I'm going to be running a game with military and espionage elements, not quite metal gear but similar in terms of tech.
I'm looking for tips on
1. running guns and shit since I've only ever done sword and sorcery
2. how to run cool and exciting espionage. what ways can i do it.
3. i guess a jumping off point, some other source material besides metal gear. maybe some example scenarios maybe?
ill be back in 4 hours, work and all
For modern games, I use a homebrew system :
>d20 system
>10 HP and 10 stress point
>When 0 HP, the character is dead
>When 0 Stress, the character can't use his bonuses. If he goes as low as -5, he starts having heavy penalties. At -10 he may not be able to perform certain tasks.
>4 skills with +2, points can be put into one skill
>Skills can be quite vague/general for the purpose of the game or extremely specialised
>1d6 for damage wih firearms : 1-2 correspond to the lowest tier of wound, 3-4 middle ground and 5-6 high wound.
>If a character doesn't know he'll get shot and he get shot, all of the damage are inflicted also into the stress, if he knows, then only half of the damage are inputed on stress. If he's a civilian, always apply this rule, even if he knows he'll get shot.
>Different firearms :
Light Pistols (for small arm caliber)
Heavy Pistols (for bigger)
Rifles
Heavy rifles
>Ammunition can influence on the damage : negating armor reduction and such.
Have you heard of "Ops and Tactics"?
they should have a thread up right now
hard armor takes heavy damage when it's hit, and it's generally all-or-(almost)-nothing. Either the round punches through the armor, or the armor stops it and you get a hard shock but you're more-or-less fine. Don't know how hardcore you want to make the combat, but that's something to consider.
If you're being shot at, you can tell the (general) type of weapon and direction and, if you know the area, even the distance. If someone shoots at your character and misses, your character should already know within like a 20-30 degree arc where the shot came from, they shouldn't have to be rolling spot checks looking around like crazy for the shooter.
Sources--I was in the army and have done some peaceful tourism in other completely non-conflict zones after I got out
Far as espionage goes, how gritty do you want it? You can try to have your players sneaking in in ninja suits or infiltrating galas in tuxedos like some James Bond shit, but "strangling a guy with his own necktie in the bathroom of a 7/11"-type spy work has the most potential for fun for a group of players
This.
They have a lite version thats pretty handy if you don't wanna go full milsim.
>If a character doesn't know he'll get shot and he get shot, all of the damage are inflicted also into the stress, if he knows, then only half of the damage are inputed on stress. If he's a civilian, always apply this rule, even if he knows he'll get shot.
Civies always get the full damage on stress rules*
Exemple of gun class :
- M16A1 : 1d6 = 1-2 : 2 dmg, 3-4 : 4 dmg, 5-6 : 6 dmg | 30 rounds per mag' | Range : 500m
- Colt M1911 : 1d6 = 1-2 : 2 dmg, 3-4 : 3 dmg, 5-6 : 5 dmg | 7 rounds per mag' | Range : 100m
- Winchester Model 1200 “trench gun” : 1d6 = 1-2 : 3 dmg, 3-4 : 5 dmg, 5-6 : 6 dmg | 6 rounds | Range "30m" | Special : under 10m, inflict double dmg
Of course, you can always change the damage inflicted by weapons to increase mortality.
References you can use :
- Tom Clancy's
- Books on recent Afghan and Irak war
- Spec Ops the line tier shit
Simple scenarii :
A) Your players are in a foreign ambassy and must exfiltrate a prisonner.
B) Secure a payload from the hand of Malian Islamabad
C) Assassination of a soviet ambassador
D) Stealing a nuclear submarine
E) Protect a diplomat from assassins
No thread. Still working on everything.
Updates soon, though
Squats. Squats works for most light shit but it's primarily a combat game and rules light in all other aspects.
Memes aside, GURPS is good for guns. Check out Tactical Shooting and SEALs in Vietnam.
As for espionage, I don't know - there are 3e Covert Ops and Espionage books, but I've never looked through them (despite owning them).
Check out ballad of the laserwhales on SoS general here on tg. Just change the weaponnames to the real ones and or modernize them, there should be a conversion list in the pastebin there and when in doubt just ask them they are very helpful
oh shit, i had forgotten about 007, man i love that shit. you have a point.
ill look up ops and tactics, the only other one i had in mind was this game called strike Veeky Forums keeps talking about.
nah count me out on GURPS, been there done that our group hated it. sorry
Thanks guys, i wasn't sure if this thread would still be up. theres actually some really useful stuff here!
I, personally, would use Cyberpunk 2020. It's very simple to learn, and converting guns is extremely simple. Here would be some example:
Glock 26 (WA 0, RNG 30, ROF 2, AMM 9, DMG 2d6+1, CON P, REL ST)
Glock 19 (WA 0, RNG 50, ROF 2, AMM 15, DMG 2d6+1, CON J, REL ST)
Glock 17 (WA +1, RNG 50, ROF 2, AMM 17, DMG 2d6+1, CON J, REL ST)
Glock 22 (WA +1, RNG 50, ROF 2, AMM 15, DMG 2d6+1, CON J, REL ST)
Glock 20 (WA +1, RNG 50, ROF 2, AMM 15, DMG 3d6+1, CON J, REL ST)
Colt M1911A1 (WA +1, RNG 50, ROF 2, AMM 7, DMG 2d6+3, CON J, REL ST)
H&K MP5A2 (WA +1, RNG 100, ROF 2/3/20, AMM 30, DMG 2d6+1, CON n/a)
H&K MP5A3 (WA 0, RNG 100, ROF 2/3/20, AMM 30, DMG 2d6+1, CON n/a or L)
Uzi (WA -1, RNG 100, ROF 2/30, AMM 32, DMG 2d6+1, CON L, REL VR)
Colt M4A1 (WA +1, RNG 300, ROF 2/25, AMM 30, DMG 5d6, CON L, REL VR)
Galil ACE 5.56 NATO (WA 0, RNG 300, ROF 2/25, AMM 30, DMG 5d6, CON L, REL VR)
FN FAL (WA 0, RNG 400, ROF 2/20, AMM 20, DMG 6d6+2 CON n/a, REL ST)
AK-47 or AKM (WA 0, RNG 200, ROF 2/20, AMM 30, DMG 5d6+1, CON n/a, REL VR)
AKMS or PM Md. 63 (WA -1, RNG 200, ROF 2/20, AMM 30, DMG 5d6+1, CON n/a or L, REL VR)
SIG 550 (WA +2, RNG 300, ROF 2/3/20, AMM 30, DMG 5d6, CON n/a or L, REL VR)
Dragunov SVD or SR-25 (WA +3, RNG 500, ROF 2, AMM 10, DMG 6d6+2, CON n/a, REL VR)
H&K PSG-1 (WA +5, RNG 600, ROF 2, AMM 10, DMG 6d6+2, CON n/a, REL ST)
Remington M40 (WA +5, RNG 600, ROF 1, AMM 5, DMG 6d6+2, CON n/a, REL VR)
Barrett M82A1 (WA +4, RNG 1000, ROF 1, AMM 10, DMG 6d10, CON n/a, REL VR)
Additional stats like recoil or encumbrance could be given to increase the difference between calibers and firearm sizes.
>autistic lists of guns that all perform basically identically
this is what kills the tacticool genre
anyway spy fiction and tacticool shit kinda run counter to eachother imo; spy fiction is all about schmoozing and backstabbing at cocktail parties and embassies; tacticool shit is going to Le Sandbox and firing at hadjis from over the horizon with smart munitions and slicing pies as if it's new or exciting
>10 stress point
I like this. Explain more, please?
>>autistic lists of guns that all perform basically identically
>this is what kills the tacticool genre
Not the guy who posted that, but there are some small differences (weapon accuracy) and big differences (reliability), which I believe (I am not a /k/ommando) models the real-world weapons fairly well. IRL the differences between most of these firearms are small and matter only over the course of a lifetime of a weapon.
>Malian Islamabad
What
>Can't be tactical and be spies
Bruh metal gear is in the OP
Currently using RECON to run a mixture of stealth based COIN ops and company level firefights.
PCs are part of a LRRP company in Vietnam that are "Ferrari's in a demolition durby." Generation Kill was the inspo for this. Squad level missions are played out in character and uses to flesh out NCOs, LTs, and troops. Missions involve 4-10 pcs going on missions and trying to enemies. Firefights in squad based missions are extremely one sided but can be turned around by common sense, retreat, or a lucky shot. Large firefights are more number crunching but offer A LOT MORE tactical options then squad based missions. Used to give a little context to the company.
Fast play, fast PC generation, and fast, brutal consequences for stupid mistakes.
It appears to be an example name
Once upon a time I really enjoyed a game of Spycraft 1.0, though it definitely trended towards lite /k/ gear-autism which is bad wrong fun like implies. The game should be about the characters at least as much as any super laser sighted double scoped gun they buy or find.
But...but.. Characters can be super laser sighted double scoped!
>and have done some peaceful tourism in other completely non-conflict zones after I got out
Soooo Black Bag work?
What is GURPS
Try using Twilight 2013. Unlike a lot of other tacticool military games it has some pretty interesting combat mechanics and an emphasis on squad-level tactics rather than stockpiling a huge list of copy-pasted guns and a bunch of other geardo shit.
Wanted a funny name to say Al Qaida in Islamic Maghreb, but hey, I'm a retard.
The Stress points are there to propose a way to quantify threats other than "You take physical damages". It helped for traumas and following a character mental health, a la sanity in CoC.
It's also the basis I use when I do horror campain on the fly or to introduce Modern Settings/Horror ones to new players.
Exemple :
>Aaron chief engineer on a oil rig
>Oil rig is taken by terrorists. They shot Aaron for 2 points of damage.
>Aaron is now at 8 HP and 8 Stress.
>Aaron now has been inflicted another 8 points of stress. He's now at 0 Stress.
>He wants to cut the oil flow. He does his skill check, but he doesn't have his bonus anymore.
>The skill fails, and now the oil rig is in fire and Aaron is at -5 stress, he gets now a penalty on every skill check.
Whats a system that has
1. Diversity in what you can actually play, not just what gun you use
2., good stealth and cover rules
3. Hazards other than bullets, like trauma
4. Cool shit, like wrist mounted dildos, cloaking, or exo suits?
thats not really spying, snake is pretty overly a tacticool spook there to perform action rather than gather intel or evidence
the only time he gets close to spying is in MGS2 but even then he already has most of the intel and is just confirming one little thing
when you say "spying" people think more of LeCarre books or James Bond than about mallninjas in the gulf doing le oper8or things
> IRL the differences between most of these firearms are small and matter only over the course of a lifetime of a weapon.
basically the problem, it's a lot of minutae that detracts from the other, more fun aspects of gameplay like investigating stuff or gunning down ruskies
you probably want gumshoe, some of the cuthulu sjw meme games use it but from what i hear its a very functional and good system for games heavy on investigating and exploring, but still has reasonable (but threatening) combat and trap rules
What kind of espionage are you going for? Do you want James Bond spy hijinks where people try to outwit eachother? Or do you want a more military focus like Metal Gear where things are more tactical? because I might be able to give tips on how to run encounters and such.
It's actually extremely easy to fluff Dark Heresy for modern combat, as long as you don't care for weaponry much beyond "it's a rifle". Just drop the psychic power using classes. I think the skillsets offered are useful for both combat and investigation, with a meaningful trade-off and use for both.
I suggest starting off with a murder mystery as your first scenario: there's plenty of those online, and you can easily gauge your group's playstyle.
A few random bits of advice:
>Always remember the rule of threes: if you want players to find something out, drop three hints about it.
>Just because it's obvious to you, doesn't mean it's obvious to your players.
>Carefully keep notes of what your players (should) know.
>You don't have to plot out everything in advance. If your players come up with a genius but wrong explanation, there's no harm in making it be true. If your players figure out the plot too quickly, introduce a plot twist.
> because I might be able to give tips on how to run encounters and such.
not that guy, but please do. I'm interested.
Supporting these two.
Played Ballad for a tournament once, was very good. Would love to play in a campaign at some point. I'm quite sure it can do tacticool pretty good.
No experience on Ops and Tactics but I only have heard good things.
>pretty interesting combat mechanics and an emphasis on squad-level tactics
Like what, exactly? Do tell, but I was always under the impression that 'tactics' is something the players do, not something the rules do.
>The skill fails, and now the oil rig is in fire and Aaron is at -5 stress, he gets now a penalty on every skill check.
>as things get worse you get worse at everything until you die
Sounds like the infamous HP death spiral that is expressly avoided by game designers.
Stress can't kill you in this homebrewed system, and I'm quite interested to hear more as the "HP Death spiral" and why it is avoided ? Mostly because it's complexe or un-fun ?
But keep it mind : I'm not a real game designer and I needed an easy and fast learned game mecanics for new players who are completely new to the hobby.
Well, in a modern-setting systems the last thing you want to do is play the enemies static, especially if they're attack or if it's a meeting encounter (you can get away with this if the badguys have prepared defenses). Because plink fests are boring and unrealistic. A better way is to do bounding assaults or at least have them act aggressive. Bounding assault meaning you have a team of guys (usually half) stay back and lay down suppressive fire while the rest move forward, get into cover then they put down suppressive fire while the other team moves past them.
This forces players to play more mobile so they don't get caught in one place and surrounded and destroyed. Make sure enemies actively make smart maneuvers like moving to the flanks and have them use grenades especially if they're available.
If you've got a taste for old curmudgeony systems there's a game by Palladium called Ninjas and Superspies. It's pretty good once you acclimate to it.
There's also a game called SpyCraft. It also has some pretty fun supplements, to turn it into a "Saturday morning cartoon" sort of game.
Still looking for players?
Spycraft: World on Fire has one of the best descriptions of espionage and covert operations I've ever read in an RPG. Get it.
Well like there's a specific rule for being in a squad or fireteam with other people. A squad has a cohesion score based on how familiar with one another the members of the squad are and how much they've trained together. When the squad leader issues orders and the squad members follow them, they get a bonus to their actions based on squad cohesion.
Hmm I've never thought about recruiting off of Veeky Forums, I tried roll20...Never again
>Stress can't kill you
>The skill fails, and now the oil rig is in fire
Really activatin my mental neurons.
Being tacticool is sperging out about the benefits of Keymode rail vs. Picatinny rail. It's about the difference between an ACOG and a red dot. It's about having a rifle with a scope, a micro red dot mounted in 2 o'clock position and a vertical foregrip or a bipod. It's about 350 bucks Crye Precision Multicam pants. And it's also about arguing between the benefits of compensators vs. flash hiders.
If you want some bullshit, rule light game with a small choice of generic gun, then the tacticool genre isn't for you.
Tacticool is when you want to throw a flashbang, kick some shit and start shooting.
Sorry for my autism, I should've written "Loss of stress usually don't kill you", but they sure have consequences over how your character can apprehend certain situation.
Also, the oil rig on fire was a pure exemple, but my words have failed me, user.
>2. how to run cool and exciting espionage. what ways can i do it.
Pick up Night's Black Agents by Ken Hite. It will explain all of the Do's and Don'ts.
Also if you're having trouble finding the Twilight 2013 rulebook, check /hwg/, they've got an entire folder of Twilight 2000 stuff and Twilight 2013 is included in that.
The system didn't last very long, which is a shame. But it's definitely a hidden gem IMO.
This damage isn't all that bad, actually.
The glock 26's ammo is wrong, though.
ree SSB update when, I'm dying to see what you did in the down time.
I'M WORKING ON IT!
Also it's a lot. I'm doing some balancing on feats, consolidating some rules, and changing some other stuff to be more in line with how recoil is SUPPOSED to to work.
If you're not already a /k/ommando, hang out on /k/ for a few weeks and try not to bother them too much with stupid questions.
Glad to hear you're working on those things I brought up m8. Hope defense and attack are getting better balance. Because BAB gets nuts and feats make it worse
>tfw my players have around total bonuses to hit of +19 while spray firing
>visit /k/
About the worst advice you could give if not appended with "when it's after dark in the US"
>tfw my players have around total bonuses to hit of +19 while spray firing
How. Seriousy. Explain the logic.
So here's what's happening thus far with BAB and defenses.
>BAB
I can't reduce it more than what it is. It's once per level I'm stuck with it.
>Defenses
I can't increase the defense granting powers of armor, because there is a finite ammount of how much you can "Not" be hit. Eventually, all things tangible are hitable. It is what it is. BUT, what I did do is heavily increase bonuses to cover.
>Attacks
The primary issue I saw was with how bonuses and such are granted via upgrades. STocks, grips, all taht shit gave bonuses.
Because this was prior to how recoil was set up.
Now it just straight up doesn't work with recoil, so I'm making it instead to negate recoil penalties.
Oh And I've increased the recoil penalties allaround.
That's the issue was equipment and feats. Get some strength and favored caliber to counter the recoil and you only have the base -10 to hit which gets reduced to -3 from feats add the feat and stock bonuses and you have no penalty at all. I haven't done the math in a while, but the last time my player rolled a spray fire it was a result of 30.
This was just with a stock, and a red dot last I remember.
Favored caliber is now half, rounded UP instead of down.
what word was used to lure in the /k/ommandos
It was the mention of Ops and Tactics, three posts in.
OP here, I'm interested in a system now, i was going to use strike because I've heard enough people recommend it. but now I'm thinking theres so many systems to choose from.
I wish op, but sadly the only systems I've seen really recommended for modern stuff were
>Ops and Tactics
>GURPS
>Phoenix Command
>Twilight 2000
>Cyberpunk 2020
Though since you want lighter stuff you do have more options.
Will there be tactical bun buns?
>Tactical bunnies
Hilariously my anime as fuck game has a rabbit girl character and it's wonderful.
Long Patrol RPG when?
hell yeah tactical animals, look at the history of birds in world war 2. they were crucial!
I've never heard of phoenix command, i kinda get the gist (jist?) of those having spent some time on here. but whats that one like?