Professional Documents
Culture Documents
A HISTORICAL RPG
OF THE SECOND WORLD WAR
Smear on your war paint and haul your gear as you leap into
the world of War Stories, a roleplaying game set during
Once you’ve had a taste of the bare bones of the game, it’s
time to dive into the depths and details of the core book
the ravage and ruin of World War II. This Quickstart docu- itself as well as an accompanying campaign setting. In no
ment provides all the basic rules required to run your first time at all, you and your fellow players will be able to cre-
foray into the breathtaking action that awaits. With it, your ate moments of valor and courage, ultimately weaving your
group will create tales describing the desperate missions personal tales into the fabric of the historical events from
and harrowing exploits of those who participated in the beginning to end. These will be your War Stories.
struggles of the war.
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ASPECTS OF A SKILLS
A character’s skills represent a broad
area of expertise they have acquired
CHARACTER
along the course of their experience
prior to and during the campaign being
played. This will help determine wheth-
er a task will prove especially challeng-
ing or relatively easy if it is something
SPECIALIZATIONS
allows you to roll an equal number of 2 Poor
dice when testing for an action associ- 1 Terrible
ated with that particular quality.
Specializations are extensions of
skills. They give a character more fo-
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FAILURE
If no 6’s are rolled, something has
gone wrong. More than likely, you
have simply failed at your intended ac-
tion, though your imagination and the
GM’s interpretation should make fail-
ure far more interesting than a mere
lack of success. In some cases, a GM
might allow the action to succeed but
with a twisted disadvantage affecting
the PCs as a result of their roll.
You have one chance to make things
right, though. After an Action Test,
you always have the option to Push
Your Luck.
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rolled. FUBAR points are never good
for PCs (see below). Be careful how LUCKY STRIKES AND maximum are given directly to the
GM in a generalized pool for their use
often you risk Pushing Your Luck!
A GM may also use Push Your Luck, FUBARS against any character or all the players
as a group.
just as players do. To do so, howev- Lucky Strikes represent While these points are carried over
er, requires the use of a FUBAR. If an a currency generated by from session to session, the initial
NPC’s Pushed roll results in one or scoring extra successes. allocation at the start of a mission is
more Duds, regardless of success, the Players should track as follows: each player receives one
GM has the option of creating some these on their character sheet or use Lucky Strike, while the GM receives
sort of narrative-driven inconvenience tokens of any kind (bottle caps or one general pool FUBAR.
for the NPC whose roll generated the coins will work easily enough). These Each Lucky Strike or FUBAR may be
Dud. represent the good fortune your char- used to do one of the following:
Pushing Your Luck does have two re- acter has been lucky enough to re-
ceive. They are acquired by turning in » When you Push Your Luck, you may
strictions: you can only Push once per
extra successes for Lucky Strikes. reroll ones from the original roll. Sub-
Action and you cannot Push a Protec-
Each player may only ever have a sequent Duds do count though!
tion roll (see below).
maximum of two (2) Lucky Strikes as » Add two dice to your Action Dice
no one was ever that lucky in the war! if your Dice Pool has at least one die.
Like any generous squad-mate, you
» Re-roll a Damage Roll.
DUDS may agree to give a Lucky Strike to a
fellow PC in need, so long as you can » Change a minor Plot Point (ex: en-
vironmental effect, innocent bystand-
Rolling a ‘one’ is never a good thing. justify how your character is helping
to motivate or assist the lucky recipi- er, personal problem, lost possession)
In War Stories, this is called rolling
ent! - GM permission required.
a Dud. Duds are important only if a
player chooses to Push Their Luck. By contrast, FUBARs » Remove the Suppression Effect so
If a player rolls any ones and chooses (the often-used phrase you may act normally.
to not Push Their Luck, Duds have no which stood for Fouled » Roll one die when your dice pool
effect. However, Duds have two ef- (or some such) Up Be- drops to 0 or less due to negative mod-
fects that are triggered when a roll is yond All Recognition) are the GM’s ifiers -GM permission required.
Pushed. First, a Dud cannot normally version of Lucky Strikes. They are
be rerolled as part of the Push Your » GM only: Push an NPC test.
used against the players whenever
Luck roll. They should be left alone least convenient by your wily GM! » GM only: Impose a narratively ap-
and in sight, though, as they are ac- That said, it should be stated plainly propriate Condition (without END
tivated after the pushed roll is com- for those overeager GMs out there: loss) onto an Attribute. Only one
pleted. Second, if any Duds are rolled, remember you do not need to actively Condition, per PC, may be imposed
either in the original roll or the pushed try to harm or kill your PCs! The sys- at a time.
roll, one FUBAR point is generated tem will take care of that on its own. » GM only: Random Bad Luck Event:
(see below)! Because of this, players
FUBARs are acquired by the GM The cost for this may vary from 1 to
must think carefully about Pushing
whenever players roll Duds after 3 FUBARs. The higher the cost, the
Their Luck as it can allow the GM the
Pushing Their Luck as detailed above. more unlucky the event. These might
chance to make life difficult when it’s
Whenever this happens, your GM will include anything from an unexpected
most inconvenient!
hand you a FUBAR token to place enemy appearing to friendly fire tar-
alongside your Lucky Strikes near geting the players or an artillery bar-
your character sheet. This means the rage landing close enough to affect
GM will be able to use this specific the PCs.
FUBAR to impact the player who When using a Lucky Strike or a
generated it! There is a limit of two FUBAR, no reroll can be re-rolled
(2) FUBAR that can be given to each again. For example, you can’t spend
player at any given time. Once a player a Lucky Strike to force the GM to re-
has less than two, the GM may once roll a Damage result after they’ve used
again assign them a FUBAR (even in a FUBAR for the same purpose. You
the same session). Additional FUBAR CAN use two Lucky Strikes on one roll
Dice Set: 8 d6 and 1 d10 generated by a player who has their
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though.
As an example, you might add two dice
to your pool with a Lucky Strike, and
MODIFIERS If, after modifiers, your Dice Pool
drops to 0, this is normally an indica-
tion of a task that is simply beyond
Circumstances will frequently make
then choose to Push Your Luck with your ability at the moment. If the GM
some actions harder or easier to
those results, Duds included, with a permits, however, you may spend
second Lucky Strike. achieve. These often are a result of
a Lucky Strike to roll one die in the
the inherent difficulty of the task, help
You cannot, however, retroactively hopes of a Success you can chalk up
from others, or Specializations the
decide to use one once the opportu- to pure luck!
character possesses. The Modifiers
nity has passed and the next dice have come in the form of extra dice when
been cast. tasks are made easier or removed dice
when they are made more difficult.
These will be shown as a +1 or higher
for positive modifiers or -1 or more for
ADJUSTMENTS
GROUP TESTS negative ones. When both modifiers
apply, they are cumulative, meaning
At times, Adjustments to die results
are called for. This means adding or
subtracting a value from the result of
If a group of characters must make a all are taken into consideration.
collective roll, one roll carried out by a roll. It is different from Modifying
If a player is called to roll dice, there a test which is adding or subtracting
the most or least suitable character
is an assumption that whatever they dice to a pool. This is most often done
is done instead. For actions like In- are attempting to do is by default a for a d10 Damage roll, though there
filtrating, the least suitable character difficult endeavor. If it was easy, the are other occasions when an Adjust-
is used. For actions like Perception, GM should not even call for a die roll. ment may be required.
the best character may make the test. However, there are circumstances
The other characters may assist (see when the dice should roll and a GM
below) as appropriate, but only one must judge if an action is somewhat
roll is allowed. Failure here counts
as a failure for all. Extra Successes
generated by group tests award Lucky
easier or harder than the average
task. In this case, a positive or neg-
ative modifier may be applied. To
HELP FROM A FRIEND
Whenever a PC receives help from a
Strikes to be distributed among the help judge these circumstances, here fellow PC or even an NPC, they may
participating characters by the player are examples of potential situations. receive a +1 modifier. The helping
who rolled. Each would apply a +1 or -1 modifier character must be present and the
as needed. Note that multiple situa- limit to how many might help is adju-
tions may apply and the modifiers they dicated by the GM up to a maximum
generate would be cumulative. of three. In combat, the type of action
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THE SKILLS
Compass
shells into cannons and other similar
heavy weapons, including tank guns.
This section describes the Skills available in War Stories. Failure: You are unable to hit your
target accurately or load the weapon
Strength Agility Intelligence Empathy
on time.
Calisthenics Infiltrate Insight Command
Success: You succeed at hitting your
Close Combat Nimble Perception Guts
target or loading your weapon.
Heavy Weapons Operate Survival Medical Aid
Extra Successes: Each extra suc-
Stamina Ranged Combat Tech Persuasion cess allows you to choose from the
following:
» You may achieve extra damage (+1
CALISTHENICS (STR) CLOSE COMBAT (STR) to the Damage Roll).
» Draw an additional Initiative card
This is used for all tests involving phys- This skill reflects close combat train-
and choose one during the next
ical strength like lifting heavy objects, ing and ability. It is used when fighting
pushing large loads, lifting beyond your Round.
in close quarters whether armed or
Encumbrance limit for a brief period not. Normally, you must be within 1m » While loading a weapon, gain a +1
(Encumbrance is further detailed in of your target to attack them using to your next loading test in the same
the core rulebook), and strength-based Close Combat. scene.
movements like climbing and jumping.
Failure: You fail to connect! Better » You push back your opponent for
It is also used to throw grenades. This
is only rolled when these actions would luck next time. 1 meter for each extra success spent.
be obstructed by a significant obstacle Success: You land a blow. Inflict » You knock your opponent Prone.
or an impeding opponent. weapon or unarmed damage (see the » Increase the Blast Radius by two
Failure: The exertion is just too much. Gear section) on your opponent. meters.
You are unable to get it done. You missed Extra Successes: Each extra suc-
with your grenade. cess allows you to choose from the
Success: You’re able to power your way
through the challenge. You land the gre-
following: STAMINA (STR)
» +1 to the Damage Roll to determine
nade on target. This Skill represents the endurance
the number of Damage points inflicted.
training of your PC. It is used when-
Extra Successes: Each extra success
» Draw an additional Initiative card and ever your character is challenged with
allows you to choose from the following:
choose one during the next Round. physical stress. It is also used to com-
» You’re able to succeed with impres- bat Fatigue tests (as detailed in the
» You disarm your opponent.
sive results. core rulebook).
» You push back your opponent for 1
» You might even manage to hurt an Failure: You succumb to the strain.
meter for each extra success spent.
opponent in the process. You must stop what you’re doing and
» You knock your opponent Prone.
» Draw an additional Initiative card and take a break.
choose one during the next Round. » You successfully Grapple an opponent.
Success: You keep grinding through
» Increase the grenade’s damage (+1 to the hardship until the GM calls for an-
the Damage Roll). other test.
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Extra Successes: Each extra suc-
cess allows you to choose from the
NIMBLE (AGL) Success: You manage to succeed in
your efforts, maneuvering the vehicle
following: This is used for moving in a way re- properly.
quiring agility rather than strength.
» Help an ally with a similar chal- Extra Successes: Each extra suc-
This represents your ability to avoid
lenge you can physically assist. That cess allows you to choose from the
harm. This also includes balancing,
character succeeds without rolling following:
dropping down from a height, or even
the dice. A single success can similar- » You’re able to succeed with impres-
dancing! In the core rulebook, evad-
ly be passed to an Ally allowing them
ing Suppressive rounds while mov- sive results.
to succeed while you sacrifice your
ing through a Field of Fire also uses » You might even manage to hurt an
success.
Nimble. opponent in the process.
» Each extra success represents
Failure: You do not succeed at avoid- » You may provide a Bonus die to one
one less round you must test Fatigue
ing trouble. You will likely suffer Dam- gunner who fires this Round after your
(a part of the game not used in this
age or will be unbalanced and possibly action.
Quickstart Guide).
fall.
Success: You avoid the dangerous sit-
INFILTRATE (AGL)
uation, preventing harm. You succeed
in your efforts, avoiding stepping on
RANGED COMBAT
Use this Skill when you attempt to your partner’s feet! (AGL)
remain unnoticed. This roll may be Extra Successes: Each extra success This covers training in any personal
modified for visibility, movement, and allows you to: ranged combat weapon. It is most
other factors a GM may consider ben- commonly used in firefights and so
eficial or detrimental. In an Opposed » Provide one of your successes to
is quite common in War Stories. It
Test between Infiltrate and Perception an Ally (if it makes narrative sense as
includes weapons in the following cat-
that occurs outside of combat rounds determined by the GM) so they may
egories: Pistols, Rifles, Submachine
(where no player is taking a Turn as benefit and not need to roll for the
Guns, and Assault Rifles. This is also
the active PC), Perception success- same kind of test on the same round.
used whenever a challenging reload
es must beat Infiltration successes to This may even be sacrificed by you,
operation is required by the GM.
spot the hidden character. should you wish to “take the bullet”
for them. Unskilled: Without this Skill, a GM
Failure: You are seen or heard and may rule you cannot even attempt to
the consequences that follow are like- fire a weapon you have not previous-
ly not very good. ly handled. At best, you may receive
Success: You succeed in moving
OPERATE (AGL) negative modifiers to your Agility test.
stealthily and manage to remain un- This represents an ability to drive Failure: You missed your target or
seen and unheard. a wheeled or tracked light vehicle. failed to reload your weapon properly.
Driving heavier tracked vehicles (like
Extra Successes: Extra successes al- Success: You scored a hit against your
tanks) or even boats and airplanes,
low you to choose from the following: target. Make a Damage Roll against
requires a Specialization of the skill
» Each extra success rewards the PC to operate. It is used whenever a chal- the target(s).
with a +1 die bonus to any attack test lenging maneuver is attempted or an Extra Successes: Each extra suc-
that benefits from being hidden by this unfamiliar version of a vehicle is driv- cess allows you to choose from the
action. en. This is also used when the driver is following:
» Help an ally with a similar chal- involved in vehicular combat.
» +1 to the Damage Roll to determine
lenge. That character succeeds with- Unskilled: Without this Skill, a GM the number of Damage points inflict-
out rolling the dice. A single success may rule you cannot even attempt to ed.
can similarly be passed to an Ally drive something of any complexity if
» Draw an additional Initiative card
allowing them to succeed while you your PC has not been exposed to it. At
and choose one during the next
sacrifice your success. best, you may receive negative modi-
Round.
fiers to your Agility test.
» You push back your opponent for
Failure: You are unable to complete
1 meter for each extra success spent.
the maneuver or position the vehicle
properly. » You knock your opponent Prone.
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TECH (INT) COMMAND (EMP) » Provide more bonus dice for one or
more individuals in the same Zone. Each
Whenever a character must use or repair This is used by those in charge or by any- success provides one bonus die to one
complex equipment or Gear, this Skill one hoping to convey orders or direct individual.
is used. Often, the proper tools must be the actions and morale of other charac-
» Your orders create an unanticipated
on hand for the test to be attempted. ters. It is most often used by officers and
benefit beyond what was initially ex-
This should only be rolled when a task NCOs but may also be used by anyone
pected. Your GM will let you know if
is particularly difficult or when using hoping to make decisive, authoritative
this is possible and what that benefit
equipment the character is unfamiliar decisions or directives. This Skill is also
might be.
with. The time required to successfully used to Rally soldiers who are suffering
operate or repair Gear varies consider- Conditions or to Inspire them, remov-
ably and should be determined by the ing the Suppression Effect. Multiple
GM. As a guideline, use a d6 where each soldiers in your Zone may be targeted. GUTS (EMP)
value rolled represents Rounds, hours, Additionally, this skill may be used to
This is used when your character is under
or days as appropriate to the narrative. coordinate your squad by Commanding
fire or is otherwise affected by any kind
Additionally, this skill is used if you op- them: by succeeding in a Command test
of situation requiring a Guts test. It is of-
erate Heavy Weapons involving Field and spending a Slow Action, you may
ten called upon after a character is hit
Artillery or Heavy Guns on tanks and provide allies within earshot with your
in combat to avoid Suppression. Finally,
other turreted weapons. successes as bonuses if your orders or
this skill is used to try to remove Con-
advice can assist their actions. Each of
Unskilled: Without this Skill, a GM may ditions on yourself with a Rally Action.
your successes translates to a bonus
rule you cannot even attempt to operate,
die for an ally performing the action Failure: You will become Suppressed
build, or repair complex Gear if your PC
ordered. or suffer Endurance loss and imposed
has not been exposed to it. At best, you
Conditions if using the rules on Stress
may receive negative modifiers to your Failure: Your orders are misunderstood
found in the core rulebook.
Intelligence test. or your decisions on the battlefield are
ineffective or dangerous. You fail to Ral-
Failure: You are unable to effectively
ly or Inspire. Your Commands provide
use the equipment and fail in your ef-
no help.
forts to accomplish your task. If firing
artillery, you miss your target. Success: Your orders are implemented
successfully or your decisions benefit
Success: You manage to work out the
those involved. You are able to Ral-
challenge and succeed at your task. If
ly those suffering from Conditions or
firing artillery, you achieve a Hit on your
Inspire those who are Suppressed
target.
(removing the Effect). If your
Extra Successes: Extra successes al- Commands assist those with-
low you to choose from the following: in earshot, they may add a
» You manage to improve the desired bonus die to their tests for
outcome of what you were doing. With each of your Command
GM approval, this may provide an addi- successes, so long as
tional Gear bonus of +1 die to the item they are following your
being used. orders.
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Success: Each success passes a Stress
test, Suppression test, or social Persua-
PERSUASION (EMP) ter’s Perception, Command, or Guts,
depending on the circumstances. You
sion test (these are covered in the core This is used to manipulate others to remove the Condition targeted.
rulebook as well). If a Rally test is suc- do what you want them to do. This
Extra Successes: Achieving extra
cessful, you remove a Condition. might be achieved by coercive mea-
successes may allow you to:
sures or by sweet-talking your way
Extra Successes: Each extra success
into getting what you want. It may also » Have the target character go even
allows you to:
be used to remove Conditions with a further toward pleasing your PC.
» Remove one additional (equal or low- Rally Action. » Sow doubt in the mind of the tar-
er level) Condition on yourself only.
Failure: You do not convince the get character causing them to suffer a
character to agree with you or to do Stress test. Depending on the circum-
what you wanted them to do. You do stances, this may cause one Damage
MEDICAL AID (EMP) not remove a Condition. point per success at the GM’s discre-
tion.
This is used to restore Endurance and Success: You manage to persuade the
remove Conditions (with First Aid ac- character to act in a way that aligns » Remove one additional (equal or low-
tions), attempt Rally actions, perform with your intent. Note that this Skill er level) Condition per extra success.
surgeries, and even treat the mentally is often opposed by the target charac-
ill if needed. This is also used to diag-
nose all manner of medical problems.
This skill requires a number of Actions
(see Healing below). The test for suc-
cess should be made before the actions
begin as extra successes may reduce the
time required.
Untrained: While attempting the First
Aid action, your character may only ever
heal one Condition or END.
Failure: You fail to heal the Damage or
treat the individual properly.
Success: You can provide the care and
treatment needed to improve the health
of the patient. The number of successes
determines the number of Conditions or
END healed. Each success removes one
Condition or restores one Endurance
Point. Healing is further described in the
section on Damage.
Extra Successes: Each extra success
allows you to choose from the following:
SPECIALIZATIONS
» Additional Conditions or Endurance
may be healed.
» Reduce by one the number of Actions
required to Heal Conditions and Endur-
ance, to a minimum of one.
The Core Rulebook provides a large number of Specializations. These further
customize your character and give them added advantages. The pre-generated
characters provided in this Quickstart detail all you need to know to use the
Specializations assigned to them.
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COMBAT
War Stories is at heart an RPG featuring the fierce and brutal combat of the
Second World War. It is likely quite inevitable the characters will engage with
the enemy on more than one occasion in a given session of play. This section
details the rules of Combat, while the way Damage is recorded is covered in the
following section. The rules are meant to be intuitive and a general abstraction
of real life. This way, once the bullets start to fly, you will be able to tell your story
with very little intruding on the immersive action that unfolds.
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Note that there are means by which the Initiative may be altered. These include the
use of Talents as well as spending Extra Successes after certain skill tests. Delaying
your Initiative order is also possible should you wish to act later in the Round. Re-
DELAY
You may choose to delay your Initia-
actions and Overwatch are special considerations that also interrupt the Initiative
tive to act during or before another
Order, and are discussed below.
Initiative card’s timing. This is most
often done to coordinate with an ally
who is acting later in the Round. You
FIRST AID
are the kinds of things you can do:
» Slow Aim
» Social Interaction
» Use Item AIMING
There are two ways you can aim: Fast or
Slow. Fast Aim requires a Fast Action and
FAST ACTIONS
provides a +1 modifier. Slow Aim requires a
Slow Action and provides a +2 modifier. As
shooting is itself a Slow Action, Slow Aiming
» Aim requires you to shoot your target on the next
round. Aiming bonuses can stack provided
» Draw Weapon
they occur consecutively and without any
» First Aid kind of interruption as determined by the GM
(generally, being hit, failing a Guts test, mov-
» Focused Strike
ing, etc.). Aiming bonuses may only provide
» Go on Overwatch a maximum of 3 dice, using a combination of
Slow and Fast Actions. Aiming is only possi-
» Go Prone/Stand Up
ble when firing a single shot. You cannot Aim
» Move 10m (and possibly Sprint) while using Suppression, Rapid Fire, Burst,
or Full Auto modes.
» Operate a Vehicle
» Reload (a magazine or clip)
» Use an Item
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COMBAT
Focused Strike is similar to Aiming
down, while barbed wire may require a
but applied to Close Combat attacks.
Stamina test to avoid being Damaged.
Importantly, only one Focused Strike
BASIC
Swimming and climbing will also slow
action can be taken. It counts as a Fast movement to a rate of half-speed or less.
Action and grants a +1 modifier to the Fatigue tests, something covered in the
CONCEPTS
Close Combat attack, so long as the core rulebook, may be required by the
Close Combat Action immediately fol- GM for strenuous activity.
lows the Focused Strike during the
same Round. While Combat in War Stories is largely
composed of Ranged Attacks and Close
Combat melees, an understanding of
movement, range, and other circum-
MOVEMENT
Overwatch while leaving your Slow
Action unused. This means you will
be able to keep watch over a chosen
Once combat begins, it is helpful to
area of the Zone you are in as well as
know the locations of the individuals
the Zones your weapon has range to.
involved. For this reason, a rough
You may use your Slow Action during
sketch of the battlefield is advis-
an enemy Turn to act before they do,
able.
for instance, with a Ranged Attack of
your own. When you move your charac-
ter using a Fast Action, you
Your Overwatch mode remains in may move them 10 meters
place until any of the following oc- per action. You may spend
cur, after which you are no longer on a Slow Action to move up
Overwatch: to 20m. Moving the full
» You Move or take another Action. 20m distance is meant
to simulate a quickened
» You are Hit. pace. If you spend both
» You are engaged in Close Combat. your Fast and Slow Actions
moving, you are assumed to
» You fail a Guts test.
be running up to 30 meters. You
» You use your Overwatch’s Slow may choose to Sprint after a Fast
Action. Action move or after a Slow Action
move. A Sprint is done by making
a Calisthenics test (or
alternatively a Nimble
test if your GM agrees)
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OBSTRUCTIONS
ZONES While Visibility covers the natural conditions that impair an attack, Obstructions
are objects that intervene between the attacker and the target. This may include
In addition to the concrete distance trees, bushes, walls, and even other individuals. This will include the Cover the
representations necessary for move- target benefits from but doesn’t necessarily stop there. Obstructions include
ment and weapon ranges, War Sto- any element that makes a target more difficult to hit directly. It is important to
ries also implements a more situa- note that some Obstructions are better at doing this than others. Light Cover
tional measurement called a Zone. will often not mean anything to a shooter who may choose to shoot through it,
This ambiguous area varies in size and so affords little to no Obstruction penalty (-1 die perhaps). Heavy Cover, on
from a small room in a country cot- the other hand, might cause a shooter to try and shoot around the obstruction.
tage to a large town square in a busy This may impose anywhere from a -1 to a -3 dice (or even greater!) penalty on
city. The size is ultimately determined the shooter. This works in conjunction with Cover to provide the target with
by the GM and is dependent on the considerable protection.
needs of the narrative as events occur
in this vicinity.
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COMBAT
While you are pinning your opponent,
be converted into the following: you must spend a Fast Action main-
» Bonuses to the Damage roll. taining your hold. You may spend a
Close Combat covers all kinds of hand- Slow Action attempting to attack your
» Gain a second Initiative card on the
to-hand fighting, including both armed opponent, who cannot defend. You
next Round, discarding one.
and unarmed combatants. When you may release your Grapple as a Free
want to strike your enemy in a Close » Gain a Lucky Strike. Action.
Combat attack, you must be within
Grappling likely involves both charac-
Engaged Range and have a Slow Ac-
ters being Prone, though this is up to
DISENGAGING
your target and inflict Damage, after age have been inflicted. The target
Armor considerations, as described may be able to reduce this through
in the Damage section below. Protection saves (see below). If three
If you have an active enemy at En-
or more (3+) points of Damage are
gaged range, you must make a Nimble
scored all at once, a Critical Injury is
test to move away to outside Engaged
achieved. These terrible wounds are
REACTIONS
range from them. The distance you
detailed in the core book.
move depends on the type of Action
you use. If you fail, you still move but
Reactions enable a target of an attack
your enemy gets a free Close Combat
TACKLING AND
to use a Fast Action as a response.
attack against you. The free attack
These rules are detailed in the core
doesn’t count toward their actions in
GRAPPLING
book.
the Round. Characters may only make
this type of free Close Combat attack
Tackling and Grappling are special once per round.
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OF FIRE
Semi-Automatic weapons may opt to You must state prior to rolling if you
use Rapid Fire mode. Choosing this are targeting one target or multiple
Mode of Fire will use up 3 rounds of targets. If targeting multiple enemies,
Owing to the great variety of firearms ammo. Your target(s) must be an- they must all be within the same Zone
used during the Second World War, nounced before the dice roll, so you and roughly adjacent to each other.
various options exist in the operation need to commit to firing ahead of time. The GM will let you know how many
of many commonly available weapons You cannot target more individuals can be targeted. Multiple hits achieved
of the 1940s. These Modes of Fire are than the number of bullets being used. may be distributed among the eligi-
detailed below: If you score multiple hits, you may dis- ble, declared targets so long as no
tribute extra successes among the tar- individual would have been harder to
SINGLE-SHOT gets you nominated. This Mode of Fire hit than the first primary target. Mod-
provides you with an extra +1 Gear die ifiers should therefore be applied to
at the expense of the bullets used. To the most difficult target (for example,
Many weapons, like the ubiquitous Bolt
facilitate this series of shots, you will a running target within a shadowy al-
Action rifles, simply fire one round per
only need to roll once, applying mod- leyway versus a stationary target in
Ranged Attack, and must then reload.
ifiers against the hardest-to-hit target the sunlight).
Bolt Action rifles must spend a Free
for the single roll.
Action reloading each bullet, while a
Fast Action reloads an entire clip into Remember to keep track of your
the magazine. Other, more complex
weapons, like bazookas, may require
ammo for each attack! Once emptied
of ammo, a Fast action reloads a clip
(or bloc of ammo) into most weapons.
FULL AUTO
a Slow Action or a Full Round to re- Only Automatic weapons are per-
load. These details will be listed in each mitted to use Full Auto Mode. Rep-
weapon entry. resenting the firer holding the trigger
Importantly, the Single-Shot mode is
the only mode permitting Aiming and
Called Shots.
BURST FIRE down for the duration of the Round,
this mode uses the full ROF in ammo
of the weapon as listed. This requires
Burst Fire during the WW2 era is un-
Semi-Automatic Weapons may fire the use of both Fast and Slow Actions
derstood to mean the ability to fire
single shots as well. Of course, they and, thus cannot be combined with
an automatic weapon using a more
may also discharge more than one any other action (including moving).
conservative number of rounds by vir-
bullet each round as they are effi- Full Auto gains an extra +3 Gear Dice
tue of trigger discipline rather than
cient, self-loading firearms. Other at the expense of the extra bullets be-
any mechanical selector switch on
weapons may be fired with a trigger ing spent.
the weapon itself. Only Automatic
discipline that enables them to fire weapons are permitted to use Burst You must state prior to rolling if you
single shots. Fire Mode. This mode uses 1/10th are targeting one individual or mul-
the maximum ROF in ammo. Firing a tiple enemies. If targeting multiple
Burst counts as a Slow Action. A Burst enemies, they must all be within the
same Zone and roughly adjacent to
each other. Once again, the GM is the
final judge on how many may be tar-
geted. Multiple hits achieved may be
distributed among the eligible targets
so long as no individual would have
been harder to hit than the first prima-
ry target. Modifiers should therefore
be applied to the most difficult target.
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WHO GOT HIT? EXPLOSIONS GMs may of course feel free to adju-
dicate some circumstances that fall
outside the parameters of these rules.
After scoring multiple successes, you If you miss your attack with a weapon
As an example, if a grenade is thrown
will need to randomize which enemy that fires a heavy explosive (general-
into an otherwise enclosed area such
you hit (assign a value to each target ly grenades, rockets, or shells), the
as a bunker or a tank, there is very
and roll a die to see who was hit). Al- projectile will possibly deviate to an
little chance it does not affect those
ternatively, a generous GM can simply unintended location! You should roll
within such tight confines. The GM
allow the player the choice. a d6 to see what happened. Consult
may rightfully intercede here and dic-
the table below:
tate there is a greater chance to catch
MISSED EXPLOSIVE the enemy in the Blast than shown on
WEAPONS
During the Second World War, some
1 - Friendly Fire! If there are any
friendly characters nearby, the
blast falls near enough to them EXPLOSIVE BLASTS
weapons were more complex than to potentially harm them. Make a
Many of these weapons cause ex-
Damage roll with a -3 to the weap-
your basic firearm. When you wish plosive Blast damage. This type of
on’s normal Damage Adjustment.
to use a weapon that is found in the If there are no friendly characters, damage will feature a Blast Radius
Mortars or Tank Guns category of the consider this Off Target instead. measured in meters. Anyone caught
weapons list, you must use the Tech 2-5 - Off Target! The explosion within the range of this Radius may
Skill. Machine Guns, Flamethrowers, occurs but is otherwise ineffective. potentially be wounded. The shooter
and Rocket Launchers use the Heavy The GM determines what superfi- rolls a d10 Damage Die and adds any
Weapons skill. Similarly, grenades are cial effects happen as a result.
appropriate weapons adjustments as
different enough that the Calisthenics 6 - Enemy Caught in the Blast! well as any extra successes allotted to
skill is used to make attacks rather If there are enemy characters
the roll. Each target within the Blast
nearby (or the initial enemy group
than the Ranged Combat skill. Radius should have a d10 roll made
was spread out sufficiently in the
Select a target, ensure you have the judgment of the GM), they may against them (though a GM may opt to
proper ammunition loaded, then make take damage. Make a Damage roll roll one die for everyone if preferred).
with a -3 to the weapon’s normal
your skill roll. Generally, all applica- Within the Blast Radius, this Damage
Damage Adjustment. If there are
ble modifiers, as well as protection no enemy characters nearby, con- die receives the full Damage adjust-
considerations, apply as normal. Each sider this Off Target instead. ment listed under the weapon entry
success scores a hit just as Ranged due to the proximity to the explosion.
Combat Attacks do. If the target is inside an enclosed area
(like a room or a narrow trench), there
is an additional +1 adjustment to the
Damage die roll. Cover and Armor
saves may be used, but keep in mind
any AP value on the explosive before
making the armor save! These saves
are explained below.
If any characters are located up to
twice the distance of the Blast Radius
from the point of impact, the Damage
roll is made after applying a -3 to the
Damage Die adjustment listed. The
explosion can no longer harm charac-
ters beyond twice the distance of the
Blast Radius from the point of impact.
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AMMUNITION
Tracking the ammo used for a weap-
on that fires one round per action
is simple enough. Even when firing
a Semi-Automatic weapon, this re-
mains a relatively easy task as well.
If you shoot in Rapid Fire mode, you
will expend 3 rounds of ammo. Sim- When the bullets start flying it’s best to get behind some cover and get your
ply deduct each bullet fired and mark helmet on! These types of protection will afford the defender a ‘save’, that is, a
your character sheet accordingly. Ob- chance to negate Damage.
viously, you must have the number of
bullets you intend to fire loaded.
Automatic Weapons, though, use a COVER AND ARMOR PROTECTION
Rate of Fire (ROF) stat to determine Cover is anything that stands in the way of you and incoming attacks. Armor is
ammo spent when firing in Burst or anything worn by the target or the protection provided by an armored vehicle.
Full Auto modes. Luckily, it remains Collectively, these are called Protection.
quite simple to track ammo: the ROF
Cover saves are made immediately after the attack’s Damage has been rolled.
listed in the weapon entry provides
The defender rolls a pool of dice equal to the value of that Cover – the higher the
the approximate historical rate of fire
value the better the protection. Each success (a roll of a 6) reduces the amount
for that weapon in the roughly 6-sec-
of damage taken by 1. If it brings the total damage to 0, then the target takes no
ond duration of a game Round. Admit-
damage at all thanks to the Cover Protection.
tedly, some adjustments were made to
these figures to allow the ammunition Armor (most often the ubiquitous steel helmet) is treated differently. A player
to be more easily tracked, yet histori- only makes an Armor save if the location the armor is protecting is specifically
ans will find them rather close to the targeted with a Called Shot.
real thing!
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If the target is protected by both Cov-
er and Armor (during a Called Shot)
HEAVY PROTECTION the Germans peek out the windows,
however, they may be hit (see below for
Heavy Protection represents the ar- partial Cover).
you add the two totals together to
form their total Protection Save pool. mor you would find on a tank or pro- If the AP Rating of the weapon is equal
tection provided by a solid wall or to the Protection value being targeted,
door, or a concrete casemate. Heavy it may penetrate. In this case, the tar-
Protection is so tough that it cannot get will roll its full Protection pool to
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CALLED SHOTS
AND PROTECTION
If a target suffers a Called Shot (which
will hit a specific location as nominat-
ed by the attacker) to an area that is
exposed, Cover Protection may be by-
passed entirely. Only the personal Ar-
mor that protects the targeted location
will apply.
In the core book, Hit Locations are de-
termined when a Critical Hit is scored.
This adds a layer of nuance to Protec-
tion that is further detailed in the core
rulebook.
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DAMAGE
*Damage roll results higher than 12 Whenever a character suffers Dam-
inflict an added point of damage for age Points, they must deduct them
each increment higher than 12. For from their Endurance. The Endur-
AND
example, if after adjustments the d10 ance space on your character sheet
damage roll results in an astounding 15
can help you track your normal and
(3 higher than 12), this causes 6 points of
damage (3+3)! This will likely guarantee a
current Endurance. Once your Endur-
mortally wounded character or a severely ance drops to 0, you are Incapacitated
HEALING
damaged vehicle. (see below).
Damage suffered in War Stories is Taking Damage from any kind of
represented by a combination of phys- Ranged Attack will also require a Guts
ical and mental impairments that both test to avoid Suppression (see below).
TAKING
diminish a character’s Endurance
track and also inflict Conditions that
reduce their abilities.
DAMAGE
THE DAMAGE ROLL IMPOSING CONDITIONS
In addition to depleting their Endur- Physical Conditions may be further
When a target has been hit or other- ance, a character who suffers Dam- defined as Wounds for Strength-af-
wise wounded the extent of the Dam- age also suffers Conditions such that fecting Conditions and Weariness for
age must be determined. This is done they must distribute the number of Agility-affecting Conditions.
by making a Damage Roll with a d10 Damage points as negative modifiers Mental Conditions may be further de-
Damage Die. The higher the result, the to one or more of their Attributes. A fined as Fear for Intelligence-affect-
more deadly the Damage. This roll can player’s character sheet provides a ing Conditions and Morale for Empa-
be Adjusted in the following ways: small table to track these Conditions. thy-affecting Conditions.
» The weapon being used may have Conditions associated with Strength Each of these is recorded using a Con-
a Damage Bonus which is added to and Agility are referred to as Physical dition Track linked to the Attribute
the roll. Conditions while those affecting In- they negatively affect.
» Specializations can increase the telligence and Empathy are referred
to as Mental Conditions. The Conditions Tracker on each char-
Damage Adjustment.
acter sheet looks like this:
» Any successes over and above the
first can be traded for a +1 to the Dam- CONDITIONS TRACKER
age Roll per success, to be decided
before the Damage Die is rolled. Strength Agility Intelligence Empathy
Wounds Weariness Fear Morale
After Adjustment, refer to the chart
-3 Gashed Exhausted Terrified Hopeless
next:
-2 Cut Winded Panicked Disheartened
The first Condition that is affected is same Attribute (or if Conditions are
13+*: (4+ points of damage) * +1 determined by the GM. Care should be removed) tick marks can be erased
additional Damage Point for each taken to select an appropriate Condi- and moved up (or down) to show any
increment over 13! tion that matches the situation narra- changes over time.
10-12: Critical Hit! (3 points of tively. After this, any further Condi- If an Attribute is ranked at 2 or less,
damage). tions that impose a negative modifier only those Conditions totaling the
7-9: Moderate Hit (2 points of are chosen by the player affected. value of the Attribute may be ticked.
damage). When a Condition is applied, that bub- In this case, the highest level Con-
2-6: Minor Hit (1 point of damage). ble is ticked off to show the negative dition is not used. No Attribute may
modifier that must be applied to any
1 or less: Inconsequential Hit (No be modified below -3, the severest of
Damage). test using that Attribute. If addition- Conditions.
al Conditions are taken affecting the
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You can remove the Suppressed Ef- » Each Point of Damage suffered
fect by spending a Lucky Strike. It may beyond the first -1 die
also be removed by an allied character
within earshot who either attempts
to Inspire you and succeeds in their
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INCAPACITATED!
These skill tests are performed by friendly characters in
the same Zone or right beside your character (in the case
CRITICAL HIT
The core game provides a much grittier Damage system
that uses several Location-specific Critical Hit Tables. Suf-
fering 3 or more Damage points all at once will trigger these
Critical Injuries. Read more about this in the core rulebook!
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of Medical Aid) and can help you heal they are the target of a First Aid test ed between Damage-causing events.
more rapidly (within the same scene, (whether successful or not) to help Once a test is made, a new Rally action
for example). Rallying with Guts is remind the player of this restriction. can only be attempted after the next
done on your own, so long as you This mark may be removed once a time that character takes Damage,
are not Incapacitated. This is further character suffers new Damage (to including Conditions imposed with-
described in the Skills section and their END and/or Condition Track). out Endurance loss (by the use of a
below. GM FUBAR, for example). For this
Using First Aid to treat Damage re-
purpose, a ‘Rallied’ space should be
quires 1 Slow Action AND 1 Fast Ac-
ticked on the character sheet when
tion per END or Condition healed.
they are Rallied (whether successful
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SPECIFIC
This is the ammunition capacity of the
weapon. This may be in the form of a
clip (C), cylinder (Cy), box (B), drum
QUALITIES
FEATURES (D), magazine (M), or pan (P). Cer-
tain machine guns are Belt fed as well.
Most firearms can have one round
AP (Armor Penetrating): This weap-
on is designed to penetrate heavy ar-
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CONCLUSION
a Damage roll at -3. Beyond double the listed range the
weapon’s explosion is ineffective.
Extended Range: This weapon’s Extreme Range is dou-
bled. This is quadruple the Long Range.
These are the base rules of War Stories. With them and
Jab: This weapon may target the Head without a Called the pregenerated characters provided, you will be able to
Shot modifier. run the included scenario, Cut the Lines. We hope you
Limited Range: This weapon does not have an Extreme enjoy this taste of the game! You might be wondering what
the core rulebook contains that these Quickstart rules do
Range.
not. Read on!
Platform: Platform weapons require a stable firing posi-
The main rulebook includes a wealth of additional infor-
tion. This is most often a bipod, tripod, or dedicated weap-
mation and tools. Character Creation rules allow you and
on mount. Each weapon will specify the kind of platform
your friends to make your own customized PCs, providing
needed for ideal operation. A weapon requiring a bipod will
an assortment of additional Specializations and allowing the
suffer a -2 penalty without it. One requiring a tripod will suf-
flexibility to make any kind of personality you can dream
fer a -5 penalty without it. Those requiring more substantial
up! The innovative use of Background Characters helps
stability cannot be used without their dedicated platform.
flesh out the larger company that might surround the PCs.
Reliable: The GM requires 2 FUBAR to have this weapon
The core book’s Damage system includes vicious Critical In-
suffer a simple Mishap. Mishaps are fully covered in the
juries and precise Hit Locations. Combined, these introduce
core rulebook.
the possibility of grave wounds and deadly encounters that
Semi-Automatic: This weapon may be fired without need- make the combat experience both exhilarating and lethal.
ing to reload manually. As such, it may be used to fire re-
Stress and Fatigue rules provide a GM tools to truly bring
peatedly.
the difficulties of war to the narrative. Using the corebook,
Single Shot: This weapon fires one round which must be the characters can tactically use Suppression to create
replaced by some manual action. It may represent Bolt Fields of Fire to better control the combat zone.
Action rifles, rocket launchers, or some shotguns. The
An arsenal of additional weapons and gear have been
Bolt Action, for example, has a lever-action
researched and provided so your characters (and their
mechanism for reloading between each shot
enemies) are kitted out precisely as you intend. Ve-
fired, requiring a Free Action to complete. A
hicle rules broaden the scope of your narratives,
Fast Action will reload the entire magazine.
while an extensive Campaign system provides
Team or Crew: This weapon requires the guidance for the GM to run long storylines
number of additional crew listed in order deep into the history of the war.
to operate properly. Often these individ- Massive battle scenes can be played out
uals assist in loading the weapon. If the using the Campaign battle rules. These
shooter acts first in Initiative order, they implement an innovative dice
may wish to Delay their Initiative to act af- mechanic similar to the same
ter the loader has loaded the weapon. Should basic Year Zero Engine that
these crew members be absent, it is up to the drives the whole of War Sto-
GM to impose penalties on the weapon’s op- ries! Advice is provided for using
eration or declare it to be unusable. A recom- miniatures in your games.
mended -1 die penalty per absent crewman is
suggested. Moreover, loading is slowed as well. There’s even a series of optional
The Rate of Fire is halved if up to half the crew is rules detailing anything from diseases
unavailable and halved again if even more crew and permanent injuries to rules for more
coordinated squad-level leadership. And there’s
are out of action.
another introductory level scenario too!
Terrifying: The use of this weapon immediately
In short, the core book provides precisely what
imposes a Stress test when it is first fired into
you need to become fully immersed in a rich,
your Zone or an adjacent Zone, regardless of
historical WW2 RPG experience.
success. The number of Auto-Hits imposed
equals the value of X in the Quality. Stress
and Auto-Hits are fully explained in the
core rulebook.
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CUT MISSION
BRIEFING
THE TOWN
ON FIRE
THE June 6th, 1944. US Paratroopers of
the 101st and 82nd have dropped into
The PCs have come upon a Norman
town in chaos. Some of its buildings
LINES
the flooded fields of Normandy in are on fire, likely a result of burning
scattered groups, sticks adrift in the debris from a C-47 Skytrain that ex-
wind. The early hours of the invasion ploded in the air above or perhaps the
would require these men, often from recent bomber airstrikes. The char-
What follows is a brief introductory different units, to come together into a acters have surreptitiously worked
scenario allowing players to try out cohesive fighting force capable of car- their way forward and are presently
these abbreviated rules. It is charac- rying out their missions of capture or hidden behind some buildings that
terized as a one-shot, likely taking disruption. Your under-strength squad border the center of the town. Nearby,
from 2 to 3 hours or more to complete is one such group. Part of the 502nd two or three structures are engulfed
depending on the group. If you plan PIR of the 101st Airborne, you’ve been in flames.
on playing this mission as a PC, do tasked with securing the roadways to From their vantage, they can see a
NOT read any further as it will spoil the beaches and capturing strategic group of German soldiers (numbering
the surprise and the fun. The scenario towns at key points. The trouble is,
two more than the PCs) in the village
is meant to be read solely by the GM you and your squadmates are not quite center, an open space dominated by a
who will run it. sure if the burning village before you is large church. Its tall spire rises above
among your objectives. And even if it the shorter buildings, illuminated by
is, there’s only a handful of you.
After all that, we were right the fires. The Germans are heatedly
there, just outside the post office
ordering villagers to douse the flames.
where the phone line hooked up.
We had to cut the line and re-
The French are maneuvering a heavy
cover any intel kept inside, but hose attached to a water pump at the
the jig was up, and the Jerries edge of the circle. The fire continues
knew we were here. Getting shot to engulf a two-story building and two
in a frontal assault looked like a
smaller structures beside it.
real possibility at that moment,
and I wasn’t too jazzed about PCs may or may not know the village
that at all. is the small hamlet of Houesville (pro-
Sarge called out. He wanted us nounced ‘wee-veel’), a strategically
flanking the sides right after located settlement near Carentan.
lobbing grenades. It almost went
If there is a PC among them who is
down according to plan. Almost.
a local (such as the pre-generated
The explosions covered our ad- Partisan), this is certainly known.
vance, but when we reached the
Otherwise, they will have to find out.
side of the building, we finally
had vantage to the rear. A large In either case, the logical course of
grove of trees climbed a slope to action is to approach closer or per-
surround an old, stately chateau haps reconnoiter the perimeter of
silhouetted atop the ridgeline. the buildings in an effort to find more
Vehicle lights from behind the
Allied paratroopers before launching
trees pierced the dark and
smoky horizon. an assault.
German reinforcements were However the PCs decide to proceed,
emerging from the grove. They their position (wherever they choose
charged in our direction. to go) will gain sight of a detachment
of Germans (4 in total) who are set-
ting up an MG42 in a position behind
a stone wall amid the local graveyard
beside the church. The machine gun is
facing the northern edge of the town,
opposite the PC’s current southwest-
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ern position. Just then, an officer be- German Tactics: The soldiers will After two or three rounds of combat,
gins to yell out orders, and the Ger- turn and face the PCs, immediately other German soldiers can be seen
man soldiers run to take up defensive seeking the cover of a few wrought emerging from the dark alleys and
positions, disregarding their earlier iron benches they’ll overturn (Heavy streets ahead, retreating in the face
fire-fighting efforts. The Germans Cover 2). They will lob grenades if of an Allied advance. American para-
seem to be readying for an assault they are in range, but will otherwise troopers are glimpsed amid the build-
from the north. aim and fire from their positions. ings to the north, pushing forward
While the MG42 will remain facing toward the church and the fire.
The PCs may decide to advance onto
the greater threat to the north, two
the rear of the enemy position or hold By the third or fourth round of com-
or three members of the machine gun
back. Either way, gunfire erupts in mo- bat, the German squad the PCs are fac-
squad may turn toward the PCs and
ments as the MG42 buzz-saws toward ing begins to retreat. They will aban-
fire in their direction.
unseen targets up the street, toward don their MG42 and move eastward
the edge of town. Return fire can be through the streets behind the church.
heard from what could only be Allied
troops moving into the village. OPTIONAL Just then, an American officer and his
contingent of men will break through
The PCs will likely wish to silence
the machine gun crew and attack the ENCOUNTER: to make contact with the PCs.
Major Benjamin Cole is leading vari-
Germans from their flank. They will
need to succeed in a group Infiltrate THE RESCUE! ous squads he’s been able to piece to-
gether from the straggling paratroop-
test here, using the lowest Infiltrate During the firefight, the PCs may ers he’s encountered. His force now
skill of the group. That said, there is be distracted by a mother crying numbers nearly 50 men. He should
for help as her child is trapped in
no Opposed roll as the Germans are a be portrayed as a capable leader pos-
one of the burning buildings. She
bit busy. The chaos of the imminent will be pointing frantically at the sessing a commanding presence. He
battle and the distraction of the near- building where her child is located, gives the PCs immediate orders that
by fire grant +2 Bonus dice to the test. and PCs can either attempt to will supersede any other goals they
communicate with her (requiring may have at the moment.
If the test fails, the German officer knowledge of French), or can hear
spots the PCs before they can act, the voice of a small child calling Addressing the highest-ranking PC, he
and so no surprise is achieved. If they for their ‘mammon’. An Insight shouts above the gunfire, “Sergeant
succeed, the PCs will be granted a test will discern precisely what the [or another appropriate rank], you and
mother is communicating.
free Slow Action before Initiatives your men have new orders so listen
are dealt. A PC may decide to help here, re- carefully!”
quiring them to pass a Nimble test
During the ensuing combat, don’t for- in order to avoid taking Damage He unfolds a map and consults it in
get to modify tests appropriately for from the flames. Two successful the light of the fire. “The telegraph and
range and obstructions. Illumination tests (each taking one Round) will telephone lines are hooked to the post
be required to retrieve the small
will not be an issue with the fire raging office just down that way.” He points
boy: one to reach the boy, the
near the action. The enemy squad is other to get out. Failing any of the way southeast with a firm hand
equipped as detailed below. them will allow the GM to ‘attack’ signal indicating a gravel road leading
the PC with 6 dice if it’s on the way out of the town center. “You need to
The machine gun emplacement will in, and 10 dice if it’s on the way cut those wires and retrieve any useful
not protect the Germans as the PCs out, inflicting a point of Damage
intel from inside the building, TNT!”
are approaching from behind. If the for each success! These ‘attacks’
players are smart, they’ll peek out cannot be Pushed. Moreover, fail- Just then, the crack of a rifle gives
ing a Nimble test requires the test
of the alley and use its wall to shield away the location of a German sniper
be attempted again!
themselves; they’ll have decent cover atop the church steeple.
(Heavy 3) if they do, though only two If no one helps, the structure will
“Rogers! Secure that church! I’m right
collapse in four Rounds, and the
can do so at a time. The PCs may even behind you!” orders Cole. Turning to the
boy will likely perish. If a PC is still
decide to enter the nearby buildings to inside when it collapses, they will
PCs, he says, “You’ll have to go it alone.
gain a better vantage while remaining I’ll send another squad to back you up
suffer a GM-rolled ‘attack’ of 12
when I can spare them. Go!”
in cover. dice! Luckily, they can make an
Opposed test using their Nimble Cole quickly follows Rogers toward
skill to attempt to cancel any of
the church entrance.
the GM’s successes.
The PCs have their orders!
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THE
WOUNDED
MAN
The PCs should make their way along the
gravel road lined with small, brick-laid
storefronts. The moon and the receding
fire illuminate their way. Gunfire from the
village center signals the battle continues
behind them. The breeze surrounds the
PCs with the smell of ash and smoke.
Just as they approach the approximate
location of the post office, they encoun-
ter a French woman, pleading for help
in very broken English. Her husband is
lying beside her, bleeding from a gun-
shot wound to his left arm. These are
Margaret and Sebastian Vernier, local
dairy farmers. The GM is encouraged to
be flexible on the couple’s position as
PCs may decide to approach the Post
Office from different routes. Ultimately,
they should be located within earshot of
the objective building.
If the PCs do not stop to help, the wom-
an will curse at them in French, angry
enough to yell rather loudly. This will
alert the soldiers in the Post Office, spoil-
ing any chance at surprise the PCs may
have benefitted from.
If they do help, they will learn that Sebas-
tian was wounded by a German soldier
after he had emerged from their nearby
farm with a rifle, ready to help the Allies.
Margaret explains that when her hus-
band realized the expected invasion had
finally arrived, he felt it was his patriotic
duty to assist.
Medical Aid will need to be administered
here. Success will stop the bleeding and
morphine will help with the pain. The
couple will be grateful enough to pro-
vide helpful information: the Post Of-
fice is within a building that is largely a
boulangerie (a bakery) owned by a local
family, the Baudelaires, who have been
collaborating with the German occupi-
ers. They are traitors to France in the
opinion of the Verniers.
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mans discovered his family’s bakery farther up the road. He will even say Germans have a Slow Action due to
and domicile housed the communi- that the German HQ is full of import- surprising the PCs, they will act as fol-
cations facility in Houesville, they ant documents (quite true) useful to lows: one German will rush down the
threatened him, his wife and children the Allied forces. He will personally hall and up the stairs to the window
should he fail to cooperate. In time, offer to lead them there, hoping to overlooking the street. He will posi-
the arrangement made the Baude- guide the PCs away from his home tion himself there as a sniper await-
laires’ lives a bit easier, if unpopular. or at the very least obey the Germans ing his fellow soldiers’ attack below.
Nevertheless, Phillip doesn’t like the and delay the PCs as was demanded A second German will open the office
Germans for what they did, especially of him. door at the side of the building and
as they threatened his family. He ulti- throw a grenade onto the street wher-
The PCs must decide what to do.
mately wishes his wife and two daugh- ever the PCs may be situated. A third
They may try and discern if Phillip is
ters to remain safe and unharmed. lying. This is done with a Perception German will break the small window
Presently, they are hiding upstairs in and prepare to fire from this position.
test (carried out by the player who
their small apartment. The positions at windows provide
suggests doubting Phillip), opposed
considerable Protection. Treat these
When he emerges from the Post Office by Phillip’s Persuasion test (he uses
as Heavy 3 with a -3 Obstruction pen-
door, hands in the air, he will lie to the 5 Action Dice). If the PCs roll more
alty. Remember, a Called Shot (to the
PCs in excellent English, saying the successes, they will suspect the lie.
head) will incur a -5 Ranged Attack
Germans have taken his family to their Even if they fail, they must still con-
penalty but will negate the Protection
headquarters in the Chateau situated sider their orders to cut the lines of
save.
communication. If the GM needs to
remind them, the actual cables can be As soon as the grenade goes off, ev-
seen by the PCs as they snake from a eryone should draw Initiative. If he’s
nearby post toward the wall and into able, the German at the side door will
the building’s side wall. quickly shut the door, barring it from
the inside. The rest fire at whichever
PCs that specifically say they are
PCs are in their sights.
checking the windows for movement
will not be surprised when the Ger- As stated above, some players may
mans attack, allowing them to draw express their vigilance at the building
Initiative cards and join in the first despite Phillip’s distraction. These
Round. Anyone paying attention PCs will force an Initiative draw early
or interacting with Phillip will and negate the free Slow Action for
need to succeed in a Perception the Germans.
test (at -2 dice due to being dis- Once the firefight begins, the PCs may
tracted). need to enter the building by way of
Should the players be duped the Bakery entrance. Either the lock
enough to decide to follow Phil- (Light Armor 1, HP 1) will need to be
lip, the GM can launch the German broken to get the door open, or the
attack immediately as a PC assault large window can also be easily shat-
on the Chateau is not detailed in this tered. A Tech test to pick the lock may
scenario! See the German Tactics de- also work here but might require an
tailed below. extra Round at the GM’s discretion.
The Germans will likely not find it
Meanwhile, Wagner will use the dis-
tactically wise to emerge from cover.
traction to stow the most sensitive
documents in the satchel and leave The ruthless sniper upstairs may opt
the building via the rear door, using to use the Baudelaires as hostages
the darkness and the trees to mask to be allowed to escape, especially if
his retreat. He will order the remain- he’s the last German active. He will try
ing German soldiers to ambush the and take the youngest daughter with
Americans while they are exposed in him to guarantee his safety. How the
the street or at least unaware of the PCs handle this is up to them. Try-
German’s preemptive attack. ing to shoot past a hostage would be
a Called Shot (-5 penalty!) at best.
German Tactics: Assuming the
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The use of a FUBAR here could result in a frightening graze
that wounds the child. PCs may also try to use Perception to
see how ruthless the German really is. Succeeding this will
reveal he doesn’t seem to have the stomach for actually go-
ing through with his threats. They may wish to bargain with
him using Persuasion as well. The German should provide an
opposed test using his own Guts roll (at -1 per threatening PC
perhaps). If the PCs gain more successes, the German gives up
the child and surrenders.
Wagner will get away unless the PCs quickly move to the rear
of the building, noticing the fleeing Hauptman and perhaps
giving chase through the grove of trees behind the bakery.
Wagner will flee using the cover of the trees rather than risk
the open road leading more directly to the manor. Should this
happen, provided they haven’t already surrendered, the rest
of the Germans will emerge from the Post Office and fight to
protect their leader.
The firefight within the oak trees will feature undulating terrain
with plenty of cover afforded to both groups. The familiarity
of the grove will allow Wagner the ability to escape from sight
within two Rounds and move toward the Chateau du Vivier
overlooking the hill in an effort to safeguard the papers and
call on reinforcements.
By the end of the combat, circumstances should be quite sim-
ilar to the suggested combat conclusion described above. The
finale of the adventure will conclude in the “Uh Oh, We’re in
Trouble” section below.
UH OH, WE’RE IN
TROUBLE!
As the PCs recover from the firefight in whatever location that
may be, they will hear the sounds of a vehicle engine come to
life from somewhere in the distance behind the building. Gain-
ing a vantage of the fields surrounding the bakery will afford
them the following view: a large grove of oak trees darken the
slope toward the ridge above the town. Behind the trees, they
will see the outline of an old manor, the Chateau du Vivier,
the German HQ (though they will likely not be aware of this).
Before it, still atop the ridge, the slitted lights of a half-track
illuminate the trees below as it begins to maneuver toward
them. That’s when they hear and spot movement from up slope.
Dozens of German reinforcements are moving out downhill
through the grove to counterattack the PCs’ position and the
town beyond.
The PCs may have cut the lines and retrieved critical intel, but
they better consider beating a retreat on the double! Of course,
a generous GM may announce the arrival of Major Cole and the
rest of the 101st, fighting out a larger engagement and using
the full complement of Campaign Battle rules available in the
core rulebook!
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GERMAN WEAPONS
Bonus ROF AVAL Natl. Wt. Ammo Range Damage Qualities
Karabiner 98K Mauser SS +0 1 2 Ger 1 5C 50m +2 Reliable, Single Shot
SS +0 1
Luger P08 2 Ger 1/2 8M 10m +1 Semi-Auto
RF +1 3
SS +0 1 Reliable,
MP 28/38/40 B +2 4 2 Ger 1 32 B 20m +1 Semi-Auto,
FA +3 40 Automatic
B +5 15 250 Automatic,
MG42 3 Ger 5 100m +4 Platform, Crew (3),
FA +6 150 Belt Terrifying 1, Extended Range
SHG 24 Grenade +1 1 2 Ger 1/2 - 10m 5m/+1 Thrown, Limited Range
Fist -2 1 - - - - E -2 Jab
Abbreviations: Availability (AVAL), Nationality (Natl.), Weight (Wt.)
Bonus Abbreviations: Rapid Fire (RF), Single Shot (SS), Burst (B), Full Auto (FA)
Ammo Abbreviations: Box (B), Clip (C), Magazine (M)
36 Firelock Games
CHARACTER NAME: Roger ‘Slip-Shod’ Kincaid
RANK: Sergeant
NATIONALITY: USA
SERVICE BRANCH/CAREER: 101st Airborne / Leader
Buddy: LUCKY STRIKES:
Carl ‘Jonesy’ Jones
Virtues: FUBARs:
Determined
Flaws: ENDURANCE:
Impulsive 5
WEAPONS
. BONUS ROF RANGE DAM AMMO QUALITIES WEIGHT
Thompson M11928A1 +0SS / +1RF / 1SS / 3RF / 6B / Semi-Auto, Auto
20m +2 30B 1
+2B / +3FA 60FA
M1911A Colt Pistol +0SS / +1 RF 1SS / 3RF 10m +1 7M Reliable, Semi-Auto 1/2
Grenade M2A1 +1 1 10m 5m/+1 3 Blast, Thrown, Limited Range 1/4
Fighting Knife +1 - E +0 - - 1/2
Rifle Butt +0 - E +0 - Jab -
TALENTS
Intimidating (+2 to Persuasion)
SPECIALIZATIONS
Grunt I
GEAR
Thompson (1)
(+2 Encumbrance, +1 to Stamina tests) Colt Pistol (1/2)
Submachine Gunner I Mag Pouch: 2 7-rd mag. (½)
(+1 Die to while using a submachine gun M1 Ammo Bag: 6 20-rd mag. (½)
in Ranged Combat)
Musette Bag: 3 20-rd mag (1)
Virtues: FUBARs:
Hard-Working
Flaws: ENDURANCE:
Impatient 5
WEAPONS
. BONUS ROF RANGE DAM AMMO QUALITIES WEIGHT
M1 Carbine +0SS / +1RF 1SS / 3RF 40m +1 15B Semi-Auto 1
Grenade M2A1 +1 1 10m 5m/+1 3 Blast, Thrown, Limited Range 1/4
Fighting Knife +1 - E +0 - - 1/2
Rifle Butt +0 - E +0 - Jab -
TALENTS
Fast Reflexes (Draw an Extra Initiative
SPECIALIZATIONS
Grunt I
GEAR
M1 Carbine (1)
card, choose one). (+2 Encumbrance, +1 to Stamina tests) Musette Bag: K-rations x3 (1)
Stealth I Suspenders: 5 15-rd mag. (1/2)
(+1 to Infiltrate when not moving) Helmet (Light Armor 3) (1)
Entrenching Tool (1)
Grenades (x3) (3/4)
NOTES Binoculars
Flashlight
Grew up on the family ranch exploring
First Aid Kit
the territory before pulling his weight
Hygiene Kit
moving cattle across the range. He’s
ready for something more. XP Wire-cutters
Carton of Smokes and Lighter
Canteen (1/2)
CHARACTER NAME: Carl ‘Jonesy’ Jones
RANK: Private
NATIONALITY: USA
SERVICE BRANCH/CAREER: 101st Airborne / Rifleman
Buddy: LUCKY STRIKES:
Jacob ‘Steak’ Corbin
Virtues: FUBARs:
Persuasive
Flaws: ENDURANCE:
Unlucky, Bloodthirsty 4
WEAPONS
. BONUS ROF RANGE DAM AMMO QUALITIES WEIGHT
M1 Garand +0SS / +1RF 1SS / 3RF 50m +2 8C Reliable, Semi-Auto 1
Grenade M2A1 +1 1 10m 5m/+1 3 Blast, Thrown, Limited Range 1/4
Bayonet +0 - E +1 - - 1/2
Rifle Butt +0 - E +0 - Jab -
TALENTS
Hardy
SPECIALIZATIONS
Sharpshooter I (+1 die to Ranged
GEAR
M1 Garand (1)
(+1 die to Med Aid tests to heal this PC) Combat with a rifle or shotgun) Musette Bag: K-rations x3 (1)
Scout I (+1 die for Perception tests for Musette Bag: 5 8rd clip (1)
spotting hidden NPCs) Helmet (Light Armor 3) (1)
Inspiring I: Allies in the same Zone as Grenades (x3) (3/4)
you receive +1 die to Guts tests if you’re
Flashlight
Virtues: FUBARs:
Bold
Flaws: ENDURANCE:
Selfish 5
WEAPONS
. BONUS ROF RANGE DAM AMMO QUALITIES WEIGHT
MP40 +0SS / +1RF / 1SS / 3RF / 4B 20m +1 32B Reliable, Semi-Auto, Automatic 1
+2B / +3 FA / 40FA
Small Knife +1 E +0 - - 1/2
TALENTS
Polyglot (Insight test to understand
SPECIALIZATIONS
Born to Lie II
GEAR
MP40 (1)
languages at Tier I level) (+3 dice to Persuasion test while lying) Fighting Knife (1/2)
Combat Medic I (+1 die to Med Aid test First Aid Kit (+1 die to Med Aid)
for non-Critical Damage) Shoulder Bag: Bottle of Wine, Make-Up Case,
Blend-In I (+1 die to Infiltrate while Flashlight, 1 20rd Mag (1/2)
hiding in plain view)
NOTES
After stealing drugs from her pharmacist
father, she was sent away to live on her
aunt’s farm. When war broke out, she
ran away to take advantage of the chaos.
She’s helping the Americans out of a sense
XP
of patriotism and opportunity, however
ill-advised that might turn out to be!
CHARACTER NAME: James ‘Slim Jim’ Talbot
RANK: Private First Class
NATIONALITY: USA
SERVICE BRANCH/CAREER: 101st Airborne / Medic
Buddy: LUCKY STRIKES:
Roger ‘Slip-Shod’ Kincaid
Virtues: FUBARs:
Merciful
Flaws: ENDURANCE:
Naive 5
WEAPONS
. BONUS ROF RANGE DAM AMMO QUALITIES WEIGHT
M1911A Colt Pistol +0SS / +1 RF 1SS / 3RF 10m +1 7M Reliable, Semi-Auto 1/2
Fighting Knife +1 - E +0 - - 1/2
TALENTS
Intense Focus: Empathy (+1 die to
SPECIALIZATIONS
Combat Medic I (+1 die to Med Aid test
GEAR
Colt Pistol (1/2)
Pushed EMP test, disregard first Dud). for non-Critical Damage) Musette Bag: K-rations x3 (1)
Counselor I (+1 die to Rally tests for Mag Pouch:2 7-rd mag. (1/2)
Mental Conditions) Helmet (Light Armor 3) (1)
Entrenching Tool (1)
Flashlight
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CREDITS
LEAD DESIGN: ILLUSTRATIONS BY: DESIGN CONSULTANT:
G. I. Garcia Peter Diesen Hosfeld Dave Semark
Anhar Hawari
ORIGINAL CONCEPT: HISTORICAL CONSULTANT:
Alex Aguila LAYOUT AND GRAPHIC DESIGN: Michael Santana
Lily Figueroa
WRITTEN BY: CARTOGRAPHY BY:
G. I. Garcia EDITING: Chris Strecker
K. Drew Saxton
COVER ART: SUPPORT:
Peter Diesen Hosfeld Alec Aguila
Ray Aguila