TEXT: e23.sjgames.com
  Stock #82-0008
  Version 1.0 September 16, 2004
  STEVE JACKSON GAMES
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  Funny New Guys
  Technomancer in Vietnam
  AN e23 ADVENTURE AND 
  SOURCEBOOK for GURPS®
  from STEVE JACKSON GAMES
  FOR 3 TO 6 PLAYERS
  Written by Ed Wisnioski
  Edited by Jeff Rose
  Illustrations by Kurt Brugel, Ray
  Lunceford, Alan Rabinowitz, and
  Dan Smith 
  
  American involvement in Indochina is a complex
  and difficult story to tell. The mere mention of
  Vietnam inspires strong emotions and bitter debate.
  Not since the Civil War have Americans been so
  divided politically. Just like the Civil War, its effects
  still ripple through the nation’s subconscious. My
  interest in the war comes from the numerous veter-
  ans I have known though the years. Their stories cre-
  ate a living history that makes the rice paddies and
  jungles quite vivid.
  What if high magic and the heavy firepower of the
  20th century existed side by side? In David L.
  Pulver’s GURPS Technomancer, they do, and the
  nature of war changes forever. In this book, players
  enter the forbidden territory of “Indian Country” and
  roleplay the experience of Vietnam . . . with a twist.
  Dragons, fighter jets, magic carpets, and zombie
  legions support the fight over the fate  of Vietnam.
  “Funny New Guys” is an adventure supplement
  where you fight the war on the intimate terms of an
  infantry solider. You are the grunts that slog through
  rice paddies, contend with ambushes, and win the
  hearts and minds of locals. It isn’t easy, but if you
  live to tell about your experiences, you just might get
  promoted and go home to the states.
  About the
  Author
  Ed Wisniowski graduated from Illinois State
  University and works as a web developer for a major
  candy company. He has been writing since he was a
  teenager and lives in Joliet, IL. His work is featured
  in the Steve Jackson products Liber Reliquarium,
  GURPS Monsters, and GURPS Villains, and he is
  the author of the Goblins adventure “Gentleman
  Johnson’s Fishmart” featured in The Best of
  Pyramid Volume One.
  Dedication
  This book is dedicated to two Vietnam veterans
  who had a profound influence on my life. Sergeant
  Major David Ogle and Lieutenant Colonel Richard
  Weidner, thank you.
  FUNNY NEW GUYS
  2
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  support of the GURPS system. Our address is
  SJ Games, Box 18957, Austin, TX 78760.
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  ing us – but we do our best to fix our errors.
  Up-to-date errata sheets for all GURPS releas-
  es, including this book, are available on our
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  Gamer input. We value your comments, for
  new products as well as updated printings of
  existing titles!
  Internet. Visit us on the World Wide Web at
  www.sjgames.com for errata, updates, Q&A,
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  the online discussion of GURPS. To join, point
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  The GURPS Technomancer web page is at
  www.sjgames.com/gurps/books/Technoman
  cer/.
  ABOUT GURPS
  
  1. Strange Days In the Jungle . . . 4
  ATTACK ON FIRE BASE 23. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
  TONE AND TECHNOMANCER. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
  Historical Accuracy. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
  Campaign Tone. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
  Using Funny New Guys as a One Shot Adventure . . . 6
  Using Funny New Guys as a Campaign . . . . . . . . . . . 6
  What You Will Need . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
  2. Rumors and Realities of War . 8
  GOING TO VIETNAM . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
  Draft Figures for Vietnam . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . `8
  THE DRAFT AND CLASSIFICATION. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
  The Draft . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
  Enlisting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
  Civilians and Volunteers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
  Mages and Chimeras in the Army. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
  Project Griffin. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
  Training. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
  Special Forces Training. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
  On the Job Training . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
  A Brief History of the 13th Necromantic Operations
  Group. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
  PROCESSING . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
  Arrival in Vietnam . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
  Unit Assignment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
  Mustering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
  VIETNAM AND THE WORLD OF TECHNOMANCER . . . . . . . 16
  The French Period. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
  What Is a Funny New Guy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
  Vietnam Timeline According to Technomancer . . . . . 19
  MAP: VIETNAM . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
  America’s Concerns . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
  The Montagnards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
  The Spell Gap Speech. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
  The Final Straw and the March to War . . . . . . . . . . . 23
  Uneasy Relations With the 13th NOG. . . . . . . . . . . . 24
  THE 101ST SPELLBORNE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
  Dragons over Hanoi . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
  Eagle’s Claws to Chicken Men – What the 101st Did in
  Vietnam . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
  3. Life in Indian Country . . . . . 28
  LIVING ARRANGEMENTS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
  MILITARY DUTIES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
  Combat Patrols . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
  Places Every Grunt Should Know. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
  Artillery and Fire Support. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
  Guard Duty. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
  COMMON HAZARDS IN VIETNAM. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
  Heat and Humidity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
  Temperatures in Vietnam. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
  Booby Traps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
  Trench Foot. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
  Insects and Malaria. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
  Vietnam Bestiary. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
  WEAPONS OF WAR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
  Small Arms. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
  The M-14 Combat Rifle and the M-21 Sniper Rifle. . 34
  Heavy Weapons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
  Artillery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
  VEHICLES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
  Choppers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
  4. The Men from “Fox” Company
  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
  OLD MEN, TICKET PUNCHERS, AND COMMON GRUNTS . . 38
  THE MISSION OF FOX COMPANY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
  The Military Role . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
  The Research Role . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
  Relations With the Locals. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
  MAP: FIRE BASE 23 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
  BECOMING ONE OF “TIMMY’S BOYS” . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
  Menial Duties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
  The Pecking Order . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
  JUST ANOTHER COMBAT PATROL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
  The M-16 Jamming in Vietnam. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
  The Stress of Combat Patrols . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
  Rain and Combat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
  Making the Players Sweat While on Patrol. . . . . . . . 46
  A BAD DAY ON PATROL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
  What the VC Are Doing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
  MAP: SKIRMISH. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
  Typical VC Forces. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
  A Meeting Engagement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
  The Firefight. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
  Dust-Off and Rescue. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
  AFTERMATH . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
  Typical Allied Gear. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
  Typical VC Gear . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
  Post Combat Issues. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
  Bibliography. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
  FUNNY NEW GUYS
  3
  Table of Contents
  
  1. Strange Days In
  the Jungle
  FUNNY NEW GUYS
  4
  The VC always attacked at night, and at Fire Base
  23 the situation was looking grim for the young lieu-
  tenant. Enemy sappers, covered with axle grease to
  sneak through the wires, were tossing grenades into
  bunkers and using satchel charges against the how-
  itzers that supported I-corps. Soldiers were running
  about frantically trying to shoot the enemy in the dark
  and ended up shooting each other. The smell of explo-
  sives and burning fuel was overpowering. The lieu-
  tenant, clad in his trousers and a flak jacket, fiddled
  for his pistol and then ran to the other hooches look-
  ing for others who hadn’t lost their head during the
  ambush.
  “Howdy sir,” said a raggedy Coyote man covered
  in dirt. It was Hank the wiry Texan and radio opera-
  tor. “Got any company?”
  “No, we need to find a radio and get a dust off.
  Charley is all over this camp,” Said the lieutenant.
  “What about the HQ?”
  “No good, too hot.”
  “Damn, then we will have to try over by the .50
  cal.”
  “Let’s do it.”
  Fires were burning now, and the other troops at
  the base could begin to distinguish friend from foe.
  The lieutenant was scared, but knew that a call to bat-
  talion could mean the difference between life and
  death. While running, he kept chanting his good luck
  spell and prayed it would work. Both the lieutenant
  and the coyote man made a dash for the relative safe-
  ty of the bunker and its .50-caliber. Gunfire followed
  their footsteps as they made their way to the pile of
  sandbags.
  The lieutenant dove into the emplacement. The VC
  had killed both of the crew in the early moments of the
  attack and some of the wounds still oozed blood.
  Hank was checking the action of the machine gun and
  getting ready to fire. The lieutenant pulled at the
  receiver of the radio and saw that the cord had been
  cut.
  “Damn it!” he cursed.
  VC started to approach the sandbags and gunfire
  sailed over their heads. Hank was blazing away with
  the machine gun to keep them pinned down, but they
  kept advancing. The lieutenant pulled his pistol and
  began firing in a desperate attempt to help out. This
  was it . . . they were going to die, but not without a
  fight. Neither the spell nor the prayer would be
  answered tonight.
  “Somethin’s wrong!” shouted Hank. “Can you feel
  it?”
  The muggy night had turned bitterly cold and the
  lieutenant could see his breath. The gunfire stopped,
  and in the distance, low moaning could be heard over
  the sound of exploding ammunition. The moaning
  grew louder as it got closer and the shambling figures
  of Vietnamese started trudging through the barbed
  wire of the fire base. Both Hank and the lieutenant
  stared in shock – they were zombies. The VC ripped
  into them with gunfire and they kept advancing. Arms,
  legs, and heads blew off and they kept advancing.
  When they closed with the VC sappers, they clawed at
  them with their hands and slashed at them with bay-
  onets. Moaning as they went, the zombies were
  slaughtering the VC. The effect was horrifying and
  those who survived the first assault ran in terror. The
  lieutenant and Hank looked around, wondering if
  they would be next.
  “Stand down all clear!” came a voice from the dis-
  tance.
  “Negative! There are still enemy in the wire,”
  shouted the lieutenant.
  “Stand down, they are allies.”
  “Says who?”
  “Says me, First Sergeant Otto Nasumbaum, 13th
  Necromantic Operations Group.”
  “Zombies, they sent zombies to save us!”
  “Naw, we were in the neighborhood when we saw
  the attack and decided to give you folks a hand.”
  Two things ruled the night in Vietnam. The Viet
  Cong and the “Z companies” of the 13th NOG.
  Attack on Fire Base 23
  
  Tone and
  Technomancer
  The soldiers, sailors, airmen, and marines who
  served in Vietnam have written plenty of books about
  their experiences. The war has been the topic of
  numerous movies, television shows, and even video
  games. This adventure provides a different twist to
  the legacy. 
  The world of GURPS Technomancer is just like
  our world except that technology and magic work
  together. This makes the unknown territory of
  Vietnam more dangerous because curses, spells, and
  magical creatures complement guerilla warfare.
  Fortunately, servicemen aren’t completely help-
  less. The Americans have the best enchantments that
  money can buy and death that can rain down from
  the sky in the form of napalm or dragon’s breath.
  Historical Accuracy
  World history remained unchanged before 1945
  and the Trinity Hellstorm. After the forces of magic
  were unleashed, many of the historical events that we
  recognize still take place in the Technomancer world
  but with some notable differences. President
  Kennedy is still assassinated, but the sniper uses a
  magic bullet. The civil rights movement also encom-
  passes the rights of chimeras (p. 9).
  In spite of these similarities, some major differ-
  ences also exist, the largest being our involvement in
  Vietnam. According to the GURPS Technomancer
  canon, America wins the war in Vietnam thanks to a
  combination of ruthless tactics, magic, and techno-
  logical superiority. This necessitates taking some lib-
  erties with the history of the conflict.
  Three key strategies altered the outcome of the
  war. First, instead of pursuing “peace with honor,”
  Richard Nixon escalates the war to unknown levels –
  “hot pursuit” invasions, and successful raids into
  Cambodia, Laos, and North Vietnam that cut off the
  Ho Chi Minh trail. Second, the army deploys “Z
  companies” – the enemy dead transformed into zom-
  bies and then forced to fight their former allies. North
  Vietnamese and Viet Cong troops would rather sur-
  render than die and return as reanimated corpses.
  Finally, the widespread use of depleted necronium
  created wide swaths of famine and dead mana in
  North Vietnam. These factors led to the peace treaty
  FUNNY NEW GUYS
  5
  CAMPAIGN TONE
  Tastes vary. So a GM has many ways to por-
  tray the fighting in Vietnam. The following are
  just a few of the options:
  Dark
  War is a terrible experience. The horror, gore,
  and frustration of combat take center stage.
  Players always feel a sense of anxiety about
  what is going to happen next. Weapons jam,
  promised reinforcements do not arrive, and the
  threat of death constantly hangs in the air. Death
  is not confined to combat either – players suc-
  cumb to attacks by wild animals and mystical
  curses cast by the enemy.
  The GM is encouraged to place most of the
  action at night and play up the spooky elements
  of the jungle. The enemy should be shrouded in
  mystery. They appear out of nowhere to attack
  and then vanish without a trace. An enemy
  booby trap could kill instantly or maim a solid-
  er allowing him to die in agony while his bud-
  dies struggle to beat back an ambush.
  A dark campaign depends on the worst
  always happening and happening with distress-
  ing frequency.
  Realistic
  Asoldier’s life is not always hard combat and
  daily struggle for survival. Brief moments of ter-
  ror are often separated by long periods of bore-
  dom. This campaign type allows the players to
  experience the routine of being a combat soldier.
  The hazards of patrolling are balanced by guard
  duty or playing poker with your squad at the
  base.
  Adventures and sessions often focus on the
  characters’social interaction. A squad member’s
  death can alter relationships and a promotion
  can have repercussions. Magic should be treated
  like any other weapon in the Army. The power
  of sorcery is just one tool for defeating the
  enemy. A well-aimed mortar round can do more
  good than a fireball. Players should learn that
  brute force trumps magical powers on
  many occasions.
  The best approach balances the fantastic ele-
  ments of the Technomancer world with the
  mundane. In one game, the players might look
  for VC ammunition dumps near the base, and on
  another occasion, they may scrounge up a few
  steaks and a case of beer for the going away
  party of a buddy.
  (Continued on the next page . . .)
  
  of 1974 and the subsequent collapse of the
  Communists in 1975.
  Many places and names in Vietnam remain the
  same, but thanks to magic and different tactics the
  outcome differs.
  Using Funny New
  Guys as a One Shot
  Adventure
  Players 
  looking 
  for 
  an 
  introduction 
  to
  Technomancer will find a friend in Funny New
  Guys. Flying carpets, fireballs, teleportation, and
  magical engines first gained acceptance in the com-
  bat laboratory that was Vietnam. The world of high
  adventure and magic was less than 20 years old. The
  first chimeras had just reached military draft age.
  Military tactics had just started to incorporate magic.
  Using Vietnam, GMs can slowly introduce concepts
  that are often taken for granted in a “modern-day”
  Technomancer setting.
  Funny New Guys also gives the players a chance
  to pit high magic against heavy firepower. Interesting
  situations develop when a powerful mage is on the
  business end of a mortar attack or a machine gun. By
  the same token, the Viet Cong have problems with
  flesh and plastic golems wandering their tunnels
  looking for blood.
  Using Funny New
  Guys as a Campaign
  Everything needed to create an ongoing campaign
  is in this book. Plenty of interesting roleplaying
  opportunities exist. A combat squad develops a spe-
  cial bond that a GM can foster. Additionally, players
  might want to explore the moral and emotional toll
  that war can take on an individual. The daily grind of
  avoiding ambushes and killing the enemy can create
  plenty of hours of thoughtful play.
  Issues of prejudice can also surface in a Funny
  New Guys campaign. Vietnam was the first war that
  tested the Defense Department’s policy of racially
  integrated combat forces – including chimeras.
  When black and white soldiers try to adjust to living
  and working together with magical creatures, the for-
  mation of an efficient combat team can be difficult.
  For less cerebral adventures, Funny New Guys
  allows plenty of chances for combat and blowing
  things up. A firefight can happen any time for a com-
  bat solider in Vietnam. Fearless communists often
  launched ambushes on allied patrols and conducted
  hit and run raids on fire bases. Soldiers typically
  spend their time reacting to enemy aggression
  instead of taking the fight to the enemy. However,
  this does not mean the enemy is never engaged.
  FUNNY NEW GUYS
  6
  TONE (CONT.)
  Silly
  Young men, not far removed from adoles-
  cence, often fight wars. Add explosives to the
  equation and you have a recipe for laughs.
  Count on the strange, bizarre, and unexpected
  happening on a daily basis. The dangers of com-
  bat still exist but with the ever-present chance
  for something funny or weird happening.
  In this world, the Viet Cong miss on their first
  shot during ambushes. Explosions throw people
  around and knock them on their behinds but
  rarely prove fatal. These scenarios always use
  running gags like a lieutenant who can’t keep his
  fly buttoned or a sergeant who spills hot coffee
  on himself whenever shooting starts. The play-
  ers can also use gallows humor to make light of
  the tragic events around them.
  A silly campaign may be the most difficult to
  run but it can be rewarding. A spell at the camp
  backfires and the latrine spews forth a demon. A
  NPC deals with a mental problem by blowing
  things up at random. The Viet Cong infiltrate the
  camp and steal a case of cigarettes, causing the
  first sergeant to send a combat patrol to get them
  back. If it is absurd or silly, give it a try.
  Blended
  Perhaps the best campaign type, this com-
  bines all of the above approaches. After a gruel-
  ing combat patrol, send the players on a
  scrounging expedition for a case of beer. Aplay-
  er dealing with trench foot could get involved in
  a poker game to take his mind off his predica-
  ment. A new CO taking charge of the company
  might force the players to become a spit and pol-
  ish outfit.
  The key is balance. When things get too silly,
  force the players to confront reality. If a charac-
  ter gets killed and things become too dark, light-
  en the mood with something odd and
  unexpected.
  Many Vietnam veterans not only recall the
  terror they experienced but also the funny things
  that happened along the way. Allow the players
  to experience the same thing.
  
  Many local commanders set up special combat teams
  specifically to attack. Snipers and “recon” teams
  were trained for aggressive action against the Viet
  Cong. These characters should satisfy even the most
  bloodthirsty players.
  Finally, people playing Funny New Guys should
  not worry about character survival. If a player loses
  a character in combat the campaign does not have to
  grind to a halt. The player simply generates a new
  character to portray his replacement fresh from the
  states. This mimics the nature of the fighting in
  Vietnam where the only constant was the war. The
  men who fought it changed daily.
  FUNNY NEW GUYS
  7
  WHAT YOU WILL NEED
  Funny New Guys requires a few more
  resources than a typical GURPS sourcebook.
  The following items should be on-hand for
  background and reference with this adventure.
  The first four are required reading.
  GURPS Basic Set, Third Edition: The core
  rules.
  GURPS Compendium I: Players looking
  for detailed rules for character creation can
  look here.
  GURPS Magic: Necessary for understand-
  ing the mechanics of the magic system and full
  descriptions 
  of 
  the 
  spells 
  in 
  the
  Technomancer world.
  GURPS Technomancer: The book that
  spawned this adventure and an introduction to
  Technomancer canon. Of particular interest
  will 
  be 
  the 
  history 
  and 
  rules 
  for
  chimera  players.
  Those looking for further background can
  consult the following books:
  GURPS High-Tech: Rules and information
  on the weapons and equipment players will
  need to wander Vietnam’s jungles.
  GURPS Grimoire: More advanced magic
  rules and additional spells.
  GURPS Special Ops: Discussion of the
  elite units that fought in Vietnam, weapons
  used by covert forces, and opposing forces
  including a typical Viet Cong troop.
  
  Going to
  Vietnam
  Soldiers arrived in Vietnam for a variety of rea-
  sons. Some were career military people doing their
  job. Others were enthusiastic volunteers seeking
  adventure and a chance to fight communism. Still
  others were conscripts wanting only to come home
  alive. Each of these groups was caught up in the con-
  flict in Southeast Asia and, while despite their differ-
  ent reasons for fighting, all went through similar
  training. This section helps PCs generate and equip
  characters and provides background for how they fit
  in the game world.
  The Draft and
  Classification
  The Draft
  The military draft during the 1960s was managed
  by local draft boards composed of prominent com-
  munity members. They received guidelines from the
  federal government detailing how many people were
  needed and then selected eligible candidates from
  recent high school graduates. By law, every male
  between the ages of 18 and 25 registered, so the
  process involved sorting through all the records and
  picking people to join. This sounds simple, but it
  required a complex calculus to insure that favoritism
  or patronage didn’t influence the draft. The drafting
  of Elvis Presley is an example of how this system
  worked. The rock singer put his career on hold while
  completing his tour of duty.
  In an effort to make the draft selection process
  fairer, a lottery was instituted. The birthdays of the
  year were mixed in a barrel and the numbers 1 to 365
  were mixed in another. A birthday would be drawn
  from a barrel and matched with a number from the
  other barrel. If your birthday and the number 20 were
  drawn, you were among the twentieth group of peo-
  ple between the age of 19 and 20 to get drafted. Alow
  number guarantee a person would be drafted, while a
  number above 200 meant a person could make other
  plans. The lottery was a grim spectacle, and between
  1968 and 1973 television carried it live.
  A draftee had 60 days to report for duty once he
  received notice from the local draft board. Often he
  couldn’t choose his service and was given an assign-
  ment in a low-skill position. Marine and Army
  draftees wound up in the infantry, while sailors
  mopped decks and airmen did clerical work. Draftees
  were “processed” at central locations in New York,
  Chicago, and Los Angeles. If the draftee was suitable
  for service, he was shipped off to basic training. If he
  failed the testing because of a physical ailment, he
  FUNNY NEW GUYS
  8
  2. Rumors and
  Realities of War
  Draft Figures for Vietnam
  According to the Selective Service, over
  1.7 million people were drafted between 1964
  and when the draft was repealed in 1973.
  According to the 1960 census, roughly 20 per-
  cent of the population was changelings. Of
  that two percent were mages with no congen-
  ital defects. Not counting volunteers, this
  means some 340,000 changelings and mages
  served in the armed forces during Vietnam.
  Here is a break down of actual draft figures
  during the war.
  1964 – 112,386
  1965 – 230,991
  1966 – 382,010
  1967 – 228,263
  1968 – 296,406
  1969 – 283,586
  1970 – 162,746
  1971 – 94,092
  1972 – 49,514
  1973 – 646
  1974 – Draft ended. The military becomes a 
  volunteer force.
  
  was sent back home with a designation 4-F: unsuit-
  able for service. Terms of service lasted as little as
  two years and as long as four depending on the cir-
  cumstances. Once the term expired, the draftee could
  re-enlist in the armed forces or return to civilian life
  with all the benefits that come from being a veter-
  an.
  Enlisting
  Young men with a strong sense of duty or a desire
  for adventure often enlisted in the armed forces.
  Many reasons for joining the military are the same as
  today. Enlistees chose their branch of military serv-
  ice, what type of training they would receive, and
  how long their hitch was. Often, young men would
  enlist to avoid the draft and the loss of those choices.
  Enlistment lasted anywhere from two to five years.
  After the term ended, the solider could re-enlist or
  return to civilian life
  Civilians and Volunteers
  Volunteers poured into Vietnam once the war effort
  started. Many belonged to the USO and Red Cross.
  The Red Cross women, known affectionately as
  “Doughnut Dollies,” served food and traveled from
  fire base to fire base providing company for the troops.
  Civilians working for the CIA, Agriculture
  Department, and Health Department also worked in
  Vietnam to help improve the “infrastructure” of South
  Vietnam. Civilians from private companies also spent
  time in Vietnam making sure that business continued
  in the middle of the war zone.
  Mages and Chimeras
  in the Army
  The number of chimeras becoming draft age cre-
  ated a special problem for the draft boards of the
  early 1960s. Ignoring them would create resentment,
  but the army didn’t know how to train the draftees
  once they were selected. These first draftees went
  through training with the other troops and then given
  barracks duty in the United States. These early
  chimeras were quickly transitioned to Project Griffin
  to test the validity of magical combat units.
  Once chimeras proved effective in combat, all
  male chimeras were allowed into any occupational
  specialty in the service. Pentagon and Presidential
  policy mandated that there would be no racial dis-
  crimination in the ranks. Chimeras were considered
  no different than Asian- and African-Americans to
  the armed forces. By1965, the time of major escala-
  tion in Vietnam, chimeras formed a significant part
  of the regular army.
  The implied superiority of Soviet magery
  after 1960’s U2 incident put Kennedy into
  office by a narrow margin  in 1961. Communist
  leader Nikita Khrushchev’s threat to sponsor all
  “national wars of liberation” further aggravated
  the relations between two countries. The young
  president ordered his staff to investigate ways
  to counter these threats. This initative created
  the Navy SEALs and Army Green Berets, and
  also began Project Griffin.
  The top secret program originated as a series
  of research papers compiled by Major Henry
  Blaylock at the Army Staff college, and quick-
  ly made their way up the chain of command to
  the president. After Blaylock’s graduation, he
  was promoted and put in charge of the covert
  project, codenamed Griffin, which studied the
  feasibility of chimera troops and the integration
  of magic into the Army order of battle. The only
  trouble with the project was that the chimeras
  born in the United States were not old enough
  to serve in the Army. Making matters worse, no
  serious testing program could determine if
  someone had magical ability. Faced with these
  challenges, Blaylock put together guidelines for
  testing magical aptitude.
  The now famous spell gap speech (p. 23),
  combined with chimeras becoming draft age in
  1962, kicked Project Griffin into high gear.
  Blaylock concluded that integrated units of
  mages and chimeras on the battlefield could
  succeed. These units, aided by magical items
  like wands of protection, flying carpets, and
  wizard eyeglasses, could make a significant dif-
  ference. With this information, Blaylock rec-
  ommended the creation of a detachment of one
  regiment to practice combat magic and inte-
  grate chimeras into the army. That unit became
  known as 502nd Infantry Regiment, the 101st
  Spellborne division.
  Project Griffin
  FUNNY NEW GUYS
  9
  
  Training
  Every solider who fought in Vietnam received a
  great deal of training in modern warfare. They shot
  accurately, performed first aid on injured comrades,
  and followed orders. During Vietnam, this training
  process was complicated by conscripts entering and
  leaving the service at a regular rate, and a “rotation”
  system that prevented soldiers from spending more
  than 13 months in Vietnam at any given stretch.
  In GURPS, character templates represent a sol-
  dier’s training. These templates, with the exception of
  Basic Training, are optional guidelines that help speed
  up character design. Character templates have no point
  discount and should be used as suggestions on how to
  design a character. All technical skills are TL 7
  Advanced Infantry Training
  13 points
  Completed by many infantry soldiers before
  going to Vietnam, this character template reflects the
  skills required in order to graduate from training.
  Attributes: ST 10 [0]; DX 10 [0]; IQ 10 [0];
  HT 10 [0].
  Advantages: Military Rank 0 [0].
  Skills: Guns: Shotgun or Pistol (P/E) DX [1]; Guns:
  Light Assault Rifle (P/E) DX+2 [3]; Sign
  Language (Military) (M/A) IQ [2]; Fast-Draw:
  Magazine (P/E) DX [1]; Throwing: Grenade
  (P/H) DX-1 [2]; Orienteering (M/A) IQ [2];
  Spear: Bayonet on Rifle (P/A) DX [2].
  Artillery
  32 points
  These big guns dish out the heavy firepower. The
  troops working in artillery spent most of their time
  confined to fire bases, but at a moment’s notice they
  manned their guns to help out the grunts in the field.
  Attributes: ST 11 [10]; DX 10 [0]; IQ 10 [0];
  HT 10 [0].
  Advantages: 3 levels Extra Fatigue [9].
  Skills: Gunner: Howitzer (P/A) DX+1 [4] or Gunner:
  Heavy Mortar (P/A) DX+1 [4]; Forward Observer
  (M/A) IQ [2]; Cartography (M/A) IQ [2];
  Camouflage: Specialty Gun (M/E) IQ+5 [1].
  Basic Training
  5 points
  Every solider in the armed forces remembers
  basic training. Basic training covers the fundamen-
  tals that every fighter needs to understand before
  entering combat. It also provides a chance for the
  military to teach the customs and traditions of being
  a solider, instill discipline in the new recruit, and get
  them physically fit. Any solider should have the fol-
  lowing character template.
  Attributes: ST 10 [0]; DX 10 [0]; IQ 10 [0];
  HT 11 [10].
  Advantages: Military Rank 0 [0].
  Disadvantages: Duty: Military Service (Employer
  12 or less) [-10].
  Skills: Savoir-Faire (Military) (M/E) IQ [1]; Guns:
  Light Assault Rifle (P/E) DX [1]; First-Aid (M/E)
  IQ [1]; Running (P/H, HT) HT-1 [2].
  Corpsman
  14 points
  Where combat takes place, soldiers will get
  wounded. A Corpsman travels with soldiers to keep
  them alive until they can be evacuated to better med-
  ical facilities.
  Attributes: ST 10 [0]; DX 10 [0]; IQ 10 [0];
  HT 10 [0].
  Advantages: Military Rank Level 1 [5].
  Disadvantages: Sense of Duty: Help Wounded [-10].
  Skills: Guns: Pistol (P/E) DX [1]; Sign Language
  (Military) (M/A) IQ [2]; Throwing: Grenade
  (P/H) DX-1 [2]; First Aid (M/E) IQ+4 [8];
  Physician (M/H) IQ-1 [2]; Diagnosis (M/H)
  IQ [4].
  Doctor
  63 points
  Two types of doctors served in Vietnam. Some
  doctors stayed in the rear areas with the luxuries of
  modern equipment and clean surroundings, while
  others worked in the field triaging casualties and
  keeping people alive until they could be evacuated to
  hospital ships or the major hospitals in Saigon. This
  template reflects those doctors in the field who got
  their uniforms dirty.
  Attributes: ST 10 [0]; DX 10 [0]; IQ 12 [20];
  HT 10 [0].
  Advantages: Military Rank Level 3 [15]; +2
  Reputation among all soldiers [5].
  Disadvantages: Sense of Duty: Help Wounded [-10].
  Skills: Guns: Pistol (P/E) DX [1]; First-Aid (M/E)
  IQ+4 [8]; Physician (M/H) IQ+3 [10]; Diagnosis
  (M/H) IQ [4]; Pharmacy (M/H) IQ [4]; Surgery
  (M/VH) IQ-1 [4]; Triage (M/A) IQ [2].
  Engineer
  15 points
  During war, structures often need to be built or
  blown up. Engineers are tasked to do both and do it
  while being shot at by the enemy.
  FUNNY NEW GUYS
  10
  
  Attributes: ST 10 [0]; DX 10 [0]; IQ 10 [0];
  HT 10 [0].
  Skills: Guns: Pistol (P/E) DX [1]; Sign Language
  (Military) (M/A) IQ [2]; Throwing: Grenade
  (P/H) DX-1 [2]; Engineer: Construction (M/H)
  IQ+1 [6]; Driving: Construction Equipment (P/H)
  DX [2]; Demolition (M/A) IQ [2].
  EOD
  58 points
  One of every ten bombs dropped does not
  explode. This is a problem, especially when an army
  plans to advance across an area which has just been
  bombed. The EOD or Explosives Ordinance
  Disposal troops have the job of disabling these
  weapons so that others do not die by an unintended
  explosion. They also have the jobs of disarming
  booby traps and acting as impromptu demolitions
  experts when the situation warranted.
  Attributes: ST 10 [0]; DX 11 [10]; IQ 11 [10];
  HT 10 [0].
  Advantages:
  Strong Will +2 [8], Common
  Sense [10].
  Disadvantages: Careful [-1].
  Skills: Black Powder Explosives (P/A) DX [2];
  Chemistry (M/H) IQ-1 [2]; Demolition (M/A)
  IQ+3 [8]; Electronics (M/A) IQ [2]; Guns: Pistol
  or Shotgun or SMG (P/E) DX [1]; Improvised
  Explosives (P/A) DX [2]; Traps (M/A) IQ+1 [4].
  Grenadier
  20 points
  These individuals reflect the heavy-weapon
  troops found in every squad. They receive additional
  training and can be counted on to provide extra fire-
  power when necessary.
  Attributes: ST 10 [0]; DX 10 [0]; IQ 10 [0];
  HT 10 [0].
  Advantages: 2 levels Extra Fatigue [6].
  Skills: Gunner: Light Machine Gun (P/A) DX+1 [4],
  or Gunner: Grenade Launcher (P/A) DX+1 [4];
  Sign Language (Military) (M/A) IQ [2];
  Throwing: Grenade (P/H) DX-1 [2]; Orienteering
  (M/A) IQ [2].
  Mechanic
  7 points
  An army is only as good as the people keeping it
  moving. Agood mechanic is worth his weight in gold
  and a valuable member of any army.
  Attributes: ST 10 [0]; DX 10 [0]; IQ 10 [0];
  HT 10 [0].
  Skills: Mechanic (M/A) IQ [4] with a specialty in
  one of the following three areas: Helicopter, Tank,
  or Small Vehicle maintenance; Armoury (M/A)
  IQ [2]; Scrounging (M/E) IQ [1].
  Mortar Man
  39 points
  Sometimes long-range artillery is not possible, so
  soldiers count on portable mortars to provide fire
  support during combat. These troops spend most of
  their time lugging around their heavy equipment and
  are ready to fire at any time.
  Attributes: ST 12 [20]; DX 10 [0]; IQ 10 [0];
  HT 10 [0].
  Advantages: Fit [5].
  Skills: Gunner: Mortar (P/A) DX+1 [4]; Sign
  Language (Military) (M/A) IQ [2]; Throwing:
  Grenade (P/H) DX-1 [2]; Orienteering (M/A) IQ
  [2]; Forward Observer (M/A) IQ [2]; Cartography
  (M/A) IQ [2].
  NCO
  27 points
  Noncommissioned officers are people who get
  their hands dirty during combat. They are the ser-
  geants who make the officers’ orders a reality and
  who enforce order in the ranks. Since inexperienced
  lieutenants had a short life expectancy in Vietnam, it
  was often up to the sergeants to take charge.
  Attributes: ST 10 [0]; DX 10 [0]; IQ 10 [0];
  HT 10 [0].
  Advantages: Military Rank Level 1 [5]; Reputation:
  +1 among enlisted people [2]; Composed [5].
  Skills: Guns: Pistol (P/E) DX+1 [2]; Leadership
  (M/A) IQ [2]; Tactics (M/H) IQ [4]; Fast-Talk
  (M/A) IQ [2]; Intimidation (M/A) IQ [2];
  Camouflage (M/E) IQ [1]; Detect Lies (M/H)
  IQ-1 [2].
  Nurse
  41 points
  Many women serving in Vietnam were nurses or
  Red Cross volunteers. This template reflects the
  nurses that served on medical fire bases outside of
  Saigon and Da Nang. While they did not see much
  combat, they suffered through numerous artillery
  bombardments and took care of the dead and wound-
  ed they saw daily.
  Attributes: ST 10 [0]; DX 10 [0]; IQ 10 [0];
  HT 10 [0].
  Advantages: Military Rank Level 3 [15]; +2
  Reputation among all soldiers [5].
  Skills: Guns: Pistol (P/E) DX [1]; First Aid (M/E)
  IQ+4 [8]; Physician (M/H) IQ [4]; Diagnosis
  (M/H) IQ [4]; Pharmacy (M/H) IQ [4].
  FUNNY NEW GUYS
  11
  
  Officer
  35 points
  Officers came in all sorts of shapes and sizes in
  Vietnam. Some were crass careerists “punching their
  ticket” before returning to the states for promotion,
  while others inspired loyalty and sacrifice in their
  troops thanks to strong leadership. Different types of
  mental disadvantages reflect the differences. This
  template reflects all the skills that most officers had
  in the field. A rookie lieutenant will have just these
  skills while a more seasoned officer will have more.
  Attributes: ST 10 [0]; DX 10 [0]; IQ 10 [0];
  HT 10 [0].
  Advantages: Military Rank Level 3 [15] or better.
  Skills: Guns: Pistol (P/E) DX+2 [3]; Leadership
  (M/A) IQ-1 [1]; Tactics (M/H) IQ [4];
  Camouflage (M/E) IQ [1]; Administration (M/A)
  IQ+2 [6]; Detect Lies (M/H) IQ-1 [2]; First Aid
  (M/E) IQ [1]; Orienteering (M/A) IQ [2].
  Pilots
  31 points
  Vietnam placed a strong emphasis on “air mobili-
  ty.” Troops traveled by helicopter and magic carpet
  instead of on foot or by truck. This meant that pilots
  became more common and necessary for the opera-
  tion of the army. This template reflects the two main
  types of pilots that infantry had contact with: the hel-
  icopter pilot and the rug pilot.
  Attributes: ST 10 [0]; DX 10 [0]; IQ 10 [0];
  HT 10 [0].
  Advantages: Military Rank Level 3 [15].
  Skills: Guns: Pistol (P/E) DX+1 [2]; Leadership
  (M/A) IQ [2]; Piloting: Helicopter (P/A) DX +1
  [4] or Piloting: Rug (P/A) DX+1 [4]; SIGNIT
  Collection IQ-1 (M/H) [2]; Survival: Jungle IQ
  (M/A) IQ [2]; Gunner: Light Machine Gun (P/A)
  DX [2]; Gunner: Unguided Missiles (P/A)
  DX [2].
  Quartermaster
  16 points
  Troops do more than just fight. Someone needs to
  deliver the mail, feed the troops, and keep the ammu-
  nition coming. These logistical troops supply the
  sinews of war.
  Attributes: ST 10 [0]; DX 10 [0]; IQ 11 [10];
  HT 10 [0].
  Disadvantages: Reputation -1 among combat
  troops [-2].
  Skills: Administration (M/A) IQ [2]; Cooking (M/E)
  IQ+1 [2] or Armoury (M/A) IQ [2] or Mechanic
  (M/A) IQ [2]; Scrounging (M/E) IQ+2 [4].
  Tanker
  12 points
  Vietnam was not the classic “tank battlefield” of
  the 20th century, but tanks still played an important
  role in the Central Highlands and as improvised
  howitzers for fire bases. This template represents the
  basic skills of a typical tank crewman in Vietnam.
  Attributes: ST 10 [0]; DX 10 [0]; IQ 10 [0];
  HT 10 [0].
  Skills: Guns: Pistol (P/E) DX [1]; Sign Language
  (Military) (M/A) IQ [2]; Gunner: Large Bore
  Tank Gun (P/A) DX [2]; Gunner: Large Caliber
  Machine Gun (P/A) DX [2]; Driving: Tank (P/A)
  DX [2]; Mechanic (M/A) IQ [2]; Camouflage:
  Specialty Tank IQ+5 [1].
  Special Forces
  Training
  Steve Jackson Games has already produced a fine
  book on Special Forces training and troops entitled
  GURPS Special Ops. It is not necessary to duplicate
  that information in this adventure. However, two
  new Special Forces troops exist in a Funny New
  Guys campaign of which players and GMs should be
  aware. The first is the 13th Necromantic Operations
  Group, magical troops roaming the countryside
  bringing terror to the communists. The other is a
  more traditional military unit known as the 101st
  Spellborne Division.
  13th Necromantic Operations
  Group “Black Berets”
  171 or 197 points
  Disliked by much of the “regular army,” the 13th
  Necromantic Operations group began as a research
  paper at the Army staff college in the late 1950s and
  grew to a regiment-sized Special Forces unit who
  push the limits of magic and military doctrine. These
  troops served with distinction and controversy in
  Vietnam until disbanded in 1974.
  Attributes: ST 12 [20]; DX 11 [10]; IQ 11 [10];
  HT 10 [0].
  Advantages: Magery [15]; Reputation among Viet
  Cong and North Vietnamese +2 [4]; Fit [5]; One
  Level of Hard to Kill [5]; Military Rank Level 1
  [5] or better.
  Disadvantages: Poor Reputation among regular
  army (freaks and necrophiles) -2 [-4]; Sense of
  Duty: to Fellow 13th NOG troops [-10]; Odious
  FUNNY NEW GUYS
  12
  
  Personal Habit: Likes to Socialize only with fel-
  low NOG troops [-10].
  Skills: Administration (M/A) IQ [2]; Armoury
  (M/A) IQ [2]; Brawling (P/E) DX+3 [8];
  Camouflage (M/E) IQ+1 [2]; Climbing (P/A) DX
  [2]; Demolition (M/A) IQ [2]; Driving: Wheeled
  Vehicle (P/A) DX [2]; Driving: Tracked Vehicle
  (P/A) DX [2]; Electronics Operations (M/A) IQ
  [2]; Engineer (M/H) IQ-1 [2]; First Aid (M/E)
  IQ+2 [4]; Forward Observer (M/A) IQ [2]; Guns:
  Anti-Tank Weapons (P/E) DX [1]; Guns: Assault
  Rifle (P/E) DX+3 [8]; Guns: Grenade Launcher
  (P/E) DX+1 [2]; Guns: Machine Gun (P/E) DX+1
  [2]; Guns: Pistol (P/E) DX+1 [2]; Guns: Sniper
  Rifle (P/E) DX+1 [2]; Intelligence Analysis
  (M/A) IQ [2]; Interrogation (M/A) IQ+1 [4];
  Jumping (P/E) DX [1]; Knife (P/E) DX+1 [2];
  Leadership (M/A) IQ+1 [4]; Necromantic
  Biological and Chemical Warfare (M/A) IQ [2];
  No-Landing 
  Extraction 
  (P/A) 
  DX[2];
  Orienteering (M/A) IQ+3 [8]; Parachuting (P/E)
  DX+1 [2]; Spear: Bayonet on Rifle (P/A) DX [2];
  Stealth (P/A) DX+1 [4]; Survival: Jungle (M/A)
  IQ+1 [4]; Swimming (P/E) DX+1 [2]; Tactics
  (M/H) IQ [4]; Thrown Weapon: Grenade (P/E)
  DX+2 [4]; Traps (M/A) IQ+1 [4]
  Spells:
  All operatives have the following spell package –
  21 points.
  Lend Health (M/H) IQ [4]; Sense Life (M/H) IQ [4];
  Sense Foes (M/H) IQ [4]; Sense Emotion (M/H)
  IQ [4]; Truthsayer (M/H) IQ [4]; Spell Throwing
  (P/E) DX [1].
  All operatives after 1966 have the following addi-
  tional spells – 26 points.
  Magery Level 2 [10]; Death Vision (M/H) IQ-1 [2];
  Summon Sprit (M/H) IQ-1 [2]; Zombie (M/H) IQ
  [4]; Control Zombie (M/H) IQ [4]; Lean Health
  (M/H) IQ [4].
  101st Spellborne Division
  83 points
  Nicknamed “Eagle’s Claws,” the 101st began the
  1960s as a light infantry paratrooper division. By the
  end of the war, the division fully integrated high
  magic with modern firepower. Each trooper used
  magic items or modern firearms, and some used
  both. The division had better relations with the “reg-
  ular army,” but was still viewed as an oddity. While
  considered “Airborne” troops, these soldiers did not
  wear the maroon beret of Paratroops, but adopted the
  headgear of regular soldiers.
  Attributes: ST 11 [10]; DX 11 [10]; IQ 11 [10];
  HT 10 [0].
  Advantages: Fit [5].
  Disadvantages: Poor Reputation among regular
  army “oddballs” -1 [-2].
  Skills: Armoury (M/A) IQ-1 [1]; Brawling (P/E)
  DX+3 [8]; Camouflage (M/E) IQ+1 [2]; First Aid
  (M/E) IQ [1]; Guns: Anti-Tank Weapons (P/E)
  DX [1]; Guns: Assault Rifle (P/E) DX+3 [8];
  Guns: Grenade Launcher (P/E) DX+1 [2]; Guns:
  Machine Gun (P/E) DX+1 [2]; Jumping (P/E) DX
  [1]; Knife (P/E) DX+1 [2]; Orienteering (M/A) IQ
  [2]; Parachuting (P/E) DX+1 [2]; Savoir-Faire
  (Military) (M/E) [1]; Spear: Bayonet on Rifle
  (P/A) DX [2]; Stealth (P/A) DX+1 [4]; Tactics
  (M/H) IQ [4]; Thrown Weapon: Grenade (P/E)
  DX+2 [4]; Traps (M/A) IQ [2]; Spell Throwing
  (P/E) DX [1].
  On the Job Training
  Troops in the field commonly took up new skills
  and cross-trained. The military encouraged this prac-
  tice. Since much of the fighting in Vietnam was so
  different from the combat for which many of the
  troops trained, many skills were learned after enter-
  ing “Indian Country.” These templates are only
  offered to characters in the country for at least
  six months.
  Sniper and Pathfinder 48 points
  These professionals acted as “point-men” and
  snipers for units on a regular basis. Usually, they
  were volunteers who were not killed right away, or
  expert shots impressed into service by company or
  battalion commanders. These soldiers were com-
  monly sent out in one- or two-man missions to kill
  enemy commanders.
  Attributes: ST 10 [0]; DX 10 [0]; IQ 10 [0];
  HT 10 [0].
  Advantages: +2 Reputation among all soldiers [5].
  Disadvantages: Loner [-5].
  Skills: Guns: Assault Rifle (P/E) DX+3 [8]; Guns:
  Sniper Rifle (P/E) DX+4 [16]; Tracking (M/A)
  IQ+2 [6]; Stealth (P/A) DX+2 [8]; Camouflage
  (M/E) IQ+2 [4]; Survival: Jungle (M/A) IQ+2 [6].
  FUNNY NEW GUYS
  13
  
  FUNNY NEW GUYS
  14
  Vietnam changed the rules of warfare in the
  20th century. Conventional doctrines like
  movement and firepower were replaced by
  propaganda and harassing the enemy on the
  battlefield to overwhelm him. For officers who
  fought in World War II, it was a frustrating
  experience. As the war dragged, it became
  obvious that the war was not going to be won
  conventionally, and pressure began to build to
  either win or get out. This was when the doc-
  trine of spell supremacy came into being.
  Major Arthur “Black Death” Guftison first
  proposed the idea after returning to Washington
  from a tour of duty in Vietnam. Guftison was an
  early member of the 1st Necromantic
  Operations Detachment and his experiences
  had inspired a dark vision. The communists
  used every tactic they could to terrorize the
  local population. Something needed to be done
  to terrorize the VC. The major had worked with
  the 1st NOG as a liaison with conventional
  units and as an intelligence officer. Since many
  of the VC were indoctrinated at an early age
  and genuinely believed that they were fighting
  the good fight against the Americans, some-
  thing was needed to shake up their worldview.
  Shortly before Nixon took over the war
  effort, the 1st NOD was used as shock troops
  and as a commando force. Spellcasting was
  mostly used for communications spells and
  finding the enemy. The army, noting the effec-
  tiveness of the 1st NOD, authorized its increase
  to regiment-size and renamed it the 13th
  Necromantic Operations Group. Guftison felt
  that the 13th NOG needed to perform a more
  sinister duty. The “hells rangers” would con-
  duct more “black” operations using magic to
  create illusions, engineer gruesome and painful
  ways to kill the enemy, interrogate prisoners,
  and most controversially, reanimate the dead to
  fight instead of American GIs. This brief was
  submitted to the Joint Chiefs of Staff on June
  1966, and by October, the first “Z companies”
  were being raised from enemy dead in
  Vietnam. Guftison received a promotion and
  command of one of the first units.
  The “Z companies” terrified the VC and the
  North Vietnamese army. The shambling troops
  at first only carried bayonets and machetes.
  Later, the undead troops were given primitive
  rifles. Zombies could take numerous hits from
  rifle fire and still advance because they were
  already dead and possessed no fear. During the
  fighting of Lam Som 769, a “Z company” was
  overrun by a North Vietnamese tank battalion.
  The zombies and their controller were
  destroyed to the last man but the action tied up
  the tanks long enough for South Vietnamese
  dragons to come and exact revenge. Enemy
  troops became frightened of death because they
  didn’t want to be found by the Americans and
  transformed into Zombies. It had a crushing
  effect on morale and slowly began to break the
  communist will to fight.
  Spells defeated the enemy in other ways.
  Strange patches of fog would conceal troop
  movements. VC and NVA officers would have
  terrible dreams with illusions concocted by the
  CIA. Illusions and telepathy routinely tortured
  prisoners. Finally, special six-man teams,
  known as spooks, infiltrated the military staff of
  the North Vietnamese army using invisibility
  and shape-changing spells. By the end of the
  war, magic could do what guns, tanks, and
  bombs could not – destroy the will of the com-
  munists and win the war in Vietnam.
  At the war’s end, Guftison was promoted to
  General by a grateful Nixon and became the
  commander of the 13th NOG until revelations
  of the “Z companies” became public in 1974
  and the unit was disbanded. The officer retired
  to his family home in Kansas where he con-
  tracted ambulatory necrotic plague in 1979.
  The FBI spent two years searching for him
  before destroying his zombie form in 1981. The
  Major had poetically suffered the same fate of
  many of the undead he commanded.
  A Brief History of the 13th
  Necromantic Operations Group
  
  Translator
  10 points
  Some soldiers developed a natural affinity for the
  Vietnamese language. They became important assets
  to the army by aiding in interrogations and intelli-
  gence gathering.
  Attributes: ST 10 [0]; DX 10 [0]; IQ 10 [0];
  HT 10 [0].
  Skills: Language: Vietnamese (M/H) IQ [4]; Hidden
  Lore: Vietnamese Customs (M/H) IQ [4];
  Interrogation (M/A) IQ [2].
  Processing
  At the height of the Vietnam War, over a quarter
  million troops were in the field with over fifty thou-
  sand coming and going to the combat zone at any
  time. To handle this logistical nightmare, all troops
  going to Vietnam were “processed.” This procedure
  made sure that troops were accounted for coming
  and going into the country. All troops were given
  health exams to make sure that they did not have
  venereal disease, or other illnesses that would pre-
  vent them from fighting. The military collected next
  of kin information and provided a final orientation of
  the dos and don’ts of being in Vietnam. Once pro-
  cessing was completed, troops were flown to Los
  Angeles and then to Hawaii for the final leg of their
  journey to Vietnam. Once in Hawaii, troops went
  through another round of processing and then were
  sent via plane to Okinawa for the final journey to
  either Saigon or Da Nang
  Arrival in Vietnam
  Saigon was the clearinghouse for many troops that
  fought in the delta river valleys of the South. Da
  Nang was the destination for troops fighting near the
  demilitarized zone in the North. The troops would
  disembark from the planes and go through another
  round of medical tests. They would also visit the
  local quartermaster to sign for a weapon.
  At this point, a solider spent time having a hot
  meal or waiting. Many troops that came to Vietnam
  did not know where they were going to be assigned.
  A solider knew which division they were fighting
  with, but specific unit assignments were difficult to
  discover. This was a typical situation because incom-
  ing troops were often replacing battlefield causalities
  or troops being rotated home. A clerk at the division
  headquarters would determine who had lost the most
  troops the previous week and then assign the troops
  presently being processed to fill those gaps. An offi-
  cer would sign off on the decision and the solider was
  sent out to the field to report to duty.
  Unit Assignment
  Soldiers were either trucked or flown to their units
  to replace people ending their tour of duty or being
  sent home for burial. Many trucks and buses in
  Vietnam were covered with chicken wire to prevent
  angry locals or VC from throwing grenades into
  vehicles. In the early years of the conflict, troops
  would drive about the countryside without fear of a
  direct attack. During the Tet offensive, communists
  attacked the airports as troops arrived, forcing the
  newly processed soldiers into fighting. By the end of
  the war, moving replacements to the front was a dan-
  gerous routine where the safety of the troops depend-
  ed on the cooperation of the enemy.
  A new replacement was often sent to a regimental
  or battalion headquarters just beyond the “main
  action.” Usually, they would speak to a duty sergeant
  and a personnel officer who would take the orders
  from Saigon or Da Nang and then assign the solider
  to a particular combat unit. The headquarters troops
  processed the information and reminded the new sol-
  diers that they would be in Vietnam for 13 months
  unless they were wounded or killed. From there, the
  new replacements would receive orders to report to a
  particular company commander or officer for mus-
  tering and final assignment to the unit which would
  be their home for the duration.
  Mustering
  The final step in the process of getting to Vietnam
  was called “Mustering.” A solider is driven or flown
  from headquarters to their assignment. Many troops
  in Vietnam served on fire bases, but some went to
  field hospitals, air fields, and to work in villages and
  cities. Once there, a solider reported to the command-
  ing officer to turn over their orders from headquarters.
  Usually, the commanding officer was busy run-
  ning his unit, so the duty often fell to the company
  first sergeant or the executive officer. From there, the
  replacement was given a brief tour of base, and then
  turned over to his unit. In as little as 48 hours, a solid-
  er went from the comfort of the United States to the
  jungles of Vietnam. They became Funny New Guys
  – counting the days before they return home.
  FUNNY NEW GUYS
  15
  
  Vietnam and
  the World of
  Technomancer
  Vietnam was the first example of asymmetrical
  warfare. The American army had more firepower but
  the Vietnamese were determined to win at any cost.
  Willing to accept losses no western army would
  stomach, the Vietnamese eventually won the war. In
  the world of Technomancer, the American govern-
  ment inflicted a level of violence on the communists
  that eventually broke them. The history of Vietnam
  remained the same as it was before the Trinity event,
  but with the forces of magic unleashed, the war in
  Indochina became more vicious and weird.
  The French Period
  American involvement in Vietnam traced directly
  to efforts by France to establish a worldwide network
  of colonies. England had numerous colonies, from
  India and Hong Kong in the east to Canada and the
  Caribbean to the west. In order for France to remain
  a world power, it became vital for it to found and set-
  tle colonies. The raw materials could support the
  growth of industry, while extending the reach of the
  French people and the influence of the Catholic
  Church. The kingdoms of Vietnam became a
  natural choice.
  French missionaries were active in the country as
  early as 1627. Alexandre de Rhodes made the first
  translations of the Vietnamese language to a western
  alphabet. The missionaries not only taught the local
  natives to read and write but also spread the influ-
  ence of the church. Though this influence antago-
  nized the Vietnamese rulers – mostly landlords and
  the nobility – they owed a grudging allegiance.
  Despite tensions, the missionaries were allowed to
  stay in the region.
  By 1772, social and political events took place
  that forced the French into a more aggressive
  approach in the region. A protracted civil war, which
  divided the country for two centuries, overthrew the
  most powerful clan in Vietnam, the Nguyen. Nguyen
  Anh, a member of that clan and pretender to the
  Vietnamese throne, made repeated diplomatic efforts
  to gain French assistance. His efforts were thwarted
  by revolution in France and political intrigue at
  home. Finally, with the help of French missionaries,
  Nguyen Anh became the emperor of Vietnam and
  changed his name to Gia Long in 1802. Vietnam’s
  destiny was now tied with France for the next
  150 years.
  In the aftermath of the Opium Wars, the French
  fleet made Vietnam its permanent port of call in
  1843. The nation’s rubber, lumber, and opium helped
  support the French economy. The new colony was
  rife with trouble for the French. The local landown-
  ers were insubordinate to the French, and relations
  strained as more native Vietnamese converted to
  Christianity. Finally, the local mandarins revolted
  against the French in the city of Da Nang, and the
  first battle of Vietnam took place. Amid the unrest,
  Tu Duc became the new emperor of Vietnam in
  1847. Duc was a cranky and difficult person who
  hated Catholics. His harsh rule became a pretext for
  further French military involvement in Vietnam.
  French troops invaded the city of Saigon in 1861.
  The following year emperor Duc was forced to sign
  a treaty with the invaders granting them broad reli-
  gious, economic, and political freedom. France
  became the de facto ruler of Vietnam. Over the next
  40 years, France extended its reach into other areas
  of Indochina. By the turn of the century, the nations
  that became Laos, Cambodia, and Vietnam were all
  united into one colony under French rule.
  Ho Chi Minh was born in French-controlled
  Vietnam in an area known as the central highlands.
  Ho was a bright student and wanted to become a
  lawyer. Since there wasn’t any formal law education
  in Vietnam, Ho left the country and traveled to
  France. Like many other communists, Ho quickly
  fell into the leftist movements of Western Europe.
  While Ho and many other future revolutionaries
  were getting educated in France, political events
  swept Europe into World War I. Facing a manpower
  shortage, France mobilized labor battalions of
  Vietnamese troops to aid the war effort in Europe.
  Ho, convinced that these “native people” deserved
  independence just like the other subject nations of
  Europe, petitioned President Woodrow Wilson to ask
  for Vietnam’s independence. His petition was polite-
  ly ignored. France would continue to rule Vietnam.
  This final rebuff convinced Ho to join the French
  communist party in 1920.
  Ho continued to gather support for his cause in
  Europe and in Asia for the next 20 years. He became
  an agent for the Soviet Union and helped form the
  fledgling Indochinese communist party. The young
  FUNNY NEW GUYS
  16
  
  FUNNY NEW GUYS
  17
  The troops referred to life and death in
  Vietnam as being in “Indian Country” while
  back home was “the world.” Considering that
  many soldiers had never experienced tropical
  conditions or fought in a jungle, this description
  accurately represented the perception of the
  ordinary grunt. This alien world did have rules
  besides “kill or be killed.” The life of a combat
  solider jumped from boredom to terror in a
  matter of seconds. During down time, a combat
  solider fit into a pecking order and had to com-
  plete chores. The jobs depended on where they
  were stationed and how long they were in
  the country.
  Funny New Guys
  Once in Vietnam, a new solider was often
  called a FNG or “Funny New Guy.” These
  green troops often learned by trial and error
  how to survive in the jungle. They also didn’t
  earn the respect, trust, and friendship of fellow
  troops until they survived a couple weeks in the
  jungle. The highest rates of causality in
  Vietnam came from this group of soldiers. New
  guys often spent time doing jobs that the more
  seasoned troops felt were beneath them.
  Numerous latrines were cleaned and extra
  packs of ammo carried by Funny New Guys.
  This treatment usually ceased after a solider
  endured his first firefight or a new batch of
  replacements arrived from the states.
  Short Timers
  If you survived the first eight weeks of your
  tour, you were referred to as a Short Timer.
  Troops with this much experience knew the
  basics of getting out of trouble in the jungle and
  could count on themselves and others in fire-
  fight. The learning curve in Vietnam was steep.
  A simple error in judgment or missed opportu-
  nity on patrol meant death. This makes short-
  timers the backbone of the troops in the field.
  Often the Funny New Guys went through a
  hazing process after surviving combat or reach-
  ing their second month. The troops in the
  Special Forces often gave bloodied troops a
  combat knife with the Special Forces logo
  while members of the 101st liked to give
  impromptu baths with fire buckets. Short
  Timers in the 13th NOG received a piece of
  amber with a leather thong for good luck. All
  13th NOG Operatives wore the decoration
  through a buttonhole on their uniform, hoping
  luck would follow them around.
  Old Hands
  Troops who had served more than one tour
  of duty in Vietnam were collectively known as
  Old Hands. Often, the military granted promo-
  tions in exchange for an additional tour of duty.
  Among the sergeant and officer ranks, Old
  Hands were highly respected. Some Old Hands
  were jaded by their war experiences, tending to
  be nihilistic about their duties, while others
  wanted to share the lessons they learned on the
  battlefield with their troops. Special Forces
  troops also volunteered for multiple tours. Once
  he left Vietnam, a solider received a tour back
  to the states for as little as six months before
  rotating back into combat.
  Homecoming Queens
  The standard tour of duty in Vietnam lasted
  13 months. At the end of that period, troops
  either rotated back to the states for discharge or
  other duty in Asia. People close to the end of
  their tour were called “Homecoming Queens.”
  These troops were overly cautious because they
  didn’t want to get killed during their last few
  weeks of duty. This created resentment as Old
  Hands had to take up the slack for both the
  FNGs who could get people killed and
  Homecoming Queens who had incentive not
  to fight.
  This scheme looked good on paper to the
  officials at the Pentagon because it avoided
  long deployments in the field. Additionally, it
  rotated officers and enlisted men in Vietnam to
  spread out the combat experience. In reality,
  once a soldier became capable of fighting in the
  jungle and had the skills to fight the enemy,
  they were sent home often never to return.
  (Continued on the next page . . .)
  What Is a Funny New Guy?
  
  FUNNY NEW GUYS
  18
  revolutionary was still afraid to return to his native
  land because French officials were becoming more
  ruthless in their repression of nationalist leaders. It
  would take a miracle to remove the French from
  power. Instead, World War II happened and the
  Japanese conquered the French in Vietnam.
  Japan and its militarist government had been fight-
  ing in Asia since the invasion of Manchuria in 1934,
  but as World War II gained momentum, the Japanese
  found themselves in charge of large areas on con-
  quered Asian territory. In Vietnam, an overwhelming
  Japanese force defeated the French in 1940. Instead
  of trying to consolidate their gains, the Japanese con-
  centrated on extending their military control of the
  region. Faced with this logistical and political prob-
  lem, the Japanese allowed French authorities loyal to
  the Vichy government to continue running Vietnam.
  Instead of answering to Paris, the generals and
  wealthy landowners of the region now answered to
  Tokyo.
  The French military defeat gave hope to Ho and
  other Vietnamese nationalists who witnessed the
  defeat of a European army by an Asian nation.
  However, the collaboration between Vietnam’s
  French colonial authorities and the Japanese made the
  prospects of a free and independent Vietnam more
  remote. The Japanese slogan “Asia for Asiatics,”
  became a hollow promise as French governors con-
  tinued with business as usual while Japan overran the
  continent.
  Smuggling himself into Vietnam, Ho created the
  “Vietminh.” The Vietminh became a political organi-
  zation and an army dedicated to removing the French
  from Vietnam and establishing a free and independ-
  ent nation. Supplied and trained by both the commu-
  nist Chinese and the American OSS forces in the
  region, the Vietminh made life difficult for the
  Japanese in Vietnam. As the war continued, the
  Vietminh disrupted Japanese supply lines and carried
  out terror campaigns against the French authorities in
  the region.
  With their war effort failing, Japan made an offer
  to the Vietminh. If the Japanese placed a French-edu-
  cated Emperor named Bao Dai in control, Vietnam
  could become an independent nation with Japanese
  protection. The Vietminh were insulted by the offer,
  but accepted it. Once the Japanese withdrew from the
  region, Bao Dai abdicated his brief reign and turned
  over all power to the Vietminh.
  During this period of chaos at the end of the war,
  the Trinity event took place. The atomic bomb tests of
  the Manhattan project unleashed a huge wave of
  magical energy and fallout. For two thousand miles
  around the blast site, mana-active fallout rained down
  on the United States, Canada, and Latin America. In
  an instant, the forces of magic were released and the
  Western Hemisphere went from a low-mana to a nor-
  mal-mana zone.
  The Trinity event did not immediately have any
  effect on Vietnam. No mana-active radiation landed
  on Southeast Asia. The increase in overall mana was
  not perceived by anyone in the region, except for the
  Montangnard natives (p. 22). No chimera births were
  reported, and the communists did not invest much
  credence in mystical concepts like magic. The com-
  munists were interested in other concerns. By
  September 1945, Ho founded the Independent
  Democratic Republic of Vietnam. This small part of
  the world was no longer a French colony, but it would
  take 30 more years of war before it became a free
  nation.
  Once the shooting stopped in World War II, French
  forces, with the help of British troops, reoccupied the
  country. The French wished to continue running the
  country as if nothing had happened. The Vietminh
  knew better and began to oppose the French, espe-
  FUNNY NEW GUY?
  (CONT.)
  Officers
  Unlike the enlisted people serving in
  Vietnam, officers only served a six-month
  hitch. The rationale, according to the
  Pentagon, was to provide more officers a
  chance at combat experience. The line troops
  knew differently and resented the special treat-
  ment. Combat experience also meant faster
  promotion so officers clamored for the experi-
  ence to “get their ticket punched,” so they
  could advance. This “ticket punching” created
  even more resentment, as officers spending
  less time in the field were making life and
  death decisions over seasoned troops.
  Many officers seeing the kind of conflict
  this situation created in the ranks often volun-
  teered to serve another six months and rotate
  out with their troops. This meant the quality of
  officers in the field fluctuated widely from
  inexperienced desk jockeys “getting their tick-
  et punched” to experienced combat leaders
  who could inspire others in the most
  dire  situations.
  
  cially in the northern sections of the country. Initially,
  the French had a difficult time with the battle-hard-
  ened Vietminh, and once America withdrew its OSS
  support, the French were evenly matched with Ho’s
  armies.
  While minor skirmishes took place, the French
  and Vietnamese tired to hammer out a peace deal in
  Paris. Neither side negotiated in good faith and the
  talks quickly fell apart. The situation was further
  aggravated by the actions of French Admiral Thierry
  d’Argenlieu, who hoped to restore Bao Dai to the
  Vietnamese throne. D’Argenlieu broke a Vietminh
  siege of Hanoi and began using artillery against Ho’s
  troops. War was now inevitable, and the Vietminh
  faded out of Hanoi to fight the French in the coun-
  tryside. This became the start of the First Indochina
  war.
  The war with the French in many ways foreshad-
  owed the American involvement 20 years later. The
  French did not have enough troops or loyal natives to
  occupy the entire country while the Vietminh did not
  have the firepower or troops to fight a protracted mil-
  itary campaign. The result of this equation was a
  series of ambushes by the Vietminh against isolated
  French units. The French responded with long
  sweeps of the countryside looking for guerrilla
  troops, and by holding the major cities. Many French
  troops were members of the French Foreign Legion,
  veterans from World War II, and elite paratrooper
  units. Unfortunately, these troops weren’t prepared
  for the war the Vietminh fought.
  The Vietminh didn’t wear uniforms that were easy
  to identify. The enemy intermingled with the local
  population and often used them as fronts for their
  guerilla campaigns. Children and women were draft-
  ed into the fight and booby traps made the country
  side a death march for the unwary French. There
  were no frontlines or secure areas for troops to
  unwind. A solider could die just as easily in Saigon
  as in the Northern jungles. This frustrated French
  commanders for the entire course of the war. The
  Vietminh picked the tone and course of the war. Not
  everything went well for the communists – in 1952,
  Ho’s main general Vo Nguyen Giap tried to fight a
  “conventional style” battle in the Red River Valley
  and was defeated easily by the French. The war was
  becoming an ugly exercise in attrition.
  During the first Indochina war, the hell storm at
  Zhukov 3 was created by the Soviet Union in 1949.
  This nuclear explosion created an area of fallout
  eight times the size of the explosion at Trinity, cov-
  ering the Antarctic and the southern pacific. Vietnam
  received the fallout via the spring monsoons. In the
  peasant villages, the locals usually killed the chimera
  births. The communists had a more complicated
  reaction. Mage-born children were spared while the
  “changelings” often were the victims of infanticide.
  Magic would become a tool for use in the proletari-
  an revolution against the French.
  FUNNY NEW GUYS
  19
  VIETNAM TIMELINE
  ACCORDING TO
  TECHNOMANCER
  The following timeline is the official histo-
  ry of the Vietnam War according to GURPS
  Technomancer.
  1962
  Kennedy Spell Gap speech
  1963
  101st Airborne renamed the 101st
  Spellborne
  1964
  Military officially begins testing for
  magery
  1965
  9th Marine Expeditionary brigade
  becomes the first combat unit to deploy
  to Vietnam.
  1966
  The United States begins full deploy-
  ment to Vietnam
  1967
  Present Day for a Funny New Guys
  Campaign
  1968
  Tet offensive. Flying carpet troops
  deployed LUC-1 (p. 36) bring terror to
  the Viet Cong.
  1970
  Golems, necronium dust, and sprit
  weapons begin to destroy the commu-
  nists. Widespread reanimation of
  corpses. Huge anti-war protests break
  out during this period of the war.
  1971
  Allied troops start to push back the
  Communists. Black Operations and wiz-
  ards are credited for the upcoming victo-
  ry.
  1974
  North Vietnam sues for peace and a
  treaty is signed. Prisoners are exchanged
  and stories of Cuban and Soviet mysti-
  cal violation in POW camps made pub-
  lic. The 13th NOG forced to disband.
  1975
  North Vietnam collapses due to food
  riots and the aftermath of war.
  1982
  Vietnam Veterans memorial is dedicated
  in Washington . . . the event sparks bitter
  protest from the Agrarian Conspiracy
  and other groups that opposed the war.
  
  FUNNY NEW GUYS
  20
  
  In spite of the nature of the war, Vietminh forces
  doubled in strength from 1946 to 1953 and the
  French continued to lose more land to Ho’s forces.
  The war, already seven years long, needed a decisive
  action by one side or the other to bring it to a swift
  conclusion. Henri Navarre, the new commander of
  the French forces, came up with a daring plan.
  Navarre placed a large French force, augmented with
  Thai troops, in the center of the main area of
  Vietminh activity hoping to draw the Vietminh into a
  conventional battle. Then French military superiority
  would smash the attackers. The trap was set at an
  abandoned airfield known as Dien Bien Phu.
  Things went poorly from the start for the French.
  The commanders underestimated the Vietminh and
  didn’t take enough time to prepare proper defenses
  for the attack. They also assumed that the enemy
  would not have heavy artillery and anti-aircraft guns.
  The Vietminh threw 27 divisions at the French on
  March 13, 1954. It quickly became apparent that the
  French 
  were 
  outgunned, 
  outmanned, 
  and
  outmaneuvered.
  By March 16, the Thai troops had deserted the
  battlefield leaving the French flanks exposed. As the
  battle wore on, French supply planes and bombers
  were shot out of the sky by batteries of anti-aircraft
  guns on loan from the Communist Chinese. The
  Vietminh hammered the compound and even pre-
  vented the French from evacuating their wounded,
  further undermining their morale. After almost two
  long months of battle, the French commander
  Christian de Castries surrendered his forces at Dien
  Bien Phu. Navarre’s gamble had failed.
  The wake of Dien Bien Phu spurned an over-
  whelming demand by the French public to bring
  home the troops. The Fourth Republic founded after
  World War II was falling apart and military defeat by
  the Vietminh further sped up the process. The new
  Fifth Republic acted quickly and negotiated with the
  Vietminh. On July 20, 1954, the French reached an
  agreement with the rebels. The agreement divided
  colonial Vietnam into four nations: Cambodia, Laos,
  a communist North Vietnam, and a democratic South
  Vietnam. The agreement was supposed to last two
  years followed by a nationwide referendum in
  Vietnam to decide the fate of the nation. Confident
  that the nation would be reunited peacefully by elec-
  tion, the Vietminh agreed to the deal.
  But the peace deal created an immediate problem.
  The north had most of Vietnam’s industrial produc-
  tion while the south was the breadbasket of the
  region. In order for both nations to survive, they
  would have to rely on outside aid. Ho and the com-
  munist north turned to the Soviet Union while the
  south turned to the United States. Since neither side
  was part of the French peace agreement of 1954,
  both felt they did not have to abide by its rules.
  America’s Concerns
  The time between the French and American com-
  bat role in Vietnam was marked by numerous missed
  opportunities for stability in the region. The central
  figures during this period were South Vietnam’s
  Prime Minister Ngo Dinh Diem and Ho Chi Minh in
  the North. Ho was a careful and deliberate revolu-
  tionary, interested in rebuilding his country in the
  aftermath of the war with the French. Diem was busy
  consolidating political support for himself and court-
  ing favor from America.
  The biggest challenge for Ho was the shortage of
  rice. Ablight in 1945 led to the starvation of two mil-
  lion Vietnamese and the process was repeating itself
  ten years later. It took emergency aid from the Soviet
  Union and rice from Burma to avoid disaster. This
  prompted land reform policies. Those policies quick-
  ly spiraled out off control and became “people’s
  committees” which executed undesirables and seized
  land in order to help “the peasants.” No one was
  spared, intellectuals, landowners, and even loyal
  Vietminh officers were tried and executed. The situ-
  ation led to a rebellion by the northern Nhge An
  province against the Hanoi government. The com-
  munists brutally put down the rebellion, but Ho felt
  it necessary to officially apologize, saying, “mistakes
  were made,” regarding land reform.
  Diem was not faring better in the south. Three
  military factions did not recognize Diem’s regime.
  One faction, the Binh Xuyen, received overt aid from
  the French government. The Binh Xuyen also used
  strange mystical powers on Diem’s troops. In April
  1956, Diem ordered his troops to attack the Binh
  Xuyen, who were conducting military maneuvers in
  Saigon and the countryside. By May, the fighting had
  ended and what was left of the factions disappeared
  into the Mekong delta to resurface years later as Viet
  Cong guerrillas. In the wake of this military victory,
  Diem began a program of repression to root out
  Vietminh veterans, communists, and other threats to
  his regime. By the end of the decade, virtually all of
  the old Vietminh cells had been smashed and many
  of Diem’s rivals were dead or in prison. This cruelty
  created resentment that eventually aided both the
  communists and mutinous officers.
  FUNNY NEW GUYS
  21
  
  FUNNY NEW GUYS
  22
  Descended from aboriginal tribes from
  Polynesia, the Montagnard tribes of Vietnam’s
  central highlands have been at the center of con-
  flict in the region. First encountered by French
  missionaries, the tribes were untouched by
  Western or Vietnamese culture. The name
  Montagnard means “mountain people” in
  French and their aboriginal customs and easy
  adoption of Christianity put them in direct con-
  flict with the communists.
  As America became involved in the war, spe-
  cial forces teams recruited and trained entire
  tribes of Montangnard natives, nicknamed
  “yards” to help fight the communists. Promised
  a Montagnard state, the locals quickly took up
  the cause and joined the fighting, creating
  Civilian Irregular Defense Units (CIDU).
  These units became the eyes and ears of the
  Special Forces. Using their native skills and
  American weapons, the Montagnards helped
  fight the Viet Cong on their own turf. It was
  common for special forces teams of four to 10
  “A-Teams” 
  to 
  command 
  hundreds 
  of
  Montagnards roaming the countryside looking
  for the enemy.
  As the tide of battle turned, the Montagnards
  spearheaded invasions of Laos and North
  Vietnam. When the communists finally col-
  lapsed in 1975, Montagnard tribal elders attend-
  ed the formal surrender along with members of
  the Saigon government and the Ford adminis-
  tration.
  Magic and Mysticism
  The Montagnard tribes of Vietnam were
  heavily Christianized by the start of American
  involvement in Vietnam. However, the effects
  of the Zhukov 3 event began to alter their prac-
  tices. Before the arival of the French missionar-
  ies, the Montagnards practiced a brand of ani-
  mism, believing in spirits that were present and
  active in the natural world. This practice includ-
  ed animal sacrifice and blood rituals. As the
  mana level increased and magery spread among
  the newborn, the Montagnards melded their
  Christain beliefs with their pagan past.
  Animal sacrifice and blood rituals were
  eschewed for direct communication with the
  spirit world. Magic was seen as a gift from
  Christ to help lead the Montagnard people
  against the oppresssion of communism.
  Changeling and chimera births were viewed as
  good omens, and Montagnard mystics learned
  to master nature spells.
  Use the following rules for Montagnard char-
  acters. First, any changeling will not have a
  social stigma attached to them.  The most com-
  mon types of changeling in the Montagnard cul-
  ture are “Cat People” and “Snake People.”
  Rules for these two new species can be found on
  pp. T53-55. Next, any Montagnard spellcaster
  must specialize and learn only one college of
  spells. The One College Only disadvantage is
  on p. M104. Finally, Montagnards during this
  period did not speak English as a native lan-
  guage.  There is only a 10% chance that one will
  know how to speak French; the remainder will
  know their native tribal language, which is a
  Mental/Hard skill for any Westerner to learn.
  The Montagnards
  after the War
  After the Vietnam war, the Montagnards
  established a “Dega State” in the Vietnamese
  central highlands and continued to practice
  magic and their tribal customs. This semi-
  autonomous state is tolerated by the Saigon
  government and has protection from the
  American State Department. It is common for
  Thaumaturgy students and neo-pagans to visit
  the “Dega State” as a way to see tribal culture
  assimilate magic and modern technology simul-
  taneously.
  Those that decided to emigrate to the United
  States settled in North Carolina to be close to
  the Special Forces troops they fought with.
  Montagnards are very loyal to the friends they
  met during the war. Since North Carolina has
  the largest population of current and former spe-
  cial forces troops in the United States, the
  largest ethnic population of Montagnards out-
  side of Vietnam has settled there.  
  The Montagnards
  
  Diem devoted most of his American aid toward
  bolstering his military and the Saigon police – little
  went to improving the country’s infrastructure, land
  reform, or education. This further undermined his
  credibility as a leader and made his American advi-
  sors uncomfortable.
  Patience wore thin in both Hanoi and Washington,
  D.C. Ho knew that Diem was the only credible
  leader in the south without communist ties. Efforts
  would have to be made to remove him. Those efforts
  included sponsoring rebel units in the south that the
  Diem regime mockingly called the “Viet Cong.” The
  name stuck. The Viet Cong were a loose collection of
  North Vietnamese cadres, Vietminh veterans, and
  survivors of Diem’s earlier crackdowns. Conscripts
  from the north and disaffected young people from the
  south filled out the ranks. Beginning in the late
  1950s, the Viet Cong began a slow terror campaign
  in the south.
  Diem’s unwillingness to make reforms, combined
  with his corrupt government and his inability to fight
  the communists, frustrated his American advisors
  and helped fuel dissent among his officers. As the
  pressure grew, Diem became more sheltered and
  relied more on his immediate family for advice while
  ignoring American advisors. The cycle of distrust
  grew until it became apparent to the Kennedy admin-
  istration that Diem had to go. The new ambassador
  from Washington D.C., Henry Cabot Lodge,
  informed the generals of the Saigon government that,
  if they launched a coup, the United States would not
  get in the way unless the rebels did not enjoy the sup-
  port of the people. Diem was even offered a chance
  to leave the country with his family, which he
  refused. In 1963, a group of mutinous officers
  rebelled against Diem. After several attempts at
  escape, Diem turned himself over to the rebels. Afew
  days later, photos were released of Diem, executed in
  gangland fashion by the new junta. America’s con-
  cerns became worse as General Nguyen Khan took
  control of the South Vietnamese government, and
  America was drawn into the escalating violence in
  the region.
  The Spell Gap Speech
  While things were deteriorating in Vietnam, the
  United States was becoming distracted by events
  elsewhere in the world. In 1960, the Soviets had shot
  down an American U-2 spy plane. Claiming that they
  used magic to detect and track the “undetectable” spy
  plane, the Soviet leadership demanded the United
  St7ates respect its national airspace. Furthermore, the
  Russians threatened subsequent violations could lead
  to a war where communism’s natural magical supe-
  riority would be used to “bury” the United States.
  By putting a satellite and a cosmonaut in orbit
  before the Americans, the Soviet threat of a “missile
  gap” became compounded with a “spell gap.” This
  presented a complicated political problem for the
  Eisenhower 
  and 
  Kennedy 
  administrations.
  Embracing magical powers would alienate strong
  conservative movements in the South that opposed
  civil rights, including the rights of “changelings.”
  Balancing this, the Southwest states’ influence grew
  – they not only embraced the use of magic, but also
  pushed its practical applications to new levels.
  Finally, changelings were starting to become old
  enough for the military draft, and the armed forces
  did not have a plan to integrate them into the military.
  The situation came to a head when the first
  changeling from New Mexico attempted to join the
  United States Military Academy in 1962. During
  graduation ceremonies at the Naval Academy, John
  Kennedy asked the nation to accept the “God-given
  psychic talents granted our nation in its hour of need,
  which to some may seem just like magic, but which
  America’s scientists are now beginning to under-
  stand.” With the formation of the Green Berets and
  the successful tests of dragon troops, Kennedy gave
  orders to the Pentagon to test the effectiveness of
  changeling troops and integrate them into the armed
  forces. This was the birth of Project Griffin (p. 9).
  Meanwhile, events in Southeast Asia gained
  momentum. In the aftermath of Diem’s murder at the
  hands of his own generals, the Saigon government
  changed hands on several occasions between mili-
  tary and civilian governments. During this period of
  political instability, the Viet Cong received orders
  from Hanoi to step up their efforts to take over. The
  situation for American combat advisors and
  Washington was grim.
  The Final Straw and
  the March to War
  President Johnson placed General William
  Westmoreland in command of the American troops
  in Vietnam. He agreed to increase aid to the South
  Vietnamese government and train an additional
  50,000 troops for the South Vietnamese army.
  During this period, the South Vietnamese were
  launching secret raids against the north as part of
  OPLAN 34A. This combined air, land, and sea
  FUNNY NEW GUYS
  23
  
  FUNNY NEW GUYS
  24
  approach was retaliation for the southern Viet Cong
  attacks. The three-part plan combined terrorist
  actions by ARVN and Chinese mercenaries, Laotian
  bombers flown by American and Thai pilots, and
  American destroyers in the Gulf of Tonkin. When
  these destroyers were attacked, President Johnson
  and Congress committed combat troops to Vietnam.
  Carefully worded, the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution
  was a declaration of war without officially being a
  declaration of war. It gave the President of the
  United States broad powers to fight the war, but it
  didn’t clearly define what American goals were in
  Vietnam. The resolution satisfied China and Russia.
  It promised that American combat troops would
  only support the Saigon regime and not widen the
  war into other nations. President Johnson became
  the commander in chief of America’s army in
  Vietnam.
  American planes began bombing the north while
  the Viet Cong stepped up attacks in the south.
  General Westmoreland, lacking confidence in the
  ARVN forces to protect vital airbases, had American
  Marines take over the responsibility. On March 8,
  1965, the 9th Marine Expeditionary brigade landed
  at China Beach outside Da Nang. Instead of the Viet
  Cong, they were greeted by curious locals, Special
  Forces advisors, and Air Force personnel drinking
  beer and waving signs of welcome. It would be one
  The 101st Spellborne and the 13th NOG had
  similar backgrounds, but an uneasy relation-
  ship with each other. The 13th NOG, born from
  the experimental 1st Necromantic Operations
  Detachment, was the first unit in the Army to
  embrace magic. The members of the 13th NOG
  often refered to themselves as “operators”
  instead of soldiers. The 13th NOG had a repu-
  tation of bucking the chain of command, and
  spent most of its time partnered with the CIA
  performing covert operations. The unit had
  some of the most advanced magical equipment
  in the military, and a NOG operator tended to
  associate only with other NOG members. This
  generated some resentment from other units
  Vietnam.
  Meanwhile, the 101st attempted to be the
  best infantry unit in Vietnam and worked with-
  in the chain of the command. The unit made
  itself available for a number of missions, and
  offered to help others in times of crisis. The
  Eagle’s Claws also had a very mechanistic
  view of how magic should be used on the bat-
  tlefield. Many of the 101st were not “mages”
  proper; they relied on enchanted items like fly-
  ing carpets and wands to perform their duties.
  Members of the 101st were trained to use a rifle
  before attempting to cast a difficult curse.
  Magic was always a tool for the correct situa-
  tion and never for its own sake. This pragmat-
  ic approach prevented some mishaps that befell
  NOG operators out in the field.
  The Eagle’s Claws also had trouble with the
  13th NOG’s fascination with necromancy and
  death magic. Combat was stressful enough
  without having to worry about undead, ghosts,
  skull sprits, and demons wandering the battle-
  field. The 101st also documented several occa-
  sions where spells cast by 13th NOG operators
  backfired horribly, killing not only the caster
  but other friendly troops in the area. The tactic
  of creating “Z companies” further strained rela-
  tions between the 101st and the 13th NOG.
  To counter these professional differences
  and better coordinate efforts, the Magical
  Operations Command was established in 1967.
  Answering directly to General Westmoreland,
  the MOC provided missions to the 13th NOG
  while the 101st conducted its operations out-
  side Chi Lai. The Spellborne was also tasked
  with providing rescue operations and flying
  carpet support to the 13th NOG.
  The two units respected each other, but their
  differing philosophies concerning magic and
  the conduct of the war eventually lead to the
  dissolution of the 13th NOG in 1974.
  UNEASY RELATIONS WITH THE 13TH NOG
  
  FUNNY NEW GUYS
  25
  DRAGONS OVER HANOI
  Vietnam featured the first use of dragons as
  combat solders. Created by the research scien-
  tists of Project Fafnir (p. T59), these magical
  beasts made an immediate impact on the battle-
  field. Dragons were intelligent and could operate
  independently like an ordinary infantryman, but
  with the firepower of an attack bomber. Each
  squadron or pen of dragons was stationed at an
  army or marine air base. A pen usually com-
  prised four to eight dragons, commanded by an
  officer with pilot and dragon training skills.
  The mission of a dragon in Vietnam was sim-
  ilar to that of Marine Aviation. A dragon was to
  provide close air support to the troopers on the
  ground. This meant dragons breathed fire at,
  strafed, and terrorized the Viet Cong whenever
  they had a chance. Commanders on the ground
  could radio for air strikes, and depending on the
  situation, division or corps commanders would
  send dragons or planes to perform the mission.
  Here Be Dragons
  Marines and Army troopers loved the drag-
  ons, and some units, particularly the 13th NOG
  and the 1st Marine Division, wouldn’t operate in
  the field unless there were dragons within radio
  range. The first pens of dragons operated out of
  the airfields in Da Nang and Saigon in 1966. By
  1967, a pen of dragons was stationed at the air-
  field at Pleiku. It was here that a group of North
  Vietnamese special ops soliders and KGB
  agents kidnapped a clutch of eggs that eventual-
  ly became the Red Dragons of the communist
  world. By 1970, there were 15 pens of dragons
  around Vietnam.
  The most famous of these bases was the Khe
  Sahn dragon pen, the home of the 12th
  Firebrand Squadron. The 12th logged more
  combat time in the skies over Hanoi than any
  other aviation unit in the Allied forces. First acti-
  vated in 1969, the unit flew daily combat mis-
  sions to Hanoi, destroying anti-aircraft batteries
  and terrorizing the city until the armistice in
  1974. Players looking for an interesting diver-
  sion may want to play the members of the 12th
  as they dodge flak, rampage through the streets,
  and attempt to survive another day.
  (Continued on the next page . . .)
  of many surreal moments during the war.
  Other combat units, including the 101st
  Spellborne Division and the 1st Infantry Division,
  quickly followed. Within weeks, the combat troops
  switched from guarding airfields to patrolling the
  surrounding countryside and conducting “search
  and destroy” missions to flush out communist units.
  The Funny New Guys campaigns take place in the
  summer of 1967. The troops are just learning how
  to fight in Vietnam.
  The 101st
  Spellborne
  The 101st had already made a name for itself
  during the D-Day invasion and the Battle of the
  Bulge. During the conflict in Vietnam, the division
  would transform itself from a group of courageous
  paratroopers to a magical shock force riding into
  battle aboard flying carpets.
  The 101st began as a paratrooper unit to counter
  German airborne operations. The unit earned two
  Medals of Honor, 47 Distinguished Service
  Crosses, 516 Silver Stars, and 6,977 Bronze Stars
  by 1945.
  Between 1945 and 1956, the unit was activated
  and deactivated three times to train other units to
  fight in Korea. After the Korean conflict settled
  down, the 101st remained intact to test new con-
  cepts in parachute design and helicopter assault.
  More the size of a regiment than a full division, the
  101st were the first soldiers to test flying carpets as
  a means of transport for troops around a battlefield.
  The real transformation of the 101st from an air-
  borne regiment to a “spellborne” division began in
  1958. A young Henry Blaylock (p. 9) theorized that
  the army should combine technology with paranor-
  mal powers and mystical troops on the battlefield.
  Local draft boards normally rejected changelings or
  mages as being mentally deficient or unable to han-
  dle the stresses of combat. Blaylock argued that
  chimeras could be soldiers, and pointed to Soviet
  efforts in Europe using Cuban troops. The proposal
  was politely accepted and Blaylock graduated from
  the Army Staff college. Many predicted he would
  be passed over for any future promotion.
  The article quietly circulated and came to the
  attention of William Westmoreland, then in charge
  of training at Fort Bragg and the head of the CIA.
  Immediately, Blaylock received the endorsement of
  
  the military command, and in 1960, was promoted to
  lieutenant colonel. He was placed in charge of an
  experimental unit of enlisted changelings and mages.
  For the next two years, the unit was attached to the
  101st as the 502nd strike regiment, and developed
  tactics for combined operations with magic and mod-
  ern firepower. These exercises were collectively
  known as Project Griffin (p. 9). More traditional
  commanders scorned the unit, but its worth made it
  officially part of the 101st in 1963. Blaylock was
  promoted to colonel and given command of the new
  regiment.
  The 101st soon became home to many of the
  army’s changelings. When faced with the possibility
  of serving in a unit without any changelings, young
  men from Trinity’s shadow often opted toward
  enlisting to become members of the 101st. The vol-
  unteers often endured harsh training and prejudice
  within the Army, and being among other changelings
  was a source of strength. As the 101st became a full-
  strength division, the esprit de corps increased as the
  troops and the officers became more confident using
  magic on the battlefield. The unit was nicknamed the
  “Eagle’s Claws.”
  Eagle’s Claws to
  Chicken Men – 
  What the 101st 
  Did in Vietnam
  The 101st had three primary missions in Vietnam.
  First, they helped protect airfields around the town of
  An Khe. Second, they conducted search and destroy
  missions in the Song Con Valley northwest of An
  Khe, using tactics perfected during Project Griffin.
  Finally, the 101st was the most combat-ready Army
  division in 1966 when President Johnson gave the
  orders to deploy. The 101st immediately sent two
  regiments to Vietnam: the 327th Infantry and the
  501st Infantry.
  Along with the official reasons for sending the
  101st, there were ulterior motives among the army
  brass. The commanders of the 13th Necromantic
  Operations Group had created much ill will with the
  “regular army” at the Pentagon. Often, 13th NOG
  commanders would communicate their needs with
  the White House, the CIA, or the civilian members of
  FUNNY NEW GUYS
  26
  ‘Typical Combat Dragon’
  All dragons that fought in Vietnam fit the
  racial template for a Blue Dragon (see p. T57).
  Each dragon soldier is treated as a Warrant offi-
  cer (Military Rank +3) and has a strong duty to
  the U.S. military. All dragons at this time were
  employed by the armed forces, so this duty
  is mandatory.
  In exchange for this duty, all military drag-
  ons are issued a Barret Dragonfang .50 BMG, a
  FritzDrake helmet for protection, and a magical
  collar that acted as a radio. The collar was of
  particular importance to dragons because it
  acted like a soldier’s dog tags. The collar had
  the dragon’s name, rank, and serial number, the
  insignia of every unit he fought with, and a
  crystal charm that could magically communi-
  cate with other dragons in his unit and con-
  trollers with a similar item.
  The stats for the Dragonfang .50 BMG are as
  follows: Damage 9d+2, SS 15, Acc 6, 1/2Dam
  670, Max 3780, Wt. 30lbs., ROF 10*, Shots
  30+1 ST 25, Rcl -3. A loaded magazine is
  10 lbs.
  The stats for the FritzDrake helmet are: PD
  4, DR 5 and it protects areas 3-4 (brain).
  Yellow Dragons
  As an act of good will, President Nixon sold
  the Saigon government a clutch of ten eggs in
  1969. These Dragons did not see any actual
  combat, but in 1983, they participated in a coup
  by mutinous officers. The coup was put down
  and all the dragons were killed except for two,
  who fled into the Cambodian countryside.
  These dragons are affectionately referred to
  as “Yellow Dragons,” and the Saigon govern-
  ment has a one million dollar bounty on these
  creatures or their offspring. Modern day “drag-
  on hunters” often vanish in the Cambodian jun-
  gles when they attempt to collect the bounty.
  Yellow dragons are exactly the same as Blue
  Dragons with two exceptions: they have the dis-
  advantage Glory Hound (-15), and have a pow-
  erful enemy in the Saigon government (-30).
  DRAGONS OVER HANOI (CONT.)
  
  the Defense Department instead of following the
  chain of command. The mystical and necromantic
  trappings of the 13th NOG also alienated the gener-
  als. This animosity naturally carried over to the 101st
  ,as they saw the unit “corrupted” by changelings.
  By June 1966, the 101st had silenced many of its
  critics. Communist operations were halted in the
  Song Con Valley and the division moved to Dak To,
  a base that supported South Vietnamese forces
  (ARVN) and a Civilian Irregular Defense Group
  (CIDG). On June 6th, the 24th North Vietnamese
  Regiment surrounded the ARVN and CIDG forces.
  The 502nd Infantry Regiment of the 101st provided
  rescue, and the communists nearly overran the base.
  Only artillery strikes on their own position and rein-
  forcements from the 327th Infantry saved the day.
  The action proved that the 101st would do anything
  to win on the battlefield.
  No one doubted the courage and the ability of the
  101st. As a reward, the Army ordered all other units
  to adopt a subdued black and green shoulder insignia
  that blended in with their camouflage uniforms. The
  101st would keep their vivid black, gold, and white
  patches with the “screaming eagle,” magic wand,
  and the bold lettering “Airborne.” Since the
  Vietnamese had never seen an eagle, they referred to
  the soldiers of the 101st as “Chicken Men.”
  Communist leaders respected the ability of the
  Chicken Men and attempted to avoid contact with
  them.
  By the summer of 1967, the 101st was placed
  under the supervision of the newly formed Magical
  Operations Command and moved to Chi Lai. Their
  mission was primarily firefighting. If a South
  Vietnamese or American unit got into trouble, the
  rapid reaction force of helicopter and carpet-borne
  Airborne troops from the 101st flew to the rescue. In
  addition to its primary mission, the 101st also con-
  ducted search and destroy patrols.
  FUNNY NEW GUYS
  27
  
  FUNNY NEW GUYS
  28
  3. Life in Indian
  Country
  A solider in Vietnam spent most of his time away
  from civilization, either patrolling for the enemy or
  guarding fire bases against enemy attack. Fire bases
  were semi-permanent camps where troops lived.
  Often, these bases were close to villages or areas of
  enemy activity, putting them under constant threat of
  attack from the communists. Often no open roads led
  to the outposts, so supplies arrived by helicopter.
  For a solider, the routine of a fire base was deter-
  mined by the arrival and departure of the choppers.
  The day began at sunrise when the squad assigned to
  guard duty gets relieved. The American and the unit
  flags are raised over the base during a brief ceremo-
  ny performed to salute them. Often done with full
  knowledge the enemy was watching, morning colors
  drove the communists crazy. The ceremony was brief
  by necessity – incoming rounds followed it.
  Then soldiers ate breakfast. Meals at fire bases
  were a mixed bag. Some days a trooper enjoyed steak
  and canned vegetables. When supplies were late, a
  solider relied on the best freeze-dried food the army
  could buy. It was not a gourmet experience. Cooks
  depended on the army supply system and the good-
  will of local villagers who often provided fresh poul-
  try, eggs, and vegetables in exchange for jobs at the
  fire base.
  After morning colors and a meal, the morning
  chopper arrived. The helicopters had the large capac-
  ity and firepower required to supply a fire base. The
  choppers provided mail and supplies for the base.
  Between the morning chopper and lunch, the troops
  busied themselves with routine duties. The officers
  received orders from headquarters and then attempt-
  ed to make them a reality, sending units out on patrol
  or conducting combat operations.
  An afternoon chopper brought more supplies and
  fresh replacements sometime after lunch, in addition
  to performing other duties. It transported homeward-
  bound soldiers from the base, USO workers or Red
  Cross Volunteers to provide entertainment, or battal-
  ion or regimental commanders for inspections.
  As darkness settled, the last chopper left and the
  troopers were left to fend for themselves.
  
  Living
  Arrangements
  The fire base was a step up from camping in the
  wilderness, but far below being stationed at a bar-
  racks. The base was under constant threat from the
  enemy and exposed to extremes of heat, humidity,
  and rain. Improvisation and ingenuity allowed sol-
  diers to transform these places into the launch pads
  for many of the military operations in Vietnam.
  Soldiers usually set up fire bases on hillsides or
  elevated terrain near villages. Engineers and
  pathfinders scouted these territories and began the
  process of clearing away the jungle. The trees were
  cut down and the stumps pulled from the ground.
  Helicopters removed the lumber and airlifted equip-
  ment and supplies to the new base. The ground was
  leveled and trenches were dug around the base
  perimeter. Makeshift dugouts acted as living quarters
  for the troops. The soldiers dubbed these dugouts
  “hooches.” Once the basic construction of the fire
  base was completed, a company or more was airlift-
  ed to the outpost to add the finishing touches. The
  new tenants strung barbwire, filled sandbags, and
  positioned artillery.
  Each hooch accommodated up to 10 men. A com-
  pany had roughly 15 to 20 hooches scattered around
  the base. Officers and senior sergeants had their own
  quarters, while squads shared the same hooch. Each
  base had a basic field hospital staffed by corpsmen,
  and a helicopter pad for rugs and choppers. Artillery
  pieces were scattered about the camp to prevent a
  lucky shot from knocking them all out. The mess hall
  was either a tent or shack built above ground.
  Latrines were also scattered about the camp. To
  avoid outbreaks of cholera and swarms of flies, the
  latrines consisted of aboveground outhouses with
  half drums of diesel fuel receiving the human waste.
  Each day, Funny New Guys or soldiers being pun-
  ished removed the drums and set them on fire. It was
  the least enjoyable duty at the camp.
  Sometimes, a fire base was only accessible by hel-
  icopter or rug. Usually, trails led from the base to the
  major patrol areas and local villages. Bombs and
  artillery destroyed much of the vegetation around a
  fire base. What explosions did not kill, herbicides
  provided by the Pentagon did.
  All fire bases had names. At first, the fire base had
  a number designation such as YD 885135, which
  often referred to its coordinates on a map. For ease of
  reference, officers in regimental and divisional com-
  mand named the camps. Names often came from his-
  torical events in the army’s history, women’s first
  names, or mascots within the division. Thus, fire
  bases were nicknamed “Eagle,” “Cindy,” or
  “Bastogne.” Some bases were constructed so quick-
  ly, divisions did not have time to name them, so they
  were labeled with numbers. In the span of a week,
  Fire Base 23 became the home of a company and an
  artillery battery.
  Military
  Duties
  The main reason troops fought in Vietnam was to
  support the Saigon government of the South and to
  force the war on the communists. This meant the
  troops had specific missions while stationed at fire
  bases.
  Combat Patrols
  The main use of a fire base was as a forward stag-
  ing area for troops to conduct combat patrols. These
  patrols consisted of infantry teams searching for the
  enemy beyond the visual range of the fire base.
  While searching for the communists, the troops were
  sometimes ambushed or bombarded with artillery.
  Sometimes, combat patrols set the ambushes for the
  enemy. Small or large units, from four-man fire
  teams to entire platoons, patrolled the countryside for
  the enemy.
  Troops would often walk an area and only
  encounter booby traps and land mines. Sometimes,
  the Viet Cong or the North Vietnamese ambushed the
  American troops and kicked off protracted fights.
  Artillery from the fire base, if in range, would rain
  down on the area. Air strikes would be called in and
  reinforcements from other fire bases would join the
  fight. Many combat actions in Vietnam happened
  this way as two groups of hostile troops stumbled
  into each other.
  Usually a combat mission had a specific purpose.
  Commanders often sent patrols to check out certain
  trails where they suspected enemy activity. Villages
  where the Viet Cong took shelter were swept in an
  effort to capture enemy guerillas. When intelligence
  was good enough, patrols knocked out enemy camps
  or troop concentrations.
  Patrols operated in the daylight because com-
  manders felt nighttime patrols put their troops at
  FUNNY NEW GUYS
  29
  
  unnecessary risk. Patrols sent out in the morning or
  early afternoon were expected to return to the fire
  base at night. If a patrol was going to be late, it often
  notified the fire base to evacuate them by chopper or
  rug. It was rare for a patrol to “camp out” overnight
  before returning to the base. This inspired a dark joke
  among the troops that the Americans ruled the day in
  Vietnam but the Viet Cong owned the night.
  Artillery and 
  Fire Support
  Combat patrols and fire bases provided a secure
  area for artillery. The big guns were affectionately
  called the “Kings of Battle,” because they dished out
  a disproportionate amount of destruction. Guns
  ranged in size from the reliable eight-pound cannons
  of World War II to the 155mm behemoths that
  required 10-man crews.
  The gun crews mostly stayed on base, keeping the
  guns in working order. When the call came, they
  scrambled from their hooches, positioned their guns,
  and fired. This round-the-clock mission forced the
  gunners to grab sleep when they could. The
  artillerists, when not working on the guns, also acted
  as the base’s maintenance staff – fixing fortifications
  and trying to provide some of the creature comforts
  of civilization.
  Artillery crews had two primary missions. The
  first was fire support for combat patrols. When a
  combat patrol needed extra firepower, the artillery
  from the base placed as many shells as they could on
  the enemy. The other job was called harassment and
  interdiction fire. At regular intervals, the battery
  would lob shells at designated spots to harass the
  enemy moving through the countryside. These mis-
  sions made the commanders at Regiment or Division
  feel good, but they rarely had any effect on
  the battlefield.
  Guard Duty
  While one third of a fire base was on combat
  patrol, the remaining two thirds either rested or
  served on guard duty. Guard duty meant manning
  crew-mounted machine guns, patrolling inside the
  barbed wire to make sure the Viet Cong didn’t sneak
  into the camp, or standing lookout. It was a boring
  task but necessary, because the Viet Cong attempted
  to destroy any fire base they could. A poorly guarded
  fire base was doomed to be overrun.
  Aguard shift usually lasted anywhere from four to
  eight hours. They were not allowed to smoke on duty
  and carried a loaded weapon. A shot from any rifle at
  the base put everyone on alert and sent troops run-
  ning to the sand bags and trenches around the
  perimeter. Guards were often the first victims of an
  enemy mortar attack or infiltration.
  FUNNY NEW GUYS
  30
  For the solider living on a fire base, certain
  places took on particular importance. The most
  important places were the machine guns and
  trenches that defend the base. Additionally,
  ammunition was a vital commodity in combat,
  so soldiers always knew the location of the
  ammunition dump. The ammunition dump was
  also the farthest point from all of the hooches
  on the base.
  Some creature comforts of civilization were
  important landmarks at the fire base. Soldiers
  were familiar with the location of latrines and
  showers. Both structures were above ground
  with little cover, so hygienic activity took place
  during the day.
  The underground hospital area was near the
  base headquarters. The underground location
  afforded some protection, and its cooler tem-
  perature could mean the difference between
  life and death. The “sick bay” was often staffed
  by corpsman, but, if the base was large enough,
  army surgeons supervised the treatment of the
  wounded.
  The headquarters, often a tin or wooden
  shack partially buried to protect it from mortar
  attack, was home for the commanding officers
  and their staff. On a fire base, the headquarters
  acted as the courthouse, town hall, and media
  center for the entire base. This was also the
  only building on a fire base where a common
  solider was not welcome. Enlisted men who
  did not work in headquarters needed permis-
  sion from an officer to enter. The privilege was
  rarely given.
  The final spot that every solider knew was
  the mess hall. The tent where the soldiers ate
  also acted as an informal social center. Soldiers
  could be found there at all times of day smok-
  ing, drinking coffee, gossiping, and complain-
  ing about the food. Meals were not served after
  dark, but hot coffee was always available for
  troops dealing with long nights on watch.
  PLACES EVERY GRUNT SHOULD KNOW
  
  Vietnam provided plenty of other ways to die
  besides combat. This section details some of the
  other hazards that soldiers in Vietnam faced.
  Heat and Humidity
  Each character in Vietnam will cope with the heat
  and humidity in his own way. The median tempera-
  ture in Vietnam year round is roughly between 75º
  and 86ºF. In other circumstances, this is pleasant
  early summer weather, but in Vietnam these temper-
  atures, combined with humidity, wracked the bodies
  of American troops. The rules for the toll heat takes
  on the human body are outlined in the Basic Set,
  p. 130.
  Humidity increases the relative temperature of the
  human body by preventing heat from dissipating
  efficiently. The National Weather Service’s measure
  for this phenomenon is called the heat index (see
  Temperatures in Vietnam). By using the heat index,
  we can get the relative temperature that day and cal-
  culate its effects on characters.
  For example: Harvey is the point man for his
  patrol. A storm blew through the previous night and
  soaked the fire base. The humidity is 70% and the
  temperature is 85ºF. Consulting the heat index chart,
  this becomes a relative temperature of 96º. Harvey
  has a health of 11 and light encumbrance. This gives
  Harvey a skill roll of 10 to resist the effects of heat.
  After marching through the jungle cutting trails,
  Harvey loses three fatigue points. Harvey now rolls
  for the effects of heat on the body. Harvey’s basic
  skill is 10. The temperature creates an additional
  penalty to the heat roll of -1 making his target 9.
  Harvey rolls an 11 and loses an additional point of
  fatigue. If Harvey knows what is good for him, he
  had better take a rest.
  Characters can recover lost fatigue through sleep
  and rest. However, sleeping in effective temperatures
  greater than 80ºF only grants half-recovery.
  Booby Traps
  Booby traps killed or maimed a disproportionate
  number of troops in Vietnam. The Viet Cong became
  experts at using unexploded bombs, trash, and native
  materials to create plenty of ways to kill the enemy.
  These booby traps were a constant source of anxiety
  for troops in the field. The traps tended to fall into
  two major categories: explosive and nonexplosive.
  FUNNY NEW GUYS
  31
  Vietnam is a warm and wet country. The
  monsoon 
  season 
  spans 
  May 
  through
  September, with daily rainstorms, flashfloods,
  and mudslides. October through December is
  more tolerable, providing moderate tempera-
  tures and less rain. January through March is
  foggy, and a constant blanket of drizzle covers
  the northern part of the country. For an
  American solider, it is not a pleasant
  camping experience.
  Here is a seasonal breakdown of the high
  and low temperatures:
  Monsoon Season (May to September):
  92ºF/76ºF
  Travel Season (October to December):
  88ºF/71ºF
  Winter (January to April): 80ºF/66ºF
  The Heat Index Chart
  The following heat index chart comes direct-
  ly from the National Weather service. Players
  and GMs should use it to determine the physi-
  cal exhaustion created by the temperatures
  in Vietnam.
  ºF
  90%
  80%
  70%
  60%
  50%
  40%
  80
  85
  84
  82
  81
  80
  79
  85
  101
  96
  92
  90
  86
  84
  90
  121
  113
  105
  99
  94
  90
  95
  –
  133
  122
  113
  105
  98
  100
  –
  –
  142
  129
  118
  109
  105
  –
  –
  –
  148
  133
  121
  110
  –
  –
  –
  –
  –
  135
  Please go to the National Weather Service
  website 
  for 
  more 
  information:
  www.crh.noaa.gov/pub/heat.htm.
  TEMPERATURES IN VIETNAM
  Common
  Hazards in
  Vietnam
  
  Explosives
  Explosive traps were con-
  structed from homemade
  gunpowder, or the remnants
  of unexploded bombs and
  explosives from other com-
  munist countries. Most traps
  were primitive in nature and
  activated by tripwires or
  pressure plates. The more
  sophisticated traps were trig-
  gered by alarm clocks acting
  as timing devices. These
  traps were relatively easy to
  avoid or disarm; if you find
  one, add a +2 to your Traps
  or EOD skill. Finding a cam-
  ouflaged booby trap was a much more difficult
  proposition. Subtract two from your perception roll
  to find a booby trap. This reflects the clever ways the
  Viet Cong hide their traps.
  A Typical Explosive Charge
  Most booby traps had the explosive power of a
  pound of TNT. This translates into 6d2 damage. The
  blast affects the entire body of the person caught in
  the center. All damage is considered torso. If a per-
  son is one hex away from the blast, they could lose a
  limb. Roll a hit location. If that limb suffers twice its
  crippling damage, it is blown off. The player will
  now have the crippled disadvantage.
  The Frag
  The Viet Cong often scrounged the bodies of dead
  ARVN soldiers for American grenades and explo-
  sives. Troops refered to these weapons as frags. Treat
  them like a grenade attack. Astandard Mk68 grenade
  does 5d + 2 damage, plus an additional 2d
  of fragments.
  The Bouncing Betty
  Soldiers feared this booby trap the most in
  Vietnam. The trap launched a grenade out of the
  ground that exploded at waist height. The target suf-
  fers 5d + 2 damage to his legs, vitals, and groin.
  People adjacent to the target suffer 2d of fragmenta-
  tion damage.
  Other Kinds of Traps
  Nonexplosive traps encompassed everything from
  primitive pit traps to complicated contraptions that
  impaled or crushed allied troops. The GM is encour-
  aged to come up with all sorts of fiendish construc-
  tions. Use common sense; traps made from stone or
  anything with complex mechanical parts will be rare.
  Most traps were constructed from earth, bamboo,
  wood, and rope.
  Pungi Stakes
  Simple but effective, this was a shallow pit cov-
  ered with earth or branches. If the victim fell through
  the camouflage, they impaled their foot or other body
  part on bamboo stakes covered with human excre-
  ment. The wound became infected, and if not treated,
  could result in amputation. Soldiers taking at least
  one point of impaling damage must roll HT+1 to
  avoid an infection.
  Pendulum traps
  A solider stumbled across a trip wire and a large
  weighted log swung from a tree to bash them in the
  head or chest. If the solider makes a successful per-
  ception roll and a successful dodge, they avoid the
  trap. Otherwise they suffer 3d crushing damage to
  the head or torso.
  Trench Foot
  Vietnam was a wet country, and the principal agri-
  cultural product was rice. Troops spent much of their
  time slogging through the jungle or the flooded rice
  paddies. This meant that a solider on patrol had wet
  feet. The chronic exposure to moisture led to a con-
  dition known as trench foot.
  For every four hours a player spends without
  changing socks on patrol, they make a health roll. If
  they fail the roll, the effects of trench foot set in. A
  player with trench foot takes 1d-3 damage to his feet
  FUNNY NEW GUYS
  32
  
  and temporarily has the disadvantage Low Pain
  Threshold. The player will also spend most of his
  time complaining about his feet.
  Cure trench foot by keeping your feet dry for a
  week and allowing them to heal. A cure disease spell
  can also treat trench foot quickly.
  Insects and Malaria
  Malaria is a problem in any jungle climate.
  Transported by mosquitoes, the disease has crippled
  entire armies in the field. During Vietnam, advanced
  medical research allowed soldiers to take pills that
  killed the microorganisms that caused malaria.
  Troops who take these pills only roll once per month
  at HT+5. A failure means that you are infected with
  malaria.
  Malaria is a debilitating disease that festers in the
  blood and can destroy a person’s kidneys if left
  untreated. On a failed malaria roll, a player will suf-
  fer chills and shivering followed by fever, headaches,
  and vomiting. The player’s HT is halved as he strug-
  gles with the disease. For each day the disease
  remains untreated, the player must make a HT roll.
  On a failure, he loses an additional point of health
  until death. Malaria is treated with bed rest, antibi-
  otics, and avoiding further infection. Recovery from
  a successfully treated case of malaria will take two to
  five weeks. Due to the difficult nature of a malaria
  FUNNY NEW GUYS
  33
  Vietnam has wide stretches of countryside
  without urban development. Most areas have
  dense forests and are home to many wild ani-
  mals. While encounters with these creatures are
  uncommon, they still could provide plenty of
  challenge to troops out on patrol.
  The Python
  A large constricting snake wandering the
  jungle. These creatures feed off eggs, birds, and
  small mammals. They are not poisonous and
  attack by crushing their victims. They attack
  soldiers who are either sleeping in the jungle or
  are wounded. It was a common prank to place
  one of these snakes in someone’s bunk to give
  them a fright. Complete rules for the python can
  be found on p. B143.
  The “Green Snake”
  This generic poisonous snake populates the
  jungles of Vietnam. Most snakes are tree
  dwelling and not commonly encountered. Still,
  snakes sometimes bite troops during patrols.
  Anyone bitten by one of these snakes must
  make a HT roll at -3 each day for three days. A
  failed roll means the venom does 1d damage. A
  critical failure leads to death. Modifiers to the
  HT roll: +1 if the venom is sucked out (on a
  successful first aid roll), and +2 if anti-venom is
  used during treatment. Most fire bases do not
  have anti-venom, so poisoned troops are evacu-
  ated to a hospital for treatment. Snakebites usu-
  ally do not warrant sending a solider home
  early, so bitten soldiers often rotate back into
  combat.
  Attributes: ST 5-10; DX 12; IQ 3; HT 15/4-10.
  Speed: 3 or 4; Weight: 5 to 15 lbs. 
  Size: varies.
  Skills: Does 1d-2 biting damage plus the
  effects of venom.
  The Leopards
  These big cats are often confused with tigers
  and panthers. To the solider in the field facing
  these creatures, the long dark tail and fur pattern
  that makes it a different species is a purely aca-
  demic concern. Ranging in weight from 66 to
  199 lbs., leopards hunt in trees where they can
  avoid scavengers and other big cats.
  Primarily hunting at night, the leopard usual-
  ly grabs its victim from above by the neck and
  drags it into the canopy to die by suffocation or
  spinal injury. The powerful neck and jaw mus-
  cles make it able to lift a creature three times its
  size off the ground. Leopards will not attack
  humans unless they are very hungry or if their
  young are threatened. An encounter with a leop-
  ard is often good for a fright check before the
  cat runs away.
  Attributes: ST 17-24; DX 14; IQ 4; HT 15/20-
  25.
  Speed: 8 (in short bursts); Weight: 66 to 199
  lbs.
  Size: 2 hexes.
  Advantages: PD 1; DR 1.
  Skills: Have the equivalent of Night Vision,
  and a climbing skill of 14. Does 1d+1 cut-
  ting damage from claws and 2d+1 biting
  damage.
  Vietnam Bestiary
  
  infection, a cure disease spell will be at minus one to
  effective skill.
  The final disadvantage to malaria is that a patient
  once cured of the disease can still have a “relapse.”
  A malaria relapse happens if a player makes a health
  roll and suffers critical failure. Vestiges of the para-
  sites that caused the original infection in the liver
  start to grow and trigger the disease again. A charac-
  ter must undergo continuous treatment for malaria
  his entire life to avoid these relapses.
  Vietnam was a cornucopia of modern firepower.
  This section is a brief summary of weapons you
  might find on the battlefield.
  Small Arms
  The military was in transition during the 1960s.
  Using research obtained from the Korean War about
  the behavior of troops in combat, the military began
  to change its thinking about its weapons. Pistols and
  rifles, with large-caliber ammunition and long-range
  accuracy were phased out for weapons that were
  lighter and had increased rates of fire.
  The harbinger of this change was the shift from
  the M-14 rifle to the M-16. The M-14 was the stan-
  dard infantry rifle in the army since 1957 until it
  ended its military production run in 1964. The M-14
  was three pounds heavier than the M-16 and fired the
  NATO standard 7.62 round. It had a 20 round maga-
  zine and fired semi-automatically. In contrast, the M-
  16 fired semi-automatically or on full automatic.
  Magazines were made in 20, 30 or fifty round capac-
  ities and the smaller 5.56mm ammo was lighter to
  carry compared to the M-14. The M-14 had better
  range, stopping power, and accuracy – advantages
  that were offset by nature of combat in Vietnam.
  What mattered to the troops in the field was a large
  quantity of bullets at close range forcing the enemy
  to keep his head down. The M-16 fulfilled this role
  perfectly and has remained the mainstay of the U.S.
  Armed forces ever since.
  Another important weapon during the war was the
  .45 Colt pistol. The M1911A1 remained the sidearm
  of the American soldier. The weapon had not
  changed since its adoption in World War I. The high
  stopping power combined with its reliability kept it
  in the American arsenal. The pistols were issued to
  all officers and high-ranking sergeants. With the
  Colt pistol and it .45-caliber ammunition commonly
  used, the Thompson submachine gun was also popu-
  lar with American troops. The Thompson was not
  official military issue, but a surplus of the weapons
  appeared on the Vietnamese black market and
  American troops purchased them to supplement their
  firepower. Since the Thompson used the same ammo
  as the Colt, most commanders did not object to their
  solders using the weapon. The Thomson machine
  gun came with a 20- or 30-round magazine and was
  used by troops guarding airfields or riding swift
  boats in the Mekong Delta.
  The communist forces in Vietnam had a diverse
  array of weapons. Many of their small arms were
  captured from French and American forces. Chinese
  and Warsaw pact allies provided what could not be
  scrounged from the enemy. Well-supplied Viet Cong
  units and North Vietnamese Army formations carried
  the AK-47 rifle or its Chinese equivalent, the
  Simonov SKS. The weapon was light, had a high rate
  of fire, and was reliable. The statistics for both
  weapons are exactly the same.
  The pistol of choice for the communist forces was
  the TT33 7.62mm automatic pistol. Afavorite of Viet
  Cong and North Vietnamese army officers, the
  Chinese-manufactured weapon had similar charac-
  teristics to the Colt .45 but chambered a 7.62mm
  round.
  FUNNY NEW GUYS
  34
  Weapons of War
  The following are the statistics for the M14
  combat rifle as taken from p. HT115. The M14
  was a sniper rifle before 1969 and was a favorite
  of U.S. Marines who felt the M16 was an unreli-
  able weapon.
  The M21 was the sniper version of the M-14
  and was used by snipers and pathfinders in
  Vietnam from 1969 to the end of the war. The
  M21 came with a flash suppressor and a 3× to 9×
  scope.
  The M-14 Combat Rifle and the M-21 Sniper Rifle
  Weapon
  Malf Dmg SS
  Acc
  1/2D Max
  Wt.
  RoF
  Shots
  ST
  Rcl
  TL
  M14 .308 1959 US Crit
  7d
  14
  11
  1000 4655 11
  11
  20+1
  11
  -3
  6
  M21 .308 1959 US Crit
  7d
  14
  11
  1000 4655 11
  3
  20+1 or 5+1
  11
  -3
  6
  
  Heavy Weapons
  Both the communists and the Allies used heavy
  weapons to support themselves in the field. Machine
  guns, grenade launchers, and anti-tank weapons were
  all employed in close quarters and with deadly accu-
  racy.
  The allies used the M79 grenade launcher with
  three principal types of rounds. The first round was
  the HE round, which does 2d+2 of damage plus an
  additional 2d of fragments. The second type of round
  was a buckshot round that contained 27 00 buckshot
  and fired like a large shotgun round. This round does
  7d worth of damage, and follows all the rules of stan-
  dard shotgun shells. Finally, the M79 fired smoke
  rounds. A smoke round does 1d of concussion dam-
  age and generates a cloud of smoke with a two-hex
  radius that blocks line of site.
  The machine gun for American troops was the M-
  60. Often taken on patrol, the weapon could provide
  a curtain of fire when the situation became desperate.
  For more static positions, U.S. forces counted on the
  Browning .30-caliber machine gun and the .50-cal-
  iber machine gun. These weapons needed more than
  one solider to operate and could only be used on
  tripods.
  Vietnam also saw the introduction of the light
  anti-tank weapon, or LAW rocket. The LAW was
  used almost exclusively as a bunker buster or for
  attacking entrenched enemies. The weapon could be
  easily carried by a solider. This meant that a squad
  could have up to 10 LAW rockets. In reality, these
  weapons were used more sparingly, issued to every
  other man in a squad.
  The communists did not have a match for the
  LAW rocket until the debut of the RPG-7 rocket
  launcher in 1967. The weapon now synonymous
  with third world armies was used against troops,
  armored vehicles, fortifications, and even helicop-
  ters. Unlike the LAW, the RPG could be reloaded
  and became a favorite ambush weapon of the
  Viet Cong.
  Most machine guns for the communists were
  Russian or Chinese knock-offs of the Type 24
  Maxim machine gun. The Type 24s were not very
  portable and used only in defensive positions.
  Artillery
  America had a tremendous variety of artillery at
  its disposal. The three primary types of weapons
  were the eight-pound gun, the 105mm howitzer, and
  the 155mm howitzer. Each of these weapons
  required a crew that was stationed at the fire base, but
  when called upon, they could quickly deliver enough
  fire power to force the communists to retreat into the
  jungle. Players and GMs are encouraged to read the
  rules for artillery fire in pp. HT71-78.
  Artillery could not travel everywhere, so troops in
  the field relied on man-portable mortars. The mortar
  of choice in Vietnam was the M29 81mm mortar. For
  operations of a company of troops or greater, the
  M29 provided the necessary firepower and range to
  beat back most attacks from long range. For smaller
  operations and the communists, the 60mm M2 mor-
  tar came into play. Smaller and lighter than the M29,
  the M2 could be fired without its base plate. This
  made it perfect for hit-and-run type operations.
  The communists also relied on captured and obso-
  lete American 75mm recoilless rifles. These
  weapons, scrounged from the French during the first
  Indochina war, made life miserable for the allies.
  Vehicles
  Two major types of vehicles dominated the skies
  over Vietnam: the helicopters of the more traditional
  military units and the magic carpets of the 101st
  Spellborn. This section will describe the general
  characteristics of these craft for roleplaying.
  Choppers
  Helicopters were the best means of transportation
  used in Vietnam. They could carry tons of cargo, haul
  squads of troops, and carry more firepower than a
  World War II tank. The only disadvantage was the
  noise they made while in flight. The sound of chop-
  pers struck fear into the Viet Cong; until the intro-
  duction of the RPG, the only effective weapon the
  communists had against helicopters was their rifles.
  Choppers also warned the communists to retreat if
  they felt they could not dictate the battle. The fol-
  lowing are general descriptions of two of the most
  common choppers used in Vietnam.
  UH-1 “Huey”
  The Huey was the most widely used helicopter in
  Vietnam. By January 1968, 2,217 of the aircraft were
  in service. The Huey was used for both combat and
  non-combat roles in country. Models were used to
  evacuate casualities, transport supplies, and carry
  troops into combat. Other models were transformed
  into gunships, packing heavy firepower to ferret out
  the enemy.
  The Huey had a crew of four: two pilots and two
  door gunners. It could safely transport an additional
  12 troops and could reach top speeds of 110 mph. A
  FUNNY NEW GUYS
  35
  
  single tank of fuel gave the helicopter a range of 293
  miles. The medical version of the chopper had space
  for six stretchers and a corpsman. The medical ver-
  sion was not armed and was emblazoned with a
  Red Cross.
  The Huey gunship packed a deadly arsenal. The
  doors of the craft each had an M60 machine gun
  placed on bungee cables and fired by the crew.
  Outside the cabin the craft had two M-6 weapon
  pods. These pods often had four M60 machine guns
  mounted to fire forward. Other combinations includ-
  ed a .30-caliber machine gun married to a rocket pod
  with nine or seventeen 2.75-inch rockets.
  CH47-”Chinook”
  If the Huey was the pick-up truck of the Vietnam
  helicopter fleet, then the Chinook was the bus, trac-
  tor trailer, and tow truck. The Chinook has a crew of
  two pilots. It could accommodate up to 33 seats for
  troops or 22 litters for wounded. It had a maximum
  speed of 195 mph and could travel 300 miles on a
  single tank of fuel.
  Compared with the Huey, the Chinook is lightly
  armed. The helicopter mounted a single 7.62mm
  machine gun by the rear door of the aircraft to pro-
  vide fire for the troops leaving or entering the vehi-
  cle. What made the Chinook indispensable was its
  lifting capacity. A single Chinook could lift up to
  20,000 lbs. It often transported artillery pieces and
  recovered other helicopters that were shot down. By
  January 1968, Chinooks were active in Vietnam.
  Carpets
  Magic carpets did not gain widespread use in the
  war until after 1968. Prior to the escalation of the
  war, magic carpets, or “rugs”
  as the troops called them,
  were issued to special troops
  like the 101st Spellborne and
  the 13th NOG. Troops would
  quietly ride their carpets into
  battle and then roll them up
  and carry them as they
  marched through the jungle.
  Rugs were quiet and
  stealthy, but had several disad-
  vantages. First, unless given
  additional enchantments, they
  provided little protection to the
  troops riding them. Until the
  issue of Kevlar and missile-
  shielded carpets in 1967,
  troops were killed and wound-
  ed as the communists fired
  bullets at them from the ground. Second, compared to
  a helicopter, the only weapons a rug could carry were
  those in the hands of the people riding it. This meant
  that anything more powerful than an M60 machine
  gun was out of the question. Finally, rugs had a limit-
  ed carrying capacity. A Huey could transport an entire
  squad in one trip; it would take three LUC-1s each
  with a trained pilot to do the same task.
  The three most commonly used rugs used by
  troops in Vietnam are the “Lucky,” the  “Persian,”
  and the “Dust Bunny.”
  LUC-1 “Lucky”
  This was the first military issue rug with a missile
  shield spell. The rug covers six hexes and can accom-
  modate four people including the pilot. It has a power
  of 15 and a top speed of 30 mph. The rug itself has a
  PD 2 and a DR 8 versus bullets. When not flying it
  weighs 39 lbs.
  UC-23 “Persian”
  The Persian was the heavy-duty rug designed to
  carry as many troops as possible. The carpet covered
  16 hexes with a power of 17 and a top speed of 34
  mph. The Persian included a missile shield spell and
  seating for 14 people including the pilot. Like the
  Lucky, it was made from Kevlar and had a PD 2 and
  a DR 8 versus bullets. The carpets were decorated
  with Middle Eastern themes and gave off a faint odor
  of incense when flown. When not being used, it
  weighs 49 lbs.
  AC-05 “Dust Bunny”
  The Dust Bunny began as an experiment by
  Thaumaturgy students at the university of New
  Mexico. ROTC cadets brought it to Vietnam and it
  became the premiere recon-
  naissance rug. The rugs were
  not Kevlar, but did have a mis-
  sile shield spell on them.
  Covering only four hexes,
  what distinguished this carpet
  was that it was powerful and
  fast with a top speed of 36
  mph and a power of 18. The
  Dust Bunny also had an
  Illusion Disguise spell which
  when activated could conceal
  the carpet in enemy territory.
  The carpet was usually deco-
  rated with rabbit motifs or
  other popular cartoon charac-
  ters. It can seat two people
  including the pilot, and when
  not in use weighs 12 lbs.
  FUNNY NEW GUYS
  36
  
  Company F, 2nd Battalion, 327th Infantry, 1st
  Brigade, 101st Spellborne division is the home for
  the players in a Funny New Guys adventure. Known
  as the “Fighting Foxes,” the company lives at Fire
  Base 23 on hill number 562 along route 6C near the
  villages of Plei Hodrong Thoung and Plei Ya Bo. The
  Special Forces camp at Plei Me is roughly 10 miles
  to the south, and the Air Field at Pleiku is 23
  miles northeast.
  The fire base is on a hill overlooking route 6C and
  faces westward toward Cambodia. It supports a bat-
  tery of three 105mm howitzers, a small squadron of
  flying carpets, and the men of Company F. Some
  traffic can reach the base by jeep, but most supplies
  are provided by helicopter. Unlike most of the 101st,
  which moved to Chi
  Lai in 1967, “Fox”
  company was ordered
  to stay at Fire Base 23
  and stand watch over
  the Ho Chi Minh trail
  just 
  beyond 
  the
  Cambodian border. If
  Plei Me was attacked
  or another fire base
  needed help, Fox
  company could pro-
  vide reinforcements.
  For 
  ordinary
  grunts, 
  fire 
  base
  “two-three” is just
  another 
  hot 
  and
  humid outpost in the
  jungle with little con-
  tact with the rest of
  the world. Contact
  with the enemy is
  sporadic and consists
  of half-hearted rocket
  or mortar attacks. A
  combat patrol rang-
  ing in size from two
  squads to a platoon
  leaves the base every day. Injuries from booby traps
  are low, and the entire base has adapted to its situa-
  tion with a grim professionalism. The company has
  lost four lieutenants to combat and traps in the last
  six months. This rapid turn over in leadership has
  placed greater importance on the sergeants who keep
  the company in fighting shape.
  When the players arrive in Vietnam, they are sent
  through processing and assigned to Fox company.
  According to the clerks at the division headquarters
  in Chi Lai, heavy fighting has broken out in the area
  and they are being sent as replacements. After a two-
  hour helicopter ride from Chi Lai to Pleiku, they take
  a brief hop to the fire base and their new life in
  Indian Country.
  FUNNY NEW GUYS
  37
  4.The Men from
  “Fox” Company
  
  The following five characters will change the
  daily lives of the players. Four represent immediate
  superiors while the fifth is a fellow grunt counting
  the days before he returns to the states.
  Captain Dale Muncie, Fox
  Company Commander
  138 points
  Born 1939; Age 28; 5’11” 170 lbs. “Dish soap”
  blond hair cut in military fashion, brown eyes, and a
  perpetual five o’clock shadow.
  Captain Muncie joined the armed forces as a grad-
  uate from New York City College in 1960. In the
  seven years since becoming an officer, he has
  worked his way up the ranks in a slow and steady
  fashion, becoming a platoon leader in the 101st
  Spellborne during the early Project Griffin days.
  When the division was rotated to Vietnam, Muncie
  was asked to stay behind to assist the training of new
  recruits and officers. The young and ambitious offi-
  cer did not like it but he stayed home, kept his mouth
  shut, and did his job.
  As veterans returned home from Vietnam in late-
  1966, Muncie requested reassignment from the train-
  ing battalion to a command post. He was rewarded
  for his patience with a promotion to captain and a
  combat command over Fox company.
  Captain Muncie is a typical officer in Vietnam. He
  tries to do his job to his best ability and not get his
  men killed. In spite of his military career, he tries to
  keep in touch with his urban collegiate past. He is a
  jazz fan and can argue for hours about his favorite
  performers, particularly David Brubeck. He occa-
  sionally reads a “contemporary” novel and keeps a
  pipe with him as a “pacifier” because he thinks they
  make him look more distinguished.
  Though he may fancy himself a sophisticated Jazz
  hound, Captain Muncie is all business when running
  the Fox company. He isn’t tolerant of pranks and
  trusts the advice of his senior noncommissioned offi-
  cers. Muncie is aware how he handles himself in
  Vietnam might affect his remaining career so he is
  overly aggressive in trying to find and kill the com-
  munists in his sector. This overconfidence has creat-
  ed mixed feelings in the ranks. The troops respect
  Muncie for his firm but fair hand and his willingness
  to kick butt and take names with the VC.
  Unfortunately, some junior NCOs think he is using
  the command to pad his resume before going back to
  the states.
  ST 12 [20]; DX 11 [10]; IQ 12 [20]; HT 11 [10].
  Speed 5.50; Move 5
  Dodge 5; Parry 5 (Rifle Bayonet).
  Advantages: Military Rank +4 [20]; Fit [5];
  Voice [10].
  Disadvantages: Military Duty [-10]; Sense of Duty
  to Men [-10]; Overconfidence [-10]; Poor
  Reputation -2 (Non-traditional army unit, Regular
  army types 10 or less).
  Quirks: Sleepy Drinker; Enjoys riding on carpets;
  Dislikes: Tunnels and Being underground; Fond
  of Jazz music; Does not smoke but has a pipe and
  keeps it handy (calls it his pacifier). [-5]
  Skills:Administration-14 [6]; Armoury-11 [1]; Bard-
  13 [4]; Brawling-14 [8]; Camouflage-13 [1];
  Detect Lies-11 [2]; First Aid-12 [1]; Guns: Anti-
  Tank Weapons-11 [1]; Guns: Assault Rifle-14 [8];
  Guns: Grenade Launcher-12 [2]; Guns: Machine
  Gun-12 [2]; Guns: Pistol-15 [16]; Knife-12 [2];
  Leadership-12 
  [2]; 
  Orienteering-12 
  [2];
  Parachuting-12 [2]; Spear: Bayonet on Rife-11
  [2]; Tactics-12 [4]; Thrown Weapon: Grenade-13
  [4]; Traps-12 [2]; Trivia: Jazz Music-12 [2];
  Stealth-12 [4].
  Spells: Spell Throwing-11 [2].
  Languages: English (Native)-12 [0].
  1st Sergeant Larry Otis
  116 points
  Born 1932; Age 35; 5’8’’ 185 lbs. An African-
  American with close-cropped hair and hazel eyes. A
  cup of coffee can usually be found within arm’s
  reach.
  Larry Otis was too young to fight World War II, so
  when he turned 17, he enlisted in the Army and
  became a paratrooper in Korea. The young soldier
  was decorated for bravery twice. Enjoying the recog-
  nition, he decided to remain in the Army.
  Otis moved through the ranks as a paratrooper,
  drifting between the 82nd Airborne and the 101st
  Spellborn. When the unit was assigned to Vietnam,
  Otis was among the first to go. Spending most of his
  time in country at Battalion HQ, Otis did not see
  FUNNY NEW GUYS
  38
  Old Men,Ticket Punchers, and
  Common Grunts
  
  much action. Returning to the states, the sergeant
  was granted a promotion in exchange for another
  tour in Vietnam. Now, Larry is the company 1st ser-
  geant for Fox Company.
  Larry is an experienced noncommissioned officer
  and knows when to defer to authority and when to
  bend the rules to get things done. His experience and
  common sense help prevent superior officers from
  making deadly mistakes.
  Currently, he has a good working relationship
  with Captain Muncie, who asks the right questions
  and is firm with the men. He enjoys his authority and
  tries to be a father figure to the young soldiers,
  because he remembers the terror he felt when he first
  began fighting  in Korea.
  If the first sergeant has any failing, it is his temper.
  Otis does not like disrespect toward himself or any
  other African-American soldiers, and has punished
  people for being less enlightened than he is. His tem-
  per is also reflected in his fighting style, which fin-
  ishes his enemy with his combat knife or bayonet.
  The other troops refer to the sergeant as “Mr.
  Hardcore,” and that moniker suits Larry just fine.
  ST 12 [20]; DX 11 [10]; IQ 11 [10]; HT 12 [20].
  Speed 5.75; Move 5
  Dodge 5; Parry 6 (Rifle Bayonet).
  Advantages: Military Rank +2 [10]; Fit [5];
  Common Sense [10]; Composed [5]; Reputation
  +2 (Experienced Old Hand, All enlisted men 10 or
  less); Reputation: +1 (Experienced NCO, All
  officers +1).
  Disadvantages: Military Duty [-10]; Bad Temper
  [-10]; Trademark (leaves behind playing cards)
  [-5]; Poor Reputation -2 (Non-traditional army
  unit, Regular army types 10 or less).
  Quirks: Thinks he can play poker; Talks about base-
  ball trivia; Keeps a pet lizard in his hooch; Always
  has a cup of coffee nearby; Likes to call all young
  enlisted people “son.” [-5]
  Skills:
  Armoury-11 
  [1]; 
  Brawling-14 
  [8];
  Camouflage-13 [1]; Detect Lies-10 [2]; Fast-Talk-
  11 [2]; First Aid-12 [1]; Gambling (default)-6 [0];
  Guns: Anti-Tank Weapons-11 [1]; Guns: Assault
  Rifle-14 [8]; Guns: Grenade Launcher-12 [2];
  Guns: Machine Gun-12 [2]; Intimidation-11 [2];
  Knife-13 [4]; Leadership-11 [2]; Orienteering-12
  [2]; Parachuting-12 [2]; Spear: Bayonet on Rife-
  12 [4]; Stealth-12 [4]; Tactics-12 [4]; Thrown
  Weapon: Grenade-13 [4]; Traps-12 [2]; Trivia:
  Baseball Facts (pre-1967)-11 [2]; Stealth-12 [4].
  Spells: Spell Throwing-11 [2].
  Languages: English (Native)-11 [0].
  Staff Sergeant Tim “Timmy”
  Kapecki
  120 points
  Born 1943; Age 24; 5’9’’ 165 lbs. A scrappy boy-
  ish-looking solder with unkempt short brown hair.
  “Timmy” Kapecki grew up in the steel mill town
  of Gary, Indiana, and for as long as he could remem-
  ber, he wanted to be someplace else. This made him
  an easy target for military recruitment, and he signed
  up in 1963. The young solider learned his craft as
  machine gunner and point man for his infantry
  squad. As he matured, Timmy slowly moved up the
  ranks and became a squad leader with a rank of ser-
  geant. By 1966, the young solider was sent to
  Vietnam. When he returned from his tour, Timmy
  reenlisted and was granted another promotion in
  exchange for another tour of Vietnam.
  Kapecki is a different man today than the infantry
  squad leader who first set foot in country in 1966. He
  has developed a drinking problem, and still feels
  gravely responsible for the death of his point man
  and grenadier from a VC ambush. His lighthearted
  attitude about being a solider has been replaced with
  a grim composure fueled by alcohol.
  The platoon knows that Timmy likes to drink, but
  doesn’t care because he never patrols while intoxi-
  cated and does his best to keep casualties to a mini-
  mum. Additionally, Timmy is a crack shot. When he
  walks point with a shotgun, he is the Viet Cong’s
  worst nightmare. The sergeant also has the reputation
  of getting his platoon leaders wounded and sent
  home. Two stepped on landmines; another fell victim
  to a booby trap. This constant overturn has made
  Timmy the only steady leadership for the platoon in
  the last six months.
  As 2nd Lieutenant Henderson learns the ropes and
  Captain Muncie shows more concern about Timmy’s
  drinking, the dynamic is shifting. The third platoon is
  still “Timmy’s Boys,” but like everything in
  Vietnam, everything could change instantly.
  ST 11 [10]; DX 12 [20]; IQ 11 [10]; HT 13 [30].
  Speed 6.25; Move 6
  Dodge 6; Parry 6 (Rifle Bayonet).
  Advantages: Awareness [15]; Composed [5]; Fit [5];
  Military Rank +1 [5].
  Disadvantages: Military Duty [-10]; Alcoholism
  [-15]; Addiction: Tobacco [-5]; Poor Reputation
  -2 (Non-traditional army unit, Regular army types
  10 or less).
  Quirks: Drinks Beer to satisfy cravings; Protective
  of FNGs; Has a pro football team pin on his
  FUNNY NEW GUYS
  39
  
  booney 
  hat; 
  Listens 
  to 
  “Doors
  tapes over and over; Likes to steal cigarettes from
  communist prisoners or the dead. [-5]
  Skills: Area of Knowledge: Trails around fire base
  -11 [1]; Armoury-11 [1]; Brawling-15 [8];
  Camouflage-12 [1]; Detect Lies-11 [2]; First Aid-
  11 [1]; Fast-Talk-11; Guns: Anti-Tank Weapons-
  12 [1]; Guns: Assault Rifle-15 [8]; Guns: Grenade
  Launcher-12 [2]; Guns: Machine Gun-13 [2];
  Guns: Shotgun-14 [2]; Knife-13 [2]; Leadership-
  11 [2]; Orienteering-11 [2]; Parachuting-13 [2];
  Spear: Bayonet on Rife- 12 [2]; Tactics-11 [4];
  Thrown Weapon: Grenade-14 [4]; Traps-11 [2];
  Stealth-12 [4].
  Spells: Spell Throwing-12 [2].
  Languages: English (Native)-12 [0].
  2nd Lieutenant David
  Henderson
  120 points
  Born 1945; Age 22; 5’9’’162 lbs. A young, eager-
  looking man with black hair in a military flattop cut. 
  David’s father served in the 101st Airborne during
  World War II and fought in Korea with the 82nd
  Airborne. While in Korea, David’s father was seri-
  ously wounded and forced to leave the service. Filled
  with stories of courage and adventure from his father,
  David enrolled at the United States Military
  Academy at West Point. His graduation was the
  proudest moment of his and his father’s lives.
  Like many West Point graduates during the
  Vietnam War, David was given hasty training and
  then sent into the jungle. West Point seems like years
  ago to a young lieutenant learning how to be a
  combat officer.
  Lieutenant Henderson always craved acceptance
  from his father and from fellow cadets at the Point.
  At Fire Base 23, he does just about anything to earn
  the respect and acceptance of his troops. He trusts the
  advice of Staff Sergeant Kapecki, when he is sober or
  on patrol, and tries to play down his military training
  at West Point. This approach has had mixed results
  but, so far, no one has been killed or
  seriously wounded.
  Unfortunately, habits learned over a lifetime are
  hard to suppress. Lieutenant Henderson jumps when-
  ever Captain Muncie calls and keeps his uniform and
  hooch in tiptop shape. This behavior has led the
  troops to unfairly label Henderson a brown nose. The
  young lieutenant also has a budding relationship with
  a Red Cross volunteer back at battalion headquarters.
  The young woman appreciates the attention from the
  officer, but neither has let their feelings interfere with
  their duties.
  ST 11 [10]; DX 11 [10]; IQ 11 [10]; HT 13 [30].
  Speed 6; Move 6
  Dodge 6; Parry 6 (Rifle Bayonet).
  Advantages: Fit [5]; Military Rank +3 [15].
  Disadvantages: Military Duty [-10]; Post Combat
  Shakes [-5]; Poor Reputation -2 (Non-traditional
  army unit, Regular army types 10 or less).
  Quirks: Secret: West Point Graduate; Attempts to fit
  in with troops, sometimes with comical effect;
  Perceived as a brown nose to the captain by the
  men; Tape records messages home to family, Has
  crush on Red Cross volunteer back at Battalion
  HQ. [-5]
  Skills: Administration-13 [6]; Armoury-11 [1];
  Brawling-14 [8]; Camouflage-11 [1]; Detect Lies-
  10 [2]; Engineering: Construction-13 [6]; First
  Aid-11 [1]; Fast-Talk-11; Guns: Anti-Tank
  Weapons-12 [1]; Guns: Assault Rifle-14 [8];
  Guns: Grenade Launcher-12 [2]; Guns: Machine
  Gun-13 [2]; Guns: Pistol-13 [2]; Knife-13 [2];
  Leadership-11 
  [2]; 
  Orienteering-11 
  [2];
  Parachuting-11 [2]; Spear: Bayonet on Rife- 12
  [2]; Tactics-11 [4]; Thrown Weapon: Grenade-13
  [4]; Traps-11 [2]; Stealth-12 [4].
  Spells: Spell Throwing-11 [2].
  Languages: English (native)-11 [0].
  Corporal Earnest “Fluffy” Faran
  100 points
  Born 1947; Age 20; 5’9’’ 162 lbs. A fox-person
  chimera with tight reddish fur. Does not attempt to
  conceal his nature and has cut a hole into his trousers
  to accommodate his tail.
  “Fluffy” was born in the aftermath of the Trinity
  event as a “Fox Person.” Earnest grew up in western
  Texas with other chimera children. He still experi-
  enced prejudice and teasing, but the companionship
  of other chimeras and the support of his parents
  helped the young man survive adolescence with
  few problems.
  When Earnest graduated from high school, he
  enlisted into the Army to become a member of the
  101st Spellborn, the home to other chimeras in the
  army. He has found that other chimeras are not a pro-
  tection from bullets. While the army is better than the
  outside world, it is still rife with prejudice against
  chimeras. Now, Corporal Faran is counting the days
  until his tour expires and he returns to his
  native Texas.
  FUNNY NEW GUYS
  40
  
  Earnest compensates for his chimera nature and
  the social prejudice against it by playing harmless
  pranks on people who bother him. He once left a spi-
  der in the platoon sergeant’s bunk. Naturally, Timmy
  rewarded the fox man by putting him on latrine duty.
  Earnest likes gambling and bets on professional box-
  ing. One night, on a trip to Pleiku, he won over
  $3,000 playing dice.
  Faran is a deadly shot with a sniper rifle and his
  chimera abilities make him a natural choice to walk
  point. Since he has taken over point duties, no one
  has died. The captain noticed his abilities and has
  sent the young solider on special projects to find and
  kill VC tax collectors and officers.
  The new responsibilities have given the young
  solider some juice with the other troops and the
  respect of the NCOs. Faran has found companion-
  ship with his fellow soldiers, but became a killer to
  win their respect. This contradiction is unsettling
  to him.
  ST 11 [10]; DX 11 [10]; IQ 11 [10]; HT 12/11 [20].
  Speed 5.75; Move 5
  Dodge 5; Parry 5 (Rifle Bayonet).
  Advantages: Acute Hearing +2 [4]* Acute Taste and
  Smell +3 [6]*; Fur [0]*; Fit [5]; Sharp Teeth [5]*;
  Speak with Animals (Canines and Foxes -30%)
  [11]*; Ultrahearing [5]*; Knack: Perfect Illusion
  Disguise (as Human) [10]*; Military Rank +0 [0].
  Disadvantages: Dependency (Mana, Common,
  Constantly) [-25]*; Reduced Hit Points-1 [-5]*;
  Social 
  Stigma 
  (Minority 
  group) 
  [-10]*;
  Vulnerability (2d from silver and DN) [-10]*;
  Military Duty [-10]; Addiction: Tobacco [-5];
  Poor Reputation -2 (Non-traditional army unit,
  Regular army types 10 or less).
  Quirks: Prefers to walk point; Snores in his sleep;
  Follows and bets on pro-Boxing; Does not use
  knack to hide chimera nature; Has a reputation as
  being a prankster among the other enlisted
  men. [-5]
  Skills:
  Armoury-11 
  [1]; 
  Brawling-13 
  [8];
  Camouflage-11 [1]; First Aid-11 [1]; Fast-Talk-
  11; Gambling (Specialty: Boxing)-11/16 [2];
  Guns: Anti-Tank Weapons-11 [1]; Guns: Assault
  Rifle-13 [8]; Guns: Grenade Launcher-11 [2];
  Guns: Machine Gun-11 [2]; Guns: Sniper Rifle-
  15 [16]; Knife-12 [2]; Leadership-11 [2];
  Orienteering-11 [2]; Parachuting-11 [2]; Stealth-
  13 [4]; Spear: Bayonet on Rife- 11 [2]; Survival:
  Jungle- 12 [4]; Tracking-13 [6]; Tactics-11 [4];
  Thrown Weapon: Grenade-13 [4]; Traps-11 [2];
  Stealth-13 [4].
  Spells: Spell Throwing-11 [2].
  Languages: English (Native)-11 [0].
  * Items are part of the Racial Package from being
  a “Fox Person” - 9 points.
  FUNNY NEW GUYS
  41
  Fox company and Fire Base 23 cast a large shad-
  ow across the surrounding countryside. The base is
  one of the last major outposts before the Cambodian
  border and has several roles. The roles can be broken
  into three major categories: military, research, and
  public affairs with the villagers.
  The Military Role
  Being one of the last bases before the border
  means Fire Base 23 is a watchtower overlooking the
  Ho Chi Minh trail. If there are significant signs of
  Viet Cong activity, the local commander can order
  air strikes and artillery to disrupt it. If the enemy
  forms in major concentrations, the local commander
  can attack them.
  The base’s close proximity to the Special Forces
  base at Plei Me provides accessible reinforcements
  when necessary. Many soldiers aid and assist the
  “operators” out in the field. It is common for the
  101st Spellborne to come to the rescue of an
  ambushed patrol or a unit cut off from friendly units.
  Fire Base 23 is uniquely situated to provide this res-
  cue service.
  Fox company patrols along the Ho Chi Minh trail
  and chases Viet Cong and North Vietnamese troops
  back across the border with Cambodia. According to
  the rules of engagement from Washington, American
  troops should not go any farther west than the
  Cambodian border. In reality, patrols routinely cross
  over to snoop on the enemy. Units as small as a
  sniper team or a squad have blundered across the
  border and then found their way back. The fire base
  is the staging area for these politely disobedient acts
  of reconnaissance.
  The Research Role
  The 101st Spellborne is the first combat division
  to integrate magic with military equipment.
  The Mission of Fox Company
  
  Although perfected at Ft. Benning, Georgia, these
  tactics are constantly being reviewed in the field. Fire
  Base 23 works as a huge laboratory, testing the effec-
  tiveness of different spells, magic items, and
  weapons in combat. Fox company is part of
  that experiment.
  The company applies the tactics of patrolling to
  magic carpets. The Fox company uses twice as many
  magic carpets as any other unit in the 101st. At pres-
  ent, the company can move half of its members by
  rug in a silent but deadly fashion. The Dust Bunny
  model has proven particularly effective in finding the
  enemy, and a single Persian can lift an entire squad
  into battle.
  The company is discovering that stealth requires
  the carpets, but helicopters provide the necessary
  firepower to suppress the enemy when the shooting
  starts. Also, flying a carpet at night without night
  vision goggles can be deadly.
  Relations With
  the Locals
  The troops from Fire Base 23 have the most con-
  tact with the villagers from Plei Ya Bo. Half a mile
  west, the local villagers provide information, fresh
  pigs, hashish, and the occasional case of beer for the
  troops. Whenever a Viet Cong tax collector stops by
  the village, the soldiers at the base are the first to be
  notified. This has fostered a symbiotic relationship
  between the troops and the locals. Neither side fully
  trusts the other, but it is working for the moment.
  The principle economy of the village depends on
  keeping the soldiers happy, so locals offer to do laun-
  dry and clean around the base. This job falls to the
  younger, often teenage, women of the village. The
  troops consider these villagers little threat and targets
  for possible liaisons. Captain Muncie frowns on any
  kind of fraternization between the troops and the
  FUNNY NEW GUYS
  42
  
  local girls. He even transferred a sergeant back to
  battalion headquarters because a village elder com-
  plained that his daughter was receiving unwanted
  advances. This has forced the entire company to be
  very discrete when dealing with the “help,” because
  no one wants to be transferred or disciplined for
  being “ungentlemanly.”
  The locals do not like htat the American base even
  exist, but they also don’t support the Saigon govern-
  ment and their alternating policies of taxation, neg-
  lect, and repression. The Viet Cong are no better, col-
  lecting taxes, conscripting young men against their
  will, and stealing food. Fire Base 23 represents a
  form of protection from the Viet Cong and a chance
  to be left alone by the Saigon government. To the vil-
  lage elders, this is the best situation possible in the
  middle of a war zone.
  When players first arrive at Fire Base 23, they
  notice the overwhelming odor of cordite and explo-
  sives. The trees to the west and south of the fire base
  are blown to bits and some are still on fire.
  When asked, the helicopter pilot tells the players
  “Yeah! It was pretty nuts last night. Charlie fired a
  few more RPGs into the base than usual.”
  Stepping off the chopper, the new soldiers have
  orders to report to the base commander for their new
  assignments. A busy solider motions in the general
  direction of the command post and tells the players to
  hurry. It seems that the Viet Cong attack helicopters
  that linger too long at the landing pad.
  Making their way to the command post, the PCs
  observe troops showering, cleaning their weapons,
  and lounging around. They also observe troops along
  the perimeter repairing barbed wire and standing
  guard.
  When the players reach the command post, they
  are greeted by a sign with the following message:
  Fox Company, 2nd Battalion, 327th Infantry
  Command Post
  “Home of the Fighting Foxes”
  Capt. Muncie Base Commander
  Upon entering the tent, they notice several enlist-
  ed people pecking at typewriters. The room is thick
  with cigarette smoke. A map of the surrounding
  countryside occupies one side of the tent while an
  American flag hangs on another. A rug with an eagle
  motif covers the dirt floor and the smell of stale cof-
  fee is coming from a neglected pot simmering over a
  can  of sterno.
  An officer idly chats with a clerk doing paperwork
  and off in the corner Captain Muncie talks on a radio.
  He notices the players look lost inside the command
  center and approaches them once he finishes his call.
  “It looks like you people are the new replace-
  ments,” he says. “Good to have you aboard. I am
  Captain Muncie, the commander here. As you can
  see, we have been a little busy, so don’t worry about
  the dust. First Sergeant Otis will give you a tour of
  the base and take you to your unit. I am putting all of
  you in the 3rd platoon. Lieutenant Henderson is the
  CO and Staff Sergeant Kapecki is the squad sergeant.
  Welcome to the ‘two-three’ and the Fighting Foxes,
  gentlemen.”
  After his brief welcome, the Captain removes a
  pipe from his pocket and clenches it between his
  teeth. After a brief wait, 1st Sergeant Otis enters the
  tent and beckons the players outside.
  “Alright, no need to loiter in the CP, get moving!”
  Sergeant Otis is much older than the other troops
  on the base. He also looks like he should have the
  most stripes on his arm of anybody.
  “It’s nice to see that you replacements are paying
  attention,” he says gruffly as they exit the tent. “I’m
  1st Sergeant Otis. Captain Muncie – the fella with the
  pipe – he is the skipper here. Consider him your
  father. What he says goes. I’m like your momma. If
  you misbehave, I’m going to be the one who
  spanks you.”
  “The first thing you people are going to do is
  remove your rank insignia,” the sergeant continues.
  “Seems that Charlie likes killing officers and ser-
  geants so we are going to make it difficult for him to
  tell the difference. This is one of the captain’s stand-
  ing orders, so when you get back to your hooch make
  sure you update your uniform. As you spend more
  time here at the base, you will be able to tell who is
  your superior and who is goofing on you. If you peo-
  ple follow me, I will show you around the base.”
  The players receive a tour of the base, courtesy of
  the sergeant. He points out the areas of importance:
  the latrines, the mess hall, the showers, the location
  of the .50-caliber machine guns, and the ammunition
  dump. On the walk back from the ammunition dump,
  the players stop before a series of hooches covered in
  sandbags. Inside several troops lounge around a
  FUNNY NEW GUYS
  43
  Becoming One
  of “Timmy’s
  Boys”
  
  homemade picnic table, smoking. A few more hang
  laundry out to dry. Otis barks at one of the lounging
  troops to fetch the lieutenant or platoon sergeant and
  then turns to the players.
  “I am sure being out here in Indian Country is
  pretty overwhelming,” he says, “However, if you
  learn from the older hands, follow orders, and don’t
  try to be heroic, you will make it home in one piece.
  Got any problems, don’t bother the captain. Come to
  me and I’ll see if I can work it out. Wait here and the
  person in charge will take you to your bunks. Carry
  on.”
  When Otis leaves a raggedy looking trooper with
  eyes red from drinking wanders over to  the players.
  “I see you have met Mr. Hardcore,” he says. “I’m
  the platoon sergeant, my buddies call me Tim, but
  you can call me Sergeant Kapecki for the time being.
  Grab your stuff. I’ll take you to your hooch.”
  So begins the first official day at Fire Base 23
  and Vietnam.
  Menial Duties
  Soldiers in a combat zone have plenty of menial
  duties. The players are not exceptions. Each day, they
  should clean their weapons and their sleeping area,
  perform guard duty, and perform other duties as
  assigned by their superiors.
  Since the players are Funny New Guys, they are
  assigned to the tasks the rest of the platoon does not
  want to do. They clean the latrines and haul trash to
  be burned. They run errands for their squad leader,
  Staff Sergeant Kapecki, or the Lieutenant.
  The Pecking Order
  Unless the players have the advantage of military
  rank, the pecking order in a combat platoon is deter-
  mined by how much experience a person has in
  Indian Country. The longer a solider serves at the fire
  base, the more “juice” he has with his fellow troops.
  Between two soldiers with similar ranks but differing
  levels of experience, the one with more experience
  will command more respect.
  Military rank is the multiplier to a soldier’s juice.
  This means that Staff Sergeant Kapecki, who already
  has a tour of duty under his belt, is usually obeyed by
  any solider below him. The combination of formal
  rank and the informal juice obtained from experience
  combine to create the command structure at the base.
  Players should have a military rank of zero and be
  considered Funny New Guys when they arrive on the
  base. This translates into a temporary -2 for all reac-
  tion rolls from fellow troops on the base. New troops
  often died in the first four weeks of duty. Many sol-
  diers psychologically compensated for this by ignor-
  ing Funny New Guys until they had proven them-
  selves by surviving in battle. Once the players make
  it through their first four weeks they lose this reaction
  roll penalty.
  Lieutenants command platoons. This command is
  usually a lieutenant’s first after initial training, so,
  depending on the individual, the quality of leadership
  can be very good or awful. Rookie lieutenants are
  often killed or wounded, so troops tend to treat them
  with respect, but don’t expect them to last very long.
  Second in line to the lieutenant is the platoon ser-
  geant. He is an experienced enlisted person who
  takes command if the Lieutenant dies. Under the pla-
  toon sergeant are the squad leaders. These people
  hold the rank of sergeant and are responsible for the
  10 or so regular troopers in their command. A pla-
  toon usually has three squads.
  The third platoon of Fox company has not been
  gentle on platoon leaders. Three lieutenants have
  been wounded in the last six months. The present
  platoon leader has been in charge for less than a
  month. Staff Sergeant Kapecki provided the only sta-
  ble leadership the unit had during this period. So the
  platoon has been nicknamed “Timmy’s Boys.”
  Troops from other platoons on the base often ask,
  “Aren’t you one of Timmy’s Boys?” as another way
  of saying, “You are a member of third platoon.” This
  kind of informality is common and Captain Muncie
  even uses the phrase from time to time.
  Players start as the bottom of the barrel. Making
  friends will be difficult. They will spend most of their
  time being bullied and ordered around by higher-
  ranking and more-experienced troops. This subtle
  form of hazing takes place while the soldiers attempt
  to fight a war.
  Just Another
  Combat Patrol
  Once the players learn the joys of cleaning latrines
  and being a Funny New Guy on the fire base they get
  to experience their first combat patrol. The mood
  around the base has been tense for the last three days,
  because the nightly rocket attacks have increased
  in intensity.
  Captain Muncie leaves the task of “easing the sit-
  uation” up to the third platoon.
  FUNNY NEW GUYS
  44
  
  Lieutenant Henderson unsurely addresses the
  players and the platoon.
  “Uh, well the captain wanted me to talk to you
  about what we have to do,” he says hesitantly. “The
  enemy is using rockets and RPGs to shell the base
  and the captain and battalion S-2 suspect that there
  might be an ammunition dump or VC camp close by
  causing all the trouble.
  “We are supposed to go past route 6 and head
  southwest about five clicks and see if we can find
  anything. If we don’t, we return back to the base.”
  With that, Henderson ends his briefing, and the
  first and third squads get ready for their combat
  patrol. The second squad remains behind on guard
  duty. Both Lieutenant Henderson and the Staff
  Sergeant will be going out on this patrol.
  The Stress of
  Combat Patrols
  On a combat patrol, soldiers take a long hike
  through the wilderness while carrying weapons,
  ammunition, and the bare necessities. This duty is
  rotated through the three platoons of Fox company,
  because it is a stressful experience. Several factors
  make a combat patrol hard on the players.
  The dominant factor influencing patrols is the
  oppressive heat and humidity. GMs should tell play-
  ers when they lose fatigue from heat exhaustion and
  should use the optional heat index rules to simulate
  these effects (p. 31). They should also consult the
  fatigue expenditure rules on p. B134 to keep the
  players uncomfortable. If done correctly, players
  should be concerned about fatigue lost during
  the patrol.
  Next GMs should keep the players on edge by cre-
  ating false alarms and red herrings. A rustle in the
  grass could just be the wind, or maybe a spooked
  rabbit. What looks like the cover of a trap might be a
  harmless pile of leaves. When the players are lulled
  into a sense of complacency, the danger becomes real
  and bad things happen. GMs can simulate this by
  writing down the perception rolls of the players and
  then secretly rolling them. On a success, tell them
  that they see, hear, or smell something that deserves
  their attention. Then the players make another roll
  publicly to see if they discover if it is a threat or not.
  This should drive the players to distraction and make
  them distrust everything.
  FUNNY NEW GUYS
  45
  The M-16 rifle was the product of extensive
  research and development. When Defense
  Secretary Robert MacNamara saw the potential
  of the weapon, he pushed to have the weapon
  become the standard long rifle in the armed
  forces. This insistence was resisted by many of
  the officers in the Pentagon because there had
  never been this kind of change during a major
  conflict. MacNamara was insistent and threat-
  ened several officers’ careers if the M-16 was
  not put into production and issued to the troops
  in the field.
  The generals responsible for arming the
  troops felt the basic M-16 design needed some
  changes to make it more reliable. MacNamara
  thought this was stalling and pushed for the
  weapon’s issue without the design changes.
  The weapon manufacturer, Colt, told the
  defense department that the weapon was low
  maintenance and did not need regular cleaning.
  They 
  didn’t 
  consider 
  the 
  Vietnamese
  environment.
  During 1966 and early 1967, stories began to
  surface about M-16 weapons jamming during
  battle with the Viet Cong. There were even
  some incidents where the weapon blew up in
  the soldiers’ hands. The reports failed to men-
  tion that many M-16s were never cleaned by
  the troops. U.S. Marines openly defied orders
  and continued to use the M-14 in the field
  because they did not trust the M-16. A series of
  congressional hearings followed. By the sum-
  mer of 1967, new regulations required troops to
  clean their weapons. The Army also issued the
  M-16-A1 that incorporated the changes origi-
  nally proposed by the Pentagon generals. Since
  then the M16-A1 has been the standard long
  rifle of the American Armed forces.
  To simulate the unreliable nature of the M-
  16 in Vietnam, change the malfunction number
  from a critical failure to 16. If the solider does
  not clean his weapon, then the number falls to
  15. By 1967, many of the problems with M-16s
  were cleared up and the weapons malfunction
  number becomes a critical failure. After this
  point in a campaign, soldiers are adequately
  warned. If a solider does not keep his weapon
  clean, the malfunction number becomes a 16.
  THE M-16 JAMMING IN VIETNAM
  
  Players also have to contend with booby traps,
  land mines, unexploded shells, and bombs. These
  were the biggest killers of soldiers in Vietnam. The
  most harrowing experience involves a mine explo-
  sion when players are least expecting it. This forces
  the players to deal with the casualty while wondering
  if they have blundered into a minefield. Countless
  hours of tense roleplaying can pass while players
  slowly feel their way out of danger.
  Finally, the enemy is waiting for a chance to take
  on the Americans. Usually, the Viet Cong and the
  North Vietnamese shot from tree lines or concealed
  positions. This makes them hard to spot and when
  the Americans fire back they can vanish back into the
  local terrain. Players should not see the enemy that is
  shooting at them. Instead they should respond to
  muzzle flashes and sounds. This means that players
  are automatically at a -3 to hit, in addition to range
  and size penalties. The characters should not know if
  their weapons hit or what kind of damage they did.
  The GM should keep track of all damage.
  All of these factors should combine to make play-
  ers very glad to be back at Fire Base 23 at the
  day’s end.
  Making the Players
  Sweat While
  on Patrol
  When the players patrol for the first time, the
  stepped up rocket attacks create an additional sense
  of urgency. Both the platoon sergeant and the lieu-
  tenant are along and the humidity is an
  uncomfortable 70%.
  “Be careful guys,” says Kapecki. “We lost the last
  lieutenant in this field,”
  Henderson is noticeably uncomfortable and tells
  the men to keep moving.
  All eyes of the patrol are on “Fluffy” as he sniffs
  at the air and cranes his paranormal ears for some
  kind of clue. The GM rolls the dice and shakes his
  head mournfully telling one of the players they have
  found something. Out of the corner of their eye, they
  see something metallic. If they decide to investigate,
  they discover the object is a grenade. The entire pla-
  toon comes to a stop as they decide what to do about
  the danger.
  Both Henderson and Kapecki reach the players
  and ask about what is going on. When the players tell
  them, Henderson orders another squad to investigate.
  They cautiously creep up on the object and then one
  of the soldiers exclaims.
  “Jesus Christ!!! It’s a fragment.”
  The other soldiers relax and get up off the ground.
  A few grim chuckles come from the more seasoned
  troops and the lieutenant mops his brow in relief.
  Kapecki retrieves the suspicious piece of metal and
  gives it to the players.
  “This is a fragment left over from one of Charlie’s
  homemade grenades,” he says. “It’s harmless. But at
  least you are paying attention. I’d rather you FNGs
  make rookie mistakes like this than sleepwalking. It
  means that you don’t want to get killed. That’s a pret-
  ty good start. Hang on to this . . . it’s a souvenir.”
  FUNNY NEW GUYS
  46
  Rain and Combat
  Soldiers in Vietnam often contended with
  heavy rain. Troops conducted patrols in the
  rain, lived in the rain and fought in the rain.
  Treat fighting in the rain as a general -3 to all
  vision rolls and a -3 combat modifier. This sim-
  ulates the visibility problems fighting in the
  rain, and the problem individuals have with
  depth perception. In addition, reduce the mal-
  function number for all weapons by one level.
  Fighting in the rain and mud takes a greater toll
  on the human body. Increase the fatigue earned
  in combat by one.
  A Vietnamese Bunker
  
  After the lesson, the patrol takes a brief rest and
  then heads back to the fire base. When the players
  return, all they have to show for their efforts is
  fatigue loss, a few frayed nerves, and a piece
  of metal.
  A Bad Day 
  on Patrol
  After the players return from their first patrol, the
  mood on the base is still tense. The VC or the ammu-
  nition dump has not been found. Fortunately, neither
  the players nor the rest for the platoon were killed or
  wounded. Captain Muncie decides to send two
  patrols out a day, one in the morning and another in
  the afternoon. Each patrol is about a squad in size
  and continues to look southwest of route 6 to find the
  enemy ammunition dump or VC camp. The players
  will have another patrol in three days.
  What the VC 
  Are Doing
  The Viet Cong would like Fire Base 23 to go
  away. The U.S. surveillance of the Ho Chi Minh trail
  has made smuggling artillery pieces and heavy
  equipment impossible, curtailing reinforcing the
  struggle farther south. An assault on the Plei Me
  FUNNY NEW GUYS
  47
  
  Special Forces base would be a disaster, so Fire Base
  23 is the next target of opportunity.
  To accomplish this task, the VC have been smug-
  gling rockets, RPGs, and mortars within firing dis-
  tance of the base. Each night, they shell the base hop-
  ing to draw out the Americans. The tactic has not
  worked, so they are setting more booby traps and
  placing heavier artillery within striking range. They
  want to slowly lay siege to the base until the
  Americans blunder into a trap or abandon the loca-
  tion.
  So far only a company of Viet Cong are engaging
  in this activity, but as more equipment and firepower
  arrive, so do more troops.
  A Meeting
  Engagement
  The players blunder into a battle with Viet Cong
  engineers and artillerists setting up a Soviet cannon
  outside the base. The characters’ patrol will have
  been complicated by rain, which inhibits “Fluffy’s”
  heightened senses.
  The battle will quickly draw the other Viet Cong
  in the area and force the captain to send in another
  platoon. When everything is over, the Viet Cong
  sneak back across the Cambodian border and the
  potential siege of the fire base is stopped.
  The Firefight
  Lieutenant Henderson and the first squad go out
  on patrol. As new members of the first squad, the
  players are along for the adventure. They slowly
  make their way out into the jungle, passing route 6.
  When they are farther along, anyone with a critical
  success on their perception roll will notice footprints
  in the mud and tracks that resemble a wagon.
  Henderson stops the patrol, tells the troops to spread
  out, and move forward slowly in a skirmish line.
  FUNNY NEW GUYS
  48
  There is no such thing as a typical Viet Cong
  trooper. However, a GM looking to save time
  can use the following template to generate VC
  troops for battle. These three “generic” types of
  Viet Cong encompass most necessary player
  encounters.
  Troopers
  The basic soldiers of the Viet Cong. They
  can be hardened guerilla fighters or conscripts
  thrown into the fray.
  Attributes: ST 10-12, DX 10-13, IQ 10-12, HT
  11-14.
  Advantages: Fit.
  Disadvantages:
  Duty: Military Service
  (Employer, 14 or less).
  Skills: Guns: Light Assault Rifle (P/E), First-
  Aid (M/E), Survival: Jungle (M/A), Spear:
  Bayonet on Rifle (P/A).
  Officers
  Though the leadership of the Viet Cong
  ranges from poor to excellent, all officers are
  committed to the expulsion of American forces
  from Vietnam.
  Attributes: ST 11-13, DX 10-13, IQ 10-12, HT
  11-14.
  Advantages: Fit, Charisma +2.
  Disadvantages:
  Duty: Military Service
  (Employer 14 or less).
  Skills: Guns: Light Assault Rifle (P/E), Guns:
  Pistol (P/E), First-Aid (M/E), Survival:
  Jungle (M/A), Spear: Bayonet on Rifle
  (P/A), Tactics (Specialty: Guerrilla) (M/H).
  Commissars
  Any unit company-size or larger will have a
  Commissar. They are the secret police and
  political education officers of the Viet Cong.
  They are the ones that make sure each solider
  and officer in the field knows and obeys the
  “party line.” They are highly loyal and fanati-
  cal about their mission.
  Attributes: ST 11-13, DX 10-13, IQ 10-12, HT
  11-14.
  Advantages: Fit, Voice.
  Disadvantages:
  Duty: Military Service
  (Employer 14 or less), Fanatic: Communist.
  Skills: Bard (M/A), Guns: Light Assault Rifle
  (P/E), Guns: Pistol (P/E), First-Aid (M/E) ,
  Leadership (M/A), Survival: Jungle (M/A),
  Spear: Bayonet on Rifle (P/A), Trivia:
  Communist Dogma (M/A).
  TYPICAL VC FORCES
  
  A few more meters down the trail, the PCs hear
  shots fired and race to the sound. Another member of
  the squad is blasting away with his M-16 into a group
  of shadows farther out in the jungle and red tracer
  bullets are racing past him. They have found the
  enemy and the enemy was expecting company.
  The players are in a firefight with approximately
  20 Viet Cong troops armed with rifles, grenades, and
  machine guns. As the battle continues, five more Viet
  Cong jump into the battle trying to flank the desper-
  ate players. The lieutenant calls for help from the
  base. The captain tells him to hold his position – help
  is on its way.
  Incoming artillery whistles in over the rain and the
  explosions cause the Viet Cong to halt their offen-
  sive. Henderson orders a grenadier in the squad to
  shell the area of greatest enemy fire and then lay
  smoke to obscure their position. The grenade and
  smoke just make the Viet Cong more determined as
  the fighting picks up in intensity.
  Players see their first Viet Cong soldiers up close
  when three of them burst through the smoke. As the
  players try to beat off the attack, the lieutenant uses
  his pistol to take down some of the Viet Cong. Some
  of the players’ fellow squad members are wounded
  and the situation begins to appear very bad.
  Dust-Off and Rescue
  As the players struggle for their lives more gunfire
  is heard, but instead of coming from the enemy it is
  raining down from above. Muncie and the entire sec-
  ond platoon are riding on Persian rugs to save the
  day. Everyone riding a carpet enjoyed the protection
  of the missile shield spell, so they fire away without
  fear of injury as long as they stay on the carpet.
  As the carpets circle, laying down a curtain of lead
  for the first squad, the Viet Cong begin to break.
  Seeing the situation turning in his favor, Henderson
  shouts, “Follow me!” and begins an advance toward
  the enemy. Traveling 20 more yards, the squad dis-
  covers a Soviet-made howitzer, a few crates of
  ammunition, plenty of RPGs, and enemy dead.
  Aftermath
  Once the shooting quiets down, Muncie lands his
  rug and attempts to survey the situation. The first
  squad, third platoon has killed 12 of the enemy, cap-
  tured an enemy artillery piece, and stocks of ammu-
  nition. One solider is killed and three others are
  wounded, including Henderson with a bullet gash
  across his face. The Captain orders the wounded
  quickly evacuated to the base and other carpets to fly
  low above the forest and try to find the retreating
  Viet Cong.
  FUNNY NEW GUYS
  49
  Typical Allied Gear
  The allies in Vietnam had the best equip-
  ment money could buy. The allies had so much
  equipment that their soldiers often left most of
  it at the fire base while on patrol.
  Allies usually just took harnesses made of
  canvas and nylon to carry ammunition, equip-
  ment, and water. Uniforms were olive drab or
  tiger stripe combat utilities with “boonie hats”
  which resembled floppy fishing hats that pro-
  vided protection from the sun. All soldiers in
  the field were issued an M-16 rifle, while offi-
  cers packed the Colt .45 pistol. Troops in a sup-
  port role were often issued a grenade launcher
  or machine gun to carry instead of their rifle.
  The steel helmet and the flak jacket fell out
  of vogue among troops in Vietnam. In the hot,
  humid weather, the flak jacket (p B211) usual-
  ly gave troops an extra level of encumbrance
  and increased the effective temperature by an
  extra 10 degrees. This meant troops, when
  patrolling through the jungle, did not wear flak
  jackets. Likewise, the steel helmet was hot, and
  troops tended to shun its use in the field – but
  not with the same frequency as the flak jacket.
  Typical VC Gear
  The Communist Chinese or the Soviet
  Union supplied most of the Viet Cong’s gear.
  Anything else was scavenged from the battle-
  field or stolen from the enemy. A typical Viet
  Cong trooper wore black “pajamas,” which
  were comfortable in the jungle and provided
  protection from the elements. Instead of har-
  nesses to carry equipment, the Viet Cong relied
  on bandoleers to transport ammunition and
  food.
  Troops carried the AK-47 assault rifle.
  Officers used the tokarev pistol. Poorly
  equipped units would often have leftover
  French assault weapons and equipment. All
  Viet Cong carried rice and water to consume
  while on the trail. For longer patrols, the troops
  relied on canvas backpacks to transport per-
  sonal effects, clothing, and bedrolls.
  
  Henderson is suffering from a bad case of post-
  combat shakes and has vomited on himself. The
  Captain orders him back to the base for medical care
  and turns to the players.
  “Well men,” he says, “Looks like you found
  the enemy.”
  “Yes sir,” says the squad sergeant covered in mud
  and leaves.
  “I’m sure your buddies back at the base will be
  glad to know they will sleep better tonight. Good
  work. Now take a rest and let second platoon finish
  the job.”
  Once the wounded are evacuated, the players fly
  by rug back to the fire base. They learn about the fate
  of their wounded squad members and describe their
  experiences to the others. They should be dirty,
  exhausted, and glad to be alive. Too bad they have 50
  more weeks before they get a chance to return home.
  They are no longer Funny New Guys, now they are
  bloodied troops of the "Fighting Foxes.”
  FUNNY NEW GUYS
  50
  Bibliography
  Post-Combat Issues
  In the aftermath of the battle, several
  things will happen. All the soldiers
  wounded will receive the Purple Heart. A
  Purple Heart grants a +1 reaction bonus
  from other troops. The cost of this advan-
  tage can be paid for by experience, or a
  disadvantage related to the injury. A chop-
  per flies the seriously wounded back to the
  Pleiku air base for further treatment. The
  dead are sent to Saigon for preparation and
  the trip back home.
  Henderson will receive the Bronze Star
  for his actions in the Jungle and the squad
  leader will receive a commendation
  medal. The players will have to pack the
  gear of the troops sent home by injury or
  death. The players will also have to cope
  with the missing members of the squad.
  They are no longer Funny New Guys
  because they have combat experience.
  Now they will have to help the next batch
  of soldiers as they journey to Fire Base 23
  and become replacement troops in the
  “Fighting Foxes.”
  Many books, movies, and television shows can
  provide inspiration for GMs and players who want to
  simulate the Vietnam experience:
  Books
  Dunstan, Simon. Vietnam Choppers: Helicopters in
  Battle 1950 – 1975 (Osprey Publishing, 2003). A great
  source of background material with everything you
  ever wanted to know about helicopters. People looking
  for real world performance characteristics for GURPS
  Vehicles will like this volume. Also included are stories
  about the personalities who flew in Vietnam.
  Karnow, Stanley. Vietnam: A History, (Penguin,
  1984). With a clear and objective eye, Karnow traces
  the roots of the conflict in Vietnam back to the middle
  ages. He illustrates both the successes and the failures
  of the American war effort and provides detailed
  accounts of what leaders in Washington and Hanoi
  attempted to accomplish. Required reading for anyone
  that wants to know more about this period of history.
  Moore, Harold G., and Joseph L. Galloway. We
  Were Soliders Once . . . and Young, (Random House,
  1992). Galloway and Moore recall the first major
  clash between American Air Cavalry and the North
  Vietnamese Army in 1965. With keen attention to
  detail and harrowing examples, the authors give the
  reader a “you were there” experience.
  Parish, John A. Twelve, Twenty and Five, (Bantam
  Books Inc., 1989). A lesser-known memoir about the
  war from the perspective of a doctor drafted into the
  Army to become a combat surgeon. Parish describes
  his training, life on a medical fire base, and interac-
  tions with the local villagers. He writes candidly
  about the stresses combat doctors face and the sol-
  diers they care for.
  Movies
  Apocalypse Now, D: Francis Ford Coppola,
  (1979). Required viewing for anyone running a dark
  campaign. The movie follows Martin Sheen as he
  
  FUNNY NEW GUYS
  51
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  travels up a river to find and kill a renegade Special
  Forces Colonel (Marlon Brando). Along the way,
  Sheen’s character encounters everything wrong and
  perverse about the war in Vietnam from widespread
  drug use to the indiscriminate killing of civilians.
  The Boys in Company C, D: Sidney J. Furie
  (1978). While many people wanted to forget the war
  in Vietnam, this film was an unpleasant reminder
  about what it was like to get drafted and sent to fight.
  The film follows one draftee from Marine Corps
  basic training at Paris Island to the jungles. Along the
  way we learn about the marines’ relationships with
  each other and the South Vietnamese.
  Hamburger Hill, D: John Irvin, (1987). The film
  covers the capture of Ap Bia Mountain. The film is
  violent and unforgiving in its depiction of the battle
  and its impact on the 101st Airborne Division. The
  story also highlights the racial conflicts between the
  soldiers, the influence of the anti-war movement on
  troops, and the tactical errors made by commanders.
  Platoon, D: Oliver Stone, (1986). Those looking
  for a more realistic portrayal of the fighting in Vietnam
  should watch this Oscar-winner about a solider
  attempting to survive near the Cambodian border. The
  depictions of the more mundane aspects of being a
  grunt and the detailed relationships of the sergeants
  who run the platoon make this a great movie.
  Television
  China Beach, ABC (1988 to 1991). Starring Dana
  Delany, the series depicts life at a military hospital in
  Vietnam. Focusing on the lives of the nurses, Red
  Cross volunteers, and other woman around the base,
  the series attempted to be both realistic and a night
  time soap opera. The results are mixed, but Delany’s
  portrayal as an army nurse should be used as an
  archetype in any campaign.
  Tour of Duty, CBS (1987 to 1990). Following one
  unit of soldiers from 1967 to 1970, the series touch-
  es many themes and events of the war. Unfortunately,
  the series tended to gloss over many complicated
  issues faced by the soldiers because they could not be
  accurately depicted on television.
  Games
  Recon and Advanced Recon (1982, 1983, 1986).
  First published by Role Playing Games, Inc. and then
  Palladium Books, Recon offered a fictionalized
  account of the fighting in Indo-China. Each book
  brims with detail and numerous adventure ideas.
  
SOURCE: textdata/thevault/GURPS [multi]/Adventure/GURPS 3e - Adventure - Technomancer - Funny New Guys.pdf