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.