Dark War Role-Playing and Skirmish Game. How it Works.

We are still in the early testing stage with the Dark War (#darkwar) role-playing game, but I did want to give you all a feel for what’s going on. I want to make an RPG that is enjoyable for role-players and non-role-players alike. To that end I want to keep the design as tight and smooth as possible.

Characters each have five attributes. Gamers are given eight “dice” to assign to these attributes; 4 x D4, 2 x D6, 2 x 2D8. No more than two dice may be assigned per attribute. These are the dice that are rolled when that attribute is tested. Any roll of 4 or higher is a success. For example, if your character is firing an AK-47 at a distant enemy she would roll her Agility dice (Let’s assume they are 1D4 and 1D6). She rolls 3 and 5. She would score one hit and inflict damage equal to the weapon’s Stopping Power. Yes, there are other variables such as range, inherent weapon capabilities, and cover. All this firing and damaging takes place on a somewhat, but not totally, abstract 21-space grid. So, range matters, flanking matters, terrain matters, but the system won’t scare off folks with a number phobia.

Other attributes are just as important. Agility and/or Smarts affect turn order, Strength

affects melee and health, Speed impacts turn order as well as number of actions a character receives in his turn. Here’s how. Each combat round each character or NPC determines their initiative number by combining either their Agility and Speed OR Smart and Speed dice. The total number rolled determines the order (higher is better), the total number of successes determines the total number of actions you may take (minimum of one).

Players may choose up to two Perks (total) that modify the Abilities. For example, the Rifleman Perk adds 1 to every Agility die rolled when firing a rifle. The Decisive Perk adds 1 to any attempt with the Intelligence dice.

The two scenarios included in the initial game parallel the novel. Players have numerous and important choices, but the Dark War RPG isn’t a sandbox. The choices are limited by the areas available. For example, in the first scenario the players begin in a large tent in the POW compound in Aurich. In the background, they can hear the firefight initiated by Katarina’s attempt to break Mike Hudson out of the camp. The party will have the choice, which is graphically represented on a map with lines drawn to specific areas, of 1. Moving to the compound’s fence, where a simple test of mechanical intelligence might break them out of the camp, 2. Moving to a nearby toolshed, where a Charisma success will distract a Russian guard while another party member steals his weapon, or running towards the firefight (Just a lousy idea, but hey, it’s your RPG). As your party moves to each new space, fresh spaces will be revealed.

Last, but not least, are Wild Cards. These are actual cards, two per player, dealt at the beginning of the encounter. Each card is different. One may let you reroll an attack, another might enable you to automatically pass any test, yet another would heal wounds. You play the card as needed. New cards are given to the player at the discretion of the DM or as rewards for accumulating experience points.

So, that’s your summary. It’s brief, but I think it gives you a flavor for what’s in the RPG. Feel free to ask questions. Sound good? You can pledge for the RPG and novel right here, but hurry, there are only six days left. 

tank, gun, vamp, wolf. wwiii.

Mark H. Walker served 23 years in the United States Navy, most of them as an Explosive Ordnance Disposal diver. He is the owner of Flying Pig Games as well as Tiny Battle Publishing the designer of the aliens-invade-Earth game Night of Man, the Communists invade South Vietnam game, '65, publisher of Old School Tactical, and the author of Desert Moon, an exciting mecha, military science fiction novel with a twist, with plenty of damn science fiction in it despite what any candy-ass reviewer says, as well as World at War-Dark War: Revelation, a creepy, military action, with a love story, alternate history, World War Three novel thing, Everyone Dies in the End, and numerous short stories. All the books and stories are available from Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing right here. Give them a try. I mean, what the hell?