Rogue StaRS Skirmish Wargaming in a Science Fiction Underworld O sprey andrea Sfiligoi wargames 01/09/2016 08:39:25 author illustrator Andrea Sfiligoi is one of those few lucky fellows who can Johan Egerkrans is a Swedish illustrator who has been claim they are 'working' while playing with toy soldiers. drawing monsters since he was able to pick up a pencil. The success of his Song of Blades and Heroes line of He has worked as a professional illustrator for more wargame and roleplaying books, published by Ganesha than 15 years, providing illustrations and concept art for Games, convinced him to stop doing what he was doing games, comics, films, fashion and books. In 2013 he wrote before and write games for a living. and illustrated Nordiska Vaesen, a book about creatures in Scandinavian folklore, which has sold more than 30,000 copies in Sweden alone. Johan lives and works in Stockholm. Discover more at www.ospreygames.co.uk OWG 6 • 978 1 78200 638 1 OWG 10 • 978 1 4728 0781 6 OWG 13 • 978 1 4728 1571 2 OWG 15 • 978 1 4728 1513 2 HZW • 978 1 4728 1312 1 BOLT • 978 1 4728 1568 2 OWG17 Cover.indd 4-6 ROGUE STARS SKIRMISH WARGAMING IN A SCIENCE FICTION UNDERWORLD ANDREA SFILIGOI OWG 17 v8.indd 1 31/08/2016 09:17 This electronic edition published in 2016 by Bloomsbury Publishing Plc Acknowledgements First published in Great Britain in 2016 by Osprey Games Playtesters: Diego Chisena, Massimo Moscarelli, Diego Riccitelli, Sergio Laliscia, (part of Osprey Publishing) and Diego at La Tana. PO Box 883, Oxford, OX1 9PL, UK Additional Input: Ken Whitehurst, David Barnes, Davide Mana, Peter Huston, 1385 Broadway, 5th Floor, New York, NY 10018 Luca Volpino, Michael Wikan, Roberto Ricci, Giuseppe Maio, Roberto E-mail: [email protected] Bernardini, Matteo Ferri, Stefano Maccaglia, Damon Richardson, Giuseppe Amati, Valerio Gaetani, and the fine folks at ASM Marche. Osprey Publishing, part of Bloomsbury Publishing Plc © 2016 Andrea Sfiligoi Editor's Note All rights reserved You may not copy, distribute, transmit, reproduce or otherwise make Most of the miniatures presented in this volume are from the official Rogue available this publication (or any part of it) in any form, or by any means Stars figure range, sculpted by Mike Owen and Mark Copplestone, and available (including without limitation electronic, digital, optical, mechanical, through North Star Military Figures. Some are from Mark Copplestone's own photocopying, printing, recording or otherwise), without the prior written 'Future Wars' range, also available from North Star. The photography and figure permission of the publisher. Any person who does any unauthorised act in painting was all provided by Kevin Dallimore. Many thanks to Mike, Mark, Kev, relation to this publication may be liable to criminal prosecution and civil Nick Eyre and everyone else for their efforts and support. claims for damages. A CIP catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library Andrea Sfiligoi has asserted his right under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act, 1988, to be identified as the author of this book. Print ISBN: 978 1 4728 1077 9 PDF e-book ISBN: 978 1 4728 1078 6 EPUB e-book ISBN: 978 1 4728 1079 3 Typeset in Sabon and Myriad Pro Originated by PDQ Media, Bungay, UK To find out more about our authors and books visit www.ospreypublishing.com. Here you will find our full range of publications, as well as exclusive online content, details of forthcoming events and the option to sign up for our newsletters. You can also sign up for Osprey membership, which entitles you to a discount on purchases made through the Osprey site and access to our extensive online image archive. www.ospreygames.co.uk OWG 17 v8.indd 2 31/08/2016 09:17 CONTENTS INTRODUCTION 4 MISSIONS 32 THE BASICS 4 THE ENVIRONMENT 36 Equipment Needed 4 Terrain 36 Rolling Dice 6 Climbing 36 General Definitions 6 Noxious Atmosphere 36 Weather 37 THE GAME 7 Gravity 37 Pre-Game Sequence 7 Interiors 37 Activating 8 Containers 39 Reacting 8 NPCs 39 Actions and Reactions 11 CREATING YOUR SQUAD 41 Complex Tasks 14 Themes 41 RANGED COMBAT 16 Tactical Disciplines 44 Ranged Combat Results 17 Designing Characters 45 Grenades 17 Traits 47 Miscellaneous Equipment 52 MELEE COMBAT 18 Weapon Upgrades 54 Melee Combat Results 21 Cybernetic Enhancements 56 Leaving Melee 21 Psionic Abilities 57 Character Design Summary 61 DAMAGE 21 CAMPAIGN RULES 62 Hit Location 21 Damage Results 21 Who Survives? 62 Distributing Earned XP 62 WEAPONS AND ARMOUR 24 Adding Traits 62 Weapon Tables 24 Wounds, Crippled Limbs, and Prosthetics 62 Weapon Special Rules 25 Adding and Replacing Equipment 62 Armour Table 28 SAMPLE CHARACTERS 63 Armour Special Rules 28 200XP Squads 63 MORALE ROLLS 30 Characters 64 Results of Morale Rolls 30 OWG 17 v8.indd 3 31/08/2016 09:17 INTRODUCTION In the furthest reaches of a collapsing galactic empire that once ruled a thousand different cultures and species, badly paid militias and undermanned police forces struggle to restore order. Their enemies: pirates, desperadoes, and high-tech low-lifes from every corner of the galaxy. No colony, mining station, or trade route is safe. Chaos reigns, and only Fate will decree who will live, die, and prosper among the Rogue Stars. Rogue Stars is designed for character-driven firefights in a far-future setting. The protagonists are pirates, cyborgs, bounty hunters, merchants, mercenaries, cultists, and other survivors from the fringes of the galaxy. THE BASICS Rogue Stars is designed for a small table (3x3’) and a squad of 4–6 figures per player. Each figure represents an individual, and character generation is in the players’ hands – a points system allows for the creation of any human, alien or robot. In addition to the characters’ distinctive Traits and equipment, squads have unique Themes (who they are and why they fight) and Tactical Disciplines (how they fight). The game uses an unusual activation system to represent the chaos of combat. A squad may try to retain the upper hand, but the more they exert themselves, the easier it is for their opponents to take the initiative. EQUIPMENT NEEDED • 4–6 figures per player. • Enough scenery to set up a realistic battlefield. • Three 20-sided dice. • Markers (glass beads, poker chips) in three colours as Stress, Pin, and Wound counters (we use white, yellow, and red). About 10 Stress and 5 Pin and Wound markers are needed per squad. • A tape measure marked in inches (centimetres if using 15mm figures) for movement and ranges. • A few markers for uncommon conditions (Entangled, Hidden, Reloading, or Mind- controlled) may be handy. 4 OWG 17 v8.indd 4 31/08/2016 09:17 5 OWG 17 v8.indd 5 31/08/2016 09:17 ROLLING DICE Optional: Increased Criticals For more dramatic Dice checks in the game require rolling a 20-sided die (d20) and either simply checking the gameplay, count any roll result against a table, or against a Target Number (TN). If you roll the TN or better, the action that beats a TN by 10 or is successful. If you roll less than the TN, the action fails. There are often situational modifiers more as a critical success, that affect the result of rolls, but a natural, unmodified roll of 1 is a critical failure, while a and any roll that falls natural, unmodified 20 is a critical success. The Target Numbers Table summarizes the TNs short by 10 or more as a for common actions. critical failure. Target Numbers Table Action Attempted Target Number Here's a summary of the use Activate 8 of markers: React, Spot, Quantum Leap, Terrain, Shoot, Melee, Throw Grenade, Endure, Tech 10 Stress subtracts from Blind Jump 15 Activation/Reaction rolls. Take the Initiative 16 Pins subtract from Morale and Shoot rolls and add Degree of Success Table to Melee rolls against the Rolling 1 Critical Failure! The action fails and the character suffers a setback. Pinned character. Rolling less than the TN Failure! The action fails. Wounds subtract from Rolling the TN or better Success! The action is performed. Melee, Morale, Endure and Rolling 20 Critical Success! The action succeeds spectacularly. Psi rolls. All markers make it easier OTHER DICE for your opponent to Take Sometimes the d20 is called upon to roll different number ranges. To model a d10, divide the Initiative. All markers on the d20 result by two. For a d5, divide by four, and for a d4, divide by five. Always round up a character are removed if he any fractions. goes OOA. GENERAL DEFINITIONS • Active opponent: A foe who is not Prone, Entangled, Mind-controlled, Panicking, or Out of Action. • Adjacent: Two models are adjacent when they are in base-to-base contact. • Baseline: A side of the table that works as a ‘home’ for one of the squads. The attacker’s baseline is the side of the tabletop from which his models enter play and the direction towards which they flee. • Deploying: Placing figures in their starting position at the beginning of a game. In general, the defender deploys first, but mission rules might alter this. • Experience points (XP): XP are used to build characters and to reward players for achieving mission objectives. The squad gaining most XP wins. In campaigns, XP are spent to increase abilities. As a rule of thumb, gain 3XP for each enemy defeated, and 5XP for each objective reached. • Facing: There is no facing – figures can move, spot targets and fire in a 360° radius. • Line of Sight (LoS): An uninterrupted line of sight must exist between a shooter and a target for a shot to be possible. When in doubt, draw a length of thread from shooter to target to check LoS. • OOA: Out of Action. A character who has been knocked out and takes no more part in the game, but may be carried to safety by his comrades, looted by opponents, or eaten by ravenous aliens. 6 OWG 17 v8.indd 6 31/08/2016 09:17 • Random Hit Locations: If a character is hit in a random location by accidental damage, This is a shooting-heavy roll d20. On a 1–9 = torso, 10–12 = arm, 13–15 = leg, 16–20 = head. Attacks use a game – hug cover and keep different mechanic to determine hit location. your head low. Make sure • Re-rolls: If a rule allows a die to be re-rolled, the result of the re-roll stands, even if worse there are many obstacles that than the original. No re-roll may be re-rolled. allow for hiding or skulking • Terrain: Unless the mission says otherwise, a game is played on a 3x3’ table with at least towards objectives. 6–10 scenic items, covering at least two thirds of the table. Hard and fast rules on terrain set-up are not possible – use what you have. Indoor missions may have corridors, chairs, computer consoles, lockers, crates, hatches, metal doors, power units, furniture, and those ubiquitous steam-venting pipes. Outdoor missions may have boulders, rocky outcrops, small buildings, parked/wrecked vehicles, lakes of noxious fluids, rivers of molten lava, cave entrances, growths of fungi or alien vegetation, and even huge crystals. THE GAME PRE-GAME SEQUENCE INTELLIGENCE Before each game, after squads have been determined, one character in each squad may perform a TN15 Tech roll. If successful, the opponent must reveal his squad’s profiles before deployment. THE INITIATIVE ROLL Players first roll to determine whose squad has the initiative in the forthcoming game. Roll a d20 and add the appropriate modifiers, re-rolling ties. Initiative Modifiers Squad leader's Leadership Trait +1, +2 or +3 All squad members are Veteran +1 All squad members are Elite or Heroes +2 Squad has Blitzkrieg Tactical Discipline +2 The player who rolls the highest has the initiative and is called the attacker. His figures will move first at the beginning of the game. The other player is the defender and sets up the table. DETERMINE MISSION The attacker rolls on the Mission table (p.32) to determine his goal. The defender has to stop him, and rolls on the Location (p.34) and Complications tables (p.35) to learn where the battle is fought, and what events affect it. Combine these three results through a narrative and common sense to define and develop the mission. 7 OWG 17 v8.indd 7 31/08/2016 09:17 You can activate a character For example, we have a squad of Miners as attackers and Star Cops as defenders. We roll as many times as you an Abduction mission, a farm for the location, and a VIP as a complication. Here’s how we want. The more Stress you tied it all together: On the mining world of Phoinax III, distillation of hard liquors has been accumulate, however, the prohibited, causing unrest amongst the hard-drinking miners. A company representative, easier it is for the opponent escorted by a small bodyguard of Rangers, is inspecting a farm rumoured to be producing to steal your initiative. alcohol. A group of angry miners plans to kidnap the company man while he is relatively lightly guarded, and use him as leverage in demanding a repeal of the law.The narrative will help you fill in any grey areas. For example, large containers may be grain silos, and a piece of machinery may represent distilling equipment. A third player may act as a game master and come up with the narrative for the other players, but it is generally better if all participants contribute to the story. ACTIVATING ACTIVATING A CHARACTER To act with a character you must activate him. The acting player selects a character and may choose whether to roll one, two, or three Activation dice (d20s) for that figure, adding the relevant modifiers. The TN for the Activation roll is 8. Activation Modifiers Civilian -4 Green -2 Veteran +1 Elite +2 Hero +3 Per Stress marker on the character -1 So, for example, a Green character with 1 Stress needs an 11 or better to activate. Every success entitles the character to perform one action from the actions list, or any action allowed by the mission. You may combine and order actions as you see fit, as long as you do not perform more actions than the successes you rolled. Do not declare what you are going to do until you perform the actions. Put 1 Stress marker on the character for each action performed. This is not per die rolled nor per available action – you may always choose to perform fewer actions than you have available in order to limit Stress. So, if you roll three dice and two are successful, you may choose to perform one action, and thus put only 1 Stress on the character. Why shouldn’t you always roll three dice? Because every failure you roll gives the opponent a Reaction die. The opponent uses those dice to make Reactions – actions that happen before yours, and that may be used to take the initiative away from you. The acting player’s turn does not end until the opponent takes the initiative away from him, or until the acting player decides to pass. It is theoretically possible, but very unlikely, that the same player retains initiative for a whole game. You continue activating your characters until you decide to pass, even going back and forth between two characters, or even activating the same character multiple times. Remember to put 1 Stress on the character for every action performed. You may stop activating at any time, passing the initiative to your opponent. When you do so, remove all Stress from your characters (they are taking a breather). Be careful not to remove Pin or Wound markers. ACTIVATION CRITICAL FAILURES AND SUCCESSES If you roll a 1 on any Activation die, the opponent gets to react at +2 on that single Reaction roll. If you roll a 20 on an Activation die, you may cancel a Reaction caused by the same Activation, or immediately roll another Activation die. This ‘free’ Activation roll causes no Reactions if it fails. If the new roll is another 20, repeat this process. REACTING When the acting player attempts to activate a character and fails, the non-acting player may choose to use make Reactions with one or more of his characters, adding the relevant modifiers. The TN for a Reaction is 10. 8 OWG 17 v8.indd 8 31/08/2016 09:17