Recruitment

This game requires a distinct separation of player knowledge from character knowledge.  I don't like doing bait-and-switch games, so I'm being up-front about the fact that this is a story about an alien invasion.  However, at the beginning of the story, the player characters don't know that.  Anyone who can't make the distinction between player knowledge and character knowledge will be edited with extreme prejudice.

Having said that...

The game starts in early 2015, with real-world events and politics leading up to that time.  The PCs have recently been recruited for a joint intelligence task force, code-named Task Force 47.  TF47's mandate is to conduct counter-proliferation operations against groups that traffic in dual-use and emergent technologies capable of enabling WMD creation and use.  Its field elements are based at Incirlik Air Base, Turkey.

TF47 is a very small unit with a very wide net of back-end support, some of which goes outside conventional military and intelligence channels (through appropriate cut-outs).  There are a lot of hundred-pound heads examining the take from its operations.  However, the nature of its work means that its field personnel need to be smart and educated enough to know what to bring back and what doesn't react well to bullets.

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Spoiler text: (Highlight or hover over the text to view)
Unknown to the PCs, someone in TF47's well-obfuscated chain of command at least suspects the extraterrestrial presence on Earth.  This is a piece of player knowledge that will explain some inconsistencies that PCs may notice.

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Character Concepts

In game terms, each PC should have at least one phase in Federal Law Enforcement, Government Agent, or a military special operations career.  I will consider Army and Air Force aviators to qualify if they have character histories that place them in TF160 or a special operations squadron.

In addition, every PC has been recruited into TF47 based on not only government service record but psych profiles and outside interests.  The task force's chain of command wants field personnel who can get their heads around at least a little high-end science.  There's also some of that (spoiler) awareness which affects the recruitment process.  Accordingly, each character was asked to join up, in part, because of some appropriate factor.  These may include, but are not limited to:

• Applied for his nation's astronaut program
• Holds an advanced degree in something esoteric and potentially useful
• Used to associate with a fringe subculture (goths, gamers, New Agers, etc.)
• Is well-read in science fiction, comic books, or other genre media
• Hobbyist astronomer, rocketeer, off-road racer, steampunk maker, etc.
• Volunteered in college as a subject for questionable psychological experimentation
• Once reported a UFO sighting, close encounter, etc.

Characters do not have to be currently serving.  Those with prior service may be "retired but reactivated" or otherwise brought back into the fold if you want to re-enter service from a civilian career.  Give me a reasonable story.

The nuts and bolts...

Attributes

Allocate 36 points among your starting attributes.  This is not necessarily to enable superhuman STR values, but to ensure that EDU, CHA, and INT aren't dump stats.  TF47 needs shooters who are also thinkers.

Skills

Add Physics (EDU) to the skill list.  This skill covers the physical sciences stuff that's not handled by the existing Biology and Chemistry.  This skill is available in the Undergraduate University and Graduate University careers and as a secondary skill.

Add Damage Control (CON) to the skill list.  This skill covers the mechanical equivalents of first aid: firefighting, HAZMAT, and related emergency fixes.  Navy basic training provides 2 points of Damage Control.  It's also available as a subsequent term skill for the Civil Engineer, Paramedic, Support Arm (enlisted and officer), and Enlisted Seaman careers, and as a secondary skill (volunteer firefighter or similar experience).

Add Network (CHA) to the skill list.  This describes your character's ability to get help from contacts and allies.  This replaces the hard-wired contacts rules as described in the [Admin] Mechanical Considerations thread.

Skill points invested in any Language skill count double.  If they're placed in a Language skill that shares a language family with one of your native languages, they count triple.

To make Small Arms (Pistol) slightly more attractive, I'll allow it to be used with firearms up to Bulk 3.  This should make it compatible with most of the lower-profile/concealable SMGs.

Occupations

National Military Academy qualifies as Undergraduate University for anything requiring the latter as an entry prereq.

Federal Law Enforcement's entry prereq is reduced to undergraduate university.

Air Force basic training provides 1 point of Computer.

Check the Mechanical Considerations thread for some new phases that may be of interest/use.

Phases

There is no Twilight War phase.  Your character's number of phases (and therefore age) is at your discretion.  However, the global war on terror has been going on since late 2001.  For each of the final three phases of your character's life path (2002-2006, 2006-2010, and 2010-2014), if your character is in Federal Law Enforcement, Government Agent, or any military career, you may designate him as "deployed."  During a deployed phase that's also a "subsequent term" phase, your character receives a minimum of 4 skill points, regardless of the normal term/age-based allocation.  However, deployment is rough on the personal life, so a deployed character receives one less secondary activity per deployed phase.

Secondary Activities

With sufficient justification, I'll let darn near any skill be a secondary activity.  I also don't have a problem with any attribute being increased as a secondary activity.

Rank

The PC team's leadership slot must go to a commissioned officer, who must be rank 2 or 3 (i.e., OR-2 or OR-3 on the NATO scale).  I will consider pitches for a second officer of equal or lesser rank who is a technical specialist - intel analyst, interrogator, aviator, etc. - with other skills useful within the primary mission space.  However, the first officer on the team must have some sort of intelligence or ground combat background.

Characters without active military rank - i.e., cops and spies - will receive courtesy ranks as warrant officers when it comes to billeting, mess, and other creature comforts.  However, they will not have official standing in the military chain of command.

Equipment

TF47 is intended to operate as a deniable asset.  As such, it doesn't have a standard list of armament or equipment.  Gear is procured on a per-mission basis, usually by buying locally on the black market.

In other words - don't worry too much about kit, it'll be supplied for you as needed.  Before most ops, you'll have the chance to requisition items you think your character would need to do his job (or to leverage his skill list).

Finishing Touches

I will assign each PC bonus skill and/or attribute points based on character concept and history.

Hints

Characters really should be well-rounded.  This is a game in which social, technical, and even academic skills are as likely to save the day as a well-placed shot.  At the same time, well-placed shots will be necessary on occasion, so don't stint too much on the combat capabilities.  Note that a lot of TF47 ops go places where long guns and body armor are too overt, so this is a game in which Small Arms (Pistol), Armed Martial Arts, and Unarmed Martial Arts may see more use than normal.  I am considering damage upgrades to the appropriate weapons (and to unarmed damage) to make them not suck under this system.

I'm not a hard-ass about sticking to the established lists of background, secondary, or career skills.  If something sounds logical for your character concept, go with the concept.

Female PCs are acceptable in TF47.  Although shooting people in the face is a regular part of the team's remit, the unit isn't a "ground combat" unit in the usual sense.  Mixed-gender intelligence teams can blend into places where the West German National Men's Hockey Team and Mobile Waterboarding Clinic might look out of place.
This message was last edited by the GM at 14:40, Mon 18 Jan 2016.