DP9-016
Back Cover Blurb
The sound of the artillery batteries was a distant thunder on the far horizon. Temporarily safe at the bottom of a hastily digged foxhole, Ranger Callahan considered his options. With his Gear blown out from under him by a well-concealed mine, these were dreadfully limited.
Callahan immediatly ruled out any thought of a pick-up. This far out on the border, no operation was completely official, and if you missed the first bus home there was no second service.
“If I’m to make it out of here, I’ll have to do it all by myself,” he thought grimly. He carefully evaluated his meager possessions: a survival knife and kit, a small bedroll, a light anti-armor rocket launcher. He repacked them carefully in his backpack and peered out of the foxhole. Nothing in sight.
“No sense in staying here,” he muttered while climbing out. Half-crouched, he began to run toward friendly lines — or at least, where they still were when he last heard from Command. Far ahead of him, he could see shafts of light rising into the night sky, probably the odd artillery rockets fired to make troops keep their head down.
“It’s gonna be one hell of a walk back to the firebase,” Callahan thought, “but if I make it I’ll be getting drinks off the story for cycles...”
The Tactical Field Support manual contains additional rules and equipment for Dream Pod 9’s exciting Heavy Gear mechanized science-fiction game. Within these covers you will find:
• The all-new Skirmish Scale, which brings more detail and a lot more action to small units combat;
• A detailed advanced combat initiative system for small unit actions;
• Advanced artillery rules, including barrage fire and locked-on artillery missiles;
• Advanced minefield rules, including proximity, remote and jumping mines;
• Optional rules for field engineering and detailed close combat;
• Eight new support weapon systems, from the Light Artillery Unit to the monstrous Very Heavy Artillery Missile;
• Four new Perks, more options to add to your vehicles;
• And fully illustrated descriptions and game stats for 25 battlefield support vehicles.
Table of Contents
CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION
1.0 UNDERFIRE
1.1 THE BATTLEFIELD OF THE 62ND CENTURY
1.1.1 BOOK OVERVIEW
CHAPTER 2: SKIRMISH SCALE
2.0 SKIRMISH SCALE
2.1 CHANGE OF SCALE
2.2 THE ADVANCED SKIRMISH SCALE ROUND
2.2.1 SET-UP PHASE
2.2.2 THE COMBAT ROUND
2.2.3 COMMAND POINTS
2.2.4 ACTIONS
2.3 MOVEMENT AND TERRAIN
2.3.1 SKIRMISH SCALE STACKING
2.4 LINE-OF-SIGHT AND OBSCUREMENT
2.4.1 DETECTION RATING
2.4.2 ACTIVE SENSOR LOS
2.4.3 OBSCUREMENT
2.4.4 ECM AND ECCM EFFECTS
2.4.5 STEALTH EFFECTS
2.5 WEAPON ATTACKS
2.5.1 CONSECUTIVE DEFENSE PENALTIES
2.5.2 PHYSICAL ATTACKS
2.5.3 BURST FIRE
2.5.4 AREA EFFECT WEAPONS
2.6 SKIRMISH SCALE OPTIONAL RULES
2.6.1 ARTILLERY AND SUPPORT
2.6.2 AQUATIC ENVIRONMENT
2.6.3 URBAN TERRAIN
2.6.4 BRIDGES
2.6.5 FIRESTARTING AND DESTROYING TERRAIN
2.6.6 CLIMBING AND FALLING
2.6.7 WEATHER
CHAPTER 3: ARTILLERY SUPPORT
3.0 ARTILLERY SUPPORT
3.1 REQUESTING FIRE MISSIONS
3.1.1 CALLER HIERARCHY
3.2 FIRE MISSION ATTACK PROCEDURE
3.2.1 DEVIATION
3.2.2 RANGING SHOT
3.2.3 DAMAGE
3.2.4 PSYCHOLOGICAL DAMAGE
3.3 ARTILLERY MISCELLANEOUS RULES
3.3.1 COUNTER-BATTERY FIRE
3.3.2 LOCKED-ON ARTILLERY MISSILES
3.3.3 CLEARING MINEFIELDS
3.3.4 USING ROCKET PODS AS ARTILLERY WEAPONS
3.3.5 INFANTRY SUPPORT
3.4 DIRECT FIRE
3.4.1 TRACKING AND CORE SIGHTING
3.5 GUN CARRIAGES
CHAPTER 4: MINEFIELDS
4.0 MINEFIELDS
4.1 MINEFIELDS IN THE GAME
4.1.1 PROXIMITY MINES
4.1.2 REMOTE-DETONATED MINES
4.1.3 TIME-DETONATED MINES
4.1.4 HAYWIRE MINES
4.1.5 JUMPING MINES
4.2 MINEFIELD COSTS AND CHARACTERISTICS
4.2.1 DEPLOYING MINEFIELDS
4.3 CLEARING MINEFIELDS
4.3.1 MINESWEEPING
CHAPTER 5: OPTIONAL RULES
5.0 OPTIONAL RULES
5.1 NEW TERRAIN TYPES
5.1.1 WHITE SAND TERRAIN
5.1.2 SNOW
5.1.3 ICE
5.1.4 TAR SANDS
5.2 HULL-DOWN POSITIONS
5.3 MELEE COMBAT
5.3.1 ADVANCED CLOSE COMBAT
5.3.2 USING GRENADES
5.4 VEHICLE DAMAGE
5.4.1 DAMAGE CAP
5.4.2 OVERPENETRATION
5.4.3 TACTICAL/RPG CREW INJURIES
5.5 MISCELLANEOUS ACTIONS
5.5.1 ACQUIRING AND RELOADING WEAPONS
5.5.2 EMERGENCY FIELD REPAIRS
5.5.3 FIELD ENGINEERING
5.6 MORALE
5.6.1 MORALE THRESHOLDS
5.6.2 MORALE CHECKS
5.6.3 SPECIAL CASES
CHAPTER 6: ENGINEERING NOTEBOOK
6.0 ENGINEERING NOTEBOOK
6.1 SUPPORT MATERIAL
6.1.1 BARBED WIRE
6.1.2 CONSTRUCTION MATERIAL
6.1.3 FASCINES
6.2 INFANTRY EQUIPMENT
6.2.1 DIVING EQUIPMENT
6.2.2 ENGINEER TRAINING AND EQUIPMENT
6.2.3 ENVIRONMENT SUITS
6.2.4 LASER DESIGNATOR
6.2.5 MINE SENSORS
6.2.6 PORTABLE AAGM LAUNCHER
6.2.7 SATCHEL CHARGES
6.3 NEW WEAPON SYSTEMS
6.3.1 TUBE ARTILLERY
6.3.2 ARTILLERY MISSILES
6.3.3 ARTILLERY AMMUNITION
6.4 NEW PERKS
CHAPTER 7: GAMEMASTER RESOURCES
7.0 GUARD DUTY
7.1 BATTLEFIELD CAMPAIGNS
7.1.1 BIG GUNS
7.1.2 BLACK GUNS
7.1.3 BRIDGE OVER THE BADLANDS
7.1.4 DOGS OF WAR
7.1.5 FIRST ONES IN
7.1.6 GREAT ESCAPES
7.1.7 HEAVY METAL
7.1.8 PATCH ’EM UP!
7.2 NEW SKILLS
7.3 STOCK NON-PLAYER CHARACTERS
CHAPTER 8: FIELD GUIDE
8.0 STEEL COLUMNS
8.1 SUPPORT VEHICLES
ARTEMIS
RED BULL
STINGER
VANDAL
NORTHERN FIELD ARTILLERY
SOUTHERN FIELD ARTILLERY
DAMOCLES
SAGITTARIUS
OSTROGOTH
VERDER
BAXTER
CELT
ENGINEERING COBRA
ENGINEERING GRIZZLY
VALENCE
EVIL EYE
MURDOCK CEE-THREE
NIGHTINGALE
SEEKER1
ANTELOPE
FIVE-TON
SPRINGER
TANKER
JACKRABBIT
WALLABY
REFERENCES
REFERENCE TABLES
INDEX