Inlas Superspiestm

palladium 'Books® presents •••

• • Inlas SuperspieSTM

Revised

Sample file

1 DEDICATION TO THE ALLIES OF MY CHILDHOOD

To Andy Wolner, as good a person as I have ever met. To Chris Klemos, my first best friend. And the Chuck Knakal, miracle of miracles, we're still friends to this day.

PLAYTESTERS Thanks to Dan Clemens, Carol Dodd, Michael Kucharski, Kevin Lowry, Michelle Spainhour, John Speck, Tim Treloar, and Carl Williamson.

BOOKS AND RESOURCES: This book would not have been possible without the gener ous support of two private libraries, those of Julius Rosenstein and Chuck Stem, and the Detroit Public Library.

Special Thanks to: Randi Cartier

PDF Edition - July 2017

Palladium Books®, Rifts®, The Rifter®, Coalition Wars®, RECON®, Nightbane®, The Palladium Fantasy Role-Playing Game®, The Mechanoids®, The Mechanoid Invasion®, After the Bomb®, Phase World® and Megaverse® are registered trademarks owned and li censed by Kevin Siembieda and Palladium Books Inc.

Ninjas & Superspies, Heroes Unlimited, S.D.C., P.P.E., Beyond the Supernatural, and other names, titles, slogans, and likenesses of characters are trademarks owned by Kevin Siembieda and Palladium Books Inc.

All rightsSample reserved under the Universal Copyright Convention. No part of this book may be reproduced in filepart or whole, in any form or by any means, without permission from the publisher, except for brief quotes for use in reviews. All incidents, situations, institutions, governments and people are fictional and any similarity, without satiric intent, of characters or persons living or dead, is strictly coincidental.

Ninjas & Superspies is published by Palladium Books, Inc., 39074 Webb Ct, Westland, MI 48185. Printed in the U.S.A.

2 'Palladium 'Books® 'Presents ••• sed �eVi f'linias q Su perspies Written By: Erick Wujcik Compatible with }ieroes Unlimited™ and Teenage lVIutant Ninia Turtles® �'PG, Editors: Alex Marciniszyn Randi Cartier and the )'fter the Bomb® series. Florence Siembieda RPG Design Editor: Kevin Siembieda Art Director: Kevin Siembieda Cover Art: Kevin Fales Interior Art: Michael Gustovich Cowan & Gabriel Steven R. Bissette Kevin Long Typography: Maryann Siembieda Keylining: Matthew Balent Siembieda

Sample file

3 TABLE OF CONTENTS

Game Terms . • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •• 6 Mercenary • • • . • • • • • • • • • • . • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 54

Commando Mercenary ••••••••••••••••• 54 For the Beginner Player .•••••.••••••••••••• 7

Veteran Grunt • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 55 Creating a Character •••.•••••••.•••••••••• 8 Cyborg Soldier •.•••••••••••••••••••• 55 Step One: The Eight Attributes ••••••.••••••• 8 Academy Officer ••••••••••••••••••••• 54

Step Two: Selecting an O.C.C. • • • • • • • • • • • • • •• 8 Cover Identities • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 56

Step Three: Picking Martial Arts & Powers •••••• 8 Spy Agencies ••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 58

Quick Rolling Martial Art Forms •.•••••••• 9 Cybernetics •••••••••••••••••.•••••••••• 65 Step Four: Character Background • • • • • • • • • • • • • 10 Cyber-Attachments •••••••••.••••••••..••• 65 Country of Origin ••.••••••.•••••••••• 10 Eye Replacements • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 66 Age ••••••••••••••••••••.••••••••• 10 Eye Augmentations • • . • • • • • • • • • . • • • • • • • 66 Height & Weight ••••..••••••...•••••• 11 Hand Replacements ••••••••••••••••••• 67 Family Background •.•••••••.••••••••• 12 Hand Augmentation •••.••••••••••••••• 67

Step Five: Hit Points, S.D.C. & Chi .•••••••.•• 13 Arm Replacements •••••••••••••••••••• 69

Determining Hit Points •••••••••.••••••• 13 Leg & Foot Replacements ••••••••••••••• 69

Recovery of Hit Points • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 14 Leg & Foot Augmentation ••••••••••••••• 70

Surviving Coma & Death ••••••••••.••••• 14 Cyber-Disguises • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 70 Optional Damage Rules • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 15 Cyber-Implants .••••••.•••••••.•••••••••• 71 Structural Damage Capacity • • • • • • . . • • • • • • 15 Building The Super Vehicle •• • • • • • . • • • • • • • • • • 73 Chi ••••.••••••••••••••••••••••••• 16

Compendium of Martial Arts • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 81 Step Six: Attribute Bonuses ••• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 17

MARTIAL ART DESCRIPTIONS .•••••••••••• 81 Step Seven: Buy Equipment • • • • • . • • • • • • • • • • • 17 Basic Hand to Hand (AGENT) •••••••••••• 83 Step Eight: Alignments...... 17 Expert Hand to Hand Commando (AGENT) ••• 83

Experience • • • • • • . • • • . • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 20 Assassin Hand to Hand Commando (AGENT) •• 84

Experience Levels • • . • • • . • • • . • • • • • • • • • • 21 Martial Arts Hand to Hand (AGENT) ••••••• 84

Insanity Tables ••••••.••••••••••••••••••• 22 Aikido (Exclusive) •••••••••••••••••••• 84

Bok Pai - The Crane Style of Kung Fu •••••• SkiD Programs ••••.••••••••••••••••••••• 26 85

SkiD Program List •••••••••••••••••••• 26 Ch'A Ch'Uan Kung Fu ••••••••••••••••• 86

Gizmoteer SkiD Programs ••..••••••••••• 26 Chi Hsuan Men - The White Jade Fan •••••• 87

Ch'in-Na - The Art of Seizing •••••••••••• Espionage SkiD Programs • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 32 87

Choy-Li-Fut Kung Fu •••••••••••••••••• Medical SkiD Programs ••••••••••••••••• 32 88

Drunken Style of Kung Fu • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • Military Skill Programs • • • • • • • • • • • . • • • • • 33 89

Fong Ngan Kung Fu - Phoenix Eye •••••••• Basic Skill Programs ••••••••••••••••••• 34 90

SkiDs Listed by Category .• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 36 Fu-Chiao Pai - Tiger Claw Kung Fu • • • • • • • • 90

Hwarang-Do Karate (Exclusive) ••••••••••• 91 Skill Descriptions • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • . • • • • • • 37

Isshin-Ryu Karate •••••••••••••••••••• 92 Occupational Character Classes (O.C.C.) ••••••••• 47 Jujutsu •••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 93 The Martial Artist ••••••••••••.••••••• 47 Kuo-Ch'Uan - Dog Boxing Kung Fu •••••••• 94 The Superspy ••••••••••••••••••••••• 48 Kyokushinkai Karate •••••••••••••••••• 94 Espionage Agents • • • • • . • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 48 Lee K wan Choo • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 95 Cyber Agent •••••••••.••••••.••••••• 49 Li-Chia - Short-Hand Kung Fu • • • • • • • • • • • 96 Wired Agent •.•.•••••••••••••••••••• 48 Mien-Ch'Uan - Cotton Fist Kung Fu ••••••• 96 Gadgeteer Agent •.••••••••••••••••••• 49 Monkey Style Kung Fu ••••••••••••••••• 97 Operative Agent • • • • • • • • • • • • • • . • • • • • • • 49 Moo Gi Gong ••••••••••••••••••••••• 98

Free Agent • • • • • • • • • • • • • . • • • • • • . • • • . • • • • 50 Ninjitsu (Exclusive) •••••••••••••••••••• 99

Private Eye • • • • • . . • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 51 Pao Pat Mei - Leopard Style Kung Fu ••••• 100

Wandering Agent ••••••••••••••.•••••• 52 Sankukai Karate •••••••••••••••••••• 101

Professional Free Agent • • . • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 52 Shao-Lin Kung Fu ••••••••••••••••••• 101

Thief ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 52 Snake Style Kung Fu ••••••••••••••••• 102

Gizmoteer ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 53 Sumo (Exclusive) •••••••••••••••••••• 103

Tinker •••••••••••••••••••••••••••• Sample53 Tae Kwon Do Karate •••••••••••••••••file 104

Dreamer ••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 54 Tai-Chi Ch'Uan • • • • • • . • • • • • • • • • • • • •. 104

Giziod •••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 53 Taido •••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 105

4 Tang-Su Karate •••••••.••.•••••••••• 106

Thai Kick Boxing (Exclusive) •••••••••••• 107

Te •••••••••••••••••••••••••••..• 107

Tien-Hsueh Touch Mastery (Exclusive) •••••• 108

Wui Wing Chon (Exclusive) ••••••••••••• 109

Wu Shu T'Sung • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •• 110

Xing Chiao - Eagle Claw Kung Fu •••.•••• 111

Yu-Sool ••.••••••••••••••••••••••• 112

Zanji Shinjinken-Ryu •••••••••••••••.• 113

Martial Art Powers •••••••••••••••••••••• 114

Arts of Invisibility ••••••••••••••••••• 114

Atemi Abilities . . • • • • • • • • • • • . . . • . • • •• 116

Body Hardening Exercises •••••••••••..• 117

Chi Mastery •••••....•••••••••••••• 118

Chi Combat Example • • • . • . • • • • • • • • • • • • • •• 118

Positive Chi • • • • • • • • . • • • • • • • • • • • • • •• 119

Positive & Negative Chi • • • • • • • • • • • • . • •• 120

Negative Chi ...•••••••••••••••••••• 120

Martial Art Techniques •••••••••••••••• 121

Special Katas • . . • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •• 122

Zenjoriki ..••.•••••...••.••••••••• 122

Hand to Hand Combat • • • . • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •• 125

Combat Terms • • • • • . . • . • • • • • • • • • • • •• 126

Damage Table •••••••••••••••••••••• 129

S.D.C. Table • • • • • • • • . • • • • • • • • • • • • •• 132

Modern Weapon Combat •••••••••••••••••• 133

Vehicle Combat ••...•••••••..••••••••••• 135

Car Combat ••.•••••••••••••••••••• 156 A QUICK FIND REFERENCE TABLE The Chase ••••..••.••••••..••••••• 139 Page

Boat Combat •••••••.••••.•••••••••• 140 Determining Chi •••.••••••..•••••.••••••• 16 Air & Space Combat • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •• 140 Recovery of Chi ••••••••••••••••••••••••• 16

Weapons & Equipment •••••••••••••••••••• 143 Attribute Bonuses ••••••.••••••••••••••••• 17

Ancient Weapons •••••••••••••••••••• 143 Available SkiD Programs • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 26

Oriental Weapons .••••••••••••••••••• 145 Martial Artist O.C.C•••.••••••••••••••••••• 47

Ninja Equipment •••••••••••••••••.•• 146 Espionage Agents • • • • • • • • • • • • . • • • • • • • • • • • • 49

Modern Weapons •••...••••••••..•••• 148 Free Agents •••••..••••.•••••••••••••••• 50

Special Spy Weapons ••••••••••••••••• 155 Mercenary • • • • • • • • . • • • • • • • • • • . • • • • • • • • • 54

Game Master Section .•••••••.••••.••••••• 161 Gizmoteer ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 53

Cure for Dim Mak ••••••••••••••••••• 162 Combat: Hand to Hand Combat Descriptions & Terms . 126

Conversion to Palladium Fantasy RPG •••••• 163 Combat: Physical Attributes ••••••••••••••••• 43

Conversion to TMNT and Heroes Unlimited •• 164 Combat: Martial Arts Powers ••••••••••••••• 114

Combat: Martial Art Forms •••••••••••••••• Adventures • • • • • • • • • • • • • • . • • • • • • • • • • • •• 167 41 81

Combat: Modern Weapons ••••••••••••••••• Glossary ••••••••••••••••••••••.•••••• 171 148

Cover Identities • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 56

Spy Agencies ••••.••••.••••••••••••••••• 60

Cybernetics •••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 65

Cyber-Disguises •••••••••••••••••••••••••• 70

Martial Art Powers •••••••••••••••••••••• 114

Heroes Unlimited Adaptions • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •• 164

Ninjitsu • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 99

Ninja Equipment • • • • • • • • . • • • • • • • • • • • • • •• 146

Special Spy Equipment • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •• 155

Cures for Dim Mak •••••••••••••••••••••• 162

W.P.: Weapon Proficiencies ••••••••••••••••• 133

SampleWeapon Descriptions ••••••••••••••••••••• file 148

5 A COUPLE Answering those questions works very well with the standard OF QUIET DISCLAIMERS: Palladium combat rules. If anything, the Palladium combat sys tem, based on Strike, Parry, Dodge, and damage to S.D.C., is DISCLAIMER NUMBER ONE: The martial arts de perfect for simulating the realities of martial arts combat. scribed here, even those with real names, are not to be confused with those in the real world. First, the details are largely rear Now, in the Revised version of Ninjas & Superspies, it's also ranged to make for better game balance. For example, advanced a lot easier to match martialartists and espionage agents against Aikido students often work with sword and staff, yet that is not the player characters and NPCs of Revised Heroes Unlimited mentioned here . and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Second, since there are dozens of variations on most martial And now a word about the setting of this game •.. arts, I've just made up my own version that best fits the game. And, where I didn't have reliable data, I would just make up Secretly, throughout the world, there are battles taking place. the facts. For example, I've described Aikido as a non-combative These conflicts (struggles attempting to limit the incursions of form, but there are several schools of Aikido that use both combat evil) are between vast and powerful organizations. and tournament competition. Innocents, like the President of the United States and the Finally, there is really no such thing as a "good" or "bad" General Secretary of the Soviet Union, are simply not aware of martial art. Those restricted to evil or dishonorable alignments their positions as pawns in these great underworld battles. In are just another device to balance the game. These descriptions this kind of battle, only two kinds of warriorca n have an effect. are not meant to be applied to the real world. Martial artists (including Ninjas) who tap into mystic powers, and secret agents equipped with all manner of super-scientific DISCLAIMER NUMBER TWO: Playing with any kind of apparatus. martial art without proper supervision isfoolish and dangerous. That global conflict is the setting for Ninjas & Superspies. Let me quote Dave Lowry, author of Autumn Lightning. After describing a list of near fatal accidents, teenage stunts and hazardous sports, he tells of the most frightening event of his NINJAS & SUPERSPIES young life. " ...unleashing a yard long, wickedly sharp sword ROLE-PLAYING GAME TERMS out of a scabbard inches from my belly, slashing with it, and then sliding it back into its sheath, again with only a finger's Attributes: These are the numbers that rate the strengths and distance from my abdomen, was one of the most frightening weaknesses of your character. For example, P.P. refers to things I had ever done." Physical Prowess, the measure of a character's quickness and Don't be dumb. Be careful. Stick to role-playing. I've never agility. A P.P. of 4 indicates severe clumsiness, whereas a handled a gun or any other weapon without the supervision of P.P. of 17 represents an extraordinarily gifted person. Attri an expert instructor. Don't attempt any dangerous sport or martial butes are also called Statistics or Stats. art until you've got a qualified teacher. Campaign: A word used to describe an ongoing game. If you play the same character with the same game master on an THE STORY BEHIND NINJAS & SUPERSPIES ongoing basis, then you are in a Campaign. The idea of a role-playing game based on the intricacies of Character: Every player (except the GM) has a character that real world martial arts has been a passion of mine for many serves as an imaginary playing piece, also called a Player years. Which is not to say that I'm any kind of expert on martial Character (PC). arts. My formal martial art training extends to a Green Belt in Death: Just as in real life, characters can die. In Ninjas & Tae Kwon Do, a semester of college in Hungarian-Style Fencing Superspies, a game filled with deadly combat, death is a and a few Aikido lessons. constant threat to every character. Players should take a However, talking about the martial arts has been my lifelong character's death calmly. Remember, this is only a role-play passion. Among my close friends I've been able to count black ing game. You should try to learn from each character that belts in Aikido, Isshinryu, Judo, and Tae Kwon Do. I've also dies. As soon as the GM allows, you can bring a new character had lengthy conversations with practitioners of Bojutsu, Jeet into the game. Kune Do, Jujitsu, Kendo and Mu Do Kwan. I've been filled in Dice: In order to play Ninjas & Superspies you will need a on everything from the hardships of training directly under Bruce few odd-shaped dice. We call them things like "D4, D6 (the Lee, to the use of defensive martial arts in the alleys of Detroit, normal kind), D8, DlO, D12 and D20." Often we let you to hand to hand combat experiences in the jungles of Southeast know how many dice to roll with an expression like "roll Asia. 2DIO." This means "roll two ten-sided dice and add the re What I gleaned from all this was a sense of the differences sults." If you don't have enough dice for, say, "6DIO," then in the various forms. Contrary to popular opinion, the various roll a single die six times, and just keep track of the total styles have almost nothing in common. Neither movements, while you're doing it. "4DlO + 5" means you should roll training Sampletechniques or even philosophies. Their various strengths 4DlO and add five to the totalfile. and weaknesses have always fascinated me. Game Master: (GM) This is the person who controls the Would the Karate black belt, capable of annihilating hordes "world" and runs the game. All the non-player characters of thugs, be able to defeat a lone Aikido master? Is a student (NPCs), including police, innocent bystanders, and villains, of the mystic arts of Chi the equal of a prize fighting kick boxer? are controlled by the GM. The GM's control even extends This book answers some of those questions. to things like weather, world politics and natural disasters.