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Role Playing U.S. Special Operations Military Soldiers in the Modern Era a Monograph for the Basic Roleplaying System by Chaosium Inc

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Role Playing U.S. Special Operations Military Soldiers in the Modern Era a Monograph for the Basic Roleplaying System by Chaosium Inc SPECIAL OPERATIONS MANUAL Role Playing U.S. Special Operations Military Soldiers in the modern era A Monograph for the Basic RolePlaying System by Chaosium Inc. By Jason Graham and Stephen Baron No part of this book may be reproduced in any manner without written permission from the author or publisher. 1 SPECIAL OPERATIONS MANUAL “We sleep soundly in our beds because rough men stand ready in the night to visit violence on those who would do us harm.” This book is dedicated to the proud men and women of the U.S. Military 2 SPECIAL OPERATIONS MANUAL CONTENTS INTRODUCTION – 4 ARMY RANGERS – 6 ARMY SPECIAL FORCES – 8 NAVY SEALS – 10 MARINE CORPS MARSOC – 12 ARMY DELTA FORCE – 14 NAVY DEVGRU – 16 AIR FORCE PARARESCUE – 18 PRIVATE MILITARY CONTRACTOR – 20 CIA S.O.G. – 22 UNITS FROM OTHER COUNTRIES - 24 SKILLS – 28 OFFICER SCHOOL – 30 ARMOR – 31 EQUIPMENT – 32 WEAPONS – 33 CHARACTER SHEET - 34 MISSION BRIEFINGS – 36 SCENARIO SEEDS - 39 MEDAL OF HONOR RECIPIENTS – 40 RECOMMENDED READING – 46 RECOMMENDED VIEWING – 47 3 SPECIAL OPERATIONS MANUAL INTRODUCTION Special Operations soldiers are a unique the most realistic way possible within the breed. Determined, highly intelligent and confines of the BRP system. specially trained problem solvers who train This supplement is intended for an action constantly to risk their lives protecting oriented campaign where the extra weapons citizens who will never know who they are. and combat skills will be not only desirable These brave men, known as “Operators” do but essential. The characters outlined here not expect parades for their service, in fact, should be far above normal human they know that, should the worst happen, not characters in almost every aspect, combining even their loved ones will be given details of the physical prowess of Olympic level their final mission. This selfless sense of athletes and the problem solving and critical duty is only a small part of what makes thinking skills of a private investigator or a these operators ‘special’. competitive chess player. Specifically, this manual is set in the modern Unconventional warfare is a term that is era, real world setting. However, it is often associated with what the Special perfectly suitable to apply these characters Operations Soldier is designed for but what to a horror, sci-fi, or super hero or any other exactly does that cover? Essentially, these campaign from the Viet Nam war to a near operators specialize in all forms of warfare future or alternate reality setting. not covered by the standard definition of Another, less obvious benefit of using this war, which is a pretty wide umbrella. supplement for your campaign is that it Small teams of highly trained experts solves the age old keeper problem of covertly operating behind enemy lines with “why?” little to no support is what most of us think Why are these characters working together, of when we imagine a special operations why are they going on this mission, why are mission, however this is only a small they continuing on despite heavy opposition fraction of the actual duties and and extremely dangerous odds? Because it is responsibilities that these soldiers perform. not only their jobs, but their sworn duty. Training military forces of other countries, establishing infrastructure in war torn third The starting funds and weapons and world areas, relief missions to natural equipment selection process from standard disaster stricken nations are only a few of BRP character creation is all but eliminated the many ‘benign’ services that they with Special Operations characters as the perform. Direct action against enemy forces, weapons, ammo and equipment are mission overtaking strategic locations such as specific and assigned by the commanding runways and hospitals, intelligence unit. gathering, hostage rescue, counter intelligence and counter terrorism efforts are The Special Operations Keeper can opt to more of the ‘active’ duties that these highly choose the specific team that the players skilled soldiers are capable of. must be a part of (i.e. all players are SEALs) and then let them create their individual The purpose of the Special Operations characters each with their own specialties Manual for Chaosium’s Basic Role Playing (machine guns, explosives, tactics etc.), or system is to provide keepers and players the the Keeper may allow the players to choose opportunity to utilize these extreme soldiers whichever type of operative they like, and in any situation they can imagine. This then have them all work together as a part of manual will provide all of the details and a Special Mission Unit such as the real information needed to include Operators in world Task Force 145 which featured 4 SPECIAL OPERATIONS MANUAL members of every branch of the Special Included in the Special Operations Manual Operations community as well as British and are the major and most commonly known Canadian special forces troops. types of Special Operations soldiers, Alternatively, the keeper may have each however many other types of operators exist player create whatever type of operator he within the Special Operations community. chooses, and then have all of the players be The keeper is encouraged to research these contractors for a Private Military Company. other specialties and utilize them as non player characters or even player characters. Scenario fodder for Special Operations Most of these specific roles are equally abounds on the 24 hour news networks and Special Operations qualified and are fluent newspapers as well as books movies and in the use of tactics weapons and television shows all around. Keepers may unconventional warfare. choose to run individual scenarios as Air Force Combat Controllers - go behind isolated missions starting with the players enemy lines to coordinate air traffic and fire boarding the C-130 or helicopter, and support. ending with returning to base for mission 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment debriefing, such as Operation Gothic - provide helicopter support and Serpent (Blackhawk Down) which took transportation for the special operations place over one very intense day with 19 soldiers Special Operations soldiers killed and over Air Force Special Operations Weathermen - 1000 Somali deaths, or campaigns with give detailed meteorological intel from the extended linked scenarios with a broader combat zone for incoming air support. mission, such as being deployed to Army Intelligence Support Activity - gather Afghanistan for an 18 month tour of intel intel by working as translators and using gathering and searching for high value technology. targets. Navy Special Warfare Combatant-craft . Crewmen - provide support via a variety of The origin of the Special Operations Manual small boat transportation to special dates back many years playing Chaosium operations units. Inc’s Call of Cthulhu game where the The Coast Guard Deployable Operations recurring complaint by players was that the Group - provide anti-piracy boarding teams standard librarian and college professor as well as rescue and relief efforts character classes weren’t powerful enough worldwide to adequately combat the Mythos. Wanting Marine Corps Force Recon - provides deep characters with more advanced weapon and reconnaissance information from deep combat training as well as heavier within hostile territory. firepower, the idea of playing Special Operations soldiers came about, giving the players the opportunity to prove that no amount of firepower is ever enough vs. the Mythos. For this supplement we assume the EDU characteristic will be used as well as the EDU multiplier for skill points (page 24 of the BRP rulebook) 5 SPECIAL OPERATIONS MANUAL A FEW GOOD MEN Special Operations Unit Background and Character Creation Specialty: The Regiment is composed of light infantry forces with specialized skills that enable them to perform a variety of special operations missions – airborne, air assault, and direct action operations, raids, infiltration and exfiltration by air, land or sea in addition to airfield seizure, recovery of personnel and special equipment, and support of conventional forces. Each Ranger battalion has the ability to deploy worldwide in 18 hours Training/Recruiting: Basic Training and Advanced Individual Training (14 weeks), Air Assault School (10 days), Basic Airborne Course (3 weeks), Army Ranger School (61 days), First Responder Medical Training (1 week), Warrior Leader Course (2 weeks) th Unit Highlights 75 Army Ranger Regiment From the period before the establishment of Established: the United States of America through the The 1st and 2nd battalions were activated in Revolutionary War, 1812, Civil War, Korea, 1974 and the 3rd battalion activated in 1984. World War II and the Vietnam Era Rangers have been part of the US Army. The modern Organization /Bases: Rangers were established in the wake of the Headquarters, 3rd Battalion and the Vietnam War when General Creighton Regimental Special Troops Battalion located Abrams formed the first Battalion (Ranger) at Fort Benning, Georgia., 1st Battalion at 75th Infantry in 1974. The Rangers Hunter Army Airfield in Savannah, participated in Operation Urgent Fury, the Georgia.; 2nd Battalion at Joint Base US invasion of Grenada seizing the Port Lewis-McChord near Tacoma, Wash. Salinas Airfield and rescuing American Medical Students at the True Blue Medical Troop strength: Campus. In 1989 the Rangers took part in Each battalion is composed of a Operation Just Cause in Panama seizing Headquarters and Headquarters Command several key airfields, taking General Noriega (HHC) and three rifle companies. Battalions beach house and neutralizing elements of the are made up of no more than 580 Rangers: Panamanian Defense Forces. Each rifle company consists of 152 riflemen, and the remaining Rangers make up the fire support and headquarters staff. 6 SPECIAL OPERATIONS MANUAL Elements of the Rangers were deployed to Army Rangers have the following minimum Saudi Arabia to support operation Desert characteristic requirements in order to meet Storm in 1990/91. In 1993 Rangers and First the standards of Ranger school.
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