Imperialus
Explorer
I've been toying with the idea of creating a D20 campaign for X-Com for a while now. I've got a fair bit written including promotion rules, decorations, and a few rules for gear. I'll post more when I get a chance but here's a teaser for anyone who cares
Introduction:
It is the year 1999. Unidentified Flying Objects (UFOs) have started appearing with disturbing regularity in the night skies. Reports of violent human abductions and horrific experimentation has struck terror into the hearts of millions. Mass public hysteria has only served to expose Earth’s impotence against a vastly superior technology.
Many countries have attempted to deal independently with the aliens. In August 1998, Japan established an anti-alien combat force; the Kiryu-Kai. Equipped with Japanese-made fighter aircraft, the Kiryu-Kai certainly looked like a powerful force. However, after 5 months of expensive operations they had yet to intercept their first UFO. The lesson was clear: this was a worldwide problem which could not be dealt with by individual countries.
On December 11, 1998, representatives from the world’s most economically powerful countries gathered secretly in Geneva. After much debate, the decision was made to establish a covert independent body to combat, investigate and defeat the alien threat. This organization would be equipped with the world’s finest pilots, soldiers, scientists and engineers, working together as one multi-national force.
This organization was named the Extraterrestrial Combat Unit.
From the X-Com UFO Defence Manual
For those of you who don’t know X-Com was a game published by Microprose Christmas 1993. In the 200th aniversary issue of Computer Gaming World, it was named by the readers the tenth best game of all time. The staff named it the third best. I’m hoping to create a D20 modern/future setting based on the world created by Nick and Jullian Gallop. Without further ado here we go.
Key Concepts:
Most X-com agents are drawn from the elite of the worlds military forces, Spetznaz, SEALS, JTF-2, SAS, Delta Force, The Foreign Legion, and the KSK are just a few of the teams that contributed troops to the X-Com project. Because of this wealth of talent X-Com can afford to be very discerning. Applicants must be willing to cut themselves off almost completely from outside communication, they must be at the very top of their game in both physical and mental health not to mention small arms proficiency*, small unit tactics, the ability to read and write English, and most importantly real world combat experience. Equally important they must be willing to assume the risks, X-Com’s elite cadre suffers appalling casualties especially in the early days before they begin to use the alien’s technology against them. Though the ranks of X-Com are predominantly made up of soldiers numerous other professionals find their way into the ranks as well. Groups such as the CIA Mossad and MI6 are also present focusing their efforts on combating the aliens attempts at infiltrating human governments and organizations. Even the scientists and engineers that volunteer oftentimes find themselves running from shell hole to shell hole observing the alien weapons in action in order to further understand their use.
Most X-Com agents have the Military starting occupation however Doctors, Law Enforcement, Academics, Adventurers and Technicians are all present as X-Com agents as well. Most other starting occupations are simply not available though as always the DM can make the final call.
Naturally all X-Com agents are human
There are 3 distinct time periods that the game can be set in and many games may pass through all 3. The time periods directly affect the tone and difficulty of the game.
1) Early Game: The early game is set in early 1999 and lasts for approximately a year. This is easily the hardest time period. X-Com agents are woefully under equipped for dealing with the alien menace, the high powered plasma weapons used by the aliens blast through state of the art earth body armour like tin foil while the high powered rifles used by X-Com can scarcely dent the protective devices used by the aliens even more frightening is the aliens use of apparent psionic powers turning comrades against each other and influencing high ranking government officials. On the other hand agents that survive the early months are among the most highly decorated individuals produced by X-Com and the path to advancement is relatively easy. This is the default campaign time period to begin a campaign at, it allows for the greatest character development and lets the UFO menace slowly unfold for the PC’s
2) Mid Game: After about a year humans are beginning to catch up with their alien enemies. Weapons such as laser rifles have become the mainstay of X-Com armories and suits of personal armour developed using new alloys scavenged from alien craft greatly increase the survivability of agents. A few higher-ranking veterans are even beginning to use various alien artifacts scavenged from battlefields though X-Com engineers haven’t learned how to replicate the technology yet. As X-Coms power increases however the Aliens begin to view it as a genuine threat, the first assaults on X-Com bases occur and Shifters* begin to infiltrate human organizations and governments (possibly even X-Com itself) in an attempt to destabilize the unit. Alien bases are also discovered in remote areas of the world and attacks are staged against them. PC’s starting in the late game may be replacement soldiers brought in to replace casualties or members of a growing counterintelligence corp known as X-Intel* within X-Com charged with rooting out aliens attempting to subvert world governments.
3) Late Game: by 2003 and 2004 the tide has begun to turn. Humans are proficient in the use of the alien technology leveling the battlefield and even surpassing the alien’s abilities in some ways. After a superhuman effort on the part of the X-Com scientists X-Com has even managed to unlock the dormant psychic abilities possessed by humans creating a special psi corp to combat the aliens in the mental arena. Plasma weapons and powered body armour are common sights on the battlefield now while Firestorms and Avengers shoot down alien craft almost at will. Alien attacks on X-Com bases have reached an almost frantic level as the invaders attempt to crush the unexpectedly powerful resistance. Perhaps most importantly X-Com has discovered the alien threat is spawned from Cydonia on Mars and is preparing a counterattack to take the fight to them and hopefully eliminate the threat altogether. PC’s starting in the late game will likely be stationed to one of the newer bases or brought in as members of the psi corp. Any PC’s who have survived since the outset of the conflict will be the elite of X-Com highly decorated, incredibly experienced and prepping for the Cydonia mission.
Introduction:
It is the year 1999. Unidentified Flying Objects (UFOs) have started appearing with disturbing regularity in the night skies. Reports of violent human abductions and horrific experimentation has struck terror into the hearts of millions. Mass public hysteria has only served to expose Earth’s impotence against a vastly superior technology.
Many countries have attempted to deal independently with the aliens. In August 1998, Japan established an anti-alien combat force; the Kiryu-Kai. Equipped with Japanese-made fighter aircraft, the Kiryu-Kai certainly looked like a powerful force. However, after 5 months of expensive operations they had yet to intercept their first UFO. The lesson was clear: this was a worldwide problem which could not be dealt with by individual countries.
On December 11, 1998, representatives from the world’s most economically powerful countries gathered secretly in Geneva. After much debate, the decision was made to establish a covert independent body to combat, investigate and defeat the alien threat. This organization would be equipped with the world’s finest pilots, soldiers, scientists and engineers, working together as one multi-national force.
This organization was named the Extraterrestrial Combat Unit.
From the X-Com UFO Defence Manual
For those of you who don’t know X-Com was a game published by Microprose Christmas 1993. In the 200th aniversary issue of Computer Gaming World, it was named by the readers the tenth best game of all time. The staff named it the third best. I’m hoping to create a D20 modern/future setting based on the world created by Nick and Jullian Gallop. Without further ado here we go.
Key Concepts:
Most X-com agents are drawn from the elite of the worlds military forces, Spetznaz, SEALS, JTF-2, SAS, Delta Force, The Foreign Legion, and the KSK are just a few of the teams that contributed troops to the X-Com project. Because of this wealth of talent X-Com can afford to be very discerning. Applicants must be willing to cut themselves off almost completely from outside communication, they must be at the very top of their game in both physical and mental health not to mention small arms proficiency*, small unit tactics, the ability to read and write English, and most importantly real world combat experience. Equally important they must be willing to assume the risks, X-Com’s elite cadre suffers appalling casualties especially in the early days before they begin to use the alien’s technology against them. Though the ranks of X-Com are predominantly made up of soldiers numerous other professionals find their way into the ranks as well. Groups such as the CIA Mossad and MI6 are also present focusing their efforts on combating the aliens attempts at infiltrating human governments and organizations. Even the scientists and engineers that volunteer oftentimes find themselves running from shell hole to shell hole observing the alien weapons in action in order to further understand their use.
Most X-Com agents have the Military starting occupation however Doctors, Law Enforcement, Academics, Adventurers and Technicians are all present as X-Com agents as well. Most other starting occupations are simply not available though as always the DM can make the final call.
Naturally all X-Com agents are human
There are 3 distinct time periods that the game can be set in and many games may pass through all 3. The time periods directly affect the tone and difficulty of the game.
1) Early Game: The early game is set in early 1999 and lasts for approximately a year. This is easily the hardest time period. X-Com agents are woefully under equipped for dealing with the alien menace, the high powered plasma weapons used by the aliens blast through state of the art earth body armour like tin foil while the high powered rifles used by X-Com can scarcely dent the protective devices used by the aliens even more frightening is the aliens use of apparent psionic powers turning comrades against each other and influencing high ranking government officials. On the other hand agents that survive the early months are among the most highly decorated individuals produced by X-Com and the path to advancement is relatively easy. This is the default campaign time period to begin a campaign at, it allows for the greatest character development and lets the UFO menace slowly unfold for the PC’s
2) Mid Game: After about a year humans are beginning to catch up with their alien enemies. Weapons such as laser rifles have become the mainstay of X-Com armories and suits of personal armour developed using new alloys scavenged from alien craft greatly increase the survivability of agents. A few higher-ranking veterans are even beginning to use various alien artifacts scavenged from battlefields though X-Com engineers haven’t learned how to replicate the technology yet. As X-Coms power increases however the Aliens begin to view it as a genuine threat, the first assaults on X-Com bases occur and Shifters* begin to infiltrate human organizations and governments (possibly even X-Com itself) in an attempt to destabilize the unit. Alien bases are also discovered in remote areas of the world and attacks are staged against them. PC’s starting in the late game may be replacement soldiers brought in to replace casualties or members of a growing counterintelligence corp known as X-Intel* within X-Com charged with rooting out aliens attempting to subvert world governments.
3) Late Game: by 2003 and 2004 the tide has begun to turn. Humans are proficient in the use of the alien technology leveling the battlefield and even surpassing the alien’s abilities in some ways. After a superhuman effort on the part of the X-Com scientists X-Com has even managed to unlock the dormant psychic abilities possessed by humans creating a special psi corp to combat the aliens in the mental arena. Plasma weapons and powered body armour are common sights on the battlefield now while Firestorms and Avengers shoot down alien craft almost at will. Alien attacks on X-Com bases have reached an almost frantic level as the invaders attempt to crush the unexpectedly powerful resistance. Perhaps most importantly X-Com has discovered the alien threat is spawned from Cydonia on Mars and is preparing a counterattack to take the fight to them and hopefully eliminate the threat altogether. PC’s starting in the late game will likely be stationed to one of the newer bases or brought in as members of the psi corp. Any PC’s who have survived since the outset of the conflict will be the elite of X-Com highly decorated, incredibly experienced and prepping for the Cydonia mission.
