Role Playing Game: Steve Bergeron Cait Bergeron

WARBIRDSRole Playing Game
Steve Bergeron
Cait Bergeron
Jeff Haala (Order #35036421)
Welcome to the floating islands of Azure. Here among the dazzling fragments of
the Caribbean islands is where your elite fighter pilot will make their mark on the
world.
Warbirds is a game about flying and fighting for fame and fortune. Step into the
role of a Guild pilot and go head to head in fast-paced aerial combat powered
by Outrider Studios’ Rapidfire system. Build your fame in the air to receive
opportunities to star in films, sponsor products, feature in comic books, and
gain the perks of international celebrity.
For the thrill of flight and the allure of fame -- take to the skies.
OUTRIDER
STUDIOS OS 300

Warbirds
WARBIRDS
Role Playing Game
Written By
Steve Bergeron and Cait Bergeron
Produced By
Chris Scott, Cameron Macdonald, and Ashley Dinning
Edited by
Patrick Riegert
Rapidfire Rules by
Steve Bergeron and Quinton Oliviero
Cover and Interior Art by

Dim Martin - dimmartin.deviantart.com
Additional Content and Playtesting

Kirk Bittman, Kevin Empey, Andrea Empey, Desiree Barlow, Adam Rutherford,
David Sawyer, Dave Vanderwerf, Steve Anderson, Bobby Power, Nik Powers, Ryan
Gariepy and The Great Derek Breedon
Published by
Outrider Studios - outriderstudios.com
Web
For more Warbirds info go to www.warbirdsrpg.com
Warbirds Role Playing Game is ©2013 Outrider Studios. All rights reserved.
001

Contents
Table of Contents
Credits 1 Exploration Companies 53
Comic 4 Fundamental Catholic Church 53
Welcome 8 Reformed Catholic Church 53
Chapter 1 Chapter 4
The World of Azure 9 Rapidfire Rules 55
Stats 55
The Murk 9
Skills 56
The Sky 10
Making the Numbers 57
The Eye 10
Combat 59
The Central Islands 12
Combat Sequence 59
Getting Around 14
Injuries and Death 60
A Short History 16
Recovery and Healing 61
The Storm 16
Combat Modifiers 61
The Chaos Years 17
Environment Damage 64
Slavery’s End 18
Combat Example #1 65
Religion in Crisis 18
Combat Example #2 66
The Dawn of Flight 19
Rules of the Sky 67
First Resource War 20
Stats 67
The Modern Era 20
Skills 67
Aircraft 68
Chapter 2 The Dogfight 69
The Nations of Azure 23 Firing 69
Jamaica 25 Defending 70
Minor Principalities 27 Damage 71
The Guild Keys 30 Rounds to the Ground 72
Haiti 32 Disengage 73
Cuba 34 Head to Heads 73
Santiago 36 Multiple Planes 74
Puerto Rico 38 Ambush 74
Tegesta 40 Strafing 75
Yucatan 42 The Approach 75
Nassau 44 The Attack 76
Retaliatory Fire 76
Chapter 3 Hangers-on 76
Major Organizations 46 Surprise! 77
The Guild 46 Speed and Scale 77
Pirates 49 Turnaround and Repairs 77
Mercenaries 51 Air Combat Example 77
Prensa Libre 52
Errant Observations 52
002

Contents
Chapter 5 Maintenance 137

The Characters 80 Examples 137
Welcome to the Guild 80 GM Tool 139
Building Your Flight 81
Create Your Character 85 Chapter 8
1. Concept 85 Running Warbirds 140
2. Name 85 Arbitrating Rolls 141
3. Background 86 Running The Game 142
4. Stats 88 Pilots Without Planes 142
5. Skills 89 Controlling the Skies 146
6. Secondary Stats 94 Themes 150
7. Advantages/Disadvantages 95 Celebrity 150
8. Gear, Money, and Fame 99 Rivalry 151
9. The Details 104 Exploration 152
Character Advancement 105 Rewards 153
Character Rewards 156
Chapter 6 Rivals and Enemies 158
Warbird Creation 108 Thugs 158
1. SA and Skills 108 Threats 159
2. Basic Warbird 110 Recurring Villains 160
3. Primary Armament 111 Example Villain 162
4. Heavy Weapons 112 NPC List 163
5. Starting Traits 112 Thug List 165
6. Ratings 113 Airborne NPCs and Vehicles 166
7. Appearance 114 Aircraft 166
Improving Your Warbird 114 Airships 167
Aces 114 Fleet Ships 169
Warbird Traits 116 Carriers 172
Gunnery Traits 116 Civilian Shipping 174
Ordinance Traits 118 Trains 176
Dogfighting Traits 119 Fortifications 178
Strafing Traits 121
General Traits 122 Appendices 180
A – The Courier Game 180
Chapter 7 B – Dogfight Tracker 183
Go Gonzo 124 C – Glossary 184
D – Character/Warbird Sheet 186
Magic in Azure 124
Catholic Mysticism 125
Mayan Ritualism 128 Supporters 188
Haitian Vodou 130
Mad Science 132
Science Projects 133
Effects and Limits 135
003

World of Azure
Just another day flying escort out over the murk...
Three
Weeks and no action.
Boring!
Ch
1
Esmerelda “Duchess” Gutierrez
Steady
Now. We all know
there are pirates out here,
just itching to catch us with
our guard down.
Flight Leader Terrence “Task” Micheau
Elizabeth “Longshot” Blake
Paranoid as ever,
Task. Can’t you enjoy the
trip for once?
Guys, I hate to admit

Task was right, but...
Pirates! 3 O’Clock High!
Zach “Turbo” Gordon

004

World of Azure
Ch
1
Longshot,
Duchess, take out
these Fighters!
Sure thing,
Task.
Turbo, with
me. We’re going after
the carrier. 005

World of Azure
Ch
1
006

World of Azure
Signal
the surrender,
then. The guildCh
can
have this one.1
Sir,
that last hit started
a core fire! We’re losing
altitude!
Later...
Today’s
viictory shows why you
ask for Tango Flight. We get
the job done.
007

World of Azure
WELCOME TO WARBIRDS
In days gone by, pilots were lauded as heroes of the sky. They braved new frontiers, exploring our world in ways
we had previously never thought possible. The daring fought our wars on unproven battlefields and returned
as legends.
Warbirds seeks to recapture the adventure, the romance and the celebrity of that era. As an elite group
of fighter pilots, your party will fly and fight for the freedoms of Azure, the only world you have left, while
Ch being showered with the fame, fortune and adulation of its citizens. Warbirds is a game about sacrifice and
1 stardom. Why do you fly?
Playing the Game

Players in Warbirds take on role of elite fighter pilots in a powerful mercenary group known as the Guild.
Guild pilots have specialized fighters called warbirds that give them a serious edge in combat. The Guild works
to provide safety and security for its clients, while simultaneously making its members rich and famous. An
experienced Guild pilot is a talented combat veteran and gets treated like a famous celebrity. They have fans
and product endorsements, receive invitations to all of the best parties and events and risk serious public
scandals when things go wrong, both in the air and on the ground.
The Guild and its pilots exist in an alternate reality universe called Azure. Azure is composed of
islands floating in the sky above an endless Murk. Azure’s origin is tied to our own in that the islands come
from our own world. In Azure’s timeline, the Caribbean suffered a cataclysmic hurricane in 1804. Most
islands, along with parts of Florida and the Yucatan peninsula, were picked up and dropped into this new
world. Each island retains much of its pre-Storm heritage, but time and isolation has led to inevitable cultural
changes. It has been over 200 years in Azure’s history since the Storm, and the world is just catching up to an
equivalent of our 1940s technology. Diesel-powered airships dominate the skies, but they are vulnerable to
swarms of heavily armed fighter aircraft.
Play Style
Warbirds is designed to be a cinematic game. Its characters are larger-than-life heroes who risk life and limb
and usually come out on top. The rules are designed to emulate the feel of dogfighting and air combat without
getting bogged down by the rules and minutiae of complex simulation. You do not need a tactical map to play
the game, and even the most complicated scenario can be handled with just a few counters or tokens to track
initiative. Like other Rapidfire games, Warbirds only requires
Aviation Design Notes the use of a single d6 (six-sided die) to resolve conflicts and
A quick scan of this book’s pages will keep the action moving.
reveal a smattering of little sidebars When characters are out of their planes, they might
that are a different colour from the rest be enjoying the nightlife in a major city, mixing it up with
of the text and marked with a small plane criminals, exploring new islands, engaging in prank wars with
symbol. These are aviation design notes that their rivals, avoiding or courting the paparazzi, or even making
either give real-world examples of why certain movies or commercials for their sponsors. In short, Azure is a
parts of the game operate the way they do or busy place, and there is never a shortage of things to do.
provide additional context for the ins and outs
of combat flying.
008

World of Azure
CHAPTER ONE
THE WORLD OF AZURE
Warbirds is set among the beautiful sky isles of Azure. It has endless blue skies above, the roiling Murk below
and thousands of islands scattered in between. The isles all rotate around the invisible, mysterious Eye.
This section will give you a grand tour of Azure. It will stop in the most interesting places and explain Ch
the how -- if not necessarily the why -- of Azure and its inhabitants. Places to be explored include the Murk, 1
the Eye, the central islands, the distant isles and the errant isles.
The Murk
Any discussion of Azure’s geography begins with the Murk. Imagine a dark ocean sitting under an endless sky.
Now imagine that the ocean is made of dark, roiling clouds instead of water. Next, give the ocean peaks and
valleys. While it is uniform from a distance, up close it has terrain like rolling hills, jagged towers and natural
arches. All of these features are rapidly shifting, as the winds in the Murk are often in excess of 300 kilometres
per hour (kph), or 190 miles per hour (mph). The colour varies from a light grey similar to normal clouds to
jet black smoke. The Murk is not made of “clouds” in the water-vapour sense of the word; rather it is heavy
inert gases mixed with abrasive dust and pockets of hydrocarbons.
This last point makes the Murk almost impossible to explore. People cannot breath in it; engines,
which require oxygen to run, do not function; and the constant wind and abrasive dust make most instruments
corrode and fail in short order. To add to the difficulty, pressure rises very quickly as one descends into it, and
most aircraft would be crushed if they descended more than a kilometre.
All of these difficulties haven’t stopped people from trying to explore the Murk’s depths. There have
even been a few successes. Early explorers discovered that the darkest streaks of the Murk are so rich in
hydrocarbons that they can be mined and processed into heavy diesel fuel. Others have lowered armoured
probes into the depths to try and find the “bottom.” While such investigations haven’t had any luck with the
search for the bottom, they have discovered that Murk contains discrete layers with different chemical make-
ups, average temperatures and even weather. Researchers have figured out that the Murk curves away at the
horizon, though the curve is so slight as to be imperceptible without the use of precise instruments.
The science does not change the reality for pilots: If a plane hits the Murk, the engine dies immediately.
The pilot then has a few seconds at best to pull up before the winds send the plane tumbling and the dust starts
tearing it apart. Flying close to the Murk is especially dangerous in bad weather, when telling the difference
between low clouds and outcrops of the Murk is the difference between a slightly rough ride and almost
certain death.
009

World of Azure
The Sky
When people think of Azure, they think of the
skies above the Murk. Azure’s skies are almost
identical to our own. They are a perfect shade of
blue broken up by all sorts of clouds. A familiar
sun rises and sets every day and a moon rises
at night. The moon and stars do not perfectly
match the view from our known Earth, but they
Ch are close enough that it would require more than
1 a cursory glance to spot the differences.
Despite its beauty, the skies are full
of dangers. Clouds hide powerful winds and
the risk of icing. The sky is full of a thousand
species of birds, many of which are large enough
to damage or disable an aircraft. Finally, there
are powerful storms that frequently tear across
Azure. Most are just full of rain and snow, but
hurricane-force winds and tornadoes do emerge This is a cut-away view of Azure showing the layers of islands,
from time to time. The Murk below, and the Eye in the center. It is roughly to scale,
Azure has very mild seasons, with the with there being about 100 km between each layer.
winter months being only a little cooler and wetter
than those of the summer, but winter is when most of the worst storms hit.
The skies are not uniform throughout Azure. Near the Murk, the air tends to be thick and cold. This
makes it easy for planes to manoeuvre, as their wings have an easy time “grabbing” the air. It also means aircraft
engines run a little more efficiently, as cold air is better for most engines as they have been designed. As a plane
climbs away from the Murk, a pilot will find that the air thins
The Atmosphere out and warms up. This makes it more difficult for planes to
What’s going on in Azure is not a close fly, but the effect is slight enough that it’s not a major concern
match with our Earth’s atmosphere, unless a pilot travels far above the Uplands (see below).
which is warm and dense down low,
The Eye
getting colder and thinner as one ascends,
then getting even thinner and warmer at high
altitudes. The main distinction is Azure’s tiny
pressure gradient. Just above the Murk, the
At center of Azure is the Eye. It is an invisible pillar of air that
pressure matches our Earth at sea level. Two-
rises up out of the Murk and extends hundreds of kilometres
hundred kilometres up at the Uplands, which
into the sky. It is about 20 kilometres in diameter where it
would technically be in space in our Earth
emerges from the Murk slowly widens to about double that
paradigm, Azure’s pressure is only about the
at its apex. The Eye is known for five unique properties: an
equivalent of Denver, Colorado; i.e., about one
updraft, a magnetic pole, a source of radio interference, a
mile, or one-point-six kilometres, above sea level.
rotational axis and a floatstone (see page 12) dead zone.
The good news is that all of this fancy
atmospheric stuff can be effectively ignored.
Azure has good flying conditions at most
altitudes, and unless a pilot tries to climb into
orbit, there won’t be any issues.
010

World of Azure
Updraft
The Eye has a constant, powerful updraft that makes it easy
for planes to ascend. Whenever an aircraft needs to climb to
a higher island, the preferred route is to do so up through the
Eye. It is a popular enough route that the Eye can get very
congested with so many planes in a relatively small piece of
sky. The two rules of using the Eye are to look up and turn
left. That means everyone should look up to avoid collision,
and all orbits in the Eye are made to the left. Following
these rules tend to keep crashes to a minimum, but they still Ch
happen from time to time in bad weather. 1
The updraft is at its most powerful closest to the
Murk and decreases in intensity as altitude increases. By the
time it reaches the highest islands, it is little more than a light
breeze.
Planes circling up in the Eye’s powerful updraft.
Magnetic Pole
All compasses in Azure point towards the Eye. It is magnetic north, and any pilot can figure out the way to the
Eye with ease. Instead of saying “north” and “south,” pilots say “Eye-ward” and “Murk-ward”. Navigation in
Azure is tricky, and pilots have a number of methods to figure out their location. Lost pilots inevitably head
Eye-ward and hope to spot an island they recognize.
Radio Interference
The Eye is pumping out a constant barrage of radio noise. It is strongest near the Eye but stretches out for
thousands of kilometres in every direction. It’s powerful enough to make most radio communication impossible
beyond a range of about 10 kilometres. Planes and airships carry radios despite their range limitations, but
commercial radio stations do not exist in Azure. Instead, cables are run to tuner boxes in people’s homes.
(Think cable television, but without images.) The Eye’s interference puts a severe limit on the development of
radar, and while radar theory exists, no one has yet made a radar powerful enough to cut through the noise.
Rotational Axis
All of the islands of Azure rotate around the Eye. The general rule is that the closest islands have almost
perfectly circular orbits while more distant isles follow elliptical paths. Some islands have orbits that are so
elliptical that they pass near the Eye just once in a lifetime. Most islands orbit clockwise, though there are a
few exceptions.
There is also a relationship between an island’s altitude and its orbital speed. The islands of the
Uplands, floating over 200 kilometres above the Murk, complete an orbit every year. The Midlands, over 100
kilometres lower, make two orbits a year, while the Lowlands, sitting less than 10 kilometres above the Murk,
make four orbits. Down where the Eye meets the Murk, the orbital speeds increase exponentially. There is a
mess of swirling islands and massive chunks of debris. Known as the Maelstrom, it is a dangerous, chaotic
region that most pilots avoid.
One distant isle is used as a calendar. The sun rises in line with Solstice Island every June 21, and
011

World of Azure
the calendar year is made up of the familiar 365 days. Solstice

Floatstone Island is located in the Uplands at the farthest end of the Guild
The world of Azure is only possible thanks to the Keys (see page 30).
magical properties of floatstone. First discovered
in an abandoned Puerto Rican mine, floatstone
is what holds up all of Azure’s islands and, by Floatstone Dead Zone
extension, its airships. Floatstone is a hard but An island’s orbit never passes through the Eye because the stuff
brittle rock that looks and feels similar to shale. holding the island up, floatstone, stops working. Airships,
A small chunk of it doesn’t seem very special, but which all contain a floatstone core, start dropping as soon as
falls too slowly when dropped and feels like it they enter the Eye. Although the powerful engines they use can
Ch
has too much inertia for its size. A large chunk of slow such a fall, when combined with the Eye’s natural updraft,
1floatstone (more than three cubic metres of the the only solution is for the ship to leave the Eye and regain
stuff) will actually float. It falls into its natural lift. A ship caught in the Eye without engines will sink until it
orbit for its altitude and “tries” to stay put. It can gets caught in the Maelstrom and become yet another piece of
be moved with enough effort, though it is a lot of whirling wreckage.
work. Putting a large enough chunk of floatstone
in an airship allows it to float, though it takes
The Central
heavy diesel turbines to move the ship, and the
fastest airship out there has trouble exceeding 30
kph, or 19 mph.
Islands
Here are two fun facts about floatstone.
First, it can be melted and reformed with the
same ease as a heavy metal like lead. Heating
up floatstone kills its floating properties, but Azure is primarily made up of centralized islands that consist of
they come back when the rock cools. Second, the Uplands, Midlands and Lowlands. These islands are home
floatstone is part of a complex ore. The purest to humanity and all of its varied nations. They all orbit less
floatstone still contains 20 per cent impurities. than 1,000 kilometres from the Eye and are familiar to us as
Scientists believe that if the stuff could be further the Caribbean islands. Each island looks just as it would on an
purified, then it wouldn’t just float but would overhead map of our Earth, but a side view shows that their
actually rise of its own accord. How far it would bedrock extends down a few kilometres and then comes to an
rise and how fast are still up for debate. abrupt, jagged end.
The Lowlands
Hovering less than a dozen kilometres above the Murk sits the
massive bulk of the Lowlands. They are primarily made up of
the former peninsulas of Florida and Yucatan.
Yucatan is now the home of a resurgent Maya people
and their federation of kingdoms. They have rebuilt and re- Yucatan
inhabited their ancient cities. Florida, referred to by its former
native name, Tegesta, was almost uninhabited when it arrived Tegesta
in Azure. It also arrived heavily damaged with much of the
peninsula, as well as the everglades, falling into the Murk.
500 Km
Now it is Azure’s wild west, with every country trying to claim
and develop a piece of it.
This map shows the Lowlands as viewed from
The Lowlands are much colder than they once were,
above. The white dot represents the Eye.
012

World of Azure
and a massive vegetation die-off left open fields ready

for hardy staple crops. The Maya have done very well in
o
iag
Puerto
the new environment, and are flourishing. Tegesta now t
San
Rico
has some of the best farmland in Azure. The problem is
that everyone says it’s theirs.
The Midlands Haiti

Sitting about 100 kilometres above the Lowlands, the
Cu
ba
Midlands contain most of Azure’s population. They are
made up of the islands of Puerto Rico, Haiti (modern-
Ch
day Haiti and the Dominican Republic) and Cuba
,which was broken in half during the storm; one half is 500 Km
1
still called Cuba and the other is now known as Santiago.
All of the islands of the Midlands have large The Midlands are 100 km above the Lowlands. They orbit
populations and chronic shortages of resources. They clockwise around the Eye and complete two orbits a year.
import fuel and luxury items from the Uplands, while
bringing commodities up from the Lowlands. Midland governments are always on the lookout for errant isles
(see page 14) and frequently send out expeditions to explore and exploit them.
The climate is far cooler than what used to exist on the islands, but is still good for farming. The
shortage of resources has led to mass deforestation in Cuba and strip mining in Santiago. Regional conflicts
are frequent, and Azure’s first major war began in the
Midlands.
Guild
The Uplands Keys
Hundreds of kilometres above the Murk sits the tiny

stately islands of the Uplands. The islands of the Uplands
a
ic
include all of the Lesser Antilles, which are the Virgin

ma
Islands, Barbados, St. Vincent, Grenada, the Dutch

Ja
ABC islands, etc.; a few pieces of the Bahamas; Trinidad

Trinidad
and Tobago; the Florida Keys from Key Largo to Key & Tobago
West; the Caymans; and the island of Jamaica.
The Uplands have a warm, wet climate similar
to what they had before their arrival in Azure. This
makes them the ideal place to grow sugarcane. While 500 Km
this cash crop was once a sign of imperial hegemony, it

is now major source of income for farmers. Planes are The Uplands are the most scattered and least populated
famous for their need for fuel, and they all run off the region of the central isles. They are also the warmest, richest
ethanol distilled from processed sugarcane. Uplanders and most comfortable place to live in Azure.
have become wealthy due to their ethanol monopoly, and
the nations of the Uplands tend to be the freest, fairest
and most comfortable to live in.
The largest city in all of Azure, and the one many consider to be the world’s cultural capital, is
Kingston, Jamaica. Even the famous fighter Guild is based out of the Uplands, claiming the former Florida
Keys as their base of operation.
013

World of Azure
Drop Laws
With the central islands always passing over each
Distant Isles
other, items dropped off the higher isles are a While Azure is sometimes just thought of as the central isles,
serious threat to their lower neighbours. One there are other islands farther out that are still part of the orbital
of the earliest international laws established in group. These mainly consist of the thousands of island shards
Azure forbids dropping anything off of an island which once made up the Bahamas.
of the Uplands or Midlands. So-called drop laws Some of these islands, like Nassau, are in stable, distant orbits
are vigorously enforced. Dropping small items, just beyond the range of most fighter aircraft. Others are a part
like pebbles or coins, carries a large fine, while of a massive, unstable three-dimensional mess of islands known
Ch
dropping anything large or dense enough to as the “Pirates’ Tangle.” The Tangle is home to several different
1kill someone leads to a jail term. On the rare groups of rogues and criminals who prey on Azure’s extensive
occasions where dropped items kill people on airborne shipping and refining operations. The Guild was first
the lower islands, the culprits are charged with formed to protect against these pirate groups. The pirates stay
second-degree murder. in business by hiding in the Tangle, where even Guild pilots are
The laws also effectively outlaw cheap hesitant to fly. Routes through the Tangle are always shifting,
smuggling. Enterprising criminals often drop and the pirates work hard to keep the routes secret.
illicit goods from the higher islands to the lower Other than the Tangle, there are other small, distant islands
ones using crates with attached parachutes. that are used as fuel stops, private retreats and even hunting
While winds and the motion of the islands make preserves, depending on who owns them. Some are too small to
such drops tricky, there is enough demand for even have an airstrip, and remain uninhabited.
smuggled items to make the drops worth the
risk.
Errant Isles
Beyond the distant isles lay the errant isles. So called because of
their rare and random arrivals, errant isles are on long, elliptical orbits that spend a few short weeks or months
just in sight of the central isles before disappearing for decades, or even centuries. The arrival of an errant
isle is a big deal. There are several companies that exist purely to explore and exploit these new lands. Some
companies have even set up small colonies on the islands that are known to come around every few years,
though no one has risked setting up a colony on an island with an orbit longer than a decade.
GETTING AROUND
With all of the layers and orbits, it can be difficult to figure out how far anything is from anything else and how
long it will take to get there. Below are some general guidelines to keep track of such things.
Up and Down
Transiting between layers can be a slow process. The rule of thumb is that fighter aircraft can sustain a climb
rate of one kilometre per minute. They can go a lot faster in a dogfight, but cannot sustain higher rates of
climb over the long term. This means it takes just over an hour and a half to transit the 100 kilometres between
layers. Most planes, especially overpowered, short-ranged warbirds, lack the fuel to make an upward transit
and need a carrier ship to haul them up. A fighter with extra drop tanks that stays in the Eye to save fuel can
make the trip but needs to land and refuel ASAP when it gets there. Airships, which are slow at the best of
014

World of Azure
times, are downright ponderous when climbing

between layers. Military ships can manage 1
kilometre every 5 minutes, with civilian freighters
being half as fast. This means layer transit takes
over 8 hours for military ships and over 16 hours
for civilian ships.
Descending is much easier for all
aircraft. A fighter can safely drop 2 kilometres
per minute, 5 kilometres per minute if they are
in a hurry, and if the pilot is willing to risk it,
Ch
the plane can shut off its engine and glide for the
descent -- the risk, of course, being that the engine 1
might not start again. Airships drop at a much
more stately 1 kilometre per 3 minutes; that rate
is halved for civilian freighters. A military airship
can perform an emergency drop by heating its
core. An emergency drop turns the airship into a
giant falling projectile with a terminal velocity in
excess of 9 kilometres per minute, similar to that
of a large brick. The risk, as with a plane gliding,
is getting the core cooled and functioning again
before the ship crashes.
Crossing the
Expanse
Traveling around the central isles of Azure is not
a major concern. Most of the islands are within 500 kilometres of the Eye and can be reached in an hour or so
by plane as long as they are on the same layer. Airships, with their 30 kph top speed, can travel between any
two points in the central islands in less than 24 hours, and some hops are much shorter.
When traveling between layers, the distance an airship needs to travel depends on the current orbital
positions of the islands. If you need a quick random travel time between to points, use 12+2d6 hours. If both
the start and end points are close to the Eye -- translating into little lateral travel -- halve the flight time.
Heading farther out takes some more time. Getting to the distant isle of Nassau, considered to be
Azure’s most remote civilized outpost, means crossing over 2,000 kilometres of open skies. This is beyond the
range of any fighter and takes an airship three days to get there if it flies at max speed. Most transits to Nassau
take five to seven days, as skippers divert around bad weather, avoid pirate islands and try to preserve fuel.
The one aircraft that can make the trip quickly is a Guild courier. These very expensive four-engine transports
can carry just enough fuel to make the journey and can travel from a central isle to Nassau in just under eight
hours, though they will be screaming for gas at the end of the trip.
Getting to an errant island is even tougher. Few pass within less of 3,000 kilometres of the central
islands and most are spotted out between 4,000 and 5,000 kilometres. Just spotting these islands from the
central Isles requires teams of full-time island spotters using very powerful telescopes. An airship can take
weeks to make the crossing and there is no guarantee that a ship will find anything of use when it gets there,
or that it will be able to make a return flight.
015

World of Azure
On the Ground
While kids dream of being fighter pilots in the Guild and businesses operate small fleets of airships, most
people in Azure spend their whole lives on the ground. The small size of the islands combined with very
expensive fuel has led to a system of transport that most of us would not find familiar.
Most people, especially the poor, walk everywhere. Whether they be in the city or the country, most
people get around by using their feet. Walking paths are everywhere on the islands and most people have no
need to travel much faster than their feet can take them.
Those with a little more money and a little less time ride bicycles. Bikes are a close second to walking
in terms of transport, and even the rich are not above getting around by bicycle. Riding horses and other beasts
Ch of burden are still common among those who have the means, but bikes are everywhere in Azure.
1 Heavy transport, as well as mass transport in the cities, is handled by diesel-powered trains. These
trains are all “narrow gauge,” meaning they are smaller and lighter than our contemporary North American
counterparts. Trains are popular enough that there is a passenger tram system in every major city, and there
are railways crisscrossing the nations of the Midlands. Railways are less common on the smaller islands of the
Uplands, though the Guild has built a railway that connects all of the islands of their keys. In the Lowlands,
Tegesta is devoid of railways, but Yucatan is covered in tracks that follow the ancient Mayan Sacbe -- white
roads -- connecting all of the kingdoms of the federation.
Motorized transport, such as cars and trucks, is very rare. The cost of fuel makes them too expensive
to run unless they are being used by a large company to move goods, or by the very wealthy. Motorcycles are
quickly becoming a status symbol among the rich and famous, and arriving at a social event on the back of a
bike is considered a stylish statement.
A SHORT HISTORY
Azure’s history starts with our own. It begins in the Caribbean Sea in 1804. Cuba is a successful Spanish
colony. Puerto Rico, also under Spain’s control, has become an important strategic outpost. The nation of
Haiti has just won independence from Napoleon’s France and it is the New World’s first nation to abolish
slavery. The British colony of Jamaica is a profitable sugarcane and coffee producer. The smaller islands of the
Caribbean are split up between the various colonial powers. All of them are slave states that deal primarily in
growing cash crops. On the mainland, both Florida and the Yucatan are under Spanish control. While Florida
is inhabited almost exclusively by small groups of natives and escaped slaves with a few intrepid Americans
taking hold, Yucatan has a strong Spanish presence ruling over a large group of oppressed indigenous Maya.
The Storm
All of this history is our history and these lands would have become the modern Caribbean that exists on
our Earth today were it not for the Storm. On the 17th of September, 1804, a storm like none ever before
smashed into the Caribbean. It was larger and more powerful than any hurricane ever seen, and it raged for
over a week. It made the seas impassible, destroyed buildings and fields and spread incalculable death and
massive destruction.
On the September 25, the clouds parted and the sun shone. Survivors crawled and limped out of the
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Ch
1
Storm’s wreckage to find they were no longer in the tropical Caribbean sea; they were floating above an endless
ocean of clouds. Some people thought they were in heaven, while others wondered if they had been caught in
a dream. They quickly learned that they were in a new world with new rules. In time, they came to call their
new world Azure, and now they thrive.
The Chaos Years

Chaos reigned during the first few years after the Storm. Except for the Uplands, the climate had shifted to
be much cooler and wetter, leading to food shortages and famine. The lack of travel between islands isolated
nations and led to all sorts of shortages. Governments, once supported by distant colonial powers, collapsed
when confronted by crisis after crisis.
It is estimated that one in four people died in the first year after the Storm and the death rate
remained high for the next two decades. While people were dying from food shortages and violence, one of the
silver linings of the era was the disappearance of the most deadly diseases of the bygone region, such as yellow
fever and malaria.
Two major social changes occurred during the decade after the Storm that are still being felt today:
the end of slavery and the religious crisis.
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World of Azure
Slavery’s End
In 1804, much of the region’s population was made up of black slaves imported to work on colonial sugar
plantations. Life as a slave was particularly brutal in the Caribbean, with death rates being higher than birth
rates. Colonial plantation owners needed a steady influx of slaves to keep their operations running.
Still, the tide was turning in 1804. The slaves of Haiti had just won their freedom after a bloody,
brutal war, and the British were just a few years away from abolishing the slave trade. The move towards
freedom accelerated after the Storm.
Cut off from their colonial support and suffering from all sorts of shortages, slave owners now faced
Ch the prospect of being outnumbered by people who had little to lose. The wisest slave owners saw the writing on
1 the wall and renounced their ownership and begged for mercy. Slavery was a thing of the past in all of Azure
in less than five years.
While the slavery itself is gone, colonial influences remain. The people of Haiti still speak French,
while inhabitants of Cuba, Santiago and Puerto Rico speak Spanish. Most of the Uplands speak English,
though there are a few tiny pockets of Dutch speakers.
In terms of ethnicity, with the exception of Yucatan, around half of Azure’s population is of African
or mixed descent. About 30 per cent of people have mostly Spanish ancestry; 15 per cent are descended from
British, French and other European ancestry; and around five per cent are descended from natives and other
more distant origins. The Maya of Yucatan violently expelled their Spanish overlords, and now over 85 per
cent of Yucatan’s inhabitants are of Mayan descent, with another 12 per cent having a mixed Maya/Spanish
heritage. Most of the other three per cent are of British origin living in Belize City in what was once British
Honduras.
Religion in Crisis
Faith was one of the first casualties of the Storm. Much of the Caribbean was Catholic in 1804, and the
church suffered heavily in those first few years in Azure. When it became apparent that islands in the sky did
not constitute heaven but just a new kind of Earth, the church had a rough time dealing with the outcome.
Worshippers abandoned parishes en masse, and many churches, especially on the smaller isles, disappeared
completely.
Things went even worse for the Catholic Church in Yucatan. Azure’s structure, with the perfect sky
above, endless Murk below and islands in-between, was a much closer fit to the ancient religion of the pre-
Columbian Maya than modern Catholic teachings. The Maya’s revolt against their Spanish conquerors began
with a religious revolt as they embraced their ancient gods, albeit with substantially less human sacrifice.
Catholic churches are banned in Yucatan and there is no sign of any inroads being made.
In the Midlands, the church suffered, but eventually recovered. There was only one problem: With
each island isolated, each parish was left to its own devices. While the Spanish islands remained strongly tied
to Catholic traditions and were re-united once travel between the islands became possible, the church in
Haiti, which was seeing a major uptick in Vodou practices, took a more radical approach. Taking a page out of
medieval France’s playbook, the Haitians elected a new Pope just three years after the Storm. They then held
a convention to modernize the church. Haiti established the Reformed Catholic Church two years later. The
Cubans elected a new Pope and re-established the traditional papacy, eventually being upheld by Santiago and
Puerto Rico, and declared their church to be the Fundamental Catholic Church. Despite major disagreements
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World of Azure
and dozens of minor conflicts, there are still two Catholic Popes in Azure, and religious squabbling continues
to present day.
The Uplands saw the almost complete disappearance of powerful, organized religion -- though small
parishes still remain -- and most nations now embrace secularism. Religion never made a significant comeback
in the Uplands, though a thorough search will reveal a few Anglicans, Presbyterians and even small groups of
Quakers.
The Dawn of Flight Ch

There is disagreement as to when the years of chaos ended. Some scholars point out that things were stabilizing 1
after only a decade, while others maintain that things remained chaotic for almost 30 years. Regardless of which
point of view one takes, things were stable in 1843 when a Puerto Rican miner stumbled onto floatstone for
the first time. It took several more years for working, steam-powered airships to be developed, but by 1850,
the people of Azure knew for certain that the other central islands were inhabited. It only took a few decades
for trade relationships to be established and a new economy to flourish.
The Golden Century

1883 saw the signing of an important international trade treaty in Port-au-Prince. Most historians mark the
signing of the treaty as the start of a golden age for Azure. In fact, the name “Azure” was actually agreed upon
at the treaty convention. In this century, all of the central islands became connected via regular airship traffic.
Populations expanded, science and technology advanced and the standard of living increased.
It was during this century that scientists discovered the composition of the Murk, and telescopes
first caught sight of even more distant islands. By 1980, the people of Azure had recovered in population
and technology to the point where they matched our standard history’s early 1900’s in terms of science,
technology, medicine and culture. The other major advance
came in the field of aviation. New ethanol-fueled engines made Estevan Martinez
the first light aircraft possible. The people of Puerto Rico have national
Not all was placid during the Golden Century. hero who was not a soldier, politician, or
The Fundamental and Reformed Catholic Churches saw revolutionary. Estevan Martinez was a humble
a continuous rise in tensions after multiple attempts at miner. He worked a one-man operation deep in
reconciliation failed. There were also several incidents between Puerto Rico’s hills, and he dared to dig deeper
Christian and Mayan clergy, one of which ended in bloodshed. than his contemporaries. After finding the odd
The era saw a slow military buildup, as each major shale-like stuff now called floatstone, Estevan
nation developed a navy of armoured airships. Despite kept the discovery to himself. He mined as much
escalating tensions, the only region that saw all-out war was of it as he could and then spent six months
the Maya Federation, which still features small but intense experimenting with his haul. He discovered
conflicts between its many kingdoms. almost all of the stone’s properties and made
Near the end of the Golden Century, experiments in a fortune selling his find to the Puerto Rican
powered -- non-airship -- flight resulted in the first airplanes. government. It would take a team of the island’s
The first flight occurred in 1975, with the first commercial best and brightest minds to turn Estevan’s
flight coming in 1977. In 1980, Jamaica was the first country discovery into the first airship, but Puerto Ricans
to stand up a functioning air force. still honour Estevan above all others. The Puerto
Rican word for floatstone translates literally to
“Estevan’s Ore.”
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World of Azure
The First Resource War

Azure’s peace shattered in March 1982 when Cuba launched an all-out assault on Haiti. While there was some
religious pretext -- the church, which was and still is the true power in Cuba, wanted to bring the Haitians
back into the fold -- it was primarily driven by a shortage of manufacturing resources on the island.
Cuban airships crossed the expanse and landed troops on Haiti. This kicked off a five-month ground
war combined with multiple airship engagements. The Cubans received logistical support from both Santiago
and Puerto Rico, and the war was looking to be a complete victory for Cuba and the Fundamental Catholic
Church.
Ch
1 A Victorious Debut
As Haitians faced a desperate ground battle, their airships were no match for Cuba’s larger, more powerful
navy. In desperation, the Haitians enlisted the help of Jamaicans in the Uplands.
While the navies of the Midlands expanded, the Jamaicans looked for cost-effective ways to counter
them. They found their solution in the new airplanes being developed. They poured money into research and
development and, by the time of the First Resource War, they had a fleet of over 100 primitive biplanes that
could out-fly any airship.
Armed with machine guns and light amour-piercing bombs, the Jamaican air force destroyed three
quarters of the Cuban navy in a single battle. The surviving airships limped home with an unbelievable story.
Meanwhile, Cuba’s ground forces, cut off from their logistical support, did not last long. They surrendered a
few short weeks later. What troops remained were starving, exhausted and shell-shocked from the constant
strafing runs of Jamaican planes.
Stalemate
While the Jamaicans and Haitians gained the upper hand in the war, they lacked the resources to go on the
attack. Instead, they sued for peace. The Treaty of Havana, signed on September 3, 1982, officially ended the
war and signaled the start of the modern era.
There have been fights big and small in the years since, but there is an enduring, uneasy peace. The
Maya continue to engage in small-scale warfare, but most fights now are over small pieces of territory in
Tegesta, or over exploitation rights for an errant isle.
The Modern Era

The years after the war saw some major changes. Chief amongst them were the resource rush, the switch to
diesel and the rise of the fighter Guild.
The Resource Rush

By the end of the Golden Century, the central isles were already facing a shortage of important resources.
While the ground remained fertile and there was no lack of food, many building materials, rarer elements
and luxury items became scarce. The central islands are not that big, and it was only a matter of time before
shortages became a reality.
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World of Azure
Things accelerated in the years after the First Resource War as demands for new construction and a
growing middle class put a serious strain on the islands’ resources. The solution was to launch expeditions to
more distant islands. First, the nations started carving up Tegesta, and when that proved both difficult and
insufficient, they began sending ships to distant, and even errant, islands looking for big finds.
Some of these expeditions lasted weeks and months and came up empty; others returned loaded
down with exotic hardwoods, rare minerals and unique animals. The locating and exploiting of errant isles is
now big business, and whenever a new island is spotted coming into airship range, there is a flurry of activity
as companies get ready to spend a few months stripping it of anything of value.
One such expedition led to the discovery of Nassau. Nassau was found thriving as a city-state,
where the people remain loyal to the King of England despite over two centuries of isolation. The discovery
Ch
of Nassau’s population sent shockwaves throughout Azure, and many more expeditions were launched in the
hopes of finding other survivors of the pre-Storm world. The Pirates’ Tangle gained its name shortly thereafter 1
when early pirate raiders fled to the region.
Diesel Power
One of the largest and most important changes of the modern era was the shift from steam to diesel power for
trains and airships. The switch came out of necessity, as deforestation of the central islands for farming limited
the available fuel supply. The solution was to set up around-the-clock operations to mine the darkest parts of
the Murk and extract diesel fuel from the abrasive gasses.
Most gas extraction operations had to be set up hundreds of kilometres from the central islands, as
so-called “dark Murk” is rare near the Eye. These massive floating bases move with the Murk’s weather and
support a steady stream of tanker ships coming and going.
It only took a few years for the first tanker to fall prey to pirates.
Piracy and the Rise of the Guild

Slow and ungainly airships are easy prey for fighters, and a few groups of fighter pilots took it upon themselves
to get rich quick by raiding tankers and exploration vessels. They established bases in the turbulent parts of the
distant isles, and thanks to a few hijacked aircraft carriers, they became terrors of the skies.
While navies worked to contain the pirate problem, they could not be everywhere at once, and
several private military companies emerged to pick up the slack. Consisting of veteran pilots of the various air
forces, these mercenary groups became a relatively cheap and easy way to protect commerce and keep piracy
to a minimum.
In time, the largest mercenary squadrons merged and formed what is now known as the Guild.
The Guild provided a one-stop shop for air power for any individual, corporation, or government who could
afford their rates. They guaranteed to provide only the best pilots equipped with the best planes. The Guild
rocketed to both wealth and fame, and hired an entire public relations team to increase its prestige and cement
its reputation as Azure’s most capable air force.
The Guild made enough money to purchase an entire Uplands island chain and has essentially
created its own micro-nation. The Guild Keys -- formerly the Florida Keys -- have airstrips, machine shops,
swanky houses and a floating rail system connecting it all together.
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World of Azure
The Guild Drop-carrier The Guild Monopoly

Guild pilots needed a fast and flexible airship to While each nation continues to maintain its own air force, the
carry their fighters over Azure’s open expanses, Guild poaches the best up-and-coming pilots, and its research
but it had to be small enough not to make the and development branch has a stranglehold on new aircraft
major nations nervous. The agreed upon design technology.
was the drop-carrier. It is a two-engine airship It has been almost 50 years since the establishment of the Guild,
with a small, flat-top deck with arrestor cables and technological advancement has stagnated. The aircraft of
to recover fighters. Its bow is a large elevator most nations resemble contemporary pre-World War II designs,
platform that lowers fighters to the lower “drop” while the Guild hoards technology that, in some cases, did not
deck. The lower deck can hold up to six fighters exist until the postwar period.
that sit on platforms that rotate 90 degrees to With the Guild providing the top fighters for most engagements,
vertically drop fighters in order to launch them. and sometimes even working for both sides of a conflict, there
The Guild has over 30 of the diminutive is little reason to innovate. The national governments are not
airships, while several nations, minor mercenary necessarily happy with the Guild’s advantageous position,
groups and even pirates have these ships in but they have no incentives to change it. Thus, the status quo
service. While the ships and their crew are endures.
glorified in the media, the truth is that they are In the present year, 2039, the Guild’s monopoly is stronger
small, cramped, dirty and always stink of diesel than ever. Its pilots are treated like movie stars or sports heroes.
fuel, among other things. Guild pilots’ exploits are covered by the press, obsessed over by
fans and scrutinized by a voracious paparazzi. Children grow up
dreaming of being Guild pilots, and the Guild has no problem
finding new recruits. The glamour and fame makes it easy to forget that the Guild is really a bunch of well-
armed mercenaries with a tech advantage and a slick public relations team.
Sunset landing on a Guild drop-carrier
022

The Nations
CHAPTER TWO
THE NATIONS OF AZURE
The nations of Azure come from our own history, but they have diverged and grown in the many years since
Ch
the Storm. While they were minor colonial outposts in 1804, they are now the powerful, independent nations
with complex, interlocking economies. Culture and religion have adapted to Azure’s specific consequences 2
but they are not so different that we would find them unfamiliar. Even having adapted to their circumstances,
Azure’s people are still more like us than they are different.
Azure’s nations in 2039 are competitive and squabbling but they are not particularly close to any
sort of major conflict. What conflicts do occur tend to be small and localized and are often conducted by
proxies such as the Guild or through privateers. This does not mean there are no tensions between the nations.
Nationalism is alive and well, and cultural conflicts between people of different nations range from good
natured ribbing to all-out brawls.
This chapter covers each of the nations in turn and explores their histories, cultures, economies and
ambitions. Players need only read the section on their own character’s nation and the quick overview below
for all of the other countries. GMs need to take a closer look at this chapter, especially each section on hooks
because they focus on ideas for Guild missions.
Quick Look: The Nations of Azure

Jamaica (page 25)
A cultural and urban powerhouse, Jamaica is the glamorous, trend-setting nation of Azure. The city of
Kingston has become a modern metropolis, home to Azure’s art, music, fashion and cinema industries,
while also becoming the home base for many major corporations and businesses.
The Minor Principalities (page 27)

Consisting of 19 distinct island nations, the Minor Principalities are an eclectic mix of leisure, business
and middle-class life. The Minor Principalities are also home to many other mercenary pilot squadrons
and a safe-haven for shady corporations that want to avoid government interference.
The Guild Keys (page 30)

What was once the Florida Keys is now the sole property of the Guild. The Guild Keys are a place
of wealth and luxury entirely run by the fighter Guild. This Uplands archipelago is full of runways,
hangars, and laboratories to support Guild operations, as well as hotels, condos and nightclubs that cater
to wealthy tourists.
Continued on next page
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The Nations
Quick Look Contiuned:

The Nations of Azure
Haiti (page 32)
Haiti is a powerful, if conflicted, nation. It is home to the Reformed Catholic Church and Azure’s best
university, but it also has problems with Dominican rebels and it contains some of the worst slums in
all of Azure.
Ch
Cuba (page 34)
2 Occupying the eastern half its original island, Cuba is home to the Fundamental Catholic Church.
Cubans live and breathe their religion, but also enjoy rewarding their hard work and dedication through
festivals, pageants and parties.
Santiago (page 36)

The western half of the former island of Cuba is now the nation of Santiago. Ruled by a charismatic
dictator, Santiago oppresses its people using secret police, work camps, show trials and a large military.
Other nations are hesitant to act against Santiago due to its importance in supplying floatstone for
airships.
Puerto Rico (page 38)

The smallest of the Midlands nations, Puerto Rico has an outsized influence due to its shipyards and
shipping firms. It is also home to Azure’s largest news conglomerate, the Prensa Libre. Its mountainous
interior contains hidden luxury resorts and villas frequented by the rich and famous.
Yucatan (page 40)

The Maya Federation is made up of about two dozen kingdoms that hold the Lowlands territory of
Yucatan. The kingdoms often engage in small, petty wars, but will unite if faced by an outside threat.
The Maya have rebuilt their ancient cities and resurrected their old religion.
Tegesta (page 42)

The remains of the Florida peninsula are not part of any single nation. Settlers from every nation as
well as predatory companies are all vying for pieces of Tegesta’s vast territories. It is a lawless land where
everyone must make their own way.
Nassau (page 44)

A lost, forgotten city-state that was not discovered until well after the modernization of Azure, Nassau
is a bastion of British traditionalism. It is an anachronistic time capsule of 19th century manners, dress
and politics, and it often comes under attack from nearby pirate havens.
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The Nations
Jamaica Jamaica is the cultural rock on which Azure’s economies are built. Art, film,
Statistics fashion, music and business all thrive on the island. People who wish to make a
Population: 1.9 million name for themselves flock to Kingston, hoping to live a life of luxury and fame.
Climate: Tropical After the Storm, the people of Jamaica modernized quickly. The disaster
Capital: Kingston left white British slave owners outnumbered by their slaves, and in the name
Economy: Business, arts of keeping peace -- and power -- slavery was abolished within the first few
and entertainment months. Over the next two generations, Jamaicans worked together to build
up their island and cities. Mining and farming became more efficient, and the
Ch
modernization of Kingston began with the demolition of many older buildings in favour of building more
contemporary structures. 2
Industrial technology paved the way for labour-saving technologies in the homes of common people, and
novel, recreational pastimes became popular. Art and music industries popped up in the 1950s. By 1980,
entertainment technology had advanced enough for cinema to become a mass-market industry. Powered flight
was discovered by Jamaican native Albert Clark in 1975 before the First Resource War. With this discovery
came a massive aerospace industry that brought jobs and money to the already flourishing Uplands nation.
Jamaica is now an urban paradise. Skyscrapers tower over the scurrying masses, and the wealthy
elite control and drive the economy. Outside of Kingston, which has sprawled luxuriously across much of
the south-eastern part of the island, most of the green space has been taken over by airfields, large estates and
hobby farms. Cinema has made its home in the Montego Bay area, where the large motion picture companies
have set up extensive studio lots. Very little of Jamaica is dedicated to the manufacturing industry anymore,
relegating it to a tiny portion of Jamaica’s economy. Being from Jamaica now sets you apart as fashionable,
educated and hip. It is the island that never sleeps, and it holds all who visit in its spell.
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The Nations
Culture
Jamaica is becoming synonymous with Kingston. It is a nation ruled by its urban image, and it is always trying
to out-do itself. Architecture, art, music, fashion and entertainment are big business in Jamaica, and just about
everyone involved in those industries has made Kingston their permanent home. Big business has also found
its home in Kingston, as the CEOs of major corporations prefer living and working in a stylish city.
Although most of the population living in Jamaica are wealthy, it is not immune to poverty. Urban
poverty is a visible problem in Kingston, and it has its fair share of crime; like every city, there are certain
neighbourhoods to avoid. The artistic community has given rise to a more bohemian feel in some of the more
trendy areas of the country. Although not considered rich, these artists, actors and musicians are driving the
Ch cultural cool in Jamaica.
2 Being a famous Guild pilot in Jamaica can be humbling. Most other islands take immediate notice
of a pilot on their shores, but celebrities are thick on the ground in Jamaica. Guild pilots frequent the nation
to record commercials, star in movies and sign publicity deals with major corporations. Pilots still enjoy the
perks of celebrity in Jamaica, but they can hardly expect to be the coolest guy in the room.
The city of Kingston and the studios at Montego Bay draw all sorts of people from all over Azure.
The people of Jamaica worship the cult of celebrity and wealth.
Politics
Jamaica is a democratic country with a Parliament and Prime Minister. There are currently four political
parties: the Conservative Party, the Liberal Party, the Social Welfare Party and the Progressive Republic Party.
The current Prime Minister is Charles Amadi of the Conservative Party.
Politics in Jamaica are fairly tame. It did not take long after the Storm for the Jamaican people to
develop their parliament, and other than the addition and departure of political parties over the years, it has
remained the same.
Jamaican businesspeople and lobbyists hold a great deal of power in Kingston. As a result, they are
catered to frequently by Parliament. Small-interest groups, environmental activists and social crusaders are
rarely taken seriously by their members of Parliament.
Race politics are now a thing of the past in Jamaica. Home to people of all races and religions, it is
one of the few places in Azure that is considered racially neutral.
Although the other nations and islands in Azure do not like to admit it, most of the world’s cultural
and political power rest in Kingston’s hands. If there were to be a catastrophic event that lead to Jamaica’s
destruction, Azure would most likely to be thrown back into the chaos that was experienced after the Storm.
Guild Contracts
The concentration of wealth and power in Places of Note
Kingston provides ample opportunities for Kingston is home to Azure’s finest museums, parks, theatres,
Guild contracts. The upper echelons of Azure’s night life and cuisine. There is a little bit of something here
society always need things done, and the Guild is for everyone’s tastes, from seedy watering holes to historical
happy to fulfill those needs. Some contracts the society soirees.
pilots might take include: Star-struck fans of cinema head to the Montego
• Putting on an air show for a group of VIPs. Bay area to try and catch a glimpse of their favourite actors at
• Assisting in the making of action films about the expansive movie studio lots. Cinema is a popular escape
the Guild. for most citizens of Azure, and a movie tourism industry has
• Escorting VIPs on special excursions to other begun to develop.
islands.
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The Nations
Pilot celebrities looking to avoid being swarmed by their fans generally find themselves at the
exclusive clubs and music halls in downtown Kingston. All the best musical acts scramble to play at these
venues in the hopes of gaining significant exposure. The clubs provide some protection from being harassed at
dinner but are known camping sites for paparazzi hoping to snag that scandalous shot.
The Minor Principalities

Despite their name, the Minor Principalities make up a large chunk of the upland islands. This chain of islands
encompasses 19 distinct nations and cultures, made up mostly of British, Dutch and French heritage. Ch
Post-Storm life was especially hard for the Minor Principalities. During the Storm, the islands 2
suffered heavy damage and a substantial amount of fatalities. Some of the islands
Statistics
were outright destroyed and tossed out towards the Pirates’ Tangle and Nassau,
Population: 1.3 million
but most survived and their populations were left to rebuild without sufficient
Climate: Tropical
resources. Slavery fell apart immediately and systems of government floundered.
Capital: None
The islands just barely survived, relying on crude farming, mining and
Economy: Varies by
herding to get by. Many of the islands were lucky enough to be within visual
island
distance of each other and could determine that there were indeed survivors on
the other islands floating around them. They communicated with each other
using nautical flag signals and telescopes. The knowledge that they were not alone gave the people on these
islands hope, and some intrepid souls even tried their hand at creating bridges or flying machines to reach each
other -- with little success.
The advent of flight was what saved these islands. Neighbouring Jamaica was eager to explore the
other Upland islands before venturing down towards the Murk. As a result, the Minor Principalities and the
Guild Keys were the first to be explored and brought into the modern era. Generous amounts of building
materials, supplies and technology were gifted to the Minor Principalities from Jamaica, and the islands were
soon restored back to their former glory.
After surviving and functioning for so long on their own, and in addition to lingering cultural
differences, the islands of the Minor Principalities were hesitant to pledge their allegiance to another, well-
established nation, and were equally wary of officially coming together as a nation onto themselves. In 1992,
the island leaders came together at Willemstad, Curacao and formed a diplomatic coalition, promising
to come to the aid of one another in exchange for the freedom for each island to govern themselves. The
Willemstad Agreement was the official birth of the Minor Principalities, and they have remained a peaceful,
stable economic power since.
Today, the islands are a wonderful mix of business, family life and retreat destinations. Many pilots
who are from the Minor Principalities have never had the need to leave them, as one can grow up, go to school,
vacation and enter the workforce without ever leaving this group of islands. Being a citizen of the Minor
Principalities is seen today as the ultimate goal for many middle- to upper-class citizens of Azure.
Culture
The Minor Principalities encompass many languages, traditions, religions and customs that vary from island
to island. Each island has its own unique essence that makes it distinct from the other nations of Azure, and it
is a delight for the adventurous, culturally-minded traveller to experience each individually. However, thanks
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The Nations
Ch
2
to the Willemstad Agreement and the natural connections these islands have through it, the overarching
culture of the Minor Principalities is embodied by a high degree of individual freedoms and a low degree of
government regulation.
Some of the Minor Principality islands are the ideal location for middle-class families to settle. These
islands are relatively inexpensive places to live compared to the other Upland islands and are often seen as a
stepping stone to the more affluent Jamaica or Guild Keys. There are a wealth of excellent, affordable private
schools and universities, and a reasonable amount of professional jobs available in business, finance, research,
academics, law and medicine. The Minor Principalities also
Places Worth Visiting boast the lowest tax and interest rates in Azure, which makes
The Minor Principalities are made up of many them ideal for families interested in owning a home or starting
beautiful, unique islands and have too many a business.
interesting sites and experiences to list here. To Due to their proximity to the Guild Keys, piloting schools are
better appreciate these islands and all they have also very popular in the Minor Principalities. Many aspiring
to offer, we encourage you to do some research pilots migrate here hoping to learn the skills to impress the
on the rich history of these exceptional and Guild. Trinidad and Tobago is the home of six professional
often-overlooked group of island nations. flight schools where many Guild pilots get their start. These
The Minor Principalities include: flying schools are also home to smaller mercenary squadrons
the British Virgin Islands, theVirgin Islands, that the Guild watches closely for up-and-coming talent.
Anguilla, St. Kitts and Nevis, Antigua and A few of the islands have taken full advantage of the Willemstad
Barbuda, the Caymans, Turks and Caicos, Agreement and have dedicated themselves to being vacation
Montserrat, Guadeloupe, Dominica, destinations. Grenada, St. Lucia and Curacao in particular have
Martinique, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the become the most luxurious retreats for those looking to get
Grenadines, Barbados, Grenada, Trinidad and
Tobago, Bonaire, Curacao, and Aruba.
028

The Nations
away from their day-to-day lives.

The Minor Principalities are also famous for their
Guild Contracts
The prevalence of smaller groups of mercenary
open borders. Refugees and immigrants from less fortunate
pilots who work in the Minor Principalities,
nations often find themselves on the doorstep of one of the
especially in Trinidad and Tobago, limit the
Minor Principality islands, where they are welcomed with open
Guild’s options with their neighbours. The Guild
arms and encouraged to make a life for themselves. Where the
still takes the largest, most prestigious contracts,
governments of the Minor Principalities fail to provide a social
but the smaller “discount” squadrons snap up
safety net, charities, which are numerous due to low taxation,
much of the work. Contracts the Guild might
actively support all refugees and immigrants who may need
take include:
help getting settled.
• Working for a business as it moves quasi-legal Ch
Despite the utopian public face, the Minor Principalities
goods between islands. 2
do have their fair share of problems. Morally corrupt mining
• Escorting a logging or mining convoy as it
and forestry corporations operating in Tegesta often make their
heads to Tegesta or a distant island.
homes here due to the low degree of government regulation,
• Flying patrol during a major meeting of the
and white-collar criminals take advantage of the laid-back tax
Willemstad Agreement signatories.
and banking laws. Would-be pilots need to be cautious of the
many dubious, unregulated flight schools that scam star-struck
hopefuls of their money and leave them with little skill, or that hire them into a pirating or smuggling
operation without their knowledge. Charities are also not completely innocent, as many of them hide religious
motivations and try to force religious doctrines and conversions upon those who would otherwise be the
beneficiaries.
Politics
Each island in the Minor Principalities has its own system of government that works for them. Most are made
up of elected councils or parliaments, but a few have chosen to become business-run corporatocracies.
The islands are loosely held together by the Willemstad Agreement, which states that the islands are
a coalition of like-minded nations that share resources and will uphold each other against outside aggressors.
Places of Note
The islands of Grenada, Curacao and St. Lucia are the hottest destination for pilots on leave. Getting away
from the hustle and bustle of Kingston and the Keys to enjoy the airside and waterside beaches, the inland
retreats and the party atmosphere of the smaller towns might be just what your pilots need.
Each island’s capital city is an interesting mix of the old and the new. Although many cities sustained
significant damage during the Storm, it is not uncommon to find original or restored landmarks dating
back to the 18th century. Exploring these island cities will reveal their extensive entertainment, cultural and
historical attractions.
029

The Nations
The Guild Keys

Statistics The island chain once known as the Florida Keys is now Azure’s largest piece
Population: 120,000 of private property. The Guild Keys, as they are now known, consists of many
Climate: Tropical small islands in a line that stretches over 200 kilometres. The largest 43 islands
Capital: Cayo Hueso are connected by a railway system that uses bridges made with floatstone pilings.
Economy: Guild services, The longest rail bridge extends over 11 kilometres and is considered a marvel of
tourism engineering. The islands themselves are wholly owned by the fighter Guild, and
every inhabitant either works for the Guild or is leasing the space.
Ch The Keys had very few inhabitants at the time of the Storm. The few
2 who did live there were fishermen from Cuba and the Bahamas, who had secondary careers in scavenging local
shipwrecks. The first years after the Storm were especially tough in the Keys, as they lack natural resources and
arable land.
When the Guild proposed buying the Keys in the early 1990s, the few inhabitants jumped at the
chance to have the land developed. The Guild moved in and built airstrips, hangers, laboratories, houses and
mansions, and the rail line to connect it all. The Guild brought immense wealth to the Keys and it is now one
of the richest places in Azure.
Culture
The culture of the Keys is something of a melting pot. The Guild hires the best and brightest of every nation
and brings them to the Keys to work, and each employee brings their own culture with them. In the Keys one
can find Maya holding an annual ritual across the street from some Haitians celebrating Carnival, while several
uptight delegates from Nassau watch both events with disdain.
If there is one thing that is universally celebrated in the Keys it is aviation. Pilots are the very top of
its social and economic structure and are the source of all of its wealth. There are celebrations every time the
Guild hires a new crop of recruits, parades
for every pilot who achieves Elite Ace status
(see page 115) and days of mourning when a
particularly successful pilot dies.
The Keys have also become a
popular tourist destination. The island of
Cayo Hueso (Key West), especially, is full
of bars and night clubs that accommodate
to the tourist set. The Guild capitalized the
island’s potential as a tourist spot by building
hotels and condos that cater to Azure’s more
leisure-minded, and it is also a pilgrimage
destination for Guild pilot fans. Cayo Hueso
even has a cruise ship port that is considered
an important layover point for Puerto Rican
luxury liners, but which causes the island’s
natives no end of irritation.
The skies are always busy at Guild Headquarters

on Boca Chica Key.
030

The Nations
Politics Guild Contracts

While the standard of living is high, the Keys are not a While it is the home of the Guild, there aren’t
democratic nation. The Guild owns the Keys outright and all a lot of contract opportunities in the Keys. The
of its inhabitants merely rent space there. The Guild’s squadron most common reason for a Guild pilot to be
commanders pick a governor to manage the islands on the flying around the Keys is that they are being
Guild’s behalf and who serves until such time as the squadron punished for some reason. The absolute worst
commanders decide to appoint someone new. Governors are job for a Guild pilot is “local CAP” (Combat
always retired pilots, but the Guild is considering opening up Air Patrol). Local CAP is flying up and down the
the position to other longstanding employees such as engineers length of the Keys watching for incursions from
and airship officers. Ch
other nations. There has never been an invasion
The Guild’s benign dictatorship in the Keys has of the Keys, but the local CAP has caught more 2
resulted in frequent calls for reform and democracy from several than one attempt at industrial espionage.
other nations in Azure. The Guild responds to these calls by Other than punishment positions,
holding referendums to see if the Keys’ inhabitants are interested the Guild pilots might be recalled if there is a
in change. Whether by Guild conspiracy or genuine gratitude, mission that the Guild considers a priority. Such
the referendums always show massive support in favour of the special missions might include:
status quo. • A mission to one of the Guild’s errant islands
The Key’s official foreign policy is one of strict political where it does research and development.
neutrality. As the Guild needs to be able to work for every • Covert action against a politician pushing anti-
nation -- and sometimes nations fighting each other -- the Keys Guild sentiments.
never get involved in other nations’ affairs. • Emergency defence of Guild territory from
There are several unofficial stances that the Guild will invasion.
take behind closed doors. The Guild will covertly support any
action that inhibits Santiago, and will continue to do so until
the nation starts taking Guild contracts again. It also actively discourages other nations from building up their
air forces by assuring them that the Guild can provide them with high quality fighter support at low cost.
Places of Note
All of the major Keys contain at least a few buildings important to the Guild in some way. Buildings scattered
along the Keys include research laboratories, aircraft hangars, drop-carrier docks, fueling stations, no fewer
than six airstrips, and the headquarters of the various squadrons. Most of the population lives on the island of
Cayo Hueso, while the Guild’s main headquarters is on the adjacent Boca Chica Key.
Cayo Hueso is home to most of the Guild’s employees while also serving as a tourist trap and high-
priced getaway. Any Guild pilots visiting between contracts can get free lodging at one of the island’s many
hotels. Perched on the farthest point of the island is Seeker’s Tower. The only part of the whole island chain
not controlled by the Guild, Seeker’s Tower is on a few acres of land controlled by Errant Observations, Inc. A
very large number of errant isles are first spotted using the tower’s many telescopes, though its success in this
regard is declining since Errant set up operations on the distant isle of Nassau. The Guild has squabbled with
Errant over control of the land for decades but to no avail.
Boca Chica holds the Key’s largest airstrip and airship port and is the location of the Guild’s central
headquarters. It is off limits to tourists and visitors, and parts of it are accessible to only the highest members
of the Guild.
031

The Nations
The Republic of Haiti

Statistics The island of Hispaniola contains the powerful nation of Haiti. Of all of the
Population: 9 million central isles, Haiti is unique in that it achieved independence and abolished
Climate: Subtropical slavery in the years before the Storm. Formerly under French rule, Haitians still
Capital: Port-au-Prince speak French, have French-style laws and eat their version of French cuisine.
Economy: Indsutrial, Haiti suffered in the early years after the Storm but did not suffer nearly
agriculture as badly as neighbouring Cuba. The Catholic Church moved quickly to re-
invent itself, and it became a unifying force in those early years.
Ch The nation’s fast recovery led to one of Azure’s first wars just 15 years
2 after the Storm. At the time, Haiti only controlled about one third of Hispaniola, with the remainder, known
at the time as Dominica, still under the rule of former French colonials. The war was short and victorious
for the Haitians. They still rule the whole island, though not without some trouble. There are still stalwart
Dominicans who seek independence from Haiti, and there are revolutionaries living in Haiti’s mountainous
interior.
In the years since the unification, Haiti has prospered and is now the most populous island in the
Midlands. It has major manufacturing facilities in Port-au-Prince and Santo Domingo, while its rural lands
are heavily farmed for both food and textiles.
Culture
Haitian culture is an enigmatic mix of French and African traditions. Its urban population speaks mostly
French, while the rural regions speak a form of Creole. Its people are ostensibly Catholic, but most also
observe, or at least respect, Vodou practices. (See Chapter 7 for more info on Haitian Vodou.)
Haiti is known for colourful art, delicious food and exuberant festivals. The annual festival of Carnival
is full of brilliant floats, upbeat music and an exhibitionist atmosphere. Rare is the Haitian who cannot dance,
and many of Azure’s most famous musicians come from a Haitian background.
Haiti is the original home of, and makes the most widespread use of, cable technology. Cable in
Warbirds is like a radio that uses landlines instead of airwaves. Most houses, even poor rural farmers, have cable
with several different music and news channels.
The Reformed Catholic Church is an important part of most Haitian’s lives. The church resembles
a liberal protestant church in terms of its stance on social issues -- it allows divorce and female priests, among
other things -- but still retains traditional Catholic rites like sacraments and mass.
Politics
Haiti has a stable parliamentary democracy with an elected president, and while there have been plenty of
scandals over the years, the government does a fair job of managing the nation.
While Haiti has strong relations with Jamaica and many other nations of the Uplands, it has much
more bitter relations with its fellow Midland nations. The people of Haiti have not forgotten Cuba’s aggression
during the First Resource War, and anti-Cuba rhetoric is a common theme in political speeches. Despite the
lingering resentment, Haiti still engages in heavy trade with both Cuba and Puerto Rico. There is almost no
trade between Haiti and Santiago, as the Haitian government views the dictatorship with immense distrust,
and has outlawed direct commerce.
Haiti is the most active of the nations when it comes to setting up operations in Tegesta, and is
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The Nations
second to Puerto Rico when it comes to exploring new errant

isles. While there is no shortage of farmland in Haiti, its
Guild Contracts
Contract work for Haiti rarely takes place in
manufacturing sector is always hungry for new resources. Much
Haiti itself. Half a dozen major exploration firms
of the island’s original forest has been logged, and the country
make regular trips to errant islands, and they
will soon have to start importing lumber.
pay top dollar for Guild escorts. There is the
occasional secret privateering contract against
Places of Note Cuba or Santiago, but it has been a few years
since the Haitians last used the Guild in such a
Haiti contains Azure’s tallest mountain, Pico Duarte, which is
manner. Some contracts the pilots might take
over 3,500 metres tall when measured from the island’s former
include: Ch
water line, as well as Lago Enriquillo, the only lake to have
• Escorting airships to a new errant island for 2
indigenous crocodiles. Its two largest cities are Port-au-Prince
exploration.
and Santo Domingo.
• Subduing or assisting Dominican rebels in
Port-au-Prince is a city of contrasts. It has L’academie
Haiti’s mountains.
International, which is considered Azure’s finest university,
• Providing cover for a smuggling operation to
nestled in an upscale district filled with beautiful architecture.
Cuba or Santiago.
However, the far side of the city holds one of Azure’s largest
slums. The slums ensure a steady supply of cheap labour for the
city’s factories, but they are considered one of the nation’s greatest failures. Every new mayor tries to make a
dent in the poverty there but meets resistance from the powerful manufacturing sector.
Santo Domingo lacks the capital’s affluence but also lacks its poverty. The city is full of working-class
Haitians employed in the factories and serving in Haiti’s military. Haiti’s navy and merchant marine are both
based out of Santo Domingo, and there is no shortage of pubs, bars and nightclubs to serve them.
033

The Nations
Cuba Cuba is a shining jewel of indulgence, pageantry and pride in the Midlands. The
Statistics Cuban people enjoy their food, wine, music and spectacle, but are also the most
Population: 6 million fervent and observant Catholics in Azure.
Climate: Subtropical The population of Cuba was devastated when the island split into two;
Capital: Havana many people died, and only some of Havana’s buildings and infrastructure
Economy: Industrial, were salvageable. Those left behind questioned why God would leave them so
agriculture hopeless. Cuba floundered for much longer than other larger nations after the
Storm, barely surviving and doing so without government or social structure. At
Ch
the time, a little over half of Cuba’s remaining population were African slaves, who rebelled and abandoned
2 their Spanish masters. The new law of the land was survival and being enslaved was no longer an option.
However, many former slaves found themselves in dire straits after their liberation, as racism still barred them
from employment and compassion within the Spanish community. Many African Cubans died tragically
from illness and starvation in the years after the Storm, and those who endured were forced into cultural
assimilation in order to survive.
After 15 years of hanging onto dwindling hope, a miracle occurred. A young man named Salvador
Vega from Havana declared that the angel Gabriel appeared to him while he was praying and told him that
God had chosen him to rebuild his Church in Cuba. Vega declared himself Pope Julius IV and spread his
message throughout Cuba. Although some of the population doubted his claims, most Cubans accepted him
readily. They were desperate for a leader to bring them back to faith and stability, and Vega offered it to them
from the hands of God himself. The new pope claimed the Cathedral of Havana as his Vatican, and inspired
his flock to rebuild the city.
Pope Julius IV ruled for over 30 years, and in that time, Cuba was restored to its former glory.
Banking became the centre of commerce in the cities, while farming ruled the countryside. An oligarchic
government was established under the protection of the papacy and primarily was made up of high-ranking
cardinals and powerful businesspeople.
After the discovery of flight, the papacy was unhappy to learn that the Haitians had established their
own Reformed Catholic Church in Port-au-Prince. The Cubans declared such Haitians to be traitors to the
faith. This has turned into a bitter feud between Cuba and Haiti, and was one of the underpinning hostilities
between the two countries during the First Resource War. The Cubans spend a huge sum of money each year
on missions to other islands in order to convert people to their Church before the Reformed Catholics get a
chance to.
Today, Cuba is a prosperous nation founded on faith. The people work hard and are rewarded with
elaborate festivals and national feast days. Cubans are immensely proud of their Church and their Spanish
culture, and are generally considered one of the happiest, most outgoing populations in Azure.
Culture
Catholicism is at the centre of Cuba’s culture. The population is extremely religious and observe all the major
Catholic holidays, including some feast days for prominent saints, and they reserve Sundays for Church and
spiritual reflection. There are many charitable organizations based in Cuba that operate throughout Azure.
All of the nation’s health and education centres are run by the Church. Cuba is also the only nation where the
majority of its citizens understand and speak Latin, the language of Catholic mass. Children look forward to
participating in sacraments, such as first communion and confirmation, which are causes for huge parties and
034

The Nations
attention. Adult sacraments like marriage or the ordination

of a priest in the family are met with massive feasts to
which most of the town or neighbourhood is invited.
State-sponsored festivals are a common
occurrence in Cuba. In addition to the ones put on for
holy days, the state throws annual festivals celebrating
Cuba’s wine, food, music and Spanish heritage. These feast
days and festivals are national holidays, where all business
and commerce shut down.
Banking has become an important business in
Ch
Cuba with many of Azure’s major banks having their base
of operation located in Havana. Other major industries are 2
wine-making and tobacco farming. Rural Cuba is dotted
by vineyards and tobacco fields, which provide Azure with
some of its finest wines and cigars.
Politics
Officially, Cuba is run by the Vatican. The current pope,
Pope Innocent XIV, is the head of the Havana Council, a
13-member oligarchic assembly. The reigning pope may
select or deselect any of the other 12 members of the
Council, but usually the positions are held for life. Pope Innocent XIV addresses the faithul from his
The council is made up mostly of high-ranking residence opposite the Cathedral of Havana.
cardinals, banking magnates and the chairs of high-profile
Catholic hospitals or educational institutions. All of the positions in the council are held by men. Pope Julius
IV set up this council to reflect the apostles of Christ and barred women from being considered. Women hold
positions through a secondary council of nuns and women-run charitable organizations that may appeal to the
council or be called upon for consultation, but they are not granted any real power.
Critics have observed that Cuba is oppressing its people through religion and absolute rulers while
offering nothing in return but bread and circuses. Cubans respond that if they did not like their fate, they
would change it. Indeed, most Cubans are content with their system of government and are happy to follow
the lead of their spiritual sovereigns.
Guild Contracts
Cuba has always had a strong navy, but their air
Places of Note forces are somewhat lacking. While they have
tried to alleviate this with the creation of some
Havana is Cuba’s cultural, spiritual and urban centre. It is the
elite specialist squadrons, the Guild is still the
place to be if you are interested in traditional Spanish food,
go-to force when Cubans need fighter support.
music, art and language. The many cafes, dance halls and
Some contracts the Guild pilots might take
restaurants in downtown Havana provide ample entertainment
include:
for visitors. The Cathedral of Havana is a must-see for Catholic
• Escorting the Pope’s airship during a foreign
pilgrims.
visit.
Cuba’s rural wineries are a chief tourist attraction.
• Escorting missionaries as they spread the faith
Wine tours are a major industry and are very popular with pilots
to other islands.
and celebrities looking to have a private, relaxing vacation.
• Assisting with covert actions against Haitian
business interests.
035

The Nations
Santiago
Statistics What was once the eastern half of Cuba is now Azure’s most oppressive and
Population: 4 million brutal fascist dictatorship. It is a land of rigged elections, secret police, labour
Climate: Subtropical camps and constant surveillance. While it is culturally similar to Cuba with its
Capital: Santiago Spanish colonial roots, Santiago only experienced a few decades of democracy
Economy: Mining, before falling to dictatorial control. The same family has been ruling Santiago
agriculture for almost 150 years, and their hold on the country is stronger than ever.
Santiago’s story did not have to take such a tragic path. After the rough
Ch years following the Storm, the nation of Santiago formed a republic built on the
2 American democratic models. In 1883, Carlos Machado, a right-wing landowner, was elected president on a
populist platform. While winning multiple elections, he enacted policies that eroded the republican system
and made him de facto president for life. His eldest son took the reigns when he died, and the Machado family
is now on its fifth generation of rulers. The current leader of Santiago is Carlos Machado III.
While the Machados are hostile to outsiders, Santiago maintains its status and increases its wealth in
Azure by providing the other nations with cheaply mined floatstone. Santiago seems to have more floatstone
in its bedrock than other nations, but some scientists fear that the country’s aggressive strip mining could lead
to parts of the island breaking off and falling.
Culture
While Santiago’s culture mirrors Cuba in many ways, years of systematic oppression has adjusted people’s
outlooks. Santiago lacks Cuba’s influential music and dance halls. It also bans movies, comic books and even
certain pieces of literature.
Even as the state tries to control every aspect of peoples lives, its very attempt at controlling the
populace fuels a thriving underground culture. Made up of young idealists, Santiago’s counter-culture rises up
about once a generation and tries to stage a revolt. The last major revolt was over 30 years ago, and while there
have been a few mass protests and food riots in the years since, the Santiago pressure cooker is due to blow
once more.
Patriotic rallies are frequent and attendance is mandatory.
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The Nations
The Catholic Church is a major influence in Santiago, and Catholicism is the state religion. While the church
is not exactly complicit in the continuing power of the Machados, it does little to oppose them, as clerics who
speak up are quick to “disappear.”
Santiago’s secret police keep the people in constant fear. It is very difficult to earn a Santiagan’s trust,
as police informants are common, and there is rarely any warning before someone is snatched in the middle
of the night, sentenced in a show trial and thrown in the floatstone mines for a decade.
Politics
There is a cult of personality built up around the Machados that approaches mythic status. Carlos III, the
Ch
current president for life, is a charming, well-spoken, ruthless man in his early thirties. Like his forebears, he
rules through powerful rhetoric, a strong military and ample use of his secret police. 2
Unlike his predecessors, Carlos III despises the Guild and has barred Guild members and agents
from entering the country. There is a rumour that Carlos tried to join the Guild in his early twenties but lacked
the aptitude. Whatever the reason, the Guild now gladly takes any contracts that hurt Santiago. The Guild
even sends in covert agents to find prospective members and convince them to defect, and then smuggles them
out of the country.
Other than his hatred of the Guild, Carlos works hard to downplay the brutal nature of his country
to foreigners, and makes frequent diplomatic trips to Cuba, Puerto Rico, Yucatan and even some of the
Uplands. The only nation that has not fallen for his charm and reassurance is Haiti which, after the First
Resource War, established their own agents in the country and have a very clear picture of what is really going
on.
Places of Note
Santiago is a closed country that does not welcome visitors. Travel between different areas is tightly controlled,
and even aircraft avoid flying over it or risk being intercepted and/or shot down. Despite the dangers, there are
a few brave souls who have escaped the nation with stories of some of its more interesting places.
Guantanamo Bay is home to Santiago’s largest military base. It has runways, shipyards, barracks and
training areas. While most other nations focus on aircraft and
fighters, Santiago has Azure’s largest standing army. The army Guild Contracts
is not an invasion force or even ready to fend off an invasion; it The Guild hates being snubbed, and contracts
exists mainly to police its own people. in Santiago are always in opposition to the
The Sierra Maestra mountain range was famous for its government. Contracts that will anger Carlos
guerrilla warfare even in the years before the Storm. Whenever III are even offered at a discount. If the people
Santiago faces any kind of unified rebellion, the rebels inevitably in Santiago rebel again, they might win, as the
use the mountains as a staging area. Guild will offer them all the air support they
Deep in Santiago’s interior are its extensive strip could ever want for free. In the meantime, some
mines. These mines stretch for over 200 kilometres and look contracts the pilots might take include:
like a massive series of military trenches. Employing prison • A Haitian request to intercept an airship
labourers the mines extract floatstone as well as any other convoy loaded with political prisoners.
precious material that can be found. • Provide cover for a courier smuggling out some
new prospective Guild members.
• A rare ground operation where the pilots
infiltrate the country, make contact with the
underground and help organize a revolution.
037

The Nations
Puerto Rico The smallest nation in the Midlands is the often-overlooked Puerto Rico. This
Statistics island is home to Azure’s largest shipyards as well as the largest newswire, the
Population: 1.8 million
“Prensa Libre,” and Azure’s only luxury cruise line. Like Cuba and Santiago,
Climate: Subtropical
Puerto Rico has Spanish colonial roots but it is far more pro-capitalist and
Capital: San Juan
democratic than either of those nations.
Economy: Shipyards,
Puerto Rico was a small colony when the Storm hit. Its population was a
news services
little over 50,000, but it was unique amongst the isles in that only a little over 10
Ch
per cent of that total was comprised of slaves. As with the rest of Azure, slavery
did not last long, and Puerto Rican slaves were freed without the need for revolt.
2
The nation is famous for being the first to build airships and travel between the isles, but the island
is resource poor and now imports steel, copper, building materials and even floatstone. Its shipyards do big
business turning raw materials into new ships for nearly every nation, and it operates more shipping companies
than any other country in Azure.
Puerto Rico’s massive lead in shipping and shipyards has made it incredibly rich. Its people have the
highest standard of living outside of a few Uplands nations, and it wields economic power that far outstrips
its size. There are several famous luxury resorts hidden in the island’s mountainous interior, with access being
restricted to Azure’s economic elite.
Culture
More than any other nation, Puerto Rico’s culture is one that esteems capitalism, accruing wealth and a hard
day’s work. The attitude of the people is the closest that Azure has to the “American Dream;” Puerto Ricans
believe that anyone can succeed with enough hard work and perseverance.
While most Puerto Ricans are Catholic, they lack the deep, almost fanatical devotion of the Cubans.
Although they stood in solidarity with Cuba during the First Resource War, their support was lukewarm at
best. As capitalism takes deeper root in the nation, the church recedes. A common theme amongst religious
sermons is the decline in the worship of God being replace by the worship of money.
The music of the small island is a mix of Spanish and West African influences and has evolved to
include several unique styles. The one thing that can be said for certain is that Puerto Ricans love to dance.
Every city and town has dance halls that are full to the brim, and any visitor is likely to be swept up in the
regular dance parties and street festivals.
Puerto Rico’s emphasis on ship-building has led to it also being Azure’s number one supplier of ship
crews. Outside of each nation’s militaries, most airships have at least some Puerto Rican hands, and Puerto
Rican ship captains are a common sight in all parts of Azure.
Politics
Strong laws protecting press freedoms help keep Puerto Rico a free and democratic nation. People elect
regional representatives who form the country’s ruling council. The council then elects a chancellor who acts
as head of state. Elections occur every four years, and while rhetoric may become heated, close press scrutiny
keeps things fair.
Puerto Rico needs to keep up friendly trade relations with its neighbours to keep its manufacturing
sectors thriving. It often has problems with Prensa Libre reporters and news crews getting into trouble on
038

The Nations
foreign islands, most often in Santiago, Yucatan and Tegesta.

Foreign press problems are common enough that Puerto Rico Guild Contracts
employs several government mediators to smooth over relations, Puerto Rico is a steady supplier of Guild
and extract its citizens without causing too much trouble. contracts. While its military rarely acts, when it
does, it requires Guild support as it lacks a large
Places of Note fighter force. It also needs Guild escorts every
time it sends out a new refinery platform, and its
While the island’s perimeter is dotted with cities and towns, merchant shipping always needs fighter escorts.
Puerto Rico’s interior is mountainous and lightly inhabited. The Guild offers Puerto Rico a slight discount on
Several of its most secluded locations can only be reached by its contracts, as most Guild drop-carrier hulls are
airship. Its two largest cities are San Juan and Ponce, which are built in Puerto Rican shipyards. Some examples Ch
on opposite sides of the island. of Guild contracts in the region include: 2
San Juan is Puerto Rico’s capital, and its most • A brand new passenger liner is taking an
populous city. It is a major urban centre full of high-rises, “adventure tour” to an errant island. The liner
dance halls and small businesses. Just inland from the city is an needs a carrier escort, and a few Guild flyers to
industrial district containing all of Puerto Rico’s shipyards. The show up for important events planned along the
shipyards are one of the very few places in Azure that also build way.
the extraction platforms used to draw hydrocarbons out of the • Rescue Prensa Libre reporters from a hostage
Murk. The large platforms lack their own propulsion and need situation on a distant pirate island.
a series of tugs to pull them to their extraction sites. • Provide air cover over a secret location in
The smaller city of Ponce is home to the Prensa Libre the island’s interior for high-level negotiations
as well as Puerto Rico’s recording and entertainment industries. between heads of state.
There are several movie studios based out of Ponce, producing
at least a dozen new films each year, which is still less than a
quarter of what Montego Bay produces. The Guild also maintains its largest foreign office in the city. The
Guild office is just down the street from the Prensa Libre building, and Guild public relations representatives
make daily trips to the news corporation to keep the Guild in the public eye and ensure a positive spin on any
story about the Guild that makes its way to the presses.
039

The Nations
Tegesta Tegesta calls to those who have nothing to lose. The vast expanse of rough
Statistics country that surrounds the few unorganized settlements draws those who
Population: 400,000
are running from their troubles or who are looking to find a foothold in a
Climate: Temperate
developing society.
Capital: San Nicolas (de facto)
During the Storm, Tegesta’s population had been all but wiped out, with
Economy: Resource extraction
the few survivors settling and doing their best to survive in the old Spanish
and ranching
fort San Nicolas -- our modern-day Jacksonville. Although San Nicolas still
stands as Tegesta’s largest outpost and is home to the descendants of the
Ch
survivors, most of the population of Tegesta now consists of people who immigrated there after the discovery
2 of flight.
Tegesta is made up of thick brush and hosts some of the more deadly creatures found in Azure.
Aspiring explorers from the Uplands often brave the depths of Tegesta searching for its secrets, but most do
not find what they are looking for and many more are never seen again.
Dotting the coasts are small, rough outpost towns, corporate holdings and budding plantation
homesteads. Some of the more successful settlements have organized municipal governments for themselves,
but many remain lawless. A few towns are controlled and maintained by Upland corporations, which are
draining the land of its rich natural resources. Wealthy, adventurous Uplanders have claimed swaths of land
on Tegesta to grow crops and expand their fortune, very successfully.
Culture
The culture of Tegesta is defined by the frontierspeople who populate it. Whether they go there to expand
their corporation, to found a homestead, to find their fortune or to hide from their past, all Tegestans want to
be answerable to no one.
Tegesta’s lack of centralized government means that no vice or business is off limits. The settlements that
have not organized municipal councils are safe havens for ruffians of all sorts to engage in their coarse lifestyles,
while those which have established order are loathe to enforce strict moral or ethical laws. Corporations are
free to do as they wish with the land they claim, often mining, farming or otherwise depleting an area to the
point where it is no longer habitable. Likewise, wealthy homesteaders and plantation owners are free to claim
as much land as they wish and use any form of
unsavoury labour practice they find effective.
As a result of this lawless culture, there are
few families or professionals living on Tegesta.
Those born in the outposts do not have access
to public education and have few opportunities.
Children of plantation owners and corporate
workers may have access to basic services, but
most are sent to the Midlands or Uplands to
receive education and training. Very few pilots
come out of Tegesta, but those who do are
mostly from wealthy families.
Religion is not an important part of
Tegestan culture; in fact, many Tegestans are
040

The Nations
wary of it, or claim it to be the cause of Azure’s problems. The Guild Contracts
Fundamental and Reformed Catholic Churches frequently As Azure’s wild west, Tegesta is always in need
send missionaries to convert the population anyway, but with of Guild pilots for one reason or another. The
little to no success. ranchers and the corporations are in a constant
struggle over land rights, and its skies are plagued
Politics by pirates and privateers. Some contracts the
pilots might take include:
Although there is no central government, Tegesta has its fair • Helping defend a ranch or town against an
share of political posturing. The corporations and plantation invasion by a private corporate army.
owners are at odds as to who are the natural rulers of the land, • Protecting convoys as they ferry resources from
Ch
while the people living in the towns and outposts want nothing the island to the rest of Azure.
at all to do with government. This causes major tensions and • Assisting a company in hindering the trade 2
uncomfortable class boundaries. of its rivals by strafing storage facilities and
Towns that have established a local municipal warehouses.
government are fine places to live. These towns are usually run
by an elected council and mayor, and provide some basic services
to its citizens. Most people who live in the smaller outposts are escaping other nations where they found the
government or culture oppressive, and have no interest in establishing a new centralized government in Tegesta.
Although they do not write or enforce laws that limit business practices, such as gambling or prostitution, they
do have basic policing and court systems to handle major crimes and property cases. Punishments for crime
are usually harsh, ranging from banishment from certain areas or establishments to public execution.
Corporations are drawn to Tegesta and its lack of ethical business laws, but soon find that where
there are no laws to restrict them, there are also no laws to protect them. When their shipments are interrupted
by pirates, the corporations curse the lack of government protections. They have tried to organize regulating
and enforcement regimes many times, but these attempts are blocked by the plantation owners who, although
also susceptible to pirates and other unsavoury elements, have no wish to live under a corporatocracy. They
believe that they are the natural rulers of Tegesta because they are lasting, whereas the corporations come and
go. With significant amounts of money backing both parties, it is unlikely that Tegesta will have a government
consisting of either party anytime soon.
Places of Note
San Nicholas is the largest settlement in Tegesta to date. An original Spanish fort, it was recovered by the small
population that remained after the Storm and continues to be a little rough around the edges. Although the
town is more civilized than other outposts and is home to many families, it still harbours some of the more
famous vice dens in the Lowlands.
The town’s mayor, Brennan Fontaine, can trace his family history back to the dark days immediately
proceeding the Storm. He governs fairly, and the people plan to continue electing him for as long as he’s
willing to serve. Their sheriff, Everett Winslow, on the other hand, is not popular. Many people believe that he
is too strict and that he is actively trying to shut down establishments he believes are immoral.
Highlights of the town include the centrally located theatres, bars, casinos and whorehouses. The
Yellow Parrot Bar and Hotel is especially popular amongst locals and visitors. It claims that it is the only
wooden pre-Storm building in San Nicolas. It features live adult entertainment, music and card games. The
proprietor, Hernando Marquez, is a mysterious, elderly man who some claim escaped a Santiago prison. He is
known for his hospitality towards strangers, especially Guild pilots, and his tall tales of his romantic conquests.
041

The Nations
Yucatan Despite being part of the central isles, Yucatan contains Azure’s most unique
Statistics society. While Azure’s other islands maintain their pre-Storm colonial influences,
Population: 14 million
the Maya violently cast out their colonial oppressors and returned to their ancient
Climate: Temperate
religion. Now the Maya combine their cultural traditions with Azure’s modern
Capital: Chichen Itza
technology and have become a political, military and economic powerhouse.
Economy: Large-scale
Unlike Tegesta, which was ravaged during the Storm, Yucatan had a
agriculture
relatively uneventful transition to Azure. Both the indigenous Maya and the
Spanish rulers fared well, but the sudden change in climate caused massive
Ch
famine and chaos in the first decade after the Storm. During these harsh times, the Maya turned on the
2 Spanish and cast them out, literally. The Spanish Peninsulares were escorted to sinkholes by the hundred and
unceremoniously thrown into the Murk.
When Yucatan’s climate dropped from tropical to temperate, there was a massive die-off of the
jungles. The rotting vegetation revealed the ruins of dozens of Mayan cities and structures, which the now-free
Maya rebuilt and expanded. Now Yucatan is marked by extensive farmlands interspersed with magnificent
cities. The bedrock under the cities and farms is notoriously porous; there are over 20 large sinkholes that go
right through the island and open into the Murk below.
Each large city is its own Mayan kingdom with a monarchy, priesthood, and military and judicial
system. The cities are connect by a network of sacbe -- “white roads” -- that also include rail lines. These make
travel through Yucatan relatively swift and easy, though there is always a route or two that is unavailable due
to a local war.
Culture
The Maya maintain a perfect
balance between traditional
beliefs and modern pragmatism.
People take part in regular
religious rituals and contribute
time to sacred building projects,
and then ride back to their farms
on modern trains and bicycles
and tune in their cable boxes to
listen to the nightly news.
Mayan life revolves
around cycles of time. They have
an elaborate calendar system
that tracks days, months, years,
centuries and even millennia. A
great deal of importance is placed
on the cycles of the sun, moon
The city of Chichen Itza is the capital of the Mayan Federation and a perfect and stars, and important events
example of the fusion of old Mayan religious beliefs and modern functionality. like weddings, coronations,
declarations of war or the
042

The Nations
dedication of buildings will be delayed until a date the Maya

believe will deliver the most favourable outcomes.
Guild Contracts
Due to the Maya’s formalized system of war,
Mayan society has a caste structure: At the top are
there is almost always work for the Guild in
ruling and religious castes; below them are the soldiers, engineers
Yucatan. Guild members are treated as part of
and tradespeople; and at the bottom are the farmers and other
the soldier caste and will be made guests of the
peasants. Moving from one caste to another, via marriage or
court of any king who purchases their services.
merit, is difficult though not impossible. Many peasants try to
While the federation as a whole is very wealthy,
improve their prospects by joining the soldier caste, but few
each kingdom only has limited funds. Guild
make it through the brutal military selection process.
contracts in Yucatan tend to be for just a single
Ch
flight of fighters and are in effect for a few weeks
Politics at most. Some Guild contracts will only be 2
single sortie, with the fighters attacking a high-
a
As a federation of kingdoms, the politics of Yucatan can be quite
value asset. Some contracts the pilots might take
complex. The Maya recognize the importance of presenting a
include:
unified front to the other nations of Azure, and representatives
• A strike against a military train full of troops
of every kingdom hold a congress in the massive city of Chichen
and supplies.
Itza, where the federation’s policies are hammered out. Any
• Defensive combat air patrols lasting a few
foreign nation or company dealing with any kingdom first
weeks during a critical juncture in a conflict.
passes through Chichen Itza’s many layers of bureaucracy in
• An escort for bombardment frigates while they
order to do business.
transit to their targets.
While the appearance of unity is important, the
kingdoms are often at war. For the Maya, war is not the total
war of our modern times but rather a limited formalized war with specific objectives, acceptable targets and
a specific duration. Wars are fought over territorial or mineral rights, in retaliation for unfavourable trade
policies, or even over personal grudges or insults. The formal nature of Mayan war means that no conflict may
last more than 260 days, cities and towns are never targeted, and only members of the soldier caste may take
part in the conflict. All of these rules make Mayan warfare frequent but limit its overall destructiveness. It also
means that the Maya possess Azure’s largest and most experienced military, if the kingdoms are able to remain
out of internal conflict long enough to use it.
Places of Note
Yucatan is dotted with over two dozen major cities. Some of the largest and most prosperous include Chichen
Itza, Tulum and Campeche, among many others. Two places differ from the standard model of Mayan cities:
Merida and Belize City.
Merida was the Spanish capital of Yucatan before the Storm; now it is a burnt-out ruin. The Maya
looted and then torched the city during their uprising, and declared that no one could rebuild it. There are
rumours of vast Spanish wealth hidden within the city, but it is considered forbidden ground.
Belize City sits on a tiny jut of land that was nearly cut off during the Storm. It was a small British
colony in 1804, and its inhabitants wisely backed the Maya during their revolution. They even went so far as
to supply the natives with weapons and ammunition. Now it is a free-hold with special status on Yucatan. It
is part of the federation but is not subject to most of its laws. This legal limbo has turned Belize City into a
smugglers’ port for anyone wanting to bypass the federation or move illicit goods in and out of Yucatan. It is
also where shadier corporations set up headquarters and where pirates go if they are looking to become semi-
legitimate privateers for a little while.
043

The Nations
Nassau Nassau is the last beacon of the old world. After the Storm, the Bahamian islands
Statistics were cast further adrift and suffered more devastation than any other nations
Population: 180,000
that make up Azure. When most of the Bahamas were torn to shreds -- and now
Climate: Subtropical
make up the Pirates’ Tangle -- the city of Nassau survived. It is now a city-state
Capital: Nassau
frozen in time.
Economy: Business and
After the Storm, the people of Nassau were isolated from the rest of
tourism
Azure, unable to see any other islands. Governor Charles Cameron declared that
Nassau was “alone in our struggle. Abandoned by God and removed from our
Ch King, we must go forward.” And that they did. The citizens of Nassau established new systems of survival,
2 and carried on with their British colonial life, ignorant of the other nations of Azure who developed and grew
together for nearly 200 years.
Nassau was first discovered after the advent of flight in 1985. A pioneering pilot from Jamaica named
Margaret Spence was searching the edges of flyable space for errant islands when she came across Nassau.
Spence circled the city several times before making a risky landing on a city street. The society she landed in
had hardly changed since 1804; fashion, architecture, customs, technology and social norms had all remained
unchanged in the nearly 200 years since the Storm. A worn portrait of King George III hung in Governor
William Hartford’s office as Spence did her best to explain to him the shared history of the rest of Azure. On
her return to the Kingston, Spence told of her experience in Nassau and sparked the imagination and charity
of all in Azure.
Glad to no longer be alone and considering themselves saved, Nassau eagerly welcomed the airships
carrying supplies and modernized technology sent to the island by Jamaica. Modernizing was a difficult and
time-consuming business, and is still not complete in the city. Nassau still offers visitors a glimpse of pre-
Storm life and is a popular tourist destination as a living museum.
Culture
Nassau’s culture is unchanged since its days as a British colony. The people consider themselves to be English
above all else and still carry on with English traditions and social structures.
Slavery had been abolished in Nassau soon after the Storm, but there is still a definite class divide
between those descended
from British citizens
and those of slaves.
Traditionally, slave
descendants worked
menial jobs while British
descendants held more
professional positions.
The discovery of the city
led to a blurring of those
lines. Those who were in
the lower classes before
Nassau’s discovery now
had the option to leave,
forcing their employers
044

The Nations
to offer more incentives for them to stay in the city. The result Guild Contracts
is a booming middle class, making Nassau one of the most The proximity of the Pirates’ Tangle keeps the
economically prosperous nations. Guild busy, and the Guild air base is home to
Nassau’s proximity to the Pirates’ Tangle has led to some of Azure’s top-scoring pilots. In addition
the establishment of a permanent Guild outpost and air base to direct actions against the pirates, the Guild
on the outskirts of the city. Not many Guild pilots visit there, is often contracted to assist many of Nassau’s
but those who do engage in constant missions. Wealthy Nassau business interests. Some contracts the pilots
business owners hire Guild pilots to fly both defensive and might take include:
offensive missions in their interests. • An emergency scramble against a direct pirate
Nassau is the only nation whose predominate religion raid on the island. Ch
is Anglican, and it is home to the only Anglican cathedral in • Offensive operations against pirate bases that
Azure. The people of Nassau have faith but are not preoccupied 2
have been located on distant isles that are not
by it. part of the Tangle itself.
• An escort for observation airships as they hunt
Politics for errant islands at high altitude.
Unchanged since 1804, Nassau is still ruled by a governor loyal
to the British monarchy and is an overseer of the Anglican Church. In the years following the Storm, Nassau
developed a parliament with 19 seats. Parliament appoints a governor from within their ranks.
Despite not knowing who the current British monarch is, the people of Nassau still maintain their
loyalty to the Crown and some even hold onto the hope that Britain will save them from their fate in Azure
sometime in the future.
Other citizens of Nassau are not so naïve; they campaign to drop the current system of government
for a true democratic parliament with a prime minister and a definite separation of church and state. These
advocates of democracy are peaceful but vocal, though they are considered traitors by those who still swear
loyalty to an absent Crown.
Places of Note
Miraculously, many of Nassau’s buildings and landmarks were untouched during the Storm and were left
intact throughout its pre-flight history. It is now considered the best destination for historians to study pre-
Storm architecture and life.
The Government House, newly built in 1801, was adapted after the Storm into a makeshift
parliament building and residence for the ruling governor and his family. The building is a beacon of British
architecture in Azure, and has been kept beautifully since the Storm.
Fort Charlotte was being used as a police outpost and jail before the discovery of Nassau by Margaret
Spence, but has since been adapted for the Guild. The addition of a runway has angered some citizens, as
they feel it devalues the historical significance of the site, but
the Guild has honoured history by keeping the fort’s waterless
A Piece of History
moat, drawbridge, ramparts and dungeons intact.
Nassau is intended to be the only “familiar” city
Another fort, Fort Fincastle, was originally built as a
in Warbirds, and is as extensive and historically
pirate lookout and is still being used as such today. One of the
significant as it is today. Modern-day maps
tallest structures in the city, it is used by the city’s military police
should be considered fairly accurate, and any
and Errant Observations Inc. as a lookout for pirate activity.
landmark built before 1804 should be considered
It is also the only errant island vantage point outside of Cayo
canon for the purposes of this game. So get out a
Hueso.
map and explore the city!
045

Organizations
CHAPTER THREE
Ch
MAJOR ORGANIZATIONS
Azure’s many islands are full of different corporations, religious movements, criminal elements, mercenary
groups, and pirates. This chapter will cover some of the largest and most influential of such groups in detail,
3 and lay out how characters might interact with them in the game.
The Guild
Any discussion of Azure’s organizations must start with the fighter Guild. Its official name is “the Esteemed
Guild of Combat Aviators,” but everyone, including its members, just call it the Guild.
The Guild is a mercenary group of fighter pilots who sell their services to anyone who can pay. They
maintain an apolitical front and will work for any nation or company, and competing interests can end up
hiring Guild pilots to fly on both sides of a conflict. In order to ensure customer loyalty in such awkward
circumstances, the Guild maintains six separate squadrons of fighters that are often at odds with each other,
and willing to face each other in the air.
Origins
The Guild grew out of a need to protect long-haul shipping from the depredations of various pirate groups.
The poor range of radios in Azure -- only 10 kilometres at the best of times -- combined with an airship’s slow
speed make piracy easy and common, and Azure’s early air forces lacked sufficient planes to repel such threats.
Mercenary fliers filled the gap, and the most successful of these squadrons combined to form the Guild.
Objectives
While it is a powerful organization, the Guild has very simple objectives. First and foremost, it exists to make
its pilots rich. Each pilot is a shareholder in the Guild’s collective wealth. Combat success translates into more
money for both the pilot and the Guild as a whole. Most pilots are rich enough to retire from combat flying
after just a decade of service, though most stay longer and eventually transition to support roles when they
get older.
Other than money, the Guild exists to perpetuate itself. It lobbies for policies it finds favourable,
guards its monopolies on its various aviation technologies, and poaches the best pilots and engineers from
other organizations in order to keep its edge.
Dominance
Guild warbirds represent only about 5 per cent of all fighters in Azure, but they are responsible for 40 per
cent of the air-to-air victories. That terrifying ratio is made possible by a few factors: better materials, better
engineering and an exceptional reputation.
046

Organizations
Material Advantages
All pilots know that warbirds can take far more punishment than regular fighters. The reason for this involves
two rare materials: titanium and polycarbonates.
The Guild has exclusive rights to an errant island that swings in range of the central isles once a decade.
Discovered early after the Guild’s formation, Titan Island was a lucky buy for the Guild, as it contains a wealth
of titanium. The Guild has a permanent mining and refining settlement on the island, and ships tons of the
metal back to the Guild Keys every decade. While the rest of Azure is aware of titanium as an element, there
is not enough of it anywhere in the central isles to use in construction. Warbirds, meanwhile, have titanium
all through their airframes, armouring, cockpits and other vital systems. Titanium alloys give warbirds the
armour equivalence of heavy steel for only half the weight, and contributes to the planes’ legendary toughness.
Ch
Knowing that they needed to maintain an edge over other fighters in Azure, the Guild started
poaching promising scientists to fill laboratories in the Keys. One of their first big successes was the invention 3
of laminated polycarbonates. The hardened transparent layered plastics make warbird canopies bullet-resistant
and reduce pilot fatalities in dogfights by a significant percentage. Pilots who lose dogfights but live to fly
again tend to learn what they did wrong and improve for their next engagement. The ability to fail without
necessarily dying means warbirds pilots experience far more dogfights than the pilots of any other nation, and
that experience translates to more kills.
The Guild-modified version of the popular SF-23 Swift fighter. While each Guild fighter
is unique, they all have powerful engines, heavy armour and a lot of extra firepower.
047

Organizations
Engineering Advantages
The Tiger Woods Effect Guild engineers are constantly tweaking aircraft designs to
Pilots giving up when flying against improve performance. Guild aero-engines generate 40 per
the Guild is more than just wishful cent more horsepower than the next comparable non-Guild
thinking. It’s science! Studies have version. Guild weapons tend to fire faster, farther and with
shown that people, even experts, give less more accuracy that non-Guild versions, and all of that extra
than their best effort when facing opponents horsepower means that warbirds carry more ammo for those
that they believe to be superior. First noted in better guns.
professional golf, the so-called “Tiger Woods All of that careful engineering needs a monopoly to
Effect” showed that the mere presence of Tiger protect it, and the Guild maintains maximum secrecy in its
Ch
Woods on the golf course made all of the other engineering groups. Even junior Guild pilots are not trusted
3players perform slightly worse. with the top tier of technology available, and a pilot needs to
have long service with the Guild before getting access to the
best tech. Anyone caught trying to deliver Guild secrets to one
of the nations or another mercenary company can expect to have a very abbreviated lifespan.
No secrecy can be perfect, and every now and then one of the Guild’s secrets leaks out to other
militaries. Often, though, Guild innovations are not implemented by the mainstream militaries. The reason
is simple economics. A warbird is like a fine-tuned race car that runs at the very edge of the performance
envelope. While it makes sense for the Guild to use such high-end designs, regular militaries cannot afford the
extra costs in production and maintenance. Maintenance is a huge challenge for warbirds. While most fighters
need about three hours of maintenance for every hour in the air, higher performance warbirds need in excess
of ten hours of work for an hour of flight.
Reputation
Nothing makes a pilot sweat like seeing a warbird darting in to attack. There are cases of Guild planes being
outnumbered three to one, and their enemies choosing to retreat. Guild pilots are known for their toughness,
relentlessness and superior flying skills, and many enemies would rather give way than put up real resistance.
Those who do stay and fight often perform at less than their best when facing warbirds, as their nerves are
rattled and their confidence is shot.
Adding fuel to the fire is the reaction of pilots working with Guild pilots. Non-Guild fighters tend to
fall into wingman positions when flying with warbirds, and let the Guild flyer take the lead and score the kills.
This makes the Guild flyers seem even more dangerous and helps to push the kill ratio further in the Guild’s
favour.
048

Organizations
Pirates
The greatest plague in Azure is the swarms of air pirates that attack shipping and settlements. Like Vikings of
old, they attack with complete surprise, carry off what they can and disappear before authorities can respond.
The Guild originally formed to combat pirates, and it is still their primary mission 50 years later.
Origins
Piracy in Azure came about from a unique opportunity. Long-haul shipping is slow and vulnerable, and even
a single freighter can carry a fortune in goods or fuel. The first few pirate raids were a disorganized mess by
Ch
dissident pilots in stolen planes. Some met with success, but most met with either failure or a pittance of
profits.
3
Piracy became serious business when an organized group of criminals and disgruntled naval officers
stole Santiago’s first aircraft carrier days before it was scheduled to make its maiden voyage. The carrier was
fully fueled and had a full fighter complement. With a floating base of operations and the firepower of an
entire squadron of fighters, piracy became easy and profitable.
Anti-piracy operations gave way to the formation of the Guild, and piracy began to wane. Pirate
groups fell back from their more brazen operations and hid in the safety of the Pirates’ Tangle among the
distant isles. They still struck out at shippers when they could, but now they faced regular, armed resistance.
Things have swung back and forth for the pirates in the years since their establishment. Their biggest
coup occurred in 2009 when an entire Guild squadron, the 102 White Hawks, left the Guild and joined the
pirate conglomerate.
Objectives
Piracy is a business. The pirates are out to make money and are willing to be ruthless about it. Every pirate raid
attempts to bring in the largest possible haul, but most fail to bring in enough booty to be cost-effective. The
pirates keep going because they only need one big score to make up for dozens of poor hauls.
While business is important, most pirates have ulterior motives. Pirates answer to no government,
are subject to no laws but their own and are free to do as they wish. Freedom also means pirates can strike
when, where and against whomever they wish. There is no shortage of pirates with grudges against specific
countries, companies and individuals against which and whom a pirate would make a point of attacking
whenever possible.
Persistence
One might wonder how pirates stay in business. The location of their bases are not secret, they suffer terrible
losses against the Guild and it is legal in every nation to shoot known pirates on sight. While all of that is true,
the pirates have a few things working in their favour.
The Pirates’ Tangle

The term “Tangle” is something of an understatement. The unstable morass of rotating islands known as
the Pirates’ Tangle is a death sentence for many pilots who try to fly through it. A perpetual fog clings to the
Tangle, reducing visibility to just a hundred metres in the best weather. Airships, with their slow speed, can
inch their way through the mess, but they face other threats.
049

Organizations
Nassau
Pirates’
Central Tangle
Isles
Ch
3
1000 Km
This map shows the distant isles out beyond the central islands. The Pirates’ Tangle is a safe distance away from most of Azure’s
nations, but is just within easy striking distance of Nassau.
The Tangle is full of tiny islets that any armoured airship can push aside, but scattered amongst these islets are
hidden mines powerful enough to crack an airship’s hull and send it tumbling into the Murk. The pirates also
have “drop traps” that can send tonnes of rocks smashing into an airship as it tries to navigate the Tangle.
The pirates have one safe route through the mess, but it changes regularly and is always guarded. In
over 40 years, no airship has managed to get within shelling distance of the isles at the center of the Tangle. It is
not even clear how large the islands are at the center, how many people live there or what kind of infrastructure
exists.
North Andros Island

Most people in the central isles do not realize the size of the stable island at the centre of the Pirates’ Tangle.
North Andros was the largest island in the Bahamas before the Storm. It has a land area of over 6,000
kilometres-squared, making it larger than Trinidad, and the pirates have turned it into a thriving, if chaotic,
nation.
While it began as a convenient hideout, North Andros grew as the pirates created permanent bases
and brought their families to the island. Now it is covered with farms, towns and even a few factories. While the
050

Organizations
island is home to over 60,000 people, it has no central government, no national laws and little infrastructure.
The island’s third generation of inhabitants are now starting to reach the age of majority, and just
as the Guild is venerated in the central isles, pirates are idolized in North Andros. Young children dream of
growing up to be pirates and bringing riches back to their homes. The culture of North Andros ensures that
there will be no shortage of pirate recruits in the future, and that the Guild will have its work cut out for it for
years to come.
102 White Hawks

Port Trinity is Andros Island’s largest settlement, and is also
home to its most dangerous fighter squadron. The White Hawks Ch
brought Guild tactics and technology to the pirates -- though that tech is now quite dated -- and bolstered
3
their ranks. The White Hawks established the first factory on North Andros that can produce fighter aircraft,
and they now supply other squadrons with new aircraft as needed.
The importance of the White Hawks for the continued success of the pirates cannot be understated.
They plan all of the biggest raids, pass stolen shipping information to the other squadrons and are the only
pirates that can match the Guild in terms of tactics and skill, if not in technology. Airship skippers everywhere
fear the pirate fighters marked with the white hawk over all others, and will often surrender rather than make
a run for it.
The White Hawks have had the same commander since their defection from the Guild 30 years
ago. Anika “Razor” Driessen is getting old and no longer flies on raids, but is a shrewd leader and an adept
strategist. She is spending less time on her drop-carrier and more time managing Port Trinity and ensuring that
the pirate nation will remain strong after her eventual demise.
Organized Crime
An uncomfortable truth that the governments of central isles are loath to face is the connection between
distant piracy and local organized criminal syndicates. The pirates and the gangsters trade information, stolen
goods and even hostages on occasion. The pirates’ criminal contacts provide early warning about patrols from
the central isles, and give a heads-up when a profitable target might be vulnerable to a raid.
The criminal syndicates also act as go-betweens when the pirates seek ransom for a valuable prisoner.
Such negotiations are always dangerous, as the criminals will require a cut of any ransom paid, and there is
always the chance of the criminals changing the terms of any deal even after it is struck.
Mercenaries
The Guild has a monopoly on technology, but it is not the only mercenary business in Azure. There over thirty
mercenary groups that supply pilots -- as well as ground troops -- to prospective buyers. Mainly based out of
the Upland island of Trinidad, they are smaller and less prestigious than the Guild, but many are well equipped
and quite capable. The richest even have a few drop-carriers to ferry their planes around.
Guild pilots refer to these other squadrons as “wannabes” and are dismissive of their pilots and
equipment. While it is true that they cannot match warbirds one on one, these squadrons are adept at using
swarm tactics when up against the Guild. If they can bring enough fighters to bear, they can be a serious threat.
The mercenary squadrons are often filled with pilots who hope to catch the Guild’s attention and be
admitted into its ranks. While Guild recruiters prefer to work through other nation’s militaries to find their
next crop of pilots, there has been a recent upswing in recruits drawn from various mercenary groups. As these
squadrons become more professional in their recruitment and training, it is a trend that will continue.
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Prensa Libre
The largest and most powerful media outlet in Azure is the Prensa Libre. It produces daily newspapers in
English, French and Spanish, and its nightly news is cabled to thousands of homes throughout Azure.
While headquartered in Puerto Rico, the Prensa Libre also has offices in Kingston in the Uplands,
in every nation in the Midlands except Santiago, and has small offices in both Tegesta and Yucatan. It even
maintains a branch office on the distant isle of Nassau.
Supporting the network is a small fleet of ten courier aircraft that can move papers and reporters
quickly between the islands. Working for the Prensa Libre is one of the few ways that a Guild courier pilot can
Ch
make an honest living, but spots are hard to come by, and the schedule is grueling.
Prensa Libre reporters are renowned for their ability to chase down a story. If there is scandal brewing,
3
a major conflict boiling up or a feud starting between Guild squadrons, there will be a reporter from the Prensa
Libre snooping around for a scoop.
Errant Observations Inc. The need to exploit errant islands drives a

secondary business devoted to finding errant
islands and charting their paths. Every new
island found is logged in a central registry
in Kingston, and then the company that
located the island auctions off its coordinates
to interested parties. Errant Observations
is the largest and most successful of these
companies, with observation towers dotting
several Upland isles.
Errant is famous for Seeker’s Tower out on
the tip of the Guild Keys. Due to a poorly
written contract and some deft lawyering, it
is the only part of the Keys not under Guild
control. Though Seeker’s Tower irks the
Guild’s elite, it is no longer Errant’s primary
observation post; Errant has an exclusive
contract to search for islands from Nassau,
which is a full 2,000 kilometres farther out
from the central isles than the Guild Keys.
While some argue Errant refuses to sell Seeker’s
Tower to the Guild out of spite, the operation
still spots a good number of errant isles and
continues to be profitable.
Out on Nassau, Errant sends up high
altitude airships to do their island hunting --
Errant telescopes can spot islands over 5,000
kilometres away -- and then they hire couriers
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to race back to Kingston to register the islands before the competition.

While Errant airships should be easy prey for pirates, they can fly high enough that few fighters, short
of full-on warbirds, are able to climb up to and engage them.
Exploration Companies
After groups like Errant find new islands to explore, exploration companies bid to be the first to visit them.
Every nation has at least one exploration firm. The largest are Kingston Excursions, based out of Jamaica, and
Primera Vista, operating out of Puerto Rico. Ch
Once a company wins a bid, it should have exclusive rights to the island, but there is a lot of industrial
3
espionage between the exploration companies. If an upstart can steal the island’s coordinates and beat the
original winner to the island, they can try and claim it under Azure’s version of the Doctrine of Discovery,
which gives exploitation rights to the first people to set foot on a new land.
When more than one convoy is racing to a new island, fights are not uncommon, and miniature
“resource wars” have sprung up several times when it is unclear who first stepped onto a new island. None
of these smaller resource wars have yet spilled back to the central isles, but it has been the case that national
militaries have sent naval task forces to reinforce claims. Five years ago, Haiti and Santiago had a standoff that
ended in bloodshed. While Haiti came out ahead, it was unable to draw enough resources from the disputed
island to cover the losses that its navy suffered in destroyed frigates, cruisers and aircraft.
The Fundamental Catholic Church

The Roman Catholic Church survived the Storm through the devotion of its adherents. Although the Church
was cut off from the Vatican of Earth, the people still remained faithful that God would save them. Small
parishes in the largely Spanish and French nations continued on under the purview of their bishops, while
in Cuba a new pope was declared and a new papal seat established. With the invention of airships came the
reunification of Catholic parishes with their new papal headship.
The Fundamental Catholic Church is very conservative, and maintains pre-20th century traditions.
Masses are held in Latin and are largely sung, and parish members are expected to observe all Catholic holidays
and established practices. Catholics are encouraged to join the priesthood, order of nuns or a mission in order
to spread the faith.
Pope Innocent XIV runs the Church from the Cathedral of Havana, now nicknamed New Vatican,
in the city of Havana. The papacy has de facto control of Cuba, and it has become more active since the
First Resource War. Pope Innocent XIV frequently employs the Guild to provide protection when he travels,
but there has been talk that he wishes to create a Papal Guard that would act as a personal military force
independent of the Guild.
The Reformed Catholic Church

The Catholic Church in Haiti has always had to compete with local Vodou beliefs, and after the Storm it was
losing the competition. The few remaining priests and bishops in Haiti held a conference and decided the only
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way to survive was to reform the Church and elect a new pope. They did both these things in short order and
created the Reformed Catholic church.
The Reformed Church has practices and policies that are more in line with liberal Protestant parishes
than its Catholic forebears. Reformed churches are simple and welcoming, and have easy-to-follow services in
local languages. They permit such modern practices as married priests, female priests and they even tolerate
divorce to a degree. They are more relaxed in their approach to Catholic doctrine and traditions, and give their
adherents more freedom to practice as they wish. The reforms have continued in the years since the Storm and
it keeps the Church relevant and popular.
While the Fundamental Church is loathe to admit it, membership in the Reformed Church is on
the rise. It has missionary parishes in secular nations like Puerto Rico and the Uplands, and it even has a few
Ch
parishes in Cuba and Santiago, where it works to undermine Fundamental teachings.
2
3 Pope Veronique is the Church’s first female pope, and she is a shrewd leader who knows how to
spread the faith and keep parishioners coming back to the pews. Her leadership will ensure the Reformed
Catholic Church has a bright future in the years to come.
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CHAPTER FOUR
RAPIDFIRE RULES
Warbirds is a role-playing game, which means players will take on the role of a Guild pilot, and use dice
Ch
to simulate social and combat interactions. Warbirds uses the high-speed, results-driven dice system known
as “Rapidfire,” which works on the premise of eliminating complexity, speeding up play and simplifying 3
2
4
bookkeeping. In Rapidfire, all conflicts are resolved by using a single d6 (a regular six-sided die) rolled against
a difficulty number.
This system allows an element of chance to be incorporated into the game while eliminating the need
for specialized or complicated charts, tables, math or dice. It takes almost no time to swing a fist or fire a gun,
and the Rapidfire system aims to preserve that spontaneity of action. It breaks down to one quick roll, with a
higher number increasing the player’s chance of success.
Simply stated, all actions in Rapidfire are resolved with:
1d6 + Skill + Stat + Modifiers versus Difficulty
Stats
Stats are the core of virtually any RPG. These stats generally determine how big, fast, smart, nimble, tough
or even good looking your character is. In the Rapidfire system, all of these attributes are reduced down to
and covered by three stats: Body, Mind and Spirit. These stats range from -2 (worst) to +2 (best), with 0
representing the average.
The absolute human maximums are +3 and -3. These extremes are not options at character creation,
however. A -3 stat would be the result of a crippling injury or horrible disease. A +3 stat is the pinnacle of
human ability, and only a handful of people in the whole world are capable of attaining it.
Body
This is a representation of the physical capability of your character. It determines how well your character can
fight in both close and ranged combat. In terms of non-combat action, it applies to how much weight they can
lift or push, or how well they can maintain their balance. In terms of roleplaying, it might affect the physical
appearance of your character. It is easy to think of Body as being physical size or strength and, while that is
true, it does not paint the entire picture. A common thief might have a body of +1 because he is especially
spry and nimble, while the cop who chases him might have a body of -1 because he is so clumsy he can’t help
but trip over his own feet. In general, however, it can be assumed that someone with a good Body stat is fit,
muscular and agile, while someone with a poor Body score might be sickly, frail or burdened by obesity.
Mind
This is a representation of the wit and intellect of your character. Not only does it determine how smart or
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quick-witted your character is, but how aware they are of things and the intricate ways in which they interact.
A character with a high Mind stat is more likely to see a dangerous situation developing, figure out a way past a
seemingly insurmountable obstacle, or fast-talk their way out of trouble. It is the stat that is used to determine
initiative in combat, as well as in rolls to deal with puzzles, science or business.
Spirit
This is a representation of the will or faith of your character. Characters with a high Spirit can keep fighting
when lesser people have succumbed to their wounds or the inevitability of defeat. They may even inspire those
around them to keep fighting. It is a measure of your character’s ability to press forward despite pain, fear
Ch
and hopelessness. It is also a measure of their connectedness to the people around them; most rolls in social
2
4 situations will be modified by the Spirit stat.
Skills
Skills are purchased with experience points (XP) and affect how well your character performs certain tasks.
Having a high Body stat does not make them an acrobat, nor does having a high Mind stat mean they can
instantly speak seven languages. Skills are added to their associated stat, and then added to your roll for that
particular activity. Skills range from 0 (completely untrained) to 6 (grand mastery). The list of skills with their
descriptions is on page 90 in the Character Creation section.
Difficulty
All skill rolls in Rapidfire are made using the simple formula of 1d6 +Stat+Skill. Rolls are either made against a
set difficulty number or are opposed by another character. This is the standard formula for all rolls in Rapidfire,
with standard difficulties as follows:
2 - Routine; something a skilled person never fails at.
4 - Easy; there is a small chance of failure.
6 - Moderate; normal people manage this sometimes, but it is easy for the experts.
8 - Tough; default difficulty for things with a good chance of failure, even for the pros.
10 - Very Tough; only the crazy and the mighty try it.
12 - Near impossible; only attempted by the very talented and very skilled.
14 - Epic; the name says it all. Good luck.
Opposed Rolls
There are some cases where opposed rolls are used instead of a set difficulty. In these cases, the higher roll
wins. If an opposed roll ties, the character with the higher stat wins, but just barely. If stats are tied, then the
outcome is a draw and characters can try again or accept the tie.
Unskilled
If the character lacks the appropriate skill, then increase the difficulty of the task by 2. The GM may rule that
a task is impossible without the appropriate skill, but this should be rare. It is far better for there to be a high
difficulty than for something to be declared impossible.
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Making the Numbers -- Reserve

In Rapidfire, rolling a 1 does not always mean failure and a 6 does not guarantee success. All that matters is
whether the difficulty was met. To help characters meet the numbers, they each have several points of Reserve.
Reserve represents a character’s desire to succeed despite the odds arrayed against them. The Reserve represents
a bonus to the d6 roll that the player can add at any time, even after the dice are rolled. They can add up to
+3 to one roll or split it up amongst several rolls. Reserve can also be added to a character’s secondary stats for
a round (see below). Its final use is to activate certain special abilities when fighting using an aircraft. Strategic
use of Reserve can often be the difference between life and death.
Characters start off each session with a number of points of Reserve equal to their highest skill+2. Ch
For example, a character whose highest skill is level 2 starts off with 4 points of Reserve, while a character with 2
4
a level 4 skill starts off with 6 points of Reserve. As a game session progresses, characters will lose and gain
Reserve depending on their actions. Optionally, the GM may allow a character’s Reserve to as much as double
during play, but such extra Reserve points are lost at the beginning of the next session. A character refills their
Reserve when the GM dictates, when they do something Awesome or when they accept a critical failure.
The Rule of Awesome

Awesomeness should always be rewarded. When a PC attempts to do something the GM thinks is awesome,
the PC can receive a +1 bonus to the roll and 1 point back to their Reserve. They can even gain a bonus
experience point (XP) for the associated skill. If the PC attempts something so brilliant, so amazing or so cool
that it wows the entire table, the GM can assign an even larger bonus to both the roll and Reserve, but not XP,
though it should not exceed +3.
Awesome bonuses are important to reward creative thinking and excellent roleplaying. GMs are
encouraged to be liberal on the awesome, but beware of players hamming it up excessively to try to get the
bonus.
Critical Failure
Reserve
What is it good for?
It is important to learn from our mistakes. While a 1 is not Reserve is great stuff and you can do a lot with
necessarily a failure in Rapidfire, it is most of the time. If a it. When you are out of your plane you can use
character rolls 1 and fails to meet the difficulty of the roll by it to:
a significant margin (3 or more), then the player can ask the • Add +1 to a roll, even after you have rolled
GM for a critical failure. If the GM accepts, “something bad” (max +3).
happens to the character in addition to failing the roll. While • Add +1 to defence, even after your enemy rolls
the consequence is up the GM, it should never be a lethal to attack (max +3).
complication -- just an inconvenient one. • Spend it all to escape certain death.
Why would anyone ever ask for a critical failure? First
of all, they are fun. For a little more incentive, critically failing When airborne, you can use Reserve to do all of
a roll earns the character an XP for the skill being used and a the above and more:
point back into the character’s Reserve. A character should not • Activate an advanced stunt.
suffer more than one critical failure per scene. • Activate an ammo trait.
• Adjust the roll for a random ordinance hit
location.
• Escape a fight into nearby clouds.
• Pool it with other players to change the weather.
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Help!
If two characters have the same skill, one can help the other. To help a character, the helper makes a difficulty
6 skill roll. Success gives the character being helped a +1 to the roll. The max bonus from helpers is usually
+2, but the GM has the final call on more or less people lending a hand. The Rule of Awesome and Critical
Failures apply to helpers, which will help or hinder the character being helped, as appropriate to the situation.
Fame
It is almost impossible to be a warbird pilot without becoming famous. A character’s Fame rating goes from
Ch 0 to 6 just like a skill, and can be used as a bonus to certain skill rolls. Furthermore, a character’s Fame
2
4 represents their relative wealth and standing within the Guild. Once per session, it can be used to modify one
the following skills:
• Command - Speak with the authority of the Guild.
• Etiquette - Use star power to hide lapses in protocol.
• Perform - Try to impress people with combat record, etc.
• Persuade - Classic celebrity endorsement of an idea.
• Publicity - Everyone loves the glamour of the Guild.
• Interrogation - Play off people’s adulation to get information.
Players need to describe how their characters are

using their Fame in order to get the skill bonus. Also, at the
GM’s discretion there may be skills other than those listed
above where the Fame bonus could apply. These scenarios
should be decided on a case-by-case basis.
Scandal Clause
Fame can be a blessing as well as a curse. If a character does
anything cowardly, stupid, needlessly destructive or illegal,
the paparazzi will jump on the story and turn it into a
Scandal. A Scandal makes the Fame bonus into a penalty that
applies every time one of the above skills is rolled. The GM
should warn a character that an action will lead to a Scandal,
but if the character proceeds, then the Scandal comes into
play.
As Fame also represents a character’s income, a
Scandal makes buying stuff harder, as people are less likely to
trust a character or give them a fair price. All costs of items
are increased by 1 when a character has a Scandal, and they
cannot purchase items equal to their Fame.
A Scandal penalty does not go away until a character
makes amends, publicly apologizes or redeems themselves in
some other way. The player and the GM should agree on
what the terms will be for the Scandal to be lifted, but it
should not be easy or quick.
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Combat
In the pulp world of Warbirds, combat is fast and dangerous,
Rounds Versus Scenes
While rounds are tiny snippets of time used to
track combat, they exist in a larger chunk of
but favours the daring over the cautious. Below are the rules for
time known as a scene. A scene or encounter
combat for characters when they are on the ground. The Rules
is a part of a session of unspecified length
of the Sky (see page 67) will contain some modifications for
that is tied to a single setting, plot element or
when characters mix it up in the unfriendly skies.
subgroup of characters or NPCs. Like a writer
In general, personal combat is quick and characters
creating a play or novel, each scene in a game
have three combat-oriented secondary stats that help keep
will serve a purpose to the greater narrative of
things moving:
a given session, or address the goals of one (or Ch
• Defence - A static value that represents a character’s ability to
more) of the characters. Well-crafted scenes link 2
4
defend against attacks.
together to create well-crafted sessions, and it is
• Resist - A static value that represents a character’s ability to
the responsibility of everyone at the table to help
shrug off damage without injury.
make a scene go well.
• Health - The number of points of damage a character can
take before being knocked out of the fight. As Health decreases,
characters suffer penalties.
Combat Sequence
Combat is split up in small snippets of time called rounds. A round is enough time to take an action and move
a few metres at a jog. Rounds are resolved in four steps:
1. Initiative
Characters make opposed Mind + Awareness rolls. The highest roll acts first; work from highest to lowest in
order. Ties go to the player characters. The initiative rolls create the order for all combatants’ actions and will
remain in effect for an entire combat. A player with a higher initiative can always choose to wait until later in
the round to act, though delaying an action keeps the character at the lower initiative in later rounds.
2. Attacks
Characters attack with a Body + Skill roll versus Defence. If the attacker meets or beats the defender’s number,
they hit. The margin by which the hit exceeds the defender’s number is the Lead. If an attack matches the
defence, it is a hit but with a Lead of 0.
3. Damage and Resist

Weapons in Rapidfire do a set amount of damage plus the Lead. For example, a pistol does Lead +2 damage.
The defender has a chance to reduce this damage with their Resist. Resist can reduce damage down to 0,
meaning the attack hits but glances off, or the injuries are only superficial.
4. Health and Penalties

Leftover damage after Resist gets applied to a character’s Health. The character sheet shows a Health track
with penalties listed for the amounts of damage taken. The penalties apply to all actions and defences, but not
Resist. If a character’s Health track fills up, they are Down but Not Out. If damage exceeds the Health track,
then they are Out of the Fight.
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The Health Track

Every living thing has a Health rating between 1 and 10, and has Health track equal in length to their
Health stat. As boxes get marked off on the Health track, the characters suffer the penalty listed under the
box. For example, a normal person has a Health of 3, so their track looks like this:
O O O
0 -1 -1
The character suffers no penalties for the first point of damage, and stays at a -1 penalty for the next 2
points. A massive creature, like a blue whale (sorry -- there are no actual blue whales in Warbirds) with a
Health of 10 has a Health track that looks like this:
Ch O O O O O O O O O O
2
4 0 -1 -1 -2 -2 -3 -3 -3 -3 -3
Note that Damage penalties never exceed -3, and damage penalties are not cumulative. Characters only
suffer the penalty for the highest box on the Health track.
Some very tough creatures might have “damage resistance.” Damage resistance increases the
number of 0’s at the start the health track before penalties build up. It is most often found on large
vehicles like airships.
Injuries and Death

Characters in Warbirds can be in one of several states: Up and Fighting, Down but Not Out, Out of the Fight,
or Dead.
Up and Fighting
A character who is Up and Fighting is able to act normally. If they suffer damage on their Health track, then
they continue to act at the listed penalty for as long as the track does not fill up.
Down But Not Out

When a character’s Health track is filled up, they are Down but Not Out. They have been hit hard enough
that they are on their knees, gasping for air and gritting their teeth in pain. They are reduced to a crawl, and
any action undertaken will be very painful. They may still act at the listed penalty, but they must roll a d6
immediately after doing so. If the roll comes up 1, they are knocked Out of the Fight by pain.
Out of the Fight

When a character’s Health track is exceeded, then they are Out of the Fight. They are unconscious, bleeding
badly or somehow crippled. Characters who are Out of the Fight cannot take any actions, and will need to see
a doctor to properly recover from their injuries.
Dead
In Warbirds, characters rarely die unless it is dramatically appropriate. Players should only really be worried
about death when they are facing major adversaries, engaging in heroic last stands or actually facing execution.
In order to die, a character must Put Their Life on the Line or face Certain Death. Characters can
choose to Put Their Life on the Line if they want to up the stakes. It gives them a +1 to all dice rolls and
Defence for the remainder of the scene, but makes them vulnerable to serious injury and death.
A character who gets knocked Out of the Fight when they have Put Their Life on the Line picks up
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some sort of permanent injury if/when they recover, and they die if they take double their Health in damage.
The permanent injury can take the form of a Disadvantage or a permanent -1 penalty to Health or Resist. The
player and GM should agree on the nature of the injury.
The GM can force a character to Put Their Life on the Line. However, they can do so only if the
player is warned before a conflict begins, and the character has a chance to make a run for it or diffuse the
situation. If a fight starts, the GM cannot suddenly force the characters to up the stakes halfway through.
Major NPCs, however, operate like the characters and the GM can up their own stakes at any time. NPCs get
the same bonuses and suffer the same risks as player characters when they Put Their Lives on the Line.
There is one exception to the above rules. If a
character faces Certain Death, they must spend all of their Recurring Villainy
Ch
remaining Reserve or they die. Certain Death scenarios are These rules are designed in part to help the
things like being trapped in a collapsing building, being GM foster relationships between the characters 2
4
shot while incapacitated, being thrown off a massive cliff or, and their adversaries. It makes it easy for the
most commonly, getting shot down over the dreaded Murk. GM to design recurring, evolving villains that
Expending all of a character’s Reserve allows for some sort of the characters face. They should not supersede
deus ex machina to save them. The GM may give the surviving common sense; if Certain Death situations arise
character a permanent injury, as described above, or give the -- a bullet to the head, a fatal fall, etc. -- the GM
character some sort of special debt they now owe to their should adjudicate them appropriately.
savior(s). If a character faces Certain Death and has no Reserve
remaining or they have already Put Their Life on the Line, they
die.
Recovery and Healing

Characters’ wounds are never as bad as they look: That bullet wound was a lucky graze and those cuts missed
everything vital. Injuries heal at the rapid rate of 1 point per day of rest/light activity. Characters who are
Down but Not Out recover their first point of health back at the end of the scene where they took the injury,
and then 1 point each day thereafter.
Characters who were Out of the Fight have it a little rougher. They need to see a doctor or will be in
for a slow recovery. If a doctor can make a difficulty 6 Medicine roll, the character recovers 1 point of damage
per three days of rest. If the doctor fails the roll or the character does not receive treatment at all, they heal at
a rate of 1 point per week. If the doctor rolls a critical failure, then double the healing time.
If a character suffers injuries while they have Put Their Life on the Line, then double the difficulty
and healing times listed above. If a character’s life was Put on the Line, then any injury they suffered was
serious, and they might even suffer permanent penalties (see above).
Combat Modifiers
All-out Defence
If a character does nothing but try not to get hit, they get a +2 bonus to their Defence. All-out Defence can
be declared at any time during the round, even after an enemy attacks, as long as the character has not yet
taken an action.
Multiple Actions In Combat

Taking more than one action in a round is possible, but it is very hard. Whenever a character attempts multiple
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actions in a round, they suffer a penalty to all of their actions and their Defence rating equal to the total
number of actions being taken. For example, if a PC wants to attack two different enemies in the same round
the character suffers a -2 penalty to each attack, and a -2 to their Defence. Both actions are rolled and resolved
at the same time, but the Defence penalty persists for the entire round.
Charging
A charging character is using the shock of forward momentum to smash through an enemy’s defences. A
charge requires about four metres of running room and gives the character +1 to physical attacks, but makes
them -1 to Defence for the round. Also, charging is suicide against a character who has cover and a firearm.
Ch Gun-toting targets of a charging character get a free attack against the charger (with the Defence penalty)
before the charger reaches close-combat range.
2
4
Ganging up
Multiple attackers on a single target can coordinate their attacks for greater effect. The second attacker on a
single target gets a +1 to their roll. The third and all subsequent attackers get a +2.
Mounted Combat
While cavalry is nearly extinct in Warbirds, there are some places where horses are the only way to get around
on the ground. Fighting from horseback gives height and leverage advantages. Mounted characters get +1
damage to all physical attacks against unmounted opponents. Shooting from horseback is easy when the
mount is still, but -1 when trotting, -2 at a cantor and -3 at a gallop.
When a character’s mount is attacked, they can abandon their actions, like an All-out Defence, to
make a Ride check in place of the horse’s Defence stat.
Ranged Combat
All ranged weapons have a range listed in metres. That range is the maximum distance that the weapon can
be fired in single action. If a character takes a round to steady their aim, they can get a +1 to their next shot
or choose instead to fire 50 per cent beyond the weapon’s maximum range with a -2 penalty. Firing from a
prone position makes the character +1 to attack, with long range shots only having a -1 penalty. Characters
using ranged weapons in close combat are -1 to Defence. If the character is prone, the Defence penalty is -2.
Burst Fire
Automatic weapons are not known for their accuracy, but they are very good at spreading bullets over multiple
targets. A character with an automatic weapon can spread fire over multiple adjacent enemies by spending 5
shells and taking a -1 for each target attacked after the
first. For example, spraying fire over two targets takes 5
shells and the character makes a single attack roll at -1 for
both. For three targets it takes 10 shells and the attack
roll is at -2.
Alternately, a shooter can suppress an area by pouring
bullets into/over it, forcing any enemy passing through it
to make an opposed Athletics roll instead of using their
Defence rating, with no All-out Defence bonus possible.
To suppress, the shooter makes a single attack roll at -2
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that stands for the entire round. Suppressing fire takes up 10 shells per round, plus 5 shells for each enemy that
passes through the area being suppressed. GMs need to use common sense with suppressing fire. Characters
can suppress a hallway or a narrow alley. They cannot suppress anything larger without a heavy machine gun
mounted on a bi-pod or a gun turret.
Surprise
To make a surprise attack, a character must win a Body+Stealth roll versus a Mind + Awareness roll. Success
gives the character +2 to their first attack, which is made before Initiative is rolled.
Darkness Ch
Fighting in the dark is difficult and confusing. All characters suffer a -1 penalty to attack in close combat and 2
4
a -2 penalty to attack from range.
Disarming/Tripping
A disarm or trip is an attack that causes no damage but sends the target’s weapon flying or sends the target
prone, respectively. Both action results require an attack against Defence roll with a Lead of 3; the attack fails
completely if the Lead is less than 3. Also, failing the attack gives the target a free chance to counter with a
disarm or trip without using an action. There are no consequences if the counter fails.
A disarmed character is weaponless; their weapon is on the ground. If the attacker gets a Lead of 4 or
more, they can choose where the weapon goes or grab it with a free hand. A tripped character is prone and at
-2 to Defence and physical attacks until he takes an action to stand. Disarms and trips are possible with ranged
weapons such as bolas, but such weapons do not allow for a counter on a failed attempt.
Grappling
Some characters may try to grab and pin an opponent. This requires a successful Close Combat attack with
a Lead of 2 or more. If the target has actions remaining in the round, they can attempt an immediate escape
but need to make a Body + Close Combat roll and get a Lead of 2 or more against the attacker’s grapple roll.
The round after throwing an opponent to the ground, the characters make opposed Close Combat rolls. The
winner does Lead damage to the loser. Resist as normal. If one character gets a Lead of 2 or more, they can
choose to break the grapple instead of doing damage.
While on the ground, both characters are -2 to Defence against attacks from bystanders. However,
if an outside attack intended for one character misses but beats the Defence of the other character in the
grapple, that second character takes the hit by mistake; the grappling characters are simply too close to one
another.
Attempting to grapple an armed opponent is tricky and dangerous, and requires a Lead of 3. Failure
to grapple an armed opponent opens the character up to an immediate free counterattack by the target.
Called Shots
Characters can attempt to target specific parts of their enemies in the hopes of bypassing armour, removing a
limb or hitting a vital point. To make a called shot, the character has to choose their target before rolling and
needs a minimum Lead of 3 to hit what they call. A hit with a Lead of less than 3 still hits, but it does not hit
the called area. Whether it hits or not, the attack is -3 damage, effectively eliminating the Lead needed to make
the hit. The advantage is that the attack might ignore armour, blind an enemy, cut off a hand, stun them, etc.,
making it effective despite the reduced damage. The exact effects of a successful called shot are up to a GM,
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but a crippling hit might give the victim a -1 or -2 penalty, if appropriate.
Tactical Advantage
There are a range of situations not covered whereby a character might have tactical advantage due to terrain,
cover, position, weather, gear or even state of mind. If the GM determines that a character has a tactical
advantage, the character can receive a +1 to attack, Defence or whatever else is appropriate to the situation.
Environment Damage
Ch
Damage can be caused by things like fire, lightning, poison, drowning and even falling, but without the need
for an attack roll. Instead, they have a difficulty rating that the character rolls against. The amount failed by
2
4
becomes the Lead of an attack against them. Characters can Resist environment damage, but the GM can rule
when armour does not apply, such as with poison or lightning. The GM can dictate other consequences for a
failed roll, as per the guidelines below.
Fire
Fire is avoided with a Body + Athletics roll with a difficulty of 6. If the player fails to reach the set difficulty by
2 or more, the person catches on fire and is dealt damage as a torch every round until the character makes the
difficulty, smothers the fire with water, etc. Fire can cause horrendous scars and force a character to take the
Unattractive Disadvantage, at the GM’s discretion. Fire does the following damage:
Fire arrow or torch - Lead +0
Campfire - Lead +1
Bonfire - Lead +2
Inferno or lava flow - Lead +3
Lightning
It is impossible to dodge a lightning strike, but the effects vary from person to person. The character rolls the
higher of their Body or Spirit against difficulty 7. A character who fails takes Lead +2 damage. However, pass
or fail, the person is knocked unconscious for 1d6 minutes, if they are not struck dead. They will also get some
very cool scars out of the ordeal.
Poison
Characters roll 1d6 + Body against the rating of the poison. Lethal poisons have ratings of 7 or higher and do
upwards of Lead +2 damage, and may force a character to Put Their Life on the Line, while weaker poisons,
like alcohol, have a rating between 3 and 6 and might just cause unconsciousness or illness on a failed roll.
• Strong Beer - Difficulty 3; does Lead +0 damage; unconsciousness on Lead of 5 or more; difficulty goes up
by 1 every 3 doses; can be addictive.
• Opium - Difficulty 7; does Lead +1 damage: unconsciousness on Lead of 3 or more; addictive.
• Lethal Poison - Difficulty 8; does Lead +2 damage and the character must Put Their Life on the Line.
Drowning
Characters roll 1d6 + Body + Athletics against difficulty 6 for two minutes spent under water. Add 2 to the
difficulty for each additional minute. Drowning does Lead +0 damage.
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Falling
Characters roll 1d6 + Body + Athletics against difficulty 4 for a three-metre -- 10-foot -- fall. Add 2 to the
difficulty for every additional three metres fallen, up to a maximum difficulty of 16. Parachutes, an essential
part of any aircraft, reduce falling difficulty to 6, as long as they have enough of a drop to fully deploy.
Falling damage varies depending on what the character hits:
• Water - Lead -4
• Dirt - Lead +0
• Concrete - Lead +2
Combat Example #1 Ch
Terrence “Task” Micheau, a Guild pilot and adventurer, is enjoying a drink at the local pilot’s bar when his 2
4
old nemesis, Etienne “Renard” Lachapelle, an infamous pirate, sits down at his table. It does not take long for
insults to turn into threats. Their table, drinks and all are tossed aside, and fists are raised.
Round 1
Both characters roll initiative: 1d6 + Awareness + Mind. Terrence, always a quick one, rolls a 7, while Etienne
manages a mere 5. Terrence wins initiative and acts first. He takes a wild swing at Etienne. He rolls 1d6
+ Close Combat + Body. Terrence is an average sized guy at Body 0, but he has been in a lot of bar fights
(Close Combat 2), so his roll is 1d6 +2 versus Etienne’s Defence 5. Terrence rolls a 4 for a total of 6. He beats
Etienne’s Defence by 1, so has a Lead of 1. Fists do Lead +0 damage, so Etienne takes 1 damage. If Etienne had
armour or a high Spirit stat, he could Resist Terrence’s damage, but he has neither. A single point of damage
is not enough to hinder Etienne, but it hurts him all the same.
For Etienne’s action, reeling from Terrence’s punch, he grabs the nearest weapon, a barstool, and
swings for Terrence’s head. He rolls 1d6 + Close Combat + Body, and gets a total of 7. This beats Etienne’s
Defence 5 by 2, giving a Lead of 2 for the attack. Improvised weapons do Lead +1 damage, so total damage
done is 3. Terrence has a +1 Spirit, which reduces damage from 3 to 2. Looking at his Health track, this is still
enough damage that Terrence now has a -1 penalty to actions and Defence.
Round 2
Terrence still has initiative and he sees that Etienne is fighting cheap, as usual. He decides to take a chance
and attempts to grapple Etienne and knock him to the floor. Terrence rolls the attack (with a -1 penalty from
his injury) and rolls a 1 for a total of 2 after total modifiers (Body 0, Close Combat 2, -1 injury). He needs
a Lead of 3 to grapple Etienne, so he is not even close. Terrence accepts a critical failure, and the GM rules
that Terrence’s grapple attempt turns into an ungraceful fall as his legs get caught up in the overturned table.
Terrence is now prone and -2 to Defence in addition to the -1 from his injury. To make matters worse, his
failed grapple triggers a free counter-attack from Etienne. The bar stool comes crashing down as Etienne rolls
a total of 6 to attack. This is a Lead of 4 over Terrence’s now feeble Defence of 2. The damage totals 5, and
Terrence’s Resist reduces it back down to 4. Terrence only has 4 Health and he has already taken 2 damage.
Terrence is knocked Out of the Fight.
Terrence wakes up a few hours later in the local clinic and Etienne is nowhere to be seen. While
he vows revenge, Terrence still has rest for 12 days -- 3 days for each of the 4 points of Health lost -- to fully
recuperate from his nasty head injury.
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At the pirate’s warehouse... Combat Example #2

It has a been awhile since their last meeting, but Terrence
“Task” Micheau has tracked down Etienne to a local
warehouse where the pirate is fencing some stolen goods.
Terrence brings his wingman, Elizabeth “Longshot” Blake,
and Etienne has two local thugs with him. The thugs mistake
Terrence and Elizabeth for the police, pull their guns and
everyone starts shooting.
Ch Round 1
2
4 Initiative is rolled and the order plays out as follows: Elizabeth,
Etienne, Thug 1, Terrence, Thug 2. True to her callsign,
Elizabeth is a crack shot with her rifle. While the others are in
close, she is a ways back, taking a rested shot. She lays a bead
on Thug 2 and fires. She rolls a 6 with her skills making it a
9. The thug’s defence is 4, so Elizabeth gets a Lead of 5, and
rifles do Lead +3 damage for a devastating total of 8 damage.
The thug is Out of the Fight with what is probably a fatal
bullet wound.
Etienne, seeing that he is out-gunned opts for All-out
Defence and makes a run for it. Thug 1 attempts to return fire
on Elizabeth. Her Defence is 6, but the GM gives her an extra
+1 for cover. The Thug rolls a 6 total for his pistol, and a few
bullets riddle Elizabeth’s cover. Terrence tries to take a shot at
Etienne with his revolver, but Eitenne’s defence is up to 7 due
to All-out Defence, and Terrence only rolls 4. The bullet sails
over Eitenne’s head, and the pirate escapes out the back of the
warehouse. At this point, Thug 2 would act, but he is on the
ground, not moving.
Round 2
Elizabeth racks another round into her rifle and fires at the
remaining thug. She rolls a measly 1. Her skills bring that up
to a 4, which equals the thug’s Defence. Even though she got
the worst possible roll, she still manages a Lead 0 hit. The rifle
does 3 points of damage. This is enough to make the thug
Down but Not Out. The thug, on his turn, is bleeding badly
and now facing Terrence in addition to Elizabeth. He chooses
to surrender.
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Ch
2
4
YN-31 Kestrel
RULES OF THE SKY

Aerial combat is best described as equal parts danger, chaos, and luck. It forces pilots to take their fighters
to the very knife edge of life and death and keep them there. Warbirds emulates these dogfights with quick,
simple dogfighting rules.
Stats
Only one stat is relevant in a dogfight: Situational Awareness, or SA. SA is a measure of a character’s overall
talents and abilities to control an aircraft, and fight in three-dimensional space. It is used when making the
all-important Dogfighting roll at the beginning of each round, in calculating the fighter’s Defence when trying
to avoid fire, and for all Gunnery rolls made while flying. SA is equal to the total of a pilot’s Body, Mind and
Spirit stats, and will be +1 for most starting characters.
Skills
There are four specialized skills that a pilot needs to be an effective combatant in the air. They are always
modified by SA.
• Piloting - This skill determines a pilot’s overall flying ability. It is used for Dogfighting, Defence and
performing any basic piloting manoeuvre.
• Strafing - Strafing is the art of getting close to large, dangerous things without dying. It is used when pilots
need to line themselves up to attack something big and slow, like an airship, train or fortified building. It is
also used when a dogfight reaches the ground (see below).
• Gunnery - Marksmanship is tricky to master. History is full of mediocre pilots who were incredible shots,
and vice versa. Gunnery covers the use of machine guns and light cannons.
• Ordinance - Bombs, rockets and heavy cannons require their own special touch, and this skill covers how
to lob these heavy weapons at targets.
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Aircraft
The planes in Warbirds have just a few simple stats to represent their capabilities: Performance, Armour,
Structure, Weapons and Traits.
Performance
This stat gives an overall picture of a fighter’s speed, manoeuvrability, climb and dive rates, and turn radius.
Performance rates from 0 to 6:
• 0 - The Performance of any large stationary target, such as a building.
Ch
• 1 - Slow-moving vehicles like airships and trains.
2
4 • 2 - The Performance of non-Guild fighters and Guild couriers.
• 3 - Performance for a standard Guild fighter and elite non-Guild fighters.
• 4 - Top-end Guild fighters that are tuned to perfection.
• 5 - Experimental aircraft or aircraft with special Guild modifications.
• 6 - Maximum Performance for any aircraft.
Armour
When flying, weight is at a premium, and nothing is quite as heavy as armour. As vehicles have no Spirit stat,
their Armour and Resist ratings are always the same, and the words can be used interchangeably. Lumbering
airships are loaded down with armour, while fighters have only the lightest protection, if any. Guild fighters,
with their access to lighter, tougher materials have more armour than most other aircraft. Armour rates from
0 to 10+:
• 0 - Standard armour for civilian aircraft.
• 1-2 - Common armour ratings for non-Guild fighters.
• 3-5 - Guild fighters and couriers fall in this range.
• 6-8 - This much armour is found on the lighter airships and drop-carriers.
• 9+ - Slow but powerful warships have armour in this range.
Structure
Where people have Health, aircraft have Structure. Rather than getting too detailed about any specific damage
to parts of the a plane, just mark off damage on its Structure rating and apply the appropriate penalty to
Defence, Attack, Dogfighting and Strafing rolls. Fighters have between 2 and 5 points of Structure, while
larger vehicles have a Structure of 10 or more. While the penalties run like a standard Health track, some
vehicles have Damage Resistance, which allows them to take more damage before suffering penalties. For
example, standard Guild fighters have a Structure of 5 and a Damage Resistance of 1, so their Structure track
looks like this:
Structure O O O O O
Penalty 0 0 -1 -1 -2
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Weapons
Weapons are split into two rough groups: guns, which are used with the Gunnery skill, and ordinance, which
are used with the Ordinance skill. Each weapon has the following stats:
• Accuracy - Rated from -3 to +2; modifies attack rolls.
• Damage - Rated as Lead +0 to +8; damage works as per normal Rapidfire rules.
• Armour Piercing - Rated from 0 to 5; how many points of armour the weapon ignores.
• Ammo - How many shots/bursts the weapon can make before it is expended.
• Special - Any special abilities the weapon has.
Note that range is not a listed weapon stat. For simplicity, all weapons have a range of a few thousand feet.
Weapons are either in range or out of range for all combatants. Some weapons will have special abilities that Ch
give them extended range and pre-emptive/surprise attack properties. 2
4
Traits
Planes have all sorts of unique quirks and modifications. Traits cover all these capabilities. Some traits modify
the above stats, while others give temporary bonuses or other special advantages.
The Dogfight
There is no Initiative roll in a dogfight. Instead, the two pilots make opposed Dogfighting rolls. A Dogfighting
roll is an opposed Piloting roll modified by three things: the Performance of the plane, the skill of the pilot
and the SA of the pilot. Together the roll looks like this:
1d6 + Performance + Piloting Skill + SA.
There are some other things that can modify the Dogfighting
roll (see below). The winner of the Dogfighting roll manages to
get into position for a shot on the loser, while the loser is stuck
with the bandit on their tail, and has to dodge incoming fire.
Ties always go to the pilot with the higher SA. If SA is tied as
well, then neither pilot can gain an advantage and take a shot.
Firing
The winner of the Dogfighting roll may fire on the loser or
hold for the perfect shot. Shooting is made with a Gunnery
(or Ordinance) Skill + SA + Weapon Accuracy roll. Holding
requires no roll; the pilot just holds their fire and moves in for
the kill. In the next round, the holding pilot has +1 to shoot,
but only if they win the Dogfighting roll again. Losing the
Dogfighting roll means losing the bonus. A pilot can hold for
multiple rounds and gain up to a +2 bonus. If the pilot takes
multiple shots, the bonus only applies to the first shot that the
pilot takes against the target and does not apply to shots in
subsequent rounds.
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Defending
The pilot with a bandit on their tail is in a bad place. Defending pilots have a few options to choose from as
they try not to die:
• Break - This is the standard max performance turn-and-burn designed to keep the plane in one piece while
positioning it to try and gain the advantage on the next round. When a pilot breaks, the plane’s Defence is
Performance + Piloting + SA. This number is referred to as the plane’s Break Defence.
• Escape - Unlike a break, an escape is an attempt to leave the fight by any means necessary, usually by
dropping like a stone while manoeuvring like crazy. If a pilot attempts to escape, then the plane’s Defence is
equal to its Break Defence +2. This is also called Escape Defence. However, when escaping, the pilot cannot
Ch turn to fight in the next round and must attempt to Disengage (see below).
2
4 • Shoot - When there are more than two planes in a fight, it is possible that a plane is both the hunter and the
hunted at the same time. If a plane chooses to shoot (or hold) at an enemy in front rather than breaking from
the enemy behind, then it is -2 to its Break Defence rating. This is called Shoot Defence. Also, it will not get
to shoot until after it has been shot at.
• Stunt - Every good pilot knows a few tricks and special manoeuvres. Pulling a stunt is a gamble. Instead
of standard combat manoeuvres, the Pilot is trying to pull off some fancy flying to gain the advantage. The
danger is pulling a stunt right into the enemy’s gunsights. When a pilot pulls a stunt, the plane’s Defence is
1d6 + Piloting + SA. This can land the plane with a very low Defence, but if the pilot does not get hit, then
they get a +1 to their next Dogfighting roll. A defending pilot cannot stunt against a holding attacker -- the
attacker must actually fire. Additionally, in order to perform a stunt, the plane needs to have a minimum
Performance of 3. Lesser Performance aircraft, while they can still pull off some fancy flying, lack the power
and manoeuvrability to make the crazy stuff happen. Stunts are a great time for players to look for those
awesome bonuses, and well-described stunts can have their Rule of Awesome bonus carry over into the next
Dogfighting roll.
When uncertain of what to do, breaking is always the best bet. It gives your fighter a good chance of not getting hit while still
keeping it in the dogfight. More daring pilots might attempt a Stunt, or even one of the advanced Stunts.
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Advanced Stunts
While basic stunts add that +1 Dogfighting bonus in the next round, some players may want some more
elaborate options. Below are some advanced stunts that can cause special effects. To perform an advanced
stunt, the character must first succeed in not getting shot during their stunt and then spend a Reserve to
do one of the following:
• Stall Turn - The pilot throws their plane out of controlled flight in order to bring their guns to bear on
their attacker. This takes both planes out of the dogfight in the next round and forces a head to head (see
page 73). Both planes automatically lose the Dogfighting roll if there are any other aircraft in the dogfight
with them.
• The Scissors - This zigzag stunt forces an enemy to overshoot right into a fighter’s gunsights. Instead
Ch
of taking the +1 Dogfighting bonus, the pilot gets +1 to any Gunnery rolls in the next round if they win
the Dogfighting roll. The danger of the scissors, is that if the pilot loses the next Dogfighting roll, the +1 2
4
Gunnery bonus goes to their adversary.
• Defensive Spiral - As opposed to an escape manoeuvre, a defensive spiral draws a fight down towards
the ground, forcing the attacker to follow if they want to continue the dogfight. Rather than having a dice
effect, the defensive spiral reduces the rounds to the ground by up to 3 (see below).
• High Yo-Yo - This stunt turns a breaking turn into a partial climb followed by a shallow dive that lines
the fighter for an excellent shot on a opponent. The pilot gets +2 to their Dogfighting roll instead of the
standard +1, but if they lose the roll, they drift right into their enemy’s sights and are -1 Defence for the
round.
• Low Yo-Yo - Opposite of a high yo-yo, the low yo-yo is a diving turn that gains the plane speed to “cut
the corner” on a turn and get into firing position. Low yo-yos give only a +1 on the pilot’s Dogfighting
roll, but come with some insurance. If the stunting aircraft loses the Dogfighting roll, then they are +2
Break Defence due to their added speed and awkward angle to their adversary.
• Thach Weave - This is the only stunt that requires a wingman. After dodging enemy fire, the pilot
weaves in front of his wingman in order to drag an enemy into the shot. The pilot’s Dogfighting roll
counts as a 1 in the next round, but their wingman gets a +3 to the Dogfighting roll. This is an excellent
stunt to use when facing a smaller number of highly skilled opponents.
Damage
Despite the defending pilot’s best efforts, some attacks will connect. Damage is handled just as it is in regular
combat: add Lead to the weapon damage, subtract Resist/Armour, and apply the remainder to Structure.
When damage is applied to a plane’s Structure track, the associated penalties apply to Dogfighting, Gunnery,
Ordinance and Strafing rolls, as well as the fighter’s Defence ratings.
Like characters, planes can be in one of several states: Fit to Fly, Trailing Smoke, Crippled, or Going
Down.
• Fit to Fly - A plane that is Fit to Fly is able to act normally. If it suffers damage on its Structure track, then
it continues to act at the listed penalty as long as the track does not fill up.
• Trailing Smoke - When a plane’s Structure track is full, it is Trailing Smoke. While it can still fight at the
listed penalty, it is a very tempting target, as it is obvious to enemies that is damaged. Fighters that are Trailing
Smoke cannot use a stunt.
• Crippled - If a fighter takes damage that exceeds its Structure track, then it is Crippled. It can no longer
Dogfight or Strafe, and landing the plane safely will require a difficulty 6 Piloting roll. Crippled planes
automatically lose Dogfighting rolls and cannot stunt. They are at a -3 penalty to Piloting, Strafing, Gunnery
and Ordinance rolls, and -3 to Defence. The penalty also applies to the attempt to land the plane. Most pilots
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in Crippled planes limp to a safe area and then bail out rather than risk a crash landing.
• Going Down - If damage taken is equal to double the Structure track of the plane or more, then it is Going
Down. Planes that are Going Down are usually on fire and sometimes disintegrating in midair. The pilot
might be dead or in the process of bailing out.
A character can Put Their Life on the Line while in the cockpit. This gives them the normal +1 to
attack and Defence, as well as +1 to Dogfighting and Strafing rolls. The cost is that if their fighter is Crippled,
then they are injured as well, and pass-out after landing/crashing their plane. They also suffer the permanent
injuries and extended healing times associated with being knocked Out of the Fight. If a pilot’s plane is Going
Down while their Life is on the Line, then they do not have time to bail out, and they die trapped in their
Ch
machine.
2
4 Also note that a plane that is Going Down while over the Murk is a certain death scenario as
described on page 60, and a character must spend all of their Reserve to bail out and land on a nearby island
or airship.
Subsequent Rounds
After all shots are resolved, the round is over and the dogfight moves into the next round. Dogfighting rolls are
made while taking into account any damage taken and successful stunts, and the process repeats. The dogfight
continues until one side is destroyed or Disengages, or the fight runs out of space.
Rounds to the Ground

In three-dimensional dogfights, not all directions are created equal. Pilots much prefer to descend as they
fight rather than climb. Descending allows them to trade
the potential energy of altitude into the kinetic energy of
Critical Failures: airspeed. That extra kinetic energy from the descent is often
Stalling the difference between life and death. The only problem is that
When most people hear the term “stall,” they one cannot descend indefinitely.
think of a car’s engine cutting out. In aviation, a Before a dogfight begins, the GM should determine
stall does not happen to an aircraft’s engine but the distance down to the nearest thing, whether it be an island
to its wings. Flying too slow or pulling to many or the Murk. The GM then states a number between 1 and 10
G’s can interrupt the flow of air over the wings. that determines how many rounds of dogfighting the fighters
This causes the wings to stop producing lift and have before they hit something. After each round, decrease the
the plane starts falling. One wing will always stall number by 1. At 0, all planes roll 1d6 + Performance + Strafing
worse than the other, and the extra drag on that + SA with a difficulty of 9. Success means pulling up in time,
wing will twist the plane into a spin. Stalls and while failure means a crash-landing at best and a smoking hole
spins are not dangerous at high altitude, but they in the ground at worst.
can be fatal close to the ground. In dogfights, After running out of space, planes need to break off,
stalled and spinning planes are sitting ducks. climb and reengage at some new altitude. If they rush back
The stalled plane can take no action other than into the fray, the rounds to the ground will be only 1 or 2 at
to recover from the stall, and it uses its Shoot the most. If they do not disengage and want to continue in a
Defence (see page 70) for all attacks coming its ground-skimming, low-level dogfight they may, but they roll
way. If a pilot stalls close to the ground, they opposed Strafing instead of Dogfighting. If a pilot gets an 8
need to make an immediate difficulty 9 Strafing or less on the roll, their plane crashes -- and the other pilot
roll to recover the plane. Otherwise, the plane can claim it as a kill -- and the GM can call it a certain death
crashes.
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scenario.
Rounds to the ground are not tracked if the dogfight Critical Failures:
takes place in the Eye. Its massive updraft allows fighters to
Crashing
climb with almost no effort, and dogfights can go on until the
Fighters are known to thunder into the ground
planes run out of fuel. The Eye is the preferred battleground
from time to time. Often it occurs because they
when pilots face off in formal duels because of this effect.
are Crippled and unable to land properly, but
Disengage
sometimes they just fail to pull up in time to
prevent an impact.
If a pilot wishes to run from a dogfight, they can disengage When a character fails a roll that will
by winning a Dogfighting roll. If they lose but have a higher Ch
lead to their fighter crashing, it is assumed that
Performance aircraft than their enemy, they can still Disengage, they bail out at the last second, though the GM 2
4
but only after their enemy gets one parting shot. To do so, may call for a certain death scenario and require
the defender uses Escape Defence. Aircraft of equal and lower the character to spend all remaining Reserve to
Performance than their attackers must win the Dogfighting bail out in time. Crash landings are not as bad,
roll to disengage. If a lower Performance aircraft wins the roll though the character might be injured. It is the
and escapes, their reprieve is temporary. Their attacker can GM’s discretion to instantly make a character
attempt to engage again after chasing them for an number of Down But Not Out, or Out of the Fight. If the
rounds equal to the Lead of the Dogfighting roll that the lower pilot’s Life is on the Line, then they die when the
Performance plane made to escape. plane craters in.
The biggest aid to any aircraft attempting to
Disengage is cloud cover. For ease of play, assume the weather
is “partly cloudy” unless the GM declares otherwise. If a pilot
wins the roll to Disengage, they may automatically escape into
the clouds.
If a pilot loses the Disengage roll, then they may
spend 2 Reserve to dive into a convenient cloud after the
attacker gets their parting shot. Once a plane is in clouds, it
has successfully escaped combat and is in the clear.
If the GM declared it to be a perfect, clear day, then
the clouds offer no reprieve, but characters may pool together
and spend 3 points total of Reserve to have the weather change
and bring clouds in for the next round of the dogfight.
Head to Heads
When both pilots lock onto each other beyond weapons range
and dive in for the quick kill instead of trying to manoeuvre
for a tail shot, they are in a head to head. A head to head only
occurs when both pilots state head to head intentions before
the first round of dogfighting or if one fighter uses a stall turn
stunt to force the scenario (page 71). In either case, do not
make a Dogfighting roll. Instead, just make simultaneous
Gunnery/Ordinance rolls as the planes head on a near collision
course, pouring fire at each other. Each plane uses their Shoot Defence rating. If both plane survive the head
to head, then they roll Dogfighting as normal in the next round.
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Multiple Planes
It is easiest to keep air battles one on one, but teaming
up has advantages. Wingmen can employ mutual
support and special tactics to pull enemies out of
position. When there are multiple planes in the fight,
all the pilots make Dogfighting rolls as normal, with
the following modification: For every additional plane
more than the other side, add a +1 bonus to their rolls
up to a maximum of +2. The aircraft with the highest
Ch roll now fires first and can shoot at any aircraft with a
2
4 lower roll. Then work down the line in order of rolls,
with each aircraft able to fire at any enemy with a lower
roll. Do not forget accruing penalties for taking multiple attacks or the bonuses multiple attackers gain by
attacking the same target.
There is an example Dogfight tracker on page 183 to help keep track of these more complex scenarios.
You can also check out warbirdsrpg.com where you can find a large PDF of the tracker and videos showing the
tracker in action.
Ambush
If one plane can attack from stealth, which is normally done from below and behind or by flying out of
the sun, the pilot does not have to make a Dogfighting roll, and can make a lethal attack where the target’s
Defence is unmodified and equal to the Performance of the plane. After the first strike, roll Dogfighting as
normal. To make an ambush, a pilot must make a Piloting + SA roll against the target’s Awareness + SA roll.
The GM may assign bonuses to either side, depending on circumstances.
It is a little harder to ambush a whole flight of fighters who are working together to watch the skies.
If a flight of fighters is about to be ambushed, only the pilot with largest dice bonus makes the opposed roll.
The other fighters in flight can act as helpers as per the rules on page 58, up to a maximum bonus of +2.
Meanwhile, an attacking flight relies solely on the Piloting roll of the least skilled pilot, as it only takes one guy
to stray out of formation and alert the enemy of an incoming attack.
Ambushes are such effective tactics that they can
Deadly Ambushes end air battles even before they begin. If an ambush inflicts
The most successful ace in history, 50 per cent casualties or more, then the enemy will be
Erich Hartmann (352 kills), was the overwhelmed and consider retreat. It will require a difficulty
master of stalk-and-ambush tactics. He 8 Command + Spirit roll from the ambushed flight’s leader
estimated that 80 per cent of the aircraft to stop the remaining planes from bugging out. Note that
he killed had no idea he was attacking until it this rule only applies to NPCs. Player characters can fight or
was too late. run as they choose.
Unaware enemies are even more
vulnerable than Crippled enemies. Any pilot
caught in an ambush will have a very rough time,
and the harsh-seeming ambush rules reflect this
reality.
A failed roll to spot an ambush can
lead to a quick defeat. Players are encouraged to
spend Reserve to avoid being caught off guard.
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2
4
Strafing
While dogfighting is dangerous, strafing can be damn near suicidal. Strafing is when fighters dive at a ground
target or an airship in order to rake it with cannon fire and ordinance. The danger comes from all of the
weapons emplacements that are working hard to shoot it out of the sky.
Step 1: The Approach

A strafe starts with a Strafing roll that works just like Dogfighting roll:
1d6 + Performance + Strafing Skill + SA.
The roll is made against a static number, called the Threat. Threat represents the number of gun emplacements
on the target, their fire arcs, rate of fire and lethality. If the fighter fails to beat the listed Threat, then a number
of gunners equal to the Lead of the Threat get to take shots at the fighter, up to a maximum of 3. Also, the
multiple attacker bonus applies. The fighter still does the strafing run, but has lost the initiative and must first
pass through the defensive fire before it can strafe. A fighter that is getting shot on the way in has to use its
Shoot Defence. If the pilot meets or beats the Threat with the Strafing roll, then the strafing run goes off and
the plane suffers no fire on the way in.
It is extremely helpful for fighters to gang up when strafing, as it forces gunners to split their fire, and
each gunner can only fire once per strafing run. This does not include retaliatory attacks; see below. Groups of
fighters performing a strafe get to add the multiple aircraft bonuses listed above when rolling against a Threat
if there are more fighters than turrets engaging them. When multiple fighters strafe, some might exceed the
Threat while others do not. In this case, the gunners on the target fire at aircraft that failed their Strafing roll
before those fighters who succeeded make their attacks.
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Flak Before Attack! Pilots also have the option of Cutting It Close. They
When strafing, always remember to resolve flak can take a -1 penalty to their Strafing roll and Shoot/Break
before the strafing attacks. If multiple fighters Defence to get a +1 to their attacks against the target. Critical
strafe a target but only some of them beat the failing the Strafing roll while Cutting It Close will result in
Threat, then the target gets to fire on the losers a crash, and may destroy an important substructure on the
before the other fighters get to strafe. target (GM’s discretion).
Step 2: The Attack

After approaching the target, the fighter can make two attacks: one with Gunnery, or two if they are light
Ch machine-guns; and one with Ordinance. Both attacks are rolled and resolved at the same time. The Defence of
2
4 any strafing target is almost always 3 + Performance, though really big targets might have a size penalty. Small
emplacements on a target always have a Defence that is 2 higher than the main body.
Most strafing targets have an overall Structure as well as smaller components like gun turrets, bomb
bays, engines, etc. that each have their own substructures and armour. When the pilot attacks with guns, they
can choose which substructure to attack. Ordinance is less accurate; it hits a random part of the target, unless
the plane has traits that allow for more precise attacks. Check each vehicle’s description to see where random
ordinance attacks will land. Characters may spend Reserve to adjust the random hit location roll up or down.
Any time a substructure of a target is disabled -- their Structure track is full -- the main target takes
1 point of damage and its Threat reduces by 1. If an attack hits an already disabled substructure, that attack
counts as a hit against the main Structure. Groups of fighters tend to pick apart big targets piecemeal, and
successful strafing requires persistence and a lot of guts.
Step 3: Retaliatory Fire

Fighters that failed to beat the Threat and suffered attacks in the approach can skip this step, but those who
beat the Threat still have to fly out through one gunner’s retaliatory fire. The fighter’s Defence against this
lone shot is its Break Defence, as it can actually manoeuvre on the way out. Each gunner is eligible to make
a retaliatory attack, even if they fired during the approach, but each fighter only faces one retaliatory attack.
If there are too few turrets to engage all of the fighters, then those which rolled the worst during the
approach suffer the retaliatory fire.
Felling Goliath Hangers-on

Given enough time and explosives, Foolish pilots can start strafing runs while there are still other
fighters can tear apart almost any fighters to deal with, and even more foolish pilots can chase
slow-moving target. On April 7, strafing planes and risk friendly fire. If a strafing pilot has an
1945, the Japanese battleship Yamato, enemy hanger-on, they are in trouble. First, they must make
the largest battleship ever built, met its end a Strafing roll as normal and face their target’s defensive fire;
at the hands of carrier-based dive-bombers and, second, they automatically lose their Dogfighting roll
and torpedo-bombers. Over the course of 106 with the hanger-on and use their Shoot Defence against the
minutes, 4 waves of aircraft hit the ship with at hanger-on’s attack.
least 11 torpedoes, 6 bombs and hundreds if not The hanger-on has their own problems. Defensive
thousands of machine-gun and cannon rounds. gunners are not very discriminating with their fire. After
The mightiest ship ever built went down with shooting at their strafing enemy, the hanger-on must make a
most of its crew, cementing the dominance of Strafing roll and suffer the wrath of their allies’ guns.
aircraft in naval warfare.
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Surprise!
As with dogfighting, a surprise strafing attack is deadly. Whether the pilots achieve surprise has a lot to do with
the nature of the target, the time of day and the level of alertness of the target’s crew. To sneak up on a strafing
target, the pilots roll a Piloting + SA roll against a base difficulty of 8. The GM could modify this number by
as much as 4 in either direction, depending on the circumstances.
Success means the target’s Threat is 0, and it cannot make any attacks -- not even the usual retaliatory
attack -- during the first strafing run. Once the first run is complete, normal rules apply for all subsequent
rounds.
Speed and Scale Ch

2
4
A knife does Lead +1 damage, and so does a fighter armed with half a dozen light machine-guns. This
peculiarity exists thanks to a difference in scale. Fighters, couriers, airships, trains and any other large vehicles
exist on a different scale than people. When a person attacks one of these vehicles, divide total damage by
3, rounded off, before comparing it to the Resist/Armour of the vehicle. Likewise, triple total damage that a
vehicle deals to a person with its weapons. Most vehicles have a -2 penalty to shoot something as small as a
person, but there are anti-personnel weapons out there that negate the penalty.
The other difference in scale is timing. Rounds for people in a firefight are measured in seconds. In air
combat, a dogfighting round lasts as long as it takes for one aircraft to line up a shot and fire. This might be 10
seconds, 30 seconds or even a minute or two. Strafing runs have similarly variable lengths of time, depending
on the speed and angle of an aircraft’s approach. GMs have a lot of leeway with the timing, as it is almost a
certainty that pilots will lose track of time in the heat of combat.
Turnaround and Repairs

Fighters inevitably run out of fuel and ammo, and often take damage despite the pilot’s best efforts. Every pilot
has a ground crew that can reload, refuel and repair their fighter, though it will take time.
An undamaged fighter can be refueled and re-armed in one hour. Ground crews prefer to work
carefully around fuel and ammunition, so this slows the process down. The process is called “turning” the
fighter, or putting the fighter “in the turn.” A successful difficulty 8 Command roll can convince the crew to
rush, and they can turn the fighter in just 30 minutes.
Repairing damage is a much slower process and cannot be rushed. It takes 4 hours of work from the
ground crew to repair 1 point of Structure damage. If the fighter was Crippled or hit with incendiary/armour
piercing ammo, double the repair time, as the crew will have their work cut out for them.
Air Combat Example

Terrence and Elizabeth have found Etienne’s base of operations, a tiny airfield with a dirt airstrip sitting on
a distant islet almost submerged in the Murk. Task and Longshot -- when you are in your plane, you use
your callsigns; those are the rules! -- are trying to get the drop on the pirates while their planes are still on the
ground. The two Guild pilots attack just after dawn and strafe the airfield.
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Strafing Round 1
Their first pass is the most important, as the GM rules that the pirates are lax with sentry duty, and the pair of
warbirds only need to roll a 6 get complete surprise. Task is the flight lead, so only he rolls Piloting + SA, and
he gets a 7 total. Success! So with 0 Threat and no risk of retaliatory fire, the fighters streak in. Task uses his
light machine-guns to target the planes sitting next to the runway, while Longshot turns her cannons on one of
the main anti-aircraft batteries. Task rolls twice -- the light machine-guns’ special trait -- using 1d6 + Gunnery
2 + SA 1, getting a 4 and a 5, for a 7 and 8 total. A fighter on the ground is Defence 3, so those are Leads of
4 and 5. The guns only do Lead +1 damage, but pirate planes have only 1 Armour and 3 Structure. The GM,
feeling generous, declares that two of the planes on the flight line go up in flames. Task also lets loose with his
Ch ordinance: a rocket barrage. He rolls a 1. His Ordinance skill and SA pull that up to a 3, but rockets have an
2
4 accuracy of -2, pushing the roll back down to a 1. The rockets scatter around the airfield and start a few small
grass fires, having no significant effect.
Meanwhile, Longhsot rolls a 4 on her attempt to shoot the AA emplacement. She has Gunnery 2, and
SA +1, which brings that up 7. The -1 accuracy of the cannons drops it back down to a 6. The emplacement
is a sub-component of the airfield with a Defence 5, Armour 2 and Structure 2. She gets a Lead 1 hit, and her
cannons do Lead +3 damage with Armour Piercing 2. That is 4 damage total, and the target’s Armour of 2 is
negated. The AA gun is disabled, and the air base’s Threat drops by 1. She then drops her 500-pound bomb.
Even with the bomb’s -3 accuracy, she still manages a total of 4 to hit. The GM rolls to see where it lands, and
it comes up “fuel depot.” The bomb does Lead+6 damage and AP 2. It annihilates the fuel depot in a massive
explosion and drops the Threat by 1 more point.
Strafing Round 2
The pirates are up and manning the AA guns as the two warbirds come around for their second pass. The Threat
of the air base is normally 12, but Longshot’s last pass knocked it down to 10. Both pilots roll Performance
+ Strafing + SA. Task gets an 9 and Longshot a 8. So, one gunner fires on Task, while two fire on Longshot.
Since the fighters are strafing, they use their Shoot Defence. For Task that is 5, while Longshot’s is 4.
A low attack roll saves Task from getting hit, but one of the gunners firing on Longhot rolls an 7 total. That is
a Lead of 2, and the AA guns do Lead +2 damage for a total of 4. Longshot’s plane’s Armour absorbs 3 points
of damage, but her machine takes 1 point to its Structure. Her plane has some new holes in it, but everything
is still working fine.
After facing the wrath of the gunners, the warbirds strafe the field with more machine-gun and
cannon fire. Longshot is out of heavy ordinance, but Task still has a rocket pod. He decides to save it when he
sees a pair of pirate fighters take off from the burning field. He recognizes the lead plane as Etienne’s.
Dogfighting Round 1
The warbirds break off their ground attack and chase down the pirates. Task goes after Renard. This is Etienne’s
callsign, which means “Fox.” Longshot takes on the pirate wingman. We will focus on the duel between Task
and Renard. The planes are not far from the Murk, so the GM declares only 3 rounds till they hit it.
Both pilots roll 1d6 + Performance + Piloting + SA. While they are equals as pilots, Task’s Performance
3 warbird gives him a slight edge over Renard’s Performance 2 raider. Task rolls an 11 while Renard gets a 9.
Task slides into pursuit of Renard, and lines up to fire. Renard chooses to Break, and his Break Defence is 6.
Task fires twice with his light machine-guns. He rolls a 1 on the first shot, which is a 4 total after adding SA
and skill, but the second shot gets a 5, for a total of 8. That is a Lead 2 hit, so 3 damage. Renard has 2 Armour,
but 1 point still gets through, which means Task has scored the first hit.
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The planes roll Dogfighting again, and Renard rolls his max,
12, while Task gets an 8. Renard pulls a fancy flick roll, and
Task’s plane streaks out in front. Renard lines up with heavy
machine-guns and prepares to fire. Task decides to take a
chance and pull a stunt. Renard rolls a 10 total to attack with
his accurate machine guns. This is higher than Task’s normal
max roll for a stunt of 9. He is committed to the stunt, and
it is at this point that Task’s player jumps up and describes an
awesome stunt, and the GM awards him a +1 bonus. He rolls Ch
a total of 9. He throws 2 Reserve at the roll to turn it into an 2
4
11, and his plane tumbles out of the line of tracers streaking He’s on
through the air at him. my tail, Task!
Task’s stunt gives him a +1 to the next Dogfighting roll, and
the GM lets the +1 Awesome bonus count as well, so he is +2
total. In addition, Longshot has killed her fighter and joins
the fight against Renard. This gives both Task and Longshot
each an extra +1 for teaming up. All three pilots roll 1d6 +
Performance + Piloting + SA. Task has a +3 bonus, Longshot
has a +1 bonus and Renard rolls normally. Task rolls an
amazing 15, Renard manages an 10 and Longshot bottoms
out with a 9.
I’ve got
Task opens up with light machine-guns on Renard. him, Longshot!
Seeing Longshot move into his sights, Renard elects to shoot
instead of break, and uses his Shoot Defence, which is Break
Defence -2. Task’s two attack rolls are 5 and 6, for a total
of 8 and 9, respectively. Against Renard’s Shoot Defence of
only 4, which is a Lead of 4 and a Lead of 5 hit, giving 5
and 6 damage. Renard’s Armour of 2 absorbs part of both
hits, but the attacks tear the through the pirate’s plane for 7
damage total. Renard’s raider had 4 Structure to start and was
already 1 point down. Having taken damage equal to double
his plane’s Structure, Rednard is Going Down. He never gets
to attack Longshot, as his burning wreck tumbles into the
Murk.
The Ground
In this dogfight, the ground is actually the Murk. The two
suriving fliers make a difficulty 9 Performance + Strafing +
SA roll. Task gets an 8 and spends a Reserve to make it a 9
and just skims the Murk before gaining altitude. Longshot
makes it easily with an 11. They return home, victorious.
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CHAPTER FIVE
Ch
THE CHARACTERS
“The difference between a regular fighter and a warbird is about 500 horsepower, 500 pounds of armour and a pilot
who knows they’re shit-hot instead of just thinking it.”
5 -Anonymous
By now, you should be somewhat familiar with the world of Warbirds and its rules. It is time for you to
make your first character and take to the skies. In this chapter, we will cover the steps of character creation
and go into details regarding building a group, character origins, stats, skills, Advantages and Disadvantages,
equipment, money and character advancement.
WELCOME TO THE GUILD Every kid’s dream is to be a fighter

pilot, and every fighter pilot’s dream is
an invitation to the Guild. Where any
fighter pilot is respected, Guild pilots are
revered. Their exploits are turned into
comic books and movies, their personal
lives are hounded by the paparazzi, and
their deaths are mourned by the masses.
Even a mediocre Guild pilot can lead the
rock-star lifestyle.
The good news is that you are in!
One of the Guild’s scouts said you have
what it takes to join the best of the best.
The bad news is that you have to start
out at the bottom. Your machine, while
better than any nation’s fighter, is a kid’s
toy compared to the top Guild planes.
To make matters worse, you have been
tossed on a rook flight. Your wingmen are
just as new as you, and you get to make
do with the oldest, most decrepit drop-
carrier in the whole fleet while taking on the least glamourous jobs available. Have fun.
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Building Your The Hunters
Flight
In the Korean War, just 5 per cent of
US fighter pilots accounted for 40
per cent of the air-to-air kills. In World
War II, some estimates indicate that a
A flight is the smallest group of aircraft that fight as a unit.
minute 1 per cent of pilots made 40 per cent of
The Guild has six squadrons that each employ between four
the kills. This tiny group of pilots were known
and eight flights, with between two and six aircraft per flight.
as aces, hunters or, in Germany, experten. They
Your characters will form one of these flights. Most Warbirds
combined situational awareness with skill and
games will start off with all of the characters being rooks. Short
tenacity to take the fight to the enemy and shoot Ch
for rookies, rooks are young pilots who, while inexperienced,
show great potential. Most of the squadrons tend to “throw all
down aircraft. 5
In Warbirds, the Guild has scouts that
the rooks in a pot and see what floats to the top.” This means
carefully assess pilots in each nation’s militaries
that flights do not have rigid organizations or strict hierarchies,
during their training. Likely candidates are
and it is up to the young pilots to sort out how things will be
“poached” from their units via promises of better
done.
aircraft, better pay and the fame and fortune that
Before you start building your character, you should
comes from being in the Guild. Most candidates
speak with the GM and the other players about what type of
are still early in their flying careers and eagerly
game everyone expects to play and what role each player wants
take the bait. The scouts are not perfect in their
to take. Be sure to discuss what the characters should be good
selections in that about 20 to 30 per cent of their
at -- besides flying. The stats and skills are designed so that
choices end up being disappointing. Those pilots
your character’s flying ability has little to do with who and
find themselves being moved to secondary flying
what they are outside of the cockpit, and diversity is a great
duties if they stay alive long enough.
strength when building your flight. While the street rat from
Santiago, the hunter from the mountains of Haiti and the
socialite from the high rises of Kingston might all make great
pilots, they will all bring very different skills sets to the flight, and each might find their time to shine when
not mixing it up in the air.
Choose a Squadron
The Guild maintains six self-contained squadrons. While they try to present a united front to the world, it is
no secret that the squadrons are often at each other’s throats. The enmity is serious enough that Guild fighters
from different squadrons will fight on both sides of a conflict, and some rivalries between different squadrons
are legendary. Detailed descriptions of each squadron are listed below.
Players should all agree on which squadron they will join. While players move on to making their
characters, it is time for the GM to go to work on designing rivals, the support crew and the Guild agent.
101 Gold Jaguars

The Jaguars were the very first mercenary fighter squadron in
Azure. They emerged from the frequent battles in Yucatan, and
began selling their services to any kingdom who could afford
them. While the squadron is no longer Mayan, it maintains many Mayan motifs and traditions. The Jaguars
planes are often painted in royal gold and have various Mayan symbols painted on their tails.
The current commander of the Jaguars, Izel “Poacher” Maaz, is a veteran of multiple battles in
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Yucatan and keeps the squadron on a very short leash. He does not suffer fools, and any pilot of his who gets
caught in a scandal can expect at least a month of ground duty for besmirching the squadron’s honour.
103 Red Foxes

The Foxes are the only squadron in the Guild that did not start
out as a mercenary group. The “Flying Foxes” were a troop of air
show and stunt pilots who had fallen on hard times. The Guild
bought them out during its formation to get access to their high manoeuvrability planes. Most of the stunt
pilots turned out to be able combat fliers, and they soon gained a reputation for daring antics and near-suicidal
Ch bravery. They tend to paint their planes in bright, clashing colours in honour of their air show heritage.
5 Adam “Ringmaster” Rutherford, the Foxes’ squadron commander, enjoys his squadron’s reputation
for daring and instructs his agents to find the toughest contracts for his pilots. This does mean the Foxes have
a higher casualty rate than the other squadrons, but there is never a shortage of glory-eager recruits.
104 Blue Spiders

The Guild’s most militant squadron has its origins in a Haitian
military unit that went rogue. While the Spiders left the military
behind, they kept its rank structure, drills, uniforms and
protocols. New recruits are called cadets, and their most standout performer is promoted to flight lieutenant
and assigned command. All Spider aircraft are painted dark blue and have a lighter blue stylized spider painted
on their tail-fins.
Squadron Leader Desiree “Demon” Garneau maintains strict military discipline among her flights.
Her attention to detail keeps his squadron’s profits high, as regular militaries find the Spiders easy to work with
and less troublesome than other Guild squadrons.
105 Green Dragons

While all pilots like having a good time, there are those who make
hedonism a lifetime pursuit. The Dragons began their existence as
a mercenary flight made up of military rejects too undisciplined
for regular service. They have a reputation as talented flyers, but they are also known for being pranksters,
rabble-rousers and general troublemakers. Their undisciplined and unpredictable nature makes them the
“budget” squadron that can be hired at lower cost than the other flights. That said, they are known to be
difficult opponents, as they are unpredictable and spontaneous combatants. Their planes are painted in a riot
of colours and covered in scales and dragon head motifs.
Joseph “AWOL Joe” Austin is the Dragons’ current commander. He is famous for his green twin-
engine SF-21 Ibis painted in draconic designs. Joe tries to mitigate the worst of the Dragons’ damage while
keeping his flights from drinking every port dry. So far he has not had much success with either endeavour.
106 Grey Falcons

No squadron exudes deadly efficiency quite like the Falcons.
Before joining the Guild, the Falcons were formed by a group
of aces looking to make their air-to-air success profitable. They
analyzed every air battle they could find and developed a list of best practices to maximize lethality. Their
techniques require teamwork and coordination, but they pay off in the air; the Falcons have more total kills
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The Characters
than any other squadron -- not just in the Guild, but in

all of Azure. Their planes are painted a dirty, matte grey
designed not to reflect sunlight while making them hard to
spot at long range.
The leader of the Falcons is Alanna “Stormy”
Duval. She is still an active pilot even 15 years after joining
the Guild, and her theories on air combat manoeuvring are
nothing short of revolutionary. She is perhaps the Guild’s
most respected pilot. If the Guild needed to choose a single
representative to act as its leader, it would choose Ms.
Ch
Duval.
5
107 Black Scorpions

Strafing often lacks the glamour of dogfighting, but the
reality is that strafing puts pilot and plane at far greater risk.
The Scorpions started off as a privateer group that nations
and companies hired to harass their rivals’ shippers. They
kept up their strafing skills and are now Azure’s premiere
attack squadron. They specialize their planes towards
strafing, and are so effective that have earned the moniker
“ship-breakers.” Scorpion fighters are painted jet black.
The Scorpions’ current leader, Derek Alanna Duval is not the leader of the Guild, but she
“Rocketman” Caulfield, is a living legend. He led a single is their most respected pilot. She has amassed over 200
flight of Scorpions against a Santiago battleship and sent the kills in a career spanning a decade and a half.
metal monster into the Murk. Caulfield leads by example
and often joins his various flights on their contracts.
Rivals
While the players are building their characters, the Game Master has some choices to make. First, the GM
chooses a rival squadron. Which squadrons are feuding is often in flux, and it is up to the GM as to why
the particular squadrons are currently at odds. Reasons often include personal insults between commanders,
disagreements on philosophy, disputes over contracts or, as in one infamous case, simple prank wars.
The rival squadron will also have its own rook flight that is filled with young NPC pilots eager to
prove themselves. While facing their rivals in direct air combat will be rare, the squadrons will often bid on
the same contracts, frequent the same bars and generally cause trouble for the characters from time to time.
The GM should flesh out some of the rival pilots, and might even go so far as to write detailed stats
for the pilots and their planes. If the rivalry boils over into a full-blown feud, there could be fights, duels on the
ground and in the air and even small battles between the two squadrons. If a feud gets too serious, the other
squadrons might intervene to put a stop to it, or at least slow it down.
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Support Crew
A drop-carrier, even an obsolescent rook drop-carrier, is a fully functioning warship. It has five support techs
for every fighter on board, as well as a crew of at least 30 to keep it flying. The GM should take some time to
write some basic notes about the ship, its crew and its captain.
Every drop-carrier has a captain who is a former Guild pilot who no longer flies, often due to injury,
deteriorating eyesight or just the fatigue that comes with age. The captain, while in charge of the ship, has no
direct command over the pilots. While drop-carrier skippers often fill the roles of mentor and advisor, as well
as disciplinarian when required, they do not tell the pilots when to fly or what to fight. Skippers will take their
ships to wherever the pilots want as long as it does not unduly endanger the ship. Captains give the pilots just
Ch enough rope to hang themselves.
5 The GM should make notes on key players aboard the ship, their attitudes towards the characters and
how they will react to the different scenarios.
Guild Agent
The last important NPC to the flight is their agent. A Guild agent’s primary job is to find their pilots work.
The agent travels with the carrier, but has their own small plane that they use to go contract hunting whenever
the ship is near somewhere that might have prospective buyers. A skilled agent will keep the pilots working
enough to cover all the costs of fuel and maintenance, while at the same time building up the rooks’ reputation.
The second job of the agent is to make the pilots look good. A big part of the Guild’s dominance in
the air is built on reputation and mystique. Much like a Hollywood publicist, the agent needs to be advertising
the flight’s victories, downplaying their defeats, getting the pilots interviews on local cable stations and even
setting up product endorsements.
It is possible for one of the characters to take on the role of the agent as a secondary duty for their
pilot. This only happens if the Guild notices that one of its rooks has an aptitude for public relations and
media management. Many rooks who take on the agent role eventually develop to the point where they
become full-time agents and stop flying combat missions.
The Flight Leader

The Guild’s trial-by-fire method of dealing with new recruits can cause some confusion among pilots who are
more familiar with the formal structures of military training. One of the most common questions asked by
new rooks is: “Who is my boss?” The answer they most often receive is: “You are.”
The idea is to teach the rooks individual responsibility and
create pilots who are self-directed and self-motivated. It also
The Courier Game teaches them how to work with their fellow pilots. Each rook
There is nothing stopping you from running a flight goes through an awkward period where they struggle over
game that is not about a bunch of Guild rooks. A who will make decisions. Some flights develop a single strong
great alternative to the fighter game is the courier leader. Others develop a consensus/voting system, while others
or smuggler game. Instead of a group of fighter divide leadership responsibilities based on the situation.
pilots with a drop-carrier, the characters are all All of the players should have a discussion about who, if
members of a licensed Guild courier crew. In this anyone, will be in charge. This discussion need not include a
scenario, there would be the pilot and co-pilot of final decision, and such things often evolve organically through
the fast transport, as well as the motley group to play, but everyone should know the starting point as far as how
manage the illicit and sensitive cargo, repair the decisions will be made. If the players cannot agree on a leader
plane, and man its many gun turrets when under or a division of labour, just settle everything via vote.
attack. Appendix A includes more details about
running courier games.
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The Characters
CREATE YOUR CHARACTER

Creating a character in Rapidfire can be done quickly, but that will just give you a bunch of stats and numbers.
If you follow the process below, you will end up with a character that seems like more than just a few numbers
on a page. That said, the numbers are still critical, so print out a character sheet and start writing.
1.Decide on a Concept Ch
Who is your pilot? Are they a cocky hotshot, a calm hunter, a nervous wreck or something else entirely? Do 5
they fly because the love it, or do they love the money and fame? Or are they in it for the thrill of the hunt?
Your character concept should start with questions like these and come up with some broad answers.
Your character concept should focus on why they fly, why they fight and why they accepted the offer
to join the Guild. In other words, figure out what their motivations are. Do not be afraid to step outside the
standard answers of seeking fame and fortune. Once you answer these basic questions, you should build a set
of attitudes and mannerisms that make your character interesting and distinct.
The last part of your character concept should concentrate on what your character is like when they
are out of the plane. Are they a barely civilized mountaineer, an urban socialite, a farmer who dreamed big or
a scion of the Guild itself? Come up with a look and feel for your character, and then use rest of the creation
steps to build towards and evolve that concept.
Character Example, Step 1

Chris is making his first Warbirds character. He wants to make a distinct character that stands apart from the others
in his group. He imagines a snobbish, rich member of an elite upper class who is looking for glory and honour. He
wants to play a character who will have opportunity for growth and self-actualization, and he wants his character
to need to learn the value of working as a team.
Character Creation
2.Pick a Name
This is harder than it sounds. In fact, most players procrastinate and leave
Steps
The following pages contain
everything you need to make a
the name on the character sheet blank until the GM hassles them into a character. Just go through the
quick decision. This step appears early in the creation cycle so that you following steps:
can start thinking about it early and come to a well-thought-out decision. 1. Decide on a Concept (page 85)
Characters in Warbirds have first and last names that are generally 2. Pick a Name (page 85)
appropriate for their cultural heritage. Although there has been some drift 3. Build a Background (page 86)
over the years, names are mainly rooted in whatever colonial powers ruled 4. Assign Stats (page 88)
a given region when the Storm hit. You can find examples of regionally 5. Choose Skills (page 89)
appropriate names on page 86. There is a lot to a name, so choose well. 6. Assign Secondary Stats (page 94)
In addition to your character’s name, they get their all-important 7. Choose Advantages and
callsign. A callsign is the nickname that your character will use when flying Disadvantages (page 95)
and, if they become famous enough, when dealing with the public. You do 8. Sort Out Gear, Money and Fame
not under any circumstances get to choose your own callsign. Your pilot (page 99)
starts off with the generic callsign rook 1, rook 2, rook 3, etc. At the end 9. Handle the Details (page 104)
10. Design Your Warbird (page 108)
085

The Characters
The Name Game of your first session, the GM, acting as your carrier’s skipper,
Names in Azure are drawn from the cultures should hold a “callsign review board,” where the characters
and languages which have survived the Storm. award each other callsigns. Your character has no say in their
Traditional French, Spanish, British, Dutch, and callsign, but it must be a unanimous decision between all of
Mayan names which we are familiar with today the other pilots.
are all still relevant and common in Warbirds, Callsigns reflect crazy, awesome or -- most often --
so you should not have to look much further stupid things your character does, or it just makes a nice pun
than a standard baby name book when creating with your character’s name or personality. They are subject to
your character. However, keep in mind that change whenever everyone wants to change them, and you
your character is a celebrity and that your name might not always like the outcome.
Ch
5is your brand. Your character’s name should be
memorable and catchy if you want to stand out Character Example, Step 2
on the newsstands. If you want to, you can give Chris decides that he wants his character to be Mayan and male,
your character two names – a birth name and a and chooses the name Balam Matu. He hopes that he does not do
“stage” name. Here are a few names to get you anything too embarrassing or stupid during the first session so that
started: he ends up with a callsign he can live with.
Male: Lucien, Serge, Marcel, Hugh, Gregor,
Connall, Javier, Felipe, Mateo, Otto, Andreas,
Hendrik, Balam, Chac, Ah’Tabai.
Female: Arianne, Genevieve, Camille, Lucy,
Norah, Isla, Sofia, Pilar, Emilia, Karin, Hanna,
Annika, Ixchel, Meztli, Sacnite.
3.Build a Background
Decide where your character is from and figure out how they got where they are now. First, you must decide
your character’s home region. A person’s homeland will say more about who they are than any other trait, skill
or ability they possess.
Answer the following questions in brief but do not be afraid to elaborate. The questions are not
directed to you but to your character, so think not only about what, but also how, your character would
answer.
• Where and when were you born?
• Who are your parents; where are they now?
• Do you have and brothers or sisters; where are they now?
• What was your childhood like -- happy, sad, lonely, hard, idyllic, crazy?
• What is your most vivid childhood memory? Why?
• Do you have a family now -- a significant other or children? Where are they now?
• Where, when and how did you first decide you wanted to be a pilot?
• When did you first fly a plane? What was it like?
• Did you have a favourite flight instructor? What were they like?
• Do you maintain relationships with your family and old friends?
• Do you have any grudges, enemies, rivals or old scores to settle?
• What do you want most right now? What are your long-term goals?
• What are you terrible at? At what things do you excel?
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The Characters
The questions could go on, but this short list encapsulates some of the most important bits of your character’s
history and life. They might even prompt more questions. Feel free to answer or come up with anything that
will help cement the core idea of your character.
The story of where your character comes from can be tough to figure out. While what happens to
your character in play is the most important part of the game, the story of their origin will help shape how
they react to those experiences and gives you jumping off points once the game starts.
One of the neat features of Warbirds is that a character’s skill and talent in the air has little to do with
their skills and talents on the ground. Due to the nature of the SA stat and how stats are bought, the skinny
17-year-old genius girl who lied about her age to get into flight training has the same talent for flying as the
lantern-jawed comic book hero and the middle-aged office worker who had a mid-life crisis and dropped
everything to fly. You are encouraged to use this freedom of design to craft an interesting character full of Ch
quirks, habits, strengths and weaknesses. 5
It’s important to remember that the Guild does not discriminate when it comes to selecting new
rooks; they do not care if pilots are male or female, young or old, rich or poor, or black or white. Their only
requirements are high SA and talent in the cockpit. Your character can therefore have any background you
choose.
Where Are You From?

Of the above questions, one of the first and most important is deciding the land of your birth and upbringing.
An upbringing comes with a whole set of beliefs, attitudes, prejudices and even religion. Take a moment to
study the cultures of the nations listed in Chapter 2, and talk to the other players about their choices.
Remember, the Guild takes pilots from every nation. They have been known to take people from
both sides of a conflict and throw them in the same flight. It is up to the pilots to get past their differences and
form a team. Putting two opposed nationalists together can make for some excellent roleplaying opportunities,
but everyone should be sure to not let such conflicts take over the game, unless that is fine with everyone.
Why Join the Guild?

Your character, one way or another, received flight training, either through a national military or from some
private school or teacher. They showed enough potential for a Guild scout to offer them up a position, and
they said yes.
So why say yes? The Guild is, at its heart, a transnational private mercenary company with good
PR. Joining is tantamount to renouncing loyalty to one’s own
nation. Though they try to avoid it, Guild pilots sometimes Real Life Callsigns
have to fly against their former countrymen. And while The system for callsigns here closely
successful pilots do not want for fame and money, it is a very reflects the callsign traditions of
dangerous profession, and not everyone makes it to the top. several different air forces. Most
You need to decide what drives your character. What callsign review boards include a lot of
makes them a hunter? What keeps them coming back to the drinking and antics that lead to even more new
cockpit? What stops them from cracking under the pressure? callsigns.
Something is pushing your character to fight among the best Callsigns are such an integral part
and risk a horrible death. Decide what that thing is and make of flying culture that F-16.net contains a very
it an integral part of their personality. extensive list of known callsigns. You can check
it out at: http://www.f-16.net/callsigns.html.
Be warned, some of the callsigns and their
descriptions are not safe for work.
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The Characters

After skimming the countries (see page 23), Chris decides that the Mayan nation of Yucatan is the obvious choice for
his character. He decides that his character will be a young member of the affluent Mayan warrior caste. Balam will
be the son of a famous Mayan warrior and the youngest of three brothers, a man who had a comfortable childhood
with a competitive family atmosphere. Chris thinks that it would be cool if Balam was the only member of his family
to become a pilot and is trying to usurp his oldest brother as the favourite and most honoured warrior in his family.
Ch
4.Assign Stats
Assigning your basic stats early in the creation process defines what your character’s broad strengths and
5 weaknesses are. In Rapidfire, characters only have three stats: Body, Mind and Spirit. These three stats cover
all of a character’s innate abilities. All three stats have a default value of 0, which average, and you have 1 Stat
Point to increase one of your stats to a +1. You may also lower stats to a maximum of -2 to gain an equivalent
number Stat Points. Common ways to set up stats include: +1,0,0; +2,0,-1; +2,+1,-2; or +1,+1,-1. All of these
combinations use all of the Stat Points.
If you choose not to spend all of your Stat Points or take a less than optimal set of stats, you can add
twice that saved amount to the number of skill points you will have.
When making your pilot, you do not have to worry too much about these stats in air combat. While
in your warbird, you use the Situational Awareness, SA, stat for most rolls. SA is equal to Body + Mind +
Spirit, and will be +1 for starting characters. The question is who you want to be when not streaking through
the skies at half the speed of sound. Check out the Rapidfire Rules (page 55) for stat descriptions.
Character
Example,
Step 4
Chris decides that it
would suit Balam’s
character best if he
had the following stats:
Body -1, Mind +1,
Spirit +1. Chris wants
to indicate that Balam
is smaller and weaker
than the average man
but makes up for it by
being both intelligent
and determined.
He thinks that this
will add interesting
dimensions to Balam’s
character outside of the
cockpit.
Enjoying Kingston’s night life.
088

The Characters
5.Choose Skills
Skills are broad areas of study that may encompass several disciplines at once. They represent anywhere from
months to years of training, and even a low level in a skill indicates a significant level of proficiency, or a great
deal of talent. Skill levels are as follows:
• 0 - Unskilled; the character has no knowledge of the skill or is a novice.
• 1 - Trained; the character understands the basics but still has a long way to go.
• 2 - Skilled; the character could do this skill as their job.
• 3 - Experienced; the highest level most people ever reach.
• 4 - Expert; a character with this level is regarded as among the very best. Ch
• 5 - Master; characters with this skill level are at the top of their fields.
5
• 6 - Grand Master; only the tiniest fraction of a percent of people reach this level.
People with skills at level 5 and beyond seem almost supernaturally good at what they do and will be
sought out as teachers and mentors. They could open renowned schools and retire on the income. Most never
do, as they spend all their time driving to perfect their art.
At character creation, characters get two occupational skills at level 1 for free, and have 10 skill
points to spend however they wish. Skills cost their level. The normal starting maximum is level 2 for each
skill, which means spending 2 points each, though GMs may adjust this amount to allow for more powerful
or weaker starting characters. Characters can choose any skill off the list on page 90.
Characters also receive the four flying skills: Piloting, Strafing, Gunnery, and Ordinance. They
are separate from regular skills, purchased with separate skill points and discussed in detail in the Warbird
Creation rules (see page 108).
After selecting all of your character’s skills, mark one with a (K). This is your Knack. A Knack is a skill
that your character is naturally good at. When using your Knack skill, roll two dice instead of one and take
whichever result you prefer. You do not have to take the highest; you might want a critical failure, for example.
Starting characters cannot take any of the four Pilot skills or the Awareness skill as their Knack. Though it is
difficult, more Knacks can be earned during play (see page 106).
Occupations
As stated above, every character gets two level 1 occupational skills. The occupational skill relates to the kind
of upbringing your character had and what work their parents may have done. Select the upbringing that most
closely matches your character concept.
Occupation Skills
Rural (farmer, herder, rancher) Appropriate Craft and Ride
Wilderness (hunter, tracker, guide) Survival and Awareness
Industrial (engineer, airship crew) Mechanics (Level 2)
Journalist (reporter, writer) Investigation and Craft (Journalism)
Entertainer (musician, actor) Perform and Etiquette
Urban (office worker, shopkeeper, executive) Barter and Etiquette
Security (military, police, mercenary) Athletics and Shooting
Criminal (thief, pirate, smuggler) Larceny and Stealth
Academic (researcher, teacher, scientist) Academics (Level 2)
Labourer (factory/dock worker, miner) Athletics and Close Combat
Medical (doctor, nurse) Medicine and Academics
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The Characters
Skill List
After the free skills, spend the 10 points however you wish. It is a very good idea to put points towards the
Awareness skill, as it comes into play frequently. Below is a list of the most common skills in Warbirds. The
list is not exhaustive, and new skills can be added if appropriate. The stat in parentheses indicates the stat that
the skill is rooted in.
Academics (Mind)
Characters with the Academics skill have some form of post-secondary education. They have a general
understanding of history, mathematics, science, social sciences and the humanities. Whenever a puzzle needs
Ch to be solved or an obscure fact needs to be recollected, characters can make a Difficulty 6 Academics roll to
5 figure it out. Extremely obscure or complex problems might have a difficulty of 10 or more.
Characters with an Academics skill of 4 or more have a PhD and can be referred to as “Doctor.” They
automatically gain a Knack in one of the areas listed above to represent their specialized knowledge.
Athletics (Body)
Athletics is a catch-all skill that covers any strenuous physical activity, such as running, swimming, climbing,
acrobatics, etc. It is also a measure of how fast a character can dodge attacks and dive for cover, and modifies
a character’s Defence in personal combat. This is a common skill for the physically active, and GMs can settle
any physical chase scenario with a opposed Body + Athletics roll. Although, do not forget help bonuses; it is
hard to run from a posse.
Awareness (Mind or Spirit)

The catch-all skill for noticing things, whether by sight or sound. This includes reading the intentions of other
people -- use the Spirit stat instead of Mind -- and rolling for initiative in combat. This skill is a must-have for
pilots looking to avoid ambushes. The standard difficulty to notice small details is 6, but it is more often used
in opposed roll situations.
Barter (Mind)
This skill covers business, bargaining and managing money. If a character wishes to purchase an item with a
value equal to the character’s Fame stat (see page 99), they must first win an opposed Barter roll with the seller.
Command (Mind or Spirit)

The Command skill covers giving orders and expecting them to be followed. Its use ranges from commanding
troops to ordering around public servants. Characters can choose between using Mind or Spirit with this skill,
depending on their leadership style.
Characters can use Command to temporarily change an NPC’s action. The difficulty for such a roll
is 6 + the target’s Spirit + any situational modifiers. Success means the target follows the command for at least
a few seconds, as long as the command is reasonably simple and logical. “Stop,” “Stand Down,” “Get out of
my way,” “Get over here,” or “Wait just a moment” are all reasonable types of commands that can alter an
NPC’s response. NPCs will neither follow the commands of people they know to be their enemies, nor will
they follow commands from someone who does not look and act as though they can issue such commands.
The Command skill has no effect on player characters.
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The Characters
Craft (Body, Mind or Spirit)

Craft is a catch-all skilled work. This includes farming, bartending, carpentry, writing, fashion design,
journalism and film production, just to name a few. When a character takes the Craft skill, he must choose his
trade. Taking the skill a second time allows for a second trade to be learned. Characters who spend downtime
working on a craft can make a difficulty 6 roll to make some extra cash on the side. If they succeed, they gain a
+1 bonus to their next Barter roll to purchase items. They can also attempt a difficulty 9 roll to get a +2 bonus.
Characters can benefit from Craft in this way once per month.
Close Combat (Body)

This skill covers any fighting that happens at point blank range, such as fighting with fists, knives, heavy Ch
melee weapons and even small thrown objects. Whether it is a barroom brawl or a pirate machete duel, this 5
skill covers it all. Unarmed characters using this skill suffer a -1 penalty to attack when fighting an opponent
armed with weapon. If appropriate, characters may parry attacks and use Close Combat instead of Athletics to
calculate Defence. Shooting attacks cannot be parried, nor can unarmed characters parry attacks from armed
characters.
Etiquette (Spirit)
This is the fine art of saying the right thing at the right time to maintain proper decorum and not upset people
around you. It covers everything from being polite to being able to dance. A character with a high Etiquette
skill can expect to be well liked or at least well respected, and will know how to flatter, gossip, dance and
be able to quickly pick up local or traditional customs. Not making a fool of oneself in an important social
situation is usually a difficulty 6 roll, but the difficulty increases when dealing with more obscure groups
and more complex scenarios. Failing an Etiquette roll can cause a Scandal if there is a large enough crowd
witnessing the failure. A critical failure leads to the character being ejected -- sometimes forcibly -- in addition
to creating a Scandal.
Investigation (Mind or Spirit)

This skill is used to find hidden information, whether by digging through records (Mind), examining physical
evidence (Mind), or following leads from contacts (Spirit). Characters use this skill when snooping through
other people’s personal effects, as well as when examining crime scenes, or tailing a suspect. Default difficulty
for snooping is 6, though it can be as high as 10 for very obscure stuff. Tailing someone is difficulty 8. If target
knows they are being followed, they can make an opposed roll with Stealth.
Interrogation (Spirit)
Interrogation is a strong word, but this skill covers everything from
the friendly interview for the Sunday paper right up to brutal, violent
interrogations. The person being interrogated opposes the roll with a Spirit
roll. In formal interviews the target can oppose the roll with the Publicity
skill. For more extreme situations, keep in mind that physical torture is
notoriously unreliable, and the GM should never tell PCs if a tortured or
threatened individual gave correct information.
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The Characters
Languages (Mind)
This is the ability to speak the languages and dialects that exist in Azure. Each level allows the character
to better understand and speak a range of languages. At level 1, characters know the basics in two foreign
languages, and they can add two more at level 3. At level 5, they are a true polyglot and know six languages
other than their own.
Languages are a little odd in Warbirds. Airship traffic and terms, with their Puerto Rican roots, are all
Spanish; fighter terminology and radio communication, originating in Kingston, uses Queen’s English; while
the language of the elites, thanks to Port-au-Prince’s universities, is French. The Guild uses English, but not
every pilot speaks it fluently. In the Lowlands, the Maya have dozens of languages and dialects, and characters
will almost certainly need a local translator.
Ch
5
Larceny (Mind, Body or Spirit)
The catch-all skill for doing illegal and immoral things. It includes finding out illegal information (Spirit),
forgery (Mind), sleight of hand (Body) and lock-picking (Mind). Most Larceny rolls are opposed rolls, but
the GM can assign a set difficulty for things like picking locks. Difficulty ranges are 6 for a door and 12 for a
bank vault.
Mechanics (Mind)
The understanding of internal combustion engines is a highly valued skill. Mechanics can work on diesel and
ethanol engines, and can, at high enough difficulties, modify them for more power or efficiency. Fixing and
maintaining small engines is difficulty 4, aircraft engines are difficulty 5, massive airship engines are difficulty
6 and experimental engines are difficulty 7 or more. Fixing a damaged engine generally requires double its
difficulty in hours, but every point of Lead on the mechanics roll knocks an hour off the time down to a
minimum of 0. (I hit it with a wrench and it started up!) Failure means starting again from scratch when the
engine fails to start.
Modifying engines is tricky -- add 4 to the repair difficulty. Success means the character can bump up
the range of the vehicle by 20 per cent, or give it a power bump for a 20 per cent drop in range. For aircraft,
this gives them the Improved Turbo-Supercharger trait. Failure on a modification causes the engine to fail on
startup. Critical failure on the modification means the engine works fine -- at first -- but then catastrophically
fails at the worst possible moment.
Medicine (Mind)
This skill broadly represents the medical profession. Level 1 is basic first aid and bandaging wounds; level 2 is
for paramedics, nurses and midwives; level 3 is for doctors; and level 4+ is for surgeons and “gifted” healers.
Healing difficulties are listed on page 61.
If a character is Down but Not Out, a character with the Medicine skill can make a quick difficulty
8 roll to give them back a point of health and get them back on their feet. It takes 3 rounds to administer care.
Failing the roll will knock the patient Out of the Fight.
Perform (Spirit)
This skill covers all of the performing arts such as acting, dancing, singing and playing musical instruments.
At level 1, the character picks an area of study and adds a new area each time the skill is increased. Those new
areas are always treated as being one level lower than the first area chosen.
Characters with high Perform skills get more favour from sponsors and can earn an extra Fame point
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The Characters
when they perform in a movie or audio commercial if they make a difficulty 8 roll. Failure is no big deal, as no
one expects pilots to be brilliant actors, but a critical failure will lead to outtakes becoming public and create
a Scandal.
Persuade (Body, Mind or Spirit)

Convincing people to do what you want can come in very handy. This skill covers a character’s ability to
convince others to come around to their way of thinking, be it with lies, threats or common sense. Characters
can make appeals to logic as in a debate (Mind), using inspiring words or rhetoric (Spirit), by lying through
their teeth (Spirit) or using physical intimidation (Body). Base difficulty for most NPCs whose position is
malleable -- GM’s discretion -- is 4 plus their appropriate stat. If the target also possesses the Persuade skill, it Ch
is an opposed roll. Trying to persuade other characters is really the call of the player being persuaded, though
5
a high roll would imply that the persuader is making a very good point.
Publicity
(Spirit)
While the Etiquette skill
is used in social situations,
characters use publicity
when they are interacting
with fans or the press.
Proper handling of fans
is usually pretty easy at a
difficulty 4, but dealing
with drunk or belligerent
fans, handling the more
“intense” fans or being
under time pressure can
push the difficulty up to
8 or more. A failed roll
can lead to angry, upset
fans. A critical failure will
trigger a Scandal.
Dealing with the press is always an opposed roll versus the reporter’s Interrogation. Beating the
reporter’s roll means the character comes off charming and eloquent, and can control the story. Failure means
the character has to either give up a detail they meant to keep quiet or else give a flat, cold and defensive
interview. A critical failure will lead to the character saying a Scandal-inducing gaffe.
Ride (Body/Spirit)
Horses and mules can be found on all of the larger islands, and they are still used for transportation in rough
terrain or when exploring distant islands. This skill covers riding (Body) and training them (Spirit). Ride also
covers the use of motorcycles, which are a popular mode of transport for the more successful pilots. Chases
when mounted or riding are resolved with opposed Ride + Body rolls. The GM can assign up to +3 to either
side if their mount or vehicle is faster or more suited to the terrain.
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The Characters
Sail - Airship (Mind/Spirit)

Manoeuvring thousands of tons of steel takes a sharp mind and a steely nerve. This skill covers the control
and navigation of airships of all sizes, from the smallest skiffs to the largest transports. When navigating, the
Sail skill is modified by Mind, but when manoeuvring it in combat or sailing through dangerous weather or
terrain, use Spirit instead.
Shooting (Body)
This skill covers the use of all personal firearms, be they pistols, shotguns or rifles. It also covers archaic bows
and arrows. It is legal to own basic firearms in every nation except Santiago. However, all nations limit the
Ch private ownership of automatic weapons and heavy weapons.
5
Stealth (Body or Spirit)
Stealth covers both moving quietly and avoiding visual detection. While normally modified by Body, if a
character is attempting to be stealthy by blending into a crowd or group, then use Spirit instead. If a character
has time to construct an appropriate disguise, they can add +2 to their Stealth roll.
Survival (Mind)
Most commonly possessed by inhabitants of the interiors of Tegesta, Haiti and Puerto Rico, the survival skill
allows a character to live day to day without the need for fresh supplies. This skill is a must for pilots who bail
out over hostile territory and explorers travelling to distant islands. A difficulty 6 roll is good enough to keep
one person alive for a week without issue. Each additional person who does not also possess the Survival skill
adds 1 to the difficulty. Failing a roll means slowly going hungry and thirsty, and adds 1 to the difficulty of
the next Survival roll. Fail three Survival checks in a row and your character will be in a certain death scenario.

Due to his position in the warrior caste, Balam’s occupational skills are Athletics and Shooting. In addition to putting
an extra point into Shooting, Chris takes the skills Awareness 2, Command 2, Survival 1, Languages 1, Publicity 1,
Investigation 1 and Etiquette 1. Chris decides that Balam’s Knack will be in Command.
6.Assign Secondary Stats

Your character has four secondary stats, which are modified by your stats and skills. Your secondary stats are
as follows:
• Defence - 3 + Body + Athletics Skill
• Resist - Spirit + Armour
• Health - 3 + Body + Spirit
• Fame - Starting Fame for a character is 2. Taking the Already Famous Advantage can raise it by 1, while the
Forgettable Disadvantage can drop it to 1.

After doing the math, Chris finds that Balam’s secondary stats are: Defence 3, Resist 2, Health 3, Fame 2.
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The Characters
7.Choose Advantages and

Disadvantages
Advantages and Disadvantages make your character unique and might have a direct rules impact. These are
things like fame, fortune, beauty, greed, vanity or a bounty on your head. Advantages and Disadvantages come
in two flavours: Minor and Major. A Minor Advantage or Disadvantage is enough to affect the game, but not
enough to be character defining. Major Advantages and Disadvantages are character defining and can have a
significant impact on game play. Ch
Using an Advantage in play is done simply by the player asking the GM if it applies to a given situation. 5
If the GM says yes, then the player can describe how the Advantage changes the circumstances in their favour.
Advantages should not be used in this way more than once per session per Advantage. Disadvantages are there
for the GM to add complications to a game but, like Advantages, should not be used against a player more
than once per session per Disadvantage.
Every player is allowed and encouraged to take one Major Advantage, but they must balance it with
one Major Disadvantage or two Minor Disadvantages, and vice versa. In addition, players can take up to
three Minor Advantages but must balance each with a Minor Disadvantage. Below is a short list of sample
Advantages and Disadvantages. You should not limit yourself to the ideas listed. In fact, it is recommended
that you come up with your own Advantages and Disadvantages and present them to the GM and group for
approval.
Advantages
Already Famous
• Minor - You were well known and quite well off before joining the Guild, and this career move has only
improved your reputation. Add 1 to starting Fame.
• Major - Who has not heard of you? You used to be a sports star, an actor or some sort of celebrity. Everyone
knows your name, and fans clamour for your autograph. Add 1 to Fame, and your Fame increases at 1.5 times
the normal rate, rounded down.
Commanding Presence
• Minor - You exude confidence and people respond to that. Add +1 to Command, Perform or Persuade rolls
once per session.
• Major - Same as above, but add +2.
Entourage
• Minor - You have a number of NPCs equal to your Fame stat that meet up with you whenever your ship is
in port, follow you around, help you out as needed and try to control your fans and press. Entourages never
accompany you on your drop-carrier.
• Major - Your entourage has a number of NPCs equal to double your Fame. Among them are a publicist, a
bodyguard and someone who knows how to “get things.”
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The Characters
Friends in High Places

• Minor - Choose a nation. While in that nation you have direct access to members of government.
• Major - As above but choose three nations, or you have direct access to the head of state of a single nation.
Friends in Low Places

• Minor - You know a few criminals or rogues who can help you out of a bind.
• Major - Several criminal or pirate organizations would go out of their way to help you out.
Good Luck
Ch • Minor - “Right place, right time” situations happen a lot for you. You never lose money at the casino. You
5 may re-roll one failed roll per session.
• Major - You once jumped on a live grenade, but it turned out to be a dud. Once per session you can use this
Advantage to re-roll a failed roll or negate one attack that would otherwise knock you out of the fight.
No Press is Bad Press

• Minor - Scandals do not make you look bad; they make you look badass. You only suffer half the normal skill
penalties associated with Scandals, though you still suffer the price adjustments.
• Major - You are somehow immune to Scandals. They happen, and a lot of people get mad at you, but you
suffer no ill effects -- though sponsors might still drop you -- and people swear that your Scandals just serve
to make you even more famous. If you fail to make amends, you can still suffer a permanent Fame reduction.
Of the People
• Minor - You are Azure’s darling. You donate to multiple charities, never turn down an autograph and are an
absolute dear to both your squadron and your sponsors. As a result of your charm and good manners, everyone
wants to work with you. Any time you are subject to a Scandal, roll 1d6 + Spirit. On a 6 or more the scandal
gets brushed aside with no ill effects.
• Major - You can do no wrong. As above, but you avoid the Scandal on a roll of 4 or more.
Sex Symbol
• Minor - Most people consider you to be very attractive. You can gain a +1 to a roll where your looks might
help you out.
• Major - You almost need personal guards to keep your admirers at bay. You have the Advantage as above,
but the bonus is +3. However, you are -2 to Stealth rolls when trying to blend in with a crowd or trying to be
socially inconspicuous.
Undeserving Hero
• Minor - Through bizarre coincidence or outright lies, you have an excellent reputation built entirely on
falsehoods. You gain a +1 to Persuade rolls when you are trying to intimidate someone, and you always get
free drinks at the bar. If the truth of your reputation ever gets out, this Advantage becomes a Disadvantage
and the +1 becomes a -1.
• Major - You are a legend. There are songs and comic books about you. Your Persuade bonus is +2, and you
get an extra Fame Point whenever you sign a new sponsor. If your secret gets out, that +2 becomes a -2, and
all of your sponsors drop you.
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The Characters
Disadvantages
Bad Luck
• Minor - As a rule, you do not gamble; things never go well when you do. Once per session the GM can force
you to take -2 to a roll, even after you roll it.
• Major - Death is not quite hunting you but no one else seems to have major mechanical failures with such
startling regularity. Once per session, if you roll a 1 on an important roll, the GM can force you to take a
critical failure.
Debt
• Minor - You owe someone either money or a favour and they will come to collect sooner or later. Ch
• Major - Criminals, a pirate squadron or a government owns you. 5
Dependent
• Minor - You have a significant other or a family to watch out for. They are a small drain on your time and
resources.
• Major - You family always needs your help, and it is all you can do to stop them from stowing away on your
drop-carrier.
Forgettable
• Minor - Somehow no one noticed your admission to the Guild. You start with 1 Fame, and unless you are
in your flight suit with other Guild pilots, no one will believe you when you claim to be a member. You only
earn Fame at 2/3 the normal rate, rounded down.
• Major - As above; however, you only earn Fame at 1/3 the normal rate, rounded down. The upside to this is
that you can blend into a crowd with ease, granting +1 Stealth in social stealth situations.
High Maintenance
• Minor - You are not coming out of your quarters until someone brings you that martini and bowl full of
chocolate-covered coconut. And it better be both organic and artisanal, and flown in fresh from Barbados,
dammit! It is very hard for you to attract and keep sponsors because of your particular needs. Whenever you
receive a sponsorship offer, you have to make a Difficulty 8 Etiquette roll to avoid offending them and losing
the offer.
• Major - As with minor, but once you do have a sponsor, they are not eager to keep you on the payroll. You
lose a sponsor on your first Scandal, and then two drop in every subsequent Scandal.
Hunted
• Minor – There is a bounty on your head, so watch out! The Guild offers you some refuge, but you are on
your own when you leave Guild territory.
• Major - Bounty hunters come from around the world to take you down, and nowhere is safe. They may even
infiltrate the crew of your ship.
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The Characters
Unattractive
• Minor - Most people find you hard on the eyes but are probably too polite to say anything. The GM can
impose a -1 penalty on rolls where your looks might hinder you.
• Major - Babies cry, children run away and prospective lovers cringe at the mere sight of you. The GM can
impose a -3 penalty when applicable.
Stalker
• Minor - You have a very dedicated fan. Work with the GM to create an NPC who follows your movements
and frequently pops up to awkwardly ruin social engagements, dates, meetings with sponsors, etc.
Ch • Major - As above, but your stalker is dangerous. There will be threatening letters, harassment, theft and
5 eventual attempts at kidnapping, assault or murder.
Under the Microscope

• Minor - The paparazzi follow you everywhere, and even the slightest transgression causes a Scandal.
• Major - A close friend or family member is feeding info to the press. The GM can impose a Scandal on you
with false accusations and made-up stories, but no more than once per session.
Vice
• Minor - You have a serious addiction to something; it might be gambling, alcohol or something more illicit.
Whenever your ship enters port, your first stop is to feed your addiction. You are willing to blow off other
commitments and responsibilities to get your fix.
• Major - Your compulsion to fulfill your addiction is so strong that you have to succeed at a difficulty 6 Spirit
roll to do something other than immediately fulfilling your addiction whenever you get out of your warbird.

Chris chooses two Minor Advantages for Balam: Friends in High Places to represent his relationships with the
influential members of his caste, and Commanding Presence to enhance his Command skill. To balance this out, he
takes two Minor Disadvantages: High Maintenance to reinforce his difficult personality, and Bad Luck to give him
challenges that will help him grow as a character.
Under the Microscope: Being famous can come at a high price.
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The Characters
8.Sort Out Gear, Money and Fame

Starting gear in Warbirds is limited by space. Each pilot gets one small cabin onboard their drop-carrier. Their
plane’s basic survival pack includes outdoor gear, a few days of rations and a pistol (see page 101). PCs with
the Already Famous Advantage can have property that can store additional equipment, though it will be hard
to get to sometimes. Outside of these general guidelines, a character’s personal possessions are up to the player,
but are subject to GM approval.
A character’s wealth is tied to their Fame score. Fame is not just a measure of public acknowledgment
of a character, but a measure of a character’s standing within the Guild and how much money or credit they
can bring to bear on a problem. Just like a sports team, the superstars get more money. The most famous Ch
pilots become fabulously rich by virtue of greater Guild stipends, gifts and accolades from fans, and product 5
endorsements. (Think Nascar sponsors, but with airplanes.) When using the Fame score as a measurement of
wealth, refer to this list:
• 0 - Nobody; you have to work a boring day-to-day job to get by.
• 1 - Hopeful; you are not well known, but the Guild is providing for you.
• 2 - Up and Comer; the standard starting Fame for a Warbirds rook. You have access to more money than you
have ever had before but you are neither rich nor famous.
• 3 - Minor Celebrity; people have heard of you, and you have a lot of money and credit available.
• 4 - Famous; you have adoring fans, offers for sponsorship and access to investments that make you rich.
• 5 - V.I.P.; you do not have to make reservations for fancy restaurants. Money is something you know you
have a lot of, but you never have to think about it.
• 6 - Superstar; you have reached the apex of wealth and prestige. You could finance your own personal army
and have enough money left over to buy a small island.
The Fame stat indicates wealth but is not a strict measure of the value of a character’s possessions. Rather, it is
more of an indication of available income through the Guild as well as via any sponsorships.
Every item in the game has a value rated from 0 to 6. A starting character has up to two items of value
equal to their Fame and another half dozen or so items of lesser value. This does not include a pilot’s plane,
which is technically on loan to them from the Guild. See the table on page 100 for a list of items and their
values.
To determine if a character can buy a given item, compare its value to their Fame. If the value of the
item is less than the character’s Fame, then the character can acquire it without issue. If the value of the item
is more than the character’s Fame, then the character cannot tap into enough resources to purchase it. If the
item’s value equals the character’s Fame, then the character makes a Barter + Mind roll against a difficulty of
6 + the value of the item. Success means the character can buy the item without any negative repercussions,
though they have to wait at least a month for funds to build back up to make a similar purchase. Failure means
the character cannot buy the item, but if they wait a month
while making no major purchases, they can try again with a Getting Sponsors
+2 bonus to the roll. If they manage a lead of 3 or higher on Pilot sponsorship was a very real thing.
the roll, then they can continue on spending money as per Amelia Earhart, the famous aviatrix,
normal. put her image on luggage, cigarettes,
Characters of equal Fame can pool money to make clothing and sportswear. She had her
such big purchases easier. For each additional character pooling own line of women’s fashion and took an active
their cash, add +1 to the Barter roll to a maximum of +3. role in managing her brand. She used the money
Even with multiple characters pushing all their to finance her flying adventures and to publicize
aviation, particularly women’s aviation.
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The Characters
resources together, they have trouble buying items with a

The Cost of Things value rating higher than their Fame. When multiple characters
These costs are all relative and can be negotiated of equal Fame attempt to buy an item worth 1 more than
up or down with the Barter skill. Also, these costs their Fame scores, one character makes a Barter + Mind roll.
are for basic, simple versions of items. Fancy art Add +1 for each additional character pooling their resources
pieces and high-end upgrades will cost much to a maximum of +3. The difficulty of the roll is 10 + the
more. value of the item. Failure means financing falls through and
the characters cannot make the purchase. Success allows the
Personal Weapons Value characters to purchase the item, but they cannot make any
Light Weapons 0 or 1 major purchases for at least a month. If they manage a Lead
Ch
Medium Weapons 1 of 3 or higher on the roll, then they can continue on spending
5Heavy Weapons 1 or 2 money as per normal.
Ranged Weapons
Bows 1 Equipment and Gear
Longbows/Crossbows 2 While most pilots do not carry much, what they choose to
Thrown weapons 1 for a set keep with them says a lot about them. As with other Rapidfire
rules, the stats on equipment, weapons and armour are as
Guns simple as possible. Feel free to expand on the details of your
Pistols 2 gear but do not expect to get any in-game bonuses for them.
Magnum Pistols 3 The list of gear below covers some relevant items.
Rifles 2 Fighters and other aircraft are not listed as they are covered in
Sniper Rifles 3 detail in the next chapter.
Shotguns 2
Machine Guns 3 or 4
Grenades 3 for a box of 6 Personal Weapons
Ammunition 1 per 10 reloads In the age of firearms, most old-style weapons are obsolete
on the battlefield, though they do see use in smaller, more
Armour personal combat.
Archaic 2 to 4
Flight Jacket 1 (free for pilots) Light Weapons - Lead +1 damage
Flack Vest 3 A light weapon is anything small enough to conceal on one’s
Riot Shield 2 person but still large enough to be dangerous. Light weapons
include knives, brass knuckles, hatchets and improvised
Miscellaneous weapons like broken bottles, stools and rocks. Any specialty
Bicycle 1 weapon, such as a whip or a length of chain, also falls into
Motorcycle 4 this category. Most people possess a light weapon or at least
Medical Kit 2 something that can be improvised as one. The advantages to
Journalism Kit 2 light weapons are their ease of use, ubiquity and their ability
Survival Kit 2 to be concealed.
Climbing Kit 2
Tool Box 2
Medium Weapons - Lead +2 damage
Almost no one carries medium weapons anymore. A medium
Criminal’s Kits 2
weapon is too large to conceal and are obvious in their function.
Phonograph + Records 2
Machetes and old cavalry sabers are medium weapons, as is the
Mini-bar 3
butt of a heavy rifle.
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The Characters
Heavy Weapons - Lead +3 damage

While once the world was awash in heavy swords and spears, these weapons are almost never used. The only
heavy weapon that is encountered with any regularity is a rifle with a bayonet affixed.
Ranged Weapons
Bows - Lead +1/+2 damage
Bows are very rare weapons, but they still see some use in hunting. Short bows do Lead +1 damage and have a
range of 100 metres. Long bows do Lead +2 damage and can fire out to 300 metres but require Shooting level Ch
2 to use. Crossbows fire a shot every other round, have a range of 100 metres and do Lead +2 Damage without
5
need for the specialized training that a long bow requires.
Thrown Weapons - Lead +1 damage

Knives, hatchets and rocks can all be thrown as weapons. They have the disadvantage of limited ammunition
but can inflict lethal damage. Thrown weapons go about 10 metres and do Lead +1 damage.
Guns
Pistols - Lead +2 damage
There is any number of different types of pistol, though they all do pretty much the same thing. Their main
difference is ammunition capacity. Tiny derringers hold one or two shots. Revolvers hold six and semi-
automatics hold between eight and 12. Most pistols are very inaccurate outside a range of about 25 metres,
and little derringers cannot shoot much past five metres. High calibre “magnum” pistols can do Lead +3
damage, but these are heavily regulated.
Rifles - Lead +3 damage

Rifles are much more powerful than pistols and can fire out to 500 metres or more with a scope. Hunting rifles
are bolt action and hold five shots. Most militaries use a semi-automatic rifle with between eight and 10 shots
per magazine. Specialized sniper and hunting rifles can fire 1,000 metres and do Lead +4 damage, but they
tend to have reduced ammunition capacities.
Shotguns - variable damage

Shotguns are versatile weapons due to the many different kinds of ammunition they can carry:
• Bird shot - 25 metre range, Lead +1 damage, +1 accuracy
• Buck shot - 50 metre range, Lead +2 damage
• Slug - 75 metre range, Lead +4 damage, -1 accuracy
Submachine Guns - Lead +2 damage

Submachine guns fire pistol ammunition in a fully automatic spray. They do pistol damage but can be used for
burst fire and suppression, as per the rules on page 62. Submachine guns usually hold 30 bullets per magazine,
but some drum magazines -- as was popular with “Tommy guns” -- hold upwards of 50. Submachine guns are
considered military weapons and are heavily regulated in most nations.
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The Characters
Machine Guns - Lead +4 damage

Guns -- Lots of Guns! Machine guns are high-powered, fully automatic rifles that
While there are stats listed for a variety of modern are designed to suppress an area. While the lightest are man-
weapons, most characters should not start with portable, most require a bipod or tripod to fire. They use belts
them. There is little reason for a pilot to own a of ammunition that contain between 100 and 300 bullets.
heavy machine gun, and there is not that much Machine guns cannot fire in single shots and can only burst
room onboard a drop-carrier to stow one away. and suppress as per the rules on page 62.
Unless you can come up with a very good reason,
your pilot should not carry much more than a
light pistol. Hunting enthusiasts and gun nuts
Ch
might own a rifle or shotgun, but they have to Grenades - Lead +3 damage, Lead
5clear it with the GM first and they should have +1 damage
the appropriate background. A grenade is a small explosive charge wrapped in a fragmenting
material. Once armed and thrown, they explode three to five
seconds later, with a primary blast radius of about five metres
and a secondary blast radius out to 15 metres. (Use the lower damage for secondary radius.) Grenades are
designed to be easy to throw and can be tossed 20 metres or more. They use the Body + Close Combat roll of
the attacker and detonate the round after they were thrown. Trying to throw back a grenade requires a Body +
Close Combat roll that beats the original attack. Failure means the character is too slow and the grenade cooks
off in their hand, putting them at -3 to Defence.
Armour
While vehicles can mount some very heavy armour, no one wears much personal armour anymore, as it is not
very effective against bullets.
Incidental Armour (+1 Resist)

There are certain kinds of clothing that are thick enough and tough enough to absorb some cuts and impacts.
The most famous of these is the pilot’s flight jacket. These heavy leather coats are warm, fire resistant and
tough enough to provide 1 Armour in close combat, though they provide no protection against bullets.
Flak Vests (+2 Resist)

These heavy vests combine steel plates with ballistic nylon. They provide good protection against grenades
and other fragmenting weapons, but only provide +1 resist against bullets. They provide no protection against
bullets at point blank range -- less than 3 metres.
Archaic Light, Medium and Heavy Armour (+2-4 Resist)

These old suits of leather, mail or plate armour are not used anymore but provide excellent protection against
close combat weapons. Bullets, however, pass right through them. Medium and heavy armour impose a -1
penalty to physical actions due to their weight and bulk.
Shields (+1 Defence)

Shields see almost no use in modern combat with one exception: riot police. Riot shields are light and tough
and can be used to push back an angry mob. They do Lead +1 damage when used as close-combat weapons.
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The Characters
They see heavy use in the police state of Santiago, but every nation has a few in their inventory. Shields offer
no protection against bullets.
Miscellaneous Equipment
Weapons and armour aside, you character may possess any number of small items, and if they have property,
they might have more. Below are some common items that might come in handy. Select a few that fit your
character concept and that do not exceed your character’s Fame in value.
Folding Bicycle (Value 1) Ch

Bikes are one of the most common ways to commute. They cost very little, make good time and the folding
5
varieties can go almost anywhere.
Motorcycle (Value 4)
Powerful and expensive, a motorcycle is a major symbol of status for any character who can afford it. The bike
will be kept in their ship’s vehicle pool and will be available for use when the ship pulls into port. Cars are also
value 4, but they are too large to keep in a drop-carrier’s hold.
Medical Kit (Value 2)

This is a doctor’s bag or first aid kit. Any character with the Medicine skill may possess one. It gives +1 to a
Medicine roll. It can do this three times before it must be replenished at a doctor’s office or pharmacy.
Journalism Kit (Value 2)

This is a small bag that contains a compact camera, several rolls of film and all of the chemicals to develop it,
note pads and a voice recorder. Voice recorders are very novel in Warbirds. They are the size of a shoebox, have
poor audio quality and need the people speaking into them to be quite close. They are too large and bulky to
covertly record conversations.
Survival Kit (Value 2)

Found in every plane -- and attached to the seat if the plane has an ejection seat -- is the humble survival kit.
It contains a semi-automatic 10-shot pistol with two extra clips, three days of emergency rations, waterproof
matches, iodine to purify water, a survival guide, an emergency radio, a flare and a survival knife.
Tool Box (Value 2)

A must for any mechanic, tools are required to use the Mechanic skill. Tool boxes hold wrenches, ratchets,
calipers and whatever other small tools the mechanic requires to maintain their particular vehicles. The heavier
tools can be used as improvised weapons , doing Lead +1 damage.
Climbing Kit (Value 2)

This is a backpack full of ropes, grapples, pulleys, pitons and a climbing axe. Characters use the Athletics skill
to climb, and with this kit they can climb sheer rock faces or descend along the uneven rocks beneath the
islands. Such dangerous climbs are difficulty 9 or higher. A failed roll means no progress, while a critical failure
indicates a fall.
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The Characters
Criminal’s Kits (Value 2)

Characters who invest in the Larceny skill might also want one of these kits. They come in forgery and
burglary varieties. Each is full of all of the supplies a character needs to carry out their illicit activities.
Phonograph and Record

collection (Value 2)
While these items are not technically
useful, they will make a character
popular.
Ch
5 Minibar (Value 3)
Sometimes you just need a drink. If
your character has a mini bar, then they
always have a small stash of fine alcohol
available. Rum is especially popular
aboard ship and could be traded for
almost anything else within reason.

Balam’s starting Fame is 2. Chris purchases a pistol, two boxes of ammunition, a survival kit, and a phonograph
and record collection for his character.
9.Handle the Details

What does you character look like? How are they dressed? How do they speak? Do they have any preconceived
notions or attitudes; any major fears; any major goals? Your character is not complete until you add the details.
Make sure you have enough to give other players a good first impression, but do not worry if you do not have
too much figured out in advance. After all, some of the most interesting aspects of characters’ personalities are
often revealed in the middle of good roleplaying.

Chris fleshes out Balam by deciding that he has black hair and brown eyes, and that he usually wears the dark red
and green colours associated with his Mayan kingdom. Chris sees Balam as being stuck-up and focused on his own
personal advancement instead of the needs of his flight members, which makes Balam belligerent, bossy and aloof.
Although he wants Balam to start out not getting along with the other characters, Chris plans on having Balam grow
to be a more accepting, team-oriented and, ultimately, an honourable character. Chris hopes that Balam’s character
arc will be fulfilling and add an interesting element to his group’s Warbirds game.
10.All Done - Almost

Congratulations, your character is ready to take on the world. Still, you will need a warbird (page 108) if you
plan on making a name for yourself.
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The Characters
CHARACTER ADVANCEMENT
A character is never “finished;” they can always work to improve themselves and perfect their abilities. Time
and experience will improve a character’s stats and skills. The Rapidfire system keeps track of a character’s
progression using experience points, or XP, which can be earned both during a game and after a session. These
experience points provide a statistical transcript of the various obstacles a character has overcome during their
adventures. Stats are improved separately using Stat Points. These points are earned through player dedication
and by accomplishing major tasks. Ch
5
XP Earned During Play
There is no teacher as helpful as experience. A character will learn from a great success, a terrible failure or a
moment of pure awesomeness. Any character that uses a skill in any of these ways can earn XP for that skill. It
is marked down in the XP box next to the individual skill and will contribute towards improving it. Characters
may earn 1 XP for a skill by doing one of the following:
• Something Awesome - If a character attempts something awesome like, “I threw off my pursuers by flying
between the buildings,” they can get a bonus to the skill roll. They can also earn 1 XP for the awesomeness of
the attempt, whether it results in an astounding success or brutal failure. The XP is immediately applied to
the skill rolled.
• Spend Reserve - Reserve is precious and powerful. It gives a character a chance to avoid a horrible roll and
turn a good roll into a great one. If a character spends Reserve on an important roll, he can earn 1 XP for the
skill he used.
• Accept a Critical Failure - Although a roll of 1 does not guarantee failure under the Rapidfire system, if
a character rolls a 1 and misses the required difficulty by a margin of 3 or more, they can request a critical
failure. The character earns 1 XP and 1 point of Reserve for the failed skill, but the GM gets to have something
terrible, though not quite lethal, happen to the character.
The GM has final say over when XP are earned during play. The general rule is that a character can earn 1 XP
per skill, per scene. Characters can earn multiple XP in a scene but each XP must be for a different skill. This
limit is based on trust between players and the GM; players who squander Reserve or push for critical failures
too often should not receive XP for their frivolous actions.
End-of-Session XP
Unlike XP earned during play, which are handed out on the spot and tied to the skill used to earn them, XP
earned at the end of a session has more flexibility. The XP can be spent on any skill. A player will generally be
awarded between 1 and 5 XP per session at the GM’s discretion. End-of-session XP should be immediately
assigned to skills, with no more than 2 XP going into any one skill.
Once a skill reaches level 4 it becomes more difficult to improve. The maximum end-of-session XP
that can be assigned to a level 4+ skill is only 1 XP. The GM has the option of reducing the amount of XP
assigned to high-level skills down to 0. This makes earning XP during play even more important and possibly
the only way to earn XP for skills of elevated levels.
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The Characters
Improving Skills
Improving a skill costs double its new level in XP. Therefore, raising a skill from level 2 to 3 costs 6 XP, going
from 3 to 4 costs 8 XP and getting a new skill costs 2 XP. As an aside, it is possible to get XP for using skills
untrained. Earning 2 XP for an untrained skill gives the character the skill at level 1. Multiple skills can be
raised between sessions, but a player can spend no more than 2 XP per skill, per session, and 1 XP for level 4+
skills. If a player earns enough XP during play to give them the needed XP to raise that skill, they do not have
to wait until the end of the session or even the end of the scene to do so.
If a character wants to add another Knack, they may do so with XP, but it is very expensive: It costs
10 XP to give a skill a Knack. If it is a flying skill or the Awareness skill, it costs 15 XP.
Ch
5
Stat Points
Stat points are given out along with end-of-session XP and can be used to increase a character’s stats. A player
is generally awarded 1 Stat Point per session, at the GM’s discretion. (See page 156 in Chapter 8 for details
on awarding Stat Points).
Improving Stats
It takes a while, but earning enough Stat Points makes it possible for PCs to increase their stats. While the
standard is 1 Stat Point per session, for a longer and/or
grittier campaign, the GM may make Stat Points harder
to earn. Increasing a stat costs 10 Stat Points the first
time. The second stat increase, whether it be to the same
stat or a different stat, costs 20 Stat Points. The third costs
30 and so on.
The human maximum for a stat is +2 but at the GM’s
discretion, the players can increase one of their PC’s stats
beyond the normal maximum to a +3. This represents
a character with legendary ability. An increase to +3
should not be the first stat that a PC increases; such high
stats take time to develop. Every time a character’s stats
increase, their Situational Awareness, being the total of
their stats, also increases. SA does not have the +3 limit
that stats have.
Improving Fame
Fame improves by earning Fame Points, or FP. Characters
earn FP by doing Guild jobs, getting endorsements or
through investments. They can also take part in air shows
and air races. Every time a character does something that
earns them FP, they mark it down on their character
sheet. When they have FP equal to triple the next
Fame level, their Fame goes up by 1. For example,
most starting characters have Fame 2 to start. To get to
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The Characters
Ch
5
Improving your Fame through sponsorship is a quick way to get ahead, but there are costs: you plane will look like a
flying billboard.
Fame 3, they need to earn 9 FP. If a character has Fame 4, then they need 15 FP to increase to Fame 5.
Characters who are Already Famous or Forgettable adjust the amount FP they earn at the end of each session
by the appropriate amount and then add it to their existing totals.
Characters can expect to earn between 1 and 3 FP for most jobs, with very high-risk ventures paying
out more. Sponsorships give between 1 and 3 FP but require some work on the part of the character to keep
them up. This might involve painting their plane, posing for photos, ghostwriting a dime novel, etc. The GM
section has more details on how much a given job is worth and how much FP to award for various activities.
Scandals and Losing Fame

The cost of fame is constant scrutiny by the public. Just as successful contracts and sponsorships can increase
Fame, Scandals can cause it to drop. Scandals usually lead to sponsors dropping their support, in which
case the character loses the number of FP the sponsor provided. There is also the threat of permanent Fame
reduction if the character refuses to make amends (see below).
Once a character suffers a Scandal, they suffer all of the penalties listed on page 58. Then they have
to deal with rehabilitation. Much like modern celebrity rehab, this means the character publicly admits guilt,
apologizes, promises to do better in the future and then does some sort of penance. The nature of the penance
is up to the GM, but it should somehow reflect the nature of the Scandal. Penance often takes the form of an
unpaid contract that the character must complete.
After rehabilitation is complete, the Scandal fades, and the character’s damaged reputation recovers,
though another Scandal is always waiting right around the corner.
Characters who do not rehabilitate in a timely manner suffer permanent damage to their Fame
stat. GMs must warn a player if they choose not to make amends, but if they refuse to end the Scandal,
the character’s Fame stat is reduced by 1 and they lose any remaining FP that they might have accrued. The
Scandal is now over, but the character lost a lot of money and prestige in the process. If a character’s Fame
reaches 0 from repeated, unresolved Scandals, they are destitute, kicked out of the Guild and disappear into
obscurity. The Guild simply cannot afford that much negative scrutiny to affect its reputation and the influx
of contracts.
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Ch
6
SF-21 Ibis
CHAPTER SIX
WARBIRD CREATION
Below are step-by-step instructions for building your own warbird. Be sure to grab a warbird sheet on page
187 to aid the process.
1.SA and Skills

Characters do not use the standard stats and skills. Instead, there is only one stat, Situational Awareness (SA),
and four plane-based skills, which are Piloting, Strafing, Gunnery and Ordinance.
Situational Awareness
Your character’s SA is equal to Body + Mind + Spirit. A standard starting character has an SA of +1. Every time
a stat goes up, it increases SA as well.
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Warbird Creation
Skills
Your character starts off with level 1 in all four plane-based skills. The GM will then give you a number of skill
points and a starting skill cap. A standard game gives 2 additional points and a starting skill cap of level 2. This
means two of your skills will be level 1, and the other two will be level 2. The GM may raise the number of
skill points and/or the starting cap, but that is their call. The skills are as follows:
Gunnery (SA)
This skill covers the use of machine guns and light cannons. Gunnery is used when flying a fighter, using an
AA gun or using any sort of crew-served machine gun.
Ch
Ordinance (SA) 6
Ordinance is any weapon that is heavy enough to be lobbed at an enemy, including heavy cannons, rockets,
bombs and mortars. As with Gunnery, this skill is used both behind the stick and when using a weapon
emplacement. Most weapons aboard airships are utilized with the Ordinance skill.
Piloting (SA)
The Piloting skill determines how well your character can control a plane in dogfights, and how well they can
handle basic manoeuvres, like taking off, landing, doing aerobatics and racing. The Piloting skill modifies your
plane’s Break Defence, Escape Defence and Shoot Defence.
Strafing (SA)
This skill is a combination of possessing guts, luck and very quick reactions. Pilots use the Strafing skill when
attacking ground targets and when flying nap-of-the-earth (less than 100 meters above the ground). Strafing is
very dangerous, as failure means getting annihilated by enemy fire or smashing into the ground. If an enemy
retreats from a pilot at low level and the pilot gives chase, the GM can have the pilots roll opposed Strafing
rolls instead of Dogfighting rolls, with the caveat that rolling 8 or less results in the plane crashing.
Example Warbird, Step 1

Continuing the example in Chapter 5, Chris starts building Balam a warbird. Chris starts with SA. Balam’s three
stats are added together to provide SA +1. Next, he goes through the four plane-based skills. All four skills start at
level 1, and the GM gives him 2 points to increase them. Chris decides to focus on flying and worry about shooting
later, settling on Piloting 2, Strafing 2, Gunnery 1 and Ordinance 1.
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Warbird Creation
2.Take a Basic Warbird

Each warbird is a custom machine that gets more and more unique as a pilot has it improved and tweaked. All
warbirds, however, start as a fairly standard fighter made by one of the major manufacturers. Guild technicians
take apart these basic aircraft, rebuild them to Guild specifications and then give them to their pilots. Guild
specifications give them the numbers below:
Armour: 3
Performance: 3
Ch
Structure: 5 (0 0 -1 -1 -2)
Innate traits (common to all warbirds):
6
• Environment Controls - Every warbird is equipped with a heater and an oxygen system to allow it to climb
up between the island layers. Their max altitude is 15 kilometres (45,000 feet) above the Uplands, though the
air is very thin up there, and it would take the planes at least a half an hour to get up to that altitude.
• Radio – Every plane has a radio with a line of sight range of about 10 kilometres. The EM interference from
the Eye prevents radios from reaching out farther.
• Redundant Systems - Warbirds have armoured cockpits, self-sealing fuel tanks and scores of back-up features
designed to mitigate the effects of enemy fire. This gives them Damage Resistance 1 and Structure 5, and a
pilot does not suffer injury if their warbird is damaged, unless they Put Their Life on the Line (see page 60).
• Cargo Box - A warbird can hold about 50 kilograms (about 110 pounds) of cargo and gear in a small cargo
slot, usually right behind the pilot’s seat.
• Ejection Seat - Guild fighters are the only ones that use ejection seats. They lack the rockets of modern
seats but rather use compressed gasses to push the seat clear of
the plane. Characters always have time to eject from a crashing
plane unless Their Life is on the Line. Their chute will drop them
slowly to safety. Ejecting out over the Murk or in a powerful
storm is a certain-death scenario that requires a player to expend
all of their Reserve to survive.
• Ordinance Hardpoint - Every warbird can carry at least one
heavy weapon on an external pylon.
• Gun Camera - All warbirds have a small movie camera in their
nose. It automatically activates and stays active for 30 seconds
whenever the pilot fires their guns or drops ordinance. The gun
camera is the primary method by which pilots confirm kills.
• Limited Fuel - Warbirds pay for their increased performance
and armour with a drop in fuel capacity. The maximum flight
time for a warbird is just over 60 minutes, and they have
a maximum range of about 650 kilometres (or 400 miles),
assuming they can land and refuel at the other end.

Chris grabs a piece of scrap paper and jots down the basic warbird
stats. The numbers will change as he selects traits. He also looks over
the innate traits his warbird has and makes a few notes about them.
Guild upgrades take a fighter from
commonplace to extrordinary.
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Warbird Creation
3.Primary Armament
It is time to make a choice: light machine guns, heavy machine guns or cannons. Light machine guns have a
very high rate of fire and are more likely to hit their target by virtue of putting more lead in the air. A pilot
can fire two bursts from his light machine guns in one round and suffer no penalty, and can split the attacks
between two different targets. Heavy machine guns are the middle ground for warbirds; they hit harder and
slower than LMGs, but lack the oomph of cannons. Their big advantage is precision, with their heavy-but-
still-high-velocity rounds being much more accurate than LMGs. Cannons, with their heavier, slower firing
shells, have a penalty to hit, but do more damage. Also, their specialized shells punch through the armour of
heavy vehicles. Choose one to load onto your fighter. Ch
6
Primary Fighter Armaments
Ammo
Weapon Acc* Damage AP† Special
(Bursts)
Light Machine Guns 2 Attacks per
0 Lead +1 20 None
(7.62mm or .303 cal) Round
Heavy Machine Guns

+1 Lead +2 10 None None
(12.7mm or .50 cal)
20mm Cannons -1 Lead +3 8 2 None
*Acc - Accuracy. This number is added to any attack roll made with this weapon.
†AP - Armour Piercing. This represents how many points of Armour a weapon will ignore when
doing damage. AP weapons do not reduce a target’s Armour but on every hit will ignore points
equal to the AP value.
If you want to swap out your primary armament at a later time you may, but there are some conditions. First,
it will take the technical crews a week to switch out the guns and ammo, during which time your warbird will
be in pieces. Second, the crews will not do this willingly. A gun swap is a lot of work, and it will take a difficulty
8 Persuade roll to convince the crew chief to have the work done. Every time you ask to have the guns swapped
again, the difficulty for the Persuade roll increases by 2.
Mixing Guns
Example Warbird, Step 3 While warbirds only carry on kind
For his armament, Chris decides on heavy machine guns. Their of primary armament for the sake
accuracy bonus will help compensate for his lower Gunnery skill. of simplicity, WWII fighters often
He marks down their accuracy, damage and ammo on his warbird carried a mix of different machine guns
sheet. and cannons. Mixing guns could make aiming
difficult, as each type of ammunition flew a
different ballistic arc after being fired. The
practice did not last much beyond the War, and
disappeared completely after the invention of
fast firing gatling and revolver cannons.
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Warbird Creation
4.Heavy Weapons
Warbirds can all carry at least one heavy weapon. While they are not accurate enough for most dogfighting,
they are excellent for strafing heavy, slow-moving targets like airships, trains and fortifications. Choose a heavy
weapon to equip on your fighter from the following list:
Fighter Heavy Ordinance

Weapon Acc* Damage Ammo AP† Special
Ch
6 40mm Cannons -2 Lead +4 3 bursts 3 None
Rockets -2 Lead +5 2 volleys 2 Reduce Penalties**
Performance 0 or 1
Drop Bombs -3 Lead +6 1 3
targets only†
*Acc - Accuracy. This number is added to any attack roll made with this weapon.
†AP - Armour Piercing. This represents how many points of Armour a weapon will ignore when
doing damage. AP weapons do not reduce a target’s Armour but on every hit will ignore points
equal to the AP value.
**Rockets are fragmentary and do not have the -2 penalty for attacking person-sized targets.
†Drop bombs cannot be used to target fighters, couriers or any target with Performance 2 or
more.
Heavy weapons are in pods hung on your warbird’s undercarriage. Unlike primary armaments, they are
designed to be swapped out quickly and easily. Heavy weapons can be swapped any time your plane is in the
turn (see page 77).

Chris chooses to equip Balam’s warbird with rockets. He marks down their accuracy, damage, AP and ammo on his
warbird sheet, and makes note that they do not suffer the -2 penalty versus small targets.
5.Choose Starting Traits

Traits are what differentiate one warbird from another. They indicate what sort of vehicle your warbird is,
be it an armoured fighter-bomber, a nimble dogfighter or something in between. Traits increase things like
Performance, Armour, Structure and weapons capabilities. Traits are split into five broad categories:
• Gunnery traits improve a warbird’s guns and indicate if the pilot has access to specialized ammo.
• Ordinance traits are similar to Gunnery traits but apply to heavy weapons.
• Dogfighting traits improve a warbird’s Performance and Defence ratings, making it a more nimble and
capable dogfighter.
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Warbird Creation
• Strafing traits make a warbird tougher and more resistant to

damage. They also improve its ability to make steep, dangerous Warbird Traits
strafing attacks.
• General traits cover several miscellaneous abilities that provide Gunnery Traits (page 116)
other bonuses or advantages. Extra Capacity
Incendiary Shells
When you first make your warbird, you may select one Gunnery or Armour-Piercing Shells
Ordinance trait, one Dogfighting or Strafing trait, and 1 General High-Velocity Shells
trait. Some traits are restricted to aces and elite aces and are not Additional Guns
available to starting characters. You can reference the quick trait list Gyroscopic Gunsight
Ch
here, with full descriptions found on page 116.
Ordinance Traits (page 118) 6
Extra Hardpoint
Example Warbird, Step 5 Incendiary Shells, Rockets or Bombs
Chris takes a look at the trait list and decides on Incendiary Shells,
Armour-Piercing Shells, Rockets or Bombs
Reduced Turn Radius and High-Visibility Canopy.
Heavy Bombs
Advanced Bombsight
6.Fill Out Ratings

High-Velocity Rockets
Heat-Seeking Rockets
Go to your warbird sheet and fill in your fighter’s stats, abilities and Dogfighting Traits (page 119)
the details of the traits you chose. Then fill in the numbers below. Improved Turbo-Supercharger
Improved Flight Controls
Manoeuvring
Reduced Turn Radius
G-Suit
Dogfighting: SA + Piloting Skill + Performance + trait Bonuses Rocket Assist
Strafing: SA + Strafing Skill + Performance + trait Bonuses Rotary Engine
Shooting
Strafing Traits (page 121)
Dive Brakes
Gunnery: SA + Gunnery Skill + Accuracy + trait Bonuses Frontal Armour
Ordinance: SA + Ordinance Skill + Accuracy + trait Bonuses Redundant systems
Improved Structure
Defending
Improved Armour
Radial Engine
Break Defence: SA + Piloting Skill + Performance
Escape Defence: Break Defence +2 General Traits (page 122)
Shoot Defence: Break Defence -2 Drop Tanks
Stunt Defence: SA + Piloting Skill High-Visibility Canopy
*First calculate the base values for Break Defence, Escape Defence, Increased Cargo Capacity
Shoot Defence and Stunt Defence, and then apply trait bonuses and Optical Camouflage
penalties to each. High-Powered Radio
Tail Gunner
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Warbird Creation

It is time for Chris to fill out the ratings on the warbirds sheet. He calculates all of his ratings, as follows:
Dogfighting: 1d6 +6 (+7 when attacking) Break Defence: 6
Strafing: 1d6 +6 Escape Defence: 8
Gunnery: 1d6 +3 Shoot Defence: 4
Ordinance: 1d6 +0 Stunt Defence: 1d6 +3
Ch
7.Appearance
6 Your plane can look any way you like. Pusher designs, with rear-mounted wings and canards, are common in
Warbirds, though yours might have a more traditional layout. Sketch it or find a picture of it on the internet,
or build a model if you wish. Choose or design some nose art and give it a name. Every plane needs a good
name. Unlike your pilot’s callsign, this one you get to choose for yourself.

Rather than going with one of the more unusual designs in Azure, Chris looks back to World War II and decides
Balam’s warbird looks like a classic Supermarine Spitfire, albeit with a slick red and gold Guild paint job. He
christens his warbird the “Dawn Fury” and it is now complete and ready for action.
IMPROVING YOUR WARBIRD

Your starting warbird is an impressive machine, but the Guild saves its best hardware for its best pilots. To get
access to the Guild’s more elite technology, you need to fly missions, shoot down enemies, destroy targets and
become an Ace.
The Guild, like every nation, maintains an “Ace” system for keeping track of pilot success. Guild
pilots fly a lot of combat missions and have a much higher bar than other pilots to reach the status of Ace, and
then only a few pilots ever reach the rank of “Elite Ace”. Those that do have access to technology that is over
a decade ahead of what the next best nation is using, and makes them a terror of the skies.
Aces
The Guild has two kinds of Aces: Dogfighting Aces and Strafing Aces. A Double Ace is pilot who is both a
Dogfighting and Strafing Ace. Elite Aces are the rare few who score 50+ kills.
Dogfighting Aces
A pilot is considered a Dogfighting Ace after they achieve their 10th air-to-air “kill.” The Guild considers a
plane killed if it is reduced to Crippled or worse on its Structure track. If two pilots damage a plane, only the
one who lands the final killing blow gets the credit. The Guild frowns upon putting rounds into an already
Crippled plane in order to get the kill credit, and doing so will result in the pilot getting a callsign like
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Warbird Creation
“Mooch,” “Bandit” or “CK” (“Corpse Killer”) until they reform their ways.
A Dogfighting Ace gets a five-point star pin to wear below their wings on their flight jacket, and may
paint a small star on their plane to indicate their success.
Strafing Aces
A pilot reaches Strafing Ace status after they destroy their 10th stationary target. If a target has multiple
sub-systems, then the pilot gets credit for each sub-system they destroy. As with dogfighting, if two pilots
damage a target, only the one who lands the killing blow gets the credit. Strafing Aces are actually much rarer
than Dogfighting Aces, as strafing is considered much more dangerous than dogfighting, and most pilots are
hesitant to strafe heavily armed and armoured targets. Ch
Strafing Aces mark their successes with a crossed sword pin for their flight jackets, and similar 6
markings are painted on their fighters.
Elite Aces
Guild pilots can rack up amazing kill counts over the course of their careers. They earn another star or pair of
crossed swords for every 10 additional victories. When either kill count hits 50, they are considered an Elite
Ace, and are given access to the Guild’s top-tier equipment. Elite Aces, if they have the mind for it, are often
invited to be squadron commanders and given responsibilities that go far beyond flying combat sorties.
Ace Status and Improving Your Plane

When your character achieves Ace status as a Dogfighting Ace or a Strafing Ace -- they are not cumulative
-- the Guild mechanics will give your plane a new trait of your choice. Each time you score 10 additional
kills, you may add another trait. Although the traits are split up into categories like Dogfighting and Strafing,
you may select any trait for which your character meets the
requirements. Once your character reaches Elite Ace status, it Aces
takes 20 kills in either dogfighting or strafing to get awarded The Warbirds method of assigning Ace
another trait. status is not historically accurate, but
makes for a more fun (and fair) game.
Western nations of the First and Second
Fame and Traits World War generally considered an ace to be any
While most Aces are famous, not all famous pilots are Aces. pilot who shot down five enemies, but this was
Famous pilots have something very valuable: money. While as much an invention of the media as the fighter
the Guild tries to restrict aircraft hardware to its best pilots, squadrons, which often had conflicting ways of
it is possible to buy traits. To buy a trait, a pilot has to bribe tracking ace status.
their ground crew to make the changes “off the books.” Many ace claims are in doubt due to
Only unrestricted traits can be purchased, and all conflicting kill/loss reports on both sides of a
such traits have a value of 4. Characters may only buy one conflict. For example, in China, the famous
trait per month of in-game time. Flying Tigers mercenary squadron claimed
While most pilots do buy traits to enhance their to have shot down 229 Japanese aircraft, but
planes, those who buy more than one or two without getting Japanese records only account for about 117
10 kills will face a lot of ridicule, and derogatory callsigns losses. On the other side, the Japanese claimed
relating to a combination of wealth and laziness will be to have shot down over 500 Tigers -- not bad
assigned. “Trust Fund” or “Debutante” are examples. considering the Tigers had only 99 planes in
their arsenal and lost only 14 pilots.
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Warbird Creation
Temporary Traits
The Guild does not advertise this, but it does from time to time specially equip their fighters for missions
considered important to the organization as a whole. These special situations are kept hidden from the press,
and any flights given advanced gear will have it confiscated as soon as the situation is resolved.
Getting Shot Down

If you get shot down and live to tell the tale, the Guild will give you a new plane. The only problem is that it
is a rook aircraft; it has the stats and traits of a starter plane. When a high-scoring pilot gets shot down and
Ch gets a new rook machine, they often spend a lot of their own money buying traits to bring the plane back up
6 to what they consider acceptable.
There is no stigma attached to being shot down; every pilot knows they are a few lucky shots away
from being in a burning wreck of a plane. Any pilot who survives a shoot down gets a party and a christening
for their new warbird.
Those who get shot down more than once need to start worrying. The Guild considers a liability any
pilot who maintains a kill/loss ratio of less than five-to-one, and will likely take that pilot out of combat flying
if they survive getting shot down a few times. If a pilot loses three planes before scoring a single victory, they
are immediately grounded and re-assigned to a less demanding job.
WARBIRD TRAITS
Planes in Warbirds might have any number of traits depending on the desires of their pilots. Each trait
represents a modification that has been made to the plane, as well as access to the necessary spare parts and/or
munitions to keep that modification functioning. Once a pilot has a trait, it is assumed that their ground crew
can keep it working unless there is some sort of severe supply shortage, in which case the GM can declare some
traits temporarily disabled. They will return to working order as soon as supplies become available.
Trait List
The trait list is divided into the five different types of traits available for your aircraft. Each trait has a name,
a list of restrictions and a description denoting what it does. If a restriction reads “Conflicts with...” then
whatever traits are listed cannot be taken without sacrificing this trait.
Gunnery Traits
Extra Capacity
Restrictions: conflicts with Additional Guns
This trait increases the ammo capacity of your warbird’s guns. Add 6 bursts to LMGs, 4 bursts to HMGs and
2 bursts to cannons. You may take this trait twice, but the second time only has half the effect.
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Warbird Creation
Incendiary Shells
Restrictions: conflicts with Armour-Piercing
Shells
Your warbird’s guns set things on fire!
Whenever your guns score a hit, you may
spend a Reserve to have your guns burn
through something important. Roll:
1-5 Obstructing smoke - Target is -1 to
Dogfighting/Threat and all attacks next
round while they clear the smoke.
Ch
6 Serious Fire - Target aircraft must
disengage and dive for one round to put 6
out the fire or take 2 Structure damage with
no Resist. Strafing targets are burning and
immediately suffer 1 point of Structure
damage to the main part of the target. The
target may put out the fire by reducing Threat by 2 for a round; otherwise, another 1 point of damage is done
each round for two more rounds.
Armour-Piercing Shells
Restrictions: conflicts with Incendiary Shells
Your warbird’s guns tear holes through armour. Whenever your guns score a hit, in addition to any damage
you might do, you may spend 1 Reserve to have the shells break something. Roll:
1-5 Damaged Weapon - Your shells tear holes in enemy weapons. Reduce damage from their Gunnery attacks
by 1. Multiple attacks can make enemy guns ineffective.
6 Operator Hit - Your shells have hit the enemy pilot/gunner, causing an immediate Down but Not Out
status and causing the appropriate wound penalty to their actions. A second such hit will knock them out of
the fight, and they are either dead or limping home. Special: Operator hits on the bridge of an airship make
it -1 Defence for one round while they sort out the injured crew. Two operator hits makes the penalty endure
for the entire combat.
High-Velocity Shells
Restrictions: none
High-velocity ammunition requires your warbird’s gun barrels to be replaced with thicker heat-resistant
versions to deal with the more powerful ammo. HV shells are long range. In head to head situations, you
get to fire and assess damage before your enemy, unless they also have HV shells. While they do not let you
fire before a target while on a strafing run, they do back the fight up enough that the attacks are considered
simultaneous, and any damage you suffer will not happen until after you attack. HV shells can be armour
piercing or incendiary.
Additional Guns
Restrictions: Ace only; conflicts with Extra Capacity
It is always an option to add more guns, though something always has to be sacrificed to do it. Adding more
guns adds 1 to their damage but reduces their ammo by half, or reduces Armour by 1 to make up for the
weight.
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Warbird Creation
Gyroscopic Gunsight
Restrictions: Elite Ace only
Most warbirds use something called a reflector gunsight. It shows the true point of aim of the pilot’s guns
regardless of how they move their head. Gyroscopic gunsights go one step further and use gyros to calculate
how the bullets will fly based on the plane’s current orientation. If the pilot knows the wingspan of his target,
he can set his sight to ensure perfect lineup without the need to estimate lead. These powerful gunsights add
+1 to all Gunnery rolls.
Ch
Ordinance Traits
6 Extra Hardpoint
Restrictions: none
Pilots expecting heavy combat might want more ordinance in the fight, and this trait gives them an extra
hardpoint on which to hang a heavy weapon. Pilots may mix and match heavy ordinance however they
choose, but note that adding another heavy cannon adds ammo as opposed to more damage. This trait can
be taken up to four times, and each time adds another hardpoint. However, the warbird loses one-sixth of
its range and flight time the second time this trait is taken, and another one-sixth the fourth time it is taken.
These limitations can be lifted by not mounting weapons, or switching out weapons for fuel tanks (see below).
Incendiary Shells, Rockets or Bombs

Restrictions: conflicts with Armour-Piercing version
These heavy weapons act as per the Incendiary Shells trait above. This trait can be taken multiple times; each
time, apply it to a different heavy weapon.
Armour-Piercing Shells, Rockets, or Bombs

Restrictions: conflicts with Incendiary and Fragmentary versions
These heavy weapons act as per Armour-Piercing Shells trait above. This trait can be taken multiple times; each
time, apply it to a different heavy weapon.
Fragmentary Shells or Bombs

Restrictions: conflicts with Armour-Piercing version
Fragmentary weapons are designed to attack people and light structures on the ground. They are -1 damage
and -1 AP, but they lack the -2 penalty for attacking person-sized targets, and only one attack is required to hit
anyone in the blast radius. The blast radius is five metres for shells and 30 metres for bombs.
Heavy Bombs
Restrictions: Ace only
Most bombs are about 225 kilograms (500 pounds) and are devastating when they hit. The heavy bomb is
almost twice the size of a regular bomb and spreads its destruction over a wider area. When a heavy bomb hits
a target, roll hit locations twice, ignoring duplicate rolls, and apply damage to both hit areas. If a heavy bomb
is also Fragmentary (see above), then it is a cluster bomb and has a 60-metre blast radius.
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Warbird Creation
Advanced Bombsight
The advanced bombsight takes into account wind, aircraft velocity, aircraft orientation and the nature of
the weapon being used to ensure a successful hit. It adds +1 to all Ordinance rolls and allows a strafing pilot
to choose the sub-system they wish to hit. Attacking with heavy bombs allows the pilot to choose two sub-
systems.
High Velocity Rockets

Restrictions: Ace only; conflicts with Incendiary and Heat-Seeking versions
Designed to crack through the heavy armour of airships, HV rockets are mostly rocket fuel with a tungsten Ch
carbide core and only a very small warhead. HV rockets are AP 5 but only do Lead +2 damage. 6
Heat-Seeking Rockets
Restrictions: Elite Ace only; very limited access
One of the Guild’s most powerful and rarest weapons is the heat-seeking rocket. When fired at enemy aircraft,
it seeks out the hot exhaust of engines and rarely misses. Heat-seeking rockets are Accuracy 0 instead of -2
and have the same attack properties as high-velocity shells, but each heavy ordinance pylon can only hold
one rocket. These are the most powerful weapons in the Guild arsenal, and few even people even know such
weapons exist. The Guild will not issue these weapons unless there is very serious need and no pilot, no matter
how decorated, carries them during regular sorties and patrols.
Dogfighting Traits
There is a special clause with the first three Dogfighting traits, which are Improved Turbo-Supercharger,
Reduced Turn Radius, and G-Reduction, in that you can take each trait once to begin with. They may be
taken a second time after you reach Ace status, and the bonuses stack. However, after you have taken all three,
erase them from you sheet and instead just increase your warbird’s Performance by 1. If you take all three a
second time, then increase Performance again.
Improved Turbo-Supercharger
Restrictions: none; Ace only for second time
This trait adds to your warbird’s horsepower, giving it more speed, climbing and diving capabilities. It grants
your warbird +1 to Escape Defence and +1 to disengage during a dogfight, as you are better able to dictate
where and when you will fight.
Reduced Turn Radius

Your plane’s control surfaces and aerodynamics have been tweaked to make it turn on a dime. You are +1 to
Dogfighting rolls when on the attack; you do not get the bonus when attempting to disengage.
G-Reduction
Your plane has a semi-reclined seat and G-suit to reduce the effects of pulling hard turns. This allows you to
break harder than your enemies without passing out. It makes you +1 to Break Defence and Escape Defence,
but not to Shoot Defence.
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Warbird Creation
Improved Flight Controls

Restrictions: Ace only; Elite Ace only for second time
Your warbird’s controls have been enhanced with hydraulics to be incredibly responsive and powerful. You are
+1 to all stunt attempts. You may take this trait a second time once you are an Elite Ace.
Rocket Assist
Restrictions: none
Someone thought it would be a good idea to bolt some rockets onto your warbird. They add +1 Performance for
one round. You may take this trait up to three times; each time gives you another round with the Performance
Ch boost, though the rounds do not have to be one after another, or you can risk burning multiple rockets at once
6 for a bigger bonus. Burning multiple rockets can lead to bad things happening. Roll:
1-4 Lucked Out - No ill effects
5 Overstress - Your Structure takes 2 points of damage.
6 Rocket Breakaway - The rockets tore themselves away and took big, bright chunks of your plane with them.
If you went for a +2, you are now Crippled. If you went for a +3, you are Going Down.
Rotary Engine
Guild technicians have spent years perfecting a new type of engine that does not use pistons; instead, it uses
rotors to produce power. It is simpler, quieter and easier to maintain than current engines. It also produces
almost double the horsepower for a given engine volume. The only limitation is that it sucks down fuel. A
rotary engine adds +1 to Performance and all stunts, but reduces aircraft range and endurance by one-third,
or about 20 minutes of lost flight time.
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Warbird Creation
Strafing Traits
Improved Structure
Who does not want a tougher plane? Improving the Structure of a warbird involves replacing parts with
titanium alloys and creating a more durable airframe. This trait adds +1 to the warbird’s Structure, and can be
taken again once you reach Ace status.
Improved Redundant systems

You plane has back-ups for its back-ups. This trait gives your plane another point of Damage Resistance. You Ch
may take it a second time once you reach Ace status. 6
Frontal Armour
Restrictions: none
You like to face your enemies head on, and you have added forward reinforcements to your fighter. Your
warbird is +2 Armour when strafing or engaged in a head-to-head, but the nose-heavy design throws your
plane off-balance and makes it -1 to perform stunts. The Armour bonus does not apply to regular attacks
during a dogfight, nor does it apply to the retaliatory attack that comes your way if you succeed at your
Strafing roll.
Dive Brakes
For the dedicated strafer, dive brakes are a must. They allow your warbird to dive in the pure vertical, making
it very hard for gunners to target you. You are +1 to Strafing and +1 to Shoot Defence while strafing.
Dive Siren
Restrictions: none
The dive siren is a simple device with an outsized effect: It adds a terrible wailing noise to the plane when it
strafes. The noise rattles enemy gunners and throws off their aim. You are +1 Shoot Defence while strafing.
This stacks with the bonus from dive brakes.
Improved Armour
They can always bolt more armour plating onto an aircraft, and this adds 1 point of Armour to the warbird.
This trait does not just add Armour; it includes an increase in the warbird’s available horsepower and torque
to compensate for the extra weight. The cost of this trait is reduced range and endurance. Subtract 10 per cent
from the fighter’s range each time this trait is taken.
Radial Engine
Restrictions: Ace only; conflicts with Rotary Engine
Radial engines produce slightly less power for a given mass than the standard liquid-cooled systems used by the
Guild. The advantage of the radial is that it is incredibly tough in that it can survive direct hits and continue
functioning. It is also simpler and easier for ground crews to maintain. The radial engine gives a warbird 1
point of Damage Resistance and Structure, but makes it -1 to Escape Defence and attempts to disengage
during a dogfight.
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General Traits
Fire Protection
Restrictions: none
This trait adds all sorts of fire protection measures that limit and extinguish onboard fires. The warbird may
negate the first use of incendiary weapons against it. This includes both the damage from the initial attack and
fire effects rolled for afterwards.
Enhanced Crew Protection

Ch Restrictions: none
6 This trait adds extra armour plating to the cockpit. It allows your warbird to ignore the first operator hit effect
from armour-piercing weapons. Also, the pilot will survive any crash landing or bailout without injury unless
their life is on the line.
Drop Tanks
Restrictions: none
With this trait, any heavy ordinance pylon on the warbird can be used to hold extra fuel. Each drop tank
adds one-sixth to the range and endurance of the warbird and negates one of the penalties for having multiple
ordinance pylons. If a warbird encounters combat in the first few minutes after takeoff, they can either drop
the tanks and lose the extra range or suffer a -1 Performance penalty.
This Santiago-built IJ-81 Raider heavy fighter sports extra hard points and a
tail gunner position.
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High-Visibility Canopy
Restrictions: none
One of the worst things to happen to a fighter is an ambush, so Guild designers developed a bubble canopy
that greatly enhances a pilot’s field of view. This trait adds +1 to all Awareness rolls to avoid ambush.
Increased Cargo Capacity

Restrictions: none
This trait doubles the warbird’s available cargo space and makes it possible to fit in a passenger seat or carry 100
kilograms of cargo. Taking the trait a second time triples the available space 150 kilograms or two passengers
in very cramped conditions. Ch
6
Optical Camouflage
Restrictions: none
Who knew there could be so much to be said for a paint job? This trait paints your warbird a special dull
grey colour, as well as adds markings for a false canopy on the underside. The markings give the warbird a
+1 to Break Defence against the first attack from any enemy, as the paint makes it difficult to tell which way
the plane is turning for a moment. The trick wears off after that first attack because the enemy figures it out.
Optical camouflage limits your warbird’s sponsor revenue, as you cannot paint many product endorsements
on your plane (see page 153).
Tail Gunner
All pilots hate having an enemy on their tail, but only a few go to the extreme step of employing a tail gunner.
The tail gunner is a rear-facing second crew member armed with a heavy machine gun on a swivel mount.
Unless there is a character who wants to fill the tail-gunner spot, the position is filled by an NPC with a
Gunnery skill 2 levels lower than the pilot’s and an SA of 0. The gunner helps the pilot with spotting aircraft
and gives them +1 to all Awareness rolls. The gun is accuracy 0, does Lead +1 damage, holds 10 bursts and
may fire once per round. It can target any aircraft that beats the warbird in a Dogfighting roll. Incorporating
a tail gunner creates a much heavier and less aerodynamic design, making the warbird -1 Performance. Taking
this trait a second time removes the Performance penalty and adds advanced sights to the tail gun, giving it
Accuracy +1.
Long Range Radio

Getting good range out of a radio is very difficult, but the Guild has found a way to partially overcome the
Eye’s interference. This trait turns the plane’s entire superstructure into a radio-receiving antenna. When
combined with the latest hardware to sift through the static, the radio can receive transmissions from 100
kilometres (60 miles) away, though it lacks the transmission power to reply any farther than 20 kilometres
(12.5 miles) unless the radio on the other end is of similar design and power. The Guild considers control of
information flow so vital to their continued prominence that they only give their most trusted pilots access
to these radios.
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CHAPTER SEVEN
Ch
GO GONZO
So far in Warbirds, we have played it pretty straight. With the exception of floating rocks, we have generally
7
2 stayed within the realms of reality. The nations are an educated guess of what would happen if the old colonies
became isolated, and the aircraft behave much like we would expect WWII-era fighters to behave; even the
airships are based on naval ships cast into three-dimensional space.
Well, it is time to toss reality aside and go gonzo. This is the chapter where things get weird. You want
ancient magic in your game? How about strange creatures or mad scientists? This is the chapter where we add
all that stuff -- and lots more -- to the mix.
The most important thing to remember about this chapter is that it is optional; the players and GM
can include or exclude as much they wish. Putting everything in this chapter into a game will make it more like
a comic book full of villains and monsters, mad scientists and super weapons, while leaving this chapter out of
the game makes for a less fantastic and a more straight-laced action game. Both options offer a fun, satisfying
experience, but what is life without a little craziness?
MAGIC IN AZURE
If you want to spice things up a little, you can add magic to a Warbirds game with ease. Magic is rooted in
the religions of the setting, and there are three major faiths that have magical traditions: Catholic Mysticism,
Mayan Ritualism and Haitian Vodou.
All three magic systems work on an opt-in basis. If the group has decided they want to utilize these
rules in the game, then a player must opt-in and tell GM that their character is a believer. Once a character is
established as a believer, they are then subject to both the benefits and dangers of that magic. Those who do
not opt-in are safe from the negative aspects of these beliefs, but cannot benefit from them, either. Most magic
in Azure is personal; it changes and helps the believer rather than affecting others. The only magic that can
affect non-believers is a small portion of Vodou, which is very risky and prone to backfiring.
A Disclaimer
The magic and mysticism contained in this section of Warbirds are meant to enhance the roleplaying
experience, and are not meant to be an accurate interpretation of the religious practices or beliefs described.
Most aspects of this section have been exaggerated or augmented to suit Azure’s more fantastical setting.
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Catholic Mysticism
Much of Azure is steeped in the Catholic faith, and its ancient rites and traditions live on. Catholics have a
number of major and minor beliefs that can be considered magic. As a rule, one must be a devout Catholic to
benefit from their magic, but being a Catholic opens one up to the dangers of possession (see below).
Talismans
Catholic talismans are very common magical
items that provide small bonuses under specific Ch
circumstances. 7
2
Patron Saint Talisman

This is a small pendant, statuette or medallion worn
about the neck. A believer carrying the talisman
can re-roll one skill roll per session, though the
character must accept the new result. A character
may not have more than one patron saint, and they
gain no benefit from carrying multiple medals. The
skill they may re-roll depends on the saint, though
players should be able to find an appropriate saint
for any skill on the skill list if they go looking. Some
prominent examples of patron saints include:
• Saint Christopher - Piloting
• Saint Erasmus - Ordinance
• Saint Joan of Arc - Close Combat
• Saint Francis de Sales - Investigation
• Saint Matthew - Barter
Rosary
This is a crucifix with an attached, specific
arrangement of beads. The rosary beads are used to
track a series of prayers that, when said in full, take about an hour to go through. Any devout Catholic who
completes a full rosary refills a point of Reserve. If their Reserve is full, they gain a +1 bonus to a skill of their
choice in the next scene.
Relics
The Church has a long history of saints and martyrs, and even the Old Testament mentions the power of
the bones of holy souls. A relic is literally a piece of a saint that holds divine power, whether that piece is a
fragment of bone or hair. Lesser relics might be the saint’s clothes, tools or other worldly possessions.
More than a few relics survived the Storm, and the churches of Azure have since canonized several
new saints, and their bones are now revered. Relics are very powerful but only in the areas relevant to their
saint’s patronage. Relics add +3 to any roll made by a character in possession of the relic, when applicable. For
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example, a Catholic carrying a relic of the aforementioned Saint Christopher, patron of travellers, would gain
a +3 whenever making a Piloting roll. Unfortunately, there are as yet no known relics of Saint Christopher
in Azure. There are new saints of Azure for whom there are relics, including St. Madelina, patron of nurses,
nannies and other caregivers; and St. Julius IV, patron of builders, designers and mechanics.
Sanctified Ground
The Catholic Church is very good at acquiring and sanctifying land that it believes to have spiritual significance.
Azure has several dozen Catholic shrines that commemorate important milestones in the faith. A faithful
character at a shrine will feel strengthened by its holy aura, and gains +1 to all rolls across the board. The
Ch
blessing fades when the character leaves the area.
7
2
Miracles
Catholics can pray for divine intercession if they have faith and are favoured. A miracle is said to occur when
the very laws of reality are broken and the faithful are delivered from harm. Miracles can save the faithful from
any danger, or can have any effect that would be beneficial to believers or the church in general. The specifics
of a miracle should be agreed upon between the players and the GM.
Miracles are very, very rare. They require a Difficulty 14 Spirit roll. Getting to 14 usually requires a
good roll that is the combination of a high Spirit stat, lots of help, lots of Reserve and the use of a relic. Even
this might not be enough, as a miracle will only occur if the need is great and GM deems the cause is worthy.
Possession
The cost of all of the powers of Catholic magic is the risk of possession. Catholics know that demons are hiding
just beyond the edge of their perception. There, the demons wait for a sign of weakness, and when a believer
falters, the demons strike. In game terms, a character who has chosen to take advantage of Catholic magic is
also risks suffering its less desirable aspects.
Weakness is defined by the seven deadly sins: lust, gluttony, greed, sloth, wrath, envy and pride. If,
during the course of a session, the GM warns a PC that they are about to commit one of the sins, and the PC
acts anyway, there is a chance that the PC will be possessed. If the PC makes immediate amends by taking a
day to go to confession, seeking forgiveness and saying a whole rosary, then risk is averted.
If they do not seek immediate redemption, they make a difficulty 3 Spirit roll. Success means they are
safe -- this time. Every additional time that they commit one of the sins without going to full confession, add
1 to the difficulty and roll again. Part of confession is promising not to commit the sin again. If they confess
and then commit the same sin again in the same session, the difficulty increases as though the confession never
happened.
Failing the Spirit roll results in a possession. The GM may choose one of the types of demons below
or may roll randomly. Either way, the GM should not tell the player which demon is now haunting the
character; the PC will have to figure it out through play. The list of demons is as follows:
1 Total Possession - This is classic possession, where the demon inhabits the possessed and uses their body
to carry out evil actions. Once per session the GM can take control of the character for a scene and have the
demon do some sort of nefarious action. It is up to the GM whether the character is aware of what the demon
is doing.
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2 Illness/weakness - Some demons weaken the possessed and make them ill. The character suffers a -1 to
Body. Every month that the possession persists, reduce it further by 1. When a character’s Body reaches -3,
start removing Spirit in the same manner. When both stats are at -3, the character is comatose and requires
around-the-clock care. A character will recover 1 point per week if the demon is exorcised.
3 Death - Although Catholic tradition usually has demons killing infants, the monsters may go after adult
sinners as well. The possessed character always has Put Their Life on the Line, without the usual bonuses
associated with Putting Their Life on the Line. Any permanent injury the character suffers should be especially
disfiguring and grotesque. Furthermore, the believer can no longer escape Certain Death scenarios by
expending all of their Reserve, and must face their end.
4 Torment - A tormenting demon tries to drive its host mad through hallucinations and editing their
Ch
memories. Tormented characters suffer a -1 penalty to their Mind stat, and they start having trouble sorting
out what is real and what is a dream. Reduce Mind by 1 each month until the character’s Mind reaches -3. At 7
2
this point, they have a psychotic episode, commit suicide or end up in an institution. Characters are very slow
to recover from this condition; they recover 1 point of Mind for every 3 months of therapy that they receive
after a successful exorcism.
5 Temptation - Demons love to send people tumbling from grace. A temptation demon presents temptation
after temptation to the character until they give in. Once per session, the GM may present a temptation to the
PC. The player must make a Difficulty 4 Spirit roll; success means the character resists, while failure means
giving into temptation. The first time a character gives in, they suffer a Scandal of some kind. The second and
all subsequent times, they lose 1 Fame. If Fame reaches 0, the character loses their job and is left destitute on
the streets.
6 Destruction - Known sometimes as poltergeists, these demons cause destruction of all belongings of the
person possessed. Once per scene, when the possessed character rolls a 1, the GM can force a critical failure on
the PC without giving the usual XP and Reserve bonuses and break one of their pieces of personal equipment
or other objects around them. Pilots beware: Destruction demons are very good at cutting fuel lines and
locking up controls.
Exorcism
The only cure for demonic possession -- other than the death of the possessed -- is the Catholic Rite of
Exorcism. Performed by a priest with the permission of a bishop, an exorcism can last several hours, and it can
take weeks or even months of repeated sessions to cast out a demon. Often, the subject of exorcism has to be
tied down to prevent them from injuring themselves or others during the Rite.
It takes about 2d6 weeks to cast out a demon, though it could happen much more quickly if the
exorcist has access to a relic. The GM has a lot of leeway in deciding how long an exorcism will take, but it is
safe to say the possessed character cannot work or engage in any kind of strenuous activity until the exorcism
is complete. There is no roll for the exorcism; the priest continues their work until the demon is cast out.
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Mayan Ritualism
When the Maya rose up against the Spanish peninsulares, they resurrected their ancient religious practices
as part of their revolt. Those ancient practices have real power that has only been amplified by Yucatan’s
relocation to Azure. Now Mayan rituals are an important part of the culture in Yucatan, and proper rituals can
affect the weather, heal the sick or bless a warrior with supernatural strength.
Mayan “magic” is slow. Rituals need to align with specific days on the calendar, and even a short
ritual can take hours. Some may last weeks or even months, while others are cyclical and need to be repeated
monthly or yearly. To further complicate matters, the Maya have several concurrent calendars. They have a
Ch 260-day lunar calendar, a 365-day solar calendar and a new “long count” calendar. The latter calendar they
7
2 reset on the day of the Storm, and it that tracks long periods of time. In order for a ritual to work, the ritual
must align properly with these time cycles.
To use Mayan magic, a character must first seek out a priest who can determine the appropriate time
for a ritual. Characters usually have to wait at least a few days for the time to be right. The GM can choose an
arbitrary waiting period or roll:
• 1d6 days for a ritual that requires a minor offering.
• 2d6 days for a ritual that requires a blood sacrifice.
• 3d6 days for the very rare rituals that require human sacrifice.
Once the appropriate day for the ritual arrives, the character must perform it with the priest and
make the correct offering. Rituals can be long, but most that benefit individual characters can be completed
within a day. Once the ritual is complete, it can have long lasting effects that benefit the character for weeks
or even months.
Offerings and Sacrifices

The simplest of Mayan rituals require prayers and offerings. The prayers are usually long litanies that call upon
gods and spirits to give their favour. The offerings are structured and specific, and include breads and drinks
made with precise lists of ingredients, as
well as incense, figurines and even cigars.
The exact offering is up to the GM, but
it is the responsibility of the character to
obtain the items.
Sacrifices are for more powerful
rituals and involve the bloodletting and
killing of various animals. While small
turkeys and chickens are common in
the rituals, deer and even jaguars are
required for more powerful effects. The
most potent sacrifice is a human. While
Mayan laws explicitly forbid human
sacrifice, there are a few priests that defy
the law and continue to perform the most
powerful blood rites.
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Effects of Rituals Human Sacrifice

All rituals are essentially pacts or contracts with supernatural While the Maya did not engage in human
forces. These spiritual beings grant boons to the ritualist that sacrifice to the same degree as the Aztecs or
last for a set amount of time. Minor offerings last one lunar several other Mesoamerican cultures, they did
cycle, or 29 days. Sacrifices last for three lunar cycles, or 87 use it from time to time for important events,
days; and human sacrifices last for a 260-day short count. as well as during crises. They usually executed
Rituals can offer the following bonuses: prisoners of enemy kingdoms, though there is
some evidence that that was not always the case.
Offerings In Azure, the Maya have officially
• +1 to a skill of the character’s choice, or Ch
outlawed human sacrifice, though it is still done.
• +1 Health, or There are several sinkholes in Yucatan that were 7
2
• +1 Resist once filled with water, but now open directly
down through the rock to the Murk below.
Sacrifices Sacrifices are first bled and then tossed into the
• Any effect from the Offering list for an extended duration, or Murk as an offering to the gods that dwell in
• +1 to a character’s Reserve, or the underworld of the Murk. The most famous
• +1 Fame, or sinkhole is near the massive city of Chichen Izta.
• A Minor Advantage, such as Good Luck or Beauty. Authorities there are so leery of sacrifice rites
that they post guards at the sinkhole on any date
Human Sacrifices where a sacrifice might be performed.
• Any two effects from the Offerings list for an extended
duration, or
• Any effect from the Sacrifices list for an extended duration, or
+1 to any stat, automatically bumping up SA, or
• A Major Advantage, such as Good Luck or Beauty, or
• The permanent removal of an illness, disability or physical Disadvantage.
Other Effects
The effects listed above are not inclusive; there are hundreds if not thousands of different rituals that have each
have unique purposes. Players may suggest any reasonable effect for a ritual to the GM, but the GM has the
final call on what will be required to achieve the effect, if it is possible at all.
While the effects above apply to individuals, many Mayan ceremonies affect whole families, towns
or nations. Such large rituals improve farming, ensure longevity, bless new buildings or even bolster nations in
war. These larger rituals are not covered in detail and will require some description by the GM.
Limits of Rituals
There are two important limits to Mayan rituals: belief and purification. The religious magic of the Maya only
works for those who believe in it. The rituals cannot confer blessings on those outside the faith, and those who
are not part of the faith cannot even take part in a ritual -- unless they are the one being sacrificed.
The second limit is the need for purification. Part of every Mayan ritual is a purification rite, where
the participants are cleansed in some fashion to prepare them for the religious pact. After the ritual is complete,
the character is not off the hook for purification. The character must remain “pure” in some way. This can take
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the form of daily bathing, fasting during certain hours, sexual abstention or, for more extreme rituals, daily
bloodletting and prayer.
Failure to remain pure results in the blessing becoming a curse and any bonuses turning into
penalties. Curses persist until the character undergoes an extensive purification ritual combined with some
form of penance. A non-believer attempting to gain benefits of a ritual suffers the same curse, but since a
non-believer can never become “pure,” the curse will eventually fade at the end of a 260-day count.
Ch
Haitian Vodou
7
2 The religious practice known as Vodou is a combination of many belief systems that emerged from Haiti’s
slave population in the 17th and 18th centuries. It mixes the spiritualism of several different African practices
with some elements of Catholicism and even the ancient practices of the now-extinct pre-Columbian Taino
peoples. In the years just before the Storm, it rose in popularity and helped to unite Haiti’s slaves in their
revolt against their French masters. Since the Storm, Vodou has grown more powerful. While most Haitians
are members of the Reformed Catholic Church, they all still respect Vodou’s place in Haiti’s culture.
The practitioners of Vodou, or Vodouists, believe in a single god or Gran Mèt who is present
everywhere and part of everything in the universe. The Gran Mèt is unknowable and thus people must interact
with lwa (pronounced LOW-ah), or Vodou spirits, to gain access to the divine.
Lwa
There are thousands of different lwa, and each represents a different aspect of nature. Some are calmer and
more benevolent, while others are “hotter” and more capricious. It is even possible for people to become lwa
upon their deaths and intercede on behalf of their descendants.
The lwa are powerful enough that if they receive proper tribute, they can and will affect events in
the physical world. The lwa can provide blessings or favours, heal the sick, warn or inspire adherents through
dreams, and strike down enemies in rare instances.
Vodou Rituals
In order to gain blessings or favours, a Vodou ritual must be performed. Rituals are performed in celebration
of certain events, as well as to honour the lives of the departed and to ensure they have a safe journey into the
afterlife. The rituals require an oungan or manbo (male or female priest) who knows the appropriate rites.
A major ritual is an all-day affair that includes singing; dancing; litanies in a variety of languages;
offerings to the lwa of such things as food, cigars and alcohol; and sometimes the sacrifice of an animal. If the
ritual goes well, the lwa will make an appearance by temporarily possessing some of the participants and acting
in accordance to their nature. The possession is considered a blessing, and it never lasts long or causes any ill
effects.
Upon the completion of the ritual, the lwa can offer any number of blessings to all of the participants.
Most rituals just grant one blessing, but major ceremonies will grant several. Blessings are very powerful, and
can include:
• +2 Health
• +2 Resist
• +2 to any skill roll
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• The Good Luck Major Advantage

• The curing of any sickness No Voodoo Dolls?
Sorry, the infamous pin-stuck voodoo doll might
These blessings can last a long time, but they are be a part of pop culture, but they have no part in
expendable. After they have been used once, their effects fade. Haitian Vodou. Vodou practitioners do, however,
Barring that, as long as the characters do not do anything to create dolls, statues, sculptures, wall hangings
disrespect the lwa, the blessings will stay in reserve until the and other effigies to physically represent the lwa
player uses them. When the player does use the blessing, the in this world. Such effigies are approximations,
character can feel the lwa influencing events in their favour. and there are many different ways to represent
The above list is not inclusive, and the GM can devise other the same lwa. The visuals are flexible enough
blessings for the characters to receive. that even images of Catholic saints can double Chas
portraits of the various lwa. 7
2
Lwa in Dreams
Practitioners of Vodou know that the lwa often visit the dreams of believers to give inspiration and issue
warnings. A character may take a Minor Advantage, Spirit Contact, if they wish to be the regular recipient
of such dreams. Spirit Contacts can, once per session, have the lwa visit their dreams. When the character
wakes up in the morning, the GM must either give warning about an upcoming event that will occur later in
the session or, failing that, give the character 2 points of Reserve. Being a Spirit Contact means the character
receives constant inspiration from the lwa and is
required to develop either a Craft skill or the Perform
skill to represent this inspiration. They must spend 1 XP
per session developing that skill until it reaches level 4.
Vodou Altars (Pe)

A
Adherents of Vodou construct altars, great and small,
called pe to honour the lwa. The pe also contains the
story of the Vodouist’s history within the faith and is in
constant flux as small additions and changes are made
over time. A Vodouist can maintain a small pe in their
quarters on a drop-carrier, though they will have to
limit other personal possessions. As long is the pe is well
tended by the character, it acts the same as a Catholic
talisman and gives them a skill re-roll. To change the
skill that is affected by the pe takes 1d6 days, as the pe
is modified to appease the appropriate lwa.
Alternatively, a character who has some bones of
their ancestors may have a powerful pwen. Designed
specifically to provide protection, a character who
maintains a pwen is +2 to all Awareness rolls against
ambush. Of course, they will have to explain to their
comrades why they have a macabre looking shrine of
skulls and bones next to their bunk.
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Secret Society Vodou

The most powerful and dangerous form of Vodou is practiced by secret societies that date back to the Haitian
Revolution. Secret Society Vodou is aggressive and combative, and exists to allow Vodouists to strike out
against their enemies.
Such powerful Vodou calls on dangerous lwa, some of whom were once great warriors, to empower
the Vodouists and curse their enemies. The lwa are so dangerous that even their statues and effigies are bound
with ropes and chains to contain their energy.
Secret society Voudou rituals can provide the same bonuses listed in the regular ritual section, but the
Vodouist must name an enemy they wish to defeat. Instead of the bonuses being of use only once, they persist
Ch until that enemy is defeated. Alternatively, the ritual can attempt to curse said enemy. The curse takes the form
7
2 of a -2 to a skill of the Vodouist’s choice, and lasts until the Vodouist is defeated or voluntarily chooses to lift
the curse. For the curse to work, the Vodouist and the target make an opposed Spirit roll. The Vodouist has
the advantage, as their ritual allows them to benefit from the help rules listed on page 58. The target feels the
slightest uneasiness whenever they perform the affected skill, but are otherwise unaware of the curse.
If the Vodouist critically fails the Spirit roll, then the aggressive lwa breaks free of its spiritual bindings
and goes on a rampage. It destroys the Vodouist’s ritual space, and does 2 damage, no Resist, to everyone
involved in the ritual. After the initial rampage, it will be angered with the Vodouist (see below).
Angry Lwa
No Vodouist wants to anger the lwa, or risk having them run amok in the material world. Characters can anger
the spirits in a number of ways. Failure to perform proper funerary rites on the dead, using the blessings of
the lwa in a way in which they do not approve or attempting to curse someone who is undeserving of the lwa’s
wrath can all result in the lwa taking offense. First-time offenders are merely shut out from the lwa’s power;
the character cannot gain any advantage from Vodou until they spend several days preparing and then holding
a large ritual of atonement. They will require the assistance of an oungan or manbo to determine what other
steps will be required.
Repeat offenders are cursed: Second-time offenders suffer -1 to all actions and Defence and a third
offense makes the curse -2. Once a character has the -2 penalty, they are beyond redemption and cannot make
amends to the lwa without dying in the spirits’ service.
MAD SCIENCE
Technology in Warbirds hovers around a mid-1940s equivalent but with some parts stuck in earlier eras and
with the Guild having a few pieces that are equivalent to 1950’s tech. With mad science, you can throw these
limitations by the wayside and include any sort technology you like, even stuff that has never existed. There is
only one caveat: It will not always work.
Including mad science in a game means adding the brand new “Mad Science” skill. It is a skill like
any other, but to take it, a character must take the new Minor Disadvantage, A Little Crazy. Being A Little
Crazy means that the character will never be taken seriously by any scientific establishment, and it will be
impossible for them to ever legitimately patent, sell or distribute any of their inventions, no matter how
brilliant or practical they might be.
Once a character has the Mad Science skill, which is usually learned from another mad scientist, they
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can start their own mad science projects. The

GM and the players must agree to the nature of
mad science in their Warbirds game. There are
two options: plausible and crazy.
Plausible Mad
Science
If everyone agrees on plausible mad science,
then they are limiting science projects to things Ch
that we in the 21st century know to be possible. 7
2
The mad scientist can design jet engines, gatling
cannons, computers, simple robotics and even
atomic energy and weapons. They cannot,
however, create anything that we now know to
be impossible.
Crazy Mad Science

At this level, the gloves come off -- anything
and everything is possible. Science projects can
be almost anything: energy weapons, weather-
control machines, genetic manipulation
(think acid-spitting pterodactyls and armies of
super-strong mantis men), Frankenstein-style
monsters, mind-control devices and potions of
immortality. Crazy mad science allows for any
of these things, or anything else that the players
or GM might think is appropriate.
Science Projects
Once it is clear what is possible and impossible, the mad scientist needs to start some projects. As a rule, a mad
scientist can have only one project on the go at a time, but they achieve some very quick results. Each project
has four parts: desired effects, resources, research time, and difficulty.
Desired Effects
When starting a science project, a mad scientist first chooses its desired effects. The desired effects are a broad
statement about the project’s outcome. Examples include, “I want to build the world’s fastest plane,” “I want
to eliminate my need for sleep” or even “I want an army of loyal warrior servants.” The phrase should always
be in the “I want” format, as this is what the mad scientist desires.
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Resources
Some projects are simpler than others. Building a taser takes a lot less “stuff” than say, growing a dinosaur.
There are four levels of resource requirements for a mad science project: a workbench, workshop, laboratory
and private island.
• Workbench - If the desired effect is for one person, or is to create a small item, then all that is required is a
small workbench with an assortment of tools and gizmos. A workbench has value 3, and can be installed in a
character’s quarters on a drop-carrier.
• Workshop -The workshop is a crowded closet stuffed with instruments, samples and notes. It has a lock
on the door to keep out prying eyes, and has a value of 4. That value includes the cost of rent wherever the
Ch workshop is located. This is the largest resource that can fit on an airship.
7
2 • Laboratory - When a project requires multiple test subjects, an elaborate device or the help of a team of
assistants, then the mad scientist needs a laboratory. It is located somewhere reasonably safe and secure, comes
with multiple lab assistants and has no shortage of experimental gear. A laboratory might even be mobile;
airships and trains are both large enough to be dedicated laboratories. Laboratories have a value of 5.
• Private Island - Those looking to build armies of mutant, winged insect men, 50 foot tall super robots and
weather-controlling battleships need look no farther than a remote, beautiful, private island. The island is full
of resources for the mad scientist, as well as multiple labs, a small security force and a cadre of lackeys to do
the scientist’s grunt work. Private islands have a value of 6 and are worth every penny.
Research Time
Compared to actual science, mad science moves fast. Since the objective is to fulfill the mad scientist’s desires
instead of making replicable results, the scientist can take shortcuts, skip the documentation and get right to
it. This causes some problems down the road (see Limitations, page 135), but in the short term, results come
quick.
The actual time required for a science project is based on the resources needed for the project. Time
is abstractly measured in terms of game sessions instead of in-game chronology. The caveat is that there must
be some “downtime” for the scientist to work on their project. A “session” as listed below needs at least a week
or two of in-game time to pass, and if several sessions cover a very short period of time, the GM may delay the
mad scientist’s project until some downtime occurs for the character to work on their project.
Resources Needed Time Required

Workbench 1 session
Workshop 2 sessions
Laboratory 3 sessions
Private Island 4 sessions
The mad scientist can cut these times by one session by stating that they are working quickly. Working
quickly might cut the research time, but it adds 3 to the difficulty. They can also work carefully. Working
carefully lowers the difficulty by 1, but research time is extended by a session. Difficulty can be reduced by up
to 3 by adding as many sessions to the research time.
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Difficulty
Mad science is a rough job. There is no recognition or accolades, though there is the occasional electrocution.
Doing things right is tough, and getting it right the first try rarely occurs. Fortunately, repeating the same
project again and again can eventually yield results. In addition, the scope, scale and complexity of a project
all affect the difficulty. Every project has a base difficulty of 6, which can be modified in the following ways:
Condition Modification
Requires workshop +1
Requires laboratory +2
Requires private island +3 Ch
Needs volunteers +1 7
2
Requires exotic materials* +2
Will be reusable +3
Lack of existing scientific basis** +1-4
Working quickly (reduced research time) +3
Working carefully -1-3
Second attempt -2
Third attempt (or more) -3
*Exotic materials are things like radioactive elements, rare animals, special meteorites, cosmic rays or anything
else the GM deems to be exotic.
**The GM has a lot of leeway here. “Existing scientific basis” means that the project is based on something
the people of Azure would have a rough conception of. Something like an atomic weapon would be +1 or +2
based on their limited knowledge of radiation, whereas a potion of super strength would be +4, as everyone
in Azure knows this to be impossible.
Effects and Limitations

Once a science project is complete, all that is left is for the mad scientist to make a standard 1d6 + Mad Science
+ Mind roll and compare it to the difficulty. Compare the roll to the table to get the effects:
Result Effect
Lead of 5 or more Brilliant success!
Lead of 1-4 Works as advertised
Lead 0 This might work
Failure Needs more research
Critical Failure Perfection!
Brilliant Success! (Lead 5+)

The rare occasion when a mad scientist gets things exactly right is a brilliant success. Object works better than
scientist intended. If it’s a weapon, it has a +1 damage or AP bonus, if it’s a creature, it gets a +1 stat bonus,
and any other item gets a +1 to one of its stats or has some other minor Advantage. The GM and mad scientist
should agree on the nature of the bonus.
In addition, the scientist can reliably recreate the device/process again and again without a mad
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science roll, and if the item is reusable, the maintenance roll (see below)has its difficulty reduced by 2. All of
this doesn’t mean that the scientist can sell the idea. They, and only they, can recreate their miraculous results
(no roll required).
Works as Advertised (Lead 1-4)

Most successful projects are like this. They generally work the way the scientist intended without any major
hiccups. If it is a single use item, like a potion or a bomb for example, then the mad scientist can make another
in half the research time and with -3 to the difficulty. If the item is reusable, then it will require a maintenance
roll at the beginning of each session (see below).
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This Might Work (Lead 0)
2
When the mad scientist just barely makes the difficulty, they know that the project should work, but they are
also worried about what can go wrong. The GM should use the phrase “It works, but...” and then add some
sort of special limitation or weird side-effect to the item. Some examples: “The laser cannon works, but only
when submerged in water,” or “The elixir gives you the strength of 10 men, but you are completely blind while
under its effects,” or “Your plane will be able to fly faster than the speed of sound, but it will only slow down
again when it runs out of fuel.”
Maintaining a reusable item that might work is a constant struggle, add 2 to the maintenance
difficulty. If the scientist is attempting to recreate the item, they have to start from scratch, but they get the
reduced difficulty associated with repeated attempts at a project.
Needs More Research (Failure)

If the mad scientist fails to meet the difficulty but does not have a critical failure, then their project needs more
research. The project does not function, but nothing terrible happens, and they know it will only be a matter
of time before they get things right.
Perfection! (Critical Failure)

Critical failures are special in the world of mad science. First of all, if a mad scientist rolls a 1 and misses the
difficulty by 3 or more, then they must accept a critical failure, unless they are willing to expend all of their
remaining Reserve. Even if they spend the Reserve to avoid the critical, they still must start again from scratch
on their project. If the project was particularly dangerous, the GM may even have the facilities take damage
and require repairs to continue.
Mad scientists, being a little crazy, often get things right, but in the worst possible way. Critical
failures are instances when the project appears to be a brilliant success, until the first time it is used and things
go terribly wrong. This is the stereotypical monster/robot/army turning on its creator, weapons that cannot be
shut off, out-of-control psychic powers, or other terrible situations. The GM and the player should agree on
how things can go badly before the roll is ever made so that the player can choose to abort the project if they
so desire.
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Maintenance
High-end creations of the mad scientist might need a lot of upkeep. Reusable and persistent creations are not
only harder to create, but they also require regular maintenance. Engines have to be greased and the lizard
men have to be fed, after all.
During each game session, the first time the scientist or someone else uses one of the reusable
projects, they need to roll to see if they have properly maintained the item/creature/whatever. The scientist
rolls 1d6 + Mad Science + Mind versus the initial difficulty used to create the project, -3 and further reduced
by the Lead generated in the initial project roll. Success means the project works as expected. Failure means the
project is “down for maintenance,” “out with the flu” or is somehow unavailable, and a critical failure results Ch
in the “Perfection!” effect listed above. As described there, the only way to avoid a critical failure is to expend 7
2
all remaining Reserve, though doing so destroys the item or makes it otherwise unrecoverable for future use.
Examples of Mad Science

The Jet Engine
Kevin is playing in a game with plausible mad science and his character Jean “Doc” Coultier has level 2 Mad
Science and +1 Mind. Kevin decides Doc wants to beef up his plane’s Performance by building Azure’s first jet
engine. He talks to the GM and goes through the list.
• Desired Effects - Doc declares “I want a jet engine with loads of power and performance.” Kevin and the
GM agree that a jet would give a starting Performance of 5, and future projects could increase it further.
• Resources - An engine is too big for Doc’s quarters on his drop-carrier, so the GM decides that Doc needs
a workshop. Kevin checks his character’s Fame and sees that he can afford to upgrade, so he has the shop
installed and gets to work.
• Research Time - Because he needs a workshop, Doc will need two sessions to work on his project. If he were
willing to work quickly, which he is not, then he could be done in just one session.
• Difficulty – The base difficulty is 6. The workshop requirement adds +1 to make it 7 and the need to have
it be reusable adds +3 for a total of 10. Doc does not need volunteers since he is modifying his own plane; he
only needs some spare engine and machine parts. Also, jets are on the fringe of Azure’s science but they are
not unknown. If he succeeds in building the engine, the difficulty to maintain it will be 7, less the Lead he
rolls to create it.
The Result
Kevin and the GM agree that if Doc critically fails, then the engine will tear his plane apart the first time it
fires up. Kevin decides to go for it. He rolls a 5 +2 for his skill and +1 for his stat for a total of 8. He misses the
difficulty and decides he needs more research. He can spend more time researching the project and will receive
-2 difficulty modifier for the second attempt. He could also find an assistant and take advantage of the help
rules on page 58, and/or put Reserve into the attempt.
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Duchess’ private Lab

The Pterodactyl
Plague
A
Andrea’s character, the fabulously wealthy and infamously
eccentric Esmeralda “Duchess” Gutierrez has a long-standing
interest in mad science. She has the skill at level 3, and her
Mind stat is +2. Thanks to the crazy level of mad science
available, she has pursued some strange projects on her
private island paradise. Andrea decides planes are passé and
Ch wants flying lizards to get around.
7
2 • Desired Effects - The Duchess declares “I want a giant flying
mount to carry me through the skies like a bird. It should
be as big and tough as any warbird, but alive, thinking and
loyal to me.” The GM and Andrea agree that a pterodactyl
would be a good template. They decide on the basic stats of
a warbird minus the guns, but Andrea wants it to be able to
dogfight, so she wants the creature to spit acid.
• Resources - This is a huge project. It will require the genetic
engineering of multiple specimens, the setting up of a nursery
and training facilities for the creatures. Luckily, the Duchess
has the perfect private island available for this mad scheme.
What The...!
• Research Time - Despite the grand nature of the project,
the first clutch of dogfighting pterodactyls will be ready in
just four game sessions.
• Difficulty - This one is tough. It starts at difficulty 6, has
+3 for needing the island, +1 because the Duchess will need
volunteers to fly and train the creatures, +2 for needing
ancient fossils with intact DNA as a starting point, +3 for
being reusable and +4 for not having any basis in Azure’s
science. That makes a total Difficulty of 17! It’s a good thing
the Duchess has some help and a whole lot of Reserve.
I’ve got
a bad feeling about The Result
this... The GM warns Andrea that a critical failure means these things
will get loose and start breeding like crazy. Andrea agrees and
goes for the roll. It comes up 1, and she is in trouble. She
could spend all of her Reserve to avert catastrophe, but Andrea
elects to accept the critical failure. When the Duchess goes to
visit her private island to check on her project, her plane is
attacked by a small flock of angry, territorial pterodactyls and
she is in the biggest dogfight of her career.
She survives, but her creations go on to plague Azure
for years to come, and the creatures become such a problem
that the Guild puts a bounty on the damned things.
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Pterodactyl
SA +1
Skills
Dogfighting 2, Strafing 2, Gunnery (spitting acid) 2, Ordinance (claws) 2
Performance 3, Armour 3
Break Defence 6, Shoot Defence 4, Escape Defence 8, Stunt 1d6 +3
Structure: 5 (0 0 -1 -1 -2)
Spit Acid - 1d6 +3, Lead +2 damage, AP 1
Claw -1d6 +3, Lead +3 damage, AP 2; The Creature must successfully hold for a round to use its claws,
but once it gets a grip, it does not let go. After the creature attacks, the target’s Defence drops to 1 for all
Ch
subsequent attacks. It requires a difficulty 10 Dogfighting roll to shake the creature off.
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Mad Science As a GM Tool

A lot of the elements of the mad science rules are tailor-made for the GM. This is by design. Mad science
devices make excellent MacGuffins, and mad scientists make interesting adversaries. It is important that such
characters should not be sprung on the characters without warning. As mentioned at the beginning of the
section, the inclusion of mad science, as well as the degree of available mad science, should be agreed upon
at the outset of the game. Once the players know that there could be mad scientists out there, it would be a
shame for there not to be any. Mad scientists make great dependents, as in the “crazy uncle” scenario, so go
ahead and let things get a little weird.
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CHAPTER 8
RUNNING WARBIRDS
If you are reading this chapter, you are probably planning on taking the brave and bold step of GMing a
Warbirds game. If you are not planning to run a game, feel free to follow along anyways; what you find in here
might change your mind. GMing is arguably both the hardest and the most rewarding part of gaming, and
you are in for quite a ride.
As the GM, you need a strong grasp of the rules and setting, a detailed knowledge of the player
characters, several ideas pertaining to how the game can develop and a whole lot of dedication. You should
start by getting the players together and talking about what kind of game you all want to play. It is very
important that you and the players are in agreement on the nature of the game before you get started. A
fantastic way to have a game fall flat is for your players to be expecting a heroic comic book pulp story, and
have you provide a gritty war drama that kills half the characters in the first dogfight. Once you know what
they want, they should start building characters and you should start building your game to take advantage of
and highlight those characters.
As you build your game, start by looking at it in terms of scenes, and how those scenes will connect
together to create the game’s narrative. Those scenes will need locations, NPCs, sources of conflict and multiple
ways for those conflicts to be resolved.
This chapter contains information about effective scenes and themes, player reward systems, character
advancement, and building worthy adversaries. Also included are a list of NPC stats and stats for fighters,
airships and other structures.
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Authors’ Note
ARBITRATING ROLLS
Warbirds should be, before and after everything
else, fun. That is as simple as it gets, but it is
tougher to pull off than you might think at first.
For a game to be fun, it has to be interesting,
One of your trickier duties as a GM is determining the engaging and exciting for everyone at the table,
success or failure of character actions. When players want including you. A game that provides a good time
their characters to do something, you are the one who decides for some of its players at the expense of others is
whether a roll is needed and, if so, whether that roll succeeds. not a fun game. When you are running Warbirds,
You have a few options: automatic success, total success, ensure everyone is involved and engaged, and Ch
marginal success, failure and critical failure. that they have a chance to participate. At the 8
3
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same time, do not forget to have a good time
Automatic Success yourself. Keep it fast, keep it fun, and have the
There are two scenarios where the success of a character’s action best game you can.
is automatic. First, if the action is easy or routine, the players
do not roll. When a player says, “I want to get into my plane
and start it up” or “I go to the bridge to find the captain,” these are easy, simple scenarios. All you need to do
is say, “Sure, no problem” and ask them what they do next.
The other scenario is when a character’s skill and stat are so high that they can meet the difficulty
of a roll without rolling. For example a player with a Mind +2 and Academics 3 will always succeed at basic
difficulty 6 Academics rolls, unless they are penalized. That is fine -- the PCs need to be awesome from time to
time. If you state a difficulty low enough that the player does not need to roll, allow the success, let the player
narrate it and move on.
Total Success
When players make a roll and get a Lead of at least 1, you should give them a total success; they accomplish
exactly what they intended. Very high Leads (4+) should result in embellished results. For example, if a
character rolls a Lead of 5 on a Publicity roll during an interview, they do not just nail the interview, they
knock it out of the park. The character is publicly lauded for their candor and values, and receives a new
sponsorship offer.
Marginal Success
When characters simply meet the difficulty on a roll (Lead 0), they succeed but it is a close thing. Unlike a total
success, where there is never any doubt, with Lead 0, the character makes it by the skin of their teeth. There
is no real mechanical difference between a marginal success and total success, but there should be a narrative
difference, and you need to let the player know that they only just edge out a victory.
Failure
Characters will fail a lot of rolls. You need to decide how those failures affect the narrative. While failure in
combat is easy -- the attack misses -- you will have to use your judgment in less concrete scenarios. You will also
need to determine if characters can try again. In combat, the answer is usually “yes;” as long as the characters
have ammo, they can keep shooting. However, in other situations the answer might be “no.” For example,
Etiquette rolls are usually one-time attempts, and bad first impressions are very hard to shake.
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Critical Failure
You have little control over when critical failures happen, but you need to adjudicate them carefully. When
a critical failure comes up, you have to choose an appropriate complication for situation. Airborne scenes
have problems like bird strikes, stalls, jammed weapons and even crashes. When on the ground, you can use
Scandals for public situations, but you will have to get creative when critical failures come up for skills like
Academics or Interrogation.
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RUNNING THE GAME
Running Warbirds is slightly different from running other RPGs. This difference stems from the two basic
states in which every pilot exists: in the air, and on the ground. When you are running a game of Warbirds you
need to construct scenes around both states.
The scenes on the ground are where we find out who the pilots are, what they want, how they enjoy
their spare time, and how they interact with the public, other pilots, and the mass media. Ground scenes
should have a general focus on character building and drama, but can include more dangerous elements,
including combat.
Airborne scenes are a little different from their ground-based cousins. Airborne scenes are when
something of import happens while the characters are in their planes. There will be plenty of uneventful
airborne patrols and transits that the characters take part in, but these are not scenes. A scene comes up
because of combat, very dangerous conditions or a requirement for tricky flying. In other words, you should
only use flying scenes when something important is at stake. When the flying does not include something
important, you can just gloss over it with narration.
Both kinds of scenes are needed for a Warbirds game to work well. Below is some in-depth exploration
of both types of scenes. On the ground, we will look at different settings and the kinds of people and scenarios
the characters might encounter. Then we will look at air
combat and how to manage pacing, tension and proper game
Rapidfire Tip - Reserve balance.
You can change the style of your Warbirds game
Pilots Without
just by changing how you handle Reserve. Every
point of Reserve can change failure into success,
activate stunts or special abilities, or turn a good
Planes
roll into a fantastic one.
The more Reserve your players have
and the more often they are encouraged to use
it, the more cinematic your game will be. Players
with lots of Reserve with take more chances While being a pilot means getting to fly a plane, it is easy to
and accept larger risks. If you want to have a forget that most of a pilot’s time is spent with their feet firmly
grittier and more dangerous game, you can put planted on the ground. Flying is the highlight of a pilot’s day,
limits on the amount of Reserve available, and but a lot can still happen when they are out of the cockpit. This
force players to be careful with the little Reserve section covers how to build interesting scenes and conflicts
that they possess. Either style of game can be while pilots are between missions.
exciting and interesting, but you need to talk to
your players about the kind of game they would
prefer.
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Life on a Drop-Carrier
When the characters are on a contract,
they will spend a lot of time aboard
their drop-carrier. It is a good idea to
develop it as a setting and populate it
with interesting NPCs. There are various
spots onboard a drop-carrier where the
pilots might get into trouble or have
interesting scenes.
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Every carrier has a pilot’s mess. It is
where the pilots take their meals, but it
is also a bar, a games rooms and a social
meeting place. Every mess has a pool
table, a dart board, a record collection
and a mini library. The mess will also
contain a mascot of some kind that the characters need to take care of and protect during prank wars with
their rivals. Any scene between the pilots, their agent or any sponsors is likely to take place in the mess. It is
not a place where the rest of the ship’s crew, other than the ship’s cook, are welcome. Even the ship’s skipper
cannot enter the mess without the pilots’ permission.
The Bridge
If the characters need to see the skipper or plan an operation, they will do so on the bridge. The bridge is
always a busy place and the characters will see members of the ship’s crew, dozens of charts and maps, as well
as a great view of the upper flight deck.
The Drop Deck

Sometimes called the lower flight deck, the drop deck is where the ship keeps the warbirds. It is a massive space
that has all of the characters’ planes, as well as a multitude of equipment to arm, fuel and maintain them. The
drop deck is full of crew working on the warbirds at all hours, and is generally smelly, stuffy and loud. If a
character is looking to have a trait added to their plane “off the books,” this is the place to go. Characters might
also find gambling games like dice and cards going on when the workload is light. Pilots are always invited to
lose all of their money to the techs.
Quarters
Remember, each character has a small, private cabin that holds a few important personal possessions. Quarters
are where the religious go to pray, the mad scientist goes to work and everyone goes to sleep -- among other
things. Private conversations, illicit meetings, personal theft and the occasional assassination attempt will often
happen in quarters.
The Rest of the Ship

Pilots do not spend much time in the other parts of the ship, such as the engine rooms, core room and crew
berths. They would not be welcome in these places, and the crew would be suspicious of a pilot wandering
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the guts of a ship.

The one exception is the upper flight deck. Open to the elements, the upper flight deck is where
characters go when they need some air. Some pilots play shooting games or golf on the upper deck. As some
crew members joke, the Murk is at least 20 per cent golf balls.
Going Ashore
No ship stays in the sky forever. They all have to return to port for fuel, food and other supplies. The crew
needs time to unwind outside of their tin can, and you, the GM, get to set up all sorts of scenes for the
characters to experience. Below are just a few of the places that the characters might end up, an what kind of
Ch trouble they might find there.
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The Pilots Bar
Every port has one. It is a pub not too far from the airship docks that is full of flying memorabilia, drunk
pilots, even drunker pilot groupies and sober Guild agents keeping an eye on things. Pilots bars are where the
pilots of the different Guild squadrons, national militaries, lesser mercenary outfits and even civilian leisure
flyers all meet to swap stories, get into arguments and sometimes have full-up brawls.
Characters visiting a pilots bar are probably just planning to have a good time, but they are bound to
encounter all sorts of trouble. First of all, there is a very good chance that they will encounter pilots from rival
squadrons, who may want to pick a fight, or at least hold a drinking or darts contest. Next, there are the fans
that crowd the bars. Some of these fans are also just looking for a good time, but some are definitely of the
creepy stalker variety. One problem the pilots often forget about is the mass of supplicants they encounter at
the bar. While their agent is supposed to handle all contracts, there is a constant stream of people trying to get
Guild pilots to do work on the side. Most of these requests are harmless: people want a warbird to buzz their
home town or take part in an air show. Every so often, though, the pilots will get a request to strafe someone’s
house or a rival business. Of course, these sorts of requests are against Guild regulations, but not every pilot
follows all of the Guild’s rules.
Social Events
Pilots, like movie stars, musicians and models,
often end up with invitations to the swankiest of
parties. There are always a few well-dressed pilots
present at every museum opening, art gala, movie
premiere, charity banquet and awards show.
The pilots usually do not have much to do with
whatever is going on, but it is considered good
form to have a few Guild flyers in attendance.
High-class social events give the characters
a chance to rub shoulders with the rich and
powerful. Sponsors might be in attendance,
looking for pilots to represent them. The area’s
movers and shakers will also be looking to
establish relationships with the pilots, in case
they ever need Guild services.
Social events also provide excellent “fish out
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of water” scenarios for characters who come from more humble backgrounds. Society’s upper crust is very
easy to offend, and an awkward character interaction could create a host of problems for the flight, as the
offended party uses their power to limit the flight’s contracts, convince sponsors to drop their funding, and
even circulate rumours (true or otherwise) that lead to Scandals.
The Underworld
Some characters have friends in low places; others have debts to organized crime or are being hunted by
criminals or pirates; and a few are just downright unlucky. Whatever the reason, characters often come face to
face with Azure’s seedy underbelly. While it would be wrong to call Azure crime-ridden, there is no shortage of
criminals, lowlifes and pirates who are not above violence and extortion to get their point across. Ch
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payment method for pilots is the tried-and-true line: “I’ve got a little job for you.” Guild pilots stuck in
these situations often find themselves smuggling contraband, providing criminals with air cover against police
airships and even attacking the trading ships of the criminals’ rivals.
Once characters start going down the spiral of the underworld, there is no telling where it will end.
The most common end is Scandal, disgrace and eventual ejection from the Guild. A few pilots get out before
it is too late, but it is a titanic struggle to escape the underworld’s grip.
Hostile Zones
There is always the possibility that the pilots will end up somewhere that they are just not welcome. For
instance, they could be forced to eject over a target they just strafed; they might have to land at a pirate
controlled airfield on a distant isle; or they might be exploring an errant isle on foot. They could have even
been captured by a rival or enemy and are now imprisoned.
Regardless of how they got there, when pilots are in hostile zones, it is assumed that they are
surrounded by enemies. Conflicts will almost always be settled with violence. If the situation warrants it,
characters might be able to sneak, bluff or even negotiate their way through their enemies, but the characters
need to be ready for a fight.
Any of the above locations can become a hostile zone if the characters come under attack or launch
an attack of their own. When this happens, bystanders will scatter and combat rounds will start.
The situations in hostile zones tend to be very fluid. If the characters face a large number of enemies,
then reinforcements will start showing up. If they are in a more civilized area, the police might be summoned.
When you are setting up a scene rife with hostility, it is important to remember that pacing is a
key component to combat. You should err on the side of a short combat scene and favour a quick, exciting
resolution over a long grind of combat rounds. If things get slow, introducing a random element -- “The
building just caught on fire; you need to get out!” or “You hear the rumble of an approaching train” -- to
change the dynamic of the fight is an effective way to maintain intensity and engagement. You can turn a
standoff into a shootout, a shootout into a chase, or a chase into a fistfight. If you can keep the scenario
dynamic, you can keep the players involved and the game moving forward.
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Controlling the Skies

So, you have managed to get the rook flight into the air and they are ready to face their first challenge. What
do you do? This section will help you answer that question, as well as give tips on how to keep air combat
scenes exciting and well paced.
Managing Time
The most important thing to manage in air combat is time. First off, despite their depictions in Azure’s media,
Ch air engagements are pretty rare. A flight can escort oil tankers for weeks or even months without seeing a single
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need to stress that the pilots have a lot of down time to get into trouble (see the Pilots Without Planes section
on page 142), and they will fly a lot of sorties and patrols where nothing happens. You can gloss over these
long periods of boredom and skip right to the moments of terror, but remember that once the air engagement
begins, it should be fast and focused. While the Rapidfire system will keep things moving at a good clip, you
will need to keep nudging things along. This also helps you maintain the scene’s tension.
There is a printable Dogfighting Tracker at www.warbirdsrpg.com/resources that you can use to
keep track of the planes in the dogfight from round to round. It will help you sort out who is where in the
furball. Have each player track their current Dogfighting or Strafing roll with a counter -- you can use small
toy airplanes or even just bits of paper or coins -- while you use different counters for enemy aircraft, and place
airships and ground targets on the number that corresponds with their Threat value for strafing attacks.
While the tracker can help, it is up to you to keep the action moving. While it may seem odd at first,
the best way to keep the pace up is to show a looming end to the engagement. Events that end the fight will
force the players to make judgment calls and hard decisions. Some ways to end a fight include:
• The Ground - Rounds to the ground (page 72) is a great way to force a dogfight to a conclusion, especially
if you want some of the enemy aircraft to escape. Setting only 2 or 3 rounds to the ground will let the players
know they can only make a few shots before they will have to break off, so they better make them count.
• Cloud Banks - Warbirds and other fighters cannot fight in the clouds -- visibility is too low, and they lack
any way to see through it. Even airships can hide from fighters in cloud cover. If characters are chasing a ship
The Dogfight Tracker

If you check the appendix or visit www.warbirdsrpg.com/resources, you will see the Dogfight Tracker.
While in the dogfighting rules we mention that keeping dogfights one on one is the easiest way to keep
track of combat, the tracker lets you simulate what pilots call the “furball.” This is where a whole mess of
planes are in a small space, all trying to shoot each other. The tracker works by having each player make
their Dogfighting roll, and then placing a counter on the number that corresponds with their roll. You
do the same for the enemy force, and now you can see who can shoot whom. Start at the highest number
on the tracker and work you way down. Remember, planes can only shoot at planes that they beat in the
Dogfighting roll.
You can also use the tracker for strafing. Just place a counter representing the strafing target on
the number corresponding to its Threat. Have the players roll Strafing, place their counters accordingly,
and you can clearly see which planes are getting shot on the way in and by how many gunners.
There is a more detailed video example of the Dogfight Tracker in action on our website, or on
our YouTube channel: www.youtube.com/user/OutriderStudios
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or plane, state that the enemy will escape into the clouds in a few rounds.
• Fuel - Warbirds, being carrier-based, do not hold much gas. Enemies are likely to time attacks when the
fighters will be limited by fuel. Also, dogfighting vacuums down fuel at an alarming rate. You can set one of
two low-fuel states to warn characters that they need to break off soon or risk running out of gas:
- Joker fuel is a state when the planes have enough gas left for one more round of dogfighting or
strafing before heading back to their carrier. If they break off and return home on Joker fuel, then they suffer
no ill effects.
- Bingo fuel is the absolute minimum amount of fuel the pilots need to return home safely. If they
stay in a fight for the one round past joker fuel, they go to bingo. Fighters returning home on bingo fuel need
a difficulty 6 SA + Piloting roll to bring the plane in without suffering engine damage due to fuel starvation.
Ch
Failure means the pilot still gets home safely, but their warbird’s engine needs a few hours of maintenance.
Fighting a round beyond bingo fuel is very dangerous. The roll to make it home safely increases to difficulty 8
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9, and failure means falling short. Characters falling short can expend all remaining Reserve to “deadstick” the
warbird onto the carrier’s deck, but the plane will need at least a week of repairs from the hard landing.
• Ammo - A very common occurrence in air combat is running out of ammo. Fighters just cannot hold that
many bullets, and when they run out, they have to disengage to rearm. Strafing aircraft frequently run out of
ordinance, and strafing enemy aircraft will almost always bug out after making their attack runs.
• Enemy Retreat - Pilots are not normally suicidal. If things go poorly, they will break off in the hopes that
they will live to fight another day. While characters might be eager to chase down retreating enemies, it is
at about this time that you remind them that they have fuel and ammo limitations and that their mission
objectives might not permit leaving the main area of combat.
Warbirds versus Other Fighters

Never forget that the characters have warbirds and they will, on average, slaughter the basic fighters listed on
page 166. This is a good thing. The characters should be able to take on the rank and file of the world, and
every so often they should get to build up kill counts. However, facing wave after wave of weak enemies can
become boring, so here are a few things to spice up air combat:
• Ambushes - The ambush rules on page 74 are devastating, and a successful ambush can blast planes out of
the sky at frightening speeds. You can Cripple one warbird in the initial onslaught or spread out the attacks to
force all of the characters to fight with penalties.
• Squadron Leaders and Aces - While the Guild likes to think it has a monopoly on ace pilots, this is far
from true. The best pilots will rise to the top of any organization. They will have higher skills than listed, and
will have custom fighters with improved stats. Such aces and squadron leaders often have special paint jobs on
their planes so that characters looking for a challenge can seek them out. Aces and squadron leaders often have
Performance 3 planes -- which means they can stunt -- as well as 1 or 2 points of Reserve to spend on special
effects and improved rolls.
• Reinforcements! - If the characters blast through the first wave of enemies, they might not notice the larger,
better-equipped force sneaking up on their flanks.
• Other Warbirds - If you check back in the character creation section on page 83, you will find that one of
your duties as the GM is to construct a rival squadron and rook flight for the characters. That squadron is
feuding with the characters’ squadron and would gladly take a contract in known opposition to their rivals.
Pitting the characters against other warbirds will quickly level the playing field, and the players should expect
for things to take a turn for the more dangerous. If the rivalry is especially intense, it may be appropriate to
make the characters Put Their Lives on the Line.
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Warbirds
versus the
Weather
Fighter aircraft are very
vulnerable to the weather.
While every pilot loves to fly
on a so-called “clear and a
million” day, few are willing to
Ch
venture out in the worst that
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When running a
game, you can use weather to
force early ends to dogfights,
delay or redirect characters by
making them divert around
bad weather or make the
characters risk damage or a
crash to reach their objective.
Weather can come in any the
following varieties:
• Fog - Fog obscures the ground. It makes strafing ground targets impossible, airfields cannot be used for
landing -- take-offs are still possible -- and even entire islands might be impossible to find. Pilots avoid fog
whenever possible, and if you need them to become lost or divert them to a new location, fog is key.
• Rain - Rain is very common in Azure, though it rarely lasts long, except in the Lowlands. Rain reduces
visibility and imposes -1 to all attack rolls. If the rain is very heavy or contains hail, then the penalty is -2.
• Snow - While snow is almost unheard of near the Eye, it is found from time to time on distant and errant
isles. Light snow acts just like rain, but heavy snow causes whiteout conditions, which make air combat
impossible, and even landing the plane becomes a difficulty 8 Piloting roll.
• Thunderstorms - Monstrous clouds full of rain, snow, hail and lightning, thunderstorms are to be avoided
at all costs. There is zero visibility in a thunderstorm and its winds are powerful enough to blow planes far off
course. The two biggest hazards of thunderstorms are lightning and icing.
• Lightning - Lightning is powerful and unpredictable. It should only be used on players who intentionally fly
near or into a thunderstorm. There is no roll to see if the lightning hits; it just does. Roll to see what happens:
1-3 The plane’s airframe conducts the lightning and no systems are affected.
4-5 Engine hit. The plane is now a very big glider and has to land “deadstick” as if it ran out of fuel
(see page 147).
6 Pilot hit. Follow the rules on page 64.
• Icing - Clouds are full of moisture. The cold metal of an aircraft can cause the water vapour to condense and,
if the plane is cold enough, instantly freeze. Icing most often happens in thunderstorms, but it can happen
in regular clouds as well. Accumulating ice on an aircraft can add hundreds of kilograms to its weight while
reducing its aerodynamics. Light icing causes a -1 to all Piloting rolls. Severe icing causes a -3. Very severe
icing is non-recoverable and the aircraft will crash. Very severe icing only happens in thunderstorms, and is a
Certain Death scenario.
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Flybys, Air Shows and Air Races

Flying is such a popular spectacle in Azure that people clamour to watch air shows and air races. Even a simple
flyby from a fighter can draw a crowd. Performing in these public displays is a quick way to earn some extra
Fame. While awarding Fame Points (FP) is covered in detail on page 153, characters can earn a quick FP by
competing in air shows and races.
Flybys
A flyby is where a character agrees to “buzz” a location and do a few low-altitude tricks. Flybys are too
mundane to earn the character FP, but they can draw the interest of sponsors if the pilot puts on a good show.
To make a flyby, the character makes a difficulty 9 Strafing roll. Success means the flyby went off without a Ch
problem and a sponsor might have seen it. Failure means the character missed their intended target for the 8
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flyby, but there is no major fallout. A critical failure means the character made a low pass that caused damage
or endangered people, and causes a Scandal.
Air Shows
Air shows are annual competitions in Azure and can draw crowds of thousands. Guild members may compete
in only one or two air shows per year -- the Guild prefers their pilots to do “real” work -- and if a character wins
an air show, they gain 1 FP. To compete in an air show, all participants make two rolls. First, roll Piloting +
SA and do not add the Performance of the plane, and then roll Strafing + SA, once again ignore Performance.
Now, add the two rolls together. The highest total roll wins the competition. Players can bump their numbers
up with Reserve and awesome descriptions. Ties require a fly-off. Some fly-offs are just a re-roll, while others
are mock dogfights that are assessed on the ground using the gun camera footage.
The danger of air show flying is a catastrophic crash. If both Dogfighting and Strafing rolls come up
1, then the character must spend all of their remaining Reserve or suffer a crash as described on page 73. The
GM gets to decide if the crashed plane hits the crowd. Crashes can, if the character handles it poorly, lead to
Scandals.
Air Races
There is no horse racing in Azure; instead there is air racing. Patrons bet heavily on their outcomes, and many
Guild pilots who are tired of life on a drop-carrier retire to race full time. As with air shows, active Guild
pilots are permitted one air race per year, and can earn 1 FP if they win. Rival pilots who are not at the point
of fighting an aerial duel often try to settle their differences with an air race. Such grudge matches can start a
feeding frenzy in the press, but tend to make rivalries worse instead of sorting things out.
Azure air races are always one-on-one heats, with the winner advancing to the next heat. Most races
allow eight entries, which gives three heats to determine the single winner.
Each heat follows a complex course that starts with a simultaneous drop from an airship, followed
by a low-altitude chase, a higher-altitude aerobatic portion, and finishes off with another low-level chase to a
finish line. To race, both pilots start off by making opposed Strafing rolls. Unlike in air shows, Performance
counts in a race. The winner is in the lead and carries a +1 bonus into the next portion of the race. The second
portion of the heat is an opposed Dogfighting roll. If the same plane that won the first portion wins the
second, then their bonus increases to +2 for the third. If the lead changed hands, then the new leader carries
a +1 into the final section. The final part of the race is another opposed Strafing roll. The winner of the third
roll wins the race. If either of the first two rolls is tied, then the planes are neck and neck and neither one gets
a bonus on the next portion. If the third roll is a tie, then the higher Performance plane powers ahead for the
win. If the planes match Performance, then the heat is too close to call, and the planes can race again.
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THEMES
Warbirds is a game about being a fighter pilot, having dogfights and getting rich and famous in the process.
While that is the general premise of the game, it is not the theme. A theme is message or idea conveyed by
the game. A theme comes to forefront in a game when a character is presented with a dilemma or choice that
makes the character, and thus the player, look at competing interests that do not necessarily have right or
wrong answers.
The rules and setting of Warbirds are designed to explore three general themes: the cause and cost of
Ch celebrity, the nature of rivalry, and the excitement and perils of exploration.
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Celebrity
One of the most interesting themes that Warbirds explores is the nature of celebrity. The system encourages
this by tying a character’s wealth directly to their Fame stat. This encourages a character to seek out dangerous
contracts and corporate sponsors.
While Fame seems like a great thing at first, it should become clear to the characters that celebrity
comes at a price. First off, the press is everywhere. Chances are that every Guild airship has at least one snitch
who is passing on gossip to reporters, and the characters’ every move is being noted. They should face frequent
harassment from the press looking for interviews, responses to gossip or just a quick photo. As Fame increases,
this problem should become more pronounced. Once a character’s Fame reaches 4 or more, they should have
trouble with day-to-day activities, as the press constantly hounds them.
All of this press attention will attract fans. We are not talking about the casual fans here; these are
the full-blown celebrity-obsessed, awkward meetings, creepy-stalking, delusional fans. They will track the
characters down for autographs, snap photos at inappropriate moments and offer up any service -- illicit or
otherwise -- that the characters might want. The characters should have to deal with the creepy and awkward
fans, but they also need to acknowledge the less crazy ones. Characters may find themselves becoming role
models and even heroes. If they do, they will have an image to live up to and fans who will lose faith whenever
the character suffers a Scandal.
Scandals
For celebrities, scandals are almost unavoidable. Scandals are another tool to remind your characters about the
cost of their Fame. Any time a character breaks a social norm and gets caught, it can trigger a Scandal. You
should endeavour to have them happen when they are appropriate to the game’s plot. Also, if the characters
have rivals, those rivals will work hard to catch the character in a compromising position.
The list of things that can be scandalous is nearly endless. A few examples include: public drunkenness
or drug use, infidelity or a sex scandal, making anti-religious or -ethnic remarks in a public forum, blowing
off a contract by not bothering to complete it, committing a crime, reckless flying close to populated areas,
embarrassing a powerful political or religious figure, cowardice or public nudity.
After the Scandal occurs, you need to lay out a path to redemption for the character. For a first-time
Scandal, this is a relatively simple affair: the character makes a public apology and does some small favour
for any aggrieved party. Characters who suffer multiple Scandals should face a long and difficult road to
redemption. Give them a dangerous contract to perform, make them go to rehab or do community service.
You can even have them spend time in prison, though this is not recommended in most cases, because it can
seriously disrupt the flow of the game.
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Rivalry
Pilots are nothing if not competitive. They have kill-boards on the mess walls, they compete in all sorts of pub
games and sports, they fight over members of the opposite sex (or the same sex), among other things. When
they are in the air, they live in a win-or-die reality.
Whereas roleplaying in general is a cooperative affair, Warbirds characters are in constant competition.
Rivalry is what happens when the competition gets out of hand. Rivals compete with each other on an
instinctive level, and the competition can encompass almost anything. Rivals can compete over kill counts,
flashiest stunts, fastest planes, sponsors earned, as well as the aforementioned pub games, sports and romantic
conquests, just to name a few.
Rivalry can exist in several forms. Friendly rivalry is often between the characters in the flight. This is
generally good-natured competition that rarely gets out of hand, and serves to motivate the characters to one-
up each other in a number of ways. As a GM, you can encourage friendly rivalry by having NPCs talk about
the characters and make comparisons. Nothing supports rivalry quite like the fuel that fans provide, and the
slight tension it creates between characters can provide excellent roleplaying opportunities.
When the characters’ rivals are NPCs, you can increase the intensity a few notches. Conflict with
rival Guild flights gives the characters a chance to blow off steam, get into the occasional brawl and prank
war, and might even lead to an aerial duel if things get heated. Conflict with a rival flight is also a bonding
experience for the characters, where they can come together to face their hated rivals.
If characters have a rival they truly despise, such as a rogue pilot that goes pirate, , then that NPC can
rise to the level of nemesis or recurring villain. A nemesis is a rival that becomes a pure enemy. Every move of
the nemesis is designed to thwart the actions of the player characters, and the PCs will go to great lengths to
defeat their hated enemy. You can find more info on recurring enemies on page 160.
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The Cost
For rivalry to make a big impact in the game, it has to become detrimental to the PCs’ success in other matters.
Once a character pursues a rival instead fulfilling their part of a contract or mission, or risks a Scandal to strike
against a rival, then they are paying the price for uninhibited competition.
It is your job to create situations where these kinds of choices come up. What a character chooses
when faced with such dilemmas says a lot about them. Characters who choose duty over revenge, and propriety
over victory, might gain a new Advantage to represent their character’s nature, while those who relentlessly
pursue their rivals at the cost of their wingmen and/or mission might gain a Disadvantage to represent their
single-mindedness. As the GM, you have a lot of power when it comes to assigning new Advantages and
Disadvantages. They are discussed in more detail on page 157.
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Exploration
Azure is a “new” place. While its central isles are well travelled, the same cannot be said for the thousands
of distant and errant islands that make up its extended geography. Less than half of the islands within 2,000
kilometres of the Eye have even been visited, let alone surveyed or explored. Farther out, errant islands provide
a steady stream of new and exciting lands to explore. Some of those errant islands are larger than anything in
the central isles and may even have their own indigenous peoples, cultures and technology. If you are playing
with the Go Gonzo rules, the inhabitants of those errant island might not even be humans; they could be
aliens, lizard people or dinosaur-riding lizard-aliens.
There is an endless list of places to explore, and there is no telling what the characters might find.
Shortages of certain resources in the central isles might encourage a culture of exploration among many
companies. Expeditions that travel for weeks or even months to reach far-away islands might become more
and more common, and the Guild almost always sends a drop-carrier along for expedition security.
When characters arrive at a new island, they can experience being the first people to ever set foot
on a new piece of land. They can even plant a flag. New discoveries are exciting, but every big find brings
risk of a conflict. If there are indigenous peoples on an island, they might not be welcoming and might try to
drive off explorers. Even if an island is uninhabited, if there are enough resources, the discovery can trigger a
resource rush as multiple companies and nations try to harvest everything possible. Miniature wars are fought
over these finds every few years, and, more often than not, there are Guild fighters flying for various interested
parties.
Unintended Consequences
One of the dangers of exploration is finding something that should remain hidden. Does Santiago have
an internment camp on a distant isle? Why is this errant isle covered in mass graves? Why is everyone who
visited this island disappearing in weird ways? A regular and effective trope in fiction is finding the “forbidden
knowledge” and then dealing with all of the consequences of the find.
Once again, if you are using the Go Gonzo rules, you can add magical, mystical and alien dangers to
the various islands. Characters can stumble upon the secret lair of a mad scientist or an island full of effects of
mad science gone wrong. With cases like this, it becomes the classic uncorked genie problem. How do you get
the genie back in the bottle? Can it even be done? Do you even want to do it? All of these questions can help
expand the scope of your game and raise complex questions that the characters can pursue.
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REWARDS
While a good game is rewarding in and of itself, it is important to reward players for their part in making the
game happen. Rewards give the players a sense of accomplishment, show that their characters are progressing
and learning, and motivate them to keep playing the game. Rewards are, for the most part, a good thing.
The trick with rewards is giving out the right amount, the right kind and at the right time. Too much
is just as bad as too little, so timing can be everything.
As a GM, it is important to remember what the characters can and cannot do. As the characters
acquire more rewards, you must keep in mind what abilities and resources they can bring to bear on the Ch
conflicts you expect them to resolve. You can also show them how far they have progressed by presenting them 8
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with a situation that was once challenging but is now achievable.
There are several reward options available to you in the sections below. Consider what will work best
in your game.
Fame and Fortune

As seeking fame and fortune is one of the major themes of the game, Fame should be one of the primary
rewards that characters receive. In Warbirds, Fame and money are tied tightly together. Characters become
richer as they become more famous, and you control the rate of this advancement with the awarding of Fame
Points, or FP. Fame Points are an abstract representation of a character’s rewards in terms of both popularity
and access to funds.
FPs are earned through contracts and sponsors and are lost through failure and Scandals. Every
contract and sponsor has a FP value associated (see below) and if the characters fail to uphold their contract
or embarrass a sponsor, they can lose the FP they gained.
Sponsorship
Characters can make a lot of extra FP by taking on sponsors, and the odd quirks of sponsorship create excellent
roleplaying opportunities for you and the players. Sponsors seek to use the character to advertise their brand,
and it will require some work on the part of a character to maintain that positive brand image. A sponsorship
deal works as follows: the character agrees to act as a celebrity spokesperson for a company and in exchange,
the company gives the character money and publicity. That money and publicity are represented by FPs for
the character.
Sponsorship is not a simple deal. Characters must work to advertise the brands they support. This
means they put an advertisement on their plane, a company patch on their flight jacket and be sure mention
their brand during interviews with the press. If the brand is an item like beer, cigarettes or clothing, the
character must exclusively use that brand. Failing to do so will result in an immediate Scandal once the
character is caught embarrassing their sponsors with competing products or brands.
Turning a character’s plane into a flying billboard also has its costs. If a character takes more than 10
FP in sponsorships, their plane becomes very easy to spot, which translates into +1 to Awareness rolls to spot
it, and it cannot benefit from the Optical Camouflage trait.
Larger sponsorship deals will involve time away from flying. Characters may have to spend a few days
recording audio advertisements for the news, a few weeks plotting out a comic book or dime novel project that
they are starring in, or put in a few months on a movie set due to taking a role in a major motion picture.
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Sponsors are fickle and will drop a character who gets into too much trouble with the press. A
character gets one free Scandal that will be brushed aside, but after that, a sponsor jumps ship every time the
character suffers a Scandal. The danger is that the biggest sponsors are the first to pull their funding when a
character’s reputation suffers, while the smaller ones hang in to the bitter end.
The exception is the embarrassment clause mentioned above. If a character embarrasses a sponsor, that sponsor
drops immediately. Losing a sponsor means losing the FP they provide, and causes a character’s Fame to
decrease.
Characters should receive a small sponsorship offer after their first successful contract. After that,
they should come up after every two to three contracts. Completing a very risky contract (see below) should
trigger an immediate sponsorship offer as companies try to cash in on a character’s new social capital.
Ch
To keep things simple, sponsorships are split up into 1, 2 and 3 FP variants.
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1 FP Sponsors
These little sponsorships cover small products like clothes, luggage, personal hygiene items or aviation-related
products. A 1 FP sponsor requires a small ad on the side of the character’s plane and flight jacket, exclusive use
of the product and a day off from flying to record a jingle or two. The level of commitment is low, and almost
every Guild pilot has a few of these.
2 FP Sponsors
At this level, the company sells a mass market good like cigarettes, alcohol, groceries or home appliances.
They are interested in having the character make a commitment similar to the 1 FP sponsors, but they will
also have to take a week out of their schedules at least twice a year to make commercials, attend publicity
events and do flybys. At this level, the character might also be part of small media projects like comic books
or pulp novels.
3 FP Sponsors
Companies with this level of commitment are seeking spectacle instead of just mere sponsorship. They will put
the character in movies, have them on the news, and contract them to take part in air races and other publicity
stunts. The whole time, the character will be shilling whatever product the sponsors provide.
The Big Score

There is a chance that the characters might come into significant material wealth without using contracts or
sponsorships. They might inherit money, steal it, loot it from an enemy or even find an old treasure. After all,
there are probably pre-Storm Spanish treasure ships filled with sliver sitting on some distant isle, as an example.
In Warbirds, Fame represents money, but it also represents income, access to credit and the ability to
pay to maintain things. A pile of cash is just a one-time bonus. If characters do come across a stash of money,
treat it as Reserve for their Fame stat for purchases only. A suitcase of cash or treasures might be worth 1 extra
point of Fame for one purchase, while a giant hoard of cash or valuables might be worth 5 points. Characters
cannot apply more than 1 point of cash to their Fame per purchase. Once all of the points are gone, the money
is spent and the character’s Fame remains unchanged.
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Contracts
The flight has an agent that is supposed to find them work and thus improve their Fame. In most cases you, as
the GM, control the agent and thus the flow of work that goes towards the characters. This gives you a high
degree of control in setting up scenarios that will eventually progress to some high-stakes flying.
The danger lies in railroading the characters with single-contract options. It is far better for an agent
to present a few choices to the characters with different risk/reward scenarios, durations and locations. Giving
the characters a chance to choose which part of Azure they want to explore is a great way to increase the player’s
overall satisfaction with the game and, if you time things right, actually makes the game more predictable, as
the players actively pursue a desired contract instead of slogging through whatever you placed in their path.
As a general rule, most contracts are worth between 1 and 3 FP. As the risk and duration of a contract Ch
increases, the value of a contract does likewise. It is possible for a very high stakes contract -- read: suicide 8
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mission -- to exceed the 3 FP limit, but such a job would be very rare and very dangerous.
Not every contract will be successful, and the Guild recognizes that not every mission will succeed.
Repeated failures, however, will start to negatively impact a character’s FP and may even cause their total Fame
to drop. The first time a character fails to satisfactorily fulfill a contract, they suffer no penalty other than an
upset employer. All subsequent failures lead to a loss of FP equal to the value of the contract. If a character’s
Fame should ever fall to 0, then the Guild will label them a liability, take away their plane and kick them out
of the organization.
While it might take multiple sessions to resolve a contract, the best time to start a new contract is at
the end of a session. Make it a denouement to the main session where the agent comes to the characters with
a short list of job offers. Have the characters make a choice, and their skipper sets sail. Now you have until the
next session to build the details of the job, plan scenes, NPCs and set-pieces, and be ready for the game.
Below are a few simple contract examples for a group of starting pilots. Use them as listed, modify
them or make your own.
Tanker Escort
Risk: Low
Duration: 3 months
Pay: 1 FP
A major oil company has a few refinery platforms set up about 1,500 kilometres out from the central isles
and has stowed enough diesel to start ferrying tankers back to civilization. Fearing pirate activity, the flight is
hired to escort the tankers while they traverse the gap. While one drop-carrier cannot cover all of the ships, it
is hoped that having Guild pilots in the area will deter the pirates.
Maya Strike
Risk: Moderate
Duration: Less than a week
Pay: 1 FP
A conflict between two Mayan kingdoms is heating up. One of the kings plans to make a preemptive strike
against his rival’s airfield and port. His plan is to use the warbirds to destroy enemy planes and ships on the
ground in a single overwhelming assault. It will take a few days for the characters to set up and prep for the
attack. Meanwhile, they have to deal with the intrigue and infighting of the king’s court.
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Into the Beyond

Risk: Moderate to High
Duration: 2+ months
Pay: 2 FP
A Puerto Rican exploration firm wants to be first to explore a new errant island drifting into the region. They
have a convoy of airships and they want a Guild escort for the trip. Heading that far out from the central isles
is always dangerous, and the firm will pay well. Also, a film crew will be along to capture the whole affair as it
happens. To bad there are rival corporations who might go to extreme lengths to stop the firm.
Refugee Transit
Risk High
Duration: 3 weeks
Pay: 3 FP
A Guild courier -- smuggler -- has a contract to get some rebels out of the hills of Santiago before they are
crushed by government forces. It will take multiple trips in the dead of night to specific pick-up points to get
everyone out, and the Santiago air force is out on full patrol. The courier needs Guild fighters to draw off the
enemy fighters and then escort the courier plane out of the hot zone.
Character Rewards
In contrast to fame and fortune, which are primarily material, when characters receive XP and Stat Points they
are receiving character rewards. A character reward might also be the granting of a new Advantage, changing a
Minor Advantage into a Major one, or lessening the severity of a Disadvantage from Major to Minor.
Stat Points
Players save up Stat Points to eventually increase their PC’s stats. Stat Points are intended to reward long-term
dedication and the completion of major goals or story arcs. Giving out 1 Stat Point to each player for every
three- to five-hour session is the standard. You can give them out less often if you have shorter sessions or want
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slower progression, and you can give a bonus Stat Point or two
when your group accomplishes a major goal or hits a fantastic XP and Awesome Stunts
milestone. Players can earn extra XP during play if they get
Not every player can be excellent all of the time, but creative with their stunts. If the player describes
there is something to be said for the player that never misses a what they do using their hands as the airplanes,
session, always brings snacks to share and offers rides home to they immediately earn a +1 Awesome bonus,
the group. Since Stat Points come at a steady rate, they tend and a bonus XP. This should happen only once
to reward your most reliable players. Players who miss sessions per character per session, but it signifies that
should not be “carried along” with Stat Points. Players need to the character has engaged in the time-honoured
be present to earn these powerful rewards. tradition of making hand planes. It is a well-
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The Character Advancement section (page 105) talks at length about the uses for Experience Points (XP).
Your job is to decide the rate at which characters receive XP. Players can earn XP on the spot by using Reserve,
accepting Critical Failures and attempting Awesome stuff. You have the final say on whether these actions
warrant the handing out of XP. It is recommended that you encourage more XP be earned during play, giving
players immediate rewards for their actions, and give out a small amount of XP at the end of each session to
allow players to customize their characters and reflect on the game session.
The standard amount of XP awarded at the end of a session ranges from 1 to 5. The default amount
for a standard three- to five-hour session is 2 XP per player. If the players accomplish a lot, have an excellent
game or play an extended session, you can give extra XP as you see fit.
You might want to try varying the amount of XP each character receives, in which case there are a
few options:
• Group Rewards - By far the more diplomatic way to reward the players, it keeps the PCs on an even footing
and will hopefully encourage teamwork and cooperation. However, a few players might drift through your
game on autopilot knowing the rewards will be spread around at the end.
• Individual Rewards - This system does not so much allow you to punish disruptive players as it does reward
standout performers. The danger of this system is that it can lead to favouritism -- real or perceived -- and
can alienate players. The other danger of this system is that it can unfairly penalize shyer and less experienced
players as more experienced or outgoing players steal the spotlight.
• Combined Rewards - You can give out a standard amount of XP to each player and then give a small extra
reward to standouts. Some groups use a player vote to determine who deserves the standout awards. Voting
systems have their own perils, but it is another option open to you.
Once you have awarded XP at the end of a session, remind your players that they should immediately
assign the XP to their skills in accordance with the limits laid out on page 105.
Advantages and Disadvantages

As the GM, you have a lot of leeway in awarding Advantages and Disadvantages. When a character is injured
while their Life is on the Line for example, they might pick up a Disadvantage, but you get to decide its nature
and effects. You need to use Advantages and Disadvantages with some discretion, but they make great rewards
for good roleplaying and risk-taking. They can be handed out on the fly after a particularly momentous event
or given out at the end of session in retrospect.
You can hand them out in pairs to balance things out, or create ones with a mixed bag. Let us say a
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character loses an eye, for example. They now have the One-Eyed Disadvantage. It penalizes their peripheral
vision in some way (-1 to Awareness rolls, for example), but can be a bonus when the character wants to be
intimidating.
The awarding of new Advantages and Disadvantages, or the removal of old ones, should be a relatively
rare thing. It is recommended that you do not hand out more than one per character more than every 3 or
4 sessions. This is a very loose guideline, and you can hand out more or less as the situation dictates. Just be
careful of handing out too many, because it can become a challenge to keep track of them all.
RIVALS AND ENEMIES

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This chapter has spent a lot of time talking about rivals and enemies. Now it is time to build some. When
building enemies, it is important to remember that not all bad guys are created equal. In Warbirds, there are
three rough categories of enemies: thugs, threats and recurring villains.
Thugs
Like extras in an action movie, thugs are the masses of enemies that the main characters can defeat with ease.
Low-level street toughs, brawlers, cops and even soldiers can be considered thugs. In the air, most fighter pilots
fall into the thug category; it is only aces and squadron leaders that rise to the level of real threat.
When you are building thugs, they do not need a whole lot of detail. You can even skip out on most
stats. The abbreviated stats for a thug look like this:
Thug - Mugger
Initiative: 3
Defence: 3
Skills: 1d6 +0
Attack: 1d6 +1, Lead +1 damage for pistol (6 shots), Lead +1 damage for knife
Notice that the thug has a set initiative – meaning they do not roll -- and no Health track. If a thug takes a hit
in combat, they are immediately out of the fight, and may be dead. Furthermore, the thug skills are so basic
that you can assume that any skill they roll will be 1d6 +0.
While Thugs do not present much of threat, especially to combat-oriented characters, they can be
dangerous in larger groups or if they catch a character in an ambush. As a rule, thugs cannot force a character
to Put Their Life on the Line, nor can they put a character in a Certain Death scenario. If a character loses a
fight to thugs, they will be injured and possibly captured, but not killed.
Characters skilled in close combat or using automatic weapons can take out multiple thugs with a
single attack. It should never be more thugs than the Lead of the attack, and the attacking character should
have at least level 2 in the applicable combat skill.
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Airborne Thugs
When the thugs are in the air, they no longer use simplified stats. Due to the high stakes of air combat, thugs
require full stat blocks. Even so, an airborne thug’s stats have the bare minimum of information required.
Check out the basic fighter stats on page 166 and then modify them to fit the current group of thugs up
against the PCs.
As a rule, thugs never have traits and rarely have skills higher than 2. The planes still have Armour
and Structure tracks, but the numbers are kept low and simple.
In general, thug fighters present little to no threat against a starting character who is using Break
Defence or Escape Defence. To inflict any serious damage, they need to gang up on characters, catch them in
a bad stunt or attack when the characters elect to use Shoot Defence. Ch
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have a short Structure track, and can be Trailing Smoke, Crippled or Going Down just like any other aircraft.
While they cannot force a character to Put Their Life on the Line, lucky airborne thugs that shoot down a
character’s plane might be able to trigger Certain Death scenarios, depending on the situation.
Threats
While thugs are only dangerous when encountered in large numbers, threats are NPCs that are capable of
doing serious damage to the characters. While there are some generic NPCs listed on page 163 that you can
use as threats, you need to adjust them to properly handle your group.
Threats have stats and skills just like player characters, and their numbers tend to be a little less or
a little more robust depending on what kind of effect you are trying to achieve. You can use multiple weak
threats to divide and scatter the characters or have one powerful one that will require teamwork to bring down.
These are examples of threats for a group of three or four starting characters:
Hitman
Body +1, Mind 0, Spirit 0
Skills : Athletics 2, Awareness 2, Shooting 2, Stealth 2
Combat: Defence 6, Resist 0, Health 4 (0 -1 -1 -2)
Initiative 1d6 +2, Attack 1d6 +3, Lead +2 damage for pistol (6 shots),
This is an experienced killer-for-hire who likes to get near his marks and attack at close range. He is skilled
enough with his pistol to knock a character out of the fight in a single shot.
Pirate Boarding Party Leader

Body +1, Mind -1, Spirit +1
Skills : Athletics 3, Awareness 2, Shooting 2, Close Combat 2
Combat: Defence 6, Resist 3, Health 5 (0 -1 -1 -2 -2)
Initiative 1d6 +1, Attack 1d6 +3, Lead +2 damage for pistol (6 shots) or machete
This is the tough guy that leads pirate boarding actions. He wears a flack vest and is not afraid to charge
through enemy fire to get in close with his machete.
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Airborne Threats
Once characters are in the air, threats can take several forms. They are elite flights of aces, capable squadron
leaders, other Guild pilots and even airships. Airborne threats have stat blocks identical to thugs, but they tend
to have higher skills, better weapons, more armour and various traits.
You can refer to page 166 to see the starting stats for all sorts of non-Guild aircraft, and then modify
them into more serious threats. If the threat is another warbird, then you can build the aircraft just like the
characters would, adding traits and higher skills as you see fit.
Below is an example of the threat where the basic aircraft template for a Jamaican fighter is upgraded
to a squadron leader. This would be a serious threat to a few Guild rooks, although more experienced pilots
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Jamaican Squadron Leader
SA 0
Dogfighting 1d6 +6, Strafing 1d6 +5
Defence - Break 6, Shoot 4, Escape 8
Gunnery 1d6 +2, Lead +2 damage (10 bursts)
Ordinance 1d6 +0, Lead +4 damage, AP 1 (4 rocket volleys)
Structure 0 -1 -1 -2
Not all threats are necessarily directed at the characters. Some pilots become expert strafers, and
while the characters might be able to make short work of the strafing expert, the characters cannot dismiss him
because of the damage he can inflict on airships or any other vital asset the characters might be protecting. The
Maya are famed for their talented ground attack pilots:
Mayan Strafing Ace

SA 0
Gunnery 1d6 +1, Lead +3 damage , AP 1 (8 bursts)
Ordinance 1d6 +1, Lead +4 damage, AP 1 (6 rocket volleys)
Structure 0 -1 -1 -2
Recurring Villains
At the top of the enemy hierarchy is the recurring villain or nemesis. This is the criminal mastermind, the wily
pirate ace or the bitter Guild rival. The recurring villain not only has good stats and skills but is also difficult
to eliminate. They are personally dedicated to making the characters’ lives as miserable as possible.
Recurring villains should be designed with some care. It is recommended that you create a full-on
character for them with appropriate skills and abilities. Beyond the stats, add some more depth to your NPCs
by taking the following into consideration.
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Aim
What is the purpose of the nemesis or rival in the meta-game sense? Are they there to inspire fear, hate, respect,
lust, jealousy, love, disgust, friendly rivalry or even pity? Every such major NPC should have a purpose in
terms of how the villain should affect the players and how they play their characters.
Means
What does the NPC have that makes them so effective at messing with the characters while escaping their
attempts at retribution? Are they brilliant, well connected, rich or charming? Maybe they are protected by a
government or, if you are playing with the Go Gonzo rules, powerful magic or mad science.
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What does the villain want? It can be one thing or a list of things -- or not a thing at all. Power, money, sex,
love, revenge, peace, victory and the MacGuffin are all good starting points, but get specific. Whose power?
How much money? Whose love? Revenge against whom, and for what reason? Also, why do they want these
things? The reasons do not even have to be good ones if they are rationalized in a believable fashion. People do
things for the wrong reasons all of the time. The caveat is that the reasons should make sense, on some level,
to the characters.
Method
How does the character use their means to fulfill their desires while accomplishing the aim? By now you
should know how your villain interacts with the world around them and have a good idea of what sort of
methods the villain might employ. Some villains might be limited by their own code of ethics or by rules
enforced by their organization, while others might be completely free of conscience or limitations when
carrying out their desires.
Past
You have a purpose for the enemy as well as a lot of details about how they operate. Now give them a history
that puts them where they are now. Give reasons, good or bad, for why they are the way they are. Explore
nature versus nurture, and create enough history that an enterprising player character could go hunting for
bits of it.
Flare
Add the cool little touches and mannerisms that will make your adversary unique. Give them a cool look or
some memorable trait. If you really want to get serious, give them a theme song.
Life Expectancy
Recurring villains are hard to kill, but they are not immortal. Take the time to figure out what it will take to
bring them down. While villains tend to live to fight another day, eventually the characters will corner their
adversary. When it happens, give your players the satisfaction of facing their villain and having a chance to
take them out once and for all.
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Example Recurring Villain

Enrico Alvares - Pirate Captain
• Aim - Alvares exists to frustrate, exasperate and
enrage the players. He is a thorn in their side that
plagues their every operation.
• Means - Alvares commands an entire pirate
squadron and resides in the relative safety of the
Pirates’ Tangle. When he ventures out, he takes a
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pair of stolen Guild drop-carriers that can hold up
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2 to six fighters each. He is popular enough that he
can draw the support of the other pirate squadrons
when he needs it.
• Motivation - Alvares wants to stick it to the Guild.
Specifically, he hates the characters’ squadron. For
him, piracy is just a means to an end, and that end is
the Guild’s eventual destruction.
• Method - Alvares has several informants scattered
through the Guild -- mostly low-level airship
crewmen -- and he uses their tips to plan attacks
against Guild operations. He prefers to attack rook
flights because the less experienced pilots are easy
targets. That is how he obtained the two drop-
carriers in his possession. Alvares does not fly in a
raider and instead stays safe behind the armour of
his airship.
• Past - Alvares is a Guild reject from the same
squadron as the PCs. While he was a promising
pilot, and even achieved Double Ace status, he was
a womanizer who preferred other men’s wives. His
affair with the squadron commander’s wife ended
in Scandal, disgrace and eventual expulsion from
the Guild. Infidelity is not normally grounds for
expulsion, so the Guild had to fabricate evidence
against him. Alvares swore revenge against the squadron, and the Guild as a whole, and has made their
destruction his life’s mission.
• Flare - Alvares is a charming womanizer who wears an anachronistic bright red greatcoat that he stole from
a museum during a particularly daring raid against Nassau a few years back. The coat dates back to the years
before the Storm.
• Life Expectancy - Protected by his airship and raiders, Alvares is a hard target who will mostly attack the
characters through his various lackeys and allies. The only way to kill him is to destroy his ship and then engage
him in a dogfight when he tries to escape in his old warbird.
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NPC LIST
Below, you will find a list of some basic NPCs and thugs for your game. You can use them in your game as is
or adapt them to better suit your needs.
Most of the characters listed here do not have stats that are high enough to present a serious threat to
combat characters. This is intentional, as these are run-of-the-mill people within their particular archetypes.
Exceptional NPCs can add 1 to 3 Stat Points and have their skills as high as level 3 or 4. Level 5+ skills are very
rare in Warbirds, and should be reserved for the player characters and recurring villains.
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Body 0, Mind 0, Spirit 0
Skills: Awareness 1, Athletics 1
Combat: Defence 4, Resist 0, Health 3 (0 -1 -1)
Initiative 1d6 +1, Attack 1d6 +0, Lead +0 damage for fist, +1 for knife or tool
This is the standard everyman. He is the Santiago farmer, the Jamaican office worker or the Tegesta ranch
hand. He will have level 1 or 2 in a few skills relevant to his trade, but otherwise will have stats as above. Even
a pilot, excepting those with exceptional skills, will count as an everyman while not in their plane.
The Crook
Skills: Awareness 1, Athletics 2, Close Combat 1, Shooting 1, Stealth 1, Larceny 2
Initiative 1d6 +1, Attack 1d6 +1, Lead +1 damage for knife, or +2 for pistol (6 shots)
Description: This is the typical thief. They might be a Cayo Hueso cat burglar or a mugger on the streets of
Havana, but their stats will be nearly identical.
The Pirate
Skills: Awareness 2, Athletics 2, Close Combat 2, Shooting 2, Larceny 2
Initiative 1d6 +2, Attack 1d6 +2, Lead +0 damage for fist, or +2 for pistol (6 shots)
Pirates can be almost as dangerous out of their planes as they are in them.
The Law
Skills: Awareness 1, Athletics 2, Shooting 2, Investigation 1, Interrogation 1
Combat: Defence 5, Resist 0 (2), Health 3 (0 -1 -1)
Initiative 1d6 +1, Attack 1d6 +2, Lead +2 damage for pistol (6 shots)
These are the stats for a basic law enforcement officer. Cops are everywhere, and while their attitudes are
different from place to place, their stats stay the same. Cops might also be considered thugs (see below) if you
are planning a major combat encounter.
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The Star
Body 0, Mind -1, Spirit +1
Skills: Persuade 2, Perform 2, Publicity 1, Etiquette 1
Combat: Non-combatant, will surrender or run from any fight
This is the typical young actor or model. They are attractive and charismatic, but not very capable outside of
entertainment circles. They make great love interests, dependents or obsessed fans for Guild pilots.
The Press
Body 0, Mind +1, Spirit -1
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Pilots both love and hate reporters, and they often have to deal with news hounds. Reporters are good at
finding scoops and following leads, and some are not above a little deception to get their story.
The Crew
Skills: Awareness 1, Athletics 1, Close Combat 1, Mechanics 2, Sail - Air 1
Initiative 1d6 +1, Attack 1d6 +1, Lead +0 damage for fist, +1 for a tool
Only the most foolish of pilots mistreats their crew. These are the people who keep the airship and the warbirds
flying and fighting.
The Academic
Body -1, Mind +1, Spirit 0
Skills: Awareness 2, Etiquette 1, Academics 3
There plenty of clever souls out there working in universities and laboratories. The best and brightest are hired
by the Guild to develop new aviation technologies.
The Politician
Body -1, Mind 0, Spirit +1
Skills: Awareness 2, Barter 3, Etiquette 2, Persuade 2, Publicity 2, Larceny 1
This character is an old hand at politics and is well versed in lobbying, campaigning, negotiating and making
promises they cannot keep. Politicians run the gamut from honourable public servants to vile pond scum, and
it is always hard to tell which is which.
The Kid
Body -1, Mind 0, Spirit 0
Skills: Athletics 1, Awareness 1, Stealth 1
Combat: Non-combatant, character my try to fight if cornered
Sometimes kids just happen. They make good dependents for the characters, and they can also be used as
plucky snitches, tragic stowaways or comic relief.
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The Guide
Body 0, Mind 0, Spirit +1
Skills: Awareness 2, Athletics 2, Close Combat 2, Stealth 2, Shooting 2, Survival 2
Combat: Defence 5, Resist 1, Health 4 (0 -1 -1 -2)
Initiative 1d6 +2, Attack 1d6 +2 Lead +3 damage for rifle (5 shots), or +2 for damage for machete
When visiting errant islands, it is a good idea to bring along a wilderness guide. Guides are expert trackers and
can deal well with physical danger.
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Below is a selection of thugs for different combat scenarios. While the first few are pretty basic, some are quite
a bit tougher and are intended for more advanced characters ready for serious combat.
Rioters
Initiative: 3
Defence: 3
Skills: 1d6 +0
Attack: 1d6 +0, Lead +0 damage for fist, +1 for thrown weapons/objects
Riots are common in Santiago and the poorer parts of the Mayan confederation. Rioters are just regular
people, and are only dangerous in large numbers.
Cops
Initiative: 4
Defence: 4
Skills: 1d6 +1
Attacks: 1d6 +1, Lead +1 damage for billy club, +2 for pistol
Be they riot police, military police or just local police, cops use the above numbers. Note that as thugs they
are weaker than as individual NPCs.
Troops
Initiative: 4
Defence: 4
Skills: 1d6 +0
Attacks: 1d6 +1, Lead +2 damage for rifle
Most military troops are young people with few prospects who are looking for steady, respectable work.
Governments foolishly hand these people rifles.
Goons
Initiative: 4
Defence: 4
Skills: 1d6 +1
Attacks: 1d6 +2, Lead +1 damage for knives, +2 for pistols
These are enforcers who work for those with less-than-savory business practices. They are experienced brawlers
and shooters, and most have done prison time already.
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Mercs
Initiative: 5
Defence: 5
Skills: 1d6 +2
Attacks: 1d6 +2, Lead +3 damage for rifles, +2 for rifle butts
While the Guild gets all of the glory, there is no shortage of small mercenary outfits that provide professional,
elite troops to whoever is willing to pay. These mercs mean business and can be very dangerous to inexperienced
characters.
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AIRBORNE NPCS AND VEHICLES
When in the air, NPCs are a fusion of machines and the characters who pilot them. Warbirds has four general
categories of NPC that the characters can encounter.
• Aircraft are vehicles that use airfoils -- wings -- to produce their lift. They include all forms of fighters,
civilian planes and the larger Guild couriers.
• Airships use floatstone cores to stay aloft and massive diesel turbines to move around. Airships are split into
fleet ships, carriers and freighters.
• Trains are land-based heavy-cargo haulers. Trains in Warbirds tend to be a little smaller than contemporary
trains.
• Fortifications are stationary buildings and complexes that may be reiforced against aerial attacks.
Aircraft
The aircraft in Warbirds come in many shapes in sizes. The three recognized classes of aircraft are fighters,
couriers and civil aviation. The warbirds are special high-performance fighters covered in detail in Chapter 6,
and couriers are covered in Appendix A. The only real difference between a civil aviation craft and a fighter
is a lack of weapons and armour, so they can use the basic fighter stats listed below without armour or guns.
That just leaves the fighters.
There are half a dozen manufacturers that make combat aircraft. While each builds their fighters
slightly differently, they all share the same basic stats. Also, most pilots have relatively limited skills; they will
have SA 0, one or two skills -- usually Piloting and Gunnery -- at level 2, and the remainder will be at level 1.
Generic Fighter
SA 0
Gunnery 1d6 +2, Lead +1 damage (10 bursts)
Ordinance None Carried
Structure 3 (0 -1 -1)
Innate Traits (see page 110 for descriptions): Environmental Controls, Radio, Cargo Box, Gun Camera,
Limited Fuel (regular fighters have 50 per cent more range and endurance than a warbird), Limited Fire Rate
(non-Guild light machine guns can only fire once per round).
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Modifications
Each nation modifies their aircraft design and pilot training, resulting in variant aircraft stats:
• Jamaica and the Uplands - Jamaica’s Sampson Fighters Inc produces the finest non-Guild dogfighters in
the world. Their latest the design, the SF-23 “Swift,” built by contract in Trinidad, has +1 to Dogfighting and
Break Defence.
• Haiti - Haitian aircraft use Guild-style Heavy Machine Guns (no accuracy bonus and only 8 bursts); also,
the powerful engines mounted on the GC-115 “Chevalier” gives a +1 to Escape Defence.
• Santiago - The dictatorship suffers from a shortage of qualified flight instructors, and pilots are -1 to
Dogfighting. They make up for this by enhancing their aircraft, which adds +1 to Armour, Structure and
Damage Resistance.
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• Cuba - Pilots and aircraft of Cuba use the standard numbers, but their elite squadrons are +1 to Gunnery,
Piloting and Strafing. Squadron commanders use imported SF-23’s and get another +1 to Dogfighting and 8
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Break Defence.
• Puerto Rico - Puerto Rico’s aircraft borrow from their shipbuilding expertise. They use 20mm cannons as
their main armament, and they add 1 point of Armour and Structure to their designs.
• The Maya - The Maya emphasize ground attack in support of their wars. Mayan pilots are -1 Piloting and
+1 to Strafing. Their aircraft use 20mm cannons, have +1 Armour and a hardpoint to carry rockets. Mayan
rocket pods do Lead +4 damage, have AP 1 and can hold two volleys.
• Pirates - Air pirates use aircraft from other nations, but tend to have more combat experience. Add 1 to at
least one skill, if not more.
Aces and Squadron Leaders

Elite pilots will improve on the above numbers in two ways: with higher skills and custom planes. Aces and
squadron leaders have between 8 and 12 skill points to distribute between the four aircraft skills. Most will
still have 0 SA, as higher SA is very rare outside the Guild. (The Guild considers high SA the number one
requirement for a recruit.) The planes of elite pilots will have between two and five traits from the trait list, but
will not have any of the Ace- or Elite Ace-restricted traits.
Airships
Gun Emplacements
While starting characters are very vulnerable to
fire from gun emplacements, especially when
Warbirds is full of large, slow vehicles that pilots often call gunners concentrate their fire, more experienced
“targets.” Airships are so large that they require multiple characters and those who specialize in Strafing
crewmembers and contain various sub-systems, each with traits might start to feel a little immune to basic
their own set of stats. turrets.
Unlike fighters, which are Crippled but still flying To keep the tension up and blast a few
when their Structure track is exceeded, sub-systems are holes in an overconfident pilot’s plane, all you
considered non-functional when their Structure track is full. need to do is to put a few experienced gunners in
That destroyed sub-system then does 1 point of damage to the those turrets. Every so often there will be crack
main Structure of the ship. shots firing those guns who will have a Gunnery
Below are the standard sub-systems and what skill of 3 or 4. Alternatively, you can upgrade gun
happens when they fail. More specialized information is listed turrets with +1 damage and/or 1 AP. It is unlikely
under each ship’s description. that every turret gunner is highly skilled, but if a
ship upgrades its guns, chances are it will upgrade
all of them.
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Main Structure
Main structures always use the full stats of the target. If the Structure is filled, the ship is burning and adrift.
Drifting airships have a Defence of 1, and the crews are trying fight onboard fires as opposed to engaging
attacking aircraft. Most often, drifting ships have already lost their engines or core, and are dealing with a host
of other problems (see below). Doing double the main Structure’s damage causes the ship to explode, killing
all hands onboard. Characters caught onboard an exploding ship are in a Certain Death scenario.
Bridge
The command and control centre of a ship, taking out the bridge of any ship makes it very vulnerable until
Ch an officer can reestablish command from a secondary location. Destroying the bridge will throw the ship into
8
3
2 disarray, resulting in a -2 Defence penalty.
Engines
Ships have either two or four engines, depending on their size. Destroying all the engines reduces the ship’s
Performance to 0 (-1 Defence) and prevents it from escaping combat; it must be towed.
Gun Emplacements
These are anti-aircraft (AA) weapons of various sizes and power. They have enough ammo that it does not need
to be tracked. Some ships can lose multiple gun emplacements before the overall Structure and Threat of the
ship is affected.
Main Batteries
Possessed by cruisers and battleships, main batteries are massive artillery pieces that can tear other ships apart.
Their rate of fire is slow, but they have enough ammo that it does not need to be tracked.
Flight Decks
Used by carriers, flight decks allow for the launch and recovery of fighters. Destroying flight decks also destroys
any fighters that happen to be parked on them.
Core
Every airship has a core of floatstone that keeps it in the air. Ship designers wrap the core in armour to protect
it, but heavy weapons still get in from time to time. Destroying the core will cause the airship to start falling.
Its engines are not powerful enough to hold it aloft. As long as the ship is not hit with incendiary weapons,
crew can shore up the core and prevent a freefall if they can make a difficulty 9 Mechanics roll. (The maximum
help the rest of crew can provide to the chief engineer is +2). This is not a permanent fix, and the ship must
land within 24 hours or the core will fail permanently. Failing the roll means the ship drops.
If the core is hit and also damaged with an incendiary attack and the Serious Fire result comes up, the
ship begins to slowly sink as the core starts to melt. The fire will keep burning and do another point of damage
every round until the core fails and the ship falls. Stopping a core fire is a difficulty 12 Mechanics roll.
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Fleet Ships
Every major navy employs fleet ships. Most navies have about 100 frigates, 20 armoured cruisers and five
battleships in their arsenals. The Guild has a standing agreement with every nation not to employ fleet ships
and relies exclusively on drop-carriers.
Bombardment Frigate
This is the Warbirds version of a bomber. It is a 30-metre long armoured bomb truck that is designed to fly
over targets and drop 20 tonnes of high-explosive ordinance. It only has four defensive gun emplacements Ch
and cannot face a sustained fighter attack without an escort. There have been cases of bombardment frigates 8
3
2
dropping their bombs on other ships, but this is a risky tactic, as the frigates are easy prey for heavy guns.
Pirates will often use stolen bombardment frigates as raiding ships. The normal tactic is for island-
based fighters to shoot out a target ship’s engines, and then the bombardment frigate comes alongside the
freighter to collect the cargo. They keep their loot in the bomb bay in lieu of bombs.
Overall Stats
Armour: 7
Performance: 1
Structure: 8 (0 0 0 0 -1 -1 -2 -2)
Defence: 4
Threat: 10
Sub-systems (roll for random target locations)

1. Main Structure
2. Bridge - Defence 6, Armour 4, Structure 3 (0 0 0)
3. Engines (2) - Defence 6, Armour 4, Structure 3 (0 0 0)
4. Gun Emplacements (4) - Defence 6, Armour 2, Structure 2 (0 0)
Special: Each gunner attacks with 1d6 +2 and does Lead +2 damage
5. Bomb Bay - Defence 6, Armour 4, Structure 4 (0 0 0 0)
Special: The bomb bay contains 20 bombs that it drops in pairs to make ten attacks at 1d6 -1. Each attack does
Lead +6 damage and has AP 3. Dropping five bombs at once increases accuracy to 1d6 +0 and dropping the
whole load increases the attack to 1d6 +2. Destroying the bomb bay with the ordinance still in it does 1 extra
point of damage to the main Structure.
6. Core - Defence 6, Armour 6, Structure 5 (0 0 0 0 0)
Escort Frigate
The Mendoza shipyards of Puerto Rico began designing escort frigates after the Guild showed the superiority
of fighters during the First Resource War. They took the core of a bombardment frigate, stripped out the
bombs and covered it in gun turrets. While they are not the cure to the navy’s “fighter problem,” they are
effective enough that every fleet uses them to protect important assets.
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Overall Stats
Armour: 7
Performance: 1
Structure: 8 (0 0 0 0 -1 -1 -2 -2)
Defence: 4
Threat: 15

1. Main Structure
Ch 2. Bridge - Defence 6, Armour 5, Structure 3 (0 0 0)
8
3
2 Special: Escort frigates are designed with a secondary bridge deep beneath their main armour. Destroying the
main bridge will only cause the ship to be at -1 to Defence for 1 round.
4 and 5. Gun Emplacements (12) - Defence 6, Armour 2, Structure 2 (0 0)
Special: Each gunner attacks with 1d6 +2 and does Lead +2 damage. Three gun emplacements need to be
destroyed in order to reduce Structure and Threat by 1.
Armoured Cruiser
The armoured cruiser is designed to destroy frigates, and can use its heavy guns to bombard land targets or
supplement the firepower of massive battleships. While they can fend off air attacks, that is not their primary
function.
Overall Stats
Armour: 9
Performance: 1
Structure: 10 (0 0 0 0 0 -1 -1 -2 -2 -3)
Defence: 4
Threat: 12

1. Main Structure
2. Bridge - Defence 6, Armour 6, Structure 4 (0 0 0 0)
3. Engines (4) - Defence 6, Armour 6, Structure 5 (0 0 0 0 0)
4. Gun Emplacements (8) - Defence 6, Armour 3, Structure 3 (0 0 0)
Special: Each gunner attacks with 1d6 +2 and does Lead +3 damage. Two gun emplacements need to be
destroyed in order to reduce Structure and Threat by 1.
5. Main Batteries (2) - Defence 6, Armour 6, Structure 6 (0 0 0 0 -1 -1)
Special: The main batteries attack every third round at 1d6 -1. Each attack does Lead +7 damage and has AP
2. Each turret can attempt to attack fighters and other high-performance targets, but is -2 to do so for 1d6 -3
total.
6. Core - Defence 6, Armour 8, Structure 7 (0 0 0 0 0 0 0)
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Ch
8
3
2
Battleship
Once the lords of the sky, battleships have been overshadowed by carriers and their fighter complements.
Despite the overall combat superiority of fighters, battleships are still massively powerful, and can destroy any
other ship that comes within range of their guns. Due to their enormous size, battleships suffer a -1 Defence
penalty, which has already been factored into the stats below.
Overall Stats
Armour: 12
Performance: 1
Structure: 12 (0 0 0 0 0 0 -1 -1 -2 -2 -3 -3)
Defence: 3
Threat: 14

1. Main Structure
2. Bridge - Defence 5, Armour 8, Structure 6 (0 0 0 0 0 0)
3. Engines (4) - Defence 5, Armour 8, Structure 7 (0 0 0 0 0 0 0)
4. Gun Emplacements (9) - Defence 5, Armour 4, Structure 4 (0 0 0 -1)
Special: Each gunner attacks with 1d6 +2 and does Lead +3 damage. Three gun emplacements need to be
destroyed in order to reduce main Structure and Threat by 1.
5. Main Batteries (4) - Defence 5, Armour 9, Structure 7 (0 0 0 0 0 -1 -1)
Special: The main batteries attack every third round at 1d6 -1. Each attack does Lead +8 damage and has AP
3. Each turret can attempt to attack fighters and other high-performance targets, but is -2 to do so for 1d6 -3
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Warbirds
total.
6. Core - Defence 6, Armour 10, Structure 9 (0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0)
Carriers
Carriers rule the skies in Warbirds. They launch the fighters that tear apart ships and ground targets, while
staying far back from the fight. Every major nation has at least two fleet carriers. Jamaica, the current leader in
air power, has five. The Guild’s frigate-sized drop-carriers might not seem like much against the massive ships
of various nations’ respective navies, but the Guild has over 35 of the speedy little ships, and most pilots agree
Ch a single warbird is worth 10 regular fighters.
8
3
2
Drop-Carrier
The Guild employs small, fast carriers that hold up to six fighters. The average carrier is less than 75 metres
(225 feet) long, and has two main aircraft decks: an upper landing deck and a lower drop deck. Planes are
moved between decks via an elevator located at the ship’s bow. The drop deck is made up of sections that can
rotate a fighter into a vertical nose down position when it is ready to launch. Launching fighters via the “drop”
allows the ship to be smaller, and enables almost simultaneous launch of all of the fighters onboard.
Many minor principalities employ drop-carriers, and there are several in pirate hands. The vessels are
prized for their flexibility and small size. It may be possible that the pirates are building these ships in the heart
of the Pirates’ Tangle.
The stats below are for one of the older drop-carriers given to new Guild pilots. Newer models have
better Armour and Structure, and at least two extra gun turrets.
Overall Stats
Armour: 7
Performance: 1
Structure: 8 (0 0 0 -1 -1 -2 -2 -3)
Defence: 4
Threat: 10
Sub-systems(roll for random target locations)

1. Main Structure
2. Bridge - Defence 6, Armour 4, Structure 3 (0 0 0)
Special: Each gunner attacks with 1d6 +2 and does Lead +2 damage
5. Flight Decks (2) - Defence 6, Armour 5, Structure 4 (0 0 0 0)
Special: If a flight deck is destroyed, the carrier either loses its ability to launch or recover fighters. Roll
randomly to determine which. The second flight deck lost eliminates the other ability, and the carrier is
useless. It is the GM’s call whether any planes caught on the ship are destroyed.
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Ch
8
3
2
A pirate drop-carrier stolen from the Guild.
Fleet Carrier
While the Guild uses small carriers, nations prefer large fleet carriers that can launch dozens of aircraft. Fleet
carriers always hang back from combat if they can because they are vulnerable to both fighters and other
airships. These ships are as massive as battleships and suffer the same -1 Defence penalty, which is already
factored in the stats below.
Overall Stats
Armour: 9
Performance: 1
Structure: 10 (0 0 0 -1 -1 -2 -2 -3 -3 -3)
Defence: 3
Threat: 12

1. Main Structure
2. Bridge - Defence 5, Armour 5, Structure 4 (0 0 0 0)
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3. Engines (4) - Defence 5, Armour 6, Structure 4 (0 0 0 0)

Special: Each gunner attacks with 1d6 +2 and does Lead +3 damage. Two gun emplacements need to be
destroyed in order to reduce main Structure and Threat by 1.
5. Flight Deck - Defence 5, Armour 8, Structure 7 (0 0 0 0 -1 -1 -2)
Special: If the flight deck is destroyed, the carrier loses its ability to launch and recover fighters. The penalties
listed on the flight deck’s Structure track are applied to pilots’ landing attempts.
6. Core - Defence 5, Armour 6, Structure 6 (0 0 0 0 0 0)
Ch
8
3
2
Civilian Shipping
Merchant ships are everywhere; they fuel the trade between the islands. International laws forbid them from
carrying armament, and their armour protection is minimal. Ships that are far from the main islands without
escorts are easy prey for pirates.
Pirates will normally try to knock out a ship’s engines and then bring another airship alongside to
board and loot the vessel. Once looted, they will either hold the ship and crew for ransom, or set fire to the
ship and let it sink into the Murk.
Skiff
A skiff is the smallest airship that can be practically built. They are used as couriers, taxis and private pleasure
craft. Before the invention of the fighter, skiffs were used as picket ships and scouts for airship fleets, but are
now obsolete in this role.
The smallest skiffs are just 15 metres long and have a single engine mounted on the stern. Skiffs lack
the fuel and power for long hauls, but can be seen swarming around cities and military bases.
Overall Stats
Armour: 1
Performance: 1
Structure: 3 (0 -1 -1)
Defence: 4
Threat: nil
Sub-systems
None - Skiffs are too small for sub-systems.
Light Freighter
These little ships are about the size of a frigate and handle most of the local traffic between islands on the same
layer, with the occasional cross-layer trip. Also, small ferries, civilian yachts, and large pleasure craft count as
light freighters. Substitute the cargo bay with passenger decks for these other vehicles.
Overall Stats
Armour: 3
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Performance: 1
Structure: 6 (0 -1 -1 -2 -2 -3)
Defence: 4
Threat: nil
Sub-systems (roll random target locations)

1. Main Structure
2. Bridge - Defence 6, Armour 1, Structure 2 (0 0)
3. Engines (2) - Defence 6, Armour 1, Structure 2 (0 0)
4 and 5. Cargo Bay - Defence 6, Armour 1, Structure 4 (0 0 0 0) Ch
Special: The cargo bay takes up most of the ship, and can hold 50 tonness of goods. Damaging the Structure of
8
3
2
the cargo bay also damages the cargo within. If the cargo bay is being used as passenger decks, the passengers
start taking injuries once half the Structure is gone. Depleting the Structure means the passenger decks take
at least 80 per cent casualties.
While true zeppelins are not used Azure for most shipping, they see some use in the
civilian tourist market where speed is not vital and floatstone can be exspensive to procure.
Heavy Freighter
These monsters cross the blue expanse and bring in fuel and heavy loads from the refineries and distant isles.
They almost always have escorts, since they are very vulnerable to attack. They are so huge and slow that they
are -2 to Defence, which is already factored in the stats below.
There is one Puerto Rican cruise company, Aventura Cruceros, that operates a handful of heavy
passenger freighters. These ships are luxury liners that the rich and aspiring rich use for leisure. Luxury liners
can easily hold over a thousand passengers, and make frequent trips to Nassau and several other distant isles.
Aventura is a regular employer of Guild talent, and every cruise that leaves the central isles has one drop-carrier
escort shadowing it a few kilometres up.
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Overall Stats
Armour: 4
Performance: 1
Structure: 10 (0 -1 -1 -2 -2 -3 -3 -3 -3 -3)
Defence: 2
Threat: nil

Main Structure
Ch 2. Bridge - Defence 4, Armour 2, Structure 3 (0 0 0)
8
3
2 3. Engines (4) - Defence 4, Armour 2, Structure 4 (0 0 0 0)
4 and 5. Cargo Bay - Defence 4, Armour 2, Structure 7 (0 0 0 0 0 0 0)
Special: The cargo bay takes up most of the ship and can hold 250 tonnes of goods. Damaging the Structure of
the cargo bay also damages the cargo within. If the cargo bay is being used as passenger decks, the passengers
start taking injuries once half the Structure is gone. Depleting the Structure means the passenger decks take
6. Core - Defence 4, Armour 2, Structure 6 (0 0 0 0 0 0)
Trains
Railways in Warbirds are of the kind known as “narrow gauge,” meaning the tracks are lighter and narrower
than what we are used to seeing in modern-day North America. This makes trains smaller, lighter and slower,
but also a little harder to hit due to their small size. They are fragile compared to the armoured airships that
rule the skies, but they can move a lot of material very quickly.
Unlike airships, which come as is, trains are assembled as needed and sent off. Civilian trains are
made up of locomotives and cargo cars, while military trains add armoured locomotives, artillery and anti-
aircraft cars to the mix. Different car configurations result in different trains. Most trains are almost all cargo,
whether, freight or passengers, but the Maya are known for their use of military cars that are armed and
armoured. Take the stats for individual cars below and assemble trains to your heart’s content.
When trains are targeted with random ordinance attacks, a roll of 6 always hits the locomotive, 5 hits
artillery cars, 4 hits anti-aircraft cars and 1 to 3 hits cargo. If a car’s Structure track is filled up, in addition to
the car being mangled, there is a chance that it will uncouple from the other cars -- on a 4 or higher on a roll.
Doing damage equal to double the car’s Structure will cause the car to decouple, and if the train is in motion,
it will derail and destroy all cars behind it.
Locomotive Car
Armour: 1
Performance: 1
Structure: 5 (0 -1 -1 -2 -2)
Defence: 5
Threat: 0
Special: Destroying the locomotive immobilizes the train, though it is possible for a train to have more than
one locomotive, the odds of a wrecked locomotive not damaging the tracks is low. An immobilized train is
Defence 3.
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Cargo Car
Armour: 0
Performance: 1
Structure: 4 (0 0 0 0)
Defence: 5
Threat: 0
Special: Damaging the cargo car also damages whatever cargo or passengers are carried within the car.
Armoured Locomotive Car Ch

Armour: 6 8
3
2
Performance: 1
Structure: 6 (0 0 -1 -1 -2 -2)
Defence: 5
Threat: 8
Special: If a train has an armoured locomotive, then it is a military train and can use artillery and anti-aircraft
cars. The locomotive has two built-in anti-aircraft turrets that attack with 1d6 +2 and do Lead +2 damage.
Artillery Car
Armour: 6
Performance: 1
Structure: 6 (0 0 -1 -1 -2 -2)
Defence: 5
Threat: +1 (max 15)
Special: The artillery car has a heavy cannon turret that is normally designed to shoot airships and infantry,
but can be turned towards strafing planes. It is 1d6 -1 to hit, AP 3 and does Lead +6 damage. It can only fire
every other round.
Anti-Aircraft Car
Armour: 6
Performance: 1
Structure: 6 (0 0 -1 -1 -2 -2)
Defence: 5
Threat: +1 (max 15)
Special: The anti-aircraft car has two machine gun turrets that attack with 1d6 +1 and do Lead +2 damage.
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Fortifications
The ability to attack stationary targets on the ground is an important capability of any combat aircraft. There
are really two types of targets for ground attack: civilian structures and military fortifications.
Civilian Structures
Any building, bridge or other large work of engineering is a civilian structure. Rather than calculating Structure
ratings for all of the different stuff out there, just use these general rules.
Ch Small things like houses, narrow foot bridges, street cars or fueling stations have Defence 5. A
8
3
2 successful hit with any weapon will damage them to the point where they are unusable. A Lead of 3 or more
means the target is absolutely destroyed.
Larger stuff like office buildings, railway bridges and warehouses has Defence 3. Due to their large
size, they need to be hit by heavy ordinance to destroy them. Machine guns and light cannons can damage
them, but lack the punch/area effect to achieve total destruction. If the pilots have most of their ammo
remaining and they are willing to just hold down the trigger until their guns are empty, then they may be able
to destroy larger structures if the GM deems it feasible.
Military Fortifications
Airfields, bunkers, trench systems and reinforced gun emplacements are examples of military fortifications.
Each will be unique in terms of Defence, Threat and Structure. The best way to think of them is as Performance
0 airships with requisite subsystems.
Example: Pirate Airfield

Armour: 1
Performance: 0
Structure: 10 (0 0 0 -1 -1 -2 -2 -3 -3 -3)
Defence: 3
Threat: 12

1. Main Structure
2. Control Tower - Defence 5, Armour 1, Structure 3 (0 0 0)
Special: Destroying the control tower reduces the airfield’s ability to coordinate aircraft launches and direct
gunners, and reduces Threat by 1.
3. Hangars/Flight Line - Defence 5, Armour 2, Structure 6 (0 0 0 0 0 0)
Special: Damaging the hangars or flight line damages any aircraft present on the ground. Aircraft are very
vulnerable when parked and they can be rendered unusable or destroyed by effective strafing runs, at the GM’s
discretion.
Special: Each gunner attacks with 1d6 +1 and does Lead +2 damage.
5. Runway - Defence 5, Armour 3, Structure 7 (0 0 0 0 -1 -1 -2)
Special: If the runway is destroyed, the base loses its ability to launch and recover fighters. The penalties listed
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on the runway’s Structure track are applied to pilots’ landing attempts.

6. Fuel/Ammo Depot - Defence 5, Armour 4, Structure 4 (0 0 0 0)
Special: This section is loaded with explosive fuel and ammo. If it is destroyed, there is a massive fireball that
does 2 damage (ignore Armour) to two other random “sub-system” parts of the airfield.
Example: Santiago Secret Prison

Armour: 4
Performance: 0
Structure: 12 (0 0 0 -1 -1 -2 -2 -3 -3 -3 -3 -3)
Defence: 3 Ch
Threat: 14
8
3
2
1. Main Structure
2. Prison Tower - Defence 5, Armour 2, Structure 4 (0 0 0 0)
Special: Destroying the tower reduces the prison’s ability to direct gunners, and reduces Threat by 1.
3. Cell Blocks - Defence 5, Armour 2, Structure 6 (0 0 0 0 0 0)
Special: Damaging the Structure of the cell blocks will cause injuries to the pisoners and guards within. The
inmates start taking injuries once half the Structure is gone. Depleting the Structure means the cell blocks take
Special: Each gunner attacks with 1d6 +1 and does Lead +2 damage.
5. Walls - Defence 5, Armour 3, Structure 8 (0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0)
Special: Damaging the walls will create gaps where inmates can escape. Once the walls lose half their Structure,
they are damaged enough that inmates will risk making a run for it.
6. Front Gate/Administration Wing - Defence 5, Armour 4, Structure 4 (0 0 0 0)
Special: This is where most of the guards and other prison workers are located. Damaging the Structure of this
section will cause injuries to the staff. They start taking injuries once half the Structure is gone. Depleting the
Structure means most of the staff is dead, and the prisoners will take advantage of the chaos and start to riot.
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APPENDIX A
Ch
THE COURIER GAME
While Warbirds is designed for pulp action with a team of fighter pilot celebrities, it is not the only game that
1
A can be played.
Do you have dreams of being a gentleman or lady smuggler who makes a living flying by night and
moving illicit goods for high profits? Now you can, with the Guild XS-1200 Fast Courier. The Guild leases
these amazing aircraft to prospective pilots who, for a modest monthly fee and the occasional “favour,” can
attempt to buy and sell their way to a fortune. The Guild even has a courier repair and modification facility on
Key Largo at the end Eye-ward end of the Guild keys that can customize your courier to your heart’s content...
for a price.
The Guild does not mention that the operating and leasing costs are so high that the only way to turn
a real profit is to move illegal goods. As such, the courier’s crew gains “Infamy” instead of Fame, and they have
Good Publicity instead of Scandals. Otherwise, the game system functions the same.
XS-1200 Fast Courier

This is a high-speed, four-engine transport. It is a very specialized vehicle designed for quiet operation, short
take-offs and landings, and excellent point defence. It is about the size of a WWII bomber, and can hold
several tonnes of cargo or up to 25 passengers, if they do not mind standing.
The XS-1200 is very easy to modify and retrofit, and no two aircraft have the same features or abilities.
It can acquire many of the traits of a fighter (see below) as well as a few unique traits. A few couriers have even
been modified to the point where they
are more of a flying gun platform than
transport plane, and one has even been
turned into a bomber.
While it cannot manoeuvre like a
fighter, it is almost as fast as one. Its speed
means that it can break and escape like a
fighter -- but this throws off the gunners’
aim -- though it cannot stunt. It does not
roll Dogfighting; instead enemy aircraft
roll Strafing against its Threat.
It is capable of strafing, and when
it does so, any turret capable of firing
forward can fire on a target.
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Stats Which Turret Fires?

Armour: 4 One question that comes to mind is which turret
Performance: 2 fires on a target and in what order? If a fighter
Structure: 6 (0 0 0 -1 -1 -2) gets a high enough Strafing roll, then not every
Innate Traits: gunner gets a shot. In the chaos of air combat,
• Environment Controls - As per a warbird. it is hard to predict just whose fire arc an enemy
• Radio - As per a warbird. aircraft will enter.
• Redundant Systems - Gives Structure 6 and Damage Since Warbirds does not seek to
Resistance 2. accurately model fire arcs or absolute aircraft
• Cargo Bay - A rear-loading ramp can hold up to five tonnes position, we can solve this problem with a simple,
of cargo or 25 passengers. arbitrary rule: take turns. Start with the gunner
• Long Range - The courier can fly 2,000 kilometres (1,250 sitting to the left of the GM and give them the
miles) and stay aloft for almost eight hours. first shot and then work your way around the
• Co-pilot Seat - The courier can take on a co-pilot to help table. In the next round, continue in order,
the pilot. Any time a Piloting roll is required, the co-pilot can following from where the previous round ended.
help the pilot as per the help rules on page 58. The system may be arbitrary, but it is simple, fair
• STOL - The courier can do short take-offs and landings. It and it works.
only needs 200 metres to do either, and a skilled pilot could
make it in half the distance on a Difficulty 8 Piloting roll.
Armament
The standard courier has top and bottom mounted ball turrets armed with twin machine guns. The guns are
Accuracy 0, do Lead +2 damage and have 20 bursts of ammo. The standard Threat for a courier is 8. The
courier can add a tail gun, a forward “chin” turret and two side mounted “waist” turrets. Each additional turret
adds 1 to the Threat, up to a maximum of 12. If the all gunners’ average Gunnery skill + SA is 3 or more, add
1 to Threat; if the average comes out to 5 or more, add 2 to Threat.
The guns work best when the courier does not manoeuvre (Shoot Defence). If the courier performs
a break, then the gunners are -1 to attack. If the courier performs an escape, then the gunners are -3.
Adding Traits
The courier can add traits, but they must always be bought. Unrestricted traits are value 4, Ace Only traits are
5 and Elite Ace traits are unavailable.
Gunnery Traits
When a courier buys a Gunnery trait, it must be applied to a single turret. Taking traits more than once means
applying the trait to additional turrets. All Gunnery traits are available, except Gyroscopic Gunsight.
Ordinance Traits
Courier ordinance is fired by the co-pilot, and the courier must have either the Heavy Gun Mount or Bomb
Bay trait (see below). The primary pilot can operate the ordinance but is -1 to do so. The courier cannot take
the Extra Hardpoint or Heat-Seeking Rockets trait.
Dogfighting Traits
The only Dogfighting trait available to the courier is Rocket Assist. While under rocket power, the courier is +1
Defence. As a special benefit, a rocket-assisted courier can stunt in lieu of the Defence bonus, but its gunners
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cannot fire during the stunt round. A successful stunt adds +2 to the courier’s Threat in the following round.
Strafing Traits
The courier can take any Strafing trait except Radial Engine, since couriers come with radial engines as
standard.
General Traits
Couriers can only take Fire Protection and Enhanced Crew Protection.
Ch Courier Traits
1
A These traits are specific to couriers and are not available to other aircraft.
Additional Turret
This trait adds another turret to the courier. The first time this trait is taken, it adds a tail gunner position. The
second time adds a forward chin-mounted turret. The third and fourth times add side-mounted waist gunners.
Each manned turret adds 1 to the Threat of the courier. Turrets systems always have a value of 4.
Extra Cargo Space

Increasing the cargo load of a courier is a major operation that requires “stretching” the fuselage, reinforcing
the wings and upgrading the engines. This trait doubles the cargo capacity of the courier. It may only be taken
once, and is value 5.
Hidden Cargo Space

Some smugglers need to travel a little closer to civilization, and thus have secret compartments built into the
courier’s structure in order to stow illicit goods or people. It is a difficulty 9 Awareness roll to find these hidden
compartments, and they are large enough to stow a few people or half a tonne of cargo. This trait can only be
taken once and is value 4.
Heavy Gun Mount

Someone with too much time on their hands did some math and figured out that the courier’s airframe
can support the recoil of a 75mm artillery piece. The gun has to be mounted in a fixed forward position on
the courier’s centreline and takes up the space that would normally be allocated to a chin turret. It requires
a dedicated crewman just to load it after each shot, and there is only room for five shells in the magazine.
Despite those limitations, the cannon is a devastating weapon. It is Accuracy -2, AP 3, and does Lead +6
damage. While it is normally only used when strafing targets, if an attacking fighter critically fails their Strafing
roll against the courier, then the unfortunate aircraft enters the heavy gun’s field of fire. Heavy Gun Mounts
are value 4.
Bomb Bay
Due to the prevalence of airships, WWII style bombers do not exist in Warbirds. Still, a few people have
experimented with “fast bombers” by converting couriers so that they can drop their cargo. A bomb bay-
equipped courier can carry eight drop-bombs or four heavy bombs, as described on page 118. Multiple bombs
dropped increases the chance of a hit. Dropping four bombs or two heavy bombs improves the bomb accuracy
to -2. Dropping the whole bomb load improves it to -1. The bomb bay modification and the bombs to go with
it is value 5. Couriers with the Extra Cargo Space trait can carry twice as many bombs.
182

Dogfi
World
ghtofTracker
Azure
WARBIRDS Critical Failure

DOGFIGHT
TRACKER 2
3 Head-to-Heads
go here.
4
Ch
5
1
B
Place fighters
6
on Dogfighti
8
lve This Way
ng/Strafing ro
10
Attacks Reso
11
12
ll. Place larg

13
Dogfighting
14
e vehicles on
15
16
17
Threat value
18
19
.
20
183

World
Glossary
of Azure
APPENDIX C
Ch
GLOSSARY
Airship - A large, slow aircraft held aloft by floatstone. Used by civilians and military.
1
C AP - Armour Piercing; indicates how much Armour a weapon can ignore when doing damage.
Armour - Protects against attacks. Armour deducts from damage.
Azure - The world in which Warbirds takes place. It is full of floating islands in the sky.
Body - Stat that determines a character’s overall physical prowess; ranges from -3 to +3.
Bomb - An unguided explosive weapon dropped from a fighter or airship.
Break Defence - Standard Defence stat for a fighter trying to not get shot.
Callsign - A pilot’s nickname, usually gained through some sort of misadventure.
Cannon - Heavy type of gun that fires large, exploding shells; comes in many sizes.
Central isles - Most of the islands in Azure. Consists of Uplands, Midlands and Lowlands.
Certain Death - A scenario where death is all but certain. Can be avoided by using all Reserve.
Courier - Four-engine, high-speed transport plane. Most are used for smuggling.
Crash - A state when a plane hits something; usually fatal for the pilot.
Crippled - Status of a heavily damaged plane that can only limp home.
Defensive Spiral - A defensive stunt meant to lead enemy pilots towards the ground.
Disengage - An attempt to leave a dogfight; easier for higher Performance planes.
Distant isles - Islands more than 2,000 kilometres from the Eye.
Dogfight - Air combat between two or more fighter aircraft.
Dogfighting - The roll players make to determine their position in a dogfight.
Down but Not Out - Status when character takes damage equal to Health.
Drop-carrier - Small airship that holds up to six planes; uses vertical drop launches.
Eject - The process of abandoning a plane, also known as bailing out.
Errant isles - Islands that are on long elliptical orbits and that rarely approach the Eye.
Escape Defence - Defence for a disengaging plane; typically Break Defence +2.
Eye, the - The center of Azure. It has a magnetic pole, rotational axis, updraft and more.
Fame - Stat that determines how famous and rich a character is; ranges from 0 to 6.
Fighter - Any small, manoeuvrable plane armed for combat.
Fleet carrier - Large military airships that hold dozens of fighters.
Floatstone - Rock that holds up Azure’s islands and airships. Stops working when hot.
Furball - At least three fighters engaged in a dogfight in a small piece of sky.
Game Master (GM) - Player who controls everything in the game except the PCs, and is responsible for story.
Going Down - A plane that takes double its Structure in damage. It will crash.
Guild, the - A famous, powerful mercenary group that supplies on a contract basis Azure’s finest fighter pilots.
Gunnery - Skill for using aircraft machine guns and airship turrets.
Head to Head - When two fighters elect to forgo dogfighting and just shoot at each other.
Health - Stat for how much damage it takes to knock a character out of the fight.
184

World
Glossary
of Azure
Hold - Waiting to get a better shot in a dogfight. Holding gives +1 per round to an attack.
Lead - How much a roll beats a difficulty by. Meeting the difficulty results in Lead 0.
Life on the Line - Characters increase personal risk, but get bonuses for it.
Lowlands - The lowest part of the central isles, which contain Yucatan and Tegesta.
Machine gun - Rapidly firing gun with hundreds of rounds; primary armament for fighters.
Midlands - The middle and most populous part of the central isles.
Mind - Stat that determines a character’s intelligence and wits. Ranges -3 to +3.
Murk - The deadly roiling clouds beneath all of Azure. Not safe to fly in.
Non-Player Character (NPC) - Any character controlled by the GM.
Ordinance - Skill for aircraft heavy weapons; also the name for aircraft heavy weapons.
Ch
Out of the Fight - Status for a character who takes more damage than Health.
Performance - Rating of how capable an aircraft is. Ranges from 0 to 6. 1
C
Pilot - Someone who flies planes; is generally idolized in Azure.
Piloting - Skill for flying planes.
Player - Anyone who plays Warbirds. Thanks, by the way.
Player Character (PC) - A character controlled by a player, but one who is not the GM.
Rapidfire - The rules system for Warbirds and several other Outrider Studios games.
Reserve - Points that let PCs do cool stuff, adjust rolls and avoid Certain Death.
Rocket - Unguided, self-propelled, explosive munition.
Roleplaying Game - A game in which players assume the role of characters within a fictional narrative.
Rook - Short for rookie, a brand-new member of the Guild. PCs start as rooks.
SA - Situational Awareness, a stat that measures a character’s grasp of air combat.
Scale A measure of how much bigger/tougher vehicles are than characters.
Scissors - A zigzag stunt that can force an enemy into a pilot’s sights.
Shoot Defence - Defence of a fighter concentrating on shooting; it equals Break Defence -2.
Skill - A representation of a character’s training and experience. Ranges from 0 to 6.
Spin - Result of a stall; the plane is dropping and rotating. Very dangerous.
Spirit - A stat that determines a character’s willpower and personality. Ranges -3 to +3.
Stall - A state when the wings of the plane are no longer holding it up; leads to a spin.
Stat - Short for statistic. Stats quantify capabilities of characters and vehicles.
Storm, the - The massive, world-altering hurricane that carried all of the Caribbean to Azure in 1804.
Strafe/Strafing - The action/skill of flying low and attacking large stationary targets.
Structure - Health stat for vehicles.
Stunt - A defensive gamble that can help a pilot out when successful.
Threat - Stat measuring how dangerous it is to strafe a given target.
Trait - An ability that modifies the stats of a fighter in some way.
Trailing Smoke - Down but Not Out for vehicles.
Uplands - The highest and least populated part of the central isles.
Warbird - A superb fighter aircraft that was souped-up by the Guild and given to a PC.
Warbirds - This game that you are reading and (we hope) playing.
Yo-yo - A stunt that includes a vertical element (high or low) to gain advantage.
185

WARBIRDS CHARACTER SHEET
CHARACTER INFO STATS
Character Name: Body: Fame:
Callsign:
Player Name: Mind: Fame Points:
Nationality:
Squadron: Spirit: Reserve:
Background:
Appearance/Mannerisms: Stat
Points:
SECONDARY STATS
HEALTH TRACK Defence: 3+Body+Athletics
Resist: Spirit+Armour
0 -1 -1 -2 -2 -3 -3 -3 -3 -3
Health: 3+Body+Spirit
SKILLS PERSONAL WEAPONS

Skill Level Stat XP Weapon Attack Damage
Fist 1d6+ Lead+0
1d6+ Lead+
1d6+ Lead+
ADVANTAGES DISADVANTAGES
GEAR AND NOTES

WARBIRD SHEET
PILOT ABILITIES TOTAL RATINGS
Situational Awareness: Dogfighting: 1d6+ Performance+Piloting+SA+Traits
Body+Mind+Spirit
Strafing: 1d6+ Performance+Strafing+SA+Traits
Skill Level XP
Gunnery: 1d6+ Gunnery+SA+Accuracy+Traits
Piloting
Strafing Ordinance: 1d6+ Ordinance+SA+Accuracy+Traits
Gunnery
Ordinance DEFENCE
Break: Performance+Piloting+SA
FIGHTER STATS Shoot: Break Defence-2

Performance
Armour Escape: Break Defence+2
Structure
Stunt: 1d6+ Piloting+SA+Traits
PRIMARY ARMAMENT
*Only apply trait bonuses to Break, Shoot, and Escape Defence
after completeing all of the calculations above.
Type:
Accuracy: Damage: AP: STRUCTURE TRACK
Lead+
Ammo: 0 0
O O O O O O O O O O
O O O O O O O O O O
WARBIRD TRAITS
HEAVY WEAPONS Name Effects
Type:
Accuracy: Damage: AP:
Lead+
Ammo:
O O O O O O O O O O
NOSE ART

World of Azure
Supporters
A special thanks to all of our Indiegogo supporters. Without you, none of this would have
been possible.
Official Hero
Terrence Micheau
Squadron Commanders
Adam Rutherford, Daniel Overfield
Outrider Aces
Casey Day, Henry Ulrich, Kevin Empey, Kirk Bittman, Leandro Mena Ugarte
Double Aces
Ed Kiernan, Jack Murphy III
Elite Aces
Adam J. Piskel, Billy Holland, Brent Walters, Brian Wagner, Chris Doherty, Damien Gour, Damon
Richardson, Dana Myers, David Sawyer, Evan MacDonald, Francis Helie, Frank Rafaelsen, Fridrici, Gerald
Kuster, Hisham Al-Kubeyyer, Jennifer Fuss, Joachim Eckert, John Reiher, Lamblin, Luke Walker, Mark
Maibroda, Mark Somogyi, Mat Gritt, Nathan Schmitz, Rob Wieland, Roberto Quintans Ramos, Samuel A.
Lyons, Samuel Munilla, Simon Ward, Stras Acimovic, Theron Bretz
Digital Elite Aces

Dan Ritchie, David Nadj, eltiodrake, Marc Raven, nfbate
Combat Aces
Bruce McGeorge, Bryan Schwaderer, David Ackerman, Edouard Contesse, Jeff Johnston, John Kane, Joshua
Ramsey, Kit Fowley, Matthew C. Davis, Peter Aronson, Poh Tun Kai, Samuel Munilla, Sean M. Dunstan,
Stephen Joseph Ellis
Printed Aces
Adam Coleman, Adrian Rawle, bjlj90-lists, Desiree Barlow, Gaston Phillips, George Pitre, Jerome Larré,
Jason Pitre, Kyle Miller, Matthew Edwards, Michael Stevens, Nathan Riddell, Ray Spitz, Reid San Filippo,
Shannnon Lewis, The Great Derek Breedon, William Spencer
Digital Aces
Adam Chute, Andrea Ungaro, Ardon Low, bentleyml, BillKOKAL, bjlj90-lists, bleftwich13, Chris Starr,
Claudio Muraro, Curtis Hay, Dale Russell1, Daniel Coltrain, Daniele DiRubbo, darkpaladin45, Derek Gour,
digitalraven, Dimitri Achminov, DLTEToddZircher, doganogreten-weiss, Gary Dupuis, gaston_nicolas,
Jennifer Carr, John Sussenberger, Josh Rensch, kevinereilly, mcellis, mike.atlin, mkrykew, patrice.hede-indiego,
Phil King, riggs_nick, Simonjf.Hunt, Theo, thibault.mesmin, tucktheproducer, wishsong1982
Rookies
Chris Starr, dobapablo, Lucas Martell, Rami Frankl, Ridhwan Hardi
188

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WARBIRDSRole Playing Game

Jeff Haala (Order #35036421)

Cover and Interior Art by

Additional Content and Playtesting

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Chapter 5 Maintenance 137

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Esmerelda “Duchess” Gutierrez

Flight Leader Terrence “Task” Micheau

Elizabeth “Longshot” Blake

Guys, I hate to admit

Zach “Turbo” Gordon

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Jeff Haala (Order #35036421)

Jeff Haala (Order #35036421)

Jeff Haala (Order #35036421)

Playing the Game

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Jeff Haala (Order #35036421)

Jeff Haala (Order #35036421)

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the calendar year is made up of the familiar 365 days. Solstice

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and a massive vegetation die-off left open fields ready

The Midlands Haiti

The Uplands Keys

Hundreds of kilometres above the Murk sits the tiny

include all of the Lesser Antilles, which are the Virgin

Islands, Barbados, St. Vincent, Grenada, the Dutch

ABC islands, etc.; a few pieces of the Bahamas; Trinidad

this cash crop was once a sign of imperial hegemony, it

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Jeff Haala (Order #35036421)

times, are downright ponderous when climbing

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The Chaos Years

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The Dawn of Flight Ch

The Golden Century

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The First Resource War

The Modern Era

The Resource Rush

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Piracy and the Rise of the Guild

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The Guild Drop-carrier The Guild Monopoly

Sunset landing on a Guild drop-carrier

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Quick Look: The Nations of Azure

The Minor Principalities (page 27)

The Guild Keys (page 30)

Continued on next page

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Quick Look Contiuned:

Santiago (page 36)

Puerto Rico (page 38)

Yucatan (page 40)

Tegesta (page 42)

Nassau (page 44)