tssi - wry house rules

7/28/2019 Tssi - Wry House Rules

1/12

T O P S E C R E T / S .I . T O P S E C R E T / S .I . T O P S E C R E T / S .I . T O P S E C R E T / S .I .H O U S E R U L E SH O U S E R U L E SH O U S E R U L E SH O U S E R U L E S - --- C O M B A TC O M B A TC O M B A TC O M B A T

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Introduction ................................................... 2 Automatic Fire............................................... 3 Body Armour ................................................. 4 Braced Shot .................................................. 5 Called Shot.................................................... 5 Cover............................................................. 5 Double-Tap ................................................... 5 Handedness .................................................. 5 Hard Cover Protection................................... 6Hit Locations ................................................. 7 Laser Dot Pointers ........................................ 7Prepared Shot............................................... 7 Range............................................................ 7 Silencers / Suppressors ................................ 7Shotgun Ammunition..................................... 8 Special Ammunition ...................................... 8

Telescopic Sights .......................................... 9 Weapon Skills ............................................... 9 Useful Gaming Statistics ............................. 10

Combat Turn Quick Reference ................... 11Special Options & Modifiers Table.............. 12


2/12

2

INTRODUCTION

The author has been playing and running Top Secret since the mid-80s, andmade the switch quite happily to Top Secret/SI when it was released. Top Secret in anyguise is not primarily about gun combat, nor should it be. Even if combat is only ever

used as a last resort, a games combat system can make or break the game. In TopSecret, combat was so complicated that it inherently discouraged anything more thanthe occasional pistol waving. Top Secret/SI drastically streamlined combat for thebetter, but in the process introduced numerous statistical errors, especially with regardsto firearm ranges.

It is natural for a game master to modify game rules to their own tastes. This iseven encouraged by the majority of RPG authors. RPGs are inherently fluid anddependent on storytelling, the rules existing merely as a means of resolving someencounters. One of the most commonly tweaked chapters in any game is the sectionon combat rules. Motives for this vary, ranging from the preservation of player

characters to the addition of more realism to the game. In this particular case, therules presented are intended to give the players more options, to update some of theconcepts from the 1980s, and to give that ever-elusive sense of realism while stillmaintaining an acceptable degree of gameplay fluidity.

This document is not intended as a wholesale replacement for the combatsystem as written in Top Secret/SI but as a set of clarifications, modifications, andadditional rules. These house rules have been developed with balance of gameplayand well-paced simulation of reality in mind. Some of the ideas come from suggestionswithin the loosely knit TSSI Internet community; some are taken from magazine articles;and some come from the shooting experience of my colleagues and myself. In the end,no one has any specific reason to use the information disclosed herein. However, theseare the combat rules and weapon statistics as I, as a game Admin, use them.

Therefore, I provide this information so that my players will know and hopefullyunderstand the game rules and be on an even playing field.

Additionally, some out-of-print articles from Dragon are an integral part of thisrevised system. These articles should be referenced directly as they will not bereprinted here: At Close Quarters (Dragon 151), There Are No Generic Black Belts(Dragon 160), and A Swing and a Hit (Dragon 178).

Wayne YoungWRY StrategyAugust 2005


3/12


4/12

4

BODY ARMOUR (alternate rule): The existing rules for body armour in Top Secret/SIare terribly simplified and terribly inaccurate. This can be forgiven for a game written inthe 1980s when Kevlar seemed like a wonder-material. Instead, the following systemprovides a compromise between game simplicity and ballistic reality. When a target ishit in a location that is protected by armour, compare the Damage Roll (DR) to Armour

Rating (AR) of the body armour. When noting the hit location, keep in mind whether thearmour (if any) is Soft (vests) or Rigid (helmets and trauma plates, when they are hit).

AR Type Mass Cost Protection (Locations)Lightweight Undervest (NIJ -II/IIA) 4 soft 1lbs $300 1, 2Police Overvest (NIJ -III/IIIA) 6 soft 2lbs $500 1, 2 (Mods 1)

Tactical Overt Vest (NIJ -IV/IVA) 8 soft 4lbs $750 1, 2 (Mods 2)Military Overt Vest 10 soft 8lbs $1500 1, 2 (Mods 2, MOV 10)

Trauma Plate (front & back) +2 rigid +100% +50% 1, 2 (50%, Mods 1)Steel Helmet 5 rigid 2lbs $50 0 (front 50%, side 75%)Kevlar Helmet 10 rigid 3lbs $100 0 (front 60%, side 80%)

Notes:1. All vests can be tailor-made to cover area 3. Such armour weighs and costs and

additional 50% if it is available and has a cumulative Mods 1.2. Police undervests can be acquired for 50% more cost. Such vests have police

overvest AR and mass but may be worn under light clothing covertly.3. Trauma plates are special inserts for vests that help absorb high energy impacts

from high velocity projectiles. If the target is hit in the appropriate location, there is a50% chance that the trauma plate is hit and will a) add +2 to the AR of the vest andb) treat the impact as if vs. rigid armour. The mass and cost presumes front andback trauma plates. Better trauma plates simply cost more Admin discretion.

4. Ballistic casual sports jackets, suit vests, and suit jackets are available. Thesegenerally cost 50% more than the equivalent ballistic vest (level II/IIA or III/IIIA only!);longer jackets also protect location 3 and therefore cost 100% more; a duster ortrenchcoat may be made of ballistic material upon Admin approval such a creationwill mass three times its vest equivalent and cost five times its vest equivalent;ballistic trenchcoat wearers suffer Mods 2 and MOV 10.

5. Body armour may be combined at Admin discretion. Two similar armour types maynot be worn together (ie, one cannot wear two police overvests). Negative modifiersare cumulative; any undervest worn with other armour also provides an additionalMods 1 (as it loses the advantage of its covertness).

6. Helmets provide variable protection depending on how they are worn. For simplicity,all shots from the rear are presumed to hit the helmet. Use the percentages givenfor front and side shots; shots that do not hit the helmet will most likely hit the face.

Result vs . Soft vs. RigidDR> AR Full Damage (Wound) Full Damage (Wound)DR AR Full Damage (Bruise) Half Damage (Bruise)DR AR Half Damage (Bruise) One Point (Bruise)


5/12

5

BRACED SHOT (clarification): A weapon is automatically considered braced if theshooter is able to use a wall, doorframe, desk, or whatever to support either the weaponitself or her/his shooting hand(s). Therefore, almost all shots taken from the prone orsitting/kneeling positions should be considered braced. Exception: a weapon maynever be considered braced on the same turn that it is drawn or put into firing position.

CALLED SHOT (alternate rule): With regard to inanimate objects, the rule as written inthe Players Guide should stand. When shooting at live targets, all Called Shots shouldbe resolved at Attribute with the following exceptions: Called Shots against the legs(which are arguably larger than the other target areas) are at Attribute; a Called Shotmay be declared against Center Body Mass and resolved at Attribute any hit isthen randomized between locations 1, 2, and 3. Keep in mind that Called Shots maynot be relocated using the shooters skill level this is the trade-off (Center Body Masshits may be relocated by 1 locations for levels 2 & 3 and by 2 locations for levels 4 & 5.With that in mind, it is in many cases more practical for high level shooters to let thedice determine the hit location and then adjust it accordingly.

COVER: The rule as written in the Players Guide should stand. Keep in mind that SoftCover merely obscures the line of sight, making it harder to hit the target accurately;Hard Cover may also potentially absorb hits as well as obscure the line of sight.

DOUBLE-TAP (optional rule): Police and military personnel are often trained to firetheir first two shots in rapid succession to increase the probability of a hit. At closerranges, the double-tap can also improve the chances of stopping the target. To performthe double-tap, the trigger is squeezed twice in rapid succession while the weapon isaimed. A character may only perform a double-tap with a weapon that has a pistol grip(mostly pistols, assault rifles, and submachineguns) and that is capable of firing in asemi-automatic manner (revolvers and shotguns may never double-tap).

Double-tapping is essentially controlled rapid fire. As such, each shot starts with therapid fire modifier of 30 and is modified upwards. Because double-tapping is more orless a skill, the counter-modifier is tied to the characters appropriate weapon skill. Thecounter-modifier is calculated at +5 per skill level. Used against the rapid fire modifier, acharacter with a level 3 skill in Pistol that attempts to double-tap with a handgun suffersa 15 modifier to each shot (which is further offset by the +15 for Pistol-3 anyways!).

HANDEDNESS (alternate rule): Top Secret/SI provides for a 30 modifier for shootingwith the wrong hand; this seems entirely reasonable and can be offset or negated eitherby the Ambidexterity character Advantage or by acquiring the Off-Hand Firing skill fromthe Commando book. Contrary to popular belief, pistols are best fired with two handsand most professionals are trained to shoot this way. Similarly, most long-arms arefired two-handed, but those with a pistol grip can be fired one-handed with a certaindegree of skill. Characters firing pistols one-handed suffer a 10 to their to-hit roll;those attempting to fire rifles, submachineguns, etc, with one hand suffer a 20 to-hit.Note that Wrong-handed and one-handed modifiers are cumulative a character thatfires a pistol with his off-hand alone would suffer a 40 to-hit (plus other modifiers).


6/12

6

HARD COVER PROTECTION (optional rule): In most situations it is more expedient topresume that Hard Cover will stop projectiles dead. Sometimes this is not the case. If there is a chance that the bullet may penetrate the cover, then compare the valuesbelow to the damage result (DR). This works similar to the system for Body Armour any damage value above the cover rating (CR) of the cover penetrates and may still

potentially cause damage to a person that is hit. If there is a difference in range bandbetween the cover and the target, halve the damage result after penetrating cover butbefore impacting the target; in most cases where the bullet penetrates interveningcover, the full DR is applied to the target (presuming she/he is hit).

Common Cover CR Miscellaneous Cover CRAutomobile door 2 Common furniture 1Elevator door 4 55 gallon drum (water filled) 8Interior wooden door 1 55 gallon drum (earth filled) 85Exterior wooden door 2 55 gallon drum (concrete filled) 3200Heavy wooden gate 5 Livestock 18

Metal fire door 6 Railroad tie 20Asphalt or shingle roof 2 Telephone pole 30 Tile or slate roof 4 Cinder block (plain) 4House floor (wood) 1 Cinder block (earth filled) 25High-rise floor 260 Cinder block (concrete filled) 4603 brick wall 1006 brick wall 37012 brick wall 980Wooden frame wall 1Log timber wall 22

CR by Thickness Armour Plate 1/ 8 1 2 4 8Aluminum 1 4 9 16 24 64 170 450Bullet resistant glass 1 2 3 6 8 22 58 155Fiberglass 1 2 3 5 7 18 50 130Steel 6 16 42 75 110 300 780 2000Steel armour plate 11 30 79 140 210 550 1500 3900

Titanium armour plate 5 13 35 62 93 250 650 1700Wood 1 1 1 1 2 4 7 11

CR by ThicknessCover 6 8 10 12 16 24 36 48

Concrete 450 680 930 1200 1800 3200 5600 8400Earth (hand packed) 20 27 34 40 54 80 120 160Earth (hard ground) 24 32 41 48 65 96 140 190Rock 900 1300 1800 2400 3600 6400 11000 16500Sand (loose) 11 15 19 23 30 45 68 92Water 1 2 2 2 3 5 7 10Wood 11 15 18 22 29 44 66 89


7/12

7

HIT LOCATIONS (alternate rule): The hit chart shown to the right willbe used to determine hit locations in combat. The minor variations tothe diagram itself are as follows:1) The rearrangement of locations 1 and 2, allowing 1 to represent

lungs & heart; 2 represents stomach, liver, pancreas, spleen; 3 is the

intestines, reproductive organs, & hips.2) Clear marking of which is left and which is right, as per the PG.3) The expansion of the number of damage boxes to 12, purely for

those uber -characters with CON 71+ and 4pt Toughness advantage.

LASER DOT POINTERS (optional ru le): Laser dot pointers, more commonly known aslaser sights, allow shooters to train their weapon on a target with greater accuracy. Alaser sight is easy to use, the shooter simply has to point the weapon and look for the(usually) red dot. As such, the laser affords a +10 to-hit modifier. Because the speedwhich the laser can brought to bear on the target, laser sights afford a +1 Mods forpurposes of initiative only (not concealment). Early laser sights are bulky and incur a 1

to the Mods value of any weapon for purposes of concealment only. The major limitation of the laser sight is that the laser dot must be seen. The basicdistance that a shooter can see the dot is based on INT 5 (in feet). CertainAdvantages/Disadvantages can modify this distance. A character with Acute Vision cansee the dot at twice the usual distance; a character with Vision Impairment or ColourBlindness sees the dot at half the distance (with both, quarter the distance). Shootersusing a scope can see the dot at any range that they can see through the scope, but thedot really only serves as an alternate cross-hair and thus is of limited use.

PREPARED SHOT (clarification): Keep in mind that a Prepared Shot is the same asWatch (also called overwatch by many). The +5 modifier to-hit is also accompanied bythe +5 modifier to initiative (the latter having the greater impact).

RANGE (alternate rule): The rules for weapon ranges as written in the Players Guidestands with the following additions: all shots at Point Blank range do double damage(roll double the dice, double the modifiers); all Lucky Break results to hit result in doubledamage as well (which can be combined with Point Blank range for quadruple damage);a new range category called Extreme Range is added Extreme Range is double thedistance of Long Range and has a to-hit modifier of 100.

SILENCERS and SUPPRESSORS (alternate rule): Suppressors reduce the reportfrom the weapon by muffling muzzle blast. Suppressors do not inherently reduce thesound of the weapon action or the supersonic snap of the bullet. The base chance of detecting a suppressed weapon is an INT check up to Short range, INT at Medium,and INT at Long (no check is made at Extreme range). This chance may be furtherreduced by firing from a locked breech weapon (halve the chance) or by using subsonicammo (cold loads, -P-, etc; halve the chance). Locked breech shots do notautomatically chamber a new round. Subsonic ammo does 1 damage (min 0) andhalves all range categories.


8/12

8

SHOTGUN AMMUNITION (alternate rule): Because of the way that shotguns dispersetheir shot, use the following chart to determine the maximum number of targets and thepotential damage to each target (targets must be adjacent); note that each target mayonly be hit once (ie, if there is one target at Medium range, you do not get four shots atthat particular target).

Shot 10 Gauge 12 Gauge 16 Gauge 20 Gauge .410Targets Shot Slug Shot Slug Shot Slug Shot Slug Shot Slug

Point Blank 1 8d5 2d12+4 8d4 2d12 8d3 2d10 8d2 2d8+2 8d2 2d8Short 2 4d5 d12+2 4d4 d12 4d3 d10 4d2 d8+1 4d2 d8Medium 4 2d5 d12+2 2d4 d12 2d3 d10 2d2 d8+1 2d2 d8Long 8 d5 d12+2 d4 d12 d3 d10 d2 d8+1 d2 d8Extreme 16 d3 d6+1 d2 d6 d2 d5 d2-1 d5 d2-1 d4

The Shotgun modifiers (+10 for regular shotguns, +20 for sawed-off shotguns) applyonly to shotshells, not to slugs. Similarly, slugs can only hit one target at any range.

Using shot, a shotgun may affect as many targets as indicated by the Shot Targetscolumn. For armour penetration, each shot die is considered individually.

SPECIAL AMMUNITION (optional rule): The general assumption within the game isthat all ammunition represented is ball ammunition either cast lead bullets withrounded noses, or similarly shaped bullets with (usually) copper jacketing. The Adminmay allow characters to have access to different ammunition types at her/his discretion.

Hollowpoint: same as ball, except when the dice are rolled for damage, treat the roll asbeing 1 for purposes of armour penetration, but +1 for purposes of damage.

Glaser: designed for hunters, Glaser ammunition is frangible; when the dice are rolledfor damage, treat the roll as half the rolled result for purposes of armour penetration, but+2 for purposes of damage. Cost is double that of ball or hollowpoint.

Cold Loads: designed to keep bullet velocity low for use with suppressed weapons;apply a 1 to the damage dice and apply to both armour penetration and damage; halveall ranges; cold loaded ammo is specialty ammo, so the cost is double the normal.

Armour Piercing: military rounds designed specifically for penetrating armour, oftenusing high density cores and other gimmicks; when the dice are rolled for damage, treatthe roll as being +2 for purposes of armour penetration; this is very specialized ammonot commonly available outside the military cost and availability should be at thediscretion of the Admin, but it is suggested that it be rare (likely black market or directgovernment issue) and that it cost dearly (minimum triple or quadruple normal cost).

Flechette: again, a specialized round designed purely for penetration, flechettes aredart-like projectiles contained in the cartridge with a sabot; when the dice are rolled fordamage, treat the roll as being double for purposes of armour penetration, but half forpurposes of damage; flechette ammo is uncommon and often illegal minimum 2x cost.


9/12

9

TELESCOPIC SIGHTS (alternate rule): Telescopic sights (or scopes) offer a skilledshooter a greater ability to hit small targets at long ranges. Using a scope offers a basebonus to-hit of +25 and an additional bonus of 5% per skill level of the shooter.However, scopes have their drawbacks and one of them is the time required to train thesight onto the target. The base time to aim with a scope is five combat turns, reduced

by one turn per skill level of the shooter. If the character shoots before the aiming iscomplete, use the telescopic sight bonus but incur a 10 to-hit for each turn of aimingthat is remaining. Because the bonus is based on shooter skill and the time to aim isalso based on shooter skill, a mid-level shooter can actually shoot without waiting andstill have a small bonus (e.g.: level 2 shooter would get a +35 to-hit after aiming for 3turns (52=3) but would still get a +5 to-hit without waiting the 3 turns (30)).

Optic sights are simplified and compact scopes, often employed on military small arms. These sights only give the base +25 to-hit modifier. They are designed to be simpler touse and thus do not require time to train onto the target.

Telescopic sights have Mods 2 and optic sights have Mods 1.WEAPON SKILLS (optional rule): The world is rarely as black and white as the TopSecret/SI skill system portrays it, particularly with regards to firearm usage. The realityof it is that firearms dont always fall into distinct categories, seeming to qualify as two(or more) types of weapon at once.

Pistol: Any weapon with a pistol grip that is light enough to be handled reasonable wellin one hand. These weapons often have the magazine inserted into the pistol grip,though some have alternate magazine arrangements. Revolvers fall into this category,as do submachinepistols. Generally, these weapons have barrel lengths ranging from2 up to 12.

Rifle: Any longer weapon, usually with a barrel of 12 or more. Weapons that can beused with this skill include all rifles, carbines, and shotguns of conventional design.Lighter machineguns can be used with the Rifle skill, but skill checks should be requiredfor loading belted or drummed ammunition. While shotguns may be fired equally wellwith this skill, the Shotgun skill should be used for maintaining and repairing shotgunspecific features (chokes, custom shell loads, etc).

Submachinegun: This skill covers a broad range of weapons true submachineguns,short carbines, and submachinepistols. The skill also covers the varying degree of stances and firing techniques employed by these weapons, thereby justifying the slightly

greater cost of this skill over Pistol, Rifle, and Shotgun.Shotgun: Large caliber weapons that are usually designed to fire shotshells, the generalaiming principles apply similarly to rifles. While rifles may be fired using the Shotgunskill without penalty, rifle specific maintenance and repairs (including custom cartridgeloads) are performed with the Rifle skill.

Sniper Rifle: As per the Commando book, this skill only applies to accurized sniperweapons, and only those zeroed in and adjusted for the shooter.


10/12

10

U S E F U L G A M IN G S T A T IS T IC SU S E F U L G A M IN G S T A T IS T IC SU S E F U L G A M IN G S T A T IS T IC SU S E F U L G A M IN G S T A T IS T IC S

1. Endurance (p66, Players Guide):Characters can perform light exercise for CON minutes.Characters can perform heavy exercise for CON 2-second turns.

Heavy Exercise includes any combat and running over half of MOV rate.

2. Encumbrance (p66, Players Guide):Characters can carry up to their STR (in pounds) without a STR check.Characters carrying more than half of their STR in lbs effectively halve their MOV.Characters carrying more than half of their STR in lbs halve their DEX for balance.

3. Scale (proprietary):Any scale can be used as determined by pre-existing maps and space limitations.Normal game scale recommended is game surface of 1 =5 game distance; thispermits compatibility with 25mm/28mm/30mm scale figs, 1:43 & 1:48 scale vehiclesand terrain, as well as being an easy number to work with mathematically. Whilethis makes the range scale 1:60 while the props are 1:43-48, it still looks good.

Action Per turn Scale inches NoteSlow Walk 5 1 Easy pace (No effect)Fast Walk 10 2 Brisk pace (Slow)

J og 20 4 Easy run (Medium)Full Run MOV (MOV5) All-out sprint (Fast)Accelerate (MOV) (MOV10) Increase speedDecelerate (MOV) (MOV0.15) Decrease speed

Stand up 1 turn Stationary From prone or kneelGo prone Instant Up to 1 From stand or kneelStand to kneel Instant Stationary From standProne to kneel 1 turn Stationary From prone


11/12

11

C O M B A T T U R N Q U IC K R E F E R E N C EC O M B A T T U R N Q U IC K R E F E R E N C EC O M B A T T U R N Q U IC K R E F E R E N C EC O M B A T T U R N Q U IC K R E F E R E N C E

1. Check for surprise (if applicable). To avoid being surprised:Front: INT checkSides: INT checkRear: INT check

2. Declare Actions:MoveAttack (ranged)Attack (hand-to-hand)Defend (hand-to-hand)

WatchSpecial Actions (usually skill dependent)

3. Roll Initiative (highest modified result goes first):d10

+Mods (if using a firearm)+Boxing/Wrestling/Martial Arts skills level (in hand-to-hand)+1/10th of REF, MOV, or DEX (fractions round up, see below)+1 for using a Laser Dot Pointer or similar sighting aid1 per Essential Wound (as per the Players Guide)+5 for declaration of Watch action (as per the Players Guide)Draw/Attack modifiers (At Close Quarters from Dragon 151)

Do not use both weapon Mods and hand-to-hand skill on the same initiative roll.Use REF for reactionary tasks (eg. Defend, Watch)Use MOV when body motion is the primary task (eg. Move, Attack hand-to-hand)Use DEX for tasks that require fine use of hands or feet (eg. Attack ranged)

4. Resolve to-hit result, apply all halving/doubling first, then other modifiers:a) For hand-to-hand, tens of d% is damage, digits of d% is hit location.

b) For ranged attacks, digits of d% is hit location.

5. Apply damage in order of initiative. A character that is incapacitated byanother character of higher initiative will lose their action for the current(and possibly subsequent) turns.


12/12

12

S P E C IA L O P T IO N S & M O D I F IE R SS P E C IA L O P T IO N S & M O D IF IE R SS P E C IA L O P T IO N S & M O D I F IE R SS P E C IA L O P T IO N S & M O D IF IE R S T A B L E T A B L E T A B L E T A B L E

BRACED SHOT +10CALLED SHOT 1 or Att. COVER or Att.HANDEDNESS: 1-Handed, Pistol 10

1-Handed, Rifle 20Wrong-Handed 30

MOVEMENT: Slow (Walk, Vehicle 35mph) 40 PREPARED SHOT +5RANGE: Point Blank (Double damage, Range=Skill10, FRU) +30

Short +10Medium 0Long 40

Extreme (2x Long range) 100RAPID FIRE 30SHOTGUN 2: Regular +10

Sawed-off +20TELESCOPIC SIGHTS 3 +25+(Skill5)LASER DOT POINTER 4 +101: A called shot may not be relocated once a hit has resulted.

2: Bonus is for using shot only; slug/sabot does not get any bonus.3: Telescopic sights take time to align to target, based inversely on skill and range.4: Laser sights are only useful for as far as they can be seen.

tssi - wry house rules

Documents