T E S T P I L O T P R O G R A M : P H A S E 1 V E R S I O N 0 . 2

H E A V Y G E A R U N I V E R S E

CHIEF EDITORJason Dickerson

ART DIRECTORGreg Perkins

WRITINGBrandon FeroJason Dickerson

SDX RULES DEVELOPMENTBrandon FeroJason DickersonWunji LauGreg Perkins

LAYOUTGreg Perkins

ARTWORKGhislain BarbeShannon GoldsmithAlex PerkinsGreg PerkinsDavid TauziaAndrew Isaacs

PHASE 1 TEST PILOT ROLL CALLMichael Tirado, Matthew Robertson, Oscar Simmons, Brandon Fero, Harley Graves, Frank Sheers, David Barrow, Brian Jordan-Dean, Lee McDonough, Chris Holt, Joel Daves, Hugo Lamosa Garrido, Nathaniel Borys, Mozes Mudd, John Murdoch, Jeffrey Finley, Jesse Hutchison, Hugh H Browne Jr, Scott Coulson, John Merrill, Alberto Camargo Garcia, Henry Hacking, Joonas Laakso, Christopher Thompson, Shawn MacKenzie, Anthony Baltera, Alvin McKnight, Scott Platts, Thomas Conant, Michael Gorczyca, Worldplay Games, Stuart Wallace, Mark Stout, Ronald Siefkas, Mitchell Flatt, Joshua Tumbry, Andrew MacIntyre, Andrew Akins, Javier Cueto Gomez, Dustin Whitaker, Oliver Bollmann, Mark Buenaluz, Jonathan Bigonnesse, P Hayes, Darren Barber, Evan Anhorn, Brennan O’Brien-Hendrix, Denney Vullo, James Cunningham, Michael Rocz, Alfonso Brintrup, Andres Pino, Sebastian Kruger, Nicolas Marr, Javier Moya, Javier Bahamondes, Boris Villalobos Parada, Daniel Hinds-Bond, Chris Gunter, Dave Dind, Theodore, Lehman, Cesar Gonzalez, Brian O’Connor, Charles Webb, Chris Hall, DJ White, Jason Baker, Mike McTavish, Andre Winnem Bjerga, Christopher Gregory, David Bieganek, Christopher Moore, John Adams, Richard Temple, John Rose, Jeremiah Petit, James Faltm, Val Wikblad, Mylene Pageua, Ryan Goodwin, Timothy Kilgriff, Jason O’Connell, Robert Speed, Victor Rodrigue III, Tony Maguire, Alexander Daily, Jacob Staines, James Burdette, Thomas Matzke, Joseph Blomquist, Kyle Lamont, Chris Olsen, Christian Ringkloff, Josh Riggins, Rolando Mejia, David Cherry, Brett Bird, Rob Jeanmenne, Robert Gilbert, Alex Williams, Jean-Rene Giroux, Vincent Jones, David Anderson, Ryan Chaddick, Jason Nicholl, HHC, Richard Cooper, Jordan Louis

TABLE OF CONTENTS

CORE RULES .......................................................... 2

INTRODUCTION .................................................... 2TWO GAMES IN ONE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2THE STORYLINE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

FIRST PUSH ........................................................... 4SOMEWHERE ON TERRA NOVA... . . . . . . 4

SILHOUETTE BASICS ........................................... 5DICE AND DICE ROLLING . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5FUMBLES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5ACTION TESTS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6OPPOSED ACTION TESTS . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6SKILL LEVELS - WHAT ARE THEY? . . . . . .7SKILL ROLLS: WHEN, HOW AND WHY? . .7EXAMPLE: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7RATINGS, SKILLS, AND SKILL TESTS . . . 8RATINGS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8LEVEL 4 — ELITE. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

CHARACTER CREATION ...................................... 9

DEVELOPING YOUR CONCEPT .......................... 9DEFINING YOUR CHARACTER . . . . . . . . . 9REALITY DISTORTION LEVELS . . . . . . . . 9CHARACTER GENERATOR TEMPLATES 10EXAMPLE 1: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10EXAMPLE 2: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10

THE CHARACTER SHEET ...................................11FAST SKILL TABLE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13PERKS TABLE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13FLAWS TABLE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14

THE CHESSPIECE SYSTEM .............................. 15KINGS AND QUEENS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15HISTORICAL FIGURES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15ROOKS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15RESTRICTED CHARACTERS . . . . . . . . . . .15ROLEPLAYING USES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15KNIGHTS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16VERY IMPORTANT PEOPLE . . . . . . . . . . . .16STORYLINE USES. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16ROLEPLAYING USES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16BISHOPS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16SOCIAL ENCOUNTERS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16STORYLINE USES. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16ROLEPLAYING USES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16PAWNS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16EXPENDABLES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16STORYLINE USES. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16ROLEPLAYING USES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16

ADVANCED CHARACTER CREATION.............. 17DEVELOPING YOUR CHARACTER . . . . . .17UNDERSTANDING YOUR CONCEPT . . . .17BACKGROUND . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17PERSONALITY. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17MOTIVATIONS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17ATTRIBUTES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17

PRIMARY ATTRIBUTES...................................... 18PHYSICAL ATTRIBUTES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18AGILITY (AGI) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18FITNESS (FIT) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18BUILD (BLD) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18INTELLECTUAL ATTRIBUTES . . . . . . . . . .18KNOWLEDGE (KNO). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18CREATIVITY (CRE) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18WILLPOWER (WIL) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18

SOCIAL ATTRIBUTES. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18APPEARANCE (APP) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18INFLUENCE (INF) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18PSYCHE (PSY). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18PERCEPTION (PER) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18ATTRIBUTE RATINGS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18NOTE: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18

SECONDARY ATTRIBUTES ............................... 19STRENGTH (STR) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .19HEALTH (HEA) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .19STAMINA (STA) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .19UNARMED DAMAGE (UD) . . . . . . . . . . . . .19ARMED DAMAGE (AD) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .19MOVEMENT (MOV) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .19FATIGUE (FA) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .19SYSTEM SHOCK . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .19

PURCHASING ATTRIBUTES & SKILLS ........... 20PURCHASING STARTING ATTRIBUTES 20CAMPAIGN ATTRIBUTE POINTS . . . . . . 20ATTRIBUTE COST . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20PURCHASING STARTING SKILLS. . . . . . 20CAMPAIGN SKILL POINTS . . . . . . . . . . . 20SKILL COST . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

SKILLS .................................................................. 21

PERKS ................................................................... 31

FLAWS ................................................................. 33

EQUIPMENT ........................................................ 38PERSONAL ARMOR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38

WEAPONS ........................................................... 39MELEE WEAPONS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39RANGED WEAPONS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39GRENADES (THROWN). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40HEAVY WEAPONS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40ARCHERY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40H

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C O R E R U L E SI N T R O D U C T I O N

TWO GAMES IN ONE

The Heavy Gear Universe (HGU) is a science fiction universe designed to encompass both a roleplaying game and a skirmish battle system from the get-go. If you know what these types of games are, skip this section. If you are unfamiliar with the concepts of roleplaying and wargaming, allow us to introduce you to both game styles.

Roleplaying is a form of interactive storytelling in which a director (called the Gamemaster, or GM) prepares scenarios for a story. The GM guides a group of Players (usually from 3 to 6) through the scenarios. Each Player has a character (called a Player Character, or PC) with Attributes (natural talents) and Skills (acquired or learned talents). During the game sessions, the Players are encouraged to create interesting personalities and act out their decisions and reactions to the settings and situations described by the Gamemaster. When the PCs participate in several sessions, these combine to form a campaign, that is a continuing series of adventures much like TV episodes. Roleplaying requires very little strategy - it mostly emphasizes problem-solving and acting.

Skirmish battles simulate combat on a hypothetical or historical battlefield (usually only a few city blocks or less than a square kilometer of ground). In Heavy Gear, it usually entails pitting infantry or armored vehicles against each other using technical rules to resolve combat. Skirmish games require tactics to win, although some dice rolling is involved to simulate the unknowns of real-life combat. Skirmish games require no Gamemaster, only players who have roughly equivalent forces to fight with and a set of rules which apply to everyone equally. A skirmish game requires a great deal of creative thinking, but little problem-solving and no acting skills.

Roleplaying does not have winners or losers. Player Characters may live or die, but winning or losing has little to do with that. The goal of the game varies for each character, although the Gamemaster may set a tentative campaign goal for himself. Most importantly, roleplaying is creating a story that centers around the actions and reactions of the players’ characters, who can be likened to the central cast of a movie, or the protagonists of a novel.

With HGU’s skirmish scale game, the situation is more clear cut. When the game is over, there should be one Player who completed more of his assigned objectives - he’s the winner, everyone else loses to a varying degree.

Heavy Gear, as we said above, is a hybrid game. This rulebook contains the rules for both roleplaying, and will also have the skirmish scale battle system included. We provide character creation rules and a general background for the world characters to evolve in. We also provide complete rules, vehicles and weapons to allow players almost unlimited flexibility in their combat scenarios. This book has a lot of everything for all types of gamers. You can use it to roleplay, to battle or to do both. You, the gamer, are in charge.

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e THE STORYLINEThe world of Heavy Gear provides gamers with an intricate background. It differs from many other games because it also features a complex overarching storyline that does not reveal itself in the beginning. When historians look back at Earth’s history, they uncover a wealth of events and personalities which give the world a vibrant life of its own. It is Humanity’s fate to splinter between groups of conflicting interests and to fight for limited resources. On Terra Nova, the world at the center of the Heavy Gear story, it is only natural that strife occurs.

Heavy Gear is a large-scale story, with a beginning and an end. It is possible for players to find themselves drawn into the events that shape the story. Clues are scattered throughout the various books, in game information, Non-Player Characters’ backgrounds, quotes and suggestions. Some are obvious, others well hidden, but they all help to move the story forward in an exciting way. Each league sourcebook, army list and supplement shows the current date, sometimes in A.D. dating, sometimes in Terranovan reckoning. The back cover of each book features a digital timepiece (what is referred to as the Timewatch system) that indicates the position of the book within the storyline.

The story of Heavy Gear will be told through a series of Mission Packs, sourcebooks and novels, which Arkrite Press will release on a regular basis.

The story begins here and now, in this very rulebook. The North and South have been rebuilding in the wake of the invasion by the Earth’s Colonial Expeditionary Force.

Only now, with the assassination of one of the North’s great religious leaders, are both sides aimed at securing vital strategic resources located in the Badlands, the equatorial desert which separates the two hemispheres. For some it is a holy war. For others, an opportunity to turn a profit. Still others desire to end the conflict before it grows out of control. And then there are those who want to fan the flames higher. First Push

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F I R S T P U S HSOMEWHERE ON TERRA NOVA...Pulling a 90-degree turn at 40 kilometers an hour put extreme inertia on his body, but the sounds of supersonic slugs cracking the air gave him second thoughts about slowing down. The Jäger’s tires squealed and started to skid, but he powered through, the Heavy Gear’s neural net throwing out its free arm to offset the imbalance and keeping him steady enough to complete the turn.

He flicked his head to the right, the Jäger copying the motion while he took the next right, slowing down just enough on the asphalt to keep from losing control.

He’d trained to be a pilot for a full season. His instructors had been aces, grizzled veterans. They’d drilled into him the will to survive almost anything.

Now these thrice-cursed Northerners were making a push in his regiment’s sector, and they just wouldn’t quit. He stopped behind a solid-looking condominium made of brick and mortar, locking his weapon back down the street.

“All, One, status. Over.”

He clicked the transmit button. “One, Five. Still alive. Over.” His voice was calm, detached. The adrenaline shaking his muscles made the whole thing seem surreal. One half of his brain was screaming bloody murder in excitement and fear, the other was logically sound.

Two others in his cadre sounded off, but Three didn’t respond. He didn’t know how to feel about that. Was his radio shot out? Did he choose to retreat? Was he dead?

His Jäger warbled. A probable contact triangle in orange appeared on his street. Hard radar contact, IFF signal unknown. Could be a civilian trying to escape the slaughterhouse at the last second...

BOOM-BOOM-BOOM.

He ducked and juked backwards, bricks still clanking against his Jäger’s head. Not civilian.

He stopped, waited. Training was to fire back immediately, but he would tell the other guy he was still alive then, and although the rounds had overpenetrated, there was no guarantee his outgoing would hit anymore than the other guy.

A flash of a shadow coming down the street, and he tensed. The shape came around the corner, weapon up.

“FREEZE!” His command voice shocked him.

The other guy’s weapon aimed to the sky. “Skag, Five!” It was Three.

He pointed his weapon down and away from his cadre mate. “You didn’t hear One when we called you?! You almost took my head off!”

“I lost my radio!” Three pointed to the side of his own Jäger’s head. A black scorch mark and furrow showed a round had glanced off, looking like someone had taken a finger and dragged it through soft butter. “I thought I saw a Hunter run this way!”

The contact warble pitched. On his six. He pin-turned, weapon coming up. The Hunter was right there. No time for the laser rangefinder. Less than 200 meters, it charged him, autocannon staring him in his face. He squeezed and held down on the trigger.

His own weapon whomped. He felt something BOOM in his ears. He held on, waiting for the pain. Flashes and sparks lit up the front of the Northerner, one, two, three, four. It toppled over on its face, then laid still.

He threw his hands down over himself, his thighs, his man bits. No pain. No flash of heat. He felt something push him, looked.

Three gave him a shake with his free hand. “Good reflexes, Five.”

He gasped for air. Held the breath for three seconds, let it out. He hit transmit, “One, Five, I found Three. He lost his comms and his IFF. Also bagged one Hunter. Over.”

“Five, One, I copy, pull back on my position at RP Six. This fight isn’t over. And good kill. Over.”

“Stay on my six, Three.”

“Oui.”

They peeled off down the road, disappearing into a smokescreen just moments before another pair of Hunters appeared beside their fallen comrade.

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S I L H O U E T T E B A S I C SThe Heavy Gear 4th Edition’s Silhouette D10 (SDX) rules system is an extremely flexible game engine. Depending upon a gaming group’s preferences, it can serve as a roleplaying game, a skirmish board game, or a smooth integration of both. Roleplayers may wish to ignore the tactical sections of these rules. Similarly, players should feel free to use only the skirmish rules system.

Gamemasters should feel free to adjust the “realism” of the campaign, from an accurate simulation of reality right up to a movie-like flash of action and adventure. No matter the type of game, however, the following characteristics will always remain at the base of each and every Silhouette game session.

DICE AND DICE ROLLING

SDX uses ten-sided dice to add an element of chance to the game. These are sometimes referred to as “1D10” in the rules, 2D10 for two dice, 3D10 for three, and so on. The same die rolling convention is used for both the roleplaying and wargaming aspects of the rules, so this is not repeated in the respective rule sections.

When two or more dice are rolled simultaneously, their results are not added together. Instead, the highest result is considered to be the outcome of the die roll. If more than one result of ten is rolled, each additional result of ten adds two (2) to the total. If every die rolled turns up “1”, the die roll is a Fumble and counts as an overall result of zero and no modifiers may change this value. Unless specifically mentioned otherwise, all die rolls work in this way.

The die roll totals are often influenced by modifiers. Modifiers are added to the total of a die roll. If negative modifiers lower the total below zero, the final result is always zero and cannot go any lower. Note that a result modified below zero does not count as a Fumble. Modifiers are not applied to Fumbles.

FUMBLES

A Fumble is a mistake or mishap that causes the action attempted to fail. It is not necessarily caused by a character’s incompetence, and may well be the result of environmental factors. No matter what caused the Fumble, however, the total die roll is always zero.

In the skirmish game, Fumbles produce clear results. This is hardly the case in the roleplaying rules due to the mind-boggling number of possible actions and outcomes. The effects of each separate roleplaying Fumble must be decided and described by the Gamemaster. A general rule of thumb is the harder the task attempted, the greater the effect of the Fumble.

DIE ROLLING EXAMPLES

Routine

Untrained

Routine with Modifiers

Routine with Modifiers

Veteran

Fumble

Critical

1 9& = 9

1 9& = 1

1 9& =+ 123

1 9& =- 81

1 9 8& & = 9

1 1& = 0

1 10 10& & = 11

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ACTION TESTS

Many actions involve an element of chance. Did the shot hit? Do sensors detect an enemy ambush? Is the spy’s disguise convincing? Is that dose of poison sufficient to kill?

In such situations, an Action test is called for. Action tests consist of a die roll whose result is compared to a fixed value called a Threshold. Threshold values reflect the difficulty of the task. Higher Thresholds indicate more difficult situations. Because of the peculiar probability curve of the ten-sided die system used by Silhouette D10, the difficulty level of the Thresholds increases dramatically after X, i.e. the progression between Threshold levels is not linear. The chart below should help to determine the difficulty level of any given test.

If the die roll total—with any situation modifier added—surpasses the chosen Threshold, the test succeeds. The degree of success is defined by the Margin of Success (MoS): a value equal to the die roll (plus modifiers) minus the Threshold. The magnitude of the Margin of Success reflects the success of the Action Test. For example, a MoS of 1 is a marginal success, while a MoS of 6 would be a spectacular success.

If the die roll, again with modifiers added, is less than the Threshold, the test fails. The degree of failure is defined by the Margin of Failure (MoF): a value equal to the Threshold minus the die roll (plus modifiers). A high Margin of Failure indicates a miserably failed Action Test. For example, a MoF of 1 would be a close call, while a MoS of 6 would be a definite (and potentially deadly) failure.

If the total die roll and the Threshold are equal, a draw occurs. In roleplaying situations, draws are often interpreted as marginal successes or ambiguous results. In combat, draws tend to favor the defender. In the skirmish rules, draws also favor the defender.

OPPOSED ACTION TESTS

Sometimes two individuals will oppose each other’s actions. Attacks can be dodged. Guards may notice people sneaking past them. Negotiations obviously require more than one participant. When two or more individuals oppose each other’s actions, an Opposed Action Test is called for.

Each opponent makes a die roll using the appropriate Attribute or Skill. The highest result wins the test. The Margin of Success of an Opposed Action Test is equal to the winner’s roll minus the loser’s roll. If more than two participants are involved, separate Margins of Success are worked out between each of the participants as needed. Tied rolls result in draws. In general, draws are marginal wins for the resisting person.

TYPICAL THRESHOLD CHART

Simple 3

Routine 4

Easy 5

Moderate 6

Challenging 7

Difficult 8

Very Difficult 9

Extremely Difficult 10

Near Impossible 11-12

Pray for Divine Intervention 13+

opposed action test Example

Player 1

Player 2

Margin of Success(MoS)Margin of Success is 1, so Player 1 wins succeeds.

THRESHOLD EXAMPLES

Easy Lysse is changing the filters in her Cheetah Gear. As she’s a pilot and not a mechanic this wouldn’t be considered Routine, but it is still a simple task. The GM gives the task a threshold rating of 5. Lysse should have no problem making the roll.

Difficult Danghen has just finished a firefight and his Hunter has sustained major damage. After assessing the damage, he needs to replace several actuators. With no repair facilities nearby, the GM determines this task will be Difficult, a threshold of 8. Danghen might have to do without his Hunter till he can get to a proper repair shop.

Nearly Impossible

Miranda is escaping from pursuers in her Spitting Cobra and she comes upon a wide river with a very suspect looking wire bridge. Desperate to get across, she chances a rapid run across the bridge hoping that it will stay intact till she gets across. The GM determines this will be a Near Impossible roll and assigns a difficult of 12. Miranda will likely have to swim part of the way.

4 9& = 9

8 5& = 8

9 8- = 1

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SKILL LEVELS - WHAT ARE THEY?

Players and GMs will often read skill levels described in the following way; Rookie, Trained, Veteran, Elite, Legendary.

This section is dedicated to advanced rules involving the Skill Ratings mentioned before.

Each Skill Level represents the corresponding amount of training and familiarity the character has with the skill taught.

Any skill that does not have this title is rated at zero, meaning the character may only have passing knowledge or familiarity, not enough to utilize in emergency or tense situations. A person can know how many planets and moons there are in a solar system, but have very little knowledge concerning their size, composition, density, and gravitational effect. This is known as an Untrained Skill.

Note that Attributes, Perks and Flaws, and Equipment modifiers are added or subtracted after the roll results have been determined.

SKILL ROLLS: WHEN, HOW AND WHY?

Roleplaying is not dice rolling. There are a few situations when asking for Skill checks detracts from the purpose of the game. Roleplaying should be fast and entertaining, something dice rolling is not. You normally make Skill tests in one of two situations: in combat, and when results matter.

Even when asking for Skill checks, keep it short and simple. The standard way of rolling is not always the best one, and GMs should feel free to simplify the system. For instance, imagine that a PC wants to sneak past a sentry. The standard way of doing it would require that you figure the PER Attribute of the sentry, plus his Notice Skill, plus whatever relevant equipment and environmental factors would give him modifiers on his Notice check. Then, you have to make an opposed Action Test and see who between the Player Character and the sentry has the highest result.

The simple way of doing it is just to replace all of the sentry’s Skills and Attributes with a difficulty Threshold (for instance, a Threshold of 7).

Lastly, a quick piece of advice on interpreting dice results. A success is not just a success, nor is a failure just a failure. The greater the Margin of Success, or the Margin of Failure, the more dramatic the results. A MoS of 3 or better is a resounding success, and should be described accordingly. A MoF of 3 or better is a catastrophic failure, and should have unfortunate consequences. Having no Margin at all (a MoS/MoF of 0) is a mitigated success. The action has succeeded, but not entirely, just enough so that the character may proceed with his plan, with perhaps one or two “threats” still hanging. For instance, when deactivating an electronic lock, an infiltrator could have succeeded in bypassing the lock mechanism without triggering the alarm system, but one false move and next thing you know, the sirens start blaring and the guards are on their way.

Gamemastering is not just a matter of keeping Players on their toes, but of making them feel good about their characters, and making the story an exciting and sometimes thoughtful venture.

EXAMPLE: If a Player Character is trying to use Acrobatics to jump down a three-meter wall and land safely, and gets a Margin of Success of 4, the description should be something like this (assuming you are running a cinematically styled game): “You throw your gun into the air, dive athletically forward with your arms extended, grab a thick branch, wheel around it, let go and land in a perfect crouch, not a hair out of place. You extend your hand and, as if by magic, your weapon lands smack into your palm. You look at the two guards coming your way and grin as they stop dead in their tracks, stunned.”

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LEVEL 0 — UNTRAINED

Untrained Skills roll 2 dice and discard the lowest result, so critical results are not possible. Any result of 3 or less is a Fumble.

LEVEL 1 — ROOKIE

Rookie Skills roll 1 die and take that result .

LEVEL 2 — TRAINED

Trained Skills roll 2 dice and take the highest result. If they roll 2 results of 10 (a critical roll), then the player adds 1 to the Measure of Success.

LEVEL 3 — VETERAN

Veteran Skills roll 3 dice and take the highest result. If the PC rolls multiple results of 10, each additional critical adds 1 to the Measure of Success.

LEVEL 4 — ELITE

Elite Skills roll 4 dice and take the highest result. If the elite PC rolls multiple results of 9 or 10, each additional critical adds 1 to the Measure of Success.

Elite Skills represent exceptional training and familiarity with the Skill; the PC can opt to re-roll any die with a result of 1. They can only re-roll once per encounter.

LEVEL 5 — LEGENDARY

Legendary Skills roll 5 dice and take the highest result. Any critical adds 1 to the Measure of Success. If the elite PC rolls multiple results of 8, 9, or 10, each additional critical adds 1 to the Measure of Success.

Legendary Skills represent the most skilled people in existence. The PC can opt to re-roll any die which result in 3 or less. They can only re-roll once per encounter.

RATINGS, SKILLS, AND SKILL TESTS

In both forms of the game, people are rated in terms of their Skills. A Skill is a learned talent or ability which is often improved with practical experience. Only a few Skills are used in the skirmish game, but there is no theoretical limit to the number of Skills in the roleplaying game. Skill levels transfer directly from the roleplaying system to the skirmish system and vice-versa.

Skills are useful in determining the outcome of Skill Tests, a common form of Action Test. In a Skill Test, the number of dice rolled is equal to the Skill level of the person involved. If the character does not have the required Skill, the character treats his rolls as Untrained.

RATINGS

Items or individuals are often assigned ratings to indicate how effective they are at a certain task. Both a vehicle’s Maneuver score and its speed are ratings, as is a person’s Build Attribute and his Stamina Trait. Many ratings, such as a vehicle’s Maneuver or an individual’s Attributes are Zero-Average Ratings. They are the ones presented in the plus/minus format (for example +1, 0 or -2). This type of rating assumes that the rating will be used as a modifier for die rolls. An average score is unexceptional, and is therefore rated as a zero. Any below average scores are rated as negative numbers and any above average scores are rated as positive numbers.

Ratings mark the difference between learned abilities and true talent. Thus, an average Gear pilot with a long career could have a Veteran Skill level in Piloting, while the young up-and-coming hotshot pilot might only rate a Rookie in Piloting but a +2 in Agility. Because of his experience, the veteran will succeed more on average, but eventually, with training and experience, only the hotshot will be able to pull the truly heroic stunts.

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C H A R A C T E R C R E A T I O ND E V E L O P I N G Y O U R C O N C E P T

Before getting into the nitty gritty details of character creation, it is useful to make a quick recap of what makes up a complete roleplaying character. This short section outlines various elements players should keep in mind when making their choices.

The character Attributes and Skills are what will mostly concern the Player during the character creation process, and will require more thought than anything else. Almost everything else—Secondary Traits, Injury List, Movement and System Shock—are going to be determined based on those choices. Players should spend a bit of time reflecting on what kind of character they want to play before taking the final plunge into the character creation process. Once they get into it, there are going to be many questions which they will be able to answer much faster if they’ve familiarized themselves with the various components of a roleplaying character.

DEFINING YOUR CHARACTER

So you want to play a hot shot Gear pilot, but what will make your character stand out from your friend’s hot shot Gear pilot? Choosing a character concept goes beyond choosing a profession. Good character building starts with a great idea and great character building builds on that idea. A hot shot Gear pilot is a good foundation, but what drives your character? What do you as a player want to accomplish with this character? Does your character have family or is he driven by need to avenge his family? Before you jump into putting together your attributes, skills, and other mechanics in place for your character, take some time to build up your character concept and come up with a background. Spending the time to form your character concept pays off of bigger dividends than agonizing over where to put that last skill point. Here’s a few questions you can ask yourself to get started on a great concept:

◆ How does your character see themselves? ◆ How do others perceive your character? ◆ If you had one story to tell from your character’s

past what would it be? ◆ What is your character’s proudest

accomplishment? ◆ Who does your character admire the most? ◆ Does your character despise or dislike any person,

groups of people, or places? ◆ What is your character’s driving goal? ◆ Where does your character call home?

REALITY DISTORTION LEVELS

Players who are new to Heavy Gear don’t always have the time to follow all the details of character creation. The 4th Edition includes three templates for fast character creation at the level the GM wishes the characters to play. These Templates can also be used by Gamemasters to create Pawn, Bishop and Knight Non-Player Characters at their discretion.

These Templates are affected by the Reality Distortion Level of the campaign. Suspension of disbelief — a process by which a viewer or reader voluntarily agrees to be fooled by premises which he knows may not be entirely realistic — is as important a concept in roleplaying as it is in literature or movies. Gamemasters and players must agree on what level of reality they prefer before the game starts. In Silhouette D10, we use three Reality Distortion Factors (RDF) to describe the various genres available.

The different Reality Distortion Levels will make for very different gaming styles. As mentioned above, bookkeeping is one of the tasks that will be most affected by the chosen RDF. The Gamemaster should select the RDF of the campaign after consulting with his players. In case of disagreement, Adventurous reality should be used.

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EXAMPLE 1: The PCs are playing a Gritty campaign. The GM needs to roll up a Knight who can serve as a Nemesis for one of the PCs. He selects the next highest Template, the Fast Adventurous Character Template, and scribbles together a quick description of the NPC’s physical appearance. He assigns the highest Skill to Heavy Gear Pilot, showing the Nemesis is a veteran not to be ignored when engaged.

EXAMPLE 2: The PCs are playing in an Adventurous campaign and the GM needs to create a Bishop NPC quartermaster as a contact. He chooses the Fast Cinematic Character Template and assigns the quartermaster an Elite Skill Level in Bureaucracy. He might not be the fastest gunslinger, but he can cut through red tape and probably acquire items the PCs need in a snap.

CHARACTER GENERATOR TEMPLATES

The simplest way to get a campaign going is to choose a campaign’s RDF, then have the players select their attributes and skills from the appropriate template provided. If the gamemaster approves, players may choose perks and flaws using the points listed. Players should choose their Perks and Flaws using the points listed. A good rule of thumb for creating Bishops or Knight NPCs is to increase the rating of the Template in association with the PCs.

CAMPAIGN REALITY DISTORTION LEVEL FAST CHARACTER TEMPLATE

GRITTY ATTRIBUTES SKILLS PERKS FLAWS

At this level, firefights are very dangerous and heroes are just brave people taking great risks. While not a perfect simulation of everyday real life, this is as close as it gets. In a Gritty game, everything should be written down. The slightest mistake can be fatal — characters will spend much time tracking infections and ammo.

If PCs choose to take a perk, they must take a flaw.

Level 2X1

VeteranX1

4pts. 2pts.Level 1 X2

TrainedX4

Level 0 Remaining

RookieX6

ADVENTUROUS ATTRIBUTES SKILLS PERKS FLAWS

Adventurous is recommended as the default RDF for most games and is used by default in the various Silhouette books. Heroes and villains tend to stand out just a bit more than Joe Average, and death is easier to avoid. Players keep track of ammunition and fuel, but don’t worry about “mundane” things like their characters’ day to day affairs.

If PCs choose at least one perk, they must take the flaw.

Level 2X2

VeteranX2

8pts. 4pts.Level 1 X3

TrainedX4

Level 0 Remaining

RookieX8

CINEMATIC ATTRIBUTES SKILLS PERKS FLAWS

The cinematic RDF is movie or manga-like adventuring where the laws of physics are temporarily on vacation, heroes and villains are larger than life, and puny screen extras are mere cannon fodder. The odds are skewed in favor of powerful characters, and even the most outrageous action has a chance of succeeding — as long as it looks good. Unless it fits the plot, players never have to worry about ammo or maintenance.

If PCs take more than one perk, they must take both flaws.

Level 3X1

EliteX1

10pts. 6pts.

Level 2X2

VeteranX2

Level 1 X3

TrainedX6

Level 0 Remaining

RookieX6

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T H E C H A R A C T E R S H E E T

In Heavy Gear, information about characters portrayed either by the Players or by the Gamemaster is recorded on character sheets. These sheets list each character’s abilities, possessions and vital statistics (name, height, weight, etc.).

PICTURE

The picture of the character (optional); their height and weight.

IDENTIFICATION

Civil and personal identifications such as name, nationality etc.

PRIMARY TRAITS

The ten basic Attributes of the character (Agility, Appearance, Build, Creativity, Fitness, Influence, Knowledge, Perception, Psyche, Willpower) are noted in the left side middle box. The value normally range from -3 to +3, with 0 being average. The costs increase exponentially and characters With several high Attributes often have negative Attributes to compensate.

SECONDARY TRAITS

The five Secondary Traits of the character (Strength, Health, Stamina, Unarmed Damage, Armed Damage) are noted just under the main Attributes. They are calculated from several basic Attributes or Secondary Traits. They cannot be increased without increasing the basic Attributes.

PHYSICAL STATUS

The current status of any wounds received by the character have their own box. The Flesh Wounds Threshold is equal to half the character’s STA trait. The Deep Wound Threshold is equal to the STA trait. Instant Death occurs past twice the STA trait. A column is available to note the any armor that the character might be wearing. Flesh Wounds cause a -1 penalty while Deep Wounds cause a -2.

SKILLS

The learned abilities of the character, called Skills, are noted on the right upper table. The Player should put the level of the Skill in the column marked LVL. The +/- column is used to record the value of the Attribute (and any other modifier) associated with each Skill.

WEAPONS

The statistics of any weapon currently carried are listed just under the Skills. ACC is the Accuracy modifier of the weapon; DAM is the Damage Multiplier; RANGE gives the basic (short) range of the weapon. AMMO lists how many shots can be fired. ROF is the Rote of Fire, a statistic used for automatic firing.

EQUIPMENT

The statistics of any equipment currently carried are listed under the weapons. This space can also be used to jot down some basic notes on the personality and background of the character It is recommended, however, to write a more detailed and complete background on a separate sheet ar notebook.

SYSTEM SHOCK

These boxes are used to keep track of the System Shack status of the character This value is modified by the various injury-related penalties and calculated based on the Health Secondary Trait.

PERKS & FLAWS

Perks & Flaws give advantages and disadvantages to characters that make a character stand out from a standard template. Certain Perks & Flaws may be restricted by the Gamemaster. Check before adding them.

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SK I L LS

WEAPONS

P ICTURE

SECONDARY TRA ITS

PHYS ICAL STATUS EQU IPMENT

PERKS & F LAWS

C H A R A C T E R S H E E T

SYSTEM SHOCK

PR IMARY TRA ITS

IDENT I F I CAT ION

NAME LVL +/- NAME LVL +/-

NAME ACC DMG RANGE AMMO ROF

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APP

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STR HEA STA UD AD

SCORE ARMOR PENALTY

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INJURY

FLESH WOUND

DEEP WOUND

INSTANT DEATH

#

NAME:

PROFESSION:

RANK:

NATIONALITY:

UNIT:

HEIGHT: WEIGHT: AGE:

DESCRIPTION

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FAST SKILL TABLE[S] Specific

Acrobatics Aircraft Pilot

Animal Handling Archery

Athletics Bureaucracy

Business Camouflage

Combat Sense Communications

Computer Cooking

Craft (S) Dance

Demolition Disguise

Dodge Drive

Earth Sciences (S) Electronic Design

Electronic Warfare Electronics

Etiquette First Aid

Focus Foreign Language (S)

Forgery Forward Observation

G-Handling Gambling

General Sciences Grooming

Gunnery Haggling

Hand-to-Hand Heavy Gear Architecture

Heavy Gear Dueling Heavy Gear Pilot

Hovercraft Pilot Interrogation

Intimidation Investigation

Law Leadership

Life Sciences (S) Literature

Marksmanship Mechanical Design

Mechanics Medicine

Melee Music

Naval Pilot Navigation (S)

Notice Parachuting

Parry Physical Sciences (S)

Psychology Mental Conditioning

Riding Security

Seduction Sleight of Hand

Small Arms Social Sciences (S)

Space Pilot Stealth

Streetwise Strider Pilot

Survival Swimming

Tactics Teaching

Theatrics Throwing

Tinker Visual Art

PERKS TABLE[S] Specific

PERKS POINT COST

Accelerated Healing 4

Acute Senses (S) 3

Ambidextrous 3

Animal Companion 1-5

Animal Kinship 2

Authority 2

Common Sense 4

Double Jointed 1

Fake Identity 2

Immunity 3

Intuition 3

Light Sleeper 2

Longevity

Lucky 4

Machine-Touch

Perfect Pitch 1

Photographic Memory 5

Quick Learner 4

Radiation Resistance 4

Sense Of Direction 2

Sense Of Time 2

Strong Immune System 3

Thick-Skinned 3

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FLAWS TABLE[S] Specific

FLAWS POINT COST

Addiction -1

Age Young -2

Age Old -3

Amnesiac -3

Animal Antipathy -2

Bad Luck -2

Beliefs -1

Bloodlust -2

Code Of Honor -2

Criminal Background -3

Curse -1

Debt -3

Dedicated -2

Dependent -3

Destitute -4

Flashbacks -2

Goal -3

Heavy Sleeper -1

Infamous -2

Insomniac -1

Lame -2

Liar -1 or -4

Mechanical Ineptitude -2

Motion Sickness -1

Nemesis -3

Obligation -1

One-Armed -3

Paranoid -2

Phobia -1, -2, -3

Poor Senses (S) -2, -3

Quirk (1 Point) -1

Radiation Vulnerability -2

Secret -3

Sickly -3

Slow Healing -3

Slow Learner -2

Social Stigma -2

Split Personality -4

Thin-Skinned -1

Wanted -2

Weak Immune System -1

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T H E C H E S S P I E C E S Y S T E M

One of the unique aspects of the Heavy Gear Universe is its underlying storyline. Over the course of the game’s life, readers, Gamemasters and Players see the world of the game change and grow as the story threads scattered throughout our mission packs and novels are woven together. While the storyline is intended to serve as an interesting background to individual Gamemasters’ campaigns (which are the foreground), not every character in the game can be used freely without worrying about the consequences. To give Gamemasters some indications of how to use these introduced characters, every Heavy Gear product features the chesspiece system.

New characters are given one of five chess pieces as an indication of their importance in the storyline. This permits Gamemasters to understand how best to use these NPCs without worrying about disrupting the setting and having to retrofit upcoming source material.

Of course, roleplaying is about creating one’s own stones, so Gamemasters should feel free to disregard the limitations of the chesspiece system, as long as they understand that their Terra Nova may fall out of sync with future sourcebooks..

Other products have featured a half-page or one page explanation of the chesspiece system. The following two pages expand on this and provide indications of how the different types of characters relate to the Heavy Gear storyline and tips on how they can be used in individual roleplaying campaigns.

KINGS AND QUEENS

HISTORICAL FIGURESKings and Queens are characters who have died before the date featured on the “Timewatch” display. Their inclusion indicates that they have had some importance for Heavy Gear, either by setting events in motion that have influenced the Heavy Gear storyline or by leaving a legacy still felt by Terranovans.

Historical Figures are usually featured because they played a significant role in the storyline or are representative of a flavor of the time.

They provide examples of that which has come before, giving the storyline a sense of scope and depth. The legacy of these characters may be significant in the story, inspiring those who drive it forward in the present. Their descendants, old allies and enemies may also be important.

The easiest way to use Historical Figures in a roleplaying campaign is to stage a historical campaign. In such cases Gamemasters should treat these characters as Restricted Characters in that Heavy Gear products obviously assume that these figures lived out their lives as indicated in current products.

These characters can also be used in present-day campaigns as background elements or in flashbacks to historical times. Gamemasters are free to use the legacy of these figures as fodder for adventures. Some figures, such as Mamoud Khodaverdi, have left whole religions behind them and these can be used in countless adventures.

ROOKS

RESTRICTED CHARACTERSRooks are characters who are key to the Heavy Gear storyline and are to be used with care. Although they can still be useful in a roleplaying campaign - both as background elements and motivating forces - their survival until they can leave their mark on Terra Nova is critical to the storyline.

These characters are the center-points of the Heavy Gear storyline, but their actions do not have to be earth-shattering to be of importance. Remember that the storyline will span several decades, so small actions now may have very large consequences later on. The leaders of the major powers are restricted in part because of their role in guiding the world’s fate, but other Restricted Characters may simply leave a group of followers with a great destiny.

ROLEPLAYING USESRestricted Characters are not completely off-limits in roleplaying campaigns. Their most common use is to serve as background material, or to have them act through intermediaries. Restricted Characters can also interact directly with the Player Characters as long as the Gamemaster does not place PCs in a situation where they will kill or radically alter the Rook. In all cases, think of the Player Characters as being part of a subplot from the NPCs’ perspective. These people may be important to the NPC, but he has many other facets to his life—including the storyline.

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KNIGHTS

VERY IMPORTANT PEOPLENot everyone of note on Terra Nova is central to the Heavy Gear storyline. Very Important People are those characters who have a significant impact on Terra Nova, but are not critical to the storyline itself. This does not mean they have no influence on it, however.

STORYLINE USESKnights may not be central to the storyline, but they can have an impact. They are important to the story setting, and can easily influence people who will be critical to the storyline. These characters may also have stories of their own tied to the storyline, but which can be removed from it with relative ease. Often they will be used to shed a new light on events and examine trends other than the central plot line.

ROLEPLAYING USESKnights should be used in essentially the same way as Restricted Characters, although Gamemasters need not worry about the storyline. These are important people to the setting and so should not be killed indiscriminately, but if a campaign calls for their death, the Gamemaster will still be able to use the Heavy Gear storyline as backdrop with relative ease. Future products will assume that these characters exist and continue in the general path established for them, however.

BISHOPS

SOCIAL ENCOUNTERSSocial Encounters are those characters who are included in source material primarily to add flavor. As individuals they are rarely critical and do not have a significant impact on the storyline, but they stand as symbols of larger trends on Terra Nova. They serve most commonly as contacts and background elements, rather than opponents.

STORYLINE USESBishops have little or no personal impact on the storyline. Rather, they serve as reminders of some of the other forces on Terra Nova. These forces - be they student movements or fashion trends - may have some secondary impact on the storyline, perhaps influencing one of the major players. Social Encounters most often will show the results of the story, illustrating new societal forces and movements born as a result of the events shaping Heavy Gear.

ROLEPLAYING USESBishops are wide open for use by Gamemasters and serve most easily as contacts and friends for the Player Characters. They can act as antagonists or allies as well, but rarely possess combat skills and will usually bring more subtle skills to play. Future products may refer to the Bishops, but Gamemasters need not worry that they will have to do extensive retrofitting if a Bishop is killed or seriously altered by Player Characters.

PAWNS

EXPENDABLESIn general, Expendables are “average” Terranovans. They are included in Heavy Gear products primarily to be used by Gamemasters as stock NPCs and typical citizens.

STORYLINE USESPawns have no direct impact on the course of the Heavy Gear storyline. They may, however, interact with people who have some influence on one of the major players. Some Expendables will continue to reappear in Heavy Gear products without having any major impact (often in pieces of fiction), simply to create a sense of continuity.

ROLEPLAYING USESPawns are the bread and butter of Heavy Gear campaigns. They are “expendable” in terms of the storyline, but are designed to play major roles in individual campaigns. Other than Stock NPCs provided to fill gaps in a campaign, most Pawns include some form of story hook which can be used to make them prominent members of a campaign cast. They often provide the skills to serve as valuable allies.

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A D V A N C E D C H A R A C T E R C R E A T I O N

DEVELOPING YOUR CHARACTER

Players in a roleplaying game take on the role of a player character (PC). Depending on the setting level, the player character can be marginally better than an average person in a gritty setting, or an over the top cinematic hero. Most games are set at the default adventure level, where characters fall between the two extremes.

UNDERSTANDING YOUR CONCEPTBefore you ever spend your first attribute or skill point, it is important to visualize what sort of character you want to play. In a game called Heavy Gear, it’s easy to run towards an ace Gear pilot concept, but there are so many other types of characters to play. In a military campaign, you have a variety of types of characters to choose from such as the unit commander, mechanics, quartermasters, tanker or strider crews, aircraft pilots, or even infantry. The possibilities go on and on. Heavy Gear has a rich setting and a complex political and economic background. Campaigns in the setting could range from espionage or political oriented types of campaign. Before you develop your character, find out what sort of game the GM is going to run. You might find yourself playing with skills that are rarely used.

BACKGROUNDOnce you have a concept, developing a background will really help solidify your character in the setting. Providing your GM with a solid background will also give him or her a wealth of information to draw on for future storylines. Background material also helps mold your concept idea. Sure you can be an ace Heavy Gear pilot, but what makes him different from all the other aces out there? A disgraced ace Humanist Protectorate Gear pilot serving in the MILICIA’s Special Intervention Unit in order to hide from HIRA agents who are hunting her down sounds more interesting than an ace Heavy Gear pilot from the Humanist Protectorate.

PERSONALITYWhen you develop your background think about your character’s personality. Is he or she morose and stern? An airhead that’s fun to be around? Or is she a paranoid, tough fighter? Come up with a couple of key phrases or gestures that you think your character would say or do and use them. What sorts of food or clothing does the character prefer? Is there a type of entertainment they enjoy? Do they have any hobbies?

MOTIVATIONSEvery character should have some sort of goals. Goals can range from mundane, like serve my twenty and retire, to extravagant, such as vengeance against an organization. Character might feel the need to protect their family and friends, or they might be driven by intense nationalism. Developing character motivations help players make hard decisions and can provide GMs with opportunity for story.

ATTRIBUTESAttributes represent raw talent of an individual. In Heavy Gear Universe, characters have ten primary attributes six secondary attributes. All characters start with an average rating (0), but they can use their starting points to raise their attributes as high as exceptional (2). Through experience points or through permission from the GM, players can raise their attributes beyond exceptional. The attribute rating represents the number added or subtracted to the Measure of Success. For positive attributes, the player adds to the highest dice result. For negative attributes, the player must subtract from the highest dice result.

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P R I M A R Y A T T R I B U T E S

PHYSICAL ATTRIBUTES

AGILITY (AGI)Representing hand eye coordination, dexterity, and natural physical prowess, higher levels of Agility are common in soldiers, pilots, and athletes.

FITNESS (FIT)Fitness is the general conditioning and athleticism of the character. Soldiers, athletes, and martial artists tend to have higher fitness ratings.

BUILD (BLD)Build represents physical muscle mass and size. High builds are common in athletes, soldiers, and body builders.

INTELLECTUAL ATTRIBUTES

KNOWLEDGE (KNO)Knowledge represent memory capacity and the retained information that the character has been exposed to over their lives. Scholars, engineers, lawyers, and medical doctors are examples of characters with high Knowledge attributes.

CREATIVITY (CRE)Creativity represents mental agility and common sense. Characters with high levels of creativity are highly innovative and quick to make the right decisions. Artists, survivalists, and tacticians are examples of character types with high levels of Creativity.

WILLPOWER (WIL)Willpower represents mental fortitude, endurance, and moral conviction. Characters with high Willpower are capable of shrugging off incredible damage, torture, and fatigue. Characters with high willpower include emergency room doctors, soldiers, zealots, and most school teachers.

SOCIAL ATTRIBUTES

APPEARANCE (APP)Appearance represents a character’s physical attraction, or lack of in the case of a low score. Models, actors, some musicians, celebrity duelists, and successful lawyers all tend to have high Appearance scores.

INFLUENCE (INF)Influence represents the charisma and personal magnetism a character is able to wield. Characters with high influence are commonly able to get more done with diplomacy and bargaining than with violence and intimidation. Politicians, military officers, business leaders, lawyers, con artists, and fixers are examples of characters with high Influence scores.

PSYCHE (PSY)Psyche is an ethereal attribute representing mental health, empathy, and luck. Animals, children, and people in general feel comfortable around people with high Psyche ratings. People with low psyche ratings are likely mentally damaged or unbalanced. They have trouble relating to human feelings and might even be sociopathic.

PERCEPTION (PER)Perception represents the ability to perceive surroundings or personal nuances quickly. A character with a high perception rating is able to intake their surroundings and understand what they have seen. High perception ratings also aid with distance shots. Police detectives, snipers, and paranoid individuals tend to have high Perception ratings.

ATTRIBUTE RATINGS ◆ 5 Legendary ◆ 4 World Class ◆ 3 Elite ◆ 2 Exceptional ◆ 1 Above Average ◆ 0 Average ◆ -1 Below Average ◆ -2 Abysmal ◆ -3 Barely Functional (Not recommended)

NOTE: Attribute Ratings are not equivalent to Skill Ratings. They represent natural aptitude and talent already in the character. Skills represent the training and experience to make those aptitudes become truly functional applications in the character’s lifestyle.

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S E C O N D A R Y A T T R I B U T E S

Secondary Attributes represent additional natural abilities, but these are attributes that are influenced by primary attributes. Secondary Attributes are generated from primary attributes and in some cases a combination of primary attributes and skills. If the calculation results with a partial number round to the nearest whole number.

STRENGTH (STR)Strength represents the raw ability to lift, carry, or drag mass. Strength is calculated by taking the average of a character’s Fitness and Build Attributes ([FIT + BUI]/2= STR)

HEALTH (HEA)Health represents how well a character is able to shrug off the effects of disease and toxins as well as the ability to recover from damage. Health is calculated by taking the average of Fitness, Willpower, and Psyche ([FIT+ WILL+ PSY]/3= HEA).

STAMINA (STA)Represents the amount of damage a character can sustain before becoming wounded. Stamina breaks down further into wound scores. To calculate Stamina add your Health and Build attribute ratings and multiply the sum by five. Add the total to twenty five ([Health + Build]x2+25).

Light Wound Score:

One half of the Stamina Rating (Stamina/2= Light Wound)

Deep Wound Score:

Equal to the Stamina Rating (Stamina= Deep Wound)

Instant Death Score:

Double the Stamina Rating (Stamina x 2= Instant Dead)

UNARMED DAMAGE (UD)Unarmed Damage is the base damage for any type of hand to hand combat. Unarmed Damage is calculated by adding Build, Strength, and half of your Hand to Hand Skill Rating to 3 (BUI+STR+[1/2 x Hand to Hand] + 3= UD)

ARMED DAMAGE (AD)Armed Damage is the base damage for melee attacks using a weapon. Armed Damage is added to the weapon’s damage trait. To calculate Armed Damage, add your Build, Strength, and half of your Melee Skill rating to 3 (BUI+STR+[1/2 x Melee] + 3= AD)

MOVEMENT (MOV)Movement is the distance a character can cover during a round. The base level Movement Attribute represents the number of yards a character can move in a normal movement during a round without penalty. To calculate a jog or combat movement, double the Movement Attribute. To calculate an all-out run triple the MOV Attribute. To calculate a character’s movement, add the Fitness Attribute and Athletics skill to ten for Movement attribute. Movement can be increased with expending Fatigue. If Fatigue is spent, the character can add his base MOV attribute to their all-out run.

FATIGUE (FA)In an Adventurous or Cinematic level of play, all player characters and major NPCs have a Fatigue score. This stat represents a well of additional energy players can tap into to accomplish extraordinary feats. At Gritty level play, the GM can forgo these rules or use them as they see fit. Characters have a FA rating equal to their Will and Psyche added together and halved and applied to 5 ([WILL + PSY]/2+5).

SYSTEM SHOCKA character is limited to the number of injuries they can sustain before dying. System Shock track represents the amount of damage a character can take before they slip into dying level of damage. To calculate System Shock, add the Health attribute to 5. The total is the number of boxes on the track the character has to absorb damage. Each Light Wound costs 1 box. Each Deep Wound costs 2 boxes. Once the track is full the character is dying and without immediate medical attention will be permanently dead.

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P U R C H A S I N G A T T R I B U T E S & S K I L L S

PURCHASING STARTING ATTRIBUTES

Before you make your character, the GM will let the players know what level of gameplay to expect in the campaign. Gritty campaigns are tough, realistic settings where the characters are only marginally better than the average citizen. Adventurous settings are the default setting for Heavy Gear. In Adventurous settings, players definitely stand out from your average citizen and dangers are manageable within reason. Cinematic settings are for players and GMs wanting to run an over the top anime inspired campaign, where players are not likely to ever been in mortal danger and are most definitely the stars of the show.

During character creation, all characters start with average attributes. Players use their starting attribute point pools, determined by campaign style, to purchase additional levels. The cost of attributes is listed in the chart below. Characters are prohibited from taking attributes higher than two without GM permission. Characters can purchase negative levels in an attribute to gain more points for their starting pool. Players are discouraged from taking a penalty of more than -1 on any attribute.

CAMPAIGN ATTRIBUTE POINTSCAMPAIGN AVERAGE PLAYERS MAJOR NPC

Gritty 0 5 8

Adventurous 0 8 12

Cinematic 0 12 16

ATTRIBUTE COSTRATING COST

-2 +2

-1 +1

+1 -1

+2 -2

+3 -3

PURCHASING STARTING SKILLS

Players use their starting skill point pools, determined by campaign style, to purchase skills. The cost of skills is listed in the chart below. Characters are prohibited from taking skills higher than 3 without Gamemaster’s permission. Characters can purchase flaws to gain more points for their starting pool. Players are discouraged from taking an excessive amount of flaws and should always discuss their flaw choices with their gamemaster before finalizing. No more than ten points of flaws may be selected at character creation.

CAMPAIGN SKILL POINTS CAMPAIGN AVERAGE PLAYERS MAJOR NPC

Gritty 15 17 20

Adventurous 15 22 30

Cinematic 15 28 40

SKILL COSTRATING COST

1 -1

2 -2

3 -3

4 -4

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S K I L L S

Skills represent the sum of all of the knowledge and experience that the character has accumulated over their life. Skills represent a tapestry of where the character has been and things he or she has done. Most characters will have a core set of skills related to their primary profession and a host of secondary skills related to skills that have been picked up through interest or necessity during the course of their life.

Note that unlike the original Silhouette D6 system, the Silhouette D10 system has a single skill given a core Attribute which represents the Attribute most commonly referenced when it is used, and two or three ‘Secondary Attributes’.

The intent behind this is to eliminate the previous ‘god-stat’ effect, where a single Attribute was purchased at a high level to make a ‘combat monster’ at the expense of other Attributes.

ACROBATICSPRIMARY AGI

SECONDARY FIT Use FIT for extended skill use (over five rounds; Base Threshold 3).

WIL Maintaining balance on narrow surfaces

PER Trapeze and jump distance estimation.

DESCRIPTION Acrobatics covers a variety of skills such as leaping, tumbling, tightrope walking and other gymnastics based skills.

AIRCRAFT PILOT

PRIMARY PER

SECONDARY AGI All combat evasion and dogfighting checks.

CRE Poor visibility piloting and flying by instrument checks.

KNO Basic maintenance, pre-flight checks, and filling out maintenance logs.

DESCRIPTION Aircraft Piloting covers the piloting of fixed wing aircraft, vector thrust aircraft, and helicopters.

ANIMAL HANDLING PRIMARY KNO

SECONDAY PER Recognizing when animals are diseased, startled, or otherwise distressed.

CRE Knowing minor tradecraft that allows animals to be cared for under less-than-ideal situations.

AGI Avoiding injury when caring and tending to animals that have been distressed.

DESCRIPTION Animal Handling is used by characters who are attempting to wrangle or otherwise manage a herd of animals that are under their care.

ARCHERYPRIMARY AGI

SECONDARY FIT Stringing a bow. Maintaining an aim on a target.

PER Firing at extreme range

KNO Basic maintenance and upkeep. Appraising the quality of the weapon or ammunition.

DESCRIPTION Archery is used for any primitive stringed weapons such as bows and crossbows. The skill also covers the use of slings.

ATHLETICSPRIMARY FIT

AGI Avoiding injury from slips, trips, or falls.

WIL Ignoring minor injuries or discomfort.

DESCRIPTION Athletics is used for determining endurance while performing extended physical exertion. It also extends to physical constitution to avoid sudden minor injuries.

BUREAUCRACYPRIMARY KNO

SECONDARY PSY Inspiring trust and confidence from others.

INF Swaying others to your causes.

DESCRIPTION Bureaucracy involves understanding avenues, political parties, lobbyists, and other myriad corners of politicking.

BUSINESSPRIMARY KNO

SECONDARY CRE Exploring options in investments, trade, import and export of raw and refined materials.

INF Exerting presence or trustworthiness to financial backers and opponents.

DESCRIPTION Business acumen allows understanding of tax zones, permits, and proper navigation of various zoning laws and restrictions. The best businessmen run through finances efficiently and turn a profit, by whatever means necessary.

CAMOUFLAGEPRIMARY KNO

SECONDARY CRE Using multiple sources of both artificial color and natural vegetation to achieve concealment.

PER Recognizing camouflage patterns or disturbances indicating an opponent’s whereabouts.

DESCRIPTION Camouflage skills help a layman understand how to apply textures, and foliage found in nature to enhance concealment from detection. It aids in spotting enemies who are likewise concealed.

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COMBAT SENSEPRIMARY PER

SEDONDARY KNO Formal training in standard operating procedures for military and paramilitary forces, their deployment methods, and history of lessons learnt from previous wars.

AGI Avoiding surprise attacks.

PSY Sensing an ambush or mistake.

DESCRIPTION Having combat sense is akin to having been drilled on how to maintain situational awareness of surroundings while on mission or anywhere. Knowing where to scan for a likely ambush, recognizing potential chokepoints and danger zones, and having a sixth sense about possible minefields or prepared ambushes.

COMMUNICATIONSPRIMARY KNO

SECONDARY PER Recognizing different variants and models of equipment, their uses, and when one is tampered with.

CRE Applying upgrades and or tampering with devices outside of their usual use.

DESCRIPTION Knowing how to operate and maintain technology ranging from military-grade datagloves, radios, to some of the most sophisticated and experimental devices on the market. Anyone can operate a dataglove or a cell phone. The best know how to tap into one, or repair a device mangled beyond recognition, or at least retrieve whatever data was contained.

COMPUTERPRIMARY KNO

SECONDARY PER Recognizing programs, software, hardware, code.

CRE Creating firewalls, viruses, and software.

DESCRIPTION Operating a personal computer is a common skill. This skill indicates knowing what parts of the computer function together in its design, what programs and software are likely exposed to hacking attacks, and how to exploit it, either to crack into the code, or to stop another hacker from doing the same.

COOKINGPRIMARY CRE

SECONDARY KNO Cooking techniques, formal education under a chef.

PSY Presenting a good face to customers and critics.

DESCRIPTION Not everyone knows how to make the best barnaby steak this side of Terra Nova from a mangy old thing you found wandering around your backwoods. The best cooks can earn their living purely off their fine palettes and distinguished tastes with the wealthy paying to get a taste.

CRAFT (SPECIFIC)PRIMARY CRE

SECONDARY KNO Tradecraft and formal training that assists in designing and crafting items with precision and speed.

WIL Focusing on the task of creating while sick or injured to finish on a deadline.

DESCRIPTION Any particular item needs to be crafted. Those with training, education, and tutoring in the craft grow to become subject matter experts on the items, what makes them function, and can not only create them, but also recognize weaknesses in others’ designs and improve on them.

DANCEPRIMARY AGI

SECONDARY CRE Developing a new dance.

KNO Identifying dance styles and their origin.

PSY Guiding an unskilled dance partner.

DESCRIPTION Characters can perform the steps of a dance correctly and can benefit from social interactions in the correct setting. And sometimes it’s all in good fun to cut loose.

DEMOLITIONPRIMARY KNO

SECONDARY CRE Creating new techniques or materials for demolition.

WIL Setting explosives or defusing explosives while under pressure.

PER Recognizing where explosives would likely be set.

DESCRIPTION Demolition requires a great technical understanding of structural integrity, engineering, and natural topography to avoid unnecessary damages. Or when characters need to exert maximum damage.

DISGUISEPRIMARY KNO

SECONDARY PER Noticing someone in disguise.

CRE Creating a disguise for a partner or self.

DESCRIPTION Characters who know how to blend into crowds, avoiding detection by possibly hostile authorities, or completely change their appearance to commit espionage. The best are equipped with devices so enhanced and training techniques so refined they can become an entirely new person in a matter of minutes.

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DODGEPRIMARY AGI

SECONDAY PER Dodging extreme ranged attacks.

FIT Running from cover to cover.

CRE Identifying best points of cover in a room or location. Using cover in area attacks from explosives, grenades, or heavy weaponry.

DESCRIPTION The skill to avoid damage from incoming attacks, falling objects, and other forms of danger.

DRIVEPRIMARY AGI

SECONDARY WIL Long distance driving checks. Driving while fatigued.

KNO Basic maintenance. Appraising the value of a vehicle.

CRE Basic emergency repairs.

DESCRIPTION Drive covers the ability to control high performance ground vehicles and driving under combat or extreme situations. Day to day driving of vehicles does not require any skill checks unless an extremely stressful event occurs, most often avoiding a possible accident. Most Pawns or player characters can be assumed to have this skill as Trained, although a new driver might only use the Rookie Skill level.

EARTH SCIENCESPRIMARY KNO

SECONDARY WIL Keeping focus while scanning data for prolonged periods of time.

DESCRIPTION Characters with these knowledge bases know their way around geography, topographical maps, and understand sediment, crystals, and the likely origins of various metal ores and crystals that can be found throughout the natural world.

ELECTRONIC DESIGNPRIMARY KNO

SECONDARY CRE Creating a cutting-edge new design in systems.

AGI Repairing or replacing sensitive electronic systems swiftly without damaging them.

DESCRIPTION Understanding the design of electronic systems such as circuit boards and integrated circuits, generally involving actual manufacture and/or design of computer systems.

ELECTRONIC WARFAREPRIMARY PER

SECONDARY CRE Recognizing patterns and creating new code.

KNO Recognizing designs and items from multiple corporations and nations.

DESCRIPTION Characters with this knowledge base are capable of interpreting and jamming radio and satellite transmissions through various advanced jammers. They can also trace the likeliest source of enemy electronic warfare transmissions and pinpoint them for destruction.

ELECTRONICSPRIMARY KNO

SECONDARY PER Recognizing flaws or damage in designs.

CRE Jury-rigging temporary repairs.

AGI Repairing damaged components.

DESCRIPTION Many machines utilize electric devices throughout their designs. This skill shows a knowledge base in these sub-systems, what makes them function, and how to maintain and repair those sub-systems.

ETIQUETTEPRIMARY INF

SECONDARY PSY Presenting a friendly and trustworthy face.

KNO Having understanding of local customs.

PER Recognizing veiled promises, threats, or faux pas.

DESCRIPTION Knowing how to exert and to not exert pressure in socially dynamic situations, proper mannerisms and customs to show respect or discourtesy, and recognizing those both in the senior positions of power in social circles and those who are pariahs or outcasts.

FIRST AIDPRIMARY KNO

SECONDARY PER Recognizing injuries and how to address them.

WIL Continuing first aid emergency services despite overwhelming odds of recovery.

AGI Fixing life-threatening injuries swiftly.

DESCRIPTION First aid is immediate first-responder training often utilized by the average laymen, security guard, soldier, or even the cook. Characters with this skill know how to check for injuries, calm and stabilize individuals who are injured, and how to treat life-threatening injuries as quickly as possible to avoid loss of life or limb.

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FOCUSPRIMARY WIL

SECONDARY PSY Maintaining positive emotions and mental balance under stress.

DESCRIPTION A character’s capacity to maintain focus while under stressful situations, or maintaining a positive outlook through prolonged activity that would usually leave other mentally drained.

FOREIGN LANGUAGE (SPECIFIC)PRIMARY KNO

SECONDARY PER Noticing dialects or distinguishing trademarks of various regions in spoken or written language.

DESCRIPTION Having the capacity to either speak or read multiple languages, and with greater study and/or familiarity, distinguishing between distinct dialects in a language.

Note: Each “specific” language is entirely self-contained, and while similar dialects might be understood, this is not always a given.

FORGERYPRIMARY AGI

SECONDARY PER Recognizing an altered or fake design.

DESCRIPTION Understanding how to create or alter designs or written documents to copy signatures, banknotes, or even works of art, and present them as real currency or documents that can pass scrutiny from third parties.

FORWARD OBSERVATIONPRIMARY KNO

SECONDARY PER Correcting salvos or missiles while in mid-flight or after a first miss, ensuring second or third salvos can impact.

WIL Maintaining a sight picture on target under heavy fire.

DESCRIPTION A man or woman capable of operating alongside front-line troops and trained to deliver battlefield information to assets, such as close air support or artillery, and direct their weapons onto a target.

G-HANDLINGPRIMARY BLD

SECONDARY WIL Using sheer force of will to maintain consciousness while in hard maneuvers.

AGI Correcting maneuvers to avoid loss of consciousness or control of craft.

DESCRIPTION Training done by aviators and astronauts who are subject to high levels of acceleration in order to avoid loss of consciousness while performing high-g maneuvers.

GAMBLINGPRIMARY KNO

SECONDARY PER Spotting a mistake.

WIL Keeping a cool head.

PSY Bluffing.

DESCRIPTION Understanding the rules of a game, how to wage stakes and notice odds, and also recognize where possible cheating is occurring during the course of a game or race.

GROOMINGPRIMARY KNO

SECONDARY PER Recognizing problems with animals.

PSY Conveying calm demeanor and soothing agitated animals.

INF Impressing upon other humans the importance of good training and caution.

DESCRIPTION KNO of how to prepare and train a variety of animals, whether for shows or for races.

GUNNERYPRIMARY PER

SECONDARY KNO Knowing how to maintain weapons and repair damage caused by practice maneuvers or actual combat.

AGI Correcting aimed fire while at high speed.

DESCRIPTION The character’s knowledge and proficiency in how to properly maintain and operate large-caliber weapons, typically vehicle or craft-mounted. Often equipped in stabilized mounts with thermal vision and magnification settings, these calibers of weapons require their operator to use their PER Attribute, instead of AGI for personnel weapons.

HAGGLINGPRIMARY KNO

SECONDARY WIL Presenting a final offer as a bargain or deal.

PER Spotting a tell or a particularly fine piece of craftsmanship.

DESCRIPTION Having knowledge of an item’s estimated worth and being able to bargain with a seller or buyer for maximum profit or cost savings.

HAND-TO-HANDPRIMARY AGI

SECONDARY BLD Grappling. Hold checks.

FIT Charging. Tackles.

PSY Appraise an opponent, counter attack, deflection

DESCRIPTION Hand-to-Hand is a skill that covers combat proficiency in unarmed techniques. Higher levels in the skill opens up additional combat perks and techniques for the character to use in combat.

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HEAVY GEAR ARCHITECTUREPRIMARY KNO

SECONDARY PER Recognizing damaged parts or flaws in a design.

CRE Finding new methods or materials to improve or jury-rig a design.

DESCRIPTION Heavy Gear Architecture is a skill covering a character’s ability to design and construct Heavy Gears using a variety of tools.

HEAVY GEAR DUELINGPRIMARY AGI

SECONDARY KNO Learning and memorizing new techniques or maneuvers.

PER Recognizing weaknesses in an opponent Duelist’s style.

CRE Creating a brand-new technique.

DESCRIPTION Heavy Gear Dueling involves exceptionally specialized maneuvers that are only possible with a one-man infantry fighting vehicle like the Heavy Gear or Armiger. These maneuvers go beyond the normal movements that are usually possible by pilots.

HEAVY GEAR PILOTPRIMARY AGI

SECONDARY PER Noticing hazards while traveling.

KNO Knowing maintenance procedures.

DESCRIPTION Heavy Gear Pilot involves the skill of a pilot in the more standard movements possible with Heavy Gears or Armigers. The skill of the pilot also translates into the pilot’s ability to recognize his vehicle’s limitations or recognizing when something feels ‘off’, even if it is not outwardly visible.

HOVERCRAFT PILOTPRIMARY PER

SECONDARY AGI All combat evasion and dogfighting checks.

CRE Poor visibility piloting and flying by instrument checks.

KNO Basic maintenance, pre-flight checks, and filling out maintenance logs.

DESCRIPTION Hovercraft Piloting covers the piloting of vector thrust craft and WIGE (Wing-in-Ground-Effect) vehicles that are incapable of sustained flight periods, instead using enough force to float above solid or liquid surfaces.

INTERROGATIONPRIMARY INF

SECONDARY PER Recognizing patterns of behavior, difference in speech or mannerisms.

PSY Recognizing when something about a suspect rings true or false, sympathizing with victim’s family and friends.

DESCRIPTION Interrogation involves methods of interviewing commonly employed by law enforcement officers, military personnel, and intelligence agencies with the goal of eliciting useful information from witnesses, victims, suspects, or prisoners of war.

INTIMIDATIONPRIMARY INF

SECONDARY PSY Recognizing what makes a person uncomfortable or pressured.

KNO Memorizing sm