More GURPS Special Ops material
Jane’s recently published a good article detailing the Ukrainian Special Forces. While it will take a bit to fully digest it and develop some good templates, at first blush it sounds like you should be able to just simply take the US Army Ranger template and adjust the languages a bit.
I will admit that I definitely want to stat up some more vehicles – in this case, the Ukrainian Army’s Kamrat C-130, which you can find out more at this link.
The Oshkosh M-ATV is a Mine-Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) vehicle developed by the Oshkosh Corporation for the MRAP All Terrain Vehicle (M-ATV) program. Intended to replace M1114 HMMWVs (Humvee), it is designed to provide the same levels of protection as the larger and heavier previous MRAPs, but with improved mobility.
This article gives stats for the Special Forces version of the M-ATV, but it should be pretty simple to modify it for the other four versions:
Countries that use the various versions of the M-ATV:
| TL | Vehicle | ST/HP | Hnd/SR | HT | Move | LWt. | Load | SM | Occ. | DR | Range | Cost | Loc. | Notes |
| 8 | Oshkosh M-ATV Special Forces | 115 | 0/5 | 11 | 3/33 | 16.3 | 5 | +3 | 2+3 | 65/110/45 | 320 | $470,000 | G1W | [1,2,3,4] |
Notes:
[1] Improved brakes (HT229)
[2] Run-flat tires (HT229)
[3] Fire-Suppression System (HT229)
[4] Central Tire Inflation System (CTIS) (HT229)
Equipment:
The M-ATV has an enclosed five-seat crew compartment, with the 2nd row center seat converting to a gunner stand. A hatch in the roof gives access to a rotating pintle mount (takes one second to change facing). The pintle can carry either an M240 (HT133) with XX 200-round belts, an M2HB HMG (HT133) with 10 225-round belts, Saco MK19 Mod 3 grenade launcher (HT143) with six 32-round belts, or a Hughes M220 TOW missile launcher (see Hughes BGM-71A TOW, HT152), with six additional missiles stowed in the back. (Note: ammo loads are best-guess).
Alternatively, the pintle mount can be replaced by a Common Remotely Operated Weapon Station (CROWS). The CROWS mount has a 27x zoom camera (TL8 variable power scope, up to +4 Acc), 2x zoom thermal imaging site (TL8, +2 Acc), and can mount either the M2HB HMG, M240B, M249 (see FN MINIMI, HT136), Mk19 grenade launcher, or FGM-48A Javelin (HT153).
The majority of the vehicle is protected by DR 65 armor, while the underside of the vehicle is protected by DR 110. The rear of the Special Forces vehicle is a large cargo area (DR 45). In the Assault version, it has fold-up seating for up to 11 crew members, as well as two rear hatches and a double roof hatch for rapid deployment (all DR 65). The Engineer version also provides space for up to 11 crew members or robots and charging equipment, and includes mounting provisions, electrical interfaces, robot tie downs and power for additional equipment, as well as optional mine roller, debris guard, and extension bracket for mine clearance operations.
Also, soldiers tend to stow various stuff in their vehicles (from tools to rations and everything in between). It would not be surprising to find various items that the occupants have scrounged and squirreled away in their vehicle.
So, as I’ve continued to dive into the 4E system after sticking with 3E for so long, I’ve been really torn about whether or not to use Wildcard Skills for the GURPS Special Ops templates. I understand the reasoning behind them – they’re designed to simplify skill selection. However, given my attempt to make the 4E templates as realistic as possible, I really do think that they OVER-simplify things, and honestly, don’t give me what I’m looking for with skill selection and levels.
Given that, I think I’m going to pull out the Wildcard Skills from all 4E templates, and add in the appropriate skills at the appropriate levels. I may not immediately revise the 4E Navy SEAL template, but look for a revised version in the near future.
What do you think? Is this the right call? Let me know!
The character templates in GURPS Special Ops discuss the opportunity to learn foreign languages as an optional skill. But how does one know what options there are? While you could give a character any foreign language as part of their backstory/upbringing, how does one know what languages are available to be trained by the military? This post should help answer that question for the U.S. armed forces.
(This section taken from TALKING THE TALK: LANGUAGE CAPABILITIES FOR U.S. ARMY SPECIAL FORCES by Tim Ball).
The founding and history of Army Special Forces are well known. Following the end of World War II, the Office of Strategic Services was disbanded. Some of its members would go on to form the nucleus of the CIA, while others would remain in uniform and advocate for the development of similar capabilities within the Army. In 1952, 10th Special Forces Group (Airborne) was activated under the command of Col. Aaron Bank. Bank served in World War II as a member of a Jedburgh team. The Jedburgh teams consisted of three members: a commander, an executive officer, and a radio operator. The intent of the teams was to drop behind enemy lines, link up with resistance forces, and conduct sabotage operations in support of Allied conventional forces.
Because of the nature of the Jedburgh mission, a language requirement was identified for selection of its members. For teams dropping into occupied France, members were chosen from American, British, and French forces, with at least one French officer on every team. The recruitment and screening for the American and British members started with a review of personnel records for French speakers. Jedburgh teams would be behind enemy lines in France, working with French partisans and attempting to blend into the populace whenever necessary.
The Jedburgh concept was carried over to U.S. Army Special Forces after the war. Bank and other Office of Strategic Services veterans envisioned Special Forces as an enabler of partisan forces in the event of a Soviet invasion of Western Europe. The language requirement for the unit became significantly more complex with this expansion of potential areas of operation. A number of Eastern European refugees were recruited into Special Forces under the Lodge-Philbin Act, which provided the force some native speakers. Language training was included for non-native speakers as part of their training pipeline into Special Forces.
Over the next 60 years, through dozens of conflicts and several major wars, language training has remained a constant in Special Forces training. Special Forces never found itself behind Soviet lines organizing Eastern European partisans in a conflict, but it has nevertheless established itself as the premier partnership and advisory force for the U.S. military. No matter what the mission, Special Forces units were almost always working with a foreign partner force. To help focus the force and develop regional expertise, Special Forces Groups were assigned specific areas of responsibility, with languages assigned accordingly. For instance, 7th Special Forces Group (Airborne) operates primarily in Central and South America and its members are predominantly trained in Spanish. 10th Special Forces Group (Airborne) continues to operate in Europe, with its members trained in either French, German, or Russian.
Located in Monterey, California, the Defense Language Institute Foreign Language Center (DLIFLC) is a multi-service school for active and reserve components, foreign military students, and civilian personnel working in the federal government and various law enforcement agencies. DLIFLC accommodates approximately 2,500 Soldiers, Marines, Sailors and Airmen, as well as select Department of Defense and State members. To attend DLIFLC one must be a member of the Armed Forces or be sponsored by a government agency.
DLIFLC students are taught by approximately 1,900 highly educated instructors, 95 percent of whom are native speakers of the languages they teach. In addition to the languages, instructors teach culture, customs, religion, geography, and socio-economic conditions of the countries students are learning about.
To further advance student knowledge in a particular language, DLIFLC has designed an immersion program which consists of an offsite facility where students spend time in an isolated environment. The program consists of real-world exercises, from bargaining for food and clothing at a market place, to going through customs, or making hotel reservations. To enhance this experience the faculty and staff dress in traditional garb, prepare foreign cuisines, and, most importantly, only speak in the target language.
There is also an office in Washington D.C., that offers additional languages not normally taught at Monterey, such as “low-density languages” which do not require the same large volume of trained personnel. There is some overlap, however, as students from the Defense Attaché System (DAS) are given local training in languages also available at the Monterey location.
So, what languages are offered by the DLIFLC? As of 2015, a number of languages are taught at the DLIFLC:
Note: This is the current offerings. Historically, the languages offered have changed over the years – for example, Vietnamese language training was offered starting with the US involvement in that country (around 1965) until 2004. Some of the Middle Eastern languages are recent additions since the start of the War on Terror in 2001.
Foreign Language (4 points): Add Language (Accented). Also add Area Knowledge (country of language) (IQ/E) IQ [1]-12.
Howdy everyone! Just a quick post to see what everyone would be interested in seeing next. Do you want to see one of my templates updated to 4E, or maybe one of the templates from GURPS Special Ops 3E updated?
Let me know in the comments down below! Thanks!
Welcome to a different post for this site. While not directly related to Special Operations, someone reached out to me for assistance in writing up a modern Seabee template for 4E. It’s pretty much done, so I wanted to go ahead and share it – especially since this site has been pretty quiet. I hope you get some use out of it!
Seabees (a heterography of the first letters “CB” from the words Construction Battalion) provide responsive military construction support to Navy, Marine Corps and other forces in military operations, construct base facilities and conduct defensive operations. In addition to standard wood, steel, masonry and concrete construction, Seabees also perform specialized construction such as water well drilling and battle damage repair. They are able to work and defend themselves at construction sites, outside of their base camp, and convoy through unsecured areas. In times of emergency or natural disasters, Seabees often provide first response to conduct disaster control and recovery operations. The Seabee Community is comprised of 7 ratings – Builder (BU), Construction Electrician (CE), Construction Mechanic (CM), Engineering Aide (EA), Equipment Operator (EO), Steelworker (SW) and Utilitiesman (UT).
Combat skills performed include: Embarkation via airlift/sealift; Chemical, Biological, and Radiological (CBR) response including individual and unit protection and decontamination; coordinating disaster recovery teams (DRT), Pier Damage Repair (PDR) and Airfield Damage Repair (ADR) teams; performing camp security (e.g. guard duty, obstacle construction, observation posts and patrols for squad/platoon sized elements, convoys with various numbers of troops and Civil Engineering Support Equipment (CESE), and communications set up). Individuals obtain small arms qualifications, advanced first aid training and crew served weapons qualifications.
Most Seabees are assigned to Naval Construction Battalions. However, some receive assignment to special teams, listed below. These teams require additional skills beyond their normal duties, and so the members of those teams have additional skills as listed under Unit of Assignments in the Skills section of the template.
Attributes: ST 11 [10]; DX 11 [20]; IQ 11 [20]; HT 11 [10].
Secondary Characteristics: Damage 1d-1/1d+1; BL 24 lbs.; HP 11 [0]; Will 11 [0]; Per 11 [0]; FP 11 [0]; Basic Speed 6.25 [0]; Basic Move 6 [0].
Advantages: Fit [5]; Naval Training [1]; and 20 points chosen from additional ST or HT, Desirable Advantages (pp. 14-15), Reputation (Decorations), Military Rank (GURPS SEALS in Vietnam, pp. 14), Patrons (pp. B72-74), Unit of Assignment, or Talents.
Disadvantages: Duty (U.S. Military/Navy, 12 or less) [-10]; and -20 points chosen from Desirable Disadvantages (p. 15-16). Note: Color Blindness is an allowable disadvantage for the following ratings: Builder, Construction Mechanic, Engineering Aid, Steelworker, and Utilitiesman.
Skills: Architecture (A) IQ-1 [1]-10; Camouflage (E) IQ [1]-11; Carpentry (E) IQ [1]-11; Climbing (A) DX-1 [1]-10; Computer Operation (E) IQ [1]-11; Driving/TL8 (Auto) (A) DX [2]-11; Driving/TL8 (Automobile) (A) DX [2]-11; Driving/TL8 (Heavy Wheeled) (A) DX [2]-11; Electronics Operation (Comm) (A) IQ [2]-11; Engineer (Combat) (H) IQ+1 [8]-12; First Aid/TL8 (E) IQ [1]-11; Gunner/TL8 (Machine Gun) (E) DX [1]-11; Guns/TL8 (Grenade Launcher) (E) DX [1]-11; Guns/TL8 (LMG) (E) DX [1]-11; Guns/TL8 (Pistol) (E) DX+1 [2]-12; Guns/TL7 (Rifle) (E) DX+1 [2]-12; Guns/TL8 (Shotgun) (E) DX [1]-11; Hazardous Materials/TL8 (Chemical) (A) IQ-1 [1]-10; Hiking (A) HT-1 [1]-10; Knot-Tying (E) DX [1]-11; Masonry (E) IQ [1]-11; Navigation/TL8 (Land) (A) IQ+1 [2]-12; NBC Suit/TL8 (A) DX-1 [1]-10; Professional Skill (Construction) (A) IQ [2]-11; Running (A) HT-1 [1]-10; Scrounging (E) Per [1]-11; Soldier/TL8 (A) IQ-1 [1]-10; Swimming (E) HT [1]-11; Tactics (H) IQ-1 [2]-10; Throwing (A) DX-1 [1]-10. (101 pts so far)
MOS Skills: Choose an MOS (called a rate or rating in the Navy) and a unit of assignment.
1. MOS:
2. Unit of Assignment:
3. Special Training:
Professional Skill (Construction) – Covers the use of hand-held and heavy construction equipment not covered under other skills (such as carpentry). Also covers the reading of blueprints, developing estimates, etc.
Note: I will likely add another page in the near future for Civil Engineering Corps (CEC) officers, who are in charge of Seabee battalions.
The Special Operations Craft-Riverine (SOC-R) is a light aluminum-hulled craft designed for short-range insertion and extraction of special operations forces in river and near-shore environments. Operated by the US Special Operations Command Special Boat Team 22 (SBT-22) and based out of Stennis, Mississippi, these crews conduct mainly clandestine combat missions, often operating at night with little or no air support. 12 units are in service with the US Navy. The SOC-R is also used by the Royal Thai Navy (6 units) as of 2016 to replace their aging PBRs (see GURPS High-Tech, p. 241). The SOC-R was seen in the film Act of Valor.
The crew consists of helmsman and three gunners. The craft can also carry up to eight passengers. The helmsman station, gunner stations, and engines all have ballistic protection of DR 25. The SOC-R is designed to be air transportable, with one SOC-R, its tractor towing unit, associated SBT personnel and SEAL passengers and all their mission gear fitting into a single C-130 aircraft. SOC-Rs can also be transported as under slung loads by medium-lift and heavy-lift helicopters.
The craft has five gun mounts – 2 forward, 2 on each side, and one aft. Each gun mount can carry a variety of types of weapons, including:
Standard accessories include GPS receiver, IFF (Identification Friend or Foe) gear, 2 encrypted radios (25-mile range), satcom receiver, a surface search radar (32-mile range), navigation instruments (+3 Navigation), FLIR Pod mounted on radar arch (+4 Acc and Infravision). Additionally, the craft has two smoke launchers at the rear of the craft designed to cover their departure.
| TL | Vehicle | ST/HP | Hnd/SR | HT | Move | Lwt | Load | Sm | Occ. | DR |
| 8 | SOC-R | 110 | +1/3 | 12 | 10/23 | 21 | 9.2 | +5 | 4+8 | 10 |
| Range | Locations | Draft | Notes |
| 144 | Ost5X | 2 |
As discussed (long ago…), I’ve started to convert over some of the 3E templates over to 4E. Given that the Navy SEAL was not only the largest, but had a good primer from GURPS SEALs in Vietnam, I decided to give the conversion a try and see what I came up with.
First, some context. While the template provided for a late-1960s/early 1970s Navy SEAL is appropriate for that time-frame, the template did need a good updating, considering that we have been fighting in Afghanistan for almost 20 years and the Navy SEALs have had their own rate now (Special Operator – SO) for almost 15 years – since 2006. So, this has been updated to current expectations for our Silent Warriors.
U.S. Navy SEAL
231 Points
Attributes: ST 11 [10]; DX 14 [80]; IQ 14 [80]; HT 12 [20].
Secondary Characteristics: Damage 1d-1/1d+2; BL 29 lbs.; HP 12 [0]; Will 14 [0]; Per 14 [0]; FP 12 [0]; Basic Speed 6.5 [0]; Basic Move 6 [0].
Advantages: Fit [5]; Naval Training [1]; Security Clearance (“Need to know” military and operational secrets beyond normal rank clearance) [5]; and 20 points chosen from additional ST or HT, Desirable Advantages (pp. 14-15), Reputation (Decorations), Military Rank, Patrons (pp. B72-74), or Talents.
Disadvantages: Duty (U.S. Military/Navy, 15 or less; Extremely Hazardous) [-20]; and -30 points chosen from Desirable Disadvantages (p. 15-16).
Wildcard Skills: Ten-Hut! IQ-1 [12]-13
Skills: Boating/TL8 (Unpowered) (A) DX-1 [1]-13; Brawling (E) DX [1]-14; Climbing (A) DX [2]-14; Driving/TL8 (Auto) (A) DX-1 [1]-13; Driving/TL8 (Heavy Wheeled) (A) DX-1 [1]-13; Escape (H) DX-2 [1]-12; Fast-Draw/TL8 (Ammo) (E) DX [1]-14; Forced Entry (E) DX [1]-14; Gunner/TL8 (Machine Gun) (E) DX [1]-14; Gunner/TL8 (SAM) (E) DX [1]-14; Guns/TL8 (Grenade Launcher) (E) DX+1 [2]-15; Guns/TL8 (LAW) (E) DX [1]-14; Guns/TL8 (LMG) (E) DX+1 [2]-15; Guns/TL8 (Grenade Launcher) (E) DX+1 [2]-15; Guns/TL8 (Pistol) (E) DX+1 [2]-15; Guns/TL7 (Rifle) (E) DX+1 [2]-15; Guns/TL8 (Shotgun) (E) DX [1]-14; Intimidation (A) Will-1 [1]-13; Jumping (E) DX [1]-14; Knife (E) DX [1]-14; Navigation/TL8 (Land) (A) IQ [2]-14; Observation (A) Per-1 [1]-13; Scrounging (E) Per [1]-14; Soldier/TL8 (A) IQ [2]-14; Spear (A) DX-1 [1]-13; Streetwise (A) IQ-1 [1]-13, Survival (Desert) (A) Per-1 [1]-13; Survival (Island/Beach) (A) Per-1 [1]-13; Survival (Jungle) (A) Per-1 [1]-13; Survival (Woodlands) (A) Per-1 [1]-13; Swimming (E) HT+1 [2]-13; Tracking (A) IQ-1 [1]-13; Throwing (A) DX-1 [1]-13; Traps/TL8 (A) IQ-1 [1]-13.
Techniques: Immediate Action (Guns/TL8 (Rifle)) (A) [1]-12; Immediate Action (Guns/TL8 (LMG)) (A) [1]-12; Rappelling (A) [1]-14; Set Trap (H) [2]-12.
Notes: Some things to keep in mind – I traded several of the skills previously seen in both GURPS Special Ops (3rd Edition) as well as GURPS SEALs in Vietnam for the Wildcard Skill Ten-Hut! While this may not get a few of the skills to levels you may have expected, feel free to change what you need. This template is a pretty good starting point, but skill levels will vary from between the brand-new SO2 on his first deployment to the seasoned SOCS who is on his 8th deployment.
Lastly, I hope you find this useful!
Alright… radio silence is broken. Figured I’d play around with some of my weapon cards and develop some for 4E. So, here are some weapons cards that I developed. If you want to download them in *.doc format, the links are below.
Let me know what you think; and if you develop any of your own, I’d love to add them to the collection!
If you decide to go beyond just the GURPS 4E Basic Set and use the Power-Ups series of books, I’ve gone through and identified certain things that are applicable to Spec Ops templates. Some of these may lean away from the hard-core realistic and venture more into the cinematic or fantastical, but I wanted to include them as options. Each GM should decide whether or not to allow them in his/her campaign.
For the purposes of simplicity, all upcoming 4E Special Ops templates will be designed only using the Basic Set, with no built-in Perks or Talents. I will, however, try to include options for each template that are suitable to that specific template.
Armorer’s Gift (Power-Ups: Perks p. 5), Weapon Bond (Power-Ups: Perks p. 9), Eye for Distance (Power-Ups: Perks p. 13), Patience of Job (Power-Ups: Perks p. 13); Penetrating Voice† (Power-Ups: Perks p. 14), Dabbler (Power-Ups: Perks p. 16).
† Especially useful for officers and NCOs.
Any Appearance Perk (Power-Ups: Perks p. 4), Equipment Bond (Power-Ups: Perks p. 9), Accent (Power-Ups: Perks p. 12), Good with (Animal) (Power-Ups: Perks p. 13), Deep Sleeper (Power-Ups: Perks p. 13), Clothing Shtick: Looks Good in Uniform (Power-Ups: Perks p. 14), Influence Shtick: Fearsome Stare† (Power-Ups: Perks p. 15), Background Knowledge (Power-Ups: Perks p. 16), Cross-Trained (Power-Ups: Perks p. 16), Efficient (Power-Ups: Perks p. 16); Naval Training (Power-Ups: Perks p. 6), Off-Hand Training (Power-Ups: Perks p. 16).
† Especially useful for officers and NCOs.
Born Soldier (Power-Ups: Talents p. 12), or Born Tactician† (Power-Ups: Talents p. 12), or Born War-Leader† (Power-Ups: Talents p. 12); Outdoorsman (Power-Ups: Talents p. 14), Stalker (Power-Ups: Talents p. 15), Survivor (Power-Ups: Talents p. 16).
† More suited for senior NCOs and officers.
Animal Friend (Power-Ups: Talents p. 6), Born Sailor (Power-Ups: Talents p. X), Craftiness (Power-Ups: Talents p. 9), Cultural Chameleon (Power-Ups: Talents p. 9), Talker (Power-Ups: Talents p. 16), Tough Guy (Power-Ups: Talents p. 16).
GURPS Power-Ups: Quirks provides some examples and additional guidance on quirks to use – however, be cautious, those that are the same as the prohibited disadvantages should also be considered prohibited in most cases.
For a realistic to semi-realistic Special Ops campaign, I would not consider Wildcard Skills as being allowable. However, for a cinematic Special Ops campaign, consider the following Wildcard Skills as desirable/appropriate:
Assassin! (Power-Ups: Wildcard Skills p. 27), Boat! (Power-Ups: Wildcard Skills p. 28), Demolition Man! (Power-Ups: Wildcard Skills p. 29), Drive! (Power-Ups: Wildcard Skills p. 29), Fake! (Power-Ups: Wildcard Skills p. 30), Fist! (Power-Ups: Wildcard Skills p. 30), Gun! (Power-Ups: Wildcard Skills p. 30), Medic! (Power-Ups: Wildcard Skills p. 33), Pilot! (Power-Ups: Wildcard Skills p. 34), Scout! (Power-Ups: Wildcard Skills p. 35), Security! (Power-Ups: Wildcard Skills p. 35), Shooter! (Power-Ups: Wildcard Skills p. 35), Ten-Hut! (Power-Ups: Wildcard Skills p. 36), Wheel Man! (Power-Ups: Wildcard Skills p. 37).
GURPS Special Ops 