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GAMMA PLAYTEST DOCUMENT
CREDITS
Written and Designed by Clint Krause
Additional Flash Fiction by Daniel Bayn (www.danielbayn.com)
Illustrated by Deseo (www.deseoworks.com)
Edited by To Be Determined
Playtested by Travis Akin, Richard Anderson, Daniel Bayn, Rob Carson, Kevin
Chipps, Zachary Davies, Mark Dipasquale, James Eastteam, Clint Finnell, Isaac
Gehrke, Aaron Hamric, Ethan Hamric, Cole Hartfeld, Colin Justice, Dan Justice,
Brad Kelley, Cassie Krause, Clinton Ladue, Scott McElfresh, Stewart Mundy, Paul
Otis, Chris Pennington, Chris Perrin, Colleen Riley, Amy Rost, Joe Ryan, Geoff
Seutter, Timothy Sallee, Crystal Scott, Justin Scott, Trevor Scott, Mike Silva, Joe
Simmons, Haydin Smith, Nolan Stewart, Shawn Stolte, Jesse Taylor, Shaun Taylor,
Brad Warriner, Marc West
Special Thanks to Cassie Krause, Dade Krause, Aaron Hamric, Mike Silva,
Carlos Ramon, Analisa Castrellon, Daniel Bayn, Zachary Davies, Issac Gehrke,
Chris Pennington, Geoff Seutter, Josh Chewning, Shaun Taylor, Daniel Moler, April
Laksen, Vivien Lasken, Trevor Scott, Justin Scott, Crystal Scott, and the numerous
other people who gave us support and encouragement along the way.
Dedicated to Steve Murphy Clash Addison
2012 by Red Moon Medicine Show
ISBN xxx-x-xx-xxxxxx-x
www.redmoonmedicineshow.com
www.unityunderground.com
WARNING!
VIOLENCE AND WEIRD SHIT
The fctional world of Unity Underground is a strange, deadly place. Violent
revolutionaries wage war against a totalitarian dictatorship that has enslaved
the worlds populace through technology, propaganda, and mind control.
Drug use, profanity, sexuality, nuclear war, government conspiracies, anarchy,
psychic powers, and human/animal hybridization are all elements of this game.
Some parents may fnd these subjects inappropriate for young readers and
players.
02
INTRODUCTION
. . . has lost its soul. Its all fallen under the control of the UNION OF MAN, a totali-
tarian regime ruled by the charismatic president MASON GATE. Gates visionary
leadership has brought incredible progress for humanity, but progress is not with-
out its costs, and the Unions shining cities conceal dark secrets.
There are those who see through the Unions facade and stand up for the truth.
The UNDERGROUND, a clandestine network of rebel operatives, wages a secret
war for the survival of those who the Union deems unsuitable for saving.
It all started about twenty years ago. Decades of overpopulation and ceaseless
war had ravaged the planet. The populace lived in desperate poverty, huddled
in fortifed settlements, fearful of the drug-crazed gangs that now roamed the war-
torn countryside.
During his sixth term in offce, American president Mason Gate devised a plan
that would ease the fears of the people. His scientists had developed the VO-
CATIONAL MODULE, a neural implant that could provide its host with instant
expertise in any vocational feld.
Gate proposed the New Labor Act, which guaranteed work and wage to anyone
who received an implant. Millions of desperate citizens focked to receive the
implant and soon Gate was credited as the savior of the nation.
Gates power grew, and as world leaders gradually bent under his messianic infu-
ence, a new endeavor was proposed: The Union of Man, a unifed world govern-
ment that would put an end to nationalism and warfare.
Many countries rejected this gesture and fought back, igniting a period known as
the UNIFICATION WARS. Countless battles were fought and millions of lives lost,
but in the end Gates infuence and power were too strong and all who opposed
the Union were defeated and forced into exile.
The intervening years have been a crucible of violence and oppression. For those
assimilated into the Union, life is pleasant and full of trivial comforts. For those on
the outside, every day is a battle for survival.
Still, there is hope. Holes are forming in the Unions matrix of control. Resistance
is stirring, and a war for the fate of the planet is under way.
Imagine yourself, living in the near future of the planet Earth. A lot has changed.
Weve been through two near-apocalyptic world wars. Much of the countryside has
reverted to wilderness. A totalitarian world government called the Union of Man
has taken control through military force and technological dominance. Lots of
people have joined the Union because its charismatic leader has convinced them
that its for the greater good, for the progress of human evolution. Not you though.
You wouldnt allow yourself to be controlled like that. You live in The Outlands, the
impoverished post-nuclear wilderness outside the Unions prosperous enclaves.
Youve become a member of The Underground, a rebel group fghting to break
the Unions grip on the world, one mission at a time.
Imagine the action. Youre raiding a Union outpost to secure food and medicine
for your friends and relatives. Union peacekeepers in combat armor pepper your
position with rounds from their hi-tech carbines. One of your comrades takes
a deep shoulder wound as you return fre with your duct-taped assault rifes,
acquired just yesterday from some unscrupulous smuggler. Youre running out of
time and ammo. Your mind races. Will you succeed in your mission? Will you die
trying? Will your people go hungry?
Imagine the fun. You fick a cheeto at your buddy in protest of the die roll he
just fubbed. Your gamemaster cackles as the last of your characters eat critical
strikes from his entrenched Union troops. You sneer as you reach for a clean
character sheet, vowing to get the bastards next time. Dice are rolled, bad jokes
are shared, snacks are consumed. Hours fy by as your quirky heroes take on
mission after mission. Youll remember this campaign fondly for years to come.
Unity Underground is a tabletop role-playing game that allows you and your
friends to create your own futuristic rebel operatives and test their prowess
against the hostile world that they inhabit.
If youve never played a role-playing game before, this is a good one to start with
because the rules are simple and easy to grasp. It will also give you a good idea
of what the traditional role-playing experience is like.
If youre a veteran gamer, youre about to experience the RPG equivalent of
comfort food. Simple, tried and true role-playing concepts, lovingly prepared,
with just a dash of something funky and different. Bon apptit!
03
THE WORLD
Stuff Youll Need
One or more copies of the rule books.
A bunch of standard, six-sided dice.
Pencils and paper.
Numerous copies of the character and vehicle sheet.
Miniatures or tokens to represent characters and vehicles in combat.
People to play with. I recommend 3 to 5.
How To Use These Books
For the sake of convenience during play, the content of the game is divided
between three books:
1st Offense: Mandatory Procedure (this book) covers the basic rules of play.
2nd Offense: Enemies of the State (the yellow book) covers character creation.
3rd Offense: The Meek Shall Inherit (the blue book) is setting and GM info.
Each book is divided up into modular nuggets of information which are
distinguished from each other by the following icons:
= Expository Text. Setting fuff and meta-game information.
= Rules Text. Game mechanics and in-game procedures.
$
= Gear. Equipment, vehicles, and accessories that characters can buy.
= Psychic Power. Descriptions of psychic powers and their effects.
= NPC Profle. Stats and descriptions of non-player-characters.
DID YOU KNOW?
Youll also see these little grey marginal notes pop up
from time to time. They usually contain bits of trivia
about the setting or tips for playing the game.
04
Terminology
2d6: refers to two six-sided dice. Roll 2d6 means to roll two six-sided and add
the results together.
Critical Failure: refers to a failed roll with a result of 6.
Critical Strike: refers to a Critical Success on an attack roll.
Critical Success: refers to a successful roll with a result of 1.
d6: refers to a six-sided die. Roll a d6 means to roll one six-sided die.
d66: refers to two six-sided dice rolled to generate a number between 11 and 66.
Roll d66 means to roll two six-sided dice designating one die as the tens digit
and one die as the ones digit and reading the results as a single number. For
example, a roll of 2 on the tens die and 4 on the ones die results in a roll of 24.
GM: acronym for gamemaster. Refers to the person who is running the game.
Hazard Damage: damage caused by various dangers such as fre, falling, or
drowning. Hazard Damage is special in that it is not reduced by Armor.
NPC: acronym for non-player character. Refers to any character who is under
the control of the gamemaster.
P: abbreviation for number of player characters.
P/2: abbreviation for number of player characters divided by 2 (rounded down).
PC: acronym for player character. Refers to any character who is under the
control of a player (as opposed to the gamemaster).
Phase: segment of game time in which one rules subsystem is engaged.
Roll: generally describes throwing a six-sided die and trying to get equal to or
lower than one of your characters stat ratings.
Scene: the time between one Exploration Phase and the next Exploration Phase.
Stats: collective term for your characters Coordination, Intelligence, Strength,
and Willpower ratings.
Stat Rating: number between 2 and 5 that serves as the target number for die
rolls.
05
Design Philosophy
This game is intended for sandbox gameplay. What does that mean exactly?
It means four important things:
The rules are physics
The GM is neutral
Plot is a four letter word
The world exists beyond the PCs
THE RULES ARE PHYSICS
The intent here is to create an abstracted, stylized simulation of a harsh, uncaring
world (not unlike our own). The game is NOT designed to create stories. Its
designed to provide a balanced framework for characters to undertake exciting,
dangerous challenges. Stories will emerge from this framework, but they take the
form of series of interesting, coincidental events rather than a deliberately crafted
narrative.
THE GM IS NEUTRAL
The GM needs to remain neutral to the events in the game. The GM is not out to
defeat the players, but not out to coddle them either. The GM has a lot of authority
over the proceedings of the game, but is NOT allowed to conveniently ignore rules,
fudge die rolls, or other such skullduggery. The GM must play NPCs with integrity
and not pass judgement on the players actions. The practice of railroading
(manipulating players to follow a certain course of action) is absolutely antithetical
to the sandbox play style.
PLOT IS A FOUR LETTER WORD
Many GMs will be tempted to invent a storyline to feed to the players little by little.
Dont do that. The GMs primary function is to present the players with missions,
events, and locations and use the rules to adjudicate the actions that they take
in response. The GM should never, ever, ever plan the outcome of a situation in
advance. If theres a pre-planned outcome, the GM will have to fudge die rolls and
manipulate the players into a certain course of action. Thats crap.
THE WORLD EXISTS BEYOND THE PCS
The primary goal of sandbox play is to create the feeling that the player characters
exist in a living, breathing world. Not every event that occurs will be relevant to
the PCs and their agendas. Any given group of PCs is merely a handful among
thousands of potential characters. Any characters importance (or lack thereof) in
the grand scheme of things is determined by the actual events of the game, not
by birthright.
06
THE BASICS
The Basic Roll
When you undertake an action that has some element of risk, the GM will determine
which of your characters stats and skills is relevant and call for a roll.
Roll a six-sided die. If the result of your roll is equal to or lower than your stat
rating, you succeed at the attempted action. If your roll is higher than your stat
rating, you fail at the attempted action.
A die result of 1 signifes a Critical Success, which means that your character
succeeds in an exceptional way. Sometimes a Critical Success will trigger
additional benefts.
A failed roll with a die result of 6 signifes a Critical Failure, which means that
your character blunders the action in a particularly awful way. Sometimes Critical
Failure will trigger unfortunate circumstances.
Diffcult Rolls
The GM might decide that your chosen action is particularly Diffcult. In some
cases, the rules might specify when a given action is considered Diffcult. Aside
from this, the decision is based solely on the GMs judgment and his interpretation
of the setting and the situation.
When an action is declared Diffcult, reduce your relevant stat rating by 1 before
making the roll. For example, fring a gun at a target whos In Cover is considered
Diffcult. If youre shooting at such a target and your Coordination stat is 4, it
counts as being 3 for this Diffcult shot.
Multiple diffculties never stack with each other. A roll is either Diffcult, or it is not.
To use the example above, a character fring at target in cover with an Inaccurate
weapon (which also causes shots to be Diffcult) your Coordination is still only
reduced by 1. If the GM feels that too many diffculties are stacked against an
action, he should simply rule that the action is impossible.
07
Skill Boosts
If you have a skill that is applicable to action youre attempting, you can increase
your relevant stat rating by one before making the roll.
For example, if youre trying to punch a peacekeeper in his ugly face (a Strength
roll) and you have the Martial Arts skill, you can add one to your Strength rating
before making the roll.
Like diffculties, Skill Boosts never stack with each other. Regardless of how many
skills might be applicable to the situation your stat is never increased by more
than one.
The rules will specify which skills are applicable in certain common situations.
Otherwise, the GM is free to assign appropriate skill boosts based on his or her
interpretation of the situation at hand.
When describing a roll in writing, we list the relevant stat with the appropriate skill
in parenthesis. For example, the aforementioned attack roll would be described
as a Strength (Martial Arts) roll.
SKILL DEFINITIONS
Athletics: Applies to rolls involving physical exertion (running, jumping, etc . . .)
Bravery: Applies to panic rolls (see page 19).
Chemistry: Applies to pharma rolls made during downtime (see page 35).
Deception: Applies to rolls involving telling convincing lies.
Demolitions: Applies to rolls involving the arming or disarming of explosives.
Hacking: Applies to any roll dealing with the infltration of computer systems.
Intimidation: Applies to any roll involving threats of harm.
Junk: Applies to junk rolls (see page 23)
Knowledge: Applies to any roll involving your knowledge of the world.
Language: Determines extra languages you know (see 3rd Offense, page 6).
Marksmanship: Applies to attack rolls with ranged weapons.
Martial Arts: Applies to attack rolls with melee weapons.
Perception: Applies to any roll involving your ability to spot/detect things.
Persuasion: Applies to any roll involving charm and making an effective argument.
Pilot: Applies to any roll involving the operation of a vehicle.
Politricks: Applies to any roll involving mass social manipulation.
Psychic Focus: Applies to any roll relating to psychic phenomena.
Rigging: Applies to DIY rolls made during downtime (see page 35).
Stealth: Applies to any roll involving sneaking around, remaining unheard/seen.
Streetwise: Applies to any roll involving urban savvy, criminal contacts, or larceny.
08
The Luck Roll
The Luck Roll is a tool for the GM to fll in the details of the game setting in an
unbiased way. Often, the situations that arise in play will demand more specifc
details than the GM is able to prepare in advance. Does this building have a
back entrance? Is there anything useful among the debris? And, sometimes, a
little bit of randomness can add a lot of fun to the situation at hand. Will the PCs
get ambushed when they travel through the desert? Do any citizens happen to
overhear the PCs plotting in the restaurant? Are the PCs harrassed by a Union
patrol when they drive through town?
When one of these situations comes up, the GM can call for a Luck Roll and fll
in the details of the setting based on the result.
To make a Luck Roll, roll a d6. Use the table below to interpret the results. All of
these results are phrased from the point of view of the PCs. So, Very good luck
means Very good luck for the PCs.
LUCK ROLL RESULTS
1 Very good luck 4 Moderately bad luck
2 Good luck 5 Bad luck
3 Moderately good luck 6 Very bad luck
Its up to the GM to interpret exactly what these results mean in the situation at
hand.
The Hail Mary
A Hail Mary is a desperate situation in which you must roll a 1 to succeed at an
action. Rolling a 1 on a Hail Mary, while successful, is not a Critical Success.
Sometimes a Hail Mary will arise from the GM declaring an action Diffcult. For
example, if youre attempting a Diffcult roll with a stat rating of 2 (reduced to 1 by
the diffculty), your roll is considered a Hail Mary.
Other times, the GM will declare an action a Hail Mary from the get go. This serves
as a tool for the GM to adjudicate desperate (but not impossible) actions that
have a only a remote chance to succeed. For example, if youre attempting to
deceive a security guard, but give a totally outlandish story as your cover, the GM
might rule the you must make a Hail Mary rather than a more standard Willpower
(Deception) roll.
Phases And Scenes
There are 4 phases of play: Exploration, Combat, Redlining, and Downtime.
Each arrow on this diagram represents a shift to a new Phase. A Scene is a
collection of Phases. Each time an Exploration phase begins, you start a new
Scene. This is important as some effects have scene-length durations.
One Roll To Rule Them All
Once youve resolved an action by making a roll, the result of that roll stands
unless the situation changes dramatically. To put it plainly, there are no re-dos.
If, for example, your character fails a roll to hack a computer terminal, it means
that the terminal in question is simply beyond your characters ability to hack at
this time. You cannot roll again for the same action unless something changes
about the situation. If, for example, you came back later with a fancy new set
of access codes, the GM might decide to allow another hacking attempt. The
bottom line: rolls have to mean something. Do not fudge the results. Do not call
for a re-roll. If a failed roll brings your progress to a dead end then youll simply
have to fnd another way around your problem.
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Exploration
GM describes the situation.
Players describe character actions.
Downtime
Pg. 34
Redlining
Pg. 36
Combat
Pg. 10
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09
New Scene Begins
10
COMBAT
Step One: Determine Surprise
When an encounter occurs, each PC must make an Intelligence (Perception)
roll. If all the PCs are successful, they surprise their opponents (and can choose
to avoid the encounter). If some are successful and others are not, neither side
is surprised. If all the PCs fail, their opponents surprise them. Surprise effects
iniative, which is described below.
This procedure assumes that neither party is aware of the others position
to begin with. If one or both sides are clearly aware of the other before the
encounter, skip this step and determine surprise using common sense.
Step Two: Set the Scene
Combat scenes are played out with miniatures on a tabletop. All range and
movement distances are given in inches. 1 inch on the tabletop equals 5 feet in
the game world.

At the beginning of each combat scene, the GM sets up a tabletop
representation of the battlefeld either by sketching it an eraseable grid mat
or by placing physical terrain on the table (this could range from elaborately
crafted wargaming terrain to improvised objects that happen to be on hand:
this soda can is a power generator.)
Any kind of miniatures or tokens can be used to represent the characters and
vehicles involved in the fght. I enjoy using various prepainted sci-f wargaming
miniatures, though they can be pricy. Plastic chessmen make great, inexpensive
playing pieces as they can easily be reused to represent different characters in
different situations: These black pawns are gangers. The bishop is their leader.
11
Step Three: Determine Initiative
In combat, characters act in descending order of Intelligence. The character
with the highest Intelligence score acts frst, followed by the next highest, and so
on. If there is a tie in the initiative order, player-characters act frst, followed by
non-player characters. Once each character has acted, return to the top of the
order and continue until the combat ends.

For example, Raven and Jupiter are about to fght two Union Peacekeepers.
Raven has a 2 Intelligence, Jupiter has a 4 Intelligence, and the Union
Peacekeepers have an NPC Level of 4. The initiative order for the fght looks like
this:
1. Jupiter acts (Intelligence 4, player-character)
2. Union Peacekeepers act (NPC Level 4)
3. Raven acts (Intelligence 2)
SURPRISE
If one side surprises the other, the ambushing characters act on an initiative
of six in addition to their normal initiative for the frst round of the combat. So,
drawing on the example above, if the Union Peackeepers had surprised the
PCs, they would act frst, then Jupiter would act, then the Peacekeepers would
act again, then Raven would act.
Step Four: Take Action
On your turn in combat, you can move and take a single action (in either
order). Possible actions include: Attack, Disarm, Overwatch, Grapple,
Intimidate, Jump, Reload, Take Cover, Throw, and miscellanious other actions.
Movement
All characters have a Speed rating, which determines how many inches they
can move in one turn. By default, characters on foot have a Speed of 6.
Swimming characters move at half their normal Speed.
If youre piloting a vehicle, you can use your movement to move the vehicle
rather than moving yourself. The distance a vehicle can travel is based on its
Speed.
12
Attack
Declare how your character is attacking and what your target is, then attempt a
Coordination (Marksmanship) roll for a ranged attack or a Strength (Martial Arts)
roll for a melee attack.
If successful, you strike your target and reduce its Health by an amount equal
to the Damage Rating of the weapon youre using. If you fail the roll, the attack
misses its target or is otherwise evaded.
For example: Uncle Scam fres a Union pistol (Damage Rating 3) at an enemy
ganger who has 6 Health. Uncle Scams Coordination (Marksmanship) roll is
successful, so his shot strikes home. The gangers Health is reduced from 6 to 3.
RANGE
Melee weapons can only be used to attack targets within 1 inch of you.
Ranged weapons can be used to attack targets at a distance. The drawback is
that ranged weapons can ammo out (see the facing page for details).
Unless noted otherwise, ranged weapons have a range of yes, which is to say
we dont bother calculating exact ranges. If the GM feels that youre pushing the
limits of your weapons capabilities, your attack roll will be considered Diffcult or,
for truly desperate distances, a Hail Mary.
CRITICAL STRIKE
When you roll a Critical Success on an attack roll, choose one of the following
critical effects:
Double the damage caused by your attack.
Instead of causing damage, Disable one piece of your targets equipment.
ARMOR
Armor reduces the damage caused by a successful attack. Subtract the
victims total armor value from any damage taken.
Example: Nitro blasts a peacekeeper for 4 points of damage. The peacekeeper
has a total of 3 armor, so the attack reduces his Health by 1 point.
13
AMMO OUT
When you make an attack roll with a ranged weapon, a roll of 6 (regardless of
success or failure) means that youve ammoed out. You cannot attack with the
same weapon again until you spend an action to reload it. This represents your
character slamming in a new magazine, digging through his/her bag for more
grenades, or whatever else makes sense in context.
Note: If you ammo out while dual-wielding Light weapons, both weapons are out
of ammo, but both can be reloaded with a single action.
UNARMED MELEE ATTACKS
All characters can assault their opponents with punches, kicks, bites, body
slams, strangle holds, and other types of unarmed melee attacks. Unarmed
melee attacks have a Damage Rating of 1.
FIGHTING BLIND
If you cannot see the target of your attack (if, for example, your target is
obscured by darkness, smoke, or a thin wall) any attack roll you make is
considered a Hail Mary.
DEAD TO RIGHTS
An attack against a helpless living target automatically reduces the targets
Health to 0.
STEALTH TAKEDOWN
If you sneak up on an enemy you can attempt a Diffcult Strength (Martial Arts)
roll to take them out with a single melee attack (neck snap, judo chop, sleeper
hold, etc). If successful, your targets Health is immediately reduced to 0.
SPOT ART
14
Disarm
While within melee range, you can spend and action to attempt to steal or
knock away your opponents gear. Make a Diffcult Strength (Martial Arts) roll. If
successful, you can swipe one piece of your opponents equipment or knock it
up to 6 away in a direction of your choice.
Grapple
While within melee range, you can spend an action to try to immobilize your
opponent. Make a Diffcult Strength (Martial Arts) roll. If successful, your target
gains the Stunned condition.
Escape
You can spend an action to attempt to escape from combat. Make a Diffcult
Coordination (Athletics) roll if on foot or a Diffcult Coordination (Pilot) roll if
controlling a vehicle. If successful, you manage to escape the combat and are
considered to be absent for the remainder of the scene.
Intimidate
You can spend an action to attempt to break the morale of a single character
who can see you. Make a Diffcult Willpower (Intimidate) roll. If successful, your
target must make a Panic Roll.
Jump
You can spend an action to jump horizontally. Make a Coordination (Athletics)
roll. If succesful, you can jump a number of inches equal to your Coordination
stat. If you fail, you fall short and suffer whatever consequences make sense for
the situation.
15
Overwatch
You can spend an action to go on overwatch. Instead of taking your action
immediately, you can act at any point until the beginning of your next turn, even
if it interrupts another characters turn. Any rolls you make while on overwatch
are considered Diffcult.
Reload
You can spend an action to reload a weapon that has ammoed out. You can
reload two Light weapons with a single use of this action.
Throw
While within melee range, you can spend an action to throw a human-sized
opponent through the air. Make a Diffcult Strength (Martial Arts) roll. If
successful, you throw your opponent up to 6 from his or her current position.
If your target collides with a solid object or another character, each character
involved suffers 2 Hazard Damage.
Take Cover
You can spend an action to gain the In Cover condition.
Sprint
You can spend an action to move an additional 6.
16
Damage
Youll spend a majority of your time in this game swapping bullets with bad guys.
Heres what happens when get roughed up:
DOWN
When your Health reaches zero you are Down. You fall unconscious and cannot
move or take actions. You stay Down until your Health is restored to one or higher.
Your Health cannot be reduced below 0. There are no negative Health points.
NPCs who go Down are dead, unless their attacker was specifcally trying to use
nonlethal force.
SECOND WIND
When youre Down, you can spend a point of Defance to gain a Second Wind.
Erase a point of Defance from your character sheet and restore your Health to its
maximum value.
BUSTED
When all members of your cell are Down and no one has Defance left, the cell is
Busted. The GM narrates how your characters are killed, captured, or otherwise
removed from the game. Dry your tears, create new characters, and try again.
To soften the blow, your new characters start with 2 extra Experience Points as a
Busted Bonus.
RECOVERY
Health can be restored with a variety of class abilities, accessories, and psychic
powers. You can also take an downtime action to recover Health naturally (see
page 36). Your Health can never be restored higher than your Maximum Health.
Any Health gained in excess of your Maximum Health is lost.
BETRAYAL AND ABANDONMENT
If youre Downed after betraying your cell mates or are otherwise left with no
external hope of recovery, the GM can rule that your character dies and you must
bring in a replacement. This is should be rare, if it occurs at all.
Violence is the language of the universe.
Its best to learn a few curse words.
- Murphy Clash
17
Conditions
Some attacks and situations infict special ongoing effects called conditions.
BLINDED
Any roll you make that requires sight is considered a Hail Mary. Lasts until the end
of your turn.
BURNING
You take 2 Hazard Damage at the beginning of each of your turns. Lasts until
someone (including you) spends an action to extinguish the fre or until you are
doused in water or similar fame retardant.
FLYING
You can move through the air. You cant be targeted by melee attacks except
those made by other Flying characters and vehicles. Any ranged attacks you
make are Diffcult. Any ranged attacks made against you are also Diffcult. Lasts
as long as you remain capable of fight.
IN COVER
All attack rolls that target you are Diffcult. Lasts until you move.
OVERBURDENED
You move at half your normal speed and any roll you make is considered a Hail
Mary. Lasts until you drop one or more pieces of equipment.
PANICKED
You cannot act except to move away from the source of your panic and attempt
the Escape action. Lasts until you escape or the scene ends.
SICK
You cannot recover Health (except through Defance/Second Wind) until this
condition is removed. Lasts until you are treated with Union Meds (2nd Offense,
page 22).
STUNNED
You cannot move or take actions. Lasts until the end of your turn.
WASTED
All rolls you make are considered Diffcult. Lasts until the end of the scene.
18
Hazard Damage
Hazard Damage is used to model injuries sustained from various dangerous
circumstances where the amount of armor youre wearing doesnt matter. Hazard
Damage reduces Health just like normal damage, but is never reduced by armor.
For example, Winston has 3 armor. He gains the Burning condition and suffers 2
points of Hazard Damage, his Health is reduced by 2 points.
Saving Throws
A Saving Throw represents your last ditch attempt to avoid major injury from
various environmental dangers. The GM calls for a Saving Throw when you:
Fall a signifcant distance.
Are inside a vehicle when it explodes.
Are inside the blast radius of a large explosion.
Are struck by a moving vehicle.
Are struck by a large falling object.
Are electrocuted.
Are drowning, exposed to a vacuum, etc . . .
When you are asked to make a Saving Throw, make a Luck Roll. On a result of
1-3 (good luck) you suffer 2 Hazard Damage. On a result of 4-6 (bad luck) youre
Health is immediately reduced to 0.
VEHICLE SAVING THROWS
Vehicles must also make Saving Throws from time to time (usually from crashes or
explosions). The vehicles owner makes the Saving Throw on behalf of the vehicle.
On a result of 1-3 (good luck) the vehicle suffers 2 Hazard Damage. On a result of
4-6 (bad luck) the vehicle is reduced to 0 Health and thereby destroyed.
STRUCTURES AND INANIMATE OBJECTS
Sometimes youll need to determine if a stucture or inanimate object is destroyed
by damage. Rather than tracking Health points for every potential targret, we
simply resolve the damage with a Saving Throw. If a structure or inanimate object
suffers suffcient damage, the GM makes a Saving Throw for it. On a result of 1-3
the object is damaged, but still intact/operational. On a result of 4-6, the object is
destroyed.
The Panic Roll
A Panic Roll represents your attempt to hold your ground in the face of demoralizing
horrors. The GM calls for a Panic Roll whenever:
You see someone on your side of a fght go Down from a Critical Strike.
You see a Terrifying creature for the frst time.
Anything happens that the GM deems suitably traumatic to cause panic.
Make a Willpower (Bravery) roll. If successful, you keep your cool. If you fail,
you gain the Panicked condition. On a Critical Failure, you gain the Panicked
condition AND you replace one of your current traits with a random Insanity Trait
from the table below:
INSANITY TRAITS (d66)
11 Amnesiac 41 Homicidal Maniac
12 Cannibal 42 Horrible Flashbacks
13 Childlike Mentality 43 Hypochondriac
14 Compulsive Liar 44 Imaginary Friend
15 Delusional 45 Incoherent Rambling
16 Drug Addict 46 Kleptomaniac
21 Fear of Being Watched 51 Magical Thinking
22 Fear of Enclosed Places 52 Megalomaniac
23 Fear of Flying 53 Multiple Personalities
24 Fear of Heights 54 Nightmares
25 Fear of Machines 55 Object Personifcation
26 Fear of Psychic Phenomena 56 Paranoid
31 Fear of Solitude 61 Pyromaniac
32 Fear of Guns 62 Reclusive
33 Fear of the Dark 63 Strange Obsession
34 Fear of the Dead 64 Vivid Hallucinations
35 Fits of Rage 65 Violent Seizures
36 Hero Complex 66 Voices of the Dead
19
20
Psychic Powers
MAXIMUM NUMBER OF POWERS
You can have a maximum number of psychic powers equal to your Intelligence
stat. If youve already reached your maximum number of powers and gain a new
one, you can choose to replace one of your existing powers with the new one. If
not, the new power is lost.
ACTIVATING A POWER
To use one of your psychic powers, you usually have to spend an action and make
a Willpower (Psychic Focus) roll. Follow the instructions given for the specifc
power youre using.
PSYCHIC BACKLASH
The only limit to how often you can use your psychic powers is the ever-present
threat of psychic backlash. When you roll a 6 on an activation roll (regardless of
success or failure), your character suffers a psychic backlash. Roll 2d6 on the
following table and the GM will describe the effect on your character.
DESCRIBING BACKLASH
Backlash causes a piercing ring inside the psychics head. The psychic starts
bleeding from the nose or ears (even from the eyes, on a particularly bad
backlash). They feel lightheaded. They might hurl. Whatever the details, make
them gory and unpleasant. These are dangerous forces to be messing with and
they demand respect.
BACKLASH EFFECT (2d6)
2 Gain a random Psychic Power.
3 Gain a random Insanity Trait.
4 You gain the Sick condition.
5 You gain the Panicked condition.
6 You gain the Wasted condition.
7 You suffer 2 Hazard Damage.
8 You suffer 4 Hazard Damage.
9 You suffer 6 Hazard Damage.
10 You suffer 8 Hazard Damage.
11 You suffer 10 Hazard Damage.
12 A Grey Man (3rd Offense, pg. 34) appears nearby.
21
VM IMPLANTS AND MIND CONTROL
Union scientists designed the VM implant with the overt goal of incentivizing
citizenship and increasing productivity, but there was also a covert goal. VM
implants are designed to make citizens easier to manipulate and control. As a
result, characters with VM implants are more vulnerable to psychic manipulation
than characters without them.
Some psychic powers are labeled with the (Mind Control) keyword.
If the target of a Mind Control power has a VM implant, the power works
normally. The targets mind has been made vulnerable to control and
manipulation
If the target of a Mind Control power does not have a VM implant, he or
she can attempt a Willpower (Psychic Focus) roll to ignore the effects of the
power. If successful, the power has no effect.
Pawns eyes roll back in her head and everything goes
quiet. Tango pushes the accelerator down and his truck
lurches soundlessly forward. Pedestrians grab their ears in
panic, thinking theyve gone deaf. Tango aims for the power
transformer, to knock out the cameras and alarms, and
pounds through the warehouses back wall without waking
the neighbors.
He fashes Pawn a smile, but shes out cold. Not good.
Suddenly, guys in gas masks start blinking into existence all
around them. Really not good. Tango fips the safety on his
chopper, but he knows its too late.
22
BLACK MARKET
The In-Game Economy
Under the Unions iron grip, black markets have emerged and fourished all over
Union Earth. The black market is the Undergrounds main source of weaponry,
ammunition, and contraband of all kinds.
GREEN
In-game currency is represented by a resource called Green. Each point of Green
represents a nonspecifc wad of cash. Minor, unimportant items do not cost
Green to purchase. Green is reserved for purchase of equipment, accessories,
and vehicles, things that have specifc mechanical value in the game. Over the
course of the game, you will earn Green by fragging enemies and taking their
stuff. When referring to the cost of an item, Green is abbreviated as G. So, 4G
means 4 Green.
FINDING A MERCHANT
Finding a black market merchant isnt like going to the corner store. You need to
know people who know people. Finding a willing buyer/seller requires a Downtime
action (see page 36) and a successful Intelligence (Streetwise) roll.
WHATS AVAILABLE?
When you visit a black market merchant, you can purchase any piece of equipment
in the game. This doesnt mean that each merchant has every weapon and
vehicle on hand, just that he conveniently has whatever it is that youre interested
in buying. The rarity of less common items is represented by that item costing
Defance points as well as Green to purchase. Any Defance spent represents
your good fortune to fnd the rare item as well as the street cred required for the
merchant to sell it to you.
SELLING TO THE BLACK MARKET
You can always sell equipment to a black market merchant for half of its listed
value (rounded down). Defance values do not convert to Green, so ignore those
when youre selling stuff. We assume that a given merchant will be willing to
purchase whatever it is that you want to sell.
THE
23
Carrying Capacity
All of your characters belongings fall into one of three categories: Equipment,
Accessories, and Junk.
EQUIPMENT
Any reusable item that has a specifc mechanical effect in the game is considered
Equipment. Weapons, armor, and larger tools are the most common examples.
You can carry a number of pieces of equipment equal to your Strength stat.
ACCESSORIES
Accessories are smaller items that are expended as soon as they are used. You
can carry up to fve different kinds of Accessories and a quantity of each equal to
your Strength stat. For example, if you had a Strength rating of 4, you could carry
4 Soma Colas, 4 Scrap, 4 Bio-Sludge, 4 doses of Rage, and 4 doses of Vertigo. If
you wanted to carry more than that, you have to use or drop something.
JUNK
Your characters clothing and other superfcial accoutrements are considered
Junk. This includes minor items that support your character concept, but have
little impact on the mechanics of the game. Examples include: rope, fashlights,
binoculars, cigarettes, grappling hooks, handcuffs, pocket knives, signal fares,
tents, walkie talkies, spray paint, laptop computer, media players
The Junk Roll: Need a fashlight? No problem. You can spend an action to
determine whether or not you to have a given piece of junk on hand. Make an
Intelligence (Junk) roll. If successful, you happen to have the desired item. We
assume that youre carrying a backpack or something with a collection of useful
items in it.
BEING OVERBURDENED
You can temporarily carry one extra piece of equipment (in excess of your normal
equipment slots) but you are considered Overburdened when doing so. When
youre Overburdened, youre movement rate is halved and any roll you have to
make involving a physical activity is considered a Hail Mary.
BODIES
A human body takes up two equipment slots. This may be important when you
have to scoop up your unconscious buddies and carry them to safety.
24
Disabled Equipment
A variety of events can cause a piece of equipment to become Disabled. When
a piece of equipment is Disabled, mark the box next to it on your character sheet.
Disabled equipment can no longer be used for its intended purpose.
If a piece of equipment gives you some passive beneft, like a bonus to your
armor, that beneft is lost when the equipment is Disabled.

Disabled equipment still occupies an equipment slot.
Disabled equipment can be restored to working status with the use of a hackers
Repair ability, duct tape, or similar items and effects.
Armor
Armor is a special type of equipment that reduces the amount of damage you
take from attacks. There are three body areas that can be covered by armor:
head, torso, and legs. You can only beneft from one piece of armor per area.
For example, you might typically wear a helmet, body armor, and boots and
gain the beneft of each. However, you could not beneft from two helmets
simultaneously. You can carry multiple pieces of armor that cover the same body
area, but you can only beneft from one piece per area.
Scrapping Items
You can choose to convert equipment and vehicles into Scrap (2nd Offense, pg.
21) any time you have a few minutes to spare. You gain 1 piece of Scrap for
every 4G worth of equipment that you convert. For example, if you looted 4 GOSA
Carbines (which cost 4G each) from a squad of Peacekeepers, you could convert
them into 4 Scrap instead of using them.
Scrap is used for DIY rolls, which are described on page 35.
25
Weapons
Weapons exist to aid you in the process of fragging your foes. They are defned
by their Type, Damage Rating, and Properties.
WEAPON TYPE
Weapons come in two favors, Ranged Weapons (RW) and Melee Weapons (MW).
Ranged Weapons allow you to attack targets at a distance. Melee Weapons allow
you to attack opponents who are within 1 inch.
DAMAGE RATING
All weapons are assigned a Damage Rating. This rating represents the amount of
Health an opponent loses when successfully attacked with the weapon.
PROPERTIES
Many weapons have keywords called properties which attach special rules to
modify their use. The effects of each property are listed on the following pages.
Weapon Profle Format
Name of Weapon (MW or RW, Damage Rating, Properties in alphabetical order)
Cost: #G, #D
Weapon Creation
Weapons are balanced against each other using a point-build system. All
weapons must have a total of 4 Build Points (BP). All weapons start with a base
black market cost of 4G.

Each point of Damage Rating adds one Build Point.

Benefcial properties add to the weapons total Build Points.
Disadvantageous properties subtract from the weapons total Build Points.
You can add as many properties as youd like, as long as the weapon totals out
to 4 Build Points.
Lets use one of the existing weapons in the game as an example: The Broken
Eagle Boomer has the following profle: (RW, 6, Explosive, Huge, Hungry)
Damage Rating 6 starts the BP total at 6. The Explosive property adds 2 more BP
(now our total is 8). The Huge property reduces the BP total by 1 (now were at 7).
The Hungry property reduces the BP total by 3 (which brings us to 4. Hooray!).
26
Weapon Properties
BLINDING (+3 BP)
On a successful attack roll, your target gains the Blinded condition.
BRUTAL (+1 BP)
Attack Rolls with this weapon use Strength rather than Coordination. Can only be
applied to Ranged Weapons.
CHEAP (+1 BP)
Reduce the cost of this weapon by 2G.
CORROSIVE (+4 BP)
On a successful Attack Roll, you may Disable one piece of your targets equipment
(your choice).
EXPLOSIVE (+2 BP)
Successful attacks with this weapon affect everything within a 1 radius of the
target. Can only be applied to Ranged Weapons.
HAZARDOUS (-1 BP)
On an Attack Roll result of 6 you suffer 2 Hazard Damage.
HUGE (-1 BP)
This weapon takes up two equipment slots.
HUNGRY (-3 BP)
Each time you make an Attack Roll with this weapon you automatically ammo out.
Can only be applied to Ranged Weapons.
INACCURATE (-1 BP)
Attack Rolls made with this weapon are considered Diffcult.
INCENDIARY (+4 BP)
On a successful Attack Roll, your target gains the Burning condition.
LIGHT (+1 BP)
If you are equipped with two Light weapons, you can attack with both
simultaneously. Make a single Attack Roll and apply the result to both weapons.
27
MOUNTED (-4 BP)
This weapon must be mounted on a vehicle or stationary turret to be used for
attacks. Add 4G and 1D to its black market cost.
PIERCING (+3 BP)
All damage inficted by this weapon is considered Hazard Damage (it is not
reduced by armor).
PLATINUM (-1 BP)
Double this weapons cost in Green.
RARE (-2 BP)
Add 4G and 1D to this weapons cost. Cannot be combined with the Ultra Rare
property.
SCOPED (+1 BP)
You can spend an action aiming to double this weapons Damage Rating for your
next Attack Roll. The Damage Rating can only be doubled in this way once. Can
only be applied to Ranged Weapons.
SHORT-RANGED (-1 BP)
This weapon has a maximum range of 12. Can only be applied to Ranged
Weapons.
STURDY (+1 BP)
This weapon cannot be Disabled.
SWIFT (+1 BP)
Attack Rolls with this weapon use Coordination rather than Strength. Can only be
applied to Melee Weapons.
TOXIC (+2 BP)
On a successful Attack Roll, your target gains the Sick condition.
ULTRA RARE (-4 BP)
Add 8G and 2D to this weapons cost. Cannot be combined with the Rare property.
UNRELIABLE (-2 BP)
On an Attack Roll result of 6 this weapon is Disabled.
28
Vehicles
Vehicles are defned by their Type, Speed, Armor, Health, and Weapons.
TYPE
A vehicles type determines its mode of transport and the kinds of envrionments it
is suited for. Land vehicles can operate on land. Aquatic vehicles can operate in
the water. Aerial vehicles can fy. Space vehicles can fy in space.
SPEED
Speed determines the number of inches the vehicle can move in a turn.
ARMOR
Armor determines the amount of damage that is reduced from attacks targeting
the vehicle. Vehicle armor works just like character armor. Vehicles can have a
maximum of 6 Armor.
HEALTH
Vehicles have Health just like characters do. When a vehicle is reduced to 0
Health, it is destroyed.
WEAPONS
Vehicles can carry any number of Mounted weapons. These can be operated
either by the pilot or by a dedicated gunner.
SPOT ART
29
Vehicular Hijinks
VEHICLE DAMAGE
When a vehicle reaches 0 Health, it explodes. Any Mounted weapons are
destroyed. Everyone on board must make a Saving Throw.
RAMMING
Intentionally ramming your vehicle into something requires a Coordination (Pilot)
roll. If successful, you strike your target. When you strike a character on foot,
the victim immediately makes a Saving Throw. If you successfully strike another
vehicle, then both vehicles must make Saving Throws.
CRASHES
You crash any time you roll a Critical Failure on a piloting-related roll. When you
crash, you must make a Saving Throw for your vehicle.
Vehicle Creation
When creating a vehicle, frst decide on its type: Land, Aquatic, Aerial or Space.
Aerial vehicles add an extra point of Defance to their total cost. Space vehicles
add two points of Defance to their total cost. Both Aerial and Space vehicles gain
the Flying condition while in fight.
Vehicle Armor is purchased 2 points at a time. Every 2 points of Armor adds 4G
to the vehicles cost. Vehicles can have a maximum of 6 Armor.
Vehicle Health is purchased 6 points at a time. Every 6 points of Health adds 4G
to the vehicles cost. Vehicles have no maximum Health, but we assume the more
Health a vehicle has, the larger it is.
Vehicles can carry any number of Mounted weapons. Just add the Green and
Defance costs of the weapons to the vehicles total cost.
MODIFICATIONS
Once a vehicle has been brought into the game, it can be still be modifed, but the
modifcations are more expensive than if they were made during its initial creation.
Adding 2 Armor to an existing vehicle costs 8G.
Adding 6 Health to an existing vehicle costs 8G.
30
ADVANCEMENT
Experience Points
Experience Point rewards are granted for the following achievements:
ROLE-PLAYING CHARACTER TRAITS
At the end of each session the GM will go around the table and ask you to make a
case for which of your character traits you incorporated into the portrayal of your
character. Name off the traits that you think you portrayed and any that otherwise
got your character into trouble. If the GM and the other players agree, you receive
one experience point for each character trait that was incorporated. Ideally, youll
be honest and essentially award your own points. If there is any doubt, the GM
gets to decide whether or not points are earned.
CRITICAL SUCCESS
Each time you roll a Critical Success on a stat roll, you immediately gain one
Experience Point. You can only gain experience from a roll when something is
actually at stake, so spamming frivolous rolls doesnt do you any good.
HEARTS AND MINDS
The fugees of the Outlands live in desperate poverty. Providing them with support
builds favor for the Underground cause. You gain 1 Experience Point for every 4
Green you donate to fugees.These expenditures are handled off-screen as black
market transactions (use the Visit the Black Market action during downtime).
BONUS POINTS
The GM can offer 1 or 2 bonus Experience Points per session to encourage
various out-of-game contributions. For example, I usually give players 2 bonus
Experience Points for bringing snacks or drinks to share with the group.
31
The Experience Track
Every tenth Experience Point you earn grants you a point of Defance.
Youll use the experience track on your character sheet to keep track of your
experience rewards throughout the game. The track looks like this (its vertical on
the character sheet):
X
P
Each time you gain a point of experience, put a check mark in one of the boxes,
progressing from left to right. Lets say you just gained 3 experience, your track
would look like this:
X
P
Eventually, youll reach the darkened Defance segment of the track. When
you do, put a check mark in the frst empty Defance box and then erase all of
your experience checks and start over at the beginning. If you had more points
of experience than room on the track, transfer the extra points to the beginning
of the track.
For example, lets say your track looks like this . . .
X
P
. . . and then you earn 6 experience points for a successful session. Your track
should now look like this:
X
P
X X X
X X X X X X
X X X
SPOT ART
32
Defance
Defance represents the infuence, street cred, and good fortune that you gain
by fghting back against the Union. Its the primary currency that youll spend to
improve your character and affect change in the game world.
You can choose to save or spend Defance however you choose, but you can
never have more than 5 points at one time. Any Defance earned after this limit
has been reached is lost.
Defance can be spent on a variety of benefcial effects. It can be spent to advance
your rank, cheat death, gain psychic powers, make headlines, purchase rare and
ultra-rare equipment, raise your stats, gain a platinum class, recruit followers,
respec, or teach/learn a skill.
ADVANCE YOUR RANK
You can spend 5 Defance to advance your Rank from Recruit to Operative or
Operative to Hero. When you advance, your maximum Health immediately raises
to the level specifed by your new Rank. To refect this milestone, you also replace
one of your character traits with a new trait of your choice.
GAIN A PLATINUM CLASS
You can spend 3 Defance to give your character a second class (called a
Platinum Class). You gain the class ability of your new class in addition to your
existing class ability. You can also reselect your skills, choosing from the skill lists
available to both classes. You can likewise draw skills from both of your class lists
during any future respec. You can never have more than two classes.
GAIN FOLLOWERS
You can spend a point of Defance to gain an Underground Operative (3rd Offense,
page 32) as a loyal follower. You control this characters actions in combat, but
the GM roleplays his or her personality. The follower counts as a member of your
cell and so does not die at zero Health unless your cell is Busted. You can have a
maximum number of followers equal to your Willpower stat.
GAIN NEW PSYCHIC POWERS
If your character already has at least one psychic power, you can spend two
points of Defance to gain a random new power.
LEARN A SKILL
You can spend a point Defance to replace one of your current skills with a new
skill that is not on your class skill list.
33
MAKE HEADLINES
You can spend a point of Defance to narrate an event in the game world as if it
were a headline on Whole Truth News Network or Radio Underground. This event
happens, exactly as you describe it, but must follow a couple of small caveats.
1. You cant end the game with a headline. Union offers unconditional surrender
to Underground is not a valid headline. 2. You cant kill off a named character
in your headline. Mason Gate dies in suicide bomb attack does not fy. 3. The
headline has to pass the consensus of your playgroup. If everyone is groaning
when you narrate your headline they can veto you.
PURCHASE RARE GEAR
Equipment with the Rare or Ultra Rare properties requires Defance points (in
addition to Green) to purchase on the black market. By spending Defance to
acquire an item, youre asserting your characters luck for fnding the uncommon
item as well as his credibility in the Underground (black market merchants dont
sell the good stuff to just any old schmuck). When referring to the cost of an item,
Defance is abbreviated as D. 2D means 2 Defance.
RAISE YOUR STATS
Raising a stat rating costs a number of Defance points equal to the new rating
of the stat. For example, to raise a stat from 2 to 3 costs three Defance points.
Raising a stat from 4 to 5 costs fve Defance points. Defance must be spent
separately for each stat increase. You cannot, for example, spend 5 Defance to
raise a stat rating from 3 to 5. Youd frst have to spend four Defance to go from
3 to 4 and then another fve Defance to go from 4 to 5. Stats cannot be raised
higher than 5.
RESPEC
You can spend a point of Defance to make any number of changes to your
characters stats, skills, and character traits. You cannot modify your stat scores,
but you can rearrange them into a different order. You can switch out any skill for
another skill that is available to your class. You can replace any character trait
with another trait of your choice.
SECOND WIND
When youre Down, you can spend a point of Defance to gain a Second Wind.
Erase a point of Defance from your character sheet and restore your Health to its
maximum value.
34
REDLINING
Overland travel on Union Earth is diffcult and dangerous. We use the following
rules to represent the dangers of the Outlands. The Sector One map included with
the game shows the boundry lines between the different zones. The players make
Encounter Rolls any time they travel a signifcant distance (Encounter Rolls are
described in 3rd Offense, pg. 29)
Make one Encounter Roll for each Zone the cell travels in during the journey.
For example, traveling in a straight line from Freesco to Haven would require three
Encounter Rolls (one for Zone 6, one for Zone 5, and one for Zone 1).
ARRIVAL
Once all Encounter Rolls have been resolved, the cell arrives at its destination.
This is an abstract representation of travel, much like the red line sequences in
the Indiana Jones movies. The exact time that it takes for the cell to complete its
journey is not usually important. If it becomes important, the GM is responsible for
deciding how long it takes.
URBAN TRAVEL
Cities are more densely occupied than wilderness areas. As a result, urban
encounters are more common and numerous. Citites are divided into districts.
When travelling in a city, the cell must make an Encounter Roll for each district
it travels in during the journey. Maps of specifc cities will be released in future
supplements. Aside from that, the GM is encouraged to sketch out rough, common
sense district maps for cities in the game.
ENCOUNTER
ENCOUNTER
ENCOUNTER
35
DOWNTIME
Your cell can collectively decide to take downtime any time nothing else is going
on. Downtime represents an nonspecifc period of time in which your cell is laying
low, staying put, recouping, and working on various projects.
When your cell takes downtime, each character can perform one of the following
downtime actions:
DIY
You spend your downtime building a new gadget. Spend one piece of Scrap and
make an Intelligence (Rigging) roll. If successful, you gain a number of DIY points
equal to your Intelligence stat. If you fail, you still lose the Scrap, but dont gain
any points.
DIY points can be used to build equipment, accessories, and vehicles. Simply
spend a number of DIY points equal to the items regular cost in Green. If the
item youre building has an additional Defance cost, you must pay it normally (to
represent your ability to track down uncommon parts, etc).
Once generated, DIY points are stationary. You cant carry them around with you.
You can combine them with points generated by other cell members, or generate
more by taking more downtime at the same location.
PHARMA
You spend your downtime cooking up some drugs. Spend one piece of Bio-
Sludge and make an Intelligence (Chemistry) roll. If successful, you gain a
number of Pharma points equal to your Intelligence stat. If you fail, you still lose
the Bio-Sludge, but dont gain any points.
Pharma points can be used to create drugs. Simply spend a number of Pharma
points equal to the drugs regular cost in Green.
Once generated, Pharma points are stationary. You cant carry them around with
you. You can combine them with points generated by other cell members, or
generate more by taking more downtime at the same location.
36
RECOVER
You spend your downtime resting and treating your wounds. You are restored to
Maximum Health (this action is important in cells that dont have a medic).
SCAVENGE
You spend your downtime searching the immediate area for salvageable junk.
Make an Intelligence (Perception) roll. If successful, you gain one piece of Scrap
or one dose of Bio-Sludge (your choice).
VISIT THE BLACK MARKET
You spend your downtime fnding and dealing with a black market merchant.
Make an Intelligence (Streetwise) roll. If successful, you fnd a merchant and can
make any transactions youd like. If you fail, youre unable to fnd a merchant at
this time.
MISC. OTHER ACTIONS
Sometimes youll want to undertake other time-consuming projects during
downtime (lets camoufage this stolen APC using spray paint). The GM might
decide that your hair-brained scheme requires the use of your downtime acton.
Go around the table and have each player declare his or her downtime action and
make any necessary rolls. Once everyones acted, its time for the Encounter Roll.
Downtime Encounters
Downtime is not without its risks. After everyone in the cell has taken their downtime
actions, someone must make an Encounter Roll (3rd Offense, pg. 29) for the cell.
Union Earth is dangerous! The longer your cell sits around in one spot, the more
likely trouble will come and fnd them.
If your cell takes Downtime at its own HQ (or a similar safe house location), roll
two dice on the Encounter Roll and take the lower result.
12G