Mercenary Action?

[hjmartin70]

I like the MOS list. I would leave in Artillery for sure, just include man-portable rockets and small caliber mortars. Logistics, I'm not too sure about. On the one hand, Logistics is the definition of what it takes to make a military professional. On the other, it is kind of boring. It could act as kind of a filter for leadership types. You have to have a high Cha and Logistics as one of your MOSes to be an officer?

I am thinking about campaign settings based on books.
A Final Blackout campaign. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Final_Blackout Pre-Nuc version of a PA world.
A Janissaries campaign. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Janissaries_series Mercs from 1970's Rhodesia kidnapped to an alien world to perform strange tasks for alien overlords. This one would use SWN for the Sci-Fi parts, with a different setting/history.

[hjmartin70]

Hand to Hand sticks out as being overly specialized and not really appropriate to modern military. All modern military receive a minimum of HTH training, but it's generally a tactical failure if you actually have to use it. ?

You could easily solve this by changing it to Close Quarters Battle specialist, include pistols, knives and all manner of personal mayhem inducing equipment and training.

Artillery is probably too large scale for man-to-man scale games, unless you are looking at mortars or other man-portable artillery. It makes sense in a larger military sense, but I'm not sure it fits as well as the others.

I think artillery needs to be in, at least at GM option. Focus would be on man-portable artillery. Plus, think Green Berets. The artillery spec. trains the gomers to operate whatever mortars or clapped out artillery pieces they have for their POS army.

[Dyson Logos]

Logistics can also be used to improve what equipment and support you can get. So it's definitely a keeper.

The "Close Quarters" is a much better title than Hand to Hand. It covers martial arts, the classic image of the commando who goes in and kills with knife and hands, and so on. In the modern military we don't see much of it, but it's a distinct trope for the mercenary unit.

[Bob]

Close quarters sounds much better, and it definitely fits the way you've described it.

[jblittlefield]

I've been running a similar style game using S&W:WB as a starting point for about a year or so. Basic premise is recreating small unit actions using highly-trained SpecOps teams (being a Navy Man, I used SEALs as the model). I'll post what I've come up with over the next few days as I get the chance (busy work schedule).

[Dyson Logos]

I've been running a similar style game using S&W:WB as a starting point for about a year or so. Basic premise is recreating small unit actions using highly-trained SpecOps teams (being a Navy Man, I used SEALs as the model). I'll post what I've come up with over the next few days as I get the chance (busy work schedule).

Awesome. If you are cool with sharing it here for inclusion in OSM, I'll definitely give you credit

[jblittlefield]

I've been running a similar style game using S&W:WB as a starting point for about a year or so. Basic premise is recreating small unit actions using highly-trained SpecOps teams (being a Navy Man, I used SEALs as the model). I'll post what I've come up with over the next few days as I get the chance (busy work schedule).

Awesome. If you are cool with sharing it here for inclusion in OSM, I'll definitely give you credit

No problem. I'll release it under the OGL so you can use whatever you like and ignore the rest.

[hjmartin70]

Did you need help with anything? Equipment lists and descriptions or anything?

[hjmartin70]

Wow, it sure got quiet here. I take it back, I don't want to help. If that will bring the thread back to life.

[Dyson Logos]

I'm putting stuff together for a first beta release, but also have a lot of irons in the fire. Beta release should be ready early next month (fingers crossed). Then we can start chewing on what I've written and what needs to be changed.