World War II D20 Modern

Vigilant Fiend · Jan 21, 2003

I need some help getting the specs on guns and equipment carried by troops during world war ii. If possible I would like to know what they carried and how it should be handled. Also any suggestions as to how to run this type of game is welcome as well as maps and floorplans. Thanks.

Sagan Darkside · Jan 21, 2003

Behold- the wonders of the internet:

http://directory.google.com/Top/Soc...Conflicts/World_War_II/Weapons_and_Equipment/

Good luck
SD

MacPhail · Jan 21, 2003

WWII

Which theater/front are you going to set your game in? I'd definately hit the video store first... A Bridge Too Far, The Longest Day, Battle of the Bulge, Das Boot, Tora! Tora! Tora!, Kelly's Heroes, The Great Escape, Bridge over the River Kwai; more recently U-571, Enemy at the Gates and Saving Private Ryan... just to name a few. Read The Eagle Has Landed by Jack Higgins; any of his novels from that period are sure to feed the imagination, especially if your group hasn't read him. Read The Forgotten Soldier by Guy Sajer for the grimmest account of the Eastern Front that I know of-- photocopy bits of this first-hand account for player handouts and watch their faces go pale. There is actually a pretty good Complete Idiot's book on WWII with good summaries of the action in their easy-to-process format.

Once you know which theater, which era and which faction you want to represent, I can give you some more, but as said above, the internet is your best friend.. just check the source for reliability (Major Universities are better than hobby sites, etc.).

Good Luck

Chaldfont · Jan 21, 2003

I'm also in this boat. I am working on a d20 Modern adventure loosely based on Kelly's Heroes for a con. I think I can whip up weapon info, using stats from d20 Modern weapons as a start.

But what I am having trouble finding is the equipment load carried by a group of US soldiers. How many carried tommy guns as opposed to rifles? How many BARs? How many .30 caliber machine guns? How many grenades did a soldier carry?

Sagan Darkside · Jan 21, 2003

Reenacting company sites might be of some help:

http://www.ccone.com/ww2/29th_Division/Uniforms___Equipment/uniforms___equipment.html
http://36thair3ad.homestead.com/AuthenticityStandards.html

To be honest (and hopefully not rude)- you may want to hit a library and do the research yourself. Most competent libraries should have books on such things, and librarians can help you find it.

SD

JPL · Jan 21, 2003

Sit tight a few more weeks and then buy the new Polyhedron/Dungeon.

Featuring "V for Victory" [formerly known as "Dogfaces"], a d20 WWII infantryman game.

And for a sickening amount of detail...GURPS WWII: Dogfaces should have more info than a whole VFW.

But if you're short on cash, you can always go talk to old people.

Trainz · Jan 22, 2003

While playing Medal of Honor, my favourite weapon was the Garand. I liked it's punch, and loved the *tchink* sound it made when the magazine auto-ejected after the last bullet was fired.

Prince Atom · Jan 23, 2003

Then there's a nice point in the first episode of "Band of Brothers" where one of the people (I forget which) goes on this rant about all of his equipment. This takes a minute or two, and he ends with "... and then there's my chute, reserve chute, M1, and mae west," or words to that effect.

It might not be the most historically accurate, but it's a nice scene.

TWK

Katowice · Jan 24, 2003

That was Sgt. Joe Toye and I think they were trying to convey the amount of crap these guys had to carry. It was really interesting.

The Whiner Knight said:
Then there's a nice point in the first episode of "Band of Brothers" where one of the people (I forget which) goes on this rant about all of his equipment. This takes a minute or two, and he ends with "... and then there's my chute, reserve chute, M1, and mae west," or words to that effect.

It might not be the most historically accurate, but it's a nice scene.

TWK

Prince Atom · Jan 24, 2003

While playing Medal of Honor, my favourite weapon was the Garand. I liked it's punch, and loved the *tchink* sound it made when the magazine auto-ejected after the last bullet was fired.

Also, the spent clip was automatically ejected after the last round was fired, making a distinctive sound, which could be fatal in close quarter or sniper operations.

So I take it, either the opponents in the game were deaf, or there aren't many opportunities to do the Bond thing, or you just weren't that sort of player.

Ohhh.... my 'puter is far, far too small....

TWK