An Unofficial Supplement for the Star Wars RPG

Unconventional Warfare An Unofficial Supplement for the Star Wars RPG By: Evan Hansen ([email protected]), Landon C. Darkwood, Tim “Nealos” Salaam, and Armage Bedar.

Table of Contents: Introduction 1 – What is Unconventional Warfare? 2 – Harnessing the Power of the Atom: Nuclear Warfare 3 – The Living Death: Biological Warfare 4 – An Unseen Evil: Chemical Warfare 5 – A Quick Note on Guerilla Warfare 6 – Creating Material for Unconventional Means of War 7 – Ethics Conclusion

Introduction

"Beta Leader to Beta Squadron, target is dead ahead, slow to combat speed and prepare to deploy to orbital attack formation on my mark."

Commander Jadin Spade waited for commtaps from the rest of his squadron before throttling down and settling in for his approach of the planet Gunferri II. The world loomed against the backdrop of a void of stars, green and lush and tranquil. He smiled grimly, knowing that it would not be that way for very long. Behind him, the Victory- class Star Destroyer Repulse sat in space like a gigantic arrow, waiting patiently for the completion of his mission.

The standoff between the Empire and Gunferri II would be over soon, and in Commander Spade's mind, it was going to come to the only acceptable end. This planet would be made an example of. Its inhabitants would learn the consequences of openly defying the Emperor's will. He casually changed the mode on his sensor display with a flick of practiced fingers, searching for any sign of planetary defense starfighters.

"Mark, begin deployment now," he said over his comm. "One flight is on me. Two flight is on Five, and Three flight is on Nine. This is looking like it did in simulation, but stay sharp."

The Emperor's purge of the Jedi Knights five years previous was both sudden and devastating, but certain numbers of them had managed to escape the initial wave of massacres to flee for safety in the Outer Rim. In response, Palpatine assembled some of the highest rated combat personnel in his New Order to take care of the rest of the cleanup. The head of this operation, Kinman Doriana, had tracked the paths of a group of Jedi Knights masquerading as traveling entertainers to this world, where they were apparently planning to spend the years in seclusion until they could muster the strength to threaten the galaxy once again.

Spade grimaced as he considered the thought. How could the Republic have been taken in by those charlatans for so long? A cloistered group of religious fanatics should never have been allowed to gain any kind of real power, and the Jedi, as far as he were concerned, had overstepped their boundaries long ago.

Palpatine was absolutely justified in destroying them, he decided. Removing their influence from the universe was a great step toward reestablishing stability, and all the statistics he read on the standard of living in the Core Worlds proved that. Pilot though he was, Commander Spade was not wholly unaware of the goings on in the galaxy, and that only made his duty to the Empire that much more important.

He checked his scanners again. Nothing. Alpha Squad, it seemed, had done a thorough job of taking care of the planet's fighter screen. A pity, he thought. He would have enjoyed the chance to add a few marks under his name to the killboard in the Repulse's fighter lounge. No matter, though. With a hint of etheric rudder, he maneuvered his TIE toward the preplanned orbital position designated to him by Fighter Command. It was time to administer the Emperor's will.

None of this had to happen. The people of Gunferri II could have been spared, had they just given up the Jedi immediately when the Repulse entered the system and demanded them. They refused, however, spouting a bunch of nonsense about the inhumanity of the Empire, about how they would not be a party to the willful slaughtering of innocents.

Innocents, he thought contemptuously, sighing quietly as he crossed the daylight terminus and positioned himself in a geosynchronous orbit over the world's capital, Itlak City. They had already been corrupted. He had no doubt that the Jedi were influencing the planetary ruling council themselves. Though he tried, even Doriana could not convince them of the real danger of the Jedi, of the insidiousness of their manipulation. They, like the Jedi, were too far gone to save now.

<< This is Four, >> his comm said, crackling with a bristle of static. << Two flight is in position. >>

Confirmation from Three flight came in just moments later. He checked his sensor display, confirming that his flight was also ready, and nodded, tapping his comm channel to the Repulse.

"This is Beta Leader. Beta Squadron is in position."

<< Acknowledged, Beta Leader, >> came Doriana's voice from the bridge of the Repulse. << You may fire when ready. >> Commander Spade suppressed a satisfied smile. He was being granted the order to launch. "Confirmed, Repulse. My thanks." He tapped the adjacent button. "Beta Squadron, prepare to launch warheads on my mark." He allowed a moment of silence to envelop him. Though nuclear weaponry had long since been outmoded, he agreed that it was an effective way to express the Emperor's will, something that would leave a reminder to the galaxy for years to come.

It was a great day for the Empire. "Launch," he ordered, and his thumb convulsed on the top of his flight stick. A shudder went through his small starfighter as the warhead launched, streaking down to Itlak City, to the people waiting below. Simultaneously, bombs ejected from the bellies of the eleven other fighters in his squad. He veered his fighter away from the planet, a satisfied grin on his face, and began the flight back toward Repulse. "All fighters form on me. Good work, Beta."

With speed and precision, the TIEs from Beta Squadron swooped into formation and were taken by the jaws of Repulse's hangar bay. The great Star Destroyer lingered only moments longer before making her jump into hyperspace. In the wake of her departure, a world died.

1 – What is Unconventional Warfare?

Recall the last time you saw the deep blue of the rivers on Malit Prime? Of course you don’t, because 80 years ago, a chemical known as Safrox was deposited into the rivers to kill off a population down stream. The chemical remains the color, shade, smell and feel of water for months, allowing it to seep into the water supply of the population. The perpetrators in the case of Malit Prime left the planet successfully and, 6 months later, returned to find their target population dead or dying. They pillaged the city and left. These pirates knew that Safrox is a chemical that slowly reacts with water. When the concentration of product is high enough, it acts to speed up the rest of the reaction, suddenly turning a water supply into a green vat of grotesque poison. This is a perfect example of the powerful, distant nature of unconventional warfare. The use of chemicals, living organisms, or the power of an atom are all very potent ways of illustrating a point, or killing a target without having to endanger your own people. Unethical? Perhaps. Dangerous? Very.

Safrox Type: Chemical Weapon Cost: 10,000 credits per barrel Scale: Character Availability: 3,X (R in some systems) Damage: dependant on volume of water and amount of chemical. Assume 1 gallon of poison. Streams/small rivers: 8D. Large Rivers: 6D+1. Ponds/Small Lakes: 5D. Lakes: 3D+2. Seas/Oceans: 1D+1. Capsule: Safrox is a potent chemical that is most often used by pirates and rogues with money to spare. Six months after being deposited into a body of water, the chemical changes the water into a highly toxic poison. In theory, one drop in a drinking glass of water, left for six months, would kill whoever drank that water. Safrox is, comparatively, fairly easy to manufacture. Its cost is due only to its fairly unavailable status. It cannot be used in an explosive device, as temperatures above 150 degrees centigrade will vaporize the chemical. It can be frozen down for storage, however.

2 - Harnessing the Power of the Atom: Nuclear Warfare

Nuclear warfare was often used right around the invention of the hyperdrive. It could be used to take out a variety of vessels that were bound for a planet’s surface. Once torpedoes, missiles and other weaponry was perfected and ship-to-ship combat became more feasible, it began to be abandoned. However, some planets certainly still have the capabilities to use this form of warfare, and it can be a deadly one. Ask any military official from a post-industrial society.

The biggest, most well-known nuclear threat is the large-scale bomb. Able to be placed, dropped by ships or planes, or launched via a missile, it is very versatile for something its size. Military tacticians have forgotten its power with the advent of devices like the torpedo sphere and large scale capital ships. However, there are those that will still employ its power to do their bidding.

Name: General Mutt Dertstryker Type: Rogue General Height: 5’10” Weight: 180 pounds. Species: Human Age: 52

Background: Cold and calculating, Mutt left the Imperial Academy due to a lack of discipline. He claimed the Imperials were poor models of soldiers, so he left to strike out on his own. When the Rebellion formed, he became a Lieutenant. However, his brash, nearly abusive style soon had him unemployed again. He acquired a few freighters and equipped them with the cheapest powerful weapon he could: nukes. The “Guilded Flame” is his personal ship, and carries a small gallery of long-distance aerial shots of mushroom clouds as trophies. He’s a small threat to some of the Outer Rim worlds.

DEX 2D PER 4D KNO 3D Blasters: 3D Command: 4D+2 Tactics: 4D+2 Persuasion: 4D+1 Intimidation: 5D Willpower: 5D (S)Tactics-Imp: 5D+1 (S)Sch-Nuke History: 6D

STR 3D+1 MEC 2D TEC 2D+2 Brawling 4D Transport Piloting: 3D Freighter repair: 3D Repulsorlift Ops: 2D+2

CP – 7 FP – 1 DSP – 1 Credits: unknown

There are a great number of different types of nuclear warheads that are used in modern times. The four most common are the 10KT, 1MT, 20MT and the related neutron bomb, a particularly scary device. It should be noted that all nuclear devices are illegal. Some might reply, “Tell that to the people who have died at the hands of their users.”

10 KT Atomic Warhead Model: Imperial Munitions Type 1B Nuclear Fission Warhead Type: Mass destruction weapon Scale: Character (for easy conversion - people will be most affected by nukes) Skill: Demolitions, missile weapons, etc. Availability: X Range: Depends on launcher Blast Radius (airburst at 600 meters): 0-1.6/2.8/4.8km Damage: 20D/10D/5D Game Notes: Side effects of nuclear blasts include mushroom clouds and electromagnetic pulses (treat as Blast Radius: 0-250/500/1000m, damage: 10D/6D/3D (ionization), damage increases the higher the blast is)

1 MT Thermonuclear Warhead Model: Imperial Munitions Type 2A Nuclear Fusion Warhead Type: Mass destruction weapon Scale: Character (for easy conversion - people will be most affected by nukes) Skill: Demolitions, missile weapons, etc. Availability: X Range: Depends on launcher Blast Radius (airburst at 2440 meters): 0-6.0/10.5/16.1km Damage: 20D/10D/5D Game Notes: Side effects of nuclear blasts include mushroom clouds and electromagnetic pulses (treat as Blast Radius: 0-250/500/1000m, damage: 10D/6D/3D (ionization), damage increases the higher the blast is)

20 MT Thermonuclear Warhead Model: Imperial Munitions Type 3C Nuclear Fusion Warhead Type: Mass destruction weapon Scale: Character (for easy conversion - people will be most affected by nukes) Skill: Demolitions, missile weapons, etc. Availability: X Range: Depends on launcher Blast Radius (airburst at 2440 meters): 0-22.5/43.5/56.3km Damage: 20D/10D/5D Game Notes: Side effects of nuclear blasts include mushroom and electromagnetic pulses (treat as Blast Radius: 0-250/500/1000m, damage: 10D/6D/3D (ionization), damage increases the higher the blast is)

10 KT Neutron Warhead Model: Imperial Munitions Type nA Nuclear Fission Warhead Type: Organic mass destruction weapon Scale: Character (for easy conversion - people will be most affected by nukes) Skill: Demolitions, missile weapons, etc. Availability: X Range: Depends on launcher Blast Radius (airburst at 600 meters): 0-0.5/1/4km Damage: 20D/10D/5D (organic only) Game Notes: Neutron radiation is not stopped by walls or other structures, nor does it destroy said structures. It only affects living things.

Nuclear Blast Chart (Courtesy of the scientists from Outlaw Labs) Note: the damage of blast pressure falls off as a function of 1/r^3.

. . .

. . . . . [5] [4] [5] . . . . .

. . . .

. [3] _ [3] . . . [2] . . . _._ . . .~ ~. . . . [4] . .[2]. [1] .[2]. . [4] ...... ~-.-~ . . . [2] . . . [3] - [3] .

. . . .

. ~ ~ . ~ [5] . [4] . [5] . . .

. . .

Nuclear Blast Effects The first thing bomb victims experience is the intense flux of photons from the blast, which releases 70-80% of the bomb's energy. The effects can include severe third degree thermal burns, which one surprisingly jovial survivor equated to being as painful as “shaving with a lightsaber after a few too many Bantha Ales.” Initial deaths are due to this effect.

Then next phenomenon is the supersonic blast front. You see it before you hear it. The pressure of this front blows away anything in its path. Heavy permasteel girders were found bent at 90 degree angles after some bombings.

After the front, the overpressure phase comes. It has a similar feel to being under a few hundred meters of water. At a few thousand meters under the sea, pressurized hulls implode. The pressure gradually dies off, and there is a negative overpressure phase, with a reversed blast wind. This reversal is due to air rushing back to fill the void left by the explosion.

The air gradually returns to standard pressure. At this stage, fires caused by electrical destruction and ignited debris, turn the blast site into a firestorm. Finally, survivors will experience middle term effects such as retinal blastoma. Genetic or hereditary damage can make itself known up to forty years after initial irradiation.

The Mushroom Cloud The heat from fusion and fission instantaneously raises the surrounding air to 10 million degrees C. This superheated air plasma gives off so much light that it can appear brighter than dual suns, and is visible hundreds of kilometers away. The resultant fireball quickly expands. It is comprised of hot air, and thus rises, at a rate of a few hundred meters per second. After a short period of time, the fireball rises to a few kilometers, and cools off to the extent that it no longer radiates energy.

The surrounding, cooler air exerts some drag on this rising air, which slows down the outer edges of the cloud. The unimpeded inner portion rises a bit more quicker than the outer edges. A vacuum effect occurs when the outer portion occupies the vacuum left by the higher inner portion. The result is a smoke ring.

The inner material gradually expands out into a mushroom cloud, due to convection. If the explosion is on the ground, dirt and radioactive debris get sucked up the stem, which sits below the fireball. Collisions and ionization of the cloud particles result in lightning bolts flickering to the ground. Initially, the cloud is orange-red due to the formation of a mixture of nitric oxides. When the cloud cools to air temperature, the water vapor starts to condense. The cloud turns from red to white.

In the final stages, the cloud can get about 100 km across and 40 km high, for a megaton class explosion.

The Rest of the Story One of the most frightening aspects of this type of weapon is that its no longer limited to large scale assaults. Its devastating power can be packed into smaller forms. Terrorists and increasingly brash pirates have been known to make use of this type of weapon.

Homemade Nuclear Device (small backpack size) Type: Mass destruction terrorist weapon Scale: Character (for easy conversion - people will be most affected by nukes) Skill: Demolitions Availability: X Range: None. This weapon is placed with a timer. Blast Radius: 0-.6km/1km/5km Damage: 20D/10D/5D Game Notes: Side effects of nuclear blasts include mushroom clouds and electromagnetic pulses.

Efforts to combat this type of terrorism have been fairly successful due to the invention of weapons scanners. These devices do not just protect against nuclear weapons, but most every type of weapon except for expertly crafted organic blasters and shielded weapons, both of which are extremely rare.

Imperial Codex-A Weapons Scanner Type: Walkthrough Weapons Scanner Skill: Button pushing. Capsule: This device is capable of scanning for virtually any weapon. It sends a variety of pulses and waves into whoever passes through or under its beam. Generally seen at spaceports in less complex models, the Codex-A also uses a X-Ray and fluorescent beam to look for biological weaponry and organic weapons. The device has two portions: a walkthrough part and a conveyor for personal effects. Both have very complete scans and most often do not fail. It is not well known, but a correctly modulated personal shield will bounce back all but X-Rays and leave the person un-scanable.

3 - The Living Death: Biological Warfare

The weapon seems to float casually into the air. It seems to float towards its target, taking days or even months to arrive there. Finally, this unseen weapon reaches the target and manages to enter it undetected. Hours, or days, or weeks later the target explodes. But this is no normal release of energy. This is a host cell exploding with new infectious agents spreading forth to seek out and kill more targeted cells. This is biological warfare taking its toll. Once infected with many biological agents, most people will be susceptible to their effects. Generally, such weapons can be engineered for specific species, however there are a few rare cases of organisms designed to infect a variety of species and one potent virus created to kill any living animal, including humanoids.

Background Biological weapons are administered in a variety of different ways, depending greatly on the type of weapon that is being dealt with. The most common forms of biological weapons are either bacteria or viruses. Sometimes, larger parasites like protozoa will be used since they have very distinct properties.

Bacteria – Small, fairly simple cells. Their ability to be used as a pathogen often depends on special characteristics. For example, some highly infective bacteria will form a kind of coating on the outside that does not lend itself to being expunged from the host, or eaten by the host’s defense mechanisms. Others will produce an endotoxin that will result in poisoning of the surrounding cells in the host organism.

Viruses – There are several types of viruses. At the most basic level, there are RNA and DNA viruses. While the virus’ effects are often independent of what type of nucleic acid it is based upon, each has some unique features. Looking at it from another aspect, one can look at viruses as being either lytic or lysogenic. All lysogenic viruses are DNA based, since they directly insert themselves into the genetic sequence of the host cell. The cell replicates, replicating the virus. Then one day, without notice, the viral DNA will take over and being producing new viruses from many infected cells. The cells will then burst open (lyse), freeing many new virus particles. Some DNA and all RNA viruses fall into the category of lytic viruses, which simply mass produce at the time of infection and lyse the host cell. The effects of a viral infection are truly varied.

Usage These biological weapons can be administered in a variety of ways. Some can be dropped into the air and they will be carried into the host’s lungs, where infection begins. This is common with spore based weapons that survive for many years (sometimes thousands) and then come “back to life” to infect the host and begin producing new bacteria. Other bacteria and some viruses can survive in a water supply for a long time which thus makes water a fairly ideal method of transmission. Areas that are dirty often provide for ideal growth conditions for pathogens. Some other weapons are administered by altering DNA to produce viral proteins. This is hard to do, and it is more of a genetic weapon than anything else.

Imperial Usage The Death Star. The Sun Crusher. Torpedo Spheres. SSD’s. These are the traditional weapons of the Empire; Powerful feats of mechanical engineers and technology. Not as well known are the biological weapons manufactured by the Empire. Manufactured in a small underground Coruscant lab, these were to become the most feared weapons the Empire had to offer. The lab was thought best protected from being discovered by putting it on the most powerfully controlled Imperial planet in the galaxy. The head of the lab for almost its entire run as the bio-weapons producing facility was Dr. Eos Forenan.

Name: Dr. Eos Forenan Type: Imperial biologist

Background: Eos graduated from the University of Coruscant with a degree in Microbiology and Biochemistry. The first biologist to be employed by the Empire for creating weapons, he actually volunteered for the job. A twisted man with a nervous twitch that makes him look like something from a sci-fi holofilm, Dr. Forenan proposed the biological weapons program to the Emperor’s advisors. The Emperor loved the idea and foresaw great things happening as a result of this project. As it turns out, Forenan did create some amazing things…but none of them saw the light of day. It is rumored that many of his stores of weapons were stolen in the transition from Imperial to New Republic control.

The Imperial lab on Coruscant produced a great deal of information. After the Imperials were ousted from their home planet, the lab was immediately abandoned. It is assumed that pirates, gangsters or thieves stole everything that was present in the lab. This is most unfortunate for the general populous, since the lab contained some of the most deadly organisms known.

Nefriculus Toxin Type: High yield bacterial weapon Scale: Character Skill: KNO - Biohazard safety Availability: 4,X Range: Dependant on method of delivery, most often a range of 2km. Damage: 7D Game Notes: This weapon does not affect humans. It is caused by the Nefriculus endotoxin, which is produced by the Nefriculus spirodae bacteria. The resultant condition is paralysis. 1/5 infected people will die from shock. If seen under an electron microscope, it has a spiral shape.

The Dantri Virus Type: Viral weapon Scale: Character Skill: KNO - Biohazard safety Availability: 4,X Range: Dependant on method of delivery, most often a range of 1km. Damage: 8D* Game Notes: This weapon affects all tested species of animals. The virus infiltrates the cell and makes use of the host’s cellular machinery to replicate itself at a never before seen pace. The virus lyses the host cell within 1 day, and 3 days after the virus enters the body, death results. There are no symptoms until 2 hours before death, when cold sweats and a high fever are common. * = optional rule: some people who have been exposed to evolutionarily similar viruses throughout their lives *might* have a resistance to Dantri. It should be remembered, however, that the fatality rate is 85%, so people with immunity would be rare. Optional Rules: Random Bio-Weapon Generation

1 – Role 1 D6. Your weapon will be a: 1 – a lysogenic virus: incorporates itself into the genome of its target to replicate 2 – a lytic virus: it hijacks the cell’s machinery and immediately replicates 3 – a bacterium: it infects cells at a certain location 4 – protozoan: a small protist that burrows into cells and wreaks havoc 5 – parasite: a worm of some sort that grows into a big, nasty worm 6 – a spore: a spore is a sort of inactive house for dormant bacteria

2 – Role 1 D6 for whatever your weapon is:  lysogenic or lytic virus: 1 or 2 causes massive hemorrhaging or some other horrible ailment, 3 or 4 causes flu like symptoms, 5 or 6 is totally undetectable.  Bacterium: 1 or 2 is an endotoxin producing bacterium. The toxin poisons surrounding cells. 3 or 4 causes massive dehydration. 5 or 6 causes simple cell death.  Protozoan: 1 or 2 causes heart palpitations that increase over time. 3 or 4 causes flu-like symptoms and vomiting. 5 or 6 causes both.  Parasite: 1 or 2 is a worm that resides in the host’s stomach and eats its food supply. 3 or 4 is a worm that reproduces in the reproductive system and transmits its larvae via sexual reproduction. 5 or 6 is a worm that burrows its way to the throat and may cause loss of voice.  Spore: This will reside in the lung until it warms to body temperature. The spore will then release healthy bacteria that will replicate and cause their damage. Often times, spore based weapons require high numbers of spores to infect the target well.

3 – Role 2 D6 for damage. Whatever number comes up is the damage in D6 of the weapon that you’ve created.

4 – Role 1 D6 for availability (nearly all weapons of this type are X… There needs to be a good reason why such a weapon would not be. ie – research uses, common uses, etc…): 1-2: 1 3-4: 2 5: 3 6: 4

5 – Add “Game Notes”

Symptoms Biological weapons have a variety of symptoms associated with them. Any virus or bacteria can cause heart problems, vomiting, etc… Many of the responses incurred are actually normal biological responses to many infections: fever, headaches and the like. The most extreme problems often revolve around “hemorrhagic fevers.” These ailments are aptly named, as the pathogen responsible will cause massive bleeding, often from every orifice of the body. Sometimes the skin itself will spontaneously rupture in a phenomenon known as bleeding out. (Game note: since symptoms can be extremely diverse, any twisted thing that your mind can conceive of is often applicable to a game situation).

Cures Weapons are, of course, engineered to be untreatable or difficult to treat without proper knowledge. A standard bacterial pathogen may be susceptible to treatment from an antibiotic. A virus might easily be vaccinated against. However, weapons are designed to avoid this. So often times they are incurable. However, there is always the awesome power of evolution. With short generation times, biological weapons can be prone to mutation. Sometimes this will cause no difference in the pathogen. Other times, the bug may become more or less virulent. (This has significant game implications, as random luck with evolution can change a game. If a GM is looking for a way to keep him/herself on his/her toes, then that GM could very easily roll a random dice to determine the evolutionary course of a weapon every few days, in game terms of course).

4 – An Unseen Evil: Chemical Warfare

Some weapons explode. Others infect. And still others mysteriously cause your flesh to burn and your blood to boil…literally. Chemical weapons. They are possibly the most grotesque of all unconventional weaponry. Most victims that don’t die from a chemical attack suffer long term abnormalities, including gross deformities and sickness. While these weapons were banned in the Old Republic, the Empire began developing them for use against rebelling citizens. Fortunately, the Rebellion stopped the Empire before these weapons could be fully developed.

Background and Usage Chemical weapons are, of course, largely illegal. That doesn’t mean they don’t exist and it certainly doesn’t mean they aren’t effective. Chemical weapons are hard to combat because they can be administered in so many different ways. Need to reach a target at long range? Put the chemical on a missile. Need to pollute a water supply? Put it in the water. Need to reach only a selected area? Put it in a small explosive device. Or put it in a squirt gun. There are so many ways to kill with these weapons. Its terrifying.

Chemical weapons have had a long history. Since long before hyperdrive was invented, people used chemical weapons on their own planets. Hydrogen cyanide was used dozens of thousands of years ago, and is still a classic choice for killing a small number of people. The loss of all muscle and nerve control and the comas associated with G-series nerve agents is a more recent problem that was caused mainly by the creation of the Empire. Imperial Usage Imperials are highly responsible for developing many of the galaxy’s most deadly chemical agents. Many of these chemicals are the result of the brightest minds in all of the galaxy.

Imperial Toxin GB Type: Lethal chemical weapon Scale: Character Skill: KNO - Chemical safety Availability: 4,X Range: Dependant on method of delivery, most often a range of 1.5km. Damage: 8D Game Notes: This weapon is used in projectile weapons, rockets, landmines and other low yield explosives. The resulting symptoms begin with flu-like symptoms and move into vision impairment. Slowly, the person will lose muscle control and drooling, nausea, involuntary urination/defecation and staggering will occur. Soon after, the infected person will go into a coma and ultimately, will die. There is an unknown antidote that must be administered immediately after being exposed, or it is ineffective. Effects are cumulative. If exposure to a small amount does not kill the person, further exposures could do so.

Imperial Nerve Agent DX Type: Neurotoxin Scale: Character Skill: KNO - Chemical safety Availability: 4,X Range: Dependant on method of delivery, most often a range of 1.5km. Damage: 7D Game Notes: This weapon is used in projectile weapons, rockets, landmines and other explosives. Explosions cause the weapon to vaporize, making it into an inhalant. Usually, it is a liquid, often the color of syrup. It often infects with just exposure to the skin.

Pirate/OtherUsage Pirates do not often use such horrible agents. More often than not, they use simple weapons that kill a few people, or do lower scale damage.

Hydrogen Cyanide Type: Blood Agent Scale: Character Skill: KNO - Chemical safety Availability: 3,X Range: Dependant on method of delivery, most often a range of 1.5km. Damage: small dose – 3D, medium dose – 4D, large dose – 5D+2...up to 8D Game Notes: This agent can be diluted in water and will not have any visible or noticeable properties. In large concentrations, it smells something like Mignari Nuts from Dantooine. The toxin causes the skin to appear very healthy, a fleshy pink color. Other symptoms include nausea, dizziness, rapid pulse, weakness and potentially death. Optional Rules: Random Chemical Weapon Generation

1 – Role 1 D6. Your weapon will be a: 1 – a simple chemical that causes intense sickness in all its victims 2 – an intense nerve agent that causes primal / violent feelings 3 – an organic chemical that eats at organic material 4 – a neurotoxin 5 – a simple agent that causes a temporary problem 6 – a two-part chemical weapon

2 – Role 1 D6 for whatever your weapon is:  Simple chemical: 1 or 2 induces vomiting, 3 or 4 causes massive dehydration, 5 or 6 causes minor internal bleeding and resulting stomach aches, vomiting  Violence inducing agent: 1 or 2 causes violent feelings towards everyone in a very uncontrollable way, 3 or 4 causes violent feelings that can be overcome by a difficult or very difficult Willpower roll. 5 causes violent feelings only towards those that you know and you tend to ignore those that you do not. 6 causes violent feelings towards anyone, plus gives you a +2D to your STR on all rolls for 3 turns.  Organic: 1 causes extreme skin irritation. 2 or 3 causes exposed skin to burn, intense pain. 4 or 5 causes no pain for 1 hour, then the reaction hits a point where it goes very fast and it eats the victim’s skin at a very high rate. 6 does the same as 4 or 5, but it only takes 2 minutes.  Neurotoxin: 1 or 2 will slowly cause nervous system failure of the span of one month. Works similarly to rabies. Takes 20 days to enter the nervous system. Once the system is affected by enough of the chemical, there is little chance for survival. 3, 4 or 5 is a derivative of the common lab chemical, acrylamide. It causes paralysis or death within a few hours. 6 is near instantaneous death.  Temporary: 1 is tear gas, 2 is pepper spray, 3 is full-fledged mace, 4, 5 and 6 are Imperial grade tear gas. *grin*  Two-part: 1 or 2 is a weapon that will poison a water supply. Upon entering the water supply it slowly reacts with the water until the entire water supply is deadly. 3 or 4 is a gel and a liquid that react and release a harmful gas when they mix. 5 or 6 is a neurotoxin that is taken in two doses. One can be administered in food 2 weeks before the next dose is administered. The second dose reacts with the first, causing injury or death.

3 – Role 2 D6 for damage. Whatever number comes up is the damage in D6 of the weapon that you’ve created. If you rolled a 1-3 on the previous roll, divide the number in half. If the weapon does not cause damage (example: violence-inducing), then skip this section. (GM Note – feel free to skip this section to tailor your weapon more to your needs)

5 – Add “Game Notes”

Cures Most chemical weapons have no cure. The few antidotes that exist are often heavily guarded secrets. For the most extreme weapons, the antidote must be introduced immediately following contact with the chemical. Some weapons, like pepper spray, can be taken care of with a few minutes of intense cleansing with water. Some weapons just can’t be counter-acted. Those that are attacked by such weapons have no chance for survival. And therein lays the power and the hideousness of chemical warfare.

5 – A Quick Note on Guerilla Warfare

Since the ancient times of Xim the Despot, warfare has been evolving. It is rumored that in the times before history, before the reign of Xim the Despot, warfare was carried out in a “valiant” fashion, where armies of pulse-wave warriors would line up in their armor and battle it out. In the days before automatic blasters and even pulse-wave weapons, this was how battle was done. Then automatic firing weapons were invented and things changed. With the advent of weapons that could mow down lines of troops in seconds, battles began to end quickly. Commanders found that direct assaults only worked when you had a distinct advantage in numbers. And thus, guerilla warfare was born.

The Battle for Deblun City (GM Note – This story is somewhat like “Noah and the Ark.” It’s not really known to be true, but it is one of the most powerful legends of ancient times.)

In Deblun City, on a planet that’s whereabouts are unknown, the fate of a population was decided. Millions of planetary citizens had raged in war for year, valiantly lining their troops up to be slaughtered. Bounty hunters returned empty handed and without pay to line up alongside their friends and family to join the battle. It was a civil war for the ages, and one that was never to be forgotten…for this was the first time that a small planet with no military to speak of saw the powers of war first hand. As families divided over a squabble long since forgotten, the focus grew more and more on killing the enemy, regardless of who you were fighting. So, guerilla warfare took its place. One side, comprised mostly of wealthy elders, continued to fight in the traditional style of every war the planet had ever seen. The other side took to the trees and to hidden bunkers and to anywhere that would afford them cover. If there was to be a battle on Dwevery Field at noon, the young citizens would be in the woods surrounding the field at 10 in the morning, ready to trample the unsuspecting elders as they rolled in. The leader of the upstart, unorthodox youths was a woman by the name of Qui Soong. At 1.85 meters, she was a large woman who was an imposing figure to say the least. Everything about her was surprising: her tactics, the fact she was a woman, her size, and her ability to arm wrestle virtually any man that came her way. Once people knew these facts, it wasn’t too shocking that she went on to win the war, minimizing her losses and devastating the opponents, and then carved out a small empire for herself until her death.

Name: Qui Soong Type: Military General Species: Human Height: 1.85m Weight: 87kg Hair: Black Eyes: Brown

Background: Born to wealthy parents, Qui rejected their attempts to turn her into a “proper” girl. Running away when she was 14, she joined a street gang and was arrested a few years later. She once credited her time on the streets as training for her later military endeavors. When the war began to reach unforeseen heights, she leapt at the chance to strike back at the wealthy scum that had tried to make her something she was not. She decided to strike at those that treated what she had become as though they were lesser people. She quickly demonstrated fighting prowess, as few people would respect her as a female. But her large frame was more than powerful enough to do damage to anyone that walked her way. She moved up the ranks and, when a commander was injured, took command of a large legion of volunteer troops and destroyed an entire town with negligible losses. Soon she was commanding half of the planet’s army. After a series of swift victories, all of which she participated in as a soldier not just a commander, the general in charge of the other half of their army was killed by his own troops and Qui was in charge of all the forces. They soon overtook the elders and then moved off planet as well, taking several small planets over before stopping. She enjoyed a lengthy reign as General, but refused to rule the empire as a dictator. Rather, she said, they would have the first militaristic democracy in the history of their world. She remained general and ensured that everyone had a say in how the government ran so that the wealthy would never again maintain class-rule over the people again.

Personality: Committed and fierce, she goes for her objectives with force. But she is hardly callous and cold. She is so focused because she feels that will help her accomplish whatever task is at hand, not because she is heartless, though many get that impression upon first meeting her.

DEX 4D STR 3D+1 PER 3D Pulse-wave: 6D Brawling: 5D Command: 6D Slugthrowers: 6D (S)Arm Wrestling: 7D Sneak: 3D+2 Brawling Parry: 6D+1 Stamina: 4D Dodge: 5D+1 Climbing: 3D+2 Thrown Weapons: 4D+1 Melee: 4D+2

KNO 3D MEC 2D TEC 2D+2 Willpower: 6D Beast riding: 3D Security: 3D+2 Tactics: 5D+2

6 - Creating Material for Unconventional Means of War

As with anything in the SW-RPG, the goal of creating material for Unconventional Warfare is to be unique and still capture some amount of the Star Wars universe. This supplement may not work well for you personally because Star Wars doesn’t deal heavily with weapons and warfare of this type. But others out there have large-scale battles and all sorts of unusual circumstances come into play. For that, it might be necessary to create some material similar to that presented in this book. There are several things to keep in mind:

– Keep it reasonable. If every campaign you have has a Death Star device that launches megatons of chemical weapon into a planet’s atmosphere, you’ll be in more trouble than a Wookie at an Imperial stormtrooper cocktail party. As with everything fun in life, use these things in moderation. The random weapon tables included are a good start for that.

– Be creative, especially with weapons. The weapons in this book are fairly generic, but in some instances they are kind of interesting. Note how Imperial weapons sometimes only effect aliens, but not humans. Twists like that can sometimes create unforeseen surprises for your group.

– Create these things to use in mysterious ways. Anyone can dump a chemical into the water and let people know about it. A talented GM can create an entire sleuth story out of a mysterious chain of deaths in a small town…

– Don’t hesitate to kill PC’s. I know this sounds harsh. But this is something to be considered in a few situations. When a PC knows there is a chemical weapon and does something stupid, the PC should pay for it. Unconventional warfare can be a trap for some PC’s because they are confident their GM won’t let them die…but this is a situation where a roll of the dice isn’t likely to be instrumental in the PC’s death. If they knowingly encounter a weapon, let them face its powers because they deserve it. Unconventional warfare is unconventional because its so scary. If PC’s die, they will very much learn to be scared.

– Make the weapons scary! In keeping with rule 4, the PC’s should be scared to death of these things. As a GM, it’s your job to make sure that they are scared of unconventional forms of warfare so they don’t blindly walk into a weapon and die. Plus, any good RPGer wants to play their role well, and the GM often times must provide hints as to what that role is.

– Feel free to create slang terms for the weapons. Maybe a culture calls nuclear weapons “sandblasters” or biological weapons “bug bombs.” Do whatever it takes to get what you consider a “Star Wars feel” in your game. 7 – Ethics

In warfare, there are many solid, time enduring truths that furnish warriors with the tools of success; mostly items of reason and logic. For instance, presenting a full combat force is certainly good, but lacking that, if one can provide the illusion that they are combat ready and a force to be reckoned with is enough. Also, if one can make an opponent believe they are in once place when in fact they are in another (preferably in some opposite direction), then that element of surprise can overcome many odds and win the battle. Another popular notion in the field of aggression is to provide a false sense of security; if your opponent thinks you are in front of his force, when you are really behind or all about him, then that opponent will effectively be blinded into feeling safe where he is actually vulnerable. These and a thousand other concepts make up the journal of the successful aggressor. Most notable is the common element found in all these established methods – trickery. Where these concepts make up the framework upon which to hang a plan or goal, the cutting edge of combat deception lies in unconventional warfare. To trick your opponent is to gain the upper hand, yet to simultaneously confuse and terrorize your opponent is to show him that upper hand slamming down upon his defense. Unconventional warfare can ensure that you not only beat your opponent, but that he likely will not rise again (due either to fear or his simply ceasing to exist). Though unconventional warfare sounds like the place to be for any goal-minded command staff, the long-term effects can be staggering for those that utilize these tools of terror. Once a soldier chooses his weapons from the unconventional rack, he is often unwittingly opting into a realm that he may not be as well equipped to deal with, a realm of ethics. One can argue, “Ethics? If the war is won, all ethical principles are moot.” If that is so, the Empire would have stood the test of time, rather than be tempered to nothingness by it’s own terror-laden claws. The primary item to grapple with when considering unconventional weapons is the fact that they are often impossible to control. Nuclear blasts, biological releases, and chemical attacks have two things that regular weapons completely lack: targeting ability and effect limit. The radiation effects from even a handful of nuclear devices will eventually ravage an entire planet, possibly pitching its natural processes into chaos and certainly depleting the global population steadily and gruesomely. Chemicals soak into everything from the thinnest of air to the mightiest steels, driving into groundwater and food stables, only to return time and time again. Biological agents are perhaps the most difficult to utilize with any semblance of savvy, as they can hop from host to host, transporting itself to the most unwanted and unwarranted places. Gone unchecked, biologicals can mutate beyond the ability for pre-prepared antidotes to even recognize let alone squash their unrelenting progress. This also doesn’t take into account the many different beings of the galaxy; though Humans salt their food without a thought, the Arcona are debilitated to the point of aggressive addiction by the same additive. Yet only now do we begin to scratch the surface of ethics. Described above are simply implications – the possibilities presented by the use of unconventional warfare. Once these implications are realized, only then do the ethics of the situations work their way into relevance. For instance, it is one thing to conquer a populace, and another to decimate them entirely. A departure from reasonable campaign goals occurs when the goal is no longer to win, but to be the last standing. Despite the insanity of it all, most wars have a point to them; they started for a specific reason, and most participants are involved to seek a specific result. Should a war degenerate into seeking slaughter and nothing else, woe to the societies involved AND uninvolved. The neighbors of attackers and defenders become involved, until there is no longer a defined theater of war, but a swirling mass of interests fighting for two things: survival and to be rid of everyone else. Objectives are replaced with animal instincts. Though this is a rather typical experience at the field level, the command of a campaign should never become entrenched in this manner. If this occurs, chaos rules and reckless abandon becomes the order of the day. The true spoils of war, societies, fall to the wayside and become secondary to propelling all sides into the same wall of fear – kill them all or we’ll all be killed. This brings us to an important concept not mentioned when the discourse of ethics began, and one that is often not remembered until it is too late. Quite simply, if you corner your opponent or put his back to the wall, that opponent becomes more dangerous than ever because he will fight unceasingly and intensely to get out from that position. This is true going all the way from the alleyway thug and his unwary prey to the sector military that has just discovered you have chemwar capabilities are about to use them. Everyone knows not to trap a dangerous prey when hunting, lest it explode it’s way out (and through you) – this concept carries over to the overall “big picture” of combat and tactics. But let’s truly sink into the meat of the matter. Unconventional weapons are aptly named, because they introduce unconventional conditions, responses, and ways of thinking. Environments become unlivable and forever lost, planned offensives become rabid attacks, and the initial combat plan dissolves into one of “fight or die” (again, appropriate for the field but not for command decisions). Though they will always exist, they will also only be the tools found in the war chest of true evil. Once used, unconventional warfare blows the rules away, the very establishment of war. Though it sounds oxymoronic to have rules for war, they are in place to retain the point of why it all started in the first place. If it weren’t for these, there is nothing but unceasing, senseless slaughter – much like the unseeing radioactivity of the nuclear blast, the single-minded spore of the biological agent, or the ever-hungry gas of the chemical bombs.