Warning Violence and the Supernatural

The fantastic world of the ™ Role-Playing Game is violent, deadly and filled with monsters and conflict. Other-dimensional beings called "Bugs" threaten to destroy humankind and torment, stalk and enslave humans. Monsters, the collapse of civilization, psychic powers, magic, insanity, war and heroic adventure are all elements of this book. Some parents may find the violence and supernatural elements inappropriate for young read­ ers/players. We suggest parental discretion. Please note that none of us at condone or encourage the occult, the practice of magic, the use of drugs, or violence.

Sample file

A complete, new Role- Playing Game. Emphasis on action, horror, suspense, heroism and fu n. Dedication Writing this book has been one heck of a ride. When this project came my way, it was the kind of thing for which I had to drop everything and dive in headfirst. After all, it's not every day you get a chance to write a rock 'em, sock 'em game about survivalism, alien invaders and post-apocalypse ad­ venture in the near future. Now that I've gotten a chance to come up for air, I must say that writing Sys­ tems Failure™ has been my most enjoyable gig yet for my friends in Taylor. So to that end, let me first thank Kevin and Maryann Siembieda for not only giving me the great chance to develop this game, but for having faith in me that I could do it on a tight deadline. Second, let me thank my tireless play-testers, Jay Pascale and Tim Warren, for their timely willing­ ness to play-test a half-written game. Third, I must thank Richard and Jo Thomassen, who graciously critiqued my rough draft (while mov­ ing into their new house, no less!). And finally, special thanks to my wife Alli, who not only gave me endless encouragement, creative feedback and excellent design advice, but who also put up with my many sleepless nights spent hunched over the keyboard.

- , July 1999

PDF Edition - November 2018

Copyright 1999 Palladium Books Inc. and

All rights reserved under the Universal Copyright Convention, Worldwide. No part of this book may be reproduced in part or whole, in any fo rm or by any means, without permission from the publisher, except for brief quotes for use in reviews. All incidents, situations, insti­ tutions, governments and people are fictionaland any similarity, without satiric intent, of characters or persons living or dead, is strictly co­ incidental.

Palladium Books®, Megaverse®, Palladium RPG®, Rifts®, RECON®, Phase World®, After the Bomb® and ® are registered trademarks owned and licensed by Kevin Siembieda and Palladium Books Inc. Systems Failure, , Ninjas & Superspies, , Bugboys, NORAD Splicer, Esper, Organitechnology, Organitech, The Meltdown, Bunkerlords, Bunkerville, Bugland USA, Bugtown, Bughouse, Bugkillers, Bughunters, Meltdown Merchant, Fixemup, Bunker Hermit, Splatterpunk, Bulletboy, Kentucky Headhunters, The Cav, The Armory Matrix, Radio Free America, and other names, titles and likenesses of characters are trademarks owned by Kevin Siembieda and Palladium Books Inc. wwwSample.palladiumbooks.com file

Systems Failure™ The Role-Playing Game is published by Palladium Books Inc., 39074 Webb Ct, Westland, MI 48185. Printed in the USA.

2 'A"AtIUM aOOKS® 'alSlNrs:

A COMPll" tOll-PlAYING GAMI

Written By: Bill Coffin

Based on Original Concepts By: Kevin Siembieda Game Rules & Additional Text: Kevin Siembieda

Editors: Jim Osten Alex Marciniszyn Wayne Smith

Proof Reader: Julius Rosenstein

Cover Painting:

Interior Artists: Michael Wilson Scott Johnson Ramon Perez

Maps: Bill Coffin

Art Direction & Keylining: Kevin Siembieda Typography: Maryann Siembieda

Based on the RPG rules, concepts and Megaverse® created by Kevin Siembieda.

Palladium Books On-Line: www.palladiumbooks.com

Special Thanks to Bill Coffin for taking a few pages of ideas, a title, a couple of telephone conversa­ tions Sampleand the Palladium universal game rules and turning them into a rollicking fun,file action-packed, new role-playing game. Plus Bill and I have a lot more cool ideas in store for the future. Also thanks to Mike Wilson for a herculean effort on the art, Scott Johnson for his art contributions, Johnny Z for a dramatic cover and the other Palladium Eggheads for their hard work. - Kevin Siembieda, 1999

3 Contents

� �········ ...... Pr � · 5 The Bugs · ...... 59 Conversation at the End of the World 5 The Bug Hierarchy· . . 60 Turn On, Tune In, Freak Out· . 6 Army Ant (Tier 1) . . 62 From the Diary of Jimmy Gillis 8 Assassin Bug (Tier 2) 64 2009: Let the Hunt Begin· . .. 10 Bombardier Beetle (Tier 2 . 67 The Rules of the Game . . . . 12 Killer Bee (Tier 2) 68 How to Play a Role-Playing Game· 12 Stink Bug (Tier 2) 70 Glossary ...... 13 Silkworm(Tier 1) 73 ...... 14 Silkworm · 75 Step One: The Eight Attributes· 14 Lightning Bug (Tier 3) . 76 Attribute Bonus Chart . . . . 15 The Human Resistance · . · 79 Speed Chart· ...... 15 Occupational Character Classes 80 Step Two: Determining Hit Points & S.D.C.· 16 Egghead O.C.C. . .. 80 Armor Rating (A.R.) ...... 16 Exterminator O.C.C . .. 82 Recovery of Hit Points & S.D.C.· 16 Freebooter O.C.C. . . . 85 Surviving Coma & Death . . . . 17 Grease Monkey O.C.C.· 87 Optional Damage Rules . . . . . 17 Peacekeeper O.C.C. 89 Step Three: Determine Background 18 Sawbones O.C.C.· . 91 How Old You Were Before the Meltdown· 18 Splatterpunk O.C.C. 93 Background Occupation Table· 19 SurvivalistO .C.C. 95 Step Four: Determine Psionics . · 21 NORAD Psychic O.C.C . . 97 Step Five: Pick an O.C.C. . . · 21 NORAD Splicer O.C.c. . 99 Step Six: Pick an Alignment . · 21 The Wacko O.C.C . . . . . 102 Experience Points . . · 25 The State of the World · .. . • •.•••.•. 105 Insanity· ...... · 26 It's Been a Long Ten Years . . 105 Skills · ...... • 29 Land ofthe Free ...... 109 Scholastic Skills 30 An Atlas of Post-Meltdown America 109 Skill Programs . . 30 Maps of America· 109 Secondary Skills . 31 Bunkerville· . 110 Skill Penalties 31 Four Comers · 112 Skill Lists· . . . . 31 Motown· . .. 113 Skill Descriptions· . 32 Bugland USA· 114 Communications . 32 Home of the Brave · 115 Domestic · 32 The Bug Hunters . 117 Electrical . . 33 NORAD . . ... 117 Espionage· . 33 Wyoming Free Irregulars· 119 Mechanical . 34 The Underground Railroad· 120 Medical· 35 Radio Free America . . . . 121 Military· .. 35 The New Warlords · .... 121 Physical· . . 36 Campaign Ideas & Settings· . 123 Pilot: Basic . 37 The Survivors· . . 123 Pilot: Advanced· 37 Search & Rescue . 124 Pilot Related 38 Road Trip· .... 125 Rogue Skills 38 The Killer App . . 126 Science · .. 39 Palladium RPG® Plug-Ins · 127 Technical · . 39 Break Out The Hardware 130 Ancient W.P . . ·40 Organitech ...... 130 Modern W.P . . · 41 Bug Zappers (guns)· 130 Wilderness · . · 41 Bug Bombs . 132 Combat· .... • 42 Bug Juice· . 133 Hand to Hand Combat . ·42 Bug Motels· 134 Combat Terms & Moves· ·44 Battlesuits· . 135 S.D.C. Values· ...... · 46 Conventional Guns, Ammo & Explosives · 136 Hand to Hand Combat Styles· · 47 Body Armor · ...... 140 Modem Weapon Combat· · 48 Field Equipment & Miscellaneous Gear· 141 Psionics· ...... · 50 Conventional Vehicles . 142 Healing Powers· . 51 A Final Word· ...... 143 PhysicalSample Powers . . . 52 file Sensitive Powers . . . 53 Super Psionic Powers· 55

4 Prorogue: Wercolfleto the Bughouse lurkerlOO: no Whomprat: T -minus 2 minutes!! Haven't prepared at all. Why bother? Galadriel: Is New Zealand Y2K compliant? Computers, power sys­ tems, things like that? More Beer Please: Who freaking cares? I got three cases under my bed. I'm stockpiled, baby! lurkerlOO: IGNORING MORE BEER PLEASE Whomprat: NZ is as compliant as everybody else is, I guess. Hard to say. I read about how a bunch of local power stations might go down though. Bruce Geering: I don't think the question is if the hardware is compli­ ant, but what people are going to do. Galadriel: I agree. We had a bunch of runs on the supermarkets be­ cause people think there will be no food. Stupid. Whomprat: One minute until the millennium!!!! lurkerlOO: actually no the millennium doesn't start until 2001 Galadriel: Oh, be a killjoy, why don't you? Bruce Geering: Twenty quid says we lose Whomprat. More Beer Please: What a stupid bet! Whomprat: 1O! Whomprat: 9! Whomprat: 8! lurkerlOO: would you please stop doing that Whomprat: 7! Whomprat: 6! Whomprat: 5! lurkerlOO: IGNORING WHOMPRA T Whomprat: 3! More Beer Please: Lurker, you need to chill. **slides him a beer** Dec. 31, 1999: Bruce Geering: How did I know you were going to do that? Jabberwocky: We lost Whomprat. Conversation at the End of the World More Beer Please: Maybe he's kissing somebody Happy New Year. Galadriel: Look at the status window, moron. He's not here. Wonder ChatHost: Whomprat has entered the room. what happened? Jabberwocky: Hey, Whomprat. More Beer Please: Probably just got bumped by the server. Happened Galadriel: Whomprat! to me three times today already. lurkerlOO: yo whomprat. Haven't seen you in a while. What's up? Bruce Geering: Perhaps you should find a hobby, MBP. More Beer Please: Dead in here. What's going on? Jabberwocky: This is freaking me out. What if his computer went Whomprat: Happy New Year!! down? More Beer Please: Dude, it's not for like another 20 hours or some­ More Beer Please: **bangs head on keyboard** HE PROBABLY thing. GOT BUMPED. CALM DOWN!!!!!!! Galadriel: You on EC, MBP? Jabberwocky: aft. brb More Beer Please: Big Apple, baby! Location/Time Check! Galadriel: Hello? Everybody still there? It got quiet all of a sudden. Galadriel: Then what the hell are you doing in here this early? Don't lurkerlOO: still here you have a job or something? Bruce Geering: Still here. More Beer Please: Home on break from college, no job, no girlfriend. Galadriel: Jabberwocky's been gone a while. So has Whomprat. Thus, chat room and beer. What's going on? Jabberwocky: I'm from Hawaii. I :55 a.m. More Beer Please: Well, he didn't get bumped, if that's what you Whomprat: I'm in New Zealand. We're 17 hours ahead of you, MBP. mean. Y2K in T-minus five minutes. Jabberwocky: New Zealand is down! The whole country is totally Bruce Geering: London. Noon. Hope my boss doesn't catch me here ... down! Galadriel: Taylor, Michigan. Pushing six in the a.m. I can't believe I Bruce Geering: The entire country? That seems odd. I thOUght most of stayed up this late. the electronic infrastructure was Y2K compliant. Bruce GeeriSampleng: You've been here all night? file Jabberwocky: Check out the cable news if you don't believe me. They Jabberwocky: Yeah, Galadriel is weird like that. were waiting to see what would happen in NZ because it was the first Jabberwocky: He chats too much and misses all his deadlines, right big country to go Y2K. Galadriel? lurkerlOO: he's right. oh my god he's right Galadriel: Don't remind me! ** hangs head in shame ** Bruce Geering: atk/brb Bruce Geering: So, anybody here stockpile for the Millennium Bug? Galadriel: Dude, the NZ government site is dead.

5 Chat Host: ROOSTER has entered the room. ROOSTER: I AM SO OUT OF HERE. ROOSTER: HEY EVERYONE! NEW ZEALAND JUST WENT Chat Host: 10 1 0 10 17 has entered the room. BYE-BYE! Chat Host: 10 10 1018 has entered the room. Galadriel: Who the hell are you? And stop yelling. Chat Host: 10 10 10 19 has entered the room. ROOSTER: SORRY. CAPS LOCK KEY BUSTED. I'M WITH THE 10101010: Site is secure. Move on to next, secure and deactivate. HIGHTOWER. NONPROFIT INTERNET WATCHDOG GROUP. A wait further orders from Swarmlord. JUST A FRIENDLY REMINDER THAT WE'RE ALL DEAD MEAT Chat Host: 10 101011 has left the room. NOW. IF NZ WENT THEN SO WILL EVERYTHING ELSE. Chat Host: 10 10 1012 has left the room. More Beer Please: Yeah, right. Log off, loser. Chat Host: 10 10 10 13 has left the room. Jabberwocky: Rooster's cool, folks. I know him. What makes you say Chat Host: 10 10 10 14 has left the room. that, about NZ, Rooster? Chat Host: 10 10 1015 has left the room. ROOSTER: BECAUSE I'VE BEEN MONITORING THIS WHOLE Chat Host: 10 1 0 10 16 has left the room. THING SINCE 1988. I GOT A PROJECTION ON WORLDWIDE Chat Host: 10 10 1 0 17 has left the room. COMPLIANCE THAT IF NZ GOES DOWN, WE CAN COUNT ON Chat Host: 10101018 has left the room. LOSING 85% OF THE REST OF THE INFRASTRUCTURE MINI­ Chat Host: 10 10 I 0 19 has left the room. MUM. Galadriel: This is tripping me out. Why did NZ go down? It shouldn't have. lurkerl00: hey where did geering go? we lost him. ROOSTER: DON'T BANK ON IT. HIGHTOWER'S U.K. MIRROR IS DOWN AND DARK. ROOSTER: THIS IS BAD. WE JUST LOST SE ASIA AND IT'S NOT EVEN MIDNIGHT THERE YET. ROOSTER: THERE GOES HIGHTOWER RUSSIA, TOO. I THINK WE'RE SCREWED. Jabberwocky: Oh, man, why are things crashing prematurely? lurkerl00: they shouldn't be crashing at all ROOSTER: THERE GOES LURKER. WHERE WAS HE OUT OF? More Beer Please: Dunno. I thought he was in Alaska or something. If he went down, how come I'm still up? More Beer Please: Spoke too soon. Manhattan just lost power. What the hell? It's like rush hour time over here. I might lose service. Jabberwocky: This doesn't make any sense, Most of the servers out there are totally compliant. ROOSTER: DOESN'T MATTER. YOU CAN RUN FROM THE CRASH, BUT THE CRASH ALWAYS FINDS YOU. More Beer Please: So what does **that** mean? ROOSTER: IT MEANS THAT WE HAD ALL THIS TIME TO PRE­ PARE FOR THE APOCALYPSE AND WE STILL FAILED TO MEET THE TEST. YOU GUYS ARE DONE FOR. ROOSTER: GOODBYE JABBERWOCKY. WE HARDLY KNEW YEo ROOSTER: **SINGS** "I THINK WE'RE ALONE NOW ... " More Beer Please: You seem awfully happy about all this. ROOSTER: I AM. I'VE BEEN PREPARING FOR THIS FOR YEARS. More Beer Please: Still no reason to be happy about it. December 31, 2001: ROOSTER: IF YOU KNEW ME, YOU'D UNDERSTAND. THIS IS JUST THE BEGINNING. WAIT UNTIL THE FOOD RIOTS KICK Turn On, Tune In, Freak Out UP. THAT'S WHEN THE REAL FUN WILL START. *skrik* "Anybody out there? CQ, CQ, this Night Flyer calling any­ More Beer Please: Crap! The rest of the borough's out! What are we body in Free America, over. If anybody is receiving me, please pick up. gonna do? CQ, CQ, this is Night Flyer calling anybody in Free America, over." ROOSTER: UNLESS YOU'VE GOT A CONCRETE BUNKER *skrik* "So come on down to your good old Uncle Roscoe's, right AND ENOUGH GUNS TO SHOOT TEXAS IN HALF, YOU in the Heartland. We've got more guns and ammo than you can shake a BETTER LOCK YOUR DOOR AND HIDE UNDER YOUR BED stick at, and with what's been going on lately, you better stock up fast! AND NOT COME OUT FOR A YEAR. And we don't take cash, neither. Only trade goods, here. That means More Beer Please: Forget that. I'm gonna get drunk. Signing off. gold, silver, canned foods, grain, laying hens and the likes. And if you ROOSTER: **SINGS** "ALL BY MYSELF ... " Bugs are listenin', then come on down too! I got some bullets with yer Chat Host: 10 10 10 1 0 has entered the room. name on 'em" ROOSTER: WHO THE HECK ARE YOU? Chat Host:Sample 10 10 10 11 has entered the room. *skrik* "This is WPAL, the voicefile of Free Michigan. We're coming Chat Host: 10101012 has entered the room. at you live from the Peninsula, where the land is free and the powder is Chat Host: 10 10 1 0 13 has entered the room. dry. Happy New Year, 2002! This is the big K-Man on the line, broad­ ROOSTER: HEY! YOU GONNA ANSWER? casting until my batteries geek or the Bugs come get me, whichever Chat Host: 1010 1014 has entered the room. happens first. And that brings me to the big question of the day: What Chat Host: 10 10 10 15 has entered the room. have you heard about these Bugs? I've got some folks telling me we've got alien invaders running around our electrical and phone lines. I got Chat Host: 101010 16 has entered the room.

6