TEXT: FREEDOM SQUADRON
  Plans & Operations
  FOR FREEDOM
  Manual
  
  General Steel issued the mandate – stop VENOM’s latest scheme at all 
  costs! Mirage gathered the initial intel, Top Boss crunched the numbers, and 
  Uplink sent out the call. Now Sundown is calling you onto the Hornet so he 
  can get you to the rendezvous with the rest of your mission team.
   
  Now it’s up to you and your fellow Commandos to work up the plan, insert 
  into the op-zone, bypass security, talk your way past the front office people, 
  hack the systems, and take out the Pythons you find guarding that last vault. 
  It all comes down to making a good plan and executing a solid operation!
   
  The Freedom Squadron Plans & Operations Manual is everything you need 
  to generate adventures and scenarios, as well as learn all about the world of 
  VENOM Assault and Freedom Squadron: 
  •  The new and highly innovative Plans & Operations rules, developed by
  Sean Patrick Fannon to enable GMs and players to narratively work 
  together to create immersive, multi-faceted “mission montages” that use 
  all of a team’s skills and resources while encouraging maximum narrative 
  creativity for each player.
  •  A Mission Generator that works for Freedom Squadron or any modern
  post-modern setting featuring military and special operative heroes.
  •  A richly detailed history of the world of Freedom Squadron and VENOM,
  with a Timeline that covers everything from pre-history all the way through 
  the end of World War III and the founding of Freedom Squadron.
  •  A system of special Mission Rewards that includes a new Contacts
  system, enabling players to develop special connections and relationships 
  with specialists who can help them in future missions.
  •  Files and stats for lots of VENOM bad guys as well as Mission Specialists
  that can be called in to fill gaps in a team’s capabilities.
   
  Grab this manual and get cracking on missions against VENOM and 
  the other threats that endanger the whole world. Welcome to Freedom 
  Squadron!
  HEADS UP, COMMANDOS!
  
  Lead Writer & Designer: Sean Patrick Fannon
  Editing: Carinn Seabolt, and the Global Operations Force Command Team
  Layout & Graphic Design: Jeff Arbough
  Artist: Phil Cho, Roberto Garcia, Roger Bonet Martinez, Alexandre Silva Dos Reis, 
  Gregory Ottaviani, and Carlos Reno
  Acknowledgements:
  Michael Knight & Jeff Arbough, the creators of VENOM Assault and the world of 
  Freedom Squadron; John Stephens, our retail consultant and creator of historical and 
  economic-oriented content; Donavin Hatcliff, Executive Producer of the Kickstarter, 
  cosplay consultant, and contributor of “The Archives”; Carinn Seabolt, a partner to 
  me in all things, including making this a reality; Juliet Meyer, our Media & Branding 
  Consultant, creator of so many cool videos; and Raymond Bruells, III, Global 
  Operations Force Coordinator, fiction and game contributions.
  Additional Contributions and Playtesting:
  Andy Arminio, John Atkinson, David Forby, Shane Hensley, Lee Kamberos, Ben Keeler, 
  Robert Kelly, Mike Anthony Lythgoe, Kim Meyers-Forby, Chris Parks, Donavin Santini, 
  Mike Schwarz, Carinn Seabolt, Joe Thomas, Ross Watson, and Cory Williamsen (who 
  gets special thanks for work on bad guy stats!)
  My Very Special Thanks to My Patreon Supporters:
  Walking Away from Explosions—John Atkinson; Going Epic—John Ackley, Robert 
  McKavanagh, Bill Woods; Part of the Adventure—Geard Evertjes, Thomas Ryan, Jesse 
  Edmond, Justin Wyatt, Boomr Wolf, Brandon Struble, Katie Kerber, Joe Thomas, Gary 
  Phillips, Thomas Stewart, Jeff Ruiz, Ender, Kenn Hensley, Peter Adams, Rob Towell, 
  Lohengrin Canon, Kylan Toles, Malcolm Serabian, Colby Niehaus, Nestor Rodriguez, 
  Scott Crosson, Cameron Corniuk, Jeffrey D. Gordon, Sean Tait Bircher; Along for the 
  Ride—Michael Walsh, Ron, Jason Kemp, Father Morpheus, Martin Tucker, Mica Fetz, 
  Chaz Kemp, Manuel Sambs, Stephen Smith, Andy Arminio; Here for the Show—Shawn 
  Gustafson, Patrick Greenlaw, Satyros Phil Brucato, Topher Scott, Greg Fitzsimmons, 
  Sara Quinn, Rudy, Jacob Thurston, Lee Garvin, James Dezomits, and Jonathan Henry
  This game references the Savage Worlds game system, available from Pinnacle Entertainment Group at
  www.peginc.com. Savage Worlds and all associated logos and trademarks are copyrights of Pinnacle 
  Entertainment Group. Used with permission. Pinnacle makes no representation or warranty as to the quality, 
  viability, or suitability for purpose of this product. Freedom Squadron and related logos, characters, names, and 
  distinctive likenesses thereof are © SpyGlass Games, used with permission by Evil Beagle Games.
  FREEDOM SQUADRON
  Plans & Operations Manual
  
  2
  table of contents
  Introduction.................................................................................................................................4
  The World of Freedom Squadron.............................................................................................5
      Historical Overview.................................................................................................................5 
  Myths, Monsters, & Mayhem a Timeline..................................................................................6
  The State of the World..............................................................................................................39
      Matters of Note on the Global Scene.................................................................................39
      UNTAC.....................................................................................................................................41 
      A World with VENOM Revealed...........................................................................................42  
  Setting Rules.............................................................................................................................44
      Heroes (and Villains) Die Hard...........................................................................................44
      Misson Specialists................................................................................................................45
  Plans & Operations...................................................................................................................46
      Phase I: Establish Mission Parameters.............................................................................46
      Phase II: Initial Plan..............................................................................................................51
      Phase III: Run the Operations..............................................................................................54
      Phase IV: Determine the Outcome......................................................................................59
      Example of Play......................................................................................................................64  
      Plans & Operations: The Short Form...................................................................................70
  Friends & Foes Recognition Files............................................................................................72  
      Mission Specialists................................................................................................................72
          Detox..................................................................................................................................72
          Iron.....................................................................................................................................73
          Malware.............................................................................................................................75
          Tracker...............................................................................................................................77
      VENOM Forces.......................................................................................................................79
          VENOM Troopers..............................................................................................................79
          VENOM Arctic Wolves.....................................................................................................80
          VENOM Constrictors........................................................................................................82
          VENOM Scourges.............................................................................................................83
          VENOM Sea Serpents......................................................................................................84
          VENOM Shadow Fangs....................................................................................................85
          VENOM Sidewinders........................................................................................................86
      VENOM Leaders....................................................................................................................87
          Gorgon...............................................................................................................................87
          Toxin..................................................................................................................................88
          Lockdown.........................................................................................................................90
          Sabotage..........................................................................................................................91
  Appendix: Plans & Operations Edges & Special Abilities..................................................93
      Skills.......................................................................................................................................93
          Battle................................................................................................................................93
          Electronics.......................................................................................................................93
          Logistics...........................................................................................................................93
          Tradecraft........................................................................................................................93
  
  3
      Edges......................................................................................................................................93  
     Operational Planning......................................................................................................94
      Special Abilities....................................................................................................................94
          Air Support.........................................................................................................................94
          Analysis..............................................................................................................................95
          Operational Expertise.......................................................................................................95
          Sensory Overwatch...........................................................................................................95
          Tactical Communications................................................................................................95
          Tactical Coordination.......................................................................................................95
          Tactical Logistics..............................................................................................................96
  
  4
  You hold in your hand a different kind of 
  Game Master’s manual, both in Savage 
  Worlds terms and in the greater scheme 
  of RPG products designed to help run 
  a game. I say this because of how 
  proud I am of the Plans & Operations 
  Rules that are the centerpiece of this 
  book—a system that not only serves as 
  a mission generator, but as a means to 
  allow every character to participate in a 
  game-playable narrative experience in 
  which all of their specialties, skills, and 
  creative ideas can come out efficiently 
  and excitingly.
  Think of it as a kind of subsystem within 
  Savage Worlds—akin to Dramatic Tasks 
  and Social Conflict—that engages every 
  participant through every part of it. 
  The system is meant to represent a 
  combination of the planning stages of 
  military-style and special operations 
  missions, but it just as easily handles 
  heists, investigations, exploration of 
  new worlds, and anything else where a 
  team of specialists might employ a wide 
  array of abilities to cooperatively solve 
  problems and get to a shared goal.
  Shane Hensley—the creator of Savage 
  Worlds—has this to say about the Plans & 
  Operations rules: 
  “Savage Worlds was created to handle 
  the kinds of games I often like to 
  play and run, where you can be a 
  badass fighter or wizard or whatever, 
  but you can also be a leader. A 
  planner. I’m proud of how the game 
  accommodates that, and my friend 
  Sean Patrick Fannon has added even 
  more to it in Freedom Squadron.
  I had a blast in the Plans & Operations 
  phase riffing off the other players, 
  figuring out how best to use our 
  individual characters’ skills, and then 
  watching it all come together in the 
  adventures that followed. Sean isn’t 
  afraid of big games and big ideas, and 
  this may be his best yet. I can’t wait to 
  back, buy, and run it myself!”
  You’ve also got a rather massive timeline 
  and explanation of the history of this 
  world. Similar to our own in many ways, 
  yet full of magic, mystery, science-fiction 
  technology, and advanced quite a few 
  years into the future. How did we get to 
  World War III, and how did we survive? 
  Read on and find out.
  There’s a discussion of appropriate 
  Setting Rules to use, including some 
  designed specifically for the Freedom 
  Squadron setting. Though we are 
  planning a full Friends & Foes Manual, 
  you’ll find plenty of bad guys to throw at 
  your Freedom Squadron Commandos 
  in this book, as well as some very 
  useful Mission Specialists. Finally, the 
  appendix reprints the vital Edges and 
  Special Abilities that relate directly to 
  Plans & Operations play for easy use and 
  reference (especially if you plan to use 
  this book in other campaigns aside from 
  Freedom Squadron).
  INTRODUCTION
  
  5
  It is the year 2051. World War III only 
  ended two years ago, and the world is 
  still recovering. Having discovered the 
  war was in great part the result of the 
  manipulations of VENOM*—a once-secret 
  organization bent on world domination 
  through criminal, financial, political, 
  and military activity—the United Nations 
  authorized the formation of Freedom 
  Squadron. Freedom Squadron is a fully 
  international special operations force, 
  independent of all nations, comprised 
  of elite soldiers and operatives of every 
  conceivable specialty. 
  Freedom Squadron is tasked with finding 
  the forces of VENOM and defeating their 
  The world of Freedom Squadron and 
  VENOM is one of alternate history, 
  fantastic myth, and star-spanning 
  science fiction. Although grounded in a 
  reality we can all understand, there is 
  much more happening in the shadows 
  and mists of history than the average 
  citizen understands. As the war between 
  Freedom Squadron and VENOM heats 
  up, these mysteries are revealed, and the 
  veil over the wonders and horrors facing 
  Earth’s population recedes.
  The world of freedom squadron
  HISTORICAL
  OVERVIEW
  operations all over the globe. 
  At the same time, Freedom 
  Squadron is the world’s most 
  important peacekeeping force 
  in a world defined by the New 
  Cold War.
  (*)—Some evidence 
  suggests this is an acronym 
  for Violence, Extortion, 
  Nihilism, Obfuscation, 
  and Malefaction. Another 
  implicated name is Vile 
  Everlasting Nation Of 
  Mayhem. Neither has yet 
  to be confirmed, and there 
  are those in Freedom 
  Squadron I/CI (Intelligence/
  Counter-Intelligence) who are 
  convinced it means nothing 
  more than what it says—
  poison for the world.
  
  6
  LATE TRIASSIC PERIOD
  A sapient and mystically-capable 
  reptilian species of humanoids evolves 
  on Earth. Called the Griftstals, they 
  have both ophidian and saurian 
  qualities. Some research indicates 
  there are many sub-classes within the 
  species, though available information 
  is incredibly sparse (and only known 
  to those with the highest of security 
  ratings). Evidence strongly suggests 
  other sapient species also exist, 
  capable of wielding arcane and 
  psionic powers.
  MID-JURASSIC PERIOD
  The Griftstals dominate all other 
  sapient and sentient species, having 
  warred with and enslaved at least 
  two other major cultures over the 
  course of millennia. References to 
  powerful, gargantuan beasts used and 
  destroyed during these wars exists in 
  a handful of records recovered; five of 
  these beings remain unaccounted for 
  or are referenced as “locked away” by 
  ancient mystical rituals. During this 
  period, the Grifstals develop a kind 
  of organic technology that enhances 
  their dominance of the planet.
  END OF THE CRETACEOUS
  PERIOD
  What most believe was a comet or 
  asteroid impact wipes out nearly all 
  life on Earth. In truth, it is a massive 
  Robotron ship that breaks up on entry 
  into Earth’s atmosphere, scattering 
  incredible technological discoveries 
  that will change the world millions 
  of years later. The ship was fleeing 
  a terrible war tearing the Robotron 
  civilization apart over a large swath of 
  the galaxy beyond. 
  EARLY CENOZOIC ERA
  A powerful and brilliant Grifstal 
  arcano-scientist named Ouroboros 
  rises up among the survivors in the 
  nation of Ven-taala; he gathers all 
  he can together and enacts a plan 
  to save his (and other) people from 
  the extinction disaster changing 
  the ecology and geography of 
  Earth. Leading them to the range 
  of mountains we now know as the 
  Himalayas, he commands them to 
  invade the hidden nation of Shamloc 
  (the entrance of which is found near 
  the top of Kangchenjunga), nearly 
  wiping out the extant civilization there. 
  myths, monsters, & mayhem
  A timeline
  PRE-HISTORY
  
  7
  millennia, the Grifstal civilization 
  spreads throughout the “Hidden World 
  Below” that extends beneath central, 
  southern, and eastern Asia.
  422
  Bodhisattva Khando Randgol (guided 
  by Buddha, according to the legends) 
  leads 18 devoted followers far into the 
  Himalayas to find “a home of spirit, 
  light, life, and understanding.”
  430
  Khando and his disciples discover the 
  eternally green valley of Shambhala, 
  the place promised to them when 
  they set out on their quest. It is here 
  they found a kingdom dedicated to 
  learning, healing, and the guidance of 
  Buddha. 
  488
  Via deep meditation, Khando and 
  the Eighteen (as those who initially 
  followed him are called) discern the 
  existence of the Grifstals and their 
  mighty empire in the “Hidden World 
  Below.” A great debate erupts over 
  whether or not to reach out to them; 
  it is finally decided to wait and see 
  if one or more of the ancient beings 
  reach enough enlightenment to find 
  Shambhala.
  589
  The Chinese warlord Lian Chang 
  leads an army of over 5,000 to invade 
  Shambhala. Only through mastery 
  of the great magics of the valley and 
  extraordinary martial skill were the 
  inhabitants able to repel the invaders, 
  and only at great cost (including the 
  loss of six of the original 18 followers). 
  Following this terrible war, Khando 
  and the rest of the elders decided to 
  Combining Grifstal technology with 
  the mystic thermal pools of Shamloc, 
  Ouroboros places over 600,000 of his 
  people into stasis in order to endure 
  the dramatic ecological shifts of 
  the world. He also stores extensive 
  samples of genetic material from the 
  many species of his time.
  MID-PLEISTOCENE EPOCH
  Millions of years take a toll on the 
  Grifstal stasis machinery, and the 
  “Great Awakening” begins. Barely 
  more than 10,000 of the beings 
  who followed Ouroboros remain, but 
  he is among them and leads them 
  back to the surface of the world. 
  There he discovers the presence 
  of a mammalian bipedal species 
  asserting dominance over the planet, 
  and he once again wages war to 
  rule the Earth. Vastly outnumbered, 
  the Grifstal civilization once more 
  faces extinction and is driven back 
  below the Himalayas to begin the 
  arduous process of rebuilding and 
  repopulating. Ouroboros believes 
  these humanoids will wipe themselves 
  out in time. He is wrong.
  HOLOCENE EPOCH
  Via extensive and complex 
  applications of ancient science and 
  dark sorcery, Ouroboros affects the 
  forced evolution of his people. Their 
  life spans are extended to near-
  immortality, and they become more 
  homogenous in their birth form. 
  At the same time, the practice of 
  “fleshcrafting” becomes standard 
  among the Grifstals, so while they see 
  themselves as a singular species, their 
  appearance and physical functions 
  are as varied as the imagination of 
  their scientists and leaders. Over the 
  
  8
  erect powerful guardian pillars at key 
  ley line nexus points around the valley. 
  These pillars were intended to both 
  hide the kingdom and “unlink” it from 
  normal time, placing the inhabitants 
  several minutes into the past. 
  Chronomancy being a very difficult 
  discipline, instead the valley is unstuck 
  in such a way that for every ten years 
  that pass in the rest of the world, only 
  a year passes in Shambhala. 
  617
  Khando and his remaining “Original 
  Twelve” construct hidden portals 
  leading into Shambhala across the 
  world. These portals are aligned such 
  that only those who reach a certain 
  level of enlightenment might ever 
  discover them.
  634
  The first of seven unassuming 
  temples is completed in Tibet, 
  hosting a mystical gate that leads to 
  Shambhala. The temple is home to 
  dedicated disciples seeking enough 
  enlightenment and understanding 
  to be ready to enter the “Pure Land.” 
  Many are content simply to learn as 
  they may in the temple and stand 
  guard over the one place of peace left 
  in the world. The other six temples are 
  built in various spiritual places around 
  the world, also hosting guarded gates. 
  Each temple is a testing ground for 
  potential candidates to enter the 
  kingdom.
  875
  Gölsinä, an exceptional student of 
  mysticism, breaks several sacred laws 
  of Shambhala as she pursues studies 
  in necromancy. She and a handful 
  of followers flee the magic kingdom, 
  carrying tomes and scrolls of the 
  forbidden knowledge into the world.
  AUGUST 25TH, 1758
  Grifstal explorers discover a path to 
  the surface world that opens into a 
  hidden valley in the Ural Mountains. 
  Ouroboros decides it is time to 
  learn of the world above and orders 
  scouts to go out and covertly gather 
  information about the state of things. 
  Amidst the worldwide conflict that 
  would become known as the Seven 
  Years’ War, the scouts discover the 
  species has continued to multiply 
  exponentially and has developed 
  an extraordinary capacity for war 
  and dominance through the use of 
  metal machines and inorganic tools. 
  Ouroboros orders all the passages to 
  the surface carefully guarded as he 
  contemplates how to return his people 
  to dominance.
  OCTOBER 2ND, 1772
  The enlightened Grifstal Shytella 
  finds her way to Shambhala via one 
  of the Hidden Gates; welcomed with 
  open arms, she warns the elders that 
  Ouroboros would destroy Shambhala 
  utterly were he to discover it.
  FEBRUARY 4TH, 1854
  The extraordinary warrior destined 
  to become Blindsight is chosen by 
  his master, Lhawang, to enter into 
  Shambhala, where he will study the 
  arts of Lama Pai Gao (“the Path of 
  the Blind”). It is hoped he will one day 
  take a leadership role in defending the 
  “Pure Land.” 
  JANUARY 27TH, 1872
  Noted archeologist and scientist 
  Matthew St. Paulson gives a 
  
  9
  spends the better part of the next two 
  years deciphering it.
  MARCH 28TH, 1885
  With a nearly cult-like following of 
  believers and a coterie of dilettantes 
  and hangers-on supporting him, 
  Matthew St. Paulson launches an 
  expedition deep into the Urals in 
  search of the ancient beings he’d 
  dedicated his life to proving once 
  existed.
  JULY 21ST, 1885
  Matthew St. Paulson lay near death 
  in a cave in the Urals, having eaten 
  the last of his now-dead party of 
  supporters. He is discovered by 
  Grifstal scouts, who bring him 
  before Ouroboros for evaluation and 
  then execution. The Grifstal leader, 
  impressed with the tenacity and 
  ruthlessness of the man, instead 
  decides to use his arcano-tech to 
  reengineer St. Paulson into a powerful 
  servitor. Investing him with a powerful 
  need to show humanity his ultimate 
  superiority—as well as that of the 
  race that will one day come to rule 
  them—Ouroboros undertakes to train 
  this being to act as his agent in a long-
  range plan to return his people to their 
  rightful place.
  JULY 21ST, 1888
  Three years to the day from his 
  disappearance, the being once 
  known as Matthew St. Paulson is 
  released into an unsuspecting world, 
  armed with his own genetic and 
  arcano-tech modifications, Grifstal 
  artifacts of power, and a cache of 
  precious metals, gems, and jewels to 
  provide him prodigious wealth. With 
  the “Second Industrial Revolution” 
  presentation at the University of 
  Cambridge, detailing his theory of 
  an ancient civilization that rose to 
  power in the Jurassic period. He is 
  practically laughed out of the building, 
  losing his fellowship and the respect 
  of most of his peers. He spends years 
  and his family’s fortune searching for 
  additional proof of his theory.
  MAY 30TH, 1883
  Matthew St. Paulson discovers the 
  existence of a tablet in the keeping 
  of Hindu monks in Kashmir. When 
  they prove unwilling to part with it 
  or even allow him to examine it, he 
  hires mercenaries to acquire it “by any 
  means necessary.” The tablet proves 
  to be the vital missing piece to the 
  puzzle that is his obsession, as he 
  
  10
  (AKA the “Technological Revolution”) 
  underway, he adopts many false 
  identities and travels the world, 
  investing in and buying up companies 
  he recognizes will serve his long-
  range goals. His investments include 
  controlling interests in petroleum, 
  rubber, telecommunications, and early 
  electronics.
  AUGUST 7TH, 1888
  While pursuing investments in 
  London, St. Paulson endures a period 
  of psychosis as his Grifstal-induced 
  changes dramatically alter his brain 
  chemistry. He commits the first of a 
  series of grisly murders in the White 
  Chapel district, discovering both a 
  propensity for violence and a capacity 
  for scheming and evading discovery.
  FEBRUARY 13TH, 1891
  St. Paulson finally regains full 
  control of himself, thus ending 
  the White Chapel murder spree. 
  Despite his vicious proclivities of 
  the time, he’s managed to secure 
  a significant financial empire, 
  while at the same time making 
  extensive inroads in the underworld 
  of Western Europe. He’s also begun 
  a long series of investments into 
  private archaeological digs, scientific 
  research, and many other avenues 
  designed to give him every advantage 
  in his master’s schemes.
  MAY 5TH, 1893
  St. Paulson’s first attempts at 
  economic manipulation are a 
  smashing success as he arranges the 
  Panic of 1893, thus engineering one 
  of the major economic depressions 
  of the modern age and realigning 
  the political landscape of the United 
  States.
  DECEMBER 31ST, 1900
  Ouroboros declares “My creature has 
  become a venom in the bloodstream 
  of all mankind.” In observation of 
  the beginning of the 20th century, 
  he changes the ancient name of the 
  kingdom he once overthrew from Ven-
  taala to VENOM-La.
  JULY 23RD, 1903
  The first newspaper report to feature 
  the name “the Commander” as a 
  mysterious underworld figure in 
  Europe is published by a smaller 
  French magazine. The publisher and 
  his family die in a tragic house fire 
  a week later, but the name crops 
  up again and again from that point 
  forward, albeit mostly within tabloids 
  and conspiracy-oriented circles.
  JANUARY 14TH, 1907
  Successfully combining Grifstal 
  arcano-tech with an ancient Peruvian 
  artifact, the Commander triggers an 
  earthquake in Kingston, Jamaica, 
  killing over 1,000 people. Later in the 
  year, he uses unrest in Romania to 
  test psionic-manipulation technology, 
  setting off the Romanian Peasants’ 
  Revolt. Over 11,000 are killed.
  FEBRUARY 12TH, 1912
  The Manchu Qing dynasty abdicates, 
  opening the way for the Republic of 
  China. The Commander is there.
  JUNE 22ND, 1914
  Through various intermediaries (his 
  underworld empire having grown 
  
  11
  SEPTEMBER 12TH, 1919
  Through various manipulations, the 
  Commander arranges for Adolph Hitler 
  to be assigned to infiltrate the German 
  Workers Party. At a meeting on this 
  date, Adolph meets party chairman 
  Anton Drexler, receives the pamphlet 
  My Political Awakening, and goes on 
  to become one of the Commander’s 
  greatest accomplishments.
  JANUARY 16TH, 1920
  Extensive graft and political 
  manipulation achieves the 
  Commander’s goals to enact 
  Prohibition in the United States. He 
  then undertakes to manipulate both 
  the criminal and law enforcement 
  factions towards his ends. Chicago is 
  considered his greatest success.
  JANUARY 21ST, 1924
  Vladimir Lenin dies; the Commander’s 
  operatives immediately assist Joseph 
  Stalin in his bid to consolidate his 
  control of the Soviet Union.
  significantly), the Commander 
  arranges significant financial and 
  resource support to the Serbian 
  nationalist group known as the 
  Black Hand. Four days later, Gavrilo 
  Princip assassinates Archduke Franz 
  Ferdinand of Austria, touching off 
  World War I. Ouroboros is pleased.
  JULY 20TH, 1916
  Undercover as a German officer, the 
  Commander observes the intensity 
  and intellect of a young Bavarian 
  message runner during the Battle of 
  Fromelles. He makes a note to keep 
  an eye on the young man.
  APRIL 2ND, 1917
  President Woodrow Wilson asks 
  Congress to declare war on Germany, 
  thus bringing the United States 
  into World War I. A highly secretive 
  organization (some whisper the 
  name VENOM and are never heard 
  from again) ensures the latest 
  in military technology is aboard 
  American transport ships headed 
  to Europe. Meanwhile, that same 
  organization continues to prop up 
  the Central Powers with older, more 
  readily-available military hardware, 
  thus ensuring even more gratuitous 
  bloodshed and horror before the war 
  can end.
  NOVEMBER 11TH, 1918
  Armistice with Germany is signed, thus 
  ending the Great War. Many thousands 
  of disillusioned men—trained for 
  war and nothing else—look for a life 
  beyond the trenches. Many of them 
  find it in service to the charismatic 
  Commander.
  
  12
  OCTOBER 29TH, 1929
  Agents provocateur perform the 
  Commander’s bidding, bringing 
  on Black Tuesday and instigating 
  the Great Depression. Countless 
  desperate people look for any means 
  to survive; some find it among the 
  ranks of VENOM.
  SEPTEMBER 1ST, 1939
  Convinced by various sources (some 
  of which reported to the Commander), 
  Hitler orders the invasion of Poland. 
  World War II begins, and VENOM 
  engages the same strategy it used 
  during the First World War (but with 
  exponentially greater and more 
  devastating results).
  OCTOBER 23RD, 1954
  West Germany is admitted into the 
  North Atlantic Pact, a huge turning 
  point in relations between the West 
  and the Soviet Union. Another of 
  VENOM Commander’s projects bears 
  fruit.
  MAY 14TH, 1955
  In one of his many undercover guises, 
  VENOM Commander is personally 
  present at the signing of the Warsaw 
  Pact. The moment will reverberate 
  over the next century, resulting in 
  the next world war. Later this month, 
  a side-project by various VENOM 
  elements produces unexpectedly 
  dramatic results in Vietnam.
  APRIL 17TH, 1961
  VENOM agents within the CIA arrange 
  for the launching—and subsequent 
  failure—of the Bay of Pigs invasion. 
  OCTOBER 16TH, 1962
  VENOM nearly succeeds in instigating 
  a nuclear war between the United 
  States and Soviet Union with the 
  Cuban Missile Crisis. It is one of 
  the first major setbacks of VENOM 
  Commander’s 20th century program.
  FEBRUARY 14TH, 1979
  A VENOM assassin, embedded with 
  Russian advisors in Afghanistan, 
  kills US Ambassador Adolph Dubs 
  during an attempt to rescue him 
  from “mysterious militants.” VENOM 
  manipulated the faction into 
  kidnapping the ambassador in the 
  first place, thus engineering events 
  that eventually set off the Soviet–
  Afghan War (which served as a proxy 
  fight between the superpowers for 
  nearly a decade).
  FEBRUARY 17TH, 1989
  After decades of internal and external 
  negotiations and wrangling, the Arab 
  Maghreb Union (AMU) is founded. 
  It’s member states are Algeria, 
  Libya, Mauritania, Morocco, and 
  Tunisia. Though the official union 
  goes essentially dormant by the 
  early 2000s, VENOM forces secretly 
  maintain underlying communications 
  between the member nations in 
  case unifying the region suits their 
  purposes later.
  AUGUST 2ND, 1990
  Saddam Hussein orders the invasion 
  of Kuwait, convinced by his very good 
  and powerful friends this will all work 
  out very well for him and Iraq. VENOM 
  Commander’s plans to maintain chaos 
  in the region work for decades to 
  come.
  
  13
  SEPTEMBER 15TH, 2021
  Russia and Saudi Arabia sign a 
  number of trade deals, signaling an 
  obvious partnership going forward. 
  JUNE 3RD, 2024
  Russia, China, and Saudi Arabia 
  accept Morocco’s invitation to the 
  “Casablanca Summit,” to which the 
  other original members of the Arab 
  Maghreb Union also attend. The 
  summit’s stated purpose is to “explore 
  mutually beneficial economic, military, 
  and energy policies.” This follows 
  major political upheavals worldwide, 
  but especially across the Western 
  world. As Russia and China emerge 
  as ever stronger political rivals to the 
  United States and the E.U., this marks 
  a significant challenge to the global 
  status quo.
  OCTOBER 31ST, 2030
  “Shattered Thursday”—In what is 
  later determined to be the concerted 
  efforts of Russian hackers under the 
  leadership of someone known only as 
  “Golden Ophid,” a massive computer 
  error causes thousands of automated 
  buy orders to fail, triggering a 
  catastrophic spiral that crashes first 
  the New York Stock Exchange and 
  NASDAQ, then Tokyo, then every other 
  capitalist market in the world. The US 
  economy is completely demolished, 
  while the rest of the world suffers 
  an average 25% loss. This marks 
  the beginning of the 2nd Great 
  Depression, the worst economic crisis 
  in world history.
  MAY 15TH, 2031
  The member countries of the Union 
  of South American Nations (USAN) 
  JULY 16TH, 2001
  The Sino-Russian “Treaty of 
  Friendship” is signed, marking the 
  beginning of what will become the 
  Pact of Iron.
  SEPTEMBER 15TH, 2008
  After extensive manipulations of such 
  elements as the subprime mortgage 
  market in 2007, VENOM arranges for 
  the complete collapse of the Lehmen 
  Brothers investment bank, instigating 
  the Great Recession. Though it 
  technically ends by 2012, the political 
  and economic instability of this period 
  leads to dramatic shifts within such 
  powerhouses as the United States, the 
  European Union, China, and Russia, 
  ultimately laying the groundwork for 
  World War III.
  DECEMBER 4TH, 2019
  Professor Jonathan Stephens, Vice-
  Chairman of the TEG (Totality Econo-
  Geopolitics) Institute, found dead of 
  unknown causes in a departure gate 
  waiting area in Las Vegas Airport. 
  It is later determined he suffered 
  acute radiation poisoning. Professor 
  Stephens is the main author of the 
  controversial “Commander Dossier,” 
  which details various incidents linking 
  many of the sources of geopolitical 
  unrest over the last century to a single 
  conspiracy. Largely dismissed at 
  the time, his work becomes of great 
  interest in intelligence circles following 
  his death, especially as rumors 
  abound of a secret cache of additional 
  information he was reportedly 
  prepared to present to the United 
  Nations Security Council.
  
  14
  gather for the Caracas Financial 
  Recovery Summits. A general 
  commitment to work together for 
  mutual economic recovery while 
  further disentangling from the 
  damaged markets of the Northern 
  Hemisphere recommits many nations 
  (but not all) to stronger ties. This 
  further isolates the United States from 
  a world gradually turning its back on 
  the original sole superpower. Various 
  intelligence organizations take note of 
  Claudio Quintana (father of the twins, 
  Andre and Rodrigo) at these talks, 
  exerting extraordinary influence.
  SEPTEMBER 22ND, 2032
  After decades of devastating 
  economic collapse and political 
  unrest, the German Bundestag is 
  taken over by reactionary and ultra-
  conservative elements of Germany’s 
  political landscape. This signals a 
  complete reversal of the nation’s 
  political direction and very dark times 
  ahead. MI5 records indicate significant 
  outside influences from as-yet-
  undermined political and economic 
  operatives.
  JULY 12TH, 2039
  In an effort to gain economic and 
  political ground in the recovery from 
  the 2nd Great Depression, the original 
  Arab Maghreb Union is revised and 
  reformed as the United Nations of 
  Northern Africa (more commonly 
  referred to simply as “North Africa”). 
  Functioning as a confederation 
  organized on neo-communist 
  principles, North Africa makes many 
  aggressive moves to secure power 
  on the African continent and around 
  the world, primarily via its natural 
  resources and relative economic 
  strength in the aftermath of the 
  Depression.
  OCTOBER 14TH, 2040
  The United States, citing continued 
  failure of other member nations to 
  maintain their financial commitments 
  and its own crushing national debt, 
  officially withdraws from NATO. 
  This effectively guts and dissolves 
  the long-standing military alliance. 
  The European Union scrambles to 
  reorganize in the wake of this crisis.
  MARCH 18TH, 2042
  Russia, China, the United Nations of 
  Northern Africa, and Saudi Arabia sign 
  the “Pact of Iron,” forming the Neo-
  Communist Bloc. Near-panic sets in 
  at the United Nations; meetings are 
  
  15
  called, to which the diplomats of each 
  Bloc nation fail to attend. 
  JULY 6TH, 2041
  Tirza Denkar—an extreme nationalist 
  with strong anti-immigration views 
  and a platform founded on leaving 
  the European Union—wins the 
  chancellorship of Germany. She 
  immediately forms the Unity Coalition, 
  which gives her extraordinary 
  governing power. Her party ramps up 
  rhetoric against “all nations who would 
  foist their immigrant problems upon 
  Germany... especially Poland!”
  JUNE 22ND, 2042
  The Neo-Communist Bloc issues a 
  joint statement to the UN and the 
  world, establishing the manifesto of 
  its founding. The statement includes 
  reference to the “reckless capitalist 
  economic and military machinations 
  of the United States and Europe, which 
  led to most of the great ills of the 20th 
  and 21st centuries.” The statement 
  also makes it clear the Bloc intends 
  to be the next true superpower and a 
  “unifying and stabilizing force” going 
  forward towards the 22nd century and 
  beyond. The diplomats of each nation 
  return to their UN posts, but insist their 
  seats be rearranged to place them 
  next to one another in the General 
  Assembly.
  JANUARY 15TH, 2043
  A series of coordinated attacks 
  strike numerous cities and towns in 
  proximity to the Crimean Peninsula, 
  including devastating explosions 
  in the city of Krasnodar that kill 
  thousands. Factions still opposing 
  Russian occupation within Ukraine 
  take credit, demanding the world 
  take action to free the Crimean. 
  Russia begins immediate full-scale 
  military mobilization while the UN 
  calls for emergency talks and the Bloc 
  nations unify in their condemnations 
  of Ukraine and any who support this 
  “rogue nation.” Interpol documents 
  indicate a young Fiona Burke (AKA 
  Sabotage) was in Krasnodar two days 
  prior to these attacks.
  FEBRUARY 2ND, 2043
  Russia launches a full-scale invasion 
  of Ukraine, utterly overwhelming the 
  nation’s forces within three days. The 
  E.U., UN, and USAN all issue strong 
  condemnations but take no direct 
  actions. The United States issues a 
  statement calling for diplomacy, but 
  little more. Most historians mark this 
  as the first strike of World War III.
  MARCH 15TH, 2043
  Citing evidence of support for the 
  “attacks against Russia,” a joint Neo-
  Communist Bloc invasion is launched 
  against Belarus. While primarily 
  conducted by Russian forces, Chinese 
  air force assets support the invasion, 
  while both Saudi and North African 
  special forces units are seen on the 
  ground. This marks the first official 
  joint military operation of Bloc forces. 
  In the general council chambers of 
  the UN, the Bloc diplomats declare 
  their nations will secure peace and 
  security as they see fit “in the wake 
  of the West’s utter failure to do so.” 
  Russia and China refuse to take up 
  any Security Council measures.
  MAY 22ND, 2043
  Following dominance of the 
  Bundestag by the Unity Coalition, 
  
  16
  Germany signs the “Pact of Iron,” joins 
  the Neo-Communist Bloc, and begins 
  extensive military mobilization. In a 
  terrifying repeat of history, Germany’s 
  Chancellor Denkar declares “Poland’s 
  refusal to pay reparations for the 
  damage caused by decades of poor 
  stewardship of our borders will no 
  longer go unanswered.”
  AUGUST 21ST, 2043
  With the United Nations unable to 
  foster any talks among European 
  nations in the ever-collapsing political 
  environment, the United Kingdom 
  announces a Mutual Assistance Treaty 
  with Poland in hopes of “waving off 
  any military adventurism Germany 
  might be considering,” as stated by 
  Prime Minister Edward Doolittle.
  AUGUST 31ST, 2043
  German military forces mobilize near 
  the Polish border while both German 
  and Russian air units flagrantly 
  violate Polish air space in constant 
  flyovers. The UK begins significant 
  fleet mobilizations, while significant 
  voluntary evacuations from London 
  are noted by many news services. 
  Austria signs the “Pact of Iron” and 
  joins the Bloc.
  SEPTEMBER 1ST, 2043
  Following extensive artillery and 
  naval bombardment, as well as 
  air strikes against key military and 
  communication targets, German 
  forces cross Poland’s border from the 
  west and land marine forces in the 
  north, with Chinese, Saudi, and North 
  African special forces and logistics 
  units in support. The invasion of 
  Poland begins.
  SEPTEMBER 3RD, 2043
  Despite pleas from UN Secretary 
  General Raul Ibanez for economic 
  sanctions and diplomacy, the United 
  Kingdom, France, Australia, and New 
  Zealand jointly declare war against 
  the Neo-Communist Bloc. Within 12 
  hours, British Royal Air Force and 
  French Air Force squadrons begin 
  operations against the German Navy. 
  SEPTEMBER 5TH, 2043
  Citing the need to focus on continued 
  economic recovery in the wake of 
  the 2nd Great Depression, President 
  Bonnie Mae Miller declares the United 
  States neutral “in all ongoing global 
  conflicts.” She goes on to say “We 
  will no longer throw good American 
  money—and the blood of good 
  American sons and daughters—after 
  the bad policies of bad neighbors.” 
  As though in response to President 
  Miller’s affirmation of American 
  isolationism, China launches invasions 
  of Mongolia and Thailand. 
  SEPTEMBER 7TH, 2043
  Japan withdraws all diplomats and 
  calls for all citizens to return home 
  from other Pacific Rim countries, 
  citing significant concerns for safety 
  in the wake of China’s expansionist 
  rhetoric. China responds with 
  extensive flyover violations of 
  Japanese air space.
  SEPTEMBER 14TH, 2043
  Prime Minister Ella-Grace Trudeau 
  announces Canada’s declaration 
  of war against the Neo-Communist 
  Bloc. In her statement, she declares 
  “We must always remember we are, 
  ultimately, one nation of people on 
  this Earth, and we must stand against 
  
  17
  aggression and protect freedom for 
  those who cannot. We hope we can 
  show the path for our friends and 
  neighbors who have lost their way.” 
  Numerous sources indicate talks have 
  begun between Canada and the other 
  nations allied against the Bloc about a 
  formal alliance.
  SEPTEMBER 17TH, 2043
  Russian forces rapidly advance into 
  Poland from east, smashing through 
  what little resistance the nation has 
  left to offer. The forces of Britain and 
  France remain mostly in a harassment 
  mode against Bloc operations as 
  they desperately try to build up their 
  reserves and mobilize for more 
  effective war execution. Australia, New 
  Zealand, and Canada are also in rapid 
  buildup mode, but can do little to stem 
  Bloc operations at this time.
  SEPTEMBER 28TH, 2043
  Russian and German officials meet 
  in Warsaw to accept President Eryk 
  Kosa’s unconditional surrender. They 
  immediately begin drawing up a 
  formal agreement for dividing the 
  nation for annexations.
  NOVEMBER 18TH, 2043
  No longer bothering to issue 
  statements of justification, Russia 
  launches an invasion into Finland. 
  Sweden immediately sues for 
  peace when Bloc diplomats present 
  demands. Russian forces stage 
  throughout the nation even as Sweden 
  signs the “Pact of Iron” (though it is 
  little more than an occupied puppet 
  state now).
  NOVEMBER 30TH, 2043
  At a conference hosted in Cairo, the 
  nations of Egypt, Eritrea, Iran, Iraq, 
  Lebanon, Qatar, Sudan, Syria, Turkey, 
  and Yemen all sign the “Pact of 
  Iron.” The combined nations issue a 
  statement that distances them from 
  actual communist political philosophy, 
  yet unites them to the Bloc’s overall 
  goals for a post-democratic world 
  society.
  DECEMBER 18TH, 2043
  Bloc forces led by Turkey invade 
  Greece, while primarily Iranian 
  and Saudi forces lead an invasion 
  of Afghanistan and Pakistan. Bloc 
  special forces units move to rapidly 
  secure Pakistani nuclear assets.
  
  18
  JANUARY 28TH, 2044
  Greek forces valiantly defeat the 
  Turkish Aegean Army at the Battle of 
  Drama.
  MARCH 12TH, 2044
  Finnish officials sign a peace treaty 
  with the Neo-Communist Bloc, though 
  President Pekka Wallendahl refuses 
  and disappears into the wilderness 
  with Finnish special forces. Finland 
  becomes an occupied nation, but 
  most of the population refuses to 
  accept they have surrendered.
  MARCH 14TH, 2044
  The Devonport Naval Base near 
  Scotland is bombed by unidentified 
  air units and is completely destroyed. 
  Allied intelligence agencies scramble 
  to learn what aircraft were used. 
  Bloc propaganda uses the incident to 
  encourage English citizens to sue for 
  peace.
  APRIL 9TH, 2044
  Bloc forces begin their invasion of 
  Denmark. The Danes put up a spirited 
  defense.
  MAY 10TH, 2044
  Bloc forces launch attacks into France, 
  Belgium, and the Netherlands. The 
  Russian 423rd Guards Motorized Rifle 
  Regiment alone conquers Luxembourg 
  in two days.
  MAY 11TH, 2044
  Prime Minister Bas Diepen of the 
  Netherlands surrenders to the Bloc.
  MAY 25TH, 2044
  Finally committing significant ground 
  forces, British Army and Royal Marines 
  join the French to launch a major 
  counter-offensive, and the Second 
  Battle of Dunkirk begins.
  MAY 29TH, 2044
  With the entire royal family and the 
  Prime Minister dead from extensive 
  combat in and around Brussels, 
  Deputy Prime Minister Joyce Van 
  Moorlehem surrenders to Bloc forces, 
  and Belgium joins the rapidly-growing 
  list of occupied nations.
  JUNE 3RD, 2044
  Mysterious air forces bomb Paris 
  overnight, and the Bloc issues 
  surrender demands in the aftermath 
  of the devastation. French and 
  British forces retreat to the coast for 
  evacuation as the Second Battle of 
  Dunkirk ends with their devastating 
  defeat. US naval units—primarily 
  supply and medical frigates—are 
  dispatched to assist in the efforts.
  JUNE 10TH, 2044
  Prime Minister Gilbert Gallo of Italy 
  declares war on the Neo-Communist 
  Bloc. In his passionate statement, he 
  says “We will show our friends and 
  neighbors of the world the valor of 
  Italy, and we will defend freedom for 
  all!” Italian forces immediately move 
  into occupied portions of France and 
  station along the Austrian border for a 
  push northwards towards Germany.
  JUNE 14TH, 2044
  Amidst the rubble of Paris, President 
  Patrice Trémaux tearfully signs the 
  documents of surrender to the Neo-
  Communist Bloc. Marshal General 
  of France Claudine Guilbert defiantly 
  
  19
  will be the first to suffer nuclear attack 
  in the war. Statements of capitulation 
  come within hours, and Bloc forces 
  roll in within days to take up full 
  occupation.
  JUNE 23RD, 2044
  Thanks to valiant and tactically 
  superior efforts on the part of British, 
  Canadian, and French naval units, the 
  routed troops from the Second Battle 
  of Dunkirk land on British soil.
  JULY 10TH, 2044
  German and Russian air units engage 
  British, Canadian, French, and 
  Australian squadrons over the British 
  Isles. The Second Battle of Britain 
  begins. Pilots from the United States 
  and Mexico are noted among those 
  volunteering to defend England.
  JULY 17TH, 2044
  Japanese diplomats meet with 
  Portuguese President Plácido Moura 
  to discuss a gathering of heads-of-
  state to address the world crisis.
  AUGUST 3RD, 2044
  The United Nations of Northern Africa 
  enter the war in earnest, launching the 
  Invasion of Italy. Malta falls in an hour, 
  Sicily in just over a week. North Africa 
  forces are outside of Gioia Tauro and 
  Siderno by August 19th.
  SEPTEMBER 3RD, 2044
  Egypt joins the Invasion of Italy, 
  landing all across the bottom of the 
  Italian “boot” and laying siege to 
  Crotone. Italy is forced to recall most 
  of its forces originally committed to 
  liberating France.
  SEPTEMBER 16TH, 2044
  At a secret conference in the Azores, 
  the leaders of Australia, Canada, 
  Japan, New Zealand, Norway, 
  Portugal, Spain, and the United 
  Kingdom sign onto the Trans-Atlantic 
  Coalition (TAC). This officially commits 
  refuses the surrender on 
  the part of the French Army 
  and other military units; 
  the majority of French 
  assets able to escape 
  capture flee into Spain to 
  reorganize.
  JUNE 18TH, 2044
  In a move that shocks the 
  world (and even elicits a 
  condemnation from the 
  United States), the Bloc 
  issues the “Rain of Fire” 
  proclamation against the 
  Baltic States—Estonia, 
  Latvia, and Lithuania. If 
  they do not surrender, they 
  
  20
  each nation to war against the Bloc. 
  Italy pledges allegiance in absentia.
  OCTOBER 7TH, 2044
  Bloc forces swarm through Romania.
  OCTOBER 14TH, 2044
  Unidentified air units, believed to the 
  same craft responsible for similar 
  mysterious bombing raids earlier in 
  the war, devastate a US-led aid convoy 
  in the Atlantic. The USS Annabelle, a 
  medical frigate, is among the craft 
  lost with all hands. “Remember the 
  Annabelle!” becomes a rallying cry 
  among US citizens for America to 
  officially join the war.
  NOVEMBER 3RD, 2044
  In a landslide victory, military veteran 
  and human rights activist Nestor 
  Rodriguez defeats Bonnie Mae Miller 
  to become the next President of the 
  United States. Among his campaign 
  promises, he vowed to “return America 
  to a position of honorable leadership 
  and compassionate involvement in the 
  world.”
  NOVEMBER 10TH, 2044
  “The Taranto Raid”—squadrons of 
  Greek bombers (some dating back as 
  far as World War II) launch a daring 
  raid against the Bloc fleet anchored 
  at Taranto, Italy. The fleet is utterly 
  crippled, but 230 of the 350 planes 
  used in the raid never make it home.
  NOVEMBER 23RD, 2044
  Now the latest puppet state of Russia, 
  Romania signs the “Pact of Iron.”
  DECEMBER 25TH, 2044
  “The Christmas Offensive”—In a move 
  calculated to shift Bloc focus away 
  from the British Isles, UK, Spanish, 
  and expatriate French forces launch 
  attacks into the western part of North 
  Africa. South Africa formally joins the 
  Trans-Atlantic Coalition and mobilizes 
  forces to join in the attack.
  JANUARY 20TH, 2045
  The United States announces a series 
  of new programs to allow Canada to 
  purchase extensive military hardware 
  and other needed materials at 
  “freedom-friendly rates” and with 
  significant deferments for payment. 
  The Bloc issues a formal statement 
  declaring this means the US is no 
  longer a neutral nation in the conflict.
  JANUARY 22ND, 2045
  Australian and New Zealand forces 
  arrive in North Africa in time to lead a 
  mighty push that conquers Morocco 
  and pushes Bloc forces well into 
  Algeria.
  JANUARY 28TH, 2045
  President Rodriguez addresses 
  the citizens of the United States as 
  the first convoys and air-drops of 
  humanitarian aid begin arriving in 
  the British Isles and other places 
  around Europe. “We will no longer 
  stand idly by as the light of freedom is 
  extinguished across the world.”
  FEBRUARY 14TH, 2045
  British-led TAC forces arrive in Greece 
  to begin staging new offensives while 
  bolstering the nation’s defenses.
  
  21
  MARCH 11TH, 2045
  A series of submarine attacks on a 
  wide range of commercial and military 
  vessels in the Western Caribbean 
  begin, killing thousands of crew 
  from many nations in the region. 
  Commando-style raids cripple the 
  Cocoli and Miraflores Locks of the 
  Panama Canal; hundreds of civilians 
  and Panamanian military personnel 
  are killed before the raiders are 
  hunted down days later. American 
  and Brazilian intelligence personnel 
  have difficulties confirming exactly 
  which nations operated the subs, and 
  the commandos are identified to be 
  from all over the world, bearing only 
  Bloc insignia and no national military 
  identifications.
  MARCH 13TH, 2045
  Brazil, Columbia, Mexico, Panama, 
  and Uruguay join the Trans-Atlantic 
  Coalition, issuing a joint statement 
  to the Organization of American 
  States urging their neighbors to do 
  the same. Bolivia, Peru and Jamaica 
  call for an extensive alliance between 
  the OAS and the TAC, gaining wide 
  support among the member nations 
  that remain hesitant about full 
  commitment to the war.
  MARCH 15TH, 2045
  President Rodriguez formally requests 
  Congress issue a declaration of 
  war against the Neo-Communist 
  Bloc; the bill to do so passes nearly 
  unanimously through both houses 
  within hours, and the US joins the 
  Coalition. Nearly every other nation in 
  Central and South America, either via 
  directly joining the TAC or through the 
  OAS-TAC alliance treaty, contributes 
  forces of some kind. The exceptions 
  are El Salvador, Guatemala, and 
  Venezuela; each of these nations 
  make public declarations of neutrality. 
  Rodriguez pledges to have American 
  forces in Europe by the end of the 
  year.
  
  22
  MARCH 27TH, 2045
  A United States Pacific Fleet enters 
  the waters of the Philippines and 
  begins coordination with Japanese 
  forces for operations against China.
  APRIL 6TH, 2045
  German and Russian forces lead the 
  Bloc invasions of Greece, Albania, and 
  Macedonia.
  APRIL 14TH, 2045
  North African-led Bloc forces retake 
  Morocco from the TAC.
  APRIL 17TH, 2045
  Albania and Macedonia surrender and 
  become the latest Bloc puppet states 
  under Russian control.
  APRIL 27TH, 2045
  Saudi naval and marine forces join 
  the invasion of Greece, focusing on 
  coastal areas. The Second Battle 
  of Thermopylae begins, and Greek 
  armored and mechanized units are 
  devastated by a strange new tank 
  design introduced to the battlefield. 
  Sporting multiple weapon mounts, 
  full 360 degree firing arcs, and 
  multiple tread mounts to cover terrain 
  in frighteningly effective ways, the 
  Greeks call it the “Hydra.”
  MAY 1ST, 2045
  In the wake of a devastating defeat 
  in the Battle of the Vevi Line, Greece 
  surrenders to Bloc forces.
  MAY 10TH, 2045
  Lieutenant Colonel Abraham Steel, 
  along with his light mechanized 
  battalion (the “Steel Riders”), arrives 
  in London to help coordinate future US 
  staging in the British Isles.
  MAY 13TH, 2045
  Lt. Col. Steel thwarts an attempt on 
  his life that leaves one of his aides 
  critically wounded and three would-be 
  assassins dead. Assumed to be Bloc 
  operatives, all three are impossible to 
  identify by any regular means; there 
  are simply no records of them in any 
  database anywhere. Steel describes 
  their attacks as “highly skilled, if a bit 
  archaic with all the bows and swords.” 
  Legends of Steel taking on “three 
  ninjas with a coffee pot” stem from 
  this incident.
  MAY 15TH, 2045
  British-led Coalition forces launch 
  “Operation Brevity,” a highly-
  mechanized rapid force counter-attack 
  against Egypt.
  JUNE 8TH, 2045
  TAC forces invade Syria and Lebanon.
  JULY 3RD, 2045
  Thailand formally surrenders to 
  China. Chinese information ministers 
  insist Mongolia has also surrendered, 
  though no sign of a formal process 
  thereof can be produced.
  JULY 10TH, 2045
  North Korea signs the “Pact of Iron” 
  and, within hours, launches a full-scale 
  land and sea invasion of South Korea 
  with Chinese support.
  
  23
  JULY 12TH, 2045
  Bloc forces invade India. Several 
  Japanese subs, stationed in the Bay of 
  Bengal to support Indian naval forces, 
  vanish. They are assumed sunk by 
  Bloc forces. 
  JULY 14TH, 2045
  British, Australian, and New Zealand 
  forces occupy most of Syria and all of 
  Lebanon.
  JULY 26TH, 2045
  The invasion of Norway begins. Finnish 
  and Swedish resistance fighters join 
  the Norwegian military in defense of 
  the nation.
  AUGUST 1ST, 2045
  Neo-Communist Bloc forces stage 
  amphibious and parachute assaults all 
  across Britain. Dover, Bexhill, Brighton, 
  and Portsmouth fall within hours, and 
  Bloc forces use these beachheads to 
  immediately begin pressing inland.
  AUGUST 14TH, 2045
  The Siege of Oslo begins.
  AUGUST 20TH, 2045
  Soviet mechanized units seize 
  Rochester, placing Bloc forces within 
  30 miles of London.
  SEPTEMBER 1ST, 2045
  Lt. Col. Abraham Steel organizes 
  British and French armor, mechanized 
  infantry, air cavalry units, and special 
  operations teams for a counterattack 
  to retake Rochester. Spearheaded 
  by his own Steel Riders, the force 
  succeeds in liberating Rochester 
  though Steel is badly wounded 
  during the Battle of Rochester 
  Castle. Refusing to relinquish either 
  command or momentum, a team of 
  combat medics and doctors attend 
  Steel as he pushes his force on to 
  Dover less than 48 hours later.
  SEPTEMBER 19TH, 2045
  The Battle for Dover begins as 
  “Task Force: Steel Spear” engages 
  entrenched Bloc forces.
  OCTOBER 16TH, 2045
  The Battle for Dover concludes as 
  Steel’s forces capture numerous Bloc 
  units and materiel. Even as Steel 
  receives a battlefield promotion to full 
  colonel, news comes that Bloc forces 
  have taken New Delhi.
  OCTOBER 24TH, 2045
  South Korea falls, and North Korean 
  leaders now insist the nation is united 
  as Korea once again. Southampton, 
  Reading, and Reigate are among 
  the municipalities that fall to Bloc 
  mechanized and airborne units, with 
  an invasion of London imminent. 
  
  24
  OCTOBER 30TH, 2045
  In direct defiance of TAC mobilizations 
  in the Pacific, Chinese forces begin 
  full-scale invasions of Cambodia and 
  Vietnam. 
  NOVEMBER 12TH, 2045
  Colonel Steel joins other TAC 
  commanders aboard the supercarrier 
  HMS Indomitable off the coast of 
  the Isle of Wight to plan coordinated 
  combined-arms attacks against Bloc 
  forces holding Portsmouth, Brighton, 
  and Bexhill. It is hoped this will draw 
  enemy forces away from any attack 
  against London.
  NOVEMBER 27TH, 2045
  Cambodia falls to Chinese forces 
  after particularly bloody fighting. The 
  nation’s infrastructure is devastated.
  DECEMBER 5TH, 2045
  The USS Defiant supercarrier arrives in 
  DECEMBER 16TH, 2045
  Elements of the US Pacific Fleet and 
  Japanese Defense Force naval units 
  arrive in the Sea of Japan, led by 
  the USS Defiant. Bloc naval and air 
  forces immediately attack, initiating 
  the largest naval battles in the 21st 
  century. China lands massive forces 
  on the main island of Japan.
  DECEMBER 19TH, 2045
  HMS Indomitable spearheads the TAC 
  assault against Bloc forces holding 
  Portsmouth and Brighton; over 2,000 
  fighters and bombers are put into the 
  air on a bright, clear day, leading news 
  reporters to call this “The Battle of 
  the Azure Skies.” At the same time, 
  Colonel Steel leads a mechanized and 
  infantry assault to liberate Bexhill.
  DECEMBER 25TH, 2045
  After nearly a week of extensive 
  success in the air war, TAC air forces 
  the Philippines with a full 
  battle group, bolstering 
  US and Japanese naval 
  and marine forces as 
  they weigh anchor and 
  move towards the Sea of 
  Japan to begin operations 
  against China.
  DECEMBER 9TH, 2045
  Her husband and eldest 
  son having died in actual 
  fighting against Bloc 
  forces, Queen Karina 
  Hovland of Norway is 
  forced to surrender to 
  save Oslo from further 
  devastation and death 
  after the brutal siege.
  
  25
  encounter a new jet fighter in the 
  skies over England. Faster and 
  more maneuverable than anything 
  anyone’s seen before, nearly half the 
  Coalition’s planes are shot down over 
  the course of the next 12 hours. At 
  this unexpected turn, the defenses at 
  Bexhill stiffen considerably; the Steel 
  Riders and attached units effectively 
  hold over half the town, however, 
  helping to stall Bloc attack plans 
  against London.
  DECEMBER 26TH, 2045
  The supercarrier HMS Indomitable 
  is sundered in half by a massive 
  explosion that could be seen from 
  space. Ballistic experts conclude a 
  kinetic strike from near-orbit may have 
  been the cause. All hands are lost.
  JANUARY 1ST, 2046
  The Trans-Atlantic Coalition issues 
  the “Declaration of Global Freedom,” 
  affirming its commitment to defend 
  democracy and prevent the Neo-
  Communist Bloc from destroying 
  liberty across the world. Within 
  a week’s time, over two dozen 
  previously neutral nations sign this 
  declaration and enter the war against 
  the Bloc.
  JANUARY 4TH, 2046
  Bloc reinforcements flow into Bexhill, 
  forcing the Steel Riders to retreat to 
  Dover.
  JANUARY 18TH, 2046
  Bloc submarines (primarily Russian 
  and German) launch a series of 
  raids against US naval bases on the 
  American east coast. The New London 
  submarine base in Connecticut is 
  completely wiped out, as is the Naval 
  Air Station in Jacksonville, Florida. 
  Many other bases suffer varying levels 
  of devastation before the enemy subs 
  are destroyed or driven away.
  JANUARY 21ST, 2046
  Extensive US forces arrive in England, 
  along with Canadian and Mexican 
  reinforcements; London is heavily 
  refortified. Colonel Abraham Steel 
  is recalled to London, where he is 
  promoted to Brigadier General. The 
  TAC counter-offensive against Morocco 
  begins.
  FEBRUARY 1ST, 2046
  The USS Defiant receives extensive 
  TAC air force assets from multiple 
  nations, enabling it to begin regular 
  bombing strikes against Chinese 
  forces currently holding central Japan.
  MARCH 10TH, 2046
  Returning to the world after his 
  studies, the one who would one day 
  become Blindsight is disillusioned to 
  discover a global war, strife, and the 
  untold ways in which humankind could 
  destroy itself. He decides to remain 
  in residence in his mountain home, 
  continuing his studies and defending 
  the way into Shambhala.
  APRIL 3RD, 2046
  Bloc forces launch the first of a new 
  wave of air raids directly against 
  London, hoping to force the UK 
  government to capitulate.
  
  26
  MAY 8TH, 2046
  With plumes of smoke constantly in 
  the air over London from constant air 
  raids and bombardment, Bloc forces 
  take on massive reinforcements from 
  their beach holdings and launch a 
  major offensive to take the city once 
  and for all.
  MAY 10TH, 2046
  The Battle of London is suddenly and 
  dramatically won by TAC forces after 
  General Steel conducts “Operation: 
  Sewer Rats,” launching a daring 
  and devastating special operations 
  counter-attack via the sewers and 
  London Underground tunnels. Captain 
  Sean O’Finnian (the man destined 
  to become Big Irish within Freedom 
  Squadron) of the Irish Naval Service 
  leads a surprise raid against Bloc 
  naval units based in Portsmouth, 
  using unorthodox techniques to sink 
  ships considerably larger and more 
  advanced than in his command. When 
  informed of this unexpected boon that 
  supported his actions, General Steel is 
  overheard to say “Someone give that 
  Irish pirate a box of medals and put 
  him on my payroll!”
  MAY 11TH, 2046
  TAC forces fully secure Morocco and 
  push on into Algeria.
  MAY 27TH, 2046
  A massive combined-arms TAC 
  operation is launched from the USS 
  Defiant and other ships in an effort 
  to retake central Japan from China. 
  Reports come from elsewhere on the 
  island that various Yakuza and ninja 
  clans are supporting the attack with 
  insurgency tactics.
  MAY 30TH, 2046
  “The Green Wave”— one thousand 
  bombers are launched from airfields 
  all over Ireland and Scotland against 
  Bloc forces and assets in Germany.
  JUNE 5TH, 2046
  Chinese forces use overwhelming 
  force and high-yield munitions (like 
  fuel-air bombs) to drive TAC forces 
  back into the sea. Pacific Fleet 
  Command decides to reinforce the 
  northern and southern ends of the 
  island in order to hold China to the 
  center.
  JUNE 10TH, 2046
  “The Eye”—As the last major offenses 
  come to a close, this date marks a 
  period of relative peace as all theaters 
  grow quiet and forces on both sides 
  simply dig in or otherwise secure their 
  holdings. 
  AUGUST 17TH, 2046
  The peace is broken as the Trans-
  Atlantic Coalition launches “Operation: 
  Albatross,” a massive bombing 
  campaign against Bloc forces in the 
  United Kingdom and France.
  AUGUST 23RD, 2046
  Bloc air forces take to the skies en 
  masse, beginning the largest ongoing 
  air battle in the 21st century.
  SEPTEMBER 2ND, 2046
  A fleet of primarily Russian and 
  German ships encounter US and 
  Canadian fleet assets, beginning the 
  Second Battle of the Atlantic.
  
  27
  OCTOBER 18TH, 2046
  Bloc high command orders the public 
  execution of a large number of British 
  commandos captured in operations 
  across Europe. Though a daring rescue 
  operation secures some of them, the 
  majority are shot and the video shared 
  worldwide. TAC officials declare this 
  a war crime that will be prosecuted; 
  General Steel goes on record saying 
  “I’ll avenge those men with these two 
  Desert Eagles if I have to!”
  NOVEMBER 8TH, 2046
  “Operation: Blowtorch”—US forces 
  arrive in great number to join the 
  invasion of North Africa.
  DECEMBER 13TH, 2046
  Bloc forces are driven into the eastern 
  half of Algeria.
  DECEMBER 17TH, 2046
  “Remember the Indomitable!”—After 
  many months of devastating aerial 
  bombing and ground offenses, Bloc 
  forces begin withdrawing from most 
  of their southern England holdings, 
  retreating back to France. General 
  Steel leads a highly successful 
  attack against Bloc troops and naval 
  assets in Portsmouth, where the cry 
  to remember the loss of the HMS 
  Indomitable drives his forces to 
  destroy or capture the vast majority 
  of enemy troops and materiel before 
  anything or anyone can escape. 
  Captain O’Finnian is in charge of the 
  naval part of the operation.
  DECEMBER 21ST, 2046
  “Operation: Snatch”—In a top-secret 
  operation he keeps even from TAC 
  command in London, General Steel 
  puts together a special ops team 
  comprised of his own Steel Riders 
  and various UK, Canadian, and 
  French operators. Employing Captain 
  O’Finnian’s customized attack boat, 
  Brigid, Steel launches a raid against 
  a Bloc command craft headed 
  for France. His team captures a 
  significant number of high-ranking 
  Bloc officers and other assets, but at 
  the cost of most of his team. Steel is 
  severely injured and barely makes it 
  back himself.
  DECEMBER 23RD, 2046
  Bloc special forces, using stealth subs 
  and hydro craft, launch a daring night 
  attack against the supercarrier USS 
  Defiant. Dubbed the Battle of the 
  Japan Trench (due to extensive sub-to-
  sub combat beneath the carrier), the 
  giant craft is turned into a war zone 
  as saboteurs and demolitions experts 
  employ extreme tactics to damage 
  anything they can.
  DECEMBER 28TH, 2046
  The last of the invaders surrender 
  to TAC defenders aboard the USS 
  Defiant, but extensive damage from 
  both the boarders and enemy attack 
  subs forces the mighty ship to run 
  aground on the southern coast of 
  Japan to avoid sinking.
  JANUARY 14TH, 2047
  “The Drumbeat Conference”—Leaders 
  or high-ranking officials from all of the 
  Trans-Atlantic Coalition nations gather 
  in Washington, D.C. for an extensive 
  conference to discuss the war and 
  plans going forward. UK Prime 
  Minister Edward Doolittle declares 
  “This war can only end with the 
  unconditional surrender of the Neo-
  
  28
  operations against key Bloc holdings 
  in occupied France.
  FEBRUARY 2ND, 2047
  Bloc forces are crushed by TAC armor, 
  mechanized infantry, and air assets 
  and the remnants are driven out of 
  Algeria. This represents the worst 
  defeat yet for Bloc forces on a large 
  scale.
  FEBRUARY 8TH, 2047
  TAC forces retake New Delhi, 
  beginning the process of liberating 
  India.
  FEBRUARY 12TH, 2047
  The Second Battle of Kasserine Pass 
  begins as TAC armored units seek to 
  destroy what’s left of North Africa’s 
  mechanized forces.
  MARCH 2ND, 2047
  Their military forces in tatters, the 
  United Nations of Northern Africa 
  begin pulling out of Tunisia.
  MARCH 15TH, 2047
  Chinese President Xian Zhi announces 
  his nation’s break with the Neo-
  Communist Bloc and issues peace 
  overtures to the Trans-Atlantic 
  Coalition. At Japan’s urging, the 
  Sakura Armistice is signed by both 
  parties in the old Emperor’s Palace 
  in Tokyo. After devastating fighting 
  that has damaged the infrastructure 
  throughout the islands, Japanese and 
  TAC officials hope this truce will allow 
  for recovery while TAC military assets 
  can be reassigned to other theaters.
  MARCH 20TH, 2047
  The Second Battle of the Atlantic 
  reaches a climax with a massive 
  push that drives Bloc navy forces into 
  retreat. TAC naval losses reach 27 
  vessels lost or scuttled, while the Bloc 
  loses 48 vessels.
  MARCH 28TH, 2047
  As Bloc forces continue to retreat from 
  Tunisia into Libya, a second armored 
  Communist Bloc.” Debate 
  rages for almost two weeks 
  on how to bring the war to an 
  end.
  JANUARY 23RD, 2047
  From his hospital bed in 
  London, General Steel draws 
  up and submits his plans for 
  “Operation: Wounded Lion.” 
  TAC planning staff scoff at 
  his proposal and work to shut 
  him out of further strategic 
  discourse.
  JANUARY 27TH, 2047
  TAC forces gain enough air 
  superiority to renew bombing 
  
  29
  force (primarily American in makeup) 
  catches them at the Mareth Line and 
  initiates the Battle of the Crimson 
  Dunes.
  APRIL 9TH, 2047
  North African forces fight a running 
  battle as they retreat into Libya. TAC 
  forces cut off entire divisions and 
  chew them up piecemeal, further 
  devastating Bloc military capability 
  in the region. At the same time, 
  valiant defense of their homes drives 
  North African forces to fight viciously, 
  inflicting significant casualties on the 
  TAC invaders.
  APRIL 12TH, 2047
  All Bloc forces in Libya surrender. 
  Tunisia officially surrenders a week 
  later. 
  MAY 13TH, 2047
  The United Nations of Northern Africa 
  formally and unconditionally surrender 
  to Trans-Atlantic Coalition forces, 
  signaling a massive change in the war.
  MAY 18TH, 2047
  Bloc command suspends all naval 
  activity in the North Atlantic, 
  effectively surrendering the seas of 
  Europe.
  JUNE 10TH, 2047
  “The Condemnation of Steel”—
  Caught by reporters leaving TAC High 
  Command in London, General Steel 
  cannot contain himself and speaks 
  out. He is quoted as saying “Letting 
  the Bloc dig in so deep in so many 
  places means digging them back out 
  will be a long, bloody process. I hope 
  they’ve invested well in body bags 
  and coffins; we’re gonna lose a lot 
  of good men and women because 
  of their pig-headedness!” Three days 
  later, he is assigned to provide support 
  and advice to insurgency fighters in 
  Finland and Northern Europe.
  JUNE 15TH, 2047
  TAC forces enter Paris, Copenhagen, 
  Amsterdam, Oslo, and Helsinki in 
  a multi-pronged attack to shake 
  loose Bloc control points throughout 
  Europe. Unfortunately, this instead 
  initiates many weeks of block-to-
  block fighting in the cities and trench 
  warfare throughout much of Western 
  Europe. TAC advances are halted, and 
  casualties mount up dramatically on 
  both sides.
  JULY 2ND, 2047
  TAC forces, led by American, 
  Australian, and New Zealand units, hit 
  the beaches of Sicily.
  JULY 17TH, 2047
  TAC air units and missile batteries 
  begin surgical strikes into and around 
  Rome.
  JULY 20TH, 2047
  Coalition forces successfully liberate 
  Palermo.
  JULY 24TH, 2047
  Massive bombing raids begin against 
  German military production in 
  Hamburg and elsewhere in Germany.
  AUGUST 8TH, 2047
  Bloc forces begin giving ground in 
  Sicily; TAC forces relieve Messina days 
  later.
  
  30
  SEPTEMBER 2ND, 2047
  TAC forces land in Salerno and 
  Taranto, beginning the liberation of 
  Italy.
  SEPTEMBER 10TH, 2047
  Bloc forces begin fortifying and 
  entrenching around Rome. Skirmishes 
  occur between the Vatican’s Swiss 
  Guard and Bloc elements attempting 
  to secure the Holy See. 
  OCTOBER 4TH, 2047
  The Neo-Communist Bloc formally 
  declares war on China and sends 
  armor and infantry units into the 
  western mainland of the country. TAC 
  and other officials publicly wonder at 
  the rather unwise choice.
  OCTOBER 8TH, 2047
  TAC forces liberate Naples.
  JANUARY 10TH, 2048
  TAC forces begin pushing northward 
  towards the Monte Cassino region of 
  Italy.
  JANUARY 22ND, 2048
  Spearheaded by Brazilian, Columbian, 
  Mexican, and other Central/South 
  American marine and amphibious 
  units, the TAC launches a major 
  assault to take Anzio, Italy. Australian, 
  South African, and New Zealand units 
  move in days later to reinforce the 
  valiant Americas forces.
  FEBRUARY 16TH, 2048
  The Bloc launches a surprising and 
  vicious counterattack against the 
  Anzio occupation forces, pinning them 
  down and halting advances on that 
  front.
  FEBRUARY 19TH, 2048
  Advance TAC armored and 
  mechanized infantry units heading 
  into the Cassino region are repulsed 
  by heavy Bloc resistance.
  MARCH 15TH, 2048
  The Second Cassino Offensive begins.
  MARCH 18TH, 2048
  “The Red Wave”—Bloc air units 
  launch a surprise daylight bombing 
  raid against London, staging most 
  of their attacking bombers out of 
  Norway. Over 3000 tons of munitions 
  are dropped on the beleaguered 
  city, resulting in some of the highest 
  civilian casualties in England one day.
  MAY 1ST, 2048
  “The Second Battle of the Gustav 
  Line”—TAC forces push towards 
  Rome through heavy Bloc emplaced 
  defenses.
  MAY 12TH, 2048
  Bloc forces begin pulling northward, 
  retreating from TAC forces advancing 
  from the south. Days later, they 
  relinquish Anzio, converging on their 
  fortifications in Rome.
  JUNE 5TH, 2048
  Advance TAC units enter the outskirts 
  of Rome; the Battle for the Coliseum 
  begins.
  JUNE 28TH, 2048
  TAC operations in Occupied France 
  ramp up with the liberation of 
  Cherbourg. Days later, Caen is also 
  liberated.
  
  31
  JULY 18TH, 2048
  Photojournalist Kimberly McDonald 
  takes the first of her many famous 
  wartime photos, entitled “A Friendly 
  Wager.” The photo depicts a game 
  of soccer being played between TAC 
  and (primarily Russian) Bloc forces in 
  contested Oslo during a lull in fighting. 
  The image appears in every major 
  magazine and newspaper around the 
  world, and goes viral online. Social 
  media explodes with conversations 
  about it being time to end the war.
  JULY 20TH, 2048
  Operatives dressed in neutral, yet 
  clearly advanced special operations 
  armor and gear, initiate coordinated 
  assassination attempts against TAC 
  commanders and officials in multiple 
  theaters. Excellent intelligence work 
  prevents any major successes, though 
  one major staff officer is killed and 
  two others are critically injured.
  AUGUST 1ST, 2048
  Kimberly McDonald continues her 
  crusade to “bring humanity to both 
  sides” as she enters Helsinki under 
  press authority from both TAC and 
  Bloc forces. Discovering Brigadier 
  General Abraham Steel (still in the 
  region as a commander of “insurgency 
  support forces”) and Major General 
  Pavel Avdonin (commander of Bloc 
  forces in the region) sharing a drink 
  in a bombed-out bar, she convinces 
  them to grant her a brief interview 
  and some photos. She shoots the 
  award-winning “Tired Lion & Old Bear,” 
  featuring the two war leaders toasting 
  each other and smiling. The photo is 
  published with the quotes from each 
  leader as they part ways at the end 
  of the interview: (Steel) “It’s been fun, 
  but I need to get back to my troops. 
  I’ll do my best not to shoot you in the 
  morning, Pavel.” (Avdonin) “Ha! No 
  fear there, Comrade Steel. How do you 
  say in your country? I would have to be 
  size of barn and you still miss, da?”
  AUGUST 7TH, 2048
  Mongolian resistance fighters launch 
  multiple insurgency strikes against 
  Chinese forces in their country, 
  seriously calling to question the 
  degree to which the larger nation 
  actually has control.
  AUGUST 15TH, 2048
  Operation: Falling Tiger begins in India 
  as an effort to drive Bloc forces out 
  completely.
  AUGUST 25TH, 2048
  As the last Bloc tank units flee into 
  Pakistan, Operation: Falling Tiger 
  is declared a success and India 
  liberated.
  AUGUST 27TH, 2048
  As Bloc forces push further into 
  China’s western borders, President 
  Xian Zhi petitions the Coalition for 
  military aid. The United Nations 
  hosts talks between TAC and Chinese 
  military and diplomatic officials.
  AUGUST 31ST, 2048
  TAC officials demand China release 
  all occupied lands and agree to 
  restitution after the war; China refuses 
  and walks away from the talks, thus 
  ending any chance of an alliance.
  
  32
  SEPTEMBER 2ND, 2048
  Back in the public eye thanks to 
  McDonald’s photo and interview, TAC 
  officials agree to bring Steel back 
  to London to discuss his plans for 
  breaking the stalemate in Europe. 
  Operation: Broken Door enters the 
  planning stage.
  OCTOBER 2ND, 2048
  Operation: Broken Door commences; 
  coordinated TAC offensives in Italy, 
  France, Denmark, and the Netherlands 
  are launched against key objectives 
  while resistance movements (heavily 
  armed and reinforced by TAC special 
  forces) engage in extensive guerrilla 
  strikes aimed at disrupting supply 
  lines, communications, and enemy 
  morale. Russian media calls this the 
  “Night of Fire.”
  OCTOBER 30TH, 2048
  Bloc Command orders full retreats 
  from Brussels, Rome, Copenhagen, 
  Amsterdam, and Oslo. Despite 
  warnings from Steel and others, TAC 
  leadership orders immediate heavy 
  occupation of each of these cities
  NOVEMBER 3RD, 2048
  TAC forces fully occupy the five cities 
  abandoned by the Neo-Communist 
  Bloc, declaring a major victory. By 
  nightfall, five previously hidden 
  five-megaton nuclear warheads are 
  detonated by the Bloc as part of their 
  “Operation: Scorched Earth.” The 
  devastation and loss of life is beyond 
  any other single moment in human 
  history.
  NOVEMBER 4TH, 2048
  Major General Pavel Avdonin, citing 
  publicly that he cannot condone the 
  actions of his leaders in choosing to 
  unleash nuclear devastation in such 
  a cowardly fashion, surrenders Bloc 
  forces stationed in Northern Europe 
  unconditionally to Brigadier General 
  Abraham Steel. He urges other Bloc 
  commanders to do the same, and 
  stages a public display of he and 
  his men removing Bloc insignia and 
  uniform coats, throwing them onto a 
  bonfire in Helsinki. Days later, Steel is 
  promoted to Major General.
  Infodump—By Nuclear Fire
  The following cities were utterly destroyed on 
  November 3, 2048, when Neo-Communist 
  Bloc High Command initiated “Operation: 
  Scorched Earth.” Each city was obliterated
  by a five-megaton nuclear warhead:
  •   Brussels, Belgium
  •   Rome, Italy
  •   Copenhagen, Denmark
  •   Amsterdam, Netherlands
  •   Oslo, Norway
  As might be expected, these nations are 
  still devastated, with large swaths of 
  territory suffering from nuclear fallout and 
  other effects. The international community 
  struggles to provide continuing aid towards 
  recovery. 
  Among other necessary changes, the Holy 
  See was moved to the capital of Brazil, 
  Brasilia. The Government of Brazil gave over 
  most of the peninsula containing Alvorada 
  Palace, and the entire district is now known 
  as Alvorada City, serving as the independent 
  capital “nation” of the Catholic Church in the 
  way Vatican City once did.
  
  33
  NOVEMBER 25TH, 2048
  Tirza Denkar is forcibly removed from 
  office and her government collapses 
  as she is arrested for war crimes. The 
  temporary government of Germany 
  formally announces separation 
  from the Neo-Communist Bloc and 
  withdraws its troops from almost all 
  theaters. 
  DECEMBER 1ST, 2048
  Insurgent forces in Norway, 
  Sweden, and Finland, under the 
  command of Finnish special forces 
  Colonel Jupe Rantalainen, launch 
  extensive offensives against Bloc 
  forces throughout the region. Most 
  encounters end with rapid surrender 
  by the primarily Russian troops; 
  barely a shot is fired in Norway 
  as Bloc commanders turn over 
  nuclear warheads they’ve found and 
  dismantled already.
  DECEMBER 8TH, 2048
  Bloc demolition specialists willingly 
  invite TAC counterparts to help search 
  for and dismantle nuclear devices 
  scattered through Paris as the city is 
  liberated without another shot fired.
  DECEMBER 27TH, 2048
  Greece military and civilian insurgents 
  rise up against Bloc forces determined 
  to hold the country. TAC special forces 
  help win the fight three days later, 
  and an already-dismantled warhead is 
  turned over by Bloc forces in Athens as 
  they surrender.
  JANUARY 17TH, 2049
  The United Nations, with Trans-Atlantic 
  Coalition backing, announces that 
  any further attempts by Bloc forces to 
  detonate nuclear devices anywhere 
  will be met with direct retaliation in 
  kind.
  JANUARY 18TH, 2049
  Celebrated as a global hero, Abraham 
  Steel is bumped from two to four stars 
  and recalled to Paris, where he is 
  given leave to celebrate his daughter’s 
  birthday at a special event under the 
  Eiffel Tower. Sadly, saboteurs strike at 
  the event in an attempt to assassinate 
  him; Steel suffers only minor injuries 
  (having been delayed in getting to the 
  event by a meeting that ran just a little 
  too long), but his entire family is lost in 
  the attack.
  JANUARY 20TH, 2049
  Even as he attempts to put together 
  a team to hunt and destroy those 
  responsible, Steel is relieved of duty, 
  put on bereavement leave, and rather 
  forcibly returned to the United States.
  FEBRUARY 1ST, 2049
  The remaining leaders of the Neo-
  Communist Bloc formally sue for 
  peace and talks begin. Despite the 
  UK’s demands from the Drumbeat 
  Conference, it becomes clear 
  “unconditional surrender” must be 
  taken off the table if the world is to 
  know any peace at all.
  FEBRUARY 20TH, 2049
  Top leaders from the Coalition and the 
  Bloc, under United Nations oversight, 
  meet in Paris to discuss terms.
  MARCH 10TH, 2049
  “VE2 Day”—Both sides formally sign 
  the Treaty of Laurels, officially ending 
  World War III. While the treaty clearly 
  
  34
  ends all aggression and demands Bloc 
  forces withdraw from all contested 
  territories, neither the Coalition nor 
  the United Nations can fully enforce 
  liberation of firmly held territories. 
  Poland effectively no longer exists, 
  permanently split between Germany 
  and Russia. Germany also retains 
  much of northern Italy and southern 
  France. Saudi Arabia remains in 
  control of Pakistan and Afghanistan, 
  and Korea remains united under what 
  was North Korean leadership. Large 
  swaths of western China remain under 
  Russian control, as do a number 
  of effectively puppet states (all but 
  reinstating the original Soviet Union). 
  At the same time, China retains 
  control of the vast majority of the 
  Pacific Rim.
  MARCH 18TH, 2049
  Following leads she picked up while 
  moving through the chaos of Northern 
  Europe in the latter days of the war, 
  Kimberly McDonald makes her way 
  from Finland into St. Petersburg, 
  Russia with a small cadre of Finnish 
  and other freedom fighters. Russian 
  operatives seeking absolution for the 
  “Scorched Earth” catastrophes lead 
  her to a restricted hangar, where she 
  observes (and photographs) soldiers in 
  strange uniforms packing up high-tech 
  weaponry and issuing orders to Bloc 
  generals. 
  MARCH 30TH, 2049
  Finnish Colonel Jupe Rantalainen 
  accompanies Kimberly McDonald to 
  a meeting with UN and TAC officials, 
  revealing what they’ve learned 
  of a third party that seems to be 
  manipulating Bloc officials and may 
  have done so since before the war.
  APRIL 2ND, 2049
  The UN forms several fact-finding 
  missions to investigate the existence 
  of this mysterious organization. When 
  the first team’s plane explodes within 
  minutes after takeoff, the UN assigns 
  heavy tactical support and security to 
  the remaining teams.
  APRIL 8TH, 2049
  Mysterious operatives move to 
  assassinate Kimberly McDonald, who 
  barely manages to escape thanks 
  to bodyguards assigned by Col. 
  Rantalainen. She takes several photos 
  of her assailants, who are garbed 
  in advanced stealth combat armor 
  and wielding katanas. Headlines 
  hit most of the major news services 
  with her photos, one prominent news 
  
  35
  organization declaring “High-Tech 
  Ninjas – the Real Threat to Us All?”
  APRIL 30TH, 2049
  Officials of the Trans-Atlantic Coalition 
  announce the alliance will continue as 
  a permanent organization, effectively 
  taking up the role once filled by NATO. 
  TAC’s focus is far more global, with an 
  immediate goal of further stabilizing 
  the world and establishing security for 
  all member nations.
  MAY 7TH, 2049
  Only one of the UN investigative 
  teams returns, mostly intact and 
  with significant evidence to present 
  (there are indications that former 
  MI6 operative Aderyn Cadwaller 
  effectively assigns herself to this 
  team for most of their journey, 
  though entirely unofficially due to 
  her “burned” status). The evidence 
  reveals the presence of VENOM, and 
  its involvement in manipulating the 
  Neo-Communist Bloc into forming. 
  Further evidence shows VENOM 
  supplied extensive logistical and 
  financial support, advanced weaponry, 
  and elite special operatives to the 
  Bloc throughout the war (including 
  the team responsible for the death of 
  General Steel’s family).
  MAY 8TH, 2049
  The UN General Assembly gathers 
  to discuss the ramifications of the 
  revealed evidence of VENOM’s 
  existence and how to proceed. The 
  meeting breaks down into abject 
  chaos as Bloc nations deny the 
  evidence and others insist their nation 
  or coalition should be placed in charge 
  of any actions going forward.
  MAY 16TH, 2049
  In a joint statement, the UN 
  Security Council and the Trans-
  Atlantic Coalition announce the 
  formation of the United Nations/
  Trans-Atlantic Coalition Strategic 
  Coordination Council, or UNTAC. 
  They furthermore announce Project: 
  Freedom Squadron—a proposed 
  independent, international military 
  force tasked primarily with rooting 
  out and destroying VENOM. Though 
  many nations object to the ability 
  of this organization to act with “the 
  necessary authority and autonomy 
  to go anywhere in the world required 
  to fight the enemy we must defeat,” 
  the resolution passes by a significant 
  margin in the General Assembly.
  JUNE 5TH, 2049
  UNTAC announces the selection of 
  General Abraham Steel as Squadron 
  General of Freedom Squadron. They 
  pin five stars on him and set him loose 
  to recruit the best people he can find 
  from anywhere in the world to serve 
  this new force.
  The New United Nations
  Security Council
  In the aftermath of World War III, Russia 
  withdrew from its permanent seat on the 
  UN Security Council. After some debate and 
  wrangling, India was granted the vacant seat. 
  Shortly thereafter, it was decided to expand 
  the permanent seats to seven, and Canada 
  and Japan were added to the permanent 
  roster. Though China remains a permanent 
  member, the nation’s influence is greatly 
  blunted by the preponderance of TAC-
  member nations holding seats.
  
  36
  JUNE 11TH, 2049
  One of General Steel’s first major 
  recruits comes from friends in 
  British Intelligence. The MI6-burned 
  operative, Aderyn Cadwaller, is 
  brought in from the cold thanks to her 
  exceptional work in helping reveal the 
  existence of VENOM. She joins Steel’s 
  efforts to build up the organization 
  and track down leads on the enemy 
  force as Mirage.
  JUNE 26TH, 2049
  A heretofore classified US Department 
  of Defense military research depot 
  located somewhere in Death Valley 
  is re-commissioned as the new 
  headquarters for Freedom Squadron. 
  General Steel announces formal 
  operations against VENOM have 
  commenced.
  JULY 8TH, 2049
  General Steel recruits Altani Zaya—
  Sparks—to take over development of 
  Freedom Squadron’s mechanized and 
  aerial assets.
  AUGUST 29TH, 2049
  Following evidence and intelligence 
  developed by both Mirage and 
  Snapshot (the code name assigned 
  to photojournalist Kimberly McDonald 
  when she was placed on permanent 
  assignment with Freedom Squadron), 
  FS Commandos engage in the first 
  open conflict with identifiable VENOM 
  Troopers in Germany’s Black Forest.
  SEPTEMBER 15TH, 2049
  After proving himself on Sergeant 
  Ajeet Baldev’s hardest proving 
  grounds, General Steel recruits the 
  Indian drill instructor. Sandbar takes 
  over Freedom Squadron’s training 
  programs. 
  OCTOBER 6TH, 2049
  Following the “untimely” death of 
  their father, twin brothers Andre and 
  Rodrigo Quintana (Rojas and Azura 
  within VENOM ranks) state their desire 
  to “legitimize” their father’s criminal 
  legacy by investing their inheritance 
  in the formation of the multi-national, 
  multi-portfolio Steelz Industries. 
  They then reveal the new CEO—Miles 
  Steelz, who looks uncannily like a 
  younger, more muscular version of 
  General Abraham Steel. When called 
  before the United Nations to account 
  for this shocking similarity, Steelz 
  gladly subjects himself to independent 
  DNA testing... which proves entirely 
  inconclusive, and the Security Council 
  issues a formal apology.
  DECEMBER 24TH, 2049
  Hijacking the airwaves and Internet, 
  a being identifying himself as VENOM 
  Commander issues his “Christmas 
  Greetings” message to the world. 
  Declaring that the days of freedom 
  and chaos are over, he assures the 
  population of Earth that they will 
  know peace and security under the 
  “benign” rule of VENOM, “but only 
  once your misguided leaders and your 
  foolish would-be protectors—Freedom 
  Squadron—are taught that opposing 
  me means certain death.” As his 
  laughing form fades to black, ATMs in 
  most major population centers around 
  the world flash “Merry Christmas from 
  VENOM” on their screens as they spew 
  forth money of all currencies, sending 
  the world markets into a spiral and 
  triggering inflation woes.
  
  37
  JANUARY 22ND, 2050
  General Steel recruits Corporal 
  Carnage to take on the task of 
  rehabilitating Commandos too 
  valuable to allow past mistakes 
  to wash out of service. Ex-Shadow 
  Fang Barry Primm (Ambush) is the 
  Corporal’s first major project.
  APRIL 12TH, 2050
  CIA hacker Tina Cassidy, having 
  accessed sensitive Freedom Squadron 
  databases, is transferred to General 
  Steel’s command and receives the 
  code name Uplink.
  MAY 20TH, 2050
  Echo Akash leads the rescue of 
  General Steel from a crash in the 
  Indian mountains. Three months 
  later, she is recruited into Freedom 
  Squadron as Tundra.
  JUNE 13TH, 2050
  Led by Bulkhead, Topside, Selkie, 
  and Sparks, Freedom Squadron and 
  TAC recovery crews extract the USS 
  Defiant from Japan’s shores and begin 
  a complete retrofit and upgrade. The 
  supercarrier is destined to become the 
  floating strategic carrier base, the FSS 
  Freedom (“FSS” standing for “Freedom 
  Squadron Ship”).
  
  38
  DECEMBER 2ND, 2050
  Under orders from VENOM 
  Commander, Toxin leads a team of 
  Shadow Fangs into a particular area 
  within the Himalayas, seeking an 
  ancient temple believed to hold the 
  key to finding the mystical land of 
  Shambhala. Guided by intelligence 
  gathered by Mirage, a team of 
  Freedom Squadron commandos led 
  by Tundra, Glacier, and Hollowpoint is 
  sent in pursuit. Decimated by Toxin’s 
  Shadow Fangs, the team comes 
  across a mysterious traveler (he who 
  would become Blindsight) and asks 
  for aid; the stranger refuses, declaring 
  their war is not his. He offers only to 
  show them the way to a safe passage 
  back down the mountain, and with 
  many wounded on her hands, Tundra 
  reluctantly accepts and pulls her team 
  out of the mission.
  DECEMBER 5TH, 2050
  The man destined to become 
  Blindsight returns to the temple 
  where he trains to discover Toxin and 
  his Shadow Fangs within the walls, 
  murdering his fellow students and 
  his teachers. He dives into battle, 
  only to watch Toxin pierce his Master 
  Lhawang through the heart. The two 
  battle fiercely; Toxin only achieves 
  the upper hand by flinging poisonous 
  acid into the defender’s face and 
  eyes. As he lay dying, Tundra, Glacier, 
  and Hollowpoint charge into the 
  temple and help drive off the VENOM 
  invaders; they had returned to their 
  mission as quickly as possible after 
  getting the other commandos to 
  safety. Tundra’s unwillingness to give 
  up saves Blindsight’s life... but not his 
  eyes.
  DECEMBER 31ST, 2050
  Khando and the elders of Shambhala 
  make the heartbreaking decision 
  to close nearly all pathways into the 
  “Pure Land,” essentially shutting 
  themselves off from the rest of the 
  world. Blindsight (having learned the 
  full truth of who killed his master and 
  feeling a great debt to the Freedom 
  Squadron soldiers who saved him and 
  the rest of the temple) is among the 
  few who choose to remain in the world 
  to fight against the forces of VENOM. 
  As the elders finish the sealing ritual, 
  they are shocked to discover Shytella 
  the Grifstal has vanished, having 
  apparently also returned to the world 
  beyond the gates.
  JANUARY 4TH, 2051
  After months of extensive buildup 
  of personnel and materiel, General 
  Steel announces the formation 
  of Freedom Squadron: Global 
  Operations Force, a much larger and 
  more robust combined-arms military 
  force to combat the growing threat of 
  both VENOM and other strange and 
  dangerous forces facing the world.
  FEBRUARY 3RD, 2051
  Hardcore is recruited personally 
  by General Steel to join Freedom 
  Squadron. He’s granted the rank of 
  Master Chief Warrant Officer and 
  given direct oversight of SpecOpForce 
  Mission Teams.
  MARCH 10TH, 2051
  The first named Mission Team—the 
  Monday Night Savages—hits the field 
  against Doctor Devo and the Cold 
  Mountain Mercenaries, signaling 
  the official start of Global Operations 
  Force field activity.
  
  39
  the state of the world
  The entire world is aware that they’re 
  experiencing the New Cold War, a term 
  regularly invoked by the news media. 
  While the Bloc suffered significant 
  defeat, they were not fully divested of 
  their occupied territories. The Trans-
  Atlantic Coalition and the United Nations 
  simply had neither the resources nor 
  the stomach for the continued open 
  warfare necessary to restore all pre-war 
  boundaries.
  Among the many complex situations 
  facing the world of 2051, the following 
  are key conditions and situations that 
  occupy the minds of world leaders and 
  those who plan Freedom Squadron 
  operations: 
  • Every nation still identified as part of
  the Neo-Communist Bloc is officially 
  designated by the United Nations 
  as a “VENOM Client State.” This 
  designation carries mandatory 
  and severe economic sanctions 
  and embargos. Black market and 
  smuggling operations are thriving in 
  this environment, and mega-cartels are 
  cropping up all over the world. Freedom 
  Squadron’s mandate has expanded to 
  deal with these multinational criminal 
  factions.
  • Steelz Industries is the leading supplier
  of vast sums of necessary goods and 
  services within many of the VENOM 
  Client States. Absolutely precise and 
  careful in its dealings, the multinational 
  has thus far avoided any and all efforts 
  to uncover corruption or illegal dealings 
  on its part. Despite General Steel’s 
  great consternation, CEO Miles Steelz 
  moves internationally with impunity, 
  MATTERS OF
  NOTE ON THE
  GLOBAL SCENE
  These conditions leave a state of 
  continued strife and conflict, which 
  VENOM seems to thrive upon. World War 
  III was terrifying for all, but the next great 
  war could spell the end for humanity...
  ...which is exactly what VENOM 
  Commander’s true masters want.
  
  40
  smugly daring Freedom Squadron to 
  catch him at anything.
  • Italy’s Prime Minister, Gilbert Gallo,
  has vowed to retake Italian territory 
  from Germany. Border skirmishes are a 
  constant fact of life, and the UN applies 
  continuous diplomatic pressure to keep 
  Italy from reigniting full-scale warfare 
  with Germany. As France rebuilds, 
  Claudine Guilbert (the Marshall 
  General who refused to surrender, now 
  President) is promising to join Italy in 
  any efforts to restore original national 
  borders for both of their nations.
  • Insurgents maintain a constant
  state of guerrilla warfare against Saudi 
  Arabian forces in both Pakistan and 
  Afghanistan. The Saudi government 
  has accused Freedom Squadron 
  repeatedly of supplying weapons and 
  tactical support.
  • Mongolian freedom fighters are
  putting up a very respectable 
  resistance against Chinese rule; 
  Sparks regularly urges General Steel 
  to propose liberation assistance, which 
  he regretfully denies due to current 
  UN stances on avoiding open warfare 
  against anyone not VENOM.
  • Japan is a shattered nation. China
  retains control of the central part of 
  the main island. A line running roughly 
  between Niigata and Sendai demarks 
  what is now called Northern Japan, 
  while another rough line from Maiuru 
  through Kyoto to Matsusaka marks off 
  what is now called South Japan. Both 
  halves are under one government, 
  but half the population relies more on 
  Yakuza and similar underworld factions 
  for services and protection. The Trans-
  Atlantic Coalition denies any active 
  plans to liberate central Japan... yet.
  • Mostly unmolested during the war,
  many of the nations of central and 
  southern Africa are enjoying an 
  economic boom as they operate 
  cooperatively (via the auspices of the 
  African Union and the Pan-African 
  Parliament) to leverage natural 
  resources and other strengths to 
  both assist recovering nations and 
  compete in the new global markets. 
  Unfortunately, their fortunes have 
  attracted VENOM efforts to infiltrate, 
  exploit, and destabilize, making the 
  African continent an evolving battlefield 
  in the war between VENOM and 
  Freedom Squadron.
  • Though isolationist factions still work
  tirelessly to return the United States 
  to its pre-war footing, the nation is an 
  invested partner in world matters once 
  again. Extensive talks are underway to 
  reinvigorate and expand the function of 
  the Organization of American States in 
  the hopes of creating mutual security 
  and economic prosperity throughout 
  the Western Hemisphere. Collectively, 
  the nations of the OAS represent the 
  vast majority of the funding of Freedom 
  Squadron.
  • Between captured arms and other
  materiel from VENOM-supported Bloc 
  units and the natural effects of global 
  warfare, the state of technology has 
  advanced dramatically. Bionics and 
  cybernetics are rapidly evolving out of 
  limited production into the mainstream, 
  and other major medical advances are 
  extending the life expectancy of the 
  human species. Computer technology 
  is many generations advanced from 
  the early part of the 21st century, 
  with virtual reality interface systems 
  nearly commonplace and holographic 
  interfacing the latest craze in high-scale 
  environments. Hardlight holography 
  tech is real, though very much in its 
  
  41
  infancy as an applied technology. 
  Coherent light-and-plasma weaponry 
  is primarily the province of large, 
  complicated vehicle and emplacement 
  systems, though a handful of person-
  portable systems are in the prototype 
  stage. Aeronautics have reached a 
  state that it is now possible to build 
  and fly vehicles into orbit and back; 
  Freedom Squadron’s Star Corps has a 
  handful of these in service now.
  Infodump – The Trans-Atlantic Coalition
  The Trans-Atlantic Coalition is the dominant 
  military alliance of the world these days, 
  though it remains hard-pressed on all fronts 
  by both the recalcitrant Neo-Communist 
  Bloc and openly-hostile VENOM forces. The 
  current membership includes: 
  • Australia
  • Canada
  • Finland
  • France
  • Greece
  • Italy
  • Japan
  • Mexico
  • Netherlands
  • New Zealand
  • Norway
  • Portugal
  • South Africa
  • Spain
  • Sweden
  • The Union of South American Nations
  (Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, 
  Columbia, Ecuador, Guyana, Paraguay, 
  Peru, Suriname, Uruguay). El Salvador, 
  Guatemala, and Venezuela are not 
  members.
  • The United Kingdom
  • The United States
  If not for the threat of VENOM, the TAC may 
  have spun down to a more tenuous and 
  politically-entangled alliance. Instead, 
  it remains a firmly united global entity, 
  especially as it has strengthened its 
  relationship with the UN. Unfortunately, 
  these efforts suffer from varying degrees 
  of renewed isolationist attitudes from the 
  populations of each member nation, ready 
  to be done with war and the economic trials 
  created by WWIII. However, if not for the 
  Trans-Atlantic Coalition’s and United Nations’ 
  commitment to united efforts against VENOM 
  and its client states, World War IV might well 
  be on the horizon.
  UNTAC
  In order to consolidate resources, restore 
  global order and security, and establish 
  some kind of united effort against the 
  newly-revealed VENOM, the United 
  Nations and the Trans-Atlantic Coalition 
  constructed a framework within which 
  to coordinate and cooperate. Based on 
  similar efforts between NATO and the UN 
  in the past, the United Nations/Trans-
  Atlantic Coalition Strategic Coordination 
  Council was formed. Referred to as UN/
  TAC SCC—or more commonly just UNTAC—
  this body features multi-disciplined 
  appointees from both the United Nations 
  and TAC.
  The Council is chaired by the Deputy 
  Secretary General of TAC (currently 
  Heleen Gagelman of the Netherlands) 
  and is comprised of generals, diplomats, 
  political strategists, and intelligence 
  directors. UNTAC has access to the 
  greatest minds in military operations, 
  economics, science, and more that the 
  world has to offer. Their stated purpose 
  is to provide post-war recovery and 
  security for all member nations. This 
  includes oversight of all global military 
  and strategic operations within the UN’s 
  purview—especially Freedom Squadron.
  
  42
  With VENOM now out in the open, many 
  of the Neo-Communist Bloc nations 
  effectively became client states to 
  the multi-national, paramilitary mega 
  conglomerate. Only Russia and Saudi 
  Arabia seem to have some modicum 
  of autonomy from VENOM, though the 
  organization’s influence is still heavy and 
  they are deeply dependent on its vast 
  wealth and resources to balance losses 
  from international sanctions. With so 
  much economic might and capital assets 
  in these nations, beyond the reach of the 
  TAC and the UN, even a fully-revealed 
  VENOM is able to maneuver with impunity 
  in many parts of the world.
  As well, former Bloc nations such as 
  Germany and China continue to benefit 
  from their unofficial ties to VENOM, 
  though they have to work harder at 
  concealing those relations (at least in a 
  politically defensible way) to avoid UN 
  sanctions and worse reprisals. Post-war 
  Germany still controls Denmark, Belgium, 
  and Luxembourg. Parts of Poland, France, 
  and Italy remain under the German flag 
  as well.
  In the East, China’s annexation of so 
  many nations (Vietnam, Cambodia, 
  Mongolia, Thailand, Kyrgyzstan, 
  Tajikistan, Myanmar, Laos, Taiwan, and 
  the Philippines) remains effectively 
  unchallenged. China also controls large 
  portions of Japan, leaving the once great 
  nation fractured and crippled. China is 
  the powerhouse of Asia and much of 
  the Pacific Rim, and its leaders remain 
  unmoved by UN and TAC pressure to 
  relinquish dominance of the conquered 
  nations. There are those in political and 
  intelligence circles who believe China 
  has extensive covert ties to VENOM, 
  emboldening its recalcitrance in the face 
  of international sanctions.
  The events of World War III brought about 
  a dramatic strengthening of the African 
  Union. Though the continent is still made 
  up of many distinct and autonomous 
  nations, mutual economic and military 
  interests drove efforts to combine 
  strategic assets. The stronger, more 
  democratic member nations also moved 
  to empower the Pan-African Parliament 
  in order to ensure security and growth in 
  a post-war world. 
  A WORLD WITH 
  VENOM REVEALED
  
  43
  Infodump—The Neo-Communist Bloc
  This alliance still exists, and while it remains devastated from the failures and losses of the war, 
  the collected resources and might of its members continues to hinder global peace and prosperity. 
  Quite simply, VENOM won’t allow the Bloc to simply roll over and bare its throat to the Trans-Atlantic 
  Coalition, instead ensuring ever-escalating tensions that keep the worry of a World War IV on 
  everyone’s mind.
  The following nations are still members of the Bloc; those in italics are effectively puppet nations to 
  Russia, essentially restoring the Soviet Union in all but name: 
  • Albania
  • Austria
  • Belarus
  • Bosnia/Herzegovina
  • Cambodia (protectorate of China)
  • Croatia
  • Czech Republic
  • Egypt
  • Eritrea
  • Estonia
  • Hungary
  • Iran
  • Iraq
  • Kosovo
  • Latvia
  • Lebanon
  • Lithuania
  • Macedonia
  • Moldova
  • North Korea (Korea)
  • Philippines (protectorate of China)
  • Qatar
  • Romania
  • Russia
  • Saudi Arabia
  • Serbia
  • Slovakia
  • Slovenia
  • Sudan
  • Syria
  • Turkey
  • Ukraine
  • United Nations of North Africa (Algeria,
  Libya, Mauritania, Morocco, and Tunisia)
  • Vietnam (protectorate of China)
  • Yemen
  In addition to all of its fully-annexed client states, Russia also holds much of Kazakhstan (China 
  holds the rest), Uzbekistan, and Turkmenistan (with Iran holding a large portion of the latter). 
  The nations China controls that are not listed as protectorates are, instead, fully conquered and 
  annexed states.
  Though the Union never signed a formal 
  agreement with the TAC during the war, 
  coordinated efforts between the two 
  entities effectively shut down many 
  Bloc pushes on the African continent. 
  Unsurprisingly, Egypt, Sudan, and North 
  Africa (still Bloc members) have been 
  ejected from the Union, and there’s been 
  more than a few border skirmishes and 
  other incidents since the end of the war 
  between AU and Bloc forces.
  Though most of the members of the 
  Union of South American Nations are 
  active members of the Trans-Atlantic 
  Coalition, El Salvador, Guatemala, and 
  Venezuela remain staunchly outside 
  of that alliance. Current intelligence 
  suggests each of those nations—
  especially Venezuela—are under various 
  degrees of infiltration and influence from 
  VENOM.
  
  44
  What follows are new Setting Rules 
  designed for Freedom Squadron, as well 
  as a section detailing which ones from 
  other sources are recommended.
  appropriate time); or in some way survive 
  what would otherwise kill them. 
  What does this mean for heroes created 
  by players and villains created by Game 
  Masters? That is entirely up to you, of 
  course, but it’s recommended you follow 
  these guidelines: 
  • For Novice Commandos, there’s
  really no “script immunity” at all. Until 
  they earn their Code Names, Recruits 
  and Commandos are as subject to 
  the lethal dangers of combat and the 
  universe as anyone. 
  • Seasoned heroes—those that have
  earned their Code Names—now enjoy 
  some protection. They gain the benefits 
  of the Harder to Kill Edge. This is also 
  true for any named “lieutenants” 
  created by the GM.
  Setting rules
  Setting Rules from Other Sources
  The following Setting Rules found in Savage 
  Worlds are suggested for your Freedom 
  Squadron campaigns: Blood & Guts, Born a 
  Hero, Joker’s Wild, and Multiple Languages. 
  In some limited situations, the Game Master 
  should feel free to employ the Fanatics rule 
  (especially against top-level VENOM leaders 
  like VENOM Commander, Vipress, Gorgon, 
  and Professor Mortis). The Heroes Never Die 
  rule is modified a bit as Heroes (and Villains) 
  Die Hard.
  From Savage Rifts®, the Setting Rules 
  of Blaze of Glory, Extra Effort, and Death 
  & Defeat are highly recommended. In the 
  latter case, simply use the table found in The 
  Tomorrow Legion Player’s Guide. 
  HEROES (AND 
  VILLAINS) DIE HARD
  Less a new Setting Rule than a 
  modification of how the Heroes Never 
  Die from Savage Worlds applies to this 
  setting. Freedom Squadron has a lot 
  of established characters (sometimes 
  referred to as “Card Characters,” calling 
  back to the idea that most of them are 
  featured on cards in the VENOM Assault 
  board game) that appear in various 
  media—and that promises to only expand 
  over time. As far as canonical continuity 
  is concerned, they’re not going to be 
  killed off any time soon. 
  While individual Game Masters are free 
  to do as they will with any character 
  in the game, if you’re of a mind to 
  consider your campaign as part of the 
  Global Operations Force continuity (the 
  shared world which leaves things open 
  for players to bring their characters to 
  convention tables and other venues 
  where other GOF players and GMs are 
  sharing their narratives), you may wish to 
  employ this Setting Rule.
  Simply put, characters established in 
  the IP (intellectual property) that is 
  the Freedom Squadron universe never 
  quite die. Instead, they disappear in the 
  explosion; fall to their certain doom (but 
  no body is found); collapse into a deep 
  coma, with no idea when they might 
  awake (but definitely at a dramatically 
  
  45
  • Veteran heroes are even harder to
  permanently cross off; if one dies, 
  roll a d8, and they manage to survive 
  on anything but a 1 or 2. Named 
  “captains” of the GM’s creation enjoy 
  the same benefit.
  • Heroic Commandos roll a d10 when
  “killed,” again only really dying on 
  a 1 or 2. Major villains of the Game 
  Master’s crafting get the same 
  protection.
  • Legendary heroes roll a d12 when
  death comes calling, and only truly 
  go out on a 1. For GM characters that 
  are deemed of this level, it’s simply 
  a matter of arbitration on the Game 
  Master’s part.
  Note that in all cases, the Game Master 
  can simply arbitrarily decide if a character 
  of their creation truly dies or somehow 
  survives the impossible. As well, some 
  GMs may decide they want the specter 
  of Death to loom more oppressively over 
  their players’ heroes, thus choosing to 
  simply not employ this Setting Rule. We 
  highly recommend using at least the 
  Blaze of Glory rule to compensate here.
  expertise and training that allows them 
  to act as Team Lead for certain types of 
  Challenges.
  Unlike Contacts (described later as 
  one of the Special Mission Rewards 
  Commandos can achieve during Plans 
  & Operations game play), Mission 
  Specialists are treated as Wild Cards 
  and are able to be a Team Lead for a 
  Challenge. They should only be employed 
  when the team is significantly deficient 
  in a category of Challenge, such as no 
  one having an appropriate skill in the 
  Interaction category of higher than d6 
  (and no Charisma bonuses). The GM is 
  the final arbiter of when it is appropriate 
  to call in a Mission Specialist.
  Example Mission Specialists are included 
  in the Friends & Foes Recognition Files 
  section later in this book.
  MISSION
  SPECIALISTS
  With the Plans & Operations rules in play, 
  many teams may discover an imbalance 
  that makes accomplishing missions very 
  difficult (at best). This is where bringing 
  in one or more Mission Specialists is 
  a good idea. Mission Specialists are 
  non-player characters that the GM can 
  allow the players to request to fill out the 
  ranks during P&O sessions, possessing 
  
  46
  A special set of rules designed to 
  integrate the planning stage of a 
  mission with actual game play, Plans 
  & Operations is meant to take what is 
  often a tedious, drawn-out part of many 
  games and turn it into something fun and 
  playable as a kind of “mini-game.” This 
  system is also intended to bring out the 
  skills and talents of heroes that aren’t 
  always as combat-intensive in nature, 
  such as technical abilities and social 
  skills.
  Savage Worlds fans will see other known 
  subsystems integrated into this idea—
  Cooperative Rolls, Dramatic Tasks, and 
  Social Conflict all influence this system 
  significantly.
  Plans & Operations functions as a series 
  of three rounds—much like a combat 
  scene—with a more abstract passage 
  of time involved. Although this system 
  can work fine in the abstract, having a 
  map and miniatures to represent the 
  operational area may greatly enhance the 
  experience. For larger operational areas 
  (an entire city, or maybe even different 
  places around the world for really big 
  operations), a more abstract map or table 
  layout may work best.
  In general, Plans & Operations works in 
  one of two ways: 
  • As the run-up to a combat scene in
  which all of the heroes will gather and 
  join in (we tend to call this a Boss Fight 
  in Freedom Squadron).
  • As a means to obtain multiple pieces
  of information, items, or other mission 
  goals, all towards the larger goals of 
  Freedom Squadron and dealing with 
  ongoing story arcs.
  While the Game Master should provide 
  the general setup where locations and 
  opposition forces are concerned, Plans & 
  Operations is intended to be fairly player-
  driven. As each player takes his turn, he 
  should use the opportunity to narrate 
  the scene and invoke a skill to deal with 
  a Challenge in that scene. In this way, 
  players can give some spotlight to the 
  special training, experience, and talents 
  of their characters.
  For example, in a sequence where a team 
  is infiltrating a corporate facility, one 
  player may explain how his character is 
  using his Persuasion skill (along with his 
  exceptional Charisma) to charm his way 
  past a receptionist as part of an indicated 
  Interaction Challenge, while another 
  player may describe her character using 
  Stealth to crawl her way through the 
  air ducts as part of Covert Challenge. 
  Meanwhile, a third player may be offsite, 
  using his Computers skill to hack into the 
  facility’s network and run interference to 
  resolve a Technical Challenge.
  Plans & Operations goes according to 
  the following phases: Establish Mission 
  Parameters, Initial Plan, Run the 
  Operation, and Determine the Outcome.
  PLANS & OPERATIONS
  PHASE I: ESTABLISH 
  MISSION PARAMETERS
  First things first, the players and the 
  GM need to figure out what the team 
  is actually attempting to accomplish. 
  Often, this will come from information the 
  Game Master puts into play—a directive 
  from Freedom Squadron superiors, a 
  distress call from someone in trouble, 
  
  47
  d20
  Result
  1-4 Information: One of the more common types of missions Freedom Squadron teams are 
  sent on, involving infiltration of a facility, hacking secure computer systems, rifling through 
  file folders, and questioning folks to obtain vital information the force needs to find and 
  stop VENOM operations.
  5-6 Sabotage: There are times when shutting down a plant, frying the computers of an enemy 
  technician, or blowing up a munitions dump is called for.
  7-8 Rescue: Freedom Squadron has a lot of trained search-and-rescue folks on the payroll, 
  and there are times the team is called upon to help rescue folks in dangerous situations. 
  In these missions, Enemy Leadership should be reinterpreted to mean environmental 
  conditions and other elements that provide significant opposition to the team’s efforts.
  9-10
  Emergency Relief: Humanitarian aid is something General Steel insisted be included in 
  Freedom Squadron’s charter. The force’s assets and personnel are regularly called upon 
  to bring food, supplies, and medical support into the world’s most devastated regions. 
  In these missions, Enemy Leadership should be reinterpreted to mean environmental 
  conditions and other elements that provide significant opposition to the team’s efforts.
  11-12
  Retrieval: Sometimes a key piece of technology or something else of value falls into 
  nefarious hands. Freedom Squadron teams may be called upon to get such things away 
  from the Bad Guys.
  13-14 Extraction: There are times when an asset—an undercover operative, a scientist captured 
  and forced to work for VENOM, etc.—needs to be pulled out of a bad situation.
  15-16
  Capture: In the ongoing war between Freedom Squadron and VENOM, capturing key 
  enemy personnel is a vital part of the strategy. Teams might be sent to grab an important 
  enemy asset when the opportunity presents itself.
  17-18
  Investigation: Interpol and law enforcement organizations the world over often ask 
  Freedom Squadron to employ its top agents and investigators to help against the multi-
  national criminal cartels that aid VENOM. There are crimes that lead to larger, more 
  dangerous conspiracies that teams are asked to look into.
  19-20 Multiple Goals: Many missions have multiple objectives. Roll (or select) two different 
  results to combine into one mission. If this result is rolled again, simply roll/add a third 
  result, and so on.
  or a message from an ally detailing a 
  VENOM plot. At other times, the players 
  may well decide to run a Plans & 
  Operations mission in order to find more 
  information about a mystery they’ve been 
  investigating or take a run at an enemy 
  that’s plagued them for a while.
  MISSION TABLE
  The Game Master can obviously just 
  decide what the mission is about, based 
  on his plans for the scenario and the 
  campaign. Alternately, he can roll on or 
  select from this table: 
  Note that there are no combat-only missions listed on the Mission Table. Combat 
  missions are handled either with the Quick Combat Rules (available as a free 
  download from Pinnacle’s web site) or via normal Savage Worlds combat rules. They 
  are often the result of other missions, successful or not.
  
  48
  Once the basics of the mission are 
  figured out, the GM decides four qualities 
  about the operation: the Complexity, 
  the Difficulty, the Risks, and the 
  Enemy Leadership. The Complexity of 
  an operation determines how many 
  Challenges a team will face in each of 
  the three rounds it must complete for 
  the mission. The Difficulty indicates how 
  many successes the team must achieve 
  over the course of the sequence in order 
  to fulfill the objectives. The Risks clearly 
  outline the consequences for failure. The 
  Enemy Leadership indicates the overall 
  competency and effectiveness of the 
  VENOM Leader or other commander 
  and his forces, which can come into play 
  if certain cards are drawn during the 
  operation.
   Complexity
  All Plans & Operations sequences are 
  done in three rounds, so the number of 
  Challenges per round has a dramatic 
  impact. Low Complexity missions are 
  best for smaller and less experienced 
  groups, while Extreme Complexity 
  missions require an experienced team 
  with lots of members or lots of allies, 
  Contacts and other support. The total 
  number of Challenges are indicated at 
  the end of each entry, which is important 
  to the Difficulty section that follows. Note 
  that the Complexity of a mission also 
  determines how much game session time 
  it will take up.
  • Low Complexity missions have a
  single Challenge in the first round, 
  two Challenges in the second round, 
  and three Challenges in the third 
  round (1/2/3). They represent a 
  small operation area with only a few 
  elements in play. A team of at least 
  three is needed for total success; for 
  a smaller group, the GM may need to 
  assign a non-player ally to assist. Low 
  Complexity missions have a total of 6 
  Challenges.
  • Medium Complexity missions require
  two Challenges to be completed in the 
  first round, three Challenges in the 
  second round, and four Challenges in 
  the final round (2/3/4). These missions 
  represent a larger op zone with a few 
  more elements involved. Teams smaller 
  than four will absolutely need some 
  outside assistance. Medium Complexity 
  Missions have a total of 9 Challenges.
  • High Complexity missions have three
  Challenges in the first round, four in the 
  second, and five in the last one (3/4/5). 
  A minimum of five team members are 
  needed, and more would 
  be better for a mission like 
  this. There are a lot of things 
  going on, obviously, with 
  multiple operation sites and 
  complicated interactions 
  between elements. High 
  Complexity Missions have a 
  total of 12 Challenges.
  • Extreme Complexity
  missions require the 
  largest teams with the 
  most capabilities, and solid 
  outside assistance (Contacts, 
  allies, and other help) may 
  
  49
  spell the difference between success 
  and failure. These operations have four 
  Challenges in the first round, five in the 
  second, and six Challenges in the final 
  round (4/5/6). Extreme Complexity—
  often global in nature, dealing with 
  multiple factions and operational 
  sites—missions have a total of 15 
  Challenges.
  Difficulty
  Complexity is one measure of how hard 
  a mission is to accomplish; Difficulty is 
  an indication of just how many pieces of 
  the greater puzzle must be put together 
  for ultimate success. The number of 
  successes required for the operation 
  is based on the level of Difficulty, 
  which applies a multiplier to the total 
  Challenges determined by the Complexity. 
  • Low Difficulty missions
  only require 1 success per Challenge 
  to complete. They represent fairly 
  straightforward operations with a 
  narrow range of targeted goals. 
  • Medium Difficulty missions
  require 2 successes per Challenge to 
  complete. Ops like these have quite a 
  few moving parts and interconnected 
  goals.
  • High Difficulty missions require 3
  successes per Challenge to complete. 
  Only the most skilled (and lucky) 
  teams can pull together the assets and 
  talent to bring off such an elaborate 
  operation.
  It’s a good idea to have a set of tokens 
  (like poker chips or plastic beads) to 
  track the number of successes and raises 
  achieved with each Challenge. These are 
  commonly referred to as success tokens 
  in these rules.
  Risks
  Just as there are rewards for success, 
  there are consequences to failure. A lot of 
  this is narrative, of course—elements of 
  the story are affected dramatically for or 
  against the heroes, depending on how the 
  mission goes. However, using the Plans 
  & Operations system also allows for 
  game mechanic effects that abstractly 
  represent advantages to the enemy or 
  complications for the heroes when a plan 
  goes badly.
  • Low Risk missions thankfully have
  fairly minimal consequences. The 
  Game Master gains one additional GM 
  Benny, and if the heroes end up in a 
  confrontation, it’s probably only against 
  a handful of Extras.
  Quick Look Table for Mission Successes
  As a matter of convenience, here’s a table that compares the Complexity and Difficulty of a mission 
  to tell the GM and players just how many success tokens are needed to complete an operation:
  Low Comp.
  Med. Comp.
  High Comp.
  Extreme Comp.
  Low Diff.
  6
  9
  12
  15
  Med. Diff.
  12
  18
  24
  30
  High Diff.
  18
  27
  36
  45
  
  50
  • Medium Risk missions represent a
  significant increase in risk. The Game 
  Master gains a number of additional 
  Bennies equal to half the players 
  involved (round down). A confrontation 
  likely involves one or more Wild Cards, 
  including one of significant capabilities 
  (a Lieutenant).
  • High Risk missions carry the worst
  consequences for failure. The Game 
  Master gains a bonus GM Benny for 
  every player involved. A confrontation 
  here is against overwhelming forces, 
  including at least one very powerful 
  Wild Card (a Boss) along with a handful 
  of Lieutenants. On the first round 
  of such a combat, the GM draws an 
  additional Initiative card for each villain 
  or group.
  Note that the Risk factors come into play 
  under two conditions. First, if the team 
  fails to complete a specific Challenge, 
  the GM gains the Risk benefits. Under 
  these circumstances, the team may still 
  be able to complete the total operation 
  successfully (by achieving the total 
  number of success tokens required), but 
  still invoke the Risk benefits for the Game 
  Master by failing a single Challenge.
  The other condition that triggers the Risk 
  element is not achieving the minimum 
  success tokens required for the mission. 
  Enemy Leadership
  Under certain circumstances, the enemy 
  leader (and a combination of opposition 
  forces, security assets, environmental 
  conditions, and other influences) may 
  become actively engaged against the 
  team. This is usually the result of certain 
  cards being drawn during the Run the 
  Operation phase (SNAFU and Disaster!). 
  In this circumstance, the team is rolling 
  against the established Opposition 
  Die, instead of against the usual Target 
  Number of 4.
  • Moderately Competent Enemy
  Leadership means the team is up 
  against well-trained forces and decent 
  security measures under a fairly 
  effective leader. The Opposition Die is a 
  d8 with no Wild Die.
  • Highly Competent Enemy
  Leadership means the team 
  faces high quality tactical 
  forces and excellent security 
  measures under a top-notch 
  leader. They’re possibly 
  facing a well-known VENOM 
  lieutenant. The Opposition Die 
  is a d10 with a Wild Die.
  • Elite Enemy Leadership
  means the team is facing 
  world-class opposition forces 
  and bleeding edge security 
  measures under one of 
  VENOM’s most capable and 
  respected leaders. Only 
  experienced Code Name 
  members of Freedom 
  
  51
  Squadron are considered for such 
  challenging missions. The Opposition 
  Die is a d12 with a Wild Die.
  • In some rare cases, the Game Master
  may decide a mission is particularly 
  difficult, granting a +2 to Opposition 
  Die and a d10 Wild Die (equal to having 
  the Master Edge). Such missions should 
  only be attempted by the best Freedom 
  Squad has to offer.
  • Interaction Challenges are best for
  characters with skills oriented towards 
  dealing with people and positive 
  Charisma values. They may have to 
  charm their way past receptionists, 
  intimidate underworld contacts, 
  interrogate captured enemies, trick a 
  neutral party into giving up a piece of 
  information, etc.. The skills required 
  to solve an Interaction Challenge 
  are: Intimidation, Investigation, 
  Performance, Persuasion, Streetwise, 
  or Taunt.
  • Covert Challenges call upon the
  more sneaky and undercover oriented 
  characters to take the lead. This is 
  also where certain technical skills 
  can shine as hackers and those who 
  can defeat electronic security step in. 
  The skills required to solve a Covert 
  Challenge are: Computers, Electronics, 
  Investigation, Notice, Stealth, 
  Streetwise, Thievery, or Tradecraft.
  • Technical Challenges call upon a
  character’s various areas of knowledge 
  and study. These are the Challenges 
  that call deeply upon what a character 
  knows and is expert in outside of 
  more applied skills. It’s also where 
  those of psionic or mystical nature can 
  really shine with their more esoteric 
  knowledge. The skills required to solve 
  a Technical Challenge are: Academics, 
  Computers, Electronics, Healing, 
  Investigation, Logistics, Psionics, 
  Repair, Science, or Spellcasting.
  The particular difficulty of a specific 
  Challenge is indicated on the card. The 
  following explanations further clarify 
  things.
  PHASE II:
  INITIAL PLAN
  Once the Mission Parameters are 
  established, the group moves on to this 
  phase. The Game Master either selects 
  or (much more commonly, and highly 
  recommended) randomly generates the 
  first Challenge or Challenges that define 
  the opening part of the mission. This 
  system uses the Plans & Operations 
  Deck (download the free print-and-play 
  PDF, or you can purchase the deck 
  from Evil Beagle Games or from various 
  retailers) to define both the nature of 
  the Challenge and its potential difficulty. 
  There are four types of Challenges in play: 
  • Tactical Challenges require military,
  physical, and combat skills to 
  overcome. This might mean taking 
  out a guard, shooting a security drone, 
  climbing a wall, or otherwise dealing 
  with a potential threat to the mission 
  by aggressive or physical means. This 
  rarely means all-out combat, though; if 
  that happens, the mission is probably 
  blown, or at least now requires combat 
  play to resolve. The skills required 
  to solve a Tactical Challenge are: 
  Athletics, Battle, Boating, Demolitions, 
  Driving, Fighting, Notice, Piloting, 
  Riding, Shooting, Survival, or Tracking.
  
  52
  Disaster!
  Something has gone very, very wrong. 
  Not only is the enemy leadership aware 
  of the actions of the heroes, but extra 
  effort and resources are thrown into 
  stopping them at all costs. All rolls made 
  on this Challenge are against the Enemy 
  Leadership die, and suffer a –4 to boot! 
  Disasters have a specific consequence for 
  failure, based on what kind of Challenge 
  is being faced.
  • For Tactical Challenges, failure means
  everyone on the team dealing with that 
  Challenge suffers 1d3 wounds. These 
  wounds affect the heroes through the 
  rest of the Plans & Operations part 
  of the session. A hero can attempt to 
  heal wounds (their own or another’s, 
  as per normal rules), but this takes 
  up their turn on the following round of 
  P&O Challenges (meaning they cannot 
  contribute to solving any Challenges 
  on that round). Such healing attempts 
  can be done before Challenges are 
  attempted, meaning wound penalties 
  can be lessened or eliminated. 
  Alternately, any wounded heroes can be 
  medevaced to a base before the start 
  of the next round of Challenges. If this 
  happens, they are fully healed, but they 
  are completely out of that round and 
  cannot help.
  • For Interaction Challenges, failure
  means everyone involved in that 
  Challenge either loses an established 
  Contact (each affected player chooses, 
  and has to explain how and why this 
  happens) or that hero is considered 
  “Burned.” A Burned character suffers 
  –2 to all future Interaction challenges 
  (in or out of Plans & Operations play; 
  in the latter case, the penalty applies 
  whenever a skill listed under Interaction 
  Challenges is used) until the end of 
  the following session.  For example, 
  a Burned spy will suffer a –2 to all 
  Persuasion, Streetwise, and similar 
  skills until the end of the next session, 
  indicating they are not in good overall 
  favor because of how badly things 
  went and what folks may believe about 
  them. See Mission Rewards for what 
  Contacts are and how they work.
  • For Covert Challenges, failure means
  everyone involved in that Challenge 
  is “On the Run.” This means everyone 
  gains either the Enemy (Minor) or 
  Wanted (Minor) Hindrances (with no 
  added benefit). Generally, everyone 
  involved in that Disaster! should take 
  the same thing, and work out the story 
  of what happened.
  
  53
  • For Technical Challenges, failure
  means everyone working on that 
  Challenge suffers a “Setback.” 
  Setbacks cause a –2 to all future 
  Technical Challenges (in or out of Plans 
  & Operations play; in the latter case, 
  the penalty applies whenever a skill 
  listed under Technical Challenges is 
  used) until the end of the following 
  session.  For example, a hacker who 
  suffers a Setback deals with a –2 
  penalty to all Computers, Electronics, 
  and other related skills until they can 
  recover at the end of the next session.
  SNAFU
  A significant problem dramatically 
  hinders the heroes facing this Challenge. 
  Someone might have obtained the wrong 
  codes; an unseen security measure gets 
  tripped; a bitter ex-spouse happens to be 
  working at the place the team is trying 
  to infiltrate; and so on. All rolls made on 
  this Challenge are against the Enemy 
  Leadership die. The penalty for failure 
  is the same as for Disaster! Challenges, 
  except only the hero who takes lead (the 
  Team Lead) on the Challenge suffers the 
  penalties.
  Major Issue
  A relatively big problem unexpectedly 
  crops up, causing any roll made by the 
  team dealing with this Challenge to 
  be made at –4. They might encounter 
  stronger security than anticipated, or 
  they’ve been spotted by someone who 
  thinks he knows them and is trying to 
  figure out how. If the roll is failed, the 
  Team Lead suffers the same penalties as 
  listed under Disaster!
  Interference
  Something delays the heroes—a guard 
  passing by at the wrong moment, a 
  technical glitch, an overly-talkative 
  stranger—causing them to suffer a –2 to 
  any roll they make.
  Situation Normal
  All is proceeding according to plan. There 
  are no penalties, nor are their bonuses.
  Bit of Luck
  Something happens to give the hero and 
  their team a moment of good fortune or 
  extra assistance. They gain a +2 on their 
  rolls for this Challenge, as does anyone 
  backing them up.
  Jackpot!
  The team discovers something of 
  significant value, or gains some 
  extraordinary aid from an unexpected 
  source. Everyone gains a +2 on their rolls 
  for this Challenge, and they also each 
  gain a new Contact (of the type relevant 
  to the Challenge) at d8 or a new Focus 
  relevant to the Challenge type.
  After the Game Master lays out what the 
  first Challenges are, this is where the 
  players work out who will do what during 
  the mission run. The Initial Plan should 
  function as a narrative exchange between 
  the Game Master and the players. 
  While the GM establishes the basics of 
  the scene, he should be open to player 
  creativity and input here. For example, 
  say the team is running an operation to 
  gather key data from a corporate building 
  that’s a front for enemy forces. The player 
  whose character is a strong “face” type 
  might offer that there is an administrative 
  assistant she can persuade to set up a 
  meeting with the CEO, thus handling an 
  initial Interaction Challenge. The intrusion 
  expert character’s player suggests there’s 
  a way to use the sewers to get into the 
  basement of the building, handling a 
  Covert Challenge at the start.
  The Game Master should freely go with 
  this, allowing the players to help them set 
  up the details of the mission. In fact, one 
  of the most entertaining ways to handle 
  
  54
  this phase is to imagine a sequence 
  similar to that of various scenes (like 
  the Baghdad operation) in the A-Team 
  movie, or many of the planning/
  execution scenes from the television 
  show Leverage. The players imagine their 
  characters around a map or looking at a 
  series of screens, each going over their 
  part of the plan; they also imagine a 
  “flash-forward” to the actual operation, 
  where their characters are engaged in the 
  first part of the mission.
  Once these scenes start coming together, 
  segue into Phase III: Run the Operation.
  Team Leaders
  Always a potential sticky wicket for gaming 
  groups, having a team leader can either 
  enhance a group’s enjoyment of a military-
  style campaign or make things difficult for 
  most of the players. As a general rule, if the 
  players respond well to having one of them 
  act as a team leader, directing things like 
  the Initial Plan phase to some extent, it’s 
  fine to let that go as it will. There are, in fact, 
  a number of very cool Edges and special 
  abilities that leader-type characters can 
  have which greatly enhance the Plans & 
  Operations game play (more on that later in 
  this section).
  If, however, a player uses this role to diminish 
  the initiative and creativity of the other 
  players, it’s generally up to the Game Master 
  to reign that in a bit. Freedom Squadron 
  is a setting where strong individuals team 
  up in a unique military force to run special 
  operations missions against a powerful, 
  over-the-top set of foes. It’s meant to be 
  less realistic and more action-movie driven 
  (with, perhaps, a strong dose of comic book 
  influences thrown in). 
  Players who take the role of team leader 
  should be encouraged to guide things 
  towards a collective effort, not command 
  or cajole the other players into making their 
  characters follow orders. The “that’s an 
  order, soldier!” scene can be a fun, dramatic 
  moment at the right time; it should never 
  become the standard phrase coming out of 
  the team leader’s mouth.
  In other words, a good team leader will make 
  the Initial Plan and other aspects of this 
  system—and the entire campaign, for that 
  matter—run smoothly and entertainingly 
  for the whole group with their effective 
  leadership and inspiration. They won’t be 
  demanding everyone do things her way, or 
  else the group’s got the wrong team leader.
  PHASE III: RUN
  THE OPERATIONS
  In many ways, this is the most 
  straightforward part of the process; the 
  previous phases deal a lot with roleplay, 
  storytelling, and narrative exchanges 
  between the GM and the players, which 
  is necessarily involved and potentially 
  complex. At this phase, everyone gets 
  down to the basics of establishing tasks, 
  picking skills, and rolling dice.
  However, don’t think this in any way 
  diminishes the roleplay and player-driven 
  narrative aspects of the experience. Quite 
  the opposite, in fact, as now every player 
  has a story to tell as you go forward.
  The following steps in this phase will help 
  structure things as you start figuring out 
  how a Plans & Operations session works: 
  Determine Who Does What
  This is where the players figures out 
  which Challenge should be handled by 
  which heroes. If more than one character 
  joins in against a single Challenge, 
  determine who is taking the lead; that 
  
  55
  character is the Team Lead for that 
  Challenge, while all other heroes involved 
  are providing a Cooperative Roll against 
  that Challenge to enhance the lead hero’s 
  efforts. Characters who aren’t Team 
  Leads are providing Support for that 
  challenge. 
  A very important thing to remember—if 
  your character is the Team Lead on a 
  Challenge, you must use one of the listed 
  skills to resolve that Challenge. If your 
  character is Support for a Challenge, 
  however, you may use any skill you wish 
  as a cooperative roll; all that is required 
  is a good narrative reason for how that 
  skill was used to support the primary 
  Challenge roll.
  It’s important to remember that all 
  Challenges have to be handled (succeed 
  or fail) on a given round before the 
  team can move on to the next round. 
  Considering there are consequences to 
  failed Challenges—not to mention failing 
  the mission entirely—it’s advisable that 
  someone tackle each Challenge given. 
  This is why a well-rounded team is vital.
  The order in which Challenges are 
  handled in a given round is entirely up 
  to the players. Players who are Support 
  (rolling cooperative rolls to support a 
  primary skill roll) should coordinate 
  with the player they’re supporting to get 
  everything in order. Each player may 
  only act once on a round; there are no 
  
  56
  multiple actions in this system. There are 
  special abilities that override that, but 
  otherwise the restriction is firm.
  Note that most groups will take the 
  approach of mixing and matching 
  narrative and problem-solving in a way 
  that is more comfortable for them. Very 
  often, the assignments of Team Leads 
  and Support happen first, and then each 
  team comes up with the narrative of what 
  they are doing to meet the Challenge 
  only after roles are worked out. This is 
  perfectly fine.
  Narrate a Scene,
  Finalize the Skills
  When it comes time for a hero to act, 
  the player narrates a scene or sequence 
  that goes along with their part in the 
  mission. If others are working with them 
  (either through Support rolls or via special 
  abilities and Edges), those players narrate 
  their part of aiding Team Lead’s efforts.
  In this process, the Game Master consults 
  with the players to determine if the 
  appropriate skills are being used for 
  the Challenge, and if what the players 
  are narrating fits with the skills they are 
  wishing to use. This should absolutely be 
  a narrative exchange involving the GM 
  and the players, allowing for some shared 
  creativity in making the scene interesting 
  and exciting. Any complications 
  suggested by Challenge cards should be 
  worked into the narrative, as well, making 
  things more interesting and exciting.
  Make the Roll, Narrate
  the Results
  This is where the dice meet the table. 
  Each player in a Support roll first rolls 
  their skill checks; remember that any 
  bonuses or penalties indicated on the 
  Plans & Operations Card apply to all rolls 
  for that Challenge, whether the character 
  is in Support or is the Team Lead. For 
  Problem & Puzzle Solving vs
  Narrative & Roleplay
  The Plans & Operations rules do a lot of 
  things all at once, which is very much by 
  design. They encourage a great deal of 
  problem solving and puzzling out solutions, 
  which is very stimulating for players who like 
  that kind of thing in their games. At the same 
  time, they require the players each come up 
  with narrative descriptions of what they are 
  doing, often adding major story elements to 
  the experience that the Game Master didn’t 
  even think about. This is also by design; we 
  wanted to add a new level of player-driven 
  narrative to the Savage Worlds experience, 
  and this is the tool for it.
  One thing GMs can do to encourage more 
  roleplay and narrative choices during this 
  part of the game is to award bonus Bennies 
  whenever a player chooses a suboptimal skill 
  to tackle a Challenge (either as Team Lead 
  or Support). For example, the sniper with 
  the d12 Shooting maximizes his mechanical 
  value by using Shooting in the Support role 
  every time (or Shooting while Team Lead on 
  a Tactical Challenge). However, if the player 
  of the sniper decides the story makes more 
  sense for him to use his d6 Streetwise in 
  support of, say, an Interaction Challenge 
  (because he had a cool story to tell about 
  finding some old friends in the neighborhood 
  where the operation is taking place), this 
  choice should absolutely be worthy of a 
  Benny. Similarly, if players elect to use 
  different skills each time they address the 
  same category of Challenges (for example, a 
  high-tech and science character who keeps 
  choosing different related skills, instead of 
  just using her Computers d10 each time) 
  should also be rewarded a bonus Benny.
  Don’t punish the tactical and puzzle solving 
  players, though; when they step up with a 
  good plan that maximizes the success of the 
  team, that should also be worthy of a bonus 
  Benny.
  
  57
  solve the Challenge. Consult the following 
  for results: 
  • Total of 1 or Less: The Enemy
  Leadership becomes aware that 
  something is wrong, and the very next 
  Challenge tackled is against the Enemy 
  Leadership die (no matter what the 
  conditions of the card indicate). No 
  success tokens are awarded and this 
  Challenge is failed (thus granting the 
  GM the Risk benefits).
  • Failure: The team gains no success
  tokens towards the mission outcome, 
  and this Challenge is failed (thus 
  granting the GM the Risk benefits).
  • Success: The team gains one success
  token towards the mission outcome.
  • Raise: For each raise, the hero gains
  an additional success token towards 
  the mission outcome. If three or 
  more success tokens are achieved 
  on a single Challenge, the team gets 
  to redraw one Challenge card on the 
  following round. Multiple iterations of 
  this result do stack.
  Once the success or failure of a Challenge 
  is determined, the involved players should 
  be allowed to complete the narrative 
  of the process. Each player should be 
  allowed to describe what happens as 
  their part of the story of that encounter or 
  operation. After that, move on to the next 
  Challenge in the round and repeat the 
  process with those heroes. 
  At the end of the last Challenge of the 
  round, figure out how many free re-
  draws will be allowed on the following 
  round (remember, for each Challenge 
  where three or more success tokens are 
  achieved, the team gets to remove and 
  replace one Challenge card on the next 
  round). Note that this is not necessary to 
  track during the third and final round.
  Using Hindrances in Plans & Operations
  One of the potential benefits of this system 
  is its use as a catalyst for invoking the 
  Hindrances of the heroes in a meaningful, 
  yet easy-to-apply, way. As the Game Master, 
  you’re greatly encouraged to look through 
  the Hindrances of your group’s characters, 
  looking for those you can bring to bear during 
  the Run the Operation part of the process.
  While you certainly should make a point of 
  integrating the specifics of the Hindrance into 
  the narrative of the mission, there’s also a 
  direct mechanical way to impose its effects. 
  If it’s a Minor Hindrance, use it to add a 
  specific, one-time penalty of –2 to a single 
  Trait roll, while a Major Hindrance should 
  impose a –4 to a roll. Don’t use more than 
  one Hindrance against a hero for any single 
  Trait roll, however, as that gets more than a 
  bit excessive and punitive.
  Of course, players may decide to invoke their 
  Hindrances themselves, which is perfectly 
  good storytelling!
  Either way, when a Minor Hindrance is 
  invoked, reward the player it affected a 
  bonus Benny, but only after the Challenge 
  is completely resolved. If a Major Hindrance 
  is invoked, the player should be reward two 
  bonus Bennies (again, after the Challenge is 
  resolved).
  every success and raise (as per the 
  Savage Worlds Cooperative Rolls rules) 
  the Support character achieves, the Team 
  Lead gains a +1 to their roll to solve the 
  Challenge. Support rolls can provide no 
  more than a total of +4 to aid a Team 
  Lead.
  After all cooperative roll bonuses and 
  other modifiers are figured out, the Team 
  Lead makes a single final skill roll to 
  
  58
  The second round of Challenges consists 
  of one more Challenge Card than the first 
  round, drawn and presented at random 
  (even if the GM selected specific Plans 
  & Operations cards for the first round). 
  This represents the unexpected twists 
  and turns of a mission underway. The 
  third and final round consists of two more 
  cards than the first round had.
  Duplicate P&O Abilities
  It’s entirely possible to have more than one 
  member of a mission team with the same 
  Edge or Special Ability that directly affects 
  Plans & Operations play. When this happens, 
  use the following guidelines to adjudicate 
  how to handle it so that things aren’t too 
  over-balanced in the heroes’ favor: 
  • Operational Planning: Only one hero
  may use the “replace a Challenge Card” 
  part of this Edge on a given round of P&O 
  play. Multiple folks with this Edge may use 
  their capacity to make a free Battle roll as 
  a Cooperative Roll each round.
  • Air Support: Multiple characters may
  use this Special Ability each round, no 
  restrictions.
  • Analysis:  Multiple characters may use this
  Special Ability each round, no restrictions.
  • Sensory Overwatch: Only one hero may use
  this ability on a given round of P&O play.
  • Tactical Communication: Only one hero
  may use the Plans & Operations portion of 
  this Special Ability per round.
  • Tactical Coordination: Only one hero may
  use this ability before P&O play begins.
  • Tactical Logistics: Only one hero may use
  the “replace a Challenge Card” part of this 
  Edge on a given round of P&O play.
  Once the three rounds of Plans & 
  Operations play are concluded, it’s time 
  for the finale.
  
  59
  At the end of the three rounds, compare 
  the number of success tokens achieved 
  by the heroes to the following: 
  • Zero Tokens: If the team somehow
  experiences such a disaster (this is 
  virtually impossible, by the way, and 
  this is only presented here because 
  it’s technically possible), the worst 
  possible result should apply. Most or all 
  of them have been captured, Freedom 
  Squadron is publicly embarrassed, or 
  some other dramatic circumstance 
  means the team will need to fight 
  twice as hard to come back from this 
  catastrophe. Also apply the Failure 
  results that follow.
  • Failure: If the team doesn’t achieve
  the necessary tokens to complete 
  the mission successfully, the Game 
  Master gains the Risks result 
  described under the Establish Mission 
  Parameters section. The team is likely 
  in a retreating fight for their lives as 
  VENOM forces close in for the kill or 
  capture. Alternately, the team might 
  be captured, and the next part involves 
  their escape. The results should fit the 
  mission, of course.
  • Success: If the team achieves
  the required number of tokens, they 
  accomplish the mission and receive the 
  appropriate Mission Rewards.
  • Success +5: If the team gains at least
  five more tokens than needed, each 
  member gains an additional Benny on 
  top of the Mission Rewards. 
  • Success +10: If the team gains at
  least ten or more tokens than needed, 
  each member gains one Special 
  Mission Reward. This is only possible 
  for Medium or High Difficulty missions.
  Mission Rewards
  The Mission Rewards include the story-
  specific goals of the mission—largely 
  determined by the Game Master or 
  through narrative exchange between 
  him and the players—and more concrete 
  PHASE IV: DETERMINE 
  THE OUTCOME
  
  60
  Adventure Cards
  This system assumes the use of Adventure 
  Cards (which are available from Pinnacle 
  Entertainment Group). These are very cool 
  narrative/mechanic elements that empower 
  the players to add fun narrative bits and 
  abilities to act at key moments in the session. 
  With Adventure Cards in play, the GM can 
  afford to make the opposition even stronger, 
  as these cards act as momentary “force 
  multipliers” for the heroes in many cases. 
  Special Freedom Squadron Adventure 
  Cards are planned as part of the product line.
  If you, as the Game Master, do not wish to 
  use Adventure Cards, simply replace any 
  instance where they are awarded with a 
  bonus Benny (or some other reward you feel 
  is appropriate). If you are using Adventure 
  Cards, note that every reference to a bonus 
  card means the player receives an extra draw 
  and she’s allowed to use an additional card 
  during the game session.
  When playing Adventure Cards during a 
  Plans & Operations run, such a card counts 
  for an automatic two success tokens for 
  that Challenge! The card must be somehow 
  appropriate, though creative interpretations 
  should certainly be allowed. In convention 
  and home games, we’ve discovered players 
  like using the non-combat Adventure Cards 
  during P&O play, saving the combat ones for 
  the inevitable Boss Fights that follow.
  game-affecting rewards. These rewards 
  abstractly represent advantages gained 
  by the Freedom Squadron team members 
  for succeeding in the operation.
  The Mission Rewards are defined by the 
  Difficulty of the mission, as the following 
  table indicates: 
  
  61
  Special Mission Rewards
  There are two ways in which heroes may 
  achieve Special Mission Rewards. The 
  Jackpot! Plans & Operations card awards 
  specific Special Mission Rewards, listed 
  on the card (a relevant Contact at d8, or 
  a relevant Focus). As well, when a team 
  manages to achieve ten more success 
  tokens than was required for the mission, 
  each member receives their choice 
  of a Special Mission Reward. Game 
  Masters may always choose to award 
  Special Mission Rewards as they feel is 
  appropriate during the game, in or out of 
  Plans & Operations play.
  Difficulty
  Mission Rewards
  Low The objective grants some useful tidbits of information, low-level data, a minor human 
  asset, or a somewhat-important piece of technology. This usually points the way to an 
  objective of greater importance. There may be more questions than answers that come 
  from what’s discovered, but at least now the Freedom Squadron folks have a better idea 
  where to look for the next piece of the puzzle. Everyone on the team gains a bonus Benny 
  the next time they deal with foes or tasks that directly relate to what’s discovered or 
  achieved. If this was a Rescue or Emergency Relief mission, each team member simply 
  gains a bonus Benny at the start of the next session.
  Medium
  The objective grants significantly useful information or data; a human asset of 
  compelling importance, or technology that demands great attention. Very likely, a 
  location or name of great relevance comes from the results of the mission. Every 
  member of the team gains a bonus Benny and a bonus Action Card on each round of 
  combat; both of these rewards are granted the next time the team deals directly with 
  elements related to the mission (such as the likely Boss Fight that often follows a P&O 
  session). If this was a Rescue or Emergency Relief mission, each team member simply 
  gains a bonus Benny at the start of the next session.
  High The objective provides a vital breakthrough for the team, and for Freedom Squadron. 
  Information of a critical nature; an asset of astonishing value; or technology that 
  changes the balance of power is attained. After this mission, the next move represents 
  a critical juncture and an impending conflict of world-shaking implications. The team 
  members each receive a bonus Benny, a bonus Action Card each round of combat, and 
  a bonus Adventure Card. Again, all of these bonuses are triggered the next time the team 
  is dealing with the specific elements that relate to the mission that granted them. If this 
  was a Rescue or Emergency Relief mission, each team member simply gains a bonus 
  Benny and a bonus Adventure Card at the start of the next session.
  MISSION REWARDS TABLE
  The three types of Special Mission 
  Rewards are Contacts, Focuses, and 
  Gear Points.
  Contacts
  A Contact is a specific person the hero 
  has encountered over the course of their 
  efforts, someone they’ve developed a 
  relationship with of some kind. This may 
  be strictly professional, friendly, or even 
  romantic—it’s entirely up to the player 
  and the GM to work out the details as 
  they see fit. This Contact should have 
  a name and at least a one-sentence 
  description for when they are brought into 
  the story for narrative purposes later.
  
  62
  Contacts have a specific mechanical role 
  within game play, as well. Each Contact is 
  designated as one of the four Challenge 
  types—Tactical, Interaction, Covert, or 
  Technical. This means they have a set of 
  skills and knowledge that makes them 
  useful for dealing with that particular 
  category of situations and tasks. For 
  Jackpot! cards, the designation is based 
  on the Challenge (a Technical Jackpot! 
  means any selected Contacts are 
  Technical). For “+10” rewards, the players 
  may choose what category a Contact is.
  Contacts also have a die type assigned to 
  them. Those gained from Jackpot! cards 
  are automatically rated at d8. Those 
  obtained as a Special Mission Reward 
  after the mission are rolled for: 
  Example: During a mission, Bullrush 
  rescues the family of an FDA inspector 
  who got caught up in a VENOM scheme 
  to put psychoactive mind-control drugs 
  into breakfast cereal. The team does 
  an exceptional job finishing the overall 
  operation, gaining +12 success tokens. 
  Ed decides his Special Mission Reward 
  will be turning Robert Forrester (the 
  FDA official) into an Interaction Contact. 
  He rolls a 7 on a d8, making Forrester 
  an Interaction Contact (d10), who is 
  very useful at navigating government 
  bureaucracies—potentially very helpful
  in future missions!
  Focuses
  Introduced in the Freedom Squadron 
  Commando’s Manual, Focuses are 
  specific +1 bonuses applied to an existing 
  skill, representing a special application of 
  that skill for the hero. For example, a hero 
  might have the Science skill at d6, and 
  they can take a Focus: Nuclear Physics, 
  meaning they roll d6+1 whenever dealing 
  with a nuclear physics issue. Another 
  character might have Focus: Throwing, 
  applied to their Athletics skill whenever 
  they are throwing something.
  When awarded via a Jackpot! Challenge, 
  a player choosing this Special Mission 
  Reward must choose a Focus attached 
  to a skill of that type. For example, if it’s 
  a Technical Jackpot!, the player must 
  choose a focus for one of the listed skills 
  (Academics, Computers, Electronics, 
  Healing, Investigation, etc.). If the award 
  is because the whole team achieved the 
  +10 success tokens result, a player may 
  choose any Focus as a Special Mission 
  Reward.
  Note that, in the Freedom Squadron 
  Commando’s Manual, players are not 
  normally allowed to take a Focus for 
  a combat skill. This rule is lifted when 
  d8
  Die Type
  1-4 d8
  5-7 d10
  8
  d12
  Contacts can be brought into Plans & 
  Operations play to assist with a single 
  Challenge. They can only ever be used as 
  Support (never Team Lead). They roll their 
  die type (no Wild Die) as a cooperative 
  roll, just like any other Support character. 
  Contacts can only be used on Challenges 
  that match their type (Interaction 
  Contacts for Interaction Challenges, 
  Covert Contacts for Covert Challenges, 
  and so on).
  Outside of P&O play, players can call 
  on a given Contact once per scene 
  (as designated by the Game Master) 
  to provide assistance, information, 
  etc.. Players should be allowed to 
  freely roleplay and provide narrative 
  interactions with their Contacts as fits the 
  game and situations. 
  
  63
  the Focus comes as a Special Mission 
  Reward. As such, a player could take 
  a focus for Shooting with assault rifles 
  (Focus: Assault Rifles). This means they 
  get a +1 whenever firing that kind of 
  weapon.
  Gear Points
  This Special Mission Reward is only 
  available when the team achieves the 
  +10 success tokens level (or as a special 
  award granted by the Game Master 
  for other reasons). If a player elects to 
  choose this reward, they get to add 3 
  Gear Points to their normal allotment 
  (determined by how many experience 
  points their hero has). These Gear Points 
  may be used to increase how much Gear 
  the hero carries, or they can be used for 
  customization of their Gear. This may be 
  done even for characters who have not 
  yet reached Seasoned Rank (which is 
  normally when Commandos are allowed 
  to customize).
  as often as possible. It’s fairly easy to re-
  skin a combat scenario you had planned 
  already to fit the specifics of what they 
  propose as their next move, for example. 
  Sure, you may have planned for them 
  to head to an abandoned oil platform, 
  but it’s not so difficult to take the same 
  enemies and put them into the hidden 
  arctic bunker the team decides is the 
  next target.
  It has been our experience that a typical 
  four-hour game session works pretty 
  well with a Plans & Operations mission 
  in the first part, followed by what we call 
  a “Boss Battle” immediately following 
  the P&O stuff. In this way, there is an 
  immediate payoff for the heroes as they 
  wind up the mission by taking down the 
  bad guys responsible for everything. In 
  the case of a failed mission, this may 
  instead be an exciting firefight while 
  trying to escape vengeful enemy forces.
  What Comes Next?
  While most Game Masters 
  will have an idea of where 
  the team might go next, and 
  what they might do, it’s also 
  entirely appropriate to let the 
  players have significant input 
  into this. They will be much 
  more engaged and enjoy 
  having their intellect and 
  creativity impact the flow of 
  the game, and the Plans & 
  Operations system is meant 
  to stimulate that process 
  directly. 
  In other words, if the players 
  take an idea that evolves 
  out of the mission they just 
  played out and want to run 
  with it, you as the Game 
  Master should reward that 
  
  64
  Because this is such a new concept for 
  many, it may best be understood by 
  example. We’ve put up video tutorials on 
  the Plans & Operations rules (which can 
  be found on www.evilbeaglegames.com), 
  and here’s a narrative example of play to 
  help you grasp the basics.
  In this example, we have Sean as the 
  Game Master (SPF for short). Carinn 
  is playing her field surgeon/scientist/
  demolitions expert, SURGICAL STRIKE. 
  Donavin is playing his special agent/
  combat archaeologist, CRAZY IVAN. David 
  is playing his digital warfare expert and 
  gadgeteering technician, GREMLIN. Ross 
  is playing his sailor and tactical expert, 
  SKIPPER. Michael is playing his pilot and 
  electronics engineer, FALCON, and we 
  round out the team with Len playing his 
  gunslinging combat expert, LOBO.
  Before the game session, SPF worked out 
  the Mission Parameters as follows: 
  • Mission Complexity: High (3/4/5)
  • Mission Difficulty: Medium (24)
  • Mission Risk: High (GM gains bonus
  Bennie for every player)
  • Enemy Leadership: Highly Competent
  (d10/Wild)
  SPF knows these are very capable Code 
  Name characters all, so he made the 
  Complexity such that they will really 
  have to spread out near the end (and will 
  certainly call in some Contacts they have 
  from previous missions). He doesn’t want 
  to make it take all evening, so he sets 
  the Difficulty to Medium; this means they 
  need to average two success tokens per 
  Challenge, and with 12 total Challenges, 
  that means a minimum of 24 for basic 
  success.
  He sets the Risk to High to really motivate 
  them, and he wants to challenge them 
  pretty hard if any SNAFU or Disaster! 
  cards come into play, so he goes for the 
  Highly Competent rating for the Enemy 
  Leadership.
  EXAMPLE
  OF PLAY
  As the players gather and settle 
  in, he takes on the role of BIG 
  IRISH, addressing them aboard 
  the FSS Lion of Ireland, explaining 
  they are underway and ready 
  to drop the team wherever they 
  decide they need to be to start 
  their mission. 
  SPF (as BIG IRISH): All right, 
  folks, here’s how it is. We’ve had 
  a series of incidents involving 
  vehicles and computer-aided 
  machinery in major metropolitan 
  areas all over the globe. Eight 
  cabs in London all went berserk 
  at once, and three people are 
  dead and dozens injured. A 
  
  65
  speedboat in a race off the coast of 
  Australia careened into three others; 
  messy business. There’s a train yard 
  outside of Denver that’s a total mess, 
  and a crane in Dubai actively started 
  attacking buildings. Something’s 
  definitely up, and it’s your job to help 
  figure out what it is, and put a stop to it.
  With that, he lays out the first three 
  Plans & Operations Challenge Cards. 
  He’s decided to go completely random 
  with this (SPF usually does) and see what 
  comes up and how the players wish to 
  proceed with their initial investigations.
  The first three cards are:
  • Interaction, Minor Interference: This
  means a –2 to all skill rolls in dealing 
  with this Challenge.
  • Covert, Disaster!: Right off the bat, a
  very bad draw. This one requires 
  everyone involved to roll against the 
  Enemy Leadership die (d10 with a 
  Wild Die), and all hero skill rolls are at 
  –4! Worse, if the Challenge attempt 
  is failed, everyone involved suffers a 
  consequence (“On the Run,” in which 
  each person on that team gains an 
  Enemy or Wanted Hindrance).
  • Tactical, Situation Normal: One for the
  action-oriented team members, with no 
  penalty or bonus in play.
  That Disaster! card makes things look 
  pretty grim for the heroes. However, Ross’ 
  SKIPPER has some very useful leadership 
  abilities that help in this situation. In 
  this case, his Operational Planning 
  Edge allows him to draw an additional 
  Challenge Card each round; he can either 
  use it to replace an existing Challenge, or 
  add it to the array of Challenges (in order 
  to give more chances for success tokens). 
  He draws the extra card, which turns out 
  to be a Technical, Major Issue card; that 
  means all rolls are made at –4 for that 
  Challenge, and the Team Lead could 
  suffer a “Setback” consequence if the 
  Challenge is failed.
  ROSS: Well, that’s not great, but I think 
  it’s far better than that Disaster.
  DAVID: I’m feeling pretty good about 
  being able to handle that Technical 
  Challenge.
  CARINN (as SURGICAL STRIKE): I can 
  most certainly be of assistance to 
  Gremlin if we are pursuing any kind of 
  engineering investigation.
  ROSS: Yeah, we’re dumping the Covert 
  and replacing it with this Technical. 
  Everybody good with that? (the other 
  players nod or say “yes”).
  With that, they now have the three 
  Challenges they are going to have to deal 
  with. As indicated, David wants to assign 
  his hero, GREMLIN, to take Team Lead 
  on the Technical Challenge, and Carinn 
  asks to have SURGICAL STRIKE assigned 
  to back him up in Support. Ross decides 
  that, with the penalty being so high, he’s 
  also going to Support GREMLIN with 
  SKIPPER being directly present on that 
  part of the mission.
  MICHAEL: That Tactical Challenge is 
  pretty straightforward. I think FALCON 
  can handle that one solo.
  ROSS: Well, be that as it may, I have 
  Tactical Communications as a special 
  ability. That means I can make my Battle 
  roll as a free Support action to help 
  everyone, even those I am not in the 
  same place with.
  MICHAEL: So much the better!
  
  66
  DONAVIN (as CRAZY IVAN): I believe, 
  comrades, that leaves me as best for 
  handling the Interaction Challenge.
  LEN (as LOBO): Well, partner, if y’all don’t 
  mind, I think I’ll tag along and watch your 
  back.
  DONAVIN (as CRAZY IVAN): Da, friend 
  Lobo, that would be most excellent. 
  Where I am going, my back may, indeed, 
  be prone to sudden hole-makings.
  At this point, SPF realizes Donavin 
  already has a story idea in mind.
  SPF: So, Donavin, you want to have Crazy 
  Ivan and Lobo go first, then? 
  DONAVIN: Yeah, this should be fun.
  LEN: Uh oh. What did I get myself into?
  CARINN: It’s Donavin. It’s always... 
  interesting.
  DONAVIN: Crazy Ivan recalls that Russian 
  engineers were working on a way to 
  subvert computer chips in military 
  vehicles near the end of the war. Even 
  though he’s a very wanted man in 
  Mother Russia, he still has many good 
  contacts. So he will arrange to get himself 
  smuggled into the country—with his good 
  and dear friend, Lobo, of course—and 
  make his way to a special lab he knows 
  about outside of St. Petersburg. There, he 
  will talk to some old friends and see what 
  they know.
  SPF: So, Persuasion, then?
  DONAVIN: I was hoping to use my 
  Investigation, which is at a d8+2.
  SPF: OK, but that means you’re probably 
  asking some question and digging 
  through records, just from a story-
  perspective.
  DONAVIN (as CRAZY IVAN): It comes 
  down more to knowing who and what to 
  ask, and following where that leads.
  SPF: Fair enough. Len, what is Lobo doing 
  to back up Crazy Ivan?
  LEN: I’m figuring there’s gonna come a 
  point where we come across someone 
  who isn’t too friendly or cooperative. (He 
  stands up, picks up a lip balm tube, and 
  indicates the others should pretend it’s 
  a large caliber bullet; Lobo uses twin .50 
  caliber custom revolvers. As Lobo, he 
  leans over to an imaginary person on the 
  ground and drops the “bullet” onto where 
  the forehead would be.) The next one’s 
  comin’ a whole lot faster.
  The whole table loses it, and SPF gives 
  Len two Bennies. One for the really great 
  roleplaying, and another because he 
  knows Len is invoking a sub-optimal skill. 
  Len could have worked out some way that 
  his Shooting (which is a d12!) could be 
  used in Support; instead, he had a great 
  story idea, but it relies on his Intimidation 
  (which is only a d6).
  At this point, you may note that we are 
  seriously mixing-and-matching between 
  working out the puzzle of who does 
  what while also inserting roleplay and 
  narration. This is the best, most organic 
  approach to Plans & Operations.
  SPF: OK, Len, go ahead and roll your 
  Intimidation. 
  Len rolls, getting a 2 and a 5; he 
  immediately spends one of the two 
  awarded Bennies and declares Extra 
  Effort (one of the Setting Rules in 
  Freedom Squadron), allowing him to roll 
  
  67
  a d6 and add it to his best result. He rolls 
  a 6, rolls again and gets a 3; this gives 
  him a total of 14. Even at the –2 for 
  Interference, he gets a success and two 
  raises, granting Donavin a +3 when he 
  gets around to rolling the final skill roll to 
  resolve the Challenge.
  ROSS: OK, remember that I can use my 
  Battle skill to help everyone, so let me go 
  ahead and roll that before Don goes.
  Skipper has a Battle skill of d8; Ross 
  rolls and gets a total of 7. With the –2 
  for the Interference, he still provides a 
  +1 to Donavin, for a total of +4 from 
  cooperative rolls (which is the maximum 
  cooperative rolls can provide as a 
  bonus). Ross notes his roll for the other 
  Challenges, since it will apply across 
  the board. This means he will also grant 
  Michael a +1 when Falcon tackles his 
  Tactical Challenge. Unfortunately, at –4, 
  this means he won’t give any extra help 
  to Gremlin and Surgical Strike when they 
  tackle their Technical Challenge.
  ROSS (as SKIPPER): Looks like there’s 
  some interference wherever Gremlin 
  and Surgical Strike put in; I can’t reach 
  `em. Crazy Ivan, I’ve analyzed your initial 
  plan, and I think you’ll want to start with 
  Building 43. Falcon, take a look at the 
  flight plan adjustments I’ve suggested 
  and see what you think.
  That is some excellent narrative and 
  roleplay on Ross’ part as he explains how 
  he’s using his Tactical Communications 
  ability to help some of his teammates. 
  Of course, since he’s also supposed to 
  be “on site,” helping them, that means 
  he’ll need to come up with some added 
  narrative to figure that out. But first, 
  it’s time for Donavin to both roll and 
  narrate the outcome. Crazy Ivan’s looking 
  at a –2 from the card, but he gets +2 
  for Investigation checks (he has the 
  Investigator Edge) and +4 from Skipper 
  and Lobo’s assistance. He rolls and gets 
  (after exploding dice) a 15. He wants as 
  many success tokens as possible, so he 
  spends a Bennie for Extra Effort, rolls a 
  3, thus earning a total of four success 
  tokens.
  DONAVIN (as CRAZY IVAN): Comrade 
  Doctor Anayova, as you can see, I am 
  keeping very interesting company these 
  days. I suggest we cooperate with one 
  another to analyze if someone stole your 
  research and is using it against civilians...
  At this point, SPF nods and smiles; he 
  hadn’t planned on the plot revolving 
  specifically around stolen Russian tech, 
  but he really likes that and incorporates it 
  into his thinking for later.
  SPF: OK, with those four success tokens, 
  that means you’ll get one free re-draw on 
  the next round, in addition to Skipper’s 
  option to draw and replace (or keep). Who 
  wants to go next?
  ROSS: I’ve got an idea I’d like to explore, 
  but it really depends on where Surgical 
  Strike and Gremlin are going.
  DAVID: I think at this point, I want to head 
  into the China-occupied part of Japan. 
  We went there once before on a previous 
  mission, and I developed a Technical 
  Contact named Yukio. I was thinking we 
  could meet with her and see what she 
  and her people can help us figure out.
  ROSS: OK, cool. Michael, you mind if 
  I suggest something for your Tactical 
  Challenge?
  MICHAEL: Go for it. I was hoping to use 
  my Piloting, naturally...
  
  68
  ROSS: Perfect, that’s what I was thinking, 
  too. So we kind of established that 
  Skipper lost radio contact with Gremlin 
  and Surgical Strike earlier, so my idea is 
  that we know where they headed, so I am 
  going to have Falcon airlift me into the 
  area.
  SPF: Yeah, that works.
  MICHAEL (as FALCON): All right, Skipper, 
  get ready for some serious close-to-
  ground drop action, `cause Chinese radar 
  ain’t easy to fool. I’m rolling in practically 
  on top of the deck.
  Michael rolls his Piloting of d10+2, 
  gaining another +1 from Ross’ earlier 
  Support roll via Tactical Communications. 
  He gets a total of 4, which is a hideous 
  roll for what he had going. Deciding he 
  wants much better, he spends a Bennie 
  for a reroll. This time, he gets a total of 
  13 and decides that’s just fine.
  ROSS: Skipper parawings in, landing 
  on a hilltop overlooking the area where 
  he’s hoping to spot Gremlin and Surgical 
  Strike operating.
  CARINN (as SURGICAL STRIKE): We 
  will be meeting with this Yukio and her 
  underground hacker cell, comparing 
  our data and findings with what they’ve 
  uncovered (she looks at David to confirm 
  this is cool with him, and he nods). I 
  will be using my Science knowledge 
  to analyze the data they uncover and 
  provide my insight.
  ROSS: Unfortunately, Chinese secret 
  police (secretly working with VENOM 
  agents) are closing in on where they are 
  working; Skipper’s going to use Shooting 
  and play overwatch sniper to give them 
  time to finish their work.
  DAVID: Then Gremlin will use Computers 
  to hack those Chinese secret police 
  systems and dig out any data they have 
  that might tie these machine freakouts to 
  VENOM.
  At this point, SPF is just grinning and 
  nodding, as the players are telling a great 
  story all on their own. Now it’s time for 
  rolls: Carinn rolls Surgical Strike’s Science 
  and gets a 9, which becomes a 5 with 
  the prevailing –4 for the Major Issue 
  part of the card. That’s still one success 
  to Support Gremlin. Ross rolls Skipper’s 
  Shooting and gets a 5; he considers 
  spending a Bennie, but David waves him 
  off, suggesting he save it for more critical 
  needs later. David then rolls Yukio’s 
  
  69
  Technical Contact rating of d8 (as a 
  Contact, she doesn’t get a Wild Die); with 
  an exploding die, she grants him a total 
  +2 in Support.
  David then rolls Gremlin’s rather 
  impressive d10+4; he gets a +2 straight 
  up from special abilities, and he’s 
  developed a Mastery with hacking 
  VENOM-connected systems (Mastery 
  is a maximized level of Focus, as per 
  the Freedom Squadron Commando’s 
  Manual). So even with the –4 from the 
  card, Gremlin is at a net +3 thanks to 
  Yukio and Surgical Strike, and he winds 
  up getting a 9. That’s two success tokens, 
  and he decides to stand on that since 
  the team is more or less ahead of the 
  game, so to speak, with a grand total of 
  nine success tokens out of the total 24 
  they will need by the end for minimum 
  mission success.
  SPF: So I am going to go ahead and insert 
  some GM-driven narrative here. The 
  reason Skipper wasn’t able to provide as 
  much help is because he had to bug out 
  as VENOM Shadow Fangs arrived in pretty 
  large numbers.
  ROSS (as SKIPPER, pretending to be on 
  a radio): VENOM ninjas everywhere! Bug 
  out! Bug out!
  MICHAEL (as FALCON): Falcon inbound 
  for hot dustoff!
  SPF: Gremlin’s got a hard drive and 
  some initial data, which Surgical Strike 
  has helped evaluate. It does look like 
  that Russian tech was compromised and 
  turned into something even nastier, but 
  you’ll need to do some more investigation 
  and analysis to get a better handle on 
  it. Fortunately for you, both Crazy Ivan’s 
  team and Falcon generated enough 
  successes to give you two free redraws on 
  the next round. This is an indication that 
  you have a solid plan and good intel to 
  work from. Time for the next round, where 
  you have four Challenges to handle.
  ROSS: Or five, if we’re feeling lucky and 
  want to keep my bonus card instead of 
  using it to replace anything.
  MICHAEL: I wanna push for more success 
  tokens so we can get that +10 level. I’d 
  like some more Gear Points.
  DONAVIN: And I have an idea for a new 
  Contact I wish to develop.
  CARINN (as SURGICAL STRIKE): You just 
  wish to add that sexy Russian scientist 
  to your list of international relationships, 
  Crazy Ivan.
  DONAVIN (as CRAZY IVAN): What can I 
  say? I am a lover, not a fighter...
  LEN (as LOBO, looking at GREMLIN): I’m 
  seriously wondering how much trouble a 
  case of friendly fire might get me in...
  From here, the team faces four Challenge 
  cards, and then five as the last round. 
  After that, Mission Rewards are assigned, 
  and Special Mission Rewards if they 
  manage to get that many success tokens. 
  More than likely, a nasty boss fight 
  involving insane machines and some 
  VENOM mad scientist ensues.
  
  70
  The above system is intended to be a 
  significant part of a game session. There 
  may be smaller missions that a Game 
  Master wishes to incorporate into a 
  scenario, but doesn’t want them to take 
  as much time. This streamlined (one 
  might say “Fast! Furious! Fun!”) version 
  is intended to fulfill a similar role to that 
  of the Quick Combat Rules created 
  by Shane Hensley (available as a free 
  download from Pinnacle Entertainment 
  Group)—a way to quickly run an op and 
  get on to the other parts of the session.
  The process works like this: 
  • Draw Challenge Cards: Draw one
  Challenge Deck card for each player 
  present. Note that the GM may need to 
  decide on the Enemy Leadership if one 
  of the Challenge Cards indicates that 
  as a complication.
  • Select Challenges: Each player selects
  one Challenge for her character 
  to tackle. Only one character per 
  challenge; no teaming up for 
  Cooperative Rolls (though certain 
  special abilities may still allow this, and 
  Contacts can still be called in).
  • Select a Skill, Roll to Resolve: Each
  player chooses a skill to resolve the 
  indicated Challenge. The skill must 
  be related to the Challenge in some 
  way, using one of the skills listed on 
  the card. In some desperate cases, the 
  GM might let a player come up with a 
  clever way to leverage a non-listed skill 
  (especially if the team just doesn’t have 
  the right mix to meet the particular 
  spread of challenges, like might 
  happen in a five-player game where 
  four Covert Challenges are drawn).
  • Determine the Outcome: Consult the
  list below to determine the outcome for 
  each character.
  The outcomes for this system are: 
  • Critical Failure: The opposition gains
  significant advantage and advance 
  warning of the team’s efforts and 
  goals. This means the GM gains an 
  extra Benny per player at the table for 
  use during the rest of the session.
  • Failure: The hero fails in his part of the
  mission, and the Game Master gains 
  one Benny.
  • Success: The hero achieves his part
  of the mission’s goals; everyone on the 
  team gains an additional Action card 
  each round during the next combat 
  scene that deals with the opposition 
  related to the mission.
  • Raise: The hero achieves significant
  success with his part of the mission; 
  everyone on the team gains a bonus 
  Adventure Card as well as the benefits 
  of Success.
  Note that, while characters cannot team 
  up for a Challenge (and therefore grant 
  Cooperative Rolls), there are special 
  abilities that come from Edges or 
  Specialization tables that do apply pretty 
  much as-written to this version of Plans & 
  Operations. They include: 
  • The Operational Planning Edge, which
  allows that player to exchange one 
  Challenge card for a new one they 
  draw. They can also use their Battle 
  skill to give one other character a 
  Cooperative Roll bonus during the 
  mission (in addition to them handling 
  their own Challenge).
  • Operational Expertise works as written.
  PLANS & OPERATIONS:
  THE SHORT FORM
  
  71
  • Tactical Communication works as
  written, granting everyone a potential 
  bonus for their one Challenge roll.
  • Tactical Coordination works as written;
  the player rolls to draw a number 
  of cards before the Challenges are 
  determined, and they can replace 
  Challenge cards with the ones they 
  drew as desired.
  • Tactical Logistics allows that player to
  discard and re-draw one Challenge 
  card.
  
  72
  Although we have a separate Friends 
  & Foes Manual in the works, Freedom 
  Squadron Game Masters will need a 
  solid roster of bad guys to use for running 
  scenarios and campaigns right away. As 
  well, a handful of Mission Specialists 
  are included here to supplement 
  mission teams that have a gap in their 
  skill sets. Many of these specialists are 
  the creations of folks who have kindly 
  supported my Patreon (https://www.
  patreon.com/SeanPatrickFannon).
  friends & foes recognition files
  Created by Kathryn Jones
  File Name: CLASSIFIED (alias “Sarah 
  Smith”)
  Primary Military Specialty: Intelligence/
  Counter-Intelligence
  Additional Specialties: Black Ops, 
  HUMINT, Close Quarters Combat
  Birth Place: CLASSIFIED
  Commando “Smith” is the only Freedom 
  Squadron operative to ever have her 
  official code name changed. At one 
  time known as Zephyr, she quickly 
  rose through the ranks of ReComInt 
  (Reconnaissance, Communications & 
  Intelligence) as a top infiltration and 
  human asset manipulation specialist. She 
  became one of Mirage’s favorite “pieces” 
  in the chess game the FS intelligence 
  Detox
  These four distinct Freedom Squadron 
  operatives can be tapped to help teams 
  overcome Challenges and otherwise fill 
  out the ranks with needed skills and 
  abilities. They also serve as potential 
  Contacts.
  MISSION SPECIALISTS
  chief constantly played against VENOM’s 
  Lockdown.
  Then came the day when Lockdown 
  moved Toxin into place to take down 
  Zephyr. That was also the day the world 
  learned just how much attention the 
  acrobatic spy paid to her close quarters 
  combat training with Roughhouse. With 
  skill, ferocity, and no small amount of 
  fortunate choices within the difficult 
  terrain of the crumbling castle ruins, 
  “Smith” clutched at the worst of her 
  wounds while Toxin plunged into the river 
  below.
  Within an hour of the operation, her code 
  name was officially changed to Detox, 
  and she was sent for advanced black 
  ops and combat training with Blindsight 
  and Nightshade. Toxin made it clear he 
  intends to punish her for the effrontery 
  of his defeat, and she relishes this new 
  game she plays with the VENOM ninja 
  master.
  
  73
  “I love being underestimated. It makes 
  my job so much easier.”
  Mission Specialist Use: Though her 
  combat skills are formidable, Detox’s 
  primary role remains intelligence 
  and human asset manipulation. This 
  makes her most useful for Covert 
  and Interaction Challenges in Plans 
  & Operations play. As a Contact, she 
  counts as either Covert or Interaction 
  at d10.
  Attributes: Agility d10, Smarts d8, Spirit 
  d8, Strength d6, Vigor d8
  Skills: Athletics d8, Computers d6, 
  Driving d6, Electronics d8, Fighting d10, 
  Healing d4, Investigation d6,  Notice 
  d8, Persuasion d10, Shooting d8, 
  Stealth d8, Streetwise d8, Survival d4, 
  Thievery d8, Tradecraft d8
  Cha: +4; Pace: 6; Parry: 8; Toughness: 
  14 (7)
  Hindrances: Curious, Loyal, Enemy 
  (Major, Toxin)
  Edges: Acrobat, Ambidextrous, Assassin, 
  Attractive, Extraction, First Strike, 
  (Improved) Martial Artist, Quick Draw, 
  Thief, Two-Fisted
  Gear: Custom Kinemesh Armor (+7, +1 
  Toughness), 2x FN Five-seveN Pistols 
  (Range 12/24/48, Damage 2d6+1, AP 
  2), 2x Custom Stun Batons (Damage 
  Str+d4, Vigor check [-2 with raise] vs 
  Stunned, +1 Parry), covert surveillance 
  pack, intrusion tools, night vision 
  goggles.
  Special Abilities
  • Acrobatics: Detox enjoys +2 to 
  all Strength rolls for jumping and 
  movement-related Athletics checks. 
  She can climb at her Strength rating in 
  pace, and she ignores difficult ground 
  modifiers to movement. She also 
  reduces the effective distance she falls 
  with an Agility check (Acrobat bonus 
  applies (–10 feet, or –20 feet with a 
  raise).
  • Analysis: She can spend a Benny 
  to “get a clue” from the GM about 
  opposition actions or plans. During 
  Plans & Operations play, Detox gains 
  a free action to make a Tradecraft roll 
  as a cooperative roll for any other team 
  member’s Challenge.
  • Combat Focuses: Agility Trick 
  Maneuvers, Trick Shots.
  • Endurance Training: Detox gains a +2 
  to all Vigor checks to resist Fatigue 
  from any source (including poison).
  • Infiltration: Detox gains a +1 to all 
  Investigation, Persuasion, Stealth, and 
  Streetwise rolls related to infiltrating 
  a faction or organization, or whenever 
  she is working undercover.
  • Intelligence Focuses: Bribery, Disguise 
  (Mastery), Forgery, Intelligence Analysis 
  (Mastery), VENOM Operative Toxin.
  • Quick and Adaptable Mind: Detox only 
  suffers –1 to any unskilled checks.
  • Reactive Fighting: She can use her 
  First Strike even if she is Shaken. She 
  ignores any wound penalties when 
  making a First Strike attack.
  Iron
  Created By John Atkinson
  File Name: Robert Hairgrove
  Primary Military Specialty: Tactical 
  Command & Planning
  Additional Specialties: Mounted Cavalry, 
  Infantry, Logistics, Desert Operations, 
  Military History Instructor
  Birth Place: Fort Riley, KS, United States
  Robert “Bob” Hairgrove is a relatively 
  recent transfer into Freedom Squadron, 
  formerly serving in the United States 
  
  74
  He always briefs his teams personally, 
  face to face. While he appreciates the 
  efficiency and necessity of electronic 
  communications in all forms, nothing 
  matches the personal chemistry of 
  being at the same table or in the field 
  together where he’s concerned. He often 
  goes out of his way to mentor Freedom 
  Squadron troopers who show potential for 
  leadership.
  Iron almost never mentions his former 
  position, assignment, or rank in the US 
  Army or why he transferred to Freedom 
  Squadron. He scrupulously never 
  asks about anyone else’s past before 
  Freedom Squadron, either. Those at the 
  higher echelons of Freedom Squadron’s 
  command structure are aware Iron has 
  a mild case of ADHD-C and PTSD; his 
  exceptional skills and preparedness 
  overwhelm these challenges, and it takes 
  extended interactions over a long period 
  of time before most would ever observe 
  these challenges he faces.
  Iron has an encyclopedic store of quotes 
  and references to military history and 
  Army. He is known for 
  a personal approach to 
  leadership, welding ad hoc 
  teams into functional units. 
  Much to his displeasure, he 
  finds himself most frequently 
  on planning teams and doing 
  mission control for field units, 
  often juggling several teams 
  operating in disparate theaters 
  world-wide. For some of the 
  most complex operations 
  Freedom Squadron executes, 
  he manages an entire staff and 
  becomes the terror of junior 
  planning officers, hammering 
  home that people’s lives 
  depend on a workable plan.
  historical strategists. He always refers 
  to Carl von Clausewitz as “Dead Carl” 
  and George S. Patton as “28.” His go-to 
  curse replacement (he tries to maintain 
  decorum among the international 
  community that is Freedom Squadron) is 
  “Foxtrot;” he uses it in every grammatical 
  role possible (and some that he probably 
  invented). He also has a thing for sticky 
  notes. He routinely uses sticky notes 
  as a substitute for emails, strolling to 
  someone’s office and slapping a sticky 
  note on their computer screen if they are 
  not available for immediate discourse. 
  He also tends to maintain to-do lists in 
  the form of sticky notes, one for each 
  step, and throwing them away as each 
  is completed. Teams he’s briefing and 
  overseeing will frequently discover 
  extensive sticky note “appendixes” 
  to briefing documents, featuring 
  observations that he knows won’t stand 
  up to official scrutiny or data testing, but 
  represent considerations he doesn’t want 
  them to overlook.
  “What would Dead Carl say about 
  complex plans that depend on precise 
  
  75
  timing? Friction is a thing, Grasshopper. 
  Unfoxtrot this.”
  Mission Specialist Use: Iron is intended 
  to serve as a substitute for tactical 
  and logistical leadership support 
  for any team where no one took 
  Operational Planning or any other 
  Plans & Operations oriented Edges or 
  Special Abilities. He can provide the 
  capacity to replace bad card draws and 
  Battle support rolls, as well as full-on 
  leadership abilities in the field if the GM 
  permits (otherwise, he’s considered to 
  be operating from a remote command 
  post, offering insight and overwatch). 
  Iron can also be helpful in both Tactical 
  and Technical support roles, and 
  serves as a great Contact in both areas 
  (providing a d10 in each role).
  Attributes: Agility d8, Smarts d10, Spirit 
  d8, Strength d6, Vigor d6
  Skills: Academics d8, Athletics d6, 
  Battle d10, Demolitions d6, Driving d6, 
  Fighting d8, Healing d4, Logistics d10, 
  Notice d8, Persuasion d8, Riding d6, 
  Shooting d8, Stealth d6, Survival d6
  Cha: +0; Pace: 6; Parry: 6; Toughness: 
  12 (5)
  Hindrances: Code of Honor, Loyal, 
  Stubborn
  Edges: Command, Dodge, Hold the 
  Line!, Operational Planning, Scholar, 
  Tactician, Zone Specialist (Desert)
  Gear: KevRam Combat Armor (+6, +1 
  Toughness), Custom ACR IV Assault 
  Rifle (Range 24/48/96, Damage 
  2d8+2, RoF 3, AP 5), Five-seveN MK 
  5 Pistol (Range 12/24/48, Damage 
  2d6+1, AP 2), Model 1840 Heavy 
  Cavalry Saber (Str+d6), three Frag 
  Grenades (Range 5/10/20, Damage 
  3d6, LBT, HW), three Smoke Grenades 
  (Obscuring smoke, –4, LBT, 1d4+2 
  rounds), satellite radio pack, field 
  computer.
  Special Abilities
  • Academic Focuses: Geography, 
  History, Human Resources, Materiel 
  Management, Operational Theory, 
  Politics, Strategy (Mastery).
  • “Bullet Radar”: He gains +1 to soak 
  damage from bullets and shrapnel.
  • Defensive Tactics: When his troops 
  are in a defensive position, they gain 
  +2 Toughness (instead of just +1 from 
  Hold the Line!).
  • Equine Training: Iron gains a +2 for 
  all Riding checks, and can mount or 
  dismount as a free action.
  • Operational Expertise: Iron adds +2 to 
  any Battle rolls when he is supporting 
  someone else’s actions.
  • Qualified Expert: Focuses in Assault 
  Rifles, Knives, Throwing.
  • Tactical Coordination: Iron draws his 
  Tactician pool of cards with the benefit 
  of the Quick Edge (ignoring those of 
  5 or less). He can draw an extra set of 
  Plans & Operations Challenge cards 
  using the same rules for drawing 
  Initiative cards as a Tactician (replacing 
  cards during the session from his pool 
  as desired).
  • Tactical Positioning: Once per combat 
  scene, he can make a Battle roll. On a 
  success, all under his command are –1 
  to be hit by ranged combat (-2 with a 
  raise) for three rounds.
  malware
  Created by Jen Atkinson
  File Name: Lahkmi Kaur
  Primary Military Specialty: Tactical 
  Technology
  Additional Specialties: Digital Warfare, 
  Vehicle Mechanics, Combat Robotics, 
  Infantry
  
  76
  Birth Place: Southall, London, England
  Lahkmi (AKA “Lucky”) Kaur, a Punjabi 
  Sikh born and raised in London, comes 
  from a very close family. Though very 
  proud of her, they all wish she’d get out of 
  military service (her two brothers are both 
  very successful barristers). She joined 
  the British Army in 2042 after graduating 
  M.I.T. (third in her class). She was granted 
  a reserve commission and assumed 
  she’d be working in the Defense Science 
  and Technology Laboratory. Instead, she 
  was assigned to QinetiQ, a private firm 
  associated with DSTL doing ultra-secret 
  research and weapons development. 
  Her work there remains classified to this 
  day (though top-level Freedom Squadron 
  commanders know she was part of the 
  teams that developed weapons used in 
  Operation Falling Tiger, as well as tech 
  used in response to the Bloc’s Operation 
  Scorched Earth). Most of her teammates 
  assume Frick and Frack—the two highly 
  advanced autonomous ground drones 
  that accompany her everywhere—are 
  results of her time there.
  Lucky dated and eventually agreed to 
  marry a Royal Marine named Michael 
  Peters, who she met in a specialized 
  warfare training course and with whom 
  she shared a love of cooking and 
  motorcycles. Tragically, Peters was killed 
  when Bloc High Command ordered the 
  execution of all British Commandos in 
  their custody on October 18th, 2046. 
  Following that incident, she became a 
  proponent for larger and more lethal 
  weapons of mass destruction to be 
  employed against the Bloc, which caused 
  her family serious concern. It wasn’t until 
  the war ended and she had a chance to 
  process her grief that she once again 
  softened her stance and returned to a 
  measured view of weapons technology.
  Malware was recruited to Freedom 
  Squadron almost immediately after it 
  was formed, her file being among the 
  many Mirage put in front of General Steel 
  as someone to help form the backbone 
  of the force’s technology efforts. She 
  spends equal time in the field and in 
  the R&D labs, working closely with 
  folks like Sparks, Uplink, Wild Card, and 
  Fixer to continuously upgrade Freedom 
  Squadron’s technical warfare capabilities. 
  When time permits, she travels frequently 
  to Jalandhar, Punjab, to work with the 
  Prakash Laur Home for Abandoned Girls, 
  where she finds young women to sponsor 
  into various science and technical 
  universities.
  “Uh...who do I talk to about the fire 
  suppression systems in the computer labs 
  
  77
  here in the Bastion? And relax! That was 
  barely enough smoke to bother anyone!”
  Mission Specialist Use: Malware is an 
  engineer, technician, and computer 
  specialist of significant talent and 
  capability. She’s clearly most useful 
  for Covert and Technical Challenges, 
  the former via use of her Computer 
  and Electronics skills. She works as 
  a Technical Contact with a value of 
  d10. Teams who gain access to her 
  services during P&O sessions will 
  almost certainly want her to use her 
  Sensory Overwatch ability (unless they 
  are desperate for someone to directly 
  handle a Technical Challenge).
  Attributes: Agility d8, Smarts d10, Spirit 
  d8, Strength d6, Vigor d6
  Skills: Athletics d6, Computers d10, 
  Driving d4, Electronics d10, Fighting 
  d8, Investigation d6, Healing d4, Notice 
  d10, Repair d8+2, Shooting d8, Stealth 
  d6, Thievery d4
  Cha: +0; Pace: 6; Parry: 6; Toughness: 
  13 (7)
  Hindrances: Overconfident, Loyal, Quirk 
  (Talks to machines)
  Edges: Combat Reflexes, Elan, McGyver, 
  Mr. Fix It, Quick Draw
  Gear: Custom Kinemesh Armor (+7, 
  +1 Toughness), Five-seveN MK 5 
  Pistol (Range 12/24/48, Damage 
  2d6+1, AP 2), Custom XM-25 Grenade 
  Launcher (Range 24/48/96, Damage 
  per grenade, +1 Shooting), three Frag 
  Grenades (Range 5/10/20, Damage 
  3d6, LBT, HW), grenade loads of 
  every type, satellite radio pack, field 
  computer, technician tools.
  Special Abilities
  • Born for Battle: At the start of any 
  combat scene, Malware gains an 
  automatic bonus Benny.
  • “Frosty”: Any adjacent allies gain +1 to 
  recover from Shaken.
  • “Hairtrigger”: Malware gains +2 when 
  rolling to interrupt someone.
  • Sensory Overwatch: When positioned 
  to use surveillance and sensory gear to 
  provide “overwatch” support, Malware 
  can make an Electronics roll as an 
  action. With a success, she provides 
  everyone a bonus Action Card, while 
  everyone gains a +1 on their next 
  Trait roll with a raise. During Plans 
  & Operations play, she can make an 
  Electronics roll to give everyone a +1 
  on their next Challenge roll, or +2 with 
  a raise (that’s all she can do on that 
  round of P&O though).
  • Technical Focuses: Computer Security, 
  Digital Data (Mastery), Electrical 
  Engineering, Electronic Security, 
  Mechanical Engineering.
  Created By John Ackley
  File Name: Ben Laga
  Primary Military Specialty: Combat 
  Search & Rescue
  Additional Specialties: Medic, Aquatic 
  Operations, Desert Operations, 
  Mountaineering, Wilderness Survival
  Birth Place: Glenorchy, Otago, New 
  Zealand
  Benjamin Manaaki Laga’s earliest 
  memory is of him and his mum on 
  horseback with the mountains looming 
  on all sides. His family owned the local 
  outfitter and stables in Glenorchy, New 
  Zealand, and his days were filled with 
  riding, swimming, climbing, and tracking 
  game through the lakes and mountains.  
  With a passion for helping and healing, 
  he attempted medicine at university, but 
  tracker
  
  78
  was overwhelmed by the sheer boredom 
  of academic studies. He eventually found 
  his calling as a medic in the New Zealand 
  Special Operations Force. 
  After two tours with NZSOF, he wound up 
  in a joint operation alongside Surgical 
  Strike and Tundra to provide aid and 
  security in the aftermath of a tsunami 
  that struck much of the Pacific Rim. They 
  were impressed with his daring and his 
  expertise; two weeks later, he was called 
  up to the Global Operations Force, where 
  he earned the codename Tracker in the 
  Disaster & Emergency Response service.
  Tracker is often first on scene to disasters 
  worldwide—both natural and those 
  caused by VENOM. He can take charge 
  of response and relief efforts, or he can 
  track a person, missing or wanted, in 
  almost any terrain for days. If the victim 
  is injured, Tracker has the healing touch 
  and can evacuate them safely from any 
  wilderness or combat zone. He’s no 
  slouch in combat, either, often speed-
  rappelling into VENOM bases with his 
  custom SCAR-H roaring!
  “I love going in against VENOM 
  Constrictors. They get so mad when I bust 
  their little ambushes.”
  Mission Specialist Use: Tracker is the 
  specialist to call in if the team doesn’t 
  have a good outdoor operator in the 
  ranks, or if they need a solid medic. 
  He’s going to be best used in Plans 
  & Operations for Tactical Challenges, 
  though his Healing abilities can be 
  useful for Technical Challenges as well. 
  He’s going to be great for getting teams 
  through the woods, over mountains, 
  and underwater. As a Tactical Contact, 
  he’s a d10.
  Attributes: Agility d8, Smarts d8, Spirit 
  d6, Strength d6, Vigor d8
  Skills: Athletics d8, Driving d4, Fighting 
  d6, Healing d8, Logistics d4, Notice 
  d8, Riding d6, Shooting d8, Stealth d6, 
  Survival d8, Tracking d10
  Cha: +0; Pace: 6; Parry: 5; Toughness: 
  13 (6)
  Hindrances: Heroic, Loyal, Vow (Minor, 
  Protect Innocents)
  Edges: Combat Medic, Common Bond, 
  Dig In!, Elan, Woodsman, Zone 
  Specialist (Desert, Forest, Mountain)
  Gear: KevRam Combat Armor (+6, +1 
  Toughness), Custom FN SCAR-H 21 
  Assault Rifle (Range 30/60/120, 
  Damage 2d8+1, RoF 3, AP 5), Five-
  seveN MK 5 Pistol (Range 12/24/48, 
  Damage 2d6+1, AP 2), Air Mask, 
  Trauma Pack, Field Computer.
  
  79
  Special Abilities
  • “Born for Battle”: At the beginning of 
  any firefight combat, Tracker gains a 
  bonus Benny.
  • Combat Trauma: If Tracker can reach 
  a Wild Card who has died within three 
  rounds, he can make a Healing check 
  at –6. On a success, the hero is brought 
  back (though they are still Bleeding 
  Out). On a raise, the hero is stabilized, 
  but still Incapacitated.
  • Disaster Relief: All teammates within 
  Tracker’s Spirit radius gain +1 to Spirit 
  checks.
  • Equine Training: Tracker gains a +2 for 
  all Riding checks, and can mount or 
  dismount as a free action.
  • First Responder Focuses: Climbing, 
  Disaster Response (Mastery), Land 
  Navigation, Mounted Logistics, 
  Swimming (Mastery), Tracking Humans.
  • Swim Training: Tracker can swim at 
  a Pace equal to his Athletics die, and 
  he can hold his breath for a number of 
  minutes equal to his Vigor die.
  VENOM FORCES
  The rank-and-file soldiers and specialists 
  that serve VENOM’s agenda, a seemingly 
  endless wave of mostly-faceless minions 
  armed to the teeth and determined to 
  make the world theirs. The standard 
  VENOM Troopers are competent enough, 
  but it’s the various special forces that 
  are the greatest threat to Freedom 
  Squadron... and the world.
  New Hindrance—Obligations
  Introduced in Flash Gordon, this Hindrance 
  represents service to an authority that 
  is compulsory and carries significant 
  consequences for failure to follow orders. 
  As a Minor Hindrance, violation of orders 
  can result in detention, fines, and other 
  significant disciplinary action. It could also 
  transform into a Wanted (Minor) Hindrance 
  if the soldier abandons their post or duty. 
  At the Major level, severe punishment is 
  forthcoming, and in certain draconian 
  services, this could result in charges of 
  treason and execution. Going AWOL results 
  in the Hindrance transforming into a Wanted 
  (Major) Hindrance.
  VENOM Troopers and other such soldiers face 
  summary execution when abandoning their 
  Obligations (Major).
  Classification: Infantry/Security Force 
  Troopers
  Recruited from the militaries of their 
  client states, mercenary and security 
  forces, criminal cartels, and anywhere 
  else where aggression and a talent for 
  fighting might be found, VENOM Troopers 
  represent the largest body of armed 
  men and women ever found under one 
  flag in the world. Once they process into 
  the service of VENOM, they are further 
  drilled to follow orders without question 
  and indoctrinated in the philosophy that 
  only VENOM can truly lead humanity to 
  greatness. VENOM Troopers are taught 
  to believe that only through mass chaos, 
  conflict, and fear can they help bring 
  ultimate peace and order to the world.
  VENOM Troopers
  
  80
  down in a major assault, VENOM still 
  manages to find more of these idiots to 
  put on the armor and step up. Must be 
  one hell of a dental plan!” - Caliber
  Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d6, Spirit 
  d6, Strength d6, Vigor d6
  Skills: Athletics d6, Driving d4, Fighting 
  d6, Intimidation d6, Notice d6, 
  Shooting d6, Stealth d4, Survival d4
  Cha: 0; Pace: 6; Parry: 5; Toughness: 9 
  (4)
  Hindrances: Obligation (Major—Serve 
  VENOM)
  Edges: —
  Gear: VENOM Combat Armor (+4), VENOM 
  Assault Rifle (Range 25/50/100, 
  Damage 2d8, RoF 3, AP 3), VENOM 
  Pistol (Range 12/24/48, Damage 2d6, 
  AP 2), Combat Knife (Str+d4).
  Most of them don’t truly 
  believe that, instead paying 
  lip-service as required 
  around the leadership. They 
  do enjoy the decent wages; 
  full benefits; excellent 
  weaponry and gear; and 
  the opportunity to actively 
  bear arms across multiple 
  theaters around the world. 
  While disciplined and 
  generally professional, the 
  average VENOM Trooper 
  won’t needlessly throw 
  their life away; if escape 
  is an option when facing 
  overwhelming odds, they’ll 
  take it. Otherwise, they will 
  often surrender.
  “No matter how many I mow 
  VENOM arctic 
  wolves
  Classification:  Arctic/Cold Weather 
  Troopers
  VENOM learned early on that the polar 
  regions and the remote frozen mountains 
  of the world represented highly valuable 
  untapped real estate for bases and secret 
  labs. To protect them and execute the 
  kinds of missions the terrain and weather 
  necessitated, VENOM needed a special 
  class of soldier. Recruiting from the local 
  populations (showering the communities 
  with food, technology, and other wealth, 
  a program conceived by Stiletto and the 
  Quintana twins), the backbone of VENOM 
  Arctic Wolves corps was formed. Jack 
  Knife then set about training them to 
  own the frozen and inhospitable realms 
  they are named for. Those VENOM 
  Troopers with arctic and cold weather 
  expertise (many coming from service in 
  Neo-Communist Bloc armies where such 
  
  81
  conditions prevail) were then offered 
  significant incentives to flesh out the 
  service. 
  A fierce esprit de corps exists among the 
  Wolves, derived from their mastery of 
  environments most of humanity cannot 
  hope to survive. They tend to think of 
  themselves as truly wolf-like, which can 
  make them unnerving for even other 
  VENOM operatives to deal with.
  Experts at ambush and hit-and-run 
  tactics, Arctic Wolves are known for 
  leading opposing forces into treacherous 
  ice or where avalanches can be triggered 
  to bury them. TAC-allied militaries have 
  become very hesitant to engage VENOM 
  in such environs, insisting Freedom 
  Squadron take the lead in any operations 
  against Arctic Wolves. The Global 
  Operations Force continues to develop 
  training and strategies for dealing with 
  the “icy ghosts” of VENOM, with Glacier 
  and Tundra taking the lead.
  “Do you hear that—the faint howling on 
  the wind? It is either the Wendigo or the 
  Arctic Wolves. Either way, we are in for 
  some serious trouble.”—Glacier
  Attributes: Agility d8, Smarts d6, Spirit 
  d8, Strength d8, Vigor d8
  Skills: Athletics d8, Demolitions d6, 
  Driving d6, Fighting d8, Healing d4, 
  Intimidation d8, Notice d6, Shooting 
  d8, Stealth d8, Survival d8, Tracking d6
  Cha: 0; Pace: 6; Parry: 6; Toughness: 11 
  (5)
  Hindrances: Loyal, Obligations (Major—
  VENOM), Quirk (Wolf-like demeanors)
  Edges: Brave, Combat Reflexes, 
  Marksman, Martial Artist, Zone 
  Specialist (Arctic, Mountain)
  Gear: VENOM Arctic Armor (+5, +4 Vigor 
  vs cold and thirst, low light vision, self-
  contained breathing), VENOM Assault 
  Rifle (Range 25/50/100, Damage 
  2d8, RoF 3, AP 3), VENOM Pistol 
  (Range 12/24/48, Damage 2d6, AP 2), 
  Combat Knife (Str+d4). 
  Special Abilities: 
  • Rocket Skis: Many Arctic Wolves units 
  are equipped with special rocket skis, 
  giving them Pace 10 with a d10 Run 
  die in snow and ice conditions.
  • Zone Specialists: In Arctic and 
  Mountain Zones, the GM draws one 
  additional Benny for his side when 
  Arctic Wolves are present. They draw 
  an additional Action Card each round in 
  combat, and they gain +4 to resist all 
  environmental hazards in those Zones.
  
  82
  Classification:  Forest/Jungle Terrain 
  Troopers
  The men and women who join the 
  Constrictors often hale from the most 
  inhospitable tropical regions around 
  the world. Primarily composed of 
  ex –guerrilla fighters and rebels who 
  decided that their leaders were no longer 
  following their own cause, or forces had 
  been utterly crushed, these people have 
  sought a new cause to champion, and 
  found it in VENOM.  
  Constrictors are often deployed to help 
  defend remote jungle or forest locations 
  where their talents are best put to use. 
  VENOM 
  constrictors
  Even a small number of these guerrillas 
  can hold off a force three times their size 
  with ease. They obtained their name from 
  the few survivors who have faced them, 
  saying that the jungle was squeezing 
  and choking them into an ever shrinking 
  space with ambushes and traps. 
  Constrictors employ some of the nastier 
  weapons used by VENOM, such as the 
  Shredder (a specialized custom shotgun), 
  Spring Mines, and pit traps; they have 
  even been known to bury bullets around 
  a trip mine to increase the shrapnel 
  damage. These forest warriors have 
  pushed back more than one attempt to 
  rout VENOM from the jungles.
  “There is something out there in this 
  jungle waiting for us, hunting us, and I am 
  not sure it is entirely human.”—Tundra
  Attributes: Agility d8, Smarts d8, Spirit 
  d8, Strength d6, Vigor d8
  Skills: Athletics d6, Demolitions d8, 
  Fighting d8, Healing d6, Notice d8, 
  Repair d6, Shooting d8, Stealth d8, 
  Survival d8, Tracking d8
  Cha: 0; Pace: 8; Parry: 6; Toughness: 9 
  (3)
  Hindrances: Loyal, Obligations (Major—
  VENOM), Stubborn
  Edges: Combat Reflexes, Fleet-Footed, 
  Marksman, Martial Artist, McGyver, 
  Woodsman, Zone Specialist (Forest, 
  Jungle)
  Gear: VENOM Jungle Ops Armor (+3), 
  VENOM Shredder (Range 10/20/40, 
  Damage 1-3d6+2, AP 2), VENOM Pistol 
  (Range 12/24/48, Damage 2d6, AP 2), 
  Combat Machete (Str+d6), Constrictor 
  Spring Mines (Range n/a, Damage 3d6, 
  AP 2, LBT, -2 to Notice).
  
  83
  Once chosen to undertake the Trial of 
  Dedication, the trooper walks through 
  the golden doors of the Inner Sanctum, 
  where he engages a series of tests that 
  push him past physical, emotional, 
  and spiritual limits. Those that come 
  out again never speak of what they 
  encountered or experienced; many never 
  exit and are never seen again. 
  VENOM Scourges serve as VENOM 
  Commander’s personal bodyguards, 
  and are often assigned to guard all of 
  the organization’s top leaders. They are 
  also put in charge of the security for key 
  installations and projects. Scourges are 
  known for their willingness to lay down 
  their lives without hesitation if it means 
  protecting what they are set to guard. 
  “He who stands with me shall be my 
  brother, and shall accept that only in 
  death does our duty end”—found on the 
  armor of VENOM Scourges.
  Attributes: Agility d10, Smarts d8, Spirit 
  d10, Strength d10, Vigor d10
  Skills: Athletics d8, Battle d8, Driving d8, 
  Fighting d10, Healing d6, Notice d8, 
  Shooting d10, Stealth d6, Survival d6
  Cha: 0; Pace: 8; Parry: 7; Toughness: 15 
  (5)
  Hindrances: Loyal, Overconfident, Vow 
  (Major—Serve VENOM Commander)
  Edges: Alertness, Battle Hardened, 
  Combat Reflexes, Danger Sense, 
  Dodge, Fleet-Footed, (Improved) Frenzy, 
  Marksman, (Improved) Martial Artist, 
  Quick Draw, Steady Hands
  Gear: VENOM Scourge Armor (+5, +2 
  Toughness), VENOM Assault Rifle, 
  Enhanced (Range 25/50/100, Damage 
  Classification:  Elite Guards
  The first among all the soldiers created 
  by VENOM Commander, the Scourges 
  are the true elite among all of VENOM’s 
  forces. The brotherhood bond is so strong 
  within this corps, VENOM Scourges 
  often fight to the last rather than leave 
  one of their fallen comrades behind. 
  Their loyalty to VENOM is absolute and 
  unshakable. Those outside of VENOM’s 
  inner circle are surprised by this level 
  of dedication, not realizing how much 
  of it is a combination of psychological 
  programming and a specialized drug that 
  only VENOM Commander can procure. It 
  takes a minimum of five years of service 
  in VENOM’s ranks before a soldier can 
  petition to join the Scourges; that service 
  must be exemplary, on and off the 
  battlefield. 
  VENOM scourges
  
  84
  2d8+2, RoF 3, AP 4), VENOM Pistol, 
  Enhanced (Range 12/24/48, Damage 
  2d6+1, AP 3), 2 x HE Grenades (Range 
  5/10/20, Damage 3d8, HW, MBT), 
  Combat Knife (Str+d4). 
  Special Abilities: 
  • Drug Enhancements: Scourges take 
  a drug cocktail that boosts Agility, 
  Spirit, Strength, and Vigor by one die 
  type. It also grants +1 Toughness 
  and +2 to Spirit checks to resist fear, 
  Intimidation, and Taunt, as well as any 
  use of psionics. A treatment lasts for 
  one week, and is highly addictive (to 
  the point of the soldier potentially dying 
  after a week of withdrawals).
  • Melee Shooting: Scourges know how 
  to fight in close quarters with ranged 
  weapons, gaining a +1 shooting against 
  any adjacent opponent, and their Parry 
  is +1 against any opponent shooting 
  at them from an adjacent space. They 
  can use any short-barrel weapon (SMG, 
  sawed-off shotgun) as well as pistols in 
  melee.
  • “Sentinel”: Elite bodyguards, the 
  Scourges gain +1 Action Card when 
  in combat, which combines with Level 
  Headed.
  VENOM sea 
  serpents
  Classification:  Deep Sea Troopers 
  As VENOM Commander undertook to 
  expand his organization globally, he 
  understood that he would need to put 
  bases and forward operation outposts in 
  the most remote and hidden locations 
  around the world. In addition to high 
  mountain reaches, sky fortresses, and 
  remote wilderness locales, the vastly 
  unexplored deep sea offered ideal 
  opportunities for fully hidden elaborate 
  bases.
  To protect these ocean posts, the Sea 
  Serpents corps of VENOM was formed. 
  Recruited from many of the naval Special 
  Forces downsized after World War III, 
  the Sea Serpents come from both the 
  TAC and Neo-Communist Bloc service, 
  unwilling to give up the call of either 
  action or the sea. Each member brings 
  years of combat experience both beneath 
  and above the waves, now dangerously 
  married to the advanced technology of 
  combat dive suits designed by Octavia. 
  Combining lightning-fast assaults with 
  the intentionally frightening appearance 
  of their armor, the VENOM Sea Serpents 
  have crafted a nearly-mythical reputation 
  as “sea monsters attacking from the 
  deep” among the few survivors they’ve 
  left.
   
  “The oceans hold many strange and 
  deadly creatures already; VENOM didn’t 
  have to go and pollute it with their own 
  ugly mugs, did they?” - Bulkhead
  Attributes: Agility d8, Smarts d6, Spirit 
  d8, Strength d8, Vigor d8
  Skills: Athletics d8, Boating d8, 
  Demolitions d6, Electronics d4, Fighting 
  d8, Healing d4, Intimidation d6,  Notice 
  
  85
  d6, Repair d4, Shooting d8, Stealth d8, 
  Survival d6
  Cha: 0; Pace: 6; Parry: 6; Toughness: 11 
  (5)
  Hindrances: Loyal, Quirk (Strongly prefer 
  sea to land), Obligations (Major—
  VENOM)
  Edges: Combat Reflexes, Zone Specialist 
  (Sea)
  Gear: VENOM Aquatic Assault Armor (+4, 
  see below), VENOM Spear Rifle (Range 
  12/25/50, Damage 2d8, RoF 1, AP 
  4), VENOM Pistol (Range 12/24/48, 
  Damage 2d6, AP 2), Combat Knife 
  (Str+d4).
  Special Abilities: 
  • Swim Training: Sea Serpents have 
  Focus: Swimming and can swim at 
  their full Athletics die as their Pace in 
  and under the water. Even without their 
  armor or any other gear, they can hold 
  their breath for a number of minutes 
  equal to their Vigor die.
  • VENOM Aquatic Assault Armor: 
  In addition to its armor rating, the 
  suit provides a Swim Pace of 10”, 
  underwater environmental protection 
  even at significant depths, self-
  contained breathing for up to 3 hours, 
  and low-light vision.
  VENOM 
  shadow fangs
  Classification:  Assassin/Espionage 
  Troopers
  When Toxin joined VENOM, he petitioned 
  VENOM Commander to create his own 
  specialized team of infiltration operatives. 
  Always eager to increase his network of 
  spies and assassins, the Commander 
  gave him the resources and leave to do 
  so. Toxin set up his base of operations 
  deep in the Tian Shan Mountains, where 
  he began to train a select handful 
  of people he chose from the best of 
  VENOM’s current forces. They train in the 
  same techniques Toxin mastered, and 
  he seeks to hone each operative into a 
  deadly weapon.
  In order to graduate from training into 
  full Shadow Fang status, the student 
  must complete an assignment to either 
  assassinate a well-protected enemy or 
  infiltrate a high-security installation and 
  procure valuable intelligence. Failure 
  means death, which makes Toxin’s elite 
  team small, but a high-precision tool 
  VENOM wields to great effect.
  “To find enlightenment, one need not 
  seek the light, but rather they must bring 
  consciousness to the shadows around 
  him.” – Toxin, to his students
  Attributes: Agility d8, Smarts d8, Spirit 
  d8, Strength d8, Vigor d8
  
  86
  Skills: Athletics d8, Computers d6, 
  Fighting d10, Investigation d8, Notice 
  d8, Persuasion d8, Shooting d8, Stealth 
  d8, Streetwise d8, Survival d6, Thievery 
  d8, Tracking d8, Tradecraft d8
  Cha: 0; Pace: 8; Parry: 8; Toughness: 10 
  (3)
  Hindrances: Loyal, Obligations (Major—
  VENOM), Vow (Major—Serve Toxin)
  Edges: Acrobat, Alertness, Assassin, 
  Counterattack, Dodge, Fighting Style 
  (Evasive), First Strike, Fleet-Footed, 
  (Improved) Frenzy, Improvisational 
  Fighter, (Improved) Martial Artist, 
  Quick, Quick Draw, Thief, Tricky Fighter
  Gear: Shadow Fang Armor (+3, +1 
  Toughness), Shadow Fang Sword 
  (Str+d6+2, AP 2), VENOM Pistol (Range 
  12/24/48, Damage 2d6, AP 2), 
  infiltration tools.
  Classification:  Desert Terrain Troopers
  Just as Freedom Squadron has its own 
  forces especially suited to desert warfare, 
  so does VENOM. In fact, the Sidewinders 
  are some of the best ever put into the 
  field. Drawn from nations which contain  
  the harshest deserts and arid conditions, 
  these soldiers are trained by Jack Knife in 
  the three-thousand-year-old art of Zaros 
  de Bada. The practice, once mastered, 
  allows the Sidewinder to go days without 
  food or water while blending completely 
  into their desert surroundings.
  Sidewinders have been known to 
  shadow an opposing force for weeks, 
  striking not at them, but at their water 
  supplies and vehicles, thus allowing the 
  VENOM 
  sidewinders
  desert to defeat their enemies. To the 
  chagrin of other specialized corps within 
  VENOM, the Commander makes it clear 
  he values his Sidewinders almost as 
  much as his Scourges; he often insists 
  on employing them even in non-desert 
  operations for the purpose of crippling, 
  rather than killing, Freedom Squadron 
  forces. Masters of stealth and sabotage, 
  the Sidewinders are known and feared 
  among special operations forces 
  everywhere.
  “I don’t know how they did it, but by 
  the time we got the water truck to stop 
  leaking, they had managed to cut every 
  fuel line right under the nose of the entire 
  convoy.” – Commando Antony Caravuci 
  Attributes: Agility d8, Smarts d8, Spirit 
  d8, Strength d8, Vigor d8
  Skills: Athletics d6, Demolitions d8, 
  Driving d4, Fighting d8, Healing d6, 
  Intimidation d6, Notice d8, Repair d6, 
  Shooting d8, Stealth d8, Survival d10, 
  Tracking d8
  Cha: 0; Pace: 8; Parry: 6; Toughness: 11 
  (5)
  Hindrances: Loyal, Obligations (Major—
  VENOM), Stubborn
  
  87
  Edges: Combat Reflexes, Demolitions 
  Expert, Fleet-Footed, Marksman, 
  Martial Artist, McGyver, Zone Specialist 
  (Desert)
  Gear: VENOM Desert Exo-Armor (+5, see 
  below), VENOM Assault Rifle (Range 
  25/50/100, Damage 2d8, RoF 3, AP 
  3), VENOM Pistol (Range 12/24/48, 
  Damage 2d6+2, AP 2), Combat Knife 
  (Str+d4), sabotage equipment.
  Special Abilities: 
  • VENOM Desert Exo-Armor: The armor 
  increases the Sidewinder’s carry 
  capacity to Str x6, their Pace by +2, and 
  they gain +2 Vigor vs heat and thirst as 
  well as low light vision.
  on the run; that’s when VENOM offered 
  him protection in exchange for supplies 
  and help running their operations. His 
  ruthless manner and abilities quickened 
  his rise up the ranks, and he became 
  the unspoken right hand to VENOM 
  Commander.
  “You want guns, drugs, vehicles...anything 
  at all, I can get it for you. If you intend to 
  be around to use it, though, you’d better 
  be able to pay the devil his due.”
  Attributes: Agility d8, Smarts d10, Spirit 
  d8, Strength d12+2, Vigor d10
  Skills: Athletics d8, Battle d8, Computers 
  d8, Driving d6, Electronics d8, Fighting 
  d10, Intimidation d8, Logistics d10, 
  Notice d10, Persuasion d8, Piloting d8, 
  Repair d10, Shooting d10, Stealth d8, 
  Streetwise d8, Survival d6, Taunt d8
  Cha: +2; Pace: 8; Parry: 7; Toughness: 19 
  (10)
  Hindrances: Arrogant, Cautious, Greedy
  Edges: Charismatic, Combat Engineer, 
  (Improved) Combat Sense, Command, 
  Connections, Danger Sense, Elan, 
  VENOM LEADERS
  File Name: Unknown
  Primary Military Specialty: Logistics/
  Strategic Operations
  Birth Place: Unknown
  A great mystery surrounds the man 
  behind the iron mask, and that is just 
  how he likes it. He appeared on the arms 
  scene shortly after the start of World 
  War III and sold to anyone who could 
  meet his price. Gorgon became known 
  as the man who could obtain anything 
  you wanted and smuggle it anywhere 
  you needed. He was a serious thorn in 
  the Trans-Atlantic Coalition’s side; after 
  they issued a one million dollar bounty 
  for his arrest, he responded by becoming 
  more brazen in his activities. When the 
  war ended and various TAC intelligence 
  agencies started focusing on taking him 
  down, Gorgon found himself constantly 
  gorgon
  
  88
  (Improved) Extraction, Hard to Kill, 
  I Know a Guy, Killer Instinct, Leader 
  of Men, (Improved) Level Headed, 
  Marksman, (Improved) Martial Artist, 
  McGyver, Mr. Fix It, Operational 
  Planning, Strong Willed, Tactician
  Gear: Custom Gorgon Armor (+10, +2 
  Toughness), Plasma Rifle (24/48/96, 
  3d10, HW, affects least armored area), 
  Wrist Rockets (40/80/160, 4d6, AP 
  15, HW, SBT), Wrist Blades (Str+d8+2, 
  AP 6, HW)
  Special Abilities: 
  • Custom Armor Systems: Gorgon’s 
  personal armor provides him full 
  environmental protection (it can even 
  protect him in space). It also grants 
  him thermal and night vision; vision 
  magnification to x50; advanced visual 
  and audio systems giving him +2 to 
  Notice; and targeting systems that give 
  him +2 to all Shooting rolls. The suit 
  also grants him d12+2 Strength and a 
  Pace of 8 (with a d8 Run die).
  • Gravitic System: The battlesuit gives 
  Gorgon flight at Pace 12 (with a d10 
  Run die) for up to one hour.
  • Resource Networking: Gorgon gains 
  a +2 on all Connections rolls to gain 
  support, and he uses his Logistics roll 
  in place of Streetwise to find contacts.
  • Tactical Logistics: At the beginning 
  of any action sequence, Gorgon rolls 
  Logistics. On a success, his side 
  receives a bonus Action card on the 
  first round, while a raise gives his team 
  a bonus Action card on the second 
  round as well.
  Qiung was left on the doorstep of 
  an isolated Shaolin temple high in 
  the Himalayas as an infant. He grew 
  up knowing only the confines of the 
  monastery walls, training in the art of 
  stealth and combat. Qiung quickly grew 
  restless and wanted to journey to the 
  outside world, but the Masters urged him 
  to stay, warning him of a world seduced 
  by the riches of greed and corruption. 
  On the day he turned 16, he rejected 
  their warnings and journeyed from the 
  mountains to Beijing. Qiung Jun-Ling was 
  instantly in awe of the city and vowed 
  to do whatever it took to live among the 
  rich and powerful. Using the only talents 
  he had, he worked for the Triads, killing 
  competitors and protecting important 
  leaders. 
  Unfortunately, Qiung crossed paths 
  with an ancient leader of a rival group; 
  he assassinated the old man, eagerly 
  seeking a rich reward for his death. Qiung 
  had not risen high enough in the ranks 
  to know of the long-standing agreement 
  that elder leaders were to be untouched. 
  When he presented evidence of his kill, 
  he was banished and left vulnerable to 
  enemy reprisal. After weeks of running 
  and hiding, a desperate Qiung returned to 
  his childhood home, seeking sanctuary. 
  The Masters reminded him of their 
  warnings, saying he had been seduced by 
  greed and violence himself and was no 
  longer welcome. 
  A starving and cold Qiung wandered the 
  mountains, awaiting death, when he 
  crossed paths with VENOM Commander 
  (who had personally tracked his abilities 
  and development, and had engineered 
  the circumstances in which he might 
  kill the elder in Beijing). Understanding 
  Qiung’s potential, the Commander 
  promised him the full might of VENOM 
  to exact his revenge, in exchange for his 
  toxin
  File Name: Qiung Jun-Ling
  Primary Military Specialty: Martials Arts 
  Expert/Assassin 
  Birth Place: Bozhou, China
  
  89
  absolute loyalty. Qiung readily agreed 
  and assumed the name Toxin. Once fully 
  healed, he took teams of VENOM warriors 
  and slaughtered the Triad groups that 
  were looking for him. When they had 
  been eliminated, Toxin turned on the 
  Shaolin temple, destroying his former 
  family.
  “A worn path may be safer than none, but 
  it may not lead where you want to go. I 
  carve my own path with VENOM, and it 
  leads me directly to power.”
  Attributes: Agility d10, Smarts d8, Spirit 
  d10, Strength d10, Vigor d8
  Skills: Athletics d10, Computers d8, 
  Driving d6, Electronics d8, Fighting 
  d12, Intimidation d8, Investigation d8, 
  Notice d10, Persuasion d6, Piloting d6, 
  Shooting d12, Stealth d10, Survival d8, 
  Taunt d8, Thievery, d10, Tracking d8, 
  Tradecraft d10
  Cha: +0; Pace: 8; Parry: 10; Toughness: 
  15 (6)
  Hindrances: Arrogant (Major), Enemy 
  (Major—Blindsight), Vow (Major—Serve 
  VENOM Commander) 
  Edges: Ambidexterity, Assassin, Battle 
  Hardened, Brawler, Brawny, Combat 
  Reflexes, Fighting Style (Brawl, Evasive, 
  Fast, Power), Fleet Footed, Florentine, 
  (Improved) Block, (Improved) Combat 
  Sense, (Improved) Counterattack, 
  (Improved) Dodge, (Improved) 
  Extraction, (Improved) Frenzy, 
  (Improved) Level Headed, (Improved) 
  Martial Arts, Marksman, Master Qi 
  Focus (Corrupt), Quick, Steady Hands, 
  Thief, Two-Fisted
  Gear: Custom Ceramtek Combat Armor 
  (+6, +2 Toughness), High Tech Bow 
  (Range 18/36/72, Damage 2d6+2, 
  ROF 1, AP 2), Twin High Tech Katanas 
  (Damage Str+d8+2, AP 4), Intrusion 
  Tools, Covert Surveillance Pack
  Special Abilities: 
  • Covert Focuses: Bribery, Disguise, 
  Forgery, Poison.
  • Counterstrike Fighting: Toxin can use 
  other maneuvers with his (Improved) 
  Counterattack.
  • Invisibility: Toxin has a special coating 
  on his Armor that allows him to sneak 
  into even the most guarded of areas. 
  This acts as the Invisibility Power at the 
  normal (non-raise) level, and functions 
  as long as he is not engaged in combat. 
  • Licensed to Kill: Toxin gains a +2 on 
  all Athletics (throwing), Fighting, and 
  Shooting rolls to offset Called Shot 
  penalties.
  • Reactive Fighting: Toxin can use his 
  (Improved) First Strike ability even 
  when Shaken, and suffers no Wound 
  Penalties with such strikes.
  • Weapon Poison: Toxin coats his 
  weapons in a special poison that slows 
  down his enemies. On a Shaken or 
  worse result, the target must make 
  a Vigor check (at –2 with a raise on 
  the attack roll). On a raise, there is no 
  effect. On a success, they suffer –2 
  
  90
  to all Trait rolls and –2 to their Pace 
  and Parry. On a failure, the target is 
  Incapacitated for 1d6 hours.
  Attributes: Agility d10, Smarts d10, Spirit 
  d8, Strength d6, Vigor d8
  Skills: Athletics d8, Boating d6, 
  Computers d10, Driving d8, Electronics 
  d10, Fighting d10, Notice d10, 
  Persuasion d8, Piloting d8, Shooting 
  d10, Stealth d10, Thievery d10, 
  Tradecraft d10
  Cha: +2; Pace: 8; Parry: 8; Toughness: 
  12 (5)
  Edges: Acrobat, Alertness, Assassin, 
  Attractive, Combat Sense, Connections, 
  Danger Sense, (Improved) Extraction, 
  Fleet-Footed, I Know a Guy, Jack-of-
  All-Trades, Level Headed, (Improved) 
  Martial Artist, McGyver, Scrounger, 
  Thief, Tricky Fighter
  Gear: Custom Tactical Espionage Armor 
  (+5, +1 Toughness), Advanced SMG 
  (Range 12/24/48, Damage 2d6+1, 
  RoF 3, AP 4), Concealable Pistol (Range 
  10/20/40, Damage 2d6+1, RoF 1, 
  AP 3), EMP Grenade (Range 5/10/20, 
  Damage 3d6 to electronics, non-lethal, 
  File Name: Abbey Bishop
  Primary Military Specialty: Espionage 
  Agent
  Birth Place: London, England
  The VENOM Agent once known as Abbey 
  Bishop was once a spy for MI6. Abbey 
  was orphaned at a young age and placed 
  in an experimental program where 
  children would be trained in the art of 
  espionage. Abbey’s first friend there 
  was Aderyn Cadwaller, a girl who would 
  one day become Freedom Squadron’s 
  “Mirage.” These two girls always seemed 
  to be steadfast friends as well as friendly 
  rivals, each competing for the top spot 
  in whatever skill they were tested in. 
  Unfortunately, Abbey developed a fierce 
  jealousy of Mirage, burning with anger 
  and resentment whenever she was 
  bested by her “friend”. 
  When it seemed that MI6 favored 
  Mirage over herself, Abbey arranged 
  for damning evidence to come forward 
  showing her fellow trainee to have been 
  selling secrets. Sometime after Mirage’s 
  removal, she managed to return with 
  new Intel that revealed Abbey was 
  responsible. A burn notice was issued 
  along with a capture order, but by the 
  time all of the paperwork had cleared, 
  Abbey was a ghost in the wind. Several 
  months later, she turned up once more, in 
  Guatemala, working for Steelz Industries 
  as their public representative and secretly 
  as the head of VENOM’s spy cadre.
  “If information is power, then I am the 
  most powerful woman in the world.”
  lockdown
  
  91
  no armor, MBT), Thermal Grenade 
  (Range 5/10/20, Damage 3d10, HW, 
  SBT), Smoke Grenade (Range 5/10/20, 
  -4 Obscuring, LBT), Intrusion Tools, 
  Covert Surveillance Pack, Portable 
  Computer
  Special Abilities:
  • Generalist Training: Lockdown suffers 
  no untrained penalties with either 
  Smarts or Agility linked Skills.
  • Global Contacts: Lockdown gains a +2 
  on all Connections rolls to gain support, 
  and she uses her Tradecraft roll in 
  place of Streetwise to find contacts.
  • Infiltration: Lockdown gains a +1 to all 
  Investigation, Persuasion, Stealth, and 
  Streetwise rolls related to infiltrating 
  other organizations. She has Focuses in 
  Bribery, Disguise, and Forgery.
  • Stun Gauntlets: The gauntlets of her 
  suit grant her the Stun ability (targets 
  of a successful martial arts or touch 
  attack make a Vigor check at -2 or are 
  Incapacitated; they roll a Vigor check 
  each round to become Shaken).
  • Tactical Espionage Suit: The 
  suit grants Lockdown a +2 on all 
  Computers, Electronics, and Thievery 
  rolls. It’s also shielded against EMPs 
  and can act as a backup power source 
  for most electronics.
  had finally found a group of like-minded 
  people, and under their teachings she 
  found a natural affinity for making 
  explosives. For nearly fifteen years, 
  numerous bombings throughout the 
  country were attributed to her homemade 
  bombs. Due to their common parts, 
  Fiona’s bombs were nearly impossible 
  to trace, and she was never caught. 
  Eventually, she learned that a Diplomat 
  had arrived in Ireland to broker peace 
  with the IRA. As this peace would end 
  the chaos she desperately coveted, 
  Fiona made plans to slip a bomb in the 
  Diplomat’s car. However the IRA refused 
  to let her carry out her plan, saying that 
  this was what they had been fighting 
  for, and their goal was finally in sight. 
  Enraged, she refused to accept their 
  orders and bombed the negotiations 
  instead. 
  Now hunted by the U.N. and the IRA, 
  Fiona fled Europe and headed towards 
  the war torn Middle East. She never made 
  it too far south, as she was cornered in 
  Budapest by bounty hunters, where she 
  was narrowly saved by VENOM agents. 
  The agents offered her refuge in their 
  ranks, a place where she would not only 
  be safe but where she could indulge her 
  explosive talents. Seizing the opportunity, 
  Fiona joined them and has been 
  developing new explosives for them ever 
  since.
  “A bomb is made to explode. That is its 
  meaning; its purpose. I hate people who 
  try to stop a bomb from becoming what it 
  was meant to be.”
  Attributes: Agility d8, Smarts d8, Spirit 
  d8, Strength d6, Vigor d8
  Skills: Athletics d6, Demolitions d12, 
  Driving d6, Electronics d8, Fighting d8, 
  Intimidation d8, Notice d8, Repair d8, 
  Shooting d8, Stealth d8, Streetwise d8, 
  sabotage
  File Name: Fiona Burke
  Primary Military Specialty: Demolitions 
  Expert 
  Birth Place: Cork, Ireland
  As a young woman, Fiona always sided 
  with the chaos caused by the radical 
  groups of her homeland. She would 
  march and protest anything, simply 
  because of the disruption it caused. 
  At the age of fifteen, her boyfriend 
  introduced her to some friends who were 
  members of the IRA. Fiona felt like she 
  
  92
  Thievery d8
  Cha: 0; Pace: 8; Parry: 6; Toughness: 14 
  (6)
  Hindrances: Bloodthirsty, Mean, Wanted 
  (Major—U.N and IRA)
  Edges: Combat Reflexes, Demolitions 
  Expert, Fleet-Footed, Martial Artist, 
  McGyver, Nerves of Steel, Scrounger, 
  Zone Specialist (Urban)
  Gear: Custom Assault Armor (+6, +2 
  Toughness), Custom Gyrojet Rifle 
  (see below), VENOM Pistol (Range 
  12/24/48, Damage 2d6+2, AP 2), 
  Combat Knife (Str+d4).
  Special Abilities
  • Custom Gyrojet Rifle: Range 
  30/60/120, RoF 1, damage as per 
  rocket:
  - Armor Piercing: Damage 2d6, AP 10, 
  HW.
  - Boomer: Damage 5d6, LBT, HW; 
  minimum arming distance of 20”.
  - Heat Seeker: Damage 3d6; missiles 
  (Shooting vs Agility).
  - Rocket: Damage 3d6, HW.
  • Demolition Focuses: Structural 
  Engineering (Mastery), Sabotage 
  (Mastery)
  • Remote Heavy Weapons: Sabotage 
  usually has one or more remote-control 
  heavy weapons set up in any area she’s 
  operating within. Range 50/100/200, 
  RoF 1, Damage 6d6, AP 20, HW, MBT. 
  Alternate launchers have RoF 3 and 
  Damage 4d6, AP 10, HW, SBT.
  
  93
  One of the key elements of the Plans & 
  Operations rules is how they enhance and 
  encourage leadership-oriented players 
  to really shine. Instead of a player having 
  to actually come up with detailed plans 
  and ideas that would pass military or 
  CIA inspection, the P&O rules allow such 
  characters to influence game play in an 
  abstract, narrative fashion. This enables 
  players to feel special in their role as 
  leaders, tacticians, and logistical support 
  specialists without having necessarily 
  attended a military academy or spy 
  school.
  The following are specific Skills, Edges, 
  and Special Abilities that directly relate to 
  the Plans & Operations game play. 
  ELECTRONICS
  For a Freedom Squadron operative, 
  this Smarts-linked skill covers the 
  understanding, use, and even creation 
  of advanced electronic devices and 
  systems. This includes communications, 
  sensors, high-tech gizmos, and even alien 
  machinery.
  LOGISTICS
  A far more powerful skill than most might 
  care to believe, Logistics covers the ability 
  to manage supplies; requisition special 
  equipment; navigate the military and 
  government bureaucracies that oversee 
  Freedom Squadron; and get personnel 
  assigned and transported to where 
  they’re needed. This is a Smarts-linked 
  skill.
  TRADECRAFT
  Knowledge of all things connected 
  to espionage, counter-intelligence, 
  cryptography, and related matters. This 
  is an important skill for anyone who’s 
  serious about spy work or countering 
  other spies. It includes the practices of 
  bribery, disguise, and forgery. Tradecraft 
  is Smarts-linked.
  appendix: plans & operations 
  edges & special abilities
  SKILLS
  EDGES
  Following the style as presented in 
  Flash Gordon, these skills are no longer 
  presented as Knowledge Skills. Instead, 
  they stand alone and have specific 
  functions in a setting.
  BATTLE
  This Smarts-linked skill represents 
  a character’s knowledge and 
  understanding of strategy and tactics. 
  In addition to being very useful for Mass 
  Combat situations, this skill can help with 
  strategic and tactical elements during 
  Plans & Operations play (specifically 
  if the character has the Operational 
  Planning Edge).
  There’s only one Edge in the Freedom 
  Squadron Commando’s Manual that 
  specifically applies to Plans & Operations, 
  but it’s pretty key. At the same time, 
  there are a few other core Leadership 
  Edges from Savage Worlds that are 
  important: Command and Tactician have 
  
  94
  specific importance (the former as a 
  requirement for rolling on the Command 
  table in the Hero’s Journey section of 
  the Commando’s Manual), while Leader 
  of Men and Natural Leader both have 
  obvious applications.
  OPERATIONAL PLANNING
  Requirements: Seasoned, Smarts d8+, 
  Battle d8+
  The planning and execution of a 
  successful field operation requires 
  exceptional intuition and insight, as well 
  as an ability to understand your team’s 
  capabilities and giving them room for 
  initiative. Team leaders with this Edge 
  are able to draw one additional Challenge 
  Card each round during Plans & 
  Operations; they can replace an existing 
  Challenge, or leave this new card on the 
  table as an additional Challenge (thus 
  providing added opportunities to generate 
  successes). You are also able to make 
  a Battle check as a Cooperative Roll for 
  one other team member’s Trait roll, once 
  a round, throughout the mission. This is 
  in addition to whatever action you take 
  during that round; there are no penalties 
  for doing both these things.
  Outside of Plans & Operations, this Edge 
  allows you to make a Battle roll as an 
  Action (in or out of combat) to serve as a 
  Cooperative Roll for any check, including 
  an attack roll.
  them as Edges. Notes are added to 
  effectively convert them to Edges for that 
  purpose (but anyone running Freedom 
  Squadron really should keep them as 
  Freedom Squadron Specializations 
  instead).
  AIR SUPPORT
  There are times when the only cover 
  a Freedom Squadron team has in the 
  field is the weapons of friendly aircraft. 
  Whether as an effective door gunner or a 
  very skilled operator of forward-mounted 
  machine guns, you can use your aircraft’s 
  weapons to perform the Suppressive Fire 
  maneuver over a Large Burst Template. 
  Targets suffer a –2 to their Spirit checks 
  against your overwhelming firepower. 
  This maneuver requires the vehicle to 
  be capable of hovering. During Plans 
  & Operations play, this ability gives 
  you a +2 on any Cooperative rolls you 
  make using Piloting (this does not stack 
  with the bonus gained from Hot Zone 
  Maneuvers). 
  Edge Notes: Treat it as Seasoned and 
  requiring Steady Hands and Piloting 
  d8+.
  SPECIAL ABILITIES
  These are all the direct result of rolls 
  on various tables in the Hero’s Journey 
  section of the Freedom Squadron 
  Commando’s Manual. For those of you 
  wanting to use them in your games 
  without those charts, you should treat 
  
  95
  ANALYSIS
  You’re an expert analyst, able to sift 
  through mountains of data (signals, 
  imagery, measurements, and related) 
  and work out what the enemy or target 
  is up to. You gain Mastery: Intelligence 
  Analysis, which usually applies to 
  Investigation and Tradecraft rolls that 
  relate directly to analyzing opposition 
  information and actions. You may spend 
  a Benny to “get a clue” from the Game 
  Master about opposition actions or 
  intentions. During Plans & Operations 
  play, you gain a free action to make a 
  Cooperative Roll to aid any other team 
  member, using Tradecraft. This is in 
  addition to any other action you take.
  Edge Notes: Treat it as a Seasoned 
  Edge, one that also requires 
  Investigation d6+ and Tradecraft d6+.
  OPERATIONAL EXPERTISE
  Combining excellent knowledge of 
  combined-force strategy and tactics with 
  extraordinary improvisational thinking, 
  you’re the one everyone else wants 
  running their Plans & Operations. You 
  gain the Operational Planning Edge, and 
  when you make your Battle check as a 
  Cooperative roll to help a teammate, you 
  gain a +2 on that roll.
  Edge Notes: Treat this as a higher 
  level version of Operational Planning; 
  it requires that Edge to take, and is a 
  Veteran Edge. It also requires at least 
  one other Leadership Edge.
  SENSORY OVERWATCH
  When you’re the “eye in the sky,” or 
  otherwise in a position to use sensor 
  systems and related tech to watch over 
  your team, everyone gains significant 
  advantages. As an action, you can make 
  an Electronics roll to grant everyone a 
  bonus initiative card on the next round. 
  With a raise, you give everyone a +1 on 
  their very next Trait roll. You can do this 
  every round, as an action, so long as 
  you have reasonable access to sensors, 
  cameras, and the like. This ability can 
  be used during Plans & Operations play, 
  but this is all you can do on a turn in 
  that system. In that situation, you grant 
  a +1 to everyone else on a success, and 
  a +2 on a raise (target number 4, no 
  modifiers).
  Edge Notes: Treat this as a Seasoned 
  Edge that also requires Notice of d8+ 
  and Electronics of d8+.
  TACTICAL 
  COMMUNICATIONS
  A leader for a modern age, you know 
  how to use electronic communication 
  to extend your leadership across any 
  distance. You have the Command 
  Presence Edge, but so long as you can 
  speak directly to troops over radio, your 
  actual command radius is limited only to 
  radio range. During Plans & Operations 
  play, if you have the Operational Planning 
  Edge, you can roll Battle as a Cooperative 
  Roll for every member of your team, 
  each round! You make one single roll, 
  and it potentially generates a bonus for 
  each other teammate (apply the bonuses 
  or penalties from each Challenge 
  independently).
  Edge Notes: Treat this as an advanced 
  version of the Command Presence 
  Edge (requiring the character to have 
  that before taking this). It’s a Seasoned 
  Edge, and it also requires Electronics of 
  d6+.
  TACTICAL COORDINATION
  You are such a master Tactician (gaining 
  that Edge), you draw your pool of Action 
  Cards with the benefits of the Quick 
  Edge at work (discard and replace any 
  cards of five or less). You can also use 
  
  96
  the Tactician ability during Plans & 
  Operations play (drawing a number of 
  Challenge Cards, based on the roll, to 
  use to replace cards drawn during the 
  mission).
  Edge Notes: Treat this as an advanced 
  version of the Tactician Edge (requiring 
  the character to have that before taking 
  this). It’s a Veteran Edge, and it also 
  requires Battle of d8+.
  TACTICAL LOGISTICS
  You’re such a master planner and 
  strategist, your team gains significant 
  advantages wherever things go pear-
  shaped. At the start of any initiative-
  driven sequence, you make a free action 
  Logistics roll before cards are dealt. With 
  a success, you and your team members 
  gain a bonus initiative card; on a raise, 
  everyone gets a bonus card on the 
  second round, as well. This stacks with 
  Level Headed and similar bonuses. This 
  ability also allows you to discard and 
  replace one Challenge Card per round 
  during Plans & Operations play.
  Edge Notes: Treat this as a Veteran 
  Edge that also requires Smarts of d8+ 
  and Logistics of d8+.
  
SOURCE: textdata/thevault/Savage Worlds System (SWADE) [multi]/Freedom Squadron/Savage Worlds - Freedom Squadron - Plans & Operations Manual.pdf