Neo-Troops IV

Basics

This version if Neo-Troops is based on Neo-V generic roleplaying system framework. You have to read it to understand the test rolls.

This version is still being written and a bit uncomplete in several places. Thus you might want to see first version (in Finnish only) and for Neo-Troops world description, background information, various richer explanations and gamemastering tips, see 3rd edition until I have time to finish this version.

Latest updates: 11.1.2006: Weapon damage and NPC armor changes.

Attributes

Generally only a few attributes are used:

Agility is used for all agility-based tests. Its sub-attribute is melee which is used for melee attacks. Unless noted otherwise, all agility bonuses and penalties apply to melee as well but not other way around. Likewise the creature melee attribute is equal to agility unless noted otherwise.

Agility +1 is equal to a very agile human, able to do acrobatics at will. With +2, entity can do 'Jackie Chan movie stuff' (althought they usually have too much stuff to fit into tight spots), without need for tests in normal cases. Those with +3 can run half the 'move' distances along the walls and so on. Note that any heavy guns drop agility by 1.

Target is used in combat and is normally based on entity agility while in move:

Higher target values (5 or 6) require that the entity is able to use its superior agility for its advantage - parry, dodge, manouver, make flips, run on walls etc.

Sensors is for perception. Its sub-attributes are ranged (shooting attacks) and thrown. Like with agility, those sub-attributes have the same level unless noted otherwise and changes to sensors affect them but not vice verse.

Move: how many meters the entity can move during combat turn. Entities usually have two move values, (combat) move and non-combat move. The latter is used when the entity just goes with full speed, without trying to dodge things and do other things.

Jump: how many meters the entity can jump with some steps for speed (normal combat move). Height is 1/3 of this (but note that it does not include any reaching). With good running start, add extra meters to jump length. With standing start, reduce length.

In addition to listed attributes, there is otherattributes like move, weight, and lift. Moreover, some situations can cause modifiers like attacks -1. These apply to melee, ranged and thrown.

Combat Rules

Refer to Neo-V to understand the basic flow of the combat and various tests.

Reactive Combat

Cybervarans are highly enhanced creatures with quick reactions. For this reason, normally following action order can be used:

1. Players decide what their varans are basicly doing
2. The gamemaster moves all other units
3. Varans are moved. They can react somehow to step 2, but basicly have to do what was announced in step 1. So, they can change their targets or moving a bit (like decide to jump into cover instead), but not the used weapon or anything that takes players lots of time to decide
4. Attacks are done simultaneously

After step 3, some enhanced enemies can similarily change their actions. Other enemies cannot usually shoot back during the same turn as the varans blow their cloak cover but must wait until next combat turn, unless prepared to shoot varan as it comes into sight.

Attacks

For attack modifiers, use basic Neo-V table:

Also add any sensor modifiers when shooting or throwing things and any penalties from damage. For melee, add agility (or melee). Note that cybervaran usually gains the superior position while in melee, thanks to its superior manouverability and cloaking system.

Parrying: in general, included in target value. In rare cases, gamemaster may award +1 target for those with good parrying possibilities.

Power

In Neo-Troops, each attack has power in addition to attack damage. This power is used to describe how well the attack penetrates armor. It is valued from 1 to 6, with 4 being the normal power.

Armor Save

Whenever any target is hit it usually has an armor save to resist some or all parts of the damage. This is done as a test roll against the power of the attack. The test is made as a normal modified roll. The tested number is damage caused and modifiers are gained from the worn armor. Thus, if an entiry with armor +2 is hit with power 4 damage 2 attack, the entity rolls 4 dice, selecting 2 highest and trying to get 4 or more.

Each failed armor save is one point of damage. Roll from the damage table to see the actual effect of each damage point - some hits cause equipment failure instead of normal hit point damage. As usual, an entity dropped to 0 or less hit points dies (or is destroyed) in a normal situation.

Multiple hits: each is rolled separately. However, if each attack causes only one point of damage, you can easily roll them all at the same time, rerolling any failed ones as many times as there is armor bonuses.

If the target with armor bonuses is hit several times with attacks that cause more than one point of damage this system cannot be used and each hit must be handled separately.

Unarmored targets: targets which are unarmored normally do not get any armor saves but take damage directly. It is assumed that even if the hit does not kill them, they are unable to keep on doing anything after a hit, but possibly crawl on the floor and cover from fear. If any armor saves need to be done, assume that the have armor -1.

Agility enhanced saves: some damage can be tied to target agility. For example, if entity is hurled away, those which are more agile can avoid some damage by falling graceously. In short, for agility enhanced saves, simply add (or reduce) any agility modifiers to armor save. So if agility +2 armor +1 varan takes 4/4 damage from fall, it does armor save with +3.

New Special Attack Rules

Rapid fire: when firing a rapid fire weapon, if targets are densily packed several hits can be achieved with only one 'shot' (practically several bullets). If the group is tight enough (GM judgement) d3 hits are caused for each normal hit. For practical reasons, this can be averaged to 2 most of the time. Rapid fire rules do not apply to large targets. Some melee attacks also have rapid rule; this applies to clearly inferior targets only.

Slow projectile: these weapons fire projectiles which fly that much slower than it is very hard if not impossible to hit moving small targets. Very fast targets in distance can also try to dodge the projectiles if they react to them. Moreover, it might take more than one turn for the projectile to reach the target. As a general guideline, target can dodge by rolling an agility test against 6. If target has less sensors (perception) than agility, replace agility with sensors. Add +1 for each full 50 meters of range.

Tracking: projectile is self-guided. If the firer can aim at the target for one complete extra combat turn, this negates the problems of slow projectile. The target must be easily distinguished, like a large vehicle or warm target.

Thrown: weapon is thrown, not fired. Throwing skill is used (sub-attribute of sensors) and a good result mainly means that the projectile drops to intended place (but can still be kicked around)

Explosions: normal explosions have power and damage like other attacks. This applies to center of the explosion and usually requires that the explosive is well planted or shot directly. In addition to this direct effect an explosion creates a diminishing effect around it. This 'cloud' has diameter equal to original damage, and targets on it take power 4 hit, damage from 3/4 of the original to one, depending on range. Thus, a 5/8 explosion causes a cloud of 8 meters, with those on edges taking 4/1 hit, those close-by taking 4/6. This cloud is actually dangerous farther away but is not governed by these rules.

All targets in the area are hit. This damage is combination of shrapnels created, blast wave and targets hitting other objects. Light targets in the area are thrown aside. In tight space, increase damage. Targets behind partial cover gain +1 to +2 to armor save.

Shaped: shaped charge for armor piercing. Any explosion effect is halved.

Shrapnels: some explosions are especially designated to create cloud of shrapnels. Those explosions have double the area. For example, a 4/6 shrapnel explosion has 6 meter range, i.e. 12 meter cloud. In addition, they are dangerous up to 5x base damage meters away, causing random hits from shrapnels (roll some extra dice).

Heat: very hot attacks that melts the target and can ignite susceptible material. Detonates ammunition more easily and have hot radiation as a side-effect. Explosions follow normal rules except are heat, not shrapnels and blast wave.

Flame: these attacks, in addition to being very hot, spread flammable material which stick to targets and burn them. Roll extra d6 for each hit unless the target is already burning. On 4-6, the target is flamed up and burns. Any cloak bonus is lost and unless the target is very special (like a cybervaran!) or a vehicle, it cannot act at all, except scream and run around.

At the end of the next combat turn, roll d6. On a roll 6, the target stops burning, otherwise a new hit with power 4 is caused. In addition, if the roll is 1 or 2, an extra equipment damage is caused. Add +1 dice for the roll for each person helping to extinguish the target (including the target if able to act), and +2 extra for each fire extinguisher in use.

Flame explosions have double radius like shrapnels explosions.

Cumulative explosions: if several identical explosions detonate in the same location, add half for the second, one third for the third and so on. Thus if a basic explosion is 4/6, two identical is 4/9 and three 4/11. If explosions are not identical, use the highest as basic size. Thus 4/8, 4/6 and 4/4 cause explosion of 4/12 (8+6/2+4/3).

Electricity: no normal armor bonuses apply. In addition, each hit causes one extra electronics damage. Moreover, hits can be transferred via metal surfaces. Electricity "explosion" has effect area of given radius; all in the area are affected with same power and damage.

Varan Damage

Roll d6 for each damage not saved by the varan.

Armor points: heavily armored varans can have extra armor points. These work like hit points with following special rules:

• They only work on damage that can be resisted with varan armor, i.e. attacks that ignore armor neither hit armor points
• First damage of each hit is taken from armor points as long as there is any left. If an attack causes more than 1 hit point of damage, the remaining cause loss of hit points
• If hit point damage is reduced to 0, no special limb wounds are inflicted (result 5)
• Armor points cannot be regenerated. They can be repaired like other damaged equipment as long as armor patches (see ammo) are available. Each repair action is normal d6 minute operation, with '6' meaning that the point is beyond field repair.

If result '5' is rolled more than once from the same directed attack, they all hit the same limb. 2 or more damage to same limb renders it useless (arms: -2 attacks, legs: no move, agility to -1). If the damage came from the same attack, it could tear the limb off.

Healing drugs: can be used at will (max once per game turn) and must be used when drops to 0 hit points or a head hit suffered. 2+ test to survive, -1 per successive use in the same mission. If survives, +1 hit point

Regeneration: initiated with quick first aid. Returns 1 hit point per 5 minutes (unless interrupted by heavy exercise) and one level of damage from my one location (order: head, legs, arm)

Equipment Damage

First, roll which equipment was hit:

Equipment Hit

Roll d6 for each equipment hit. In a case of warhead slot, roll separately for each non-used warhead in that slot. In a case of other weapon ammo, the hit strikes the weapon itself, even if the ammunition is already depleted.

Each equipment has susceptibility marked. If it is a dash (-), the equipment cannot be exploded, so result 6 is same as 3-4. Otherwise the equipment has the damage marked is causes when it explodes plus possible extra susceptibility markings (s, h or e).

If normal (non-warhead) weapon explodes, all its ammunition goes in one big bang, including any extra ammunition for the weapon. Extra ammunition is so protected that the maximum damage from the ammo explosion is the same as without extra ammunition (exception: if the same weapon explodes twice, this rule does not apply and increase the total explosion damage if there is extra ammo). If the total ammunition of the weapon has been reduced from the original, the explosion damage is also reduced.

Equipment marked with 's' is super-safe and has -1 for the roll (roll 2d6, selecting the lower). Charged energy weapons lose super-safe status while charged.

Electronics Damage

Repairing Equipment and Electronics

Most damaged or temporal failure equipment can be repaired. This requires porper tools (like the varan toolkit), some quiet place and time.

Temporal malfunction: can be repaired as a 10-60 second operation (d6x10s). Not cumulative. If already damaged, ignore this result.

Damaged: can be repaired as a d6 minute operation; on a roll 6 the equipment cannot be repaired in-field. If the same equipment is hit several times, +1 to repair dice (i.e. roll several, selecting highest). If the equipment takes cumulative damage (sensors or mapper), each '6' means that one level cannot be repaired, other dice tell when each level fixed. i.e. 3x mapper is repaired and 3,5,6 is rolled. This means that after 3 minutes 1 level is repaired, two minute more and second level is repaired and third cannot be repaired at all.

Exploded: cannot be repaired.

Varans

Essence of a Cybervaran

Cybervarans are weapons, killing machines. They are created for one purpose: to fulfill their mission. They are grown in laborotories, equipped with highly advanced cyber systems and electronics, boosted with drugs and fitted with very durable armor and powerful weapons. They can continue despite heavy wounds and ignore pain and fatigue.

Most cybervarans do not live for many hours once deployed to mission.

Cybervaran Types

Cybervarans are meant for covert assault missions. To places, where tanks do not fit, where normal soldiers are easily killed - or might have moral or ethical problems - and where their special equipment is needed. There is generally five different positions for cybervaran, and various boost-ups, armor and equipment is usually selected according to this position. These positions, roles, or types, are:

• Firepower is the varan with most guns and highest punching power from the distance. It sacrifices mobility for maximal firepower and stands back blasting everything to pieces. Because of their role they usually take most enemy fire and thus are usually equipped with the heaviest armor and enhanced body.
• Melee varan is other extreme, meant for very close quarter combat. They are usually very quick and mobile, wielding double powered blades and grenades and charges to stick into targets. To maintain speed and agility, their load is usually light and they rarely carry the heaviest armor. Melee varans are usually most dependant on other varans if they encounter enemies which cannot be hacked to pieces.
• Scout varan is used for first-line scouting and encounters. Better sensors and good mobility are common. Armor and load is usually light, weapons are typically one-shot long range sniping weapons. They rely on rapid deployment, cloak and high agility and are of less use if the mission cover is blown.
• Assault varans are close quarter fighters, armed with short range rapid fire weapons. They can fight in close combat but also blast targets from range. They fall to category between melee and firepower varans, not overpowered if encountered with close combat enemies but not useless against enemies that cannot be assaulted directly.
• Support varans are those whcih can fill all other positions, especially firepower and assault. They usually carry piles of extra ammunition and grenades and single-use rockets to handle special situations, and have enhanced sensors.

Varan Attributes

See start of the rules for notes on agility, sensors, target, move, jump, and other attributes. Lift is basicly how much stuff the varan can lift from the ground.

Varan Weight: 170kg + armor points x5 + hit points x5 + 40 if heavy load (190-260), naked 130 + hit points x5 (150-160) (plus minus up to ten percent)

Varan Creation

1. Determine generic type (assault, firepower,..). This has no effect on the varan creation but helps you to make your choices
2. Select light or heavy armament
3. Fill equipment slots (doubled if heavy armament)
4. Select scout, combat or heavy armor (see below)
5. Select boost-ups
6. Fill character sheet

Phases 4 and 5 can be done before phases 2 and 3. You can use varan laboratory to create cybervarans.

Base Varan

A varan is built-up from following base attributes:

• 4 hit points (regeneration 1 hit point per 5 minutes. Requires explicit starting via applying first aid)
• lift 300 kg (in addition to normal load)
• non-combat move 30 (always)
• +2 agility, melee attack (improvised) ROF 2, power 4
• +1 sensors (including ranged/thrown)
• target value based on agility (6 with cloak plus extra beneficts)

Most attributes are modified with boost-ups and load.

Load level

Load level determines varan base (combat) move, agility (used for melee, too) and jump, without any other modifiers (heavy guns and boost-ups). Load level starts from 0, with following modifiers:

• Heavy armament (8 equipment slots instead of 4): +2
• Combat armor (2 armor points): +1
• Heavy armor (4 armor points): +2

Varan with any heavy guns has -1 to agility (in normal cases). Thus a varan with heavy armament and heavy armor and with heavy guns has -1 agility (and target value 3) without boost-ups. See below for further explanations of various attributes.

Boost-ups

Each varan is individually boosted. To reflect that, pick 3 boost-ups from the following list, but no more than 2 of each. Each boost-up applies after all load modifiers.

• Body (+1 hit point, lift +100 kg, jump +1)
• Mobility (+1 agility, +5 move)
• Biotech (+1 sensors)

Varans which survive missions often get experience which is simply one new boost-up (but still max 2 of each). The equipment and armor of the varan can also be changed at this point, but the player must normally keep the varan type and role same. So, do not change a scout varan into melee varan, for example.

Random Varan

To ease up creation, you can use these steps to randomize one or more parts of your varan. Use these steps with precaution and reroll any completely stupid results. All modifiers are for the dice rolled, as usual.

1. Roll for varan type:
   • 6: firepower
   • 5: assault
   • 4: support
   • 3: melee
   • 2: scout
   • 1: reroll with +2 dice.
2. Roll for armor type (scout -2, melee +0, others +1):
   • 6,5: heavy
   • 4,3: combat
   • 2,1: scout
3. Roll for each boost-up (reroll if same thrice):

   d6	scout	firepower	melee	assault	support
   1	body	mobility	biotech		biotech
   2	biotech		mobility
   3,4					mobility
   5,6	mobility	body

4. Roll for armament (firepower +2, support +1, scout/melee -3):
   • 6,5,4: heavy armament (8 slots)
   • 3,2,1: light (4 slots)
5. Roll for melee weapon (melee +4, scout/assault +1). These use weapon or tool slots normally.
   • 6: Power Blades
   • 5: Fusion Lance
   • 4: Combat Blade
   • 3,2,1: none
6. Roll for heavy weapons (firepower +1, scout/melee -2). If heavy armament, roll as a triple test. If the varan already has the Fusion Lance, deduct one from the result.
   • 5,6: yes
   • 4,3,2,1: nope
   Example: firepower varan with heavy armament rolls 4 dice, selecting 3 highest to see if it has 0 to 3 heavy weapons.
7. For remaining unallocated slots, roll a die for each.
   • 6: scout: Sniper Rifle, assault: as 1, firepower: ammo, melee: grenades, support: as 5
   • 5: ammo slot, roll 3 times (LAW/patch/charges/grenades/ammo/ammo)
   • 4: Rail Gun/Sniper Rifle
   • 3: Rocker/Rocket Pack
   • 2: Flamer/Plasma Gun
   • 1: Chain Gun/Nailer
8. If the result does not seem like correct type, adjust type

Multiple choices: Roll a d2 or a d6 to select which of the sub-choices is used, including for tools and warheads, with following rules:

• No varan has same tool or weapon twice. If you roll so, replace that with ammo slot (Exceptions: if heavy weapon, reroll until you get a different. For tools, you can have two Combat Blades, but if you roll any other doubles, replace the other tool with Extinguisher or reroll if have 2 Extinguishers)
• For warheads, any '6' is the most common warhead of the same type. If tied, roll which of them
• For any LAW beyond first one, roll a d6. On a 3+, change two LAWs into one MAW
• 'ammo' in ammo slot is rockets, missiles and extra ammo. This is chosen, except that warheads can still be rolled.

Varan Equipment

Each varan, as standard, has following things:

• Armor of choice: scout, combat or heavy. Each armor grants +1 armor save. In addition, combat armor has 2 armor points and heavy has 4 armor points (see damage system)
• Scanners, electronics (including computerized hacking), IR/UV filters etc.
• Flash filters and respirators, immunity to normal environmental hazards
• Repair toolkit, drugs (see damage system), medkit
• Cloak system (raises target value to 6 plus very hard to notice, even on IR range)
• 2 Tools (left and right arm), see table below

Slots

Slot is a special weapon or equipment module built for cybervarans. One slot typically has one weapon and some ammunition. The modular slot takes care of everything: reloading of the weapon, moving it handy, and putting it away when not in use. Thus, a cybervaran can change its used weapon from turn to turn without any penalties.

Each varan is also equipped with 4 slots. Heavy armament varan doubles each slot, so practically has 8 slots. Slots are selected from the following lists.

While in mission, entire slots can be moved between varans if need to, as can ammo. However, this takes some time (30-60 seconds per slot) and requires that varans are not cloaked. Single grenades, charges and similar systems can be given to other varans quickly but those cannot be put away then anymore.

Weapons

range: basic range of the weapon, : = limited (to short range), s = slow, t = tracking/thrown
ROF: rate of fire (per combat turn), (1) = one use, + = rapid
power: power/damage (or 1), x = explosion, s = shrapnels/shaped, f = flame, h = heat, b = beam
sus: susceptibility, s = super-safe (-1 dice), h = heat, e = electricity, (*) as warhead

Weapon Attributes

Weapons and Signature

In a varan mission in which stealth is often crucial, it is often very important how loud or visible an attack is. Moreover, if enemies can see infrared (heat) spectrum, it is also important how much heat the weapons produce. Here are some simple guidelines and tips for that:

• All weapons that shoot something make lots of noise and generate heat
• Explosions generate most noise and are very visible
• Heat-based attacks create less noise but much more lasting heat and visiblity
• Energy weapons create visible firing pathways and make lots of noise (but less than explosives) as ait is vaporized and then rushes to fill the empty space
• Energy weapons emit heat even when not being fired. These weapons can be completely shut down if need to, but then startup takes one extra turn.

Basicly, using high ROF and/or energy weapons is a good way to get yourself spotted. And any weapon is clearly visible in heat spectrum, except for non-used projectile weapons and weapons like combat blades.

Gamemaster Extra Stuff

This chapter is devoted to gamemaster, the noble and sacrificing individual who keeps Neo-Troops sessions. Players are not adviced to read this section, but it is not that fatal if they do.

Opposition

NPC Weapons

Various weapons not available to cybervarans. As such, slots etc. are ignored. Ammo is for normal use.

Vehicles and Robots

This chapter is about heavy and big targets. These rules can also be used for other special targets than tanks, like heavily armored robots. Heavy targets often have high armor bonuses. Armor points are not usually used, these are reflected with higher armor.

As a general guideline, following system can be used:

• Heavily armored target: armor +1
• Tank: armor +2
• Super-tank: armor +3

Vehicle Damage Table

Each vehicle has hit points like varans or humans. If they drop to 0 or below, the vehicle is destroyed and can explode.

Sample Entities

Base entity: all modifiers +0 (including armor), move 10, target 4, 1 hit point. Use these values unless noted otherwise, i.e. all entities have move 10 and target 4 unless noted otherwise and no attribute modifiers.

Trooper: move 10/30, Assault Rifle, grenades (HE/Frag/EMP)

Scientist: move 0/30, armor -1, sensors +1

Jeep: 2 hit points, move as vehicles usually

Basic "ED": bipedal 2 ton robot. Both arms have Chain Gun and Rocket Pack (with HE rockets) or can smash in melee for 4/4. Can use weapons on both arms at the same time but only one weapon per arm. 4 hit points, armor +1, target 3, agility -1 (melee +1), sensors +1

Combat 'Copter: armored helicopter. Armed with Mini Gun and 2 Missile Launchers with HE ammo. 3 hit points, armor +1, target 4, sensors +2, agility +1 (subjective), combat move 50 (in respect to its overall speed). Stealth version has cloak. Heavily armored has 4 hit points and armor +2, and additional 4x MAW.

Gamemaster Tools

Gamemaster Track

To keep track of player varans, you can use varan track (Postscript file). This track includes "awards", special merits given in Author's Neo-Troops campaign. You can ignore them or check them out from Author's local campaign awards.

Environment

This chapter talks a bit about all kind of things in Neo-Troops space opera universum:

Teleporters: it is typical that cybervarans are teleported to mission area and can be later on teleported away. Usually this teleport is very limited. The gamemaster must choose how it is used in each scenario, and it is very common that it only works out-of-scenario-map.

IT systems: varan battlesuit includes a computer and automated hacking tools to open electrical locks and to hack computer systems. The success probability and time required is completely controlled by the gamemaster and is used as a scenario tool. So, sometimes varan battlesuit computer cannot help with locked doors and sometimes it can, depending on the scenario.

Damage Batches

If several targets are affected, they could be rolled at the same time. If there is modifiers for each individual (from armor), simply reroll those dice.

Attacks which cause more than 1 damage per hit aimed at 1 hit point targets can also be handled like negative armor: