Can the Confrontation spotlight be combat? Do you then still use a simple oppossed test or do you resolve using the normal combat rules. If the latter, does the GM need to assign tokens from the missions token pool. If the former, can the oppossed test kill a PC?

To give an in-game example: How would you do a Confrontation Spotlight where an NPC assassin wants to ambush a PC?

Yup, you are right on the opposed test. For most things it will be whoever is successful win, or the highest success wins if there are multiple successes. (deze laatste zin is belangrijk)

A Confrontation can be combat and you can keep going until someone dies (each dice of Kills causes 1 Wound, some NPCs have two Wounds), flees or the opponents decide to stop. The GM should put in a Threat Token if it’s a named NPC but the only “kills” possible is the named NPC. If that makes sense?

An NPC Assassin would use the GM’s Spotlight scene as a Confrontation. You would both roll for Dominance to see if you Ambushed the PC. Then go through each round of Combat. Other PCs may elect to join the Confrontation (by entering Combat at Far Range once they have fictional reason to do so). Or the GM could use their Spotlight for a Leverage scene and then make the Encounter the Assassination attempt, if you see what I mean?

Cheers,
Gregor

3:16 is a slick looking game, with some clever and light mechanics, that never really manages to live up to its full potential. Reading it makes me want to run a game of it, but then I hit the stumbling block of doing anything but killing aliens with it and decide to go run something else. It makes me think of a complex and possibly engaging dice game, with parts of an RPG bolted on.

Carnage Amongst The Tribes – ‘The Fir Tofa’, with Gregor Hutton

The Fir Tofa are a barbarian tribe of dwarves living in the mountain caves of the Pillars of the World. Fearless in battle, resistant to wounds and disease, the Fir Tofa are resilient and proud. But they must die. So it has been written. So it shall be done.

Grab your axe, shield and makeshift altar to your dire god. The Hunt is on.

The UK Games Expo 2010 RPG booking system is now live and contained within a fine selection of games, you’ll find a whole bunch of stuff being offered by the various publishers that make up the Collective Endeavour.

My idea to implement it is the following. There are NFA fear checks (at the start of a combat or when they take a hit), if a trooper fails it his fear rating increases.

The fear rating comes from 1-11 and starts at 11. Whenever you fail a roll (FA or NFA) and you roll higher then your fear rating, then you act in fear and it is played as a waekness flashback in combat (just without the flashback part and only the rules). You are ruled by fear ad leave your friends alone, well it might save your life.

The rating is lowered, when the character fails a Fear check. So the risk of dangerous failures increases over the time and frightned characters become more unreliable.

I would start at 11, meaning that there is no fear in the beginning. But of course you can start with it at ten and having a chace of 10% go get a fear result.

Example:
You have a fear rating of 8 and an FA of 6. You are in a combat situation and roll to attack with your FA. Dang you rolled a 9, a failure. However your die shows a number higher then your fear rating. That means you act in fear and are now out of combat.

Lets say you have a Fear rating of 11 in the beginning of the game. A rating of 11 makes it implossible to panic. Now you take a hit in an encounter. That means you have to make a Fear check. A Fear check is a NFA check. If you fail that your Fear rating decreases. In the example it would drop to 10. Giving you a chance of 10% to panic, while performing an action (FA or NFA).

Another failed Fear check, will increase the chance to 20%, meaning that your Fear rating is now at 9. If you roll now a 9 or 10 on any check (FA or NFA), you panic.

The GM could also call for a Fear check if the trooper is confronted with a frighting situation.

I am not sure what happens if you fail your fear check. Probabily your action is lost.

What do you think? Would it be to harsh?

From Gregor Hutton:

“They shall know no fear.”

Oops, that’s a quote from a different IP…

I like the idea of something like Coolness Under Fire. Roll NFA for your Dominance roll. If you fail you’re at -1 till you get your shit together in Combat. You get your shit together by (a) getting wounded, (b) passing an NFA test in an Encounter or (c) using a Strength.

“Hey, Jones, you’re looking twitch.”
“Shut up, Fagor, I’ll be fine, just watch me. Bring ‘em on.” (looks nervy)

Since I seem to be doing larger sessions for the most part I’ve thought about giving the Troopers something to set them apart from each other Mechanically.

Specializations

Specialties are specific occupations held by a trooper. Any Trooper can choose to use a successful development roll to train in a single Specialization. Use of a Weakness can result in a Trooper being removed from a chosen specialty. There can only be one Trooper per squad who holds any specfic specialization as per Terran Military Regulation 86-1-C. In other words, only one Medic or Sapper per Squad. Later Development rolls CAN be used to switch specializations. Specializations are ONLY available to the Trooper rank. If the Trooper at any time goes up in rank the specialization is lost.

MEDIC
Once per PC, per Planet/Mission, the Medic can, during an encounter, make an NFA roll to heal a single PC they are in the same range as one would level. An unsuccessful NFA means the character is untreatable and the Medic cannot attempt to heal that PC again for the rest of the planet. A roll of a 10 means the PC cannot heal between the current encounter and the next. This can be used on the Medic himself.

New Equipment: Auto-Doc, First-Aid Manual

ARMORER
Once per PC, per Planet/Mission, the Armorer can, during an encounter, make an NFA roll to repair the armor of a single PC they are in the same range as. An unsuccessful NFA means the armor is irreparable and the Armorer cannot attempt to repair that PCs armor again for the rest of the planet. This can be used on the Armorer himself.

New Equipment: Mesh Tape, Hydrospanner

SCOUT
Once per planet/mission, the Scout can reroll a single failed Dominance check. Also, once per planet if the Alien Threat fails it’s Dominance check but an ambush does not happen due to PC failures, he may force the Ambush. The Scout may also choose which range he starts combat in, regardless of the range chosen for the group, except in the case of an Alien ambush.

New Equipment: Camo-Buddy, standard Trooper choices

GRENADIER
Once per planet/mission, the Grenadier can choose not to do Grenade damage to those PCs in close range for an entire single encounter.

New Equipment: Grenade Launcher (d10*/d6*/1*) (Launcher replaces normal weapon choice. A sidearm replaces the troopers regular grenades)

RADIO OPERATOR
Once per Planet/Mission the Radio Operator can add a +1 to a single NFA roll involving communications with the fleet, i.e. Orbital Bombardment, E-Vac, etc. If the +1 added by the Radio Operator would cause the action to succeed where normally it would have failed, the Radio Operator can claim any and all kills resulting from the action.

New Equipment: High Density Field Transmitter, Codebook

SAPPER
Once per planet/mission the Sapper may make an NFA roll to cause d10 kills to the aliens when the Aliens move (move any of the PCs closer on the range chart) during the entirety of a single encounter. This action must be declared during the Dominance roll for the encounter the Sapper intends to use them. This ability cannot be used in encounters where the Aliens have spent to use the Ambush ability, or against Aliens with the Leaping special ability. The NFA roll represents mines dropped by the Sapper. These mines do NOT cause kills to the PCs. The mine’s power can be upgraded.

New Equipment: Trip Mines (d10), Thin Wire

Any suggestions to the text or clarifications are welcome. And, as said, I’d like a couple more Specialties. Keep in mind the special ability should be a Once per Planet/Mission ability.

Written by Tensen01

From Gregor Hutton:

I came up with another one:
Supplies: You get the gig working in the supply chain and you can get access to “anything” Between Missions. Use youe auto-improvement on requisitioning new equipment/training for you or someone else.

The Supplier has access to “anything” (anything that you could requisition through the system). So, no, you can’t requisition The Device (maybe access to an unarmed Starkiller missile is OK though, but you’ll need the primer code off a Colonel).

I’m sure a mouthy Supply guy would say he could get you “anything”. Cigs, letters from home, Flame-Gun, Rocket-Pod, whatever.

I’d be happy for the Supply guy to get guns, Drop Pods, TPK bombs, and so on (if you have an Lt or whatever for the gear). And he can get one thing Between Missions in lieu of his auto improvement.

And, sure, he can pass them on to other troopers in return for favours or deals.

I think it would add some meat for the story too. I’d soon have Department of Peace investigators wondering where all this stuff is going and who countersigned in. I’m sure the players would soon be stiffing officers to cover their tracks.

(But, hey, I give people TPK bombs if they ask me for one when I sign their books. One kid got three of them out of me.)

What could he get you in a Mission? Maybe he can requisition stuff with an NFA test during a Mission. Or maybe the paperwork is getting done after the Mission is cleared up. Up to the GM I guess.

This document assumes you have a copy of 3:16 – Carnage Amongst the Stars and have read it, if you haven’t I strongly suggest you buy a copy as it’s well worth the investment.

Difference

The main difference between 3:16 – Carnage Amongst the Stars and 3:16 – Carnage Amongst the Star Wars is that in the original game you play an infantry soldier, part of a large unit or an elite squad of commando’s. In this version you start as a Cadet in the Rebellion and will learn to fly in the various Rebel craft as you make a name for yourself in the Rebel Army.

Advanced groups can chose to play the other side, The Imperial Navy.

Ultimately the goal is the same: “Kill ‘m All”

Character Creation

Each player gets 11 (instead of 10) points to split between FA and NFA.

At character creation the maximum in either FA and NFA is 8 and during the course of the campaign the maximum is 9.

Special abilities, bonuses etc can still raise this to 10, but neither FA nor NFA can ever be increased to a natural 10.

The rest is the same as normal character generation in the 3:16 manual, the only difference is that the group needs to chose a squadron callsign: for example Red Squadron or Gold Squadron.

The highest ranked player will be Red 1 and the second highest player will be Red 2 and so forth.

Ranks

• Rank 0 – Trooper – Cadet
• Rank 1 – Corporal – EnsignRank 2 – Sergeant – Lieutenant
• Rank 3 – Lieutenant – Lieutenant Commander
• Rank 4 – Captain – Commander
• Rank 5 – Major – Captain
• Rank 6 – Lt. Colonel – Commodore
• Rank 7 – Colonel – Admiral
• Rank 8 – Brigadier – Admiral of the Fleet

I chose to let my players start at the rank of Cadet and level 10 for a training mission in a simulator. This has the advantage of the group getting a feel for the setting and the other players without the risk of dying etc, it also gives your players a chance to goof off

After the training mission they are promoted to the rank of Ensign and (not a must) the Wingleader to the rank of (Acting) Lieutenant.

FA & NFA

Anything (*) that causes kills is FA and everything else is considered NFA.

A few examples of NFA:

• Taking evasive action, Eject, Enter Hyperspace or getting a Missile Lock.

Players are encouraged to come up with other NFA tricks and as long as the other players or the GM objects, it’s allowed.

(*) As with everything in life there are always exceptions.

Basicly it comes down to (trying) to do kills/damage versus avoiding kills, fancy flying, getting to a better position or trying to rescue someone/something.

NFA Specials

There are several special abilities which require an NFA roll in a combat situation, this section describes their effect and their intended use.

• Taking evasive action – On a successful NFA roll the player avoids getting hit by the enemy even if that players success is lower then that of the enemy (AA). This basicly works the same way as the Parry special ability in 3:16

• Enter Hyperspace – Entering Hyperspace takes two rounds. The first round is required to plot an escape course that isn’t blocked, nor doesn’t fly you into a planet. At the end of the second round you successfully enter Hyperspace. You will need to make two successful NFA rolls to make enter Hyperspace without getting shot to pieces. If the first roll fails your attempt fails all together, if the second fails then you still get away but you get a kill.

• Getting a Missile Lock – To fire a missile, torpedo or a rocket you first need to attain a missile lock before you can fire your projectiles.
  To get the lock you need to make a successful NFA roll and the next round you can, but don’t have to, fire the projectiles (See the Weapon section for more information). Your missile lock holds for as long as you don’t get hit, if you fire the missile you only need a successful FA roll, you don’t have to be faster then the enemy.
  If you dont fire that round, you will have to relock as the enemy broke the lock, you also lose your lock when you perform evasive manouvers or any other action that makes it improbable that you could’ve maintained the missile lock.

Specials

Mag Pulse – Costs 1 Missile/Torpedo Token – The enemy can’t do any kills this turn or if they acted already, next turn. One Use Only – The enemy can still do other actions just no kills.
Tractor Beam – Same round Missile lock (Combined FA/NFA roll) – Costs an Afterburner Token.
Request for Reinforcements – Highest ranking only – Ambush (One Use Only)
Hyperdrive - On two successful NFA rolls player or players can leave combat without taking a kill. (Described in the NFA section)
Jammer - Costs an Afterburner Token – You can’t be targetted by Missiles (Too Weak)
R2 Unit - +1 Shield and +1 repair (Instead of the Kinetic Shield)
SLAM system – A craft equiped with the SLAM system can enter combat at a different range then the other players even when ambushed. If you move 1 range then your next attack is at half kills (rounded down, sorry) and if you moved 2 ranges then you can’t attack that round.

(Note you can not go beyond far range.)

Weapons

Missiles are fast and can be used against any Craft, but generaly do less kills than Torpedos.

Torpedos are slower and are meant for large and/or slower targets. They can be used against Fighters but at a -1 penalty to lock on and to fire.

Rockets are too slow to be used against anything other than Capital Ships, but do a lot more kills.

Missiles and Torpedos always earn you a token unless its a named npc or a capital ship.

Projectile weapons can be linked together to fire two with one shot.

If it is a capital ship capable of taking such damage you roll for each torpedo and sum the results.

If it is a fighter then you get to chose which result you want to use (hint: Highest).

Either way you have used one token per projectile fired.

Shields

Each craft is equiped with shields and in most cases armour plating as to increase the chance of survival when the going gets tough.

A Mess – Your ship has seen better days.

Crippled - It’s still flying, well kinda… (no more fancy stuff)

Armor - Armor (if the ship has any that is) – Usable once only.

Shield Tokens - Some ships have much stronger shields and as such they get more shield tokens to use before they become bloodied.

Favor - Luck, the Force or anything else a player wishes to call it. – Usable once only.

Parry: Destroy incoming missile, minor shield impact etc – whatever the Player roleplays what they consider to have happened, the dice are merely a Guideline. – Usable once only.

GM Tokens

At the start of a mission the GM gets 7 times the amount of players in tokens.

Per encounter a gm assigns tokens, with a minimum of one (plot twist) and a maximum of 2,5 times the amount of players.

Spotlight Scenes

After any encounter players get a Spotlight scene.

Any unused spotlights are only lost when the mission ends or a new one becomes available.

Assault - Unchanged (Medium)
Leverage - Unchanged (Long)
Strategem - Unchanged (Medium)
Treatment/Repair – When docked and a repaircrew is available you repair 1d3 (Long)Otherwise you repair just 1 (Short).
Repair and reload – Only at a facility: You can add 1 Missile/Torpedo and Repair 1 or just reload 2 without repairing. (Short)

The Flight Leader decides how much time there is between encounters, this can have repercussions on the next encounter. What kind of repercussions is up to the GM and ought to be discussed with the players through the Mission Briefing.

Chain of Command

The Chain of Command isn’t as strict as the Imperial Navy and much can be overlooked (brawls, verbal fights etc) but neglecting ones duty, murder, loss of Craft etc will be severly punished.

Campaign

The Campaign consists of about 10 to 20 missions.

The final battle is basicly when everyone has reached level 18.

(Assuming you only have regular players, if a player only attends every now and then they won’t be level 18, this shouldn’t be too much of a problem, but the playergroup can resolve this any way they like.)

Gaining a Level

• Performing beyond the call of duty (most kills)
• Superior Tactics (most tokens)
• Combat Expertise (lowest level)

In case of 3 players 1 and 2 roll to see who gets the level.

Rank

There are multiple ways to gain or lose a rank.

Promotion

Promotion isn’t automatic, but you do get a chance by rolling NFA.

1. Using a strength
2. Your commanding officer or your team puts you up for promotion.
3. The GM can promote you (don’t hold your breath, but it can happen)
4. Temporary Field promotion when an officer dies or becomes incapacitated during a mission.

Demotion

Demotion isn’t automatic either, instead the one putting you up for demotion makes a NFA roll and if they are successful you get to make a NFA roll yourself to avoid being demoted. If they fail or you succeed nothing happens.

1. Using a weakness
2. Failing a mission (GMs ‘choice’)
3. Team puts you up for Demotion
4. Voluntarily

Putting someone up for a demotion isn’t without risk.

If you fail and the other (assuming they are higher ranked) succeeds they can demote you. Normal demotion rules apply, but you don’t get to demote them in case they fail also.

Field promotion

When an officer falls in battle or becomes unable to perform their duty, its important they are replaced so the mission can continue as planned.

The person taking over gets a field promotion to the same rank.

When there are two of equal rank they get to roll for it, unless the ranks already agreed on a successor.

If at the end of the mission the officer has recovered and the mission is a success, they get to make a promotion roll to attain their next rank, if the officer doesn’t recover they get to make a roll to keep their field promotion.

If the mission fails the roll is at -2, if you succeed you keep the field promotion, if you fail but would’ve made it without the penalty you gain a rank instead. (The GM can decrease the penalty if it wasn’t a complete Failure)

Ships

Interceptor Class

V-Wing – 2 Cannons – 0 Ion Cannons – 1 Missile Launchers – 1 Shield – 6 Afterburner – 1 Person
T-Wing – 2 Cannons – 0 Ion Cannons – 2 Torpedo Launchers – 1 Shield – 9 Afterburner – 1 Person
A-Wing – 2 Blaster Cannons – 0 Ions – 2 Missile Launchers – 0 Shield – 2 Afterburner – 1 Person – Flanking – Rank 3

Assault Class

R-41 – 2 Laser Cannons – 2 Ions – 2 Missile Launchers – 2 Shield – 3 Afterburner – 1 Person
Y-Wing – 2 Blaster Cannons – 2 Ion Cannons – 2 Torpedo Launchers – 2 Shield – 3 Afterburner – 1 Person – None – Rank 2
B-Wing – 3 Heavy Blaster Cannons – 3 Heavy Ion Cannons – 2 Torpedo Launchers – 1 Shield – 2 Afterburner – 2 Persons – S-Foils – Rank 5

General Purpose Class

Z-95 - 3 Lasers – 0 Ions – 2 Missile Launchers – 0 Shield – 4 Afterburner – 1 Person – None – Rank 0
X-Wing – 4 Blaster Cannons – 0 Ion Cannons – 2 Torpedo Launchers – 1 Shield – 3 Afterburner – 1 Person – S-Foils – Rank 4

Flanking

Craft with this ability can enter Flanking on their turn for free assuming they were successful on their roll (either FA or NFA).

S-Foils

Craft with S-Foils can close them to move a range for free.

Moving is a NFA roll (can be combined with most other NFA actions), but you can’t fire with S-Foils closed.You can reopen them with another NFA roll. (They open even if you fail your roll or if someone forgos their success to end the round, it’s only flipping a switch after all)

Weapons

Weapon Damage Chart

0 – 1 – 1D6 – 2D4/1D8 – 1D10 – 1D12/2D6

Weapon – Close – Near – Far

Laser Cannons – 1d3 – 1d4 – x (Rank 0)

Blaster Cannons – 1d3 – 1d6 – x (Rank 2)

Heavy Blaster Cannons – 1d4 – 1d10 – 1 (Rank 4)

Ion Cannons – 1d3 – 2d3 – 0 (Rank 2)

Heavy Ion Cannons – 1d4 – 2d4 – 1 (Rank 5)

Missiles – 0(*) – 1d10 – 2d6 (Rank 0)

Advanced Missiles – 0(*) – 1d12 – 2d10 (Rank 4)

Torpedos – 0(*) – 2d10 – 3d10 (Rank 2)

Advanced Torpedos – 0(*) – 2d12 – 3d12 (Rank 4)

Rockets – 1d100 – x – x (Rank 5)

Skills

Eject (Rank 0)

On a succes the player ejects from their craft and removes themselves from the combat.

On a failure the player still ejects from the craft, but remains at their range and is still considered in combat. Another NFA roll can be made each round to escape from combat, but the player is unable to attack as all they have left is Harsh Language and in this game that doesn’t score you any kills.

Formation Flying (Rank 2)

This allows you to change range if another pilot with the Formation Flying skill does so. Note that you must have enough Fuel to perform this task. You change range at the same time as the other pilot (i.e. at the end of their turn).

Superior Tactics (Rank 3)

This allows you to enter combat at one Range band nearer or further away if you wish to do so. You cannot use Superior Tactics to start an encounter beyond Far Range (as this is clearly cowardice!). It costs one Fuel Token to use this skill. For no Fuel cost you can elect to start at the same Range as the squadron, of course.

Abort (Rank 4)

This allows you use the E-Vac from the main 3:16 rules. (Highest Ranked Only)

Break and Run (Rank 5)

This allows you use the E-Vac from the main rules but without anyone taking a Kill in the process of ending the encounter. (Highest Ranked Only)

Deflect (Rank 6)

This allows you to direct a Kill on you to someone else at the same Range Band.

Tokens/Chips

• Black – Afterburner Tokens
• Blue – Torpedo Tokens
• Green – Shield Tokens
• Red – Missile Tokens
• White – Special Tokens

The background of the game is that you play the elite warriors of a tribe whose totem god has tasked them with attacking another tribe. Warriors can gain the favour of their totem by killing more of the other tribe than their peers.

Combat is essentially the same as 3:16 and all the usual tricks and tactics seem to work in this version too. What really is very different is all the roleplaying flavour around the game. You get to build a tribe together and determine where the tribe lives, their totem and their cultural and magic keywords.

As warriors advance in favour the non-favoured members of the tribe get to decide what strictures and taboos apply to the rank their fellows have risen to so you get to evolve the tribe as well.

Rather than 3:16’s alienation amongst the stars there is now a rather more individual path for the game which has more player input.

Both games seem to be significant improvements on the original system while retaining all the good stuff about 3:16. Personally I am glad of the changes as I felt that 3:16 was an amusing change of pace but too slight to really call itself a roleplaying game.

Source: http://thee-rapture.carnel.org/conventions/dragonmeet-2009

In AD316 Gregor introduces Tokens (Accomplishments) as an additional way to level. In the Development phase the PC with the highest Kills and the one with the most Tokens roll to see which one levels. After that all the other PCs that didn’t level roll to see which one also gains a level. There is still the limit of 2 PCs levelling between Missions.

I want to introduce a more “organic” way of levelling. I was thinking of using Tokens as a kind of experience points. A PC levels after gaining a number of Tokens.

You can influence how many PCs level after a Mission by the number of Tokens necessary to level. If the GM rules that you need 10 Tokens to level than at the most 2 PCs can level in a 4-player game (24 Tokens). Which limits the number of Strengths available.

Killing things is still the easiest way to gain Tokens. But maybe the PC with the highest Kills at the and of a Mission gains an additional 2 Tokens, to “tempt” players to go for Big Fuckin Guns(tm) with limited killing ranges.