In fact, it ought

to seem almost magical, so that the PCs can never

be quite certain what the Dark Minions are capable

of, and so that humans cannot learn to mass-

produce Darkling devices. In this chapter, we dis-

cuss in detail some of the most important techno-

logical devices the Dark Minions possess.

Most Darkling devices look quasi-organic, as ifthey were exuded from a living organism, ratherthan built mechanically. (Actually, most of themare!) Machine casings look like insect carapaces ormollusk shells. Cables and wires are bumpy andunevenly sized, like vines or strands of web. Somelook like veins, carrying current through an internalfluid. The internal workings are dotted with opaquecapsules, like insect eggs, and containing sludgyfluids. Where cables connect, globs of hardenedmucous serve as solder. Exterior controls are eitherjointed, limb-like extensions that are operated bymovement, or they are blister-like lumps that areactivated by touch. Instead of dials and gauges, thedevices have color-changing windows (black andred being prevalent) through which disturbingshapes can be dimly viewed, or flexible sheets ofmaterial with raised spots that move about, as if afinger were pressing outward from the other side.

The major exception to all of this is equipmentused by the humanoid ETs. Their machinery tendsto be smooth and featureless geometric shapesmade from silvery metals or grown from crystals.Some have pastel lights glowing dimly inside.There are no visible controls: The ETs merely touchthe machinery's surfaces to activate it. This makesthe devices very difficult for humans to operate,because the touch points are not obvious.

Also, what little machinery the morlocks anddark elves use tends to be closer to the norm forhumans, because it is usually stolen from humansor copied from their designs. It is not uncommon tofind that equipment linked to items borrowed orstolen from one or another of the ET races, as well.

Referees are encouraged to let their imagina-tions run wild when describing Darkling devices.After all, the PCs are never going to be able to figureout all of a device's functions—what is most impor-tant is imagery.

In "Dark Races," we mention an empathic skillknown as Dimension Walk. This ability allowsaccess to a proto-dimension with locations thatcorrespond to locations in our own universe, but inwhich distances between those locations are muchshorter. Thus, a Dark Minion can enter a proto-dimension at, say, New York's World Trade Centerand exit again at the St. Louis Arch, without cross-ing the intervening space in our world. But not allDark Minions have this innate ability to access thatproto-dimension. Many—the ETs in particular—must rely upon special devices to provide thatability. One benefit of this is that the devices can bebuilt to open portals for much larger masses. Eventhe most powerful of the dark elves, for instance,can only open a human-sized portal with the skill(although they might be able to keep that portalopen for a relatively long time, depending upontheir skillfulness), but Dimension Walk devices canbe built to accommodate virtually any size object.

The only problem to be dealt with is the size of theprojection device itself. Dimension Walk devices

are always cubical, and portals a re always twice as

wide, tall, and d e e p as the device that genera tes

t h e m . (They appea r as a misty black cube projected

from one face of the device.) Therefore, if you want

to m o v e an au to into the proto-dimensioin, for

instance, you h a v e to genera te a portal that is as

large as the au to ' s longest dimension, which m e a n s

you need a device half as long as t h e car. I t c a n be

difficult to k e e p such a thing hidden. Also, these

devices draw a lot of electrical power, which is why

Dark Minions like to u s e megacorpora t e holdings in

large cities to h o u s e t h e m .

Each proto-dimension is in m a n y ways m u c h like

ou rown universe. It h a s "planets" circling "stars," for

example . O n e s u c h body i s the proto-dimensional

equivalent of our own Earth. But the m a s s and

energy there c a n only be perceived by the empa th ic

sense . Nonempath ic charac te rs find themse lves

seeming to float in a sort of l imbo. But when the

empath ic s ense is in operat ion, there is a sort of dark

"ground" to be "felt" underfoot, and a sort of black

"sky" to be "seen" overhead, both shot through with

t remors caused by other objects entering and leav-

ing the proto-dimension. Neither ground nor sky

h a v e any distinguishing features, though. Both

stretch blankly to the horizon.

In the most commonly used proto-dimensions, dis-

tances are about one-tenth of what they are in the normal

universe. This m e a n s that by walking for about an hour

in the proto-dimension, a humanoid Dark Minion might

cover about five kilometers; but upon returning to Earth,

it would have travelled 50 kilometers. If that same

creature took a motorcycle into the proto-dimension, it

might cover up to 20 kilometers during that hour

(considered off-road travel), equivalent to 200 kilome-

ters when it returned to Earth.

The Dark Minions a re actually able to a c c e s s

m a n y different d imensions and proto-dimensions .

Many of the d imensions are the a b o d e s of o n e or

another of the Dark Races . In future supplements ,

we will deal with s o m e of those in m o r e detail.

Meanwhile, referees should feel free to invent di-

mens ions as they s e e f i t—jus t k e e p t h e m horrific.

We have ment ioned the proto-dimensions that

are m o s t commonly used , but you m a y wish to

allow a c c e s s to other proto-dimensions, as well. For

example , if you need a creature to have truly rapid

transit be tween L.A. and New York, you might want

to have portals set up in both cities, access ing a

proto-dimension in which dis tances a re a hundredth

or a thousandth of those in the real world.

If your PCs discover a Dimension Walk device

and learn to opera te it, they m a y wish to use it

themse lves . Anyone can enter a dimensional por-

tal, but r e m e m b e r that only empath ic charac ters

c a n perceive the topology of a proto-dimension.

However, by use of H u m a n Empa t h y and Project

Thought skills, empa th ic charac te rs are able to

convey an image of their perceptions to nonempathic

charac ters . (Assume that empath ic contact , once

established, lasts the duration of the trip.)

Empa thy h a s another important function in proto-

dimensions as well: It se rves as a sort of direction

sense . In other words, empa th ic charac te rs c a n feel

the real-world locations corresponding to those in

the proto-dimension. This way they can navigate

their way through the otherwise featureless terrain.

This a s s u m e s that they h a v e m a d e a successful roll

versus their E mp a th y attribute. If they fail that roll,

they have no sense of direction; a catastrophic

failure m e a n s that they have a false sense . (Referees

should m a k e the se rolls for the players.)

Note that just as a portal is necessa ry in order to

enter a proto-dimension, another is just as neces -

sary in order to exit. Therefore, even if the PCs

capture o n e device, they will m o s t likely have to exit

at s o m e other held by Dark Minions.

Besides allowing the PCs a c c e s s to a dimensional

portal, you might dec ide to let one or m o r e of the

empath ic o n e s to learn the Dimension Walk skill. If

so, they should only be able to a c c e s s dimensions

and proto-dimensions that they have previously

visited. This prevents t h e m from becoming too

powerful, especially if you have Dark Minions begin

patrolling the ones the PCs u s e frequently. You might

even want to have one or m o r e of the dimensions or

proto-dimensions they u s e suddenly c e a s e to exist,

having been destroyed by the Dark Masters, per-

haps . That ought to give the PCs something of a

fright, especially if they a re in it when it collapses.

Another way to counterba lance the usefulness of

proto-dimensions i s to m a k e the d is tances between

proto-dimensional locations remain the s a m e as for

their real-world equivalents , but have the proto-

dimensional flow of t ime run faster. The real-world

effect is virtually the s a m e as for a distance-short-

ening proto-dimension, but the travelling characters '

percept ion is different. In our example above , we

ment ion a humano id creature entering a one-tenth

distance proto-dimension, walking five kilometers

in an hour, and reentering the real world 50 kilome-

ters distant, an effective trip of 50 kilometers in an

hour. In a 10- to-one t ime proto-dimension, the

creature would enter the proto-dimension, walk for

10 hours in order to cover 50 kilometers, then

reenter the real world only one hour later in real t ime,

again an effective trip of 50 ki lometers in an hour.

The only problem is that the creature is 10 hours

older and m u c h wearier. And if you include the

possibility of encounters in your proto-dimension, a

proto-dimensional trip of 10 hours can be m u c h

m o r e dange rous than a one-hour trip.

O n e of the m o s t h ideous of the Darkling devices

is the compu te r s used primarily by insectoid and

tentacular ETs. On the outside, these look like other

Darkling devices, but inside, suspended in a greenish

nutrient bath , are row after row of paper-thin slices

of h u m a n and animal brain t issue, serving as circuit

boards for the compute r s ' operat ion.

Every day, t h o u s a n d s of terran creatures are

killed to supply the par t s for these mach ines (many

of t h e m terminal pat ients in corporate-owned hos-

pitals and clinics). Their brains a re then sliced thin,

and the p ieces are laminated in an organic sheath-

ing. These p ieces a re then tes ted and sorted by type

of function (no two brain slices have their neurons

"wired" quite the s a m e ) , before being assembled

into comple te compute r s .

The unique nature of e a c h brain slice not only

m e a n s that e a c h m u s t be sorted by function; i t also

m e a n s that m a n y "circuits" in each slice a re entirely

unused . All t oo often, these ex t raneous circuits

house m e m o r i e s and instincts that wander about

the computer circuitry as "data ghosts ." Somet imes ,

if enough slices from a particular brain are incor-

porated into one computer , or if several compu te r s

with brain t issue in c o m m o n c o m m u n i c a t e jointly, a

partial personality is reconstructed of the creature

from which t h e brain was taken . Often, when such

a thing happens , the ETs are forced to destroy the

compute r to prevent it from shaking off their control.

On the other hand, the ETs have begun to incor-

pora te s o m e of t he se ex t raneous bits of m e m o r y

and instinct into p rogram const ructs that serve as

internal guards , hard-wired into the compute r s . For

example , s o m e empath ic ability and memor i e s

from a h u m a n might be tied to a shark ' s hunger

instinct and an electronic a t tack program, to c rea te

an electronic guard that recognizes empath ic intru-

sion and a t t acks it ferociously.

Even with the deleterious effects of the Dark

Minion-spawned Greater Depression, humani ty h a s

cont inued to increase its d e p e n d e n c e upon c o m -

pute rs and compute r networks. At the s a m e t ime,

Compute r E m p a t h y h a s begun to manifest itself in

a small port ion of the populat ion (al though m o s t

such "gifted" individuals t end to k e e p their abilities

secre t ) . The result is nowhere near being the elec-

tronic otherworld predicted in cyberpunk literature,

but s o m e interface of mind and m a c h i n e is possible.

If you run adventures with compute r empathic

characters , k e e p in mind that they cannot directly

affect the operat ion of compute r s . Compute r E m -

pathy is a receptive s ense only. What they can do ,

however, is perceive information within the com-

puter world m u c h faster than s o m e o n e watching a

monitor, and they perce ive m o r e of that information

at one t ime than d o e s a normal operator. With this

enhanced information, compute r empa th ic charac-

ters c a n opera te a compu te r m u c h m o r e easily than

can normal opera tors . They can also assist s o m e -

one who is operat ing a computer , by orally describ-

ing to the operator what they sense . (You might let

a successful compute r empa th ic character adjust

the compute r opera tor ' s skill by o n e point, two if an

outstanding succes s is rolled.)

Most compu te r s and networks such charac ters

encounter will be normal , te r ran devices. S o m e m a y

be larger and faster than others , m o r e difficult to

acces s , pe rhaps , but they will still be just mach ines .

Occasionally, however, a compute r empath ic char-

acter m a y encounter another empath ic character

within a compute r network. When this h a p p e n s , the

two charac te rs c a n c o m m u n i c a t e empathical ly with

e a c h other, using the compute r link as a sort of

carrier wave . The resultant communica t ion is ex-

tremely rapid, as if t he two were sitting in the s a m e

room and using H u m a n E m p a t h y and Project

Thought to c o m m u n i c a t e telepathically.

Even less frequently, compute r empath ic char-

ac ters m a y encounte r a Dark Minion compute r

within a network (if they perform a compute r search

into the hear t of a major corporation, for example ) .

In such a case , they are in for quite a shock when

they begin to perceive the jumble of organic m e m o -

ries swirling there. But as well, the m a c h i n e itself

m a y be able to s ense such charac ters with its

organic pa r t s (if o n e or more of its "donors" had the

Compute r E m p a t h y skill themse lves ) and a t tack

t h e m empathically. On the other hand, with its

electronic abilities, i t might react to the computer

the character is "riding." It could cut off that com-

puter ' s a c c e s s to the network, for example , or

pe rhaps invade it with a virus. It might even t ake

control of the charac te r ' s compute r and purge it of

all p rogramming not specifically hard-wired in.

As referee, you should decide the specific results

based upon your percept ion of the relative power of

the two compu te r s and the quality of task rolls by

each of the comba tan t s . (You will need to assign a

Computer Operat ion skill and E m p a t h y rating to the

Dark Minion computer . ) Computer c o m b a t is not

intended to be handled in the s a m e detail as normal

comba t , however; after all, it is a completely differ-

ent environment . Also, two important things to k e e p

in mind are that Dark Minion compu te r s can meld

empath ic skills and Computer Operat ion in ways

not possible for a h u m a n or Dark Minion, and any

encounter with t h e m ought to be horrifying for the

character involved. Finally, you need to describe

compute r interaction at the level you are familiar

with. As always, the important thing to convey is

story. Don' t think you h a v e to ment ion every switch -

ing point a long the way a character ' s goal. Instead,

you should h a v e the player m a k e skill tes ts and base

your descriptions of the action upon the quality of

those rolls.

Let's consider an example of compute r interac-

tion and comba t . Dolph, a PC with a Compute r

Operat ion skill of 6 and a Compute r Empa thy skill

of 8, is a t tempt ing to a c c e s s the Tojicorp compute r

sys tem by m o d e m and call up a personnel f i le

secured within it. What he does not know is that the

file is held within an organic compute r that h a s

developed its own limited sent ience. The referee

decides to have h im m a k e a Compute r Operat ion

test first, at Difficult level b e c a u s e the Tojicorp

sys tem is well protected. Rolling, the player suc-

ceeds , and a roll for power level ( see Empath ic

S u c c e s s in the "Task Resolution & Skill" chapter)

reveals a basic succes s , which the referee t ranslates

as having a c c e s s e d the sys t em ' s opening m e n u and

finding an entry for personnel records, but discov-

ering nothing important after doing a quick search

of what is available under that heading. Convinced

that t h e record he s e e k s i s hidden there somewhere ,

the player s ta tes that Dolph is going to a t tempt

Computer E mp a th y to feel for pa thways hidden

under undisclosed m e n u headings . The referee

agrees , again setting the task at Difficult. A S tage

Two is rolled, which the referee t ranslates as having

acces sed the line leading to the sentient computer .

Another Computer Operat ion check, this one at

Average difficulty, is called for to sea rch that

compute r ' s f i les . At the s a m e t ime, the referee rolls

for the compute r itself to empathical ly recognize the

intrusion, deciding to set the compute r ' s E mp a th y

rating at 4 and the task at Easy. Dolph 's player rolls

an outs tanding success , which the referee t rans-

lates as Dolph having found the f i le he wanted at the

t o p of the m e n u and copying i t to his compute r ' s

m e m o r y almost instantly. The Dark Minion com-

puter ' s skill check results in a S t age Two success ,

and the referee tells the player that Dolph hea r s a

menta l voice asking "Who's there?" then f inds

himself in empath ic contact with another mind. He

s e e s images of a dozen different peop le ' s lives, p lus

can some t imes link with o thers to p roduce a c o m -

bined sent ience. If t he se sen t iences are talented

enough, and lucky enough, they can e s c a p e the

notice of the Dark Minions until they have gained

enough power to protect themse lves from shut-

down. They then b e c o m e self-determined creatures

dwelling within the compute r networks. Similarly,

there are s o m e disembodied creatures , things like

ghos t s and animator spirits, tha t t a k e up res idence

within the electronic flow of the compute r networks.

Generally, all such sent iences are hostile to com-

puter empath ic h u m a n s they encounter in the net-

works. But once in a while, when working against

the Dark Minions, PCs m a y f ind themse lves being

aided by such a being if it bears a grudge against the

invaders itself.

others from the minds of lesser creatures , all jumbled

together in a horrifying muddle , a n d overlaid with an

agonizing sense of loneliness and confusion. The

charac ter m u s t m a k e an Average Willpower check

to pull free, or he will be sucked helplessly into the

nightmare . The player rolls and fails. But the referee

is feeling generous , so he h a s a friend c o m e by

Dolph 's apa r tmen t a few hours later, find Dolph

frozen in front of his compute r with t ea r s s t reaming

down his face, and turn the compute r off, breaking

t h e connect ion. He pu t s Dolph to bed, and by

morn ing the charac ter h a s recovered enough to

function o n c e again.

As a final no te concerning Dark Minion compu t -

ers, i t should be ment ioned that t he se compu te r s

As referee, you have to consider the abilities of

your g roup ' s PCs a n d present t h e m with appropri-

ately challenging opponen t s . For that reason, there

is not a lot to be said abou t an imator generators , the

m a c h i n e s by which m a n y Dark Races create life

force to an ima te nonliving objects (see "Dark

Races") . You just decide how m a n y animating

spirits you want your Dark Minions to have the PCs

encounter and what their forms and abilities ought

to be , then write t h e m down and send t h e m on their

way to play whatever par t you intend in your

nefarious s c h e m e s .

If for s o m e reason you decide to allow the PCs to

capture an animator generator and puzzle out its

operation, there are a couple of guidelines you

ought to follow. First, only allow the mach ine to

m a k e o n e animator spirit at a t ime, and have it t ake

several hours to do so . (4D6 hours is a good rule of

thumb. ) Second, don' t tell the players the exact

s ta ts of the resultant animator—descr ibe its abilities

in b road t e rms . If they are creating something

descr ibed in the "Dark Races" chapter or that you

have already designed, your job will be easy. But if

you allow t h e m to experiment a t creating something

new, have t h e m descr ibe to you what effect they are

working for, then decide for yourself what its s ta ts

ought to be . After that , h a v e t h e m m a k e a Difficult

Computer Opera t ions , Electronics, or Mechanic roll

to opera te t h e mach ine , and b a s e their s u c c e s s on

the quality of that roll. A s u c c e s s should give t h e m

an animator that ope ra t e s as planned, and an

outs tanding s u c c e s s one that is better than p lanned

in o n e m a n n e r or another. Finally, the last guideline

you should follow is that after t h e PCs have h a d the

mach ine for a while, by all m e a n s t ake it away from

t h e m again. (You might h a v e the Dark Minions give

it a remotely controlled order to destruct, for ex-

ample . ) PCs should not c o m e to rely upon s o m e sort

of magic box to do their work for t h e m . Besides,

Dark Conspiracy is supposed to be a g a m e of

constant change .

Cyborgs h a v e been discussed in two other p l aces

in this book: in "Careers" (as a character generation

possibility), and as o n e of the forms of changel ings

in "Dark Races ." To design cyborgs for adventures ,

then, referees c a n u s e the guidelines in either of

those locations. Those in "Dark Races" a re consid-

erably less complex, but t hose in the "Careers"

chapter a re m o r e detailed.

S o m e of the Dark Minions a lso u s e cyborgs as

guards and assass ins , enhanc ing their bodies and

controlling their minds . This is just what PC cyborg

e s c a p e e s were intended for. And this, then, is what

the special note for that career refers to as "unpleas-

ant consequences . " That is, if PC cyborgs m e e t up

with the Dark Minions who modified them, they m a y

be t aken over o n c e again. The referee should play

this possibility for its story value. If the PCs are

soundly thrashing a group of Dark Minions, for

example , the referee might decide to have these be

the c rea tures that crea ted the PC cyborg in the

group, a n d those crea tures might suddenly pull out

a control box or speak a c o m m a n d word to c a u s e

the cyborg to join their side of the battle. Alternately,

you might just have t h e m c a u s e the cyborg to freeze

up . Of course , you don' t have to wait until a battle

to have a group of Dark Minions a t tempt to regain

control of the PC cyborg. That a t tempt could be the

core to an entire adventure , with the Dark Minions

remotely c o m m a n d i n g the cyborg to do their bid-

ding and the PCs trying to break that control. Or

p e r h a p s the cyborg suddenly realizes that he or she

h a s a self-destruct m e c h a n i s m ticking away inside

and the PCs h a v e to find the Dark Minions respon-

sible, in order to obtain the defusing device.

Don't be hesitant to u s e and a b u s e PC cyborgs in

such ways . After all, their players were warned

about possible "unpleasant consequences" of choos-

ing the career.

If you are to run adventures with ETs, they will

need to h a v e s o m e sort of flying vehicle: a UFO.

These U F O s a re mot ivated by antigravity engines

that allow t h e m to go from a stat ionary hover to

m a c h s p e e d s nearly instantly. At the s a m e t ime,

those engines genera te gravity inside the vessels to

nega te the effects of such accelerat ion upon crea-

tures inside, and to avoid weight lessness in orbit. As

well, m o s t U F O s h a v e Dimension Walk devices built

into t h e m , to allow projection of the vessels into

proto-dimensions for even m o r e rapid travel. In

comba t , a UFO can withstand a direct hit from

anything short of a nuclear missile. Fortunately for

Earth, there are only a handful of t he se vessels in

existence, and the Dark Minions s e e m unable to

manufacture any m o r e .

Pe rhaps the m o s t important thing to r emember

about these craft, however, is that they exist in a

horror g a m e , not science-fiction. When you use

t h e m , always be searching for s o m e way to m a k e

t h e m horrific. For example , if one lands, when it

t akes off once again it should leave behind a scorched

circle with the char red b o n e s of s o m e unfortunate

animal . The sound it m a k e s when flying should

grate painfully on t h e nerves . If t he PCs get close to

one , they should feel a queasy sensation, as from

s o m e s t range sort of radiation, and it should m a k e

Geiger counters go wild. If you work to evoke such

details, you will h a v e set the s tage for your ETs to be

horrifying, as well.

J u s t as ETs n e e d UFOs , they also n e e d ad-

vanced w e a p o n s with which to slay. We call t hese

weapons , generically, dea th rays , b e c a u s e virtu-

ally any hit by o n e c a u s e s death to any living

target. There a re two basic sizes for t he se weap-

ons : hand-por tab le (pistol-sized to shoulder-

moun ted ) , and vehicular (generally moun ted on

a UFO, and powered by its engines) .

Most death rays just bum gaping holes through

whatever they hit. Optionally, you can have them

electrocute their targets or have the hit location just

burst into flames. You might even have it disintegrate

entirely or explode. The visual effect is up to you as

referee, but the end result is t h e s a m e in any

case . For referees who desire specific statistics,

the following two examples a re provided.

ROF

1

Dam

20

Pen

1

Blk

1D10

Mag

1D100

SS Brst Rng

200

Special: These w e a p o n s r ange in bulk from 1 to 10, as determined by a die roll. If a PC cap tu res

one , roll percenti le dice (secretly) to de te rmine how m a n y shots remain; i t cannot be recharged.

ROF

1

Dam

70

Pen

1

Mag

—

Rng

10,000

Special: Magazine is unlimited, as long as the powering engine remains in operat ion.

In this chapter, we provide you with s o m e adven-

tures to get your c a m p a i g n s tar ted. The f i rs t o n e is

fully developed. After that , we give you a n u m b e r of

tabloid headl ines (from actual tabloids) , e ach with

a synopsis of t h e s tory it referred to and a capsu le

description of how to u s e it for an adventure .

(In t he se adventure descript ions, t he distinction

between p layer a n d charac te r is blurred in s o m e

places . In t h e first adventure , for example , t h e

referee tells o n e of t h e players , "You have h a d a

dream." In actuality, of cour se , it is t he player 's

charac ter who h a s had t h e d r e a m , but the direct

address e n c o u r a g e s p layers to imagine themse lves

as their charac te rs . )

In this adventure , t he PCs go to Dayton, Ohio, to

investigate rumors of cannibalism in that city.

Actually, the rumors a re due to servants of a

bloodkin vampire ( see t h e Bloodkin entry in the

"Dark Races" chapter) who controls the head of the

University of Dayton ' s ROTC program. The PCs

wend their way through a welter of confusion and

danger, f inal ly to confront the bloodkin vampire

and end its reign.

To introduce your PCs to this adventure , have all

of t h e m with any empath ic rating at all m a k e an

Average test of their Empa thy attribute. Then t a k e

aside the player who s u c c e e d s by the greatest

margin, and tell that player that he or s h e h a s had

a very disturbing d r e a m . It is, in fact, t he d r e a m

ascribed to Hadyn in the "Character Generation"

chapter of this book. Ideally, you ought to relate that

d r e a m afresh to the player,

telling it in your own words.

But in any event, you should

m a k e sure that the details

and a tmosphe re of the d r e a m

are fresh in that player 's mind.

(Also, it is probably bes t if you

do not allow the player—or

any of the others , for that

mat ter—to reread the d r e a m

during play. Make him or her

rely upon memory , to s imu-

late t h e way tha t d r e a m s

slowly fade from the mind

over the course of waking

hours.)

After you have recounted

the d ream, let the player a s -

semble the rest of t h e cha rac -

ters. Encourage the players

to act out the p h o n e calls and

m e s s a g e s t h a t a r e e x -

changed , in order to get t h e m

star ted thinking in t e r m s of story-building and

playing roles.

Make certain that at somet ime during their dis-

cussion and preparat ion, the PCs ca tch a news

story or two about possible cannibal ism in Dayton.

They might be radio or TV a n n o u n c e m e n t s , or

pe rhaps newsfax accounts . In any case , if the

players ask for details, tell t h e m that the stories

concern nude bodies of home le s s people being

found in s o m e of downtown Dayton 's alleys. Ac-

cording to the stories, their throats had b e e n torn

out and other body par t s chewed to expose major

blood vessels , but there was very little blood about .

Police believed that stray animals had m a d e the

wounds and lapped up the blood, but the reporter

insisted that the killings were by cannibals , b e c a u s e

the wounds indicated blunter teeth, as of h u m a n s .

Considered together, t he murde r s have all occur red

within a three-block radius of Deeds Park, which is

located on North Dixie Drive, where the Mad River

m e e t s the Miami River (see the m a p of Dayton) .

Depending upon what par t of the world your PC

group works from, the charac te rs m a y have from a

few hours ' drive to multiple hours of flight t ime to

travel to Dayton. This is a perfect t ime to introduce

a r a n d o m encounter. The encounter will he lp to

m a k e the players feel that the world is big—there is

a lot going on in it tha t doesn ' t directly concern

them—but b e c a u s e their investigation h a s barely

begun, the encounter will not disrupt it unduly or

confuse t h e m . As always, you should c h o o s e

something appropriate to the specific c i rcumstances

your group is in.

O n c e your PCs r each Dayton, have t h e m take

care of m u n d a n e details such as where they are

going to stay, how they a re going to get around town,

etc . Unless they c a m e from s o m e p l a c e very near,

they a re going to be somewha t weary from their

travel, so m a k e sure they t ake t ime to eat and s leep

before getting into any serious investigation. They

can t ake par t of this t ime to plan their investigation,

if they like.

O n c e your PCs a re settled in, they will m o s t likely

spend the next few nights patrolling the streets of

downtown Dayton, hopingto ca tch at least a glimpse

of the cannibals . This is really their only good option,

b e c a u s e they have no other leads at present . But let

t h e m try whatever else they might c o m e up with;

just h a v e t he se other opt ions c o m e up pretty m u c h

as dead ends . For example , they might decide to

question the reporter who wrote the stories about

cannibalism, but when they check , they f ind that he

h a s d isappeared . (He is hot on the trail of the

"cannibals" himself, as will be revealed in the final

two scenes . )

They could go to the police, of course , if they

don' t mind drawing official attention to themselves .

Because the PCs are out-of-towners, however, the

police will be very surly toward them, p e r h a p s even

abusive. Eventually, they will throw the PCs out,

threatening to lock t h e m up for obstructing justice.

In general , the purpose of this portion of the

adventure is both to establish the a tmosphe re of

Dayton and to frustrate the PCs somewhat , so that

when the at tack in the next s cene c o m e s , it will be

all t he m o r e exciting.

If they continue to stalk the streets at night, on

their third evening in town the PCs discover another

victim. The first inkling they get is when they spot a

bare foot and lower leg protruding from the shadowy

mou th of an alley into the moonlight. When they

investigate, they find the nude body of a dirty,

middle-aged m a n , his throat torn out and his limbs

gnawed horribly. A Difficult test of Observat ion or

Tracking reveals several sets of booted footprints

leading deeper into the alley. If t he PCs follow them,

they find that the prints run all t he way to the next

street, where the imprint of a heavy tire can be found

in a pa tch of m u d in the gutter. F rom appea rances ,

a group of half a dozen "cannibals" boarded a truck

at this spot and drove away.

The next evening after the PCs find the body of the

old m a n , they f ina l ly m e e t up with the crea tures

behind the killings. As they are patrolling the streets,

m a k e an Average test of Observat ion secretly for

each of t h e m . T hose who succeed notice that they

are being followed by darkly clothed, pale-skinned

figures that flit silently from shadow to shadow, just

as in the empa th ic charac te r ' s d ream. They are

lesser vampi res (as described in t h e "Dark Races"

chapter and t h e next p a g e ) , and they serve a

bloodkin vampire that they know only as The

Master, who hides out at a farm outside of the city.

The Master a lways a p p e a r s to t h e m as an elegant

human , and he h a s convinced t h e m that a s he feeds

on them, they are becoming immorta ls just like

himself. (Of course , they have been duped in this.

Not only are they not immortal , but neither is he.)

From t ime to t ime, The Master lets t h e m t a k e a t ruck

into town to hunt , in order to replenish their blood.

They a lways park t h e truck in Deeds Park, and

range from there .

If possible, h a v e t h e s e lesser vampi res tailing an

individual PC. But if the PCs a re travelling in groups ,

just m a k e certain that there a re twice as m a n y lesser

vampi res as PCs, and play up the elusiveness of

their m o v e m e n t s , so that the PCs cannot be quite

certain just how m a n y there really are . Of course ,

they have no way of knowing just what they are ,

either. You want to m a k e the se crea tures s e e m as

threatening as possible, in order to get the players

quite worked up before they are a t tacked.

When tha t a t tack c o m e s , however, i t turns out to

be a fiasco. While the vampi res fight ferociously,

they are a r m e d only with tooth and nail. Against

u n a r m e d street people that h a s always been suffi-

cient. But against a r m e d PCs, it is another thing

entirely. Most likely, your PCs will be carrying at least

switchblades and pistols. The vampi res believe

themse lves i m m u n e to t hem, so they do not t ake the

precaut ions normal opponen t s would (they don' t

bother to dodge , for ins tance) . As a consequence ,

you should treat any successful hit on o n e of these

lesser vampi res as fatal.

When the f i rs t o n e falls, t he o thers suddenly lose

all faith in their immortality, a n d they flee, s c ream-

ing, from the PCs . Panic lends wings to their feet, and

they split up in all different directions, so most , if not

all, of t h e m should m a n a g e to e s c a p e . All except the

o n e the PCs killed, tha t is. When the PCs investigate

his body, they find that he is wearing military

fatigues with a second l ieutenant 's bars on the collar

and the n a m e "Snyder" on the breast pocket . There

is no unit pa tch on his shoulder. Although the

players will have no way of knowing as yet tha t he

was suffering from iron-deficiency porphyria, be

certain to descr ibe his physical a p p e a r a n c e to t h e m

(see the "Bloodkin" entry in the "Dark Races"

chap te r on p a g e 2 1 3 - 2 1 5 for details).

After the PCs have h a d a few minutes to look him

over, police car sirens c a n be heard approaching.

S o m e o n e in a nearby building heard the vampires

screaming and called the police. If t he PCs stick with

the body, they are certain to be arrested on suspi-

cion of murder, to be re leased later only upon

paymen t of a bond of $ 5 0 0 0 ap iece . If, instead, they

flee, they can get back to their hotel room without

too m u c h trouble. A few hours later, they will be

wakened by a police officer who wants to question

t h e m about t h e body, but he is mere ly par t of a group

of police canvas ing the entire area and does not

suspec t t h e PCs m o r e than a n y o n e else.

The PCs now have an important clue to the

identity of the Dayton "cannibals": The fact that at

least one of t h e m was a Lieutenant Snyder, appar-

ently an Air Force lieutenant. It is m o s t likely that

they will do s o m e sort of compute r search of Wright-

Pat terson 's personnel listings, p e r h a p s going to the

Air Force b a s e to do so. But this will reveal no listing

for Snyder.

If they somehow check the Dayton police files,

they will find that the police have identified the

victim as J a c k Snyder, a s o p h o m o r e s tudent a t t he

University of Dayton, who h a s been on the missing

pe r sons list for about two weeks . If the PCs think to

check for a forensics report , they will learn that

Strength: *Constitution: *Agility: *intelligence: *

Education: *Charisma: *Empathy: *Initiative: 5/*

Move: *Skill/Dam.: */*Hits: *# Appear: 3D6

*As per human NPCs.Special: Averse to bright light and garlic, initiative 5 until one is downed,

then normal Initiative (see below).Human victims of a vampire typically suffer from a related disease called

iron-deficiency porphyria. This disease causes the gums to recede, makingthe teeth look elongated, and creates a craving for blood in its victims. As well,bright light becomes painful to their eyes, and certain natural chemicals ingarlic makes them nauseous. Historically, bloodkin vampires have oftenplayed upon these symptoms, telling their victims that they are becomingimmortal vampires as well, thus adding more confusion to the vampirelegends.

Referees should choose an NPC experience level for these "lesser vam-pires," based upon where they were "recruited" from. However, because theybelieve themselves to be immortal, they will attack with incredible feroci ty-treat them as having an Initiative 5, regardless of actual NPC level—until oneof their number dies. At that point, they revert to their normal Initiative andattempt to flee. Unfortunately, by the next time they are encountered, theirmaster will have convinced them of their immortality once again (explainingaway their comrade's death as a fluke or illusion, perhaps).

Snyder was suffering from iron-deficiency porphyria

and also h a s several se t s of paired bite m a r k s on his

neck, s o m e m o r e fully healed than others . A search

of back issues of newspape r s will a lso reveal the fact

that J a c k Snyder was listed as a missing person,

and it will give the n a m e of his girlfriend—Lori

MacNamar ra—who turned in the missing person

report .

If the PCs m a n a g e to convince Snyder ' s girlfriend

to talk with t hem, s h e will reveal that he d i sappeared

along with a couple of buddies , and that the last

p lace she r e m e m b e r s h im going to was an ROTC

pat ty at t he country h o m e of Major Gerald Leeds,

the university's ROTC director. Checking with any

other offices on c a m p u s will generally result in an

answer of "I'm sorry, but we are not authorized to

give out that sort of information." If the PCs are

especially convincing at o n e of t h e s e offices, they

will learn only that Snyder was an above-average

student and a m e m b e r of ROTC. It is easy enough

for t h e m to learn that Major Leeds is the director of

the ROTC p rog ram.

It is likely that your PCs will go to the ROTC office

to interview Major Leeds and that they will try to

interview Snyder ' s girlfriend, Lori MacNamarra , as

well. If they call Lori's do rm room, a r o o m m a t e will

answer and explain that Lori is at c lass . S h e will not

give out any other information, but will t ake a

m e s s a g e to have Lori call the PCs when s h e returns.

Major Leeds is m u c h easier to find. His secretary

will m a k e an appoin tment for the PCs for whatever

t ime they like, provided that it is during normal

bus iness hours . Or the PCs can talk to Leeds by

p h o n e . Either way, Leeds will tell t h e m that he knows

nothing m o r e about Snyder ' s d i sappearance . He

will say that Snyder did c o m e to the ROTC par ty at

his country house , but he left about midnight, and

that Leeds did not see him again after that . If the PCs

m e e t Leeds in person, play him according to the

description on the next p a g e .

The m o s t important thing for a referee to k e e p in

mind during this s c e n e is that the PCs have to

b e c o m e suspicious that Leeds w a s s o m e h o w in-

volved in Snyder ' s original d i sappearance , so that

they will want to investigate Leeds ' country p lace . If

the PCs do not b e c o m e suspicious enough after

investigating Leeds, you c a n have Lori MacNamarra

tip t h e m off. If Lori d o e s not know of their investiga-

t ion, a n d therefore c a n n o t call t h e m , you migh t

e v e n h a v e a hint d r o p p e d by a po l i ce de tec t ive

w h p c o n t a c t s t h e P C s a b o u t S y n d e r ' s d e a t h . O n e

way o r ano ther , t h e n , you h a v e to ge t t h e m

poin ted t oward t h e c o u n t r y h o u s e , in order for

t h e nex t s c e n e t o t a k e p l a c e .

Having l ea rned of L e e d s ' involvement with

Snyder ' s d i sappearance , the PCs go to Leeds '

country house to t ake a surreptitious look around.

The p lace is located along a secondary road about

20 ki lometers southwest of Dayton, an agricultural

area that h a s s ince been abandoned . The grounds

are fenced in and heavily wooded up front; to either

side are cattle pas tu res now gone to waist-high

weeds and brush. Beyond the wood lies a cleared

area containing t h e h o u s e and barn, and behind that

is land that used to be cornfields. (See the diagram

on p a g e 251 for details.)

Most likely, the PCs will a t t empt to sneak onto the

property, mos t likely through the cover of the wood,

in o rde r to scout the p lace out. (If, instead, they drive

right up the lane to t h e house , skip this scene and go

to the next: The Master Takes Right .) As they slip

through t h e woods , however, g u a r d s a re waiting for

them. If t he PCs m a k e their a t tempt at night (which

is probable) , t hese guards a re m o r e lesser vampires

who h a v e been convinced that they are immortal

and that Snyder ' s dea th was b e c a u s e he lost faith in

The Master. During the day, the lesser vampires are

replaced by new recruits (Novice NPCs) who want

to prove their worthiness to become lesser vampires.

In either ca se , let the PCs work their way to about

the middle of the wood, then tell t h e m that they spot

multiple figures flitting through the t rees ahead of

t h e m . As they watch, m o r e and m o r e f igu res ap -

pear, until it is obvious that the PCs are terribly

Level: Exper ienced

Skills: Act/Bluff 6, Leadership 5, Instruction 5, Melee

C o m b a t (Unarmed) 4 , Persuasion 6 , Small Arms (Pistol) 4 ,

Willpower 4

Initiative: 3

Physical Description: Major Leeds is a slim m a n of

modera t e height, with a thinning gray crewcut and a pencil

m o u s t a c h e . He a p p e a r s to be in his mid-50s . An ea sy smile

is generally upon his lips, but his eye s shift about continu-

ously, as if his mind is constantly working to recognize an

advan tage to be gained in every situation.

Motivation: Spade King: Major Leeds is completely self-

centered but highly charismatic . He h a s obtained his present ,

quite comfortable, position through careful manipulat ion of

those a round him, feigning friendship with t hose in power and

creating scanda l s abou t those who have stood in his way. In

person, he is quite likable, but he u s e s peop le for his own

ends . A few m o n t h s a g o , he m e t a bloodkin vampire who

promised him wealth and power if he would serve as a

recruiter of "servants" for The Master to feed upon . Leeds h a s

used his position as h e a d of the University of Dayton 's ROTC

program to lure healthy young s tudents out to his country

house , where The Master is hidden.

Diamond Queen: Leeds also h a s an insatiable lust for

young women . In fact, o n e of t h e pr imary r e a s o n s that he

agreed to shelter The Master and work for him is b e c a u s e he

gets his pick of all females that a re "recruited." Leeds h a s

quite a h a r e m of young w o m e n (whom The Master h a s

drained of their will) locked up in his country house .

outnumbered . Soon, m o r e f igures a re visible to their

f lanks , and as the PCs retreat, t he f igures try to

outrun t h e m , to cut t h e m off from e s c a p e . Eventu-

ally, the PCs will be forced to fight just to get free.

Their a t t ackers a re u n a r m e d ( h u m a n guards have

melee weapons ) , but there a re so m a n y of t h e m .

The trick is to m a k e t h e PCs feel ou tnumbered

enough to retreat, without mak ing i t s e e m that there

is an entire a rmy b a s e d at the farm. You might even

want to h a v e s o m e new guards arrive with f i rearms,

if necessary, to m a k e the PCs flee. Also, have the

guards m o v e faster than the PCs, especially if the

PCs s top occasionally to f i re , so that they will be

closing on them, and eventually the PCs will be

reduced to f igh t ing hand to hand .

J u s t when things begin to s e e m hopeless , how-

ever, a new factor enters the conflict: The PCs see a

pair of headlights rushing headlong ac ross the

pas ture toward t h e m , as i f intent u p o n running t h e m

down (or they hear its motor and suspension buck-

ing as it c rosses t h e pas ture , if it's daylight). But as

the vehicle ge ts closer, t he PCs ' a t tackers flee from

it. Finally, the PCs recognize it as a m a n in a jeep ,

with flourescent black lights s t rapped to the frame

and roll bar. He is firing an Uzi into the air as he

approaches , to help drive the creatures away.

Stopping in front of the PCs, the m a n yells for

them to get in, then he drives t h e m back to the road.

Along the way, he introduces himself as Fred Brody,

writer of the articles about the Dayton cannibals

(see the s idebar) . He and his brother had been

investigating the story and had learned that the

creatures are actually vampires . Theorizing that

they are susceptible to ultraviolet light, his brother,

an electronics expert , c rea ted two scratch-built GV

lasers, but before they could c o m e to the farm with

them, Leeds hired s o m e thugs to have his brother

killed. Now that the PCs have b e c o m e involved,

Brody h o p e s that they will join forces with him.

The lasers a re in the back of the j eep . Each

consis ts of a bazooka-sized firing mechan i sm, at-

t a c h e d / b y electrical cables to a b a c k p a c k rack

containing 12 car batteries, a very heavy contrap-

tion ( see s ta ts in s idebar) . Fred intends to use one ,

but any of the PCs c a n u s e the other, which had been

intended for his brother. He explains that they had

better decide quickly, b e c a u s e the head vampire is

sure to flee the farm any m o m e n t now, and he wants

to kill it before it can get away.

Brody p resses to m a k e an immedia te at tack on

the farm house , using the vehicles to get down the

lane quickly before The Master can e scape . If the

PCs stall him, within a few minutes they will see a

limousine leave the farm in a great hurry. It is The

Master and a few loyal se rvants fleeing to no p lace

in particular, merely away. Immediately thereafter,

a van full of other se rvants follows. If the PCs want

to give chase , the referee will have to wing it.

Level: Exper ienced

Skills: Foreboding 6, Observat ion 6, Melee Comba t (Un-

a rmed) 4, Small Arms (Rifle) 4, Willpower 4

Initiative: 3

Physical Description: Fred Brody is tall and athletic, with

clear blue eyes and a shock of red hair. He always wears a

preoccupied expression, as if he is puzzling out something

new every m o m e n t . His a g e is 3 2 .

Motivation: Spade 10: Brody is ambi tous , but that ambition

t akes the form of always digging for the truth, not necessarily

just to s e e his n a m e in print. He is a devoted journalist.

Heart 7: Also, Brody is fairly outgoing, and despite his

preoccupied look, he is very good at remember ing n a m e s

and details, which m a k e s people feel that he ca res about

them. Most of his friends would describe him with the word

"trustworthy."

Ammo: —Wt: 26 kg (Carbine: 5 kg, Backpack: 21 kg)Mag: A backpack is good for 12 shots per chargePrice: $12,000 (—/—)

RecoilWeaponUV Laser

ROF(1)*

Dam12

Pen2

Blk5

Mag—

SS—

Brst—

Rnq60

*One shot per 30 seconds.

If, however, t he PCs agree with Brody, they will

arrive at the farm h o u s e just as The Master 's limo is

preparing to leave. The driver is the last to get inside,

and the van behind the limo is still being loaded. As

the PCs approach , three lesser vampires with CJzis

t ake up position behind the van and fire on t h e m .

While the van blocks the lane be tween the house

and barn, the limo p repa res to m a k e a swing around

the barn, in order to e s c a p e pas t the PCs ' vehicles.

From this point on, the adventure devolves to a

straightforward firefight.

After The Master and his se rvants have been

defeated, have the players wind down by describing

in brief their p lans for returning h o m e . Mention that

a few days later new stories surface about s o m e sort

of an a r m e d feud on a farm near Dayton, and that

the bodies of several s tudents from the University of

Dayton were found there , m a n y of t h e m people who

had been reported as missing persons . There a re no

m o r e stories about cannibals in Dayton. (You might,

however, want to ment ion other stories that c a n lead

to the PCs ' next adventure , so that they can be

puzzling over t h e m until you m e e t next.)

This adventure should give the PCs a b a s e of

about 2 exper ience points each , pe rhaps 3. They

m a y earn more than that if, at adventure ' s end, the

referee or their pee r s dec ide that they have d o n e

something unusually valorousor entertaining. They

won't have been paid anything for this adventure ,

but they might have acquired s o m e m o r e equip-

men t that m a y be of u s e in the future.

Strength: 4Constitution: 7Agility: 9Intelligence: 8

Education: 3Charisma: 12Empathy: 15Initiative: 6

Move: 3/9/16/32Skill/Dam.: 8/1D10Hits: 25/50# Appear: 1

Special: Bioodkin vampires are treated as having an overall body armorvalue of 1. They do not suffer double damage from head hits, like mostNPCs, and they heal very quickly from wounds (see below).

Vampires, the smaller bioodkin, are much more intelligent than theirlarger brothers, and are also highly empathic. As a consequence, they relymuch more upon guile than upon brute force (although they are no strangerto that, e|ther). A vampire will use its powers of thought projection to makeitself appear as an attractive human, then use emotion projection to drawvictims near enough to be feasted upon. Generally, however, a vampire willnot kill its victim immediately, but will instead keep a coven of victims, allweakened from blood loss, to serve it as slaves and bring it more victims.

Like trolls, vampires heal naturally from wounds at the following rates:slight, 1 hour; serious, 1 day; critical 3 days. For each pint of blood theyconsume, they heal one wound level almost instantaneously (effectivelywithin one combat phase). This means that a normal human body, ifcompletely drained of blood, will heai six wound levels for a vampire.

As with trolls, UV light does extra damage to vampires. Normal daylightdoes two points of damage per combat phase, as do black lights. OV lasersdo double their listed damage. Thermite and white phosphorous explosionsdo UV damage per the concussion rules, in addition to concussion damage.

story, t h e body is actually that of a criminal who had

b e e n shot repeatedly. But an a m b u l a n c e at tendant

thought it was Iglesias, and the story spread rapidly,

even prompt ing suicide a t t empt s a m o n g Iglesias'

fans.

Adventure: W h a t if it real ly were J u l i o Iglesias

w h o w a s killed, a n d he h a s b e e n r e p l a c e d by a

c h a n g e l i n g . A poss ib l e plot m igh t work like th is :

da rk e lve s kill Ig les ias a n d r e p l a c e h im with a

c h a n g e l i n g , bu t s o m e o n e s a w i t h a p p e n a n d

s p r e a d t h e story, which t h e d a r k e lves t h e n h a d

to s u p p r e s s . I f t h e P C s go to Toyalt i ta , Mexico,

w h e r e t h e killing t o o k p l a c e , t hey find t h e m -

se lves t h e t a rge t o f a t t a c k s by o the r c h a n g e l i n g s

p l an t ed t o k e e p a n y o n e from finding ou t t h e

t ru th . Meanwhi le , t h e d a r k e lve s a r e us ing t h e

false Igles ias t o g e t c lo se to o t h e r f a m o u s s inge r s

a n d r e p l a c e t h e m , a s well. Thei r intent i s t o p u t

t o g e t h e r a mul t i - s ta r c o n c e r t a t Madi son S q u a r e

G a r d e n in Mew York, which t h e y h a v e b o o b y

t r a p p e d t o c o l l a p s e into a n u n d e r g r o u n d c a v e r n ,

killing a n d m a i m i n g t e n s of t h o u s a n d s of s p e c t a -

to r s . T h e P C s h a v e t o d i scove r t h e d a r k e lves plot

a n d s t o p i t before i t c o m e s to fruition.

The following are s o m e of t h e bes t stories from

actual tabloids, stories which c a n easily be con-

verted into Dark Conspiracy adventures . In each

case , we give you the actual headline and the tabloid

it c a m e from, followed by a synopsis of the story and

a general outline of a sugges ted adventure to be run

from it. We a lso include other interesting headl ines

from e a c h issue, so that you c a n obscure the

significance of t h e major story by using the o thers as

red herr ings. Following the se examples , you can

develop adventures from tabloids you find, allowing

you to hand the tabloid to your players as their PCs '

daily news .

Synopsis : This front-page headline h a s a color

pho to of t h e corpse in the morgue , and it does ,

indeed, resemble Jul io Iglesias. According to the

Referees m a y wish to include t he se as back-

ground for the Iglesias story, or p e r h a p s even de-

velop t h e m into adven tures as well.

Horror of the Screaming Skull: According to the

account , t h e skull of a m a n wrongfully hanged for

rape on July 3 , 1701 h a s haun ted ever s ince the

cast le he owned. E a c h year, on the annivesary of his

death, the skull h a s a sc reaming fit , threatening

d o o m to everyone within earshot . People who have

tried to r e m o v e t h e skull from the table where it rests

have all died mysteriously.

Dolphins Trained to Kill Frogmen with N o s e

Guns: The US Navy is strapping .45-caliber weapons

to t h e n o s e s of dolphins and training t h e m to butt up

against swimmers , causing the guns to fire.

Five-Month-Old Baby Charged with Murder: In

this story, the aforementioned baby h a s killed nurses

with b e a m s of light from its eyes . It was caught in the

act by a hospital security guard watching by r emote

c a m e r a .

Nine-Year-Old Is a Miracle Healer: According to

this story, Helena Molinez of Villa Maria, Chile, h a s

even performed surgery with a rusty knife and her

pat ients a re healed. Pe rhaps the PCs would like to

recruit this young e m p a t h . Perhas s o m e secret lab

will bea t t h e m to it.

Synopsis: Kristin Leone, a nine-year-old native

of Minneapolis, Minnesota, w a s hear tbroken when

her mate rna l grandfather, Ralph Davenport , died of

cancer . O n e S u n d a y morning after church, about a

mon th after he died, an old p h o n e in the family's

attic—a p h o n e that had been d i sconnec ted—began

ringing, and when t h e paren t s answered it, t he voice

on the o ther end identified itself as belonging to the

dead m a n . He a sked to s p e a k to Kristin, and encour-

aged her not to lose herself in mourn ing for him.

Now he calls her every Sunday.

Adventure: If we a s s u m e that "disconnected"

m e a n s canceled by the p h o n e company , not physi-

cally disconnected, then this story b e c o m e s a per-

fect opportunity for the PCs to m a k e contact with a

Dark Minion compute r that h a s slipped free of Dark

Minion control. According to this theory, the Dark

Minions took Ralph Davenpor t from the Minneapo-

lis hospital shortly before his death, and removed

his brain to slice and u s e for circuitry in s o m e of their

compu te r s (see the "DarkTek" chapter ) .

But Davenport was a s tubborn old coot with a

high E mp a th y rating, and his brain t issue soon

reintegrated itself into his own personality. Now that

brain h a s the power of a n u m b e r of Dark Minion

compu te r s at its control, and i t h a s used t h e m to

manipula te t h e Minneapolis p h o n e sys tem, in order

to reopen the line to the attic phone , so that he could

call his family for help. He n e e d s s o m e o n e to c o m e

take t h e various compu te r s his brain is divided

a m o n g and hide t h e m from the Dark Minions before

they recognize his integration and shut h im down.

Unfortunately, t he story h a s hit t he pape r s , and if

someth ing isn't d o n e soon, i t will be t o o late.

If t h e PCs investigate this story, they will h a v e to

have s o m e o n e with Computer Empa thy run the

p h o n e lines f rom the attic phone , to discover where

Davenpor t ' s c o m p o n e n t compu te r s are located.

T h e n they will h a v e to infiltrate e a c h location a n d

steal the compute r there . I t won' t be an easy task ,

especially as e a c h t ime they disconnect a compute r

to m o v e it, Davenpor t ' s personality will fragment.

But if they m a n a g e to pull it all off, they will have a

sentient supe rcompute r as a life-long friend.

S o m e of t h e m are s t range, but e a c h of these

stories c a n a d d to the Dark Conspiracy a t m o s p h e r e .

Hitler Captured: Actually, this story got the big-

gest typeface on the cover. Apparently, the m o r e

than 100-year-old Nazi leader w a s on his way to

Iraq, to help S a d d a m Hussein defeat t h e A m e r i c a n

forces there . However, he was captured by South

American Nazi hunters .

Hitler is just t he sort of bigger-than-life figure who

could easily be a Dark Minion himself, t hus ac -

counting for his age .

Sky Diver Plunges Two Miles—And Lives!: Mike

Butela had quite a fright when his pa rachu te wouldn't

o p e n during a skydiving event. But miraculously, he

survived the fall. Butela s ays that he b lacked out

before he hit t he ground, and then he doesn ' t

r e m e m b e r anything until he felt himself moving his

legs. The story does not s ta te what his injuries were,

so you c a n a s s u m e (for p u r p o s e s of an adventure)

that he woke up without any. Perhaps Butela is

actually a very advanced empath ic healer who fixed

himself up without knowing it. Alternatively, he m a y

have been sna tched by extraterrestrials while fall-

ing, and the m e m o r y of the subsequent experi-

m e n t s b lacked out. He might be s o m e o n e interest-

ing for t h e PCs to m a k e contac t with.

Crippled UFO S e n d s S O S to Earth: Supposedly,

scientists have received a m a y d a y m e s s a g e from a

passenger UFO blown out of existence by an e n e m y

warship near t h e Great Cluster of Hercules. The

m e s s a g e h a s t aken 2 5 , 0 0 0 yea r s to get here . Of

course , there m a y actually be a proto-dimension

s o m e w h e r e in which t ime runs backward or s o m e -

thing, so that another UFO could still leave Earth

and aid the be leaguered vessel . Or m a y b e the story

is just a hoax perpetra ted by the ETs to k e e p us from

realizing that U F O s c o m e f rom inside the Earth, as

an ad in this issue claims.

Six-Foot Lobster Turns Deep-Sea Divers Into

Jellyfish: A restaurant owner in Prestwick, Scotland,

is offering $ 1 5 , 0 0 0 for anyone who will ca tch it so he

c a n cook it. What if the lobster is just the first

evidence of a subs tance that c rea tes giant creatures

as in H. G. Wells' Food of the Gods?

Synopis: Benjamin Couch was found beside a

Georgia highway, wearing the uniform of a Confed-

erate private, and with a Yankee m u s k e t ball lodged

in his left leg. He c la ims he w a s fighting in t h e Battle

of Gettysburg, when suddenly he was shot in the leg

and began to bleed severely. He b lacked out f rom

shock a n d blood loss, only to f ind himself in 1990.

Historians have found records of his service in the

Confederate Army, and psychiatrists have deter-

mined that he is quite sane . He is now being held in

a government hospital for reeducat ion, in order to

integrate h im into our society.

Adventure: Couch ' s story is exactly t rue. He is a

natural e m p a t h of great power, one of the few

h u m a n s to ever deve lop t h e Dimension Walk skill

without having been taught it. In the stress of the

Battle of Gettysburg, his mind reached out and

t apped into a nearby proto-dimensional portal ,

which s o m e h o w launched him into the future. The

humano id ETs want h im in order to de te rmine how

he did it, so that they c a n exploit t ime travel to their

own advan tage . E lements of the CIS government

want him as a weapon with which to c o m b a t the

Dark Minion invasion. If t he PCs believe the story

printed abou t him, they m a y want to rescue him, to

allow him to live as a free m a n . But they have to find

him f i rs t , and both the Dark Minions and the govern-

men t are going to do everything possible to s top

them.

Them!: Mutilated corpses of beautiful w o m e n have

been discovered in woods of Portugal, Spain, France,

and even Italy. Apparently, the w o m e n were killed,

then their hear ts , lungs, and brains, were removed,

cooked, and eaten. Authorities a re looking for an

e s c a p e d man iac n a m e d Isidro Lopez Cruz, certain

that he is responsible. But what if he is actually a

d u p e for s o m e larger evil?

Runaway Chainsaw Tried to Kill Me!: Breg Waller,

of Colombia, South Carolina, nearly h a d his foot

r emoved by a cha insaw when he dropped it. Waller

claims it was a natural accident, b e c a u s e he had

disconnected the automat ic kill switch. Of course ,

as Dark Conspiracy referees, we know that Colom-

bia h a s recently been the s c e n e of n u m e r o u s acci-

dents involving mach ines that c o m e to life. Waller is

merely afraid to admit the truth: The cha insaw had

a mind of its own.

Each of t he se stories is also ripe for use as the

core to an adventure .

Miracle Pooch C o m e s Back From the Dead!: A

puppy owned by 11-year-old Evan Davies, of Builth

Wells, Wales, followed a rabbit down a hole and did

not return for 36 days . During that t ime, Davies kept

a vigil by the hole, calling the dog ' s n a m e out

repeatedly. Eventually, the dog returned from the

hole, in perfect heal th, and Davies is tickled pink.

But what if it is not really his dog, but a morlock

device sent to lure Davies, and then other children,

into their underground lair?

Bigfoot Tracks Found!: Cliff Crook, of Bothell,

Washington, h a s found h u m a n footprints seven

inches wide by 14 inches long in the Pacific North-

west. He claims it is a print from Bigfoot, a tall, half-

h u m a n , half-ape creature with a powerful stink. If, as

referee, you throw in a couple of mauled c a m p e r s ,

you h a v e t h e m a k i n g s of an ogre or troll adventure

on your hands .

Escaped Maniac Butchers Beauties—And Eats

Equipment listings in Dark Conspiracy

include an availability code next to the

price. The availability code is in two parts.

The code to the left of the slash m e a n s

availability status without contacts; the

code to tile right of the slash m e a n s

availability with contacts (how contacts

work into it is explained on pages 19-23).

The abbreviations are: V=very common,

C=common, S=scarce, and R=rare. A

dash m e a n s unavailable except a t

referee's discretion. Weight remains the

s a m e in all versions.

Some entries contain additional infor-

mation. Some items (mainly weapons

and vehicles) are covered in data cards.

These are intended to be photocopied

and rearranged, enabling each player

and referee to assemble weapon arrays to

suit individual situations. Players and

referees have permission to photocopy

the data cards for personal use.

Note that genuine d o c u m e n t s c a n

be obtained through the normal chan-

nels for such things, a n d usually in-

volve only nominal fees. Weight is

negligible in all c a se s .

Forged Passport, Ordinary Iden-

tity Papers, etc.:

Price: $1500 (—/S).

Other Forged Document: The ref-

eree m a y c h a n g e the price or avail-

ability for extremely rare or hard to

duplicate d o c u m e n t s .

Price: $1000 (—/S).

Security Pass: This is a piece of plastic

approximately eight centimeters by five

centimeters. It carries a photo of the

bearer, fingerprints, and a bar code that

can be read by security robots and elec-

tronic locks. The barcode is generated by

machine that encodes a retina scan of the

bearer. meaning that the challenging ma-

chine must also take a retina scan and

compare it with the card for complete

identification. Scanning machines can

do this from a distance of up to one meter.

The machine works fast enough that

several scans can be m a d e in a few

hundredths of a second, minimizing po-

tential for error.

Unavailable except through proper

channels .

Price: None (—/—).

Forged Security Pass: Unavailable

except through criminal, police, or gov-

ernment connections. Price depends on

sensitivity of installation the pass gives

access to (referee's discretion).

Price: $ 1 0 , 0 0 0 - 1 0 0 , 0 0 0 (—/S).

Commonly available fuels include:

Alcohol:

Wt: 1 kg per liter.

Price: $ .35 per liter (C/C) .

Avgas:

Wt: 1 kg per liter.

Price: $ .50 per liter (C/C) .

Diesel:

Wt :1 kg per liter.

Price: $ .40 per liter (C/C) .

Gasoline:

Wt: 1 kg per liter.

Price: $ .50 per liter (V/V).

A tripod for a weapon mus t be

purchased separately.

NLT (NATO Light Tripod): Accepts

M60 and MG3.

Wt: 7 kg.

Price: $ 5 0 0 (—/C).

NMT (NATO Medium Tripod): Ac-

cep t s MAG.

Wt: 10 kg.

Price: $ 6 5 0 (—/C).

NHT (NATO Heavy Tripod): Ac-

cep t s M2HB, and Mk-19.

Wt: 2 2 kg.

Price: $ 8 0 0 (—/C).

Weights per magazine include weight

of magazine (which is negligible in most

cases) and ammunition.

Magazines are purchased separately

and cost $ 1 per three rounds of capacity,

except the l000-round drum for 5.56mm

N ammunition, which costs $200.

Longbow Arrow:

Wt: 3 kg per 24 .

Price: $ 3 6 per 24 (C/C) .

Crossbow Bolt:

Wt 3 kg per 24 .

Price: $ 3 6 per 24 (C/C) .

Flamethrower Fuel Cannister: A

cannister of jellied gasoline (napa lm)

for flamethrowers. Cannisters can be

refilled with ordinary gasoline at a

cheaper price, but at a cost in range.

Wt: 10 kg.

Price: $ 1 2 0 (—/R).

Loose Black Powder and Ball:

T h e s e a r e m o s t c o m m o n l y p r e -

m e a s u r e d and wrapped in pape r in

ready- to-use units.

Wt: 1 k g per 4 0 .

P r i c e : $ 2 5 p e r 4 0 ( C / C ) .

Stun Dart P a c k a g e : This is a

preloaded dar t assembly and CO 2 car-

tridge for propelling it from a stun gun.

Police or military contacts are required.

Wt: 1 kg per c a s e of 10.

Price: $ 5 0 (—/R).

4 . 7 m m Cls (4 .7x21 mm Caseless):

Wt: 10 kg per c a s e of 1800, 1 kg per

50-round magaz ine .

Price: $ 1 3 0 0 per c a s e (—/S).

5 . 4 5 m m B ( 5 . 4 5 x 3 9 m m Bloc):

Wt: 10 kg per c a s e of 8 4 0 , 0 .5 kg

per 30-round magaz ine , 0.6 kg per

40-round magaz ine .

Price: $ 1 7 0 per c a s e (S /C) .

5 . 5 6 m m N ( 5 . 5 6 x 4 5 m m NATO):

Wt: 1 0 k g per c a s e of 8 4 0 o r 4 b e l t s ,

0.5 kg per 30-round magazine , 2 kg

per 200- round belt.

Price: $ 1 6 0 per c a s e (C/C) .

. 22 LR ( 5 . 7 x 1 7 m m R Long Rifle):

Wt: 20 kg per c a s e of 5000 , 0.1 kg

per 7-round magaz ine .

Price: $ 1 1 0 per c a s e (V/V).

7 . 6 2 m m T (7.62x25mmTokarev):

Wt: 35 kg per c a s e of 2 5 0 0 , 0 .2 kg

per 8-round magaz ine , 0.6 kg per 3 2 -

round magaz ine .

Price: $ 3 7 5 per c a s e (R/S) .

7 . 6 2 m m S ( 7 . 6 2 x 3 9 m m Short):

Wt: 10 kg per c a s e of 6 0 0 , 1 kg per

30-round magaz ine .

Price: $ 8 8 0 per c a s e (R/S) .

. 3 0 - 3 0 ( 7 . 6 2 x 5 l m m R ) :

Wt 20 kg per c a s e of 1000 , 50

loose rounds per ki logram.

Price: $ 1 3 0 per c a s e (V/V).

7 . 6 2 m m N ( 7 . 6 2 x 5 1 m m NATO):

Wt 15 kg per case of 600, 0.75 kg per

20-round magazine, 1.5 kg per 50-round

belt, 3 kg per 100-round belt.

Price: $ 7 5 per c a s e (C/V).

. 3 0 - 0 6 ( 7 . 6 2 x 6 3 m m ) :

Wt: 15 kg per c a s e of 500, 35 loose

rounds per kilogram.

Price: $ 9 5 per c a s e (C/C) .

. 32 ACP ( 7 . 6 5 x 1 7 m m SR):

Wt: 20 kg per c a s e of 2 0 0 0 , 0.1 kg

per 10-round magazine , 0.2 kg per

20-round magazine .

Price: $ 2 4 0 per c a s e (V/V).

8 m m M ( 7 . 9 2 x 5 7 m m Mauser):

Wt: 10 kg per c a s e of 3 0 0 , 30

rounds per kilogram.

Price: $45 per c a s e (C/C) .

. 3 8 0 ACP ( 9 x 1 7 m m ) :

Wt: 15 kg per c a s e of 1 5 0 0 , 0 . 1 kg

per 7-round magaz ine .

Price: $ 2 4 0 per c a s e (V/V).

9 m m P ( 9 x 1 9 m m Parabellum):

Wt: 15 kg per c a s e of 1500, 0.1 kg

per 8-round magazine , 0.2 kg per 13 -

and 15-round magazine , 0 .3 kg per

2 5 - and 30-round magazine , 0.4 kg

per 3 2 - and 34-round magazine .

Price: $ 1 9 5 per c a s e (V/V).

. 38 Special ( 9 x 2 9 m m R):

Wt: 15 kg per c a s e of 1000 .

Price: $ 9 0 per c a s e (V/V).

. 3 5 7 Magnum ( 9 x 3 3 m m R):

Wt: 18 kg per c a s e of 1000 .

Price: $ 1 0 0 per c a s e (V/V).

1 0 m m ACP ( 1 0 x 2 l m m ) :

Wt: 18 kg per c a s e of 1 5 0 0 , 0 . 2 kg

per 14-round magazine , 0 .3 kg per

30-round magazine , 0.1 per 6-round

magaz ine .

Price: $ 2 0 5 per c a s e (S /S) .

. 4 4 Magnum ( 1 1 . 2 x 3 2 . 8 m m R):

Wt: 20 kg per c a s e of 1000 .

Price: $ 1 2 0 per c a s e (V/V).

. 45 ACP ( 1 1 . 4 3 x 2 3 m m ) :

Wt: 20 kg per c a s e of 1 0 0 0 , 0 . 3 kg

per 7-round magaz ine .

Price: $ 1 1 0 per c a s e (V/V).

. 4 7 5 WM ( 1 2 x 6 0 m m Wildey Mag-

num):

Wt: 18 kg per c a s e of 500 , 0.4 kg

per 7-round magazine .

Price: $ 1 1 0 per c a s e (V/V).

1 2 . 5 m m Cls ( 1 2 . 5 x 2 4 m m Case-

less ) :

Wt: 11 kg per c a s e of 1800, 0.4 kg

per 20- round magazine .

Price: $ 1 1 0 0 per c a s e (—/S).

. 5 0 BMG ( 1 2 . 7 x 9 9 m m Browning

Machinegun):

Wt: 15 kg per c a s e of 1 belt, 13 kg

per 105-round belt.

Price: $ 7 5 per c a s e (S/V).

. 5 0 SLAP ( 1 2 . 7 x 9 9 m m Saboted

Light Armor Piercing):

Wt: 15 kg per c a s e of 1 belt, 13 kg

per 105-round belt.

Price: $ 8 5 per c a s e (S/V).

1 5 m m Dart/Cartridge: This is a

hypodermic dar t and compressed gas

cartr idge designed for u s e with the

tranquilizer gun ment ioned on page

2 8 0 .

The dar t s c o m e prefilled with a

tranquilizer c o m p o u n d . They mus t be

fired from the gun in order to take

effect.

Wt: 0.1 kg (including dart, drug,

and CO 2 cartr idge).

Price: $ 4 5 (including dart, drug,

and CO 2 cartr idge) (—/S).

1 8 m m Cls ( 1 8 x 3 4 m m Caseless):

Wt: 12 kg per c a s e of 1 8 0 0 , 1 . 2 kg

per 50-round magaz ine .

Price: $ 1 4 0 0 per c a s e (—/S).

12 Gauge ( 1 2 Gauge All-Brass):

Wt: 15 kg per c a s e of 2 4 0 , 1 kg per

10-round magaz ine (15 loose rounds

per ki logram).

Price: $ 1 1 0 per c a s e (V/V).

2 0 m m S ( 2 0 m m x 1 1 8 m m Short):

Used in XM7 S to rm Gun.

Wt: 32 kg per c a s e of 1 0 0 , 1 kg per

5-round magaz ine .

Price: $ 1 1 0 per c a s e (—/S).

2 5 m m HE: Used in the 2 5 m m gun

carried by the RamTech Roboguard-IV

and on the RAH-66 Comanche.

Wt: 100 kg per c a s e of 3 3 , belted.

Price: $ 9 5 0 per c a s e (—/S).

4 0 m m HE: Fired from the M203

grenade launcher.

Wt: 0 .3 kg, 25 kg per c a s e of 72 .

Price: $3 each, $200 per case (—/V).

4 0 m m HEDP: Fired from the M203 .

Wt 0 .3 kg, 25 kg per c a s e of 72 .

Price: $4 each, $250 per case (—/C).

4 0 m m CHEM: Tear g a s only. Fired

from the M203 .

Wt: 0 .3 kg, 25 kg per c a s e of 4 4 .

Price: $3 each, $120 per case, (—/S).

4 0 m m ILLUM: Fired from the M203.

Wit: 0.2 kg, 20 kg per c a s e of 4 4 .

Price: $2 each , $ 7 5 p e r c a s e (—/C).

4 0 m m Stun: This g r e n a d e c a n

be fired from the M203 . The g renade

fires a nylon "bean-bag" that fans out

after firing to spread its impact over a

wide area . The grenade is designed to

incapaci ta te its target without doing

p e r m a n e n t d a m a g e , and h a s no ex-

plosive f i l ler (and no concuss ion or

fragmentation d a m a g e ) . A target hit

with this g renade is knocked down,

loses all remaining act ions for the

turn, and rolls an Average test of

Consitution each turn thereafter to

recover. No actual d a m a g e is suf-

fered. The grenade c a n only be used in

direct fire. It hits o n e target.

Wt: 0 . 3 k g , 20 kg p e r c a s e of 4 4 .

Price: $20 each, $800 per case (—/S).

4 0 m m Grapple: This g r e n a d e c a n

b e f i r e d from t h e M 2 0 3 a n d p r o p e l s

a g rapp l ing h o o k a n d an a t t a c h e d

r o p e u p t o 5 0 m e t e r s s t ra ight u p .

T h e g r a p p l e m u s t b e inse r ted s e p a -

rate ly into t h e front of t h e launcher .

Wt: 0 . 3 k g , 20 kg pe r c a s e of 3 6 .

Price: $20 each, $800 per case (—/S).

8 2 m m SMAW HE: Fired from the

M12 SMAW.

Wt: 0.2 kg , 7 kg per c a s e of 6.

Price: $35 each, $180 per case (—/S).

8 2 m m SMAW HEAT: Fired from

the M12 SMAW.

Wt: 0.2 kg, 7 kg per c a s e of 6.

Price: $ 3 5 each, $180 per case (—/S).

T h e s e w e a p o n s a r e f i r e d us ing

Heavy Weapons skill.

HEAT: Fired from any battle rifle or

assault rifle.

Wt: 0.7 kg, 20 kg per 10-round case.

Price: $8 each , $ 6 5 per c a s e (—/C).

WP: Fired from any battle rifle or

assault rifle.

Wt: 0.7 kg , 20 kg per c a s e of 10.

Price: $14each, $100 per case (—/C).

1 4 0 m m RAW (Rifle Assault Weap-

on) HE: A rocket-propelled g renade

which can be fired from any assault rifle

which fires 5.56mm N ammunition.

Wt: 3 kg.

Price: $ 3 6 each (—/R).

1 4 0 m m RAW (Rifle Assault Weap-

on) HEAT: As above , but with a HEAT

warhead .

Wt: 3 kg.

Price: $ 4 8 each (—/R).

T h e s e a re f i red using Heavy Weap-

*Target knocked down, loses remaining actions for the turn, and must roll Average:COM each turn thereafter to recover.

Type

4 0 m m Stun

ROF

S S

Mag

1i

Rng

10

IFR

—

Rnd

Stun

Damage

*

Pen

Nil

o n s skill.

152mm HEAT (Tank Breaker): Fired

from a Tank Breaker launcher. A self-

guiding missile with a HEAT warhead.

Wt: 18 kg.

Price: $ 7 5 , 0 0 0 (—/S).

1 2 7 m m HEAT (Dragon PIP): Used

with the Dragon launcher.

Wt: 7 kg.

Price: $ 3 0 0 0 (—/C).

so that the grenade flies with the shaped

charge pointing forward.

Wt: 1 kg, 25 kg per c a s e of 15.

Price: $24 each, $325 per case (—/C).

Chemical: S a m e as a chemical

round for large-caliber guns. Two types

a re available: HC s m o k e and tear gas .

Wt: 0.5 kg, 16 kg per c a s e of 16.

Price: $3 each , $ 1 8 each , $ 2 5 0 per

c a s e for smoke , double prices for tear

g a s ( smoke , S/C; tear gas , R/S) .

Concussion: The g renade consists

of explosive filler in a cardboard or

plastic container. Upon explosion it

will knock people down, but c a u s e s no

lethal fragmentation.

Wt: 0.5 kg, 20 kg per c a s e of 20 .

Price: $8 each, $120 per case (—/V).

Fragmentation: The grenade, upon

exploding, scat ters metal fragments

throughout its burst radius.

Wt: 0.5 kg , 30 kg per ca se of 30.

Price: $10 each, $150 per case (—/V).

Thermite: T h e g renade h a s little

blast or fragmentation, but it burns

with intense heat . (See Burns on page

9 7 . ) I t a l s o p r o d u c e s significant

a m o u n t s of visible light and light in the

ultraviolet portion of the spect rum.

Wt: 1 kg , 20 kg per c a s e of 16.

Price: $18 each, $250 per case (S/C).

WP (White Phosphorus): The gre-

n a d e scat ters incendiary fragments

throughout its burst radius and burns

Antitank: The g renade is des igned

to explode on impact . It conta ins a

shaped charge and is stabilized by fins

Autocannon rounds, grenade rounds, missiles, and rockets come in several

types, explained below. Each weapon can fire one or more of these types.

CHEM (Chemical): A hollow shell which, upon landing, burns and releases

a gas or smoke . The most common chemical is hexachloroethane (HC)

smoke , and all prices given later are based on that round. Rounds may also be

filled with tear gas (double price). In all cases , the chemical cloud will cover an

area the width of the given burst area and four times as long as the burst area.

The cloud will originate at the impact point of the round and stretch downwind.

HE (High Explosive): A high-explosive round is a hollow casing containing

an explosive compound. Set to detonate on impact or at a selected altitude, it

is useful against infantry and some larger targets. It is the least expensive (and

thus most common) indirect fire round used.

HEAT (High Explosive, Antitank): A hollow shell filled with explosive

compound. An inverted cone in the nose of the shell directs the explosive force

forward into a high-energy jet of super-heated gas and molten metal, reducing the

effectiveness of the round against soft targets, but vastly increasing it against armor.

HEDP (High Explosive, Dual Purpose): A hollow round containing an

explosive compound filler with a shaped charge director in the nose to provide

the round with an enhanced armor-penetrating capability.

ILLUM (Illumination): A hollow round containing a parachute flare which

will illuminate the area defined by the round's burst radius for two combat turns

(one minute). The round radiates in the visible, ultraviolet and infrared

spectrums.

WP (White Phosphorus): A hollow round filled with white phosphorus. Upon

detonation, it scatters burning white phosphorus throughout its burst radius.

WP rounds also generate thick, white smoke .

These a re f i red using Heavy Weap-

o n s skill.

FIM-92A Stinger Missile: A sur-

face-to-air missile.

Wt: 16 kg Price: $ 4 5 0 (R/R).

FIM-99 Scorpion Missile: A sur-

face-to-air missile.

Wt: 12 kg Price: $ 5 9 5 (R/R).

MBB-7 Venusfliegenfalle Missile:

A surface-to-air missile.

Wt: 11 kg Price: $ 5 9 5 (R/R).

S A - 2 7 Grappler Missile: A sur-

face-to-air missile.

Wt: 12 kg Price: $ 2 5 0 (R/R).

6 0 m m HE:

Wt: 25 kg per c a s e of 12.

Price: $ 7 2 per c a s e (—/C).

6 0 m m WP:

Wt: 25 kg per c a s e of 12.

Price: $ 7 5 per c a s e (—/S).

6 0 m m ILLUM:

Wt: 25 kg per c a s e of 12.

Price: $ 7 5 per c a s e (—/S).

RamTech Radio Detonation Re-

ceiver Unit: An electrical device which

enables a cha rge to be de tona ted from

a remote location via radio signal. The

receiver and its assoc ia ted broadcas t

unit are specially adap ted to send and

receive coded signal to prevent acci-

dental detonat ion by ha rmon ic s or by

induction. Addition of a voice-recog-

nition chip to the circuit (Average:

Electronics) m a k e s possible detona-

tion by a single specific word or sound

sent by the transmitter. The unit is

about the size of a p a c k of chewing

gum, and conta ins a ROM or PROM

chip and a battery. It is a t tached to a

normal electrical blasting c a p .

The unit m a y send and receive

signals from up to o n e kilometer.

Longer d is tances m a y be possible

with units improvised from longer-

ranged radios.

Wt: Negligible.

send a coded signal to prevent acci-

dental detonation of the charge by

harmonics or by induction. The unit

m a y broadcas t signals up to o n e kilo-

meter. Longer d is tances m a y be pos -

sible with units improvised from longer-

ranged radios.

Wt: 0 .3 kg .

Price: $ 3 5 0 (—/R).

Hercules Powder Co. Dynamite

Stick: The mos t c o m m o n explosive

used by civil engineers for demoli-

tions, it is relatively easy to manufac-

ture and i s coming into m o r e c o m m o n

military use . A quarter-kilogram stick

h a s a DP value of 1.

Wt: 30 kg per c a se .

Price: $8 per 0.25-kilogram stick,

$ 6 0 0 per c a s e of 100 sticks (S/V).

Hercules Powder Co. Plastic Ex-

plosive: Plast ic explos ive c a n be

molded into desired s h a p e s and will

adhere to desired surfaces. It will not

explode if burned, and can only be

detonated by another explosion, usu-

ally provided by a blasting c a p . A one-

kilogram block h a s a DP value of 6.

Wt: 30 kg per c a s e .

Price: $ 3 5 per 1-kilogram block,

$ 6 0 0 per c a s e of 20 blocks (—/C).

Czech State Factories Semitek: A

slightly m o r e potent and form of plas-

tic explosive manufactured in Czecho-

slovakia. Its propert ies are similar to

plastic explosive. It h a s a DP va lue of

8 per kilogram.

Wt: 30 kg per c a s e .

Price: $ 4 0 per 1-kilogram block,

$ 7 5 0 per c a s e of 20 blocks (—/R).

McFadden Industries Engineer

Demolitions Kit: This kit contains an

assor tment of i tems to enable a char-

acter to rig explosive cha rges and fuse

t h e m for detonation. Weight and price

are given for individual i tems, as well

as for the kit as a whole. I tems without

weight, etc. , are not available sepa-

rately. The explosives m u s t be pur-

chased separately.

A single charge u se s up one blast-

ing cap , and whatever fuse, detona-

tors, and so on that the character

c h o o s e s to use . Wire, tools, and the

blasting m a c h i n e c a n be recovered

after a blast, but all other i tems are

used up . Quantit ies in a kit are noted

in pa ren theses .

Tools (1 Set): Pliers, knife, t ape , c a p

crimper, and other i tems needed to

prepare explosive charges . Wt: 4 kg

Price: $ 3 5 (C/V).

Cap, Blasting, Electric (50): At least

o n e blasting c a p is required to set off

a charge. Wt: Negligible Price: $2 (R/C).

Cap, Blasting, Nonelectric: (50) : At

least one blasting c a p is required to set

off a charge . Wt: Negligible Price: $1

(R/C).

Wire, Electrical (2x100m Spools):

with intense hea t . (See Burns on p a g e

9 7 . ) I t a l s o p r o d u c e s s ignif icant

amounts of both visible light and light in

the ultraviolet portion of the spectrum.

Wt: 1 kg , 20 kg per c a s e of 16.

Price: $ l 2 each, $170 per case (—/C).

Price: $ 2 5 0 (—/R).

RamTech Radio Detonation Broad-

cast Unit: An electrical device which

enables a charge to be detonated from

a r emo te location via radio signal. The

broadcas t unit is specially adap ted to

For u s e with electrical blasting c a p s .

Any length c a n be fastened to up to 10

c a p s . Not normally reused . Wt: 5 k g /

spool Price: $ 2 0 (V/V).

Wire, Trip (lx500m Spool): A thin

wire u sed in booby t raps and the like.

Trip wires c a n be of any reasonable

length, but i t m a k e s no sense to have

t h e m longer than t h e blast radius of

the explosive. Wt: 2 kg /spool Price:

$30 / spoo l (V/V).

Blasting Machine (1): A h a n d -

cranked electrical igniter which can

fire up to 10 c a p s electrically. The

m a c h i n e genera tes current by m u s -

cular mot ion and never needs recharg-

ing or bat tery c h a n g e s . Wt: 0.5 kg

Price: $ 9 5 (S /C) .

Fuse, Instant (2x 100 m coils): Burns

5 9 0 0 m e t e r s per second; for u s e with

nonelectric blasting c a p s . May be ig-

nited by any igniter or by flame, and it

c a n be combined with itself (to set off

m o r e than o n e c a p ) or with t ime fuse.

Wt: 3 kg/coil Price: $15/coi l (S /C) .

Fuse, Time (2x100m Coils): Burns 100

seconds per meter; for use with nonelectric

blasting caps. May be ignited by any

igniter or by flame, and it can be com-

bined with itself (to set off more than one

cap) or with instant fuse. Wt: 3 kg/coil

Price: $25/coil (S/C).

Igniter, Fuse (50): A weatherproof

pull igniter, which c a n be used to light

either instant or t ime fuses. This ig-

niter c a n be used in s imple (pull-only

trip wire) booby t raps . Only one trip

wire per igniter. It can be fixed directly

to a nonelectric blasting c a p . Wt: Neg-

ligible Price: $3 (S /C) .

Timer (5): This detonator h a s a

digital t imer which c a n be set to any

t ime from 30 s e c o n d s to 48 hours , in

30 - second increments . I t will f ire up to

10 electrical caps . O n c e set and sealed,

it is waterproof, but it cannot be set

underwater. Wt: 0 .25kg Price: $20 (S/C).

Igniter (5): A pull /release detona-

tor, used for sophisticated booby traps.

It will de tonate either when pressure is

p laced on a trip wire or re leased from

the trip wire (if a wire is cut, for ex-

ample ) . Up to three trip wires m a y be

attached. Wt: Negligible Price: $75 (R/C).

Full Kit: All of the above ; p a c k e d in

a wooden chest for t ransport . Wt: 30

kg Price: $ 5 0 0 (R/C).

H e r c u l e s P o w d e r C o . F r a m e

Charge: A prepared explosive charge

used to blow in locked windows or

doors , even those equipped with bars

or metal plate up to two cent imeters

thick. It requires two p h a s e s (10 sec-

onds) to e m p l a c e (using prefitted,

d o u b l e - s i d e d t a p e o r a n integral

wooden brace) , and c a n be either

c o m m a n d or remotely detonated, or

rigged with a timer. The charge can

also be used to blow holes in walls,

provided they are not too thick. The

frame charge h a s a penetration value

of 2 , but automatical ly coun t s as

t a m p e d and h a s only a concuss ion

value of 1 due to the s h a p e and com-

position of the charge .

Wt: 2 kg.

Price: $100 (—/R).

Hercules Powder Co. Primercord:

A rope-like plastic explosive used in

various demolition jobs . Primercord

c a n be wrapped around conduits or

small girders to sever t hem, or t aped

to a wall (in a circle) to blow an entry

hole. It c a n also be used to link other

explosive cha rges together for a lmost

ins tantaneous detonat ion (it will deto-

na te other explosives by itself, without

n e e d for a blasting c a p ) . Primercord

itself requires a blasting c a p . Primer-

cord h a s a DP value of 3 per meter

Wt: 0.5 k g s per meter.

Price: $ 1 5 per meter (—/C).

Aircraft Tools: S a m e as wheeled

vehicle tools, but for aircraft.

Wt: 2 2 kg.

Price: $ 1 1 0 0 (S /S) .

Arc Welder: Opera t e s off of an inte-

gral generator, which cannot be modi-

fied for other use .

Wt: 7 5 kg.

Basic Tool Kit: Small hand tools

which are suitable for a variety of pur-

poses . These m a y include wrenches,

pliers, screwdrivers, and so on.

Wt: 5 kg.

Price: $ 2 5 0 (V/V).

Construction Tools: H a m m e r s ,

saws , squares , ha tchets , chisels, and

other woodworking tools.

Wt: 3 0 kg.

Price: $ 4 0 0 (V/V).

Electrical Repair: Specialized tools

for work on electrical appl iances, wir-

ing, and nonsolid-state equipment .

Wt: 3 kg.

Price: $ 2 7 5 (V/V).

Electronic Repair: S a m e as electrical

repair tools, but for work on solid state

electrical devices such as radios, com-

puters, etc. It is also used for field expedi-

ent modificationof solid-state equipment.

Wt: 3 kg.

Price: $ 3 5 0 (V/V).

Excavating Tools: Picks, shovels,

ma t tocks , and so on .

Wt: 20 kg.

Price: $ 2 5 0 (V/V).

Heavy Ordnance Tools: Special-

ized tools for u s e in t h e main tenance

and repair of heavy o rdnance .

Wt: 2 5 kg.

Price: $ 2 4 0 0 (—/S).

Lockpick Tools: P icks , to rs ion

wrenches , sh ims , a s te thoscope , and

other equ ipment to o p e n all t ypes of

locks.

Wt: 0.5 kg .

Price: $ 5 0 (—/C).

Portable Machine Shop: A trailer

containing powered m a c h i n e tools,

including a b e n c h grinder, horizontal

and vertical boring mach ines , a mill-

ing machine , metalworking and wood-

working lathes, and n u m e r o u s other

machine tools. Exact c o m p o n e n t s and

use s a re left to t h e discretion of t h e

suitable for the purpose of the con-

struction of weapons from scratch,

however.

Wt: 5 kg.

Price: $ 7 5 0 (S /C) .

Heavy and Tracked Vehicle Tools:

S a m e as wheeled vehicle tools, but for

heavy and t racked vehicles.

Wt: 1 5 k g .

Price: $ 2 2 0 0 (—/S).

Wheeled Vehicle Tools: Specialized

tools for repair and ma in tenance of

wheeled vehicles. These vehicle tools

include spark plug wrenches , torque

wrenches , a g rease gun, and so on.

Wt: 10kg.

Price: $ 8 0 0 (V/V).

be e rased by exposing t h e m for a

certain length of t ime to certain fre-

quenc ies of light), but ROMs can be

p r o g r a m m e d only once , and cannot

be c h a n g e d thereafter. Using a ROM

burner is an Average: Computer task.

Installing the chip in an electronic

device is an Average: Electronics task .

ROMs a n d PROMs are often pro-

g r a m m e d with codewords and phrases

which trigger electronic devices (like

radio detonators) .

Wt: 2 0 kg.

Price: $ 2 7 5 , 0 0 0 (—/R).

Radio Shack MST 3 0 0 0 Motion

Detector: An electronic monitor that

u s e s doppler shifts in reflected ultra-

Wt: 1.75 tons .

Price: $ 1 2 , 0 0 0 (S /S) .

Power Hand Tools: A selection of

powertools including a chainsaw, nine-

inch rotary saw, drill, and other electri-

cal tools.

Wt: 3 5 kg.

Price: $ 1 2 0 0 (V/V).

Small Arms Tools: Specialized tools

for use in the ma in t e nance and repair

of small a r m s . These tools are not

Tojicorp ROM Burner: A device

used to record a specific p rogram-

ming s e q u e n c e onto a compute r chip.

The chips themse lves a re quite inex-

pensive ($25 each for a ROM chip,

$ 3 5 for a PROM) c o m p a r e d to the

machine required to use them. A PROM

(Programmable Read-Only Memory)

or ROM chip m a y be p r o g r a m m e d

with a ROM burner. PROMs can be

changed (often their programming can

m u s t be run for at least f ive minutes to

allow the m a c h i n e to "learn" what its

surroundings look like, and adjust it-

self accordingly. After that t ime, any

moving object larger than a cent ime-

ter in any one dimension will trip the

device ( speed c a n be adjusted as

needed ) . Motion detectors c a n be pro-

g r a m m e d to sound an alarm, send a

signal to a switchboard, or activate

another device (like a video c a m e r a or

referee. I t can be towed by any t ruck

except a ¼-ton.

sonic or infrared waves to detect mov-

ing objects . When set up , the device

a mine) . IR motion detectors can be

spot ted by anyone wearing IR goggles

or similar devices , since they emit

b e a m s of IR radiation. Motion detec-

tors a re not very useful in a reas where

there is constant r andom motion, such

as nea r t r ees o r bushes , d u e to the

unpredictable nature of such move -

men t . Any constant , regular motion

(such as t h e pendu lum of a clock) will

be discounted by the detector during

setup, however. The detector can cover

an a rea up to f ive me te r s in radius, but

they c a n be p r o g r a m m e d to opera te in

chains or lines. Motion detectors on

security robots a re m o r e sophisticated

than s tand-a lone mode ls , due to t h e

greater anaylitical power available in

the robot ' s "brain."

Wt: 2 kg .

Price: $ 3 6 0 0 (R/S) .

Radio Shack Eavesdropper I: This

is the cheapes t , least sophist icated

bugging device (it is about 2x3x1

cent imeters , with a three-cent imeter

whisker a n t e n n a ) , consis t ing of a

c h e a p solid-state transmitter, a sound

pickup, and a small power supply. It

h a s a r ange of 5 0 0 mete r s , a duration

of 24 hours be tween recharges unless

it is hooked into a building's electrical

sys tem (an Easy:Electronics t a sk) ,

and is not voice activated (it broad-

cas t s continuously, which m a k e s it

easy to find). Any civilian FM radio

c a n receive t h e signal i f tuned to t h e

right frequency.

Wt: Negligible.

Price: $ 1 2 0 (C/V).

Radio Shack Eavesdropper II: This

is a smaller, m o r e sophist icated bug-

ging device t han an Eavesdropper 1 (it

is a cube , one cent imeter on a side,

with a t h r e e - c e n t i m e t e r whisker an-

tenna ). It h a s a r ange of o n e kilometer,

and a duration of 36 hours of continu-

o u s broadcast ing (longer if voice acti-

vated) .

Wt: Negligible.

Price: $ 4 5 0 (S /C) .

Radio Shack Eavesdropper III: This is

a very small bug, about the size of a grain

of rice, with a three-centimeter whisker

antenna. It has a range of 200 meters, and

a duration of 12 hours of continuous

broadcast.

Wt: Negligible.

Price: $ 1 1 0 0 (R/S) .

Radio Shack Eavesdropper Moni-

tor: This is a special radio with an

integral audio recorder. Can be tuned

to any bug frequency. It u ses s tandard

audio recording cartr idges.

Wt: 0.6 kg.

Price: $ 5 5 0 (S /C) .

B u g - D e t e c t i n g Tools: This kit

(about the size of a briefcase) contains

several sophist icated electronic de-

vices designed to detect the mos t

c o m m o n bugging devices and par-

tially or completely neutralize them.

All bugs (whether broadcast ing or not)

emit certain distinctive forms of radia-

tion which can be detected if the op -

erator knows what to look for. O n c e

located, bugs c a n be physically dug

out and destroyed, neutralized with

j a m m i n g signals (a signal generator is

included), or m a s k e d with a white

noise generator (also included).

Locating an Eavesdropper I bug

without these tools is Difficult: Obser-

vation. No other bug m a y be located

without t he se tools.

Locating an Eavesdropper I bug

with bug detecting tools is Easy: Elec-

tronics. Locating an Eavesdropper II

bug with bug detecting tools is Aver-

age: Electronics. Locating an Eaves -

dropper III bug with bug detecting

tools is Difficult: Electronics.

Wt: 6 kg.

Price: $ 2 4 0 0 (R/C).

Wire-Tapping Tools: This kit, com-

bined with an electronics repair tool

kit, permi ts charac te rs with Electron-

ics skill to t a p into and monitor elec-

tronic te lecommunica t ions lines (tele-

phone , fax, teletype, etc.) .

Wt: 2 kg.

Price: $ 3 0 0 (R/C).

Broadcast Monitoring Equipment:

This kit, combined with an electronics

repair tool kit, permits characters with

Electronics skill to listen in on cellular

phones, radios, etc., provided the operat-

ing frequency of the device is known.

Wt: 1 kg.

Price: $ 4 0 0 (R/C).

Xomax Audio Recorder (Simple):

This is an inexpensive casse t te re-

corder/player (Indonesia m a k e s the

best ones ) , available at any shopping

mall electronics s tore. It u ses standard

audio recording cartr idges.

Wt: 0.3 kg.

Price: $ 7 5 (V/V).

dbx 1 6 2 X Audio Recorder (Ad-

vanced): This is a sophisticated digital

recording m a c h i n e (Thailand m a k e s

t h e bes t ones ) , capable of picking up

a greater variety of sounds (including

ultrasonic and subsonic) , playback at

a variety of speeds , and so on. It uses

s tandard audio recording cartridges.

Wt: 2 kg.

Price: $ 7 5 0 (S /S) .

Verdadero Audio Recording Car-

tridge: A cassette-l ike device capab le

of recording up to six hours of sounds

when placed in an appropr ia te m a -

chine.

Wt: Negligible.

Pr ice : $5 (V/V).

Tojicorp Kapture II Video Record-

ing Camera: This is a digital video

camera / recorder capab le of record-

ing both audio and video.

Wt: 4 kg.

Price: $ 5 0 0 (C/C).

Kodak-Disney EZ Snap Still Cam-

era: This is a fixed focal length, plastic,

disposable instant camera (made in

Singapore). No film to buy (it's inside);

you take the whole shebang to a fast

photo developing booth at the mall, drop

the camera in the slot and out come the

24 pictures five minutes later (develop-

ment and printing fees are included in the

price of the camera).

Wt: 0 .3 kg .

Price $ 1 0

Nikon DLR- 35 Advanced Still Cam-

era Set: This is a sophist icated 3 5 m m

SLR camera , and a set of professional

accessor ies ( telephoto lenses, f i l ters ,

and so on) . I t u s e s fi lm, unlike the

disposable c a m e r a . The kit also in-

cludes a c o m p a c t darkroom se tup to

enable the user to develop and print

photographs . Everthing c o m e s pack-

aged in a padded shoulder bag .

Wt: 3 kg.

Price: $ 8 5 0 (C/C) .

Nikon Special Vision Adaptor: This

is a device to allow an advanced still

c amera or video camera to be at-

t ached to an IR scope , starlight scope ,

or image intensifier.

Wt: Negligible.

Price: $ 1 5 (S /C) .

Fuji Film, Conventional (Color/

B&W): This is film for use in the ad-

vanced still camera. It is a 24-exposure of

3 5 m m professional quality film.

Wt: Negligible.

Price: $8 (V/V).

Verdadero Video Cartridge: This is

a casse t te for use in the video camera ,

and can record both audio and video

signals.

Wt: 0.2 kg.

Price: $ 1 2 (C/C) .

G E 9 0 0 0 Personal Computer: In

the present world situation, few people

have need of sophisticated personal

compute rs . Only a few m e m b e r s of

the middle class u s e t hem, for free-

lance engineering, writing, art, graphic

design, and so on.

Wt: 8 kg.

Price: $ 6 5 0 0 (S /C) .

Zenith FX2 Portable Computer:

These small, portable computers about

the size of a notebook, and designed to

be used by corporate executives when

they are away from their mainframe

networks except through a phone line.

When linked to a cellular telephone unit,

they can communicate with a network

without direct connection.

Wt: 2 kg.

Price: $ 4 5 0 0 (R/C).

Tojicorp VHC13 Cellular Telephone

Unit: This is a portable telephone linked

to a global wireless telephone network.

Wt: 1 kg.

Price: $ 8 0 0 (C/C) .

Zeiss-Krupp Z K - 1 9 5 6 P S D Por-

table Satellite Downlink Subsystem:

A one -me te r dish an tenna sys tem

permitting radio communica t ion via a

geosynchronous satellite with practi-

cally any location in the world when

linked into a proper radio in p lace of

the normal an tenna . It requires five

minutes to erect and align, two min-

utes to dismantle .

Wt: 4 kg.

Price: $ 1 2 , 0 0 0 (R/S) .

S o n y Global FAXMan Portable

Facs imi le Machine: C o n n e c t e d to a

rad io o r cellular p h o n e , th is e n a b l e s

d o c u m e n t s t o b e s en t a n d rece ived

in r e m o t e loca t ions .

Wt: 6 kg.

Price: $ 1 8 0 0 (C/C) .

Miltech Ltd. Model IX Scrambler/

Descrambler: Used with te lephone or

voice radio unit, this sc rambles con-

versation to seemingly r andom noise

at the transmitter and b a c k to conver-

sation at the receiver. Both transmitter

and receiver must be programmed to the

same preset scrambler code, otherwise

they do not work.

A sophist icated compute r analysis

can desc ramble a particular conver-

sation within hours , and o n c e the

scramble pa t tern is known, it can be

used to p rogram another scrambler

with the s a m e code .

Wt: Negligible.

Price: $ 2 0 0 0 (R/S) .

Tandy Jackrabbit Frequency-Hop-

ping Radio: This radio resists jamming

and interception by shifting a m o n g

several preset frequencies at preset

intervals. Unless a listener knows the

frequencies and intervals, they can-

not remain locked on to the signal. All

sets in a sys t em m u s t be synchronized

in order to c o m m u n i c a t e .

Wt: 10kg.

Price: $ 8 0 0 (R/S) .

Miltech Ltd. ITR-VD Individual Tac-

tical Radio: A small radio of limited

range (one kilometer) designed to be

used by small g roups who require

precise coordination and hands-free

operation. The radio consists of a voice-

activated throat mike (s t rapped over

the larynx), a headse t with bone-con-

duction ea rphones , and a bat tery c a s e

(usually carried in a shirt pocke t ) .

This radio is hands-free, and allows

the wearer to hear more-or-less nor-

mally when in use. The set also incorpo-

rates a manual "beeper" button, enabling

morse signalsto be sent if the sender does

not want to speak. These are relatively

sophisticated radios, and are more ex-

pensive than the normal walkie-talkie.

Wt: 0 .5 kg .

Pr ice : $ 5 5 0 (S/R) .

Tojicorp Tagalong Transponder:

Special radio transmitter des igned to

broadcas t a specific signal at a spe -

cific frequency to provide a homing

becon for p ickup aircraft, radiation

homing missiles, etc . The device h a s

a one-ki lometer r ange without an-

tenna, 10 ki lometers with an tenna . Its

internal battery will power the broad-

cas t for 18 hours , and can be started

with an internal t iming circuit up to 72

hours after emplacemen t .

Wt: 1 kg.

Price: $ 1 8 0 0 (S /C) .

Tojicorp Discreet Micro-Transpon-

der: Asmaller, more expensive version of

the transponder described above, with a

one-kilometer range (it can't be hooked

up to an antenna, however). This device

is about the size of an aspirin tablet, and

one side is self-adhesive (peel off the

backing paper and stick it in place) for

attachment to a car bumper or whatever.

Removing the device from its plastic

carrying case activates it, andthe internal

battery will last for six hours . It is

rechargable by anyone with Electronics

skill and an electronics tool kit.

Wt: Negligible.

Price: $ 1 8 0 0 (—/S).

Teledyne SI 9 6 5 B Radio Direction

Finder: A specialized radio reciever

designed to de termine the specific

direction a particular radio broadcas t

is coming from. These are useful for a

variety of t a sks . Getting a directional

fix using one of these is a task (Easy:

Electronics) and requires 30 s econds

(provided that the signal s tays on the

air that long) . The result is a c o m p a s s

bearing, not a dis tance. Two or three

such RDF units, spaced far apart , can

get two or m o r e bear ings for triangu-

lation of a broadcas t source .

Wt: 2 kg.

Pr ice : $ 1 5 0 0 (C/C) .

Shure SM80&D Directional Micro-

phone: Also called a "shotgun mike,"

this is a device which permits the user

to electronically eavesdrop on normal

conversat ions at r anges of up to 5 0 0

mete rs . It functions off an internal

battery, and requires 30 seconds to set

up and tune.

Wt: 5 kg.

Price: $ 3 0 0 0 (C/C) .

Miltech Ltd. 2 k m Hand Radio: Also

known as a walkie-talkie, this is a

small, readily portable radio similar to

the OS AN/PRC-68 or Soviet R-126.

Powered from internal batteries.

Wt: 0.5 kg.

Price: $ 2 5 0 (C/C) .

Miltech Ltd. 5 / 2 5 k m Manpack/

Vehicular Radio: Small , portable ra-

dio similar to the US AN/PRC-77 or

Soviet R-107. Powered from internal

batteries (for five-kilometer range) or

a vehicle (25-kilometer range) .

Wt: 5 kg

Price: $ 8 0 0 (C/C) .

Miltech Ltd. 5 / 2 5 k m S e c u r e

Manpack/Vehicular Radio: A small,

por table radio similar to the AN/PRC-

70 (US). Powered from internal bat-

teries (for five-kilometer range) or

vehicle (25-kilometer range) . Includes

an integral s c r amb le r / de sc r amb le r

(conversat ions can only be under-

stood by another unit with a sc ram-

bler /descrambler) .

Wt: 10 kg.

P r i c e : $ 1 1 0 0 (S /C) .

Miltech Ltd. 5 0 k m Vehicular Ra-

dio: Vehicular radio similar to CIS AN/

VRC-12. Powered by a vehicle.

Wt: 15 kg.

Pr ice : $ 1 2 0 0 (C/V).

Miltech Ltd. 5 0 k m Secure Vehicu-

lar Radio: A vehicular radio capab le of

scrambled b roadcas t s . Powered by a

vehic le , with in tegral s c r a m b l e r /

descrambler .

Wt: 15 kg.

Price: $ 1 4 5 0 (S /C) .

Zeiss-Krupp 4x Binoculars: Allows

the user to see longer d is tances than

normal .

Wt: 0.5 kg.

Price: $ 7 5 (V/V).

GE 2 5 x Image Intensifier: Allows

the user to see in very little light.

Powered from internal batteries. These

act as binoculars, also.

Wt: 1 kg.

Price: $ 2 5 0 0 (R/S) .

Weaver M-22 Telescopic Rifle

Sight: May be a t tached to any rifle

(Difficult: Small Arms (Rifle)). If a

scope is mounted , add 15 to the printed

range for the rifle when conduct ing

a imed shots . In addition, a imed shots

at ex t reme r a n g e are conduc ted as if

at long range for hit determination.

S c o p e s have no effect on quick shots .

Wt: 0.5 kg .

Price: $ 7 5 0 (C/C) .

Teledyne Catseye Starlight Scope:

Powered from internal batteries. May

be a t tached to a rifle (Average: Small

Arms (Rifle)), mak ing direct f ire pos-

sible at night, but it is not telescopic and

does not improve the chance to hit.

Wt: 2 kg.

Price: $ 1 2 5 0 (R/S) .

Miltech Ltd. Multiband IR Goggles /

UV Goggles: Powered from internal

batteries. IR goggles allow the user to

s e e at night by m e a n s of infrared (IR)

light. The UV goggles work essentially

the s a m e , and allow the user to see a t

night by m e a n s of ultraviolet light.

Wt: 0.5 kg.

Price: $ 8 5 0 (R/C).

Miltech Ltd IRS-T4 IR Spotlight:

Powered by a vehicle. IR goggles mus t

be used to s e e by this light.

Wt: 3 kg.

Price: $ 5 0 0 0 (R/C).

Martin Dynatech Deer Stalker

White Light Spotlight: Powered by a

vehicle.

Wt: 5 kg.

Price: $ 1 0 0 (V/V).

Gruman D3 Geiger Counter: Detects

nuclear radiation. Powered by internal

batteries.

Wt: 0.5 kg .

Price: $ 5 0 0 (C/C) .

Miltech PSDM17 Gas Mask: A stan-

dard g a s m a s k used around the world.

Similar to US military mode l s .

Wt: 1 kg.

Pr ice : $ 1 5 0 (S /C) .

RamTech Bodyguard Kevlar (Bal-

listic Nylon) Vest: This type of body

a rmor is intended to provide protec-

tion from fragments , not to protect

agains t direct hits f rom small a r m s .

Wt: 4 kg.

Price: $ 8 0 0 (S /C) .

Security Industries Flak Jacket:

This type of body a rmor is intended to

provide protection from fragments,

not direct hits from small a r m s .

Wt: 8 kg.

Price: $ 4 0 0 (R/C).

Miltech Ltd. KV1 Kevlar (Ballistic

Nylon) Helmet: This is intended to

provide protection from fragments,

not direct hits from small a r m s .

Wt: 0 .5 kg .

Price: $ 1 0 0 (S /C) .

Garcia-Seguro Steel Helmet: This

is intended to provide protection from

fragments, not direct hits from small

a r m s .

Wt: 1 kg.

Price: $ 5 0 (C/V).

RamTech Close Assault Armor:

Improved, but bulky body a rmor in-

corporating additional layers of Kevlar

and meta l / ce ramic plate inserts. It

protects ches t and a b d o m e n with an

a rmor value of 2, a r m s and legs with

a value of 1. Because of the a rmor ' s

bulk, wearers m a y not m o v e faster

than a trot. All t a sk s b e c o m e o n e level

m o r e difficult for wearers of this ar-

mor.

Wt: l 6 kg.

Price: $1200 (—/S)

Anesthet ic , Total ( 1 0 0 Units):

Available in two forms: liquid (for in-

jection) and gas .

Wt: 0.1 kg .

Price: $ 1 0 0 0 (R/C).

Anesthetic, Local ( 1 0 0 Units): Avail-

able only in liquid form (for injection)

Wt: 0 .5 kg .

Price: $ 1 0 0 0 (R/C).

Antivenin Autoinjector: A specially

built, one -use autoinjector designed

to administer the correct dose of a

specially designed generic antivenin

in c a s e of snakebite , mant icore sting,

e tc . An autoinjector is essential to

enable t rea tment of poison to p roceed

(a doctor ' s medical kit is amply sup-

plied with these ) .

Wt: 0 .3 kg.

Price: $ 4 5 (R/S) .

Empathy Booster Drug: Empa thy -

boosting drugs add a t emporary +1 to

all Empa thy skills for 2 D 6 + 3 hours

(rolled for each injection). Referees

should k e e p the length of the drug 's

effective period a secret , but can allow

the character to feel the power weak-

ening for 10 minutes or so before it

cuts off completely. Doubling the dose

gives a t empora ry +3 to all E m p a t h y

skills for the s a m e random period, but

also reduces Initiative and Willpower

by 1 point e ach for the s a m e duration.

Injection of m o r e than six d o s e s in a

24-hour period, or m o r e than a double

dose , c a u s e s unconsc iousness last-

ing 1D6 hours . E m p a t h y booster can-

not be bought , but c a n only be ob-

tained in 10-dose units by charac te rs

who have served a t least one t e rm as

paraphysicis ts , or as a refill for a para-

physicist 's field kit (described below).

Wt: Nil.

Price: Special (—/—).

Pain-Reliever, Mild ( 1 0 0 Units):

Oral (pill) form only.

Wt: 0.5 kg .

Price: $ 5 0 0 (C/V).

Sedative, Mild ( 1 0 0 Units): Oral

(pill) form only.

Wt: 0.5 kg .

Price: $ 5 0 0 (C/V).

Sedative, Strong ( 1 0 0 Units): Liq-

uid (for injection) form only.

Wt: 0.5 kg .

Price: $ 5 0 0 (S /C) .

Blood, Whole (1 Unit):

Wt: 0.5 kg .

Price: $ 2 5 (—/C).

Plasma (1 Unit):

Wt: 0.5 kg .

Price: $ 1 0 (—/C).

Surgical Instruments: Scalpels ,

forceps, hemos ta t s , c lamps , and other

tools for major surgery.

Wt: 5 kg.

Price: $ 2 5 0 0 (R/C).

Steri-Med Personal Medical Kit:

An individual's first aid kit. Includes

bandages , one unit of antibiotic, and

other first aid materials . This kit is

used up in o n e f i rs t aid operat ion.

Wt: 0.2 kg.

Price: $ 1 0 0 (V/V).

BroMenn Corporation Doctor's

Medical Kit: Medical equ ipment and

drugs. Includes 10 units of each drug

type, plus b a n d a g e s and tools for mi-

nor surgery.

Wt: 5 kg.

Price: $ 1 0 0 0 (—/C).

Alba Industries Paraphysicist 's

Field Kit: This is a b lack b a g contain-

ing simple equ ipment for a n u m b e r of

empath ic detection t e s t s (cards, c rys -

tals, etc) and a small quantity of d rugs

(10 doses e a c h of mild pa in reliever,

mild sedative, s trong sedative and

Empathy booster) and hypodermic

syringes. The kit cannot be bought; it

is obtained free of cha rge by serving

one t e rm as a paraphysicist . Refills are

obtained free of cha rge after e ach

adventure (or at t he referee's discre-

tion) through the paraphysic is ts nor-

mal contac ts (players m a y not accu-

mula te m o r e t han one kit 's worth) .

The empath ic tes t equ ipmen t enab les

the trained user to detect empa th ic

talent in other charac te r s or creatures .

The pain relievers and sedat ives en-

able t h e user to relax tes t subjects .

The following t a sks require the kit:

Detecting empath ic ta lents in a co-

operat ive subject is Easy: Empathy.

Detecting empath ic ta lents in an un-

cooperat ive subject is Average: E m -

pathy. Making the a t tempt at a range

of greater than f ive me te r s m a k e s the

task one level more difficult (10 mete rs

is the m a x i m u m range for the at-

t emp t ) . Detecting empath ic talents in

a n o n h u m a n subject is o n e level m o r e

difficult.

Wt: 5 kg.

Price: Special (—/—).

20-Liter Jerrycan: For fuel and other

liquids.

Wt: 1 kg (empty) .

Price: $ 2 5 (V/V).

Bezubovo Ventures Desert Wind

Four-Man Tent:

Wt: 1 2 k g .

Pr ice : $ 1 0 0 (C/C) .

10-ManTent:

Wt: 3 5 kg.

Price: $ 2 5 0 (S /S) .

Air Compressor: For filling aqua -

lung t anks , tires, rafts, and other i tems

needing c o m p r e s s e d air.

Wt: 4 5 kg.

Price: $ 2 0 0 (C/C) .

Air Tank, Aqualung: For use with

aqualung. Can be refilled in five min-

u tes with a compressor .

Wt: 5 kg.

Price: $ 1 0 0 (C/C).

Pepsico Merlite Aqualung: Two

c o m p r e s s e d air t anks , f ins , mask , and

regulator. O n e t ank contains enough

air for 30 minu tes underwater. Up to

two m a y be connec ted to a single

regulator for use .

Wt: 12 kg.

Price: $ 3 0 0 (C/C) .

Grapple: This is a multiple-pronged

hook designed to be used at the end of

a length of rope to assist in climbing

walls, e tc . It c a n be thrown as any

other object, but counts as two kilo-

g r a m s instead of only one (because of

the rope also a t tached) . S o m e mode l s

are designed to fold, collapse, or oth-

erwise dismantle for e a se of transport .

Wt: 1 kg.

Price: $ 6 0 (C/C) .

Horse Tack: Saddle , bridle, s traps,

stirrups, saddle blanket , and so on.

Wt: 10 kg.

Price: $ 5 0 (C/C) .

Liquid Nitrogen Cylinder: For cool-

ing various lasers.

Wt: 1 kg.

Price: $45 (—/R).

Pack Saddle: A saddle especially

designed for cargo .

Wt: 5 kg (empty) .

Price: $ 4 0 (C/C).

Pepsico Eelcraft Raft, Inflatable:

Inflates using an air compressor in two

minutes , or us ing h a n d - p u m p in 10

minutes . Capaci ty is 1000 ki lograms.

Wt: 3 0 kg.

Price: $ 5 0 0 (C/C) .

Ford-Revlon Moray Rebreather: A

device which abso rbs carbon dioxide

from exhaled air and b leeds pure oxy-

gen into it. O n e oxygen tank is used at

a t ime with it, and it conta ins enough

for 30 minu tes underwater . Fins and a

m a s k are included.

Wt: 10 kg.

Price: $ 4 0 0 (C/C) .

Rebreather Recharge Kit: For use

with the rebreather. This kit includes a

can of ca rbon dioxide absorbent and a

small tank of pure oxygen (enough to

recharge a rebreather for 30 minutes

underwater) .

Wt: 5 kg.

Price: $ 1 0 0 (C/C) .

Road Flare: This is a simple pyro-

technic device intended for emergency

signaling and illumination purposes .

When ignited, it generates an extremely

bright light (radiating slightly into the

UV spec t rum) , and enough hea t to be

a source of ignition.

Wt: 0 .3 kg .

Price: $ 1 0 (V/V).

Silencer/Supressor: A kit of pa r t s

which, when fitted to a firearm, re-

d u c e s the sound of the discharge.

Nothing c a n completely eliminate the

sound of a weapon firing. There is

always s o m e sound, even from the

best of s i lenced/supressed weapons ,

even if its only the clack of the action

and the click of the h a m m e r falling.

Weight and price below do not include

the weapon . Price includes the cost of

a gunsmi th ' s modification (revolvers

cannot be s i lenced) .

Wt: 0.5 kg (pistol), 1 kg (SMG/rifle)

Pr ice : $ 1 0 0 0 (S/C)

Epoke-Rosignoll Cross-Country Skis:

Includes poles, skis, boots, and binders.

Wt: 8 kg.

Price: $ 2 5 0 (C/C) .

S t e r i - M e d O n e Count Tranq

Autoinjectors: Similar to the atropine

autoinjectors used as anti-nerve agent

injectors by the US Army, but loaded

with a fast-acting tranquilzer drug,

these devices were originally m a d e for

use by menta l hospitals and police.

Applied to an unresisting target (one

surprised or subdued by u n a r m e d

comba t ) , it hits the body par t of the

user ' s choice . Resisting targets mus t

be subdued using una rmed c o m b a t

before the injector can be applied.

As with t ranq dar ts , a hit in any par t

of the body will be effective eventually,

but s o m e a reas give faster results than

others . Head hits result in instant un-

consc iousness . Chest and a b d o m e n

hits result in unconsc iousness after

1D6÷2 p h a s e s (5 -15 seconds ) . A limb

hit requires the target to m a k e an

Average: Constitution roll, succeed-

ing to stay awake each p h a s e . The

drug will t ake effect even if the injector

i s r e m o v e d i m m e d i a t e l y . T r a n q

autoinjectors also affect dogs in the

s a m e way as t ranq dar ts .

Wt: 0.1 kg per set of three.

Price: $ 7 5 per set of three (—/S).

Rope: This is high-quality, 1 l m m -

diameter climbing and rappelling line.

Wt: 5 kg per coil.

Price: $ 1 0 0 per 5 0 m coil (V/V).

Handcuffs: Used for the physical

restraint of undesirables, these c o m e

in two types : the metal , reusable kind

(unlocked with a key) and the plastic,

disposable kind ( these these mus t be

cut off). Applying handcuffs counts as

an action, and t a k e s five seconds .

Wt: 0.2 kg (metal); 0.001 kg (plastic).

Price: $ 2 0 (metal) (S/C); $2 (plas-

tic) (S/V).

Laser Sight: A laser sight is mounted

a top a weapon in the s a m e way as a

telescopic sight, and mus t be carefully

fitted and sighted in (Average: Small

Arms (Rifle or Pistol)), a task requiring

30 minutes and 10 rounds. The laser

is adjusted to put a red dot on the

target at t he point of impact for that

particular weapon, and hitting the tar-

get b e c o m e s easier (although it still

requires s o m e skill). Ultraviolet and

infrared laser versions exist.

Laser sights m a y be fitted to any small

arm, and can only be used in semiauto-

matic fire. Laser sights m a y only be used

at 40 meters or less, and enable up to

three shots fired during a phase to count

as aimed shots instead of only the first one

(all other shots fired in the phase count as

quick shots). All other modifiers (move-

ment by target, movement by firer, etc.)

still apply.

Wt: 1 kg.

Price: $ 8 0 0 (S /C) .

A N / P A Q - 4 A IRLS/AUard Tech-

nologies Espion UV Laser Sight: The

AN/PAQ-4A is an infrared laser ver-

sion of the laser sight, mean ing that

only those wearing IR goggles c a n s e e

the dot (the firer, of course , requires

such goggles—not included in the price

or weight given below). The Allard

Espion is a UV version, and requires a

UV version of the goggles or a similar

vision device ("sunglass"/visor ver-

sions could conceivably be built).

Wt: 1 kg .

Price: $ 1 8 0 0 (—/S).

Serengeti Sung lasses : Available

in a variety of lens colors, frame col-

ors, and styles, Serenget i Vermillions

(a style with reddish tinted lenses)

have b e c o m e an unofficial b a d g e of

opposit ion to the Dark Lords in s o m e

places . The price below is for a stylish

pair with boos ted UV blocking c a p a c -

ity and a logo stenciled on o n e lens.

Wt: Negligible.

Price: $ 3 0 0 (S /C) .

Bianchi Shoulder Holster: This type

of holster is specially des igned to be

worn under a j acke t or loose shirt/

blouse, holding the w e a p o n c lose

against the body for m a x i m u m con-

cealment . It works only with pistols

and SMGs having a bulk of 2 or less

(weapons of bulk 3 c a n be concea led

under a long raincoat or similar gar-

ment , but shoulder holsters a re not

m a d e for them. . . w e a p o n s of greater

bulk than 4 cannot be concealed). The

harness provides a holster for the weapon

and space for two extra magazines (or

two to three quickloaders, if a revolver).

Spotting a shoulder holster is an Average:

Observation task. A thorough frisk will

always reveal its presence, however.

Wt: 1 kg.

Pr ice : $ 5 0 (C/C) .

Bianchi Small Concealed Holster: A

holster designed to hold a pistol of bulk 0

in a position where it can be concealed.

Such holsters can be fastened around an

ankle, clipped to a waist belt or bras-

siere, or concea led in s o m e other spot

upon the person. Such holsters do not

hold extra ammunition or magazines.

Spotting such a holster is a Difficult:

Observation task. A thorough frisk will

boost this to Easy: Observation.

Wt: 3 kg.

Price: $15 (C/C).

Grizzly Field Pack: A pack is ca-

pable of carrying up to 30 ki lograms

of equipment . Weight given is empty.

Wt: 2 kg.

Price: $ 2 0 (V/V).

Flashlight: Powered by internal

batteries.

Wt: 0.2 kg.

Price: $ 2 0 (V/V).

Mountainaire Sleeping Bag:

Wt: 4 kg.

Price: $ 5 0 (V/V).

Big Ben Thermal Fatigues: Includes

boots , socks , etc .

Wt: 6 kg.

Price: $ 1 0 0 (C/Q).

Grizzly Parka: Includes overboots,

socks, etc.

Wt: 3 kg.

Price: $ 1 5 0 (Q/Q).

These alien artifacts cannot be pur-

chased , and thus prices and availa-

bilities are not given for them. Each

weighs o n e kilogram, al though this is

of impor tance only to charac te rs who

have accumula ted several. All hands

fit s tandard wrist connectors (installed

in p lace of the charac ter ' s normal

hand as part of the cyborg e s c a p e e

career) and cannot function when not

hooked up to one . Cyber h a n d s draw

power from the body of the wearer by

m e a n s of a sophist icated and totally

myster ious the rmocouple sys tem.

Weapon

Power Hand

Chainsaw Hand

Blade Hand

Torch Hand

Range

S

S

S

S

Hit Mod.

—

—

+2

—

Damage Value

2D6+Strength

2D6+Strength

l D 6 + ( S t r e n g t h / 2 )

3D6

Weapon

Gun Hand

ROF

5

Dam

2

Pen

Nil

Blk

0

Mag

8

S S

5

Brst

7

Rng

20

Recoil

Basic h a n d s occur in left and right

versions, all o thers m a y be fitted to

either a r m as n e c e s s a r y (the h a n d s

automatically perform the needed ad-

jus tments ) . Many c o m e with natural

appearing plastic coverings that mimic

h u m a n skin (automatically adjusting

themse lves to the skin color and age

of the wearer) .

All h a n d s can be dismantled, but

their inner workings are unfathomable

to the presen t -day h u m a n mind.

Basic: The bas ic cyber h a n d dupli-

ca t e s the a p p e a r a n c e , function, and

capabilities of a normal h u m a n hand .

To the casual g lance , i t canno t be

distinguished from a normal h a n d (it

feels w a r m to t h e touch) , but a c lose

examinat ion will reveal its t rue na ture .

Power Hand: A normal -appear ing

cyber h a n d allows up to 10 t i m e s t h e

normal gripping strength to be exer-

cised, but retains the sensitivity of the

normal h u m a n hand . What this m e a n s

in pract ice is up to the referee, but bear

in mind that this d o e s not permit the

character to lift any greater load than

normally, merely to grip or crush things

normally uncrushable.

Chainsaw Hand: This attachment is a

30-centimeter chainsaw, evidently in-

tended for use by construction workers,

but also a devastating melee weapon. It

is not normal in appearance.

Blade Hand: This hand a p p e a r s to

be a normal basic hand, but e ach

f inger and the t h u m b contain 10 cen-

timeter-long, razor-sharp blades which

m a y be extended at will. When re-

tracted, the hand a p p e a r s to be a

normal h u m a n hand (how the f ingers

remain flexible with the b lades re-

t rac ted is a mys te ry ) .

Tentacle-Fingers Hand: This hand

a p p e a r s to be a normal basic hand,

but e a c h finger and the t h u m b can be

te lescoped to form a tentacle up to

three me te r s in length. Each tentacle

h a s the strength of a normal human arm,

and the hand can be used for climbing,

grappling, and a thousand other uses

limited only by the imagination of the

character and the generosity of the ref-

eree.

Gun Hand: This hand appea r s to be

a normal bas ic hand, but the index

(first) finger contains a pistol mecha -

nism. The finger flexes normally when

not firing, al though it m u s t be held

straight for the weapon to be used . The

h a n d f i r e s s tandard 9 m m P ammuni -

tion, retaining the cas ings inside for

disposal during reloading. When re-

loading, e ach round m u s t be inserted

separately.

Tractor/Pressor Hand: This hand

allows the user to at tract and repel

objects of up to 10 ki lograms in weight

(suspending t h e m in the air), or d r ag /

p u s h heavier objects (up to 100 kilo-

g r a m s in weight). Maximum range for

this effect is 10 me te r s and t h e object

mus t be in sight of the user. Duration

is four turns per 24 hours (with o n e

spent turn being regained per six hours

of "rest"). The m e a n s by which this is

acomplished is unknown.

This hand a p p e a r s to be a basic

hand in all other respec ts .

Grapple Hand: This normal-appear-

ing hand can be f i r ed up to 20 me te r s

in any direction, connec ted to the

user ' s a r m by m e a n s of a length of

extremely strong cable. The h a n d con-

tains 100 mete r s of cable, which can

be reeled in or out at will, and is strong

enough to suppor t up to 2 0 0 kilo-

g r a m s (the a t t achment to the wearer 's

a r m is the limiting variable here) . The

hand can function as a grappling hook,

wherever there is a handhold capab le

of support ing it. This hand can be used

to descend as well as ascend .

Picklock Hand: This hand enables

the user to open locks as if in posses -

sion of a set of lockpick tools. The

internal microprocessor contains pro-

gramming equivalent to Lockpick 3 skill.

The hand can open conventional key

locks, combination locks, or electronic

locks. It is not normal in appearance.

Torch Hand: This hand is a laser

cutting/welding torch, incorporating

internal c apac i t o r s which con ta in

power enough for two minutes (four

turns) of cons tant operation. (Each

six hours of "rest" res tores 30 seconds

of capacity.) It is not normal in appear-

ance . Weapon s tats are noted on p a g e

274 .

Utility Hand: This is a heavy duty

hand which duplicates t h e functionsof

a basic tool kit. It is not normal in

a p p e a r a n c e .

Fine Utility Hand: This hand con-

tains n u m e r o u s a t t achmen t s for very

delicate electronics, and can be used

as if it were an electronics tool kit. It is

not normal in a p p e a r a n c e .

Surgical Hand: This hand counts as

a se t of surgical i n s t rumen t s . Its

miniturized microprocessor contains

the equivalant of Medical 4 skill, en-

abling nondoctors to perform surgery

as long as they are wearing the hand.

It is not normal in appea rance .

The following notes explain the head-

ings on the weapons cards and notations

in the weapon card statistics. Note that

magazines and ammunition (and tripods

for machineguns and grenade launchers)

must be purchased separately, and are

not counted into weight or price.

Ammo: This lists the type of ammuni-

tion used.

Mag (Magazine): All small arms have

a Mag listing (short for magazine) which

consists of a number and, in some cases,

a letter code. This shows the type of feed

device used for ammunition in the weapon

and the number of rounds in it. The most

common form of feed device in small

arms is a box magazine which attaches

through the stock or pistol grip. Weapons

with no letter code after their Mag value

are fed by box magazines, each of which

contain the number of rounds shown.

One reload action is sufficient to de-

tach an empty box magazine and insert a

full one.

Other forms of feed devices are noted

by letter code as explained below:

R (Revolver): A revolver's feed device

is a nondetachable revolving cylinder

which usually holds six bullets. If loaded

individually, three bullets can be put into

the cylinder per reload action. If a quick-

loader is available (a circular clip holding

six cartridges which enables all six to be

dropped into the open cylinder at once),

one reload action is sufficient to reload the

weapon.

i (Individual): Weapons with

nondetachable magazines, particularly

underbarrel tubular magazines, often have

to be reloaded one shell at a time. Up to

three bullets may be loaded into an indi-

vidual-class feed device per reload ac-

tion.

B (Belt): The w e a p o n , either a

machinegun or automatic rifle, is fed by a

belt usually containing from 50 to 100

bullets. Two reload actions are necessary

to replace a belt. However, if the

machinegun has a two-person crew (gun-

ner and loader), this requirement can be

met by both expending one action reload-

ing in the same phase. Two or three belts

may be linked together if the weapon is

not moved (i.e., if vehicle-mounted or

firing from a dug-in position). Linking

belts counts as an action, but can be done

by the weapon's loader while the weapon

is firing.

C (Cassette): A cassette is a large, self-

contained ammunition feed system which

takes one full turn to replace.

ROF (Rate of Fire): Each shot in the

game represents a single bullet. It is,

however, possible to fire more than a

single bullet from most weapons in a five-

second action phase. All weapons in the

game have either a reload (Rld) rating or

a rate of fire (ROF) rating.

Weapons with a reload rating hold only

one round in the weapon at a time, and

after firing that round must reload before

firing again. The reload rating is the num-

ber of reload actions necessary to prepare

the weapon to fire again.

Weapons with an ROF listing have

either a letter code or a number. The

various letter codes are listed below:

SS (Single Shot): This weapon can

only fire one round and then must be

reloaded.

BA (Bolt Action), LA (Lever Action):

These weapons can fire one round per

phase. Each time a round is fired from one

of these weapons, the bolt or lever must

be worked to eject the spent casing and

chamber a new round. But this can be

done in the same phase in which the

weapon is fired.

PA (Pump Action), DAR (Double Ac-

tion Revolver): These weapons may fire

up to three rounds per phase. Pump ac-

tion refers to shotguns, and involves work-

ing a lever between shots to eject the

spent cartridge and chamber a fresh one.

A double-action revolver cocks its ham-

mer with the first part of the trigger pull,

then fires with the second. This makes the

trigger pull somewhat harder than in a

semiautomatic pistol (see below).

SA (Semiautomatic): Semiautomatic

weapons may fire up to five shots per

combat phase. Each squeeze of the trig-

ger fires one round, and the force of its

firing automatically recocks the weapon.

Automatic Fire: Weapons with a num-

ber instead of a letter code are capable of

fully automatic fire as well as semiauto-

matic fire. The number shown is the num-

ber of bullets in a typical burst from the

weapon. Each automatic weapon can fire

up to either five individual shots or five

bursts per fire phase. As a practical mat-

ter, however, no character may fire at

more than three different targets in the

same fire phase.

Dam (Damage): For ranged combat

weapons, Dam indicates the number of

D6 to be rolled for each round that hits the

target. A listing of " - 1 " means roll 1D6-1.

Listings of "C:5," "B:20," etc., indicate explo-

sive rounds (see Explosions on pages 92-

94).

Pen (Penetration): This indicates how

many D6 the damage rating is decreased

by per point of armor on the target loca-

tion. Nil means the damage rating is de-

creased to 0. If there are multiple listings,

the first applies to short and medium

range, the second to long, and the third (if

any) to extreme. Note that each die of

damage rating reduced becomes 1 point

of blunt trauma damage to the target.

Rld (Reload): If a weapon has a reload

rating listed, it indicates the number of

actions necessary to reload the weapon

between shots.

Blk (Bulk): This is an indication of how

clumsy the weapon is to move, andserves

as a modifier to Agility when determining

which of two characters with the same

Initiative will act first.

Recoil: Recoil can affect fire accuracy.

SS means single shot, and Brst means

Burst. When a character fires a weapon,

multiply the recoil rating by the number of

shots or bursts fired, and if the result

exceeds the character's Strength, the ex-

cess is subtracted from the character's

chance to hit with single rounds, or from

the number of dice rolled per burst for

autofire. (See the "Combat & Damage"

chapter for specific results.)

Rng (Range): This number is the

weapon's short range in meters . Me-

dium range is twice short range; long

range is twice medium; and extreme

range is twice long.

IFR (Indirect Fire Range): Only

weapons with an indirect fire range may

use indirect fire. These are rifle gre-

nades, grenade launchers, howitzers,

and mortars. The range listed is the

weapon's maximum range in meters .

Rnd (Round): This indicates the type

of projectile fired by mortars and the

like. (See page 263.)

Weapon Types: A brief explanation

of each weapon type follows.

Revolvers and Single-Shot Pistols:

Revolvers carry their rounds (usually

six of them) in a revolving cylinder.

Recocking the pistol after firing ad-

vances the cylinder and brings a fresh

cartridge in line with the firing pin.

Single-shot pistols have no feed mecha-

nism and thus require reloading after

every shot. All types are fired using

Small Arms (Pistol).

Automatic Pistols: Automatics are

fed from a magazine held in the pistol

grip. Each time the pistol fires, the

recoil energy is used to eject the spent

cartridge, recock the pistol, and move

a new cartridge into the chamber. They

are fired using Small Arms (Pistol).

Submachineguns: Submachineguns

are lightweight automatic weapons. Al-

most all such weapons fire pistol ammu-

nition to reduce recoil, although a few

submachineguns are simply cut-down

assault rifles. They are fired using Small

Arms (Rifle).

Sporting Rifles: These include a va-

riety of civilian rifles used for hunting or

target practice. They are fired using

Small Arms (Rifle).

Sniper Rifles: Sniper rifles are stan-

dard semiautomatic or bolt-action tar-

get rifles fitted with telescopic sights.

They are fired using Small Arms (Rifle).

Assault Rifles: Assault rifles are ca-

pable of firing either single shots or

bursts of automatic fire. To make con-

trolled firing easier, they generally fire

less powerful cartridges than those fired

by tradit ional rifles. This may be

achieved either by firing a standard rifle

bullet but with a weaker powder charge

(as with the 7.62mm Short fired by the

AKM) or a smaller rifle bullet fired with

a full powder charge (as with the

5.56mm NATO fired by the Ml 6). They

are fired using Small Arms (Rifle).

Battle Rifles: Battle rifles are very

similar to assault rifles in design, but

fire full-powerrifle cartridges. This gives

them greater range and penetration,

but makes it more difficult to control

them. They are fired using Small Arms

(Rifle).

Automatic Rifles: Automatic rifles are

either heavy versions of battle rifles

(fitted with bipods and heavy barrels to

reduce overheating) or very light ma-

chineguns firing assault rifle cartridges.

They are fired using Small Arms (Pis-

tol).

Shotguns: Shotguns are usually civil-

ian hunting weapons. Their standard

ammunition in a combat setting is 00

Buckshot, which at longer ranges pro-

duces a fair approximation of the area fire

effects of a burst of submachinegun fire

while at closer ranges it produces devas-

tating wounds. They are fired using the

Rifle cascade of the Small Arms skill.

Machineguns: Machineguns are belt-

fed automatic weapons firing rifle car-

tridges. They are generally fired from

bipods, tripods, or vehicle mounts. Very

strong (or very foolish) characters can

fire them from the hip without benefit of

a mount. They are fired using Small

Arms (Rifle).

Heavy Machineguns: These are iden-

tical in function to other machineguns

except that they fire very powerful bul-

lets. They are fired using Heavy Weap-

ons skill.

Grenade Launchers: G r e n a d e

launchers use a low or high-low pres-

sure system to propel 30-40mm gre-

nades in excess of 100 meters. Most

break open like a shotgun, but the

American M203 has a unique slide-

open system. They are fired using Small

Arms or Heavy Weapons skill, which-

ever is greater.

RocketLaunchers: The rocket launcher

is one of the most important develop-

ments of the modern battlefield, giving a

readily portable and quite lethal antitank

punch to infantry. These weapons, in com-

pany with the antitank missile, set the

tone of modern ground combat. They are

fired using Heavy Weapons skill.

Antitank Missile Launchers: The de-

velopment of a weapon that could punch

through a tank's armor without requir-

ing a giant gun to shoot it is probably

the salient feature of modern ground

combat. Relatively small vehicles can

now overpower tanks that would have

required gigantic antitank guns not all

that long ago. They are fired using

Heavy Weapons skill.

Mortars: Mortars are fired using

Heavy Weapons skill.

Surface-to-Air Missiles: SAMs are

fired using Heavy Weapons skill.

For damage and other statistics on melee weapons, see theMelee Weapons Table on page 323.

Knife: About the size of a kitchen butcher knife. Of limited usebecause of its short reach, but deadly in the right hands.

Wt: 0.25 kg; Price: $5 (V/V).Bayonet: A military knife which can be held in the hand or

attached to the end of an assault or battle rifle.Wt: 0.25 kg; Price: $20 (C/C).Spear: A short, broad blade mounted on a long, wooden shaft.

It is a thrusting weapon—awkward, but useful because of its reach.Civilians use spears as defense against animals.

Wt: 2 kg; Price: $10 (V/V).

Club: Blunt, a half-meter long, used as a bashing instrument.Wt: 2 kg; Price: Free for the taking in most places (V/V).Hatchet: Short-handled chopping tool used to trim firewood.Wt: 1 kg; Price: $20 (V/V).Axe: A long, shafted, heavy chopping instrument.Wt: 2 kg; Price: $50 (V/V).Machete: A long-bladed slashing tool to clear away underbrush.Wt: 1.5 kg; Price: $50 (C/C).Sword: A slashing and/or thrusting weapon, usually a meter in

length.Wt: 2 kg; Price: $350 (S/S).Garotte: A length of rope or piano wire used to strangle a victim.Wt: 0.1 kg; Price: Usually improvised (V/V).

Once only for hunting and target practice, bows are now usedin combat where ammunition is scarce. While the long bow requiresspecial Archery skill, a crossbow uses Small Arms (Rifle).

Longbow: Includes fiberglass composite bows and wooden self-bows, of 30 to 50 pounds pull.

Ammo: ArrowsWt: 1 kgPrice: $300 (C/C)

RecoilWeaponLongbow

ROFSS

Dam-1

PenNil

Rld1

Blk5

SS10

Brst—

Rng15

Crossbow: Includes prewar manufactures and recent weaponsproduced from old rifle stocks and truck springs. Pulls vary from100 to 200 pounds.

Ammo: BoltsWt: 4 kgPrice: $350 (C/C)

RecoilWeaponCrossbow

ROFSS

Dam1

PenNil

Rld4

Blk6

SS4

Brst—

Rng20

Zip Gun (Single-Shot Pistol): This is a primitive, one-shotfirearm jury-rigged out of pipe, wood, and other nonstandardmaterials. It is designed to fire standard ammunition—usuallysmall-caliber pistol ammo. The end result is much the same,regardless of ammunition.

Ammo: .22 or .380 ACPWt: 0.5 kgMag: 1 individualPrice: $75 (V/V)

Recoil

Black Powder Pistol (Single-Shot Pistol): Either a museumpiece or a modern sporting reproduction.

Ammo: Loose black powder and ballWt: 0.5 kgMag: 1 individualPnce: $125 (S/S)

RecoilWeaponBP Pistol

ROFSS

Dam1

PenNil

Rld2

Blk2

SS3

Brst—

Rng8

WeaponZip gun

ROFSS

Dam-1

PenNil

Rid1

Blk1

SS2

Brst—

Rng6

S&W Model 29/16.5 (Revolver): What Sean Connery's por-trayal of James Bond did for the Walther PPK, Clint Eastwood asSan Francisco detective Inspector Harry Callahan did for the Smith& Wesson Model 29 .44 magnum revolver. The Model 29 is a large-frame revolver and looks like it could bring down a buffalo.

Ammo: .44 magnumWt: 1.5 kgMag: 6 revolverPrice: $500 (R/S)

Recoil

S&W Model 36 (Revolver): The S&W Model 36 (nicknamed theChiefs Special) is built on the small "J" frame, and its cylinder hasroom for only five rounds. Because of this, the Model 36 is favoredby plainclothes detectives who must carry revolvers.

Ammo: .38 specialWt: 0.7 kgMag: 5 revolverPrice: $315 (S/S)

Colt Python/20.3 (Revolver): A very long-barreled version ofthe basic Python.

Ammo: .357 magnumWt: 1.6 kgMag: 6 revolverPrice: $425 (S/S)

Martin Dynatech Pacifier Stun Gun: A pistol-sized weaponused to stun rather than kill, the stun gun fires two small darts andtwo lengths of light wire into the target, then administers a mildelectric shock. It doesn't always succeed in stunning the victim.With a successful hit anywhere on the target, that characterimmediately loses two Initiative levels for six phases and mustmake an Average: Constitution roll to stay conscious. Failuremeans the target loses consciousness for six phases. Reloading thestun gun consists of removing the expended dart package andloading a new one. The dart package contains a charged battery,darts, three meters of fine wire and a compressed gas cylinder topropel the darts.

Ammo: Dart packageWt: 0.5 kgMag: 1iPrice: $600 (R/S)

WeaponStun gun

ROFSS

Dam*

PenMil

Blk1

Magli

SS1

Brst—

Rng1

Recoil

*Damage is special and is described above.

Recoil

RecoilWeaponS&W 36

ROFDAR

Dam1

PenNil

Blk1

Mag5R

SS6

Brst—

Rng4Weapon

S&W 29/16.5ROFDAR

Dam3

Pen2-Nil

Blk2

Mag_6R

SS4

Brst—

Rng16

WeaponPython/20.3

ROFDAR

Dam2

Pen1-Nil

Blk2

Mag6R

SS3

Brst—

Rng18

High Standard .22 (Automatic Pistol): This is a very reliable,lightweight, easily handled automatic pistol in a small caliber.

Ammo: .22 long rifleWt: l.3 kgMag: 10 boxPrice: $250 (C/C)

WeaponHS .22

ROFSA

Dam-1

PenNil

Blk0

Mag10

SS2

Brst—

Rng10

Desert Eagle (Automatic Pistol): An automatic pistol cham-bered to fire the rimmed .357 magnum and .44 magnum car-tridges, the Desert Eagle is popular with some because of thepower of its cartridge and its large magazine capacity (comparedto revolvers).

Ammo: .357 magnum, .44 magnumWt: l.3 kgMag: 9 box (.357 magnum), 8 box (.44 magnum)Price: $750 (R/S)

Recoil

RecoilWeaponDE .357 magDE .44 mag

ROFSASA

Dam23

Pen1-Nil2-Nil

Blk11

Mag98

SS34

Brst——

Rng1814

Browning HP-35 (Automatic Pistol): The standard militarysidearm of the British (and several other armies). It is consideredby many to be the finest 9mm automatic pistol made.

Ammo: 9mm PIVfcl.l kg )Mag: 13 boxPrice: $450 (S/C)

Recoil-WeaponHP-35

ROFSA

Dam1

PenMil

Blk1

Mag13

SS2

Srst—

Rng12

Colt Krait (Automatic Pistol): The Krait is a large-capacityautomatic, chambered for a variety of calibers, of which 10mm isthe most popular. A wide variety of accessories are available.

Ammo: 10mm ACPWt: 1.4 kgMag: 14 boxPrice: $400 (S/C)

RecoilWeapon10mm

ROFSA

Dam2

Pen1-Nil

Blk1

Mag14

SS3

Brst—

Rng15

ALP (Laser): The Armington laser pistol is a prototype laserpersonal defense weapon, consisting of the pistol, a belt battery pack/capacitor, and a power cable linking the two. The ALP is less powerfulthan the ALC (page 290), and does not require a liquid nitrogen coolingcylinder, but it is limited in its rate of fire to one shot per 15 seconds(otherwise the heat of firing will damage its components). A dischargedbackpack requires three hours to recharge. An unknown number wereUV lasers.

UV Lasers: Ultraviolet lasers are not in regular production, and thefew in existence are special models produced for the government orprivate corporations, or one-of-a-kind modifications to existing weap-ons by private craftsmen, who claim this gives the weapon enhancedeffectiveness against trolls and vampires.

Price for UV lasers is doubled, and availability is always ( - / - ) . Weightsmay vary slightly from weapon to weapon.

Ammo: —Wt: 4 kg {Pistol Wt: 1 kg; Belt Battery Pack/Capacitor: 3 kg)Mag: A belt pack is good for 18 shots per charge.Price: $3200 (—/R)

RecoilWeapon

ALPROF(1)*

Dam4

Pen2

Blk3

Mag—

SS—

Brst—

Rng30

M9 (Beretta M92S) (Automatic Pistol): The standard side armfor US military forces. It is essentially identical to the M92S (thecivilian version).

Ammo: 9mm PWt: 1 kgMag: 15 boxPrice: $350 (C/V)

RecoilWeaponM9 (M92S)

ROFSA

Dam1

PenNil

Blk1

Mag15

SS3

Brst—

Rng12

Colt M1911A1 (Automatic Pistol): The standard military sidearm of the United States until the late 1980s, the M1911A1 hasbeen supplanted as general issue by the 9mm M9. However, M9procurement has never been sufficient to completely replace theMl 911A1 in military use, and thus it is still encountered, especiallyin National Guard units.

A number of civilian versions of the M1911A1 are made,including conversions to other calibers. The conversion to 10mmis among the most popular.

Ammo: .45 ACPWt: l.4 kgMag: 7 box (6 box for 10mm variant)Price: $275 (C/V)

RecoilWeaponM1911A1M1911A1 10mm

ROFSASA

Dam22

PenNil1-Nil

Blk11

Mag76

SS33

Brst——

Rng1215

Walther PPK (Automatic Pistol): The Walther PPK (PolizeiPistole Kriminal or criminal police pistol) is a German pistol favoredby European police agencies. It is best known as the weapon of theBritish MI-5 and MI-6 organizations. It was made famous in thepublic eye by Sean Connery's use of it in the James Bond films.

Ammo: .380 ACPWt: 0.8 kgMag: 7 boxPrice: $350 (S/S)

RecoilWeaponWalther PPK

ROFSA

Dam1

PenNil

Blk1

Mag7

SS3

Brst—

Rng10

*One shot per 15 seconds

Vz-52 (Automatic Pistol): Standard side arm of Czech militaryforces.

Ammo: 7.62mm TWt: 0.5 kgMag: 8 boxPrice: $350 (—/S)

RecoilWeaponVz-52

ROFSA

Dam1

PenNil

Blk1

Mag8

SS4

Brst—

Rng12

RecoilWeaponWildey .475 WM

ROFSA

Dam4

Pen2-Nil

Blk1

Mag7

SS4

Brst—

Rng25

XM26 APW (Automatic Pistol): The XM26 Advanced PersonalWeapon is a smaller version of the XM22 AIW, Firing a smallercartridge. It is likewise available only through contacts in theAdvanced Weapons Research Laboratory.

Ammo: 12.5mm caselessWt: 1.4 kgMag: 20 boxPrice: $900 (—/—)

RecoilWeaponXM26 APW

ROFSA

Dam3

Pen1-Nil

Blk3

Mag20

SS4

Brst—

Rng25

AKR (Submachinegun): The standard Eastern Bloc militarysubmachinegun (with few exceptions), the AKR is merely a cut-down version of the AK-74. Although a bit heavy for asubmachinegun, it has good accuracy and stopping power.

Ammo: 5.45mm BWt: 4 kgMag: 30 boxPrice: $500 (—/C)

RecoilWeaponAKR

ROF5

Dam3

Pen1-Nil

Blk2/3

Mag30

SS3

Brst8

Rng30

Wildey .475 WM (Automatic Pistol): Also known as the WildeyWolf, this weapon is a custom-made version of the Wildey pistol.

Ammo: .475 Wildey magnumWt: l.5 kgMag: 7 boxPrice: $1900 (—/—)

M3A1 (Submachinegun): Called the "grease gun" because ofits fancied resemblance to an automotive maintenance tool, thisweapon is no longer in US Army service, but it is used by a numberof other armies and some police forces throughout the world.

Ammo: .45 ACPWt: 4.5 kgMag: 30 boxPrice: $500 (—/R)

WeaponM3A1

ROF5

Dam2

PenNil

Blk3/4

Mag30

SS2

Brst4

Rng30

Recoil

Ingram M10 .45 (Submachinegun): The Ingram was designedespecially for clandestine work and has acquired a large body ofenthusiasts (and detractors). The barrel is threaded to take aspecially designed suppressor. This model is chambered for .45ACP and is somewhat less controllable in fully automatic fire thanthe other models.

Ammo: .45 ACPWt: 3.8 kgMag: 30 boxPrice: $650 (R/R)

RecoilWeaponM10 .45

ROF10

Dam2

PenNil

Blk1/3

Mag30

SS2

Brst10

Rng20

M177 (Submachinegun): The M177 is a shortened carbineversion of the M16 assault rifle. It cannot be fitted with the M203grenade launcher, but it can use rifle grenades.

Ammo: 5.56mm NWt: 2.5 kgMag: 20 box or 30 boxPrice: $750 (—/V)

RecoilWeaponMl77

ROF5

Dam3

Pen1-Nil

Blk3/4

Mag20/30

SS3

Brst8

Rng40

M231 (Submachinegun): The standard firing-port weapon onthe M2 Bradley, the M231 is a satisfactory vehicle weapon forsuppressive fire but a mediocre submachinegun. It cannot be fittedwith the M203 grenade launcher.

Ammo: 5.56mm NWt: 3 kgMag: 20 box or 30 boxPrice: $700 (—/C)

RecoilWeaponM231

ROF5

Dam2

Pen1-Nil

Blk3/4

Mag20/30

SS1

Brst4

Rng25

MAT-49 (Submachinegun): The French standard military andpolice submachinegun.

Ammo: 9mm PWt: 4.8 kgMag: 32 boxPrice: $650 (—/C)

RecoilWeaponMAT-49

ROF5

Dam2

PenNil

Blk3/4

Mag32

SS1

Brst4

Rng30

MP-7 (Submachinegun): An improved version of the MP-5series, chambered for the popular 10mm cartridge.

Ammo: 10mm ACPWt: 3 kgMag: 30 boxPrice: $750 (—/C)

RecoilWeaponMP-7

ROF5

Dam2

Pen1-Nil

Blk4

Mag30

SS2

Brst6

Rng30

Uzi (Submachinegun): The Israeli-designed Uzi is the mostcommon SMG. It is used by armies and police agencies worldwide,including the US Secret Service and US Federal Marshal Service.

Ammo: 9mm PWt: 4 kgMag: 25 box or 32 boxPrice: $500 (—/V)

RecoilWeaponUzi

ROF5

Dam2

PenNil

Blk2/3

Mag25/32

SS2

Brst5

Rng30

Vz-61/62 Skorpion (Submachinegun): Commonly referred toas a machine pistol, the Skorpion is small enough to carry in ashoulder holster. Its short range and underpowered ammunitionmake it of limited combat value, but its ease of concealment hasmade it very popular with Warsaw Pact covert agents. It is alsofrequently carried by Czech airborne forces, particularly by offic-ers.

Ammo: .32 ACPWt: 1.6 kgMag: 10 box or 20 boxPrice: $800 (—/R)

RecoilWeaponVz-61/62

stock

ROF55

Dam11

PenNilNil

Blk13

Mag10/2010/20

SS31

Brst74

Rng4

12

Remington-Peters .22 Bolt-Action Rifle (Sporting Rifle): Awidely available light hunting rifle, the .22 is excellent for squirrelsand other small game, but it does not have sufficient stopping powerto be reliable against larger targets.

Ammo: .22 LRWt: 2 kgMag: 5 individualPrice: $150 (C/C)

RecoilWeapon.22

ROFBA

Dam-1

PenMil

Blk4

Mag5i

SS2

Brst—

Rng50

Ruger .22 Semiautomatic (Sporting Rifle): Another widely avail-able light hunting rifle, this version of the .22 is semiautomatic.

Ammo: .22 LRWt: 2 kgMag: 10 boxPrice: $300 (C/C)

RecoilWeapon.22

ROFSA

Dam-1

PenNil

Blk4

Mag10

SS2

Brst—

Rng50

Martin .30-06 Bolt-Action (Sporting Rifle): Another popularhunting rifle, this .30-06 is a bolt-action rifle.

Ammo: .30-06Wt: 4 kgMag: 5 individualPrice: $300 (C/C)

Weapon.30-06

ROFBA

Dam4

Pen2-3-Nil

Blk5

Mag5i

SS2

Brst—

Rng75

Recoil

Winchester 1894 (Sporting Rifle): This rifle is a modernizedversion of the Winchester 1873. Improved versions are still used ashunting weapons in the US.

Ammo: .30-30Wt: 3.1 kgMag: 6 individualPrice: $275 (C/C)

Recoil

hit (since their smaller body weight allows the drug to take effectfaster). Tranquilizer guns count as medical equipment for contact

Tranquilizer Gun: A specially made weapon designed to fire assistance,hypodermic darts containing a tranquilizer or other drug by means of Ammo: 15mm hypodermic dartcompressed CO2 cartridges. These were designed originally for Wt: 3 kgadministering drugs to dangerous animals, but the mercenary indus- Mag: 1 individualtry soon adopted them for its own purposes. Price: $1200 (—/R)

A hit in any part of the body will be effective eventually, but someareas give faster results than others. Head hits result in instantunconsciousness. Chest and abdomen hits result in unconsciousnessafter 1D6÷2 phases (five to 15 seconds). An arm hit requires thetarget to roll Average: Constitution to stay awake each phase. Thedrug will take effect even if the dart is removed immediately. Animalssuch as guard dogs will be rendered instantly unconscious from any

Recoil

C3 (Parker Hale) (Sniper Rifle): The standard Canadian sniperrifle is a well-made civilian hunting rifle adapted to military use andfitted with a telescopic sight. It is known as the Parker-Hale in itscivilian version.

Ammo: 7.62mm NWt: 4 kgMag: 3 individualPrice: $800 (C/C)

*Damage is special and is described above.

All sniper rifles come with a scope. With the scope, add 15 metersto the basic range for aimed shots. If the scope is later damaged orlost (or for quick shots) this modifier is not added.

Recoil

Weapon1894

ROFLA

Dam3

Pen2-Nil

Blk5

Mag6i

SS4

Brst—

Rng50

WeaponTranq gun

ROFSS

Dam*

PenNil

Blk1

Magli

SS3

Srst—

Rng8

WeaponC3

ROFBA

Dam4

Pen2-3-Nil

Blk5

Mag3i

SS5

Brst—

Rng75

M21 (Sniper Rifle): The standard US Army sniper rifle, the M21is essentially a well-made M14 assault rifle (the US Army's servicerifle prior to the M16) fitted with a telescopic sight and a bipod.

Ammo: 7.62mm NWt: 5.4 kgMag: 20 boxPrice: $800 (S/S)

All sniper rifles come with a scope. With the scope, add 15 metersto the basic range for aimed shots. If the scope is later damaged orlost (or for quick shots) this modifier is not added.

Recoil

M27 (Sniper Rifle): The Armalite AR-27 is a development ofArmalite's AR-22 Olympic-grade target rifle, upcalibered for use asa military sniper rifle. It was adopted by the GS Army as the M27 in1998.

Ammo: 7.62mm NWt: 8 kgMag: 20 boxPrice: $950 (—/R)

All sniper rifles come with a scope. With the scope, add 15 metersto the basic range for aimed shots. If the scope is later damaged orlost (or for quick shots) this modifier is not added.

Recoil

AK-74 (Assault Rifle): The standard combat rifle of what wereformerly known as the Eastern Bloc forces.

Ammo: 5.45mm BWt: 4 kgMag: 30 boxPrice: $500 (—/V)

Recoil

WeaponM21

bipod

ROFSASA

Dam44

Pen2-3-Nil2-3-Nil

Blk66

Mag2020

SS42

Brst——

Rng6575

WeaponAR-27

ROFSA

Dam4

Pen2-3-Nil

Blk6

Mag20

SS6

Brst—

Rng85

WeaponAK-74

ROF5

Dam3

Pen1-Nil

Blk5

Mag30

SS3

Brst7

Rng50

AKM (Assault Rifle): The modern version of the ubiquitous AK-47. It is perhaps the most widely used military small arm in the world,and is very popular despite its underpowered and unstable cartridge.Replaced in front-line service by the AK-74, many AKMs wererechambered to fire 5.45 Bloc ammunition (designated AKMR forAKM rechambered). Thus, true AKMs are mostly found in use bymilitia units.

Ammo: 7.62mm SWt: 4 kgMag: 30 boxPrice: $500 (—/C)

Recoil

Recoil

AKMR (Assault Rifle): As the AK-74 supplanted the AKM inservice, large numbers of AKMs were rechambered to fire the AK-74's 5.45 cartridge to enable standardization of supply withoutdiscarding mountains of AKMs. Widely used in Eastern Bloc militaryunits alongside the AK-74.

Ammo: 5.45mm BWt: 4 kgMag: 30 boxPrice: $550 (—/C)

G11 (Assault Rifle): A weapon of radical design and greateffectiveness, the G11 replaced the G3 as the standard assault rifleand the Uzi as the standard submachinegun of the German Army. Itis a bullpup-configuration weapon, which means that the action isplaced behind the firing hand, in the normally empty stock. Thismeans that bullpup rifles can have a shorter overall length without thenecessity for a shorter barrel.

It differs from other combat rifles in that it fires caseless 4.7mmbullets. The compact nature of the weapon and low recoil of its roundmake it as handy as a submachinegun (even though it is a rifle).

Its caseless ammunition is extremely compact, allowing a large

magazine capacity. Since there is no spent cartridge casing to eject,the rifle's action is completely enclosed and thus is very reliable in adirty environment. However, there is no way to reload the round sinceit is completely consumed.

Ammo: 4.7mm caselessWt: 4.5 kgMag: 50 boxPrice: $800 (—/S)

RecoilWeaponG11

ROF3

Dam3

Pen1-Nil

Blk4

Mag50

SS2

Brst3

Rng55

WeaponAKMR

ROF5

Dam3

Pen1-Nil

Blk5

Mag30

SS3

Brst7

Rng45

WeaponAKM

ROF5

Dam3

Pen2-Nil

Blk5

Mag30

SS3

Brst8

Rng50

M16A2 (Assault Rifle): The standard combat rifle of the US andCanadian armies, the M16A2 (commonly called just the "M16") is inwidespread use and is a popular and effective weapon. The AR-15 isthe semiautomatic civilian version.

Ammo: 5.56mm NWt: 3.8 kgMag: 20 box or 30 boxPrice: $400 (—/C) M16A2; $500 (C/C) AR-15

Recoil

ALC-2 (Laser): The ALC-2 (Armington Laser Carbine Model 2) isextremely rare. Developed by Armington Laboratories as a testbedfor a laser carbine, the ALC never entered full production, althoughan unknown number of prototypes (each essentially hand-made)were produced. The carbine incorporates a liquid nitrogen coolingsystem (the N2 bottle is plainly seen over the action) which vents itselfafter each shot, producing a tendril of "steam" that can be disconcert-ing to the uninitiated. The carbine is connected by a power cable toa rechargeable backpack filled with batteries and a capacitor whichrequires 30 seconds to recharge after a shot (leading to the weapon'snickname, "Blue Moon," since that was how often it could be fired—"once in a blue moon"). A pair of LEDs on the left side indicate theweapon's status (red for charging, green for charged). A dischargedbackpack requires six hours to recharge.

Ammo: —Wt: 26 kg (Carbine WL- 5 kg; Backpack WL 21 kg)Mag: A backpack is good for 12 shots per charge.Price: $12,000 (—/—)

Recoil

*One shot per 30-seconds.**Backpack is good for 12 shots; none are actually carried "in" weapon.

FN-LAR/L1A1 (Battle Rifle): A Belgian rifle adopted as thestandard rifle of the British Army, the LAR has been replaced inservice by the L85. The primary differences between the FAL and theLAR are that the FAL has a full auto option, while the British FAL/L1A1 does not. The magazines are not interchangeable.

Ammo: 7.62mm NWt: 5 kgMag: 20 boxPrice: $750 (—/V)

RecoilWeaponFN-LAR/L1A1

ROFSA

Dam4

Pen2-3-Nil

Blk5

Mag20

SS4

Brst—

Rng65

WeaponALC-2

ROF1*

Dam12

Pen2

Blk5

Mag12**

SS—

Brst—

Rng60

WeaponM16A2AR-15

ROF3

SA

Dam32

Pen1-Nil1-Nil

Blk55

Mag20/3020/30

SS32

Brst5

—

Rng5555

G3 (Battle Rifle): The standard German assault rifle until replacedby the G11, the G3 was still widely used by territorial and internalsecurity troops and is now back in service with German troops. It isquite popular in Latin America, possibly since it is taken from anearlier Spanish design.

Ammo: 7.62mm NWt: 5 kgMag: 20 boxPrice: $750 (—/V)

RecoilWeaponG3

ROF5

Dam4

Pen2-3-Nil

Blk5

Mag20

SS4

Brst9

Rng65

KAR-98K (Battle Rifle): The standard rifle of German troops inWWII.

Ammo: 8mm MWt: 4 kgMag: 5 individualPrice: $300 (R/S)

RecoilWeaponKAR-98K

ROFBA

Dam4

Pen2-3-Nil

Blk5

Mag5i

SS4

Brst—

Rng65

XM22 (Battle Rifle): The XM22 Advanced Infantry Weapon is anexperimental military rifle. It is a bullpup-configuration weapon,which means that the action is placed behind the firing hand, in thenormally empty stock. This means that bullpup rifles can have ashorter overall length without the necessity for a shorter barrel. Itscaseless ammunition is extremely compact, allowing a large maga-zine capacity. Since there is no spent cartridge casing to eject, therifle's action is completely enclosed and thus very reliable in a dirtyenvironment.

A special recoil compensation system makes the weapon fairly

controllable under semiautomatic fire, and not unreasonably wild forlarger individuals in fully automatic mode. The weapon is availableonly through the US Army's Advanced Weapons Research Labora-tory, and can be obtained only through contacts.

Ammo: 18mm caselessWt: 3.5 kgMag: 50 boxPrice: $1500 (—/—)

RecoilWeaponXM22 AIW

ROF3

Dam6

Pen2-3-Nil

Blk4

Mag50

SS4

Brst6

Rng55

M249 SAW (Automatic Rifle): The M249 Squad AutomaticWeapon (SAW) is the standard GS light automatic support weapon.It can accept either the standard 30-round magazine of the M16A2or a 200-round belt. It is equipped with a bipod.

Ammo: 5.56 NWt: 7 kgMag: 30 belt or 200 beltPrice: $750 (—/C)

Recoil

XM7 Storm Gun (Automatic Rifle): The XM7 is a prototype man-portable assault cannon of advanced design. Incorporating a radi-cally new muzzle brake and an advanced recoil compensationsystem, the XM7 can be carried and fired by one person (a specialharness is standard equipment, and most people prefer to fire theweapon from this position than from the conventional shoulderposition). The weapon is fitted with a special laser targeting system(the laser beam is visible only when viewed through a special-set ofgoggles issued with the weapon), which enables reasonably accurate

shots from the hip. It can also be fired from a bipod at greater range.Ammo: 20mm SWt: 29.5 kgMag: 5 boxPrice: $27,000 (—/R)

Recoil

Savage 311-R (Shotgun): This weapon is one of the last of thedouble-barreled shotguns designed for police and prison guard use(hence its nickname of the "guard gun"). It is representative ofdouble-barreled shotguns in general.

Ammo: 12 gaugeWt: 3.5 kgMag: 2 individualPrice: $350 (C/C)

Recoil

*See Shotguns on page 91.

WeaponM249 SAW

bipod

ROF1010

Dam22

Pen1-Nil1-Nil

Blk55

Mag30B/200B30B/200B

SS11

Brst32

Rng6075

WeaponXM7 Storm Gun

bipod

ROFSASA

Dam1616

Pen1-2-31-2-3

Blk55

Mag55

SS84

Brst——

Rng80

120

Weapon311-RShort

ROFSASA

with buckshot*Medium 5x10

with buckshot*

Dam49

1

Pen3-4-NilNil

Nil

Blk5

Mag2i

SS5

Brst—

Rng40

Armalite AR-12 Stormcloud (Shotgun): The Armalite AR-12Stormcloud is a combat shotgun by a firm known primarily for assaultrifles. Since the Stormcloud is a shotgun capable of automatic fire, itneeds a special rule: At short range, roll 5D6 for hits (as modified byrecoil and possibly range, if any factor such as target movementcauses it to be treated as at a longer range), with each 6 hitting andeach hit causing 9D6 damage. At medium range, calculate thenumber of dice normally rolled for a five-round burst (subtracting twoimmediately for being at medium range) and after all reductions aredone, multiply the remaining number by 7 to determine the numberof D6 rolled for hits. Each hit does 1D6 damage.

Ammo: 12 gaugeWt: 4 kgMag: 12 boxPrice: $1200 (—/S)

Recoil

*See Shotguns on page 91.

Browning Autoriot (Shotgun): This weapon is a Belgian-builtsemiautomatic shotgun used by the British in antiguerrilla actions inMalaya after WWII. The weapon is still in common use as a riot gunby police departments worldwide.

Ammo: 12 gaugeWt: 4 kgMag: 5 individualPrice: $450 (S/S)

Recoil

*See Shotguns on page 91.

Recoil

*See Shotguns on page 91.

H&K CAW (Shotgun): The Honeywell & Koch (formerly Heckler& Koch) CAW (Combat Assault Weapon) is the standard combatshotgun of the German and US armies (the US weapon being aslightly modified version produced under license by Olin. The CAWis a bullpup-configuration weapon, like the G11. Since the CAW is ashotgun capable of automatic fire, it needs a special rule: At shortrange, roll 5D6 for hits (as modified by recoil and possibly range, ifany factor such as target movement causes it to be treated as at alonger range), with each 6 hitting and each hit causing 9D6 damage.At medium range, calculate the number of dice normally rolled for afive-round burst (subtracting two immediately for being at mediumrange) and after all reductions are done, multiply the remainingnumber by 7 to determine the number of D6 rolled for hits. Each hitdoes 1D6 damage.

Ammo: 12 gaugeWt: 4 kgMag: 10 boxPrice: $1100 (—/S)

WeaponStormcloudShort

ROF55

with buckshot*Medium 5x10

with buckshot*

Dam49

1

Pen3-4-NilNil

Nil

Blk4

Mag12

SS3

Brst8

Rng45

WeaponAutoriotShort

ROFSASA

with buckshot*Medium 10

with buckshot*

Dam49

1

Pen3-4-NilNil

Nil

Blkb

Mag5i

SS3

Brst—

Rng40

WeaponH&K CAWShort

ROF55

with buckshot*Medium 5x10

with buckshot*

Dam49

1

Pen3-4-NilNil

Nil

Blk4

Mag10

SS3

Brst8

Rng40

Mossberg M500 (Shotgun): The Mossberg M500 is a typicalpump shotgun designed for police or home defense use rather thanhunting.

Ammo: 12 gaugeWt: 4 kgMag: 8 individualPrice: $350 (C/C)

Recoil

*See Shotguns on page 91.

WeaponM500Short

ROFPAPA

with buckshot*Medium 5x10

with buckshot*

Dam49

1

Pen3-4-NilMil

Nil

Blk5

Mag8i

SS4

Brst—

Rng40

L86A1 LSW (Machlnegun): The heavy-barreled support versionof the L85, the L86A1 uses either 100-round belts or the samemagazines as the L85. It is equipped with a bipod.

Ammo: 5.56mm NWt: 4.5 kgMag: 30 box or 100 beltPrice: $1500 (—/R)

RecoilWeaponL86A1 LSW

bipod

ROF1010

Dam33

Pen1-Nil1-Nil

Blk55

Mag30/100B30/100B

SS21

Brst11

6

Rng5065

M60 (Machinegun): The standard US general-purposemachinegun, a development of the WWII German MG42. It isequipped with a bipod and can also be fired from a tripod (NLT). Itaccepts 100-round belts.

Ammo: 7.62mm MWt: 10 kgMag: 100 beltPrice: $1800 (—/V)

RecoilWeaponM60

bipodtripod

ROF555

Dam444

Pen2-3-Nil2-3-Nil2-3-Nil

Blk666

Mag100B100B100B

SS111

Brst421

Rng6590

125

MAG (Machinegun): This weapon (also known as the MAG-58and as the L7A2 GPMG in British service) is the standard general-purpose machinegun of the Belgian and British armies (as well asothers) and is often used as a coaxial (i.e., mounted with the primarygun) MG in CIS vehicles. It is equipped with a bipod and can also befired from a tripod (NMT). It accepts 100-round belts.

Ammo: 7.62mm NWt:12 kgMag: 100 beltPrice: $1500 (—/S)

RecoilWeaponMAG

bipodtripod

ROF101010

Dam444

Pen2-3-Mil2-3-Nil2-3-Mil

Blk666

Mag100B100B100B

SS111

Brst742

Rng6590

125

Recoil

M2HB (Heavy Machinegun): The M2 Heavy Barrel is the standardheavy machinegun of every western European army. It accepts 105-round belts and may be fired only from a tripod (NHT) or from avehicle mount.

Ammo: .50 BMGWt: 51.2 kg (Tripod Wt: 19.3 kg)Mag: 105 beltPrice: $3500 (—/C)

WeaponM2HB

tripod

ROF55

Dam88

Pen2-2-3*2-2-3*

Blk88

Mag105B105B

SS32

Brst147

Rng65

150*.5O SLAP ammunition has a penetration value of 1-1-2.

AHL (Laser): The Armington Heavy Laser is the largest prototypelaser built by Armington Laboratories, and is extremely rare becauseof its size. The AHL requires a tripod or vehicular mount (NHTequivalent), because it is too heavy to be aimed accurately whenhand held. The AHL is powered by a 600 kilowatt portable generatorand a capacitor, linked by a cable to the weapon.

The weapon comes with a portable cooling system, which is alsopowered by the generator and linked to the weapon via an insulatedcable. This cable circulates a liquid cooling compound through acooling jacket surrounding the laser and through a refrigerator-coilsystem to keep the weapon from overheating. The generator con-sumes fuel at a rate of 10 liters per hour.

An unknown number of these prototypes were UV (ultraviolet)lasers.

Ammo: —Wt: Weapon W: 54 kg (Laser Wt: 32 kg; Tripod Wt: 22 kg) Cooling

System Wt: 95 kg (Cooling System: 35 kg; Generator Wt: 60 kg)Mag: Generator/capacitor lasts as long as it has fuelPrice: $75,000 (—/—)

Recoil

*One shot per 15 seconds

WeaponAHL

ROF(1)*

Dam14

Pen5

Blk—

Mag—

SS—

Brst—

Rng80

M203 (Grenade Launcher): The standard infantry grenade launcherof the US and Canadian armies, the M203 is a single-shot launcherwhich is attached to the bottom of an M16 rifle. A product-improved(PI) model can be detached and fired from a removable shoulderstock, but by 1995 this model had not completely replaced olderversions in military inventories. The PI version is available for $700(R/S) and weighs two kilograms with shoulder stock.

Ammo: 40mm grenadesWt: 1.4 kgMag: 1 individualPrice: $550 (—/C)

Mk-10 AGL (Grenade Launcher): The standard infantry-supportgrenade launcher in the United States Army, the Mk-19 is a tripod-mounted (NHT), belt-fed Automatic weapon. It may also fire unbeltedindividual grenades (ROF 1). It may be fired only from a tripod orvehicle mount.

Ammo: 40mm grenadesWt: 40 kgMag: 50 belt or 1 individualPrice: $5000 (R/S)

M136 (Rocket Launcher): This disposable system is used in somenumbers by the United States Army to supplement the M72 LAW andArmbrust.

Ammo: 84mm HEAT rocketWt: 6 kgPrice: $200 (—/C)

*Single-shot disposable. Cannot be reloaded.

TypeM203

Mag1i

ROFSS

Rng100

IFR400

RndHEHEDPCHEMILLUM

DamC:3, B:12C:3, B:12C:1,B:4B:100

PenNil4CNilNil

TypeMk-19

Mag50B or 1i

ROF1

Rng100

IFR400

RndHEHEDPCHEMILLUM

DamC:3, B:12C:3, B:12C:1,B:4B:100

PenNil4CNilNil

TypeM136

ROF1

Rid*

Rng75

RoundHEAT

DamageC:4, B:4

Pen70C

LAW 80 (Rocket Launcher): The replacement for the M72 LAWin British service, this is a 94mm disposable antitank rocket launcher.While it is quite a bit heavier than the M72, it has considerablyimproved performance.

Wt: 9.5 kgPrice: $250 (—/C)

*Single-shot disposable. Cannot be reloaded.

M12 SMAW (Rocket Launcher): A shoulder-fired "bunkerbuster"issued to US Marine Corps troops, but never formally adopted by theUS Army.

Ammo: 82mm SMAW (HE or HEAT)Wt: 3.5 kgPrice: $1800 (—/R)

Dragon PIP (Antitank Missile Launcher): The Dragon PIP (Prod-uct Improved) is a man-portable antitank missile designed to give therifle squad some means of dealing with armored vehicles at mediumto long range.

Ammo: Dragon PIPWt: 8 kgPrice: $9000 (—/S)

TypeDragon PIP

Rld2

Rng1000

DamageC:12, B:12

Pen135C

TypeM12 SMAW

ROF1

Rid2

Rng100125

RoundHEATHE

DamageC:4, B:4C:12, B:12

Pen55C5C

TypeLAW 80

ROF1

Rld*

Rng125

RoundHEAT

DamageC:6, B:4

Pen100C

60mm Mortar (Mortar): Standard light mortar for the US Army. Itcan be disassembled into three loads (bipod, baseplate, tube) foreasier transportation. Individual rounds are dropped down the tube bythe loader. Requires two combat turns to set up.

Wt: 20 kg (Bipod Wt: 8 kg; Baseplate Wt: 4 kg; Tube Wt: 8 kg)Mag: 1 individualPrice: $5000 (—/C)

Tank Breaker (Anitltank Missile Launcher): A man-portablelauncher fired from an integral rest, Tank Breaker fires a homing fire-and-forget missile which can be set either to hit the target directly, orfly over it and attack from above where the armor is generally thinner.

Ammo: Tank BreakerWt: 10 kgPrice: $7500 (—/R)

M9A1 Flamethrower (Flamethrower): Flamethrowers squirt astream of gasoline at their targets, using compressed gas (nitrogenis preferred) as a propellant. The stream may be "cold" (unignited)or "hot" (ignited) at the firer's option (ignition is provided by a "glow-plug" attachment at the nozzle). Originally designed to deal withbunkers and other underground complexes (killing the inhabitants byconsuming all the oxygen inside), flamethrowers are also usefulagainst armored vehicles and for clearing away underbrush, destroy-ing supply dumps, and so on.

Each shot covers a square area four meters on a side with burninggasoline, which will continue to burn for one minute (12 turns) or untilextinguished (other flammable items in the square will be ignited andmay burn longer). The fuel is napalm (jellied gasoline) but can beordinary gasoline (at half the ranges noted). Fuel cannisters have anarmor value of 1, and a hit on one is resolved as a fuel hit on a vehicle(no doubt causing some minor unease among users).

Ammo: Fuel cannisterWt: 23 kgMag: 5 internal (a tank of gasoline)Price: $1200 (—/S)

RecoilWeaponM9A1 Flamethrower

ROFSA

Dam*

PenNil

Blk4

Mag5

SS4

Brst—

Rng5

*Damage by burning gasoline is covered on page 97.

TypeTank Breaker

Rld2

Rng2000

DamageC:6, B:4

Pen90C

Type60mm

IFR: 4 km

RoundHEWPILLUM

DamageC:5, B:20C:2, B:12B:400

PenNilNilNil

FIM-92A Stinger (Surface-to-Air Missile): The Stinger is anAmerican-built surface-to-air missile with advanced IR homingcapability.

Range: 6 kmAccuracy Level: AverageWt: 20 kgPrice: $1500 (—/R)

FIM-99 Scorpion (Surface-to-Air Missile): The Scorpion is anAmerican-built, shoulder-fired, surface-to-air missile with televis-ual and advanced IR homing capability.

Range: 7 kmAccuracy Level: EasyWt: 16 kgPrice: $1750 (—/R)

MBB-7 Venusfliegenfalle (Surface-to-Air Missile): The Ger-man-built Venusfliegenfalle (Venus Flytrap) is a shoulder-fired,surface-to-air missile with televisual and advanced IR homingcapability.

Range: 7 kmAccuracy Level: EasyWt:14 kgPrice: $1850 (—/R)

SA-27 Grappler (Surface-to-Air Missile): Code-named theGrappler by the NATO powers, the SA-27 is a Soviet-built surface-to-air missile with televisual and advanced IR homing capability.

Range: 6 kmAccuracy Leuel: EasyWt: 15 kgPrice: $1000 (—/R)

Price: Includes all weapons listed under Armament, all ammunitionlisted under Ammo, and one full load of fuel.

RF: Range finder bonus.Stabilization: Any special weapon stabilization machinery.Armament: Weapons with which the vehicle is normally equipped and

which are included in its price (MG:Machinegun GL: Grenade launcher).Ammo: The amount of ammunition carried in ammunition stores

(additional ammo may be purchased and carried, but counts as cargo).Cruise Speed: Travel movement. See page 108.Com Mov: Combat movement. See page 109.Fuel Cap: Fuel capacity, in liters.Fuel Cons: Fuel consumption rate, in liters of gasoline per hour.Fuel Type: Types of fuel the vehicle can use (G: Gasoline AuG: Aviation

gasoline D: Diesel A:Alcohol—methanol and ethanol OCoal "/Wood).Load: Interior cargo capacity, given in kilograms unless otherwise noted.Veh Wt: Gross weight, including ammo and fuel but not cargo.Crew: Number of crew+number of passengers.Weapons Mounts. Most weapons are fired by the gunner. Weapons fired by

other crewmembers are mounted in weapons mounts. Weapons mounts willaccept any MG or the Mk-19 grenade launcher; most mounts have a weaponin them, but it may be removed. The vehicle entry will explain the location ofweapons mounts (if any) and who fires weapons in them (C: Commander P:Passenger).

Firing Ports: Firing ports are small doors in the sides of some vehicles whichallow passengers to fire certain small arms from inside. Only assault rifles, battlerifles, submachineguns, and sporting rifles may be used in firing ports. Driversand gunners may not use firing ports, but all other crewmembers may (oneeach). Range is limited to short.

Combat Statistics: See pages 115 and 116 for details. Config: Configura-tion Std: StandardTrt: Turreted CIH: Crew in hull Susp: Suspension W: WheeledT: Tracked HF: Front hull armor value HS: Side hull armor value HR: Rear hullarmor value TF: Turret front armor value TS: Turret side AV TR: Turret rear AV.

Conquistador Bicycle (Unarmored Cargo Vehicle): A ruggedlybuilt cross-country or mountain model. Bicycles are the cheapestprivate vehicle to operate, and one of the most common in citiesthese days.

Cruise Speed: 3 0 / 1 0Com Move: 1 5 / 4

Combat StatisticsNone. Driver and passengers are fired at as mounted targets

(see Special Cases on page 88).

Price: $120 (V/V)Veh Wt: 15 kgCrew: 1

Damage RecordCrewmembers: Driver OSuspension: Minor damage O Immobilized O

Used as a mount for sport riding by nomenklatura and astransport in certain wilder areas of the country. Some people,(Native Americans, for example) have a particular affinity forhorses.

Cruise Speed: 10 /10Com Move: 1 0 / 3 0 / 6 0

Price: $2000 (S/S)Hits: 60Feed: 12 kg+grazeLoad: 120 kgWt: 350 kg

Suzuki Sparrow Motor Scooter (Unarmored Cargo Vehicle): Asmall, lightweight, and inexpensive motorbike, very popular withthose who need more speed than a bicycle can give (and who canafford the gasoline).

Price: $950 (C/C)Fuel Type: G, ALoad: 50 kgVeh Wt: 95 kgCrew: 1Might Vision: Headlight Combat Statistics

None. Driver is fired at asa mounted target (see Spe-

Damage Record cial Cases on page 88).Crewmembers: Driver OSight/Vision: Night vision equipment OEngine: OFuel (% Consumed or Destroyed): OOOOO OOOOOSuspension: Minor damage O Immobilized O

Cruise Speed: 100/40Com Move: 50/25Fuel Cap: 12Fuel Cons: .75

Yamaha Apache Motorcycle (Unarmored Cargo Vehicle): One ofa variety of small dirt and cross-country models, used primarily by themilitary for scouting and by certain rural criminal gangs for transpor-tation.

Cruise Speed: 9 5 / 3 7Com Move: 4 5 / 2 0Fuel Cap: 16Fuel Cons: 2

Combat StatisticsNone. Driver and passenger are fired at as mounted targets (see

Special Cases on page 88).

Price: $5000 (V/V)Night Vision: HeadlightFuel Type: G, A, AvGLoad: 300 kgVeh Wt: 156 kgCrew: 1 + 1

Damage RecordCrewmembers: Driver OPassengers: 1 OSight/Vision: Night vision equipment OEngine: OFuel (% Consumed or Destroyed): OOOOO OOOOOSuspension: Minor damage O Immobilized O

Harley-Davidson Motorcycle (Unarmored Cargo Vehicle): This isone of a variety of street-legal machines, some used primarily byyoung, up-and-coming executives trying to cultivate a daredevilimage, others used by gangs who don't need to cultivate an image—they live it.

Cruise Speed: 9 5 / 4 0Com Move: 5 0 / 2 0Fuel Cap: 16Fuel Cons: 2

Combat StatisticsNone. Driver and passenger are fired at as mounted targets (see

Special Cases on page 88).

Price: $8500 (C/C)Fuel Type: G, ALoad; 100 kgVeh Wt: 140 kgCrew: 1 + 1Night Vision: Headlight

Damage RecordCrewmembers: Driver OPassengers: 1 OSight/Vision: Night vision equipment OEngine: OFuel (% Consumed or Destroyed): OOOOO OOOOOSuspension: Minor damage O Immobilized O

Zil Tovarisch (Unarmored Cargo Vehicle): The Zil is a Russian-designed competitor to the Yugo. It is cheaper, but has a reputationfor being less well-made.

Cruise Speed: 9 0 / 1 5 Price: $6000 (C/C)Com Move: 4 5 / 8 Fuel Type: G, AFuel Cap: 80 Load: 400 kgFuel Cons: 5 Veh Wt: 1 ton

Crew: 1+3Combat Statistics Night Vision: Headlights

Config: Stnd HF: 1Susp: W(2) HS: 1

Damage Record HR: 1Crewmembers: Driver OPassengers: 1 O 2 O 3 OSight/Vision: Night vision equipment OEngine: OFuel (% Consumed or Destroyed): OOOOO OOOOOSuspension: Minor damage O Immobilized O

Yugo Contempo (Gnarmored Cargo Vehicle): The cutting edge ofSerbo-Croatian design technology, used for for rental cars, cabs, andby middle-class types who have saved enough to get off a bicycle.Lower-echelon executives also use Yugos if they are on their waydown and can't afford extravagances.

Cruise Speed: 9 0 / 1 5 Price: $7000 (C/C)Com Move: 5 0 / 1 0 Fuel Type: Q, AFuel Cap: 80 Load: 300 kgFuel Cons: 5 Veh Wt: 1 ton

Crew: 1+3Combat Statistics Night Vision: Headlights

Damage RecordCrewmembers: Driver OPassengers: 1 O 2 O 3 OSight/Vision: Night vision equipment OEngine: OFuel (% Consumed or Destroyed): OOOOO OOOOOSuspension: Minor damage O Immobilized O

Config: StndSusp: W(2)

HF: 1HS: 1HR: 1

Ford-Revlon Elite (Unarmored Cargo Vehicle): The Elite is one ofthe most popular modern sportscars. Its electra-glide engine pro-vides smooth acceleration. The Elite is known to have the most well-equipped glove compartment on any current model (due to theinfluence of the Revlon arm of the conglomerate) with an automatic,lighted, pop-down makeup mirror and completely stocked makeup

| kit, including all relevant applicators. The Canadian humorist AntonWilson Peale says of this car: "My ex-wife had an Elite, but she hadto trade it in. It ran out of lip-gloss."

Cruise Speed: 110 /17

Damage RecordCrewmembers: Driver OPassengers: 1 O 2 OSight/Vision: Night vision equipment OEngine: OFuel (% Consumed or Destroyed): OOOOO OOOOOSuspension: Minor damage O Immobilized O

Com Move: 6 0 / 1 0Fuel Cap: 80Fuel Cons: 5

Combat StatisticsConfig: Stnd HF: 1Susp: W(2) HS: 1

HR: 1

Price: $55,000 (S/C)Fuel Type: G, ALoad: 0.5 tonsVeh Wt: 1 tonCrew: 1+2Night Vision: Headlights

GDM Lancer (Unarmored Cargo Vehicle): The Lancer is a good,solid car—almost a throwback to another era. But it is also one of themost luxurious animals on the road, with a plush interior, a high-response, high-powered engine, top-of-the-line stereo, soundproof-ing, extra safety features and near-race car quality braking and fuelinjection systems. With its distinctive lines it has often been describedas "the shark of the road."

GDM Ariel (Unarmored Cargo Vehicle): GDM has discovered thatthe Ariel's design and appearance appeals mostly to young profes-sional women, and advertises it accordingly.

Chrysler LeBoeuf (Unarmored Cargo Vehicle): Sometimes nick-named the "Bulgemobile," the LeBoeuf is a large, rugged sedan.Certain criminal types favor the vehicle for its large trunk and rugged,though sporty, nature.

Cruise Speed: 100 /17Com Move: 6 0 / 1 0Fuel Cap: 100Fuel Cons: 6

Combat StatisticsConfig: Stnd HF: 1Susp: W(3) HS: 1

HR: 1

Price: $695,000 (S/S)Fuel Type: G, ALoad: 0.6 tonsVeh Wt: 1.2 tonsCrew: 1+4Night Vision: Headlights

Damage RecordCrewmembers: Driver OPassengers: 1 O 2 O 3 O 4 OSight/Vision: Night vision equipment OEngine: OFuel (% Consumed or Destroyed): OOOOO OOOOOSuspension: Minor damage O Immobilized O

Cruise Speed: 1 0 0 / 1 5Com Move: 6 0 / 1 0Fuel Cap: 100Fuel Cons: 6

Combat StatisticsConfig: Stnd HF: 1Susp: W(2) HS: 1

HR: 1

Price: $85,000 (S/S)Fuel Type: G, ALoad: 0.4 tonsVeh Wt: 1 tonCrew: 1+3Night Vision: Headlights

Damage RecordCrewmembers: Driver OPassengers: 1 O 2 O 3 OSight/Vision: Night vision equipment OEngine: OFuel (% Consumed or Destroyed): OOOOO OOOOOSuspension: Minor damage O Immobilized O

Cruise Speed: 9 0 / 1 5Com Moo: 5 0 / 1 0Fuel Cap: 120Fuel Cons: 5

Combat StatisticsConfig: Stnd HF: 1Susp: W(3) HS: 1

HR: 1

Price: $25,000 (C/C)Fuel Type: G, ALoad: 0.7 tonsVeh Wt: 1.6 tonsCrew: 1+4Night Vision: Headlights

Damage RecordCrewmembers: Driver OPassengers: 1 O 2 O 3 O 4 OSight/Vision: Night vision equipment OEngine: OFuel (% Consumed or Destroyed): OOOOO OOOOOSuspension: Minor damage O Immobilized O

Mitsubishi-Ferrari Kamikaze (Unarmored Cargo Vehicle): La-beled the "testosterossa" by the Canadian humorist Anton WilsonPeale ("My nine-year-old son got in one at the dealership, and it jump-started him into puberty"), the Kamakazi is one of the hottest, mostexpensive sports cars on the road. It also merits the highest insurancepremiums of any vehicle on the American road.

Mazda Firefly Convertible (Unarmored Cargo Vehicle): Althoughit is not the only "ragtop" left, the Firefly is by far the most popularconvertible available today. The vehicle is in such demand that themanufacturers have established a waiting list for purchasers, andused Fireflies can be sold almost instantly.

Mercedes-Benz 750 SLX (Unarmored Cargo Vehicle): An ar-mored luxury automobile, with an extra-large, customized interior.Vehicles such as these are used by extremely wealthy individuals,high government officials, or by high-level corporate executives.They are often equipped with entertainment centers, cellular tele-communications devices, computers, and mobile fax machines.Most also have a two-way radio (secure channel) to enable securitypersonnel in other vehicles to communicate with the driver and viceversa. Many have a sealed passenger/driver compartment with a 1-2 hour internal air supply (to foil chemical or flamethrower attacks).

Cruise Speed: 130 /17Com Move: 8 0 / 1 0Fuel Cap: 60Fuel Cons: 7

Combat StatisticsConfig: Stnd HF: 1Susp: W(l) HS: 1

HR: 1

Price: $980,000 (S/S)Fuel Type: G, ALoad: 0.2 tonsVeh Wt: 1 tonCrew: l + 1Night Vision: HeadlightsDamage Record

Crewmembers: Driver OPassengers: 1 OSight/Vision: Night vision equipment OEngine: OFuel (% Consumed or Destroyed): OOOOO OOOOOSuspension: Minor damage O Immobilized O

Cruise Speed: 1 1 0 / 2 0Com Move: 70/\5Fuel Cap: 100Fuel Cons: 6

Combat StatisticsConfig: Stnd HF: 1Susp: W(2) HS: 1

HR: 1

Price: $300,000 (S/S)Fuel Type: Q, ALoad: 0.4 tonsVeh Wt: 1.1 tonsCrew: 1+3Night Vision: Headlights

Damage RecordCrewmembers: Driver OPassengers: 1 O 2 O 3 OSight/Vision: Night vision equipment OEngine: OFuel (% Consumed or Destroyed): OOOOO OOOOOSuspension: Minor damage O Immobilized O

Damage RecordCrewmembers: Driver O Bodyguard (optional) OPassengers: 1 O 2 O 3 O 4 OSight/Vision: Night vision equipment OEngine: OFuel (% Consumed or Destroyed): OOOOO OOOOOSuspension: Minor damage O Immobilized O

Cruise Speed: 9 0 / 1 7Com Move: 4 5 / 8Fuel Cap: 180Fuel Cons: 11

Combat StatisticsConfig: Stnd HF: 4Susp: W(4) HS: 4

HR:4

Price: $1,910,000 (S/R)Fuel Type: GLoad: 600 kgVeh Wt: 2 tonsCrew: 1+4 (or 2+4)Night Vision: Headlights

Kartoffeln Van (Unarmored Cargo Vehicle): Designed for business orprivate use, this van is a one-ton truck with a completely enclosed cargobed accessible from the passenger compartment. Private models can befitted with extra seats. Vans with fake business markings are used by thepolice and others for covert surveillance. Weapons are seldom fitted, buta radio can be. Price does not include any additional equipment fitted.Passenger limitations are primarily comfort related.

Police forces make useof special versions of these vehicles to carry riotcontrol teams (adding sirens, lights, and communications gear) or asprisoner transfer vehicles (at double the passengercapacity given below).

Chrysler Conestoga 5/4-Ton Pickup Truck (Unarmored CargoVehicle): These medium-sized civilian utility trucks are in commonuse, and are even considered a badge of status within certain groups.This truck can carry up to 1.25 tons of cargo, or an equivalent loadof passengers (although no provision is made for them) in the openback end.

Winnebago Nomad Camper (Unarmored Cargo Vehicle): This isa specially modified version of the panel van incorporating a smallkitchen, toilet, shower, and folding beds for long-distance cross-country travel or for use as mobile living quarters. Although still usedfor their original purpose (recreational camping), they are standardhousing for an increasing proportion of the population.

Damage RecordCrewmembers: Driver OPassengers (Business Version): 1 OPassengers (Private Version): 1 O 2 O 3 O 4 O 5 OPassengers (Surveillence Version): 1 O 2 O 3 OSight/Vision: Night vision equipment ORadio (If Any): OEngine: OFuel (% Consumed or Destroyed): OOOOO OOOOOSuspension: Minor damage O Immobilized O

Cruise Speed: 9 0 /1 7Com Move: 4 5 / 8Fuel Cap: 120Fuel Cons: 8

Combat StatisticsConfig: Stnd HF: 1Susp: W(2) HS: 1

HR: 1

Price: $83,000 (C/C)Fuel Type: G, ALoad: 1 ton (business); 600 kg

(private); 300 kg (surveillance)Veh Wt: 2 tonsCrew: 1+5Night Vision: Headlights (private),

image intensifier videocam (surveillance)

Damage RecordCrewmembers: Driver O Cab passenger OPassengers: 1 O 2 O 3 O 4 O 5 O 6 OArmament (If Any): OSight/Vision: Night vision equipment ORadio (If Any): OEngine: OFuel (% Consumed or Destroyed): OOOOO OOOOOSuspension: Minor damage O Immobilized O

Cruise Speed: 9 0 / 2 0Com Move: 6 0 / 2 0Fuel Cap: 105Fuel Cons: 5

Combat StatisticsConfig: Stnd HF: 1Susp: W(3) HS: 1

HR: 1

Price: $ 35,000 (C/S)Fuel Type: G, ALoad: 1.25 tonsVeh Wt: 2 tonsCrew: 2+6Night Vision: Headlights

Cruise Speed: 9 0 / 1 7Com Move: 4 5 / 8Fuel Cap: 120Fuel Cons: 8

Combat StatisticsConfig: Stnd HF: 1Susp: W(2) HS: 1

HR: 1

Price: $580,000 (C/C)Fuel Type: G, ALoad: 800 kgVeh Wt: 2 tonsCrew: 1+4Night Vision: Headlights

Damage RecordCrewmembers: Driver OPassengers: 1 O 2 O 3 O 4 OSight/Vision: Night vision equipment ORadio (If Any): OEngine: OFuel (% Consumed or Destroyed): OOOOO OOOOOSuspension: Minor damage O Immobilized O

Range Rover II (Unarmored Cargo Vehicle): The rugged RangeRover series of vehicles has been popular in some circles for years.The extra capacity fuel tanks and good cross-country capabilitymake it popular with those whose travels take them off of thepavement occasionally.

HMMWV (Unarmored Cargo Vehicle): The above letters stand forhigh-mobility, multipurpose wheeled vehicle. The HMMWV is a four-wheel-drive, off-road vehicle designed as a light scout, utility, andcargo vehicle. Just as the jeep entered civilian use after WWII, so didthe HMMWV "Hummer." Many small businesses use them as deliveryvehicles.

Orca 2 ½-Ton Truck (Unarmored Cargo Vehicle): A standard 6x6cargo truck with moderate cross-country performance, capable ofcarrying 2-½ tons of cargo or an equivalent load of passengers.

Cruise Speed: 9 0 / 3 0Com Move: 5 0 / 2 5Fuel Cap: 150Fuel Cons: 5

Combat StatisticsConfig: Stnd HF: 1Susp: W(2) HS: 1

HR: 1

Price: $50,000 (S/S)Fuel Type: G, ALoad: 0.5 tonsVeh Wt: 1.5 tonsCrew: 1+4Night Vision: HeadlightsDamage Record

Crewmembers: Driver OPassengers: 1 O 2 O 3 O 4 OSight/Vision: Night vision equipmentOEngine: OFuel (% Consumed or Destroyed): OOOOO OOOOOSuspension: Minor damage O Immobilized O

Cruise Speed: 1 0 0 / 3 0Com Move: 5 0 / 1 5Fuel Cap: 90Fuel Cons: 7

Combat StatisticsConfig: Stnd HF: 1Susp: W(2) HS: 1

HR: 1

Price: $18,000 (C/C)Fuel Type: D, G, ALoad: 1.25 tonsVeh Wt: 2 tonsCrew: 1+5Night Vision: Headlights

Damage RecordCrewmembers: Driver OPassengers: 1 O 2 O 3 O 4 O 5 OSight/Vision: Night vision equipment ORadio: OEngine: O 'Fuel (% Consumed or Destroyed): OOOOO OOOOOSuspension: Minor damage O Immobilized O

Damage RecordCrewmembers: Driver O Cab passenger OPassengers: 1 O 2 O 3 O 4 O 5 O 6 O 7 O 8 O 9 O 10 OSight/Vision: Night vision equipment ORadio: OArmament (If Any): OEngine: OFuel (% Consumed or Destroyed): OOOOO OOOOOSuspension: Minor damage O Immobilized O

Cruise Speed: 90 / 17Com Mov: 4 5 / 8Fuel Cap: 195Fuel Cons: 16

Combat StatisticsConfig: Stnd HF: 1Susp: W(3) HS: 1

HR: 1

Price: $50,000 (C/C)Fuel Type: D, ALoad: 2.5 tonsVeh Wt: 4 tonsCrew: 2+10Night Vision: Headlights

Kenilworth Piledriver Semi-Trailer Tractor (Unarmored CargoVehicle): A 4x6 truck engine-and-cab combination used to pull avariety of trailers. This truck is commonly known as a "semi," ashortened version of its full name. The vehicle does well on thehighway, but has very poor cross-country mobility. It is usuallyequipped with multichannel CB radios and other electronic equip-ment (radar detectors, etc.).

Enclosed Trailer (Unarmored Cargo Vehicle): This is a fullyenclosed open-cargo trailer designed to be towed by the semi-trailertractor described above. It is used for cargos that can readily beloaded through the two rear doors (on some versions, a smaller, sidedoor is fitted). Some versions have integral temperature controlequipment for special cargos. Mo provision is made for armament.Movement is per towing vehicle.

Roadrunner Passenger Bus (Unarmored Cargo Vehicle): This isa typical cross-country passenger bus, now mostly used forintermetroplex travel along major interstates. Smaller models are-occasionally used by city mass-transit companies, or by privatecompanies.

Damage RecordCrewmembers: Driver OPassengers: 10 O 20 O 30 O 40 O 50 O 60 OSight/Vision: Night vision equipment OEngine: OFuel (% Consumed or Destroyed): OOOOO OOOOOSuspension: Minor damage O Immobilized O

Cruise Speed.: 8 0 / 1 7Com Move: 4 0 / 8Fuel Cap: 2 8 0Fuel Cons: 17

Combat StatisticsConfig: Stnd HF: 1Susp: W(2) HS: 1

HR: 1

Price: $100,000 (S/S)Fuel Type: D, ALoad: 7 tonsVeh Wt: 11 tonsCrew: 1+60Night Vision: Headlights

Combat StatisticsConfig: Stnd HF: 1Susp: W(2) HS: 1

HR: 1

Price: $24,000 (C/C)Load: 12 tonsVeh Wt: 16 tons

Damage RecordSuspension: Minor damage O Immobilized O

Damage RecordCrewmembers: Driver OPassengers: 1 OSight/Vision: Might vision equipment ORadio: OEngine: OFuel (% Consumed or Destroyed): OOOOO OOOOOSuspension: Minor damage O Immobilized O

Cruise Speed: 8 0 / 1 7Com Move: 4 0 / 8Fuel Cap: 2 8 0Fuel Cons: 17

Combat StatisticsConfig: Stnd HF: 1Susp: W(2) HS: 1

HR: 1

Price: $87,000 (C/C)Fuel Type: D, ALoad: 400 kgVeh Wt: 9 tonsCrew: 1+ 1Night Vision: Headlights

Commando V-300P (Armored Personnel Carrier): The V-300P(for police) APC is intended for riot control and civil affairs duties bypolice departments. It is armed with a water cannon and a Mk-19 AGL(usually armed with tear gas rounds only), although a coaxial MAGMG can be also be installed. It has six firing ports, three on the rightside and three on the left side. The vehicle comes equipped with anonboard storage tank for the water cannon (the ammunition capacitybelow), but it is also equipped with a hose for connection to a hydrant,(unlimited "ammunition" at a sacrifice of mobility). Connecting/disconnecting the hose must be done from outside the vehicle, andtakes one person 15 seconds.Weapon Data

*AII characters within an eight-meter square are knocked down, take 1D6-1 damage to a random location, and lose all further actions for the turn.

WeaponWater Cannon

ROF5

Mag10

Rng5

AmmoWater pulse

Damage*

PenNil

RecoilWeaponMAG MG

bipodtripod

ROF101010

Dam444

Pen2-3-Nil2-3-Nil2-3-Nil

Blk666

Mag100B100B100B

SS111

Brst742

Rng6590

125

Type40mm

ROF5

Mag50B or SS

Rng200

1FR3 km

RndCHEM

DamageC:1,B:4

PenNil

Damage RecordCrewmembers: Commander O Driver O Gunner OPassengers: 1 O 2 O 3 O 4 O 5 O 6 ORadio: OWater Cannon: OTraverse: OEngine: OFuel (% Consumed or Destroyed): OOOOO OOOOOSuspension: Minor damage O Immobilized O

Cruise Speed: 100 /30Com Move: 5 0 / 2 5Fuel Cap: 2 8 4Fuel Cons: 18

Combat StatisticsConfig: Trt HF: 6Susp: W(3) HS: 4

HR:3

AmmunitionWater PulsesOOOOO OOOOO

Price: $230,000 (—/S)Armament: Water cannon,

Mk-19 40mmAGL coaxial, (co-axial MAG MG optional)

Ammo: Water, 100x40mmgrenade (1200x7.62mm N op-tional)

Fuel Type: D, ALoad: 600 kgVeh Wt: 12 tonsCrew: 3+6Night Vision: Headlights

40mm Grenade (100 rounds)OOOOO OOOOO OOOOO OOOOOOOOOO OOOOO OOOOO OOOOOOOOOO OOOOO OOOOO OOOOOOOOOO OOOOO OOOOO OOOOOOOOOO OOOOO OOOOO OOOOO

RamTech P-320 (Armored Personnel Carrier): This vehiclerepresents one of the most advanced police anti-riot APCs available.The 6x6 armored vehicle is designed to carry up to 10 fully equippedriot police and provide them with support as well as transportation.The vehicle is equipped with a "cherry picker" platform, capable ofelevation up to 18 meters above street level. This platform carries aremotely operated tranq dart gun, 40mm AGL, video camera, andfoam nozzle, all controlled by the vehicle commander from inside thehull. The 40mm AGL has two 50-round bins for ammo storage,selected at will by the commander. It has six firing ports, three on theright side and three on the left side.

The foam nozzle sprays short bursts, each covering a single eight-meter square. The foam is very dense, highly sound-absorbent, andtransmits light well, but diffuses it greatly. Victims trapped in it canbreathe normally, but are unable to see beyond a few centimeters andcannot hear sounds more than a couple of meters distant. If desired,a knockout gas can also be injected into the mixture (characters mustroll Difficult: Constitution to remain conscious each five-secondphase exposed to the foam). A harmless dye can also be mixed intothe foam, to mark suspects for later retrieval.Weapon Data

Type40mm

ROF5

Mag50B or SS

Rng200

IFR3 km

RndCHEM

DamageC:1,B:4

PenNil

Damage RecordCrewmembers: Commander/Gunner O Driver OPassengers: 1 O 2 O 3 O 4 O 5 O 6 O 7 O 8 O 9 O 10 ORadio: O40mm AGL OFoam Nozzle: OTraverse: OEngine: OFuel (% Consumed or Destroyed): OOOOO OOOOOSuspension: Minor damage O Immobilized O

Cruise Speed: 1 0 0 / 3 0Com Moue: 5 0 / 1 5Fuel Cap: 2 8 4Fuel Cons: 18

Combat StatisticsConfig: Trt HF: 2Susp: W (3) HS: 2

HR:2

Price: $690,000 (—/S)Armament: 40mm AGL, tranq

dart gun, foam nozzleAmmo: 100x40mm, l00xtranq

darts, 20xfoam pulsesFuel Type: D, ALoad: 600 kgVeh Wt: 12 tonsCrew: 2+10Night Vision: Headlights

Rowboats, canoes, assault boats, and other open craft four meterslong or less. These can often be carried by one or two people, and canusually be stored on top of a vehicle as cargo. Inflatable versions areeven more portable than wooden ones.

A sail-powered, wooden-hulled pleasure craft with a small cabinbelow deck.

These boats require little maintenance and no fuel, although theycan be hard to maneuver in cramped estuaries and the like.

A wooden-hulled, open, "runabout" pleasure boat or small privatefishing boat. It is very handy for those who can afford the gas.

Cruise Speed: 2 /2

Config: Flush deckTonnage: 1Hull Armor: 0Waterline Armor: 0Superstructure Armor: 0Propulsion: Muscle powerSize: 1

Price: Metal: $300 (C/C)Inflatable: :$900(C/C)Wooden: $2300 (R/C)

Armament: NoneLength: 1Draft: 0.5 mSpeed: 1Turn: 4Acceleration: 1Pumps: NoneNight Vision: NoneLoad: 100 kgMinimum/Optimum Crew: 2/4

Cruise Speed: 4 / 4

Config: Flush deckTonnage: 10Hull Armor: 0Waterline Armor: 0Propulsion: SailsSize: 1

Price: $15,000 (C/C)Armament: None, although

one machinegun can be fittedLength: 1Draft: 2 mSpeed: 1D6+2 downwind,

1D6+4 upwindTurn: 2Acceleration: 0.5Pumps: NoneNight Vision: NoneLoad: 1 tonMinimum/Optimum Crew: 2/4

Cruise Speed: 8 /8Fuel Cap: 2 2 0Fuel Cons: 5

Fuel Type: D, AConfig: Flush deckTonnage: 10Hull Armor: 0Waterline Armor: 0Superstructure Armor: 0Propulsion: MotorSize: 1

Price: $30,000 (C/C)Armament: None, although

one machinegun or grenadelauncher can be fitted

Length: 1Draft: 1 mSpeed: 4Turn: 4Acceleration: 4Pumps: 1Night Vision: NoneLoad: 1 tonMinimunVOptimum Crew: 1/2

Damage RecordFull SpeedDead in WaterSunk

OOO

Damage RecordFull SpeedDead in WaterSunk

OOOOO OOOOOOOOOO OOOOOOOOOO OOOOO

Damage RecordFull SpeedDead in WaterSunk

OOOOO OOOOOOOOOO OOOOOOOOOO OOOOO

A medium-sized, wooden-hulled pleasure boat with a small cabin(a cabin cruiser) or small commercial Fishing vessel. This is the mostpopular type of craft with small merchants, but fishing boats of thissize are usually operated by several families in a communal consor-tium.

A small, armed, wooden-hulled river patrol boat or its equivalent.Many of these are former government revenue boats or customspatrol boats which are now in private hands.

Cruise Speed: 6 /6Fuel Cap: 4 0 0Fuel Cons: 10

Fuel Type: D, AConfig: Flush deckTonnage: 20Hull Armor: 0Waterline Armor: 0Propulsion: MotorSize: 2

Price: $300,000 (C/C)Armament: None, although

one or more machineguns caneasily be fitted

Length: 2Draft: 1 mSpeed: 3Turn: 2Acceleration: 1Pumps: 1Night Vision: 1 white light

spotlightLoad: 2 tonsMinimum/Optimum Crew: 2/8

Cruise Speed: 12 /12Fuel Cap: 5 0 0Fuel Cons: 12

Fuel Type: D, AConfig: Flush deckTonnage: 20Hull Armor: 0Waterline Armor: 0Superstructure Armor: 0Propulsion: MotorSize: 2

Price: $490,000 (R/R)Armament: One or two

machineguns, at mostLength: 2Draft: 1 mSpeed: 8Turn: 4Acceleration: 4Pumps: 1Night Vision: White light spot-

lightLoad: 1 tonMinimum/Optimum Crew: 2/8

Damage RecordFull SpeedDead in WaterSunk

OOOOO OOOOO OOOOO OOOOOOOOOO OOOOO OOOOO OOOOOOOOOO OOOOO OOOOO OOOOO

Damage RecordFull SpeedDead in WaterSunk

OOOOO OOOOO OOOOO OOOOOOOOOO OOOOO OOOOO OOOOOOOOOO OOOOO OOOOO OOOOO

Teledyne Dornier CV-27 Peregrine (Tilt-Rotor VSTOL): ThePeregrine is a tilt-rotor VSTOL (Vertical/Short Takeoff and Landing)used by the military as a tactical transport, and by some civilian firmsas a substitute for helicopters. The cabin has a door on the forwardright side and a cargo ramp in the rear, and provision for a cargo hoistcapable of carrying a slung load (vertical takeoff only) of up to 4.5tons at half the aircraft's normal speed (at the expense of part of theinternal cargo load). Vertical takeoff is only possible at two-thirdsmaximum load capacity. Statistics given below are for the executivetransport/corporate security model (weapon pods for security modelonly). For extended range, two 6600 kg fuel pods can be installed onthe external hardpoints.

Weapon DataRecoil

WeaponM2HB

ROF5

Dam8

Pen2-2-3*

Blk8

Mag105B

SS* *

Brst**

Rng150

*.50 SLAP ammunition has a Pen of 1-1-2.**Weapon has negligible recoil when used this way.

Cruise Speed: 10 /10Com Move: 50Fuel Cap: 6 2 1 5 (+13,200 in drop tanks)Fuel Cons: 5 1 2

Price: $3,200,000 (S/S)Armament: 2xM2HB minigun pods (two hardpoints)Ammo: 1500*.50BMGFuel Type: AvGLoad: 9 tons (up to 4.5 tons slung)Veh Wt: 24 tonsCrew: 3+18 (executive version)Night Vision: NoneMin. Runway,Takeoff: 24 m (550 m in STO mode)Min. Runway, Land: 24 m (600 m in STO mode)

MBB/Bell/Textron Model 256 Voyager (Rotary-Wing Aircraft):The Voyager is a civilian version of the military OH-62 Shawneeobservation helicopter. Corporate security versions are sometimesfitted with a pair of M2HB door guns (one per side).

Cruise Speed: 376Com Move: 18Fuel Cap: 4 6 0Fuel Cons: 153

Price: $1,750,000 (S/S)Armament: 2xM2HB door gunsAmmo: 2000x.50 BMGFuel Type: AvGLoad: 2400 kg in four hardpointsVeh Wt: 2.5 tonsCrew: 2+6Min. Runway, Takeoff: 24mMin. Runway, Land: 24m

Weapon DataRecoil

WeaponM2HB

ROF5

Dam8

Pen2-2-3*

Blk8

Mag105B

SS* *

Brst* *

Rng150

*.50 SLAP ammunition has a Pen of 1-1-2.**Weapon has negligible recoil when used this way.

Damage RecordCrewmembers: Pilot O Copilot OPassengers: 1 O 2 O 3 O 4 O 5 O 6 ORadio: ODoor Gun 1: ODoor Gun 2: OAmmo: OEngine: OFuel (% Consumed or Destroyed): OOOOO OOOOORotor: Damaged O Destroyed O

Damage RecordCrewmembers: Pilot O Copilot O Flight Attendant OPassengers: 1 O 2 O 3 O 4 O 5 O 6 O 7 O 8 O 9 O 10 O 11 O

12 O 13 O 14 O 15 O 16 O 17 O 18 ORadio: OGun Pod 1: OGun Pod 2: OAmmo: OEngine 1: OEngine 2: OFuel (% Consumed or Destroyed): OOOOO OOOOOWings: Damaged O Destroyed O

Boeing-Sikorsky RAH-66 Comanche (Rotary Wing Aircraft):The RAH-66 (recon and attack helicopter) Comanche was devel-oped by Boeing-Sikorsky in the early 1990s for the US Army's LHXprogram, with the first models entering service in 1997. The aircraft'slanding gear and weapon racks retract into the hull for stealth flights,but weapon capacity can be expanded by bolt-on wings with weaponracks. The helicopter has six internal (retractable) hardpoints, but thebolt-on wings add eight additional hardpoints (nonretractable). Eachhardpoint can carry two Stingers, one fuel pod, or other weapon pod.Fuel and missile pods cannot be carried internally. Two mainarmament loads are carried, as noted below.

Weapon Data

McDonnell-Sukhoi Nochvyeter (NightWind) (Fixed Wing): TheNochvyeter (NightWind) is a small private jet used by nomenklaturafor sport flying and by corporations as an executive transport aircraft.It is not normally armed, but comes with two underwing attachmentpoints for external fuel tanks (300 kilograms each), which arecapable of accepting an M2HB gun pod for a small (250-pound)bomb.

Weapon DataRecoil

*.5O SLAP ammunition has a Pen of 1-1-2.**Weapon has negligible recoil when used this way.

Cruise Speed: 5 6 0Com Move: 28Fuel Cap: 1020Fuel Cons: 4 0 0

Price: $6,500,000 (—f—)Armament:Recon Mode: 25mm Gatling autocannon, 6 internal hardpointsAttack Mode: 25mm Gatling autocannon (internal), 6 internal and

8 external hardpointsAmmo: 500x20mm autocannonFuel Type: AvGLoad: 3200 kg in up to 14 hardpointsVeh Wt: 4.5 tonsCrew: 2Night Vision: Thermal Imaging, Image IntensificationMin. Runway,Takeoff: 24 mMin. Runway, Land: 24 m

Weapon25mm

ROF5

Mag100B

Rnq250

AmmoHE

DamageC:l, Brst:2

Pen-8C

Damage RecordCrewmembers: Pilot O Weapons Officer OSight/Vision: Gun sight O Range finder O Night vision equipment ORadio: O25mm Gatling Autocannon: OAmmo: OEngine: OFuel (% Consumed or Destroyed): OOOOO OOOOORotor: Damaged O Destroyed O

Cruise Speed: 320Com Move: 16Fuel Cap: 750 (+600 in drop tanks)Fuel Cons: 281

Price: $10,650,000 (S/S)Armament: 800 kg on two hardpointsAmmo: 1500x.50 BMGFuel Type: AvGLoad: 800 kgVeh Wt: 4.5 tonsCrew: 2+6Min. Runway, Takeoff: 750 mMin. Runway, Land: 800 m

WeaponM2HB

ROF5

Dam8

Pen2-2-3*

Blk8

Mag105B

SS**

Brst**

Rng150

Damage RecordCrewmembers: Pilot O Copilot OPassengers: 1 O 2 O 3 O 4 O 5 O 6 ORadio: OM2HB Pod 1 (If Fitted): OM2HB Pod 2 (If Fitted): OAmmo: OEngine 1: OEngine 2: OFuel (% Consumed or Destroyed): OOOOO OOOOOWings: Damaged O Destroyed O

Kraus Maffei-Deere Auto-Farmer (Vehicular Robot): The KrausMaffei-Deere Auto-Farmer is typical of a number of agriculturaldrudgebotsmade by several companies for use by the giant agricorps.The Auto-Farmer is a giant farming machine, combining the func-tions of tiller/cultivator, planter, and harvester. The machine isgigantic, and covers 64-128 rows of any given crop per pass. Oldermodels of these machines had a human operator, and all modelshave a compartment for a human in case the robotic brain isdamaged for some reason. Some models are rigged up for remotecontrol from a central complex.

Kraus Maffei-Deere CropScout (Nonvehicular Robot): The KrausMaffei-Deere CropScout is a specialized drudgebot used by agricul-tural corporations to monitor the condition of fields. CropScoutstravel from field to field checking the level of insect, weed, and fungalinfestation. When a field reaches a set level of infestation, theCropScout will send for the drone helicopters to spray the field withthe appropriate insecticide/herbicide/fungicide combination for itsparticular infestation. CropScouts resemble giant mechanical spi-ders, two meters wide and one high (including legs). The CropScouthas an internal battery containing power sufficient for up to 18 hoursaverage operation. It uses the Quadruped column on the Human/Animal Hit Location Table (with adaptations for the additional legs—the multiple legs are treated as one collective hit location). Somemodels come with internal pesticide sprayers.

Cruise Speed: 12 /12Com Move: 12 /12Fuel Cap: 2 0 0 0Fuel Cons: 50

Combat StatisticsConfig: Stnd HF: 1Susp: T: 4 HS: 1

HR: 1

Price: $30,000,000 (—/R)Fuel Type: DSkills: Observation 3Wt: 65 tonsCrew: 0 or 1 (Robot Initiative: 2)Night Vision: Headlights

Damage RecordCrewmembers (If Present): Operator OCPU: OOther Electronics: OPower Plant: OFuel (% Consumed or Destroyed): OOOOO OOOOOSuspension: Minor damage O Immobilized O

Armor ValuesHead: 1Chest/Abdomen: 1Arms/Legs: 0

Com Move: 9 0 / 5 0

Price: $12,565,000 (S/C)Initiative: 2Agility: 2Strength: 2Constitution: 2Skills: Observation 6, Unarmed combat damage 1Wt: 60 kgNight Vision: White light spotlight.

Damage RecordHead: O

OR. Arm: O

O

Chest: OO

L Arm: OO

Abdomen: OO

Legs: OO

Kraus Maffei-Deere GB-1000 (Nonvehicular Robot): This robot re-sembles a one-meter-high garbage can mounted on two tank treads (the"legs"). The top isa small turret-like structure containing a smoke detector,electronic motion sensor, siren, flashers, a spotlight, chemical spray tubes(usually loaded with tear gas), a small loudspeaker, and a paint pelletmarker gun (to mark suspects for later identification). Some models alsocontain provisions for remote operation from a central control room, andmany have an internal video camera to record evidence.

The robot is programmed to patrol a fixed route on a fixed schedule, and toreact in a number of preprogrammed ways to various situations. It is intended forinternal patrols, or paved areas such as parking lots where it doesn't have to crossrough terrain. It also has a small loudspeaker for warnings, challenges, andannouncements (This area is a restricted. Please vacate it at once.").

The robot's pattern recognition software is sophisticated enough torecognize the difference between animals such as dogs or cats andhumans, reacting to them differently. The robot comes with a standard IRbar code scanner to recognize security passes.

GB-1000 guardbots are little more than moving burglar alarms, al-though they can videotape their actions, and they are capable of distin-guishing betweenanalley cat and a cat burglar. They use the Biped columnon the Human/Animal Hit Location Table.

Kraus Maffei-Deere GB-2000 (Nonvehicular Robot): This is alarger, better armed and armored version of the GB-1000 guardbot.The GB-2000 guardbot is intended for security at factories, mini-mum-security prisons, etc. It has everything the level one robot has,and an internal tranq dart gun in addition, for apprehension ofdangerous animals, escaping prisoners, fleeing felons, etc. It also hastwo manipulator arms which it uses for applying restraint to suspects,opening doors, melee combat, etc. It uses the Biped column on theHuman/Animal Hit Location Table.

Com Move: 15 /6Fuel Cap: 12Fuel Cons: 1

Armor ValuesHead: 1Chest/Abdomen: 2Legs: 1

Initiative: 2Agility: 2Strength: 4Constitution: 4Skills: Observation 8Armament-Chemical projec-

tor, paint pellet gun (Range 15meters)

Sensors: IR motion detector,pattern recognition software(video only)

Wt: 110 kgPrice: $1,630,000 (—/—)Fuel Type: G

Damage RecordHead: O

OR. Leg: O

O

Chest: OO

L Leg: OO

Abdomen: OO

(Treat right or left arm hit results as misses.)

Armor ValuesHead: 3Chest/Abdomen: 2Arms/Legs: 2

Com Move: 3 2 / 1 2Fuel Cap: 18Fuel Cons: 1

Initiative: 4Agility: 4Strength: 6Constitution: 6Skills: Observation 8, Small

Arms (Rifle) 6, Unarmed com-bat damage 2

Armament: Chemical projec-tor, paint pellet gun (Range 15meters), tranq dart gun (seepage 287)

Sensors: IR motion detector,voice/pattern recognition soft-ware (audio/video)

Wt: l60kgPrice: $4,875,000 (—/—)Fuel Type: G

Damage RecordHead: OO

OOR. Arm: O

OR. Leg: O

O

Chest: OOOO

L Arm: OO

L Leg: OO

Abdomen: OOOO

RamTech Roboguard-III (Nonvehicular Robot): The Roboguard-III resembles a 1.5-meter-tall armored golf cart with three arms, twoof them capable of restraining suspects, opening doors, windows,cabinets, or conducting unarmed melee combat. One of the arms hasa small rotary saw blade, which it uses to clear obstructions (armedmelee stats for the saw are given below).

The robot's on-board computer includes a complex programdetailing responses to various situations, and levels of permittedviolence depending upon the stimuli. Roboguard-lIIs use the Quad-ruped column of the Human/Animal Hit Location Table (the robotshave four small track units as their "legs").

RamTech Roboguard-IV (Nonvehicular Robot): The Roboguard-IV is in-tended for military and high-security applications. It resembles a thnee-meter-tallclam with legs, arms, and a small weapon mount attached to each side under thearm. It is extremely sophisticated and capable of considerable independentaction within its preprogrammed parameters. The Roboguard-IV has twomanipulative arms to restrain tranqed suspects. It uses the Bipedal column ofthe Human/Animal Hit Location Table.

Armor ValuesHead: 3Chest/Abdomen: 3Arms/Legs: 2

Com Move: 3 2 / 1 2Fuel Cap: 24Fuel Cons: 1

Initiative: 5Agility: 4Strength: 8Constitution: 10

Skills: Observation 8, SmallArms (Rifle) 6, Small Arms (Pis-tol) 6, Unarmed combat dam-age 2

Armament: Chemica1 projec-tor, paint pellet gun, tranq dartgun, integral 5.56mm selectivefire rifle, integral 9mm selectivefire SMG

Sensors: IR motion detector,voice/pattern recognition soft-ware (audio/video), ultrasonicand subsonic sound detectors

Wt: 220 kgPrice: $43,250,000 (—/—)Fuel Type: G

Weapon DataWeaponSaw arm

RangeS

Hit Mod.+1

Damage1D6+4

RecoilWeaponInt. 9mm SMGInt. 5.56mm rifle

ROF53

Dam23

PenNil1-Nil

Blk12

Mag12060

SS23

Brst55

Rng3055

Damage RecordHead:

R. Arm:

R. Leg:

OOOO

OO

OOOO

Chest:

L (Saw) Arm:

L Leg:

OOOOOOOO

OO

OOOO

Abdomen: OOOOOOOO

Armor ValuesHead: 4Chest/Abdomen: 6Arms/Legs: 4

Com Move: 3 0 / 1 8Fuel Cap: 100Fuel Cons: 5

Initiative: 6Agility: 4Strength: 14Constution: 10Skills: Observation 10, Small Arms (Rifle) 8, Heavy Weapons 8,

Unarmed combat damaged 2Armamen: Chemical projector, paint pellet gun, tranq dart gun,

integral 9mm SMG (use Uzi stats), M2HB MG, 25mmHE autocannonSensors: IR motion detector, voice/pattern recognition software

(audio/video, UV included), ultrasonic and subsonic sound dectectors,white light spotlight, IR/UV spotlight, ultrasonic motion detector

Price: $67,750,000 (—/—)Fuel Type: GVeh. Wt: 240 kg

Weapon DataWeapon25mm

ROF5

Mag100B

Rng250

AmmoHE

DamageC:l, Brst:2

Pen-8C

RecoilWeaponM2HB**Int. 9mm SMG

ROF55

Dam82

Pen2-2-3*Mil

Blk81

Mag105B120

SS22

Brst15

Rng15030

*50 SLAP ammunition has a Pen of 1-1-2.**Weapon counts as being mounted on tripod.

Damage RecordHead: OO

OOChest: OOO

OOOAbdomen: OOO

OOOR. Arm: O

OL Arm: O

OR. Leg: O

OL Leg: O

O

FamilyAlbanianAltaic

Amerindian

ArmenianBalto-Slavic

BantuBasqueCeltic

CaucasianDravidianGermanic

GreekIndo-lranian

JapaneseKoreanMayalo-PolynesianMon-KhmerRomance

Semite- Hamitic

Sino-Tibetan

Vietnamese

GroupAlbanianTurkic

UgricFinnic

South AmerindianAthabascanUto-AztecanArmenianBaltic

East SlavicWest Slavic

South Slavic

BantuBasqueGoidelic

Brythonic

South CaucasianDravidianAnglicWest Germanic

North Germanic

GreekIndic

Iranian

JapaneseKoreanW. Mayalo-PolynesianMon-KhmerEast Romance

West Romance

East & West RomanceSemitic

Hamitic

Sinitic

Tibeto-Burman

Vietnamese

LanguageAlbanianTurkishAzerbaijaniUzbekKazakhTartarChuvashKirgizTurkomanHungarianFinnishEstonianLappMordvinianMayaNavahoNahuatlArmenianLithuanianLatvianRussianPolishCzechSlovakSerbo-CroatBulgarianSlovenianMacedonianSwahiliBasqueScots GaelicBretonWelshGaelicGeorgianTamilEnglishGermanDutchYiddishFlemishDanishSwedishIcelandicNorwegianGreekHindi-UrduBengaliRomany (Gypsy)TaijikParsi (Persian)JapaneseKoreanMalay-IndonesianCambodianItalianRomanianSpanishCatalanFrenchPortugueseLatinArabicHebrewBerberHausaMandarin*Cantonese*ThaiBurmeseVietnamese

*These two languages (Mandarin and Cantonese) are mutually unintelligiblein their spoken form, but they are 100% intelligible in their written form.

NationalityAmerican

British

Canadian

Czech

Danish

Finnish

French

GermanHungarian

Icelandic

Mexican

Norwegian

PolishPortuguese

SovietSpanish

Swedish

SubcategoryAmerican

EnglishWelsh

Scottish

Irish

Anglo-Canadian

French-Canadian

Czech

Slovak

Danish

Finnish

French

GermanHungarian

Icelandic

Mexican

Norwegian

PolishPortuguese

See Soviet NationalitiesSpanish

Swedish

Native LanguageEnglish(2 Spanish)(1 German)(1 Italian)(1 Polish)(1 Yiddish)EnglishEnglish(2 Welsh)English(3 Scots Gaelic)English(2 Gaelic)English(3 French)French(3 English)Czech(2 Slovak)(1 Hungarian)(1 Romany)Czech(8 Slovak)(1 Hungarian)(1 Romany)Danish(5 English)Finnish(2 Lapp)(2 English)French(3 English)(1 Breton)(1 Basque)(1 Catalan)GermanHungarian(1 German)(1 Romany)Icelandic(1 English)Spanish(5 English)(1 Nahuatl)(1 Maya)Norwegian(5 English)PolishPortuguese(1 English)

List(3 English)(2 Catalan)(2 Basque)Swedish(1 Lapp)(5 English)

Russian*AzerbaijaniUkrainian*Byelorussian*GeorgianUzbekLithuanianRomanianLatvian

KazakhChuvashArmenianEstonianKirgizTartarMordvinianTaijikTurkoman

*Ukrainians, Byelorussians, and Russians speak Russian. All otherSoviet nationalities speak their own language (same name as the nation-ality), plus a snnail amount of Russian (roll 1D10/2 for skill level inRussian).

Army

Private

Corporal

Sergeant

Staff Sergeant

Sergeant 1st Class

Master Sergeant

Sergeant Major

Navy

S e a m a n

Gunner ' s Mate

Bo'sun

Petty Officer 2nd Class

Petty Officer 1 st Class

Chief Petty Officer

Senior Chief Petty Officer

Marines

Private

Lance Corporal

Sergeant

Staff Sergeant

Gunnery Sergeant

Master Sergeant

Sergeant Major

Air Force

Airman

Senior Airman

Sergeant

Staff Sergeant

Technical Sergeant

Master Sergeant

First Sergeant

Navy

Ensign

Lt. Junior Grade

Lieutenant

Lt. C o m m a n d e r

C o m m a n d e r

Captain

Admiral

Other

2nd Lieutenant

1st Lieutenant

Captain

Major

Lt. Colonel

Colonel

General

Undergraduate UniversityGraduate UniversityLaw SchoolMedical SchoolNational Military AcademyTechnical School

AstronautAthleteAttorneyBodyguardBounty HunterCivil EngineerClergyCommercial PilotComputer Operator/ProgrammerConstruction WorkerCriminalCyborg EscapeeDrifterEntertainerEnvironmentalistFactory WorkerFarmerFederal Law EnforcementGamblerGangerGovernment AgentHomeless

JournalistManagerMartial ArtistMechanicMedical DoctorMercenaryMerchant MarineMysticNomenklatura (Idle Rich)ParamedicParaphysicistPoliticianPrisonerPrivate InvestigatorProfessorProle (Corporate

Welfare Recipient)PsychiatristPsychic Test SubjectPublic EmployeeState/Local Law EnforcementTruck Driver

United States ArmyRegular ForcesEnlistedOfficerElite ForcesEnlistedOfficer

United StatesMarine CorpsRegular ForcesEnlistedOfficer

Elite ForcesEnlistedOfficer

United States NavyEnlisted SeamanNaval OfficerNaval AviatorEnlisted SEAL (Sea Air Land)SEAL Officer

United States Air ForceEnlisted AirmanPilot (Officer)

Skill Controlling AttributeAcrobaticsAct/BluffAnimal EmpathyArcheryBargainBioloqyBusinessChemistryClimbingComputer EmpathyComputer OperationDemolitionsDisguiseElectronicsEmpathic HealingEngineerForeboding

AGLCHREMPSTRCHREDUEDUEDUCONEMPEDUAGLCHRAGLEMPEDUEMP

SkillForgeryHeavy WeaponsHorsemanshipHuman EmpathyInstructionInterrogationLanguageLeadershipLockpickLuckMechanicMedicaMelee CombatNavigationObservationParachutePersuasion

Controlling AttributeAGLSTRCONEMPCHRCHRCHRCHRAGLCHRSTREDUSTRINTINTCONCHR

SkillPhysicsPickpocketPilotProject EmotionProject ThoughtPsychologySmall ArmsStalkingStealthStreetwiseSwimmingThrown WeaponTrackingVehicle UseVessel UseWillpowerWillpower Drain

Controlling AttributeEDUAGLINTEMPEMPINTSTRINTAGLINTCONSTRINTINTCONINTEMP

Actions in each p h a s e a re conducted in a specific

order. Charac ters with the s a m e Initiative as the p h a s e

number go first , followed by the next higher Initiative,

followed by the next, and so forth. A typical turn

proceeds as follows:

P h a s e 6: 6 ac t s .

P h a s e 5: 5 acts , 6 ac t s .

P h a s e 4: 4 ac ts , 5 ac ts , 6 acts .

P h a s e 3: 3 acts , 4 acts , 5 ac ts , 6 ac ts .

P h a s e 2: 2 ac ts , 3 ac ts , 4 ac ts , 5 ac ts , 6 ac ts .

P h a s e 1: 1 ac ts , 2 ac ts , 3 acts , 4 ac ts , 5 acts , 6 acts .

Note: If two charac ters have the s a m e Initiative and

are conduct ing act ions a t t he s a m e t ime that m a y

interfere with each other (such as firing at e ach other) ,

the character with the highest Agility goes first. How-

ever, for pu rposes of this determination, subtract the

bulk rating of e ach charac te r ' s w e a p o n from that

character ' s Agility.

Die Roll

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

Biped and Prone Biped

Head

Right Arm

Left Arm

Chest

Abdomen

A b d o m e n

Right Leg

Right Leg

Left Leg

Left Leg

Quadruped

Head

Forequarter

Forequar ter

Forequarter

Chest

Chest

Abdomen

Hindquarter

Hindquarter

Hindquarter

Biped: Table a s s u m e s front/rear shot. For side

shots, far side hit equa l s near side hit.

Prone Biped: Table a s s u m e s t o p shot (shooting

down onto target) . For side shots , far side hit equals

near side hit. For front shots, a leg or a b d o m e n hit

equals a miss . For rear shots, a head , arm, or chest

shot equals a miss .

Quadruped: Table assumes side shot. For front shots,

a hindquarters or abdomen hit equals a miss. For rear

shots, a head or fbrequarters hit equals a miss.

Source

WP

Thermite

Fuel

Structure /

grass f i re

Damage

2D6

2D6

1D6

1D6

All d a m a g e dice are per second, except

for s t ructure /grass fire, which is per phase.

Type

Flak jacke t

Kevlar vest

Steel he lmet

Kevlar helmet

Close assault a rmor

Head

—

—

1 (1-3)1 (1-4)—

Chest/Abd.

1

1——

2

Arms/Legs

—

———

1

Numbers in pa ren theses a re the c h a n c e s on 1D6

that a round will strike the a rmor and not an unpro-

tected area.

Weapon

Axe

Bayone t†

Bottle

Club

Garot te

Hatche t

Knife*

M a c h e t e

S p e a r

Sword

Range

L

L

S

S

SS

S

L

L

L

Hit Mod.

- 2+1

—

- 1

+ 1—

+2

+ 1

—

—

Damage

1D6+STR

1D6+½STR

1D6÷2

1 D 6 + ½ S T R

Spec ia l**l D 6 + ½ S T R

1D6

1D6

1D6+½STR

1D6+STR

Weapon

AKR

M3A1

M177

M231

MAT-49

MP-7

Uzi

Vz-61/62

stock

ROF

5

5

5

5

5

5

5

5

5

Dam

3

2

3

2

2

2

2

1

1

Pen

1-Nil

Nil

1-Nil

1-Nil

Nil

1-Nil

Nil

Nil

Nil

Blk

2 / 3

3/4

3/4

3/4

3/4

4

2 /3

1

3

Mag

30

30

20/30

20/30

32

30

25/32

10/20

10/20

SS

3

2

3

1

1

2

2

3

| 1

Brst

8

4

8

4

4

6

5

7

4

Rng

30

30

40

25

30

30

30

4

12

Recoil

*Including bayonet , when not on rifle. **Unarmed com-

bat d a m a g e x 2 . †When on rifle.

Recoil

Weapon

.22

.22

.30-06

Win. 1894

Tranq gun

ROF

BA

SA

BA

LA

SS

Dam

- 1

-1

4

3*

Pen

Nil

Nil

2-3-Nil

2-Nil

Nil

Blk

4

4

5

5

1

Mag

5i

10

5i

6i

1i

SS

2

2

2

4

3

Brst

—

—

—

—

—

Rng

50

50

75

50

8

Weapon

Hunting bow

Crossbow

ROF

SS

S S

Dam

-1

1

Pen

Nil

Nil

Blk

1

4

Mag

5

6

SS

10

4

Brst

—

Rng

15

20

Weapon

Zip gun

BP Pistol

S&W 2 9 / 1 6 . 5

S&W 36

Python/20 .3

Pacifier stun gun

ROF

SS

SS

DAR

DAR

DAR

S S

Dam

- 1

1

3

1

2*

Pen

Nil

Nil

2-Nil

Nil

1-Nil

Nil

Blk

1

2

2

1

2

1

Mag

1

2

6R

5R

6R

1i

SS

2

3

4

6

3

1

Brst

—

—

—

—

Rng

6

8

16

4

18

1

Weapon

C3

M21

bipod

AR-27

ROF

BA

SA

SA

SA

Dam

4

4

4

4

Pen

2-3-Nil

2-3-Nil

2-3-Nil

2-3-Nil

Blk

5

6

6

6

Mag

3i

20

20

20

SS

5

4

2

6

Brst

—

—

—

—

Rng

75

65

75

85

Weapon

H S . 2 2

DE .357 m a g

DE .44 m a g

HP-35

Colt Krait

ALP

M9 (M92S)

M1911A1

M1911A1 10mm

Walther PPK

Vz-52

Wdy .475 wm

XM26 APW

ROF

SA

SA

SA

SA

SA

(1)*SA

SA

SA

SA

SA

SA

SA

Dam

- 1

3

1

1

2

4

1

2

2

1

1

4

3

Pen

Nil

2-Nil

Nil

Nil

1-Nil

2

Nil

Nil

1-Nil

Nil

Nil

2-Nil

1-Nil

Blk

0

1

1

1

1

3

1

1

1

1

1

1

3

Mag

10

9

8

13

14

—

15

7

6

7

8

7

20

SS

2

3

4

2

3

—

3

3

3

3

4

4

4

Brst

—

—

—

—

—

—

—

—

—

—

Rng

10

18

14

12

15

30

12

12

15

10

12

25

25

Weapon

AK-74

AKM

AKMR

G11

M16A2

AR-15

ALC-2

ROF

5

5

5

3

3

SA

1*

Dam

3

3

3

3

3

2

12

Pen

1-Nil

2-Nil

1-Nil

1-Nil

1-Nil

1-Nil

2

Blk

5

5

5

4

5

5

5

Mag

30

30

30

50

2 0 / 3 0

2 0 / 3 0

12**

SS

3

3

3

2

3

2

Brst

7

8

7

3

5

Rng

50

50

45

55

55

55

60

Recoil

Recoil-

Recoil

Recoil

Recoil

*One shot per 30 seconds .

**Backpack is good for 12 shots; none are actually

carried "in" weapon.

All sniper rifles c o m e with a s cope . With the scope , add

15 mete r s to the basic range for aimed shots. If the scope is

later d a m a g e d or lost (or for quick shots) this modifier is not

added.

* D a m a g e is special and is described on p a g e 287 .

* D a m a g e is special and is described on p a g e 280 .

*One shot per 15 s e c o n d s

Weapon

FN-LAR/L1A1

G3

KAR-98K

XM22 AIW

ROF

SA

5

BA

3

Dam

4

4

4

6

Pen

2-3-Nil

2-3-Nil

2-3-Nil

2-3-Nil

Blk

5

5

5

4

Mag

20

20

5i

50

SS

4

4

4

4

Brst

—

9

—

6

Rng

65

6 5

65

55

Weapon

M249 SAW

bipod

XM7 Storm Gun

bipod

ROF

10

10

SA

SA

Dam

2

2

16

16

Pen

1-Nil

1-Nil

1-2-3

1-2-3

Blk

5

5

5

5

Mag

30B/200B

30B/200B

5

5

SS

1

1

8

4

Brst

3

3

—

—

Rng

6 0

75

80

120

Weapon

311-R

Short

ROF

SA

SA

with buckshot*

Medium 5x10

with buckshot*

Stormcloud

Short

5

5

with buckshot*

Medium 5x10

with buckshot*

Autoriot

Short

SA

SA

with buckshot*

Medium 10

with buckshot*

H&K CAW

Short

5

5

with buckshot*

Medium 5x10

with buckshot*

M500

Short

PA

PA

with buckshot*

Medium 5x10

with buckshot*

Dam

4

9

1

4

9

1

4

9

4

9

1

4

9

1

Pen

3-4-Nil

Nil

Nil

3-4-Nil

Nil

Nil

3-4-Nil

Nil

3-4-Nil

Nil

Nil

3-4-Nil

Nil

Nil

*See Sho tguns o n p a g e 9 1 .

Blk

5

4

5

4

5

Mag

2i

12

5i

10

8i

SS

5

3

3

3

4

Brst

—

8

—

8

—

Rng

40

4 5

40

40

40

Weapon

L86A1 LSW

bipod

M60

bipod

tripod

MAG

bipod

tripod

ROF

10

10

5

5

5

10

10

10

Dam

3

3

4

4

4

4

4

4

Pen

1-Nil

1-Nil

2-3-Nil

2-3-Nil

2-3-Nil

2-3-Nil

2-3-Nil

2-3-Nil

Blk

5

5

6

6

6

6

6

6

Mag

30B/100B

30B/100B

100B

100B

100B

100B

100B

100B

SS

2

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

Brst

11

6

4

2

1

7

4

2

Rng

50

65

65

90

125

65

90

125

Weapon

M2HB

tripod

AHL

ROF

5

5

(1)†

Dam

8

8

14

Pen

2-2-3*

2-2-3*

5

Blk

8

8

—

Mag

105B

105B

—

SS

3

2

—

Brst

14

7

—

Rng

65

150

80* .50 SLAP ammuni t ion h a s a penetrat ion value of 1-1-2.

† O n e shot per 15 s e c o n d s

Type

M 2 0 3

Mk-19

Mag

1i

50B or 1i

ROF

S S

5

Rng

1 0 0

10

100

IFR

4 0 0

—

4 0 0

Round

HE

HEDP

CHEM

ILLCJM

Stun

CHEM

Damage

C:3 , B:12

C:3 , B:12

C : 1 , B : 4

B:100*

C:3,1B:4

Pen

Nil

4 C

Mil

Nil

Mil

Mil*Target knocked down, loses remaining actions for the turn, and must

roll Average: CON each turn thereafter to recover. See page 262.

Type

M 1 3 6

LAW 8 0

ROF

M12 SMAW

1

1

1

Rid*

*

2

Rng

7 5

1 2 5

100

1 2 5

Round

HEAT

HEAT

HEAT

HE

Damage

C:4, B:4

C:6, B:4

C:4, B:4

C:12 , B:12*Single-shot disposable. Cannot be reloaded.

Pen

70C

100C

55C

5C

Type

Dragon PIP

Tank Breaker

Rld

2

2

Rng

1 0 0 0

2 0 0 0

Damage

C:12 , B:12

C:6, B:4

Pen

135C

9 0 C

Type

6 0 m m

IFR: 4 k m

Rng

HE

WP

ILLUM

Damage

C:5, B:20

C:2, B:12

B : 4 0 0

Pen

Mil

Mil

Mil

Recoil Recoil-

Recoil

Recoil

Recoil

Weapon

M9A1 Flamethrower

ROF

SA

Dam*

Pen

Nil

Blk

4

Mag

5

SS

4

Brst Rng

5

Recoil

Missile

FIM-92A Stinger

FIM-99 Scorpion

MBB-7 Venusfliegenfalle

SA-27 Grappler

Accuracy

Average

Easy

Easy

Easy

Rng

6 k m

7 k m

7 k m

6 k m

Type

Antitank

Chemical

Concuss ion

Frag

Thermite

WP

Damage

C:3, B:4

C:1 , B:12

C:5

C:3, B:12

C:1 , B:4

C:1 , B:12

Pen

18C

Nil

Nil

Nil

Nil

Nil

Type

HEAT

WP

RAW HE

RAW HEAT

Rng

15

2 5

100

1 0 0

IFR

2 0 0

2 0 0

2 0 0 0

2 0 0 0

Damage

C:7, B:12

C : 1 , B:12

C:10, B:28

C:8, B:20

Pen

30C

Nil

1C

75C

Weapon

Power Hand

Cha insaw H a n d

Blade Hand

Torch Hand

Range

S

S

S

S

Hit Mod.—

+2

—

Damage Value

2D6+St reng th

2D6+St reng th

1D6+(S t reng th÷2)

3 D 6

Recoil

Weapon

Gun Hand

ROF

5

Dam

2

Pen

Nil

Blk

0

Mag

8

SS

5

Brst

7

Rng

20

Fragment

Radius

Primary

burst radius

Secondary

burst radius

Rng

lxBurst

2xBurst

Mult .

Frag.

1-3

1

One

Frag.

4-6

2

Miss

7-10

3-10

Dam

2D6

1D6

Pen

1

Nil

DP

1

234

5789

111315183250729 6

128162

2 0 0

Concussion/

Penetration*

3

467

89

1011121 314152 02 53 03 54 04 5

5 0

*Penetration is modified by emplacement . Tamped: Penx2.

Laying on or Leaning Against: Pen÷2.

Cover

S a n d b a g ( 2 5 0 m m )2" wooden plank ( 5 0 m m )Timber house wall ( 2 0 0 m m )Cinderblock wall ( 3 0 0 m m )Stone wall ( 3 0 0 m m )Thick s tone wall ( 6 0 0 m m )Reinforced concre teTree trunk ( 6 0 0 m m )Brick wall ( 1 0 0 m m )Thick brick wall ( 3 0 0 m m )

AV5*1496

1210**12

39

*Per sandbag . **Per 2 5 0 m m .

MaterialArmor plateSheet steelReinforced concreteConcrete and bricks

Millimeters p e rArmor Value 1

Stone, p a c k e d dirt, woodLoose dirt

56

2 53 550

2 5 0

Armor ValueConstant

.2.16.04.03.02.004

C=5( DP÷2). C: Concussion; DP: D a m a g e points.

DP=2[(C÷5)2]. C: Concussion; DP: Number of d a m a g e

points needed to arrive at a certain concuss ion.

*Damage by burning gasoline is covered in Burns on pages

97-98.

Turret Minor

Die

1

2

3

4

5

6

Result

Loader*

Sight/vision

Sight/vision

Traverse

Seconda ry

Major turret

Hull Minor

Die

1

2

3

4

5

6

Resu/t

1 c r e w m e m b e r

Loader*

2 passenge r s**

2 passenge r s**

Radio

Major hull

Turret Major

Die

1

2

3

4

5

6

Result

Loader*

Main a r m a m e n t

Main a r m a m e n t

Main a r m a m e n t

Major hull

Minor hull

Hull Major

Die

1

2

3

4

5

6

Result

Engine

Engine

Fuel

Fuel

A m m o

A m m o

*Loader is either a hit on the autoloader mechanism or

the actual crewmember loading the gun. This becomes a

driver hit if neither are present.

**2 passengers becomes a 1 crewmember hit if this is

not a passenger-carrying vehicle. If it is a passnger-

carrying vehicle but no passengers are present, the hit has

no effect. Cargo destroyed may be substituted for this

result at the referee's discretion.

Minor Turrret

Die

1

2

3

4

5

6

Result

Loader*

Sight/vision

Sight/vision

Traverse

Secondary

Major turret

Minor Hull

Die

1

2

3

4

5

6

Result

1 c r ewmember

Loader*

2 pas senge r s**

2 pas senge r s**

Radio

Major hull

Major Turret

Die

1

2

3

4

5

6

Result

Main a r m a m e n t

Main a r m a m e n t

Main a r m a m e n t

Main a r m a m e n t

Major hull

Minor hull

Major Hull

Die

1

2

3

4

5

6

Result

Engine

Engine

Fuel

Fuel

A m m o

A m m o

*Loader is either a hit on the autoloader mechanism or

the actual crewmember loading the gun. This becomes a

driver hit if neither are present.

**2 passengers becomes a 1 crewmember hit if this is

not a passenger-carrying vehicle. If it is a passenger-

carrying vehicle but no passengers are present, the hit has

no effect. Cargo destroyed may be substituted for this

result at the referee's discretion.

Surface Aerospace

Die Roll*

1

23

4

5

6

7

Result

Turret/superstructure**

Hull

Hull

Hull

Hull

Suspension/waterline†

Suspension/waterline†

Die Roll*

1

2

3

4

5

6

Result

Wing

Wing

Wing

Hull

Hull

Hull

Hull

* + l to die roll for s ide s h o t s .

**If t h e vehic le h a s no tur re t o r s u p e r s t r u c t u r e ,

th is b e c o m e s Hull.

†Minor d a m a g e h a l v e s s p e e d ; major d a m a g e

immobi l i zes t h e veh ic le . Two m i n o r resu l t s equa l

o n e major .

P-AV*

0 or less

1 to 10

11 to 2 0

21 to 4 0

41 to 6 0

61 or m o r e

Result

No effect

1 minor d a m a g e result

2 minor d a m a g e results

1 major d a m a g e result

2 major d a m a g e results

3 major d a m a g e results

*P-AV: Penetration minus armor value.

Waterline Minor

Die

1

2

3

4

5

6

Result

Waterline hull

Waterline hull

Waterline hull

1 c r e w m e m b e r

Cargo

Major waterline

Hull Minor

Die

12

3

4

5

6

Result

1 c r ewmember

Auxiliary mach ine ry*

Secondary a r m a m e n t

Radio/radar**

Sight/vision***

Major hull

Superstructure Minor

Die

1

2

3

4

5

6

Result

1 c r e w m e m b e r

Radio/radar

Sight/vision

Secondary weapon

Secondary weapon

Major superstructure

Waterline Major

Die

1

2

3

4

5

6

Result

2 c r e w m e m b e r s

Rudder /screw

Engine

Fuel

A m m o

Minor hull

Hull Major

Die

1

23

4

5

6

Result

Main a r m a m e n t

Main a r m a m e n t

2 c r e w m e m b e r s

2 c r e w m e m b e r s

A m m o

Fire

Superstructure Major

Die

1

23

4

5

6

Result

2 c r e w m e m b e r s

2 c r e w m e m b e r s

Fire

Fire

A m m o

Major hull

*Auxiliary machinery includes bilge pumps, power winches on the deck, generators, etc.

**A radio/radar hit in the hull becomes 1 crewmember if this is a vessel with a superstructure.

***A sight/vision hit in the hull becomes auxiliary machinery if this is a vessel with a superstructure.

Hull Minor

Die

1

2

3

45

6

Result

1 c r e w m e m b e r

Controls

Controls

2 pa s senge r s*

Radio

Major hull

Hull Major

Die

1

2

3

4

5

6

Result

Engine

Engine

Instruments

Inst ruments

W e a p o n / a m m o

Minor wing

Wing Minor

Die

1

2

3

4

5

6

Result

Mo effect

No effect

Controls

Controls

Controls

Major wing

Wing Major

Die

1

2

3

4

5

6

Result

Controls

Fuel

Fuel

Fuel

Fuel

Fireball

*2 passengers becomes a 1 crewmember hit if this

is not a passenger-carrying vehicle. If it is a passen-

ger-carrying vehicle but no passengers are present,

the hit has no effect. Cargo destroyed may be substi-

tuted for this result at the referee's discretion.

*2 passengers becomes a 1 crewmember hit if this is not a

passenger-carrying vehicle. If it is a passenger-carrying vehicle but

no passengers are present, the hit has no effect. Cargo destroyed

may be substituted for this result at the referee's discretion.

** Referee's choice.

Die

1

2

3

4

Minor

Result

1 c r e w m e m b e r

1 c r e w m e m b e r

2 pa s senge r s*

2 pa s senge r s*

Die

1

2

3

4

5

6

Major

Result

Engine

Engine

Fuel

Fuel

W e a p o n / a m m o

W e a p o n / a m m o

5

6Radio or sight/vision* *

Major hull

Unit

H u m a n s

Animals

Vehicles

Hovercraft

Boats

Open

N

N

N½

—

Wood

N

N

½½

—

Swamp

N

½

¼

N

½

N: Normal . —: Prohibited.

Hill

½

½

½

½—

Mountain

¼

¼

1/6

—

—

Water

—

—

—

N

N

HumansHumanAnimalsHorse (Broken)VehicleConquistador BicycleSuzuki Sparrow Motor ScooterYamaha Apache MotorcycleHarley-Davidson MotorcycleYugo ContempoZil TovarischFord-Revlon EliteGeneral Dynamics Motors LancerGDM ArielChrysler LeBoeufMitsubishi-Ferrari KamikazeMazda Firefly ConvertibleMercedes-Benz 750 SLXVolkswagon Kartoffeln Van

Crawl/Walk/Trot/Run2/8/15/30

Walk/Trot/Run10/30/60

On-Road/Off-Road

Chrysler Conestoga 5/4-Ton Pickup TruckWinnebago Nomad CamperRange Rover IIHMMWV (Hummer)Orca 2 ½-Ton TruckKenilworth Piledriver Semi-Trailer TractorRoadrunner Passenger BusCadillac-Gage Commando V-300PRamTech P-320BoatSmall Open Boat

15/450/2545/2050/2050/10

45/860/1060/1560/1050/1080/1070/15

45/845/8

60/2045/8

50/2550/15

45/840/840/8

50/2550/15

Speed Per Turn (or Upwind/Downwind)

Pepsico Sunray Small Sailing BoatCris Craft Runabout Small MotorboatCris Craft Foamdancer Medium MotorboatPBR (Patrol Boat, River)AircraftTeledyne Dornier CV-27 PeregrineMBB/Bell/Textron Model 256 VoyagerBoeing-Sikorsky RAH-66 ComancheMcDonnell-Sukhoi Nochuyeter (NightWind)RobotKraus Maffei-Deere Auto FarmerKraus Maffei-Deere CropScoutKraus Maffei-Deere GB-1000Kraus Maffei-Deere GB-2000RamTech Roboguard-IIIRamTech Roboguard-IV

11D6+2/1D6+4

438

In Flight50182816

On-Road/OffRoad6/6

90/5015/6

32/1232/1230/18

Humans

Human

Animals

Horse (Broken)

Vehicles

Conquistador Bicycle

Suzuki Motor Scooter

Yamaha Apache Motorcycle

Harley-Davidson Motorcycle

Yugo C o n t e m p o

Zil Tovarisch

Ford-Revlon Elite

On-Road/Off-Road

5/4

On-Road/Off-Road

1 0 / 1 0

On-Road/Off-Road

General Dynamics Motors Lancer

GDM Ariel

Chysler LeBoeuf

Mitsubishi-Ferrari Kamikaze

Mazda Firefly Convertible

Mercedes-Benz 7 5 0 SLX

Volkswagon Kartoffeln Van

Chrysler Cones toga 5/4-Ton Pickup Truck

Winnebago N o m a d C a m p e r

Range Rover II

HMMWV (Hummer)

Orca 2 ½-ton Truck

Kenilworth Piledriver Semi-Trailer Tractor

Roadrunner Passenger Bus

Cadil lac-Gage C o m m a n d o V-300P

RamTech P-320

Boats

Small O p e n Boat

3 0 / 1 0

1 0 0 / 4 0

9 5 / 3 7

9 5 / 4 0

9 0 / 1 5

9 0 / 1 5

110 /17

100 /17

1 0 0 / 1 5

9 0 / 1 5

130 /17

1 1 0 / 2 0

9 0 / 1 7

9 0 / 1 7

9 0 / 2 0

9 0 / 1 7

9 0 / 3 0

100 /30

9 0 / 1 7

8 0 / 1 7

8 0 / 1 7

100 /30

1 0 0 / 3 0

On-Road/Off-Road

Pepsico Sunray Small Sailing Boat

Cris Craft Runabout Small Motorboat

Cris Craft F o a m d a n c e r Medium Motorboat

PBR (Patrol Boat, River)

Aircraft

2 / 2

4 / 4

8/8

6 /6

12 /12

On Ground/In Flight

Teledyne Dornier CV-27 Peregrine

MBB/Bell/Textron Model 2 5 6 Voyager

Boeing-Sikorsky RAH-66 C o m a n c h e

McDonnell-Sukhoi Nochuyeter (NightWind)

Robots

1 0 / 1 0

3 7 6

560

3 2 0

On-Road/Off-Road

Kraus Maffei-Deere Auto Fa rmer

Kraus Maffei-Deere CropScout

Kraus Maffei-Deere GB-1000

Kraus Maffei-Deere GB-2000

RamTech Roboguard-III

RamTech Roboguard-lV

12 /12

None

None

None

None

None

Level

Elite

Veteran

Experienced

Novice

Level

Bi t e

Veteran

Experienced

Novice

Initiative

5

4

3

1

Skill

6

5

4

2

Attributes

7

6

5

5

Damage

4

3

2

1

Clubs: ViolenceCardAceKingQueenJack8-105-72-4

MotivationWar leaderBrutalStubbornMurderousVery violentModerately violentSomewhat violent

Hearts: SociabilityCardAceKingQueenJack8-105-72-4

MotivationJus tHonorableLovingWiseVery sociableModerately sociableSomewhat sociable

Diamonds: GreedCardAceKingQueenJack8-105-72-4

MotivationGenerousSelfishLustfulCowardVery greedyModerately greedySomewhat greedy

Spades: AmbitionCardAceKingQueenJack8-105-72-4

MotivationCharismaticDeceitfulRuthlessPompousVery ambitiousModerately ambitiousSomewhat ambitious

Abbreviations (of attributes) 15Acceleration and Deceleration

(of boats) 110Accuracy (of Indirect Fire) 89Acquired skills 17Actions 75Adequate Diet and Shelter 106Advance by Observation 29Advancing Fire 87Adventures ( see also Running

Adventures & Campaigns) . 244Other Adventures 2 5 4

Bigfoot Tracks Found! 257Child Talks to Dead Grandpa—

On Old Telephone 2 5 5Crippled UFO Sends SOS to

Earth 2 5 6Day Julio Iglesias "Died,"

The 2 5 4Dolphins Trained to Kill Frogmen

with Nose Guns 254Escaped Maniac Butchers Beauties—

And Eats Theml 257Rve-Month-Old Baby Charged

with Murder 254Hitler Captured 2 5 6Horror of the Screaming Skill . .254Miracle Pooch C o m e s Back

From the Deadl 257Nine-Year-Old Is a Miracle

Worker 2 5 5Runaway Chainsaw Tried to

Kill Mel 2 5 7Six-Foot Lobster Turns

Deep-Sea Divers IntoJellyfish 256

Sky Diver Plungers TwoMiles—And Livesl . . . .256

Wounded Civil War SoldierFound in Georgia 256

Ravening Wolves 2 4 5After the Session 152Age 24AGL—see AgilityAgility 15

Agility and Weapon Bulks . . . .77Aim 7 5

Aimed Attacks 80Aimed Shots 84

Air-to-Air Combat 113Aircraft—see Operating AircraftAlcohol (Fuel) 2 6 0Ambush 77Ammunition 87 , 2 6 0

.22 LR 261

.30-.06 261

.30-.30 261

. 3 2 A C P 261

.38 Special 261

.44 Magnum 261

. 4 5 A C P 261

.50BMG 261

.50 SLAP 261

.357 Magnum 261

.380 ACP 261

.475 WM (Wildey Magnum) 2614 . 7 m m CIs 261

5 .45mm B 2615 .56mm N 2617 .62mm N 2617 .62mm S 2617 . 6 2 m m T 2618 m m M 2619 m m P 26112 Gauge 26212 .5mm CIs 2611 5 m m Dart/Cartidge 2 6 21 8 m m CIs 2622 5 m m HE 2 6 24 0 m m CHEM 2624 0 m m H E 2 6 24 0 m m HEDP 2624 0 m m l L L 0 M 2624 0 m m Stun 2624 0 m m Stun Grenades 2626 0 m m HE 2 6 36 0 m m ILLUM 2 6 36 0 m m Mortar 2986 0 m m W P 2 6 38 2 m m SMAW HE 2628 2 m m SMAW HEAT 262127mm HEAT (Dragon PIP) 2 6 31 4 0 m m RAW (Rifle Assault

Weapon) HE 2 6 31 4 0 m m RAW (Rifle Assault

Weapon) HEAT 2 6 3152mm HEAT (Tank Breaker) 2 6 3Crossbow Bolt 2 6 0Dragon PIP 297Longbow Arrow 260Loose Black Powder and Ball

2 6 0FIM-92A Stinger Missile 2 6 3FIM-99 Scorpion Missile 2 6 3FIM-92A Stinger 299FIM-99 Scorpion 299MBB-7 Venus/lkgenfrlk Missile 263SA-27 Grappler Missile 2 6 3

Animal Hit Location Chart 95Animator 212

Animated Auto 2 1 2Animated Knife 212Animated Statue 212Crawling Hand 212

Animator Generators 2 4 0Animator Zombies 230Ant Hills 143Antitank

Grenades 2 6 3Missile Launchers 2 7 8 , 324Missiles 1 1 2 , 2 6 3Range 112

Apeps 188"Are You Anybody?" 69Armed Melee Combat

—see CombatArmor 7 9 , 8 1 , 9 5

Vehicles 116Army Ants 188Arrows—see Ammunition, Longbow

ArrowAssassinoids 189Assault Rifles 2 7 8 , 323Attributes 13, 15

Automatic Fire 8 3 , 8 6 , 277Automatic Pistols 278Automatic Rifles 278Avgas 2 6 0Avoidance 79B—see BeltBA—see Bolt ActionBackground 13Ballotmen 143Banshee 2 2 0Barghest 220Basic Healing Rate 105Bats 189Battle Rifles ! 2 7 8 , 324Bears, Common 190Bears, Grizzly or Polar 190Beasties 177

Attacks 186Combat 186Illustrations 178-184Listings 187Mounts 186Morale 186Movement 186

Before the Session 152Beginning a Campaign 152Belt 8 3 , 2 7 7Bicycles 112, 114Biocomputers 234

Communicat ion betweenbiocomputers 2 3 7

Computer Empathy andDarkling Computers 238

Partial personalities 237Biological technology 2 3 4Bleak 2 1 2Blk—see BulkBloats 190Blocks

Armed Melee Combat 80Unarmed Melee Combat 78

Blood Plasma 105Blood Vultures 191Blood, Whole 271Bloodkin 2 1 3

Trolls 2 1 3Vampires 2 1 4Lesser Vampires 2 1 4

Blunt Trauma 96Boat Damage 117, 329Boat Target Size 114Boating Maneuvers 109

Turning 109Acceleration 110Rowed Boats 110Sailboats 110Motorboats 110

Body Armor 270Bolt—see Ammunit ion, Crossbow

BoltBolt Action 82 , 2 7 7'Bot City 142Bows 279 , 3 7 3Brain slices 237Breaching Barriers 94Buckshot 91Bulk 7 7 , 2 7 7

'Burbs 143Burns 97

D a m a g e 131 , 322Exposure Time 97Protection 98Tempera ture (of burning

substances) 97Bursts

Automatic Fire 86 , 87Explosives 93

C—see Casset teCadillacs and Dinosaurs 136Calling Fire 88Camels 191Career List 5 3 , 3 1 7C a r e e r T e r m s 13Careers 34Cascade Skills 18Casset te 83 , 277Cats, Large 191Cattle 192CAW 91Cerberoids 192Changelings 215

Type 1 (Mystic) 2 1 5Type II (Cyborg) 215

Character Generation 12Examples 30, 32Overview 13Worksheet Part 1 318Worksheet Part 2 319

Character Sheet 320Charge 77Charisma 15Chemical (grenade) 2 6 3Chemical Grenades and Rounds 90Chimeras 192CHR—see CharismaCities, The 142Civilian Occupat ions 36-49Cobra People 216Collision

D a m a g e 118Ground and Water Craft 118Air and S p a c e Craft 119Examples 119Loss of Control 119Vehicle Collisions

with Creatures 119Combat & Damage 73Combat 73

Actions 75Aim 75Crawl 75Fire 75Go Prone/Stond Up 75Melee 75Mount/Dismount 75Ready/Change Equipment 75Reload 75Run 75Talk 75Trot 75Walk 75

Ammunition 87Armed Melee Combat 80

Aimed Attacks 80

Armor 80Blocks 80D a m a g e 8 0Hit Location 80Hit Procedure 80Modifiers 80Other Considerations 80Range 80

Automatic Fire 86Danger Zone 86Long Bursts 87Minimum Dice 87Range 86Recoil 86

Bicycles and Motorcycles . . 112Boating Manuvers 109Buckshot 91Burns 97

D a m a g e 1 3 1 , 3 2 2Exposure Time 97Protection 98Tempera ture 97

Charge 77Chemical Grenades and Rounds 90

S m o k e 91T e a r G a s 9 1

D a m a g e 9 4Blunt Trauma 96Cover 96Explosions 98Falls 100Gunshot Wounds 94Hit Location 95Hit Locations (vehicles) 116-118Implementation (vehicles) 116Penetration (Target Damage) 95Poison 101Resolution (vehicles) .... 115SLAP Rounds 97Quick Kill 96Weapon Damage 9 5

Direct Fire Deviation 88Direct Fire Hit Procedure 83

Aimed Shots 84Laser Sights 84Marksmanship 84Pistols 85Quick Shots 84Range 84Recoil 85Rifle Scopes 85Two Weapons 85

Drive Action 110Explosives and Demolitions 92

Breaching Barriers 94Burst 93Concussion 9 3Effects 93Penetration 93Radio Detonation

of Explosives 92Setting Charges 92Tamping 92Types of Explosives 92

Fast Driving and Mishaps. . . I l lFire Combat 82

Human Limits 82Rate of Fire 82Reloading 83

Firing at Aircraft 113firing at Vehicles and Vessels 112Grid Sys tem 74Hand Grenades 90Indirect Fire 88

Accuracy 88Calling Fire 88Corrections 88Deviation 88Hit Difficulty Level 88Self-Observed Fire 89Subsequent Shots 89

Initiative 76

Effects of Wounds 76Mounts 186

Beasty Attacks 186Beasty Morale 186

Movement 74Vehicles 109Units of Measure 109

Movement and Fire 87Advancing Fire 87Fire From

Moving Vehicles 8 7 , 110R r e From the Saddle 87Firing at Riders 88Target Movement . . .87 , 110

NPCs 166Panic 77Robots 129

Battle D a m a g e 130Melee Combat 129Fire Combat 129

Shotguns 91Special Cases 88

Target Obscured 88Firing at Riders 88Multiple Modifiers 88

Target Movement 87 , 110Thrown Weapons 90Turn 75

Phase 75Turn Sequence 76

Agility and Weapon Bulks 77Ambush 77Opportunity Fire 77Repetition 77

Unarmed Melee Combat 78Aimed Attacks 78Armor 79Avoidance 79Blocks 78D a m a g e 7 9Diving Blows 79Escape 79Grappling 79Hit Location 78Strangling 79Strike At tacks 78

Vehicle Combat 109Collisions With Creatures .... 119Configuration 114Damage 114Movement and

Driver Initiative 110Movement Rates 108Small Arms Fire 115

Communicat ion betweenbiocomputers 2 3 7

Computer Empathy andDarkling Computers 238

Concussion 9 3 , 99Grenades 2 6 3

CON—see ConstitutionConstitution 15Construction Tools 2 6 5Contacts

Defined 19Generating 171Generic

Academic 20Business 20Criminal 20Empathic 20Entertainment 20Government 20Intelligence Community .. 20Journalist 20Law Enforcement 20Medical 20Military 20Specialist 20Wea l thy . . . . - 2 0

Solid 21Controlling Attributes and Skills 17

Conversion Notes 136Conveying Tech Differences 147Corrections (for indirect fire) 88Corruption

Dark Ones 148Detail of, A 155

CountrysideDescription 144Encounters 160

Cover (see also Target Obscured) 9 6 , 9 9Crawling Hand 2 1 2Crew In Hull (defined) 114Critical Wounds

Description and effects 104Stabilizing 105

Crop Farms 145Cyber Hands 2 7 4

Basic 2 7 5Blade Hand 2 7 5Chainsaw Hand 2 7 5Fine Utility Hand 2 7 6Grapple Hand 2 7 6Gun Hand 2 7 5Picklock Hand 276Power Hand 2 7 5Surgical Hand 276Tentacle Fingers Hand 2 7 5Torch Hand 276Tractor/Pressor Hand 276Utility Hand 276

CyborgsChangeling, Type II : 2 1 5Further descriptions 241

Daemons 216Dam—see DamageD a m a g e 94 , 277

Armed Melee Attack 81Explosions 98

Concussion 99Damage and Penetration .... 100Fragmentat ion 100Penetration 100

Falls 100Gunshot Wounds 94Hit Locations (vehicles) 114-118Implementation (vehicles) 116Poison 101Resolution (vehicles) 115Unarmed Combat 78

Danger Zone 86DAR (see Double Action Revolver)Dara Schwartz 30Dark Earth 137Dark Elves 2 2 1 , 2 3 4Dark Minions, The 72

Dark Minions andHuman Emotions 211

Descriptions 72, 149Dark Ones , The 148

Corruption 148Dark Minions 149Extraterrestrials 149

Dark Races 201Illustrations 2 0 2 - 2 0 8

Dark Times 65Dark, The 72Darkling

Attributes 209Computers 2 3 8Empathy 210Skills 209

DarkTek 2 3 3Data ghosts 237Dayton Map 2 4 5Dealing with Fractions 55Death (by critical wounds) 104Death Rays

Hand-Portable 2 4 3Vehicle Mounted 2 4 3

Deceleration (of boats) 110Decline of Government, The 67Demolition (See also Explosives).... 3 2 5

DemongroundExplanations 72, 143Rural 150Urban 150

Derived Values (from attributes) 13Designing Your Own

Beasties 200Dark Minions 232

Detail of Corruption, A 155Deviation

Direct Fire 88Hand Grenades 90Indirect Fire 90

DiceTypes 54Percentile 103

Die Roll Modifiers 54Diesel 260Dimension Walk 210

Dimension Walk Device 234Other Dimensions 235

Dimensional Travel 236Dimensions, Other 235Direct Rre

Deviation 88Hit Procedure 83

Dissolution 210Diving Blows 79Dogs 193"Don't Drink The Water;

Don't Breathe The Air" 70Door to Hell, The 140Double Action Revolver 8 3 , 277Dragons 193Dreamland 142E c o - C o m m a n d o s 158EDU—see EducationEducation

Attribute 15Career te rms 34

Effects of Age 24Electrical Repair (tools) 265Electronic Repair (tools) 265Elephants 193EMP—see EmpathyEmpathy Skills

Difficulty Levels 56Success 55

Empathy :Attribute 15Description 151

Empathy Booster Drug 271Encounters 157

Anywhere 162Countryside 160In the City 158Travel by Highway 160

Energy ETs 218Equipment & Reference Charts 258Equipment 260

Personal Equipment2km Hand Radio 2694x Binoculars 2705 /25km Manpack/Vehicular

Radio 2695 / 2 5 k m Secure Manpack/

Vehicular Radio 26910-ManTent 27250km Secure Vehicle Radio 2705 0 k m Vehicle Radio 270Advanced Still Camera 268Air Compressor 272Air Tank, Aqualung 272Anesthetic 271Antivenin Autoinjector 271Aqua lung 272Arc Welder 265Armor, Close Assault . . . .271Audio Recorder (Advanced) 267Audio Recorder (Simple) . . . .267Audio Recording Cartridge 268Autoinjectors 2 7 3

Broadcast MonitoringEquipment 2 6 7

Bug, Eavesdropper 1 2 6 7Bug, Eavesdropper H 2 6 7Bug, Eavesdropper 111 2 6 7Bug Monitor 267Cellular Telephone Unit . . . 268Film, Conventional (Color/

B&W) 2 6 8Documents 2 6 0Dynamite Stick 264Engineer Demolitions Kit . . . .264Field Pack 274Flak J a c k e t 271Flamethrower Fuel

Cannister 2 6 0Flashlight 2 7 4Forged Documents 260Forged Passport 260Four-Man Tent 272Frame Charge 2 6 5Frequency Hopping Radio 269Gas Mask 2 7 0Geiger Counter 2 7 0Handcuffs 2 7 3Horse (Broken) 300Horse Tack 2 7 2Image Intensifier 2 7 0Individual Tactical Radio . . . .269IR Goggles/CJV Goggles 2 7 01R Spotlight 2 7 0Kevlar (Ballistic Nylon)

Helmet 271Kevlar (Ballistic Nylon) Vest . 270Holsters

Shoulder Holster 274Small Concealed Holster . . .274

Laser Sight 2 7 3Liquid Nitrogen Cylinder 272Medical Kit 272Microphone, Directional 269Micro-Transponder 2 6 9Motion Detector 2 6 6MHT 2 6 0NLT 2 6 0NMT 2 6 0Pack Saddle 2 7 2Pain-Reliver 271Paraphysicist's Field Kit 2 7 2Parka 2 7 4Personal Computer 268Personal Medical Kit 271Plastic Explosive 264Portable Computer 268Portable Facsimile Machine . .268Portable Machine Shop 2 6 6Portable Satellite Downlink

Subsys tem 268Primercord 2 6 5Radio Detonation Broadcast

Unit 264Radio Detonat ion Receiver

Unit 264Radio Direction Finder . . 269Raft, Inflatable 2 7 2Rebreather 2 7 2Rebreather Rechaige Kit 2 7 3Road R a r e 2 7 3ROM Burner 2 6 6Scrambler/Descrambler 268Security Pass 260Sedative 271Semitek 264Serengeti Sunglasses . . . .274Silencer/Suppressor 2 7 3Skis, Cross-Country 2 7 3Sleeping Bag 274Small Open Boat 309Special Vision Adaptor 268Starlight Scope 2 7 0Steel Helmet 271Still Camera 2 6 8

Stun Dart Package 261Stun Gun 280Surgical Instruments 271Telescopic Rifle Sight 270Thermal Fatigues 274Tools 2 6 5

Aircraft 2 6 5Basic Tool Kit 2 6 5Bug Detecting 267Excavating 2 6 6Heavy Ordinance 266Heavy and Tracked Vehicle.. 266Lockpick 2 6 6Small Arms 266Wheeled Vehicle 266Wire-Tapping 267

Tranquilizer Gun 287Transponder 269Video Cartridge 268Video Recording Camera 2 6 8White Light Spotlight . . . .270

RobotsKraus Maffei-Deere Auto-

Farmer 3 1 3Kraus Maffei-Deere

CropScout 3 1 3Kraus Maffei-Deere GB-1000 ...314Kraus Maffei-Deere J3B-2000 .. .314RamTech Roboguard-III . . 315RamTech Roboguard-lV . . 315

VehiclesAircraft

Boeing-Sikorsky RAH-66Comanche 312

MBB/Bell/Textron Model256 Voyager 311

McDonnell -Sukhoi Nochvy&er(NightWind) 312

Teledyne Dornier CV-27Peregrine 311

BoatsCris Craft Foamdancer Me-

dium Motorboat . . .310Cris Craft Runabout Small

Motorboat 309PBR (Patrol Boat, River) ....310PepsicoSunray Small Sail-

ing Boat 309Small Open Boat 309

CarsChrysler LeBoeuf 303Ford-Revlon Elite . . . .302GDM Ariel 303General Dynamics Motors

Lancer 303Mazda Firefly Convertible .. 304Mercedes-Benz 750 SLX ... 304Mitsubishi-Ferrari

Kamikaze 304Yugo Contempo 302ZilTovarisch 302

Other VehiclesCadi llac-Gage Commando

V-300P 308HMMWV (Hummer) . . 306RamTech P-320 308Roadrurmer Passenger Bus... 307Winnebago Nomad

Camper 3 0 5Trucks

Chrysler Conestoga 5/4-TonPickup Truck 3 0 5

Kenilworth PiledriverSemi-Trailer Tractor . . . .307Enclosed Trailer . . .307

Orca 2 ½-TonTruck .... 306Volkswagen KarfcflefoVan ...305

Two-Wheeled VehiclesConquistador Bicycle.... 300Ha rley-Davidson

Motorcycle 301Suzuki Sparrow Motor

Scooter 300Yamaha Apache

Motorcycle 301Weapons

Antitank Missile LaunchersDragon PIP 298Tank Breaker 298

FlamethrowersM9A1 Flamethrower . . 2 9 8

Grenade LaunchersM203 2 9 6Mk-19AGL 296

LasersArmington Heavy Laser 2 9 5Armington Laser Carbine

Model 2 290Armington Laser Pistol . .282

MachinegunsL86A1 LSW 294M60 294MAG ( M A G - 5 8 , L 7 A 2

GPMG) 2 9 5Machineguns, Heavy

M2HB 2 9 5Miscellaneous Weapons

Bows 279Martin Dynatech Pacifier

Stun Gun 280Melee Weapons 279Tranquilizer Gun 2 8 7

Mortars6 0 m m Mortar 2 9 8

Pistols, AutomaticColt Krait 281Col tM1911Al 282Browning HP-35 281Desert Eagle 281High Standard .22 . . .281M9 (Beretta M92S) . . 282WaltherPPK 2 8 2Wildey Wolf (.475 WM) 2 8 3Vz-52 2 8 3XM26APW 2 8 3

Pistols, Single-ShotZip Gun 279Black Powder Pistol . . .279

RevolversColt Python/20.3 280S&W Model 29/16.5 . .280S&W Model 36 280

Rifles, AssaultAK-74 288AKM 289AKMR 2 8 9

Rifles, AutomaticM 2 4 9 S A W 2 9 2XM7 Storm Gun 2 9 2

Rifles, BattleFN-LAR/L1A1 2 9 0G3 291KAR-98K 291XM22AIW 291

Rifles, SniperC3 (Parker Hale) 287G i l 289M16A2 (Colt AR-15) . . . .290M21 288M27 (AR-27 Keyholer) 288

Rifles, SportingMarlin .30-06 Bolt-Action . .286Remington-Peters .22

Bolt-Action Rifle . . .286Ruger .22

Semiautomat ic . . .286Winchester 1894 287

Rocket LaunchersLAW 80 297M12SMAW 297M136 296

ShotgunsArmal i teAR-12

Stormcloud 2 9 3

Browning Autoriot . . .293H&KCAW 293MossbergM500 294Savage 311-R 292

SubmachinegunsAKR 2 8 3Ingram Ml 0 . 4 5 284M3A1 284M177 284M231 284MAT-49 285MP-7 285Uzi 285Vz-61/62Skorp ion . . 285

Surface-to-Air MissilesFIM92-A Stinger 299FIM-99 Scorpion 299MBB-7 Veniisltiegenklle....299SA-27 Grappler 299

Escape (from Grapples) 79ETs—see ExtraterrestrialsExperience 13

Peer Determination 156Referee Determination 156Rewards and Experience 156Spending Experience Points 28

Exploding Rounds(against vehicles) 115

Explosions 98Hit Procedure 100

Explosive Penetration Formulas 325Explosives 264

Explosives and Demolitions 92Breaching Barriers 94Burst 93Concussion 93Effects 93Penetration 93Radio Detonation 92Setting Charges 92Tamping 92Types of Explosives 92

Exposure Time(of burning substances) 97

Extent of Damage 116Extradimensional travel

Other Dimensions 235PCs and Dimensional Travel ... 236

Extraterrestrials 138And the Dark Ones 149A s a Dark Race 217

Energy ETs 218Humanoid t l s 210Insectoid ETs 219Grubs 219Tentacular ETs 219

Technology 234UFOs 242

Death Rays 242Falls 100Fast Driving and Mishaps 1 11Fey Folk 220

Banshee 220Barghest 220Dark Elves 221Fuath 221

FlameBurns 97

D a m a g e 1 3 1 , 3 2 2Exposure Time 97

On Boats 117Fire Combat 82

At Aircraft 113At Riders 88At Vehicles and Vessels 112Fire (action) 75From Moving Vehicles 87From the Saddle 87Robots 129

First Aid 104Flamethrowers 325Flooding 118

Fractions—see Dealing with FractionsFragmentation Hand Grenade . . . .263Fragmentat ion 9 9Fred Brody 2 5 2

Brady's Ultraviolet Lasers 252Fuath 221Fuel 260Gasoline 2 6 0Generic Contacts 19Ghosts 221

Haunt 2 2 2Poltergeist 2 2 2

Global Production 147"God Shed His Grace on Thee..." 70Grapple 272Grappling 79Greater Depression

Description 66-67Influence on Agriculture 144

Grenade Launcher Rounds 262Grenade Launchers 2 7 8 , 324Grid System, The 74Ground Weapons 113Grubs 2 1 9Gunshot Wounds 94Hand Grenades 90

Types 2 6 3Harpy 2 2 3Haunt 222Healing 104, 105HEAT 2 6 3Heavy Weapons 2 6 2Heightening Horror 153Herbert Vahn 32Highways 160Hills 109Hit Capacity 25Hit Locations

(Jnarmed Melee Combat 78Armed Melee Combat 81Gunshot Wounds 95Vehicles 114

Hit ProcedureArmed Melee Combat 80Explosions 100

HiTek 146Horror Begins, The 9Horses 194Host, The 136How to t l se This Book 10Human Limits (in fire combat) 82Human NPCs 163

Aimed Shots vs. MPCs (double dam-age for head shots) .. 166-167

Appearance 170Combat 166Contacts 171Hit Capacity 166Major NPCs 171Motivations 167, 331

Clubs: Violence 169Diamonds: Greed 169Hearts: Sociability 168Spades : Ambition 168

Other NPC Skills 167Panic 166Record Forms 331Sample Stock NPCs 172

Beat Cops 173Bikers 173Cultists 173Derelicts 173Dobies and Gidgets 174Eco-Warriors 174Gangers 174Gizmoids 175Good Samar i tans 175Government Agents 175Igors 176Mother Earthers 176Security Guards 176

Statistics 166, 331

Humanoid ETs 2 1 8i—see IndividualIdentity Papers 2 6 0If You're New to Roleplaying 11IFR—see Indirect FireIn-Space Transfer 122Indirect Fire 88

Accuracy 88Calling Fire 88Corrections 88Deviation 88Hit Difficulty Level 88Indirect Fire Range (IFR) . . . .278Self-Observed Fire 89Subsequent Shots 89

Individual 8 3 , 2 7 7Initial Equipment 27Initial Experience 16Initial Skills 16, 17Initiative

Defined 23-24 , 76Improvement 2 8 , 156

InsectoidETs 219INT—see IntelligenceIntelligence 15Introducing Dark Conspiracy 8Knockdown 103LA—see Lever ActionLanguages 18Laser Sights 84Launch Characteristics 121Leeds ' Farm Map 251Lesser Vampires 214Lever Action 82 , 2 7 7Life In The City 67Load 25Long Bursts 87Loss of Control (of vehicles

after collision) 119Machineguns 278Mag (Magazine) 2 7 7Maintaining Mystery 153Major Gerald Leeds 250Major NPCs 171Making Roleplaying

a Community Effort 152Maneuvering in Space 123

Attaining Higher Orbits 124Avoidance and Intercepts 123Intercept and Avoidance Times 124Launch Vehicles In Orbit . . . . 124Maneuver Times 124Reentry 121

Manticores 194Scorpion Tail 194

Marksmanship 84Meaning of Attributes 15Medical

Care 105Supplies 271

Medusa 2 2 3Human Statistics 2 2 3Tentacles 2 2 3

Melee Weapons 2 7 9Mental Attributes 2 0 9Mike-Town 142Military

Occupat ions 4 9Rank 19Reserves 19

Minimum Dice 87Mishaps—see Fast Driving

and MishapsModifiers (to melee weapons) 80Moreau Weres 230Morlocks 2 2 4 , 2 3 4Mortar Rounds 2 6 3Mortars 278Moss Zombies 2 3 0Motorboats 110Motorcycles

Movement 112

Combat 114Mounts in Combat 186Movement and Fire 87Multiple Barrel Guns 113Multiple Modifiers 88Mummy 227NBC (Nuclear, Biological,

Chemical) Equipment 2 7 0New Empathic Skills 2 0 9New Skills 29Nonplayer Characters

—see Human NPCsNPCs—see Human NPCsNukids 2 2 5Obscured Target

—see Target ObscuredOgre 2 2 5Onset Of The Dark Times 66Open terrain 109Operating Aircraft 109Opportunity Fire 77Other Equipment 2 7 2Other Interesting Stories

in This Issue 2 5 4 , 256 , 257Other Things to Consider 155Out-Law, The 7 1 , 145Overhead Attacks 115Overseas 145PA see Pump ActionPale, The * 2 2 6Panic 77Paraphysicist 46

Paraphysicist 's Field Kit 2 7 2Empathy Booster Drug 271

Partial personalities 2 3 7PCs and Dimensional Travel ., 236Peer Determination 156Pen—see PenetrationPenetration

Exploding rounds 100Demolitions 93Firearms 9 5 - 9 6 , 2 7 7Vehicles 115

Percentile Dice 103Personal Gear 2 7 3Phase 7 5 , 76Physical Attributes 2 0 9Pistols (rules for Recoil) 85Plant Empathy 2 1 0Plasma 271Players 6Point Allocation 15Poison 101

Treatment 106Poltergeist 222Power Hand Tools 266Precincts 143Preparing Adventures 154Promoting Paranoia 154Promotions (military) 19Prone (action) 75Protection (from burns) 98Proto-Dimensions

Topology 2 3 5Travel 2 3 5 , 2 3 6

Pump Action 8 3 , 2 7 7Pyrokinesis 210Quick Kill 96Quick Shots 84R—see RevolverRadio Detonation of Explosives 92Random Generation 15Range 2 7 8

Automatic Fire 86Direct Fire 84Melee Weapons 80

Range Finders 112Rate of Fire 82 , 2 7 7Rats . . . .195Ravening Wolves 2 4 5Recoil 2 7 8

Automatic weapons 86

Direct Fire 85Pistols 84

RecoveryScratch Wounds 105Slight Wounds 104Serious Wounds 104Critical Wounds 104

Reentry 121Referee Determination 156Refereeing Dark Conspiracy 134Referees 132Reference Charts 316Reload

Action 75Statistic 277

Reloading 83Repeating actions

in a comba t turn 77Reserves 19RetroTek 146Revolver 83 , 277Revolvers and Single-Shot Pistols....278Rewards and Experience 156Rhinos 195Rifle Grenades

(see also Indirect Fire) 262Rifle Scopes 85Rid (see Reload)Rng (see Range)Roaches , Giant 195Robots 128

Ammunition 128Battle D a m a g e 130

Nonvehicular 130Vehicular 130-131

Behavior 128Burn Damage 131Combat 129Melee Combat 129Fire Combat 129Drudgebots 128

Cleaningbot 131Butlerbot 131Foodbot 131Receptionistbot 131Repairbot 131

Guardbots 128Rocket Launchers 278Rockets 262ROF—see Rate of FireRolling versus an Attribute or Skill 54Rowed Boats 110Rules, The 135Running Adventures & Campaigns 152

Beginning A Ca mpaign 152Detail of Corruption, A 155Heightening Horror 153Running an Adventure 152

Before the Session 152During the Session 152After the Session 152

Making Roleplayinga Community Effort 152

Maintaining Mystery 153Preparing Adventures 154Promoting Paranoia 154Rewards and Experience. . . . 156Setting the Scene 153Time and Money 155

Rural Demonground 150SA see SemiautomaticSaber-toothed Cat 196Sailboats 110SAM—see Surface-to-Air MissilesSample Stock NPCs 172Scorpion Tail 194Scratch Wounds 103

Recovery 105Secondary Activities 18Self-Observed Fire 89Semiautomat ic 8 3 , 277Semitek 264

Serious Wounds 103Setting Charges 92Setting the Scene 153Sharks 196Shotguns 9 1 , 2 7 8Single Shot 82 , 2 7 7Single Shot Pistols 2 7 8Size 120Skeleton 2 2 8Skill

Advance by Observation 29Attribute Derived Values 25Descriptions 56Improvement 28 , 156List 5 7 , 3 1 7Ratings 17

Skills 1 7 , 5 6Acrobatics 56Act/Bluff 56Animal Empathy 56Archery 57Bargain 57Biology 57Business 57Chemistry 57Climbing 58Computer Empathy 58Computer Operation 58Demolitions 58Disguise 58Electronics 59Empathic Healing 59Engineer 59Foreboding 59Forgery 59Heavy Weapons 59Horsemanship 60Human Empathy 60Instruction 60Interrogation 60Language 6 0Leadership 60Lockpick 61Luck 61Mechanic 61Medical 61Melee Combat 61Navigation 62Observation 62Parachute 62Persuasion 62Physics 62Pickpocket 62Pilot 62Project Emotion 62Project Thought 62Psycholoqy 63Small Arms 63Stalking 63Stealth 63Streetwise 63Swimming 63Thrown Weapons 64Tracking 64Vehicle Use 64Vessel Use 64Willpower 64Willpower Drain 64

SLAP Rounds 97Slight Wounds 103Slithers 196Slugs, Giant 197Small Arms & Machineguns

(ammunition) 2 6 0Small Arms (used against

vehicles) 115Smoke 91Snakes 198Sniper Rifles 2 7 8 , 3 2 3Solid Contacts 19, 21Soul Attributes 2 0 9Space Missions 122

Landing 123Launches 122Reentry 122

Space Travel 120Spacecraft 125

Ariane4 125Atlas 125STS ( S p a c e Transportat ion

Sys tem) 126Shuttle Orbiter 127Shuttle-C (Cargo Module) . . 127X-30 NASP 126Zenit 127

Spacecraft Characteristics 120Atmospheric Characteristics 122Crew 122Duration 122In-Space Transfer

Characteristics 122Launch Characteristics 121Payload 121Price 120Size 121Source 120

SpaceTek 147Special Cases 88Spending Experience Points 28Spongies 198Sporting Rifles 278Squids, Giant 198SS—see Single ShotStabilizing Critical Wounds 105Starting Money

and Initial Equipment 26State of the Union, The 66Stock NPCs 170Story, The 135Strangling 79Strength 15Strike At tacks 78STR—see StrengthStun 103Submachineguns 278Subsequent Shots (of Indirect Fire) 89Success Quality 55Superstructure 114Surface-to-Air Missiles . . . . 2 6 3 , 278Surgery 106Suspension Hits 115S w a m p 109Tamping 9 2Tank Breaker 112, 298Target Movement 87Target Obscured (see also Cover) 88Target Protection—see PenetrationTask Resolution & Skills 54Tasks 321Tear Gas 91Technical Imagery 234Technology 146

Conveying Tech Differences 147DarkTek ' . . . .233Global Production 147HiTek 146RetroTek 146SpaceTek 147

Telekinesis 211Tempera ture

(of burning substances) 97Tentacles 2 2 3Tentacular ETs 2 1 9Terms (career) 13Terrain #

Hills 109Open 109S w a m p 109Woods 108Terrain and Travel 108Terrain Effects on Movement 108

Throw Range 25Thrown Weapons 90Tigers 199

Time and Money 155

Travel and Encounters 108Travel by Highway 160Treating Poison Wounds 106Tripods 260T r u e W e r e s 2 2 8Turn Sequence 76Turning (of boats) 109Turns 75Turreted (hull) 114Twilight: 2 0 0 0 136Two Weapons 85Types of Rounds 2 6 3Typical Drudgebots 131UFOs 2 4 2Unarmed Combat—see CombatUnarmed Combat Damage 25Unarmored Vehicles 116Unconsciousness 103Undead 227

Mummy 227Skeleton 2 2 8

Units of Measure 109Unskilled Tasks 29Urban Demonground 150Urban Sprawl 67Vampires—See Bloodkin and Pale,

The .Vehicles

Travel » 107Vehicle Combat—see Combat

Vision Devices 2 7 0Voting Rights Act of 1997 67Waterline 115We Are Not Alone 1.38Weapons 277

D a m a g e 9 5Types 278

Weight 25Weres 228

Moreau Weres 2 3 0True Weres 2 2 8

Werebear 2 2 8Wereboar 228Wererat 2 2 9Weretiger 2 2 9Werewolf 2 2 9

Wheels of Fire:Vehicle Travel & Combat 107

Wolves 2 0 0Woods 108World, The 134Wound Severity 103Wounds & Healing 102Wounds (see also

Gunshot Wounds) 102Scratch 103Slight 103Serious 103Critical 104

WP (White Phosphorus) 262 , 2 6 3Smoke 91

Yellow Zombies 231"You're Not From Around Here,

Are You?" 71ZenaMarley 10, 29 ,

7 7 , 9 8 , 1 0 0 , 1 0 3 , 1 0 9 , 1 4 5 , 1 5 1Zombies 2 3 0

Animator Zombies 230Moss Zombies 230Yellow Zombies 231

Index of Char t s , Lists,Tables and F o r m s

Aerospace CraftD a m a g e 118, 329

A m m o Record Forms 327Antitank Missile Launchers 324Armor Equivalent 3 2 5Armor Values of Cover 325Assault Rifles 3 2 3Automatic Pistols 3 2 3

Automatic Rifles 324

Background Skills 318Base Hit Numbers 320Battle Rifles 324Belt A m m o Record Forms . 326Boat Damage 117, 329Body Armor Protection 322Bows- 3 2 3Bum D a m a g e 322Burst Diagrams 9 3 , 326Career List 317Character Generation

Worksheet Part 1 318Character Generation

Worksheet Part 2 319Character Sheet (back) 321Character Sheet (front) 320Civilian Occupat ions . . . . 5 3 , 317Combat Move 330Combat Sequence 322Crew-ln-Hull Vehicle

D a m a g e 1 1 6 , 3 2 8Cruise Speed 330Cyber Hands 325Demolition 325Difficulty of Intercept 123Effects of Age 319Explosive Penetration

Formulas 325Flamethrowers 325Fragmentat ion Attack 325Grenade Launchers 324Hand Grenades 325Heavy Mach ineguns . . . 278 , 324Human/Animal Hit Location . . . 95 , 322In-Space Transfer 122Language Table 316Launch Characteristics 121Machineguns 324Maneuver Times 124Melee Weapons 3 2 3Military Occupat ions 53Missile Launchers 324Mortars 324Nationality/Native Language . . . .316NPC Motivation 331NPC Record Forms 331NPC Stats 1 6 6 , 3 3 1Power Level Table 56, 321Reentry 121Revolvers and

Single-Shot Pistols 323Rifle Grenades 325Rocket Launchers 324Scatter Diagram 322Secondary Activities .... 18, 318Shotguns 324Skill List 5 7 , 3 1 7Skills and Attributes 320Sniper Rifles 323Soviet Nationalities 316Spacecraft Size 120Sporting Rifles 323Standard Vehicle

D a m a g e 1 1 5 , 3 2 9Submachineguns 323Surface to-Air Missiles 325Tasks 321Terrain Effect

on Movement 330Turreted Vehicle

D a m a g e 155, 328US Commissioned

Officer Ranks 317US Enlisted

and NCO Ranks 317Vehicle Damage Resolution.. 114, 328Vehicle

Hit Locations 1 1 4 , 3 2 8