First Contact QuickStart

CrediTs
auTHor
Jos Manuel Palacio
TransLaTion
Jos Luis Porfirio
THe madrid inCidenT by
Ismael de Felipe Galvn and Jos Manuel Palacios Rodrigo
QuiCksTarT ruLes CompiLed by
Andrew Peregrine
arT by
Antonio Manzanedo, Jrme Huguenin, David Lecossu, Borja Pindado,
Simon Labrousse, Christian Granero, David Lanza,Eloi Molas, Jorge Carrero,
Sandra Callejas, Victor Bravo.
LayouT by
David Lanza, Florent Turpault
First Contact X-Corps
2014 Translation AKA Games. All rights reserved.
2014 Holocubierta Ediciones . All rights reserved.
OpenD6 OGL Rules System by West End Games,
property of Purgatory Publishing Inc.
QUICKSTART
For survivors
inTroduCTion
When the Chandra came, the world
changed.
Earth was under attack from an advanced
alien invasion force and there was little we
could do to stop them. Cities were burned
and the people panicked. The nations of the
Earth in a rare moment of mutual alliance created Global Defence. This organisation was
formed of the best each nation could offer,
and armed with the most advanced weaponry
they could muster. Money was no object, the
safety and security of the entire planet hung
in the balance.
But then the invasion stopped. The Chandra took control of small areas across the
world and fortified their positions. These areas became known as Dark Zones. No one
went in, no one came out, and the enigmatic
invaders agenda became all the more mysterious.
For the rest of the world, it was business

as usual. People got used to the idea of living close to the Dark Zones and even with the
Chandra presence on Earth. Sure, you heard
stories, but you still had to go to work, keep
up with your bills, brush your teeth. Somehow the threat didnt seem so bad. Some of
the countries without Dark Zones began to
withdraw funding from Global Defence. Why
should they pay for what seemed now to be
someone elses problem?
All the while the Chandra waited. Their
plans quietly advancing as the forces against
them squabble and bicker.
For survivors
X-Corps
First Contact: X-Corps is a role-playing
game set on Earth during the Chandra invasion. The Core Rulebook offers you two styles
of play. The first setting is for civilian characters investigating conspiracies relating to the
alien menace. In the second setting players
take the role of Global Defence operatives,
the elite Ghost Wolves who stand ready to
fight the alien menace.
In this quickstart guide we focus on civilian
characters. This booklet gives you everything
you need to play through the player characters first contact with the Chandra menace, in
a deadly fight for survival. It may be the beginning of a campaign for survival in a broken
city, or the encounter that brings them to the

attention of Global Defence to be recruited as
STRATCOM or LOGCOM operatives. We detail
all the rules you need to know and give you
six ready to play characters so you can dive
straight into the adventure.
Keep an eye out for the First Contact:
X-Corps Core Rulebook, which will be funding
soon on Kickstarter. This book (already available in Spanish and French) is the first part of
an epic setting detailing the fight for Earth itself.
Global Defence needs you! Are you ready
to face the challenge?
gLobaL deFenCe
The Global Defence organisation (commonly known as X-Corps) was set up under
a new Strategic Defence Initiative, funded by
several countries. It has a budget of 540,000
million dollars, mostly from the United States,
Japan, Germany, United Kingdom, France,
Spain, Brazil, Italy, Switzerland, South Korea
and Russia. Of the 193 nations in the UN, many
have refused to be a part of the initiative. China, Argentina, Venezuela, Bolivia, Mexico, Iran
and Cuba, among others, do not ratify the SDI
cooperation treaty and refuse to allow Global
Defence operatives carte blanche to run missions in their territory. Some countries decided to create their own defence divisions, like
Chinas Tiandun (Shield of Heaven) or Venezuelas Fuerza de Autodefensa Nacional (FAN).
Global Defence is a military organisation
but reports directly to the Alien Countermenace Commission. This committee is a subbranch of the United Nations Security Council. It organises the budget for Global Defence
and directs the operations of the organisation
under the advice of its military leaders. While
all the members of this multinational committee are dedicated to fighting the Chandra
threat, they are all subject to the differing
agendas of their own countries.
Global Defence is made up of three main
operational sections:
global stRategy (stRatcoM): Works as

strategic command and runs intelligence
and espionage operations against the
Chandra. They also work with scientists to
develop new weapons and reverse engineer Chandra technology.
tactics anD opeRations (taccoM): Organises individual missions and co-ordinates all military operations. Most of the
work of Global Defence is done by this
section as they run the war against the alien invaders.
logistic coMManD (logcoM): This arm
of Global Defence is the administrative
and logistics division. They make sure
everything runs as it should do and the
other departments get what they need to
do their jobs.
Youll find a lot more detail on Global Defence, the history of the Chandra invasion as
well as how to create characters of your own
in the First Contact: X-Corps Core Rulebook. In
the meantime we present six characters and
an adventure The Longest Night that will allow you to dive straight into the world of First
Contact: X-Corps.
aggressive LaWyer
desCripTion
world of men youd have to work twice as hard as them. Far from demotivating you, that drove you in your studies. You were a model young lady,
you studied hard, you were class leader in high school and you earned a
scholarship for the university where you graduated Summa Cum Laude
after five years as Department Assistant. You left university wanting to
eat the world. Big firms made you offers, but you decided to invest
your savings and set up your own office. You made it to the top, now
you are the boss.
psyCHoLogy
You are a thorough person who thinks things through before saying
them, but when you make a decision, you stick to it. Your opponents call
you a tough negotiator. You like that, and enjoy being in control. You use
to say to yourself that all the sacrifices you have made (your lack of a personal or romantic life, friends or the distance you keep from your family)
have all been worth it. But, sometimes, you feel pangs of nostalgia and
you feel youd like to change some things.
TypiCaL pHrase
agility 2D
DexteRity 3D: Driving 3D (Cars 4D)
stRength 2D
KnowleDge 4D: Academics 4D (Law 5D), Business 4D+1, Computers 4D+1, Languages 4D (Latin 5D),
peRception 3D: Investigation 4D, Search 3D+1
pResence 4D: Deceit 4D+1, Empathy 5D, Leadership 4D+1, Persuasion 5D, Willpower 4D+1
advantages: Intuitive
Damage bonus: 1D
Damage Resistance: 6
Defence: 9
Movement: 4
standard of living: 4
character points: 5
guts: 1
Disadvantages: -
desCripTion
Life in your country was very hard, so your family emigrated
looking for an opportunity for prosperity. Arriving in a new country you
clashed with the strange culture that treated you as a second class citizen. Despite all your attempts at integration, you found it impossible.
You eventually left your studies and after a stack of undignified jobs, you
managed to acquire a taxi driver license. You dont dislike the job, you listen to music, chit-chat with your clients and spend long hours thinking,
you are your own boss.
psyCHoLogy
You are a cheerful man who always tries to see the
bright side of things. You dislike standing still and are always planning something. Sometimes your foreign heritage
feels like a burden due to peoples prejudices. But ultimately you are still attached to the traditions of the old
country.
TypiCaL pHrase
Where to?
agility 3D: Brawling 3D, Stealth 3D

DexteRity 4D: Driving (Car 6D, Machinery 6D), Repair 5D, Sleight
of Hand 4D
stRength 3D: Stamina 3D
KnowleDge 2D: Business 3D, Languages (English 4D)
peRception 3D: Orientation 4D, Streetwise 4D
pResence 3D: Empathy 3D, Persuasion 4D
advantages: Sense of Direction

Damage bonus: 2D
Defence: 10
Movement: 6
character points: 5
points of guts: 1
Disadvantages: -
FrusTraTed seCuriTy guard

desCripTion
to fund your leisure time. It was clearly a temporary job, while you were studying. But ultimately the job took too much time from your studies and you
eventually left college. You went into debt when you bought a car and rented
an apartment, but the commitment meant you could not stop working. You
remained in this job with long hours, knowing its unlikely youll ever get
out. Still, you continue to try to finish your education by studying
when you can, during the night shift.
psyCHoLogy
friendly with those you work with, but never servile. You are
bothered that the suits look down on you, thinking theyre
better than you. In some way, you feel somewhat ashamed for
not having completed your studies. You take pleasure in small
joys and do not mind leading a simple life. Sometimes you feel
demotivated and wish something important would happen in your
life.
TypiCaL pHrase
agility 3D: Brawling 4D, Stealth 3D

DexteRity 2D: Driving 2D (Car 3D), Firearms 3D
stRength 3D: Stamina 3D (Night watch 5D)
KnowleDge 4D: Computers 4D, Electronics 4D, Security 5D+1
peRception 3D: Search 4D+1
pResence 3D: Empathy 3D, Intimidation 4D+1, Willpower 4D
advantages: Tempered
Disadvantages: -
Damage bonus: 2D
Defence: 10
Movement: 7
character points: 5
points of guts: 1
11
desCripTion
From your earliest childhood moments you wanted to be a doctor. You
would see them on television, with their white coats, saving people. That
was what you wanted to do. However, med school was too expensive and
your grades, although decent, werent enough to get you a scholarship. But
that setback didnt stop you. Now you work helping those who most need
it. You travel in an ambulance on the night shift, and despite having
seen it all, you still believe you can save everybody.
psyCHoLogy
altruism, others stupidity. Sometimes your sensitivity gets
you too involved with people and you suffer with them.
Maybe it was this excessive commitment that made so
many romantic partners leave. But you hope to find the
right person any moment now. In a wounded world, all it
takes for everything to fall apart is for decent people to do
nothing. And you dont intend to do that.
TypiCaL pHrase
Please be calm, sir, we came to help.
agility 2D+1: Dodge 2D+1

DexteRity 3D: Driving 3D (Cars 4D), Sleight of Hand 3D
stRength 2D
KnowleDge 4D+2: Academics 4D+2 (Biology 5D+2, Chemistry 5D+2), Computers 4D+2
peRception 3D: Orientation 3D, Search 4D, Streetwise 3D
pResence 3D: Empathy 4D, Leadership 4D, Willpower 4D
advantages: Dauntless
Damage bonus: 1D
Defence: 9
Movement: 4
character points: 5
points of guts: 1
Disadvantages: -
nosy reporTer
nosy reporTer
desCripTion
You have devoted your life to journalism. Since you were little you
liked writing and telling stories. While your friends played with their
dolls, you set up your own television studio and were the star anchorwoman. You studied very hard to reach your goal. But you only got work
on a small local daily which sometimes got accused of sensationalism
and being a tabloid. But you still soldier on, waiting for that story, that
article that will make the media giants notice you and propel you to
stardom.
psyCHoLogy
Nosy, gossipy, indiscreet, are some of the adjectives that
best define you. You like knowing everything about everybody.
However, you zealously keep your own secrets and refrain from
intimacy with others. Suspicious, you question everything and
always look for answers. The simple explanation for things is not
for you.
TypiCaL pHrase
agility 3D: Stealth 3D

DexteRity 2D: Drive 2D (Cars 3D), Lockpicking 3D
stRength 2D
KnowleDge 4D: Academics (News 6D), Languages 4D (French
4D+1, Chinese 4D+2), Security 5D
peRception 3D: Art 3D (Writing 5D), Investigation 4D, Streetwise 3D
pResence 4D: Deceit 5D, Persuasion 5D
advantages: Artist (Writing)
Damage bonus: 1D
Defence: 10
Movement: 5
character points: 5
points of guts: 1
Disadvantages: -
desCripTion
As far back as you can remember your parents encouraged you
to study. The child of a working class family, the cost of your studies
came mostly from the effort and sacrifice of your parents. Your life has
nothing to do with what youd see in the movies, no wild parties and vida
loca. You spend half your time in low-paid part time jobs in order to finish
studies that do not even guarantee a job in the future. Waiter, private
teacher, computer technician the money allows you to pay for just
one more semester, but will you have time to prepare for exams?
Couldnt you use a break?
psyCHoLogy
You are a very energetic young man, although sometimes you wake up exhausted. You live your day in a
practical way. There is always the temptation to succumb to the invitations to parties, but until now youve
managed to resist. The future worries you a lot and
sometimes you think all your effort will be for nothing.
TypiCaL pHrase
I should be studying
agility 3D
DexteRity 2D: Driving 2D (Car 3D)
stRength 2D: Running 2D+1
KnowleDge 4D+1: Academics 6D+1, Computers 5D+1, Languages 4D+1 (Japanese 5D+1, French 5D+1)
peRception 3D+2: Art 4D+2, Investigation 4D, Search 3D+2,
Streetwise 3D+2
pResence 3D: Deceit 3D+1, Empathy 3D+1, Persuasion 3D+2
advantages: Mathematical Mind
Damage bonus: 1D
Resistance: 6
Damage Resistance
Defence: 10
Movement: 5
living: 2
standard of living
character points: 5
points of guts: 1
Disadvantages: -
running X-Corps
running X-Corps
X-Corps uses a simple rules system referred to as the D6 system, which unsurprisingly uses only six sided dice to resolve actions. In the Core Rulebook you will find an
array of extra rules and systems to help you
manage chases, combat and all manner of action and adventure. It also provides detail on
managing the system itself and offers several

guidelines and options for the Game Director to take advantage of. However, to get you
playing this introductory adventure as quickly
as we can we will cover just the basic detail
here.
sTandard roLLs
You will have noticed each character has
a series of attributes, with several skills detailed under those attributes. Both skills and
attributes express a level in D or dice, such
as 3D+2. When your character attempts a task
the Game Director will tell you which skill is
appropriate, such as Firearms for shooting a
gun or Demolitions for planning explosives.
If you do not have the required skill you may
still attempt the task but instead use the attribute that governs that particular skill, such
as Dexterity instead of Firearms or Knowledge
instead of Demolitions.
The Game Director will then assign the task
a difficulty number based on how hard the action might be to perform. This generally ranges from 3 to 30. The player rolls the amount of
dice for their skill or attribute and totals the
result. If they have a bonus noted after the D
that is added to the total. If the dice roll result
is equal to or higher than the difficulty number the action succeeds. If not it fails.
Sarah is trying to nd a memory stick

with valuable data on it that she knows
is hidden in an oce. The Game Director
decides Search is the most appropriate
skill. Sarah has the skill at 3D+2, but if
she didnt she could use her Perception
attribute rated at 2D. The memory stick
hasnt been hidden especially well so
the Game Director decides the diculty
number is a quite average 12. Sarahs
player rolls 3 six sided dice and adds 2
to the result. She rolls 5, 6 and 3 for a
result of (14+2) 16. After a quick search
she nds the memory stick taped behind a picture on the desk.
esTabLisHing
diFFiCuLTy
One of the most complex tasks for a Game
Director is establishing the difficulty of the
characters actions. To make this easier we provide a range of difficulty levels for the Game
Director to pick from. Within each difficulty level is a small range of difficulty numbers to pick
from allowing the Game Director to fine tune
their decision. Sometimes a task will be so easy,
or the character such an expert that the Game
Director might rule the action to automatically
succeeds without any need to roll the dice.
very easy (3-5): something anyone can
do, extremely simple.
easy (6-10): something uncomplicated
that can be performed without much effort or training.
Average (11-15): something someone
with the adequate training or skill can do
with minimum effort or concentration. Not
having adequate skills or knowledge may
require effort. Its the most common difficulty used.
dicult (16-20): something an untrained
person can hardly do, its likely to be outside his abilities. A trained person needs
effort and concentration to succeed.
very dicult (21-25): something someone untrained cant do, competent people
need a great deal of effort to succeed, or a
stroke of luck.
Heroic (26-30): Something an untrained
person can never do, and only really competent people can succeed using all their
efforts.
15
Common
diFFiCuLTies
Type
difficult
very easy
easy
average
12
diFFiCuLT
18
very diFFiCuLT
24
HeroiC
30
suCCess and FaiLure margins

Sometimes it is not enough to know if the
character has simply succeeded or failed. In
these cases we also need to know how well or
how badly they did so. To calculate this failure
or success margin, you simply subtract the difficulty number of the task from the characters
final result. The bigger the number the greater
the success, or the more dismal the failure.
In her search of the oce, Sarahs player rolled 16. Subtracting the diculty
of 12 gives a success margin of 4. As
this is only a basic success the Game Director rules that her search took a little
longer than she expected and guards
may well be on their way.
suCCess margins
Minimal (0): the character manages it by
the skin of his teeth, if there is a minimum
possible effect for the action, thats what
happens.
Basic (1-4): the character succeeds the action with no frills and nothing of note.
Good (5-7): the character has a noticeable
success, not spectacular but effective and
can bring some sort of additional benefit
(like taking less time, for example).
Great (8-12): this superb, accurate, quick
or more effective execution will bring several additional benefits.
16
Spectacular (13-16): the skill and accuracy of the task is incredible, worthy of
an ovation. If additional benefits can be
given, the character will get almost all of
them (the execution takes a fraction of the
time, a spectacular efficiency, etc.).
Incredible (17 or +): The characters accuracy is optimum and the result perfect.
FaiLure margins
Minimal (1): the character fails by a whisker. He is about to do it, but doesnt quite
manage it. If possible, the character manages to achieve of what he intended.
Basic (2-5): The character fails. It is a clear
failure but no catastrophe. If possible, the
character manages half of what he intended.
Acceptable (6-8): the failure is complete, obvious and demolishing. If possible, the character just manages of what he intended.
Great (9-13): a major failure. The character doesnt manage what he intended at
all. He doesnt move at all, achieves nothing or fails by a lot.
Spectacular (14-17): the failure is so bad
that the character can be hurt in some way,
like breaking his tools, taking damage, etc.
Incredible (18 or +): the failure is of such
magnitude that, besides suffering the
same consequences as a Spectacular failure, the character is humiliated and, at the
discretion of the Game Director, he may
lose 1 point of Guts.
running X-Corps
THe WiLd die

However many dice you roll, one of them
must always be distinctive from the rest. This
is the Wild Die. This die represents the whims
of chance and chaos, and can be as much of a
boon as a burden. The Wild Die is not an extra
die though. One of dice you roll for the test
must be a Wild Die. So if a player is rolling just
one die, this die will be the Wild Die.
Usually the Wild Die counts in just the same
way as any other dice, unless it rolls a 1 or a 6.
If a character obtains a 6 on the Wild Die, it
can be rolled again and that result (along with
the 6) is added to the roll. If it keeps rolling 6s
it will keep adding to the result. This allows
the character to achieve amazing successes if
luck is on his side.
If the Wild Die rolls a 1, something terrible
has gone wrong. The player may choose between two options in this case. The first is to
remove his best dice result from his roll. The
second is to allow the Game Director to narrate the outcome with a small but potentially
disastrous addition.
Having found what she is looking for, Sarah decides to make a quick exit. However
she does not want to alert the buildings
security. So she makes a Stealth (under
Agility) roll in which she has 4D. She rolls
4 dice, one of which is the Wild Die. The
Game Director decides the diculty is 14.
Lets say she gets lucky, rolling 5, 4, 4 and
6 on the Wild Die. She has scored 19, but
can reroll the Wild Die. She gets another
6, so can roll again, this time getting a 5
so she cannot roll again. This adds another 11 points to her roll bringing it to 30, a
Spectacular Success.
But lets say she isnt so lucky. Instead
she rolls 5, 4, 4 and 1 on the Wild Die.
She can choose to lose the 5 from her
dice pool for a result of 9 (4+4+1). As
this would mean failure she decides to
let the Game Director narrate the outcome and keep her 5 for a result of 14
(just making the diculty). While she
avoids the security guards the cruel
Game Director tells her that just before
she exits the building she discovers she
has dropped the memory stick!
opposed roLLs
Sometimes, characters find themselves in
a situation where one of them wants to do
something and someone else wants to stop it.
This is called an opposed roll. In an opposed
roll, the Game Director decides which skills
are to be used by the participants. The skill to
use doesnt have to be the same for all those
involved, for example, a character trying to
follow another without being seen can make
a roll using his Stealth skill while the one be-
ing followed may use his Perception attribute.

The one obtaining the higher result will be the
one successful in his endeavour. In case of a
tie, and if the situation allows, no one will be
successful at the attempt. When one of the
parties is active (trying to perform an action)
and another is passive (trying to prevent the
action from happening), a tie favours the passive party.
modiFying diCe roLLs

There are several ways the result of a dice
roll might be adjusted; mainly with the use of
character points or Guts (see later). We can
summarise them as follows:
Modifying dice: Any bonus noted after the
D is added to the result. These bonuses
range from +1 to +3 and are called thirds.
Adding dice: This increases the number of

dice rolled, thirds are added afterwards. If
a character rolls 3D+2 in a skill and gets a
bonus of 1D, he will roll 4D+2, you add the
dice rst and the thirds at the end.
Subtracting or penalising dice: Decreases
the number of dice rolled, thirds are added afterwards. The resultant number of
dice may be a zero or a negative number,
17
with 3D+2 doubles his dice (due to using a

point of Guts) then divides them because of
a manoeuvre. He also has a 1D bonus because of an exceptional tool. The multiplication and division cancel each other out,
we apply the 1D bonus and we get a total
of 4D+2. As always, we add the results and
add the thirds in the end.
in which case the character cannot perform the action (unless character points
are used, see below). A character with a
3D+2 skill gets a 2D penalty, so hell roll
1D+2. The dice are subtracted, then rolled,
and nally the thirds are added.
Multiplying dice: Some actions allow
the player to double the number of dice
rolled. In this case, the dice are multiplied
and the thirds added afterwards. A character with 3D+2 doubling the number of dice
will roll 6D+2. The dice are multiplied and
the thirds added in the end.
dividing dice: Some actions force the
player to halve the number of dice rolled.
In any division rounding is ALWAYS up.
As in the previous cases, you divide the
number of dice and finally add the thirds.
A character with 3D+2 dividing his dice in
half will roll 2D+2. In this case, 3 divided by
2 is 1.5, rounding up gives a total of 2. To
this 2D we nally add the thirds.
In case of multiple operations: Multiplications and divisions are always done
first and additions and subtractions are
performed last. A character with 3D+2
doubles his dice and also has a 1D penalty. So we rst solve the multiplication,
which gives us 6D+2, and next we apply
the penalty, obtaining a nal roll of 5D+2.
If a character multiplies the dice in one
manoeuvre and divides them in another,
both operations cancel each other. Then
the following operations occur, following
the usual order of priorities. A character
Cooperation
Sometimes, several characters will want to
take part in the same task to improve their
chances of success. Usually, the Game Director establishes with the players if it is possible to get such help and how many people can
help without being a hindrance. After that he
will establish who is the main character (who
will perform the task), and who are the helpers. Next each helping character must roll the
skill determined by the Game Director with a
difficulty of 10. For every level of success margin (Minimal, Basic, Good, Great, Spectacular,
Incredible), the helper grants a +1D bonus to
the main character (up to a maximum equalling the number of dice the helper has in the
skill he rolled). Meaning, if the helper gets
a Minimal level of success in his roll, he will
grant +1D, if a Basic level, he will grant +2D,
Good +3D, Great +4D, Spectacular +5D and finally Incredible +6D, taking into account that
the granted bonus cannot be higher than the
helpers skill. If the helping character fails his
roll, no bonus is granted. If he gets a 1 on the
help roll, the Game Director may establish he
is hindering instead and give him a penalty.
Finally, the main character then makes his roll
using all the bonuses granted by the helpers.
CHaraCTer poinTs
and guTs
using CHaraCTer poinTs
Character points are used to grant extra
dice to a specific roll. They represent the
character giving the action more of their focus and energy than usual. For each character point used, the character gets an extra die
on his roll. Moreover, among the extra dice
added with character points one of them becomes a second Wild Die, with the peculiarity that it never Fumbles (if it gets a 1 it is
added normally to the total, without any other effect). The Game Director may limit the
18
number of points that can be spent in one

roll, depending on how heroic or gritty the
game is.
Another way players can use character
points is by introducing an element into the
narrative. Usually it is the Game Director who
describes the scene and its contents, but this
option allows the players to add something of
their own, such as an object, a person, a sudden change in a condition, etc. This option
CHaraCTer poinTs and guTs
ALWAYS requires the approval of the Game

Director, who can veto it, suggest a change, or
accept it, at his discretion. The introduced element must be something possible, consistent
to what is happening and have some causal
logic to the situation. Using a character point
will not make a gun appear as if by magic, nor
make the villain suffer a sudden heart attack,
for example, but it is possible that the character finds a baseball bat under the bar counter
or that the villain steps on his shoelaces and
falls. The Game Director can suggest a cost
higher than 1 character point for a specific element. In that case, the costs can be shared
among several players present in the scene.
using guTs
Like character points, Guts are a measure
of the character pushing themselves to their
limits. Guts are a level above character points,
where the character puts their all into what
they are trying to do. You can only use one
point of Guts per roll and in no case can you
combine them with character points. Using a
point of Guts can grant one of the following
effects:
If the character has not made the roll yet,
he can double the number of dice he is
rolling. Only one of them is a Wild Die. Die
thirds are not doubled. Also, bonuses or
penalties in the form of dice given by advantages and disadvantages, exceptional
tools, wounds, etc. are NOT doubled. They
are added or subtracted in the end, after
doubling the characters dice.
If the character has already made the roll
but the Game Director hasnt narrated the
result, he can repeat the roll. The first result is completely discarded and the dice
rolled. The character must keep the second roll even if it is worse than the first.
19
aTTribuTe and
skiLL
desCripTions
agiLiTy
Represents the characters athletic ability, especially actions requiring balance, speed or flexibility.
acRobatics: performing gymnastic feats
bRawling: hand to hand fighting
cliMbing: includes use of harnesses and
mountaineering equipment
DoDge: avoiding blows
escape aRtist: escaping from bonds
JuMping: propelling yourself vertically or
horizontally
Melee weapons: use of close combat weapons such as knives and swords
RiDing: getting about on an animal
stealth: moving silently and avoiding observers
deXTeriTy
Represents hand-eye coordination and
precise skill as well as the characters ability
for fine manipulation.
boating: piloting watercraft
dRIvInG: driving land vehicles
sTrengTH
Represents the characters muscle capacity, stamina and resilience.
lifting: picking up heavy stuff
Running: getting somewhere fast
staMina: pushing yourself further when tired
swiMMing: getting about in water
knoWLedge
Measures how easy it is for the character
to retain information and learn. It can also be
used to measure the characters culture and
general knowledge.
acaDeMics: general knowledge, humanities
and science
business: understanding company systems
and economics
coMputeRs: using all kinds of computer systems
DeMolitions: using explosives and positioning them properly
fiReaRMs: use of handguns and small arms
electRonics: repair and creation of electronic

devices
locKpicKing: unlocking mechanical and

electronic locks
foRgeRy: making convincing copies
piloting: piloting air vehicles
languages: speaking languages other than

your own
RangeD weapons: use of archaic ranged

weapons such as bows
RepaiR: making mechanical repairs
sleight of hanD: feats of prestidigitation
and concealment
20
thRowing: throwing weapons or items at a

target
MeDicine: first aid, trauma medicine, surgery

and diagnosis
secuRity: setting up a secure area, managing
protocols
Time and CombaT
perCepTion
Represents how sharp the characters
senses are, his ability to notice details and his
reaction speed.
aRt: creating all forms of art from painting to
poetry
caMouflage: using natural cover to hide
yourself or items
presenCe
Represents the characters strength of character, personality, charisma and willpower.
aniMal hanDling: taking care of and training animals
Deceit: convincingly lying to someone
Disguise: pretending to be someone else
gaMbling: understanding probability and

games of chance
eMpathy: understanding people and seeing

through deceit
InveSTIGATIon: analysing a crime scene and

understanding clues
intiMiDation: making convincing threats
oRientation: navigation and map reading

seaRch: making a visual inspection of an area
stReetwise: understanding criminal systems
and using contacts for illegal items
SuRvIvAl: staying alive in the wild
tRacKing: following a target in urban or rural
areas
leaDeRship: taking charge and managing a

team
peRsuasion: convincing someone to act as
you want
seDuction: using sexuality to leverage what
you want
willpoweR: mental stamina
speCiaLisaTions
Some characters further divide their expertise into specialisations. These are highly
specialised uses of a particular skill. An artist
might have a specialisation of painting under
their Art skill; a driver might have cars as a
specialisation under Driving. If the situation
applies to the speciality the character uses
that rating instead. So if our driver has Dexterity 2D: Driving 3D (Cars 4D) he can roll 4D
when driving a car, and 3D when driving a lorry. You will find more detail on the specialisations available for each skill in the Core Rulebook, along with how characters can acquire
them.
Time and CombaT

iniTiaTive
When combat occurs the first thing you
need to figure out is who goes first. This is
done by making an initiative roll which is a
standard Dexterity roll. Players may spend
Guts or character points on the roll as usual
and any ties are broken in order of Perception
(or Presence if still tied).
The result of each characters initiative roll

determines when they act in the open ended
initiative order. The character with the highest result on their initiative roll goes first, then
the next highest etc.
Characters may act several times in one
round if they rolled a good initiative result.
21
Each character subtracts 10 from their initiative result and can act again when the order
reaches that number too. If their initiative is
still above 10 they can do the same again.
Frank and Sarah are ghting some

black suited goons. They all make initiative rolls. Frank scores 31, Sarah 15
and the Goons (who the Game Director
decides to use the same initiative for)
all roll 16. This means Frank goes rst.
After his action he subtracts 10 from
his initiative, making it 21. So before
Sarah and the Goons get to act he can
act again. Subtracting another 10 he

gets 11, so the Goons go next on 16, followed by Sarah on 15. Frank then gets
a turn on 11, followed by the Goons on
6 and Sarah on 5. Finally Frank gets another turn on 1.
As you see in the example the Game Director may choose to keep things simple and
roll a single initiative for the characters opponents. The group may also choose to maintain the same initiative for the duration of the
combat, although it is better to reroll it each
round for variety.
reaCTions
If you get hit by an opponent, its not much
use to have to wait until your turn to try to
dodge. So if the bad guys manage to land a
blow and you have another action in the same
round, you can use it early to dodge, parry or
evade. You still calculate the amount of actions to be taken that round in the same way,
even though you are acting early.
There is unfortunately a penalty to taking
this early action. You have to subtract 1 die for
each 5 points you are bumped up the initiative track. It is perfectly permissible to choose
not to do anything on your turn, holding your
action for later in the round.
Lets say in the above example the

Goons attack Frank on their rst action
on initiative 16. He uses his initiative
11 action to dodge. As it is bumping up
the action from 11 to 15 Frank has a 1D

penalty to his Dodge. After the Goons
attack, Sarah gets her action on 15 and
Frank will have to wait until initiative
1 to get another action, having used
his action for initiative 11. If Frank had
chosen to hold his action from initiative
21, he could have used it to Dodge without penalty and still acted on 11.
There are some things a character can do during a round that dont cost actions. They can
move at a walking pace, talk, press a button
etc. It is up to the Game Director to decide if
something they want to do will take an action
or not. In fact he may decide something like
picking a lock could take several. In this case
the roll to see if it succeeds is made when
enough actions have been spent at the task.
FigHTing and sHooTing

When it comes to your turn in combat, you
will probably want to take a shot or throw a
punch at one of your opponents. As you might
imagine, this is a standard roll using the appropriate weapon skill for your character.
The difficulty for the attack is based on the
targets defence rating. The Game Director
may modify this for such factors as visibility
and the targets movement, usually adjusting
it by anything from +3 to +12. If the target
chooses to Dodge their result becomes the
22
new difficulty for the attack, unless it was lower than their defence (in which case you keep
defence as the difficulty).
When using firearms you also have to take
range into consideration. Generally, targets that
are so close they can almost be touched are at
point blank. If they are in the same room or on
the other side of the street, theyre at short range.
Finally, unless theyre really far (in which case its
long range), we consider them at medium range.
They are modified according to the table below.
Time and Combat
Range Difficulty
Modifiers
Point blank
-5
Short range
Difference
between Damage
and Damage
Resistance
Medium range
+5
1-4
Scratch
Long range
+15
4-8*
Wounded
4-8**
Seriously Wounded
9-12
Incapacitated
13-15
Mortally Wounded
Damage
16+
All weapons have a damage rating measured in dice, which are rolled on a successful
hit. For most ranged weapons the rating is
unadjusted, but for many melee weapons the
character can add their Strength dice.
** The second time the character gets a 4-8

result, he acquires the seriously wounded
wound level.
So, if a character takes 21 points of damage

and has a damage resistance of 7, there is a 14
points difference. The character becomes mortally wounded.
The damage dice of the weapon are rolled

and compared with the characters damage
resistance. If the resistance is higher than the
damage result, no wounds are caused. But if it
is lower, you must calculate which wound level the character suffers. The higher that difference, the higher the wound level produced.
Brass Knuckles
Dead
* The first time the character gets a 4-8 result, he acquires the wounded wound level.
Weve summarised the basic qualities of

several groups of weapons below. In the Core
Rulebook we expand this detail with a huge
array of different weapons. We also include
detail on auto-fire, covering fire and using grenades.
Melee
Wound level
Wound Descriptions
Scratch: A scratch is a minor wound, a nasty bruise, light trauma, a small muscle tear or
strain. A character suffering a scratch becomes
stunned until after the end of the next round.
Remember that a stunned character halves
(rounding up) all his rolls.
Damage
Strength +2
Knife
Strength +1D
Sword
Strength +3D
Baseball Bat
Strength +2D
Police Baton
Strength +1D
Firearms
Damage
Magazine Capacity
Handgun
3D
10
Shotgun
6D
Submachine Gun
4D
30
Sniper Rifle
6D
10
Assault Rifle
6D
30
Hunting Rifle
4D
Machine Gun
8D
Belt feed
23
wounDeD: A wounded character has a sprain,

a cracked bone, a laceration requiring several stitches, a third degree burn. The character
gets a 1D penalty due to pain and loss of mobility until healed.
SeveRelY Wounded: This result can only be
gained when the character is already wounded, and receives another wounded result. A
severe wound implies fractures, open bleeding wounds, severe muscle sprains or tendon
rupture. The character has a 2D penalty to all
actions until healed.
incapacitateD: An incapacitated character
has received serious damage, has a collapsed
lung, an affected vital organ, an open fracture,
a concussion. When a character gets a result
of incapacitated, he must make a roll of Stamina or Willpower (players choice) with a difficulty of 12. If the character succeeds in the
roll he may still act with a 3D penalty. On the
other hand, if he fails, he immediately falls
unconscious for a number of minutes equal to
his failure margin. When he wakes up he can
act with a 3D penalty.
MoRtally wounDeD: A character with this
result is in real bad shape, organ failure, torn
muscles, splintered bones piercing an artery.
When a character gets this result he must
make a Stamina or Willpower (players choice)
roll with a difficulty of 18. If the character succeeds, he is in such pain that he can only drag
24
himself and speak. If he fails, he falls unconscious and will only wake up when his wound
is healed. The character will start dying and
should make a Stamina roll each round with a
difficulty equal to the number of minutes hes
been Mortally Wounded. If the roll fails, his
wound level increases to Dead.
DeaD: As you might expect, at this point you
need to consider what your next character is
going to be.
sTun aTTaCks
Sometimes a character does not want to
cause permanent damage to his opponent, but
only stun him or take him out of the fight. The
attacker tries to hit his rival in a vulnerable area
such as the pit of the stomach or the back of the
head. The attack is very precise and so the difficulty increases by +9. If successful, the number of damage dice is halved (rounding up). If
the attack provokes a Scratch wound level, the
defender must perform a Stamina roll with a
difficulty equal to the suffered damage, or will
become stunned. If the attack causes a Wounded wound level or higher, the defender must
make a Stamina roll with a difficulty equal to the
suffered damage or they will fall unconscious.
A stunned character halves (rounding up) all his
rolls. The time a character remains stunned or
unconscious depends on the failure margin of
the stamina roll, as seen in the following table.
Time and CombaT
failuRe MaRgin
stun DuRation
unconsciousness DuRation
2 rounds
6 rounds
1-4
5-8
10 rounds
18 rounds
9-11
10 minutes
30 minutes
1 hour
2 hours
12 or higher
sTress
Not all damage is physical. Sometimes
your character will suffer emotional trauma
that can be just as debilitating. Stress is measured like wounds are, but are challenges to a
characters Willpower. When the Game Director calls for a stress test, the situation is rated
in dice, which are rolled to create the difficulty. The player then rolls Willpower against
that difficulty rating. If the roll is a success the
character is unaffected by the stress, but upon
a failure they suffer a stress level depending
on the margin of failure.
DiffeRence between
stRess anD
willpoweR
STReSS level
1-4
Nervous
4-8
Stressed
1-12
Distressed
13-15
Panicked
16+
Shock
Frank comes across the dead body of

one of his friends when following the
previous team into an alien installation. The Game Director tells him he
needs to make a 2D stress test. Franks
Willpower is 3D. The Game Director
rolls 2D and gets a 12, for the diculty. Unfortunately Frank rolls badly
with 2, 3 and 3 for a total of 8. He has
failed the test by 4 points and becomes
stressed.
neRvouS: The characters hands shake slightly, he has trouble thinking clearly. The character has a 1D penalty to Knowledge and all
related skills.
stResseD: The characters hands shake a lot,

he breathes heavily and has trouble thinking clearly. The character has a 1D penalty to
Knowledge and Dexterity and all related skills.
DistResseD: The character is shaking from head
to foot, breathing heavily and cant think clearly.
The character has a 1D penalty to Knowledge,
Dexterity and Agility and all related skills.
panicKeD: The character is constantly shaking, breathes heavily to the point of hyperventilation, is unable to express himself clearly. Has a 1D penalty to Knowledge, Dexterity,
Agility and Presence and all related skills.
shocK: The character falls into a catatonic state
or faints for at least 5 minutes. The character may
be awakened or reanimated by another character, and in that case he will become panicked. The
character may develop a post-traumatic stress
disorder. A character becoming shocked may
suffer a heart attack. The character must immediately make a Stamina roll against a difficulty of
12. If he succeeds, the character suffers the usual shock result. If he fails, the character suffers a
heart attack and becomes Mortally Wounded.
As with all dice rolls the Wild Die is still
used as normal for stress tests. If it rolls a 1
the character may suffer a psychotic episode.
Well cover this in more detail in the core
Rulebook. But for now, if that happens the
character will either launch into combat with
whatever they are confronted with, run away
or stand paralysed until the end of the scene.
THaTs iT!
So, thats all you need to know for the moment.
In the Core Rulebook we expand this system
adding detail on chases and more options for
combat, actions and damage. This should keep
you going for now though, and give you enough
etail to run the following adventure.
25
QUICKSTART
For X-Corps
desCripTion
Since you were young youve always had a clear idea of your future, to enlist in
the air force and be a pilot. Then youd move into the private sector, and truly see the
world, date sexy stewardesses and be rich in a few years, guaranteeing an early and
profitable retirement. That was the plan. However, things started to change the first
time you piloted a fighter plane. Of course, piloting an aircraft worth more than
350 million dollars at two and a half times the speed of sound might hook
anyone. You are one of the pilots with the most hours of flight in combat
missions in your unit. You love being in the air. And you are not going to
let a fistful of flying saucers own your sky.
psyCHoLogy
You are an adrenaline junky. You love to drive fast, fly fast, bungee jump, paraglide, base jump, climb or any other activity that gives
you a rush. You brag that you dont mind crashing and burning once in
a while, because you always get up wanting to do it again. You dont do it to
prove anything to anyone; you do it because you love the risk.
TypiCaL pHrase
Yeeeeeeeeeeeeee-Haw!
agility 3D: Brawling 4D, Dodge 3D

DexteRity 4D: Driving 4D (Motorcycle 5D), Firearms 4D, Piloting
4D (Airplanes 6D), Repair 4D
KnowleDge 3D: Computers 4D, Electronics 4D
peRception 3D: Orientation 4D
pResence 3D: Persuade 4D, Willpower 3D
advantages: Top Gun
Damage bonus: 1D
Defence: 10
Movement: 5
standard of living
living: 4
character points: 5
guts: 1
Disadvantages: -
desCripTion
Yours is a natural vocation. In your childhood you used to play with an
old stethoscope belonging to your grandfather and you thought a doctors
profession was the most thrilling. You would binge watch television series
with doctors and you studied very hard, at the cost of your teens, in order
to obtain a scholarship through which to study and become a doctor. But in
your career things changed. You saw the dark face of medicine: the bribery from big pharma, the business of private hospitals at the expense
of health, the jealousies and envies between medical researchers
and that was just the tip of the iceberg. So you decided to go. You
left the city hospitals and went to the neediest countries as a volunteer until the Chandra wiped out all the people you were going to vaccinate. So you decided to enlist and to be part of some
way to end those animals.
psyCHoLogy
An idealist to a fault, for you the world is black and
white with very few shades of grey. Some people may
have the opinion that you are somewhat uncompromising, but you lecture no one. You just do what
your conscience dictates, often without quite
measuring the consequences.
TypiCaL pHrase
This is going to hurt
agility 3D: Dodge 3D, Stealth 3D

DexteRity 3D: Driving 3D (Cars 4D), Firearms 3D
stRength 2D
KnowleDge 4D: Academics 4D (Biology 5D, Immunology 5D),
Computers 4D, Electronics 4D, Languages 4D (Arabic 5D, Swahili
5D, Portuguese 5D), Medicine 6D
peRception 3D: Investigation 4D
pResence 3D: Empathy 4D, Willpower 4D
advantages: Intuitive
Damage bonus: 1D
Defence: 10
Movement: 5
character points: 5
guts: 1
Disadvantages: -
desCripTion
The first time you blew something up you were 6 years old and you were playing with a chemistry set your cousin had been given. This memory of this incident kept away from anything that might explode for a long time. But
in high school you rediscovered your passion for chemistry, due to
access to several volatile mixtures. You majored in chemistry
and earned a Masters degree in explosives at a prestigious university. That opened many fields to you: you
worked in a demolitions company and later as a
consultant for the government in case of terrorism. After the arrival of the Chandra, you decided to move to the front lines and help to fight the
enemy with your skills.
psyCHoLogy
quil person who likes to analyse things calmly. Anything in this life, if done
hastily, breeds failure. You are a thoughtful person, perhaps even too much
so, who spends hours awake tossing and turning over past events and always looks for the best way to do things.
TypiCaL pHrase
agility 3D: Dodge 3D

DexteRity 3D: Driving 3D (Cars 4D, Heavy Machinery 5D),
Firearms 3D, Repairs 3D, Sleight of Hand 5D
KnowleDge 4D: Demolitions 6D, Electronics 5D, Security
4D
peRception 3D: Investigation 3D, Search 3D
pResence 2D: Willpower 3D
advantages: Tempered
Damage bonus: 2D
Resistance 7
Damage Resistance:
Defence: 10
Movement: 6
character points: 5
guts: 1
Disadvantages: -
reCon speCiaLisT
desCripTion
Your life began in a small city suburb where you soon learned how to rely
on yourself. But you kept bad company and ended up in trouble. The judge
gave you one option other than prison, enlisting. Prison looked like a bad
choice, so you decided to accept his proposal and try to get your life together. In the beginning the discipline would overwhelm you
and you were close to quitting several times. However, when
you were appointed to recon, you started to appreciate your
work. Infiltration, observation, surgical strikes, freedom of
movement With the arrival of the aliens your skills are
even more useful, and you are anxious to face this new
enemy and see if you are up to the task
psyCHoLogy
Undisciplined, sarcastic and bold. There are few things
that frighten you and you know that it is a problem. You have
some problems with authority but you value skill and ability a
lot. That means that if anyone wants your respect they have to
win it, they have to show you what theyre worth and you will
test them every moment until they impress you.
TypiCaL pHrase
They will never know what hit them.
agility 4D: Brawling 4D (Kickboxing 5D), Dodge 4D, Melee

Weapons 4D, Stealth 5D
DexteRity 4D: Driving 4D (Cars 5D, Heavy machinery
5D), Firearms 5D, Lockpicking 4D, Repair 4D
KnowleDge 2D: Demolitions 4D
peRception 3D: Camouflage 4D, Survival 4D
pResence 2D
advantages: Fast Reactions
Damage bonus: 2D
Defence: 11
Movement: 7
character points: 5
guts: 1
Disadvantages: -
desCripTion
It wasnt patriotism that led you to become a soldier, but a vocation for
service and a spirit of adventure. Once in the corps, you found out it wasnt
what you had imagined. On one hand, there were the good things, the discipline, the camaraderie, the belonging somewhere on the other hand, there
was the abuse, the torture You didnt enlist to fire at armed children in
Iraq or to be mutilated by stepping on a landmine protecting an oil pipeline so that the rich can become richer and the poor poorer. Clinging to
your ideals, you were close to quitting. Until they arrived. They have
come from the ends of space to butcher humanity and Global Defence is the first and last line of defence. You requested a
transfer at the first opportunity.
At last you feel you are doing
something useful, a service
to humanity.
psyCHoLogy
You are a team player, you like to feel a part of something and
build things together. You believe with all your might that unity is
strength, up to the point that you sometimes yield too much by not
arguing. One of your exes said one time it was a character flaw, that
you lacked willpower and conviction There are people that simply
dont understand the bonds and relationships that are created between soldiers and their codes of conduct.
No-one is left behind.
agility 3D: Brawling 4D, Dodge 4D, Melee weapons 4D,

Stealth 3D
DexteRity 4D: Driving (Car 5D, Motorcycle 5D, Heavy machinery 5D), Firearms 5D, Repair 4D
stRength 4D: Running 4D, Stamina 4D
KnowleDge 2D
peRception 3D: Camouflage 3D, Survival 3D
pResence 2D: Leadership 2D, Willpower 3D
advantages: Tough guy
Damage bonus: 2D
Defence: 10
Movement: 7
character points: 5
guts: 1
Disadvantages: -
sniper
sniper
Your story is not like in the movies. You didnt learn how to shoot with your old grandfather in the mountains, hunting to survive. You come from a well-off city family. You
started learning about guns at 8 years old, at a festival in your small village. A carny had set up a tent in which you earned prizes by shooting down targets with
a BB gun. You were lucky and won a
huge teddy bear. Afterwards
you relentlessly begged that
your next birthday present should be a BB gun.
You would spend hours
practicing impossible shots and
perfecting your technique. You won amateur prizes and
you were even invited to take part in the Olympic shooting
team. But with the arrival of the Chandra youve found a
better way to use your skill. You wouldnt shoot people,
but these freaks thats very different.
on target. You are a straightforward person, not one to beat around the bush
and always shoots straight. You can take your time to be sure, but when you
speak you always know what you are going say. You like neat and well made
things. Some say your perfectionism borders on obsession, but what do they
know?
TypiCaL pHrase
Target down.
agility 3D: Brawling 3D, Dodge 3D, Stealth 4D

DexteRity 4D: Driving 4D (Cars 5D, Motorcycles 5D), Firearms 5D,
Repair 4D
KnowleDge 2D: Languages 2D (Farsi 3D)
peRception 4D: Camouflage 5D, Search 4D, Survival 5D
pResence 2D: Willpower 3D
advantages: Marksman
Damage bonus: 2D
Defence: 10
Movement: 6
character points: 5
guts: 1
Disadvantages: -
QUICKSTART
sCenario
THe LongesT nigHT

inTroduCTion
synopsis
During the evening of an otherwise peaceful day, Chandra forces launch a devastating
attack on the city. The characters are caught
in the battle zone and must make their way to
safety if they are to survive the night. When the
attack happens it causes chaos and panic across
the city. The player characters start the adventure stuck in a traffic jam on one of the busiest
roads in the city. Everything is normal until anti-aircraft sirens sound and loudspeakers start
to issue warnings as gunfights and blasts echo
through the streets. Almost the instant this occurs there is panic and while most people attempt to find somewhere to go to ground, several become desperate and dangerous.
noTes For THe game

direCTor
This adventure is designed to be played
in any city. It serves as a good way to bring a
group of player characters together. The fate
of the city itself after the attack is up to the
Game Director. Are the Chandra repelled or do
they take the city? Are they looking to create a
base here or just level the place? The answers
to these questions might form the basis for a
long campaign. This adventure uses much of
the detail from The Madrid Incident a forthcoming X-Corps adventure that expands the
player characters escape in more detail.
average citizens
The PCs are not the only people still in
the city. They might run into all manner
of ordinary folk as they try to escape
the danger zone.
Agility 2D
Dexterity 2D: Driving 2D
36
Strength 2D
Knowledge 2D: Computers 2D
Perception 2D: Search 2D
Presence 2D: Persuasion 2D, Willpower
2D
Damage Bonus: 1D
Movement: 4
Defence: 9
The Game Director might create several
small encounters as the PCs cross the
city and run into others in need of help.
They might also run into some desperate criminals.
1- A woman asks them to help her get
her wounded husband to safety. He was
caught in a Chandra attack. Unfortunately he has already died, but she refuses to believe this.
2- A man tries to tell the PCs they must
surrender to the Chandra, it is the only
way to be safe. He starts shouting to get
their attention if the PCs refuse to follow him towards their positions.
3- Someone with a gun is shooting at basically anything they see in the street.
The PCs need to get past. Can they manage to sneak past, take down the shooter or take the long way around?
4- A group of criminals are looting a
shop, do the player characters try to
stop them or even join in?
5- A nearby house has caught re and
people are trapped inside. Some of
them might even be children.
6- A group of non-military armed men
and women are trying to organise an
attack on a Chandra position. They
want to recruit the PCs, but they will be
hopelessly outmatched.
THe LongesT nigHT
THe nigHTmare begins

Its a cool September night, and the player characters are stuck in a traffic jam. Each of
them will be eager to get home as it is a Sunday and everyone has an early day for work
tomorrow. They are not alone in this, hence
the traffic jam. The Game director should take
a moment to ask each player where his character is. Are they in a taxi, driving a friend,
even on a bus? If possible, some of the player
characters might be grouped together at this
point, such as being on the same bus, or in a
taxi being driven by one of the other PCs.
Temperature is around 20 C and a cool
breeze blows from the east. The city lights
are on and spotlights illuminate the hotels
and clubs that dot this road, one of the main
streets in the city. The sound of engines and
the horns of the cars rise above the rest of the
noises in the city that never sleeps. Given that
the Chandra threat is ever present, military
and police presence on the streets is manifest,
with controls points at sensitive spots.
Suddenly, an ominous sound starts to increase in intensity, a siren announcing an air
strike. The noise of the horns stops and for
a moment the city itself seems to stop. Then
panic breaks out. People start to shout and car
horns sound loudly again, hardly letting the
characters hear the loudspeakers giving safety instructions:
All citizens must remain calm! Go to

the nearest shelters! Help those that
cant go for themselves!
Many drivers decide to leave their vehicles, often with engines and lights on, and run
in all directions. It soon becomes clear that
this alone will ensure the traffic remains gridlocked.
As the player characters try to decide what
to do, there is a scream of jets overhead. Then,
after a moment of stillness, powerful explosions are heard close by. It quickly becomes
very clear the player characters need to get
out of here, and find a safe place. If this isnt
enough to convince them, another series of
explosions shake the vehicle they are in, making it clear the danger is getting closer.
Once they make a run for it another blast
of explosions will force them to take cover
against a building for a few moments. As it so
happens, they will all pick the same place to
take cover. Hopefully they will decide there is
strength in numbers and join together for mutual protection. The best option for the player
characters is to get out of this area, find a vehicle and get as far away as possible. However, there are a few difficulties for them to face
before they get there.
enCounTers
The next few sections can be played in any
order, depending on what the player characters decide to do and how the Game Director
feels. With a few changes, the Game Director
might even use the same encounter twice.
Once the player characters leave the central city area they can find some transport.
Several cars have been abandoned in the panic and among them a few even have the keys
in the ignition. It will not be too difficult to get
hold of something to get all on them to safety. However, some heavy lifting might be required to clear a path for their chosen vehicle.
There is rubble in the street and a few more
cars blocking the road. A concerted effort

from the player characters should be enough
to solve the problem, but all the while, explosions and the sound of gunfire continue.
enCounTer 1 dogFigHT
The thundering sound of the jet engines
is heard over the din of the surrounding chaos and the player characters can soon see a
squadron of jet fighters crossing the sky at full
speed. Out of the clouds Chandra ships quickly follow. Too many. A dogfight begins, with
37
machine gun bursts and the greenish glow

of Chandra engines leaving tracks in the sky.
They form the pattern of an intricate dance,
while at the same time hell is unleashed.
On the ground the PCs can only watch the
situation, powerless. But if they are not careful
they will end up being collateral damage. The
weapon fire from one side or the other will
eventually hit the buildings and the streets,
destroying everything. Rubble falls from the
blasted buildings, holes open on the asphalt
hit by disruptor fire, broken glass shatters in
all directions, cars explode, etc. In this scene
the PCs will be in the middle of it, exposed to
a lethal combat taking place over their heads
and in which they cannot intervene. Like a
scene from a movie, theyll have to break
through while the city crumbles around them.
Such an experience may require (Game Director discretion) a 2D Stress roll.
Depending on how dangerous the Game
Director wants to make the scene, he can require several Running or Driving Rolls (if the
characters are travelling in a vehicle), the Difficulty increases by +9 because of the adverse
circumstances (falling rubble, dust impeding visibility, debris in the way). Each failure
means the character (or vehicle) suffers damage. We recommend 1D for every 4 points in
the failure margin. Some examples are:
Damage
1D or 3D
3D or 4D
5D or 6D
7D or +
Example
The character or vehicle
is hit by broken glass and
small fragments of rubble
The character or vehicle is
hit by shrapnel from a far
explosion
is hit by large pieces of
rubble, a beam or another
vehicle
suffers damage from a
nearby explosion
If the characters are on foot, the Director

may require Dodge rolls to get away from enemy (and, unfortunately, friendly) fire. For this
scene to have true impact the Game Director
needs to be very graphic and offer many details about how the buildings are blown up and
how rubble and glass fly in every direction.
38
If the PCs beat a hasty retreat (in a vehicle

or on foot should their vehicle get destroyed)
the scene comes to an end. The Game Director
may bring it to a close if they are especially
unlucky and begin to suffer too many injuries.
Eventually the aerial combat moves away or
comes to an end, even if the PCs do not manage to leave the immediate area.
Encounter 2 Carjack!
In this encounter, a pair of desperate criminals tries to steal the characters vehicle at
gunpoint. Clearly, for this encounter to work
the PCs will have to have a vehicle!
The PCs come across a police cruiser that
has collided with some fallen rubble. It is
on fire and blocking the road. The PCs driver
will have to brake suddenly to avoid hitting
it. However they can get past it if they slow
down and drive carefully across a grass verge.
As the PCs try to make their way past, two
policemen approach them, one towards the
drivers window the other from the rear. They
are both armed and have a hand on their guns.
They call out to the PCs and tell them to stop.
However, a difficulty 14 Perception roll will allow any of the PCs to see there is something
odd about their uniforms. They are wearing
the right jackets, but underneath they are not
wearing the right shirts and both are wearing
dark sneakers rather than shoes.
In fact, both men are criminals who stole
the police car to escape. They took some of
the uniforms and weapons of the injured police officers they stole it from as well. Unfortunately they left in too much of a hurry and
crashed the car. Both escaped injury but have
a few cuts and bruises from the crash.
If the PCs stop the car and allow the police to approach they will draw their weapons and order them out of the vehicle. If the
PCs comply the criminals will take the vehicle and drive off. It is possible the PCs might
run into them again, either finding the vehicle
crashed, or perhaps under attack by Chandra.
If the PCs try to run, or otherwise resist the
criminals will first shout and threaten them. If
near enough, they will open the car doors and
try to pull people out. If the vehicles engine
has been stopped, it must be started again.
Doing so in a rush requires a Driving roll with
9 Difficulty. But even if the car is running the
driver will still have to negotiate the crashed
THe LongesT nigHT
cruiser. The driver should make a difficulty 12

Driving roll to get past. On a failure the vehicle stalls and stops. With a Great or Spectacular success the car leaves the criminals standing. With a Good result the criminals can get
off a shot but not get close to the car. With a
Minimal or Basic result, one of the criminals
has time to get into the back of the car while
the other opens fire.
Generally, the criminals dont really want
to hurt anyone. But they are desperate and
selfish and wont have a problem with shooting people who get in their way. If the PCs
are armed, or especially numerous, the Game
Director might increase the number of criminals. If the PCs manage to fight and defeat the
criminals they might take their weapons. Each
has a small handgun (3D damage)
Criminals
Agility 2d: Brawling 3D, Dodge 2D
dexterity 3d: Firearms 3D+1, Melee
weapons 3D+1
strength 3D: Running 3D+2
Knowledge 2d
Perception 2d: Search 3D, Streetwise
4D
presence 2D: Intimidation 3D+1
Damage bonus: 2D
Defence: 9
Movement: 6
Weapon: Police issue handgun 3D
damage
enCounTer 3 Landing
As the PCs move through the city, suddenly everything falls dark. Lights seem to shut
down one after another around them for hundreds of metres in every direction. Covered in
a weird greenish glow a huge Lunaspis Chandra ship floats softly down to land, floating a
metre above the ground. If the PCs are travelling in a vehicle, it will suddenly stop and
will no longer start. Any electronic items the
characters have will shut down, the victims
of electromagnetic interference produced by
the ship. Before the PCs can properly react a
back gate opens on the ship and several Chandra come out.
Have the Chandra seen the characters?

This situation may require an opposed Stealth
roll versus the Aliens Perception (to speed
things up, the Game Director can use one roll
for all of them). If the aliens find the characters they will begin a chase. A pair of Chandra
Bloodhounds will come out of the ship that
will start running after the player characters.
The PCs will have about a 50 metres head
start and a round before the hounds leave the
Lunaspis. The chase will end if the PCs manage to take shelter in a safe place or if they
get over 150 metres ahead. At that point the
Bloodhounds leave pursuit and return to their
masters. If the characters hide at any point in
their escape, they will need Stealth or Camouflage rolls against the Bloodhounds Search.
If any of the Hounds takes enough damage
to become Seriously Wounded, the pack will
also withdraw.
If the player characters manage to hide,
the Chandra will start a brief search of the
area and later will deploy as they originally
planned. Its up to the player characters to try
and leave the area without being found. The
Game Director may require new Stealth rolls
versus the Chandra Search skill. Remember
that, thanks to their implants, if one of the
Chandra sees the PCs, all of them will immediately know their position since it will be
instantly transmitted by their neural net. If
they are found, a chase will be initiated as described above.
If the PCs attempt to talk they will find the
Chandra are in no mood to negotiate. They
will take anyone they find prisoner, and shoot
anyone being too difficult. Their goal here is
to take control of the area though, so they
wont pursue anyone too far.
Chandra Soldier
Agility 4d: Brawling 5D, Dodge 4D, Melee weapons 5D
dexterity 4d: Firearms 5D (Chandra
Disruptors, 5D+1)
Strength 5d: Lifting 5D, Stamina 5D
Knowledge 2d
Perception 5d
presence 2D: Intimidation 4D, Willpower 4D
Damage bonus: 3D (Claws)
Damage Resistance: 2D+9
Defence: 11
Movement: 5
39
enCounTer 4 soLdiers
Special abilities:
-Dark vision: The Chandra soldier eliminates 6 Darkness Penalty points.
-Improved immune system: It gets a 2D
bonus against any pathogen.
equipment:
Heavy disruptor (9D Damage)
Chandra Bloodhound
Agility 5d: Dodge 6D, Jumping 5D,
Stealth 5D
dexterity 4d: Throwing 4D (Spit Venom 5D)
Strength 5d: Running 7D, Stamina 5D
Knowledge 0d
Perception 6d: Search 6D, Survival 6D,
Tracking 8D
Defence: 12
Movement: 10
Special abilities:
-Dark vision: Eliminates up to 6 darkness penalty points.
-Pheromone control: Identies its Chandra masters by the pheromones they issue, becoming docile and obedient to
orders.
-Improved immune system: gets a 2D
Bloodhounds neurotoxic venom
vector: Blood (bite), contact (spat on
an unprotected area)
virulence: 5D
Incubation: 1 round
eects:
Light (1 round): Itching, nausea and
feeling of asphyxiation. The character
has a 1D penalty to all actions.
Severe (2 rounds): Severe disorientation, asphyxiation and intense pain.
The character is Stunned.
Acute (30 minutes): Paralysis, semi-unconsciousness. The character is Incapacitated.
40
Sooner or later the PCs will run into soldiers looking to engage and destroy the Chandra. The human military have organised into
small combat units of around ten soldiers
each that have spread out to cover as much
ground as they can. Their orders are to report
Chandra positions, engage where they have a
good chance to destroy any landing party, and
rescue any civilians.
When they come across the PCs they will
not be looking to chat for long, but they will
question them to determine if they have any
useful intelligence. The soldiers may even
rescue the PCs from any Chandra who may be
chasing them.
The soldiers will tell the PCs that a safe
zone has been set up a couple of miles from
their position. They cant offer any help getting there, but they can point the PCs in the
right direction. Trains are being brought in to
evacuate civilians, but the zone might have to
be moved if Chandra activity increases or the
humans lose ground. It would be best for the
PCs to get there as soon as they can.
The soldier cannot afford to give the PCs
any resources, but they have a medic who
can patch up any injured. If one of the PCs is
skilled with firearms, and very convincing, the
soldiers might give them a handgun. While the
area is dangerous, the soldiers need all their
weapons and they believe the PCs should be
out of the woods at this point.
Human Soldiers
Agility 3d: Brawling 4D, Dodge 4D, Melee weapons 4D, Stealth 3D
dexterity 4d: Driving 5D, Firearms 5D,
Repair 4D
strength 4D: Running 4D, Stamina 4D
Knowledge 2d:
Perception 3d: Camouage 3D, Survival 3D
presence 2D: Leadership 2D, Willpower
3D
Damage bonus: 2D
Defence: 10
Movement: 7
THe LongesT nigHT
enCounTer 5 subWay
One way for the PCs to get where they are
going is the subway. While there will clearly
be no trains running, the tunnels might provide a safe path to get out of the area, or to
the safe zone. Sadly, the tunnels are nowhere
near as safe as they might think.
The subway tunnels will be completely
dark and walking through them is complicated. When the characters have advanced a few
minutes into the tunnels, they will see rats
running in their direction. The rat tidal wave
running through their legs will require a 2D
Stress roll. The characters should worry more
with what has scared the rats so much. At that
moment they will hear a scream inside the
tunnel and soon there will be silence.
There are two Chandra Bloodhounds in the
tunnel that will pick up the PCs scent and begin hunting them. The Bloodhounds will try to
stalk the characters, cause panic and split the

group so they can pick one of them off. The
dogs will not initiate a direct confrontation
and, if attacked, will withdraw if one of them
becomes Severely Wounded. The Dogs will
stalk the characters (opposed rolls of Stealth
against Perception or Search) to try and attack
them by surprise.
The PCs may still manage to get closer to
their destination, even when trying to outrun
bloodhounds. However, they will have another problem when they reach their destination
(or decide to get the hell out of here at the
next station). Sadly the place has been locked
up, meaning they will have to break open at
least one metal gate to get out. A concerted
effort and a little leverage will do the job, but
the Game Director should enjoy the threat of
approaching bloodhounds as they panic to escape. Once they leave the subway the bloodhounds will cease their hunt and look for other prey.
saFe sHeLTer
Eventually, the characters manage to arrive at the safe zone, a mainline train station
next to a warehouse. When the characters arrive theres a queue to get to the station and
police working with Global Defence operatives protect the area. The queue begins in the
warehouse and gradually allows people to enter the station where trains are being brought
in to evacuate them. People in the queue are
nervous and there are scenes of tension as the
authorities let people in, one at a time. Many
are concerned there wont be enough space,
and it is clear that it will take several trains to
get everyone out. More people continue to arrive as the PCs take a place in the queue.
The security forces are vastly undermanned
and may be quite rough and abrupt with anyone not following their orders. They are very
concerned a panic is about to boil over and
they wont be able to stop it. Such a panic will
not only mob the train but get people hurt in
the crush. The environment in the shelter is asphyxiating, too many people, children crying,
people calling out to each other in loud voices,
phones that dont stop ringing. This may make
the characters suffer a 2D stress roll.
The PCs will be told to join a queue, and
probably separated into different ones to
keep people moving. The guards will answer
all questions with ask when you get to the
front. When they finally get to one of the tables at the front their name will be taken and
they will be given a small emergency pack
(with a basic kit, a water bottle, energy bars,
a leaflet with safety instructions and chemical
light bars). The official who takes their name
will answer a few questions but has no time
to stop and chat. Once they have been processed they move to a more open area of the
warehouse, ready to be put aboard the next
train. The platform itself is already too crowded with earlier refugees. If the characters were
separated, this is a good moment to regroup.
Once past the processing tables there is
little for the PCs to do but listen to the distant
gunfire and explosions. Eventually the PCs
hear the sound of a train arriving and people
begin to pick themselves up and get ready to
board. The soldiers demand calm and begin to
organise an orderly queue to leave the warehouse once the platform has been emptied.
Just as it looks like they might be safe, the
warehouse is rocked by a large explosion.
Anyone with Explosives or Demolitions skill
might determine it is very nearby (difficulty
10). Panic quickly sets in and there is a surge
in the crowd. A wave of people starts running
towards the exit, trying to get to the train.
There is fighting, and some people are thrown
to the floor. This human avalanche may drag
41
the characters with it (unless they are trying

to do the same!). Regardless of their choice,
if they dont make a difficulty 14 Strength or
Dodge roll, they suffer 2D damage from the
blows and pushes of the desperate crowd.
At this point the PCs might try several
things. They might join the crowd trying to get
to the train. They could join the security forces who are trying to regain order and control.
They might also try and help the people being
crushed in the stampede.
If the characters go with the flow of the
tidal wave of people trying to reach the door,
they will have to make difficulty 14 Strength
or Dexterity rolls to remain together. The
same applies if they try to get out of the crush
to another exit or even to the side, out of the
way. Getting to people hurt in the crush will
require the same roll to reach them, and to get
them clear. Such people are badly hurt and
will need medical attention, although the security forces may have a medic to hand.
Restoring order is a lot tougher. The security
forces have tried firing into the air, but that only
increased the panic. The only way they have a
chance is by forming a wall of people to stand
against the crowd. Linking arms and moving into
the crowd with the other police and soldiers
they will eventually corral those remaining inside. PCs joining this attempt will need to make
the same Strength or Dexterity rolls. If they do
join they will earn the respect and friendship of
the security forces, which may get them better
treatment and priority access to get on the train.
If the PCs get outside they will find the
cause of the trouble. A Chandra Goliath has
broken into the area and is blasting away at
anything that moves. The security forces are
overwhelmed with panicking crowds as well
as this deadly Chandra creation. If something
isnt done soon it will get close enough to
open fire on the train waiting in the station, a
train the crowd is already fighting to board.
42
help the security forces with the next train they

will be among the first aboard for their help.
The train will pull out of the station and for the
moment the PCs will be safe. Their assistance
will not have gone amiss though and very soon
Global Defence will be looking to recruit them.
If they make a break for the train the Game
Director is within his remit to decide the security forces cant keep the Goliath at bay. On
fire from the immense amount of damage the
huge machine has taken, it smashes through
the security forces and blasts cannon fire
across the train. At least half the carriages are
reduced to ash, as are the people inside. The
PCs inside will be among those taking at least
8D damage from the blast, given the minor
protection of the carriage itself. Unfortunately the blast will be enough to disable the train,
ensuring no one is leaving anytime soon.
If the PCs run, either after the destruction of the train or simply to get out as soon
as they can, no one will stop them. Everyone
is far too busy to take much notice. However,
they are still in hostile territory and escaping
the area will become all the harder. They have
a long walk ahead of them, but perhaps one
full of adventure, if they survive...
Chandra Goliath
Agility 4D: Dodge 4D, Melee weapons
6D, Brawling 6D
dexterity 4D: Firearms 4D (Chandra
Disruptors 4D+1)
strength 8D: Stamina 9D, Lifting 10D
Knowledge 1D
Perception 3D: Search 3D
presence 2D: Willpower 4D, Intimidation 5D
Movement: 5
damage bonus: 4D
Defence: 11
The PCs might join the defence of the area,

as there are several soldiers who have fallen
who are no longer in need of their weapons.
Of course they may decide to try and force
their way aboard the train, or even just get the
hell out of the area.
Special abilities:
-Dark vision: The Chandra Goliath eliminates up to 6 points of Darkness penalties.
-Improved immune system: Gets a 2D
If they join the defence of the station, the

Game Director should let the concentrated fire
of the security forces and the characters eventually put down the Goliath. Then order will need
to be restored to get as many people aboard the
train as possible. If they dont elect to stay and
equipment:
Disruptor canon (12D Damage).
Clip for disruptor canon.
Biosteel claw (+3D Damage).
Biosteel armour (Damage resistance
7D+12 worn)
operaTion red sky
operaTion red sky

synopsis
A Global Defence aeroplane, carrying a valuable cargo, is forced to make an emergency
landing in Chinese territory, in the Altai Mountains. The Alien Countermenace Committee
authorises an incursion for a team of Special
Forces operatives to locate the wreckage so a
rescue mission can be sent.
summary
A C-17 Globemaster III transport plane
from the Indian Air Force carrying a cargo of
great value (a Chandra antiaircraft gun) suffered a Chandra attack en route. Two Manta
Ray attack ships engaged its escort in combat
and severely damage two of the C-17s engines, forcing it to veer off-course. Badly damaged, it tried to make an emergency landing
in a mountainous area on the border between
Kazakhstan and the Xingjian autonomous
region of the Chinese Peoples Republic. Its
signal was lost in the Altay region, near Lake
Kanas, a rugged, mountainous region inside
Chinese territory.
The characters are asked to perform a Covert Op, their mission, to make a High Altitude
Low Opening (HALO) jump over the Altay region, find the crash zone, rescue the crew and
secure the cargo. Then they are to activate
a transponder and await aerial extraction,
which will be waiting within the Kazakhstan
border until the wreckage is located. China is
not an ally of Global Defence, and if the characters are captured, the authorities will deny
any knowledge of their activities. Moreover,
the Xingjian autonomous region is the setting
of a separatist conflict, and rebel groups opposing the Chinese Peoples Liberation Army
are hidden in the mountainous areas.
After an extremely dangerous HALO
jump, the characters advance through a valley, dodging the Chinese Peoples Liberation
Army patrols that seem to be searching for
the plane. Eventually they find the remains of
the crash, where the characters find survivors,
some severely wounded, entrenched with the
cargo. By activating the transponder, the characters alert not only their reinforcements, but
also the nearby Lanzhou Special Operations

Forces who launch an attack on the place,
engaging the characters in combat. But they
are not the only ones who detect the signal.
A Chandra patrol, wanting to prevent human
forces from obtaining the remains of their
technology, also charges into the crash area,
suddenly provoking a three-way firefight. Just
as the characters reach their limit the cavalry
arrives, in the form of several Black Hawk helicopters, modified with stealth technology and
two TACCOM teams as reinforcements, putting
an end to the situation and rescuing the player characters.
THe CHandra
anTiairCraFT gun
Used as a perimeter defence weapon
against vehicles, this canon attaches to a
smart target detection system and fires a
beam of neutral particles at near light speed.
The beam destabilises the targets atomic
structure, causing catastrophic damage in any
target it hits. In game terms, the stats of this
weapon would be:
GUN
Chandra Antiaircraft Canon
DAMAGE
20D
The Chandra antiaircraft gun together with

the target acquisition system can fire automatically and has the following stats: Firearms 6D+2, Search 7D. The Chandra power
cell attached only allows 10 shots with this
gun, which is usually connected to a larger
power plant in order to have more firepower.
advenTure
baCkground
On September 12, 2014 there was a Chandra attack on Mumbai, the capital of the Maharashtra federal state of India and the most
populated city in the country. The attack in-
43
cluded many land forces, seemingly to establish a Dark Zone in the city. Global Defence,
together with the Indian army, barely managed to repel the attack, but counted about
three thousand dead and hundreds wounded. During the incursion, a Global Defence
team lead by Captain Knight (Papa Bear)
managed to capture a Chandra defensive
position with an antiaircraft canon. The existence of this type of Chandra weapon had
been reported to Global Defence had they
had never been able to examine one. The gun
was packed into a titanium sarcophagus and
it was decided to send it to the Tomsk base
for preliminary study. The Indian government
lent Captain Knights unit a C-17 Globemaster transport from the Indian Air Force, together with an escort of two Sukhoi Su-30
fighters. They left Mumbai avoiding the Chinese airspace but, while over Kazakhstan airspace, they meet a flight of 3 Chandra Manta
Ray fighters with which they engaged in combat. In the course of the fight, two engines of
the C-17 were damaged and its course was
altered. With no other option, Captain Knight
ordered an emergency landing and the C-17
disappeared into a wooded area in the Altai
Mountains in Chinese territory, in the Xingjian Autonomous Region, at approximately
01:12 in the morning (Tomsk time zone, UTC
+6:00). Colonel Golubev of STRATCOM called
an emergency meeting of the Alien Countermenace Committee. At 2:43 he received au-
44
thorisation for a covert mission into Chinese

territory. At 2:55 the player characters are
mobilised at the Gagarin base.
THe gHosT WoLves

The Ghost Wolves are Global Defences
Special Forces unit, the elite of the human
forces located at the Gagarin base some 50
kilometres from Tomsk, in Russia. Tomsk is in
the southern part of Siberia, in the steppes,
and weather conditions vary from 37 in the
summer to -50 in the harsh winter. This provides an extremely hard background for the
training of the units members. The Ghost
Wolves are trained in different techniques
with specialists coming from the most prestigious military units, such as the Navy SEALs,
SAS, Mossad and the Spetsnaz commandoes.
Each member of the Ghost Wolves is trained
in survival, evasion, night fighting, demolitions, camouflage, parachuting, communications, rock climbing, piloting, combat with all
sorts of weapons, martial arts, strategy and
operation planning. They also receive updated reports on the Chandra and analyse the
best ways to defeat them. They are also in
charge of testing experimental weaponry and
any type of new tech equipment and materials.
operaTion red sky
Although theyve been together for only a

short while, the members of this unit make an
odd family, but an extremely loyal and very
cohesive one. Their command makes it crystal
clear that the whole is always bigger than the
sum of the parts. If a candidate doesnt fit in
he isnt accepted, no matter how good he is.
The members of the unit act and behave like a
pack, fiercely loyal to each other and the mission. There is no room for lone wolves.
gagarin base
Facilities at the Gagarin Base are old and
dont provide much in the way of creature
comforts, let alone privacy. Members of the
teams are housed together in large rooms
shared by about 10 people. These rooms are
independent for each squad and have mixed

sleeping areas with individual beds, lockers,
showers, a small rest and recreation area and
an armoury.
Gagarin has physical training areas with
a gym, sports tracks and shooting gallery to
keep the personnel in shape, although most
of the physical activities take place outside.
The heart of the base is a maze of gloomy
corridors crisscrossed with dozens of tubes
and cables, and painted with colours indicating the routes to the key centres of the base,
control centres, missile silos, labs, etc. The
base is an amalgamation of reinforced concrete and steel mesh beams with large rivets
and flashing lights.
sCene 1 - CoverT operaTion

The characters, whether they know each
other from before or not, are part of an operating unit of the Ghost Wolves, squad Echo 6.
They might already be part of the elite unit or
have just joined. Another option is that they
have just arrived at Gagarin base to be evaluated. The rest of the teams are out training
and the PCs are sleeping in their squads quarters. Its 2:55 in the morning, the lights are out
and only the emergency pilot lights emit a
faint glow. Suddenly an alarm sounds and the
rooms megaphones awake the PCs.
Echo 6, Echo 6, report immediately to

hangar 4, this is not a drill.
It is expected that the PCs get dressed,

grab their personal gear and go to hangar 4, a platform under the runways where
elevators hide the planes under the protection of the huge steel dome. The alarm
seems to have woken up a large number of
people who are running to their posts. The
PCs will follow the maze of signs in Russian
and English to Hangar 4. LOGCOM workers
are moving ammunition boxes and other
heavy equipment with forklifts near several helicopters. From a small vehicle used to
travel inside the base Captain Timberwolf
Sokolov comes out. He is a man in his forties
but in extraordinary physical shape, with
grey hair and an impressive moustache. A
colonel from STRATCOM follows him. After
accepting salutes from the PCs, Sokolov will

introduce the officer as Colonel Golubev,
who is in charge of covert ops.
An emergency situation has developed

that requires quick action on our part
Golubev says. One of our birds, bearing
a precious cargo, crashed in the Altay
Mountains north of the Kanas Lake, in
the territory of the Peoples Republic of
China. The pilot radioed he was trying to
make an emergency landing just before
we lost communication. We dont know
its location or if there are any survivors.
Your mission will be to covertly enter
Chinese territory and locate the crash
point, secure the survivors and the cargo
and activate a transponder so a stealth
unit can extract you. Recovering the cargo is a priority.
Sokolov will add in harsh tones:
And we leave no-one behind. If those

boys are alive, bring them home.
After this introduction, hell then explain

the details of the plan to the PCs. They will
board an Ilyushin Il-76D airborne transport
45
plane and will perform a high altitude and

low opening combat jump over the area
where the plane radioed they were making
an emergency landing. Their plane will fly
over the drop zone at an altitude of 8000 metres and the PCs will open their parachutes
at 250 metres to avoid detection. Once on
land they should ditch their parachutes and
with minimal equipment they should locate
the crashed plane. They must then secure it
and the cargo and turn on a transponder so
that a helicopter unit on standby across the
Kazakhstan border can make an incursion
to extract them. They will carry an inflatable raft, since the nearby river is navigable,
which they can use to move at greater speed.
Time is of the essence, the more time passes, the greater the likelihood of the Chinese
finding the aircraft before them and the mission becoming a failure. Although the plan is
simple, executing it will not be an easy task.
The Altay region in immersed in a separatist
conflict and rebel forces, opposing the Chinese government, can be found in the area.
So commandoes and patrols from the Chinese Peoples Liberation Army are likely to
be found.
The PCs may ask Sokolov questions about
the Altay Mountains. He will tell them it is a
mountain area with great vegetation diversity, starting as a steppe semi-desert. As one
moves into the Kanas River valley, it becomes
a thick conifer wood considered one of the
most beautiful on the planet. Due to its elevation and that the operation is nocturnal; temperatures under 10 C are expected during
the night. However, as they climb down and
throughout the day, temperature will increase
to 30 C. probability of rain is about 80%.
July and August are the rainiest months in the
area.
It is possible the PCs want more information on the high altitude jump the Game
director can tell them the following. This
kind of jump is called a HALO (High Altitude
Low Opening) jump, and is designed for the
stealthy insertion of personnel. The plane
flies at high altitude to escape possible landair measures and the parachutes open at
very low altitude to escape observation. The
parachutists reach terminal velocity (about
200 km/h) during the fall, and then open the
parachute at under 300 metres. In case of
emergency, an altimeter opens the chute at
250 metres. Due to the high altitude at the
beginning of the jump, they will be equipped
with helmets and airtight breathing apparatus, thermal clothing to avoid freezing and
light combat equipment. This will limit much
46
of the effective load they may carry. The airplane will also drop a zodiac-type inflatable
raft with which they can travel on the river, if
they find it is convenient.
To find the plane they will need to use a
GPS tracker that will locate the black box signal once within a 10 km radius. Once its located, theyll activate a long range transponder
that will give their position to the airborne
team that will extract them across the Kazakhstan border.
The crashed plane had three crew members on board belonging to the Indian air
force (two pilots and a freight technician) as
well as 5 members of the Bravo Sierra unit of
the Attack Airborne Force of Global Defence,
led by Captain Joseph Papa Bear Knight.
Captain Knight has become famous thanks to
a CNN story (One Day with the X-Corps) that
almost ended in tragedy when his helicopter
was shot down during a Chandra ambush. He
is a respected man in TACCOM and is considered very skilled.
Since this is a covert mission, there are no
reinforcements. If the Chinese army captures
them, Global Defence will deny any knowledge of their actions.
When the characters are clear about whats
expected of them, Sokolov will order them to
break ranks and organise their equipment. He
allows them to take a sidearm (revolver or pistol), a main gun (any kind of rifle, submachine
gun, shotgun or support weapon), ammunition
(at least 4 full clips, and they can request special ammunition), soft vests, up to 2 kg in explosives, a first aid kit, survival knife, military
communications handset, holographic sights,
silencers or tripods for their guns. Note that
this is a mission in which they need to move
fast, so Sokolov will veto any equipment he
thinks is too heavy or cumbersome to move
through mountains or woods. Also, one of the
PCs will carry a transponder (an electronic
gadget the size of a video console) and a GPS
tracker to help them to locate the signal from
the black box of the crashed plane (a bit bigger than a GPS unit for a car). The zodiac boat
pack will have its own parachute and once on
the ground it can be carried between several
people (ideally 4).
operaTion red sky
sCene 2 - TerminaL veLoCiTy

The Ilyushin Il-76D is a huge four engines
transport plane, with a wingspan of 50 metres
and capable of carrying more than 50 tons
in payload. Its ADS (Aerial Delivery system)
facilitates the deployment of paratroopers
at more than 8000 metres of altitude with
a speed of up to 400 km/h. The inside, designed to house up to 126 men equipped for
jumping, is almost empty. Sokolov will board
with the PCs, just as support and in case they
need any last minute instruction in HALO
jumping.
The HALO jump requires the PCs to perform a series of breathing exercises before the jump and Sokolov will guide them
through these and check each of them is
correctly wearing the jump equipment. Inside the cargo area the characters will be
sitting on some cargo holding nets posing as
benches, held by security belts. The darkness
around the plane is absolute. Sokolov and
the planes payload specialist are nervous.
Suddenly a red light lights up in the cargo
hold. Sokolov puts on a headset and talks to
the PCs through the radio.
Its time. Adjust your gear and he interrupts the sentence as the specialist is
signing at him. He changes channel on
his radio and his expression changes
We have company; two Chinese Chengdu J-10 ghters are on intercept course.
Times up, you have to jump now.
The characters have a few seconds to

adjust their breathing masks as the payload specialist opens the plane door. The
noise is deafening, pressure drops suddenly and the compartment starts to vibrate
and tremble. Outside it is pitch black. The
specialist pushes the zodiac pack out and
then steps aside for the PCs. When each
character jumps, he notices the impact of
the cold air and the sudden acceleration of
his falling body. Despite his mask it is hard
to breath due to the pressure. There are no
lights and it seems as if they are falling at
great speed towards nothing, as if a black
hole is swallowing them. This freefall up to
terminal velocity may be stressing, the PCs
should make a Willpower roll against a 2D
Stress. Seconds seem to become hours as
the PCs plummet through the clouds before
they start to notice the mountains and the

ground. The ground gets nearer and nearer
until they reach 300 metres. At that moment they should activate the parachute.
The Game Director may ask them to make
a Strength roll with Difficulty 11 to move
against the air pressure of their fall. Those
managing the roll will open the parachute
manually and after a painful shock they
will start to slow down their descent. Those
failing will hardly have time to react. They
should make a new Willpower roll against
a 3D Stress as they continue the descent at
terminal velocity. Suddenly their altimeter
will automatically open the parachute, and
after a sudden shock theyll start to descend
slowly. To land without taking damage the
characters should make an Agility roll with
16 difficulty. For every 4 points of failure
margin the character takes 1D damage from
the landing.
If any characters get a 1 on the Wild Die
and chooses a narrative event, he should lose
some non-vital piece of equipment in the
jump or break something upon falling. Instead, he might land some distance from the
rest of the team, making them waste precious
time regrouping.
When they have landed, it is still night
and the details of the PCs surroundings are
difficult to make out. They have landed on
mountainous terrain, a rocky steppe sprinkled here and there by taiga. The Kanas River valley extends below and in the darkness
a black block of vegetation spreads out as
far as the eye can see. The PCs should leave
their jump equipment and begin the climb
downhill with their combat gear and, if they
wish, with the inflatable raft (and its 120 kg
of weight, which should be carried between
several of them). The Game Director can ask
them for a Survival roll of 15 Difficulty or an
Orientation roll of 18 Difficulty (which can
be modified by the equipment the characters
are carrying) to find their way in the dark and
look for a route that will take them to the valley. A failure means the PCs take an unnecessary turn and will lose time and become
more tired. Now that they are alone in hostile
territory, and without reinforcements, the
true mission begins.
47
sCene 3 - inFiLTraTion
As the characters climb down the valley
little by little, the sun starts to climb over the
horizon, tinting the sky blood red. The mountainous steppe gives way to a thick woodland
as the PCs hike down the mountain.
If the characters try to use the GPS tracker,
they will see they dont get any signal, they
are more than 10 km from their goal. If they
inspect the nearby slopes with binoculars or
other vision amplifying devices, they can attempt a Perception roll with a 14 difficulty. If
they make it, they will see, far down the valley, the groove left by an aircraft crashing in
the woods. A line of trees burned and felled
by the aircraft is riddled with parts of fuselage. The plane cant be seen from their position and the distance prevents them from
seeing any more detail. It is possible that the
characters are about 20 kilometres away. In
this terrain, it may mean a hike of more than 4
hours.
If they fail the roll, they should follow the
signals from the transponder and the GPS and
proceed through the valley looking for the aircraft.
The PCs should make a decision, whether
to walk through the woods (possibly leaving
the boat behind) and make use of the vegetation cover, or climb down to the river and use
the current so they move at a greater pace and
reach their target in far less time.
As the day goes on, temperature will reach
30 C and it will soon rain. Its a summer rain
that will last a few hours.
WaLking doWn THe

mounTain
If the PCs decide to move on foot, they
will advance very slowly. The dense vegetation and the mud caused by the rain are natural obstacles that slow down their advance
a lot. The PCs may reach an average speed of
4 km/h. after the first hour the Game Director can ask the characters for Stamina rolls
of 17 difficulty to maintain a steady pace. If
any of them fails, they will be forced to lower their pace and halve their speed. A Leadership roll with 14 difficulty can be made to
motivate characters that failed the previous
roll. If successful, they will maintain speed for
the next hour, but their next Stamina roll will
have its difficulty increased by 3 points (up to
48
20). They should roll for every hour they walk.

The advance is very tough, constantly sliding
in the mud of the steep slopes and hardly advancing amidst the lush vegetation.
As they PCs come down the slope they
might cross paths with a patrol of the Peoples
Liberation Army. The patrol is not looking for
the airplane but for insurgents. If they see the
PCs they will attempt to stop them or, if necessary, shoot them down. About 16 soldiers and
an officer that is driving their dilapidated truck
form the patrol. The back has no canvas cover
and the soldiers are grouped together and protect themselves from the rain with their hoods
(limiting their vision of the terrain a bit). They
have a radio, but in this area of the mountains
it is hard to transmit a decent signal.
The PCs should make a Perception roll with
14 difficulty. If any of them succeeds, he will
notice that, at the bottom of their path, theres
a road. More precisely, its a forest dirt road
(now more of a quagmire) with visible tracks
of boots and vehicles. Farther away, they can
hear the sound of an approaching engine.
They will have time to hide or to prepare
an ambush. The PCs should make Stealth or
Camouflage rolls in order to remain hidden,
against the patrols Perception (this will be
a single 4D roll due to their teamwork). The
PCs do get an extra 2D due to the weather and
the lush vegetation that make their discovery
much harder.
If the characters fail, they will not notice
the dirt road until they hear the military truck
carrying the patrol, when it is very close. The
sound of the engine echoes in the mountains
and its very hard to pinpoint its location. If
they decide to run like crazy they will end up
in the middle of the road and a head-on encounter is inevitable. If, on the other hand,
they hide, use the guidelines started above,
although, since they are rushed, they will not
have the 2D bonus to their actions.
If any of the Chinese soldiers see the PCs,
they start shouting. The driver will stop the
vehicle and the soldiers will jump out and disperse, shouting to the PCs in Mandarin:
Fngxi nmen de wq! Tuxing! which

means Drop your weapons! Surrender!
Operation Red Sky
It is possible that the PCs dont understand

the order and or do not wish to obey it. Either way the soldiers will attack. Obviously,
if the soldiers are attacked, they will return
fire. These border soldiers are not particularly
skilled and will not use complex tactics. They
will shoot somewhat wildly and hide at the
slightest sign of a problem. They will also not
act against the PCs all at once (in game terms,
it would be crazy). Between 4 and 6 soldiers
will attack while the others will run for cover,
look for a better firing position or just shout
incoherently. If they keep falling under PC
fire, the Game Director can refill the acting
group with fresh soldiers, so that there are no
more than 6 soldiers fighting the PCs at any
one time. The statistics for the soldiers are
provided in the sidebar detailing the river encounter with a patrol boat below.
The Chinese soldiers fear their officers a
lot, so if ordered to pursue the PCs, they will
do so until at least half of them have fallen. At
that point, they will decide to retreat. The PCs
can avoid the conflict through evasion tactics.
This will involve making opposed rolls, using
their stealth against the enemies Perception.
The consequences of being discovered by
the Chinese should be obvious: they have revealed their position and now their mission is
compromised. They have no choice but hurry
to the plane and try to avoid patrols at any
cost. If the PCs are hampered in their mission,
it is possible that the Chinese will send more
units looking for them with helicopters, heavy
weaponry and bloodhounds to hunt down
the characters. If the PCs lose their pursuers
or manage to get closer to the plane, the GPS
tracker will issue an alert and they will see
they have located the planes black box some
kilometres to the southeast.
Going Downriver
The Kanas River is a wide, fast flowing river which several tributaries join before it runs
into the great Lake Kanas, a place of extreme
natural beauty. July and august are the rainiest months, when the river runs high and fast.
If the PCs decide to go downriver they will
have to carry the Zodiac to the shore, inflate it
and check the equipment before embarking.
Inflating and securing the Zodiac doesnt require any skill roll, only some time pumping to
get air into the watercraft. To manoeuvre the
Zodiac, the characters will need the Boating
skill (using their Dexterity with a 1D penalty if
they are not trained that skill). The non-familiarity penalty for the Zodiac is +3 difficulty (it
is not too difficult to handle). Remember also

that the PCs may cooperate to handle the raft
(up to 4 of them may cooperate in manoeuvring the Zodiac).
If the PCs are travelling downstream, their
speed is increased by 1 point, if upstream it
decreases 1 point (and if they are in neutral,
they will go downstream at speed 1).
Movement in the Kanas may seem simple
at first, the woods are lush in the margins and
the landscape is overwhelming, shining with
endless different tints of green and ochre.
Rain falls lightly, leaving myriad waves on
the crystalline surface. But things are not so
simple, suddenly the current starts accelerating and the soft murmur of the running water
gives way to a thundering roar. If no PC has
intuited this yet, they are approaching an area
full of rapids. The bank becomes a steep canyon, and very hard to climb (although they can
leave the raft and try, difficulty is 21). They
have other options, trying to move through
the rapids or go upriver to a place where the
bank is lower and continue on foot (where
maybe they can walk the boat past the rapid
area and afterwards return to the river). If they
choose this option, use the encounter with
the Peoples Liberation Army patrol described
in the previous section Walking Down the
Mountain.
If the PCs decide to proceed through the
rapids, the watercraft will start to accelerate
and waves and splashes will start to flood water into the boat, making the PCs even wetter.
The first section is a rocky area. Negotiating
this will require a Boating roll with +11 difficulty. If they fail the roll, the PCs must make a
Strength roll with 14 difficulty to avoid being
thrown overboard. A character in the water
should make a Swimming roll with 12 difficulty to stay afloat and not crash into the rocks.
To climb back into the Zodiac the PC will need
a Strength roll of 12 difficulty (he can also be
helped back up by other helping the roll from
the Zodiac). If a character decided to secure
himself to the Zodiac with a hook or similar,
hell have a 1D Bonus to his Strength roll to
avoid falling overboard and later to climb back
into the raft. If it takes more than 2 rounds to
get back into the boat theyll reach the next
area in the river and things will get worse.
The next section is an 8 metres waterfall. Here theyll need to make a Boating roll
with +14 difficulty, if they fail the Zodiac will
turn over and everyone will fall straight into
the water. With a catastrophe (1) on the Wild
49
Die, one of the PCs will be trapped under the

Zodiac and, although he has enough air for a
few rounds, the situation will quickly raise the
possibility of drowning (he should also make
a Willpower roll versus 3D Stress). To get back
in the boat the PCs will have to make a Swimming roll with a 14 difficulty to reach it. Once
there, to turn the Zodiac back over they will
need to make a Strength roll with a 12 difficulty (several characters may cooperate). Finally
they can try and climb back into the boat, with
a Strength roll of 12 difficulty. If a character
reaches this area not aboard the Zodiac (having fallen off the raft in the previous section
and not having managed to climb back in) the
waterfall will cause 2D damage as they hit the
rocks, and they will still be in the water, needing Swimming rolls to stay afloat.
In all these rolls, it is possible that a PC will
get a 1 on the Wild Die and choose a small
catastrophe. We recommend that the Game
Director uses this chance to misplace some
piece of their equipment, get their communications gear wet, or their weapons. Wet guns
and communications equipment can be repaired if the PCs disassemble them with a roll
of Firearms, Repair or even Electronics for the
communications gear at difficulty 11. A lost
piece of equipment will be dragged away by
the current and thus irretrievable. The Game
Director should try not to make it a piece of
vital equipment!
Eventually the river becomes calmer and
the PCs can even walk into the river and climb
into the Zodiac without any problem. Here the
characters might once again decide to leave
the raft and continue on foot, or remain on the
river since they seem to have overcome the
hardest section. In any case, the GPS tracker
will emit a bleep and they will see it has located the planes black box a few kilometres to
the southeast, in this case, downriver.
THe paTroL boaT

If the characters continue down the river,
they will have an encounter with a Chinese
patrol boat. This boat is going upriver up towards the rapid area (which is not navigable)
and then aims to return to the great Lake
Kanas, some kilometres to the south. In the
patrol boat are up to 6 soldiers and a sergeant
who pilots the boat. The patrol is looking for
insurgents. However, if the characters have
been detected previously, the patrol is looking for them.
50
The PCs can make a Perception roll with

14 difficulty, to hear the noise of the patrol
boat, giving them time for a quick decision.
They may try to camouflage and hide themselves in some way or plan an action against
the patrol boat. Note that this is in the plain
light of day and, although it is dark and raining, a Zodiac filled with soldiers is a more than
obvious target. The scene can be resolved in
many ways and the PCs have so many options
that it would be an exercise in futility to try to
enumerate them all. Instead we offer a series
of guidelines about the behaviour of the patrol soldiers and suggest a few modifiers for
the situation.
As we detailed above, the Chinese are actively looking for insurgents and although
their efforts are focused on the valley slopes
(they are looking for smoke or signs of a camp)
they wont miss the Zodiac. If the PCs do not
hide or camouflage the outlines of their raft
and the Chinese see that it is a military team,
they will start ordering the PCs to stop and
prepare to be boarded. Again it is very possible that the PCs dont know what the Chinese
are shouting at them and become nervous, it
should be a very tense situation.
Tngle chun! Zhnbi dng shng!
After giving the order to stop, the Chinese

boat will approach with caution. One of the
men will man the front (bow) turret with a
ready machine gun, another will pilot and at
least two of the rest will stand with their rifles pointing at the PCs boat. The commander
speaks into a megaphone and another soldier
will turn on the boats searchlight and point it
at the PCs raft (which will blind them for a few
seconds). If the soldiers see any hostile reactions from the PCs, they will fire and possibly
try to ram the Zodiac with their patrol boat
(causing a collision). If at least three of them
are seriously wounded, the will try to escape
and put some distance between them and the
characters. But they will return a few hours
later with reinforcements
It may happen that the patrol boat does
not detect the characters and passes by, and
in that case the Game Director should rack up
the tension by describing how slowly the Chinese boat slides along the river and how alert
and well-armed are the men on deck, even as
they talk and laugh with each other.
operaTion red sky
Take THese FaCTors

inTo aCCounT:
low visibility: There is low visibility as
the day is cloudy and there is almost constant rain.
The water slows and diverts projectiles:
Firing at a totally submerged target increases difficulty by +6 and reduces the
guns effective damage by 1D (to a minimum of 1D).
CHIneSe RIveR PATRol BoAT
The river patrol boat is a light and manoeuvrable vehicle inspired by the famous PRB American launch. It is armed
with two 7.62 calibre Norinco Type 81
light machine guns, one fore and one
aft, mounted on a turret capable of
180 turns. It measures about 9m in
length and 3m in breadth, with a closed
cabin and has night vision systems.
noRInCo TYPe 81 lIGHT MACHIne Gun
This light squad weapon copies most of
the characteristics of the Russian AK-47
and the SVD Dragunov. It is dierentiated by its transport handle and drum
clip with 75 cartridges of calibre 7.62
Large Russian. It is not particularly
powerful, but it can re in the most adverse circumstances.
SoldIeRS oF THe PeoPleS lIBeRATIon

aRMy
Weapons 3D+1
strength 3D: Running 3D+2
Knowledge 2d
Perception 2d: Search 3D, Streetwise
4D
presence 2D: Intimidate 3D+1
Damage Bonus: 2D
Defence: 9
Movement: 6
Chinese army regular soldiers only carry one assault rie as main weapon;
the Norinco QBZ-97. All carry at least 4
complete clips. Besides their uniform,
they only wear Helmets (hard, open
type) as protection and ponchos for the
rain.
The QBZ-97 is a bull pup conguration
rie with similar performance to the
French FAMAS, mass-produced for the
land forces of the Chinese Peoples Liberation Army.
51
CHIneSe RIveR PATRol BoAT

Type of vehicle
Speed
Resistance
passengers
Manoeuvrability
River patrol boat
1/2/3/5
5D
+2D
weapon
Norinco Type 81 PKP
Norinco QBZ-97
type
calibRe
clip
DaMage
Machine Gun
7.62LR
Drum
7D+2
Rifle
5.56
25
6D
sCene 4 - THe CrasH siTe

By this point, the PCs will have gone
through several hardships, but are near their
goal. The GPS has locates the black box of the
plane and is showing the correct direction.
After an hour of climbing a steep slope, the
PCs will find the path of destruction created
by the plane during its attempted landing.
Fallen trees broken like twigs, burned vegetation and remains of fuselage are spread over
1 kilometre. Finally, embedded in an area of
dense foliage, lies the crashed aircraft with its
broken wings, lying on its belly like a beached
whale. If the PCs try to examine the surroundings before approaching, they will see no
movement. The area seems dead.
After walking for a while theyll get to the
woody area near the plane. A Perception roll
of 14 difficulty will allow them to see boot
tracks around the wreckage, and a few furrows
that indicate something was dragged away.
Interestingly the PCs GPS locator points to the
north, indicating the black box is no longer inside the plane.
If they follow the tracks using the Tracking
skill (difficulty 14), theyll see that the tracks
go deep into the wood and then suddenly disappear at a rocky area. Someone went to a lot
of trouble to hide the tracks. The PCs can try
to follow them if they manage a Tracking roll
of 21 difficulty (or follow their GPS tracker) in
that case the tracks lead them almost half a
kilometre north where theyll find a body buried and covered with vegetation. There is also
an extremely large chest hidden together with
the planes black box. The chest is sealed with
an electronic lock, which is extremely complicated to open (at least 24 difficulty with Electronics). Inside theres a device that is clearly
alien automatic canon. Obviously, this is the
cargo theyre looking for.
If the PCs investigate the plane, theyll see
it has suffered major damage. Part of the tail
52
is loose, and the wings have been snapped

off and embedded in the trees. The cockpit is
lodged against a large oak and the glass windscreen is shattered and covered in blood.
If the PCs enter the plane, theyll see an
absolute disaster inside. Theres blood on the
floor, which has left tracks as if bodies had
been dragged away. The cockpit is also covered in blood and the instruments are completely destroyed. In the cargo area theyll
see 6 body bags piled up in the middle. Another body, one of a young blonde woman
with a TACCOM uniform, rests on a stretcher.
She has several bandages on her head and her
hands, and a drip in her arm dispensing saline
and tranquilizers. Sitting on the ground in the
semidarkness, is another Global Defence operative. His trousers and boots covered with
blood and mud. He doesnt move. This scene
should look tragic, it seems the PCs arrived
too late and there are no survivors. Moreover,
the body bags may even contain people they
know from Global Defence. The Game Director should ask for a Willpower roll against 3D
Stress. It is not a pleasant situation.
If the PCs examine the body bags, they can
confirm they contain the remains of the pilots,
the payload specialist and three members of
Global Defence, Corporal Nick Myers, Private
First Class Johanna Brehms and Private Robinho Lato. If they are examined using Medicine (difficulty 11) it will be obvious that the
cause of death was multiple trauma due to the
crash.
On the stretcher lies Sergeant Helga Bulldozer Mathesson, incapacitated and sedated.
She has several fractures but appears stable.
The man sitting alone must therefore be Captain Knight. If they approach him to examine
him, Papa Bear will wake up disoriented and
will point a Sig Sauer handgun at the nearest
character. But he collapses the next moment
operaTion red sky
and lies barely conscious. If the PCs attempt

to revive him and explain that they are the
cavalry, he will calm down and will let them
examine him. He is incapacitated and has
trouble breathing, only speaking haltingly.
When we fell, the pilot released the

fuel to prevent the bird from burning.
After the crash I bagged the bodies of
my boys, stabilised Helga and took the
cargo and the black box, they are buried half a click north of here.
He will give the coordinates of the stash

to one of the characters and then fall unconscious from the effort. The characters can, if
they wish, make Medicine rolls, although they
can do little for his injuries they can stabilise
him and start prolonged care.
The PCs should have time to stabilise the
wounded and make some sort of plan to recover the black box. If they want to activate
the transponder and call the cavalry, they can
do that, although they should take possession
of the alien weapon first.
sCene 5 - We are noT aLone

What the characters do not know is that
Tiandun intelligence agents (the anti-alien
unit of the Chinese government) have gathered data on the plane crash in their territory and has sent a team to retrieve it. They
will reach the PCs as soon as they tend to the
wounded in the plane. But things are about to
get even more complicated than that.
A Chandra infiltration unit has also been
looking for the aircraft to recover their antiaircraft gun, since they have no wish for it to
fall into human hands. This situation is about
to explode into a three way combat centred
on the crashed plane. This epic finale can be
really lethal and can end in several ways. As
usual, we will not try to cover all possibilities
but give you enough information to run the
scene, along with tools for the Game Director
to be able to improvise, if need be.
In this scene the Game director should be
very familiar with each thing that is happening and what the goals and the tactics of each
group are, so they can develop it the way they
want to.
THe Tiandun agenTs

The Tiandun patrol is formed with 5 members, each with training from several elite
units of the Chinese police and military. As the
characters are tending to Captain Knight, the
Tiandun team members will be watching the
plane from afar. While the captain is explaining the location of the black box (although it
is possible that the team has already retrieved
them) they will start to approach using Stealth
until they reach medium range for their weapons. If they are still not discovered, they will
throw a Flashbang grenade towards the PCs

and then theyll try to subdue them, if possible capturing them alive. In this way they can
display them as spies and put pressure on the
Alien Countermenace Committee. If they have
the drop on the PCs they will shout orders at
them in English, ordering them to drop their
weapons and get on the ground. They will not
fire if they dont need to, but will retaliate if
shot at. The Tiandun members are an elite
team who value their safety most of all, they
will not play hero. If they are in doubt of the
success of an attack they will hold their positions, dodge and use reflexive defences while
the PCs waste ammunition. They will never fire wildly, only precise shots or, at most,
three-round bursts.
Once the Chandra appear they will change
their priority, focusing on eliminating the aliens. Trapped between two fronts, they will
try to retreat using covering fire and throwing
grenades.
If the PCs try to make a common front with
the Chinese against the aliens, they will accept an alliance, at first. But it will be hard to
predict what will happen once the shooting
stops. The Chinese soldiers have orders to arrest the PCs but they are men of honour. If any
of the PCs saves the life of a Tiandun member
or otherwise shows conspicuous heroism, the
Chinese will retreat and will let the PCs go.
They will also honour any agreements they
give their word on. If they lose half or more of
their team they may also make a retreat.
53
tiandun agent
Weapons 4D+1
strength 3D: Running 3D+2, Stamina
3D
Knowledge 2d
Perception 2d: Search 3D, Survival 3D
presence 3D: Intimidation 3D+1, Willpower 3D+1
Damage Bonus: 2D
Defence: 10
Movement: 7
The Tiandun agents are wearing soft
vests, helmets, camouage clothing, 2
Flashbang grenades, 2 incendiary grenades, 2 concussion grenades, Norinco
QSZ-92 pistols and Norinco QBZ-97 assault ries.
The QBZ-97 is a bullpup conguration
rie with a performance similar to
the French FAMAS, mass-produced for
the land forces of the Chinese Peoples
Liberation Army. The semiautomatic
pistol QBZ-92 is the service sidearm of
the Chinese military, also used by their
police forces.
THe CHandra
The aliens have come to retrieve their weapon; in fact a
Chandra officer leads the patrol,
making this group a very dangerous threat. The patrol is made
up of 3 Chandra Bloodhounds,
4 Chandra Soldiers and a Chandra Officer. Although they expect
some human resistance, they are not
counting on finding two teams at once.
Nevertheless, theyll carry on with their
plans. Depending on how the Chinese
and the PCs have engaged each other, it is
even possible the Chandra might not understand they are looking at two different human
factions.
54
The Chandra move on at a good pace

through the woods. They will send in the
hounds first from the south side of the plane
to cause chaos, and then the rest of their force
attacks from the north. They will advance
carefully, two of them supplying cover fire
while the officer moves from cover to cover,
pausing to give cover to his troops advance.
If all the hounds and at least half the soldiers
fall, the Chandra will retreat. If the officer
falls, the Chandra will suffer a 1D Penalty due
to their leaderless confusion.
operaTion red sky
chanDRa solDieR
Agility 4D: Brawling 5D, Dodge 4D, Melee weapons 5D
dexterity 4D: Firearms 5D (Chandra
Disruptors, 5D+1)
strength 5D: Lifting 5D, Stamina 5D
Knowledge 2D
Perception 5D
Defence: 11
Movement: 5
Special abilities:
-Dark vision: The Chandra soldier eliminates 6 Darkness Penalty points.
-Improved immune system: It gets a 2D
equipment:
Heavy disruptor (9D Damage)
chanDRa blooDhounD
Agility 5d: Dodge 6D, Jumping 5D,
Stealth 5D
dexterity 4d: Throwing 4D (Spit Venom 5D)
Strength 5d: Running 7D, Stamina 5D
Knowledge 0d
Perception 6d: Search 6D, Survival 6D,
Tracking 8D
Defence: 12
Movement: 10
Special abilities:
-Dark vision: Eliminates up to 6 darkness penalty points.
-Pheromone control: Identies its Chandra masters by the pheromones they issue, becoming docile and obedient to
orders.
-Improved immune system: gets a 2D
Bloodhounds neurotoxic venom
vector: Blood (bite), contact (spat on
an unprotected area)
virulence: 5D
Incubation: 1 round
eects:
Light (1 round): Itching, nausea and
feeling of asphyxiation. The character
has a 1D penalty to all actions.
Severe (2 rounds): Severe disorientation, asphyxiation and intense pain.
The character is Stunned.
Acute (30 minutes): Paralysis, semi-unconsciousness. The character is Incapacitated.
#enD box
chanDRa officeR
Agility 4d: Brawling 5D, Dodge 4D, Melee Weapons 5D
dexterity 4d: Firearms 6D (Chandra
Disruptors 4D+1)
Strength 5d: Lifting 5D, Stamina 5D
Knowledge 5D: Academics 5D, Computers 5D, Demolitions 5D, Security 5D.
Perception 4D: Search 5D, Survival 5D
presence 4D: Empathy 4D, Intimidation 5D, Leadership 6D, Willpower 6D
Damage bonus: 3D
Defence: 11
Movement: 9
Special Abilities:
- Dark vision: the Chandra ocer eliminates up to 6 points of darkness penalties.
- Improved immune system: Gets a 2D
equipment:
Heavy disruptor (Damage 9D)
Biosteel armour (Damage resistance
worn 5D+9)
Too many peopLe!
With the PC party, the Tiandun unit and the

aliens this can be quite a chaotic encounter to
handle. To make things simple, the Game Director should group the Tiandun Agents into two
groups (as if they were two characters) and the
Chandra in 3 groups (one with the Bloodhounds,
another with the Soldiers and yet another with
the Officer). The members of one group all act at
the same time and do the same thing (they all
move, they all fire, etc.) although they may have
different targets. They only make one roll for the
whole group and all use the same result. This is
due to the fact that, since they are a unit, they
are really well synchronised.
55
epiLogue
If anything goes more or less as it should, the characters will manage to defeat the Tiandun
and the Chandra and got hold of the crashed planes black box and the chest with the alien
antiaircraft gun. Some time after the combat is over the extraction helicopters will arrive, raising a lot of dust. Among them is a medical Black Hawk from EVASAN to evacuate the PCs and
the wounded. Two Ghost Wolf teams and an EVASAN response team will come to help the PCs,
stabilise the wounded and retrieve the bodies of the fallen. Sokolov himself will be in one of
the helicopters and will help the team to get the chest and the wounded into it. Before leaving,
he will place a high power explosive charge on the crashed plane. Shortly after lift-off, the PCs
will hear the explosion far away and will see a column of smoke rise from the site. As they move
away, the clouds clear and the sun shines on the perpetual snow in the Altay maintains, turning
the sky red. The PCs can finally return home.
56

First Contact QuickStart

Încărcat de

Informații document

Drepturi de autor

Formate disponibile

Partajați acest document

Partajați sau inserați document

Opțiuni de partajare

Vi se pare util acest document?

Este necorespunzător acest conținut?

Drepturi de autor:

Formate disponibile

First Contact QuickStart

Încărcat de

Drepturi de autor:

Formate disponibile

CrediTs

For the rest of the world, it was business

city, or the encounter that brings them to the

global stRategy (stRatcoM): Works as

agility 3D: Brawling 3D, Stealth 3D

advantages: Sense of Direction

FrusTraTed seCuriTy guard

agility 3D: Brawling 4D, Stealth 3D

agility 2D+1: Dodge 2D+1

agility 3D: Stealth 3D

managing the system itself and offers several

Sarah is trying to nd a memory stick

suCCess and FaiLure margins

THe WiLd die

ing followed may use his Perception attribute.

modiFying diCe roLLs

Adding dice: This increases the number of

with 3D+2 doubles his dice (due to using a

number of points that can be spent in one

CHaraCTer poinTs and guTs

ALWAYS requires the approval of the Game

fiReaRMs: use of handguns and small arms

electRonics: repair and creation of electronic

locKpicKing: unlocking mechanical and

foRgeRy: making convincing copies

piloting: piloting air vehicles

languages: speaking languages other than

RangeD weapons: use of archaic ranged

thRowing: throwing weapons or items at a

MeDicine: first aid, trauma medicine, surgery

Time and CombaT

gaMbling: understanding probability and

eMpathy: understanding people and seeing

InveSTIGATIon: analysing a crime scene and

intiMiDation: making convincing threats

oRientation: navigation and map reading

leaDeRship: taking charge and managing a

Time and CombaT

The result of each characters initiative roll

Frank and Sarah are ghting some

act again. Subtracting another 10 he

Lets say in the above example the

the action from 11 to 15 Frank has a 1D

FigHTing and sHooTing

Time and Combat

** The second time the character gets a 4-8

So, if a character takes 21 points of damage

The damage dice of the weapon are rolled

Weve summarised the basic qualities of

wounDeD: A wounded character has a sprain,

Time and CombaT

Frank comes across the dead body of

stResseD: The characters hands shake a lot,

agility 3D: Brawling 4D, Dodge 3D

agility 3D: Dodge 3D, Stealth 3D

agility 3D: Dodge 3D

agility 4D: Brawling 4D (Kickboxing 5D), Dodge 4D, Melee

No-one is left behind.

agility 3D: Brawling 4D, Dodge 4D, Melee weapons 4D,

agility 3D: Brawling 3D, Dodge 3D, Stealth 4D

THe LongesT nigHT

noTes For THe game

THe LongesT nigHT

THe nigHTmare begins