All the Strangers: Best Case Scenario + Luke Gearing's Violence + Laws of the Land Indoor Terrain Expansion + FIST + X-Com-Type Downtime Skirmish Game (ft. 2 complete scenarios, character generation, etc.)
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| Slopp Jockey type slay |
All the Strangers
Nobody knows why they’re here
Initiative
For when there is no ambush
roll every round
d20 for Strangers
Strangers act multiple times per round depending on the number rolled on their Action Die
d12 for humans
note all rolls
higher initiative combatants may lower their initiative to any number they like
resolve actions high to low
only one action may be taken, such as "aim" "shoot" "move" "reload" etc.
actions resolving on the same initiative are simultaneous but follow common sense
it takes less time to squeeze a trigger than it does to get to cover
edge cases are resolved with an opposed d6 roll, Strangers win ties.
Communication
Outside of combat, communication between players is free.
In combat, communication is restricted: you may only describe your Pawns actions or ask Mission Control clarifying questions, with the following exceptions.
You may communicate 2 words to your fellow players for free on each of your Pawn’s initiative. Names don’t count as words.
You may take your initiative to initiate free communication with the table for 10 seconds, which starts immediately on your initiative
Movement
Handled call and response; ask Mission Control if you can reach somewhere on your initiative or not.
Terrain
Players may invent terrain elements, even cover, to use in their actions provided that the terrain elements fit in the current area. You may do this once on each Pawn’s turn.
Any terrain created requires an action to take advantage of
so you can create a piece of cover but your Pawn will then have to move to it
If the terrain element is questionable in the current area, the GM will tell you what the odds out of 6 are for it being present and roll a die to determine if it is.
If it is not, that Pawn’s turn is wasted as they desperately look for something that is not there
Shooting
16+ hits
if you hit, d20 for damage
Add +2 to the roll for each Injury they have.
Pistol-calibres add +2 to this roll.
Rifles-calibres add +4 to this roll.
Shotguns add +5 at close ranges and +2 at medium.
Flame adds +2 initially but once it damages you, it adds 2 to its damage roll each round until it is put out (this takes 1 turn per flame-caused injury, minimum 1).
Gas/Smoke is identical with the exception that it cannot be put out, only escaped from
Poison gas is the same but starts at +4 initial attack
If firing multiple shots, add +1 to hit per additional shot. If successful, roll for how many shots find their mark. Resolve each bullet individually.
If they are human and the result is 10 or more, they go Down. Otherwise, they are Injured.
Injury/Downed Tables
1. L. Arm
roll again; on a 5-6 it's the hand, roll again, on a 6 it's a finger
2. R. Arm
as above
3. L. Leg
as above but for feet and toes
4. R. Leg
as above
5-6. Gut
7. Chest (Misses Vitals)
8. Head (Glancing Shot)
Roll this for Downed
1-4 Chest
5-7. Gut
8-9. Head
10. Throat
11. Leg (Artery)
1 R. / 2. L
12. Arm (Artery)
1 R. / 2. L
Injured NPC humans without combat training will flee if they are injured, or surrender if they cannot flee, or hide if they cannot do either
Injured NPC humans with some combat training will do this 1/6 times after 1 injury and always after 2
Injured NPC humans with a lot of combat training will do this 1/6 times after 2 injuries and always after 3
Range
Melee (0-5 feet)
Thrown (6 - 30 ft)
Close (31 - 200 ft)
Medium (200 - 600 ft): Disadvantage when shooting
Long Range (601 - 1800 ft): 2 Disadvantage when shooting
Suppression
When firing to suppress, no roll is required.
When a suppressed target attempts to take an action which could expose them, roll 1d6. If the number rolled is equal to or less than the number of people firing to suppress, the target is shot. The number rolled is how many individuals hit - resolve each separately, determining randomly who hits.
If Suppression is at hidden or obscured targets, it only has half effect (e.g. 2 people would have to fire to have a 1-in-6 chance of shooting individuals as they take action.)
Firing to suppress uses half the ammunition in a weapon. Weapons without magazines or similar cannot be used to suppress. If a shooter doubles their ammunition expenditure, they count as 2 people firing.
Machine-guns and the like use only 1/10th of their ammunition to suppress.
NPC humans without combat training will surrender (if it’s an option) after being put under Suppression
NPC humans with some combat training will do this 3/6 times after being suppressed for 2 rounds
NPC humans with a lot of combat training will do this 3/6 times after being suppressed for 4 rounds
Explosives
Resolve as Shooting against all in the blast radius.
against those in the kill-zone add +8 to the roll
they receive 1d6 Injuries.
against those in the shrapnel-zone add +4 to the roll
they receive 1d6-2 Injuries
against those in the tertiary-zone roll normally
Melee
Aware combatants roll a d12 and add relevant modifiers.
If the difference between them is 1 or less, both are Injured and go Down.
If the difference is 2-3, the high-scored is Injured. The low-scorer is Injured and goes Down.
If the difference is 4+, the low-scored is Injured and goes Down.
A sword would add +3. A bayonet would add +2. Training would add up to +2.
Morale
Every Pawn has 1 Morale. Morale is checked by rolling a d6; on a 1-3, Morale is lost.
When to Check Morale
A Stranger is encountered for the first time
A Stranger reveals a new ability
Pawn tries to take action under Suppression
Pawn is near a thrown grenade
This Pawn is injured
An ally is downed in eyeshot of this Pawn
Structure or vehicle you’re in takes significant damage
Mission failure feels certain
Certain Panic Table results
If Morale would be lost when a Pawn has none to lose, that Pawn Panics: roll 1d6 + Panic on the Panic Table.
1. Keeping it together, barely (+1 Panic)
2. Nervous twitching (Pawn can’t aim, +1 Panic to whole Fireteam)
3. Fumbling (unbundling things takes 2x as long, +1 Panic to whole Fireteam)
4. Dropping shit (Pawn drops something they’re holding, +1 Panic to whole Fireteam)
5. Freeze (Pawn can’t move on their next turn, +1 Panic to anyone who sees them)
6. Scramble (Pawn must move to the nearest cover on their next turn and remains there for the next d6 turns, +1 Panic to anyone who sees them)
7. Freaking the fuck out (Pawn must spend their next d6 turns doing nothing but screaming and ranting, +1 Panic to anyone who hears them, anyone who hears them must check Morale)
8. Death wish (Pawn must do nothing but take the most direct route to cause the most damage to the enemy responsible for their panic (or nearest enemy) with no regard for their own safety until that enemy is dead, or they are, +2 Panic to anyone who sees them, anyone seeing them must check Morale)
9. Berserk (Pawn attacks anything within or entering Throwing range or nearer until it is dead. +2 Panic to anyone who sees them, anyone seeing them must check Morale)
10. Collapse (Pawn goes into total shock, can take no actions for 2d6 rounds. For the rest of the mission, in combat they can only act via the Commanding Officer giving them initiative and otherwise can do nothing except move, and only with support)
Down/Dead
After the violence is concluded, roll a d20 for each person Down. Add +2 for each Injury. On a 10+, they are dead. Otherwise, they are Critically Injured and will die without medical attention.
Roll for Strangers, but don't confirm dead until their bodies are investigated; Critically Injured Strangers are still dangerous
Dis/Advantage
When making a d20 roll (so primarily for shooting and injury) keep a track of all factors which afford a Disadvantage or Advantage. These factors should be easy to spot in natural language, but might also be called out in the text below.
Advantages and Disadvantages cancel each other out. Once all factors are considered, follow one of the procedures below:
if all Advantages and Disadvantages cancel one another out, roll 1d20 normally.
if there are remaining Advantages, roll 1d20 and a number of d6s equal to the number of remaining Advantages. Add the highest rolled value of d6s to the d20 roll.
if there are remaining Disadvantages, roll 1d20 and number of d6s equal to number of remaining Disadvantages. Subtract the highest rolled value of d6s to the d20 roll.
Sources of Dis/Advantages include things such as called shots, position, cover, training, traits, equipment, weapons, assistance, time spent aiming, elevation, weather, light levels, specific injuries, Stranger abilities, etc.
Noncombat Action
This covers things like: climbing, breaking down doors, laying explosives, hacking, providing first aid, etc.
Out of combat, such actions can simply be accomplished provided you have the Time/Tools/Training
high quantities/qualities of one can make up for a lack of one other, but not of two.
In combat, these actions can be accomplished in a minimum of 2 rounds for Time in addition to appropriate Tools and Training
Lacking Tools or Training increases the number of rounds the action will take to complete or make it impossible, while high quality Tools or Training can reduce the rounds needed or make up for lacking the other
You may Exhaust yourself to accomplish an action in half the time (minimum 1 round).
You cannot recover from Exhaustion in combat.
Comforting the Panicked
Points of Panic cannot be removed in Combat.
Out of combat, 1 point of Panic can be removed every 5 minutes
Negotiation and Diplomacy
Your Pawns are not good at talking. They’re too weird, too violent, too fucked up. If an NPC talks to them for long enough, they’ll inevitably get the feeling something is deeply wrong. Fight or flight triggers, and everything goes to shit.
Reaction Levels
Hostile (fight/flee)
NPCs start here any Pawns are carrying Bulky weapons
High-Strung
NPCs start here any Pawns are carrying unconcealed Large weapons and/or wearing Heavy armor and have no cover story
1 Round before they become Hostile
Suspicious
NPCs start here any Pawns are carrying unconcealed Large weapons and/or wearing Heavy armor but have a cover story
2 Rounds before they become Hostile
Wary
NPCs start here if any Pawns are carrying concealed Large weapons
3 Rounds before they become Hostile
Uncomfortable
NPCs start here by default
4 Rounds before they become Hostile
Pawns
Each player takes command of a fireteam of pawns
Pawns have Names, Aesthetics, Roles, and Equipment
Names and Aesthetics are randomly generated
You always need at least 1 Commanding Officer per fireteam, the rest are up to you.
You may equip your Pawns with any equipment in this doc provided you stay within Mission Class and their slot capacity
Roles
Commanding Officer: +1 free word on this Pawns turn, +5 seconds of open communication, can give your initiative to a different Pawn provided they can see and hear you.
Invested: +1 word OR +5 seconds
Marksman: 2 Advantage from taking a turn to aim, 3 Advantage if 3 turns are taken
Investment, Aim limit rises by 1 OR choose and ignore one disadvantage type (movement, called shots, etc.)
Grenadier: Access to more powerful grenades
Investment: up to +5/-5 on radius OR +1 advantage for damage on grenade type of choice
Automatic Rifleman: counts as +1 person when Suppressing and uses 1/15th ammo when Suppressing with Automatic weapons
Investment: counts as +1 person when Suppressing OR +1 advantage to hit with Automatic weapons
Medic: +1 use of Exhaust but only for medical procedures, may revive Downed soldiers with Medkits
Investment: Medkits can be used +1 time OR gain +1 use of medical Exhaust
Engineer: +1 Advantage to damage with traps, +1 use of Exhaust but only for assembling traps or structures
Investment: +1 Advantage to damage with traps OR +1 use of assembly Exhaust
Witness: when first encountering a Stranger, roll a d6: on a 4-6, you're aware of one of this Stranger's Laws.
Investment: +1 odds of knowing a Stranger’s Laws, OR choose a quality a Stranger might have like aquatic, stealthy, etc. Witness knows half the Laws whenever encountering a Stranger of that type.
Face: polyglot, if this Pawn talks to NPCs they start 1 Reaction Level better than they would otherwise. If this Pawn talks to NPCs alone but so long as they’re talking, the NPC will not become Hostile. As soon as the Face stops talking, if the NPC would have become Hostile during the conversation, they do so now.
Investment: 1 time per Mission when encountering an NPC roll, roll a d6: on a 5-6 they are a friendly contact. Each other time this is taken, increase the odds by 1. OR, NPCs delay becoming hostile by +1 Rounds per time this is taken.
Shrink: can cure 1 point of Panic per Round. Can snap someone out of an effect from the Panic table by reducing their Panic to 0. Can spend their Morale to give a different Pawn 1 Morale.
+1 point of Panic cured OR +1 Morale that can only be given, not used by this Pawn
Equipment
Pawns have 6 item slots
Items can be bundled if it makes sense to do so; bundled items take up 1 slot.
It takes 1 turn to remove an item from a Bundle, +1 turn per 6 items in the Bundle
Standard Weapons
Concealable
These weapons can be worn under clothing and can be drawn and fired with one hand.
It takes 1 turn to retrieve a weapon from concealment.
You cannot attach underbarrel grenade launchers or shotguns to concealable weapons.
Semiauto: Quickdraw (+1 to initiative but you HAVE to shoot with it) -Disadvantage at medium range, no long range. Burst Fire (can fire bursts of 3 shots for 1 action), 16/15 ammo. 1 slot.
Revolver: Quickdraw, 6/6 ammo. 1 slot.
Machine Pistol: Quickdraw, cannot aim, no long range. Burst Fire, 21/20 ammo. Automatic. 2 slots.
Concealable Melee (knuckles, e-tool, knife, tomahawk): +1 to Attacks at melee range. Quickdraw in melee only, melee range, thrown range. No ammo. 1 slot.
Basic Grenades: Everyone has access to these classics. Explode at the start of your next turn after you throw them. Explode on impact when launched.
Frag: Attacks everyone within 5m, then Attacks exposed targets within 15m.
Flash: Everyone within 5m, or inside an enclosed room, is blinded for 10 rounds.
Smoke: Produces thick, concealing smoke in a 10m radius for 20 rounds. May be colored for signaling purposes.
Flare: Burns hot and bright for 1 hour.
Advanced Grenades: Grenadiers can choose these grenades. The rest of you aren’t trusted with them.
Tear Gas: Produces thick, concealing smoke in a 10m radius for about 20 rounds. Unprotected targets within the cloud are blinded for about a minute.
Poison Gas: Produces thick, concealing smoke in a 10m radius for 20 rounds. Unprotected targets within the cloud are attacked every round.
Sleeping Gas: as above but downed targets are not killed, merely rendered unconscious
Concussion: Instantly kills anyone within 3m with overpressure. Acts as a flash for an entire floor.
Thermite: burns in a 5m radius for 12 rounds, attacking anything in that radius each turn with molten iron at 4000 degrees F as it burns. Creates thick smoke in a 10m Radius for 10 rounds, which attacks each turn as well. Melts through up to 1/2 inch steel plate, burns underwater.
Large
(can be concealed in a golf bag or a guitar case or the like if need be, must be operated with two hands).
Assault Rifle: Burst, Automatic. 31/30 ammo. 2 slots.
Sharpshooter Rifle: Ignore range penalties. 21/20 ammo. 2 slots.
Shotgun: Advantage to Attacks at short range, no long range. 6/5 ammo. 2 slots.
Grenade Launcher: 6/6 ammo. Uses grenades as ammo; grenade launcher grenades cannot be thrown and detonate on impact ,3 slots.
Large Melee (sledgehammer, battle axe, katana, pitchfork): +3 to Attacks at melee range, no other ranges. No ammo. 1 slot.
Requistionable Weapons
Any weapon here must be specifically requisitioned
Concealable
Advanced Grenade
Nerve Gas Grenade: as Poison Gas but damage bonus doubles every Round
Bulky
(Cannot be concealed without being dismantled and stored in a case. Assembling takes 6 turns)
Antimateriel Rifle: Advantage to attacks, ignore range penalties. 6/5 ammo. 3 slots.
LMG: Automatic, 201/200 ammo. 4 slots.
Flamethrower: Counts as 3 people for suppression. No medium or long range. Can only be used to Suppress. 3/3 ammo, Suppression only uses 1. 3 slots
Armor
Soft Armor: Layers of synthetic material that can be worn under clothing. Concealable weapons roll damage with Disadvantage against you. Destroyed when Injured. 1 slot.
Heavy Armor: Hi-tech ceramic plate in a carrier, jackboots, difficult to conceal. Concealable weapons roll damage with 2 Disadvantage, all others roll with Disadvantage, destroyed when Injured twice. 2 slots.
Soft and Heavy armors do not stack
Helmet: Blocks a Injury or Down, once. Impossible to conceal. 1 slot.
Ballistic Shield: Provides cover to anyone standing behind it. 2 slots.
Standard Gear
Extra Ammo: Pair of magazines, two clip of shells, or a boxed belt. 1 slot.
Lockpicks: A small packet of tension wrenches, little bits and bobs, adjustable circle-y things and so forth. Counts as Tools for mundane locks. 1 slot.
Master Key: Fifteen kilos of steel with convenient carrying handles. Bashes domestic doors down in 1 turn. Counts as Tools for reinforced doors. 2 slots.
Spike Strips: Bundle of spring-loaded mechanism and a few hundred hollow teeth, for ruining tires. May be carefully prepared beforehand for guaranteed success if they are run over, or can be chucked in front of a moving car for 50% odds of success. 1 slot.
Bear Traps: You know what a bear trap is, damn it. 1 slot.
Antipersonnel Mine: Remote-activated or attached to a tripwire, effectively a
directed frag grenade. 1 slot.
Satchel Charge: Giant lump of plastic explosive and a radio detonator. Acts like a concussion grenade, but if placed correctly can demolish a wood-frame building or blow a hole in a concrete wall with some preparation. 2 slots.
Underbarrel Grenade Launcher: like the weapon, but under a barrel. 1/1 ammo. 1 slot, but this should always be bundled.
Underbarrel Shotgun: like the weapon, but under a barrel. 1 slot, but this should always be bundled.
Night Vision Goggles: let you see at night. 1 slot.
Gas Mask. Protection from gas. 1 slot.
First-Aid Kit. Can be expended to remove an Injury. Medics can expend them to get a Downed soldier back in the fight (with all their injuries). 1 slot.
Line Thrower. Dedicated tool for launching a grapnel and sturdy line 100m, to aid in scaling buildings or crossing large gaps. Useable as a weapon, once. 1 slot.
Silencer. Silences a Concealable or Large firearm. 1 slot.
Truth Serum. A syringe containing a dose of barbituates. 1 slot.
Climbing Gear: 100m of rope, plus clips and ascenders and such. 1 slot.
Flashlight: provides light for you and anyone adjacent, 1 slot.
Radio Earpiece: +1 free word on your turn (3 total), +5 seconds of open communication. 1 slot.
Requisitionable Gear
Van: Ordinary unmarked rental.
Camera Drone: must spend the whole turn navigating it. Mission Control can tell you what it’s seeing (in secret). 2 slots.
Nymph-Lace Tourniquet (Costs 1): spongy piece of airy tissue, ridges lined with little, near-microscopic pinkish tendrils that give it the impression of a warm aura. If inserted into an open wound (1 Action), will bond with the flesh and begin to absorb and circulate blood, automatically preventing Downed Pawns from dying or removing a Gut or Chest Injury; it cannot resuscitate Downed Pawns however. 1 slot
The Mission
The Strangers are here.
People Upstairs don’t want anyone knowing about them.
Especially not their Pawns.
Despite that, we know four things
Each is entirely unique
Their biology is semi-human
We fascinate them.
Unless things change, we will not survive them.
Upstairs divides Missions fall into 3 classes
CLOSED-EYE is for missions civilians should never even realize happened.
4 Pawns Total
Concealable or Concealed Large weapons
Soft Armor
No explosives
OPEN-EYE is for missions where fireteams can operate openly while under false pretenses.
6 Pawns Total
Any weapons but Bulky
Any Armor
THIRD-EYE is for missions where there is no danger of civilian involvement, or where the stakes are so high that civilians become expendable.
8 Pawns Total
Any Weapons
Any Armor
Missions begin with insertion. Mission Control will tell you what your extraction will be.
Medals and Callsigns
after a mission, each player can submit an application Upstairs to nominate 1 Pawn for a Medal. Each Pawn can only be nominated once per mission, but Pawns can be nominated for the same Medal multiple times over several missions.
Roll a d6; on a 4 or higher, the Pawn receives a Medal
if none of your Pawns receive a Medal, you must create and give a Callsign to a Pawn who does not have one.
Medals
the Eight-Pointed Star for Conspicuous Bravery in the Line of Fire.
Grants one free Morale check per mission when suppressed or near a grenade.
the Gold Triskelion for Enviable Success snatched from the Jaws of Failure.
+1 use of Exhaustion
the Platinum Infinity for Notable Composure while looking upon the Face of Horror.
Grants one free Morale check per mission when encountering something terrible.
the Jacaranda Vein for Surprising Resilience in the case of Horrible Bodily Mutilation.
Grants 1 free Morale check per mission after being wounded
the Viridian Eye for Remarkable Ability in landing Confirmed Kills.
+1 to hit
the Ivory Hamsa for Admirable Restraint in collecting Undamaged Anomalies.
Gain the Witness ability at 1/6 or +1 to odds of Witness ability
the Cerulean Heart for Exemplary Gladhanding while evacuating Neutral Parties & Civilians.
NPCs all take 1 more round to become Hostile
the Black Mark for Unanticipated Survival even when Everyone Else Died.
Once per mission you can force someone adjacent to you to take an injury in your stead.
Budget
There’s some people Upstairs (there must be) and they’re beholden above all to a Budget.
Budget starts at 2; whoever’s Upstairs, they’re walking on razor wire.
Before and after missions, players can spend Budget. Spending Budget is done through Budget Checks
Roll a die, dX, where X is the highest integer that is lower than the current Budget and is also a die type available at the table
On a 1, they lose 1 from their Budget
At 0 Budget, Upstairs has no purchasing power.
Additional Budget Checks accrue Debt (negative Budget)
while in Debt, optional Objectives trigger Budget Checks when failed
at -1 to -3 Debt you can make 3 Budget checks between each mission
at -4 to -6 Debt you can make 2
at -7-9 Debt you can make 1
at -10 Debt, whatever spiderwebs were holding the operation together collapse and the game is lost.
These all trigger Budget Checks
replacing 2 pieces of gear
every 2 injuries healed from Pawns
every 2 points of Panic removed from pawns
covering up a Witness
high profile Witnesses require Budget Costs
requisitioning special weapons, armor, or gear
particularly valuable pieces of gear may require Budget Costs
requisitioning a van/car/motorcycle
recruiting a new Pawn
investing in a Pawn for the first time
These all carry Budget Costs
requisitioning a helicopter or armored vehicle Costs 2 Budget
a tank Costs 3
an airstrike Costs 4
Researching a Stranger corpse
Initial investigations Cost 1 Budget
Preliminary Costs 2
Major Costs 4
Breakthrough Costs 6
Specialized research doubles the Cost
Investing in a Pawn for the second time Costs 1
Every subsequent investment adds 1 to the Cost
Reviving a Downed Pawn Costs 1
Recruiting a Special Operative Costs 1 per Trait
Completing missions and returning with Stranger bodies earns Budget
Completing a mission earns 1 Budget
Completing bonus objectives earns additional Budget
Recovering Stranger corpses earns Budget based on quality
Living: 6
Unharmed: 4
Injured: 3
Ruined: 2
Piecemeal: 1
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| Juan Gimenez ofc ofc |
The Strangers are here.
People Upstairs don’t want anyone knowing about them.
Especially not us, the Pawns they send to kill and capture them.
Despite that, we know four things:
Each is entirely uniqueTheir biology is semi-human(no matter what they say, there's no hiding that from us)We fascinate them.
Our children, our praying.
Unless things change, we will not survive them.
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| はやぴ fuckin gets it |
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| this bitch is proving untraceable |
Woh-hoh-hoh-hoh, what's all this then?
ReplyDeleteI like what I see, but I think I'm going to have to read it a few times before I have something intelligent to say (if I ever will). These suppression rules are very interesting.
Echoing G.R. - there is a LOT here and it's going to take me a little time to absorb it, but it looks fucking righteous!
ReplyDelete