PDF EDITION NOTES The original edition of M-Force was published back in 2002, and had some layout issues even then, so trying to use those layout files to create a PDF in 2010 only made matters worse. The software we were using then isn’t even designed to run on today’s computers, so it’s a miracle we able to get anything. We had to delete the page number bars in some chapters and delete some artwork because the graphics were showing up in places they weren’t supposed to be (on the plus side, sometimes this resulted in blank pages at the end of chapters, and we filled up the blank space with some of Gary Bedell’s original M-Force concept art). We also had to move some tables to the ends of chapters, and had a couple that wouldn’t print at all. So this PDF is kind of a mess, but for the most part all the text is readable, if not especially pretty. Since we’re working on the 2nd Edition and this one’s mainly for people who want to try out the game before the new one comes out, “readable” will have to do. Enjoy! We have no idea what’s going on here, but thought you might enjoy this pic and still can’t put it in the book with a straight face. Keep Track of M-Force 2E Progress at: www.kickmonsterbutt.com MONSTERS ARE A PROBLEM. BE A PART OF THE SOLUTION. MONSTER HUNTING IN THE 21st CENTURY Created by Leighton Connor HEX ENTERTAINMENT Louisville, KY CREDITS Written By Leighton Connor, Kevin Butler, Ray Forsythe, Steve Johnson, & Stacy Stroud Edited by Stacy Stroud Additional Material by Landscape Design by Carter Newton, Mike Waddell, and Jason Whisman Alice Connor Additional Editing/Proofreading by Indexing by Alice Connor, Jason Cormier, Robert Holland, Joshua Alice Connor, Leighton Connor, Ernest Givens, Jimmy Marquart, Cathy Raymond, Jeremy Schraffenberger, Rob- McKinney, and Stacy Stroud ert McCabe and Ryan Trimble Playtesting by Page Layout by Dale French, Stacy Stroud, Ray Forsythe, Steve Johnson, Kevin Butler Steve Carrico, Jason Whisman, Jason Cormier, Brian Huff, Kevin Butler, Eddie Mefford, Colin Thomas, Ryan Trimble, Art Direction by Carter Newton, Clayton Oliver, Jack Lamar Jr., Miranda L. Ryan Trimble Rabus, Michael G. Rectenwald, Casey Cooper, Laurie Picchioldi, Michael Conger, Scott A. Prolest, Curt W. Davis, Andrew Radford, Joe Frazier, John Sumner, Vince Cover Design by Zimmermann, Amy “The Quiet One” Dotta, Meghan “The Matt Kish Mean One” Ault, Jaimie Gendron, Scott Rogers, Mike Waddell, Norman Leach, Matthew Waddell, Beth O’Hara, Back Cover by Cathy Raymond, Saif Ansari, Nick Nigro, Sara Laughlin Gary Bedell Photo Modelling by Cover Layout by Greg Brauner, Kevin Butler, Sam Catron, Leighton Connor, Ray Forsythe Jason Cormier, Steve Cundiff, Ione Damasco, Tanja Danzer- Watson, Kate Dominick, Ray Forsythe, Cameron Hail, Chris Interior Art by Hail, Kaliegh Hail, Ronald Hail, Kevin Hollis, Steve Johnson, Sarah Kelley, Shane Lewis, Kim Little, Carter Newton, Gary Bedell, Chris Sprouse, David Daniel, Dale French, Clayton Oliver, Rodney Stevens, Cory Stringer, Pat Stringer, Mark Kidwell, Scarlett Ross, Chad Sergesketter, and Stacy Stroud, Dwight Watson, Jason Whisman Ryan Trimble.. Crane Operation by Interior Photography by Tim Daulton Matt Kish, Carter Newton, and Ray Forsythe Maps and Graphics by Steve Johnson and Kevin Butler ISBN: 0-9714812-2-9 M-Force is © 2002 by M-Force Group. QAGS is © 2001 by Steve Johnson, Leighton Connor, and Dale French, and is used by permission. The Hex logo and the M-Force symbol are trademarks of Hex Entertainment, Inc. All other products published by Hex Games, such as Galaxikhan Attacks!, are TM and © Hex Games or are used under license. All Rights Reserved. The characters in this book are fictitious, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental. No part of this book may be reproduced without permission except short excerpts for the purpose of review, except for pages 196-201, which may be reproduced for personal use only. INTRODUCTION Imagine driving a Jeep at 110 mph across the But as adults we still, on some level, want to play. desert, swerving to avoid toxic spore-bombs, leaning We want to let our imagination out, in a positive and out the window to open fire on the 50' tall plant monster entertaining way. In order to satisfy this urge, though, we with tendrils bigger than you are. Imagine creeping into need structure. We need help suspending our disbelief. a dusty mausoleum, wooden stake gripped firmly in hand, We need rules to make the process run more smoothly, your heart racing every time you see a rat skitter across and rituals of play that will allow us to bypass our soci- the floor. Imagine standing alongside your closest friends, etal conditioning against make-believe. And, since we brandishing flamethrowers in a last-ditch effort to keep don’t want any funny looks from the neighbors, we need the army of giant ants from overrunning the city. to play inside, in the privacy of our homes. Thus most RPGs take place around tables. As we mentioned earlier, If you’re even remotely sane, you wouldn’t want to you won’t need playing pieces or boards--the real game do these things in real life. But they’re fun to imagine. will exist in what you and your friends say to each other. Who doesn’t daydream, from time to time, about being the hero in a movie? Don’t you wish you could fight against the forces of darkness, at no risk to your person? That’s what the M-Force role-playing game allows you to do. BUT WHAT IS A ROLE-PLAYING GAME? Role-playing games (RPGs for short) are a rela- tively new form of entertainment. An RPG combines ele- ments of drama, strategy games, and storytelling, but it is not exactly like any of them. While a board game allows players to move pieces on a board, an RPG al- lows them to take part in an interactive fictional experi- ence. Unlike typical fiction, though, there is no one per- son who determines the “plot” of the story. And unlike most dramatic productions, the players are not given scripts to memorize or any specific instructions on what to do with their characters. The activity most like an RPG is a child’s game of make-believe. When we are children, make-believe comes eas- ily. Without a second thought, sticks become swords, houses become palaces, and ordinary summer days be- come grand, epic adventures. What children’s games lack in complexity they more than make up for with un- bridled imagination and their total immersive quality. As we become older, and as we learn more about the world around us, suspension of disbelief becomes more difficult. The stick stays a stick, no matter how much we squint. Worse than that is the realization that it is not socially acceptable to continue games of imagination after a certain age. We give them up, and find other hobbies to take their place. CHAPTER 13: IMPROVING YOUR CHARACTER 1 In the game each player will take on the role of a fictional character. This is called a player character, or PC. The player decides what actions the PC takes, and speaks for the PC when necessary. There is no script, and a player may attempt anything he wants with his PC--though he may not necessarily succeed. In addition to 3-6 players, each gaming session requires a gamemaster (or GM). The GM has the most work to do, and is respon- sible for every part of the game out- side of the PCs. If you were to view the game as a film, the GM would be the director. She maintains the fictional environment of the game. She describes settings and intro- duces conflicts, scenarios, and other characters. These other characters--which may be support- ing cast members, enemies, or monsters were revealed as natural phenomena. Yet even monsters--are called gamemaster characters, or GMCs. in the present day, belief in such things still exists. There Through the course of the game, players guide their are grainy photographs purporting to be pictures of sea PCs through the imaginary setting that the GM maintains. monsters, tales of alien abductions, guidebooks to haunted When questions arise--as to whether a character can ac- houses, and urban legends about monsters that still exist in complish a specific action, or about which character will the wilds. Is it possible, people ask, that monsters really win a fight--the GM uses the game’s rules to settle the ques- do exist? In our world, they probably don’t—but in the tion quickly and fairly. All the rules you will need are con- world of M-Force, many of the things that we consider fic- tained in this book. In addition to this book, you will need tional are demonstrably real. 20-sided dice, paper, writing utensils, and some candy. From the Medusa of ancient myth to the serial killer in As you read the rules, please keep in mind that they the latest slasher movie, we as humans are fascinated by are guidelines to help players and GMs resolve conflicts, the horrible things that lurk in the darkness. Alongside this not an end in and of themselves. Don’t worry about the fictional tradition, though, is the equally proud tradition of details--this system is designed to be simple and the monster hunter. The oldest surviving stories we have easy-to-learn so you’ll be able to focus on the story you are about brave warriors who hunted down and killed the are creating.