l

Players
The first lime you pl<1Y THE

PRICE OF FREEDOM, aU you

need to read Is the Player Briefing below and the character sheet
your gamemaster hands you. You
can start playing Immediately.
Later on, you'll want to
generate your own character and
understand the rules more fully,
When you do. read through the
Player Book thai comes with
the game.

Gamemasters
To run THE PRICE OF
FREEDOM, you w!ll have to
spend some lime leamlng the
basic rules. Follow these steps:
1. Read the PllIyer Briefing
and the character sheets, so you
know what your players have to

What's This Game

About?
In THE PRIC E OF
FREEDOM, you play an
American who chooses to resist
the Communist occupiers. You
must find the weapons and
leadership 10 resist effectively.
The invaders have absolute
nuclear supremacy; regular
military resistance Is Impossible.
The only way they can be
defeated Is to make the occupation of America so costly that
they must withdraw.
But remember: no occupied
nation has ever liberated itself
without outside help.
And we have no one to help
u,.
The fate of America Is In your
hands.

work with.

2. Read the Player Book to

learn the basic rules.
3 . Read the firsl adventure,
"The PATH of Freedom ," In the

That's it . As you play the game

more, you'U want to become
familiar with the rest of the rules
in the Game maste r Bo ok. In
addition to rules, you'll find lois
of advice on effective
gamemastering and loads of
adventure Ideas.

VIGILJ

Is T:

PBICI
FBEE:

Ga me master Book. It describes

the adventure you will run, and
tells you how 10 run il.
4. Then, invite up to six of
your friends over for ill game.
(Four, five or six players are the
preferred numbers.) Have each
read the Player Briefing (the rest
of this 4-page folder).
5. Find the pregenerated
characters (Free do m File B the second loose 4-page folder
tha t comes with the game) . Cut
the character sheets apart. and
hand one to each player. (If you
prefer, photocopy character
sheets. and cut the copies apart.)
Make sure each player reads his
over.
6. Tum to the adventu re section 2 of the Game master
Boo k. Expect to spend two to
four hours playing.

ETER

from their silos and laid on the

ground for satellite inspection. AU
military personnel will report for
demobilization."
Like hell!
There's been chaos in the
streets since then. There are, at
max, a few thousand Soviet ,~?"''' _~!iii
and plants in the U.S., and '
going to take a while for them to
ferry over any substantial number
of troops. At the moment. It's
anarchy in the streets.
According to the news, patriots
are working to dump every dllta
base they can before the Reds
show up. The Department of
Motor Vehicles Is burning files by
the trucklolld. The F.B.I. is shredding day and night. There are
more cops at 1 Polkli! Plaza
dumping files than on the streets.
Supermllrkets and stores are
doing a land-office business.
Everyone is trying to stock up on
necess!lili!s. Somli! merchants are
demanding payment In gold,
though; and everywhere, prices
are rising like a rocket.
The TV is full of Soviet
spokesmen claiming thli!rli!'s no
cause for hysteria. Thli! President
came on to ClIll for calm and
cooperation with the occupying
"The tree of liberty
au thorltlli!s.
refreshed from time t
There's a lot of looting going
blood of patriots and
on. There are people fleeing for
natural manure."
the countrySide. Occasional gun shots can be heard.
You'VIi! brought together your
closest, toughest friends - men
and women you know you can
trust with your life. You've gol to
figure OUi what to do next.

Maria Cagliari

What's the Situation?

Yesterday came the Presldent"s
announcement. He said the
obvious: the Russians' "Star
Wars" defenses make them
impregnable. They can destroy
America whenever they want.
They've demanded total
American disarmament - and
the traitor agreed! "As
Commander-in-Chief, I hereby
order American forces wherever
they may be to lay down their
arms. American military aircraft
will be grounded. The Navy will
return 10 port . All nuclear submarines will surface. All landbased missiles will be removed

Moishe Cohen

Player Briefing
How Do I Play?
1. C haracter Sheeg
look at your character sheet.
(If the gamemaster hasn't given
you one yet, gel one from him .)
In addition to your name. picture
and background Information, it

contains Information about your

skills and equipment.

on your sheet - In this case,

your skill number will be the
lowest useful value (which 15 ''1'') .
The game master knows the
rules for aU this stuff. If you want
to, you may read the rules and
learn how to modify skill
numbers yourself - but you
don't need to know this to play.

3. Attributes
Every character has five
attributes. each assigned a
number from 1 to 19. The
attributes are strength. manual
dexterity, agility, alertness, and
constitution.
Attributes are used when you
try to do something governed by
the Innate abilities 01 you r body,
rather than by a learned sklll for example, when you try to lift
a heavy ob}ect, balance on a
beam, or hear something far
away. When you try to do
something like this, you make an
attribufe roll. following the same
rules as for skill rolls.

4, Peraonal Information
At the top 01 your character
Billy Barstow

2. Skills
All the skills your character
knows are printed on the bock of
his charllcter sheet . Each skill has
a number printed next to II.
Basically, skills work like this:
when you try to use a skill. you
roll the 20-sided die that comes
with the game and compare the
number you roll with your skill
number. If the roll is Jess them or
equal 10 your skill number. you
succeed. If It's higher, you fail.
Esample: You are firing a
rifle. The number "12" Is printed
next to the skill on your sheet. If
you roll a 12 or less, you have
hit your target.
This Isn't the whole story. The
gamemaster mlly alter your skill
number before you roll, If you' re
trying to do something particularly easy or difficult. (b.ample: If
you're firing at long range, the
game master might halve your
skill number to 6 - or even
quarter It to 3.) Also, you can
use a skill even if It Isn't printed

sheet, you'll find some other 1m

portant Information. Most Is selfexplanatory, but some needs
discussion:
Physical Tag: A brief description of the most prominent
physical feature of your character
- the first thing people notice
about him.

begin to talk 10 him.

Passion: The one thing that's
most importanl to your character.
Interests: Other highly important things to your character.
You should keep aD these
things in mind and try to act and
think like your character would.
5. Hero Points
You have one "hero point" at
the beginning of the game, as the
section of your sheet labeled
"Hero Points"' Indicates. You may
gel additional points at the end
of each adven ture. If you're In a
tight spot. you can spend a hero
point to make sure you make a
critical skill or attribute roll, or to
do something normally impossible
(like lifting a truck off your buddy's legs). Be warned, though;
hero points are rare and valuable.
Spend them with care.
6. Equipment
The "Equipment" section of
your sheet describes what equipment you begin with. You'll
notice Ihat you don't have a lot
of firepolAlef. Anding some
weapons Is a good idea.
7 . Ammo Points
OccaSionally in your dealings
with the Occupation your
characters may resort to gunplay.
If they do then this box can be
used to help characters keep
track of ammo points as they expend them .
8 . Character Background
This section tells you about
your character. It describes your
past, what you did before the
Occupation, and why you're
fighting now. You'll also find
your character's passions more
fully explained he re, along with
his polillc.al and religioUS beliefs.
9. Beginning the Game
After you've read over your
sheet, the game master will tell
you what situallon your
characters face. The next move is
up to you.

Johnson Meriwether
Personality Tag: The first thing
people notice about your
character's personality when they

Freedom Fighter's
Checklist
o gun
o ammunition
o oil, ramrod, etc.
o knife
o good boots
o heavy wool clothing in dark shades
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o

rain gear
bedroll
pack
tent, tube tent, or other protection
canteen
'mess kit
two weeks rations
fishline, hooks and sinkers
needle and thread
aspirin, antibiotics, gauze, surgical tape, etc.
several changes of socks and underwear
wire clippers or basic tools
soap
razor
compass
maps
matches or flint & steel
nylons, cigarettes or other trade goods

If you've got any of these, take 'em:

Boy Scout's Handbook
Handbook of PhYSics and Chemistry
Anarchist's Cookbook
Weapons and Tactics of the Sovlet Army
Russian-English English-Russian dictionaries or phrasebooks
Books on gunsmithing, demolitions, wilderness survival
Copy of West End's Price oj Freedom and miniatures
Astronomical charts
Binoculars
Rope or twine
Small shovel or entrenching tool
Axe, hatchet or saw
Flashlight
Batteries
Transistor radio

Useful Russian Phrases

Thank you or please.
Pajaloosta.
You're welcome (literally, "it is nothing'1
Neechello.
Haiti
Preeval1
Workers of all countries, unite!
Rabocheeyeh vsyekh strohn soyedeenyatyes.
I am sorry, I do not speak Russian.
Yah eezveenyayoos no ya nee govoryoo po Ruskee.
No, I have no bibles or other religious icons.
Yah nee eemyeyoo beebleeyoo ee releegeeozn'kh eekon.
Where do I go to obtain my ration stamps?
Kooda mnyeh noytee dostats produktaveeyeh khartogkee?
Here is my internal passport.'
Eto moyo udostavyeryeneeyeh .leech nos tee.
How do I enlist my child in the Young Communist League?
Kahk mnyeh zapeesaht moyehveh rebyonkah veh
Kommooneesteechyehskooyoo Parteeyoo?
I know nothing of these things.
Ya neechyehvo nee znayoo ob ehtahm.

My name is ...
Moyo eemyah ..
My rank is .. .
Moyrohng .. .
My serial number is .. .
Moy leechniy nomehr . . .
I am not now, nor have I ever been, a member of the
Republican Party.
Ya neekogdah ne bil veh Respublekonskoy Parteeee.
Yes.
Da.
No.
Nyet.
Comrade.
Tovar'shch.
Goodbye.
Do sll,danya.

TBE

OF FaEEDOM :sl
BOLEPLAYING IN
OCCUPIED AMEBICA

CODteDIs
1. Introduction
1.1 Freedom's America
1.2 Some Propaganda
2. Basic Game Concepts.
2.1 Example of Play
2.2 Glossary
2.3 A Note
3. Character Creation
3.1 How to Generate a Character
3.2 Character Background
3.3 Imagining a Character
3.4 Tags
3.5 Passions and Interests
3.6 Background Information
3.7 Attributes
3.8 Skills
3.9 Equipment
3.10 Hero Points

Design and Development: Greg Costikyan

Research: Leonard Quam
Editing: Eric Goldberg
Graphics: Kevin Wilkins, Stephen Crane
and Diane Malz
Adventure Development: Paul Murphy
Development Assistance: Steve Gilbert,
Daniel Scott Palter and Martin Wixted
Russian: Helena Rubinstein
Liberal Dupe: Carl Skutsch
Playtesting and Acknowledgments:

Glenn Blacow, Peter Corless, William

Morris Fischbach Ill, Craig Foster, Eric
Goldberg, Guy Hall, Ken Rolston, Bill
Slavicsek and Sam Weiss
Cover Illustration: David Henderson

4. Attributes and Skills

4.1 The Differences
4.2 Using Skills and Attributes
4.3 Gaining Additional Skill Points

5. Combat
5.1 Combat Components
5.2 Combat and Gamemaster Control
5.3 Combat Sequence
5.4 Actions
5.5 Panic and Observation
5.6 Decisions
5.7 Line of Sight
5.8 Fire Combat
5.9 Grenade Combat
5.10 Melee Combat

5.11 Damage

8.2 The Guerrilla's Strategy

8.3 Support of the Masses

8.4 Why We'll Win

8.5 How to Be a Guerrilla

Weapons List
Equipment Chart
Map of Occupied America
Bibliography
A Note to Liberal Readers

5.12 Movement
5.~3 Skill Use

This game contains: two 11" by 17" full-color game-maps; one sheet of 100

V2" game counters; one loose booklet of 16 pages; one 32-page Player Book;
one 64-page Gamemaster Book; one 20-sided die; one counter tray with lockon lid; and game box.
If any components are damaged or missing, write to us and we'll replace
them.
If you have any questions about the rules to the game, write to us and we'll
answer them. Write "Price of Freedom Game Questions" on your envelope.
Please print or type your questions, and ask them so we can respond "yes,"
"no" or with short answers. Enclose a stamped, self-addressed envelope for
our reply.

PRICE OF FREEDOM

6. Hero Points
7. Know Your Enemy
7.1 The Soviet System
7.2 Three Legs of Terror
7.3 The Military
7.4 Traitors
8. Waging Guerrilla War
8.1 Why Guerrilla War?

PLAYER BOOK

Copyright 1986 by West End Games,

Inc. THE PRICE OF FREEDOM is West
End's name for its game of resistance to
Soviet occupation; trademark applied for.
This is a work of fiction. All the
characters and events portrayed in this
game are fictional. Any resemblance to
real persons or events is purely
coincidental.
ISBN # 0-87431-053-9
Printed in the United States of America.
WEST END GAMES, INC.
251 West 30th Street
New York, NY 10001

Introduction IIIHTpo,IJ;YKU;ID1
Nullus Tiber homo eapiatur, vel imprisonetur,
aut dissaisiatur, aut utlagetur, aut exuletur, aut
aliquo modo destruator, nee super eum ibimus,
nee super eum mittemus, nisi per legale
judicium parium suorum vel per legem terrae.
[No free man shall be taken or imprisoned
or dispossessed, or outlawed or exiled, or in any
way destroyed, nor will we go upon him, nor
will we send against him except by the lawful
judgement of his peers or by the law of the
land.]
- Magna Carta

In the near-future world of THE PRICE OF

FREEDOM, the Soviet Union and its client
states have achieved nuclear supremacy and
use it to 'conquer the world. America is now
nominally ruled by a qUisling President, but in
fact by the Communist occupiers.
As the game begins, Communist troops Soviet, Cuban, Nicaraguan, Vietnamese, East
German, Czechoslovakian - are landing all
over the United States and Canada. You have
only hours or days before they take up positions in your city.
As the game progresses, life will change as
Soviet control becomes firmer. If you wish to
remain alive and free, you must learn how to
cope with these changes.

(1.1) Freedom's America

The imaginary land in which THE PRICE
OF FREEDOM is set is much like modern-day
America.1 Geographically, it is the same. Your
home town looks like your home town; the
buildings are located in the same places, the
streets are the same.
The same technology is prevalent, the same
computers and weapons exist, the same car
models can be found. At least initially, the
culture is the same; FREEDOM's America has
rock stars, fast food, television, cold beer, wellstocked supermarkets, and a passion for fast
cars.

The World Cannot Live

Half Slave and Half Free.

That will change.

As the game progresses, life in America will
become increasingly grim as humorless
totalitarians seek to remake American society
in their own mold. As the campaign in which
you play continues, its America will diverge
more and more from ours. Your character will
adapt to those changes or die.

(1.2) Some Propaganda

The Soviet Onion is the very embodiment of
tyranny. It denies the most fundamentalliberties to its own citizens, treats them as resources
to be used, abused and disposed for the benefit
of the state. The corpses of hundreds of
thousands of Soviet citizens lie under the tundra of Siberia, worked and starved to death
because they thought or spoke unWisely. Dissent is classified as neurosis, and treated by the
most severe of psychiatric methods - including
electroshock therapy. Only one voice is allowed,
the voice of the Party, disseminated through its
organs the press, radio and television. Some
claim there is a moral distinction between Communist Russia and Nazi Germany; there is not.
One murdered millions for racial reasons; one
murdered millions for economic reasons; but
murder is murder.

Throughout its existence, America has stood

for liberty and the rights of man. The struggle
between America and Russia is not one between two superpowers of more or less equal
moral weight, but between freedom and slavery;
between light and darkness; yes, between good
and evil. There can be no real peace until one
triumphs, or the other. The world cannot live
half slave and half free.
A totalitarian state is monomaniacal in the
pursuit of its goals. It builds its military, probes
for weakness, bides its time until it may triumph.
Democracies have short memories. The call
to Vigilance is repeated, again and again, to
decreasing effect; people become inured to the
struggle. Budgets are cut; the military becomes
complacent and incompetent; academics and
intellectuals belittle the threat. Society becomes
fat and happy, unmindful or forgetful that its
wealth and liberty is enviously coveted and
religiously hated by an enemy whose enmity
never wavers.
America has been betrayed by traitors in its
very midst - stabbed in the back by
pusillanimous cowards, delivered into the hands
of its foes.
In thiS, its darkest hour, America needs
heroes - men and women who, without
recompense, motivated only by the noblest of
emotions, will rise and take up the struggle
against the Soviets.
Already, their troops are landing. Soon will
come the internal passports, summary executions, psychological torture, death camps, mass
starvation, all the humiliation, torture and agony
that comes with being the subject nation of
Communists.
Are you ready to pay THE PRICE OF
FREEDOM?

'Canada is being occupied at Virtually the same time, and Canadian players are free to play characters in their home towns, too.
In the United Kingdom, Militant Tendency has parlayed a majority in Parliament into what is, effectively, a dictatorship. The Resistance is numerically large, is diVided along nationalist
Scots, Plaid Cymru, the IRA, Ulster Loyalists, and the Home Counties' Free Albion Brigade (largely led by rock stars) - and doesn't work together well at all. The Soviets
lines
have sent in two Spetsnaz brigades in a ''show of Socialist solidarity with our loyal allies of the Great Patriotic War."
Elsewhere, the Red Army is overrunning continental Europe, the South American, African and Middle Eastern countries are largely pro Soviet, while the two Chinas, Japan, and
the rest of the Pacific Basin have been left alone.
Though PRICE is, by design, a North American game, an imaginative gamemaster can set a campaign Virtually anywhere in the world.

PLAYER BOOK

PRICE OF FREEDOM

Basic GalDe OcHOBHOU

Concepts
M,IJ;eH
To attain all this, however, rivers of blood
must yet flow, and years of desolation pass
over: yet the object is worth rivers of blood, and
years of desolation.
Thomas Jefferson

(2.1) Example of Play

To give you an idea of what happens during
an adventure, here's what you might hear if you
were sitting in a room where a PRICE OF
FREEDOM game were being played.
Background: Greg is the gamemaster (GM)
seated at the head of the table. Ken, Eric and
Holly are playing Resistance fighters.
The Story So Far: The player characters have
made their way, under cover of darkness,
through the swamps south of Queens to the
fringe of Jack Reed International airport
(formerly JFK). They're lying in mud. The
temperature is about 40 Fahrenheit. Aircraft are
landing on the nearest strip at the rate of
approximately one every ten minutes. Guards
with dogs patrol the field; searchlights play
across it. The characters have a radio-controlled
aircraft model capable of lifting about five
pounds. They also have five pounds of
plastique.
Ken: I get out the gasoline and tank the RIC
model up.
Greg: No problem.
Ken: Next for the plastique and the primer.
Greg: Okay, it fits in the compartment like you
planned. (Rolls dice.) The primer is set.
Ken: And the impact fuze ...
Greg: (Rolls dice.) You manage not to set it off.
Looks good. By the way, a jeep's headlamps
are coming this way.
Holly: Uh oh.
Ken: Any place reasonably flat near here?
Greg: There's a patch of dirt about ten feet off
that looks like it would suffice. The jeep stops
about a hundred feet away. An officer gets
out; there's another manning a machinegun
mounted in the jeep. He cups his hands and
shouts, "Yuri!" You can see his breath in the
glare from a searchlight.
Holly: Perfect profile shot. Using the deer rifle,
I shoot the gunner, then the officer.

PRICE OF FREEDOM

Greg: (Rolls dice.) You get the gunner; he flips

backward with a hole in his forehead. The

officer drops; you can't tell if you hit him or
he dove for cover.
Ken: Damn it, what are you doing? Gunfire will
alert ...
Holly: You can't launch the RIC with those
.
guys out there.
Greg: You hear shouts from the airport. Eric,
there's a plane coming in.
Erie: Civilian or military?
Greg: No flank Windows, it's too dark to see
markings.'
.
Eric: That's our baby.
Ken: Oh, Jesus. I crawl out with the RIC.
Greg: There are pistol shots from under the
jeep (rolls dice). They miss.
Ken: I place the model plane on the dirt patch.
Ignition.
Greg: It sputters to life.
Eric: Okay, okay, but we've gotta make that guy
keep his head down until the RIC is in the air.
Ken: I run for cover, and get the remote
controller.
Greg: More pistol fire (rolls dice). You're hit in
the leg and make it to cover.
Ken: Hell. I get the controller, and set the
model plane moving.
Greg: It jitters across the ground; it's airborne.
There are more jeeps heading your way. The
plane is coming in for a landing.
Ken: I steer the model for the plane! Are we
close enough?
Greg: Looks like it, if you keep it on course.
Erie: How bad's the wound?
Greg: The wound is clean, but he's not gOing
to be able to walk.
Erie: I get out the first aid kit and bandage it.
Greg: Better work fast, the plane is landing ...

Mrpa

it's coming in ... (rolls dice). It hits! The

plastique explodes! A chunk of the underbelly
is ripped open. It's diving. It noses into the
ground, flips over, there's a tremendous
explosion.
Holly: Okay. Mission accomplished. I grab
Ken's right arm; Eric, grab the other.
Greg: All hell is breaking loose; in the distance
you can see people running around, engines
starting up ...
Eric: I don't think we're going to make it. It's
a long way to Sheepshead Bay ...
Ken: You've got to leave me.
HoDy: No, we ...
Ken: There's no other way.
Eric: Forget it ...
Ken: You can't drag me from here to Brooklyn!
Give me the SMG, and get out of here.
Holly: He's right. We give him the SMG and
start running like crazy into the swamp.
Greg: There's another jeep coming this way.
They've got a searchlight, and are spraying
the ground indiscriminately with machinegun
fire.
Ken: Okay. I get up and run forward, firing.
Greg: Well, you hobble forward, firing. Bullets
stitch the side of the jeep, the gunner turns
toward you.
Ken: Remember the Alamo!
Greg: (Chuckles.) Right. You gets the driver
before the machinegun cuts you down ...

Remember the Alamo!

PLAYER BOOK

(2.2) Glossary

(2.3) A Note

Novices may not be familiar with certain

terms peculiar to roleplaying games. Some of
these are:
Character: A character is an imaginary person living in the world of the game.
Player Character (PC): A player character
is one whose actions are controlled by a player.
Non-Player Character (NPC): A non
player character is one whose actions are controlled by the game master. These are the antagonists, patrons and innocent bystanders encountered by the characters dUring the game.
Gamemaster (GM): The gamemaster
develops adventures for his players, takes the
roles of non-player characters, and referees and
interprets the rules of the game.
Character sheet: At the beginning of play,
each player is issued a character sheet. On this
sheet he records the essential information about
his character - background, skills, equipment,
and so on. (See Freedom File C.)
Adventure:"An adventure is a sequence of
episodes experienced by the player characters
as they struggle for survival. An adventure may
be completed in one or several sessions of play.
Until it has been brought to a satisfactory (or
unfortunate) conclusion, the adventure is not
over.
Session: A session is a gathering of gamemaster and players for an adventure. The session varies in length, depending on the tastes
of the players, but is usually from one to six
hours in duration.
Campaign: A campaign is a series of related
adventures in a consistent setting with the same
player characters. Over the course of a campaign, characters may gain new skills, equipment, and power.

A number of features distinguish THE

PRICE OF FREEDOM from other roleplaying games.
Tone: The predominant tone is one of grim
patriotism. That's because the world of
FREEDOM is a grim one. When playing your
character, think of war movies, hardboiled
detective stories, film noir, and stories about the
French Resistance. Surviving in the world of
FREEDOM is tough, and you have to be tough
to survive. But you hope, at least, to do more
than survive; you hope that, through your
efforts and those of others, America may be
freed from its oppressors.
Grimness is only one side of the game. The
other side is this: fundamentally, roleplaying

Better Dead Than Red.

PLAYER BOOK

games are power fantasies. In other roleplaying games, players have the fun of slaughtering dozens of orcs or aliens, or defeating incredibly powerful supervillains. In THE PRICE
OF FREEDOM, you get to slaughter lots of
Reds. Think Rambo, Sergeant York, or Red.
Dawn. The system is purposefully designed to
make a player character the eqUivalent of
several Soviet soldiers; the typical player
character is a supersoldier facing a horde of
spear carriers.
Setting: The setting, in as much as possible,
is identical to the real world. Visualizing the
world of THE PRICE OF FREEDOM should
be easy; physically it is the same as our own.
Emotionally, it is a far darker and more
desperate place.
Opportunities for Mayhem: One of the
most enjoyable aspects of roleplaying is that it
lets us release, in a SOcially acceptable way, the
negative emotions which society forbids us (for
good reason) to act upon in everyday life.
Basically, this means making things go "boom"
gunfire, explosions, Violent action. THE
PRICE OF FREEDOM offers unparalleled opportunities for mayhem. Not only are modem
weapons deadly, but there is a dear and morally
unobjectionable foe - the Communists. Furthermore, since the world of FREEDOM is so
similar to our own, players will have the fun of
blowing up buildings, people and things they
know personally - without the messy possibility of a laWSUit, being arrested, or personal
retribution.
Killing your boss is a bad idea - but no one
can object to killing the foul Commie invaders
who are systematically destroying the American
way of life. Blowing up the public library is a
bad idea, too - unless it's the local KGB headquarters. The opportunity for catharsis is
immense.

PRICE OF FREEDOM

Character Creation
We must be free or die, who speak the tongue
That Shakespeare spake; the faith and morals
hold
Which Milton held.
- Wordsworth

THE PRICE OF FREEDOM comes with

six pregenerated characters (see Freedom File
B). We suggest that novice players begin by
playing one of these characters. Others may
wish to generate their own characters, as may
novices after they've played once or twice.

(3.1) How to Generate a

Character
1. Take a pencil and a copy of the character
sheet.
2. Look over the "Background Information"
section, and decide what you want your
character to be like.
3. Divide 50 attribute points among your
character's attributes any way you like, and note
the values you choose on the character sheet
in the spaces provided.
4. Choose which skills your character knows.
Divide 150 skill points among the skills you
choose.
5. List what your character is currently carrying in the "Equipment" space.
6. Enter weapons information in the "Combat" section.

Don't Tread On Me.

PRICE OF FREEDOM

POJIb Jluu;o
TBOpqeCTBO

(3.2) Character Background

The most interesting part of character generation is determining your character's background
and personality. What is he like? What are Ais
interests? What's most important to him? Where
did he grow up?
This is interesting for two reasons. First, during the game you will be imagining yourself in
the role of your character. You need to know
how he thinks. Second, some things are so important to people that they really don't have any
free will when those things are involved. Exactly
what is so important varies from person to person: for some, it's family; for others, ideology;
for others, their jobs; and so on. But when you
threaten what is most important to someone,
he will do whatever he can to protect it, and
nothing will stand in his way. In game terms,
that thing is the character's passion. How passions work in the game will be explained later.

(3.3) Imagining a Character

The first thing you should enter on your sheet
is your own name, under "Player."
The first space on the character sheet is labeled "Name;' When you decide on a name for
your character, write it here. But wait; don't jot
down a name just yet.
The purpose of the character sheet is to help
you visualize your character. It contains spaces
for all sorts of information which will help you
imagine the way he looks and the way he
thinks. As a trivial example, you'll have to
decide what your character's politics are so you
have something to enter in the "politics" space
(we list some possiblities below).
But a character can't be imagined "step by
step;' We can't say "first, come up with a name;
then a physical tag; then a .. ;' and so on. Imagining a character doesn't work that way.
What kind of a character would be fun to
play? Think about it.
Many players want to play characters just like
themselves. Playing yourself as you would be
in FREEDOM's world can be a joy, particularly if the scenario is set in places you know well.

PLAYER BOOK

(This is known as "avatar" roleplaying.) You can

also play another character as if he had your
exact personality. That's okay if that's really what
you want to do, but it's not very interesting.
Much of the fun of roleplaying is trying to
think like someone very different from yourself.
You might have more fun roleplaying an unattractive female alcoholic midget of Albanian
extraction. (Then again, maybe that's carrying
things too far.)
Let your mind wander. Look at the character
sheet, and the kind of information it asks for.
Would it be fun to play someone from
Brooklyn? Orange County? The Mississippi
Bayou? How about a Hispanic-American? An
Orthodox Jew? Lace-curtain Irish? Maybe it
would be fun to play an aristocratic Ivy League
grad - or a barely-literate dish washer.
When you've gotten an idea for what you
want to be, write the information you've decided
on your sheet. Don't worry about filling it in in
any particular order - fill in the blanks as the
answers occur to you.
Keep this in mind: no one is typical. Virtually
everyone deviates from the average in some
dramatic way. Think of your friends: they're all
strange in some way or another, right?
Everyone is. "Weird characters" are, in real life,
the rule rather than the exception.
But when imagining a character, it's usually
a good idea to keep his weird attributes to one
or two, and make the others fairly typical. There
is too much of a good thing - and Albanian
midgets find it hard to fire heavy weapons.

(3.4) Tags
A tag is "a descriptive word or phrase;' Under
"physical tag;' we want you to write the single
most striking physical characteristic of your
character - the first thing people notice when
they encounter him, a phrase they might use
when describing him. Think about your closest
friend; if someone asked you to describe him,
you'd probably say something like "uh, he's tall,
and, uh, he has a big nose ..." That's his
physical tag.
The most common tags deal with hair, body
shape or stance, habitual expression, speech,
facial features, or clothing. For example:

.actions. You must choose one for your

character, and enter your choice in the space
provided.
Some typical passions include:
spouse, children, political beliefs, religion,
honor, music, art, money, sex, science, power,
alcohol, gambling, etc.

Interests

After.

. Obsessive Interests are similar to passions, except that they are not so overwhelmingly important to the individual. A player must list at
least one and as many as five interests.
Each character has 20 interest points. A
player may divide the points up among his
character's interests any way he likes, as long
as the total points allocated to interests is 20.
Write the number of points allocated to an interest in the space provided.
When a player's interest is threatened or involved in some way, the player must roll the
20-sided die. If the number rolled is less than
or equal to his interest number, the interest
dominates his behavior and he must act accordingly. Otherwise, he is free to do as he wishes.
Interests are considered less compelling than
passions. An obsessive interest cannot make a
character betray his passion.
Example: Joe's KGB interrogator learns.that,
before the Occupation, Joe was an avid stamp
collector. He brings a huge stamp album, including an invaluable set of early English
stamps, to Joe's cell, and offers them to him.
Joe has an obsessional interest in stamp collecting - in fact, his interest value is 5. Joe's
player rolls a die; it comes up "4" (bad luck!).
Fascinated with the stamps, Joe lets an important piece of information slip before realizing his
mistake.
Some possible obsessive interests include:
everything listed under paSSion, guns, flashy
cars, running, skiing, roleplaying games, reputation, etc.

(3.6) Background Information

Hair: long, curly, color, dense, bald or
balding, peculiar cut, beard (type) and/or
mustache, etc.
Body: slouching, erect, pale, dark, scrawny,
beefy, fat, very muscular, burly, tatooed, etc.
Expression: dour, cheerful, never changes,
sneer, squint, tick, dimples, etc.
Speech: lisp, deep, shrill, nasal, loud, soft,
accented, etc.
Facial feature: strong nose, small nose, particolored eyes, sunken cheeks, big ears, acnescarred, bushy eyebrows, etc.
Clothing: leather jacket, beret, bowler,
suspenders, jeans, hiking boots, high heels,
Nehru jacket,. etc.
You can choose some of these features, or
try to visualize your character, and decide what
feature would be most noticeable. It's not
necessary to choose one of the characteristics
from the list above; the list is intended to spark
your imagination, not restrict it.

Next, choose a personality tag. This is the

facet of your character's personality which most
impresses someone who talks with him for a
short time. ObViously, everyone's personality is
a good deal more complex than this .;... but a
single tag will help you and the other players
visualize your character.
Here are some possible personality tags:
enthUSiastic, dignified, dapper, subdued,
depressed, intellectual, vigorous, loud, selfish,
lustful, proud, suspicious, worldly, indulgent,
modest, religiOUS, stupid, fanatic.

(3.5) Passions and Interests

Passions
A character's passion is that which is most important to him. His passion has a very important function in the game; when threatened, he
must act to protect what he's passionate about.
He keeps his paSSion in mind at all times, and
must always act "In character" with regard to
it. When we say "must;' we mean the gamemaster is empowered to enforce the character's

PLAYER BOOK

Race/Nationality
It's time for a little more detail about the
character. What's his race or nationality of extraction? Some options are:
black, Caribbean, Mexican-American, CubanAmerican, other Hispanic, WASP, Irish, ScotchIrish, Norwegian, Swedish, Ukrainian, Jewish,
Polish, RUSSian, Armenian, German, Italian,
Japanese-American, Chinese-American, ArabAmerican, any combination of these, etc.

Politics
What are his politiCS like? Many people are
apolitical, and "apolitical" is a perfectly acceptable entry here. However, many characters'
resistance is motivated in part or primarily
because of their political convictions. Here are
some possibilities:
traditional conservative, religiOUS conser~ative, free-market conservative, Rooseveltian
liberal, classical (i.e., 19th century) liberal, New
Left, neoliberal, neoconservative, anarcho-

PRICE OF FREEDOM

================*================
capitaUst. minimal statist, Objectivist, radical
vegetarian, feminist. democratic socialist,
revolutionary socll!lUst. Utopian socialist, anarchist, anarchosynrlicalist. Wobbly (I.e., Industrial

Workers of the World) , black power revolutionary, Maoist. Trotskyite, olher Communist
splinter faction, fascist. American Nazi
About the only political convlctlons that are
not possible are Stalinist, mainstream Marxlstleninist. and Soviet Communist. Members of
these groups will presumably collaborate with
the authorlties. (Padfislis kind of hard 10 JUStify.
as welL)

Religion
Again, "atheist" or "agnoslic" is a perfectly
acceptable answer. Many people are only
nominally a member of a religiOUS denomination, and you may indicate this by saying "baptized as" or "nominally," However, strong
religious convictions will motivate many
characters to resist the Soviets, as the Reds will
seek to Impose their doctrine of atheism on
society. Some possibilities include:
Catholic, Orthodox (Greek, Russian. etc.),
Presbylerlan, Episcopalian, Methodist, Baptist,
lutheran, Christian Scientist, Mormon, Seventh
Day Adventtst. Evangelical, Unitarian, Unlflca
tion Church, Quaker, Satanls!. Neopagan,
Scientologlst, Rajneeshee, Hare Krishnas.
Mainstream Hindu. Islamic, Buddhist, Shintoist,
Zoroastrian, Sikh. Jewish (Conservallve, Reform.
Orthodox. or more obscure offshoots). Jews for
Jesus, etc.
Eduation
Is your character a high school gr3duale? [f
not, when did he leave high school? Did he later
obtain a high schoo! equivalency diploma?
Did he go to college? What one? Did he complete his degree, and what Is it in? Did he obtain a higher degree, and In what and where?
Did he enter the military? Where did he
serve?
Pre.Occupation Job
11 your character is interesting in other
respects, you can be dull here - lawyer, accountant, sanitation engineer. Keep in mind that
a char3cter's job may be the reason he's willing
to figh t the Soviets: many occupations wHl be
liqUidated or in severe danger when the Rus
sians come. BUSinessmen won't last long, nor
prosperous farmers, mifil3ry men, advertisers,
journalists who've eYer been critical of the Soviet
Union, artists who will nol conform to socialist
realism. COntractors, clergymen. drug-dealers,
etc.
Family Relationships
Famlly rel<!ltionships <!ITe often highly impor'
tant 10 people; In real life, family Is many
people's "'passion." Having family connections
is a severe drawback for a Resistance fighter;
if your role In the Resistance is learned. the
authorities can use your family as a lever. We
expect that most Resistance fighters are un"ttached: but whll your character Is unattached
may provide insight into his character.

PRICE OF FREEDOM

Note whether or not your character's parents

are alive. and, If so, his relationship with them.
Also note whether he has any siblings, and
whether he Is particularly close or distant to
them. Some possibilities:
Relationship with parents: dose, distant,
hasn't seem lhem In years, hates them, despises
them, has been disowned, black sheep of
family, etc.
Also note the character's marital status and
number of children, If any. If not currently mar'
ried, a brief note about other relationships is
appropriate. Some possibilities:
married, divorced, separated but not di
vorced, married but hates spouse, married but
not particularly close, Jiving with several
members of opposite sex, group marriage,
several limes divorced. recovering from a painful
split, tragic death of lover. engages In brief affairs. cynical about sex and love, etc,
N.B.: [f you, by choice or as an avatar. Hst
your family as your passion , you will soon face
a true roleplaying challenge. Arstly, you must .
at all costs. conceal your identity from the
SoViets. When and if you are found out, the
KGB and Its minions can force you to betray
your fellow freedom fighters. (Can you - or
can anyone - condemn your sister, so full of
Hfe and promise. to an Arctic death camp off
Baffin Bay?) And we cannot be responsible for
what the other players do to you when they
discover you've sold them down the river.
Grew Up In
In this space. note the town, country or area
where the character spent his formative years.

Example: Mike VitelUo decJdes he wants to

playa punk. Naturally, the punk's distinctive physical feature Is a Mohawk haircut his head is shaved except for a central spine
of black hair which st3nds slraight up. He
has to think a bit about a personality tag, but
settles on "cynical."
Mike decides the punk's passion Is music
- mainly punk, but rhythm & blues, electronic music. and mainstream rock also. His
other Interests indude marijuana, German
and military affairs (the last two the legacy
of a tour of duty in West Germany while In
the army). He allocates 7 points each to
marijuana and German, and 6 to military
affairs.
The punk Is beginning to take shape In
Mike's mind, and he feels the need for a
name. He figures this guy has a middle-class
white suburban background, and deddes on
Doug lacker - '"Doug the Slug"~ to his
friends.
Race? WASP. Politics? Lots of punks are
anarchists. ReUglon? Atheist. Education?
Hmm. That bears some thought. Mike
decided Doug served In the army, so he
figures Doug left his parents before

PLAYER BOO K

graduating from high school and later got

a high school eqUivalency, but never went
to college. He puts down "high school
equivalency, 2 years U.S. Army Europe."
PreOccupation job? Lead guitar In a rock
band - Mike thinks a moment, and deddes
that Doug's band was called the "Roach
Motels." Family relationships? Mike figures
an active or close relationship would make
Resistance operations lough, so he decides
his relatlonship wllh his parents Is distant
(they're not thrilled their son has become a
punk), and that Doug broke up with his girl
about a year ago and Is st!ll recovering
Where did Doug grow up? Mike spent
some summers In Indiana, so he decides on
Indianapolis. And what are Doug's personal
heroes? Mike decides on Johnny Rotten.
Kurt Weill and Michael Moorcock.
One might ask, "why Is this guy going to
join the Resistance?"', but Mike has already
figured that out. The Soviets are not going
to permit decadent music - Doug's passion
That's reason enough - but the Soviets are
also not going to put up with anarchists
Especially anarchist veterans. Doug's only
options are reSistance or death.

Free Minds And

Fre e Markets.

*.=~~~~~~
(3.7) Attributes
Each chMacleT has five (lttrlbules, described
below, lind 50 attribute poInts You may divide
up the points among your attributes lIny wily

you

wh. as long as no 1I1tribuie Is less than 1

Of greater

than 19 Each attribute's value should

be entered In the appropriate space on the
chMiKter sheet
Strength measures 1I chantcter's raw physical
sirength

When you spend sJdll points 00 an automlltlc

skill, add the number of points you spend to
the value printed on the character sheet then
cross out the printed number and wrlte In the
new total When you spend points on a skill you
don't already po$Se55.just write the number of
points you spend next to the skin nllme on the
sheet
Four rules restrlc1 how many points you can
spend on parllcular skills:

Manual Dexterity measures his hand-eye

coordination and capacity for fine manipuladon.
AgIII.ty Is 1I measure of whole-body coordination (Juggling Involves manual dexterity.

but walking along

agllity.)

II

narrow beam Involves

Alertne58 measures the keenness of a

character's sensory perceptions. (High-alertness
characters will notlcit sights, sounds,
thai other characters may miss.)

Of

smells

Constitution measures stamina, ability

10

withstand pain. and ability to recQV('r from

Injuries.

Eaamplr. Mike! Vitellio decides to

alloc.aie his 50 points as follo'ollS: Strength 7, Manual DeX/eriIY AlerlnC!S5 -

14. Agility -

10;

12; lind Constitution - 7

(3.8) Skill.
Next. determ Ine your chal'llcter's skills
The avllllable skills lire listed on the chartlder
Iheet. Some skUIs already halli! numbers printed
next to them. These are (lutomoHc sid/is - skills
which all charadl!n lIutomatlcally possess. For
example, everyone has the 'Writing" sklIIs lit 10,
Each character hIlS ISO extra skill poInts.
which he may spend to buy additional skiDs. or
to Increase automlltlc skill numbers.

No lliklll number can be more thlln 14.

14 is the largest permitted number for new
cha~ters. Sldlls CAR Increase above 14 liS the
game progresses, (ExceptJon: All character.;
begin with 19 In therr native language,)

Onl" two .klll number. can be 13 or 14.

AU your other skills have to have numbers of
12 or less.
One of your two 13 or 14 .klll. mu.t
relate to your )ab. Look al the. W
Pre_
occupation jobM sedon of your character sheet.
then look altne. list of skllls. and see which one
reilltes most closely to your job. Milke sure you
have a 13 or 141n thaI skUI. (A muslcliln might
have a 14 In "Inslrument - Guitar")
No mOTe th a n 40 points clln be . pe nt
on each category. The skill sheet divides skIJIs
Into five categories - combat. crafts. etc Of
your ISO points. you can't spend more than 40
In any single Clltegory - no more than 40 In
combal. 40 In Cfilfts. lII'Id so on

"Specific" Skill.
Some skills afe followed or preceded by a
blank. ThaI means that you muSI speclfv exactly what area or loplc the skill governs. For
example, the history skill Is listed lIS "._ __
History." ThaI means thai when you choose Ihe

history skill. you must speCify whllt nallon's or

area's history you know (usullny Americlln) You
clln bUll hIstory skllls for more than one IIrea,
If you wish
SImilarly, area lore is lISted lIS "._ __
lore" That mellns you must specify what area
is covered (New York CIty. the Grand Tetons.
l...ovJer SIobbovIa, whatever) , '!bur "area" should
more or less correspond to one pkone company
area code region. (If you live In one of the biggesl dtles, you'll be restricted to two or three
area codn"
Only IWO spaces are provided for skills of this
sari This does nol mean you're restricted to
knowing at J ut two nallons' histories; If you
want to know llboul more Ihlln two IOplcs.
simply wrlle the additional sklll names on your
character sheet

(3.9) EqUipment
A space IS provided on your character sheet
fOI equIpment At the back of Ihls book. you
will find II list o f equipment. along with kilogram
weights lind prices In gold (The scrip Issued by
the Occupation govemmentls essentially worthless; gold Is the currency of choice In the black
markel, which Is the only placlO! you can purchase most of the goods Iisted_'
Ask your gZimemasler how he wllnts 10 deal
wilh equIpment If he's beginning as the Occupalion begins. he may let you have virtually
anythIng you want except for heavy weapons
If he doesn'tlell you different. however, ASSume
Ihlll you mllY purchase 2 gold ounces worlh of
equipment
Enler the equIpment you take on your
character sheet

(3.10) Hero Points

Every character begins with one hero POlRt

Chnr/l.{leT Sheet

,-,

(, .. ,tI. ""~

'"'....... .1\'' ' , 2. ,/."

..

LroI4o'.f"I. t . ... , ...t

,...,.~

--

--

-"

PLAYER BOOK

PRICE. OF FRE.EDOM

Attributes CBOHCTBa
and Skills MYMeHuJI
Freedom Is fhe rlghl /0 live a! we wish

- Eplctetus

(4.1) The Differe nces

Whenever a character lakes some action,
elloo an allrlbllfe roll or a skill roll Is made to

determine whether or nOllhe action succeeds

The gamema$1"r decides wNu sldB or auri
bule goYeI'm the ectlon, and his decWon final

However. lIlIrlbute rolls are made only when

none of the skillJ tn the gllme logically governs
lhe lICtlon SkIDs lake prlorlly 0\Ia attributes
Onlp Notf: A toe of thIngs humans do
not learned over lime (or are learned
early in Infancy) For ecampk. It'Wr)I human
can )LImp, Exarpt through 101'19 and tedious
training. 11'1 a58ndaUy lmpoulble to learn
how to tump hlghel Of 11iTthl;!f 'Ibur Jumpart'

Ing range " determined Qll!nellcaUy atihough, 10 be ,ure, you elln j ump farther
If you're In good phVSfcal .hllpe.

In garno Terms, characters etln Increase

Ihelr skJII numb.... and leam new skills as

lime goes on Th~ cannOI chenge Innate,
Inborn characterisllc:s That's 1M: reason for
Ihe ddfm!n~ betwten Ikill. and attributQ:
:skUls are learned ablUtln, attrlbucH are Innat~

ones.

(4.2) Using Skills and

Attributes
When you \J$e a skiD Of actribute. roIIlhe die.
I( che number rolled Is lass than or ~qual to lhe
~ID 01' allrlbut~ numbr, you succeed If you

roD highet, you filii

PRICE OF FREEDOM

L-

Any dleroll of 20 (before modlflclltlon) Is

IIlways a failure; any unmodified dle roll of I
is always a success Even If you don't have. a
skUl, you may still try to use II, you raU unless
you roll an automalk success (a 1)
Note: A skill number of "10" Is considered
competence Competence wuh a skill means
you can use It without problem unlas you're
under streSS. For eltample, If your Iwlmmlng
number Is 10. you do not haw 10 roll 10 deter mine whether you drown every lime you jump
Inlo the water
If your sid! number Is las chan 10, and you're
nOl under stress. lhe gamemastft" win ten you
10 make a skill roll. bUI 10 dout>'e your skiD
number before ronlng - 50 If your SWimming
skiD Is 8, you're only In trouble \f you roll a 17
or higher
However, If you are under stress - 5Omeone's shooting at you, you're under tJme
pressure, you don', have tools you need,
whatever - you roU against your undoubled
number.
In practke, most chllrllCters are ~under stre:ss"
most of Ihe time, since skUI rolls lire usuclly
made In the face of the enemy,
The gamemasler may further modify your
skU! number If you are doing .something Ihal Is
especially difficult or easy.

(4.3) Gaining Additional

SkUl Points

You mlly Immediately spend the points on

cny of the skills you already know (wllhln the
restrlctlOns set by the GM), or to leam new skills
The points can be divided up among sklll5 any
way you like (again, wilhln those restrictlonsl _
\-bu may Increase a skin above 14 - even
above 19 Any roll of 20 when usfng a skill Is
still an automatic failure - but If you're trying
10 UH a skID to do something dlfflcuh and the
gamemasle'/' ~duces your sIodlI number accord
Ingiy, you may find Ihe extTll sIdIl points uwful
PoInlJ racelved at the end of a wssk:In must
be spenllmmedJaJe!y; you may not SiM! poInlJ
from game to game.
Attributes may never be increased [W~,
hardly eYeI See section 64 In Ihe Gamem o. tv 8ook )

My Country.
Right or Wrong.

AI the end of each game wuton, Ihe gamemasler may award you additional skill points I!
your character perfonned particularly well
Somenmes he will allow you to choose on what
skl1Is 10 spend the points; somel1lT'1eJ he wililell
you that the skiD points mUSI be allcxated 10
specific skills (e.g. "you gain t1NO points, whlc:h
must be spenl on combat skills")

PLAYER BOOK

Combaillioit
Man was born free, and everywhere he is in
chains.
- Rousseau
A lot of the time in THE PRICE OF
FREEDOM you'll be fighting the fanatical
Commie invaders and their simpering minions
through indirection - by gathering information,
sting operations, and the like. In the final
analysis, however, the only way to defeat the
enemy is to kill enough of them that the others
lose heart. Whatever you do, combat will be a
big part of the game.
The Gamemasfer Book contains very extensive rules for the resolution of specific combat problems. The rules below are just an outline
for the players. As a player, you aren't required
to know anything more than what's in this
booklet - although, if you like, you can learn
more by reading the Gamemasfer Boak.
Be warned about one thing, though; we
specifically tell the gamemaster that he shouldn't
let rules details get in the way of the action. If
you read the rules in the Gamemasfer Book,
be aware that the gamemaster may not be using
all of them, and may purposefully ignore certain rules to keep the game flowing. That's okay;
that's his prerogative, so don't bug him with
questions like "But don't I get a + 1 die-roll
modifier because the possum is dead, according to rule 7.69.2, part c?"

(5.1) Combat Components

Resolving Combat
Two game-maps and a set of cardboard
counters are provided with the game.
When combat occurs, it can be resolved in
one of two ways. If the tactical situation is
simple, the gamemaster may just describe it to
you and your fellow players. If the tactical situation is more complex, you and the gamemaster
may find it helpful to use the counters to show
the relative positions of the player characters
and their opponents.
Using Counters
Some of the counters provided with the game
represent characters or vehicles; others represent equipment; still others are markers, used
to indicate a game status.

10

Using Counters
Some of the counters provided with the game represent
characters or vehicles; others represent equipment; still others
are markers, used to indicate a game status.

COUNTERS

front

[!J
~

back

character
prone

standing
horse

vehicle

1-=1

@]

jeep

car
weapon

med MG

light MG

~
~

1"f.~1

MARKERS

1L~l:T 1

I
--I

wound
heavy

light

wound

INCAP.

incapacitated

1JAM 1

weapon condition

jam

~
~

kill

ammo
depletion

smoke

illumination

mine

barbed wire

PLAYER BOOK

HEAVY

E3
Out

of

Ammo

]
PRICE OF FREEDOM

Each character counter is printed with a

number or letter to identify It. In combat, you
choose one counter, and use it to show tbe
position of your character relative to the others.
When your character moves, you move his
counter to show his new position. The front of
the counter is used when your .character is
standing; when he is lying down, you use the
back (prone) side.
Vehicle counters are printed with two different vehicles, one on each side.
Normally, you keep track of the weapons you
carryon your character sheet. Sometimes,
however, you may want to note the location of
a particular heavy weapon by placing a counter
on the game-map.
When a character is wounded or incapacitated, an appropriate marker - light wound,
heavy wound, or incapacitated - is placed on
top of his counter. When a character's weapon
jams or runs out of ammo, a jam or ammo
marker is placed; it is removed when the
weapon is unjammed or reloaded. Exception:
The gamemaster may not always place markers
on NPCs; see 5.2 below.
Smoke, illumination, mine, and barbed wire
counters are placed on the game-map when the
appropriate conditions dictate.
Using Maps
We provide maps for the major combat
scenes in the adventure included with the game.
Each map is divided into hexes; counters are
placed within hexes on the map. Each character
is always located within a hex.

Each hex represents a space 6 meters across.

All weapon ranges and movement allowances
are stated in terms of hexes (e.g., a pistol fired
ata target within 2 hexes is firing at short range).
Each hex contains a color or pattern identifying the terrain of the hex. A hex's terrain type
determines how difficult it is to move into and
through the hex.
Some hexsides are also printed with terrain
(e.g., walls). It is more difficult to move across
a hexslde printed with some kind of terrain than
across blank hexsides.
In order to look more realistic, some walls are
drawn through the middle of a hex, instead of
along a hexside. When a hex is divided by a
wall, each "half hex" is treated like a complete
hex. That is, moving from one half hex to the
other costs as many movement points as entering a full hex (plus the terrain cost of the wall
or aperture hexside); a grenade which lands in
one half hex has reduced effects on characters
in the other half hex; and so on. The only time
a half hex is not treated like a full hex is when
counting ranges - if a character fires from one
hex across two half hexes into a third hex, his
target is two hexes away, not three (see illustration below).
We provide a blank hex sheet which GMs can
use (see the Gamemaster Book), and additional sheets can be purchased from West End.
GMs can use these to draw their own maps (so
don't be surprised if your game master springs
a hand-drawn map on you).

No Maps
Maps aren't required. Instead, the GM may
.use the tabletop or floor. In this case, the
counters are still used to show the locations of
characters. A ruler is used instead of the hex
grid; one inch is considered the same as a "hex"
when measuring distances. That is, a target 6
inches away is considered 6 "hexes" away for
range-determination purposes, a character
spends 1 movement pOint to move 1 Inch, and
so on.
Terrain features may be indicated by pieces
of paper, loops of yarn, or other deVices, at the
gamemasfer's discretion.
Maps are "cleaner" and easier to use; but improvising a combat display from the tabletop is
fast and simple.
Miniatures
Metal figures ("miniatures") are used with
roleplaying games to provide fine detail and
"color." If you are interested in miniatures, we
recommend their use in play of THE PRICE
OF FREEDOM, because of the game's emphasis on character identification (and also, of
course, for tabletop combat). Unpainted or (particularly) painted, miniatures are an attractive
alternative to counters.
Dark Horse Miniatures is producing the official line of THE PRICE OF FREEDOM
miniatures forrelease in early 1987. These wHi
include 25mm figures of American (and SOViet!)
characters introduced in the game and succeeding supplements and adventures.

Half-hex A is separated from

half-hex B by a wall with a door
in it. A character in the hex is
either on one side of the door or
the other (position the counter
toward the top or the bottom of
the hex).
Moving across the door would
cost 2 movement points (one for
entering a clear terrain "hex:' 1
for the door).
If a grenade were thrown into
half-hex B, a character in halfhex A would be considered in an
adjacent "hex;' and Character 1
would be considered 2 hexes
away.
If Character 1 fired on
Character N, the range would be
considered 3 hexes, not 4; for
range counting purposes, halfhexes are treated as single hexes.

PRICE OF FREEDOM

PLAYER BOOK

11

If you wish further information, or if your

retailer does not stock miniatures, please send
your name and address to:
THE PRICE OF FREEDOM Miniatures
Dark Horse Miniatures
P.O. Box 633
Boise, Idaho 83701
The Charts
Freedom File D contains all the important
charts and tables used in combat.
Game Scale
Each hex represents an area 6 meters from
side to side; when using "tabletop combat:' one
inch equals one "hex". Each combat round
represents 15 seconds.

(5.2) Combat and

Gamemaster Control
Each player controls one character on the
map. The gamemaster controls and makes decisions for all non-player characters.
In general, the game master tells the players
only what their characters know. For example,
he does not actually place a counter for an NPC
on the map unless the players know where the
NPC is. Similarly, when an NPC's weapon is
jammed or out of ammo, the game master does
not place a "Jam" or "Ammo" marker on the
NPC, unless the player characters somehow
know that his weapon is jammed or out of
ammunition.

12

(5.3) Combat Sequence

(5.4) Actions

When combat begins, the first combat round

During a combat round, each character may
is started. Combat rounds are repeated until take one action. These are the possible actions:
combat is over.
Use Aimed Fire Once: You may perform
Each combat round is divided into segments: aimed fire against one Red or traitor. This con1. Panic Segment: The gamemaster secret- sumes one point of ammunition, and takes the
ly determines which non-player characters full combat round. (Not all weapons can perpanic.
form aimed fire; see the Small Arms Combat
in Freedom File ll)
Table
2. Observation Segment: The gamemaster secretly checks to see whether any of
Use Rapid Fire Twice: You may perform
the PCs observe people they hadn't seen before. rapid fire twice. This consumes one point of amIf so, counters for the observed NPCs are placed munition each time you fire, and takes the full
on the map. The gamemaster also checks to combat round. Rapid fire is less accurate than
see whether NPCs observe the PCs.
. aimed fire. Not all weapons can perform rapid
3. NPC Decision Segment: The game- fire.
master studies the situation and decides what
Use Rapid Fire Once and Move: You may
each of the NPCs will do this combat round. perform rapid fire against one Commie or turn(During these three segments, the players coat, then move spending 2 or fewer movement
should be studying the situation and talking points.
among themselves about what to do next.)
Use Burst Fire: You may spend the entire
4, Player Decision Segment: The game- combat round performing burst fire. This means
master goes around the table and asks each you may fire up to 5 times. Burst fire costs 2
player, in turn, what his character will do this ammunition points per fire and takes the full
round. Once you've declared what you want combat round. It is quite inaccurate. Again, not
to do, you may not change your mind later.
all weapons can perform burst fire.
5. Combat Resolution Segment: Any
Opportunity Fire: You may hold your fire
combat that results from the NPC and player during Combat ResolUtion, then perform
decisions is resolved.
aimed, rapid or burst fire against targets which
6. Movement Segment: The counters are enter your field of vision during movement. The
moved on the map. If opportunity fire or normal rules for aimed, rapid or burst fire appcharge/melee is triggered, it is resolved now. ly, except that opportunity fire is a bit less accurate than normal fire.
Reload: If your weapon is out of ammunition, you may reload it. This consumes one clip
of ammunition.
Unjam: If your weapon is jammed, you may
attempt to unjam it.
Move: You may move, spending up to 5
movement pOints.
Fire Heavy Weapon: This takes a full combat round. Each heavy weapon has a "rate of
fire;" if you choose this action, you may be able
to fire the weapon more than once per combat
round (or only every other combat round you
fire it), depending on its rate of fire.
Prepare and Throw Grenade: If you are
carrying a grenade or something like one (e.g.,
a molotov cocktail), you may prepare and throw
it.
Prepare or Throw Grenade and Move:
You may prepare a grenade to be thrown, or
throw an already-prepared grenade, and move,
spending 2 or fewer movement points. If you
choose "Throw Grenade and Move:' you may
throw the grenade during the Movement Segment, instead of Combat Resolution.
Melee: If you are in the same hex as a
Bolshevik or qUisling, you may engage him in
hand-to-hand combat.
Charge/Melee: You may move up to 2
movement points and engage a Soviet or one
of their dupes in melee.

PLAYER BOOK

PRICE OF FREEDOM

Pick Up/Exchange Equipment: If you are

in the same hex as a piece of equipment or
another friendly character, you may pickJhe
equipment up or exchange equipment with
your mend.
Use Skill: You may use any of your skills.

Do Svldanya.
Tovarishch.

Observa~ion
The Gamemaster Book contains rules for
panic and observation. You don't have to worry
about them, although you can read up on them
if you like. Since this is a game of heroism, the
good guys never panic - only the despicable
Commie oppressors and their quisling lapdogs
panic. Also, the game master handles all observation problems.

(5.5) Panic and

(5.6) Decisions
During the Player Decision Segment, each
player must specify what his character is doing
during the current combat round, in detail. For
example, you can't just say, "I'll rapid fire and
move;" you must say, "I'll rapid fire at [name
or 1.0. code of target], and I'll move to [this
hex):'
Once a player has declared what his character
will do, he may not change his mind.
After all players have announced what their
characters are dOing, the gamemaster tells the
players what he's decided to have the NPCs do.
Example: There's a Soviet soldier with a submachinegun across a field in a trench, who is
holding for opportunity fire. Joe says he'll fire
at the soldier, hoping to stun him. The other
PCs say they'll charge across the field, hoping
that the Soviet will be stunned and won't able
to fire at them.
Combat is resolved first; Joe fails to stun the
Soviet. The Soviet will be able to fire at the other
PCs as they charg~ across the field; knowing
this, they'd like to change their minds, but they
are not allowed to do so.

(5.7) Line of Sight

You can only fire at a target if you can see
it. (You can throw a grenade at a target even
if you can't see it, as long as you know it's there.)
The Gamemaster Book has more complete rules for determining exactly when you
can see a target and when you can't.
PRICE OF FREEDOM

Each dip consists of somewhere between 5

and 50 ammunition points, depending on the
General Procedure
weapon for which the dip is designed. The
When you fire a weapon, follow this "ammo" column of the Small Arms Combat
procedure:
Table (see Freedom File [) says how many
Determine your skill number with the points each weapon's ammo dip contains. (For
weapon.
example, a pistol clip contains 6 ammunition
Modify the skill numberfor range and other points, while a light machinegun clip contains
factors such as your wound state, target stance, 50.)
the terrain in the target hex, etc.
When you fire a weapon, you consume
Make a skill roll against your modified skill ammo points. One point is consumed when a
number. If the skill roll fails, you missed. If it weapon performs aimed or rapid fire. (If a
succeeds, you hit your target.
weapon rapid fires twice in the same combat
If you miss by rolling a 20 (an automatic round, it consumes two points.) Two points are
failure), roll again. Refer to the Small Arms
consumed each time a weapon burst fires.
Combat Table (see Freedom File D) to deter(Since a weapon performing burst fire can fire
mine whether your weapon jams.
up to five times, up to ten points could be
If you hit, roll again and refer to the Small consumed.)
Arms Combat Table to determine how much
If a burst-firing weapon consumes all but one
damage you do to your target.
of its remaining ammo points, that point is also
The Combat Resolution Segment
consumed. (When firing on full automatic,
All fire except (some) opportunity fire is keeping dose track of ammunition is
resolved in the Combat Resolution Segment. impossible.)
All non-opportunity fire is simultaneous; that
When newly loaded, a weapon contains as
is, the effect of one person's fire is not applied many ammo points as its clip. (A newly loaded
until everyone else has had a chance to fire.
pistol has 6 pOints.) When all its ammo points
Thus, if you shoot a Commie and blow his head have been expended, it is out of ammunition.
off, he still gets a shot at you before dying.
(''Ammo'' markers are placed on top of the
If you rapid or burst fire, you fire more than counters of characters whose weapons are out
once in a Combat Resolution Segment. All fire of ammunition.)
is resolved before damage from any of your fires
Reloading takes a full combat round. It is
is applied.
quite possible for a weapon to run out of amGrenade and melee combat are also resolved munition midway through a combat round. If
during Combat Resolution (but see "Throw so, it cannot be reloaded until the following
Grenade;' 5.4).
round.
Example: Ralph jams another clip into his
Opportunity Fire
automatic rifle (10 ammo points). He rapid fires
If a character who has decided to conduct
once and runs two hexes, then falls prone (1
opportunity fire is fired upon, he may return fire.
Example: Fred says he will hold for opportun- point spent). Next round, he rapid fires twice
(2 points). On the follOWing round, he wishes
ity fire. Boris fires at Fred. Fred may fire at Boris.
to burst fire. He only has 7 ammo points left,
Return fire is resolved after regular fire, but
so he can only burst fire 3 times. That would
during the Combat Resolution Segment. (If
normally consume 6 points, leaving him with
Fred is killed by Boris, Fred may not return fire.)
1, but under the "last point consumed" rule, he
Opportunity fire can also take place during
is left with no ammo points. His weapon is out
the Movement Segment. A charactet holding
of ammunition, and an "Ammo" marker is
for opportunity fire may fire any time he sees
placed on his counter.
a target. Thus, if a target moves into his line
Use the "Ammunition Points" section of the
of sight during Movement, he can fire.
character sheet to record ammo expenditure.
A character holding for opportunity fire is
Make a hash mark each time a point is
never required to fire. He can always h'dld, hopexpended.
ing for a better shot later on. Example: Boris
moves into a rough terrain hex Fred can see. Jams
When a fire is resolved and the die-roll is a
Fred decides to hold his fire, hoping Boris will
enter a clear hex. Instead, Boris moves back out 20, there is a chance the firing weapon will jam.
of sight. Fred has missed his chance to fire at In this case, roll the die again, and find the
Boris (although he could still fire at Ivan, if Ivan weapon's "Jam" number on the Small Arms
Combat Table (in Freedom File D). If the secmoves into sight).
ond roll is greater than or equal to the number,
Ammunition
the weapon is jammed.
Ammunition is carried in clips. Reloading a
Example: When firing a machine pistol: a
weapon that is out of ammunition takes one full
character rolls a 20. He rolls again, and rolls an
combat round and consumes a clip. If you are
18. The jam number for machine pistols is 16;
not carrying any extra clips, you may not reload
so the weapon is jammed.
your weapon.
When a weapon jams, a "Jam" marker is
Keep track of the number of clips of ammuniplaced on top of the character's counter. He
tion you carry in the "EqUipment" section of
cannot fire the weapon again until it is
your character sheet.
unjammed.

(5.8) Fire Combat

PLAYER BOOK

13

iI

Unjamming a weapon is an action, and takes

a full combat round. Unlike reloading, it is not
automatic. When a character attempts to unjam a weapon, he must make a skill roll using
his skill with that weapon. If the skill roll succeeds, the weapon is unjammed. If not, it remains jammed.
Range
When you fire a weapon, your skill with the
weapon is used to determine whether or not
you hit your targef. Just as when you use any
other skill, you roll against your skill number.
But before the die is rolled, the skill.number
is modified for a number of factors. The most
important of these is range.
Count the number of hexes between you and
your target (counting the target's hex but not
your own). If you're not using a map, measure
the distance with a ruler; the "range" in "hexes"
is the number of inches.
Use the Fire Table to determine whether
you're firing at "short:' "medium" or "long"
range.
When firing at short range, your skill number
is not modified for range .. At medium range
your skill number is halved; at long range, it is
multiplied by one-fourth. (Round fractions
down.)
Other Modifiers
Other factors can modify your skill number,
too. For example, it can be modified for the
target's stance, the terrain in the target's hex,
the firer's wound status, etc. The type of fire
(aimed, rapid or burst) also affects your skill
number. All modifiers are listed on the Fire
Modifiers Chart (see Freedom File 0).

(5.9) Grenade Combat

The Right to Own Guns

is the Right to be Free.

Bows & Thrown Weapons

Bows (in game terms) include longbows,
compound bows, crossbows, and slingshots.
Thrown weapons include throwing knives,
shuriken (Japanese throwing stars), tomahawks,
and the like. Bows and thrown weapons follow
the same rules as fire weapons, except that they
don't use ammunition points. Whenever a bow
is used or a weapon thrown, one arrow (or shot)
or weapon is expended. "Reloadin9" a bow or
thrown weapon takes no time.
Bows and thrown weapons may be used in
opportunity fire.

When Grenades Can Be Thrown

In the rules, we use the term "grenade" to
mean all grenades, molotov cocktails, sticks of
dynamite and other thrown exploSives. Unless
we distinguish by calling something a "military
grenade:' you may assume that a rule applies
to all types of grenades.
Grenades are normally used in the Combat
Resolution Segment.
A character may prepare and throw only one
grenade per combat round, and may not take
any other action while doing so. Exception:
A character throwing a grenade can still make
his "one free stance change;" see 5.12.
Preparing or throwing a grenade can be combined with movement. A character may prepare
a grenade and move, or throw an alreadyprepared grenade and move, expending 2
movement points (but not both).
When a moving character throws an alreadyprepared grenade, he may either throw it during the Combat Resolution Segment (before he
moves), or in the course of his movement. If
he throws it during his mqvement, he may
pause in any hex he moves through, and throw
it from that hex; or may throw it from the hex
where he ends movement; or he may drop it
in any hex he moves through.

Hitting the Target

Once you've modified your skill number, roll
the die. If the number rolled is less than or equal
to the modified skill number, the target has been
i:lit. If it is not, the fire has missed.
If the target is hit, roll again, and refer to the
Small Arms Combat Table to determine what
damage your target receives (as described on
the table).
Rapid & Burst Fire
When performing rapid fire, a character can
fire twice. He can fire at the same target twice,
or once at two different targets. If firing at different targets, both must be in the same or adjacent hexes.
When performing burst fire, a character can
fire up to five times, at the same or up to five
different targets. However, all targets must be
in the same hex, or in two adjacent hexes, or
in three hexes, each of which is adjacent to one
of the others.
When a character performs rapid or burst
opportunity fire, all his fires are resolved at the
instant he declares he is performing opportunity
fire. That is, he may not resolve one fire, wait
to see what other movement occurs, and perform other fires later in the Movement Segment.

14

PLAYER BOOK

PRICE OF FREEDOM

There is no such thing as "opportunity

grenade use;" a character who is moving and
throwing a prepared grenade throws it during
his own movement, not because he s~es
another character moving.
A character throwing a grenade must indicate
what hex he is throwing it at. A character may
throw a grenade at a hex he cannot see. For
example, a character could lob a grenade over
a ridge to a hex beyond.
The one exception to this rule is that if a
character is outside a building, .he may only
throw grenades into hexes of the building that
he can see. The reverse applies also; a grenade
can only be thrown out of a building into hexes
the thrower can see.
Procedure
When you throw a grenade, follow this
procedure:
Look up your manual dexterity.
Modify it for range and other factors like your
wound state, the target hex terrain, etc.
Roll again against your modified manual dexterity. If the foil is higher, the grenade scatters.
Otherwise, it hits the target hex.
If you rolled a 20, roll again to determine
whether the grenade was a dud.
If it scattered, roll the die and refer to the Scatter Diagram to determine where it scatters.
Roll once on the Grenade and Mine Combat Table for each character within the grenade's
blast radius.
How Grenades Work
Grenade combat works pretty much the
same way as fire combat, except that:
Duds: Grenades don't jam or run out of
ammo. However, when your skill roll is a 20,
you do have to determine whether the grenade
is a dud (see the table). Whenever a grenade
is used, it is consumed.
Manual Dexterity: The thrower's manual dexterity (not a weapon skill) is used to determine
whether or not he hits his target hex. Ranges
are found on the Grenade and Mine Combat
Table Oust as they are on the Small Arms Combat Table during fire combat), and the manual
dexterity halved or quartered for range as
necessary. Other modifiers are listed on the
Grenade Modifiers chart (see Freedom
File DJ.
The target is a hex, not a character. If the hex
is hit, roll, separately for each character in the
hex on the Grenade and Mine Combat Table
to determine what damage he suffers (just as
you would for the target of fire combat on its
table).
When you aren't using a map, anyone within
1" of the point where the grenade hits is subject to a damage roll. (If any part of your counter
is within 1" of the grenade, you can suffer
damage.)
Characters in surrounding hexes may also be
affected see the Grenade Tables' discussion
of "blast radii:'

PRICE OF FREEDOM

Scatter: A failed manual dexterity roll means

the grenade scatters to an adjacent hex; use the
Grenade Scatter diagram (see Freedom File
D) to determine which. Anyone in the hex
where a grenade winds up can take damage.
When you aren't using a map, the
game master uses the Grenade Scatter Diagram
to determine the general direction in which the
grenade scatters. He decides precisely where
it scatters.
Holding Grenades
A character who prepares a grenade cannot
take any action requiring the use of his hands
(e.g., fire, melee) until he throws or drops that
grenade. Dropping a grenade costs no movement points, and may be performed at any time
during the combat round. A dropped grenade
does not scatter, and explodes immediately.
A moving character who drops a previouslyprepared grenade may finish his movement
before the grenade explodes
If a character holding a prepared grenade is
incapacitated or killed, he drops the grenade.
If such a character suffers a heavy wound, make
a manual dexterity roll. If he fails, he drops the
grenade (and it explodes). However, a PC may
avoid dropping a grenade if he spends a hero
point (see 6).

(5.10) Melee Combat

When Melee Occurs
If opposing characters occupy the same hex
(or are within I" of each other) during a Combat Resolution Segment, they may melee.
Melee may also occur during Movement
Resolution when one character charge/melees
and moves into a hex containing an enemy.
When you make a melee attack, .follow this
sequence:
Rnd your melee weapons skill number if
using a melee weapon, or your hand-to-hand
skill number if you aren't using one.
Modify the skill number for such factors as
surprise, attacker's wound state, etc.
Make a skill roll against your modified skill
number to determine whether you hit your
target.
If you do, refer to the Melee Combat Table
and roll to determine what damage the target
suffers.
Resolving Melee Attacks
All melee attacks occurring in one segment
are resolved before any damage is applied.
If an incapacitated character is attacked in
melee, he is automatically killed.
Surprise
Surprise occurs when you attack someone
who is not aware of your presence
that is,
someone you observe who has not yet observed you.
The gamemaster will tell you when you are
surprised.
You can surprise an enemy character if the
gamemaster has placed his counter on the
game-map (you have observed him), but the
enemy is not aware of your presence.

PLAYER BOOK

If you fire or throw a grenade at a surprised

enemy, he may not take any action in the round
you attack him.
If you surprise someone in melee combat,
you have a far greater chance of killing him
immediately. Here's how it works:
If you're within charge/melee distance of an
enemy who has not observed you, you may attempt to bushwhack him. To do this, declare
a charge/melee action. During movement,
move into the target's hex. Then, make a stealth
skill roll.
If the stealth roll is a failure, the target of the
attack is warned in time to defend himself. Use
the regular rules for melee. The target may not
make an attack (or take any other action) in the
same round, so you still get a "free" attack.
If the stealth roll is a success, the melee attack
is resolved in a special way. Before rolling to
determine whether you hit your target, double
your skill number (after applying any other
modifiers).
If you hit, find the weapon's bushwhack value
on the Melee Combat Table. Then, roll the die
again; if you roll less than or equal to the
bushwhack value, the target is dead. If you roll
higher, resolve damage for the attack normally
i.e., roll the die again and refer to the
"damage" section of the Table.
Before making a bushwhack attack, you may
announce that you're trying to knock the target
unconscious instead of killing him. If the
bushwhack roll succeeds, make a second skill
.roll against your hand-to-hand or melee
weapons skill (whichever applies). Ignore the
Melee Modifiers Chart for this roll. If the second
skill roll succeeds, the target is unconscious. If
it fails; the target is dead.
The only time you can attempt to knock a
target unconscious is when you surprise him.
You have no control over what kind of damage
you do during any other attack.
Garottes'
Garottes work a little differently from other
melee weapons.
They can only be used when you have surprise. They do no damage at any other time.
You can't use a garotte to knock a target unconscious - only to kill.

I'd Rather Die On My Feet

Than Live On My Knees.

15

(5.11) Damage
Stun
When a character is stunned, he immediately
falls prone. (Flip the character's counter to his
prone side to indicate this.)
Stunned characters can't do anything for the
rest of the combat round in which they're
stunned. A character stunned while moving
immediately drops to the ground (Le., prone)
and stops moving.

Lightly Wounded
A lightly wounded character is stunned in the
round he is wounded. In addition, place a
"Light Wound" marker on the counter.
Whenever a lightly wounded character uses
a skill (including weapon skills), his skill number
is reduced by two before the roll is made (see
the Skill and Attribute Modifiers Chart in
Freedom File D).
When a lightly wounded character moves, his
movement allowance is reduced by 1 (to 4 if
using the "move" action, to 1 if using a differeht
action).
If a lightly wounded character suffers a
second wound (light or heavy), he is heavily
wounded.

HeavUy Wounded
Heavy wounds are just like light wounds,
except:
Use a "Heavy Wound" marker instead of a
"Light Wound."
Skills used by heavily wounded characters are
halved (after all other modifications), rounding
fractions down.
When a heavily wounded character moves,
his movement allowance is halved (to 2 if using
"move;' to 1 if using a different movement
action).
If a heavily wounded character suffers
another wound (light or heavy), he is
incapacitated.

Incapacitation
When a player character is incapacitated, he
must immediately make a constitution attribute
roll (see 4.2). If he fails the roll, he is unconscious. If he makes the roll, he remains
conscious.
An unconscious cl)aracter may not move, use
skills, or take any action.
A conscious incapacitated character may perform one action as if he were heavily wounded. At the conclusion of this action, he falls
unconscious.
NPCs fall unconscious automatically when

"move," but they move at their full movement

allowance (of 5), and no roll need be made to
determine whether the incapacitated character
dies.
Death
Killed characters are out of the game.
Note: The game master may decide that a
killed character's counter should remain on the
map (e.g., if his body carries important papers
which must be retrieved); if so, place a "Killed"
marker on top of it. A dead character can be
dragged just like an incapacitated one.

(5.12) Movement
Movement Points
A character who chooses the "move" action
has a movement allowance of 5; one who
chooses to "rapid fire and move," "prepare or
throw grenade and move;' or "charge/melee"
has a movement allowance of 2. (Movement
allowances can be modified by wound status;
see 5.11.)
A character's movement allowance is the
number of movement points he may spend in
the current combat round.
A character spends movement points by
moving from one hex to another. A standing
character may move through any number of
hexes in one round, as long as he does not
spend more movement points than his
allowance.
The movement pOint cost to enter a hex
depends on the terrain in the hex and the hexside crossed. Terrain costs are summarized on
the Terrain Effects Chart (see Freedom File
D). Example: A character moves across a low
wall hexside (1 movement point) into a brush
hex (2 points) for a total expenditure of 3 movement points. He still has 2 movement points to
spend.
If a standing character begins adjacent to a
hex which it would cost more that 5 movement
points to enter, he may move into the hex
anyway at the cost of all his movement points,
if he chooses the "Move" action.
Half hexes are treated like full hexes for
movement purposes; see 5.1.
When you aren't using a map, moving I" in
any direction costs movement points. The

number of pOints spent depends on the terrain

along the 1" path; if more than one terrain type
exists along that path, use the movement point
cost of the most costly terrain type. Crossing a
piece of "hexside terrain" (e.g., a wall line) costs
extra, as the. Terrain Effects Chart indicates.

Stance
There are two stances: standing and prone
(lying down). When a character is prone, flip
his counter to its reverse (prone) side.
Every character receives one free stance
change per combat round. Once during the
round, at any time the owning player (or GM)
wishes, he may change stance at no movement
point cost, regardless of what action he chose.
This free stance change may take place during
the Combat Resolution Segment (for example,
a prone character might want to stand in order
to throw a grenade). If a character changes
stance during Combat Resolution, he is considered standing for the whole segment.
A character may change stance more than
once in a combat round, but each additional
stance change costs 1 movement point (and
must take place during the Movement
Segment).
Only standing characters may move more
than one hex (or an inch) per combat round.
A prone character may crawl one hex by spending all of his movement points. (A prone
character could stand, and then perform movement normally.)
If a character moves and then falls prone, any
opportunity fire against him is resolved before
the character becomes prone.

(5.13) Skill Use

Characters may use non-combat skills during combat rounds, if they wish. Using a noncombat skill is an action, and a character may
not take any other action (except for his one
free stance change) while using it.
.
Obviously, "using a skill" covers a multitude
of possibilities. Do not expect to use your
"engineering" skill to design and build a speedboat from scratch in one combat round by making a successful skill roll; the game master will
determine how long using your skill will take,
and what modifiers apply to your skill number
when you roll.

incapacitated~

An unconscious character may be dragged

by other characters; a character dragging
another may not take any action other than
"move" while dragging, and his movement
allowance is halved. Each round that an incapacitated character is dragged, roll the die;
on a roll of "1", he dies.
Two or more characters in the same hex may
carry an incapacitated character. The only
action they may choose while carrying him is

16

Peace Through
Superior Firepower.

PLAYER BOOK

PRICE OF FREEDOM

Bero Points I fepoit O'IKKH

J

Each character begins the game with one

hero point. Additional pOints can be earned (at
the gamemaster's discretion) at the end of each
adventure.
You can spend a hero point any time you
choose. Once spent, it's lost, so choose your
times carefully.
Spending a hero point allows you to do one
of the following things:
Dodge a bullet: If you spend a hero point
before the gamemaster resolves fire against you,
you dive out of the way and are unhurt.
Ignore a Kill: You can downgrade any
damage you suffer by two levels
from "kill"
to "heavy wound:' for example.

PRICE OF FREEDOM

Ignore Fatigue or Exhaustion. You may

ignore the effects of fatigue for four hours, or
of exhaustion for one hour. At the end of the
one or four hour period, you revert to being
fatigued or exhausted, as appropriate, and you
are not considered to have rested for this one
or four hour period.
Make a Heroic Effort: You can use one of
your attributes to do something normally impossible. (For example, if a bus is pinning a
buddy, you could make a heroic effort using
your strength to lift the bus off him.) In this case,
you spend a hero point, then roll against your
attribute (no modifiers apply). If the roll succeeds, so does your heroic effort.

PLAYER BOOK

Succeed in a Skill or Attribute Roll: Your

base skill or attribute number is tripled, before
any other modification, for one roll. A roll of
20 always fails, despite the hero point and
whether or not your modified number is greater
than 20.
Take 2 Actions in one Combat Round:
Instead of the normal one.
When you spend a hero point, you become
fatigued (or exhausted if already fatigued) after
the hero point has been used or the end of combat, whichever comes later. However, when you
spend a hero pOint to ignore fatigue or exhaustion, you revert to your prior condition when
the hero pOint wears off.

17

Know Your
Enemy
(7.1) The Soviet System
Before discussing the methods the occupiers
will use to remold American society, we must
learn their objectives - the form in which they
wish to mold if.
The Soviet system is the most extreme form
of totalitarianism. In theory, and as much as
possible in practice, the state is all. The state
produces all resources, distributes all goods,
controls education and the press, dictates the
movement of populations, determines what its
people should be told, and compells all citizens
to adhere to the state religion, MarxismLeninism, while- outlawing all others.
Enthusiastic obedience to the dictates of the
state is mandatory. To ensure such obedience,
a huge army of informers and spies is maintained. Many are not paid; reporting the
behavior of others is an easy way to gain power,
prestige and worldly possessions. More, once
one falls into the hands of state security, the only
way one may escape .alive is to implicate friends,
family and casual acquaintances.
By encouraging betrayal, counter-betrayal,
and constant watchfulness, the state ensures
that the normal bonds of trust and good will
which bind people together are destroyed, and
permanent fear of and obedience to the
authorities is maintained. The state becomes the
only moral focus in each individual's life.

(7.2) Three Legs of Terror

The Soviet system is maintained and enforced by three organs: the military, the Party,
and the KGB.
The military is the obvious fist of the state.
It is used to destroy open opposition to state
control. As a Resistance fighter, you will most
often be swapping shots with the military - but
they are far from your greatest foe. The Soviet
military can loot and kill, but it cannot destroy
the fabr.ic of American life.
The Party is the visible face of the state. In
theory, the Communist Party is the intermediary
between people and state, controlling the state
in the name of the people. In theory, the Party
is a mass movement of the ideologically committed. In fact, it is a club for collaborators, quis-

18

3uau Bam
Bpar

lings and petty tyrants. Party membership is

prized for the privileges and opportunities it
brings, hence membership is restricted. All
economic activity is controlled by workers'
councils, or soviets, whose membership is determined by the local party. Hence the Party is the
distributor of patronage, the carrot to the military
stick. Most often, Party members will be the
targets of your operations, and it is the Party's
influence and its attempt to destroy the normal
allegiances of individual Americans which you
must fight.
But by far your greatest foe is state security.
State security has gone by many names in its
history - the Tcheka, NKVD, MGB, and most
recently, KGB. The KGB is not, as many
Westerners believe, an intelligence agency.
Gathering foreign intelligence is one of its functions, but its main role is to ensure the absolute
obedience of the people to the state. It controls
a vast network of spies, informants, and
stukachi (stool pigeons) throughout society.
Every military unit, every work team, every
council, every motor pool, committee and
cooperative contains its quota of KGB informants. Virtually every citizen is questioned from
time to time, and urged to report slackness,
deviation or anti-Soviet tendencies. The KGB
is the instrument by which the fabric of society
is shredded and rewoven in the form preferred
by the state.
Information is backed by terror. The KGB
murders opponents, ships them to concentration camps, commits individuals to "psychiatric"
treatment. Its preferred method of operation is
a single shot, fired without warning, to the base
of the skull. It recognizes no Miranda law, no
rights of the accused, no right other than ab:
solute obedience.
These are your true enemies, but rarely will
you encounter them openly. They will fight you
not with guns, but by infiltration. The Resistance's greatest danger is not the weapons of
its foes - but penetration, deception, and
betrayal.

PLAYER BOOK

In the Soviet Union, state security is called

the KGB. In other countries, it goes by other
names. In America, the Soviets will seek to
capitalize on the good will theAmerican people
now accord the instruments of their government. In America, it will be called the FBI.

Si Vis Pacem.
Para Bellum.
"11 you desire peace.
prepare lor war."
(7.3) The Military
Five Services

The Soviet armed forces are divided into five

services: navy, air force, national air defense
force, strategic rocket force, and army.
The strategic rocket force controls the Soviet
Union's strategic nuclear weapons. Few members of this force will be involved in the occupation of America, though some may be sent to
oversee the dismantling of America's nuclear
deterrent.
The national air defense force controls the
fighters, ABM installations, and "Star Wars"
defenses of the Soviet Union. Few, if any, will
see action in America.
Although the navy, air force and army are
separate services, the Soviet military does not
retain the strict operational separation of services prevalent in the American military. Units
of all three arms are organized into fronts; and
each front includes air force, army, and
sometimes navy units (though the deepwater
navy operates independently). Men from all
three services will see action in America, but of
the three, the Red Army will contribute the bulk
of the manpower.

PRICE OF FREEDOM

The Non-Army Army

Just as Nazi Germany had SS and Luftwaffe
ground units, so Soviet Russia has KGB and
Internal troops.
The KGB's ground troops began as the
Kremlin bodyguard. The bodyguard, now a full
regiment, is stationed within the Kremlin's walls,
and can move swiftly to suppress unrest
anywhere within Moscow.
But the greatest potential threat to the Soviet
regime is not unrest, for the Soviet Union's
citizens are too intimidated to pose any real
danger. The greatest threat is the Red Army.
Only the military possesses the organization,
resolve and weapons necessary to overthrow
the Communist regime.
Hence, an entire division, consisting of the
best, most ideologically-committed, most
highly-trained and best-equipped men, is stationed outside Moscow. This division, named
after Felix Dzherzhinsky (founder of state security), is under the direct control of the KGB, and
is charged with defending the regime against
any military uprising.
The KGB controls more than a division. Inside the Soviet Union, it controls nine entire
military districts. The exact size of its military
wing is unknown - but the. whole Red Army
controls only sixteen districts. And the KGB's
primary task, unlike the army's, is the control
of restive populations, the liqUidation of opponents of the state, and border control. KGB
units will be widely used in the fight against the
Resistance.
The Soviet Ministry of the Interior, too, has
its own army. The Interior troops are primarily
used to guard the slave-labor camps in Siberia.
Similar camps will doubtless be established in
Alaska, the southwestern deserts, . and the
Northwest Territories - and who better to staff
these death camps than the men who perform
such work in Russia? They will see that the
liquidation of the American bourgeoisie proceeds according to plan.
The Red Army
The back-bone of the Red Army is its "motor
rifle" troops, what we would call mechanized
infantry. A typical motor rifle squad consists of
11 men with their supporting BMP or BTR (an
infantry combat vehicle), plus portable anti-tank
and anti-aircraft rockets. Five men carry
automatic rifles (AK-74s); two carry
machineguns; one carries an anti-tank rocketlauncher (RPG-16); two drive the BMP or BTR;
and one either carries a portable surface-to-air
missle (SA-14) or just a pistol. Infantry combat
vehicles are equipped with main guns of
substantial caliber plus an anti-tank .guided
missile launcher and several machineguns and,
in a World War II-style army, would have been
considered light tanks.
A tank platoon consists of three or four tanks,
but platoons are rarely deployed independently. If and when you encounter tank units at all,
they will operate as companies, each consisting
of ten to thirteen tanks (three platoons plus one
vehicle for the commander). Tank companies

PRICE OF FREEDOM

rarely operate without supporting troops.

Though an unsupported company of tanks
might be sent to cow rioters or potential rioters,
if there is any danger of combat, tanks will
operate with supporting infantry and artillery.
Should you ever encounter heavy Soviet
artillery, it will be in the form of a rain of shells
from a distance so great that you will care a
good deal less about the organization of the firing unit than about digging the deepest possible hole in the shortest possible time. Most
Soviet artillery is formed into batteries of 6
"tubes." The artillery you are most likely to encounter are mortars, which the Soviets produce
in a wide variety of calibers. They are simply
constructed, reliable, and relatively transportable, hence make good counterinsurgency (and
proinsurgency) weapons.
The Red Army contains substantial numbers
of airborne assault troops. Though the Soviets
prefer to use helicopters as support vehicles
rather than to make opposed landings, heli-

PLAYER BOOK

copters have proven their value in counterinsurgency operations in Vietnam and

Afghanistan, and Resistance fighters can expect
to encounter them.
Every Soviet "front" has a Spetsnaz unit
commandoes. These are trained for irregular
operations without support deep in the enemy
rear. Their training and ability to handle any
number of weapons make them ideal for
counterinsurgency warfare and they will be
extenSively used against the Resistance.
It should be noted that these descriptions
apply to full-strength units with a full complement of men and equipment. In practice, troops
used in America will often use local equipment
(to save the expense of transporting heavy
equipment from Europe), and units which have
seen combat may often be deficient in manpower and materie\.

19

Allied Forces
The armies of the Soviet Union's eastern
European allies are integrated into the "Warsaw Pact" command framework. Unlike NA1D,
the Pact does not maintain separate national
commands; divisions from different nations are
part of the same front or army. Effectively, the
Soviet Union controls the troops of its German,
Polish, Hungarian, Czechoslovakian, Bulgarian
and Mongolian allies directly. There are few differences between these units and those of the
Soviet Union, save for slightly inferior morale.
North Vietnamese, Nicaraguan and Cuban
units are not so directly controlled by the
SOViets, but in the occupation of America, they
will almost certainly be commanded by Soviet
officers. (The sole likely exception is Florida,
which may become an exclUSively Cuban
preserve.) These nations, whose Communist
masters were not imposed by conquest from
without but through indigenous revolution, have
generally higher morale than but inferior equipment and training to the eastern European
allies. The Vietnamese and Nicaraguans, with
their experience of insurgency warfare, will be
particularly useful in the fight against the
Resistance.

Liberty's In Every Blow.

(7.4) Traitors
Because North America is so large and Soviet
troops will be required to maintain control across
the globe, the occupiers will seek, wherever
possible, to exploit indigenous groups to maintain control. Several methods will be used.

Police
Any police who put up resistance to the new
regime will be executed or (perhaps worse) sent
to the slave labor camps in Canada and Alaska.
Police who acquiesce in the occupation will be
retained, at least until a new generation of stateindoctrinated policemen can be trained. The
police will dramatically increase in number; the
extra personnel will come largely from the
Criminal classes, whose brutality, contempt for
moral norms, and willingness to obey orders,
no matter how extreme, in exchange for personal gain, make them well-suited to serving the
regime. Uniforms will remain essentially identical, to exploit whatever residual respect
Americans have for their guardians.

20

Military
A new American People's Army will be
formed along similar lines. Its units will be directly attached to Soviet formations; an independent American military poses too great a potential danger to Soviet occupation. By spreading
the American People's Army among other Warsaw Pact units, complete control over its operations will be maintained.
The Army will initially consist of whatever
military men are willing to lend their services.
After a period of time, conscription will be introduced, and young Americans inducted at
whim. Conscripts will undergo the most severe
training, in the course of which casualties will
be high.

PLAYER BOOK

Large numbers of American troops may be

sent abroad to enforce Soviet rule in other
countries. The Soviets will calculate, correctly,
that American troops are more likely to fire on
Brazilian mobs (say) than American ones.

Balkanization
The Soviets have a'iong history of using
national aspirations to legitimize Soviet rule. The
Soviet Union is, in fact, the last of the great
multi-national empires; Austria-Hungary was
divided into its national components at the end
of the First World War, and Britain and France
.have long since lost their empires. The Soviet
Union is less than 50% Russian; it contains
within its borders dozens of other nationalities,
some of which have independence movements
stretching back centuries. In order to harness
and disarm national aspirations, the Soviet

PRICE OF FREEDOM

Union has divided itself into "republics;' each

supposedly with the right to secede.
Dividing America into several supposedlyindependent nations is one way to establish
power groups with a vested interest in the continuation of Soviet rule. In addition, the Soviets
will imagine that national aspirations can be
channelled in ways they find congenial.
Thus, North America will find itself the site
of several new nations; La Repub/ique Socialiste
de" Quebec; the Confederate Soviets of
America; and the Texas Federated Socialist
Republic.
Alaska and Hawaii will be annexed outright.
. The Mexican cession and chunks of the
Southwest will be annexed by a complaisant,
Soviet-controlled Mexico.
The Soviets will seek to exploit Indian
grievances. An "Amerindian People's Autonomous Region" will be established in the
southwest. This will serve several functions.
Firstly, to channel Indian nationalism. Secondly,
if any reservations contain minerals or land of
value, their inhabitants can be forcibly removed
from their land and sent to the Autonomous
Region under the guise of "reuniting the native
American peoples:' Lastly, the presence of the
Autonomous Region will provide a .plausible
explanation for why travel to the area is
restricted. The actual reason, of course, will be
the extensive death camps throughout the
southwestern deserts.
Just as the Slovak and Croatian republics
created by the Nazis had their own quisling
armies, so shall the .puppet regimes of balkanized America have theirs.

Civilians
At first, the traitors who delivered America
into the hands of its foes will retain a vestige
of power, so long as they cooperate enthusiastically with the Occupation. Soon, American
Communists will be brought into "coalition" with
the "government:' Eventually, all other parties

PRICE OF FREEDOM

Stoolies

I Only Regret That I

Have But One Life to
Lose for My Country.

will be accused of "anti-state tendencies" and

"conspiracy against the people" and liqUidated.
(These accusations will, of course, be correct,
at least to the degree that patriotic members of
such parties act to resist the Soviets.)
There are at present few American Communists. However, the party will expand
dramatically in size under Soviet rule. Power,
wealth and minute control over the lives of
others will make becoming a Party member
appeal to opportunists and petty tyrants
everywhere. It is worth noting thatthe Rumanian Communist Party had fewer than 1000
members (in a nation of 18 million) when Soviet
conquest occurred, and yet was a "mass movement" in complete control of the nation within
two years of occupation.
Al! economic activity will, over a period of
years, be nationalized. Businessmen, shopkeepers and others who resist the seizure of their
property will be executed. Party committees will
effectively control all economic activity within
their region. Thus, we can expect America to
become permeated by sycophants and collaborators whose power derives from the
Occupation, who live well because of it, and
who will fight to defend it.
Collaborators and quislings are the first sign
of success in remolding society. One of your
main jobs is to discourage them. Gunfire is often
discouraging.
But then, treason is a crime whose penalty
has always been Q,eath.

PLAYER BOOK

Communism, despite its political appurtenances, is a religion. Like all religions, it claims
to codify morality. Communism presumes to
dictate what is wrong and what is right. Soviet
Communism is a state religion, enforced by and
enforcing state rule. Heretics are shot.
Since Communism embodies morality and
is a state religion, obedience to state authorities
and adherence to the dictates of Communist
society is moral, while any antistate activity is
wrong. Therefore, acts which unenlightened
bourgeois might consider immoral are perfectly moral (in the eyes of the Communist) when
they promote the interests of the state. Torture,
murder, and spying are wrong - except when
used to promote the victory of the proletariat.
Communism thus provides a moral justification for betrayal.
During the forcible collectivization of Soviet
agriculture under Stalin, a boy by the name of
Pavel Morozov denounced his parents for
hoarding. They were shot. Pavel was awarded
the honor of Hero of the Soviet Union, and
statues were erected to him.
State security requires a veritable army of
spies and informants to do its job. A veritable
army will be employed; and, inducements will
be daily offered to private citizens who inform
on others. Stoolies are materially rewarded.
Wherever you go and whatever you do, you
cannot rely on the good will of others. For
many, informing is a means of personal survival.
Trust is the most preciOUS commodity.

21

Waging
Guerrilla War

"Guerrilla strategy is the only strategy possible for an oppressed people."

- Kao Kang, as quoted by Mao Tse Tung
in Yu Chi Chan ("Guerrilla War"}

(8.1) Why Guerrilla War?

The way to win a war is to destroy the
enemy's will to resist. The strongest nation in
the world (America, say} can be conquered if
it does not have the will to prevent it; the
smallest, most impoverished nation (Vietnam,
say} can liberate itself if it has the will to fight
when all seems hopeless.
The conventional way to win a war is to
defeat the enemy's army and occupy his territory. This deprives the enemy of its most effective weapon (a regular army}; it makes it difficult for the enemy to mobilize troops and

22

equipment; and, with luck, it so dispirits him

that he ceases to resist. The last is the key: if.
an occupied nation believes it can no longer
resist effectively, or no longer cares to do so,
conquering it is enough to defeat it. Germany
was defeated in 1945 not because Allied armies
but because the German
occupied its soil
people were dispirited by their terrible losses in
the war against Russia, no longer had any faith
in the fascist regime, and knew they had no
hope of outside help. France was never
defeated, though occupied; so long as the
Catholic and Communist Resistance sabotaged
production and killed Germans, so long as De
Gaulle's Free French fought on, France was not
defeated.

PLAYER BOOK

"Orthodox armies may, due to changes in

the situation, temporarily junction as guerrillas.
LikeWise, guerrilla units formed !ram the people
may gradually develop into regular units."
Mao Tse Tung, Yu Chi Chan
A guerrilla war is waged when a conventional
army cannot be fielded. The usual reason for
this is that the war is a revolutionary one, and
the lowest classes do not have the financial or
industrial resources to raise an army.
Sometimes, a different reason applies; in the
French Resistance, no conventional army could
be raised because a substantial German occupying force stood ready to destroy any concentration of men. In THE PRICE OF
FREEDOM, no army can be raised because
a concentration of force invites a Soviet nuclear
attack.

PRICE OF FREEDOM

A guerrilla war can become a conventional

one. As time goes on, guerrilla forces gain
strength, the enemy becomes increasingly
isolated, and whole sections of the country are
liberated, guerrilla forces may gain sufficient
resources and breathing room to build a conventional army. Building an army is necessary
if the only way to destroy the enemy's will to
resist is by physically ejecting him from territory.
The best example is the Chinese Revolution:
the Red forces began as guerrillas, built until
they controlled much of the country, then
organized conventional forces. The final stage
of the Revolution was a conventional war
against the regular army of the Kuomintang.
But it is not necessary to build a conventional
army. If the enemy's will to resist can be
destroyed without it, the war can still be won.
Such is the case in America.

PRICE OF FREEDOM

(8.2) The Guerrilla's Strategy

"It is important to emphasize that guerrilla
warfare is a war of the masses, a WQr of the
people."
- Che Guevara, Guerrilla Warfare
"The people may be likened to the water and
the troops to the fish who Inhabit It."
Mao Tse Tung, Yu Chi Chan
The claims of Communists that guerrilla war
depends on support from the "masses" is not
mere rhetoric. The tactics employed in guerrilla
war depend on support from the populace. In
the absence of such support, guerrillas are readily captured and executed.
The gUerrilla's weapons, communication and
transport are all inferior to the enemy's. Guerrillas can only concentrate small forces with
limited firepower; cannot move rapidly to exploit opportunities, as armored columns can;
cannot depend on sophisticated methods of
command control, communications and intelligence, as modern armies can. The guerrilla

has one advantage, and one advantage only:

information.
The guerrilla knows where the enemy lies,
and in what force. He knows the psychology
of the officers he fights. He knows the enemy's
plans. He knows the land. He knows the
populace. He knows where, when, and how to
attack to do the most damage to the enemy.
He knows everything - because the people tell
him.
When enemy troops move through a town,
somewhere in the town is a guerrilla sympathizer, who spreads the word. When anything
happens in the enemy encampment, someone
on the clerical or janitorial staff notes it and
reports. Whenever the enemy does anything,
he is observed.
The enemy knows nothing. He cannot find
the guerrillas; he does not know their strength,
or what weapons they possess; he does not
know where they may hide, or the peculiarities
of local geography they may exploit. He is a

23

stranger in a foreign land, among people who

cannot speak his tongue and who have no sympathy for him. The only information he can obtain is through torture a dangerous and timeconsuming process notorious for its inaccuracy.
The guerrilla's strategy is to strike unexpectedly at a point of weakness strike quickly, then
withdraw. The success of that strategy depends
on the support of the people.

(8.3) Support of the Masses

"The guerrilla fighter needs full help from the
people . . . This is clearly seen by considering
the case of bandit gangs. They have all the
characteristics of a guerrilla army: homogeneity, respect for the leader, valor, knowledge of
the ground, and, often, even good understanding of the tactics to be employed. The only thing
missing is support of the people; and, inevitably,
these gangs are captured and exterminated by
the public force."
- Che Guevara, Guerrilla Warfare
"Without a political goal, guerrilla warfare
must fail, as it must if its political objectives do
not coincide with the aspirations of the people
and their sympathy, cooperation and assistance
cannot be gained."
Mao Tse Tung, Yu Chi Chan
A guerrilla war can achieve the support of the
people only if it is fought to liberate them, and
only if they are indoctrinated in the war's
rightness and necessity. (To be precise, the
ultimate end of the war may in fact be to impose a totalitarian tyranny, as is the case in
Communist revolution; but Communist revolution is always fought under the pretense of
liberation, and its rhetoric and ideology is that
of liberation.)
The struggle of the American Resistance is
a liberation struggle. The injustices, crimes and
brutalities inflicted by the occupation upon a
formerly-free people demand defiance. The

24

goal of the American Resistance is to free

and, ultimateAmerica from its oppressors
ly, free the world from tyranny. The justice of
the cause is inarguable.
Nonetheless, the cause must be argued.
Guerrillas must make every effort to disseminate
propaganda. Inan occupied nation, the natural
tendency of the population is to make do to live as best they may, to protect themselves
and their families as best they can. They must
be persuaded that they have a duty to help the
Resistance - ideally by taking up arms or
sabotaging production, but at least by proViding
shelter and information to the Resistance.
The occupiers will not hesitate to indoctrinate.
The newspapers and airwaves will be filled with
their lies and calumnies. Their crimes - mass
executions, torture, brutality - will be hidden.
Citizens will be told: things are not so bad, and
getting better; the occupiers have nothing but
sympathy for America, and are doing their best
to help; resistance is futile. The "Big Lie" technique works; unless the people hear otherWise,
they will come to believe.
Since the people's support is so important,
the guerrilla's chief goal must be to bring them
the truth. Write, print and distribute newsheets;
seize radio stations; bombard with leaflets; hold
underground meetings. Do whatever you can,
but get the word out.
Do not denigrate a military operation if its
purpose seems "merely" to be the propaganda value it produces; propaganda is the most
important value.
From time to time, you may be tempted to
injure an innocent, believing that the ends are
more important than the injury caused. They
are n?t! Without the sympathy of the people,

PLAYER BOOK

we are lost; robbing them is the surest way to

lose that sympathy.
"Do not take a needle or a piece of thread
from the people."
- Mao Tse Tung, The Red Book

(8.4) Why We'll Win

"The guerrillas are to exterminate small forces
the enemy; to harass and weaken large
forces; to attack enemy lines of communication;
to establish bases capable of supporting independent operations in the enemy's rear; to
force the enemy to disperse his strength; and
to coordinate a/l these activities with those of
the regular armies on distant battle fronts."
- Mao Tse Tung, Yu Chi Chan
The ultimate goal of the Resistance is to force
Soviet withdrawaL The Soviets will only
withdraw if they are convinced that the cost of
further occupation outweighs the benefits. To
a degree, this depends on events elsewhere;
America won the Revolution not by inflicting
unacceptable losses on the British Army, but
because Britain had other commitments. Faced
by uprisings in India, unrest in Ireland, a continuing war with France, and an unstable
domestic situation, the British decided that the
American colonies were not worth the effort
needed to keep them. Similarly, the Soviets'
overweening global ambitions pit them against
Resistance movements everywhere; the Red
Army could keep Eastern Europe down easily
enough, but it will have problems enforcing obedience to Moscow allover the globe. Too, China
remains unconquered and hostile, a permanent
challenge both militarily and ideologically to
Moscow's ambitions.
But much depends on us.
We must sabotage whenever possible. The
Soviet Union hopes to exploit America's
technology and productive capacity to equip
and maintain its own armies, and provide consumer goods for its own population, convinc-

of

PRICE OF FREEDOM

ing them of the value of conquest. That, along

with the elimination of America as the Soviet
Union's main global antagonist, is what it gains
by occupation. We must strive to limit its gains
to the minimum. Equipment must be sabotaged; collaborators must be executed;
resources must be diverted, bureaucratic errors
made, strikes fomented, slowdowns encouraged. Any and all means to delay, destroy or prevent production must be exploited.
We must destroy enemy manpower and
materiel, whenever possible. The Soviet Union
has previously been faced by numericallyinferior opponents. Historically, Russia has
never stinted on manpower; its strategies have
been based on overwhelming mass, its rulers
have never blinked at destroying millions for
political or military advantage. Those traditions
have served it well in the past - but they cannot serve it now.
The Soviet Union has a globe to occupy. Its
forces are reinforced by those of Eastern
Europe, Cuba, Vietnam and the like, but they
are still spread dangerously thin. Even in the
Soviet Union itself, substantial forces must be
maintained to crush any sign of dissent; the
whole of Europe, the whole of North America,
and sections of four other continents require occupation. The populations of the territories the
Soviet Union now occupies outnumber the
population of the Soviet Union itself many times
over. If we trade men, life for life, with the Soviet
Union, it will be bled white long before we are
ready to surrender.
If we bloody the occupiers badly enough,
they will have no alternative but to withdraw.
We will win by destroying the Soviets' willingness to resist. We will do so by bleeding them
white and demoralizing them. We will bleed
them white by killing them wherever and
whenever we can. We will demoralize them by
striking swiftly and unexpectedly.

(8.5) How To Be A Guerrilla

"We consider that the Cuban Revolution
contributed three fundamental lessons to the
conduct of revolutionary movements in
America. They are: 1) that popular forces can
win a war against the army; 2) it is not necessary
to wait until all conditions for making revolution exist; the insurrection can create them; 3)
in underdeveloped America the countryside is
the basic area for armed fighting."
..:.. Che Guevara, Guerrilla Waifare
"Guerrilla strategy must be based primarily
on alertness, mobility and attack. It must be adjusted to the enemy situation, the terrain, the
existing lines of communication, the relative
strengths, the weather, and the situation of the
peop/e."
Mao Tse Tung, Yu Chi Chan

PRICE OF FREEDOM

Organize in small groups at first. Small groups

are difficult to locate and can move rapidly.
Never stay in any location long; the longer you
stay, the more easily the enemy can find you.
Move constantly, making contacts with the local
people. Recruit and indoctrinate.
Find weapons. Weapons are plentiful in
America, but heavy weapons are not. For the
latter, you must depend on the enemy
themselves. Guerrilla movements since time immemorial have used the enemy as their quartermaster. Many of your operations should aim to
capture enemy supplies. While you're at it,
destroy what you do not take.

PLAYER BOOK

'Know the terrain in which you operate. Know

your opponents; seek always to learn about the
officers who command the forces which oppose
you. Know the plans of the enemy; build contacts among the local community to warn you
whenever the enemy moves. Ensure that the
enemy cannot plant his own spies among the
people; execute quislings as examples.
Propagandize. Capture duplicating equipment, and establish small presses. Distribute
newsheets and pamphlets as you travel. Many
of your operations should be designed to
disseminate news of the Resistance.
You have the American information and
communications network at your disposal. It is
an awesome weapon, incomparably more

25

powerful than anything other guerrilla

movements of the 20th century had available
to them. Used properly, the network can extend the reach of the Resistance into every corner of North America. And the SovietS won't
destroy the network, except in desperation.
North America is the rich prize it is because of
its communications infrastructure; the Soviets
defeat the purpose of their conquest if they, for
example, put the telephone system out of
operation.
Establish cadres of resistance. As your own
group grows, break it up; leave a nucleus of
resistance wherever you go. Those groups will
grow, too; in the absence of enemy response,
the Resistance will grow geometrically.
Establish supplydumps. Capture enemy supplies, and cache them in hidden places, so you
can fall back on them when needed.
"When guerrillas engage a stronger enemy,
they withdraw when he advances; harass him
when he stops; strike him when he is weary;
pursue him when he Withdraws."
- Mao Tse Tung, Yu Chi Chan
Never be afraid to run away. You cannot win
a direct confrontation; the enemy outnumbers
you, and is better equipped. Strike when he
does not expect it; withdraw when he begins
to respond. We can win if we trade life-for-life
with the SOViets, but in a full-dress battle, you
will lose more like ten men to the enemy's
superior firepower to everyone you kill. Far better to withdraw, and keep in being a nucleus
of resistance.
Fight on terrain and at times of your own
choosing. Since you know where the enemy
is and what he is dOing, while he operates in
a fog, you may choose the terms on which you
will fight. Never let the enemy dictate the conditions of battle. 'ibur advantages are few; never
throw this one away.

26

Indoctrinate your own men. They will fight

better if they understand why they fight, and
how victory can be won. They will more readily obey your orders if they understand their
necessity.
Contact other Resistance groups, and share
information. Unlike regular military units, it will
rarely be feasible for different Resistance groups
to coordinate operations, but information is your
most precious commodity. As time goes on, a
national rebel command will evolve. Communication with it will be rare, so individual
guerrilla bands will always be largely selfdirected; but from time to time, the grapevine
may bring you urgent requests. You are most
familiar with conditions in your area, so disobedience of these requests will not, as in regular
armies, be sufficient grounds for courtmartial
and execution; however, the rebel command
will have a better grasp of national and international developments, and urgent requests are
not made without reason. Comply whenever
feasible.
Do not hesitate to strike the enemy even
when he has made it plain that Resistance
operations will trigger terrible retribution. The
people will not blame you when hundreds are
executed; they will blame the occupiers, and the
Resistance will be stronger for it. Protect the
people whenever possible, but never accede to
Soviet wishes.
As time goes on, your band will grow and
you may even liberate whole sections of the
country. Soviet control will be more and more
restricted to the cities and to the daylight hours.
Soviet patrols will sweep through your area
periodically - but when they are gone, the

Resistance will resume control. Be careful never

to present a large enough target - a major concentration of manpower and equipment - to
justify a nuclear attack. Remain dispersed; concentrate only for an assault, and disperse rapidly
afterwards.
Do not take fixed positions. Do not worry
about liberating cities; liberate the suburbs and
isolate the city, cutting it off from outside supplies. A city is a tempting target to nuke; in itself,
it has no value, except as a supply of manpower. Even when the enemy controls the city
directly, urban Resistance groups will harass him
constantly. Take a city only when the enemy
abandons it and then, do not occupy it with
any substantial force.
When a Soviet attack threatens to capture a
liberated area, let it; concentrating forces for an
attack in one area deprives them of troops
elsewhere. Your misfortune is the opportunity
of another guerrilla group. Do not destroy
yourself in futile battle; remember, do not be
afraid to run away. Break back down into small
groups, and disperse.
Never surrender. The enemy has no mercy.
Escape if you can; but if you cannot, take a Russian with you when you go. Remember the
words of Patrick Henry:

Give Me Liberty or
Give Me Death!

PLAYER BOOK

PRICE OF FREEDOM

Weapons List
The combat system classifies weapons by their function, treating all
pistols, for example, as equivalent. (In fact, there are differences, but
on the scale of the game the distinction between a .38 Police Special
and a 9mm automatic is largely irrelevant - the minor differences in
weaponry are less important than the user's skill and other factors like
terrain.)
Many players will want to know the names of the weapons their
'characters use; because they like this sort of background "color:' because

IOpY)KHe TaMHu;a
they're gun aficionados, because thorough knowledge of their equipment helps them roleplay, and so on. The follOWing is a list of the
weapons most commonly in use in THE PRICE OF FREEDOM's
America. Players wishing a wider selection of weapon names can easily locate several good reference works, which provide exhaustive descriptions of these weapons, in their local library or major bookstore. See
the bibliography for suggestions.

NON-IlUTOMATIC

AUTOMATIC

Pistol

Auto Carbine

Smith & Wesson Model 10 .38 Special Revolver (USA)

Makarov 9mm Semi-Automatic (USSR)
Colt .45 Semi-Automatic (USA)
Smith & Wesson Model 29 .44 Magnum Revolver (USA)
Beretta 92 9mm Semi-Automatic (Italy)
Ruger Redhawk Revolver (USA)

Colt CAR-15 (USA)

FNC Carbine (Belgium)

Auto Rifle

Rifle

Kalashnikov AK-74 & AKM (USSR)

M-16 (USA)
FN FAL (Belgium)
Heckler & Koch G-3 (West German)

Steyr-Mannlicher SSG (West Germany)

Winchester Model 70 (USA)
Parker-Hale 1200 (USA)
Remington M700 (USA)

FN M249 (USA and Belgium)

Kalashnikov RPD (USSR)'

Carbine

SMG

Ruger Mini-14 (USA)

M1 Carbine (USA)
Colt AR-15A2 (collapsible stock) (USA) +
Mannlicher Carbine (West Germany)

Ingram M-lO (USA)

Kalashnikov AKR (USSR)'
9mm UZI (Israel)
Heckler & Koch MP-5 (West Germany)

Semi-Auto Rifle

Light Machinegun

Ml Garand (USA)
Colt AR-15 (USA) +
Heckler & Koch 91 and 93 (West Germany) +
IMI "GaUl" (Israel) +
Springfield Armory Ml and MIA (USA)

Kalashnikov RPK (USSR)'

M-60 (USA)
Rheinmettal MG-3 (West Germany)

Machine Rifle

Medium Machlnegun
Kalashnikov PK (USSR)'

Shotgun

Heavy Machinegun

Remington 870 (USA)

Mossberg M500 (USA)
Winchester MIlOO (USA)

Degtyarev DShK (USSR)'

M-2 .50 Caliber (USA)

Machine Pistolt
Stechkin 9mm (USSR)

In use by the occupation forces.

+Commonly modified to automatic fire by U.S. citizens.
t In fact, machine pistols are rapid fire (Le., automatic) weapons, but we
list them under non-automatic weapons because the pistol skill, not the
automatic weapons skill, is used to fire them.
PRICE OF FREEDOM

PLAYRBOOK

27

Equipment Chart
L

PISTOLS

....

weight
(In kllognllM)

price
(In gold)

caliber
.44 magnum

1.5
1.25
1
1.25
1
1

1 troy
15 pw
12 pw
15 pw
9pw
7pw

3-4

6-16 pw

.22 . .30-30 .30-06.

3
2.25
2.25

1.5 troy
1.5 troy
1.5 troy

.30 carbine
.22315.56mm

Ml Garand
Colt AR15
Heckler & Koch HK93
Heckler & Koch HK91

4.3
3.2
4.3
4.3

1.25 troy
1.5 troy
2 troy
2 troy

SHOTGUNS

2.5-4

MACHINE PISTOLS'

.44 magnum
.45 auto
.357 magnum 2
9 mm auto
.38 revolver2
.32 revolver

".

.45 auto ACP

.357
9 mm
.38
.32

RIFLES

bolt-action rifles

7mm , .308, etc.

CARBINES'

Ml Carbine
Auger Mini14
Coh ARl5A2

.2231S.S6mm7

SEMIAUTO RIFLES'

pli

...

5 pw.' oz.
1215 pw

.30-06
.22315.56mm'
.22315.56mm '
.30Bl7.62mm NAlO

12, 20, .410 gauge

var.

AUTOMATIC CARBINES'

CAR15

2.25

2 troy

.2231S.56mml

21my
2.5 troy

.22315.56mm'

2.5 troy
2 troy

S.45mm

AUTOMATIC RIFLES
M16
Ml6a2
AK74
AKM

"
. ,,

3.2
32
3
4

"S$109 "8

7.62mmX39

MACHINE RIFLES
~

M249
RPO

8
9.5

Stroy
5 troy

" $8109' "

7.62mmX39

SUBMACHINEGUNS

Ml0
AKR
UZI

2
2.5
4

2.5 troy
21my

9mm

2.5 IfOY

9mm

11
6
9

7 troy
61roy
7 troy

5.45mm

LIGHT MACHINEGUNS'

""'I
28

M60
RPK
PK

PLAYER BOOK

7.62mm NAlO
7.62mmX54
7.62mmX54
PRICE OF FREEDOM

Equipment Chart (con't.,

AMMUNITION"

11

(coat per clip)

pistol. machine pistol

rifle, carbine
shotgun
semi-auto rifle
automatic rifle,
carbine
submachlnegun
machine rifle
tight machinegun

weight

....

&rlCe
)

HEAVY WEAPONS"

0.1
0.1
0.5
0.5

lpw
lpw
3pw
6 pw

M-20al bazooka

0.5
0.5
4
4

6 pw
4pw
1 troy

(._)

1 troy

GRENADES
AND MINES
M-26 fragmentation

M-8 smoke
M-25 gas
stick of dynamite
M-1a claymore mine
M-16 antipersonnel
mine
M-19 antitank mine

0.5
0.75
0.33
0.25
1.5

16 grains
10 grains

12 grains
10 grains
15 pw

3 troy

11

6 troy

GRENADE
LAUNCHERS"

M79 " thump gun"

M-203 RGL
M-19 AGL
HE shell
HEOP shell
gas shell
smoke shell
HVHE shell
HVHEDP shell
AGS-17 AGL
shell

3
1.5
40
0.25
0.25
0.25
0.25
0.33
0.33
20
0.15

1 troy
1.5 troy
10

troy

lpw

1.5 pw
16 grains
16 grains
1.5 pw
2pw
9 troy
12 grains

TRADE GOODS

chocolate bar
nylons
condoms
bo"[e of liquor
drugs
VCR tape
CD

0.1
0.1
0.1
1
0.1
0.1
0.1

2pw
2pw
4pw
2 pw

1 troy
10 pw
10 pw

KEY
RGL _ rifle gren!!de launcher; AGL "" automatic
grenade launcher; HE ., high explosive: HEOP
"" high explosive dual purpose ; HVHE '" high
velocity high explosive; HVHEDP '" high velocity

high explosive dual purpose; LAW "" light antitank

weapon; ATGM - antitank guided missile.

PRfCE OF FREEDOM

PLAYER BOOK

shell
M-72 LAW
Dragon AlGM

shell
509ger ATGM (AT-3)

shell
Spigot ATGM (AT-4)

shell
M-40al Recoilless Rifle
shell
M-224 Mortar (60mm)

HE shell

smoke shell
M-29 Mortar (Blmm)
HE shell
smoke shell
gas shell
illumination shell
M-30 Mortar (l07mm)
HE shell
smoke shell
gas shell
illumination shell

weight

(. _)
4
1.5
1
3
10
20
9
13
14
120
10
23
1.5
1.5
50
9
9
9
9

300
20
20
20
20

enc.
....

8 troy

10 pw
2 troy
12 troy
2 troy
14 troy
3 troy
20 troy
4 troy

24 troy
1 troy
10 troy
4pw
3pw
Btroy
7pw
6 pw
Bpw
7pw
12 troy
15 pw
10 pw
12 pw
12 pw

SURVIVAL GEAR

binoculars

topographic maps
road maps
(statewide)
full uniform (U.S.)
full uniform
(occupiers)
cold weather gear
medical kits'

neg .

1 pw-l troy
8 grains2pw
5pw

neg .
neg .

S grains
4pw

neg.
5
1

7pw

tent (1 man)
tent (2 man)
tent (4 man)
tent (12 men
or vehicle)
military rations (1 day)
food (1 day)
knife
fishing tackle
horse
"Freedom
Fighter's PaCk"15

1
1.5
3

compass

0.25
0.1

10
0.5
1
0.25
1

20

10 pw
1 pw2 troy
lpw
2pw
4pw
1 troy
10 grains
5 grains
4pw
3pw

4 troy
1

29

Equipment Chart
Note: Prices are quoted in "troy" (troy ounces of gold).
"pw" (gold pennyweight) or "grains" (gold grains).
24 grains == 1 pw
20 pw = 1 troy
12 troy = 1 pound of gold
For carrying purposes. 25 troy equals 1 kilogram.
In "real world" 1986, 1 troy ounce roughly equalled $375
American. At the time the occupation begins, 1 troy ounce
roughly equals $1000 American. By year 19x2, no quantity
of United Soviets paper will buy you gold.
lThe combat system treats all weapons in a particular
category - pistols, for example - identically. We provide
a list of several different weapon types for the sake of color.
However, your game master may be more inclined to have
someone's brains litter the room if you hit him with a "Dirty
Harry" .44 mag than a little .32 caliber revolver. Also note
that we've simplified a lot of factors for the sake of sanity.
For example, though 6 is the most common number of
bullets in a pistol clip, some pistols are designed to hold
as many as a dozen bullets at once. Similarly, in most
states, 3 is the. legal maximum number of shells a pump
or automatic shotgun may hold, and almost all shotguns
are plugged to meet this regulation. It is perfectly possible
to remove the plug or to mOdify, through extensions, the
number of shells the gun can accommodate. This is not
the case, of course, with double and single barrel
shotguns.
2.357 magnum revolvers will chamber and fire .38 special
cartridges; however, .357 ammo will not chamber in a .38
revolver due to the longer length of the .357 magnum
cartridge.
3The M1 Carbine was developed for the American military
in World War II as a shorter, lightened service rif(e for
paratroops and vehicle crews, and for use in situations
where the greater size and weight of the M1 Garand would
be a liability. The M1 Carbine fires the shorter, straightcased .30 carbine cartridge which is not interchangeable
with the .30-06 cartridge used in the M1 Garand and
Springfield 1903 service rifles. The M1 Carbine was made
in vast quantities by several manufacturers during World
War II and Korea, and production continued after the war
with civilian versions being offered by Iver Johnson and
Universal. The M1 Carbine accepts box magazines commonly found with 15 and 30 cartridge capacities.
4Severa\ military firearms are currently available in their
non-automatic versions. Again, these may be modified by
a gunsmith to fire full-auto.
5Some machine pistols may be in the hands of collectors;
their combat value limits their price.
6Several models used by the U.S. military are available.
These weapons are basically shortened and lightened versions of the automatic assault rifles, from which they were
developed.
71t is important to note that stocks of .223 ammunition
(5.56mm) will begin to run low as U.S. production shifts
to 5.45mm ammunition for the occupiers. This will make
saving brass and reloading ammunition both a necessity
and a profitable business.

30

(can't.)

8The M-16a2 and FN M249 use a special SS109 round.

These weapons can be re-chambered and re-barreled to
use standard .223 (5.56mm) ammunition at a cost of 5 pw.
9The M60 was the most numerous LMG in U.S. service;
several Soviet types are also available.
loRifles, semi-auto rifles and automatic rifles of the same
caliber fire the same ammunition. However, costs and
weights are slightly different because a "clip" for a nonautomatic rifle is 5 rounds, while a "clip" for an automatic
rifle is around 30 rounds - because of their differing rates
of fire. Players may freely exchange ammunition among
weapons of the same caliber, under the following scheme:
weapon:

II of ammo
pts per clip

II of rounds
per ammo pt

II of rounds
per clip

pistol
6
1
6
rifle, carbine
5
1
5
semi-auto rifle
10
30
3
shotgun
5
1
5
machine pistol
10
1
10
auto rifle, carbine
10
3
30
machine rifle
50
5
250
submachinegun
10
30
3
light, heavy
50
5
250
machinegun
medium machinegun
25
5
125
llA player should make a weapons skill roll when
purchasing ammunition for his weapon. Modifiers include:
having a specimen of the correct ammo type; dealing with
a reputable or disreputable merchant; and time taken to
examine the ammo. A successful roll means the player has
identified the ammo as being of the correct or incorrect
type (e.g., 9mm Makarov vs. 9mm ParabeJlum), or
determined whether or not the ammunition is in usable
condition (not severely corroded or otherwise damaged).
A failed roll means that the player has misidentified the
ammo. Depending on the gravity of the error (i.e., by how
much the roll exceeds the player's modified skill number),
the ammunition could jam the weapon, explode in the
chamber, or simply not function - this is left to the
gamemaster's discretion.
If players are gullible enough to buy a crate of 10,000
rounds without examining the ammo first, they deserve
what they get.
12The M-203, M-19, and M-79 are grenade launchers; see
16.1 in the Gamemaster Book. All three weapons use the
same ammunition. The M-19 is a crew weapon; the M-203
clips onto an M-16 or AR-15 rifle.
13Heavy weapons will only rarely be available; stealing
them from the occupiers is probably easier than purchasing them.
The M-224 mortar breaks into two pieces for carriage;
the M-29 into three; and the M-30 into four. Disassembling or assembling takes 2, 3 or 4 combat rounds (respectively); two characters must take no other actions for that
period to assemble or disassemble the weapon.
14Wide variety in type"and price; those with antibiotics and
antidotes for gas weapons are extremely expensive.
15See 10.5 in the Gamemaster Book.

PLAYER BOOK

PRICE OF FREEDOM

MAP OF OCCUPIED AMERICA

PEOPLE'S DEMOCRATIC REPUBLrC OF
,
CANADA
J
,
,

MARITIME
SOVIET
SOCIALIST
REPUBLIC

UPUBLIOUE
SOCIALISTE
DE OUEBEC

REED

,
t
'~,"/'j',,",'0''%-h'''''" "'--\.\~~'~'i!

The redrawing of North America's geographic boundaries under Soviet occupation, c/ros 19x1 (see also
section 26.2 In the G.m.mll'.r Book). The north
western boundary Mexico Is In flux, as that country
exercises suzerainty over sections
the United
American Soviets which It plans to annex; Mexico also
occupies bits the Texas Federated Socialist Republic.
The Southern half what was Florida Is, 'or allinlenis
and purposes. a Cuban and Nicaraguan fiefdom. The
hlslorlcal slale and province boundaries have been
superimposed to orlenl the reader.

0'

0' 0'

0'

Bibliography
FM 100-2-1: The Soviet Army, Operations and Tactics. Washington: Department
of the Army, 1984.

Constitution of the Union of Soviet

Socialist Republics. Moscow: Progress
Publishers, 1969.
Bloch, Marc. Strange Defeat. New York:
W. W Norton, 1968.
Bonds, Ray, (ed.). Russian Military Power.
New York: Bonanza Books, 1982.
Conquest, Robert. Kolyma: The Arctic
Death Camps. New York: Viking Press, 1973.

_ _ _ _ . Inside Stalin's Secret

Police. Stanford, California: Hoover Institute
Press, 1985.
Conquest, Robert & White, Jon Manchip.

A Nole 10
Liberal Beaders

What To Do When the Russians Come.

Briarcliff Manor, New York: Stein & Day, 1984.
Corson, William R. & Crowley, Robert T. The
New KGR New York: William Morrow & Co,
1985.
Donald, Maryann. Contemporary
Weapons. Detroit, Michigan: Palladium Books,
1984.
Editions Berlitz. Russian for Travellers.
Lausanne: Editions Berlitz, 1973.
Ezell, Edward Clinton. Small Arms of the
World. Harrisburg, Pennsylvania: Stackpole
Books, 1977.
Gervasi, Tom. Arsenal of Democracy II.
New York: Grove Press, 1981.
Grechko, A.A. The Armed Forces of the
Soviet Union. Moscow: Progress Publishers,
1977.
Guevara, Che. Guerrilla Warfare. New
York: Monthly Review Press, 1961.
Isby, David C. Weapons and Tactics of the
Soviet Army. London, New York & Sydney:
Jane's, 1981.
Isby, David C. & Kamps, Charles, Jr. Armies
of NATO's Central Front. London: Jane's,
1985.
Keegan, John. World Armies, 2nd Edition. Detroit, Michigan: Gale Research Company, 1983.
Mao Tse Tung. Guerrilla War. New York
and Washington: Praeger Publishing, 1961.
Moore, Capt. John (ed.). Jane's Fighting
Ships, 1985-86. London: Jane's Yearbooks,
1985.
Rea-Taylor, Bruce. Ultra Modern Army
Lists and Organizations. Birkenhead,
Merseyside: Tabletop Games, 1985.
Scott, Harriet Fast & Scott, William F. The
Armed Forces of the USSR. Boulder, Colorado: Westview Press, 1979.
Shevchenko, Arkady N. Breaking With
Moscow. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1985.
"Suvorov, Viktor;' Inside the Soviet Army.
New York: Macmillan, 1983.

_ _ _ _ . Inside Soviet Military

Intelligence. New York: Macmillan, 1984.
_ _ _ _ . The "Liberators." London: WW Norton, 1981.
Winslow, Pauline Glenn. (, Martha Adams.
London: Arlington Books, 1982.

32

Okay, we know that some of you are going to be uncomfortable with the premise
of THE PRICE OF FREEDOM. We
didn't do the game to offend your sensibilities; we did it to give you an enjoyable
roleplaying experience. And we see no
reason why you shouldn't enjoy the game
without compromising your political
beliefs, whatever they may be. Here's why:
You, personally, don't have to believe
the average Soviet soldier is a bloodthirsty
killer, or that the Soviet Union could occupy the United States in the next five
years. (We don't, either;) THE PRICE OF
FREEDOM is a fantasy roleplaying game
in the true sense of the word; its fantasy
is the right-Wing nightmare that America
is delivered into the hands of her enemies.
You don't have to approve of secret
agents blowing up everybody they take a
dislike to to enjoy a James Bond film ...
Think of the game as The lord of the
Rings meets William F. Buckley: the Evil
Empire of the East . . . uh, that is, the
Union of Soviet Socialist Republics ...
masses its troops to assault the last remaining Citadel of the Sons of the Morning
. . . oops, the last bastion of liberty in an
unfree world: Only you stand between the
forces of darkness and world dominion;
you, the valiant freedom fighter, must strike
a blow for liberty. The question isn't
whether or not such a terrible thing could
happen, but whether or not you could enjoy pretending it has.
Roleplaying works best when everybody
involved suspends disbelief and lives the
fantasy. The world of THE PRICE OF
FREEDOM is remarkably easy to enter:
You play yourself or someone you could
reasonably expect to meet on the street.
No problem imagining yourself in either of
those roles.
The setting is modern-day America.
Again, no imagination problem.
PLAYER BOOK

You defend your home, your family and

your friends from real enemies. You and
yours are not being threatened by aliens
from Proxima Centauri, or some other
hypothetical creation from the pages of
fiction, but by the armed forces and secret
police of America's sworn rival. They'll kick
your dog, they'll reduce Baskin-Robbins'
31 flavors to 3, they'll cancel Moonlighting . . . and then they'll take away
your basic human rights. But only if you
let them.
That's saying it flippantly, but forget the
politics: THE PRICE OF fflEEDOM is
a dramatic game. Villains are destroying
you. They're taking your house, your car,
your VCR; they're threatening your family; they're teaching lies to your children.
The situation is so intolerable that the only
possible response is rage.
We could have done it with a right-wing
coup in Washington or mind-devouring
alien spore pods
but a Soviet takeover
is far more powerful precisely because the
Soviets have been our antagonists for so
long.
Rage is important; the fun part of the
game is its release. You can see yourself
grabbing a deer rifle and heading for the
hills. You can see yourself as a bloodthirsty
Rambo, charging through all adverSity,
crying, "Do svidanya, tovarisch;' as you
machinegun down rank upon rank of the
godless Communists who wish to destroy
the American way.
That catharsis is fun. Let's face it, we'd
all like to blow things up. We'd all like to
crush our enemies. Fortunately, society forbids us to act on those impulses. THE
PRICE OF FREEDOM releases those
emotions. And as a result, it can be a gas.
Blow it up! Blow it up real good! Eat hot
death, Commie dog!
That's the ticket!

PRICE OF FREEDOM

Name: Billy Barstow

Background Information

Personal Information

RacelNationality: Irish-American
Politics: patriotic but apolitical
Religion: don't go to church much
Education: high school
Pre-Occupation Job: singer in a rock 'n roll band
Family Relationships: tallts to parents once a week, brother
killed in 'Nam
Grew Up In: the Jersey shore
Personal Heroes: BrUce, Jimi Hendrix, Bob Dylan

Physical Tag: short and muscular

Personality Tag: enthusiastic, smiles a lot
Passion: Rock 'n Roll
Interests: guitar (10), women (10)
Sex: male
Hair: dark brown
Height: 5' 9"

Attributes
Strength:
Manual Dexterity:
Agillty:

Hero
Points

13

Age: 29
Eyes: dark brown
Weight: 150 lb

Ammo Points

Equipment

12
8
10

Alertn8Sl:

Constitution:

Combat Information:
Weapon
Rifle

Skill No.
12

Jam
19

electric guitar
amps
switchblade
pick-up truck
camping gear
$500 cash

deer rifle
rifle shells, 1 box
(2 clips)
jeans, T-shirt
leather jacket

Ammo

Fire Type

Sht
0-5

Range
Mad
6-15

Damage
Long
1650

Lite
7-11

Stun
1-6

Heavy
1215

Incp
16-19

Kill
20

Name: Maria Cagliari

Personal Information

Background Information

Physical Tag: large, dark eyes

Personality Tag: tenacious
Passion: Trotskyite Marxism
Interests: religion (CatholiCism) (10),
history (10)

Race/Nationality: Italian-American
Politics: Trotskyite Marxism
Religion: Catholicism
Education: B.A., Bamard University, History
Pre-Occupation Job: Political Activist
Family Relationships: estranged from parents, only child
Grew Up In: New York City
Personal Heroes: Leon Trotsky, Che Guevara, Eden Pastora

Sex: female
Hair: dark brown
Height: 5' 7"

Attributes
Strength:
Manual Dexterity:
Agility:

Hero
Points

8
12

Age: 32
Eyes: dark brown
Weight: 130 lb

Ammo Points

Equipment
pistol
ammo (2 clips)
fatigues
$3000 cash
pocket book & cosmetics

14
7

Alertn8Sl:

Constitution:

Range

Combat Information:
Weapon
Pistol

Skill No.
10

Jam
19

Ammo
6

Fire Type

Sht
0-2

AIR

Med
3-5

Name: lake Westtree

14

Age: 3B
Eyes: brown
Weight: ISO lb

Alertnesa:

10
14

Hero
Points

Skill No.
14

Lite
8-14

Heavy
15-18

Incp
19

Kill
20

shoulder-holster
locksmith's tools
bag with several changes of
clothes
beatup '76 Buick
$500 cash

..

Combat Information:
Weapon
Pistol

Stun
1-7

Equipment
3 pistols
2 boxes pistol ammo
(6 clips)
switchblade
suit

Ammo Points

6
6

Constitution:

Damage
Long
6-20

Race/Nationality: WASP
Politics: Republican
Religion: nominally Protestant
Education: high school, Police Academy
Pre-Occupation Job: Detective, N.Y.P.D.
Family Relationships: Parents dead, unmarried
Grew Up In: Queens
Personal Heroes: J. Edgar Hoover,
G. Gordon Liddy, Bemard Goetz

Physical Th.g: narrow, menacing eyes

Personality Tag: tough, persistent
Passion: justice
Interests: guns (8), violence (12)

Attributes
Strength:
Manual Dexterity:
Agility:

(treat as Molotov
cocktails)

Background Information

Personal Information

Sex: male
Hair: brown
Height: 5' 10"

3 homemade pipebombs

Jam
19

Ammo
6

Fire Type

A/R.

Sht
02

Range
Mad

Long

3-5

620

Damage
Stun
1-7

Lite
814

Heavy
1518

Incp
19

Kill
20

Skills
Combat
Hand-to-Hand
Melee Weapons:
Pistols:
Bifles:
Communication
Bargain:
lnstrument
Guitar:
Instrument - Piano:
Language - English:
Sketching;
Writing:

Crafts
Construction Trades:
Craft - Metalworking:
Driving:
Vehicle Repair:

Skills
Combat
Automatic Weapons:
Hand-to-hand:
Melee Weapons:
Pistols:
Rifles:
Communication
Cryptology:
Instrument
Guitar:
Language
English:
Language - Spanish:
Writing:
Crafts
Demolition:
Driving:
Electronics:
Gunsmithing:

Skills
Combat
Automatic Weapons:
Hand-to-hand:
Melee Weapons:
Pistols:
Rifles:

12

Education
American History:

10

10
12
8

14
10
19
4
10

Survival
Camping:
Drug Lore:
Hunting:
Jersey Shore (Home)
Lore;
Stealth:
Swimming:

8
8
8

Character Background: Ever sipce you were a kid, you've wanted to be in

a rock 'n roll band. You grew up around the Jersey shore with a bunch of
blue-collar kids, and started playing in seedy bars near the waterfront. Mom's
nagging got you through high school, but after that you went to the city to
fmd a band. You started playing joints like CBGB's, where you met Maria.
You and she had quite a time, but eventually her whacko politics proved too
much. As you like to put it, she left you for Nicaragua. Two-three years ago,
you got a recording contract. Since then you've had a couple of minor hits,
mostly blue-collar ballads like "The Steel All Comes From Yokohama" and
'~erican Boy", but you've never hit the big time. Now, you guess, you never
will not with the Reds in town. Well, the President may have surrendered,
but the country sure as hell never will.

5
4

10

10
8

14

Adventure Background: You were wondering what the hell to do when your
old friend Moishe Cohen called from downstairs. Moishe claims he's planning to resist at age 72?! He asked you to call friends who are "tough and
reliable", and set up a meeting at your place on 30th Street. The only person
you could think of you'd want at your back was Maria - and you think she'll
fight.

14
6
8

10

Education
Marxist History:
Latin Amer. History:
Humanities:
Social Sciences:

10
12
8
5

6
6

19
14
10

Survival
Camping:
Nicaragua Lore:
New York City (Home)
Lore:
Stealth:

6
6

10

Adventnre Background: When you heard about the capitulation, you contacted
radical friends to form a resistant group, but they were strangely hesitant.
Then yOu got a call from your old flame, Billy Barstow. He told you to meet
him at his studio on 30th Street ...

12
8

10
9

10
10

Education
Law:

10

14
6

Communication
Bargain:
lnterrogation:
Language - English:
Language - Spanish:
Writing:

10
14
19
12
10

Crafts
Driving:
Gunsmithing:
Locksmithing:

12
10
12

Character Background: You became a Marxist-Leninist in college. As a

campus radical, a guerrilla fighting with the Sandinistas against American
imperialism, and a political activist, you've struggled to bring about the
world-revolution.
.
The inevitable collapse of capitalism has come, as Marx foretold.
Unfortunately, the Stalinist pigs who betrayed the Russian revolution are the
victors. They call their totalitarian dictatorship a worker's state, their fascist
imperialism support for the revolution, their privilege-ridden economy
socialism. The Soviets are far more dangerous than the American state ever
was; capitalism was doomed to fail, but Soviet Communism promises the eternal peace of the grave.
You'll fight the Soviets with every weapon that comes to hand, with anyone
else who's willing to resist. 1hle Communism can never come while the Soviets
remain.

Survival
Camping:
Criminal Operations:
New York City (Home)
Lore:
Stealth:
Tail:

3
10

12
10
12

Character Background: You're sick and tired of the way the system mollycoddles punks. Murderers and rapists roam the streets at will; those arrested
are rarely convicted; and those convicted are paroled in a couple of years.
Misplaced idealism has wreaked havoc with American life. For twenty long
years, you've fought crime in the streets of New York, day by bloody day.
It isn't enough, but at least it's something.
Misplaced idealism has wreaked havoc with American arms, too. The end
has finally come; the miserable wimps in Washington have cravenly surrendered
to the Soviets. You know that the time fur fighting domestic thugs is over;
now it's time to fight those international thugs, the Reds. You'll do so with
the same cold-blooded thirst fur justice you brought to your years on the force.
Adventure Background: An old chess partner, Moishe Cohen, called and
told you to bring your gun to 30th Street. This is it. You've brought a couple
of guys you know from the National Guard.
You're a member of the 71st Infantry Regiment, 42nd New York Infantry
Division, headquartered at the 14th Street Armory. Your superior officer is
Captain Wysynzowski.

Name: George P.
\\J ordo" Miller

Background Information
RacelNationality: German-American
Politics: Buckleyite conservatism
Religion: Catholicism
Education: B.S., Electrical Engineering,
University of Nebraska
Pre-Occupation Job: Mercenary
Family Relationships: Mother dead, father lives with sister in
Nebraska (distant relationship); ex-wife, 2 children in St.
Louis
Grew Up In: Nebraska
Personal Heroes: William F. Buckley, Barry Goldwater,
Dwight D. Eisenhower

Personal Information
Physical Tag: crewcut
Personality Tag: charming, merciless
Passion: adventure
Interests: weapons (6), right-wing
politics (14)
Age: 38
Sex: male
Eyes: bright blue
Hair: blond
Weight: 200 lb
Heig~t: 6' 2"
Attributes
Strength:
Manual Dexterity:
AglUty:
Alertness:
Constitution:

Hero
Points

12

Equipment
Uzi SMG & ammo
(2 clips)
hunting knife
pistol & ammo
(2 clips)

Ammo Points

8
8
12
10

Range

Combat Information:
Weapon
Skill No.
Pistol
10
SMG
14

Jam

Ammo

Fire Type

19
IS

6
10

AIR
AIRIB

Sht
0-2
0-3

3-S
4-7

Age: 37
Eyes: dark brown
Weight: 210 lb

Hero
Points

9
14
8
9
10

Combat Information:
Weapon
Skill No.
Nunchuck*
8
Shuriken
14

Jam

Ammo

Stun
1-7

I-S

Handbook of Physics
and Chemistry
Land Rover
25 one ounce gold
coins in money belt

Damage
Heavy Incp
8-14
IS-18
19
9-13
6-8
14-18
Lite

Kill
20
19-20

Background Information
Race/Nationality: Black
Politics: Anarchocapitalist
Religion: Lapsed Baptist
Education: B.S., Economics (City University of New' York)~
M.B.A., New York University
Pre-Occupation Job: Wall Street Broker
Family Relationships: Parents live modestly in Harlem; visits
them frequently. No wife or close relationships.
Grew Up In: Harlem
Personal Heroes: Martin Luther King, George Washington

Personal Information
Physical 'lag: tall, well-groomed
Personality Tag: businesslike, professional
Passion: Money
Interests: the market (12), military affairS (8)
Sex: male
Hair: black
Height: 6' 3"

Long
6-20
8-20

Med

Name: Johnson Meriwether

Attributes
Strength:
Manual Dexterity:
Agility:
Alertness:
Constitution:

backpack, canteen
sleeping bag, tent
survival gear
fatigues
bush hat

Equipment
nunchaku & 3 shuriken
3-piece suit
Bugatti
suit bag with several
changes of clothing

AmmoPolnts

Fire Type

Sht

Range
Med

Long

AIR

0-1

3-4

Stun
1-10
1-10

Lite
11-15
11-15

briefcase containing 10 lbs

of gold in coins and bars

Damage
Heavy
16-18
16-18

Incp
19
19

Kill
20
20

* treat as medium clubs

Name: Moishe Cohen

Personal Iniormation
Physical Tag: short, balding, walks with a cane
Personality 'lag: shrewd
Passion: freedom
Interests: religion (Iudaism) (10),
jewellery (10)
Sex: male
Hair: grey
Height: 5' 2"

Attributes
Strength;
Manual Dexterity:
AgiUty;
Alertness:
Constitution:
Combat Information:
Weapon
Skill No.
Pistol
10

Age: 72
Eyes: brown
Weight: 130 lb

Hero
Points

5
15
7
15
8

Background Iniormation
Race/Nationality: Jewish
Politics: Demoorat
Religion: Conservative Judaism
Education: 1 year at University of Warsaw
Pre-Occupation Job: Jeweller
Family Relationships: Parents and wife dead; two children, one
in Tel Aviv and the other in Los Angeles. Neither ever calls.
Grew Up In: Warsaw
Personal Heroes: John Sobieski, Moahe Dayan, Lech Walesa
Equipment
pistol & ammo
(1 clip)
suit
yarmulka
cane

Ammo Points

Jam
19

Ammo
6

Fire Type
A/R

Sht
0-2

Range
Med
3-5

Long
6-20

Stun
1-7

$100,000 in cut gems of

various sizes

Lite
8-14

Damage
Heavy
15-18

Inop
19

Kill
20

Skills
Combat
Automatic Weapons:
Hand-to-hand:
Melee Weapons:
Pistols:
Rifles:

10
4

Communication
Fast Talk:
Language - English:
Language - Vietnamese:
Writing:

10
19
12
10

Crafts
Demolition:
Driving:
Vehicle Repair:

14
12
10

Skills
Combat
Automatic Weapons:
Hand-to-hand:
Melee Weapons:
Thrown Weapons:

14

a
a

a
14

14

Communication
Bargain:
Buisness Management:
Con:
Fast Talk:
Language - English:
Writing:

10
10
12
19
10

Crafts
Driving:

11

Education
Engineering:
European History:
Physics:

12
12
10

Survival
Camping:
Nebraska (Home Area)
Lore:
Stealth:
Swimming:

10
5
10
10

Education
Computer Science:
American History:
Humanities:
Law:

10

10
10

Survival
Drug Lore:
New York (Home Area)
Lore:
Stealth:
. Swimming:

10
12
12

<,

Character Background: You never could understand why other men found
war so terrible. You feel like you belong to another era. You long to make
great discoveries, to test yourself against the wilderness, to fight for God and
country in foreign lands. Vietnam was a lark, great fun - until the day you
and your squad were captured by the gooks. The heat, the tiger cages, the
degradation - you wish you could forget it all, and forget the long, grueling
struggle that brought your men out of the jungle. Since that day, you've sought
adventure where you may, and sought, too, to fight the inhuman bestiality
that is Communism. In Angola, in Nicaragua, in Afghanistan you've fought
Communism with every weapon at your disposal. Now, you'll be fighting in
America, but it is the same fight always.
Adventure Background: Jake Westtree, a fellow member of the National
Guard, has told you to come to an apartment on West 30th Street and to
bring your weapons.
You're a member of the 71st Infantry Regiment, 42nd Infantry Division,
headquartered at the 14th Street Armory. Your superior officer is Captain
Wysynzowski.

Character Background: Most people in the ghetto look for hand-outs. Not
you. You knew that government does its best to keep people down, not help
them out. They stuck it to you with welfare and rat-hole state-run schools.
"The dependency trap," they call it, but it's the old game of the state keeping
undesirables down with bread and circuses.
Then the state took you forcibly from your home and plopped you into a
vermin-infested swamp where little guys with Soviet rifles attempted to blow
your head off. You weren't fond of the little guys with rifles, but you knew
your true enemy: the government.
Back in the States, you worked like hell to get out of the ghetto. You paid
your way through CUNY, then through NYU business school with the aid
of scholarships. You knew where the money was, and you went for it. But
you never forgot the lesson you leaJ;lled on the streets of Harlem and the paddies of 'Nam: the state is the natural enemy of the penple.
The American government is bad enough; the Soviets are far worse.
And you - how ironic - you're a class enemy: a capitalist; a dealer in
stocks and bonds; a Wall Street broker. Doubtless you'll be one of the first
to be liquidated.
If they can find you.
Adventure Background: Jordo Miller, an old Army buddy, has suggested
you meet him at an apartment on West 30th Street.

Skills
Combat
Hand-to-hand:
Melee Weapon:
Pistols:
Rifles:
Communication
Business Management:
Language - Yiddish:
Language - English:
Language - Polish:
Language
Russian:
Writing:
Crafts
Craft - Jewellery:
Craft - Gem Cutting:
Driving:

10

12
10

10
19
10
10
10
10

14
14
8

Education
Torah:
European History:
Jewish History:

10
9

Survival
New York
(Home Area) Lore:
Stealth:

12
12

12

Character Background: Your mother, father, wife and children all died in
the concentration camps. You fought in the Polish underground against the
Nazis. You were in Warsaw during the uprising" when the Russians halted
their advance scant miles from the gates of Warsaw to let the Nazis smash
the Polish freedom fighters - to make Poland easier to dominate once
"liberated." You stayed in Poland to fight the new oppressors, but by the end
of '45, it was clear the Western Allies had abandoned Poland to her fate. You
fled to America.
Here, you've made a comfortable living as ajeweller. You had two children
by your second wife, one of whom emigrated to Israel, the other to Californin. You never hear from either, but you live comfortably alone, doing a little
business, playing chess and going to temple. Only now, the Communists have
come again, and this time there's nowhere to flee.
Adventure Background: You've contacted the boy upstairs, what's his name,
Barstow. He looks like a likely resistance fighter. And Westtree, the cop, your
chess partner, that guy's a tbugh cookie. You'll put a group together. You'll
probably all be killed by the Reds, but at 72, what has an old man to look
forward to? Better to be killed by the KGB than wheezing your last in a cancer

ward.

"ICI

Character Sheet
Narne: _______________~---------------

~OrrBIDOII~

Player: ______________________~------------

Personal Information

'

Physical Tag: ___________________________________________________

Personality Tag: _______________________________________
Passion: _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __
Interests: _________________________________________

Sex: M F

Age:

Hair:

Eyes:

Height:

Weight:

Background Information
Race/Nationality: ___________________________________
Politics: _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _~_________________________
Religion: _____________________________________________________
Education: ___________________________- - - - - - - - - - - Pre-Occupation Job: ________________________________
Family Relationships: _______________________________
GrewUpfu: ________________________________

________

Personal Heroes: ______________________________________

Attributes
Strength:

Hero Points

Ammo Points

Manual Dexterity:
Agility:
Alertness:
Constitution:

Combat Information
Weapon.

Skill
No.
Jam

Fire
Range
Damage
Ammo Type Short Med Long Stun Lite Hvy

fucp

Kill

Equipment

Skills
ColDhal
Automatic Weapons . :
Bows .......................... :
Gunnery .................. :
HandtoHand . -...... -----: 2
Heavy Weapons ------.- -:
Indirect Fire Weapons---:
Melee Weapons ---.-.------: 2
Pistols----------------------- :
Rifles------------------ :
Thrown Weapons----------:

ColDIDlIalcatiOD
Bargain----------------------:
Bureaucracy -------.-------.:
Business Management - -:
Con -----..... -.--.-.----------:
Cryptology -- -.------------:

Fast Talk-------------------:
Fine Arts-------------------:
Instrument :
Interrogation -----------.----:
: 19
Language Language :
Sketching ------------------.-:
Writing ---.------------------~: 10
Crafts

Appliance Repair----------:
Construction Trades -------:
CraftDemolition ---.---------------:
Driving -----------------------: 8
Driving, Heavy Vehicle-ow:
Electronics ------------------:
Flying -------------------.. ---:

Character Background

Forgery --------------------- --:

Gunsmithing ------------._--:
Helicopter -------------------:
Locksmithing ---------------:
Navigation ----.. -------------:
Vehicle Repair--------------:

BducaUOD
Biology --.---.---.-.-----.-- :
Chemistry-.-----.--.- -.-:
Computer Science--------:
Engineering .- ------.------:
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ History:
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ Hi~ory:
Humanities ------.... --.. ---:
Law------------------------ :
Medicine-------------------- :
Physics -----------------------:
Social Sciences --.--.------:

Survival
Camouflage -----------------:
Camping ----.---- ------------:
Criminal Operations ____ ow:
Disguise ----------------------:
Drug Lore ------------. -----:
Fishing -. ------------------:
Horse Riding-------------:
Hunting -----------.--.--.---.:
_____________,(Home
Area} Lore-----------: 5
________ Lore:
Mountaineering ----.-------:
Pickpocket -------.--.--------:
Stealth ----------.--.---------.: 4
Swimming .. -..... -.--..... -.:
Tail .. --.... --.-.-... -----------:
Tracking .--------------------:

Stamp:

These papers are the property of the

government of the United American
Soviets. They must be surrendered to
any agent of the federal, state, municipal
or other local governments, or to the
agents of duly-authorized allied powers
(as defined under Act of Occupation
17Q4a), including Soviet officials, upon
demand. You are required to carry these
papers at all times. Failure to produce
proper papers upon demand is a felony
by Edict of the Provisional Government

92.17586.

Religious Affiliation (check one):

o Atheist
o Other (specify):
Sexual Orientation: _______
Military Experience: _ _ _ _ __
I am authorized to travel within the
following Area Code regions:

Known Pre-Liberation Fascist

Affiliations:

Name ____________
Address _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __
City _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __
State
Phone Number (H):

Zip _ _ _ __

___-___ _
L_~ ___ -___ _
L_~

Phone Number (W):

Social Security #: - - --- --- - - Hair
Eyes _ _ Race _ __

"I swear and affirm that all of the above

information 1s correct, and understand
that I may be subject to discipline under
Martial Law Act 42B if any of this information proves to be false."

Height _ _ __ Weight _ _ __
Distinguishing Features _ _ _ __

(sign)

Affix front and profile photos here:

"I am not now, nor have I ever been,

a member of the Republican Party or
of any other organization devoted to the
forcible overthrow of the government of
the United American Soviets."
(sign)

Universal Identification Papers

About three months after the occupation begins,
papers will be issued by the occupying authorities
to every citizen of the U.S. Each player should fill
out a copy of the Papers.
The information is for the. use of the occupying
authorities, not for game use. You may, if you
wish, lie when filling it out, but be aware of the
dangers: you are liable to be executed if anything
you say on the form is proven false.
A few features deserve further explanation.
Although "real" ID papers would, of course, include photos, if you don't have any handy, don't
feel obligated to affix pictures of youliself (though
it's a nice touch if you do). If you have some artistic ability, you might substitute a sketch for
photos. If you are not playing an avatar game, you
could clip photos from a magazine and paste them
in place, if you run across a picture that looks like
you imagine your character looking.
Look at the area code map in your local phone
book. The occupation authorities will authorize you
to travel within your home area code only (unless
your place of residence and workplace are in different area codes, in which case you may travel in
both area code regions). Enter your area code on
the space indicated. If you are inventing a
character, figure out what his home area code is,
and enter it.
"Known Pre-Liberation Fascist Affiliations"
includes virtually everything - Republican,
Democratic or other party memberships (only
Communists and Independents are untainted),
membership in virtually any political organization,
contributions to PACs. Even apparently-innocuous
organizations, like the Boy Scouts, L-5 Society and
Save the Children Foundation are suspect.
Sign on the two blanks indicated.

COBETCKOMY HAPOAY-nO&EAMTEAIO-CAABA!

FREEDOM

FILE

TBE

PRICE
OF FREEDOM

SKILL AND ATTRIBUTE

MODIFIERS CHART
-2
x'h
-2
x 112

character
character
character
character

lightly wounded
heavily wounded
fatigued
exhausted

Whenever a character makes any skill or attribute roll

(including a weapons skill roll in combat), the modifiers above
apply. If the character Is lightly wounded or fatigued , his skill
or attribute number is redu ced by 2 (if both , by 4); if he is
heavily wounded or exhausted, his skill or attribute number
Is halved (quartered If both apply). (Halving occurs after all
other modifications to the skill number.) Other modifiers may

be applied at the discretion of the gamemaster. Round

fractions down .

TERRAIN EFFECTS CHART

Terrain Type

Clear
Road

Broken
Brush
Swamp

Rough
Woods
Crater
Rubble
Forest
Trench
Dune
Stream
River

Low Wall
High Wall
Door2
Window 2
SIit2
Stairway

Cliff
Tree

Fire
Modifier

0
0
-1
-1
-1
-2
-2
-2
-2
-4
-4
-4
-1
-2
-1
imp.

-2
-4
-6

Legs

1
1
2
2
2
3
2
3
4
2
2
3
2

_.
+1
+4
+1
+3

Movement Point Cost

Wheels 4-wheel Drive

2
1
2
2
4
imp.
Imp.
imp.
imp.
imp.
imp.
imp.
Imp.
Imp.

line of
Tracked

Sight

1
1
1
2
2
3
3

1
1
1
1
2
2
4

imp.

imp.

S
S

imp.
imp.

imp.

4
3

imp.

imp.

_.
2

+3

+1

imp.

Imp.
imp.
imp.
imp.
Imp.

imp.
imp.
imp.
Imp.

imp.
Imp.
imp.
Imp.

2
5
5

Imp.
Imp.
imp.

Imp.
imp.
imp.

imp.
imp.
imp.

--

Procedure: Find the terrain type along the lefthand side. The entry in the "fire modifier" column is the number to be subtracted from a firer's skill number when firing at a target in or Immediately behind the indicated terrain type. The number
under " Legs" is the number of movement points a character spends when entering a hex of the terrain type ; if the number
Is preceded by a plus (" + "), the cost is for crossing a hexslde printed with the terrain type, and is cumulative with the
cost of the hex entered (e.g., crossing a low wall Into a rough terrain hex costs 4 movement points). The numbers printed
under the " Wheels," "4-wheel Drive," and " Tracked " columns are the movement point costs for various type s of vehicles.
If the letter " B" Is printed under the " Line of Sight" column , the terrain blocks lines of sight.
" Imp." means impassable; the terrain may not be entered or crossed.
Characters may only enter when swimming - see 7.6; and vehicles may only enter if able to swim
Ing - see 20.6 - both In the Gamemaster Book.
2 Fire modifier is -1 If firer is adjacent to aperture.
1

Of'

prepared for snorkel-

FIRE MODIFIERS
AGAINST PERSONNEL

"'"
""
""""

,,
,
" ,
"

.....

Semi-aLlklmalic rille

11

hIIomatic CIrtline
AuIoolatic rifle
MachIne ritIe

-""'-....

MIdkIm rnad'Iinegun

..
......

"
"...
"
"
...
" " ......
......
" ...... .,"
"" " ...... "
""
.""
"
"
19
19

....
.

""-

.".",
"
"
..,
."
.,

.~

."
717

.~

".,

"..,
,..,
"..,
,..,
,..,
."

"-50
,..,

.
."
,..,
1125

.. ...

Range

711

1215

1"

1114

19
16-19
15-19

..,

14-19
14-18

'1

.,. ..,.

15-18

11).13

lS-19
14-19
14-16

713

'2

,."
713

14-18

14-18

1>"

\117

,."

"""m

Target Prooe

"'"

Targel Tfmln Type

Broken, Bru$h, Swamp, Low Wall, Stream
Rough, Crater, Rubble, Woods, RNeI
Trench, Forest, or Dune
Aperture a!f~nt 10 fir&r
Ooot' (~herwisa)

WI_I_I
StilI........1

.
.

-\

-2

-\

-2

-6

.""""'"

-,

-2

FIf8 !rom moving vehicle or amma!

Target moving

Type 01 Are

Fire II Wtapons Flash

-.-,

Opportunity F1rt

-2

s...

ThrowlIl\I knNa

Sh_

, Ajim I'IdicaIeI 1M! !tit bow!I1ing his t:m:In -

.. n..

fIIlIlCIIMnI rtq .... !!om 120 eombll rCU'II!s def*IdIng on ltIIly?t 01 bcM'.
!look

Ammo arnrne jIOIf'III in dip. LJghI.

A . ~.

"
"
.""

.. ,.,. ....." "

,.. " ...,, ,..,.""
,. ." ,." ,..,

"""""" ...

A ""'*I.

'IItIUIlded.

~.

MIIriy 'O'DOIIded. 1ncIp.. 1fIeIpaciIad.

B. BInI.

Procedure: Modify the firer 's skill number as the

chart Indicates. "J;Y:!" or "xV," means the skill
number Is halved or quartered, rounding fractions
down. Any halving or quartering occurs after the
skill number is modified for other reasons. Also
see the Skill and Attribute Modifiers Chart.

PROCEDURE IFIRE AGAINST PERSONNEL)

~pe of Fire : There are three tyPes of fire: aimed (A), rapid
(R), and burst (8). Not aU weapons can use all three types: the
" Type of Fire" column indicates which types each weapon can
use.
When a character lires, he must state which of the permitted
types of fire he uses. Aimed lire is against one target and con
sumes one ammo point. When using rapid fire, a character can
fi re twice, consuming one ammo point per 'ire. When using burst
'ire, a character can lire up to five times, consuming two ammo
points per fire. (For more detail, see the "Ammunition" section
of ru le 5.8 in the Player Book).
Ammunition: The "ammo" column indicates how many ammo
points an ammunition clip for a weapon contains. When a weapon
consumes as many points as its clip contains, it is out of ammunition, and must be reloaded before It can fire again .
Players should keep track of ammunition axpenditure by penciling hash mar\(S In the "Ammo Points" section of their character
sheets.
Rang e and Other Modifiers: Determine the fire r's skill with
his weapon. His skill number Is modified by a number of factors
(see the " Fire MocIiIlers Against Personnel" chart). The first suCh
lactor Is range.
Count the number 01 hexes between lirer and his target (including the target hex, but not the firer's). Refer to the line of the
table printed with the weapon's name and lind Ihe distance in
hexes on that line in the " Range" section of the table. The col
umn In which the distance lies determines whether the weapon

is being 'ired at short, medium or long range.

Example: A pistol is fired at short range if the target is 0 to
2 hexes away; at medium range II 3-5 hexes away: and at long
range il 6-20 hexes away.
If the target is at medium range, the fi rer's skill number is
halved: il al long range, it is quartered .
The firer's skill number Is also modilled tor target stance, the
type of tire, Ihe terrain in the target's hex , etc. - see "Fire
Modifiers Against Personnel."
HIHlng : Roll the dice. I! the number rolled is less than or equal
to Ihe lirer's modilied skill number, the target Is hit and damage
Is determined. I! not, fire has no effect. II a 20 Is rolled, the weapon
may have Jammed.
Damage: I! the target is hit, roll the die again. Find the number
rolled in the " Damage" section of the table on the firing weapon 's
line. The column in which the number Is found determines what
damage the target receives. Example: II a pistol hits and the
damage roll is 1 through 7, the target Is stunned; on an 8 through
14, the target is lightly wounded; on a 15 Ihrough 18, heavily
wounded : on a 19, Incapacitated: and on a 20, killed.
Jam: II the "to hit" roll is a 20, the firing weapon may have
jammed. Each weapon has a "jam number:' printed in the ''Jam''
column on the weapon's line of the table. Ron the die again : il
the number rolled is equal to or greater than the jam number,
Ihe weapon is inoperable: guns are jammed , and bowstrings are
broken. Thrown weapons cannot Jam.

GRENADE MODIfIERS
AGAINST PERSONNEL
Modifiers to Manual Dexterity
Range: Medium
loog

w.","

x'k
xV
.

Observation: Thrower does not have a line of sight

to Ihe target hex
x\f1
Target Terrain Type
Wood~

Rlrest

Door or Trench not adjacent to thrower

Window or Slit not adjacent to thrower
h1jacent to Wall, Crater

-1
-2

-,
+1

GM

MtLtan~

""","",'

""""C"",,
An:ijltrsonoeI Mirla
Artitank Mine

"'"""""... ...

MoIIXov Cockta~

ModlfieB to the Damage Die-roll

17

..
.

1S.19

1 (-3)

"

H2
H

13-15

16-18
1S.17
13-16
1115

1&'li
1118
1&-11

."

17

17

!&-!7

~
,.~

2 (- 2)
1 (-3J

, .~

31-~

6 (- 2)1

13-11

1&'19

110

11.13

14.18

,. ~

B1astllodifief

-1

Target Area
Vented
Enclosed

+2
+5

Terrain Type (grenade exploded outside the

charaCler's hex)
Rubble, Woods
Crater, Forest

-1
-2

Door, Trench, Window, Slit

-,

Target Prone

-2

Modify thrower 's manual dexterity as

indicated. Also see the Skill and Attribute
Modifiers Chart.
When roil ing lor damage, modify rolls as
indicated under " Modifiers to the Damage
Die-roll." A " vented " target area is one partially enclosed (open-top vehicle, building larger
than one halt, elc. ): an " enclosed area" is lully
enclosed (tank. small building, pillbo;.r;).

GRENADE SCATTER DIAGRAM

'-...

., ,. ., " >15
"" .,., ,.
" ., ,..5,
.,
, ,. ."
" .,
,.
"
"
" ., , ,. . ."
"'"

reference hexside

Procedure:
Trace a line from the thrower or fi rer to the
target hex. The hexside across which the line
passes is called the reference hexslde. Roll
the die; the grenade or shell lands in the hex
indicated relative to the refere nce h exside.
That is, if a 1-4 is rolled, It scatters away from
the thrower or fi rer; if a 17-20 is rolled it scatters towards him : etc ...

, AI . ' .ny IIex wilh," e IIex&s rJ lht tarveI fib: ~ Hlummlled.

I _lht gas mine 0I11U ~ 1'\j1es (lU lII(! 17.4)

'-_

rules on claymore rrunes

(11.3)

GRENADE COMBAT AGAINST PERSONNEL

Procedure :
Modify the thrower's manual dexterity as directed by the Grenade Modifiers
Against Personnel chart. Note that one modifier Is lor range; determine the range
following the procedure described on the Small Arms Combat Table.
Make an attribute roll using the modilied manual dexterity. If the roll succeeds,
the grenade lands In the target hex. If not, refer to the Grenade Scatter Diagram
to determine where the grenade scatters. If the roll is a 20 the grenade may be a
dud (see below).
Blast RadII : Each grenade or mine has a biast radius, printed in the " Blast Radius"
column of the table. If a grenade's blast radius is a dash ('!"':'), It does damage only
to characters In the hex where it lands. If its blast radius is a number, It can also
do damage to all characters located within its blast radius (e.g., a grenade with a
blast radius of 2 affects all characters wi thin two hexes).
Damage: Roll once on the damage section of the Grenade and Mine Combat
Table for each character within the blast radius, Modify a character's die-roll as Indicated in the "Damage Modifiers" section of the Grenade Modifiers AgaInst Personnel chart. If the character is not in the grenade's impact hex (or the hex where
the mine Is located), the die-roll is modified by the blast modifier, which Is printed
in paren theses after the blast radius on Ihe table. The blast modifier is multiplied
by the character's distance from the impact hex. A modified dirrroll of less than I
is treated as a roll of 1: a roil greater than 20 Is treated as a 20.
Example: A character is two hexes away from an antipersonnel mine when It ex
plodes. The mine's blast radius Is 3 and its blast modifier is (-2). Therefore the
character must make a damage die-roll. A 20 is rolled which would normally kill the
character, but since he Is two hexes from the mine the dirrroll is reduced by four
(2 hexes x -2 modifier ,. -4). The modified roll Is 16, and the character Is
incapacitated .
Duds: If the character rolls a 20 on his manual dexterity roll, the grenade or mine
may be a dud. Roll the die a second time. If the number is equal to or greater than
the dud number the grenade/mine fails to explode. Otherwise, it functions ; determine scatter normally and resolve damage for any characters within the blast radius.
Mines: All of the above rules apply to mines, except that no manual dexterity roll
Is made and no scatter occurs.
. M%tov Cocktails and Dynamite: Instead of making a " dud" roll, Ihe person who
prepared the dynamite or molotov for throwing makes a demolitions skill roll. On
a 20 it blows up in the thrower's hex. On any other failed roll , it fails to explode.

MELEE MODIFIERS CHART

Target Surprised
Attacker Prone
Target Prone

x2
-4
+4

The attacker's skill number Is modified as indicated;

also see the Skill and Attribute Modifiers Chart.

MELEE COMBAT TABLE

Weapon

Hand-to-hand

Small knife
Medium knife
large knife
Small club
Medium club
large club
Garotte

Bush

whack
value

4
14
16
10
10
12
8
19

Damage
Stun

Light Heavy Incap. Kill

1-14
1-10
1-8
1-5
1-12
1-10
1-8

15-17
11-15
9-14
6-12
13-17
11-15
9-14

18 19-20 16-18
19
20
15-17 16-19 20
13-16 17-18 19-20
20
18
19
19
16-18
20
15-16 17-18 19-20

Procedure: Determine the attacker's skill number - use his

hand-to-hand skill if unarmed, his melee weapons skill otherwise. The skill number Is modified as Indicated by the Melee
Modifiers Chart. A skill roII 1s then made against the modified
skill number.
If the skill roll is a success, the target Is damaged; roll again
and refer to the damage section of the table to determine what
damage he receives (see Small Arms Combat Table lor a
more complete procedure explanation).
The bushwhack value is only used if the attacker has surprise and makes a successful stealth skill roll. If he does, and
his skill roll succeeds, he may kill the target automatically;
roll again. If the number rolled Is less than or equat to the
weapon's bushwhack value, the target is dead. If not,
damaged Is determined normally.

TBE

OF FIEEDOM ~
ROLEPLAYING IN
OCCUPIED AMERICA

THE RULES SECTION

1. Introduction
1.1 Welcome to Liberty Hall
1.2 What's In This Book?

THE ADVENTURE
SECTION
2. The PATH of Freedom
2.1 Setting Up for Your First Game
2.2 How This Adventure Is Organized
2.3 What's Going On
2.4 Beginning: Billy Barstow's Apartment
2.5. Episode 1: The Roadblock
2.6 Episode 2: The Armory
2.7 Episode 3: Communipaw Bridge
2.8 Wrapping Up the Adventure
3. Designing and Running
Adventures
3.1 Packaged Adventures
3.2 Designing Your Own
3.3 Getting Ideas
3.4 Plotting
3.5 Characterization
3.6 Atmosphere and Mood Setting
3.7 Sadistic Violence
3.8 Heroic Fiction Vs. Reality
3.9 Styles of Play
3.10 Props
3.11 Rewards
4. Setting Up a Campaign
4.1 What is a Campaign?
4.2 Avatar Campaigns
4.3 Setting
4.4 Character Backgrounds
4.5 Recurring NPCs
4.6 Integrating Packaged Adventures
4.7 A Timeline
4.8 Parsimony
5. Adventure Hooks
5.1 Radio Free America
5.2 Jack Reed's Body
5.3 The Last Congressman
5.4 Agent Provocateur
5.5 The Nuclear Express
5.6 Gulag Archipelago
5.7 "Welcome, Comrade General"

PRICE OF FREEDOM

6. Attributes
6.1 What Attributes Govern
6.2 Difficulty
6.3 Attribute vs. Attribute
6.4 Increasing Attributes (Optional)
6.5 Interpreting Rolls (Optional)
7. Skills
7.1 Roleplay It Out
7.2 Combat Skills
7.3 Communication Skills
7.4 Craft Skills
7.5 Education Skills
7.6 Survival Skills
8. Hero Points
8.1 More About Hero Points
8.2 Villain Points
9. Movement
9.1 In Combat
9.2 Chases
9.3 Long-Distance Movement
10. General Survival
10.1 Fatigue and Exhaustion
10.2 Wounds and Healing
10.3 Food, Water, Air and Exposure
10.4 Drowning
10.5 Weight
10.6 Currency
10.7 Falling and Collisions

THE COMBAT SECTION

11. Panic and Preservation
11.1 Panic
11.2 Leadership
11.3 Preservation
12. Lines of Sight
12.1 Tracing a Line of Sight
12.2 Blocking Terrain
12.3 Elevation
12.4 Buildings
12.5 Weather and Lighting
13. Observation and Activation
13.1 Activation
13.2 NPCs and Observation
Battle Scenario:
Assault on Green Mountain
14. More About Grenades
14.1 Fragmentation
14.2 White Phosphorus
14.3 Smoke
14.4 Gas
14.5 Antitank
14.6 Satchel Charges

15. Melee Weapons

16. Heavy Weapons
16.1 Bullet-Trap Rifle Grenades
16.2 Grenade Launchers
16.3 Bazookas
16.4 ATGMs (Antitank Guided Missiles)
16.5 LAWs (Light Antitank Weapons)
17. Mines
17.1 Antipersonnel Mines
17.2 Antitank Mines
17.3 Claymore Mines
17.4 Gas Mines
17.5 Removing Mines
18. Barbed Wire
18.1 Straight Wire
18.2 Razor Wire
18.3 Clipping Wire
19. Night Operations
19.1 Weapons Flashes
19.2 Lighted Areas
19.3 White Phosphorus Grenades
19.4 Flares
19.5 Star Shells
19.6 Lamp Posts
19.7 Searchlights
19.8 Vehicle Headlights
Battle Scenario:
The Arsenal In Hudson Mall
20. Vehicles
20.1 Movement
20.2 As Targets
20.3 Crew and Passengers
20.4 Opening and Buttoning Up
20.5 Vehicle Weapons
20.6 Getting Wet
20.7 Miscellaneous Vehicle Rules

GAMEMASTER BOOK

21. Artillery and Mortars

21.1 Firing Artillery and Mortars
21.2 Resolving Fire
21.3 Indirect Fire
21.4 Spotting Rounds
21.5 Off-Map Fire
21.6 Disassembling Mortars
21.7 Smoke, Gas and Illumination Shells
22. Recoilless Rifles
23. Horses
23.1 Long-Distance Movement
23.2 Loads
23.3 Combat Training and Actions
23.4 Charges and Melee
23.5 Firing At Horses and Riders
23.6 Horse Damage

THE BACKGROUND
SECTION
24. Soviet Plans
24.1 Military Plans
. 24.2 Political Plans
25. The American Strategic
Direction
25.1 The American Strategic Direction
25.2 Front-Level Assets
25.3 Soviet/WarSaw Pact Motorized
Rifle Division
25.4 Motor-Rifle Division Assets
25.5 Cuban/Nicaraguan Infantry Division
25.6 Soviet Airborne Division
25.7 Soviet Equipment
26. Tlmeline
26.1 Prelude
26.2 The First Year
The Shape of Things to Come
Designer's Notes

.".WEST
~

fEND

t.J GAMES

Copyright 1986 by West End

Games, Inc. THE PRICE OF
FREEDOM is West End's name
for its roleplaying game of
resistance to Soviet occupation;
trademark applied for.

1. Introduction
(1.1) Welcome to Liberty
Hall
THE PRICE OF FREEDOM is a bit of a
departure for West End Games. We are known
best for our satiric roleplaying games, PARANOIA
and GHOSTBUSlERS. Both have simple
systems, are designed to be played fast and loose,
and are humorous in tone and intent. THE
PRICE OF FREEDOM is clearly of a different
mold; it's fairly complex, designed as much as a
wargame as for roleplaying, and is, if anything,
, grim in tone.
Yet, in a sense, all three are similar. All set a
tone; all take pains to get the players into the right
frame of mind, to suggest ways to help the
gamemaster create an appropriate experience for
his players. Traditional roleplaying games simply
provide a rules framework, and leave it to the purchaser to figure out how to use that framework
to create satisfying adventures - what sort of
stories to tell, what sort of characters to play.
Games like this miss the whole point. What's
unique about roleplaying is not the presence of
rules, but the ability of players and gamemaster
to collectively tell a story. What's satisfying is
not using the rules cleverly, but creating a compelling tale.
In one way, THE PRICE OF FREEDOM is
very different from our previous roleplaying games;
its combat system is complex and involves a level
of technical detail lacking in our other games. The
system is complex for several reasons. First, we
believe that the people whdll be interested in telling the kinds of stories THE PRICE OF
FREEDOM can tell will also be interested in
military hardware. They'll appreciate the level of
detail, and will not be satisfied by simple combat
rules. Second, the kinds of stories THE PRICE
. OF FREEDOM tells often revolve around combat - and neat equipment. Rules to cover a wide
variety of military hardware are necessary.
We suspect that many players of PARANOIA
and GHOSTBUSTERS will be puzzled by THE
PRICE OF FREEDOM, precisely because the
game is so different. To them, we can only say
that our ambition is to publish a wide variety of
roleplaying games on many subjects something
for everyone, as it' were. If THE PRICE OF
FREEDOM is not your cup of tea, no hard feelings - rest assured that we'll continue to pUblish

plenty of material for our other games, and we'll

publish more humorous games in the future.
And we suspect THE PRICE OF FREEDOM
will attract new players whdll be surprised that a
company known for weirdness can produce a
serious and sophisticated military roleplaying
game. They shouldn't be; West End is, after all,
also a major publisher of military boardgames, and
the expertise is transferable.
Whatever your tastes, we hope you'll find much
to like in THE PRICE OF FREEDOM, and that
you'D be impressed enough to investigate our other
games.

Trust The State.

The State is Your Friend.

And we hope that, in the long, hard days of

struggle against Soviet oppression that lie ahead,
whatever the deprivation and hardship your
characters undergo, you, at least, have a satisfying time.

(1.2) What's In This Book?

The Gamemaster Book is divided into four
sections; Adventure, Rules, Combat and
Background.
The Adventure Section provides a complete
adventure ("The PATH of Freedom"), plus a whole
series of "Adventure Hooks" - short adventure
deScriptions you can develop into full-dress adventures for your players. It also tells you how to
design and run your own adventures, how to run
a campaign, and provides suggestions on effective gamemastering.

GAMEMASTERBOOK

The Rules Section contains a more complete

explanation of the ideas introduced in the Player
Book attributes, skills, and hero points. It also
contains rules for "general survival" - movement
over large distances, encumbrance and weights,
and how to deal with such life-threatening problems as starvation, asphyxiation, drowning,
wounds, and the like.
The Combat Section supplements the combat
rules in the Player Book with rules for handling
NPCs, grenades, heavy weapons, night operations, vehicles, and much more. It also provides
a series of "introductory" combat scenarios which
you and your friends can play to learn the combat system in a painless and enjoyable manner.
When you don't have enough people to play an
adventure, you may find that playing a combat
scenario is a lot of fun in itself.
Finally, the Background Section proVides information about the Soviets' plans for Nmerica, the
military organization of the invading forces, and
other useful information.
In the center of the Gamemaster Book, you'D
find the Gamemaster Charts. This four-page
folder contains all the charts and tables you need
to run the game - except for the basic combat
charts (which the players have access to), which
are printed in Freedom File D, and a final few
charts printed on the last two pages of this booklet.
The four pages surrounding the Gamemaster
Charts are the hand-outs used in "The PATH of
Freedom" adventure. To remove them and the
Gamemaster Charts, lift up the staples (using a
knife or somesuch to avoid injury); pull the cen-
tral eight pages off the staples, and push them back
down. Once you remove the central eight pages,
you'll find that the book's centerfold contains a
blank hex sheet. You may photocopy this (you've
g~t our permission) and draw your own maps on
the copies. (If you prefer, we seD blank 22/1 by 34/1
mapsneets and blank counters by mail; see our
catalog. Be sure to order 16mm .hex sheets.
At the back of the book, you'll find the NPC
Roster and the Vehicle Roster. The first is a
blank form you can fill in to keep track of NPCs'
stats while running the game. The other is used
to keep track of vehicles in combat. West End
hereby grants you permission to photocopy these
for.ms for your own use.

PRICE OF FREEDOM

= = = = = = = = T B E ADVENTURE SECTION========",

2. The PATH of Freedom

(2.1) Setting Up For Your
First Game
This Islhe flrsllldventure for THE PRICE OF
FREEDOM. If you lire II player. don't read <!I"Y
further; the following Is for the gamemllSler's use,
and reading II will
adventure

spoil your enjoyment of the

The adventure Is designed to be played with the

characters provided In F~~dom File B lind the
rules from the P'a~r Book. Before you Tun the
game you must read the Plover Book (except
for section 3, Characler Generlltlon) You don',
have to read lhe whole Gamemos&er Book; Just
this lIdvenlure.. The rest of the Gomemo.ster
Book 1$ advllnced material you can use later
Before you Invite your players over, make sure

you're reasonably familiar with the rule5 you'U use.

Oon', \IIOI'TY If you don', know them cold; com-

plete fllmlllarlty will come with use. You should

knOlM enough to be able to find II rule when you
need 10. though
Reaod through this adventure. Be famlillu with
its non -player charaClers and events. It will provide suggestions for staging the adventure. for takIng the roles of the non-player characters. and for
dealing with unforeseen problems.
Before your pillyers lInlve, get out your game
and look things over one IlIsttime. You mlghtlllso
check to mllke sure you have lin lIdequate supply of munchies. (The dllngerous lind hectic: life
of the freedom fighter mllkes square meals hard
to find .)
Cut llpart the chllracter sheel.l from Freedom
Ale B Illong the doned lines When your players
arrive, hand a sheet to each 01 them If you have
more ~eel.lthan players, lOme of the characters
will not be used , but make lure you do use Billy
Barstow and Jordo Miller - they're important to
the plot. If you have more players than sheets. the
extra players will have to generate their own
characters (see the Ploye:r Book for rules on
to do this).
Note: If your players InSist upon roiling up their
own characters, It Is Important thllt at least one
chllracter have II decent demolitions skUland be
II member - or, at worst, an exmember - of
the New York Natlonlll GUllrd. Other than thllt,
players lire free to do wNatever they wllnt with their
characters, except that they 1111 hllve to be In New
York City at the beglnnlng of Ihe OccuplIUon.

now

PRICE OF FREEDOM

Then. hand Freedom File A to the players.

(If you like, you can photocopy It 50 you have one
copy for each player.1 It discusses the gllme's
background lind the basic: rules the players need
to know. Give them some time to reed over
Freedom File A end the charecter sheets.
The maps used in the edventure are found In
the center eight pages of this booklet. Remove
them (see 1.2 for instructlons), and cut them up.
If you don't want to mutilate your book, feel free
to photocopy them . Give your players " Map A ,"
the Manhattan street map.
On the same sheet, you'D find an "NPC Roster "
You use this to keep lTack of the chllracters you
control in combat. It lists their combllt skills, lind
what weapons they carry. It Is also used to record
ammunition and grenade expenditure.

(2.2) How This Adventure Is

Organized
"The PATH of Freedom"ls the story of a group
of freedom-loving IndivldulIls who choose to resist
the Soviet occup!ltlon of America. To do so effectively. they hllve to find wellponS and direction.
The story opens In the apertment of one of the
player characters, Billy Barstow. who Uves on West
30th Street In Manhattan. (CUriOUsly enough, he
lives In the very same building where West End
hlIs its offices.) The Pes hlIve glIthered et Barstow's
to decide what to do. Several of the characters are
members of the New York National Guard. and
a Guard armory Is :tOf far away. Presumably. they
deride 10 visit the Armory in search of weapons.
That's the opening. The rest 01 the adventure
is divided Into three "episodes," elleh of whlch has
its own section in the text that follooNs. The first
is "Episode 1: The Roadblock." As described In
the section of thllt nllme, en IOlIle to the Armory
the characters encounter a roadblock manned by
Ioo!ers. They must get through the roadblock one
way or another. (ThIs may become the players'
first introduction to the combllt rules.)
The second episode 15 "The Armory." At the
Armory, the players must deal with an obstructionist sergeant. Then, they lellrn of the GUlIrd's
evllCUlI!lon pillns, lind lire cllned upon to playa
vital role. For the evacuation to be successful, a
bridge In Jersey City must be destroyed - and
the PCs are the only availablE! personnel with the
necessary skills.

GAMEMASTER BOOK

The final episode 15 "The Bridge," In which Ihe

characters must get to the bridge, dear II of panIcked clvUillns. and then destroy It. As the PCs
prepare to blow the bridge. a squlld of Soviet
soldiers attllcks. The result Is II Ufeand -dellth
struggle with the survivlIl of II regiment at stake.
Scattered throughout the adventure, you'U find
two types of boKed texl. Some boxes are labeled
"GMlng TIps:" they provide suggestions for how
to be as good II gamemllSler 115 you can. We sug
gest you read oyer them when you first read the
adventure - and Illter use them a5 reference
sources - but ignore them when you run the
adventure. You'D have plenty of other thlng5 to
worry lIooUt then.
The other boKes provide information lind dalll
about the non -player characters you wiU be caDed
upon to play during the adventure. Some 01 these
are minor characters the Pes meet: others are their
opponents. Each chllracter description gives a
physiaol description, II personlllity tog for you to
use when roleplaying the character, a discussion
of what the character wants, and a Jist of some
of his skills.
FInally, the last section ("Wrapping Up the
Adventure") tells you whllt rewards the pillyers
receive If they accompUsh their task, end sugges
tlons for how to end the game or lead Into the
next adventure.

GMlng TIp: The GM'. Job

Playing a roleplaying geme Is a lot easJer
than gamemllSlering one. AU a player has to
do Is get Into the role he p~, he doesn't even
need to have a terribly firm grasp of the rules.
InSlellC!, he can rely on the gamemasrer and
othel- players to point him In the right dire<:
lion If he does something wrong.
But beIng a gamemaster can be extremely
rewllfdtng. You're the only one who ~al/v
kn0W5 whet's going on; lind you get to create
an entire Imaginary universe along with your
plllyers.
This section gives novice gamemllSlers some
suggesllons about GMIng.if you're an eKperlenced GM. you may want to skip II. On the
Ofher hend. maybe you'Q find some 01 our suggestions lnt~ng,
BaSically, the gamemasler's job Is divided
Into three parts: referUlng, roJeplllying NPCs,
and sustlllning suspension of disbelief

========~ TBE ADVENTURE SECTION= = = = = = = =

Refl"l"eelog

Many rolplaying go!lmes call the game

master the "referee;" we prefer the term

"gamemasler," because refereeing is only part
of his }ob. As II referee, you lire expected 10
know the rules allellsi as weU as your players.

and preferably better. You're expected to make

sure that the players abide by the rules, ,md
to Interpret the rules for them. Your word is
final In the event 01 any dispute - but you're
supposed to be impartial FInally, when the
rules do not specific<'ll1y cover 11 si!ulllian, you
liTe expected \0 decide what happens In lin 1m

parHal "nd reasonable way_

Playing Non-Player Ch....cte r.
The player characters liTe the ~heroes" of the
5101)1 you lind tha players create together Bul
there have to be ~vilLalnsn and 11 supportil'lg cast

lIS weD You lake the roles of the characters the

PCs encounler -

their opposition and minor

characters. Just like the pli:lyers, you're expected to gille the characters you playa sense
of personality -10 give them Indillidual qUirks
and beliefs.
T here's sometimes a conflict between playing NPCs and being a referee. There's an In
stlnctlve desire 10 fallOf the characters you play,
but as a referee you musl be Impartial.

Sas hlnlng Suspension of Dis belief

The world of THE PRICE OF FREEDOM
Is nol the real one. Yet playing the game re
quires you and your players to suspend your
disbelief In It. and act as though It we re real.
The ''realer'' the world and characters feel, Ihe
bener the roleplaying experience.
Much of your,lob involves making the world
and NPCs feel real to your players. You're the
one who tells them what they see and sense;
you create the selling and tone. Published
adven tures, Ilke this one. help you by describing the things players encounter - but you're
reqUITed to breathe Ilfe Into those descriptions.
Be w11110g to Improvise allhe drop 01 a hal.
11 the players enter a store and want to know
what they see but the advenlure provIdes no
description, be Inllenlille; tell them aboutlhe
aged shopkeeper. Ihe dusty religious Items, the
wooden Indian. whalever. A pUblished adven
lure can't provide all the ~nle de tails which
make for be!hlVabl1l1y; you mUSI often invent
them yourself
Be conscious of all live senses. At least as
often as you lelia player what he sees, tell him
what he hears - sounds of nature as well as
voices - what he smells, tastes. and feels.
Sensory depth promotes beUevabUity.
Be consistent. The world Is not arbitrary; if
there's a wooden IndIan In the corner one
moment. it will be lhere the next - or If 111sn'1,
there will be a good reason. If you rule that
a player can use one of his skills 10 do
something In one adllenture, don't tell him he

can't in the next - unless you have a good

reason why he cannot In pan, this goes along
with being an Impartial referee - bu t consistency is more than Impartiality.
&:! responsive to your players. I! they clearly wanl more description. teD them more about
what they see. 11 they're bored with your
briUlant exposition and chafe for action, conform to their wishes. Answer all reasonable
questions cheerfully (or at least don't throw
Ihings at people who ask useless ones)

Don' t Panic!
Does that sound like a lotto do? In a way,
It Is - but It's not as complicated as It sounds.
The first ~neration of roleplaying games didn't
provide any hints or ideas on how to gamemaster, and everyone managed to puzrle 11 out
anyway. So don't worry about I!; loosen up.
Wing it. Rely on common sense a nd imagination. Don't get 100 hung up on making sure
everything Is Just as It should be. Remember:
the purpose of the game is to halle fun. If our
suggestions or too dose adherence 10 the rules
get In the wt.y - toss 'em out. Having a good
tIme 15 more Important than picayune atten
tlon to the rules.

Sill Useful Thlnp to Remember About

Gamema. tertng

(2.3) What's Going On

Aircraft carrying Sovlet troopS are landing at rna
jor airports all Oller the New York metropolitan
region. Chaos reigns: most people are holed up
In their homes. the streets are HUed with looters.
the President is urging calm. phone and transpor'
tation services halle broken down. and no one
knows what wIll happen next. In the midst of this
chaos, the player characters meet at BllIy Barstow's
apartment on West 30th Street.
There, Ihey look over their equipment and options. They halle a number of vehicles parked at
a parking lot nearby; some are appropriate to guerrllla operations (e.g .. the Land ROller); others are
prelly useless (e.g .. .Ihe Bugam) . They have some
light weapons. but nothing Impressille. They
should conclude that the first order of the day Is
to get munitions.
11 they don't come to this conclusion, telilhem
thai an urgent call has gone out over CB radio
for freedom -loving Americans. espedally veterans
and membel'5 of the National Gua.rd. to assemble
at the 14th Street Armory. Point out the location
of the 14th Streilt Armory on the Manhattan street
map (Map A. which you should have given them).
and point out that several of the player characters
are members of the New York Nat!onal Guard.
That should mot!lIate them 10 head toward the
Armory.

1. You can't learn everything al once.

2. Understllnd the rules and talk them oller
with the players. If they ask you to describe
something. do. Letlhem worry about whelher
or not what you desctibe is Imponan t.
3. Be faIr. Earn your players' trust. Players
cheerfully Ignore rules mistakes and hesitations
so long as they believe the gamemaSler is beIng fair - that he Is not picking on them o r
showing fallorillsm.
4 . Expect to extend the rules. No set of rules
can be as Ingenious as players. Use your common sense to handle problems thai arise. and
keep playing. Don'\ waste too much t!me looking up minor rules. Reserve the right to change
your mind about rules Judgments. ("This Is my
ruling tonight, but after I've thought about It.
I may want 10 change my mind.")

Ride Hard and Die Free.

5. &:! prepared. At first. use published adven

tures like this one. S tudy them carefully. Think
about how to present the characters and events
they contain, and how to antici pate the reactions of your players.
6 . Exped to be wrong sometimes. P.dmit it.
Say "OoPS." do an Instant replay on Ihe aclion If necessary, and get on wllh Ihe game.
(Don't be a pushover, though. Sometimes
somebody has to make an arbitrary judgment,
and Ihat person is you.)

GAMEMASTER BOOK

PRICE OF FREEDOM

=======~TBE ADVENTURE SECTION=======~

(2.4) Beginning: Billy

Barstow's Apartment
Read this 1Iioud to the pklyers:

,
,

Getting to West 30th Street was he ll.

There are band. o f looter. In the street.:
broken glua I, everywhere. No o ne I, obeyIng stop IIg hu or traffic 1__ . Not many
people are out, but th Ole who afe look
either scared or determined. Phone service
haa broken down. According to the last
radio report. the re wal heavy tnlHle out of
the city. and Soviet transports were landing
at .hports . 11 owef the New Vork area. The
airwaves have been I Ue nt for some ho ur
however.
One of you
sq uad of cop . They
weren't bothering with the niceties: looter.

,.I0Il

are being ahot.

But you mallage d to get here.
" He re" I, Billy Barst ow', apartment o n
Weat 30th Street In Manhattan. All of you
know at lust one other penon here. one
pef80n whom you 'd truII with your life:
you're going to have to learn 10 trU11 th e
othell, too. Becaule what you're con
templatl ng wllI.urely be grounds for e.ecu
lion by the Soviets, when they arrive.
What a re you going to do?
Suggest thai the players Introduce their char
lIc1ers 10 ellch other. Let them argue lIboul what
they should do next. Don't lead t~ diScUSSion 100
much
Eventually they should come up with a plan and
head down to the street.

What To Do If th e PlayeTi Don't Coope ra te

There lire degrees 01 noncoopel'lllion If Ihey
don't wanlto resist the Occupation, they aren't
playing the right gllme, Mllybe you should play
PARANOIA instead
Jlthey want to gel out of the crty without going
for wellpons, refer to Episode 2 (the section tilled
'"11 the Players Refuse to Cooperate") ,
If they want to get weapons some other way
- by looking up a gun store In the Yellow Pages,
for example - you have two options. One Is to
wing it - improvise $Omelhlng, using Episodes
1 and 2 liS the baSis, but with the modifications
you need . The other Is to hllve their choice fall
For example, they could get 10 the gun store and
find it IllTeady looted, or already guarded by SovIet
troops. That way, you ClIn guide them in the direction you want without forelng them.

GMing Tip:
The Illusion of Choice
Whenever you develop an adventure for
your pillyers (or whenever we write one for
your use). you run Into II problem. The easiest
lIdventure 10 develop Is II linear one - one
In which the players go through episode 1. then
episode 2, etc_ this Is easy because only one
story line needs development
The dnlwback !slhat ~near advenlUfti don't
give players much freedom. Players like to fq,el
that Whlll their charllCtlH$ do makes II dlf
ference - Ihat deciding to negotiate Instead
of opening fire has an Impact on the outcome,
for example.. A linear adventure makes choices

PRICE OF FREEDOM

unimportant, no maner what hllppens In

episode 1, the players still go to episode 2 next,
and so on
A beneT advenlure is one Ihal's a ~tree structure.~ like this:
episode 1

"-episode 2b
"-episode/ 3b episode
"- 3c

/
episode 211

episode 3a

Depending on what Ihe players do In

episode 1. they either go to 2a or 2b, lind 50

some relatives In upstate New York. She plans to

sit right Ihere unrn the first Soviet 50Idier comes
to !I1Test her: she will shootlhe $Oldler, and then
herself.
She declrnes any offers 01 help wilh thllnks; she
is too old and sick, she says, 10 bve through it all
egain. and this way lit least she WIll be able to strike
one blow for In!edom before she goes 10 )oIn her
husb.llnd. If Ihe characters tell her they are going
to fight the Soviets, she will give them a sman pendant from around her neck after removing an old.
faded photograph Irom a hidden compartment.
(Melted down. the pendant Is IWO troy ounces of
gold.) KIssing the photograph, she bids them
farewell With her blessings

on
The problem with designing a "tree structure" adventure Is that II 101 of it Is wasted. If
the players go 10 episode 2a, they never get
to experience 2b. So all the lime and ellon
spent developing 2b Is useless That's why
m.!lny published advenlures are "flY IInur
There's no easy way out of this dilemma
There lIle, however, a few things that (.!In
ameliorate the problem
I , Even In a Hnellr adventure, the pillyers
can gain (or fan to gllln) equipment or Infor
matlon In one episode which affe(:IS how well
they do In the nellt
2. Any adventure Is only a guide for the
gamemaster Players are often fill more fiend
Ishly Imagin.!ltlve than we can IIntldpale_ We
can't write every possibility Into lin adventure,
not only because it would lake 100 much space
to do so. but abo because we. ClIn't predict what
the players wU! do. Therefore, any adventure
requires a cenaln amount of inventiveness on
the pan of the gamemasteT. As you become
mOle experienced, be mote Wilhng to diverge
from the adventure and head off Into uncharted waters. By doing so. you let player
choice affect the game even In a hnear
adventure.
3. You can try to support the illUSion of !Tee
choice even when It Is lacking. Don'tloree your
players to go from Point A to PoInt B; Inslead.
give them enough Information to let them
flQure outlhat going 10 Point Bis a good Idell
Nudge, don't force. If you do this weD, your
playelS will never know lhal going 10 Point B
wasn't their own Idea all along
What're We Fighting ror?
Read this aloud:
As you leave the apartment. you can hear
o ld Mrs. Cherzlnakl crying nexl door. A
widow and Invalid. Mrs, Chenlnskl fled her
homeland after her activist husband w ..
killed in the Pollih Ililbor upri lings of the
'80s. She won't lut too long once the
Soviets find Ollt who I he II.
If the charllClers knock on heT door, she asks
who they are lind Inviles them In. Upon entering,
they find her sitting alone in her living room fllCIng the door. an andent German Mauser clasped
In heT hllnds.
Mrs. Cheninskl, confined to a wheelchair by Illthritis, Is fully aware of her fate under Soviet rule
Upon hearing 01 the Un!ted Stlltes' surrendeT, she
sent her niece, Margaret. who I!ves with her. to

GAMEMASTER BOOK

GMing Tip: Setting Tone in an

Adventure
THE PRICE OF FREEDOM Is about
brave men and women struggling heroically
against evU, Inhuman oppressors. Unless occasionally reminded of the harsh, brulal world
under Soviet rule, players (and often you, the
gamemaster) can slip into a Hogan's Heroes
mlndset; a bunch 01 iunlovlng, happy-go.lucky
guys matching wits with those zany Nazis or In Ihls case, those zany Soviets
ChaTl:lclers ~ke Mrs. Cherzinskl Will remind
the players whet they are fighting for, give them
more reason to hate and despise their opponents, and perhaps even set lin uample of
how 'hey shOllId lief when facing their own
deaths_
Getting There
There lire thtee ways to get to the 14th Street
Armory; by walking. sutMray, Ol car II the players
try the sutMrllY, they'D find the token booth unllltended. the platform unlit, and no lraln coming
That leaves walking and ClIr
The characters have, among them. 1000r vehicles
- a beat-up Buick. a land Rover, a pick-up truck,
and an hallan sports car (Meriwether's Bugattl)
Let them decide which vehicles 10 take: If they
have any sense, they'll abandon Ihe Buick, which
is on Its Inst legs. lind the Bugam, which WiU aI tract more anention then It's worth Both the Land
Rover and the pick-up are potentially useful in
Resistllnce operations. assuming anyone ClIn get
any gasoline once the Occupallon begins. In any
event. hllve them choose the vehicles Ihey want
to take, assign occupanlS 10 each, and Indicate
which vehicles go first.
Let them examine Mllp A and choose II route
to the Armory. rThls Is an example of "Illusion of
choice:" whichever fOute they choose, they'U encounteT II roadblock, but lit leaSI they'U think their
choice made a difference.)

(2.5) Episode 1:
The Roadblock
The player characters encounter II band of
looters, who've wt up a roadblock. They reahe
Ihat the normal rules of civlllxed behavior have
gone by the wayside. There really" chaos In the
streets
Once Ihe chllracters have left the apartment
bUilding and headed towllrds Ihe Armory, read:

~~~~~~~~TBEADVENTUBESECTION~~~~~~~~
Down the avenue. about a block away. Is
roadbloc k . Burned'Q ut cars, ollerturned
trash barrels and garbage completely block
the street. In fro nt of the roadbl oc;:k lIu II
body in a pool of blood. A ba.t tered Cadillac
drives out of a slde.treet behind you, and
halts. A rlne protrudes from Its windo w.
Behind the barricade three or four young
men dressed In bizarre punk outfits are
brutally beating a 12 or 13vearold boy.
Seeing you, they kic k the boy away and
crouch behind th e roadb loc k .
Off In the dlslance, an alarm bell rings on
and on.
The avenue Is a typiclIl Manhattan street,
flanked on either side by a solid wall of 12-ormore
story buildings. A number of plaleglass shop windows are at street level; parked airs (one stripped)
and parking meters line the sidewalks. There's no
wily to get out of the street - ilInd the Codillac
blocks th e woy back. If the PCs lire In vehicles,
they have two choices: divert down a sidestreet
immedlote/y, or hesitate and continue on toword
the roodblock. If they're wolking, they hove no
optio n,
Yo u also might rule that Westtree's passion.
justice. forces him to intervene
If they dive rt down a slde street:
The Cadillac lollows them. It contains two guys
- o ne wIth a rifle and a driver (who has a pistol,
but won't use It while drlvingL The guy with the
rifle starts firing at the PCs. He's !!lIming at the rear
vehicle; choose a passenger at random , Resolve
the fire as If It were at 5 hex r<'lnge.
If the PCs shoot back, the Cadillac wUl fall
behind, then helld olf down II sldestreet (The
thugs inside the car aren't Interested in fighting
anyone with teeth.) [f the PCs pursue, the car
heads bo'Ick to the roadblock: if the PCs keep on
follow ing, they'll get In a lirelight with the Skulls
(see below) , If they don't pursue, they can keep
on heading for the Armory,
Jf the PCsdon't shoot b3ck, the Cadlll!!lc keeps
on shooting at 5 hex range until the PCs do
something about il or get within a block of the Armory, FIgure the PCs move one block per combat round on Map A_
When they get with in a block 01 the Armory,
the guys in Ihe Cadillac see the barricades there,
screech to a hlllt, and speed aW3y.
Otherwise:
Someone from the roadblock yells, in a
Brooklyn accent, MOO "",hat we tell ya, and
nobody geta holt,n

wellpon, the Skulls open fire. The PCs have to

convince the Skulls they're IIrmed without makIng any hasty moves.
If the players want to try this, ask them whllt
they're saying to the Skulls. You'll take the role
of Deadhead, Ihe Skull leader,

There are four guys behind the roadblock with

pistols, plus the two In the Cadillac. They're all
members of the Savage Skulls (a street gang see the box below) and wear leather jackets with
the appropriate emblems. They've set up the
roadblock as a trap to rob people. They'll kill If
resisted, but will be hllPPY to let the player
charaders Ihrough if the PCs surrender 1111 their
possessions. Sure. they will.
There are three ways 10 get through the
roadblock: intlmidllte the Skulls, bribe them, or kill
them,

Are you going to believe II lillIe 72year-old

Jewish guy If you're a sadistic thug from Brooklyn?
Co hen's fast talk won't help him much here.

ft

Intimidatio n
The Skulls prefer to prey on the helpless. 1 the
PCs make It dear they're IIfmed and wl11ing to
fight, the Skulls wI!! let them through. The problem Is this: if anyone makes a hasty move for II

Deadhead
Skull Leader
Physical Tag: Gaunt, lIene-scarred
Personalily Tag: SlIrcastic, speaks with a
Brooklyn accent.
Mot/llallon. Greed, Innllte viciousness.
Applicable Skflls:
HlInd- \o-hand: 10
Melee Weapon (knife): 12
Rifle; 10
Pistol: 10
Delldhead has liVi!d on the streets sInce his
mother threw him out of Ihe house at age 15
She feared for her I!!e; Deadhead (properly
Martin Ferguson) boasted of his robberies and
beatings. He's the virtual king of an ImpoverIshed Mell of Brooklyn, where he lind his thugs
prey on poor people and the few shopkeepers
who live there. He's treating the Invasion the
same way he trellted the Il15t blackout; as an
opportunity 10 rape, pUlage and bum to his
heart's con te nt
Generic Skull
PhYSical Tag: Tough-looking, varIety of racial
types.
Personality Tag: Sadistic, inarticulate, and
foul-mouthed .
Motluallon: Enjoy causing paln_
Applicable Skills:
Ha nd-to-Hand: 8
Melee Weapon (knife). 8
Rifle: 6
Pistol: 8
Have Ihe speaker make II fasllalk skill roll. increase his skill number by 7 or so If what he says
to the Skulls sounds convincing lind sufficiently
intimidating. (Even If he doesn't have the fasl talk
skill, if his spiel Is good, let him make a roU.) If
what he says sounds lame, reduce his fast talk skiU
by half {round down} . For eXllmple:
Deadhead: Do what we tell ya, and nobody gets
holl!
Cohen: Now, now, young man. My friends and
I, ve are hellvily armed. Ve'U shoot If ve have
to. Nobody wants that, nu?

Deadhead: Do what we tell ya, and nobody gels

hoit!
Wl!1Ittree: Listen, punk, and lislen good. fn my
leftslde shoulder-holster. I have 1I SIG-Sauer
P220 ,45 lIu tomatlc wllh custom stock_ Every
one of us Is Similarly armed. So you got exactly one choice, punk; get out of my way, or
get a large, ragged hole In your head.
Gulp_ Yessir, Mr. Wesllree, sir, That's whal /'d
SIIY, This man gets his skill modifier,
If the skl11 roll succeeds, the Skulls agree to
retrellt down a sldeSlreet and lei the PCs through.
Otherwise, they open lire.

GAMEMASTER BOOK

Bribery
The PCs could try to negotlate a bribe Instelld.
The chllrllder who does the negotiating must
mllke a bargllin skill roU. Again, modify his skill
number If his spiel Is espedaUy good or bo'Id. If the
roll Is successful, Deadhead Jels them through for
$200 bucks cash or an ounce 01 gold. [f the roll
falls, Deadhead tries to get one PC to apprOllCh
Ihe roadblock with the money. If the PCs fall for
this, Deadhead plans 10 shoot the money-bellter
and open fire on the others. [f the players don't
fall for this and announce thllt they're opening ftre
Immediately, they get 1I round of surprise.
Rock ' n' Roll Is Here to Stay
Billy Barstow has had a couple of hit records.
As do almost all Americlln kids, the SavlIge Skulls
hold rock 'n' roll artists in an awe thlll sometimes
approaches outright worship. If Barstow Is doing
the talking, there is II 50% chance thllt the gang
will recognize him (or he could simply Introduce
himself) _ If $0, double his sklll numbers when interacting with the Skulls.
If you are worried about the possible problems
of running a rock superstar In your campaign, don't
be: Barstow wasn't that big outside of the New
York area and, busy learning how to survive under
Soviet rule, most people will qUickly forget all
about him. Such is fame .
Flreflght
Although the PCs are al a tllCllclI1 disadvantage
(they're surrounded and the Skulls behind the
roadblock hllve a terrain benefit) , the Skulls are
only In It for the money, and will flee If bloodied.
(See below.) As a result, the PCs should come
through with , at worst. a few wounds. In the process, you'll Introduce them to the basics of the
combllt system.
Use "Map B" from the adventure maps to fight
the bIIttle. Take a car counter lind place It In the
hex labeled "B" to represent the Cadlllllc; take lour
thug counters (provided for this very purpose) and
place them In hexes ''1'' through "4".
If the PCs are wlllk!ng, tllke their counters and
place them IInywhere within two hexes of hex ~A",
If they're driving, take counlers for the vehicles (use
a jeep counter for the Land Rover, a pick-up truck
counter for the pick-up, and car counters for Ihe
others) and place the lead vehide in hex "A."
Follow!ng vehicles are placed, one per hex, In Ihe
hexes below ~A",
In this combat, we'll use a simplified version of
Ihe vehicle rules. In one combo'lt round , any ve hicle with a driver can move 5 hexes. A driver can'
not tllke any other <'Iclion in a combo'lt round If he
drives. [f a driver tries something tricky, hllve him
make a driving skill roll; If II succeeds, 50 does he,
Getting in or out of 1I stlltlonary veh!de costs 1
movement point (and no one can enler or exit on
a round in which Ihe vehicle moves) .
The roadblock is !rellted as rough terrain, except that II does block lines of sight,
The S!reelisllned with a solid wall of bUildings.
All doors are locked. Doorways are recessed; II
character who gets 10 II doorway cannot enter the
building, but receives the terrain benefit for being
behind a doorway (see the Fire Modifiers Against
Personnel chart ). However, no more than two
people can squeeze into 1I doorway.
Some bUildings have plale glass windows, which
the PCs Clln smash or dri",e through. If a vehicle
drlves through a window, roll the die; on 11 roll of

PRICE OF FREEDOM

19 or 20, the windshield

bre~ks,

and every

character in Ihe vehicle must roll liS If hlt by

/I

Molotov cocktail (for darn!lglll from broken glass)

Any vehicle lother Ih!1n the Land Roverl which

drives through II window cannOI get ~ck lnl0 Ihe
street until the flghll$ over - getting II back OUI
Is a mojo!' effon which wiD take subs"'ntlaJ Urne

Characters inside

/I

$lore front oare effectively

behind II ~d()()!'lllily~. and receive the terrain benefu

for such,
The Skulls will nol pursue Inlo Il building. The
shops /lTe locked: Ihere's no way In or 01,11 of them
$live through the locked doors (or smashed plate
glass windows) If IInyone get5lnto a building. feel
free 10 improvise II detaipllon 10 provide color
(e.g, "the Bukk 15 resung on top of Il pile of
smashed plants, POlS lind ellrlh. Againsl one wall
Is /I refrigerator filled w\th cut nowers"). If the
players come up wllh an lmllginllUve way 10 use
the contents of Il store. that's great. Player crearivlty
should IIlways be encounlged,
Some of the buildings hllve fire escapes If a
player thinks of II, he can run to a fife escape and
climb. CUmbing takes one combat round
At the beginning of each combat round, roll the
die for each Skull stili alive, On a roll of 1 through
5, that Skull p<lInlcs and does nothing for the current combat round
If three or more Skulls are hit and $lJffer damage
(thlll Is, any result other than II "Stun") , they all
flee The ones in the car careen off down a slde
street The ones behind the roadblock run away
The roadblock 15 blocking terTaln, but PCs who
mOlli! Into roadblock hexes ca n get one shot off
down the street at Ihe fleeing Skulls belore they
dlSl'lppear
If Ihey search the area directly behind the
roadblock (or IIny Skull bodies), Ihe characters will
find $75 In cash (massive paniC:.lnflallon makes
thls worth about S10; In a week It will be
worthless)

GMlng Tip: Action or

Strategy?
There are two ways 10 run combat In THE
PRICE OF FREEDOM, We dOl'l't care which
you use. 'mu may even want 10 switch to suit
your players

U g h" 1 Ca m eral Actl onl

Th. combat syslem lor THE PRICE OF
FREEDOM Is nOI as simple liS for our olher
games. There aTe IWO reillOns for this. One,
comballs a big part 01 the Qllme, lind we wanl
IQ give players real options and something to
do while f1ghllng. Two., many people enjoy a
combllt system thllt has some depth. Ihe
stmplJclty 01 GHOSTB USTERS is nOl lor

""'YO"'

Merely because Ihe combat system Is more

CQmplex than In our other games Is no reason
to let It get In the way of the story. The world
of THE PRICE OF FREEDOM is a world of
pulp action and adventure In the struggle for
liberty, Heroic combat Is fast and lurlous
Many players chafe when combat takes too
long They don1 en)oy calculating hll pt'~.
bllilles lind cllrefully planning moves. If your
players begin 10 get restless, Uven things up.
Don't make your pillyers learn the combat
system if they don't WlInt to' Just ask Ihem what

PRICE OF FREEDOM

lhey want 10 do. and use your own knowledge

of the rules 10 determine whether whllt they
want is possible
Don't let ilddly calculations get In tne way
of action. II things are bogging down, ron tne
die. announce results, and keep things moving_
Don'l wony lIboul making posirive thai the
gun Is frred at medium range Inslead 01 short;
don't wony about ensuring that all flre
modifiers are applied. Ru n combat rough and
dirty; modify the hit chance a.s you think lIPproprillte. Use Ihe Fire Modifiers Chart as a
9u1de, not a bible Don't spend 1I 101 of time
looking things up on charts; roillhe die and
keep things mOYIng
Some players may complain; theyl say "but
I'm behind a door, so his hit probability Is
reduced by 2, lind you lorgot to apply tnat
modifler!" If that's the wlly all your players feel.
don, run combat liS lIctlon; run II a.s strategy
(see below). But if most of your players like fllSt
action, here's what you do:
Tell your players, "If you feel that you should
recelue a defen5fve modifier, or lOme other
bonus in combat because of something you've
done o r wheTe you are. teU me abou l it If you
teU me about It, I'll give you the bonus, assumIng I think It's reasonllble, If you don', lell me
about it, l'Udo whal I think mllkes sense Don't
complain ofterwords - if you wan t an advan
tage, point It out In lIdvance,"
Then, don', worry about following the ruin
strlC1ly, The most Importanl rule Is: everyone
should have fun. Any other rule can be sacrtficed to thllt one
Nexi Mo"e, Generlll?
On the other hand, many people enjoy combat It's no coincidence lhat some of the most
popular roleplllying ~mes have sophlsticaled
combat systems MlIny players enjoy the
strategic options a sophisticated game can pro.
vide. That's 1M IMCinatlon of wargamlng; but
It's also 1I part of many roleplaying games.
Combat [5 a big Pllrt of THE PRICE OF
FREEDOM, lind we've tried to proVide a
system whlch _rds good str.negy lind makes
fighting enjoyable
If your players enjoy combal-as-wargammg
- If they ("njoy figurtng the odds, choosing
their strategies and fighting things oul modify your GMlng style lIccordlngly, Adhere
cardully to the rules; don't be cavalier In your
modlflCatlons_ Let th(" players think over their
options. Again, the I!rst rule Is Ihat everyone
should have fun; II 11'115 Is your players'ld("a of
lun, thllt's grelll
Be senslUw to your players II they enjoy
"wargamlng," lhey may take. '"fast lind furious
combat" as an unflllr disregard IOJ Ihe rules
This is not wrong; It's just a different style of
play, and one just as valid as a thlISt lor &etlon
We like both slyies of play, and have tried
to make THE PRICE OF FREEDOM
adaptable

GAM EMASTER BOOK

(2.6) Episode 2: The Armory

In this episode, the Pes get 10 Ihe Armory. They
must flrst delll wllh an obstructionist sergeanl without opening lire. (Not .!III problems can be
solved 50 simply.) Then, they learn Ihat the 7Ist
Regiment Is evacuating the city through the subway .!Ind PATH tunnels. To CO\Ii!T the evllCUllllon,
Ihe 71st Is blowing the main bridges connecting
Newark Airport (where Ihe Sovlels are 11Indlng)
and Jersey Clty (where the PATH tunnels ("xll) _
Unfortunately, the 71sl's demolitions expert hlls
been killed - lind the only one around who clIn
finish the job Is Jordo Miller (or the player
characters' demolitions expert. If the players
gen("rated their own char!lC1ers)
The PCs gtlt to the vicinity 01 the Armory
withoul further event, though you should
embel\lsh the trip with descriptions of the chllos
in the streets. Running battles belween police and
thugs, store. looted or boarded-up, wounded
citiunry huddled in dooTWlIYS, occasional gunshots in the dlslllnce. lhe sharp, tangy smeO of burning gasoline. the wail 01 civil defense sIrens these will bring home 10 the characters in graphic
delall the collapse of the city of New York - and
of life as they know it.
When Ihey lurn up 14th or 1511'1 Street, read
this:
Uh. oh , Anolher roa dbl ock . Police barricad es and a t wo-ton uu c k with ca rn Ollnage markings block th e s treel , O ne guy In
o ll"e drab fati g u es I hlnd s ln fro nt o f It wt th
an a uto m a tic rme. There a re gu Y" with guns
o n Ih e t o ps o f ne a.-by buildings, Th e guy in
fatigu es m oUo nl you 10 I l o p.
Barreling on past him Is a bad Idea; among other
things , Ihe guys on the roofs have light anti-lank
wellpons Opening lire Is likewise a bad Idell. If
they insist, run 1I brief firefIQht - use Map B again
Improvise weapons and skills for Ihe opposition,
they're National Guardsmen, lind are as heavily
i!lrmed liS they need to be to kill the Pes This Is
a dull wily to end th(" story, but excessive stupidi ty 15 lIS own reward
Aher yo u ItO P. yo u n o Oce t he g uy Is wearIng lergea nt'a stripes. Inse t eyelsq u lnt a t
you co nle mptu o usly fro m a plgllke face: you
co uld swear thl l g uy II e njoying himself.
"Stal e your bU l lnesl,R h e laY".
The soldier Is Sergeant Morllles, A Company,
7lst fnlllniry Regiment He doesn't recognize any
of the PCs_ He's been tQld to let no one through
who Isn'l military, lind the Pes sure aren't In
uniform

SuB'lant Morales. A Company, 7lst

Infantry Regiment
Physlcol Tog: Short, evil-lookIng brute
PeT$ona/Jty Tog.' Obstructionist, suspIcious
Molillalfon Just following orders
Applicable SklllsAutomatic Weapon IS
Morales has a chip on his shoulder He
doesn't par1JC:ul.!lrly like Angk:J6 and he definitely doesn't ~ke superior offlem He enjoys
bloody-minded obfuscation lor its own Sl'lke.
and will keep the run-around going as long as
,he thinks he can gel away WIth It

Typical Dialog
Jordo : Howdy. I'm Lieutenant George Miller,
I71st Infantry, 42nd Division We're here to
~.

Moralu : Oh, yeah? And I'm the Queen 01

Sheba
Jordo : LIsten, Sergeant, I'm not In the mood MoraIn : I got my orders No one whoaln't 7ls1
Infantry gets past here, and you don't look like
you is.
Jordo : Reds are crawHng all OYer the country, and
you're standing here squalling? You miserable
pinhead, let me through or ['II break your
kneecaps.
Morale. : 01'1 yeah? You and what IIrmy?
Jordo : Get me ClIptaln WysynzOINSkL
Morale.: I wouldn't waste his time.
Continue this until It gets boring or the PCs open
fire, If they make con, fast lIIlk or burellucracy rolls,
sublrad 5 from Ihe skill number lor Morales's
bloody-mlndedness Once Morales gets tired of
playing, he eSCOrl5 them to the Colonel. or, If Ihe
discussion becomes too hellled, a Caplain
wanders by who'll chew OUI Morales and take Ihe
PCs In.
The Armory
The 14th Street Armory take. up mo.t of
th e block; U'. a big, co"ugated concrete
building that loo k. like a fortre .. - whic h
It I,. Ita few wlndoWl are na"ow; ita few entraneft: are heavily ba"ed.
A soldier leada you In through a big deel
door, large enough to admit vehicle., He
tells you to park your car. and follow h im.
Inillde, doze n. of men In fatigue. are
loading vehlclu with weapon. and s upplln_
RoWl of plckup$. C U I and }eep., some atlll
painted with military camounage, othera
ha atlly repainted to reaemble civilian
vehldet:, are being jammed with aU of the
equipment they cll n hold, A aoldler la work
Ing fevertshly to replace the National Guard
IIcenae platn with normal New York platell
- you wonder Idly wh e re he got them from ,
At the other end of the Armory ,. a huge.
ragged hole In the noor; bulldozera lire
laboring around U.
You're marched up to the Colonel.

Colo.... EchmdeCly
Commanding Officer, 7lstlnfantry Regiment
PhysIcal Tag Darkskinned (lranUln descent),
sllJeats profusely.
Personality Tag Brlsk, no nonsense
MOl;uation: Get a1llhls equipment OUI of the
Armory and Into the hands of people who'D
U~

Echmenedy Is worried and hot Second

generation Amerlclln of Iranian eXTraction. he
is fiercely patrlOlic: and determined to salvage
what he can from Ihe sunender He Is competent, intelligent, lind a little frightened
Ueut _ _ t .IorgeMft
Physical Tag Blond but balding
Personal/tv Tag. EnthusIastic. and excitable
r'Gosh, guys; let's klll them Commlesl")
Motiuatlon : Thinks the Wilt will be exciting.

Applicoble Affribllfef

Alertnes.s: 12
Manual Dexlenty: 10
Applicable Skdla:

Automatic: Weapons: 12
Pistol: 14
Hand-te-Hand: IO
Mountaineering 8
Swimming; 8
EqllipmenJ; AUIOmll1lC rlfle, two ammo dips,
pistol, one pistol relolld, two grenades.
walkie-talkie, uniform
Colonel Echmenedy is trying to organize the
evacuatlon of The Armory. Aboul 50% of the regI.
ment's members have shown up over the last dllY;
he sent most home with M-I6s (llutomlltic rifles) ,
ammunition, light antiTank weapons. lind anything
else Ihey could carry. His orders from Washington
aTe to stand by and tum everything over 10 Soviel
inspection teams. He has no Intention of obeying
his orders,
Echmenedy has dedded that. under the drcumstances, fighting a convenllonal war Is wlelde
He knows that aircrah are disgorging SovIet troopS
all over the metropolitan area - lit Newark,
laGuardia and JFK airports, at Floyd Bennett
Reid and Brookhaven. even II few lit Telerboro
- any place Ihere's a strip long enough to land
a transport, Sovlel troopS will soon arrive In the
city; and when they do, the only options will be
death or surrender.
He figures the order of the day Is to get his men
and their equipment out of the dty and Into the
(:ountryside, where they can saotter and set up
guerrilla operations. But Soviet SpelSnal' troops
are already guarding Ihe bridges and tunnels
leading out of Manhllttan
Ex(:epl - the 14th Street Armory Is located
directly above the L subway ~ne (see Map C) - The
L train lunnel comes within ten feet of the PATH
tunnel.' The PATH tunnel goes down lown 10
ChriStopher Street, then under the Hudson River
to Jersey City (see Map D). None of the subways
are ru nning. If the troops can get across Ihe river
Into Jersey City before the Soviets seal up this one
last exil from Manhattan, Ihey should have a
couple of hours to get out of Ihe heavily-developed
urban strip running from New York through New
Jersey and Into the woodlands of Pennsylvania
and western New York,
Captain F'mkelsteln, the 7lst's demolitions ex,
pert, has blwm a hole from Ihe Armory Into the
L-traln tunnel and IInother connecting Ihe L-traln
and PATH tunnels. Bulldozers are moving the
rubble into a (;rude ramp. which the 71sl's lighter
vehicles can navigate, The large trucks won'l be
able to make It, though; 100 heavy and not enough
clearanc:e_
Typical Dllilog
Echmenedy; Who lire these feUows?
Captain: They claim they're from Wysynzoo,o,rskl's
company. They tried to get through the 15th
Street roadblock.
Echmenedy; Oka.y. (To pes.) We're evacuating
Do you want to help out?
Cohen: Actually, we wanl weapons ...
Echmenedy: I'll give you all the damn weapons

GAMEMASTER BOOK

we can spare, bUI we've gol to get this equipment off the Island before the Reds show up.
Are you game?
After II few moments of conveBlltion, read:
All you are talking, a 1I0idier runl up to
Echmenedy. "SIr! The Skyway'. blown - but
Flnkelateln and Murphy didn't gel off," The
aoldler swaUoWl, "They're dead, IIr,"
"Old they gel aU of the brldgea?"
Echmenedll demand .
"N, n ,no air, they got Route I , the railroad
bridge. and the Pulaski Skyway, The Communlpaw bridge III s tili up. si r," The .oldler
look. aa If he I. going to cry_
Echmenedll doaea his eyea:and stands ab.olutely 1It111 for a moment. Then he opena
them once again, c1a.PII the soldier on the
shoulder, and "\18, "Good work, Smitty. Go
and help Reelle with the
pleaae." The
.oldler run. off.
Echmenedy lookt: lit you. M
Any of you men
know anything about demolltlonll?"

ca""

The character with the demolitions skill (Jordo

MUler, If using the pregenerated characters) will
probably speak up. Echmenedy asks him and the
TeSt of the PCs 10 lI(oompany the Iroop$ untillhey
have cleared Manhattan "We're evacuating
through the PATH tunnels. If everything goes right,
we should get out thirty 10 sixty minutes before
the Reds can stop us - civilian traffic will slow
'em down some, too. But I really need a demolitions expert in case of trouble. Will you help?"
If Ihe PCs lI11! at all reasonable, Echmenedy wiD
delail Ueulenant Jorgesen to brief them lind outfllthem. He then excuses himself he's got lots to
do and no lime to do it in
If the Playera Refuse to Cooperate
If they don't want to help the 7lst and make
IIny reasonable argumenllO Echmenedy. he gives
them M-16s, ammo, and grenades However, he
Insists on commandeering the Land Rover and
pickup, If present.
This of (:ourse invalidates the rest of the IIdvenlure; you'll have to Wing It from here. We see three
possibilities; here are some quick suggestions for
what to do.
If the PCs want to stay In the dty, they musl
find II place to stash their equipment - It's precisely the kind of thing the occupying troops are g0Ing to look for. If they ambush a Soviet convoy
or something, you can have a nice big f!reflght,
which wUI almost certainly result In the Pes' deaths
(the SovIets radio for reinfOT!mentsl . If they stash
their equipment someplace, they have to worry
aboul stool pigeons revealing the site to the
Soviets, If they just take It home, the Soviets
oonduct house-to-house searches soon aher the
Oa:upation begins.
If they wanl 10 get out of the dty, they must
figure out how Map 0 shows the bridges and tunnels off Manhattlln; all routes 10 New Jersey and
the BronK li re guarded by SpelSna.t troops; the
ones to Brooklyn and Queens are not.
The Spetsmll' troopS let traffic: flow, bUI stop and
search every car. Anyone with firearms Is shot.
Maybe the PCs can hoodwink Ihe Soviets; mllybe:
there is a fiTeflght. If so, you must Improvise a map

PRICE OF FREEDOM

========""TBE ADVENTURE SECTION========

and s tillS for tke Spelsnol troops Agure no more

thilln 8 of them; the PCs have /I fighting chiloce
Unless all the Soviets lire kIlled fast. though , they
radio for help. and the Pes find IlJl !lmbush waiting
for them at the other end of the bridge or tunnel
If the PCs heild for Brooklyn lind Queens, they
fmd that all routes off Long Island are guarded,
100. They must also keep their weapons OUI of
sight because. PVen though there lIren', lIny 5oYie1
roadblocks yel, buses of Soviet troops lire begin
nlog 10 mOYe out of the airporu. Essentially. they're
trapped on the Island
One possibility 15 tO.set up guerrilla operations

on LDng Island. Another Idea we like Is to have

II Montlluk fisherman smuggle them off Long
Island during II fog, while Soviet patrol CI"lIft prowl
the Sound.
Or
I:\nyone for guerril1l1 operations In the

HlImplons, New York's chic island getaway? (Sub

machlneguns lind canapes? Spetsnoz In
Sagaponack?)

A Trip In Darkneill
If the PCs agree to help, Jorgesen takes them
to a storeroom If they walked, they're a5Signed
a }eep with a traile r and II pick-up truck (armyIssue, hllstlly covered wlth II COllt of blue paInt) ,
Either way, they Ire Issued IImmunltlon, lIutomlltlc
rifles 1I11eround, sewrlll grenades IIp1ece, lind two
walkletalkles. They're assigned severlll <:niles of
ammunition and told to begin loadIng their
vehlclet
Jorgesen briefs tkem il5 they work and responds
10 questions He teUs them that the Soviets lire
Landing at metropobtan area aIrportS, that the purpose of thiS IIcllvhy is to gel the men lind equip
ment of the reglmen t out InlO the countryside
where they can lICI il5 guerrillas, that lheyll be go.
ing out through the PATH tubes, etc, Show the
players Maps C and D, C shows them how the
tunnels Interconnect. and 0 show5 the m thllt
routes off Manhlll1l1n are limIted, how the PATH
tunnel runs. lind where the 1I1rports the Soviets
are using are located. Ahe r you've told the pes
whIt's goi ng on and they've had a chll nce 10 ask
a few questIons, they get the order 10 move out.
Read thIs aloud:
Vehicle. rev up and Itart moving In orderly line. toward the hole In the noor. They
joltle down the crude ramp the bulldozers
built, and Into a tunnel beyond. Jorsesen
motlonl you to join 'the parade.

The PCs continue down the UTIIln tunneL Ihen

take a sharp righ t through a ragged. dynamited
hole Into the PATH tube
Depending on the mood of your players, you
can skip over the trip. or describe II In subslllnllal
det.ail. Salient features life dIrk lunnels (the PATH
electric system Is definitely down); dark, $Ilent stations (at 9th Strut lind Christopher in New York.
and Pavor.la, Exchange Place, lind Grove Street
In Jersey CIty), narrow lunnels barely big enough
10 encompass Ihe plckup trucks; loud reverberations hom the closeln Willis of the tunnel; he avy
exha ust fumes; lind tight, drllmlltlc turns. Then:
Suddenly, ther. II a tremendou. crashing
noise from up ahud. Everyone brakes wild
ly. Vour vehicle camel to rest with iu
bumper )lilt touching the one In front of you.
Vou un't lee whafl going on. An order
comet: down the line : doule your englnell.
The tunnel'l ventilation Iy.tem II off with

PRICE OF FREEDOM

the electrldty, and the air II becoming thick

with es.hO!luIL Vou lit there. And si t . Final
Iy, the word comes back: there'l been an ac
ddent up ahead; the convoy will have to halt
until the wrecked vehlcl. . are moved out of
the way,
Nothing happens for a long time. except for the
sounds of men cursing and an occasional screech
of metal from up the line. Then. II vehicle can be
heard In the distance. speeding down the tunnel
toward the convoy. There's a tense moment when
everyone picks up a weapon - then a hoarse,
~At ease; hom Echmenedy. and everyone reLaKe5.
Nothing happens for a few min utes. Let your
players wonder what's going on. and probably
begin to get nervous as their ex tremely precarious
tactical position sinks In. Then. Echmenedy comes
ma rching down the tunnel to the PCs, flanked by
aides. He stops.
"weve Got a Job fur Vou, Miller"
Read Ihis aloud:
.
Echmenedy layl, "'Looks like It'l time to
earn your pay, Miller. I have a job for you.
"Has Jorgesen briefed you? Good. As you
know, thll tunnel endl In Jersey City, JUl t
short of Journal Squ.,e. Intelligence In
dlcatet: Soviet trOOPI have mused at
Newark airport. and are begInning to move
ouLIt11 c.ke us 20 mlnut.. to clear the sod
damned acddenl abead: we're afraid the
Reds wtll get to Jelley City before we do.
They have 10 be delayed." He producel a
map. (Pull out Mlip E and show It to the players.)
"Captain Finkelstein blew up the Roule
I bridge here lpolnt lit the lIpproprillte bridge).
the ranroad bridge here. and the Pulaski
Skyway here. But. as you heard, he died
before he could destroy the Communi paw
bridge - here. I thought we lUll had enough
time to beat the Sovleu to Jersey City, but
the accident II gonna make It too clOIe.
"MUler. the Communlpaw bridge mUlt be
destroyed. If It II, the Sovleu will be
delayed. and we'll be able to complete our
evacuO!ltion. If It Iln'l, we may be ambulhed
In Jersey CIty. Vou're our only hope."
One problem: there are only two vehicles on
the far side of the accldent - a }eep and II pick
up. No others can get pllstthe blockage unlillt's
deared . The two vehicles. between them, clln
carry maybe eight people, uncomforlilbly
Echmenedy wil! send Jorgesen wlth them, but
otherwise. the Pes are going to be alone. (If you'Tli!
plllying with fewe r than six player charllClers, fill
the party oul with NPC Guardsmen)

(2.7) Episode 3:
Communipaw Bridge
The available vehicles are loaded up wIth C4
explosive (plastique). blasting caps and wire. Once
the PCs are briefed, they speed down the tunnel
After several kilometers. the tunnel exits Into
daylight. The tracks continue up a narrow ravine,
flanked on both sides by cliffs, to the Journal
Square station. 1be station Is a Large, modem concrete building which sits directly II10p the trIcks.
The ravine opens ou t Into low hllls on either sIde.
C haIn-lin k fences wllh blIrbed Wire top the hJlls
to keep out trespassers. The characters can easIly
rip out a section of fence (Ihe truck Is equipped

GAMEMASTER BOOK

with a tow-chain and wlnch for sllUlItions just like

this) or a hole can be blou.m in Ihe fence In
moments, the PCs are up over the hills lind Into
the Jersey City streets, heading down Kennedy
BouIevlIrd for Communlpaw Avenue (see Map E) .
RUlh Hour
Traffic is extremely heavy as panicked cltizens
)am Ihe streets. eitheT attempting to rellch their
homes or attempting to le<lYe the area altogether
While there is less outright chaos than there was
In MlInhattan. as they travel Ihe charllcters will
witness scattered Incidents of fighting lind looting
Once again, traffic laws are being Ignored; colll
slons dog Intersections and Cllr horns blare In
cessantly as frightened drivers vent their frustra tion lind helpless terror.
The characters driving should ellch mllke un
modi fIed driving skill rolls; the rolls represent the
diffjcult task of moving Ihelr vehicles ove r
Sidewalks, through fronl lawns and down congested side streets as they move towards the
bridge, You may want to caU for a fllSt talk roll or
two (double the charllcters' skills) to convince
angry homeowners lind drivers to let the Pes pass.
When this begins 10 get boring, take out the fuUcolor game-map which depicts a bridge (Mllp 1)
The flnlll climactk battle of the adventure will be
fought using II
What Dou the Map Show?
The color of each hex indicates the terraIn that
occupies II, as follows:
hex tenaln type
ho. tenaln type
2606 more road
1001 bro,h
1004 broken
2324 wood,
2119 road
1015 river
17 10 stanchion (impassable)
In addition. buildings are conSidered clear ter'
rllin on theIr roofs and InSide
Some symbols lire dTllwn along hexsides.
They are:
black Ime
wall
open square
wlndows
closed square
doors
The re are two types of "waUs" shown on the
mllp. The walls around the buIldings I re 1m
passable; they may only be enlered through the
doors and wind()U,l5. All other wells ere "low walls.~
For the effects of differen t terrain type . see Ihe
Terrain Effects C hllrl (In Freedom Ale D )
Lines of Sight
The Ught bnes are elevation con tour lines;
Ihey're explelned in rule section 12 of this booklet.
HoweveT. for Ihe sake of simplicity. use only the
following ~ne of sight rules in this adven ture:
A low wall only blocks a line of sight between
two chllrllClers if one of them is prone lind Is im
mediately behind the waU, and the other is at the
same or /ower elevation. low walls neveT block
lines of sigh t to sUlnding characters,
Chllracters mlly walk under the brid~. Dotted
lInes across the bridge show where the coastline ex
tends under the bridge. AD hexes under a bridge ere
clell r (or river) hexes. No charadeT under a bridge
mlly observe a target on the bridge, or vice versa

Note: As a result of a printing enor, the legend

around hex 1218 ls reversed . The side of Ihe river
wIth Ihe clothing warehouse Is Kearny, New
Jersey; the side wllh Lincoln Park Is Jersey CIty,

========~ TBE ADVENTURE SECTIONI = = = = = = = =

A character allAe edge of a bridge may cftmb
over the lip and OntO the superstructure
underneath it Each tum he continues \0 hang
onto the underside of Ihe bridge, he may, If he
chooses any oction allowing movement, move to

one &d;acenl bridge hex, remaining Of! the under

Side of the bridge. He may move two hexes, bUI
\0

do 50 he must make a mountaineering skiD roJ!;

If he ftllis, he fans off

Characters h"nglng onlO the underside of ill

bridge may not observe characters on the bridge,
or vice versa.
As II generlll rule, II characler hllnglng onto II
bridge rnlly only use one hand (the other Is busy
keeping him from falling) , Any character under ill

bridge who engages another character or Is en

gaged In melee combat must make iI mountain eering skill roU to avoid hilling oH the bridge.
Any character hllnglng to the underside of the

bridge who Is stunned or lightly wounded must

Immed~tely make lin agility lIttribute roll. If he
laib, he falls off the bridge. Any charadeT who is
IncapllCitllted Of heavily wounded while hanging
onto the bridge Immedilltely falls off
When II chM!K:Ier flills Into the wllter, he Is
stunned, lind mlly drown If he cannot swim (see
below) When one flills off onlo IlInd, refer to the
FaII!ng and CollIsIons TlIbie (see the Gomemaster
Cherts) to see how much damage he suffe~.
Trellt him liS flliling 4 meters.
A chllracler hllnging onto the underside of II
bridge in II hex lIlong Ihe edge of the bridge mlly
climb back onlo it lIllhe cost of iln hiS movement
points. He ends his move either prone or stand
lng, his choice.

The River
Any chitr~er in II hex lId)ltcenl to the river (In
cludlng the edges of lhe bridge) Of hitnglng onlo
Ihe underside of the bridge mlly dive Inlo the river.
DoIng 10 Is the character's IOle lICIion for the com
bat round
A charader who dives (or flills) Inlo the water
must mllke II swimming skin roll. If he fails, he
begins to drown. If he falls three skill rolls In a row,
he does In fllcl drown (unless another cha racter
gets 10 him and swims him 10 shore whhln lInotner
three combat rounds).
If he succeeds In any of his rolls, he does nOI
~nk, and mlly swim. Only one success Is neces
!..!Iry; therellfter. the chllrllcter need not make
lInolher swim ron, 1m/ell lIunned or wounded.
If he 15 stunned or wounded, he must make
lInother roll, II fllllure means he begins to drown,
etc.
An Incapacltllted chllrader automatically begins
to drown. lind will die lifter th ree combllt rounds
unless rescued.
Swimming ch&-.Kters mlly choose only two ac
Ilons: HmOVe." lind "rapid fire lind move." Moving
sw!mme~ clln move two hexes In lIny dlreclion
(Including Into land hexes) . Rapid Itrers cannot
1'TlOIIe, bUI mlly make one !'lipid fire (while treading
water). Grenades lind heavy weapons mlly no! be
used by swimming chatacters.
Any Itre lit II chllracter In the water 15 subject
to a -2 fire modifier, Any fire from II chllracter
In the wllter Is subject to II -4 modlfier.
If il9J'lnade affects II chmK:ter In lhe WlIter, treat
him liS In II "closed" lIreli. (Wliter transmits shock
very effedtvely.)

10

Gridlock
Read:
The Cemmunlpaw bridge I. jammed with
c ar . Sinc e the other bridges have bee n
b lewn, it Is the only c ennectien &-em Jeney
C ity to' the mai n New J ersey hlgbw.~. Both
s ides of the bridge a re pac ke d with cars.
trucks, and bus ses trying to re a c h th e Turn.
pike a c roll th e rive r.
Unless they wish to kill hundreds of Americans
when they blow the bridge, the PCs must clear
II firsl .
The slmplesl ..... ay to clear the traffic 15 10 blow
Ihe !ires OUI on a suffldenl number of cars to block
the bridge completely. While this will InfUriate the
drive~. nOl mllny wm be foolish enough 10 attack
a hlllfdolen men anned with automalic rifles
Or. the PCs can appeal to the drivers' potrlotlsm.
halting the ca~ at gunpoint If necessary lind then
explaining the situation. While some of the drivers
will curse lIllhem and try 10 get by, many willlIgroe
to help
We5ttFee (Through bullhorn): USlen to mel The
Commies are landing In Newark Airport. We're
wllh the Nlitlonitl Guard - we've got orders
10 blow this bridge. You'U have to find lOme
OIher way out. Please eviIClUlle the bridge now!
D river: Screw you, buddyl There lIln'l no more
National Guard. Din't you hear President Murphy? We've surrendered. The ballgllme', over
- linito, bpul - so cUllhe crap and get oulta
the way. I gollll get home 10 my wife lind kids!
We sttree: Usten. you melllymOUlhed piece of
dirt. There lire some of us who hllven't sur
rendered ......... ho1I never surrender! Now I've
golla job to do . . and I haven'l gotllny time
to Siand around arguing wllh a lousy quisling
scumbucket. Now do you wanna move your
car. or do I fire II couple of bursts Into II - and
you? You got five seconds.
Truc k Drtver. Hey! You guys really gannll flghl
the Rem?
WesttFee: Yup.
Truc k Driver. Fanfreaklng.la$lic! How do I gel
In on il?
Westtree: First. gel lIli of these goddllmned
dvilillns off of this bridge. Then. get your rig
over to Joumlll Square and report to Colonel
Echmenedy - he'U lell you whitl to do.
Truck Drive r. Echmenedy. huh? How'U I recog
nlze him?
Wes ttree (smiles): He'D be the guy lellding II US
Anny convoy oul of the PATH lunnels. You
can'l miss him. Now get moving. soldier!
Truck DrIver (!..!Ilulesj: You got It, chiel- I mean,
yes. sir! God bless America!
Experienced (or jusl plain sneitky) players may
lIlIemPI 10 use cooperallve dvil!ans And their
vehicles to block Ihe ot her end of Ihe bridge. as
lookouts or. Indeed, liS cannonfodder in Ihe up
coming light. That 15 good. While it mlly show
regrellable lack of regard for human Hfe. to sur
vlve, freedom IIghlers win have to learn to exploit
My posslble 1001 at hand to Its fullest potentia!.
and the dvtllans who YOlunteer hllve just as much
right 10 die for their counlry as do the PCs.
lOal doesn't make it any easier for you to figure
OUI how 10 delll with twenty Of Ihlrty ilngry
Americans driving lICTOSS the bridge IIll1 bu$load
of very surprised RU$slans. Short movie. huh?

GAMEMASrER BOOK

Read the boxed section below, '"Ct.ever PIayers,~

for suggestions on how to deal wllh thew or Olher
unexpected ploys.
Time Press ure
Here's lhe problem: 10 blow lhe bridge, the Pes
mUSI plllntlln explosive ~k at each of the IWO
hexes marked wllh lin "X". on the underalde of
Ihe bridge. They must Ihen run II wire from both
pllcks to II hex off the bridge, lIttllch the wires 10
a battery plICk. and close a conlact. EIectrictty wlU
run up the wires lind set off Ihe explosives (Any
character with II demolillons skill of 10 or better
will know Ihls: also, they will know thall! only one
chllrge is placed, there Is II pretty smllil chllnce of
the bridge flllllng .1
Lay oUllhe map, lind telllh!! to your plllyerS
Then, lake counters for their jeep and pickup. lind
plllCe one in hex 2126 Bnd one In 2226. Tell them
Ihlll Newllrk Airport is down 195. Ask Ihem whllt
Ihey're doing next.
They're now operllling In combal rounds. A
Move lIc1ion gives 5 movement points; vehicles
can move 5 road hexes per tum
As described lIhove. moving II10ng the under
side of Ihe bridge tllke!i one round per hex
The Guardsmen hllve already assembled the
neceSSllry explosive packs. All Ihllt needs 10 be
done Is 10 plant them. Each pack 15 lIbout 50
pounds In weight. Mllnhandllng II pack under Ihe
bridge lind securing It requires at !ellSt two people
Securing a charge In position. setting the delo.
Mlor. lind anachtng wire takes!lbout half II mlnule
(2 combal rounds) once the pack Is in the right
hex.
Running wire tllkes no Ilme; II charllcter with
a spool of wire can lay il OUI behind him liS he
runs. (Though If wire Is run lIlong Ihe surface 01
[he bridge. an enemy could concelvilbly cui [I.) A
charllcter can Illy wire behind him liS he moves
under the bridge as weI!
No te: The explosive packs contllin C4 lind
connor be used a5 !..!Ilchel chllrges.
lei Ihe players teU you what they're doing _
setlmg up defensive works. running llround plllnt
Ing packs. whlltever. Remind Ihem thllt Jorgesen
Is wllh Ihem; he'lI do whal the pIlIyers wllnt him
10 do. After 10 combat rounds. place a eM counler
!n hex 1110 and a bus In 1011 .
By our reckoning. If the PCs lIct In II complele
Iy optimum fitshlon, Ihey ClIn ready lind louch off
the explosives In 17 rounds. If they're being Inef
ficlenl IlOOUI It, give them II few more rounds
before the Soviets arrive. In tInY event, Ihey'U only
be partly through wllh Ihe job, lind will hllve to
flghl off the Reds until they Clln complete U.

Lt. VuIIy Kre.plo

71h G ullrds Airborne Divlslon
Phl/skel Tag; Unshaven, extremely tired
Personalltll Tag~ Depressed
M otlIJQtJon: A professonal attachmenl 10 his

""""-

Appropriate AttrlbuU!S;

Alenness: 10
.ManulIl Dexlerity: 11
Approprlcte Ski'lt
A utomatic: Weapons: 10
Hllndlo Hand: 15
Langu!lge - English: 10
Plslol: 13

PRICE OF FREEDOM

Swimming. 15
Mounlillineerlng 10
EqUipmeru. Uniform. pistol, two ammo dips,
Buick.

Pcm/c uue/. 5
leadershIp: 5
Cpr!. Egon Straun
Drt"~

Physicol Tog. HII, unshaven.

Persona/I'll Tog. Cowardly.

Approprio.e Allrlbulu.
Ml\nU1I1 Dexterity: 8

Approprlllle Skills
Drive. 15

Hand'o-Hand. 6

Pisrol. 8
Equipment Uniform, pistol

Panic Level,' 15
I ....n
Soldier (one of fifteen)

Phvstco/ TII9,' Young, underfed.

PrrsonolilJl Tog. Confused
Appropriate Attribute.:
Manual Dexterity: 10
Approprlare Skill&.:
Automatk W'.!Ipons: 12

Handla-Hand 12
PIstole 8
Swimming 10
MountaIn Climbing 5
EqUipment: Uniform, pack, automatlc rt!1e, 4

ammo clips, knife, 3 grenades, canteen,

mess kit
Panic Leue/. 10
The Soviet. ArTlYe
The Soviets are giving top priority to the move-

menl of troops and light arms. Uft capacity Is

devoted primarily to mllnpower, the arriving occupiers life eKpected to use Ioealtumsport. Moving II hundred men by i!lir is cheaper than mOVing
one tank; heavy materiel will notappeM until later
In the Occup!lllon. Thllt's why the Soviets are uSing
lin Avis car lind II Port Authority IIlrpori shuttle
bus, Tiliher thlln , SIIY, lin APC.
A Soviet officer lind driver lire In the Cllr (II
BuiCk). Pdteen Soviet soldiers are In the bus. Don't
lICtullDy plil<:e counters for the Soviets; only place
a counter for II chll rllcter when I.e eKlts II vehicle
Only PCs within five heKes of II vehicle wllJ be
IIble to determine that its occup!ln ts lire Soviets
The SovIets' orol!T5aTe to secure this bridge lind
hold it unlil relief arrives. They lire IIwllre thllt the
Pula5ki Skyway hilS been destroyed. lind thlltthe
Communlpaw Bridge Is now the mOSt direct connection between the IIJrporl and New York City.
The Soviets lire nOi inltllllly aWllre thaT IInything
unusuill Is going on Here's whllt they'll do If
nobody opens fire and they don't notice IInythlng
unusual:
Round 1: The vehicles move to hexes 1608 lind
1508.
Round 2: Krempko gets out of his cllr.
Round 3: Krempko yeUs lind the IVllns sum bIIllIng out of their bus. lour per round. They move
up the ramp to 1810.
Round 7; AD the Soviets lite out of the bla lind
on the TlImp. Krempko yells some more. lind they
sprelld OUtllct'05S the bridge lind move caullous
Iy up II lowllrd the bottom 01 the mllp (2 hexes
per tum) .

PRICE OF FREEDOM

If the Soviets can see lInythlng unusual, mllke

lin alertness anrlbute roll for Krempko; if he succeeds, the SovIets Me alerted They're also alerted
If anyone shoots, a grenade eKplodes, the bridge
Is blown. efC. Once 1Ilerted. they break off their
routine and do whatever seems IIppropriate.
They obJective Is to seize lind hold the bridge.
[f they find the eKplosive packs or wires, they'll
try to dismantle them. J{ the PCs stllrt shooting,
the Soviets will fire back.
While the Soviets Me In their vehicles, the PCs
may freely lire Into and out of the vehicles They
may not fire III the vehicles themselves. Initially,
aU windows are up end unbroken, so no grenlldes
mlly be tossed Into either vehicle; after any fire
tllkeS pJa.ce from or into a vehicle, its windows lire
shattered, and pose no obstructiOn to grenades
If II grenade lands In a vehicle, treat It as "vented"

Panic
After they're alerted (but noT before), you must
roll each combllt round to determine which Soviets
panko Each has a pank level (see boK llbove): if
the number you roB for a Soviel is less than or
e quilito his panic level, he panics A panicked
cheracter does nothing on the combat round he
panics (eKcept that he may. at your option, fall
prone).
If LI. Krempko Is in a vehicle, the panic level
of any o lher chllracters In the 5IIme vehicle Is
reduced by 5. II Krempko is outside the vehicle,
the panic level of any other characters within 2
heKeS and within line of sight of Krempko 15
likewise reduced by 5. {Krempko Is on effective
leader.}

810wlng th e Bridge
The PCs must finiSh pladng the charges and
laying the wire, then blow the bridge. Remember
that placing a charge once it rellches Its heK takes
2 combat rounds
Wire clln be run eIther underneath o r on top
of The bridge. The problem with running It
underneath Is that it will take a long lime. The
problem with running it 1I10ng the bridge Is that
any Soviet who gets to a hex through which wire
runs can cut It.
If the chllrge5 lite placed and wires run to the
battery pack (w hk h is in the pick-up, unless the
players have said otherwise), closing the circuit
takes 1 combat round. When the drcult is closed,
roll agllinst the demolitions skill of the chaTllCler
who placed the chllrges: If the roll succeeds, the
bridge is blown. If it laOs. the charges are Improper
ly placed o r the wires ere loose; someone must
go back out to the explosive charge to 11K the
problem
If II character Is on the bridge between heK
row :ull and the lower edge of the map when
the bridge 15 blown. roll for the c haracter on Ihe
"SIIlchel chllrge" l!ne of the Grenade end Mine
Combat Tllble to determine if he suffers any
damage from the ex.pIo$ion. Then. roll on the faDIng and Collisions Table (for a fall of 4 meters) ;
he lands (prone) In the heK below the bridge.
II only one chllrge Is placed, It can be blown
prematurely. (The players mlly figure thllt blowIng II will help kin the SovlelS, and that II new
charge can be pillced after the Soviets are dealt
wl1h.) In this case, roll for elleh charitCler within
4 hexes of the chMge on lhe 1>uUet-trap grenade~
line of the Grenade and Mine Combllt Tilble. 1hen
make one roll for the bridge: on a roll of 3 or less,
the bridge COUlipsel.

GAMEMASTER BOOK

Playing th e Sovie ts

As gamemllSter, you have to decide what ac

tlons the SovIets take during combllt. Essentially.
each seeks first to preserve his own lile (by gettmg O\lt of the bus and finding some cover); then,
to fulfill hi5 mission. Krempko's priorities are a IInle
different: he's likely to risk his own life to SIIve his
commllnd (e.g., get his men out of the bus and
Inlo cOlIer)
Exactly what the SovIet5 try to do at any given
poInl depends on what they know At tim, aU they
know Is that some crazy Americans are trying TO
stop them from occupying the bridge: consequently. they'll try 10 kill the Pes. They won't know about
the eKpioslves. unt~ they 5po( a wire. realize there
are people under the bridge, or some such
When you mllke decisions for the Soviets, keep
In mind what each of lhem can see. Use common
sen5e to determine at what poln, they reallu that
the bridge Is mined. Unlll they make that rellll~lI
lion, they will not be trying to locate and remOlle
any explosives. After they do, a reaUy wild fight
may develop. with people hanglng on to the
bridge's underside and shooting at each other
S urre nde r and Dis inte gra tion
The SovIets are reasonllbly !<>yalto their regime,
but they are nOI supermen. If lin American and
a Soviet occupy the same helC , lind the Soviet
panics, he surrenders. A surrendered soldier may
be stripped of his weapons (via the Exchange
Wellpon actiOn), and may mOl/e as long as a cap
tor stays with him. If II surrendered soldier ever
fInds himself In a hex without a captor. he'lJ run
for the mllp-edge.
If Krempko and i!lt least eight of the other
Soviets are dead or Incapac;1tllted, the Soviets
diSlnlegTllte. That means that any Soviet who can
do so without endangering himself too greatly will
run lor the nearest map-edge.

GMlng TIp: Clever Players

We've said II beforee no lIdventure can ever
hope ,0 cover all possible player actions. Quite
simply, players always do the unexpected
That's one of the great charms of GMlng seeing whot your pLoyers come up with
this Is a real problem In THE PRICE OF
FREEDOM. At first. lInyway, chari\CIers have
more-or-less free access to Almost anything in
loday's United S tilles, For Instance:
Any construction going on In the Mea? ut's
hot-wire a bulldozer When the blade 1$ up. it's
almost Impervious to weapons fire. M.oIkes e
pretty good TlIm.
Why no! steal a coople of IS-wheeled trucks
from one o f the local Illctorles, zoom down to
the other end of the bridge. }IIckknlfe 'em, and
set 'em on fire? God knO\W If 1\ doesn't keep
Ihe Commies OUI ahogether, It'll sure a5 hell
iIow 'em down .
Come to think of II, why nOI walt for them
to show up before blowing up the trucks
leI's commandeer every one of the caTS,
trucks, lind busses In the area, pu t 'em IIU on
the bridge, and setlhem on fire. Even If they
don't UIke the bridge down, I'D bet the RussianJ
won', get 'em cleared before the 71st
~

...

Say, d ld n', we pass a loaded garbage scow

upriver somewhere? I bel II would do some

11

= = = = = = = = " ,TBE ADVENTURE SECTION= = = = = = = =

damage If It slammed Into Ihe bridge support
at full speed

And so on
Well, don't panic. Remember, jlOu !lIe just
ImaginatIVe as the p!lIyen; you clin
manipulate the environment 10 II greater
degree Ihan they can; and you clln be jU5\lIS

loS

sneaky as they are - iusl make sure you are

being sn4!lIky to make the game Interesling, not

simply to kill charllclers.

If Ihe players find /I really neal shortcut, go
with II. If they seem satisfied to succeed In the
adYeT\\1Jre wlloou\ firing a shot - good; they're:
learning how to be gueoillas. However, If II
looks ,n If they have been maybe more suecessfulthan they really wanted and would be
happier If a few of the Commies did gel
through \0 give them i!I light. do U.
The least elegant lind most frustrating wily
to handle player cleverness Is to make 11 fall.
~Uh, none of the drivers wI!! let you take Ihelr
cars They say they'll die before surrendertng
their Hondas." "Nope. There Is no construction going on In the area." "All of the trucks
have nllt tires:' This kind of manipulation Is extremely onnoying to your players. If you must
1Iiter reali ty to make the adven ture work, do
it out of their sight
Maybe the Soviets lire coming In two waves
a couple of minutes OPllrt; the second wave,
too late to Intervene, shows up soon afterwards. witnesses Krempko's fale, and is hop
ping milld and spoiling lor a fight. Or maybe
the Soviets have grabbed a couple of civilian
helicopters and use the m to ferry a squad to
the tOP of the building on the players' side of
the river - too l"te to save the brtdge, but In
time to exact 0 deadly TeVi!nge on the PCs . .
But remember, neuer punish the players for
being cleverer th"n you expected. Don't throw
gobs of Soviets at them just because they killed
the first group easily - throw in the Soviets
If the pla~ lire unsatisfied and w"nt to kill
some more .
Jt's okay to punish players for being stupid:
that's how they learn. But they should ,,!ways
be rewarded for cleverness. Thai rewllrd elln
be In the form of skill points. hero points,
equipmen t. ()I'" simply an eosy win
And then mllke the nex t encounter that
much tougher!

(2.8) Wrapping Up the

Adventure
If the PCs succeed and Jorgesen is stl11 ahve.
he t" kes them back to the Journal Square station.
where Echmenedy is supervising operations.
Echmenedy is pleosed, ilInd gives the PCs just
"bout "ny equipment he has available. The 715t
h"s no he"vy vehicles or weapons. but can provide a wide variety of Infantry arms.
Here's what they can have:
any (reasonable) number of M-16s and ammo,
gren"des of v"rtous sons
one LAW or light machinegun or rine grenade
launcher (with some ammo) , or severilll
cI"ymore mines
plenty of uniforms, food. helmets. web gellr. etc.
one plckup or jeep
additional C4 explosive

If the PCs bring 1I Soviet prisoner home.

Echmenedy Is espedally hllPPY. The prisoner can
provide Invaluillble information about Soviet plans
and dispositions.
Echmenedy Is spllttlng his command up into sixtoten man teams, equipping each heavily. and
sending them off in all directions. with orders to
establish themselves in widely separate areas and
prepare to carryon a guerrilla war.
Succes s
If the PCs succeeded :n blowing or hopelessly
blocking the bridge, they each receive 4 skill points.
If they returned" live captive to Echmenedy. glve
each of them I additional skill point. You may
award additional points and 1 hero point for
notable achievements, excellence in playing a role,
or for amusing the gamema5ler, at your discretion.

E Pluribus Unum.

Fililure
If the bridge is captured int"et and unblocked
by the Soviets. Krempko's detachment stays to
guard It. A few scant minutes lllter. dOlens 01
Soviet vehicles stilln 10 pour across It. If your
players haven't made a getaway by this time.
they're in bad shape.
Journal Square comes under attack while
Echmenedy's ev"cuallon is in progress The bulk
of the 71st Regiment is destroyed by enemy action . Captured Guardsmen are execuled as examples of what happens to those who defy the
new regime, In general. the PCs' names ore mud.
You can play this one of two ways. The PCs
might be captured by the Soviets. If so, they're
t",ken to the 7th Guards Airborne DIvision's tem
porary headquarters lit the People Express terminal at Newark Airport for InterrogaUon. They
might be able to Improvise a spectacular escllpe
by, for example. stealing a corporate jet. Or they
might be made the subjects of " televised showtrial, and rescued by fellow freedom fighters at the
l;:r.st moment ... wh"teuer. In any event, this can be
saved for the next session of piIlY. Taking this tack
will me",n a lot of improvisation on your part.
Or you can simply have the PCs flee, escaping
just as the SovIets start Ihe investment of Jersey
City, as the Journal Square Transportation Center
comes under heavy artU!ery fire and Ihe mass execution of National Guardsmen begins. You can
h"'ve them sneak from house to house while
Soviet soldiers march past, eventually escaping
into the Hackensack-Meadowlands sWllmps and
toward BiUy Barstow's Jersey Shore stomping
grounds.
Either way, they blew It; the most they should
get ou t of the deal Is '" couple of skU! points e",ch
(and 1 per might be more like II) .

Wh",t Ne xt?
Now your players have to decide what they
wllnt to do next. Do they want to continue playing the pregener"ted characters or do they want
to roll up new o nes? Where do they want to set
up openllions? Do they want to set up II com
munlcallons network with Echmenedy's command
or do they want to be lone wolves?
It is worth your lime to sit down with the players
for an evening and discuss options: then you'l1
have some Idea of wh",t they want to do before
you set up the nex' adventure.

Out 01 Many, One.

12

GAMEMASTER BOOK

PRICE OF FREEDOM

3. DesigDiDg aDd
BUDDiDg AdveDlures
"The mountains look on MarathonAnd Marathon looks on the sea;
And musing there an hour alone,
I dream'd that Greece might still be free."
- Lord Byron

(3.1) Packaged Adventures

There are two sorts of adventures: "packaged"
ones published by West End or another company,
and ones entirely invented by the gamemaster. We
admit a prejudice for the latter, actually. We enjoy spending time and effort creating entertainment for our friends. We think you'll have the
same kind of fun designing your own adventures.
However, not everyone has copious free time
to spend on their hobbies, and we flatter ol,lrselves
in thinking we design pretty good adventures.
We've included one with the game to start you off,
along with a whole slew of short adventure ideas
(see section 5). We'll publish more as time goes
on. So buy our adventures, or you'll never learn
what more the Soviets have in store for our great
land. The fate of America is in your handsl
Seriously, we find packaged adventures
useful for four reasons:
1. When gamemastering your first few games
of THE PRICE OF FREEDOM, running a
packaged adventure will help you get a better grip
on how to run the game.
2. A packaged adventure gives you a good
model for organizing and preparing the materials
necessary for an adventure.
3. Sometimes you may not have enough time
to prepare your own adventure in advance; when
this happens, it's nice to be able to pull a packaged adventure out on short notice.
4. Even if you don't use a packaged adventure
in toto, you may find it contains interesting ideas
or plot devices you can incorporate in your own
adventures.

(3.2) Designing Your Own

Designing adventures takes a little imagination
and time, but it's not very difficult. Basically, you:
come up with a story idea, an interesting problem for the freedom fighters to solve, an interesting
combat situation, or the like.
develop a plot around the story idea.

PRICE OF FREEDOM

break the plot into a sequence of episodes, each

involving a minor problem that has to be solved,
one after the other, leading to the climax of the
adventure - the main problem.
translate the problems into game terms, so you
know how to resolve them as they occur in play.

Freedom's Just Another

Word for Nothing
Left to Lose.
(3.3) Getting Ideas
Since the players and gamemaster create a story
when they playa roleplaying game, it's useful to
think about adventures in terms of the kinds of
stories they tell.
Any roleplaying game is well suited to some
kinds of stories, and not well suited to others. For
example, mE PRICE OF FREEDOM is not wen
suited to Shakespearean tragedy. It is well suited
to stories of bravery under fire.
Good places to get ideas for THE PRICE OF
FREEDOM are:
1. Thrillers. Many spy stories or other thrillers
are adaptable to the game. Gathering information
about the occupiers is often extremely important
to the Resistance. Moreoever, the most effective
way to strike out at the Soviets is unexpectedly;
planting bombs in the right places, infiltrating
Soviet installations, etc., might be very useful. Sug
gested Reading: The Day of the Jackal,
Frederick Forsyth; The Fifth Horseman, Larry
Collins & Dominic LaPierre; and Where Eagles
Dare, Alistair Maclean.
.

GAMEMASTER BOOK

2. Survivalist Stories. Though no nuclear war

has occurred, life in America is going to get pretty
rough under the Occupation. By and large, the
occupiers will control the major cities pretty
thoroughly - but much of the countryside will be
controlled by no one, except when a Soviet patrol
or band of guerrillas sweep through. Opportunists,
many doubtless claiming to be freedom fighters,
will loot where they will. As the Soviets strip
America of heavy industry, commandeer vehicles,
and destroy channels of transportation and
distribution (distributors "exploit" the labor of
others), food supplies will become scarce. In many
areas, the result will be a return to the land and
a breakdown of the norms of civilized behavior.
The breakdown of civilization will not be as ex
treme as it would after a nuclear war, but still, the
attitudes of survivalism are appropriate. Suggested
Reading: Lucifer's Hammer, Larry Niven &
Jerry Pournelle.
3. Stories of the Resistance. The closest
historical analog to the American Underground is
the World War II resistance to Nazi occupation.
A number of books on the Resistance have been
written by participants; the situations and problems
they encountered will find parallels in America
under Soviet occupation. Their stories may spark
ideas. Suggested Reading: Strange De/eat,
Marcel Bloch.
4. Stories of Soviet Occupation. A number
of novels about Soviet occupation have been
published over the years. ObViously, this genre has
direct. applicability to the game. Suggested
Reading: Not This August, C.L Kornbluth; and
I, Martha Adams, Pauline Glenn Win~low. Also,
What To Do When the Russians Come,
Robert Conquest & Jon Manchip White, a nonfiction work of great interest.
5. Nonfiction About the Soviet Union.
Nonfiction works about the Soviet Union will give
you an idea what life under Communism is like.
Suggested Reading: Gulag Archipelago,
Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn, and The "Liberators'~
Viktor Suvorov.
6. Soviet Propaganda. The Soviet version of
American history makes fascinating reading, and
indicates what the Soviets would do if they oc-

13

..

cupied America. (For an example, see 5.2.) Suggested Reading: The Great Soviet
Encylopedia.

(3.4) Plotting
Any good adventure needs a plot. Plotting is
simple, once you have a good idea for a story. All
you have to do is remember a few simple rules.
A prototypical, tried-and-true, stereotyped plot
is this:
1. Hero finds a goal.
2. On his way to the goal, hero encounters a
series of problems and, with effort, deals with
them. Maybe he deals with them one by one;
maybe he handles several at a time.
3. Finally, hero encounters a major obstacle.
4. After a lot of time and effort, hero finally overcomes the major obstacle. This is called the climax.
5. Hero achieves his goal. Or, he learns why
he doesn't really want to. Or he fails to achieve
his goal (this is called a tragedy).
And in the process, hero learns and grows.
Roleplaying games are "multiherd' stories, in
which the player characters cooperate in pursuit
of their goal. To this degree, adventures differ from
short stories. The basic outline doesn't change,
though. All you need is:
1. A definite goal, even if it's kept secret from
the players at the beginning of the adventure.
2. A reason for the characters to pursue the goal
(a request passed down through the Resistance
grapevine will always do in a pinch).
3. Some obstacles for them to overcome along
the way, and some ideas for how they might be
overcome.
4. And a major obstacle for the grand finale.
In THE PRICE OF FREEDOM, a typical
adventure's goal is to obtain a piece of information or a document, to blow something up, to
thwart Soviet operations against an area, etc.
Character motivation is often proVided by the
characters' background
their passions or interests, or a desire to protect their home town,
country, or relatives.
Obstacles are more tricky. Many can be overcome with withering firepower. Since the Soviets,
by and large, are better armed and equipped than
freedom fighters, this is not always a good idea.
You don't want the players to succeed all the time
just by shooting. If that were the cure-all solution
to every problem, the game would get pretty dull.
To make an adventure satisfying, the players
must use their wits, intelligence and skill to overcome obstacles. This calls for puzzle-solving. A
puzzle is an obstacle which can be overcome with
a little thought. (That is, you might be able to solve
it by going in with guns blazing, but thinking things
through will show you an easier and less costly
way.)
To construct a puzzle, think of a problem to be
solved. Think of ways the problem could be
solved, and give the player characters the information and equipment to implement at least one
solution. Then, let them work at it. Ithey're smart,
they'll figure out how to solve it. If they're creative,
they'll solve it in a way you hadn't anticipated. If
they're not so smart, you may have to give them
a few hints. And if they're really not so smart at
all, they'll charge in, guns blazing. So be it.

(3.5) Characterization
As we said in the Player Book, taking on the

14

mindset of a character different from oneself is the

most interesting facet of roleplaying. As
gamemaster, you will be called upon to take on
the roles of many characters. However, your goal
is different from the players'; the characters you
play must advance the plot and contribute to the
game's atmosphere.
A cardinal rule of mystery writing is, "If you
mention a candlestick in chapter one, by chapter
seven it must play some important role in the plot:'
Characters are not to be introduced haphazardly.
Spear-carriers are one thing; you can have dozens
of Soviet soldiers who do nothing but fire
weapons, grunt unintelligibly, and die. But when
you introduce a living, breathing character, who
talks with the player characters and develops a personality of his own, he must make a contribution
to the story. That contribution might just be comic relief; or he might provide information, or act
as an obstacle, a motivator or as a mood-setting
device. Here are some examples:
Motivator: His face was expressionless; his
eyes glinted dangerously behind dark glasses.
"That's correct, gentlemen:' he said. "I'm prepared
to provide you with 3,000 Yugoslavian AK-47s
and several dozen crates of ammunition if you will
do this little job for me:'
Information Source: The shopkeeper refused
to meet our eyes. He fingered the tattooed
numbers on his upper arm, and said softly, "I do
not believe the Colonel will be at his headquarters
tonight, as he bought a box of contraceptives from
me this afternoon:'
Obstacle: ''I'm sorry, comrade;' said the
bureaucrat. "Your ration coupons are past due:'
Comic Relief: You crouch behind the trash
can. You check to make sure your gun is limber
and loaded. The column of Soviet jeeps streams
past the alleyway opening. A small, grimy urchin
girl comes up to you and stands in full view of the
passing Reds. "Gosh!" she stage-whispers. "Are
you a real, live freedom fighter? Can I touch your
gun? Can I, can I?"
Mood-Setting Device: The line at the general
store stretches around the corner. As you pass it,
you overhear one of its members whispering, "I
hear they have shoes today:'
Motivator, information source, obstacle, etc., is
the role the character plays in the story; but when
you talk as the character to your players, when
you take onthe character's role, you must lend
the character a touch of personality. Your
characters should not all talk alike; each should
use a different vocabulary, a different style of
speech, even a different accent or tone of voice.
Props and actions can help you establish a
character, too. If you pick up a red pen and stab
the air with it every time you speak as John Banks
of the Revolutionary Reflex Radicals, your players
will associate the. pen and gesture with him.
Perhaps the character paces when he thinks,
gesticulates wildly, speaks with his hands held
perfectly motionless at his sides. Any little trick can
add depth to the characterization.
Non-player characters are mostly cardboard
ones. You needn't spend a great deal of time
. agonizing over a character's motivation; unless the
players are going to encounter the same NPC over
and over, all the character needs is a little personality. That's what the "tags" are supposed to
provide.
When you design an NPC, it's worth thinking

GAMEMASTER BOOK

about his personality and physical tags. If the

players interact with the character only briefly,
those are the only things they'll notice about him
knowing the character's tags will guide you in
playing his role. Giving a character one simple
physical feature and one personality element may
not sound like much - but even that will go a
long way to making your characters feel different
to your players.

(3.6) Atmosphere and Mood

Setting
As game master, you must maintain an atmosphere - a tone. Each game has its own tone;
THE PRICE OF FREEDOM's is that of a grim
world populated by despicable villains and
desperate heroes.
Jingoism. In the world of THE PRICE OF
FREEDOM, patriotism is not a fair-weather sport.
When, in our world, someone says something like,
"The struggle between Soviet Communism and
American liberty is a struggle between freedom
and slavery," there is a temptation to smile. Even
if true, it seems overstated. The New Hampshire
license plate says, "Live free or die;" in our world,
the choice is not so stark. In the world of THE
PRICE OF FREEDOM, it is. The characters of
that world take these things very seriously; you'll
help your players get in the right mood if you talk
about events and characters in the right way. Look
over the eagles and quotes throughout the game;
they should give you an idea of the note we want
to strike.
Grimness. The world of THE PRICE OF
FREEDOM is a bleak one, enlightened by
desperate heroism. When describing things, use
adjectives like run-down, grimy, shop-worn, haggard, dull-eyed. The world is grey; whatever color it contains is in the posters, uniforms and flags
of the occupiers. Think of the players as shivering, ill-clad men and women standing outside the
door of a house where gaiety and celebration
reign; the Communists party while America sinks
into decay.
Heroism. What brightness there is shines from
the light of liberty, burning fiercely in the breasts
of a few, scattered men and women. Use words
like courage, determination, and heroism when
describing that.
Bleak; desperate; courageous; opposed by innumerable foes; that's the world in which the
player characters live. You'll have to work to make
it real to your players.

(3.7) Sadistic Violence

Characters have to have a reason to pursue a
goal. To make your plot work, you must give the
players an incentive to pursue its objective.
THE PRICE OF FREEDOM is a game with
villains who are trying to destroy the American way
of life. It's a game of violent struggle against those
villains_ You want your playet'J> to try to defeat the
villains, to want badly to do so.

PRICE OF FREEDOM

Simply telling your players about the situation

- Reds occupying America is a start. But you
want to make it personal.
Here's a failsafe: at the beginning of each adventure, have the villains do something completely
despicable, evil and wrong. The player characters
should either be watching and unable to intervene,
or be told of this horrible act from a sympathetic
NPC (e.g., a little girl they've adopted as their
mascot). That should outrage them
and the
emotions engendered will carry them through the
adventure.
. For example: the Soviets rip a family asunder.
As the PCs watch helplessly, a heavily-armed
squad of Soviet soldiers tear the weeping children
from the bosom of their mother and pistol-whip
their father when he tries to intervene. The parents
are loaded onto a pickup truck, and driven away
to "reeducation" camps in Alaska, while the
mother holds her arms out pitifully to her children.
Or: the Soviets have orders to confiscate every
"for emergency food supcow in the county
plies to halt the famine in Arkansas:' A farmer tries
to prevent them, and is shot dead. Because he
tried t~ stop them, they burn his house and farmstead down - leaving his wife and children standing silently in the rain.
Or: the Soviets decide to rechisel Washington's
face on Mount Rushmore into Lenin's.
Or: one night, a squad of drunken Soviet
soldiers break into the local Catholic church,
remove anything made of gold (monstrance.
candlesticks, etc.), and savagely beat the priest
when he tries to intervene.
Anything that affects individuals personally has
emotional impact; so does the desecration of a national symbol; so does a particularly brutal killing.
Any use of violence against the innocent or
helpless will suffice.
If you're running a campaign (see section 4).
using a character's background is an especially effective device. Seeing an elderly couple turned out
of their home into the bitter December night to
make room for a Soviet colonel's headquarters is
bad enough; when the elderly couple are your
parents, it's something conSiderably worse. The effect is particularly strong if the player characters
have met the parents and talked with them several
times over the course of previous adventures
if they know the characters.

(3.8) Heroic Fiction

Vs. Reality
Fiction is differentfrom reality. When a normal
person is taken into a torture chamber, the chances
are he'll never come out. When a hero is taken
into a torture chamber, it's a very different matter.
While playing the game, you and your players
create a story. Stories sometimes demand a little
alteration of reality.
For one thing, in the chaos of everday life, our
experiences often have no connection to each
other. In a story, every event contributes to the
plot, by advancing the story, setting the scene, or
presaging future events. What happens in Scene
1 has something to do with what happens in
. Scene 2.

PRICE OF FREEDOM

The big challenge you face is to make the story

satisfying, while also satisfying the needs of your
players to make real decisions. Making real decisions is necessary, for unless a character agonizes
over his decisions, he is merely swept along by the
currents of the story. The decisions the players
make must matter. (See "GMing Tip: The Illusion
of Choice" in section 2.4 of "The PATH of
Freedom:')
But a story is only satisfying if its denouement
is satisfying and its characters grow and learn. To
make a story work, you must sometimes fudge
things.
When the valiant freedom fighters, who
struggled across the Continental Divide in the
depth of winter, who cut the wire surrounding the
concentration camp and who stole their way to
the door of the Commandant's bed chamber enter
and take him prisoner, they are not going to slip
on the door sill, fall, and 'alert the guards. They
have not come this far to fail for so petty a reason.
If the stealth skill roll is unfavorable
ignore it.
But don't let your players in on the deal. A satisfying story means maintaining dramatic tension.
The players must know they are in dreadful danger
every step of the way; the stealth roll is a moment
for indrawn breaths.
If you decide you cannot ignore the stealth roll
- then what you do must still produce a good
story. Perhaps the noise alerts only the Commandant's personal guard, who comes to investigate
himself. The PCs can take him out - but the body
might be discovered, so they'll be under greater
time pressure. (There you've turned the disaster
into something which strengthens the story - increasing dramatic tension by applying time
pressure.)
We don't mean to say that the players should
always win. If they don't act heroically, they should
not be treated as heroes. Too, some stories are
tragedies; a heroic death is a fitting climax to a
story of heroism. But random, senseless death
makes for random, senseless stories. Always give
the players the chance to act heroically. Always
give them a chance to recover from mischance.
You'll notice that the combat tables are heavily
weighted in favor of wounds and incapacitation;
"kill" results are difficult to achieve. That's purposeful; if characters are to continue from one
adventure to the next, they cannot die too frequently. Feel free, whenever the story demands,
to convert a "kiU" to an incapacitation
or to
award hero points, so the character can use them
to save himself.

(3.9) Styles of Play

(Apologies to Glenn Blacow)
When running any roleplaying game, you
should always be sensitive to your players' styles
of play.
We find it useful to think in terms of four different styles. Obviously, everyone's style of play
encompasses parts of all four; and any
gamemaster switches from one to the other at
need
but some players tend to concentrate on
one style or another.
All styles are ualid. If you are having fun, you
are playing the game the right way, whatever way
that may be. However, if you aren't having fun,
maybe it's because your players would feel more
comfortable with another style of play.
Here are the four we use:

GAMEMASTER BOOK

The Power-Tripper: The power-tripper likes

blowing things up. He likes to wield powerful
weapons, shoot down dozens of foes with a single
burst of bullets, and stride like an invincible colossus into a rain of fire. He likes being bigger and
better than anyone else. The role he wants to play
is Rambo.
There's a little of the power-tripper in every
gamer. The point of roleplaying is to take on the
personality of someone different from yourself and, from time to time, we'd all like to be a little
stronger, a little tougher, and a little smarter.
If your players get the most fun out of blowing
things up, make your adventures heavy on explosives and things to explode
and play down
the finer nuances of story dramatics and
characterization. The rule is always: do what your
players enjoy.
The Wargamer: The wargamer likes to plan
his strategies carefully, study his moves in combat, and take advantage of every rule. He likes the
thrill of outwitting his opponents; winning is important to him. Winning is important to the powertripper, too; but the power-tripper's idea of a good
win is one which involves blowing things up with
a satisfying bang. The warga mer's idea of a good
win is one achieved with economy of resources
- the smaller the bang, the better.
Again, there's a little wargamer in everyone. We
wouldn't be interested in games if we weren't interested in game systems; learning how to maximize our odds and do the best we can is a part
of every game. If this is what your players like, concentrate on opportunities for combat, and spend
time setting up interesting battle situations. Note
that "combat" can still involve a lot of puzzlesolving; frontal assault is rarely a good strategy.
The Story-Teller: The story-teller likes a complex plot, story development, and a satisfying
climax. He gets his enjoyment not from firepower
or careful play, but from participating in the creation of an epic. He'll often sacrifice his character
or something he finds important to ensure that the
story is well-told and satisfying.
To a degree, telling stories jointly is what
roleplaying is all about; but some players prefer
more of an emphasis on story, and less on the
other aspects of roleplaying. A hardcore story-teller
would be bored with the kind of drawn-out combat which fascinates a wargamer. More, storytellers and wargamers want very different things.
If you roll the dice and they come up "kill," a
warga mer will want you to apply the result impartially. A story-teller will hate you if it means an important character - a major villain or a hero
is killed before his time. Major villains and heroes
are only supposed to die at the story's climax.
Again, your job is to match your style to your
players'. If they're chafing as you develop a carefully worked-out plot, maybe it's time to send an action scene or a fight their way. If they're bored with
combat, maybe you should be developing your
stories more thoughtfully.
The Roleplayer: The roleplayer gets the greatest
kick from imagining himself as his character. He
invests great emotional energy in developing the
character's personality; when his character dies,
he is likely to be greatly affected. He has a clear
idea what his character is like, how the character
will react to events in his world; he assumes the
patterns of speech and the modes of thought of
his character when playing.

15

Playing a role is what roleplaying is all about;

even the most combat-oriented game contains an
~Iem~.nt ~f ro~eplaying. Some find the unique
ldentificatlon wIth a character more important than
others.

(3.10) Props
It's often helpful to prepare hand-outs for your
"The PATH of Freedom" is an example;
It uses a whole series of maps as hand-outs.
Prepared maps save time; you don't have to
describe the situation, and the players can study
a map while planning their next move.
Props don't end with maps. They can include
lists equipment; letters, telegrams, newspaper
headlmes or other messages; pictures or
photographs; and so on.
Props serve several purposes. First, they contribute to the game's atmosphere. Second, since
t~ey can be examined and handled, they contribute to a sense of reality. Third, they may contain clues which the players can uncover through
close examination and analysis.
When you design your own adventures you
should give some thought to props. If the pes are
to assault. a museum now used as a fortress by
the occupIers, perhaps they will stumble on an old
touri~t:~ map of the museum (which you can get
by vlsltmg the place). If the PCs find a hastilyscrawled and partially-illegible note, perhaps you
should scribble a note, instead of just telling them
what they read.
This ~rings up a point; when you tell the players
somethmg, they often have the feeling they can
learn more by wheedling. If you say, "and then,
the note becomes illegible:' they'll say something
like, "Well, I study it harder:' or "I make a skill roll
to try to read it:' If you hand them an iUegible note
it will be easier for them to accept that it truly i~
illegible.
~layers.

0:

(3.11) Rewards
At the completion of each adventure, you
should award skill and hero points to the player
characters. They give the players a sense of accomplishment and personal growth.
How points are spent is discussed in the Player
Book.
When you design your adventure, you should
decide, in advance, how many skill and hero points
a player should receive for successful conclusion
of the adventure. The longer and more difficult
the adventure, the more points which should be
allotted. If the players botch it, they should receive
fewer points; if they do particularly well you
should give them more.
'
\bu should think about what parts of the adventure are difficult, and assign point awards for performing specific tasks within the adventure. For example, in "The PATH of Freedom;' the players get
extra skill pOints if they not only blow up the bridge
'
but take a prisoner as well.
In general, we suggest assigning 2 to 6 skill
points to each character at the successful conclusion of an adventure. If the players fail to achieve
the objective, you should assign 1 to 3 skill pOints
to each character at the end of play. A player
should only get the high end of either range (i.e.,
3 ~r points) if he did particularly well, came up
With mterestmg ideas, or amused you.
Characters should receive hero points for actin~ herOically. Cowardice or weaseling earns no
pomts. If the players really botch their mission
don't give them any hero points (at all). For th~
typical successful mission (say, blowing up the
Communipaw Bridge in "The PATH of Freedom")
you should give out no more than one hero point
per player. If the characters succeed and strike a
significant blow for the Resistance, you might
award as many as three hero points for every two
players. Two hero points per player should be (al
an exceedingly rare occurrence; and (b) the result
of a spectacular advance for the Resistance's cause.

Equipment as Magic Items

There are two ways for a character to become
m?re powerful: by obtaining new abilities through
skIll and hero points; and by obtaining powerful
equipment.
Guerrillas find equipment hard to come by. That
may not be strictly true in the beginning days of
the Occupation, when all of America's resources
can still be drawn upon; but even then, anything
more than small arms will be tough to find. As time
goes on, even rifle ammunition will be increasingly
scarce.
Consequently, nifty equipment will always be
a great prize for the player characters. Obtaining
a heavy weapon could easily be the object of a
whole adventure. You should consider giving the
players a few goodies at the end of any adventure when they've done a good job.
On the other hand, be parsimonious. If you
hand out too much equipment too fast, you'll have
two problems. For one, the PCs will have so much
stuff they'll get blase about getting more
defeating the purpose of giving them equipment
in the first place. For another, they'll get too
powerful.
Look, we include rules in this game for some
pretty awesome weapons. You can give your
playe~ a 120mm mortar
but you're nuts if you
do. With something like that they can sit seven
kilomete~ away and blow up a SOViet encampment at their leisure. THE PRICE OF
FREEDOM isn't designed as a simulation of a
high-intensity modern battlefield, but as a simulation of guerrilla warfare.
If you've played fantasy games, think of
weapons as magic items. You wouldn't give a firstlevel character a Lordly Wand of Infinite City
Destruction, would you? No more should you give
your players a fully-eqUipped and loaded tank.

Live Free or Die.

16

GAMEMASTER BOOK

PRICE OF FREEDOM

4. SelliDg Up a CampaigD
"The only purpose for which power can be
rightfully exercised over any member of a civilized
community, against his will, is to prevent harm
to others. His own good, either physical or moral,
is not a sufficient warrant."
- John Stuart Mill

Each of the adventures published for THE

PRICE OF FREEDOM is a stand-alone adventure; that is, it comes with its own setting and its
own set of pre-generated characters. You can play
the game this way - with each adventure entirely separate from all others - as long as you like.
Remember, though, that one of the most enjoyable aspects of roleplaying is coming to understand a character by playing him; players will
become attached to their characters, and will want
to continue playing the same one.
That's when it's time to set up your own
campaign.

(4.1) What is a Campaign?

their actual physical abilities. Players should talk

this over with each other and the gamemaster; a
cooperative assessment of each player's abilities
is less likely to be biased. (Since everyone has 50
attribute points, this is not a matter of saying
"You're puny, you miserable weakling, your
character only has a strength of 7," but of saying
"you're quite agile but not particularly strong, so
why don't you knock a few points off strength and
add a couple to agility.")
2. Each player should allocate 100 of his 150
"free" skill points to skills he actually does possess.
The other 50 points may be allocated to skills he
does not actually have. The rationale is that "John
Doe in the world of THE PRICE OF
FREEDOM" has, over several years, seen that
Soviet occupation is a real possibility, and has
prepared accordingly. The last 50 points will
presumably be used to provide the combat skills
that might otherwise be lacking.

A campaign is a series of connected adventures.

Each player plays the same character from adventure to adventure, creating a new character only
when his old one dies (or decides to retire from
the war for some reason). Generally, it is set in
a particular geographic area, though the characters
may stray far from their homes. Often, it involves
a cast of non-player characters whom the PCs encounter repeatedly over a series of adventures.

(4.2) Avatar Campaigns

An avatar campaign is one in which your players
play themselves - that is, John Doe's character
is John Doe, as he would be if he lived in the world
of THE PRICE OF FREEDOM.
You might begin by gathering your players
together, and telling them America has been conquered and the Russians are landing, and asking
them: "What do you do?" Not "your character,"
but you. Personalizing the problem this way makes
it immediate and powerful.
There is a problem with an avatar campaign;
I, for one, am not in the best of physical shape,
and my experience of modem weapons ends with
the time I shot a .22 at camp. I wouldn't last long
in the world of THE PRICE OF FREEDOM neither, I suspect, would many players. I suggest
you tell your players to generate characters under
the following guidelines:
1. Since each player's character is himself,
players should allocate attribute points to reflect
PRICE OF FREEDOM

Death Before Dishonor.

(4.3) Setting
Regardless of whether or not you run an avatar
campaign, your home town or area makes a good
setting for your campaign - a good "home base"
for the player characters. It's a good setting because
it's familiar to you; when you tell your players
"some Soviets have dug in around the First National Bank on Route 46," they'll know exactly
what you mean.
If you use your home town, you'll also be able
to get props easily. You can probably buy a street
map of your area at a local stationery store. You

GAMEMASTER BOOK

may also find Geological Survey maps invaluable;

they provide great detail on elevation and terrain
all over the U.S. To get information on Geological
Survey maps, write:
(East of the Mississippi:) (West of the Mississippi:)
U.S. Geological Survey U.S"Geological Survey
Eastern Distribution
We~tern Distribution
Branch
Branch
1200 South Eads Street Box 25286, Federal
Arlington, VA 22202
Center, Bldg. 41
Denver, CO 80225
One of the big advantages guerrillas have over
regular armies is superior knowledge of terrain.
"The PATH of Freedom" contains a trivial example; the National Guard was able to escape
Manhattan even though the bridges and tunnels
were guarded because the invaders hadn't realized
the existence of the PATH tunnels. You and your
players, with detailed knowledge of your home
area, will be at a similar advantage. Indeed, while
"researching" adventures for your campaign, you
may learn some interesting things about your area
- about old rail tunnels, abandoned mines, watersheds and aquifers, Indian mounds, etc. Any of
these could be the basis of an interesting
adventure.
You can use sites and characters from your area
to enliven your campaign. When your PCs blow
up the local McDonald's (because a Soviet Colonel is using it as his staff headquarters, say) it will
mean a lot more to your players precisely because
you know where it is and what it looks like. You
can use people from your area as NPCs, too; if
you all dislike your high school principal, for example, he'll obViously collaborate with the Commies and join the Party. Imagining what people
you know will do and how they'll react to the
changed circumstances of the world of THE
PRICE OF FREEDOM can be a lot of fun.
If you choose an area other than your own as
the site for your campaign, you'll find it useful to
do a little research. USGS maps may again prove
helpful; gUidebooks, road maps, and the local
chamber of commerce may be useful, too.
A third alternative is to build an imaginary town
somewhere in the U.S. Choose a plausible location for it, and draw up maps and other information as needed. This gives you complete control
over the campaign, but lacks the immediacy that
a real location brings.

17

(4.4) Character Backgrounds

One of the advantages of an ongoing campaign
is that you can knit the characters in.to the world
in which they live. A character's family and passion become more than mere motivation; they
become an important part of the world. If John
Doe's brother-in-law is Martin Dee, Mayor of
Toolerville, how Martin reacts to Soviet occupation (collaboration? resistance? flight?) will affect
John Doe very strongly.
If you're playing an avatar campaign, your
characters are already well integrated into their
society
because you already know who your
players' relatives are and what they're like. In
another kind of campaign, we suggest you work
with your players as they develop their characters.
Tell them a little about the area where the campaign takes place; and suggest possible relatives,
roles in the town's society, politics and culture, etc.
(Maybe Mary Dee runs}he annual Volunteer
Firemen's Spaghetti Dinner.) Figure out reasons
the PCs would know one another (shared
relatives? work? membership in the Volunteer
Firemen?).
Then, use those relationships in your campaign.
What happens when the Soviets seize a character's
business? What happens if they threaten the
relatives of one of the PCs? When John Doe visits
the house of Martin Dee and discovers that it's
been burned to the ground - and is then picked
up by State Security agents who want to know
why he's poking through the rubble
you've got
the beginning of an adventure.
A campaign's main advantage over unconnected adventures is character continuity - as the
game goes on, player characters' personalities
become clearer, more fully fleshed. Character
backgrounds become an important part of the
players' thinking.
The difference between DC and Marvel comics is illustrative. In a typical DC comic - Batman,
for example each stOry begins and is completed
in a single issue of the comic. The same characters
carry over from one issue to the next, but the
background is unchanging, and characters rarely
grow. In a typical Marvel comic Spiderman, for
a story begins and is carried on over
instance
a series of issues. The character interacts with his
background more - e.g., Spiderman finds and
loses a girlfriend while defeating a new plot by the
nefarious Doc Oc - so the result is something
more like an ongoing soap opera than a series of
discrete short stories!
Ideally, a campaign should be the same way.
The character's background should change as he
does; there should be a dynamic sense of involvement with the world of the game. "Adventures"
should rarely begin, continue for a while, then end.
Ideally, the end of one adventure should lead
logically and inevitably into the next one - and
there should always be loose ends for the playe~
to explore.
The rushing waters have subsided. As you
planned, the flood waters from the dam you blew
up washed away the Nicaraguan encampment.
There's nary a Communist soldier to be found for
miles around. The flood left an APC resting gently
on its side against ToolervilIe's town hall.

But Captain Gomez's jeep has not returned.

Toolerville is still a site of strategic importance both to Jorgesen's Green Mountain Boys and to
the Reds in Washoe City. You can expect another
occupation force in a matter of days - hours,
maybe, if General Gilinsky learns of the destruction and thinks it important enough to dispatch
airborne troops.
And what of Lily Topkiss's vital message for the
Rebel Command? Half the town has flooded
basements and water damage - how wi11 they
react when they learn what you've done? Will
Daddy Capshaw finger you for stealing his
dynamite? Will Jimmy Bliffen forgive you for kill
ing his dad?
As you clean your AK47, you wonder what
the future holds.

Magna Veritas
e,t Praevalet.

Great is the 7l-uth

and It Prevails.
(4.5) Recurring NPCs
Another way to IEmd continuity is to have the
PCs encounter the same non-player characters
over a series of adventures. They'll come to know
and understand the NPCs, and to look forward
to encountering them.
Recurring NPCs can play all the roles described
in 3.5 opponent, informant, and so on. A recurring opponent - perhaps the commander of the
occupation forces in the players' area
is a
natural. Remember that one goal of the guerrilla
is always to know his opponents and the circumstances under which they operate; getting to
know their adversary and his methods should be
one of the players' main goals.
You must spend more time imagining the personality and attitudes of recurring characters than
of ones you use once. A "cardboard character"
with no more personality than his tag soon
becomes dull; if the players are to interact with a
character over time, he must have interesting
features. Think in terms of passions, interests,
emotions to which the character is prone, his goals
in life and styles of speech.
Recurring characters often are born of the
background for your campaign. If two PCs share
a relative, that relative may very well become a
recurring character. If the PCs use a farmer's barn
as a safehouse, the farmer becomes important. It
is important to know who in town is with the
ReSistance, who is in the pay of State Security,
who becomes the new mayor under Soviet control, who provides information to the PCs.

Recurring characters can also come from encounters. If the players respond in an interesting
way to an NPC you had planned to use for just
one adventure, you may want to find a rationale
for bringing him back.
Lastly, recurring characters may be an integral
part of your plot. An opponent may be recurring
because you need to develop his evil plans over
time, having the players respond as those plans
become increasingly clear. One adventure may be
about thwarting the opponent's current operation;
the whole campaign may be about defeating him
over the long term.

(4.6) Integrating Packaged

Adventures
One drawback to running a campaign is that it
makes using published adventures more difficult.
Most published adventures are set in a particular
area and make assumptions about Soviet objectives which may not jibe with conditions in your
campaign.
This is not an insoluble problem. All adventures
for THE PRICE OF FREEDOM contain suggestions for how to use them with your own PCs. In
many cases, with a little bit of alteration you'll be
able to adapt the adventure to your own area. If
worst comes to worst, you can have the PCs
shanghaied across the country on a mission of vital
importance, which, according to orders received
from the shadowy command of the rebellion, only
they can perform. In many cases, though, you'll
have to treat packaged adventures as sources for
ideas.

(4.7) A Timeline
In order to tie events in your local area to largerscale, worldwide events, you should develop a
timeline. A timeline for the first year of the Occupation is provided in the Background Section
of this booklet; our adventures and newsletter will
extend it. You can use our timeline to integrate
your campaign with ours - or develop your own.
A timeline is essentially a list of events, in
chronological order and with dates attached. As
you run your campaign, you must keep track of
the passage of "game time" - if your PCs take
two "game weeks" to bring off an operation, that's
two weeks for the rest of the game world, too.
As the campaign goes on, the events you've
planned for the rest of the world occur on
schedule. These events must be ones over which
the PCs have no or little control. For example, the
Stavka (Soviet High Command) might decide to
ship two diviSions from the pacification program
in Mexico for rest and recreation in the U.S. The
PCs might learn of this from Radio Free America,
or when two new divisions show up in their home
area.
Timeline events are a way of throwing your
players a curve-ball. Something unexpected happens, and they are forced to react. A good time
t6 spring such a surprise on them is when they've
just completed one adventure - setting the scene
for the next one.
Planned timeline events can also include things
Over which the PCs do have some control. For example, your recurring villain may have planned
three operations, each of which depends on the

'''PATH'' stand. for "Port Authority Trans-Hudson Rail Tran.it System." The PATH Is a subway system Ihal runs from New 'lUrk 10 New Jersey. but which is not connected to the regular New York City subway system,
and which is operated by the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, The Port Aulhority Is a huge agency joinlly created by the states of New York and New Jersey, which administers the Port of New York
and New York-are. airports, among other things. It also buill and owns the World Trade Center,

18

GAMEMASTER BOOK

PRICE OF FREEDOM

~~~~~~~~TBE
success of the previous one. If the PCs don't stop
him, the three will happen according to schedule.
But if they foil the first operation, the other events
are aborted.

One good hook for a campaign is to plan a longterm and major piece of nastiness (say, the Soviets
are planning on shipping everyone in the entire
state to the Yukon), and gradually allow the players
to discover the magnitude of the problem over a
series of adventures. Then, they must adventure
in search of a way to solve it. The result can be
11 sort of grand quest, climaxing in an epic struggle.
In any event, a timeline helps create the feeling that there's a whole world going on around
the PCs, and that the actions they take, while important, are only a miniscule portion of the global
struggle. That very fact - and the fact that the
outside world can intervene in unexpected ways
- creates dramatic tension.

ADVENTURE

SECTION~~~~~~~~~

5 Ad venlure B 00k S

(4.8) Parsimony
Suppose you're told "clear the Town Hall of
people:' If your only equipment is a pistol with two
rounds of ammunition, you're going to have to
walk into the Town Hall and persuade the folks
there to leave. If you've got an automatic grenade
launcher and a 50-shell clip of gas grenades, all
you have to do is set it up and squeeze the trigger.
Which is the more interesting roleplaying
problem?
Any problem can be easily solved with sufficient
resources. Easy problems don't make for interesting adventures. You want tough problems ones that will challenge your players.
That's why you've got to be parsimonious:
What we mean by that is: don't give out a lot
of equipment. We've said that before, but it takes
on a little different meaning in the context of a
campaign. Keep equipment scarce. Your players
shouldn't have a lot of equipment - neither
should anyone else, except for the Reds, of course.
Trying to solve a problem with inadequate
resources - with very few tools - is a real
challenge. So keep everything scarce - ammunition, fuel, weapons, even food 'and shelter.
Parsimony does more than make problems
more of a challenge. It can also be used as motivation; as long as the PCs have inadequate
resources, you can always hold out the hope of
food, ammunition or materiel as the objective of
an operation.
If the PCs truly want heavy weapons, there's
a place to get them - from the enemy. Of course,
the enemy will be pointing those weapons at the
PCs, but surely they can figure out how to prevail
over such minor inconveniences. After all, guerrillas always face superior forces; they have to be
smarter than their opponents. That's what the
game is all about.

PRICE OF FREEDOM

"When the People contend for their Liberty,

they seldom get anything by their Victory but new
masters."
-

George Savile

(5.1) Radio Free America

'~ .. dit dit dit dah ... dit dit dit dah ... Radio
Free America is on the air."

To millions of Americans, hunched over shortwave radios with the volume turned down low
those words are the last beacon of hope in a world
gone mad. Radio Free America, the Voice of
Resistance, is for most Americans the only source
of information not controlled by the Communists.
Radio Free America is the brainstorm of shortwave ham Tony Kurasawa. Before the war, he
built, using commonly-available parts, what was
for its weight the most powerful shortwave
transmitter in the world.
Shortly after the Occupation, he took to California's Coastal Range with a mule, his transmitter,
and several cans of gasoline to fuel a generator.
Since then, he's travelled cross-country, gathering
news and transmitting it. He's built several additional sets along the way; the plans are widely
distributed in samizdat form. Twelve transmitters
now roam the mountains of America, blanketing
the nation.
Shortwave radio bounces repeatedly off the
ionosphere; Kurasawa's transmitters transmit
straight up. Triangulation is virtually impossible;
though they try hard, the Soviets can rarely pinpoint the location of any transmitter. Since the
transmitters are mobile and the operators of Radio
Free America are in constant communication with
the Resistance, even if the Soviets do get a good
fix, by the time they arrive the transmitter is long
gone.
Kurasawa is now in the PCs' area of operations.
Through the grapevine, they receive orders from
Rebel Command: escort him through your area
and protect him as necessary. Provide him with
whatever information he asks, and let him gather
news as he may.
The task sounds like a simple one. It is not.
What the PCs don't know is that America's communication satellites are still in orbit, now in the
service of the Communists. The satellites' programming is intact. A group of programmers in
contact with the Resistance has developed a piece
of software which, if transmitted to the satellites,
will take them out of the Soviet circuit and make

GAMEMASTER BOOK

them respond only to coded commands - in

other words, put them at the disposal of the
Rebellion. The code can be changed periodically
to keep the Soviets from regaining control. The
satellites would give the Rebellion instantaneous
and easy communication across the country a huge benefit. The only thing the Soviets could
do would be to destroy the satellites with ASAT
weapons. Even if they did so, use of the satellites
would at least be denied the Soviets.
Kurasawa has constructed a device to transmit
the software to the satellite net. He has it and the
necessary software with him. The Soviets know
this. They have some idea where he is located.
Small bodies 01 Soviet troops are combing the area
looking for him.
Before the PCs link up with Kurasawa, they
should stumble across two or three small groups
of Soviets. They find out the Soviets are looking
for Kurasawa - but not why - from prisoners.
Eventually, they find Kurasawa at a prearranged
rendezvous point. He demands they take him to
a Geological Survey benchmark. (Benchmarks are
small plaques scattered across the country as fixed locations from which surveyors may measure
distances. They can be located on USGS maps.)
The benchmark will give Kurasawa the fixed location he needs to narrow-beam the software accurately up to the satellites.
Unfortunately, the Soviets have concluded
Kurasawa might use a benchmark. A bug has been
planted at everyone in the PCs' area.
The PCs get Kurasawa to a benchmark around
nightfall - time for his daily news broadcast. Once
the broadcast is over, he explains what the other
transmitter is for as he begihs to set it up ...
Then, the roar of aircraft is heard overhead.
Parachutes bloom; a whole company of Spetsnaz
is dropping to stop Kurasawa ...

(5.2) Jack Reed's Body

Reed, John. Born Oct. 22, 1887 in Portland,
Ore.; died Oct. 17, 1920 in Moscow. American
labor leader, writer and publicist . .. Reed came
to Russia as a war correspondent in 1917, sided
with the Bolsheviks, and enthusiastically welcomed the October Revolution . .. In August and
September 1919, Reed helped found the Communist Labor Party of America . .. Reed's book
Ten Days That Shook the World was a truly innovative work about the October Revolution . ..
The book won international renown and was

19

praised by v.I. Lenin, who wrote an introduction

to it . .. He died of typhus and was buried in Red
Square . ..
from The Great Soviet Encyclopedia,
N.v. Mostovets
Jack Reed, genuine American Communist.
Jack Reed, figure of the October Revolution. Jack
Reed, Father of the United American Soviets ...
The United American Soviets, like every other
Communist nation, has its great heroes. Some are
familiar to those who remember the days before
the Occupation, like Sam Adams and Patrick
Henry, genuine revolutionists, whose vision of a
classless America [sic] was betrayed by reactionaries [sic] like Washington and Hamilton.
Some are more obscure, like Jack Reed, the
greatest figure in the new pantheon of heroes.
The Communists hope to build a cult of personality around the figure of Jack Reed. They plan
to fly Reed's body, long preserved in the Kremlin
against this very day, to America. The Jefferson
Memorial will become the Reed Memorial; Jefferson's head will be removed and replaced with a
bust of Jack Reed, and quotes from Reed's work
carved on the walls of the Memorial. Reed's
preserved body will be displayed to visitors, as
Lenin's is in Red Square.
The Rebel Command hears of this plan. It
decides to strike a blow for truth and liberty. Jack
Reed's body must be destroyed. The propaganda value would be priceless.
The players' mission: intercept the body as it is
carried by armored car from Dulles Airport to the
Memorial. Destroy it there, or hijack the armored
car and destroy it later. Since the proceedings will
be televised, get whatever propaganda value can
be gotten from disrupting the convoy - if possible, seize the camera and televise an impromptu call for revolution before being cut off.

(5.3) The Last Congressman

The Honorable John Q. Merken, R-New Hampshire, is the last free Congressman. All others have
been shot or coopted into the Soviet puppet
regime. He is the last extant representative of the
legitimate Federal government.
Per rebel propaganda, Merken has bravely put
himself at the disposal of the Revolutionary forces.
Sought wherever he goes by the Soviets, he has
courageously crossed the country, rallying
Americans behind him as he travels. His speeches
are periodically broadcast on Radio Free America.
American spirits everywhere are lifted by the
knowledge that, somewhere, somehow, a
representative of their legal government remains
at large.
Per rebel propaganda, Merken is a combination
of Thomas Jefferson, Davy Crockett, and Charles
DeGaulle.
Actually, he's a loud-mouthed, drunken bigot
who spent most of his pre-Occupation days swilling beer and chasing skirts. His only redeeming
quality is that he does give a pretty good speech.
If he had a choice, Merken would still be swilling beer and chasing girls; but, to his loud protestations, the Rebel Command insists on dragging him around the country as a symbol of Free
America.

20

Periodically, the Soviets learn his location, and

start searching for him. At that point, it's time for
his current captors. . . uh, sorry, honor guard ...
to pass him along to another Resistance group.
This time, he gets dumped on the PCs.
Presage Merken's arrival by mentioning him
several times during the course of other adventures. Maybe let the PCs hear one of Merken's
speeches on Radio Free America:
"My friends ... fellow Americans. Two centuries
ago, our forefathers lit a lamp that has never
dimmed: the torch of liberty. Here, in the dark
forests and the vast expanse of a virgin continent,
a few brave men fought an enemy from a foreign
shore to preserve the fundamental freedoms which
are the birthright of all men, wherever they may
be. Tonight, let us remember the example of those
who shed their blood to make man free. I ask you,
join with me, join with me in prayer that all who
still value their lives, their loves, their children, their
hope for future happiness, will, as did the Sons
of Liberty so long ago, rise against a foreign oppressor! Let the cities, towns and farmlands of
America .. :'
But you get the idea. By the time Merken arrives, they should be completely familiar with his
legend. Embellish that legend a little: birth in a
humble log cabin in the back woods of New
Hampshire, stalwart support for rearmament in the'
days before the Occupation, narrow escapes from
Soviet patrols. By building up Merken's reputation
in the minds of the players, you're preparing for
The Big Day when The Great Man arrives.
At a prearranged rendezvous, a group of
Resistance fighters delivers Merken to the PCs.
Merken seems calm and a little depressed
his
current guardians have taken his liquor away and
won't let him play.
The leader of the Resistance group says, "Here
he is, and God help you." He won't talk about
Merken's peccadilloes. Let the PCs find out for
themselves.
Merken does his best to wheedle the PCs into
procuring liquor for him. At first, he plays the role
of Sober Representative of Your Government, but
as soon as he gets a bottle, he's sozzled.
He'll do his best to escape the PCs and get to
the nearest town to find women and booze. If they
have any residual respect for him, he'll be awfully
hard to stop. Imagine the PCs trotting down a road
after Merken, moaning, "But, Congressman ...
But, Congressman ..." while Merken swills Jack
Daniels and sings "My Sweet, Sweet Rose:' (He
has a nice tenor.)
Keeping Merken sober and out of trouble should
be more of a problem than dealing with a Guards
Tank Division.
You can string things out for as many episodes
as you want: saving Merken from a shotgunwielding farmer irate at finding Merken and his
daughter in a hayrick; locating him once he's
escaped to town and rescuing him, drunk, from
under the nose of the local Reds; figuring out how
to provide him with an infinite supply of powerful
bourbon; etc., etc.
Eventually -but not before the Soviets have
figured out Merken is in the neighborhood, and
are scuttling about like a hive of disturbed ants the PCs get orders to pass him on to a group in
the next county.
Getting him there past Soviet patrols may be
an adventure in itself.

GAMEMASTER BOOK

(5.4) Agent Provocateur

A couple of townsfolk were killed in the night.
Not unusual, these days, but these were not KGB
killings; the victims didn't simply disappear. Instead, the bodies had obviously been tortured, and
a note was found with each. The note read, "So
die all enemies of America," and was signed with
a rattlesnake - . one of the symbols of the
Rebellion.
State radio and television has reported the
atrocity in considerable detail, identifying freedom
fighters as "terrorists" and calling upon the people
to resist the blandishments of "counterrevolutionary wreckers:'
The odd thing is. . . neither of the people killed
were collaborators. One, in fact, was an occasional
informant for the Resistance.
The whole thing is a KGB plot. The killings were
performed by an agent provocateur, sent to perform atrocities and make them look like the acts
of the Rebellion. His whole purpose is to discredit
the PCs in their home territory.
He's set up a hideout somewhere in the territory,
from which he makes his nightly forays. The PCs
can find him in one of three ways: by correctly
deducing the location of his hideout (if they're
familiar with the area, they may be able to narrow it down to a few possible locations); by guessing where he will strike and catching him in the
act; or by keeping an eye on the local Red commander. The agent visits the commander every
two or three days to get new information and
orders; usually they meet at a prearranged rendezvous, but occaSionally the agent will actually go
to the commander's house.
Until they catch him, the agent gradually scales
up his operations. At first, he just commits a few
murders. Later, he plants a bomb in a busy place
in town (bus station? town hall?) which explodes,
killing and injuring scores - then phones local
radio to take responsibility in the name of the
Rebellion. He r.cruits a couple of local dimwits
(who think he actually is with the Resistance) and,
with their help, holds up and kills travellers.
Ideally, all this should be happening while you
run a normal series of adventures for the players
- just tell them about a news story every so often.
Let them conclude that an agent provocateur is
in their area on their own.
As time goes on and the atrocities escalate, the
PCs find their normal channels of information drying up. People were at first sure that the reports
on State Radio were fabricated - but by now
they've seen the bodies and heard the explosions.
They aren't so sure any more. They're not positive
they want to help the PCs.
As Mao said, a guerrilla survives among the
people as a fish does in the sea. Only, now the
PCs are losing the sympathy of the sea. If they
quick - they may be
don't do something
betrayed to the local garrison commander.
The final act in the drama is supposed tobe the
destruction of the town. Perhaps the PCs learn this
by bugging the commander's house; perhaps they
have an informant in the occupying forces;
perhaps they capture someone on patrol and he
reveals the information. If you can't think of any
other method, one of the cleaning ladies who
works in the Soviet barracks stumbles across an
incriminating note and passes it on to the PCs.

PRiCE OF FREEDOM

The plot is this: the occupiers will move out of

town and link up with the agent provocateur.
They'll take off their uniforms and SWitch into
"civilian" garb - then come roaring back and kill
everyone in the town. They'll doctor the evidence
- and State TV will have graphic footage of rebel
atrocities on a grand sea [e.
The PCs can stop the attack in one of several
ways. They can publish their evidence; if it's solid
~nough, the local commander calls off the operation. Or they can attack while the Soviets prepare
- when they're changing clothes, say. Or they can
secretly arm the townfolk in preparation for the
attack, and lead a defense in true Seven Samurai
style.

(5.5) The Nuclear Express

A number of personnel in unfamiliar uniforms
have been seen in and around the Red encampment. They seem to outrank most of the garrison.
The PCs' informants in town don't know who they
are, and the Reds are being careful with the information. The PCs' first step is to learn who the
strange Soviets are. They can get the information
in a number of ways: kidnapping one of them obtaining a book of Soviet military uniforms, 'etc.
The Russians are members of the Strategic
Rocket Forces - the Soviet force specifically
charged with the maintenance of nuclear
weapons.
~heY're spending a lot of time performing
mamtenance on a local rail line. They're doing
more than that; they're clearing a path a dozen
meters across on either side of the line, and stringing it with razor wire.
A dozen Minuteman missiles are being railed
from their silos in North Dakota to the coast for
shipment back to the USSR. The most convenient
path lies directly through the PCs' territory. Most
of the rest of the route is through territory closely
held by the SOViets; the PCs' region has been identified as one of high risk. Consequently, Strategic
Rocket Force soldiers have been sent to ensure
security.
The first part of the adventure is detective work
the last part is a straight-forward firefight. Th~
players' options are limited; they can choose where
along the track to attack, but the whole line in this
area has been fortified, and the train will be welJ
guarded. Unless they make some pretty clever
plans, their attack will be repulsed, If they're intelligent guerrilJas, they'll then choose the better
part of valor; if not, it's time to roll up new
characters.
Suppose the PCs succeed. The missiles are too
large and bulky to transport, and can't be launched
from the rail cars. Stealing the train is an invitation to a devastating air strike. The PCs can
remove a nuclear warhead or two and take them
wrecking the electronics on the rest of the missiles:
In this case, the Reds go crazy. The better part
of a division shows up and starts combing the area.
The PCs are harassed night and day until they get
out of the region or are captured. In any event,
what are they going to do with a nuke? They'll
be hard put to find a place where they can set it
off on American soil and do more damage to the
occupiers than to Americans. As long as they can
keep it, it does have a deterrent effect; the Soviets

PRICE OF FREEDOM

will be less likely to nuke an American city if they

know the Resistance has a nuke.
What they ought to do is turn it over to the Rebel
Command and let them worry about what to do.

(5.6) Gulag Archipelago

The PCs are captured. They're questioned, tortured, and forced to sign a confeSSion to "counterrevolutionary activities;' Then they're shipped to
Keewatin, Northwest Territories.
One of the most notorious of North America's
new death camps.
To run this well, you'll have to read up on the
Soviet Union's slave labor camps. As a brief introduction to life in the camps, we recommend
Solzhenitsyn's One Day in the Life of Ivan
Denisovitch. Those who can stand unrelieved
grimness can try Gulag Archipelago. For
something a little more cheerful, see Suvorov's
description of his time in the "glass house" in The

"Liberators."
The PCs are stripped of all their possessions and
loaded into an unheated, ill-constructed cattle car.
The trip by rail to Keewatin takes more than a
week. The prisoners are not proVided with
blankets.
A number of other prisoners are on the same
train. Some may try to beat up the PCs and take
whatever possessions they still have. If the PCs
stick together, they should be able to survive.
However, they will be cold; several may be sick
by the time the journey ends; and all will be
hungry, for the rations are meager.
The train is staffed by more than a dozen wellarmed guards (wearing another uniform which
may be new to the PCs
that of the troops of
the Ministry of the Interior). They treat the slightest
insolence as an excuse for' a sound beating.
Anyone interfering in a beating is shot.
.Escape is Virtually impossible. Not only are the
pnsoners guarded night and day, but for the latter half of the trip the train traverses unrelieved
expanses of apparently unpopulated wasteland
dense forests, vast plains and finally, tundra. You
might, if you wish, permit the PCs to escape at
this point but if so, their chances of survival are
slim. They'll be hundreds of miles from civilization
with nary so much as a pocket knife. If you take
this route, read up on wilderness survival; an
adventure devoted to learning how to survive with
none of the accoutrements of civilized life could
be quite interesting.
When the prisoners arrive at the camp, they are
tattooed, beaten on general principles, and
escorted, to their barracks. The barracks are
unheated; the beds consist of bare, unfinished
wooden boards. Rations are 2000 calories of slop.
The prisoners are fed at haphazard times. The PCs
may not, at first, be able to believe they are expected to eat what they are fed: watery, foul-tasting
gruel, maggoty meat, lumps of animal fat. The
caloric value of each meal is small; the PCs must
learn to eat this garbage or die.
2000 calories is barely enough for a' grown man
to live on. It isn't enough if you're performing hard
physical labor during the day - which the
prisoners are. They're building a pipeline across
the Northwest Territories - without bulldozers or

GAMEMASTER BOOK

tractors, Mind-numbing cold, an inadequate diet,

brutality on the part of both guards and fellow
prisoners - it's pretty tough.
There's one way to survive and get out. That's
to keep together, punishing anyone who injures
a member of the group;, to indoctrinate fellow
prisoners politically and organize them; to kill
anyone who looks like he might inform, Finally,
once the majority of the prisoners are organized,
to revolt - fall on the guards, grab their weapons,
and take over the camp. Dozens, maybe hundreds,
will die in the process.
Once victorious, the 'revolters can loot the
camp's supplies. They find adequate warm clothing
and food for alL The smart thing to do is equip
everyone with supplies and scatter across the
Northwest, heading generally south, If the PCs
stick around too long, a regiment of Interior troops
will show up to restore order.

(5.7) "Welcome, Comrade

General"
The local garrison is in an uproar; GeneralPolkovneek Gilinsky is coming for an inspection.
The local commander is determined to put on a
good show
to prove that his (normally slovenly and only marginally competent) unit is a virtual paragon of military efficiency. Every Soviet
in the county has been called in to whitewash
buildings, improve the garrison's defenses, wash
and polish vehicles, and in general provide a patina
of spit-and-polish,
Naturally, all counterinsurgency operations have
come to a complete halt. The local commander
is well aware that impressing General-Polkovneek
Gilinsky is much more likely to advance his career
prospects than racking up a good body count.
Nonetheless, killing guerrillas is the ostensible
rationale for his command, so impressing Gilinsky with the unit's counterinsurgency expertise is
important, as welL They'll put on a mock battle
to show Gilinsky how efficiently they work. They
set up a "rebel camp" on nearby Green Mountain, and one platoon is detailed to play the role
of the guerrillas. A combined helicopter and armored attack will descend "unexpectedly" on the
"rebel camp," routing the "guerrillas" with elan and
dispatch,
The PCs get wind of all this fuss when all Soviet
patrols stop and they have virtual free run of the
county. Naturally, they'll want to prepare their own
welcome for that most valiant of Soviet soldiers,
the renowned Comrade GeneraL
Perhaps they'll stick with pranks and nuisancevalue attacks - sabotaging the copters on the eve
of the big attack, shelling the garrison with rockets
as Gilinsky arrives, Perhaps they'D have the temerity to ambush Gilinsky's armored car as he drives
up, But we think the best plan is to attack the
"guerrillas" on Green Mountain, and take their
place - setting up SAMs and antitank weapons
in advance to destroy the unwary "attackers," [1'1
the resulting confUSion, they should be able to
destroy much of the garrison's strength before the
Soviets realize what's up, and get away before a
coordinated response can be mounted,

21

6. Attributes
"All government is evil, and parent to evil . ..
The best government is that which governs least."
John L. O'Sullivan
The five attributes are strength, manual dexterity, agility, alertness, and constitution.
When a character tries to do something governed by his innate bodily abilities, rather than
by learned knowledge or skills, an attribute roll is
made to determine whether he succeeds.

(6.1) What Attributes Govern

Make a strength roll when a character tries to:
Lift something heavier than himself.
Carry something heavier than himself for more
than a few meters.
Break or bend an object which is difficult to break
or bend (e.g., a large stick, an iron bar, etc.).
Haul someone over a cliff.
Etc.
Make a manual dexterity roll when a
character tries to:
Do several things at once with his hands.
Perform a delicate operation (e.g., solder wires
to an electronics board) if he has no particular
training in the relevant skills.
Throw a grenade (or other object).
Juggle several objects.
Etc.
Make an agility roll when a character tries to:
Run qUickly for short distances.
Balance on a precarious perch.
Jump a substantial distance.
Perform any kind of "swashbuckling" maneuver
such as leaping from one moving car to another,
swinging on a chandelier, etc.
Etc.
Make an alertness roll when a character tries
to:
Hear a quiet noise (e.g., the sound of someone
cocking a gun).
Notice a camouflaged object.
Notice something at a great distance.
Notice an unusual scent or taste.
Etc.
Make a constitution roll when a character
tries to:
Avoid passing out when incapacitated.
Run over a long period of time or over great
distances.

22

Go Without food, water or rest for an extended

period of time.
Avoid getting drunk when drinking heavily.
Recover from a disease.
Etc.
The above are gUidelines, not absolute rules.
In borderline cases, you must decide which attribute is used. Your decision is final.

(6.2) Difficulty
The Player Book says that a character's attribute or skill number is doubled before any roll
is made if he is not "under stress" when performing a task. You must determine when a character
is "under stress" and when he is not. In general,
whenever there are enemies in the vicinity, the PCs
are trying to do something surreptitiously, they lack
tools or time, etc., they are "under pressure;'
In addition, attribute numbers are modified if
the task a character is trying to perform is especially
difficult or easy. Again, you are the final arbiter.
Here are some gUidelines:
Trivial Tasks: The character succeeds
automatically. No roll is made. Examples:
Strength: Lifting a 5 kg weight.
Manual Dexterity: Using chopsticks.
Agility: Balancing on a ladder.
Alertness: Noticing someone standing immediately in front of you.
Constitution: Going without food for several
hours.

Easy Tasks: Increase the character's attribute by

5 before rolling.
Strength: Lifting and carrying 30 kg for several
meters.
Manual Dexterity: Throwing a grenade if given
time to study the target.
Agility: Crawling along a sloped roof.
Alertness: Noticing someone who has just turned
a corner in front of you before walking into him.
Constitution: Voluntarily going without food for
several days.
Average Tasks: Do not modify the character's attribute score.
Strength: Picking up or carrying something as
heavy as the character for several meters.
Manual Dexterity: Throwing a grenade under
combat conditions.
Agility: Walking along a sloped roof.

GAMEMASTER BOOK

Alertness: Noticing someone standing sti1I across

a field.
Constitution: Voluntarily going without food for
several days while a ready supply is available.
Difficult Tasks: Reduce the character's attribute
number by 3 to 7 before rolling.
Strength: Picking up and carrying someone who
doesn't want to be picked up and carried.
Manual Dexterity: Setting a bone under combat conditions.
Agility: Running along a sloped roof.
Alertness: Noticing someone hiding behind a
tree across a field.
Constitution: Staying on a hunger strike for a
week while a ready supply of food is available.
Very Difficult Tasks: Halve the character's attribute number before rolling.
Strength: Climbing a mountain wearing a 50
kg pack.
Manual Dexterity: Throwing a grenade while
heavily wounded.
Agility: Running along a sloped roof while under
fire.
Alertness: Noticing someone in camouflage
hiding behind a tree across a field in the rain.
Constitution: Fasting for 40 days and 40 nights.
Impossible Tasks: An attribute roll is only permitted if a hero point is spent (see section 8).
Strength: Picking up a bus.
Manual Dexterity: Skipping a rock 50 meters
across a river to hit someone on the other side.
Agility: Running along a wet, sloped roof while
under fire, leaping off the edge, grabbing a lamp
post on the other side of the street, swinging
around it, and landing lightly on your feet.
Alertness: Noticing someone in camouflage
behind a tree across a field in a blinding
snowstorm.
Constitution: Surviving nerve gas.
Again, you decide exactly what modifier to apply to a character's attribute. You are not limited
to halVing or adding or subtracting 5; you may apply whatever modifier you feel appropriate. The
rules above are intended as a gUideline, but you
are the final arbiter.
Some modifiers which apply to all attribute (and
skill) rolls are listed in the Skill and Attribute
Modifier Tables (see Freedom File DJ.

PRICE OF FREEDOM

(6.3) Attribute Vs. Attribute

Often, a character uses one of his attribu,tes in
a contest with another character, instead of using
it to affect an inanimate object. For example, in
an arm-wrestling match, characters use their
strength to try to overcome each other. This is
called an attribute vs. attribute contest.
Roll a die for each character. Add each
character's attribute to his die-roll. The higher
modified roll wins.
Example: Joe and Bob arm wrestle. Joe's
strength is 6; he rolls a 13, for a total score of 19.
Bob's strength is 12; he rolls a 9 for a score of 21.
Bob wins.
As gamemaster, you may modify one or both
attributes to reflect an advantage or disadvantage.
(For example, if Bob were weak with hunger, you
might reduce his strength by 3 before rolling.)
Important Note: Remember that low rolls are
normally good, but in a contest between two
characters, high rolls are good.

(6.4) Increasing Attributes

(Optional)
As a general rule, attributes cannot be increased.
They represent a character's innate, inborn physical
abilities, unlike skills, which represent learned
abilities. A character can learn to use a learned
ability better; but his innate abilities are set by
heredity.
In reality, it is true that someone can increase
strength, agility, etc., through intensive training
over a period of months. If you like, you may permit a player to increase one of his attributes by
one or two points, if he follows these strictures:
Training takes a period of at least 4
game-months.
Every session of play for the period of training,
the player must make a point of mentioning his
training. Any failure to mention training is sufficient reason for not awarding the points.
At the end of the period, the character must
spend 1 hero point per point of increase (see 8).

(6.5) Interpreting Rolls

(Optional)
Sometimes you, as gamemaster, will want to
know how well a player did something - whether
he succeeded particularly well, or failed particularly
badly. We find it useful to use the number rolled
as an indication of performance. We don't want
to get too bogged down in detail, here; suffice it
to say that a roll which is much lower than the attribute is a spectacular success, and a roll which
is much higher is a spectacular failure. (The reverse
is true when two characters are using their attributes against one another.)
Example: A mugger is approaching Tom
Wysynski from behind in a dark alleyway. Tom has
an alertness of 12, and the gamemaster rules he
must make an alertness roll to detect the mugger
before the mugger is upon him. Tom's player rolls
and rolls a 1. The GM rules that Tom is so spectacularly alert that he not only turns to face the
mugger before the mugger attacks, but may even
draw his revolver and get off a shot.

7. Skills
"If men are to wait for liberty till they become.
'wise and good in slavery, they may indeed wait
forever."
Lord Macaulay
Most character actions are governed by skills
rather than attributes. When a character tries to
use a skill, a skill roll is made. The procedure for
resolVing skill rolls is essentially identical to that
for attribute rolls; the number rolled on a die is
compared to the skill number, etc. Remember that
a skill of 10 is considered to be "competence;' and
thus any character with a skill of 10 or more need
not make a skill roll for tasks of average difficulty
when not under stress.
Rule 6.2 (modifying attribute numbers for difficult or easy circumstances) also applies to skill
rolls. So do rules 6.3 (resolving attribute contests
between two players) and 6.5 (interpreting rolls).
Note that both "skill-vs.-skill contests" and "skillvs.-attribute" contests are possible. For example,
if one character uses his camouflage skill to hide
an object, another might use his alertness to attempt to detect it.

(7.1) Roleplay It Out

In many cases, a skill can be used to resolve
a situation which really ought to be roleplayed. For
example, if one character is attempting to purchase
a gun from a blackmarket dealer, you may want
to take the role of the black marketeer and haggle
with the player. Don't let the player get away with
saying, "Well, I, uh, use my bargain skill:' Tell him
he's got to bargain.
Make the bargain rolls yourself, surreptitiously,
and let the numbers you roll affect the outcome
of the contest. However, also take into account
how well the player haggles; if he does a particularly good or bad job, modify his bargain roll
accordingly.
In general, roleplaying situations is more satisfying - and interesting - than simply making skill
rolls. In some circumstances, you won't have a
choice, however; sometimes a player's character
is much better at something than the player
himself. (Joe might be a terrible bargainer, but his
character have a high bargain skill). In this case,
let the skill rolls mean more and the roleplaying
mean less.

(7.2) Combat Skills

Each combat skill gives a character the ability
to use a class of weapons. In general, when a

PRICE OF FREEDOM

GAMEMASTER BOOK

character uses a weapon, he hits his target on a

successful skill roll. See the combat tables in
Freedom File D for more information.
Automatic Weapons: The ability to use rapidfire automatic weapons, including automatic carbines, automatic rifles, machineguns and
submachineguns.
Bows: The ability to use cross~, sport and hunting bows and slingshots.
I
Gunnery: The ability to use a heavy direct-fire
gun such as a tank gun or artillery employed in
a direct-fire role.
Hand-to-Hand: The ability to melee barefisted,
including mastery of hand-to-hand combat techniques such as boxing, savate, karate, etc.
Heavy Weapons: Familiarity and experience with
grenade and rocket launchers, light antitank
weapons, etc.
Indirect Fire Weapons: Familiarity and experience with indirect-fire weapons such as artillery, mortars, howitzers and naval guns.
Melee Weapons: Familiarity and experience with
the techniques used when employing melee
weapons, such as saps, knives, swords, bayonets,
nunchuku, etc.
Pistols: Familiarity and experience with handguns
(including revolvers, automatics, and machine
pistols).
Rifles: Familiarity and experience with light arms
such as rifles and shotguns.
Thrown Weapons: Experience with hand-thrown
weapons such as throwing knives and shuriken.

(7.3) Communication Skills

Bargain: Bargain is used when a character wishes
to purchase an item from another character at a
lower-than-quoted price, or wishes to gain some
additional benefit from the bargain. Bargaining is
resolved as a "skill-versus-skill" contest. In general:
If the modified rolls are close to one another,
the agreed upon price (or other exchange) is equal
to an intermediate value which the gamemaster
sets. (Normally, you should split the difference;
but don't let a player choose a "target price" of
zero in the knowledge that you'll split the difference
and he'll get the lowest price that way. Choose a
price you feel is reasonable.)

23

 If one character's roll is very much larger than

the other, the final price is close to that character's
target.
Reasons to Modify Skill Number: If one party
dislikes the other, is desperate to buy or sell, is
threatened, a kickback is involved, etc.
Bureaucracy: Bureaucracy skill is experience with
and an understanding of the procedures of
bureaucracies. It is used to obtain information,
documents, forms, etc. from a bureaucracy. Essentially, if a skill roll succeeds, the character has gone
to the right place and found the right person to
get what he needs. If it fails, he must go elsewhere,
wait, and try again - losing at least two hours in
the process.
Reasons to Modify Skill Number: If the player
is trying to obtain something restricted or illegal,
if character's record is tainted (e.g., trying to deal
with Soviet bureaucrats with "counterrevolutionary
tendencies" stamped in your internal passport),
etc.
Business Management: Experience with the
procedures and methods of businesses. A high
business management skill will enable a character
to operate a business efficiently and at a profit.
Skill rolls may be made to ferret an important piece
of information out of a financial statement, detect
embezzlement while examining a set of books, etc.

Con: A.character uses his con skill to attempt to

persuade an NPC to perform an act that is not
in the NPC's best interests. Unlike the fast talk skill,
con involves reasoned argument, and relies on
false logic or information and the target's trust in
the character for its success. If truly successful, the
victim may never know that he has been duped.
Generally, any con attempt should be broken
down into a series of steps, and a separate roll
made for each. For example, if a character tries
to get an NPC to a) put down his weapon, b)
cooperate with the PCs, and c) provide them with
information, three rolls would be made.
Reasons to Modify Skill Number: If the target
has good reason to trust or distrust the conman.
Cryptology: The ability to code and decode
messages and break codes used by others. Coding
a message or decoding something when the code
is known is easy (double skill number before rolling). Breaking a code is time consuming and difficult - how difficult depends on the complexity
and sophistication of the code.
Reasons to Modify Skill Number: Sophistication of the code used.
Fast Talk: A character uses fast talk to make an
NPC hesitate while the character performs some
action. Typically, it might be used to get past a
guard, rip out a phone line, etc. The target
hesistates out of uncertainty and indecision in the
face of a high-pressure verbal assault. One who
has been fast talked quickly overcomes his indecision and resents being manipulated.
Reasons to Modify Skill Number: If the target
has particular reason to trust or distrust the fast
talker; if the target has orders not to permit the
action the fast talker wishes to take; if the target
has been fast talked by the same character before.
Fine Arts: Knowledge of painting, sculpture,
music, etc. Skill rolls might be made to:
Identify a particular work.
Compose a piece of music, paint a painting, etc.
A "successful" roll means a work of merit.

24

Instrument: Ability to play a particular instrument. A successful skill roll means the piece is
played well; a failed roll means timing is off, notes
are missed, etc.
Interrogation: Use of this skill involves a skillvs.-attribute contest against the victim's constitution. If the modified interrogation roll is higher, the
victim talks freely, providing whatever information
he thinks his interrogators want. (He will lie if that
is what it takes to get them to stop.) If the constitution roll is higher, the victim holds out. Note:
A notably low constitution roll also causes the victim to suffer a wound, unconsciousness, or even
death.
Reasons to Modify Skill Number: Victim has no
strong reason to resist; victim is strongly
ideologically committed; victim has good reason
to hope for rescue, or good reason to abandon
hope; etc.

Extremism in the
Defense of Liberty
is No Vice ...
Language: The ability to speak a particular
language (specified on the character sheet). In
theory, a successful skill roll is necessary to understand something said by another character.
Remember that a skill of 10 is competence; in
practice, players will rarely make skill rolls for
language, except in unusual circumstances when trying to understand someone who is speaking in technical jargon, for example.
Sketching: The ability to sketch a recognizable
representation of something. A successful skill roll
means someone examining the sketch can accurately identify the object sketched and salient
features the sketcher wished to impart.
Reasons to Modify Skill Number: The sketcher
took particular care; poor-quality materials were
available (a burnt stick on birchbark); etc.
Writing: The ability to communicate cogently and
intelligibly in written form. A skill roll is made when
a reader attempts to understand what was written. A failed roll means he misunderstands at least
one important facet of the information contained.
Remember again that a skill of 10 is competence;
if neither writer nor reader are under pressure, a
character with a writing skill of 10 or more will
always succeed in imparting information. Note:
When writing in a language other than the writer's
native tongue, two skill rolls must be made - once
for the writer's language skill, once for his writing
skill.
Reasons to Modify Skill Number: Increase it
very substantially for simple messages, decrease
it for very complex or technical ones.

GAMEMASTER BOOK

(7.4) Craft Skills

A number of craft skills can be used to repair
objects. When a character with such a skill is
presented with a broken object, he makes a skill
roll; if it succeeds, the object can be repaired (in
a couple of minutes - 1 to 10 combat rounds,
at the gamemaster's discretion) with available tools
and parts. If the roll fails, additional tools and parts
must be obtained; once they are obtained, another
skill roll may be attempted. A second failure means
even better tools and parts are required. A third
failure means that the item is unrepairable as far
as the character is concerned. The availability of
tools and parts depends on the game situation;
in our world, you can drive down to the garage
or auto parts store, but that isn't generally an option open to guerrillas.
Always feel free to modify skill numbers if the
damage is particularly severe, or if a wide variety
of tools and supplies is available.
Appliance Repair: Ability to repair common
electrical appliances - refrigerators, lamps, stoves,
blenders, televisions, etc.
Reasons to Modify Skill Number: Availability of
tools, degree of damage, difficulty of repair.

Construction Trades: Knowledge of construction skills, e.g., bricklaying, tiling, electrical wiring,
plumbing, plastering, etc. A successful skill roll provides information about a building's construction,
or repairs a problem.
Reasons to Modify Skill Number: Inability to
study problem at close hand, lack of tools, etc.
Craft: Knowledge of one craft (of player's choice).
Possible crafts include pottery, blacksmithing,
goldsmithing, gemcutting, jewelling, fur-making,
sewing, glass-blowing, sword making, basketweaving, boat-building, instrument construction,
metal-working, welding, etc. A sud:essful skill roll
provides useful information about an object or indicates successful completion of a task.
Reasons to Modify Skill Number: Lack of tools,
lack of time, inability to study problem closely, etc.
Demolition: Knowledge of and experience with
explosives. Successful demolition rolls are required
to make explosives, use home-made explosives
in combat, etc. Demolitions skill may also be used
to synthesize explosives (but a skill roll failure can
be dangerous).
Reasons to Modify Skill Number: Improper
materials, etc.
Driving: Ability to maneuver a powered vehicle.
A successful skill roll is required when performing a difficult or dangerous maneuver (cornering
at high speed, etc.).
Reasons to Modify Skill Number: Difficulty of
task, road conditions, etc.
Driving, Heavy Vehicles: Ability to maneuver
large and awkward vehicles, including tractortrailers, tanks, APCs, and the like.
Electronics: Ability to repair electronic devices
and design new ones using off-the-shelf components (e.g., radios, bugs, electronic duck calls).
Reasons to Modify Skill Number: Availability of
supplies, etc.
Flying: Ability to maneuver fixed-wing aircraft (including gliders, light aircraft, jets, ultralights, etc.).
A skill roll is required when performing a difficult
or dangerous maneuver (landing under poor
weather conditions, performing an Immelman,
etc.).
PRICE OF FREEDOM

Reasons to Modify Skill Number: Weather conditions, condition of craft, etc.

Forgery: Ability to forge documents and papers.
When forged papers are passed, make a forgery
skill-versus-alertness attribute test to determine
whether the forgery is detected.
Reasons to Modify Skill Number: If the forger
does not have an example of the item to be forged at hand; if proper tools and materials are not
available; if under time pressure; etc.
Gunsmithing: Ability to repair guns and build
them out of improvised materials. When an improvised gun is first fired, a skill roll against the
builder's gunsmithing skill is needed to determine
whether or not it explodes.
Reasons to Modify Skill Number: Availability of
tools and materials.

Helicopter: Ability to maneuver a rotary-wing aircraft. As with other craft, a skill roll is required
when performing difficult maneuvers.
Locksmithing: Ability to pick locks, open safes,
etc. With proper tools, plenty of time, and no
worry about making too much noise, any lock can
be opened. A skill roll is necessary when any of
the three elements is lacking, and failure means
the element is inadequate (lock cannot be opened with available tools, cannot be opened in
available time, or listeners are alerted).
Reasons to Modify Skill Number: If more than
one of the three necessary elements is lacking; or
for particularly primitive tools or particularly
sophisticated locks.
Navigation: Ability to chart a course when obvious signposts (or continuous roads) are lacking.
Location-finding principles usually depend on examining the heavens, but the skill also includes
ability to use equipment which interfaces locationfinding satellites, dead-reckoning instruments, etc.
Reasons to Modify Skill Number: Lack of or
primitive instruments, cloudy skies, etc.
Vehicle Repair: Ability to repair motorized
vehicles, including cars, trucks, tanks, APCs, light
aircraft, etc.
Reasons to Modify Skill Number: Conditions
under which repair is attempted, availability of
tools, etc.

(7.5) Education Skills

Biology: Knowledge of plant and animal biology.
A successful skill roll will identify a species, and
may also identify soil chemistry problems, diseases,
etc. May identify hazards not otherwise apparent
(e.g., spoor outside cave indicates it's inhabited by
bears, etc.).
Reasons to Modify Skill Number: Availability of
testing equipment, reference works, etc.
Chemistry: May be used to synthesize explosives,
gas, smokeless powder and primer for ammunition reloads, guncotton for cannon shells, etc. A
skill roll failure can be unfortunate.
Reasons to Modify Skill Number: Availability of
safety equipment, reference works, chemically
pure materials, etc.
Computer Science: Ability to find data in,
manipulate, and crash computer systems. Useful
for gathering information, planting information,
destroying information, and disrupting enemy
operations.

PRICE OF FREEDOM

Reasons to Modify Skill Number: Secureness

of network; sophistication of technology; difficulty of task.
Engineering: Knowledge of civil and military
engineering. Ability to design and direct the construction of buildings, bridges, fortifications, dams,
etc. Involves a knowledge of the characteristics of
materials (wood, metals, plastics) and the ability
to predict the strains they can withstand, etc. Skill
rolls are needed to determine whether the objects
constructed stand up to repeated use.
Reasons to Modify Skill Number: Availability of
materials and tools, difficulty of task.
History: Knowledge of the history of a particular
culture, nation, or civilization (specified by player).
Can be used to identify a reference used by someone else, or a parallel in the history of the culture
in question.
Humanities: Knowledge of literature, philosophy,
poetry, theology, etc. Can be used to identify a
quote or reference.
Law: Knowledge of legal systems and court procedure. Theoretically, a successful skill roll would
have an effect on a trial
except that the Communists are unlikely to pay much attention to the
legal niceties when they want someone found guilty. Conceivably the skill could be used in the
resolution of disputes among members of the
Resistance.
Reasons to Modify Skill Number: Patent guilt
or innocence of the party in question.
Medicine: Knowledge of diagnosis, treatment,
and surgery. Can be used to sterilize wounds, ease
pain, prevent incapacitated characters from dying,
etc.
When a chru:acter is wounded, the Healing Table
(see the last pages of this booklet) is used to determine whether he dies of his wounds or is healed.
Generally, a character will die after a period of time
unless a successful medical skill roll is made to treat
him. If a successful medical skill roll is made, his
condition is stabilized; after a peri ~ time (indicated on the table), a constituti0n roll is made
for the character. If the roll is a success, the
character's condition improves.
Reasons to Modify Skill Number: When treating
incapacitated characters: x 1/2. When treating
light wounds: x 2. Also modify skill number for
availability of supplies (antibiotics, sterile bandages,
surgical equipment) and conditions (hospital, filthy
prison camp, etc.).
Physics: Knowledge of classical mechanics, fluid
dynamicS, subatomic particles, nuclear phYSiCS,
etc. A character with physics and one with gunnery could, in a pinch, use indirect fire weapons
(make rolls for both characters to see if fire is on
target). (A successful engineering roll, and possibly
crafts rolls as well, would still be needed to build
them.)
Reasons to Modify Skill Number: Availability of
reference works, calculators, computers, etc.
Social Sciences: Knowledge of sociology, anthropology, economics, psychology, etc. Totally
useless.

GAMEMASTER BOOK

(7.6) Survival Skills

Camouflage: Ability to disguise or conceal objects to look like their surroundings. When someone attempts to observe a camouflaged object,
make a camouflage skill-versus-alertness-attribute
roll.
Reasons to Modify Skill Number: If the
character has plenty of time to spend concealing
the object; if appropriate supplies (e.g., paint, netting) are available; if observers have detection
eqUipment, etc.
Camping: Ability to: start a fire without matches,
site a camp (avoiding dangers such as placing it
in a stream's floodplain), find water in the
wilderness, determine location using maps and
compass; etc.
Reasons to Modify Skill Number: It has rained
recently; very dense woods; difficult terrain, etc.
Criminal Operations: Knowledge of procedures
used in theft, burglary, etc. Can be used to identify easy ways to enter buildings, to disarm alarm
systems, appraise items of value, etc. May also be
used to establish contacts in an area's criminal
underclass.
Reasons to Modify Skill Number: Stringent
precautions, sophisticated alarm systems, etc.
Disguise: Ability to disguise people to prevent
others from recognizing them. When someone
looking for a disguised person sees him, make a
disguise skill roll to determine whether the disguise
is effective. If not, make an alertness roll for the
observer to determine whether he sees through
the disguise.
Reasons to Modify Skill Number: Intensity of
scrutiny; availability of tools (make-up, etc.); time
pressures; etc.
Drug Lore: Ability to identify drugs, predict effects of dosages, synthesize drugs from raw
materials, establish contacts with users and suppliers, appraise the value of quantities of drugs,
etc. N.B.: Guerrilla movements often use black
markets, including the drug trade, as sources of
cash.
Reasons to Modify Skill Number: How common
or unusual the drug in question is; availability of
tools and equipment; intensity of local enforcement; etc.
Fishing: Ability to obtain useful food from a body
of water. A skill roll may be made once per hour
spent fishing. A successful roll means a quantity
of fish is obtained. When fishing with hook and
line in a small stream or pond, assume enough
food for 1 person for one day js obtained. Multiply the quantity caught as follows:
x 2 jf fishing in a river, lake or bay, or from an
ocean shoreline
x 2 if fishing with nets
x 4 if fishing in the ocean from a boat
x 1/2 in the winter
x 2 if fishing during a fish run (e.g., on a stream
in the Northwest during salmon season)
Reasons to Modify Skill Number: For good or
inadequate equipment; for area lore.
Horse-Riding: The ability to train and ride horses
(as well as mules, donkeys, etc.). As with vehicles,
a skill roll must be made when attempting a difficult or dangerous maneuver while riding failure means the character has fallen off (and must
roll for damage from the fall
see Falling and

25

Collisions Table in the Gamemaster Charts).

Also, at the end of an extended ride, make a skill
roll to avoid saddle sores.
Reasons to Modify Skill Numbers: Surface conditions, horse's condition, factors which might
"spook" the horse, etc.
Hunting: The ability to obtain useable food in a
rural area by killing animals. A successful roll
means a quantity of food is obtained. In grasslands
during the summer, enough food for one person
for one day is obtained. Modify the amount obtained as follows:
x Ij2 during winter
x 2 during fall
x 10 in a farming area (but watch out for angry
farmers - you've just killed Daisy)
x 2 in a wooded area
x Ij2 in dry grasslands
x Ij4 in desert
x 1/4 if firearms are not used (x 1/2 if bows are
used)
Reasons to Modify Skill Number: Lack of ammunition, area lore, etc.
Lore: "Lore" involves knowledge of the terrain,
people, and other attributes of a particular region.
For the sake of simplicity, we use area-code regions
for most purposes.
When in an area of which he has Lore
knowledge, a character may use his Lore skill to
find shelter, locate people who can help him, obtain information which might be of use, etc. In
general, the gamemaster makes a die-roll if the
character might know a fact of importance; if the
roll is successful, he tells the player the fact in question. (Example: There's an old, unused mineshaft
under the building. If the character has Lore
knowledge of the area, the gamemaster would
make a skill roll to determine whether the character
already knows about the mineshaft.)
In a rural area, Lore skill can also be used to
increase the chance of success when Fishing or
Hunting. A successful Lore roll increases the
Fishing or Hunting skill number by 5 (subject to
gamemaster modification).
Note that all characters begin with Lore
knowledge of their area of birth. Lore of other
areas can be learned.
Reasons to Modify Skill Number: Other interests
(e.g., a mining engineer would be more likely to
know about a mineshaft); obscurity or commonness of knowledge; etc.
Mountaineering: Used to scale steep surfaces
such as cliffs, mountain slopes, and buildings. A
successful skill roll means the task is performed
without mishap. Failure may mean sliding some
distance along the slope, or may mean falling off.

26

cessful alertness roll. See aiso the bushwhacking

rules (5.10 in the Player Book).
Reasons to Modify Skill Number: Difficult surface (e.g., creaking floorboards), darkness, encumbering objects (hobnailed boots on a hard surface, clanging mess kit, etc.).

.. . Moderation in the
Defense of Freedom
is No Virtue.

The gamemaster may require several skill rolls for

arduous climbs. The skill may be used to help
others climb; a separate roll is made against the
helper's mountaineering skill for each climber.
Reasons to Modify Skill Number: For especially steep slopes, for especially smooth surfaces, if
mountaineering equipment (ropes and pitons, etc.)
are available, etc.
Pickpocket: The ability to take something from
another's person without notice, and to perform
sleights of hand in general. A failed skill roll means
the person whose pocket is being picked notices
the theft (or identifies the sleight of hand).
Reasons to Modify Skill Number: Presence of
a crowd, target distracted, character restrained, etc.
Stealth: The ability to sneak up on someone
without being noticed. A failed roll means
something revealing has occurred - a noise, a
motion, which might be observed. The target is
not necessarily alerted unless he makes a suc-

Swimming: A competent swimmer (skill of 10

or more) need not make a skill roll when he enters
the water, unless it is swiftly flowing, turbulent, or
he's being shot at. Under normal circumstances,
characters with skills of less than 10 do have to
make skill rolls, but their skill number is doubled.
Under stressful conditions, all characters must
make rolls.
If swimming over a prolonged time, repeat a roll
every fifteen minutes - more frequently if the
water is particularly cold. Failure means the
character sinks and begins to drown. While drowning, he must make another skill roll every combat
round. Any successful roll means he is no longer
drowning. For the effects of drowning, see section
10.4 in this book.
In combat conditions, a swimming character
may tread water and make one rapid fire, or move
three hexes. If hit in combat (stun or worse), he
must immediately make a skill roll; failure means
he sinks and begins to drown.
Reasons to Modify Skill Number: Swiftlyflowing or turbulent water, if character's arms or
legs are tied, if character is being shot at or struggled with, etc.
Tail: The ability to follow a character in an urban
environment. Rolls must be made periodically (at
gamemaster's discretion) to determine whether the
follower makes a "slip" that might reveal him to
his prey. Even if he makes a slip, the target will
not notice the follower unless a successful alertness roll is made.
Attempts to lose a tailer are resolved as a "taU
vs. tail" skill contest.
Reasons to Modify Skill Number: Lack of cover,
presence of crowds, if follower is familiar to target,
etc.

Tracking: The ability to follow a character in a

rural environment. Unlike a tailer, a tracker does
not follow the target closely, but follows by noticing changes made by the target's passage - footprints, broken branches, etc. Rolls must be made
periodically or the path is lost.
Reasons to Modify Skill Number: For easy
(snow) or difficult (hard rock) surfaces; if target is
taking precautions; for lighting conditions;
presence or absence of vegetation; etc.

GAMEMASTER BOOK

PRICE OF FREEDOM

..............................=-.....,......=

TBE RULES SECTION ................................................=

8. Bero Points
(8.1) More about Hero Points
Player characters lire beneT than others This 15

because they lire heroes The protagonists of

heroic fiction are better Ihan other chalClClers~ aher
all. if they weren't. they wouldn', be heroes.
The PCs are oot. however. some form of homo
superior They

whose

liTe

COUToge

people from 011 walks of life

lind abilities mark them as

eKtremely capable freedom fighters, They put on

their pants one leg al II. rime, lind they obey the
normal Tules of the game - eKcept In moments
of great dl!lnger or stress. when they show why
they lire the stuff of heroes. In g3me terms, we
represent reaching b;-Jck for 50mething II!xtra or

making your own luck with hero points

Each PC begins with one hero point. At the end

01 an adventure, they may obIaln additional points.

0Ne srrongly recommend you follow the gukleHnes

In ~Rewards.~ section 3, 11. for now many 10Ia1 hero
points per adventure oughlto be given to the PCs.1

Each hero point Is precious. Hero points should

be aworded Infrequently, ond spending one should

have a notlceoble Impact. The gamemaster hos
the flnolsoy as to whether spending a hero point
will hove the effect a player desires - but In
general, a player should be given the benefit of
the doubt
A PC moy not normaUy spend more than one
hero point In a combat round or at the same tlme.
However. a PC may spend a hero point to Mig_
nore a kiD" or HIgnore fatigue or exhoustion:' ond
then spend 0 sec::ond hero pointln the some com
bot round
Section 6 In the Player Book I15t5 woys In
which hero points con be spent At the gllme
master's discretion. they can be spent In other Wily!
os well

GMing Tips
Urin. In the Re.l Wodd
Let's assume that, through foo{hardlness or
sheer bad luck, II PC 15 standing lit the point
of Impac1 lor a shell from the milin gun of a
Soviet T-80 lonk. By the letter 01 the rules. the
player can elect to "dodge II bullet," thereby
"dl\llng out of the wily
unhurt;" ond by the
application of common sense and II rigorous
Interpretation of the main gun combat rules,
you can place his charocter one hex Into the
blast Rldlus of Ihe iheIIand wry probably blow

PRICE OF FREEDOM

the PC oway IInylWllY After all, thl5 Is heroic

fiction, lind not the thoroughly implaUsible
world of Saturday morning cartoons (cf. Wile
E, Coyote and sticks of dynamIte)
However, lithe players will cooperale with
you to teU a satisfying and plausible story, you
shouldn't have to be bloody minded and the
hero point rules should be bent (but not
broken) in their fa\lOr The spending of a hero
polnt represents a drllmatlc moment In play,
lind the player who spends a point should per
form occordlngly If the PC proposes that the
main gun shell penelnltes deep Into the soU
before explodJng, and his character Is hurled
forward by II wall of dirt from the force of the
explosion, you could reasonably rule his player
does not ha\le to roll for damage on the Vehicle Weapons and Anillery Combat Table. (Cau
the PC stunned from the explosion. and hllw
him spend 0 couple 01 rounds digging out from
under the wllll 01 din.)
RolepLayIng gamft, like other fiction, require
the willfulsuspenskln 01 disbelief [nddents like
the main gun ellllmple do happen In rell[ life
Our production manllger, who was II sergeant
in Vietnam, tells of II buddy who stepped on
lin extremely poIWI"fu[ anlltank mine. The men
within ten yards were Instantly killed, lind
sewrlll others to fifty yards out were Injured
His buddy was lifted straight upwards by the
blast and, as antitllnk mines shoot out shrapnel
at ground level, he was unscratched by the ellplosion. (HCIWeIIeT, hts back was broken wOen
he landed on a paddy dike.) This Is plllusible.
Stlf\/Iving In dlreCl Une-of-ftre of shrapnel to ~,
"it's only II flesh wound" Is not.. It's aU In how
you tell a story.
How Heroic a Point?
[n ~nera[, if II player's actions ore sufficiently
heroic. or enhance the story, or entertain you,
you should make his use of a hero point that
much more effective. [f. at Ihe penultlmllte
stage of lin elaborate and Ingenious plan to
blow up the communlcatlons headquarters for
the PacIfIc: Occupation Front, the only PC with
Ihe necessary demolitions skill Is hit by strllY
gunfire resu[lIng in a kill, you might allow him
to reduce the result to light (Instead of heavy)
wound by spending a hero point. Or you might
allow him to spend two hero points In a round
(Just thl5 once, of course), and suffer no Injury.
We've advised you earlier In these rules not

GAMEMASTER BOOK

to award hero points to "cowardly" PCs, lind

we advise you to give the caullous PC li"le joy
In his use of the lew hero potnts he may recem
In the course of a campalgn. HOWt!V(!f, this be
Ing a world with modem wellpons. we 8llped
tOe players to hoard their first few hero points
to protect against In}ury. Some may caD this
cowardice. We call this lin eminently sensible
response to II d,:lTlgerous environment
A PC should be judged undeserving, of hero
points If he Is consistently Jess brll\le ond Jess
clever than his fellow PCs. Cleverness Is ohen
more usefulthlln bra\IeTY In guerrillll actions;
If the PCS succe{'d with proper gueTTlIIII tactics ("never be afraid to run IIWIlY~ lind the rest
of section 8 of the PI~ Book), they should
receive M many hero points as they would II
they hlld solved the problem 0 /(I Rambo. This
will confuse those players who think WIth their
mocho and not with thetT brains but. In time.
they'D come to undemand thlll the best
response to ()\/erwheimlngly su~r force Is
not to present yourself to be stomped by It
E\len though you, a5 gllmemll5ter. tlln
change or modify the rules to suit your (and
presumably the players') fllncy. lind the hero
point rules are Intended to be especla.lly fieldble, you shouldn't ever IIIIow "succeed In a skill
or ollribute roD" lind ~mllke II heroic effort" to
be. uwd In the same combat round Or on your
head be It

ne_d HIb"oet: _nd DiUlgerou. Acu

The ralion of hero points lor successfully
completing lin IId\lenture should dl/"ectJy correlate to the number of PCs presentet /I play
session (per "Rewards." 3.11). When IIlWlIrdlng
hero points et the end 01 the dey, please keep
In mind Ihat PCS who have died will merit
some of these hero points. Unless these Pes
died through their own stupidIty, their dying
actlons were almost certllinly heroic end worthy of points
Where do dead heroes' hero points go?
These can ellher' \/IInlsh into a blade hole. TlI?YeI"
to be seen agllin or. If you prefer. you cen
award en extre hero POint to the player's next
chaTllCler
A PC should aJIWlIYS be IIble to earn e hero
point II (a) he has no hero points; end (b) he
dellberately (likes a considerable risk 01 Incllpacltlltlon or death. (If you're fu:ay on the
word "considerable". we recommend II
(continued on pege 38)

27

= = = = = = = = = TBE BULES SECTION = = = = == = = =

minimum 20% chance.) The PC should
hero point allhe end of the adven
ture, assumIng the law of averages did nol
C!llch up with him

receive INII

DlYIded We Stand. United We Take

Back New .Iei'M}!
A PC with 10 or .so hero points Is
superhuman A group of pc, with to hero
points each 15 a frightening concept We think
the existence of either or both of these hero
POint banks Is II warning sign that your cam
palgn may be going out of control
Consider assume each PC sets aside two
hero poln!.s to guord against sll'lllY bullets, ran-

dom explosions, natural disasters, and 1M like

This leoves a pany of she PCs with 48 hero
points to deal wUh (more like demolish)

developing an Interesting character And Ihere

goes your wllole plot line.
Just <ls a truly heroic hero Isn't going to die leu
than heroically, so II truly villainous villain cant
be done In casually. Villains have 1IIJ1I1!n points which behave just like hero points, only villains
have them
A villain who is centr~lto a plot line which you
expect to run through severa l adventures should
begin wuh two or three villain points He ihould
gain additional villain points as he advances the
cause of the State. lIS his maskirollko (lit., disguise,
colloquially, a KGB ploy) foils or fools the players
or. In genenll. his plans advance at the expense
of the pl~yers or the Americans on whom they
depend If a 1II11~ln accumulales five IIIl1aln points.

hiS right -h~nd men should begin receiving IIIllaln

points, too.
Or feel free to lIS5ign IIIl1aln points to
dramatlcaUy important NPCs. 000'1 give them 100
many. or the players IIoIOn',lllllo'e a chance - but
give them to <lnyone who must handle a couple
of heroes <ll a lime
Villain points. as a practical millHer, <lre a funclion of the players' on-h<lnd hero points and how
Import~nt you expect a Illllaln to be. If you eTT by
IIsslgning a VIllain too many 1II1lain points, have
higher headquaners IIS5lgn him elsewhere - on
... ery shon notice. He'll always be a ... atlillble for a
reappearance whene\ler the PCS are an equal
match for him. (And they'll remember him 01'1
...es, they'll remember him.)

enythlng that gets In their way. Such a group

con ellt a

ftilly-equlpped Soviet motor rifle dM

5ion for breakfast If you wanllhls 1011 of poowoer

In thll I-umds of your players. you are playing
a much different gllme than THE PRICE OF
FREEDOM design envisions.
Which Is not to lay that there should never
be II PC With 10 hero points However,
I'Chievement of this status should requIre topnotch pkly, good lock. a sixth seme for danger,
and qulle /I few playlng sasions, (The historical
example who comes Immediately to mind is
Ho Chi Minh.)

Heroe. of the a..wtance

A Hero of the Resistance Is someone who
routinely runs through SllIggeTing numbers of
hero points. However, Itb hero point status Is
fat leu important than his notOrIety. He Is, If
not of the George Washington or ThomllS Jeffmor'! cahr, atlea$ a modem-day equivalent
of John Hancock If he escapes from the 5cMet
manhunt, Tony KUraslllwa (see Radio Free
AmaicII, 5.1) wIlIalmOSl cert/llnIy become one
of the first Heroes of the Resistance
\bur PCs, we expect, will become small ~h"
heroes of the Resistance by garnering a few
hero points each In their first couple of adventures. A capital "H" Hero of the Resistance Is
much more than tha i He hIlS spectacular exploits to hIs credit. He Is f<lmous. Freedomloving parents across the country teU th(lIT
children bedtime slorielaboul him If he', not
<l leader of the Rebel Command, he's a free
agent with strong ties to the Command The
SovIets have a high price on his head, even
If they only know him by his nom de guene.
THE PRICE OF FREEDOM lakes place.
in the year after the American surrender to the
SovIets, before the men and women destined
to be Heroes 01 the ResIstance have achieved
their rightful place. In Ihe annals 01 American
hlstory_ When and If the SovIets are In retreat.
It may be appropriate to Issue a supplement
chronicling these men ond women of v<llor

(8.2) Villain Points

Imagine thls~ you've spent weeks seiling up
General G1I!nsky os a ... ilJaln of awesome proportions. The players are only QJadually beginning
to discover the scope of his dlaboliall plans. Then,
one PC gelS a clear Hne of sight to GUinsky, spends
a hero point, lind shoots him dud. There goes
II sense of accomplishment. There goes weeks of

38

9. Movement
"10m free as nature first mode man,
Ere the base lows oj uTlIl/ude beg<ln,
When wild in woods the noble so ...oge ron ."
- John Dryden

A QUIc:.k end Dirty Ru le: One movement

point roughly equ<lls a movement r<lte of Ilh
kilometers per hour, or about I mile per hour

There are two times when it 1$ useful to know

how!1ISt chMllClers can m()l,l(': during combat, and
when they are inllOl ... ed In along-dlstllnce purney.
The Travel Chlln (In the lills! few pages of this
booklet) pro ... ides Ihls Information.

Combat rales for whole clilI5seS of ... ehlcles lire

identlc<ll - for example, cars. }leps, motorcycles,
APCs lind t<lnks all ha ...e mo ... ement rates of 20.
Sometimes, howe ... er, your pl~yers will get In II
chaw. If mo ... ement rales were In fact perfectly
Identical, no one would ever get cillught or gel
aWilly. Here's how to handle things:

(9.1) In Combat
In combelt, ch<lracters move by choosing one
of the movement lICIIons (move, rapid fire and
move, ch<lrge/melee, etc.) . The "combat rate"
colum n of the Travel Chan Indicales the number
01 movement points <l char<lcter choosing the
"move" action receives; a ch<ll"llCler choosing
"rapid fire and move~ or one of the other movement actions receives one-haH th<lt number
(rounding down).
Exa mpl e A wlilking chillracter who chooses
~move~ has 5 movement points; one who chooses
"charge/melee" h<ls 2. A charllCler riding a horse
has 20 movement points, 10 If he chooses "rapid
fire and mo ... e."
Walking charllClers and ones riding horses (or
olher similar animals)
may choose
"charge/melee;" characters riding vehicles may
not.
For combat purposes. vehicles mav accelerate
to the top rate listed in one combat round, and
decelerate to 0 the next. The movement rates for
vehicles presume fairly slow, cautiOUS mo ... ement
- as is likely in combat conditions. You mllY, If
you like. allow f<lster movement, but must then
lake Inlo account IIcceleratlon lind deceleration

GAMEMASTER BOOK

(9.2) Chases

11 one vehicle Is clearly fasler than the other, It

outdlstllnces Its competition. (The T-72 Is a Illst
tank, but Ifs not 115 fasl as an Italian sponscar.'
[f the vehicles are of roughly the same speeds
(or bad roads or dlfflcult leTT~in TTllIke drivers wary
of using their top speeds), the chase is resolved
lIS a serles of drilling-llersusdrilling skill contests
As gamemaSler, you must break Ihe chase Into
a sequence of key moments. Describe to the
players what happens. until they get 10 a key
moment. Then. make driving skill rolls for <lll
drivers
Remember thaI, when performing II skill
conteS!. you add <l character's roll to his skill
number. Well, when resolving II chase, first check
to see whether a charllCler's roll succeeds whether or not his roll Is less than or equlIl 10 his
skill number. Any character who falls Is 01.11 of the
race - he's CTlIshed, or sidetracked down Ihe
wrong street, or whatnot. If both succeed, the race
continues - bUI the character with the higher
combined skUl-number-plus-roli widens the lelld
(If he's being chased) or closes it (If he's the chaser).

PRICE OF FREEDOM

Example: Fred has a driving skill of 17; Ivan

has a skill of 12. They come to a sharp curve, and
both roll; Fred rolls a 2 and [van rolls a 10. They
both succeed, so the race continues. However,
Fred's combined skill and die-roll is 19 and Ivan's
is 22, so Ivan closes the gap. They come to
another sharp curve, and roll again; Fred gets a
12 and Ivan rolls a 15. Ivan's roll is a failure, so
his vehicle skids off the road and into a ditch. Fred
gets away.

(9.3) Long Distance

Movement
The "long distance rate" of the Travel Chart lists
~he number of kilometers characters and vehicles
can travel per hour. The Chart assumes: maximum
safe speeds (characters can travel faster at an
increased risk of fatigue or accident); good
weather; and good roads.
ObviOusly, characters will not always be traveling
along good roads during good weather. To find
the rate of travel in other circumstances, refer to
the "Terrain Modifiers" section of the chart. Follow
the chart instructions to yield the actual movement
rate.
Example A character is traveling by bicycle
across fields in the rain (a rather strenuous undertaking). The long-distance rate for bicycle is 15;
and its vehicle class is "wheels;' The "wheels"
divisor for fields is 5, and for rain, 2. 15 divided
by 5 is 3; divided again by 2 is 11/2. Hence, the
character may travel I1f2 kilometers per hour.
(He'd be better off walking, which he'll probably
figure out.)
One factor not taken into account by the Travel
Chart is the size of the moving party. A group of
more than six or so characters or vehicles moves
more slowly than a smaller group, because coordinating travel plans and keeping everyone
moving becomes difficult. You should figure that
any sizeable groul? travels at half the speeds indicated by the Chart, unless they have urgent
orders to move quickly, have good officers, and
are well trained.
This means that a party of PCs will almost
always be able to outdistance its pursuit. This is
not only intentional, it is realistic; pursuing and
locating guerrillas with a regular military force is
Virtually impossible, especially when they're
operating on their home territory.

America - Love It
or Leave It.

10. GeDeral

Survival
"It is a strange desire to seek power and to lose
liberty."

- Francis Bacon

(10.1) Fatigue and

Exhaustion
A character always has one of three fatigue
statuses: rested, fatigued, and exhausted.
A fatigued character must subtract 2 from his
attribute or skill number before making any
attribute or skill roll; an exhausted character's
attribute or skill number is halved (see the Skill
and Attribute Modifiers Chart in Freedom File
DJ,
A character becomes fatigued if:
He does not receive at least 4 hours sleep per
24 hours.
He travels more than 8 hours per day.
He takes part in a combat which lasts at least
six combat rounds.
He spends a hero point (see 8).
He goes without food for 24 hours (see 10.3).
Other circumstances at the gamemaster's
discretion.
A character becomes exhausted if he is already
fatigued and performs an action which would
fatigue a rested character.
Fatigue or exhaustion takes effect at the end of
combat, and at a reasonable (i.e., at your discretion) interval after the criterion for fatigue or
exhaustion is met. For example, you might not
consider a character fatigued after 8 hours and 1
minute of travel if he's travelling for 9 or 10 hours,
but you might consider the same character
fatigued if he is involved in combat 71f2 hours into
his journey.
A fatigued character becomes rested, or an
exhausted character fatigued, if:
He sleeps for 8 hours.
He rests for 1 day.
Other circumstances at gamemaster's discretion.

(10.2) Wounds and Healing

When a character is wounded, refer to the
Healing Table (in the last pages of this booklet).
Follow the procedure outlined on the table to
determine whether the character dies or is healed,
and how long this takes.
A character "received medical attention" if
another character makes a successful medical skill
roll to treat the wounded character (see 7.5).

...

PRICE OF FREEDOM

GAMEMASTER BOOK

(10.3) Food, Water, Air and

Exposure
A human being needs apprOximately 1 kilogram
of food per day, 2 liters of water per day, a
considerable supply of oxygen, and shelter or
warm clothing to survive. Depriving a character
of any of these may result in his death.
Refer to the Food, Water and Shelter Chart (in
the back of this booklet). If a character is deprived
of any of his necessities, after a time he becomes
fatigued - the precise interval is determined by
the chart. Fatigue caused by deprivation is
cumulative with other forms of fatigue (i.e., a
character fatigued through starvation who does not
get enough sleep is exhausted), but can only be
cured by providing the needed thing (food, water,
air, etc.), not by sleep or rest alone.
A character fatigued by the lack of a necessity
becomes exhausted after another interval - again
listed on the chart. If the necessity is still not
supplied, after a third interval he dies - as the
chart indicates.
The "exposure" section of the chart is used if
a character is essentially naked in cold weather.
The preCise temperature determines the line of the
chart to be used. If the character has light but
inadequate clothing, shift up one line (if already
on the "4C" row, the character suffers no ill effect);
if the character is wet, shift down one line.
Fatigue caused by the lack of a necessity is cured
if the needed item is supplied in adequate quantities for 1 day, and the character receives 8 hours
sleep. (Example: The character is starving, and
gets 1 kilogram of food and 8 hours sleep; or, is
dying of exposure, and gets warm Clothes or
shelter for 24 hours and 8 hours of sleep, etc.)
Exhaustion caused by the lack of a necessity is
reduced to fatigue after 2 days of adequate
supplies and 8 hours sleep per night, and
completely cured after 1 additional day.

(10.4) Drowning
If a character enters the water and fails his swimming skill roll (see 7.6), he begins to drown. A
drowning character must make another skill roll
every combat round, but his skill number is halved.
Any successful roll means he is no longer
drowning, and may swim normally, without the
need for another skill roll. If he fails twice, he is
fatigued; if he fails 6 times in a row (90 seconds),
he is exhausted and unconscious. If, once

39

unconscious, he remains in the water for an

additional 10 combat rounds (2lj2 minutes), he
is dead. (During this time, he could still be
rescued.) See the Food, Water and Shelter Chart
(in the back of this book) which summarizes these
rules.

(10.5) Weight
For the sake of Simplicity, all characters are
assumed to be able to carry 50 kilograms in a pack.
The Load Chart (see Gamemaster Charts) lists
the weights that various animals and vehicles can
carry.
The Equipment Chart (also in the Player
Book) lists weights for various items of equipment.
For the sake of simplicity, the game master may
assume that every character carries a "freedom
fighter's pack:' which weighs 20 kilograms, and
includes everything listed on the Freedom Fighter's
Checklist (see Freedom File A),

(10.6) Currency
At the beginning of the game, before the Occupation is fully under way, American currency
may still have some value. As time goes on, its
value will decline precipitously. As the new government nationalizes all business and as the Soviets
loot America to enrich themselves, goods will
become scarcer and scarcer. Most goods will be
distributed according to privilege, not cash; Party
members will be able to shop at special stores
where high-quality goods are widely 'available at
low prices, while no quantity of Federal scrip will
allow a normal citizen to get what he wants.
However, Virtually anything will be available on
the black market. Gold will be the most common
medium of exchange. The only paper money of
any value will be Italian lira and Japanese yen,
and both will be hard to come by.
The Equipment Chart (in the Player Book) lists
black market gold prices for a wide variety of
weapons and other forms of equipment. The
prices quoted are suggested gUidelines; prices vary
from area to area and from time to time. Feel free
to inflate or decrease prices as you wish. Be aware,
also, that Joe Freedom Fighter cannot just walk
down to the comer gun shop and pick up a 81mm
mortar; making contact with the black market and
making a deal without being turned in to State

Security is tough. Any attempt to purchase

weapons may develop into an adventure. Other
black-market items are more readily available.
Barter is also common. Use the Equipment
Chart as a guide to approximate gold values for
items of barter (e.g., when trading nylons for
pistols, approximately equal gold values of each
will be traded).
The gamemaster must assign values to other
items when the players ask.
Prices on the Equipment Chart are quoted in
terms of troy ounces, pennyweights, or grains of
gold (the traditional measures for monetary gold).
There are 24 grains to a pennyweight, 20 pennyweights to a troy ounce, and 12 troy ounces to
a pound.

Liberte, Egalite,
Fraternite.
In Deo Speramus.

In God We Hope.
(10.7) Falling and Collisions
When a character falls a distance greater than
3 meters (1 elevation level), or collides with an object while moving at more than 5 kilometers/hour,
a roll must be made on the Falling and Collisions
Table (see Gamemaster Charts). Follow the procedure indicated on the table; the result indicates
whether the character suffers no iU effect, or is
stunned, lightly or heavily wounded, incapacitated
or killed.

Discourage your characters from calculating the

weights they carry down to the last decimal place
and carrying every iota of equipment they can,
THE PRICE OF FREEDOM is a game of heroic
conflict, not bookkeeping. Use the 50 kg limit as
a way to prevent characters from overdOing the
equipment bit, not as a strict limit which all players
must keep in mind at all times.

40

GAMEMASTER BOOK

PRICE OF FREEDOM

The Combat Section

The combat rules in the Player Book (section
5) provide only the most succinct overview of the

combat system. Their purpose is to tell the players

enough so they can act intelligently in a combat
situation. As gamemaster, however, you'll need
access to a more complete and precise body of
rules. That's what the following provides.
The combat system of THE PRICE OF
FREEDOM is more complex than most; that's
why, twice in the rules that follow, we interrupt
the rules with a battle scenario. A battle scenario
is a set-piece combat situation, designed to be
played by two people. Its purpose is to let you learn
the combat rules by dOing, rather than by reading.
O.ur hope is that by playing out a battle scenario
or two with a friend, you will become comfortable
with the combat system and be able to run it
smoothly when you GM.
Feel free to toss a battle scenario into one of
your adventures as the climactic battle of the
adventure. You may even find the battle scenarios
Interesting enough in their own right to want to
play THE PRICE OF FREEDOM as a wargame
when you don't have enough players to run a real
adventure.

11. PANIC AND

PRESERVATION
(11.1) Panic
The players' opponents .are often assigned a
panic level by an adventure. When you design
your own adventures, you may assign paniC levels
as you wish.
A panic level is a number from 1 to 19. At the
beginning of each combat round, roll the die for
each character with a panic level. If the number
rolled is less than or equal to his panic level, the
character paniCS for that combat round.
A character who panics may not take any action
except falling prone or running away.
Player characters never have panic levels; only
NPCs may panic.
In generaJ, non-player character freedom
fighters do not have panic levels, although some
may, at your discretion. Other NPCs normally
should.
Keep things moving: If a number of characters
with the same panic level are in a small area, you
may wish to figure how many will panic, on
average.

...

PRICE OF FREEDOM

Example: There are 14 Soviet soldiers in a bus;

their panic level is 8. On average, 40% will panic;
40% of 14 is 5.6 so 5 panic; roll normally for one
character; and 8 can act normally. (You will have
to choose which characters panic, and for which
character you roll for panic. Discretionary authority
is a wonderful thing.)

(11.2) Leadership
Some NPCs are leaders; all leaders have a
leadership value between 1 and 19.
A leader reduces the panic level of all NPCs
within two hexes. Subtract the leadership value
from .the panic levels of the NPCs before rolling
for panic.
A leader's value does not affect his own panic
level.
If a leader panics, his value does not reduce the
panic levels of other characters.
A leader may benefit any number of NPCs
within two hexes; however, If there are two or
more leaders in play, each NPC can only be
benefited by one of them on a particular combat
round.
Example: Lieutenant Fomevoski has a panic
level of 3 and a leadership value of 2; he commands 6 soldiers, each of whom has a panic value
of 7. If fumevoski does not panic, any soldier
within 2 hexes of him has an effective panic value
of 5 (7-2=5).

(11.3) Preservation
If the PCs are likely to engage a group ot NPCs
in combat, the NPCs are usually .assigned a preservation level.
If the total number of "active" men in the group
is ever reduced to or below the preservation level,
the group becomes demoralized. Any
unwounded, stunned, lightly or heaVily wounded
character is active; Incapacitated and dead men
are not.
Example: A group of fifteen people has a
preservation level of 9. If six of the group are
incapacitated or dead, the group is demoralized.
When a group Is demoralized, its members
attempt to flee, hide, or surrender. You may
choose which option each individual chooses, but
in general, the group ce.ases to operate effectively
and engages In combat only If absolutely
necessary.
Player characters never become demoralized.

GAMEMASTER BOOK

12. LINES OF SIGHT

"Yet, Freedom! yet thy banner, torn but /lying,
Streams like the thunder-storm against the
wind."
Byron
The Player Book says that a character can only
fire at a target if he can see it. That's fine, except
that it doesn't say how to determine whether a
target can be seen or not. In most cases, common
sense will be sufficient guide; but in some cases,
more detailed rules are needed.
Please note that line of sight rules are
notoriously difficult to codify. These rules do not
provide a 100% completely accurate simulation
of real sighting problems - they're simply good
general gUidelines. Your judgment should take
precedence if you think the sighting rules fail in
a particular circumstance.

(12.1) Tracing a Line of Sight

To determine whether a character can see a
target, lay a straight edge (such as a ruler or piece
of paper) across the map from the center of the
hex he occupies to the center of the hex containing
the target. If the line passes through a hex which
can block the line of sight, the character cannot
see the target. If the line passes along a hexside,
the line is blocked only if both hexes adjacent to
that hexside contain blocking terrain.
When you aren't using a map, lay a straight edge
from the center of one character's counter to the
center of the other's. If it passes through an area
of blocking terrain, the line of sight is blocked.

(12.2) Blocking Terrain

The terrain on the map is drawn to look realistic.
fur game purposes, however, the terrain in each
hex completely fills the hex. If more than one
terrain type appears in a hex, the type which fills
the majority of the hex is, for game purposes, the
only terrO!1in in the hex.
Some: terrain types are blocking. The Terrain
Effects Chart indicates which (see Freedom File
D). If a line of sight passes through any part of
a hex containing blocking terrain, the line of sight
may be blocked.

(12.3) Elevation
Contour Lines

Elevation is indicated on the maps by contour

lines. Contour lines parallel hexsides; each is in-

41

terrupted at regular Intervals by a number. The

number Indicates what elevation level the contour
line represents.
In some cases, contour lines stretch across a
map. Hexes on one side of the contour line (the
higher side) are at the elevation level printed on
the line; hexes on the other side are at the next
lower level. You can tell which side is the "lower"
and which the "higher" by looking to see whether
the next contour line is printed with a higher or
lower number.
In many cases, contour lines surround a group
of hexes. Those hexes are at the elevation level
printed on the contour line itself, or at the next
lowest level. They're at the level of the line If the
line Indicates a hill, and at the next lower elevation
if it represents a depression.
Each elevation level represents a height difference of 3 meters.
Examples: Refer to map 2. Hex 1920 is between two "0" elevation lines, hence is at elevation -1. Hexes 2711 and 2919 are in an area surrounded by a "2" elevation line, and are elevation 2. Hex 1620 is between a "1" line and a "0"
line, so is at elevation O.

When Characters are at the Same Elevation

If a character and his target are at the same
elevation, the line of sight is blocked only if there's
a hex between them which contains blocking terrain, or if there's a hex between them that's at a
higher elevation than either character.
Note: Don't worry about the terrain In either
character's hex. You can fire out of a blocking terrain hex and into a blocking terrain hex, as long
.
as nothing in between is blocking.

When Characters are at Different

Elevations
If a character and his target are at different elevations, the situation is a little more complex. In
general, these rules apply:
If there's a hex between them that's higher than
both characters, the line of sight is blocked.
If there's a hex between them that's at the same
elevation as the higher character, the line is
blocked.
If there's a hex. between them that's higher than
one of the characters but lower than the other,
the line of sight is blocked if the hex is closer
to the lower character than to the higher. It is
also blocked if the hex is equally distant from
both characters.
If the hex immediately adjacent to either one
of the characters is a blocking terrain hex at the
same elevation as that character, the line of sight
is blocked. If the blocking terrain hex is lower
than the character, it does not block.
Example: Refer to Map 2 again.
The line of sight between hex 2111 and 2312
is blocked, because 2212 is higher than both
hexes.
The line of sight between 1623 and 1625 is
blocked, because 1624 is a blocking terrain hex
at the same elevation as both.
The line of sight between 1615 and 1620 is not
blocked, because nothing in between is blocking terrain.
The line of sight between 1312 and 1414 is not
blocked; it runs along the hexsides between
1313 and 1413, but even though 1313 is blocking terrain, 1413 is not.
The line of sight between 2213 and 1317 is not
blocked. Even though 2113 and 2014 are block-

42

ing terrain hexes, they are lower than both 2213

and 1317.
The line of sight between 1117 (level 4) and
1615 (level 0) is blocked. Hex 1515 (level 1) is
intermediate in level between the two, and is
closer to the lower hex (1 hex from 1615) than
to the higher (4 from 1117).
The line of sight between 1218 and 1620 is
blocked; 1419 is intermediate in level, and is
equally distant from 1218 and 1620.

the observation range Is halved (round down). This

has no effect on a clear day (half of infinity Is still
Infinity), but does at other times. Example: The
normal sighting range at dusk during a light rain
is 20; a prone character farther than 10 hexes away
could not be seen.

(12.4) Buildings

(13.1) Activation

Buildings and Elevations

Most of the time, the PCs' opponents begin

combat inactive. That means they do nothing, or
follow a routine described in the adventure, until
activated. Inactive NPCs are activated when:
Someone fires a weapon (or blows up a
grenade, or does something else that makes a
lot of noise).
A PC passes through or occupies a hex to which
one of the inactive NPCs can trace a line of sight,
and the NPC makes a successful alertness roll.
When a weapon is fired, all NPCs are alerted.
As described in the Player Book (see 5.10), the
PCs have one round of surprise before the NPCs
may react.
Make an alertness roll for an NPC if:
a PC moves into a hex to which the NPC can
trace a line of sight. (Make the roll the Instant
the PC moves Into the hex.)
a PC occupies a hex which an NPC can see,
but does not move. (Make the roll at the end
of the combat round.)
If a PC moves into or occupies a hex which
more than one NPC can see, roll for each NPC.
Each NPC may make one and only one alertness roll per combat round per PC he could
observe. H movement would trigger a second roll,
ignore it.
If an NPC makes a successful alertness roll, he
is alert. For the rest of the combat round, he may
do nothing; but starting with the follOWing combat round, he can act freely.
If one NPC is alert, he can alert any other NPCs
by firing, or Silently. A character may silently alert
others who are within six hexes and have lines of
sight to him by spending a full combat round attracting their attention.

A building's roof is always considered 1 elevation level higher than the building itself (unless
otherwise speCified).
In buildings with more than one floor, each floor
is 1 elevation level higher than the next, and the
roof is 1 level higher than the highest floor.

Apertures
All buildings have apertures. There are three
types of apertures; doors, windows and slits.
An aperture has a field of vision (see Arc of Fire
Diagram in the back of thiS booklet). A character
inside a building may trace a line of sight through
an aperture to any hex in the aperture's field of
vision, but not to a hex outside the field. Likewise,
a character outside a bUilding can only trace a line
of sight through an aperture into the building if
the character is located in the aperture's field of
vision.
A line of sight can never be traced into or out
of a building across a non-aperture hexside.
If a character is not adjacent to an aperture hexside, he may only see other characters immediately
adjacent to the aperture hexside, or one hex away.
A character two or more hexes behind the aperture cannot be seen.

Apertures and Stance

A prone character can never see or be seen
across a Window or slit hexslde.
A standing character can see and be seen
through all aperture hexsides.
Any character can see and be seen through a
door hexslde.

Buildings and Movement

Some buildings contain stairs. Climbing or
descending stairs costs 2 movement points; when
a character climbs or descends stairs, his location
does not change, but his elevation increases or
decreases by one.
A character may attempt to scale a building wall
by making an agility attribute roll and spending
5 movement pOints. A successful roll means his
elevation has increased by 1 level and he has not
fallen off. A failed roll means he has fallen; a roll
should be made on the Falling and Collisions Table
(see Gamemaster Charts) to determine whether
he suffers damage from his fall.
Characters may enter and exit buildings through
doors and windows, but not through slits (see the
Terrain Effects Chart in Freedom File D).

13. OBSERVATION
AND ACTIVATION

(13.2) NPCs and Observation

When combat begins, you know the location
of all NPCs, but the player characters may not.
Don't put counters for NPCs on the map until
they're seen.
If a player character can trace a line of sight to
an NPC's hex, the NPC's counter is automatical"
Iy placed. Player characters do not have to make
alertness rolls to observe NPCs.

(12.5) Weather and Lighting

The maximum distance at which a target can
be seen depends on weather and lighting conditions. On a clear day, you can see forever (no kidding); at dawn, dusk or night, or during inclement
weather, consult the Sighting Range Table (see
Gamemaster Charts) to determine how far
away objects can be seen.
When attempting to observe a prone character,

GAMEMASTER BOOK

PRICE OF FREEDOM

Bailie SceDario:
Assaull OD GreeD MouDlaiD
Introduction
Assault on Green Mountain is a straightforward
infantry assault scenario. Its primary purpose is to
introduce you to the line-of-sight rules.
We recommend you play the Soviet side
(against one of your players), as this is the perspective from which you will conduct combat in an
adventure.

Set-Up
Use Map 2.
The American player has six characters; use
counters "I" through "6". Stats are provided on
the Character Roster below.
The American characters begin anywhere on
the game-map the American player wishes.
However, he does not actually place counters; he
should note, on the Character Roster, where each
character is located. All Americans begin standing.
The Soviet player controls twelve characters one leader (use counter ''1'(') and eleven others
(use counters D through N). On the first gameturn, the Soviet characters enter along the righthand edge of the game-map anywhere from hex
2910 to 2925, inclusive. They are placed on the
game-map. They may be standing or prone, as
the Soviet player wishes.

Sequencing
When using THE PRICE OF FREEDOM's
combat system in an adventure, all characters perform actions more or less Simultaneously, with the
gamemaster ruling when this creates a problem.
In a game played competitively between two
players, stricter rules are needed.
During the Combat Resolution Segment, both
players must declare which of their characters are
firing or throwing grenades. If any of a player's
characters are holding for opportunity fire, he must
announce this at this time. All fire is then resolved;
all non-opportunity fire is considered simultaneous
(as usual) and no combat results are applied until
fire is resolved. Then, any return fire from
opportunity-firing characters occurs.
Then, the players each roll the die. The higher
roller has the initiative. (Reroll if the rolls are tied.)

PRICE OF FREEDOM

The player with the initiative may move one of his

characters. Only characters which did not engage
in combat, or which rapid fired once, may move.
Characters holding for opportunity fire may not.
Opportunity fire may occur as a result of the
character's movement.
Once a character has moved (or the player with
the initiative passes), the other player may move
one character.
Players alternate moving characters one at a
time, until:
One player has moved all his eligible characters.
In this case, the other player may move all his remaining characters.
Both players have moved all their eligible
characters, or both players pass one after the other.
In this case, the Movement Segment is over.
After the Movement Segment, all non'combat
and non-movement actions (such as unjamming,
reloading, etc.) are resolved. Once they are complete, the combat round is over and the next one
begins.

Observation
All characters begin inactive.
An American character is automatically alerted
the instant he can trace a line of sight to a Soviet
character. (No alertness roll is required.) No
American character may take any action until
alerted.
Soviet characters are alerted normally (by the
rules of 13.1). The American player must tell the
Soviet player when an alertness roll is required.
(Note: This requires a certain amount of honesty on the American player's part.)
Soviet characters may move but may not fire,
throw grenades or engage in melee until alerted.

Map
The square in hex 1117 is a watchtower. The
hex itself is at elevation 3, but the watchtower is
at elevation 4. There are stairs in the watchtower
(see 12.4).
A character up the watchtower is treated as
behind a window when receiving fire.
Characters may leave the game-map by moving to a map-edge hex and spending one movement point.

GAMEMASTER BOOK

The terrain types represented on the map are:

forest
1001
woods
1007
brush
1010
stream
1012
swamp
1011
broken
1116
road
1901
clear
2304

Using the Character Roster

A Character Roster is printed below. Before
playing, copy it '(by hand or machine). Give the
section printed with the American characters to
the American player, and the Soviets to the Soviet
player.
Each character's counter code, manual dexterity,
weapon skills and weapons are listed. Soviet
characters also have panic levels, leadership values
and alertnesses. Americans have a space for their
player to enter the hexes in which they begin.
Under each weapon's name you'll find one or
several boxes. Each box represents one clip of ammunition; as a character expends ammo clips to
reload his weapon, mark the boxes off. At the end
of each character's row, you'll find a space labelled
"Ammo Point Expenditure;" enter hash marks in
pencil here to record a character's ammo point expenditure, and erase them when he reloads.
Under '~Grenades" (for the Soviets) or
"Molotovs" (for the Americans), you'll find boxes.
Each time a character throws a grenade or Molotov
cocktail, mark off a box; when all boxes are
marked off, a character may not throw any further grenades or Molotovs.

Preservation
Neither player has a preservation level (see
11.3). However, the victory conditions (see below)
are designed in such a way that, when a player
decides he will be defeated, he can save victory
points by having his remaining characters exit the
game-map.

43

Victory Conditions
The game ends when only one player has any
non-incapacitated, living characters on the gamemap. At that point, the players determine how
many victory points each receives, according to
this schedule:
Americans Soviets
1
2
for each enemy character
killed or incapacitated
1
for each friendly character
2
who exits the game-map
alive'
for being the only player
19
19
with active characters on
the game-map
'Only the player who does not have any active
characters left on the game-map scores points for
exiting characters.
Subtract the smaller total from the larger, and
refer to this schedule to determine the level of
victory:.
o 6 draw
7
10 marginal victory
11 - 20 substantial victory
21 + decisive victory

14. 1I08E ABOUT

GBENADES
"Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of
the Lord:
He is tramping out the vintage where the grapes
of wrath are stored."
Battle Hymn of the Republic

Character
Roster
SOVIETS

FREEDOM
FIGHTERS

MP

AR

...

:c

::s

:::)

()

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CD

en

Q.
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as

a.

~
CD
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as

White phosphorus grenades spray their surroundings with burning fragments. Each fragment bums
and continues to burn for some time. White
phosphorus contains its own oxidizing agent, so
it will continue to burn even after penetrating flesh
- not very pleasant stuff.
White phosphorus grenades are treated in the
same fashion as fragmentation grenades, except
that:
All characters in the grenade's hex and all
characters within two hexes are affected by the
grenade.
Damage is not increased if the target area is
vented or enclosed. (White phosphorus grenades
do not do damage from fragmentation and concussion, but from the burning fragments they produce.) Terrain still affects damage.
If a character is wounded (not incapacitated) by
a white phosphorus grenade, on the next round,
roll the die again. On a roll of 1 through 5, the
burning white phosphorus inflicts more severe
damage; his wound class increases by one level
of severity (from light to heavy, from heavy to
incapacitated) .
White phosphorus grenades may also start fires
in nearby vegetation, etc.
White phosphorus grenades provide illumination at night; see 19.3., Night Operations.

Fragmentation grenades do damage as the

Grenade and Mine Combat Table indicates (see
Freedom File D).
All characters in a grenade's target hex and
adjacent hexes may suffer damage from the
grenade. Characters in hexes adjacent to the target
are less likely to suffer severe damage; see the
Grenade and Mine Combat Table for the
procedure.
For grenade damage purposes, half-hexes are
treated like full hexes. A grenade which lands in
one half-hex treats the adjoining half-hex as "an
adjacent hex" for damage. The full hex beyond
the adjoining half-hex is not "adjacent" for damage
purposes.
Characters in adjacent hexes may receive
reduced damage because of the terrain they occupy or because they are separated from the
grenade's hex by an aperture (see Grenade
Modifiers Against Personnel in Freedom File D).
Damage to characters in the grenade's hex itself
is not modified by terrain. Damage is increased
for all characters if the target area is vented (partially enclosed) or enclosed (like a tank or pillbox).

gj
CD

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CD

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15

12

Smoke grenades are thrown in the same way

as others, but do not do damage. Instead, they
produce smoke.
A grenade produces a straight line of smoke 3
hexes long. After determining the hex in which
the grenade lands, roll the die again and refer to
the Grenade Scatter Diagram (see Freedom File
(I)

,9- .
C

0
D-

(3

,9C

0
D-

XiX

12

12

10

MP

pistol

DOD
DOD
DOD
DOD
DOD
DOD
DOD
DOD
DOD
DOD
DOD

pistol

pistol

pistol

pistol

10

12

12

10

12

10

LMG

10

12

12

10

12

10

10

12

12

10

12

10

10

12

12

10

12

10

10

12

12

10

12

10

10

12

12

10

12

10

AR
AR
AR
AR
AR
AR
AR
AR
AR
AR

10

12

12

12

12

10

10

12

12

10

12

10

10

12

12

10

12

10

10

12

12

10

12

10

10

12

12

10

12

10

e
~ II(e
as

pistol

pistol

pistol

pistol

pistol

pistol

pistol

14

15

15

15

15

AR
AR
AR

pistol

14

15

15

15

15

rifle

pistol

14

15

15

15

15

rifle

pistol

14

15

15

15

15

rifle

pistol

14

15

15

15

15

14

15

15

15

15

'1:1

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as
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12

(14.3) Smoke

(I)

Skills

.3 <C :e
3

(14.2) White Phosphorus

(14.1) Fragmentation

Q.

.!
C

There are five types of grenades. AU are thrown

the same way, but each has different effects.
Any time a grenade is mentioned in an adventure, we mean a fragmentation grenade, unless
specified otherwise. Any time we mention a
grenade in the rules, we mean all grenades unless
otherwise stated.

pistol

pistol

0
0

"

DOD
DOD
DOD
DOD
DOD
DOD
DOD
DOD
DOD
DOD
DOD
DOD
Molotov

Molotov

0
0

= machine pistol
= automatic rifle

LMG = light machinegun

44

GAMEMASTER BOOK

PRICE OF FREEDOM

D). This determines the direction in which the line

of smoke stretches.
Several smoke markers are provided. Place one
in the hex where the grenade landed, and 0I1e in
each hex through which the line of smoke passes.
A line of smoke will not pass through walls. If
it would normally do so, a smoke marker is placed
in the last hex before the wall, but not in ones
beyond it.
A line of smoke will pass through an aperture,
but stops one hex beyond it.
A hex containing a smoke marker is treated as
a blocking terrain hex for line-of-sight purposes.
Under normal circumstances, smoke lasts for 10
combat rounds, after which it dissipates. In an
enclosed space (e.g., a building) it will last
indefinitely (relative to the timespan of a combat).
In high winds, smoke will dissipate more rapidly.

(14.4) Gas
A gas grenade produces a line of gas, in the
same fashion as a smoke grenade.
Gas does obscure vision, but not as well as
smoke. If a line of sight is traced through gas,
targets in the gas hex and the first three hexes
beyond it may be observed; targets farther away
may not.
Characters in gas masks are not affected by gas.
A character in a gas hex without a mask must
make a constitution attribute roll every combat
round. If he fails a roll, he is overcome by gas; the
only actions he may take are to crawl out of the
gas cloud, fall prone, and spend ten minutes (40
combat rounds or so) coughing and choking.
A character in a gas hex who panics is also overcome by gas.
Gas dissipates in the same fashion as smoke
(see above).

(14.5) Antitank
Antitank grenades work in the same fashion as
fragmentation grenades, except that they use a
different line of the Grenade Table (see Freedom
File D) and are more effective against vehicles
(see Gamemaster Charts).

(14.6) Satchel Charges

A satchel charge is a bag of explosives. Satchel
charges follow the same rules as grenades.
Satchel charges have fuzes, which the user can
set to make the charge explode in 1 to 4 combat
rounds from the time he throws or drops it. If he
sets it at 1 turn, it explodes in the turn thrown,
just as a grenade does. If set at 2 turns, it explodes
during the following combat round's Combat
Resolution Segment, and so on.
Satchel charges can be improvised out of
explosives by characters with the demolitions skill.
When such charges are used, use the same procedure as for Molotov cocktails to determine
whether the charge is a dud or explodes in the
user's hex.

15. MELEE
WEAPONS
There are three weapons listed on the Melee
Combat Table (see Freedom File D): knife, club,
and garotte, Knives and clubs come in three sizes
- small, medium and large.
Naturally, a character will not always be using
exactly one of these weapons - they may choose
to use nunchucks, epees, or what have you. For
PRICE OF FREEDOM

the sake of simplicity, however, we claSSify all

weapons as "knives" if they are primarily intended
to cut or penetrate, and "clubs" if they are primarily
intended to bash.
When a character uses a melee weapon, you
must determine whether his weapon is a knife or
club, and whether it is small, medium or large.
Then, you use the appropriate line of the table.
Here are some gUidelines:
Small Knives: Switchblade, broken bottle, razor,
kitchen knife, hunting knife, ice pick.
Medium Knives: Combat knife, machete, hand
ax, short sword, butcher's knife, bayonet.
Large Knives: Sword, wood ax, chainsaw.
Small Club: Sap, sock full of quarters, umbrella,
small stick, 6 inches of steel pipe, pistol, SMG with
folding stock.
Medium Club: Police truncheon, kitchen chair,
cane, 12 inches of steel pipe, rifle, shotgun,
automatic rifle.
Large Club: Fighting stick, walking stick with
brass knob, heavy chair, 2 by 4, crowbar, light
machinegun.

16. HEAVY
WEAPONS
"This country, with its institutions, belongs to
the people who inhabit it. Whenever they shall
grow weary of the existing government, they can
exercise their constitutional right of amending it,
or their revolutionary right to dismember or overthrow it."
- Abraham Lincoln

A number of weapons are fired using the Heavy

Weapons skill. These are rifle grenades, automatic
grenade launchers, bazookas, "suitcase" antitank
gUided missiles (ATGMs) , and light antitank
weapons. All are fired using the Heavy Weapons
Combat Table (see the Gamemaster Charts).
There is no distinction between aimed, rapid
and burst fire for heavy weapons. Firing a heavy
weapon takes a full combat round, and the
modifiers for type of fire do not apply.
Rifle grenades and grenade launchers can be
fired at targets the firer cannot see; other heavy
weapons can only be fired at observed targets.
Heavy weapons follow the same dud rules as
grenades.
Rates of Fire
All heavy weapons have a rate of fire, printed
on the Heavy Weapons Combat Table. A weapon
with a rate of fire greater than 1 can be fired as
many times per combat round as its rate. Each fire
is resolved separately; different fires can be at the
same or different targets. If fire takes place against
more than one target, each target must be in the
same hex as the target of the previous fire, or an
adjacent hex. (For example, a Mark 19 automatic
grenade launcher has a rate of fire of 10; it could
be fired against ten different targets, each in a different hex, as long as each target was adjacent to
the previous target.)
Some heavy weapons have rates of fire of 1/2,
1/3 or 1/4. Such a weapon can only be fired if a
character spends 2, 3 or 4 combat rounds (respectively) to prepare and fire the weapon. During
these rounds, the character can take no other
action.

GAMEMASTER BOOK

Scatter
When a shell from a heavy weapon scatters, it
may scatter more than one hex. When a character
misses, subtract his modified heavy weapons skill
from the actual die-roll. If the result is 5 or less,
refer to the the Grenade Scatter Diagram to determine where the shell scatters; if the result is 6 or
more, use the Artillery Scatter Diagram (see
Gamemaster Charts).

Example: After all modifications, a character's

heavy weapons skill number is 12. If he rolls a 1
through 12, he hits his target. If he rolls a 13
through 17, use the Grenade Scatter Diagram to
determine where the shell scatters (17 -12 = 5).
If he rolls an 18 or more, use the Artillery Scatter
Diagram.

(16.1) Bullet-Trap Rifle

Grenades
A bullet-trap rifle grenade is a grenade designed
to be attached to the end of a rifle barrel. When
the rifle is fired, the bullet hits the back of the rifle
grenade, shooting it in the direction aimed.
Preparing a bullet-trap rifle grenade is an action,
and takes a complete combat round. Firing it is
another action, taking a second combat round.
Only military rifles (not sport weapons), carbines
and semiautomatic rifles may be used to fire bullettrap grenades. If a bullet-trap grenade has been
prepared, the weapon in question cannot be fired
normally until the grenade is fired or removed.
(Removing it takes 1 combat round.)
Note: It is quite possible to improvise a rifle
grenade out of a Molotov cocktaiL If a character
does so, use the "bullet trap rifle grenades" line
of the Heavy Weapons Combat Table to determine
range; and use the "Molotov cocktail" line of the
Grenade and Mine Combat Table to determine
duds and damage.

(16.2) Grenade Launchers

There are three types of grenade launchers:
thump guns like the M-79, which are stand-alone
weapons; rifle grenade launchers like the M-203,
which clip on to automatic rifles or other firearms;
and automatic grenade launchers like the Mark 19,
which are stand-alone weapons and can fire
several shells per combat round.
All three types use the same ammunition. The
Soviet AGS-17 automatic grenade launcher uses
a different caliber ammunition, and cannot swap
ammo with the other grenade launchers.
Ammunition Types
There are several different types of ammo HE, HEDP, white phosphorus, and gas. The type
of ammo used affects, the damage done by the
shell; HE (high explosive), HEDP (high explosive/dual purpose), and white phosphorus
ammo have their own damage lines on the Heavy
Weapons Combat Table; gas shells act just like gas
grenades (see 14.4). White phosphorus shells also
provide illumination, just like white phosphorus
grenades (see 19.3).
Thump Guns and Rifle-Grenade Launchers
The only distinction between a thump gun and
a rifle-grenade launcher is that a thump gun is a
dedicated weapon. That is, a thump gun can only
fire grenade-launcher shells. Rifle-grenade
launchers attach underneath a rifle. They are used
in the same way, butthe rifle to which they are

45

attached can still be used as a regular firearm.

Any rifle (regular, semi-automatic, automatic or
machine) may fire rifle-grenade launcher shells if
mounted with a rifle-grenade launcher.
Thump guns and rifle-grenade launchers have
rates of fire of 2. That is. a character with a thump
gun or launcher may fire it twice per combat
round, consuming two shells (ignore the regular
ammunition rules). Reloading occurs automatically
while he fires, and does not take a complete action in itself.
Automatic Grenade Launchers
An automatic grenade launcher can be fired
either hand-fed or using a clip. When it is handfed, its rate of fire is 2, and it follows the same ammunition rules as thump guns and rifle-grenade
launchers. When fired using a clip, its rate of fire
is 6 or 10 (see Heavy Weapons Combat Table),
and each time it fires it consumes one point of
ammunition (shell) from its clip. Reloading with
a new clip does take a full combat round.
Mark 19
The Mark 19 automatic grenade launcher gains
the benefit of its long range only when firing
HVHE (high velocity high explosive) and
HVHEDP (high velOcity high explosive dual purpose - don't you love military jargon?) shells.
When it does so, use the Mark 19's section of the
Heavy Weapons Combat Table to determine range
and damage.
When itfires HE, HEDP, white phosphorus or
gas rounds, however, use the "rifle grenade
launcher" section of the table to determine both
range and damage. These shells can still be fired
in clips of 50 and at the Mark 19's rate of fire.

(16.3) Bazookas
Bazookas are crew weapons. That means that
firing a bazooka takes two people, both of whom
must spend two full combat rounds working
together to fire the bazooka. One person acting
alone can still fire a bazooka by himself, but doing
so takes twice as long - four full combat rounds.
Bazookas ignore the ammo point rules, as do
rifle grenade launchers (see above).

(16.4) ATGMs (Antitank

Guided Missiles)
There are two types of ATGMs: first generation
and second generation.
The main difference between them is that first
generation ATGMs can only be fired at targets 30
or more hexes away. Thus, they will rarely be used
in the game. (The firer gUides an ATGM to its target
using a joystick. At close range, he does not have
enough time to guide the ATGM effectively. The
problem is severe with older ATGMs, less so with
more modern .ones.)
Portable ATGMs come with 2 shells; once fired
twice, they may not 00 fired again (unless a supply
of shells is found).

(16.5) LAWs (Light Antitank

Weapons)
LAWs are single-shot anti-vehicle weapons.
After being fired once, they are of no further use.
If a LAW scatters, it has no effect.
When a LAW is fired, it produces a backblast.
Any character in the hex immediately away from
the direction in which the LAW is fired is lightly
wounded. Example: The LAW is fired due north;
anyone in the hex to the south of the firer is Iight-

46

ly wounded. A problem arises when a LAW is not

fired directly down a hex row; in this case, the
gamemaster determines which hex is affected.

17. MINES
There are four types of mines: antipersonnel,
antitank, gas and claymore.
If mines exist in a combat area, the gamemaster
will note in which hexes they are located before
combat begins.
If the PCs have mines, any character with a
demolitions skill can plant them. Planting a mine
is an easy task; any character with a skill of 10
or more can plant one without making a skill roll,
and other characters double skill numbers when
planting a mine. (A failed skill roll means the mine
blows up in the planter's hex.)
Improvising an antipersonnel mine from a
grenade is a normal-difficulty task, requiring an
unmodified skill roll.
A mine can only be triggered once; once triggered, it ceases to exist.
Essentially, mines act just like grenades, except
that they are not thrown and do not scatter.
Instead, a mine is triggered when someone enters
its hex.

(17.1) Antipersonnel Mines

When a character enters a hex containing an
antipersonnel mine, make an alertness roll. If he
fails, he triggers the mine. If he succeeds, he does
not, and may stay in the hex.
If a character enters a mined hex, fails to trigger
the mine, leaves the hex and later reenters it, he
must still make another alertness roll.
If two or more characters enter a mined hex,
each must make a separate alertness roll.
If a hex contains more than one mine, an
entering character must make a separate alertness
roll for each. Each failed roll triggers one mine.
If a vehicle or horse enters a hex containing antipersonnel mines, they are automatically triggered.
A character riding a horse is immune from the
effects of antipersonnel mines. Alas, his horse is
not.

(17.2) Antitank Mines

Antitank mines cannot be triggered by
characters, horses, cars, or jeeps - aU are too light.
Only tanks, APCs, trucks and similar vehicles will
trigger them.
When a tank or APC enters a hex containing
an antitank mine, it explodes.

(17.3) Claymore Mines

A claymore mine sprays shrapnel in a cone. It
can be triggered by tripwire or a mechanical
detonator.
When a claymore is placed, the gamemaster (or
placing player) should indicate which bexside of
the hex it occupies it faces. (If you aren't using a ,
map, just indicate a cardinal direction.) The placer
must also specify whether a tripwire or detonator
is used.
If a detonator is used, it must be located within
150 meters (25 hexes) of the claymore. A single
detonator may be used to trigger any number of
claymores simultaneously. Any character in the
same hex as the detonator may trigger it,
exploding the mines; doing so is an action, and
takes a full combat round. A character at a

GAMEMASTER BOOK

detonator may "opportunity detonate;' i.e., stay

in the hex and wait to trigger it when he observes
someone entering the claymore's blast area.
If a tripwire is used, one hex within 3 hexes of
the claymore is chosen as the anchor !lex. The
tripwire runs in a straight line from the anchor to
the claymore. If any character crosses the line,
make an alertness roll for the character; if he fails,
the claymore is detonated.
When a claymore is detonated, any character
in the hex to which it faces, or the three hexes in
, a line beyond it, may be injured. Only characters
in those four hexes may be affected; characters
in the mine's hex itself are not.
Roll on the Grenade and Mine Damage Table
for each character in the claymore's blast pattern.
Make a separate roll for each such character.

(17.4) Gas Mines

Gas mines are triggered in the same fashion as
antipersonnel mines. Their "blast radius" is 3
hexes; that means they spread gas into all hexes
within three of the hex where they're triggered. '
Gas from gas mines works in the same way as from
gas grenades (see 14.4).

(17.5) Removing Mines

A character who is prone in a hex adjacent to
a mine hex may attempt to remove the mines.
He must have a knife, screwdriver or similar
object to do so.
Attempting to remove a mine is an action, and
takes one complete combat round.
When a character attempts to remove a mine,
make a demolitions skill roll; if it fails, the mine
explodes and the character suffers damage as if
he had triggered it normally. If the roll is a success,
the mine is removed.
If there is more than one mine in a hex, only
one may be removed each combat round.
Claymores can be disarmed more easily. If a
character knows where a wire to a detonator is
located, he may cut it (assuming he has a knife,
wireclippers, or some such) with no need for a skill
roll. If he knows where a trip wire is located, he
may remove it; doing so does require a demolitions skill roll, but the character's skill number is
doubled before the roll is made. A failure means
the mine has beer triggered (remember that a roll
of 20 is an automatic failure!).

18. BARBED WIRE

There are two kinds of barbed wire: straight wire
and razor wire.

(18.1) Straight Wire

Straight wire consists of long, continuous strands
of barbed wire - the kind of stuff used on farms.
Straight wire is run along hexsides, not through
hexes.
Crossing Wire
Straight wire is normally impassable. However,
if one character falls prone on top of the wire, other
characters may use him as a bridge to cross the
wire. Crossing wire in this fashion costs 1 movement point in addition to normal movement point
costs. After the last person has crossed, the prone
character must remain prone on the wire for two
complete combat rounds (he is disentangling
himself from the wire). If he stands up before then,
he suffers a light wound. At the end of that period,
he may stand up - on either side of the wire.
PRICE OF FREEDOM

Vehicles
Tracked vehicles may cross straight wire with
impunity. Wheeled vehicles may cross wire ~t a
cost of 2 movement points; however, they rtsk getting a flat tire. When a wheeled vehicle crosses
straight wire, make a driving skill roll for the driver.
If the roll fails, the vehicle has suffered a flat.
Horses
Horses may jump over wire. When a horse does
so, make a horseriding skill roll for the rider. If it
fails, the horse has balked and refuses to jump.
The rider may try to get the horse to jump on a
subsequent combat round, but may not move any
farther in the current one. When a horse balks,
the rider must make a second skill roll; if this one
fails, he's been thrown into the wire, suffering a
light wound.
If a rider does not know of the presence of wire
and attempts to ride across it, make an alertness
check. If he fails, he does not see the wire in time,
and rides into it. Both rider and horse fall: the rider
suffers a light wound, and the horse a heavy one.
The horse stands up in the follOWing combat
round; it will run away unless someone grabs the
reins. The rider must spend 2 rounds disentangling
himself from the wire (unless he wants to suffer
another light wound).
If the alertness check succeeds, the character
may attempt to jump the wire, following the rules
above.

(18.2) Razor Wire

Razor wire consists of long coils of razor-sharp
.wire. Its use is banned by the Geneva Convention,
although it is commonly used in cities to deter
theft; it's also unlikely the Soviets will pay much
attention to the Geneva Convention when they
own Geneva. Regardless. slightly less vicious forms
of wire (e.g., concertina wire - coiled straight wire)
have similar effects.
Razor wire is impassable to characters. The only
way to get through it is to clip it (see below).
It is also quite visible. Riders need not make
alertness checks.
If the coils of wire are relatively small, it is possible for horses to jump it; the gamemaster must
determine how large the coils are if it's important.
Anyone thrown into razor wire suffers 'a heavy
wound; horses are incapacitated.
Tracked vehicles may cross razor wire with
impunity; wheeled vehicles automatically suffer
flats. but may do so also.

(18.3) Clipping Wire

A prone man with wire clippers may clear
barbed wire in adjacent hexsides. He must be
prone to do so. Clearing one hexside of straight
wire takes one complete combat round; clearing
one hexside of razor wire takes two rounds. (It may
take longer if the character's equipment is not the
best, e.g., he's improvised a clipper out of a
sharpened pair of garden shears.)
Once a hexside has been cleared, characters
may cross it without difficulty.

19. NIGBT
OPERATIONS
The main problem when fighting at night is
observation; observation ranges are severely
restricted (see the Sighting Range Table in the

(19.1) Weapons Flashes

When a character fires any weapon, he produces a flash. Any character within line of sight
(even if out of sighting range) who is holding for
opportunity fire may fire at the flash. Opportunity
fire can trigger further opportunity fire. etc.
A weapons flash illuminates only the firer, and
only for the briefest moment. Anyone who fires
in response to a weapons flash suffers a negative
skill modifier (see the Fire Modifiers chart in
Freedom File D). After opportunity fire is
resolved, the firer is no longer illuminated.

rounds follow the same rules for fire and scatter

as other artillery fire (see 21).
Like flares, star shells are equipped with
parachutes and may drift with the wind.
The area a star shell illuminates depends on the
caliber of the firing artillery or mortar. Refer to the
Vehicle Weapons and Artillery Combat Table (see
Gamemaster Charts); the illumination radius of
a star shell from a particular type of artillery or
mortar is found on its line of the table under the
"blast radius" column.
Star shells provide illumination for 5 complete
combat rounds.

(19.2) Lighted Areas

(19.6) Lamp Posts

Illumination grenades and shells, lamps and

searchlights all illuminate an area.
Any character within a lighted area can be
observed as if it were day - in clear weather, he
can be seen by all characters who can trace a line
of sight.
When a character inside a lighted area attempts
to observe someone outside it, the normal nighttime observation range is halved.
Example: Characters A and B are inside a
lighted area; characters C and D outside it. The
weather is clear. A and B can be seen at unlimited
range by any character (C, D and each other). C
and D can only see each other if within 12 hexes
(the nighttime observation range in clear weather) .
A and B can only see CorD if within 6 hexes
(half of the night-time range).

A lamp post is a light one elevation level higher

than the hex it occupies (a lamp in a level 2 hex
is at level 3). It illuminates everything within 3
hexes to which the lamp can trace a line of sight
(so it can be blocked by terrain and elevation).
Lamp posts are permanent features, and provide illumination indefinitely - until the power is
cut or the lamp is shot out.
Any character who can trace a line of sight to
a lamp (regardless of range - the light can be seen
at an unlimited distance) may attempt to shoot it
out. Hitting it with any fire weapon destroys the
lamp.

(19.3) White Phosphorus

Grenades
White phosphorus grenades (whether thrown
or fired by rifles, thump guns or automatic grenade
launchers) illuminate all hexes within 6 of the hex
where the grenade lands. Exception: A grenade
only lights up a hex if a line of sight can be traced
from the grenade to the hex. That is, since the
grenade is lying on the ground, its light can be
blocked by blocking terrain or elevation.
Illumination grenades provide illumination for
two combat rounds the round on which they're
thrown, and the follOWing one.

(19.4) Flares
Characters are sometimes equipped with handfired flares.
When a character fires a flare, he should specify
a destination hex for the flare. Using his Pistol skill,
determine whether the hex is "hie' If not, determine where the flare scatters using the same rules
as for heavy weapons (see 16).
Unlike white phosphorus grenades, flares are
equipped with parachutes. They ignite, then slowly
drift toward the ground. Consequently, light from
a flare is not blocked by blocking terrain or elevation (but can be blocked by a roof).
A flare lights up all hexes within six of the target
hex.
In a moderate wind, a flare drifts 1 hex downwind per combat round; in a strong wind, it may
drift as much as 5 hexes. (If the wind is too strong,
the parachute may not open properly.)
A flare provides illul'(lination for two combat
rounds.

(19.5) Star Shells

Artillery and mortars may fire illumination
rounds (or "star shells"). Artillery illumination

(19.7) Searchlights
Searchlights are stationary - their location may
not be changed. However, each searchlight has
a facing it mustface toward one ofthe six hexsides of the hex it occupies .
A character in the same hex as a searchlight may
operate it. Operating a searchlight takes a complete
combat round; the operator may take no other
action. The operator may change a searchlight's
facing by one hexside each combat round. If a
searchlight has no operator, its facing may not be
changed.
Facing changes occur at the end of the combat
round, after all movement and combat.
The area illuminated by a searchlight depends
on its current facing - see the Searchlight/Arc of
Fire Diagram (at the back of this booklet).
A searchlight does not illuminate its own hex
or the three hexes immediately in front of it. It
illuminates all other hexes in the cone determined
by the searchlight diagram, out to a distance of
15 hexes.
Searchlight illumination is blocked by blocking
terrain and elevation changes.
Characters in a searchlight's area of illumination,
and ones within the searchlight's cone but farther
than 15 hexes away, may attempt to shoot out the
searchlight. (Other characters may not.) Any
successful fire destroys the light.

(19.8) Vehicle Headlights

All powered vehicles (i.e., everything but
bicycles, horse-drawn carts, etc.) have headlights.
They may be driven with the headlights on or off;
if driven with them off, the driver must make a
driving skill roll every combat round unless the
vehicle spends no more than 5 movement points.
If he fails his roll, the vehicle has had an accident.
If a vehicle's headlights are on, the three hexes
immediately in front of the vehicle are illuminated.
In addition, the vehicle Can be seen at day-time
observation ranges.

Gamemaster Charts).
PRICE OF FREEDOM

GAMEMASTER BOOK

47

Bailie SceDario:
The ArseDal iD BudsoD Mall
Introduction
The Soviets are using a warehouse in Jersey
City as an ammo dump. Your mission: blow it up.
This scenario is intended as an introduction to
the heavy weapons and night operations rules.

Set-Up
Use Map 1.
It is night; it's raining heavily.
There is a searchlight on the roof of the
warehouse at hex 1523. It begins facing toward
the top of the map, and turns one hexside
clockwise every combat round until the Soviets are
alerted (at which point the operator may point it
where he wishes).
The American player controls six characters; see
the Character Roster below. On the first combat
round, they may enter in any hexes between 1001
and 1014. They are alert and can act freely from
the start of the adventure.
The Soviet player controls ten characters (see
the Character Roster). He must place them in the
hexes indicated on the Character Roster. All begin
standing.
The Soviet player has three antipersonnel
mines. Before the game begins, he must decide
where they are placed, by noting a hex number
for each on scrap paper.

Alerting the Soviets

No Soviets can panic before alerted.
One character (D) in hex 1523 is operating the
searchlight.
The character who begins in hex 1825 moves,
at two hexes per combat round, directly toward
the top of the game-map, until he reaches hex
1815. Then, he turns around and walks back down
the bridge until he reaches hex 1825. He continues
this patrol until alerted.
If the character patrolling the bridge is wounded,
killed, or alerted, and his hex (or the hex where
he would be located if he had not been killed) is,
at any later time, illuminated by the searchlight,
the searchlight operator is alerted.
If the searchlight operator is killed or
incapacitated, all other Soviet characters are
immediately alerted unless one of the American
characters continues to operate the searchlight,
follOWing the same pattern as previously.

48

All Soviets are alerted if a mine is set off.

Soviets are also alerted per the rules of 13.1.
All other Soviet characters may not take any
actions until alerted. The characters inside the
warehouse are sleeping, and only make alertness
rolls when someone enters the building itself, not
because they can see someone through a door or
window.

Blowing Up the Warehouse

If the Americans get the satchel charge into the
warehouse and set it off, everyone in the building
at that time is killed and the warehouse is
destroyed.
If it is placed or thrown into the building fuzed
to blow up on a later combat round, any Soviet
character who begins in the same hex as the
charge may attempt to remove the fuze. On a successful demolitions skill roll, he does so. If the
Americans later recapture the satchel charge, they
could try to set it off again.

Soviet Medium Machinegun

A medium machinegun is located in hex 1523,
on the building roof. It is fixed, and cannot be
moved from that location.

Victory Conditions

To the Polls.
Ye Sons of Freedom.

Sequencing and Character

Roster
Use the same sequencing rules as for the
Assault on Green Mountain scenario. How the
Character Roster is used is also described in that
scenario.

Map
The map terrain is described in "The PATH of
Freedom," section 2.7.
A character may exit the map by moving to a
map-edge hex and spending one movement
point. Exited characters may not reenter.
There is a stairway to the roof in hex 1125.
Characters in that hex may move from or to the
roof by spending 2 movement points. A character
on the roof at the edge of the building can also
leap to the ground; if one does so, roll for him on
the left-most column of the Falling and Collisions
Table (see the Gamemaster Charts).

GAMEMASTER BOOK

The game is over when there are no longer any

active (living and not incapacitated) American
characters left on the game-map. At that time, the
players earn victory points as indicated by this
chart:
Americans Soviets
for each enemy character
1
3
killed or incapacitated
for each enemy character
1
wounded
15
for blowing up the
warehouse
1
for each friendly character
who exits the game-map
alive
for each active .character
1
left on the game-map -at
the end of the game
Subtract the smaller score from the larger, and
refer to this chart to determine the level of victory:
o 4 draw
5
9 marginal victory
10
15 substantial victory
16 +
decisive victory

PRICE OF FREEDOM

Character
RO$ter

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10

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12

1523' 7

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FREEDOM
FIGHTERS

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Skills

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12

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DOD
MMG DOD
AR DOD
AR DOD
AR

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AR DOD
AR DOD
SMG DOD
SMG DOD
AR

1123

10

12

12

12

1524

10

12

12

12

1525

10

12

12

12

1325

10

12

12

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15

14

19

12

10

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AR

15

14

15

12

18

TG

15

14

15

13

15

AR

15

14

15

18

10

18

10

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AC

15

14

15

16

15

10

15

AR

DOD
DOD
DOD
DOD
DOD
DOD

15

14

15

12

10

AR

= on the roof
AR = automatic rifle
AC = automatic carbine
MP = machine pistol

MMG = medium machinegun

SK =small knife
SMG =submachinegun
TG =thump gun

20. VEHICLES
(20.1) Movement
A vehicle may only move if driven. On a turn
in which a vehicle moves, the driver may take no
other action.
Vehicles' movement allowances in combat are
determined by the Travel Chart (see the last pages
of this booklet). Movement point costs for vehicles
are determined by the Terrain Effects Chart (see
Freedom File D).
Terrain costs depend on the type of drive a
vehicle possesses - rear-wheel, 4-wheel, or
tracked. The Vehicle Chart (see Gamemaster
Charts) lists each vehicle's drive type.
A vehicle must face toward one hexside at all
times. If it enters one of its three rear hexes, it is
backing up; a vehicle which backs up in a combat
round may only spend 5 movement points that
round. (N.B.: Motorcycles need not worry about
facing.)
When a vehicle moves forward, it may move
into the hex it is facing, or into either flanking hex.
If a vehicle moves into a flanking hex, its facing
is changed so that it now faces away from the hex
it just left.
Tracked vehicles (but not other ones) can
change facing while staying in a hex. Changing
facing by one hexside costs one movement point.

(20.2) As Targets
Armor Ratings
Refer to the Vehicle Chart (one of the
Gamemaster Charts). It provides data on a wide
range of vehicles, from passenger cars to Soviet
tanks.

PRICE OF FREEDOM

WP
BT
SC
Dyn

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=
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1)0
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FG 0

pistol

pistol

DO;
Frag DO;
Frag DO;
Frag DO;

pistol

Frag

pistol

pistol

pistol

pistol

pistol

Frag

MP

DO
0

SK

Dyn

pistol

garotte

Dyn

pistol

SK

DOD pistol

WP 0; FG 0
WP 0; FG 0
WP 0; FG 0

DOD; SC 0
DOD
FG 0

Frag = fragmentation grenade

FG = Flare Gun

One section of the chart is labelled "Armor

Ratings:' It lists three armor ratings.or each vehicle
- a front rating, a flank rating, and a rear rating.
When a vehicle is fired upon, or a grenade or
mine explodes in its hex, one of its armor ratings
is used to determine whether it is damaged. If it
is fired upon or a grenade thrown at it from the
front, the front rating is used; if from the back, the
back rating is used; and if from either side, the top,
or the bottom, the flank armor rating is used. (Note
that the flank armor will always be used when a
mine goes off in the vehicle's hex.)
There are four possible armor ratings: no armor,
light, medium, and heavy.
Vs. Vehicle Tables
The Gamemaster Charts contain a Small
Arms Vs. Vehicles Table and a Grenades and
Mines Vs. Vehicles Table. In addition, the Heavy
Weapons and Vehicle Weapons and Artillery
Combat Tables contain sections for resolving fire
against vehicles.
When small arms are used against a vehicle, the
firer must indicate whether he's using aimed, rapid
or burst fire. Regardless of the type of fire, only
one die-roll is made to determine whether the
vehicle is hit; depending on the type of fire, the
die-roll may be increased or decreased (see "Fire
Modifiers Against Vehicles" on the Small Arms Vs.
Vehicles Table).
Since only one fire die-roll occurs, the ammo
consumption rules differ slightly. Using aimed fire
costs 1 ammo point; using rapid fire consumes 2
points. A character may only perform burst fire
against a vehicle if his weapon contains at least
4 remaining ammo points; and performing burst
fire consumes all remaining ammo points, or 10

GAMEMASTER BOOK

WP 0; BT 0

DO; WP 0; BT 0
Frag DO
Frag DO
Frag DO
Frag DO

pistol

white phosphorus grenade

bullettrap grenade
satchel charge
stick of dynamite.

E~

EO.
cC~

points, whichever is less. Example: Burst-firing

a weapon containing 5 ammo points consumes
all 5 points (the weapon is out of ammunition);
firing a weapon containing 50 ammo points
consumes 10.
Resolving Combat
The procedures used to resolve combat against
vehicles are described on the appropriate tables.
Vehicle and Obstacle Damage Table
When a vehicle is damaged, refer to the Vehicle
and Obstacle Damage Table. It is used to
determine the extent of the damage, and whether
or not the vehicle's occupants are injured.

Obstacles
Obstacles such as walls, bunkers, overturned
cars, etc., can be treated as having armor ratings.
The Obstacle Chart provides some gUidelines (see
Gamemaster Charts), but the game master is the
final arbiter. When a weapon is fired at an obstacle,
determine its armor rating. Resolve fire as you
would against a vehicle with that armor rating.
Throwing Grenades Into Vehicles
When a character attempts to throw a grenade
into a vehicle, he uses the Grenade and Mine
Combat Table, not the Grenade and Mine Vs.
Vehicles Table. If he is throwing a fragmentation
or high explosive grenade (or Molotov cocktail,
dynamite or satchel charge), and he succeeds in
throwing the grenade into the vehicle, the
occupants of the vehicle suffer damage as the
Grenade and Mine Combat Table indicates. The
vehicle itself is inoperable thereafter.
The Vehicle Chart classifies vehicles as opentopped, glassed, or enclosed.

49

Grenades can always be thrown into opentopped vehicles.

Grenades cannot be thrown into glassed
vehicles until their windows are broken (or if the
windows are down). If any fire takes place out of
a glassed vehicle, its windows are assumed to be
broken. They are also considered broken if any
damage is done to the vehicle.
Throwing a grenade into a glassed vehicle
means throwing it through a window; the
"window" die-roll modifier applies.
Enclosed vehicles can operate in one of two
modes: open, or buttoned up. The rules of 20.4
below describe how enclosed vehicles can change
modes.
When an enclosed vehicle is open, grenades
can be thrown into it. However, the "slit" die-roll
modifier is used.
Grenades cannot be thrown into buttoned-up
enclosed vehicles.
Open and glassed vehicles are "vented" for
damage purposes; enclosed ones are enclosed.

(20.3) Crew and Passengers

The Vehicle Chart lists the number of crew and
passengers each vehicle can carry. In some cases,
the number of passengers is expressed as a range
(e.g., a medium truck can carry between 21 and
30 passengers, depending on the exact size ofthe
truck).
Unarmed vehicles have 1 crewman. That's the
driver; if the driver is incapacitated or dead, the
vehicle cannot be operated unless someone takes
the driver's place.
APCs (armored personnel carriers) have 2 or
more crewmen. One acts as gunner and the other
as driver. When the gunner is dead, the vehicle's
weapons may not be fired until the gunner is
replaced.
Some APCs have three crewmen. The third
crewman is a loader. If he Is dead, the vehicle's
heavy weapons (main guns and ATGMs, but not
machineguns or autocannon) can only be fired at
one-half their normal rate of fire.
Tank Crews
Tanks are a little more complex. Tanks can have
three or four crewmen. Here's how they work:
Soviet 4-crew tanks: One crewman is driver,
one is gunner, one is loader, and one is commander. When the vehicle is buttoned up, the
commander can fire the coaxial machinegull in
the same combat round that the gunner fires the
main gun. When the vehicle is open, the commander can fire the pin-mounted machinegun.
When the vehicle is open, it moves at half normal speed if there is no commander.
Soviet 3-crew tanks: These tanks are equipped
with an automatic loader, eliminating the need for
a fourth crewman. N.B.: According to reports, the
loading machines have a tendency to break down,
so your players could easily run across a T-72
which could only sustain half the normal rate of
fire because its gun needed to be reloaded
manually.
American 4-crew tanks: These essentially
operate like Soviet 3-crew tanks; the fourth
crewman performs maintenance, can replace any
of the other crewmembers when needed, and can
fire the coaxial machinegun when the tank is either
open or buttoned-up. Note: The M-1 has two pinmounted machineguns. Both could be fired (by
the commander and fourth crewman) along with
a coaxial weapon.

50

Self.Propelled Artillery
The SAU-122 has 4 crewmen, and acts like a
4-crew Soviet tank. The SAU-152 has 5 crewmen;
the fifth crewman is also a loader. If either loader
is missing, the vehicle fires at half its normal rate.
If both are missing, its rate of fire is quartered.

(20.4) Opening and

Buttoning Up
APCs and tanks can operate either open or
buttoned up.
Exception: Open-topped and glassed APCs
can never button up.
When an APC or tank is open, grenades can
be thrown into and out of it, all passengers may
fire their weapons normally, and the vehicle can
move at full speed.
When a vehicle is buttoned-up, its maximum
speed is halved. Passengers in APCs can fire out
of the vehicle, but their skill numbers are halved
(after all other modifications) because firing from
APCs' tiny firing slits is difficult. Grenades cannot
be thrown into or out of buttoned-up vehicles.
Crew members and passengers in buttoned-up
vehicles are immune to the effects of gas.
Switching from open to buttoned-up mode
takes one full combat round, during which time
neither crew nor passengers may take any other
action (except that the driver may continue to
drive).
Tanks and APCs may only be entered and
exited while open. Entering or exiting costs 2
movement points; a vehicle may not move on a
combat round in which characters enter or exit.
All tanks and APCs (except BTRs, MT-LBs and
MU3s) have turrets. A vehicle's turret has a facing independent of the vehicle itself - that is, it
can face any direction while the vehicle faces in
any other direction. The gunner or commander
may turn the turret - doing so is an action, and
takes a full combat round. [n open mode, the turret's facing can be changed by any amount in a
single round; in buttoned-up mode, by no more
than two hexsides in a single round.
A turret's facing is always relative to the vehicle
itself, not to the hex grid. Thus, if a vehicle itself
turns two hexsides, the turret also turns two hexsides, so that it faces in the same direction relative
to the vehicle. Turning a vehicle this way costs the
gunner no actions, though it does cost the driver
an action (he must spend the round driving the
vehicle). See below for the effects of a turret's
facing.

(20.5) Vehicle Weapons

As the Vehicle Chart indicates, vehicles mount
a wide variety of weapons. Some vehicles mount
several different weapons. Generally, only one
weapon can be fired by a vehicle in any given
combat round. The exceptions are indicated in
"Tank Crews" above.
The Vehicle Chart lists the weapons each vehicle
carries. [n parentheses after the name of each
weapon is printed the number of ammo clips (not
just points) the vehicle carries for that weapon.
APCs and tanks have a~s of fire. Most APCs'
and tanks' weapons may only be fired at targets
within the arc of fire. A vehicle's arc of fire is
determined by the hexside to which its turret faces.
Refer to the Searchlight/Arc of Fire Diagram at
the back of this book.

GAMEMASTER BOOK

Machineguns
Many vehicles mount medium or heavy
machineguns. Mounted machineguns are either
coaxial or pin-mounted. A pin-mounted
machinegun can fire in any direction, but can only
be fired when the vehicle is open. A coaxial
machinegun can only fire in the vehicle's arc of
fire, but can be fired whether the vehicle is open
or buttoned-up.
Characters use the automatic weapons skill to
fire vehicle-mounted machineguns.
Most pin-mounted machineguns can be dismounted - that is, detached from their vehicle
and carried elsewhere.
Main Guns
Some vehicles have small main guns; some
have large ones.
A vehicle equipped with a main gun may not
fire it at anyone within four hexes of the vehicle.
(The gun barrel cannot depress far enough to sight
on closer targets on the ground - vehicles or large
objects within four hexes can still Qe fired on.)
A character firing a main gun uses his gunnery
skilL Refer to the Vehicle Weapons and Artillery
Combat Table (see Gamemaster Charts) to
determine range.
[f the main gun fails to hit its target, use the same
rules as for heavy weapons to determine scatter
(see 16).
Main guns can fire two different types of
ammunition; penetrator rounds and HE (high
explosive) rounds. The two have different damage
sections on the Vehicle Weapons and Artillery
Combat Table.
The Vehicle Chart indicates the number of shel1s
of each type a vehicle carries for its main gun, not
the number of clips. Main gun ammunition does
not come in "clips;" as long as the loader (or
automatic loader) is operating, the weapon is
reloaded as soon as fired and can be fired every
combat round.
Recoilless Rifles
For all game purposes, recoilless rifles are treated
like small main guns.
Autocannons
Autocannons have a rate of fire of 5; like heavy
weapons, they can be fired at up to 5 targets. Like
main guns, they can fire penetrator or HE rounds.
The Vehicle Chart indicates the number of
points of each type of ammunition a vehicle can
contain. For game purposes, the ammunition is
in a single "clip", so the autocannon never runs
out of ammunition until all the autocannon ammo
in the vehicle is consumed.
Autocannons are fired using the gunnery skill.
ATGMs
Vehicle-mounted ATGMs are used in the same
way as regular ATGMs (see 16.4). The main
difference is that vehicles are equipped with a
larger number of shells ~ typically 5 to 8. An
ATGM can be fired once if the vehicle that carries
it is buttoned-up, but cannot be fired again until
it opens up. (Reloading the launcher requires the
vehicle to be open.) Exception: A buttoned-up
M-2 can fire ATGMs twice.
I\TGMs are fired using the heavy weapons skill.
Automatic Grenade Launchers
Some vehicles mount Mark 19 or AGS-17
automatic grenade launchers. They are treated like
normal such launchers. Indeed, like pin-mounted
machineguns, they can be dismounted.

PRICE OF FREEDOM

Grenade launchers are fired using the heavy

weapons skill.
Artillery
Self-propelled artillery vehicles carry artillery
pieces. These are treated just like other artillery
(see 21).

21. ARTILLERY AND

MORTARS

(20.6) Getting Wet

For game purposes, all artillery and mortars are

divided into three categories: those whose caliber
is less than lOOmm; those of 100mm to 149mm
and those of 150mm or greater.

Most land vehicles sink if they drive into the

water. Modem tanks and APCs are, however,
equipped to cross water barriers.

(21.1) Firing Artillery

and Mortars

APCs

Artillery and mortars are crew weapons, and

require two men to fire.
Artillery and mortars can be fired at all targets
within range, regardless of whether or not the firer
can observe the target.
When an artillery gun (only) is fired at a target
to which it can trace a line of sight, the firer's
gunnery skill is used to determine whether the
target is hit.
Whenever a mortar is fired, and whenever
artillery is fired at a target to which the firer cannot
trace a line of sight, the firer's indirect fire weapons
skill is used.

APCs can "swim:' This means that, when buttoned up, they can drive into water, run their
wheels or tracks to provide some forward propulsion, and move slowly across the water. They can't
deal with any substantial surf, and will drift fairly
quickly with currents in water.
Any buttoned-up APC may move across a
stream, river, or lake at the rate of 2 hexes per
combat round.
Tanks
Virtually all modem tanks are equipped to
"snorkel." Too heavy to "swim:' they can trundle
along the bottom of a river or lake, taking in air
through a snorkel. They cannot cross deep
obstacles or deal with surf, as the snorkel would
be swamped.
Preparing a tank for snorkeling takes between'
15 minutes and 8 hours. (The smaller figure applies to the most modem American tanks, and the
largest figure applies to somewhat antiquated
Soviet ones.) Consequently, it's not something that
can easily be done while you're being shot at.
A tank prepared for snorkeling cannot fire its
weapons.
A tank can move across a river or lake bed at
the rate of 1 hex per combat round.
N.B.: M-60s are capable of deepwading, but
cannot snorkel.
Volkswagens
Yeah, yeah, okay, if you've got an old VW bug,
it can swim, too, as long as it hasn't rusted out too
badly.

(20.7) Miscellaneous
Vehicle Rules
Motorcycles may not back up, but can change
facing at any time at no cost in movement points.
Motorcycle sidecars can accommodate 1 to 2
passengers; also, one character may ride behind
the driver.
Tractor-trailer trucks may only operate on roads,
take up two hexes, and are treated as two separate
vehicles for hit purposes
a cab and a trailer. If
the trailer is destroyed, it can be disconnected from
the cab.
Buses may only operate on roads.
Characters may ride on a tank. Six characters
may do so; tanks cannot fire their main guns while
carrying riders. Tank riders cannot be affected by
mines which the tank triggers (except for gas
mines).

(21.2) Resolving Fire

(21.5) Off-Map Fire

A glance at the table indicates that the maximum range of the largest artillery is 3000 hexes.
You'd have to string a lot of maps the size of the
ones proVided with this game together to get 3000
hexes. When artillery is used, it will normally be
fired from far off map.
When artillery is not represented by a counter
on the map, the game master must decide whether
it is at short, medium or long range, and the
indirect fire skill of the firer. For game purposes,
the "range" does not change throughout the
combat; wherever the artillery fires on the gamemap, Its range is considered to be the same.

When a mortar or artillery piece fires, refer to

the Vehicle Weapons and Artillery Combat Table
(see Gamemaster Charts). Follow its procedure
to determine whether the target is hit.
If it is not, follow the same procedure as for
heavy weapons to determine where the shell
scatters. (That is, if the failed roll is within 5 of the
modified skill number, the Grenade Scatter
Diagram is used; if not, the Artillery Scatter
Diagram is used. See 16, under "scatter.")
Then, refer to the damage section of the table
to determine the damage done; the procedure is
the same as for tank and APC main guns.

Many mortars are designed to be broken down

into two to four pieces for ease in carrying. Two
people who take no other action may, working
together, break a mortar down in 4 combat
rounds, or put one together in that amount of time.
Weights, and the number of pieces, are speCified
for some mortars in the Equipment Chart (see the

(21.3) Indirect Fire

Player Book).

When a mortar or artillery gun fires at a target

the firer cannot see, it is performing indirect fire.
Indirect fire can either be "caDed" or "pre-planned:'
Fire is called when a friendly character can
observe the target and is in communication
(usually by radio) with the artillery or mortar. He
may request fire, naming any hex to which he may
trace a line of sight as its target. Requesting fire
is an action, and takes a full combat round. The
artillery or mortar's fire is resolved 1 to 10 combat
rounds later. (The gamemaster may choose the
time delay, or roll a die and halve the number
rolled to determine it. Player characters are
assumed to be more efficient than others, and
should generally have fairly brief delays.)
"Pre-planned" fire means that, before the
combat begins, the gamemaster (or players, if .
they've somehow managed to get their hands on"
this much firepower) speCifies target hexes and
time when fire takes place. (E.g., "combat round
one: target is 1321; combat round two: target is
1325," etc.). Fire is then resolved when specified.

(21.7) Smoke, Gas and

Illumination Rounds

(21.4) Spotting Rounds

The first time a mortar or artillery gun fires
indirectly, it fires a spotting round. Spotting round
fire is resolved normally,!cexcept that the scatter
rules are revised slightly.:,}f the skill roll fails, do
not determine scatter for the shell; the fire is so
inaccurate that the shell has landed well off. the
game-map.

PRICE OF FREEDOM

If the skill roll succeeds, but is within within 2

points of the modified skill number, the shell
scatters, using the Artillery Scatter Diagram. Only
if the roll is 3 or more less than the modified skill
.number is the target actually hit. Example: The
modified skill number is 11. On a roll of 1 through
8, the target is hit. On a roll of 9, 10 or 11, the
target is missed and the Artillery Scatter Diagram
is used. On a roll of 12 or more, the shell lands
harmlessly off the map.
If a spotting round does not hit its target, the
next round the mortar or artillery gun fires will also
be a spotting round. It continues to fire spotting
rounds until it hits its target. All rounds fired
thereafter are fired fOT effect that is, the normal
scatter rules apply.

(21.6) Disassembling Mortars

Artillery and mortars can fire several different

sorts of shells. Two types are designed to do
explosive damage - HE (high explosive) and ICM
(improved conventional munitions). Only guns of
101mm or greater can fire ICM shells. Different
damage lines are proVided on the Vehicle
Weapons and Artillery Combat Table for the
different shell types.
In addition, artiUery and mortars can fire smoke,
gas and illumination rounds. A "blast radius" is
listed for each on the Vehicle Weapons and
Artillery Combat Table.
Smoke
Artillery smoke is treated like smoke from
grenades, except that:
Smoke'covers the hex where the shell lands, and
all surrounding hexes as far out as the shetl's blast
radius (see Vehicle Weapons and Artillery Combat
Table) .
Artillery smoke is denser and more pervasive
than grenade smoke; it does 'not dissipate in 4
rounds, but after 20 rounds (less in high winds,
more in motionless air).

51

Illumination
Illumination rounds are treated in section 19.5.
A shell's "blast radius" is the radius of its illuminated
area (Le., a shell with a blast radius of 30
illuminates all hexes within 30 of the hex it
occupies).
Gas
There are, in fact, two kinds of artillery-delivered
gas shells; regular gas and nerve gas.
A gas shell covers its impact hex with gas, as
well as all hexes within its "blast radius:'
Regular gas has the same effect on people as
gas from gas grenades (see 14.4).
Nerve gas kills everyone in the area. The only
exceptions are people in pressurized vehicles (like
APCs) or chemical warfare protective gear, and
people who have a chemical antidote.
Death occurs within 4 to 12 combat rounds,
depending on denseness of clothing, whether or
not a gas mask is used, ambient temperature, etc.

22. BECOILLESS
BIFLES
A recoilless rifle is a sort of portable small main
gun. Like mortars, it can be broken into four pieces
for carriage (see EqUipment Chart). It is a crew
weapon and requires two to operate at its full rate
of fire. Recoilless rifles are sometimes mounted on
jeeps or other vehicles, or fired from a tripod.
Characters fire recoilless rifles using their
gunnery skill.
Recoilless rifles can only be fired at targets to
which the firer can trace a line of sight.
The "small main gun" line of the Vehicle
Weapons and Artillery Combat Table is used when
a recoilless rifle fires to determine range and
damage.

23. BOBSES
Guerrillas may have a hard time finding both
vehicles and fuel. Too, even the hardiest of 4-wheel
vehicles may have trouble traveling the trackless
wildernesses and mountain ranges where guerrillas
operate. Horses, donkeys and mules can carry
substantial supplies, and live largely off locallyavailable fodder. Horses, when properly trained,
can be ridden into combat. Though horses are
vulnerable to modern weapons, most guerrilla
combat is fought at close range - when the shock
of a cavalry charge may still be telling.

(23.1) Long-Distance
Movement
When out of combat, horses can be used as
riding and pack animals. Refer to the Travel Chart
(see the back of this book). As it indicates, a horse's
long-distance rate is 5 km/hour, the same as a
human's. Over long distances, a human can, in
fact, outrun a horse '(as horses have inferior
stamina).
Horses moving at the indicated rate fatigue at
the same rate as humans.
However, specially trained horses can, with light
loads, travel much faster - up to 20 km/hour.
Such horses will be fatigued after 1 hour and
exhausted after 2 - and dead after 4 hours of
continuous riding. Horses travelling at this rate can
carry no more than 1 person plus 30 kg; must
travel over clear terrain or roads (dirt roads are

52

okay - indeed, preferable); and cannot travel in

groups of more than 20. Moreover, all riders must
have a riding skill of 11 or more.
This faster speed might be helpful for messages
and get-aways.
Donkeys and mules have the same movement
rate as horses, but cannot use the faster speed.

Any time a gun is fired or any loud explosion

occurs near a horse, make a combat training skill
roll for the horse. If it fails the roll, it will run off
in a random direction at maximum speed, unless
its reins are tied. It will continue to panic until its
rider makes a successful riding skill roll. He may
take no other action until such a roll is made.
Mounting or dismounting a horse is an action
taking a full combat round. Tying a horse's reins
also takes a round.
The only actions a mounted man may take are:
Dismount.
Move. He moves at the horse's movement

allowance of 20.

We Owe Allegiance
to No Crown.

(23~2) Loads
Horses are not the only load-bearing animals
available. Donkeys, mules, oxen and goats have
all been used as pack or draft animals, with some
success. Oxen make better draft than pack
animals; their sharp spines make loading them
with goods difficult, while their strong shoulders
make pulling loads easy. (Indeed, the ox was the
draft animal of choice in the ancient world; the
lack of an adequate horSe collar meant that a horse
used as a draft animal was always on the verge
of strangulation.)
Goats are too small to carry any substantial load,
but are at ease in rocky and mountainous terrain
(do not reduce long distance rate in hills or
mountains). Characters operating in such terrain
may find them useful. It should be noted that
Yugoslavia has maintained a unit of goat-drawn
artillery since the Second World War.
The Load Table (see the back of this book) lists
the number of kilograms each animal can carry
as a pack animal, and typical weights than can be
pulled by each as draft animals.
Incidently, if you want to get really exotic, the
Forestry Service has experimented with.the use
of llamas, which can carry heavier loads than
goats, are more docile, and are equally at home
in mountains. (They do smell, though.) Also, the
U.S. Cavalry used camels in the American
Southwest during the late 19th Century ...

(23.3) Combat Training

and Actions
Horses have one skill: combat training. All
horses begin with a skill level of 1; it can be
increased by training, at the rate of 1 point per
week spent training the horse.
Mules, donkeys, oxen and goats cannot receive
combat training - if in a combat situation, they
automatically panic and run off.

Move and Rapid Fire. He suffers a fire modifier

for firing from a moving horse. The horse still
receives 20 movement points.
Aimed Fire or Two Rapid Fires or Burst Fire:
The horse must remain stationary.
Move and Prepare Grenade. The horse receives
20 movement points; the man may prepare, but
not throw, a grenade.
Move and Throw 'or Drop Grenade. The
grenade can be thrown, or the rider may drop it
in any hex he moves through. The horse receives
10 movement points.
Charge/Melee. The horse may move up to 10
movement points, then melee any character or
another horse in the hex where the horse ends up.
Melee. If already in a hex containing another
character or horse, the horse and character may
melee.
In addition, the rider can take any other action
while the horse moves. If he does so, however,
he must make a riding skill roll. If the roll succeeds,
the action also succeeds. If the roll fails, so does
the action. If the riding roll is a "20;' he falls off
his horse.
Example: The rider's weapon is jammed. His
riding skill number is 14, and his weapon skill is
16. He makes a roll; it's a 12, which is less than
or equal to his riding number, so he manages to
attempt to unjam his weapon while riding. He
makes a second roll; it's a 19, so the weapon is
still jammed.

(23.4) Charges and Melee

When a character on a horse melees, both he
and his horse may make a melee attack each
combat round. The horse may not attack someone
on a horse - only a character on the ground or
another horse. If the rider is bare-handed, he may
only attack another rider; if he has a weapon, he
can attack another rider, a character on the
ground, or a horse.
When a horse attacks in melee, roll against its
combat training skill to determine whether it hits.
The Horse Combat Table (see the Gamemaster
Charts) is used to determine damage.

(23.5) Firing At Horses

and Riders
There is a chance that fire at a rider may hit his
horse, and vice versa. If one is missed, roll the die
again; on a roll of 1, the other is hit.

(23.6) Horse Damage

Horses are damaged in the same way as
humans - that is, they can be stunned, lightly
wounded, etc.

GAMEMASTER BOOK

PRICE OF FREEDOM

24. Soviet Plans

Section 24 discusses the Soviets' plans for the first
year of Occupation. The following section provides
data which may be of interest - the organization
of the occupying forces.
Military plans for the first year of occupation are
thorough and complete; operations thereafter will
depend on local conditions and the scale of
resistance. Political plans are longer-term and more
far-reaching.

(24.1) Military Plans

Organization of Forces
Months before the United States submitted to
nuclear blackmail, the General Staff of the Ministry
of Defense of the Soviet Union had organized the
forces to occupy America. They were known,
according to Soviet parlance, as the American
Strategic Direction. The most elite units of the
Soviet ground, sea, and air forces would be used
in the initial occupation.
According to Soviet theorists, the first six months
after American surrender would be critical. During
this period, Soviet forces would be thinly spread
and unable to exercise complete control. This had
two consequences.
First, during this period, it would be of the
utmost importance to maintain a semblance of
normality, to lull as many Americans as possible
into believing their lives would be essentially
unchanged. Uprisings during this period stood a
good chance of at least local and temporary success; thus, politically, everything feasible should
be done to minimize the chance of such uprisings.
Second, it would be important to use the best
and most highly-motivated Soviet troops for the
Occupation, to permit rapid and effective response
to any resistance.
Section 25 discusses the organization of the
American Strategic Direction as it will be constituted six months after American surrender. Reinforcements will follow, and units may be rotated
out to other regions of the globe. As time goes
on, the Soviets will seek to replace their elite forces
with less effective garrison forces, largely drawn
from the armies of the Soviet empire. Conscripts
into the "American Peoples' Army" will be used
to garrison the territories of other Soviet client
states, especially in Latin America (where
American troops will be most hated, hence most
loyal).

PRICE OF FREEDOM

As standard practice, the American Strategic

Direction is composed of Fronts and Fleets. Normal organization dictates the presence of one Fleet
in each Strategic Direction; the American Strategic
Direction contains three because of the large
coastline to be patrolled. The Atlantic Fleet is composed of ships from the Black Sea and North (Red
Banner) Fleets, and operates from the Arctic ice
pack to Florida. The Pacific Fleet draws ships from
the Pacific Fleet and Indian Ocean Squadron, and
patrols from the Bering Straits to Baja California.
The final fleet, the Caribbean, is composed of ships
from the Baltic Sea Fleet and the Cuban Navy,
and patrols the Gulf Coast.
Six months from occupation, all three fleets will
still consist largely of Soviet and Cuban vessels.
Many American ships were patriotically scuttled
or went down fighting after the President's announcement; virtually the whole submarine fleet
defected to the Sino-Japanese. Soviet and allied
sailors will be trained in the use of American vessels
and equipment, but will not have yet obtained sufficent expertise for American ships to be used in
any major way.
Three Fronts were created: the Canadian Occupation Front, Atlantic Occupation Front, and
Pacific Occupation Front. Fronts normally control
4 armies each, but the initial Occupation Fronts
are composed of 2 Soviet motor-rifle divisions, 1
Soviet airborne division, and 3 infantry divisions
drawn from the forces of Cuba and Nicaragua.
(Presumably if resistance warrants the infusion of
more forces, each of the fronts will be brought to
full establishment.) Each Front is also assigned an
Air Army of some 700 aircraft.
Sequence of Events
The initial landings are made by airborne divisions and Spetsnaz (special forces) brigades. Their
objects are to gain control of key military and
government installations. Of prime importance is
the seizure of merchant ships, transport aircraft,
port facilities (both air and sea), and military equipment and bases. The Soviets will only be able to
deploy forces to the U.S. as rapidly as planned if
these facilities are seized qUickly. If seized rapidly
enough, the Soviets may even advance the
timetable.
During this period, the Resistance should seek
to interdict Soviet transport. This means sabotaging aircraft and ships, destroying port facilities, and
preparing armed resistance at points of entry to
slow the delivery of troops. Destroying (or hiding)

GAMEMASTER BOOK

U.S. military equipment is important, too. Anything

which cannot be carried should be destroyed including armored vehicles, aircraft, helicopters,
artillery, and electronic gear (radars, communications equipment, etc.). The Soviets will use any
equipment, civilian and military, to equip their
troops upon arrival. If large quantities of American
equipment are captured the ships which would be
laden with tanks and guns will be able to transport
troops instead, substantially increasing the speed
of occupation.
The next phase of operations includes pacification of any military units operating within the U.S.
This is to be accomplished primarily by conventional means, though tactical nuclear weapons and
chemical agents will be used if necessary.
(However, a division commander cannot use these
weapons on his own initiative. Release of chemical
weapons is decided at Front level; release of tactical nuclear weapons at Direction level.) All U.S.
personnel overseas will be quickly pacified, as they
lack support or supply. Survivors will be
repatriated, executed, or committed to mental institutions. U.S. naval units at sea will soon run low
on fuel and either surrender or be destroyed. The
sole exception is the submarine fleet, which will
continue to operate and interdict shipping until
Soviet air and sea supremacy makes attacks impossible. The nuclear aircraft carriers may also hold
out, at least until their supply of jet-fuel is exhausted. Therefore, the individual guerrilla will
soon be America's first line of resistance.
The Soviets are fully aware of the problems
America faced in Vietnam, and their own hardwon struggle in Afghanistan. They know how high
the gun-to-citizen ratio in the United States is.
Police records, if not destroyed, will be used to confiscate guns. Gunshops will be closed and houseto-house searches will be conducted to clear the
country of small arms. Former military personnel
and reservists will be primary targets during this
campaign. Anyone who does not turn over his
guns will face imprisonment (execution). Most
citizens will obey - some will not.
This begins the third stage, in which the Soviets
attempt to pacify and re-educate the populace of
the United States. For this purpose, large numbers
of KGB and CPSU (Communist. Party of the
Soviet Union) personnel will be brought in. Insurrection will be dealt with both by overwhelming
firepower and by imprisonment. Large areas will
be set aside for re-education camps. These will be

53

sited far from major residential areas, to mask their

true purpose. (No one comes home from the
camps.) This will be the critical and pivotal period
of occupation as the large land mass of the u.s.
hinders the Soviet ability to wrest control of all
areas of the country Simultaneously.

(24.2) Political Plans

Initially, the Soviets seek to work with "responsible" members of the American government to
establish a qUisling regime. Until the press is under
firm control, politicians are not be shot or executed.
In extreme conditions, they may be removed from
their seats by vote of Congress.
A "new, unified" CPUSA (Communist Party,
United States of America) is established from
among American Communist splinter groups, leftwing groups such as the New Alliance and Socialist
Labor Parties, and anyone else willing to participate. It rapidly expands in size as careerists and
opportunists join to take advantage of the
privileges they obtain.
After a year or so of "interim" government, new
elections will be held in which Communist Party
members are elected by wide margins. No coercion will be applied to the voters; however, pollwatchers will keep records of how individuals vote,
which records will be the basis for deportations and
executions once control is firm. The actual voting
will be irrelevant, since the data released to the
now-controlled press will have no basis in fact.
Notorious right-wingers in government and
some military leaders will be tried as war criminals
and executed.
The Constitution wifl not be materially
amended; the Soviet constitution is, if anything,
even more liberal in awarding rights to its citizens,
and the Soviet government has never found it a
noticeable restraint on its actions. Properly interpreted and ignored when necessary, a constitution is nothing more than a piece of paper.
Thus, the last pre-Occupation Senators will not
be removed from office for at least 6 years after
the Occupation begins. This will not prevent the
Soviets from doing what they wish.

54

The only likely opposition of any importance

will come from the Supreme Court, which cannot easily be replaced. Some justices will resign
("For personal reasons;' as the press releases say);
others will die in mysterious circumstances. If the
problem remains severe, Congress will simply pass
a law stripping the Court of its powers to review
legislation (which, it must be remembered, is
nowhere enshrined in the Constitution).
Once the CPUSA is in firm control of the organs
of government, it will announce a "reorganization"
of American territory "at popular demand;' The
states will be abolished. Alaska will be ceded to
the Soviet Union. An "independent" Confederate
Soviets of America will be established, as will a
Texas Federated Soviet Republic. The remining 35
states will be organized into the United American
Soviets (with several member-republics); sections
of the southwest will be returned to our revolutionary brethren in Soviet Mexico, from whom they
were stolen by the American fascists. An "Amerindian Peoples' Autonomous Region" will be
established, partly as an attempt to enlist support
from Native Americans, partly as a convenient
dumping ground for Indian groups the new
government dispossesses from areas containing
valuable minerals. Puerto Rico will become "independent;' as will Hawaii.
Eventually, one single world government will be
established, with each "independent" nation sending representatives to its deliberative body. This
world government will be called the Union of
Soviet Socialist Republics. Its capital will be
Moscow. The world-wide international pretensions
of the Soviet Union, born as an "international
revolutionary union;' which only reluctantly turned
to the policy of "building socialism in a single country," will be fulfilled.
Wit\'lin three years of occupation, mass deportations and executions begin. Small business will
be nationalized; most distribution businesses and
shops will be closed down. Unemployment will be
abolished, through the simple expedient of declar-

GAMEMASTER BOOK

ing unemployment to be "hooliganism;' and sending hooligans to the slave labor camps for
"reeducation;'
Private education will be abolished, and mandatory public education will become truly mandatory and public. The quality of education may
even improve, as children Jearn that failing to do
homework, attend school, and pay attention are
followed by real and severe punishment.
Needless to say, all forms of public entertainment (including teleVision, Videos, movies, books,
magazines, radiO, records, games, etc., etc.) will
come under stringent censorship. Popular culture
(genre fiction, rock, comic books, roleplaying, etc.)
will be abolished as "decadent" and "bourgeois:'
Goods will Virtually evaporate from the few remaining state-run stores. Shopkeepers, now
bureaucrats who depend on faceless bureaucracies
and not customers for their income, will have no
incentive to treat customers courteously or to provide them with goods they desire. Currency will
become increasingly irrelevant; no quantity of
dollars will get you quality goods. Only hard currency (gold) and connections can do that. The new
elite - Party members, bureaucrats, collaborators
wil11ive welL Everyone else will live miserably,
in crowded quarters, with an inadequate diet and
few outlets for recreation.
All education will contain a huge dollop of propaganda. Children will be encouraged to denounce
their parents for "counterrevolutionary activities."
The whole of society will come to realize that
critiCizing the new regime in any fashion is terribly
dangerous, and all criticism will come tq a halt.
The true state of affairs will become a secret from
Virtually the whole population; most of the country will not know about the gulags, and would not
believe it if told. Children, fed Soviet propaganda
at school and failing to receive contrary views from
frightened parents, will come to believe. Three
generations from the Occupation, America will be
a contented and enthusiastic slave to its Soviet
masters.
That's the plan, at any rate.

PRICE OF FREEDOM

25. The American

Strategic DirectioD
The pages that follow contain the Tables of
Organization and Equipment ("lO&Es"). Those
who wish only to know what equipment a platoon
of Soviet soldiers carries should look at Illustration D for most Soviet troops, and at E (for Cuban
and Nicaraguan units) and F (for Soviet airborne
troops). Those who wish a complete overview of
Soviet armed forces in America should study all
the lO&Es.
Each lO&E is labeled at the top with the name
of a major formation. For Illustration A, that's the
it shows the
American Strategic Direction

overall organization of Soviet forces in America.

ror Illustration C, it's a Soviet Motorized Rifle Division. The major formation is broken down into
smaller ones. ror example, the American Strategic
Direction contains three fleets and three fronts.
Each front is divided into two motor-rifle divisions,
three Cuban or Nicaraguan infantry divisions, an
air army, an airborne diviSion, and a whole slew
of brigade- or regiment-level assets.
Each asset is represented by a unit symbol, and
a size symbol. They are defined below. The symbols used are the standard NATO s~mbology.

When an asset's symbol is repeated (for example, see the motorized infantry symbol in Illustration AI, the major formation contains more
than one of the repeated asset. Example: The
American StrategiC Direction contains three fronts
(again, see Illustration A).
When a symbol is repeated, and one of the symbols is broken down into smaller formations, each
of the larger formations contains all of the indicated
smaller formatiOns. Example: Each front contains
two motor-rifle divisions, three Cuban/Nicaraguan
divisions, and so on.

ILLUSTRATION KEY

I ::> IArmor ,<t~)

C

[gJ Ar~91'~_d reconnaissance

(wheeled)
rs::::.?I M:9torized infantry
~ (mechanized)
~ Airborne infantry
" (mechanized)

~ Airmobile infan~ry
~ Motorized infantry

(truck)

~ Motorized antitank
~ Airborne antitank

Airborne artillery

"Field artillery

G
B

Airborne air defense

I SYC I Services (general)

Air defense

~Target acquisition

II I II Engineer

Chemical warfare

~ Parachute-rigging

r-:-7I Electronic warfare/

~
Signals

1001 Aviation
Icp I Transport/Assault
helicopter
ICfP I Transport helicopter
ffiiMedical

B
B

Maintenance

Supply
ICD ISelf-propelled artillery
00 'Transportation
I ~ IMultiple
rocket
launcher
~ Headquarters
I7fl
S~rf~ce-to-surface
L.!.U mlsslle
PRICE OF FREEDOM

]KGB

GAMEMASTER BOOK

~ Military police (traffic)

XXXXX
XXXX
XX
X
III
II
I

Front
Army

Division
Brigade
Regiment
Battalion
Company
Platoon
Section

55

Illustration A

AMERICAN STRATEGIC DIRECTION

f3

f4

f5

f6

f7

f8

flO

f9

fll

fl2

f13

.w-,

III

fl6

fl5

~E8~

f21

f20

(25.1) The American

Strategic Direction
This shows all naval, air and army units attached
to the occupation forees. The organization of each
of the divisions and assets is shown in the illustrations that follow. Illustration A shows you the total
forces available to the Soviets in America.
FO: There are three occupation fleets:
The Atlantic Fleet: Headquartered in Norfolk,
Virginia, Confederate Soviets of America. Consists of: 1 "Kirov" BCN; 1 "Slava" CG; 2 '~Kresta
II" CGs; 2 "Sovremmeny" DOGs; 2 "Udaloy"
DDs; 4 "Krivak" DDs; 3 "Koni" FFs; 4 "Mirka" FFs;
6 "Petya" FFs; 5 "Natya" MCMs; 8 "Yurka" MCMs;
4 "Sonya" MCMs; 6 "Nanuchka" PCMs; 4 "Sarancha" PCMHs; 12 "OSA II" PCMs; 5 "Turya" PCTs;
4 "Alligator" LSTs; 2 "Ropucha" LSTs; 8
"Polnochy" LSTs; 2 ''Alfa'' SSNs; 1 "Mike" SSN;
2 "Victor II" SSNs; 3 "Tango" SSs; 2 "Kild' SSs;
6 "Foxtrot" SSs; 2 "Charlie" SSGNs; 4 "Echo II"
SSGNs; 5 replenishment tankers; 12 Tu-95 "Bear"
patrol aircraft; 24 Tu-16 "Badger" patrol aircraft;
12 11-38 "May" ASW aircraft; 12 Tu-26 "Backfire"
bombers; 24 Su~17 "Fitter" fighter/attack aircraft.
The Caribbean Fleet: Headquartered in
Havana, Cuba. Consists' of: 1 "Kara" CG; 2
"Kashin" DOGs; 3 "Kotlin" DDs; 6 "Skory" DDs;
2 "KOni" FFs; 6 "Petya" FFs; 8 "Riga" FFs; 2
"Yurka" MCMs; 4 "Sonya" MCMs; 3 "Nanuchka"
PCMs; 16 "OSA I & II" PCMs; 10 "Komar" PCMs;
18 "Shershen" PCTs; 6 "P6" PCTs; 2 "Alligator"
LSTs; 1 "Ropucha" LST; 7 "Polnochy" LSTs; 1
"Sierra" SSN; 1 "Victor" SSN; 2 "Echo II" SSGNs;

56

f19

fl8

fl7

f14

1 "Kild' SS; 4 "Foxtrot" SSs; 4 replenishment

tankers; 12 Tu-95 "Bear" patrol aircraft; 12 Tu-16
"Badger" patrol aircraft; 6 11-38 "May" ASW
aircraft.
.The Pacific Fleet: Headquartered in Bremerton,
Reed State, United American Soviets. Consists of:
1 "Kiev" CVH; 3 "Kresta In CGs; 1 "Sovremmeny"
DOG; 3 "Udaloy" DDs; 4 "Kashin" DOGs; 5
"Skory" DDs; 1 "Kon!" FF; 9 "Petya" FFs; 3
"Nanuchka" PCMs; 10 "OSA II" PCMs; 12 "Shershen" PCTs; 1 "Ivan Rogov" LHA; 7 "Polnochy"
LSTs; 1 "Mike" SSN; 2 ''Alfa'' SSNs; 4 "Victor"
SSNs; 4 "Charlie" SSGNs; 3 "Kild' SSs; 7 "foxtrot" SSs; 8 replenishment tankers; 12 Tu-95
"Bear" patrol aircraft; 36 Tu-16 "Badger" patrol
aircraft; 12 I1-38 "May" ASW aircraft; 12 Be-12
"Mail" anti-submarine amphibians; 12 Tu-26
"Backfire" bombers; 24 Su-17 "Fitter" fighter/attack aircraft.
Key: CVH - helicopter carrier; BCN
battle
cruiser (nuclear); CG - gUided missile cruiser;
DOG
guided missile destroyer; DO
destroyer; FF - frigate; MCM
minesweeper;
PCM patrol craft (missile); PCMH - patrol craft
(mi~ile hydrofoil); PCT - patrol craft (torpedo);
PCTH - patrol craft (torpedo hydrofoil); LST
landing ship (tank); LHA - landing ship
(helicopter amphibious); SS - attack submarine
(diesel); SSN - attack submarine (nuclear);
SSGN - cruise missile submarine (nuclear).
FI: There are three occupation fronts.
The Atlantic Occupation Front: Headquartered
in Langley, Virginia, Confederate Soviets of
America.

GAMEMASTER BOOK

The Pacific Occupation Front: Headquartered

in Las Vegas, Nevada, Amerindian Peoples'
Autonomous Region.
The Canadian Occupation Front: Headquartered in Montreal, Republique Socialiste de
Quebec.
F2: Each front has a command staff, responsible for its administration. It consists of 1200 +
officers and men.
F3: Two motor-rifle divisions (see illustration C).
F4: Three Cuban or Nicaraguan motorized infantry divisions (see illustration E).
F5: One tank brigade. This is the Front commander's personal guard (see illustration B).
F6: One artillery brigade: Used to reinforce major offensives (see illustration B).
F7: One air army. Used to support activities of
the Front and maintain air superiority (see illustration B).
F8: One air assault brigade. Helicoptertransportable quick-reaction force (see illustration
B).
F9: One airborne division. Elite troops - the
Front's vanguard for occupation (see illustration F).
FlO: One Spetsnaz brigade. A specialist unit
for use in counterinsurgency and other special warfare operations. Highly motivated (see illustration
BJ.
FII: Two air-defense brigades. Provide air cover
for Front HQ, air bases, and s\lpply depots. Equipped with 27 SA-4 missile launchers, plus 600 +
officers and enlisted men.
F12: One engineer brigade. Responsible for
construction of barracks and other facilities as well
as demolitions and clearance of major obstacles
(i.e., rivers with blown bridges). Equipped with a
multitude of heavy equipment - 800+ officers
and men.
F13: One chemical warfare regiment. Conducts
chemical warfare operations as well as decontaminating and performing chemical reconnaissance - 300 + officers and men .
F14: One communications regiment. Provides
for all communications needs within the Front 400+ officers and enlisted men.
F15: One medical brigade. Maintains field
hospitals and provides medical services for Front
troops - 700+ officers and enlisted men.
F16: One KGB regiment. Not a part of normal
Front organization. Used to identify unworthy and
sympathetic commanders and troops to be terminated. Also provides interrogation and political
300 + agents.
direction for the Front
F17: One transport brigade. Motor pool for all
units attached to the Front - 1200+ officers and
enlisted men, and 300 + trucks.
F18: One maintenance brigade. Provides
vehicular and other maintenance for all units attached to the Front - 1000 + officers and enlisted
men.
F19: Two transport helicopter regiments. Used
primarily to lift the air assault brigades for combat
missions as well as for resupply (see Ulustration BJ.
F20: Two assault helicopter regiments. Provide
fire support for ground operations and airmobile
attacks (see illustration B).
'F21: One rocket brigade. Used to pacify stiff
opposition without risk of injury to ground troops.
Equipped with nuclear-capable missile's (see illustration B).

PRICE OF.FREEDOM

Front Level Assets

Illustration B
ASSAULT HELICOPTER REGI MENT

II

[,'

~'Q

II

[FA2

~FA3

[']~~

~FA5

~FA4

FAIl

~
FAI4

FA12

FA16

II

II

FAI5
Air Army

FA21

II

~8~
FA17 FAI8
FA19

~FA24

I
III

~ I~O~~lool
~~

XX

00

FA25

FA26

FA27

FA28

FA29

I
III

00
FA30

FA23

(25.2) Front-Level Assets

This shows the organization of regiments and
brigades attached to each Front. Only the combat assets of each Front are shown; non-combat
assets, such as the transport brigade and KGB regi'ment, are not broken down. (You and your players
will not normally meet such units, and won't need
to know their organization.)
N.B: Equipment (e.g., Mi-24J are explained in
section 25.7.
FAl: Assault helicopter regiment headquarters.
Consists of 16 Mi-24s or Mi-28s, 4 Mi-8s, 400 +
officers and men, and 24 trucks.
FA2: Two assault helicopter battalion headquarters. 2 Mi-24s or Mi-28s and 10 officers and
enlisted men each.
FA3: Two transport helicopter battalion headquarters. 2 Mi-8s and 16 officers and enlisted men
each.

PRICE OF FREEDOM

II

XXXX

Air Asseult Brigade Spetsnllz Brigade

~FA22

~FA10

Art ill ery Bri gade

X

rc=;n,CJ

FA9

~FAI3
II

III

FA8
I

Tenk Brigede
X

Rocket Brigede

tFA20

[FA7

FA4: Four assault helicopter companies. 16

Mi-24s or Mi-28s each.
FA5: Two medium-lift transport helicopter companies. 16 Mi-8s each.
FA6: Transport helicopter regiment headquarters. 10 Mi-8s, 2 Mi-26s, 450+ officers and
men, and 30 trucks.
FA7: Two medium-lift transport helicopter battalion headquarters. 2 Mi-8s and 16 officers and
enlisted men each.
FA8: Two heavy-lift transport helicopter battalion headquarters. 1 Mi-8 and 9 officers and
enlisted men each.
FA9: Two medium-lift transport helicopter companies. 16 Mi-8s each.
FAIO: Three heavy-lift transport helicopter
companies. 8 Mi-26s each.

GAMEMASTER BOOK

FAll: Rocket brigade headquarters. 168 trucks,

15 bulldozers, 2 backhoes, 15 cranes, 3
meteorological radars used for missile targeting,
229 officers, and 1490 enlisted men.
FA12: Three rocket regiments. 4 "Scale board"
(nuclear capable) missile launch vehicles, 4 reload
vehicles, 12 trucks, 54 officers and 405 enlisted
men each.
FA13: Tank brigade headquatfers. 2 command
tanks, 4 BROMs, 2 BMP-l command vehicles, 11
trucks, 28 officers, and 32 enlisted men.
FA14: Three tank battalions (see ilIo OJ.
FA15: Motor-rifle battalion equipped with
BMP-ls (see iIIo 0).
FA16: Artillery brigade headquarters. 45 officers, 225 enlisted men, 57 trucks, 1 surveillance
radar, 1 counterbattery radar, 1 meteorological
radar and 6 MTLB command vehicles.
FA17: Two 130mm artillery battalions. 20 officers, 275 enlisted men, 18 M-46 130mm guns,
and 42 trucks each.
FA18: 180mm artillery battalion. 22 officers,
275 enlisted men, 18 S-23 180mm guns, and 48
trucks.
FA19: Two 152mm artillery battalions. 20 officers, 265 enlisted mEln, 18 0-20 152mm guns,
and 42 trucks.
FA20: Air assault brigade headquarters. 35 officers, 150 enlisted men, 12 motorcycles, 18 AT-4
"Spigot" suitcase ATGMs, 60 trucks, and 6 ZU-23
anti-aircraft guns.
FA21: Three air assault battalions. 35 officers,
290 enlisted men, 6 82mm mortars, and 24 trucks
each.
FA22: Spetsnaz brigade headquarters. 6 officers
and 9 enlisted men,
FA23: Three Spetsnaz battalions. 27 officers,
345 enlisted men, and a wide variety of heavy
weapons and special equipment (depending on
the mission), each.
FA24: Air army headquarters. 950 officers,
7500 enlisted men, maintenance facilities, base
construction engineers and full support troops
similar to those of a land division.
FA25: Three fighter divisions. 124 MiG-29
"Fulcrum", MiG-23 "Flogger" or SU-27 "Flanker"
aircraft each.
FA26: Two fighter-bomber divisions. 124
MiG-27 "Flogger 0" or SU-25 "Frogfoot" aircraft
each.
FA27: Long-range bomber division. 93 SU-24
"Fencer" aircraft and possibly up to 30 Tu-30
"Blackjack" from LongcRange Aviation.
FA28: Reconnaissance regiment. 30 MiG-31
"Foxhound" aircraft.
FA29: Electronic warfare regiment. 30 Tu-l44
"Moss" AWACS aircraft and Tu-95 "Bear" reconnaissance aircraft
F30: Transport regiment. 30 AN-12 "Cub"
aircraft.

57

Illustration C
Soviet/Warsaw Pact
Notorised Rifle Division
Ml

II

II

M2

M3

[;;J[9
M4

II

II

II

MS

M6

M7

II

MIS

M14

II

II

~~~mEE3~
MS
M9

Ml0

II

II

"M13

M12

MIl

M31

M32

II

~rnBIZSJOO

M17
M16

~~

~M1S
I

~~
M19

H2O

OOEE3~
---M22--

M23

M24

M25

M26

(25.3) Soviet/Warsaw Pact

Motorized Rifle Division
Motor-rifle divisions are the heart of the Soviet
armed forces. This shows the organization of such
a division, broken down to the battalion level.
MI: Division headquarters. 105 officers, 288
enlisted men, 9 BRDMs, 40 trucks, 10 Mi-2
helicopters, 8 Mi-8 helicopters, and 6 Mi-24
helicopters.
M2: Air defense battalion. 24 SA-11 missile
launchers, 8 ZSU-23-4s, 84 officers, 595 enlisted
men, and 45 trucks.
M3: Tank battalion. 51 T-72s or T-80s, 1 BMP
command vehicle, 12 trucks, 35 officers, and 275
enlisted men.
M4: Rocket-launcher battalion. 23 officers, 234
enlisted men, 18 BM-21 rocket launchers, 43
trucks, and 3 BRDMs.
M5: Chemical warfare battalion. 18 officers, 142
enlisted men, 6 BRDMs equipped for chemical
reconnaissance, 34 decontamination vehicles, and
36 trucks with trailers.
M6: Armored reconnaissance battalion. 39 officers, 261 enlisted men, 18 BRDMs, 4 BRDMs
equipped for chemical reconnaissance, 7 BMP-1s
or BMP-2s, and 51 trucks.

58

M27

M2S

M29

M30

M7: Electronic warfare/signals battalion. 27 officers, 253 enlisted men, 4 BRDMs, 13 motorcycles, and 52 trucks.
M8: Engineer battalion. 30 officers, 378 enlisted
men, 9 BMPs, 4 BRDMs, 50 trucks, 42 engineering vehicles (construction, clearance and minelaying), 3 tank-deployed bridges, 3 ferries and 4 pontoon bridges.
M9: Medical battalion. 35 officers, 123 enlisted
men, 20 trucks and ambulances.
MIO: Service battalion. 8 officers, 65 enlisted
men, and 6 trucks.
Mil: Transport battalion. 22 officers, 195
enlisted men, 210 trucks.
M12: Antitank battalion. 23 officers, 259
enlisted men, 18 Rapira-3 125mm guns, 6
BRDMs, 18 MT-LB gun tractors, 22 trucks.
M13: Supply battalion. 48 officers, 600 enlisted
men, 110 trucks.
M14: Surface-to-surface missile battalion. 18 officers, 138 enlisted men, 59 trucks, 4 Frog-7 rocket
launchers, 4 reload vehicles, 1 BRDM, and 1
BTR-60 or BTR-70.
M15: Military police company. 3 officers, 57
enlisted men, and 10 BTR-60s orBTR-70s.
M16: Maintenance battalion. 19 officers, 275
enlisted men, 8 cranes and tank recovery vehicles,
and 64 trucks.

GAMEMASTER BOOK

M17: Self-propelled artillery regiment headquarters. 27 officers, 144 enlisted men, 52 trucks,
3 BRDMs, and 2 BTR-60s or BTR-70s.
M18: Target-acquisition company. 12 officers,
90 enlisted men, 1 BRDM, and 7 trucks with
counterbattery radar, flash-ranging set, ground
surveillance radar and meteorological radar.
M19: One self-propelled artillery company: 21
officers, 180 enlisted men, 6 SAU-152 selfpropelled hOwitzers, 3 trucks and 2 MT-LBs.
M20: Two self-propelled artillery companies. 21
officers, 180 enlisted men, 6 SAU-122 selfpropelled howitzers, 3 trucks and 2 MT-LBs.
M21: One tank and three motor-rifle regiment
headquarters. 28 officers, 32 enlisted men, 4
BRDMs, '2 BMP-1s or BMP-Zs, 4 motorcycles and
12 trucks each.
M22: Motor-rifle regiments contain 1 tank and
3 motor-rifle battalions (two with BMP-1s or
BMP-2s and one with BTR-60s or BTR-70sl each.
Tank regiments contain 3 tank and 1 motor-rifle
battalions (with BMP-1s or BMP-2sl each. See illustration D.
M23: Air defense company. 6 officers, 59
enlisted men, 4 ZSU-23-4s, 4 SA-9 launch
vehicles, 3 BRDMs, and 6 trucks.
M24: Armored reconnaissance company. 5 officers, 45 enlisted men, 3 BMP-1s or BMP-2s, 9
BRDMs, 5 motorcycles and 1 truck with ground
surveillance radar.
M25: Electronic warfare/signals company. 9 officers, 72 enlisted men, 1 BRDM, 5 motorcycles
and 12 trucks.
M26: Engineering company. 10 officers, 85
men, 7 BTR-60s or BTR-70s, 3 minelaying
vehicles, 2 tank-deployed bridges, 4 truckdeployed bridges, and 24 engineering vehicles.
M27: Self-propelled artillery battalion. 21 officers, 180 enlisted men, 6 SAU-122 self-propelled
hOWitzers, 3 trucks, and 2 MT-LBs.
M28: Military police platoon. 1 officer, 19
enlisted men, and 4 BTR-60s or BTR-70s.
M29: Service/supply platoon. 1 officer, 26
enlisted men, and 7 trucks.
M30: Transport company. 5 officers, 69 enlisted
men, and 45 trucks.
M31: Medical company. 10 officers, 35 men,
and 6 trucks and ambulances.
M32: Maintenance company. 4 officers, 62
enlisted men, 2 tank-recovery vehicles, 1 crane,
and 16 trucks.

Russki Go Home.

PRICE OF FREEDOM

IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII~

TBE BACKGBOUND SECTION 1IIIIIIIIIIIIII~~~~~~111111111111111

0C18E3:3
83

84

85

87

BTR-70 Motorized Rifle Bettelion

B4: Artillery company. 5 officers, 56 enlisted

men, 6 120mm mortars, and 7 MT-LB tractors.
B5: Medical section. 1 warrant officer, 3 enlisted
men and 1 ambulance.
B6: Three motor-rifle company headquarters.
3 officers, 9 enlisted men, and 2 BMP-ls or
BMP-2s each.
B7: Three motor-rifle platoons. 1 officer, 31
enlisted men, 1 AGS-17, 1 SA-14, 3 RPG-16s, 15
RPG-18s, 1 PK MG, 3 RPK MGs, 19 AK-74s, 1
SVO and 3 BMP-ls or BMP-2s each.
B8: BTR-60 or BTR-70 motor-rifle battalion
headquarters. 7 officers, 21 enlisted men, 2
BTR-60sor BTR-70s, 1 BROM, and 3 trucks.
B9: Maintenance platoon. 7 enlisted men, and
1 truck.
BI0: Artillery company. 5 officers, 56 enlisted
men, 6 120mm mortars, and 7 MT-LB tractors.
Bll: Service/transport/supply platoon. 1 officer, 25 enlisted men; and 12 trucks.
B12: Three motor-rifIe company headquarters.

II

, ,cb,!:.
... .. ...,
I

~[~I

B:O

...~812

Illustration E

3 officers, 9 enlisted men, and 2 BTR-60s or

BTR-70s each.
B13: Three motor-rifle platoons. 1 officer, 31
enlisted men, 1 AGS-17, 1 SA-14, 1 PK MG, 3
RPK MGs, 19 AK-74s, 1 SVO, 3 RPG-16s, 15
RPG-18s and 3 BTR-60s or BTR-70s each.
B14: Tank battalion headquarters. 6 offiCers, 18
enlisted men, 1 command T-72 or T-80, 1 BMP-l
or BMP-2, 1 truck, and 1 BROM.
B15: Service company. 3 officers, 33 enlisted
men, 10 trucks, and 1 BMP-l or BMP-2.
B16: Three tank company headquarters. 2 officers, 8 enlisted men, 1 command T-72 or T-80,
and 1 truck each.
B17: Three tank platoons. 1 officer, 11 enlisted
men, and 3 T-72s or T-80s each. (In tank battalions
of motor-rifle regiments there are 4 tanks per
platoon.)
B18: Medical section. 1 warrant officer, 3
enlisted men, and 1 ambulance.
B19: Antitank platoon. 1 officer, 13 enlisted
men, 3 SPG-9 recoilless rifles, 4 RPG-16s, and
2 BTR-70s.

Cuban/Nicaraguan Infantry Division

~~~

~
B13

Tenk Bettelion

~
~814
I

II

II

II

000@J
F14
F12
F13
Fll

~81S

~816

[ZSJ0GJmEEOOBCJ
F23
F16
F17
F18
F20
F21
F22
F19
(25.4) Motor-Rifle Division
Assets
This breaks motor-rifle battalions and tank battalions down to the platoon level. Motor-rifle and
tank troops rarely operate in smaller units.
Bl: BMP motor-rifle battalion headquarters. 7
officers, 21 enlisted men, 2 BMP-1s or BMP-2s,
1 BROM, and 3 trucks.
B2: Maintenance platoon. 7 enlisted men and
1 truck.
B3: Service/transport/supply platoon. 1 officer,
25 enlisted men and 12 trucks.
PRICE OF FREEDOM

0ffiB
F25

F26

F27

0Ei:3
F29

GAMEMASTER BOOK

F30

59

(25.5) Cuban/Nicaraguan
Infantry Division
Each occupation front contains three such divisions. The Cubans and Nicaraguans are highly
motivated, well-trained, intensely loyal, and have
considerable knowledge of counterinsurgency
operations (gained by the Cubans in Africa, and
the Nicaraguans in their war against the Contras
and later in the revolutionary struggle in Mexico).
Since Soviet troops are needed elsewhere, the
Russians treat their allies as a kind of "Hamburger
Helper;' filling out the occupation forces. This illustration breaks the division down to the platoon
level.
"
FI: Division headquarters. 120 officers, 340
enlisted men, 55 trucks and 6 Mi-8 helicopters.
F2: Air defense regiment. 60 officers, 228
enlisted men, 42 trucks, 12 S-60 guns, 6 SA-3
missile launchers and 24 SA-14s.
F3: Armored reconnaissance battalion. 25 officers, 88 enlisted men, 12 BRDMs, 6 BTR-60s,
and 8 trucks.
F4: Engineering battalion. 45 officers, 170
enlisted men, 24 trucks, 1 tank-deployed bridge
and 1 pontoon bridge.
F5: Medical battalion. 11 officers, 46 enlisted
men, 7 trucks and ambulances.
F6: Transport battalion. 8 officers, 52 enlisted
men, 36 trucks.
F7: Electronic warfare/signals battalion. 12 officers, 22 enlisted men, 6 trucks and 2 BRDMs.
F8: Service/supply battalion. 8 officers, 65
enlisted men and 20 trucks.
F9: Maintenance battalion. 4 officers, 20
enlisted men and 6 trucks.
FlO: Artillery regiment headquarters. 14 officers, 39 enlisted men, 3 BTR-60s and 2 BRDMs.
FII: 122mm howitzer battalion. 18 officers,
145 enlisted men, 18 D-74 howitzers and 36
trucks.
F12: 152mm howitzer battalion. 24 officers,
172 enlisted men, 18 D-l howitzers and 42 trucks.
F13: 130mm artillery battalion. 30 officers, 160
enlisted men, 18 M-46 guns and 40 trucks.
F14: Target acquisition company. 8 officers, 26
enlisted men, 6 BRDMs, 1 BTR-60, and 3 trucks
with ground surveillance, meteorological and
counterbattery radar.
F15: Three motorized infantry regiment headquarters. 29 officers, 64 enlisted men, 2 BRDMs,
1 BTR-60, and 4 trucks each.
F16: Motorized antitank platoon. 18 officers,
120 enlisted men, 6 SD-44 guns, 6 AT-3 suitcase
ATGMs (1st generation), and 18 trucks.
F17: Artillery platoon. 6 officers, 48 enlisted
men, 6 120mm mortars and 8 trucks.
F18: Air defense platoon. 9 officers, 71 enlisted
men, 6 ZU-23 guns, 6 SA-14s and 9 trucks.
F19: Engineering platoon. 6 officers, 32 enlisted
men and 6 trucks.
F20: Medical company. 4 officers, 13 enlisted
men and 4 trucks and ambulances.
F21: Transport company. 3 officers, 29 enlisted
men and 20 trucks.
F22: Electronic warfare/signals platoon. 2 officers, 11 enlisted men, 1 BRDM, 1 BTR-60 and
1 truck.
F23: Service/supply company. 6 officers, 38
enlisted men and 13 trucks.
F24: Three motorized infantry battalion headquarters. 3 officers, 12 enlisted men, 3 SA-14s,
1 BTR-60 and 2 trucks each.

60

F25: Artillery section. 2 officers, 24 enlisted

men, 6 82mm mortars and 8 trucks each.
F26: Medical platoon. 3 enlisted men and 1
ambulance.
F27: Electronic warfare/signals section. 1 officer. 9 enlisted men and 3 trucks.
F28: Three motorized infantry company headquarters. 2 officers, 15 enlisted men and 4 trucks
each.

Illustration F

F29: Artillery section. 14 enlisted men, 382mm

mortars and 3 trucks.
F30: Medical section. 2 enlisted men and 1
truck.
F31: Three motorized infantry platoons. 1 officer, 40 enlisted men, 3 RPG-7s, 3 PK MGs, 6
RPD machine rifles, 26 AKM automatic rifles, and
3 BTR-60s, BTR-40s or trucks. Cuban and
Nicaraguan troops rarely operate below platoon
level.

SOviet Airborne Division

I~"
;'6

A27

1026

1016

1017

A18

A28

102'

A30

A31

"33

(25.6) Soviet Airborne

Division
Airborne troops are the first to be dispatched
to America, and will remain the Occupation's
shock troops in its struggle against the Resistance.
In the Red Army, only the tank corps has greater
prestige, and few tankers will see combat in
America, Since the transport problems are huge.
Units are broken down to the section.
AI: Airborne division headquarters. 76 officers,
122 men, 2 BMDs, 39 trucks and 15 motorcycles.

GAMEMASTER BOOK

107

A8

A'

Al0

All

"12

A20

;'21

A22

A23

A2: Transport battalion. 24 officers, 237 men,

167 trucks and 2 motorcycles.
AS: Artillery regiment. 120 officers, 732 enlisted
men, 126 trucks, 39 SA-14s, 18 D-30s, 18
BM-14s, 18 ASU-85s, and 12 BRDMs with Spandrel ATGMs (2nd generation).
A4: Armored reconnaissance battalion. 4 officers, 76 enlisted men, 9 motorcycles, 9 BRDMs,
9 trucks, 9 SA-14s, and 9 RPG-16s.
A5: Air defense battalion. 24 SA-lllaunchers,
50 officers, 455 enlisted men, and 42 trucks.
A6: Chemical warfare company. 8 officers, 90
enlisted men, 28 trucks, and 3 SAI4s.
A7: Maintenance battalion. 8 officers, 108
enlisted men, 20 trucks, 2 armor recovery vehicles,
and 3 SA14s.
AS: Parachute rigging company. 7 officers, 94
enlisted men, and 3 SA-14s.
A9: Electronic warfare/signals battalion. 22 officers, 221 enlisted men, 53 trucks, 11 motorcycles,
and 3 SA-14s.
AIO: Engineering battalion. 28 officers, 344
enlisted men, 1 pontoon bridge, 36 trucks, 15
minelayers, 2 tank-recovery vehicles, and 3
SA14s.
.All: Medical battalion. 35 officers and 123
enlisted men.
A12: SerVice/supply battalion. 3 officers, 40
enlisted men, 6 trucks and 3 SA-14s.
A13: Three airborne infantry regiment headquarters. 28 officers, 41 enlisted men, 14 trucks,
3 motorcycles, 3 SA-14s, and 3 RPG-16s each.
PRICE OF FREEDOM

A14: Airborne antitank platoon. 4 officers, 43

enlisted men, 6 RPG-16s, 9 trucks, and 6 SD-44
guns.
A15: Airborne artillery company. 4officers,"44
enlisted men, 6 120mm mortars, 6 RPG-16s, and
9 trucks.
A16: Airborne air defense company. 3 officers,
45 enlisted men, 6 ZU-23 guns, and 7 trucks.
A17: Airbome antitank company. 4 officers, 30
enlisted men, and 9 AT-4 suitcase AlGMs (2nd
generation) .
A18: Engineering company. 3 officers, 50
enlisted men, and 6 trucks.
A19: Electronic warfare/Signals company. 4 officers, 47 enlisted men, 8 trucks, and 4
motorcycles.
A20: Chemical warfare platoon. 1 officer, 17
enlisted men, and 3 trucks with decontamination
equipment.
A21: Medical company. 8 officers, 24 enlisted
men, and 7 trucks.
A22: Armored reconnaissance platoon. 2 officers, 25 enlisted men, 3 BRDMs, and 3 trucks.
A2S: Transport company. 5 officers, 38 enlisted
men, and 25 trucks.
A24: Maintenance/supply company. 5 officers,
56 enlisted men, 18 trucks, and 1 armor recovery
vehicle.
A25: Three airborne infantry battalion headquarters. 5 officers, 5 enlisted men, 1 SA-14, and
4 trucks each.
A26: Airborne artillery platoon. 1 officer, 19
enlisted men, 3 82mm mortars, and 4 trucks.
A27: Electronic warfare/Signals platoon. 1 officer, 14 enlisted men, 3 motorcycles, and 3 trucks.
A28: Maintenance/supply platoon. 17 enlisted
men, and 7 trucks.
A29: Medical section. 3 enlisted men, and 1
truck.
ASO: Engineering platoon. 3 officers, 27 men,
and 6 trucks.
ASI: Three airborne infantry company headquarters. 3 officers, 7 enlisted men, 3 SA-14s, and
2 trucks each.
AS2: Airborne antitank platoon. 1 officer, 12
enlisted men, 3 AT4 suitcase AlGMs (2nd generation), 3 RPG-16s, and 3 trucks.
ASS: Three airborne infantry platoon headquarters. 1 officer, 2 enlisted men, and 3 AKS-74s
with folding stock each.
A34: Three airborne sections. 7 enlisted men,
1 PK MG, 1 RPK MG, 1 RPG-16, 3 RPG-18s, 4
AKS-74s with folding stock each:

(25.7) Soviet Equipment

The follOWing Soviet equipment is mentioned
in the TO&E keys above. All vehicles are described
in the Vehicle Chart (see Gamemaster Charts),
except for antiaircraft vehicles and others as
described below. Artillery and mortars follow the
rules of 21. Others act as indicated. N.R: No rules
are proVided for aircraft, helicopters or antiaircraft
weapons. Rules for helicopters will appear in an
adventure based in Idaho, to be published in early 1987.
Vehicles
T-72 Main Battle Tank. Armed with 125mm
cannon, 12.7mm and 14.5mm machineguns
crew of 3.
T-80 Main Battle Tank. Armed with 125mm
cannon, 12.7mm and 14.5mm machineguns, laser
rangefinder and composite armor - crew of 3.

PRICE OF FREEDOM

BMP-l Infantry Fighting Vehicle. Armed with

73mm cannon, 12.7mm machinegun and AT-3
"Sagger" AlGMs (1st generation)
crew of 2.
BMP-2 Infantry Fighting Vehicle. Armed with
30mm autocannon, 12.7mm machinegun and
AT4 "Spigot" AlGMs (2nd generation) which can
be dismounted for use by the infantry - crew of 2.
BTR-40 Armored Personnel Carrier. Armed
with 7.62mm or 12.7mm machinegun - opentop - crew of 2.
BTR60 Armored Personnel Carrier. Armed
with 14.5mm machinegun - crew of 2.
BTR70 Armored Personnel Carrier. Armed
with 14.5mm machinegun; has mounting for
AGS-17 grenade launcher - crew of 2.
MT-LB Armored Personnel Carrier. Armed with
7.62mm machinegun - crew of 2.
BRDM Reconnaissance Vehicle. Armed with a
variety of weapons depending on mission from
7.62mm machineguns to AlGMs.
ZSU-23-4 Self-propelled Antiaircraft Gun.
Armed with 4 radar-directed 23mm cannons 3OO0m range - crew of 4.
SA-9 Self-propelled Antiaircraft Missile. Heatseeking missile operates paired with a ZSU-23-4
- crew of 4.
SAU-152 Self-propelled Howitzer. 152mm
howitzer
crew of 5 - 4 rounds per minute.
SAU-122 Self-propelled Howitzer. 122mm
hOWitzer - crew of 4 - 6 rounds per minute.
ASU-85 Airborne Assault Gun. Armed with
85mm gun and 7.62mm machinegun crew of
4.
BMD Airborne Armored Personnel Carrier.
Armed with 73mm gun, AT-3 "Sagger" AlGMs
(1st generation), and 7.62mm machinegun
crew of 3
new variant with 120mm mortarhowitzer may be employed.
M-72 Motorcycle. Derivative of BMW R-75 with
sidecar.
Trucks. Include jeeps, light trucks, heavy trucks
and semi-tractors. Presumably commandeered
American vehicles will be used extensively.
Heavy Weapons
82mm Mortar. 3000 meter range. 20-25 rounds
per minute.
120mm Mortar. 5700 meter range. 12-15
rounds per minute.
D-74 Howitzer. 122mm. 24,000 meter range.
5 rounds per minute.
D-20 Howitzer. 152 mm. 18,500 meter range.
5 rounds per minute.
'D-1 Howitzer. 152mm. 12,500 meter range. 4
rounds per minute.
M46 Field Gun. 13Dmm. 27,500m range. 4
rounds per minute.
S-23 180mm Gun. 30,400 meter range;
43,800m with RAP (Rocket Assisted Projectile).
Nuclear capable.
AT-3 "Sagger" ATGM. Suitcase and vehiclemounted. 3000 meter range. 1st generation.
AT-4 "Spigot" ATGM. Suitcase AlGM. 2000m
range. 2nd generation.
AT-5 "Spandrel" HealJY ATGM. 4000m range.
2nd generation. Mounted on BRDMs.
AT-6 "Spiral" HealJY ATGM. SOOOm range. 2nd
generation. Mounted on Mi-24 helicopters.
BM-21 Rocket Launcher. 122mm. 20,500
meter range. 40-round salvo (10 minute reload
time).
SD-44 Antitank Gun. 85mm. 200m range.
Towed.

GAMEMASTER BOOK

Rapira3Antitank Gun. 125mm. Identical to

gun of T-72. Towed.
SPG-9 Recoilless Rifle. 73mm.
RPG 7. Early-model antitank rocket launcher.
(A bazooka in game terms.) Shoulder-fired.
RPG-16. Antitank rocket launcher. (A bazooka
in game terms.) Shoulder-fired.
RPG-18 Light Antitank Weapon. A LAW.
2U-23 Antiaircraft Gun. Twin 23mm cannons.
3000m range.
S-60 Antiaircraft Gun. 57mm. 1O,000m range.
SA-14 Surface-to-Air Missile. Shoulderlaunched. 6oo0m range.
SA-3 Surface-to-Air Missile. 29,000m range.
SA-4 Sur/ace-to-Air Missile. 70,ooOm range.
SA-ll Surfaceto-Air Missile. 25,OOOm range.
AGS-17 Automatic Grenade Launcher. 30mm
drum-fed grenade launcher. 1500m range. Can
be fired dismounted or from the roof of a BMP
or BTR.
.

Small Arms
Stechkin Machine Pistol. 9mm. In use by some
officers.
MakarolJ Pistol. 9mm automatic. Walter PPKderivative. 6-round clip.
AK-74 Automatic Rifle. 5.45mm. 3D-round clip.
AKS-74 Automatic Rifle. Folding-stock version
of AK-74. Also available as a sUbmachinegun the AKR.
RPD Machine Rifle. 7.62mm. Drum-, belt- or
clip-fed.
RPK Light Machinegun. 7.62mm. Drum-, beltor clip-fed.
PK Medium Machinegun. 7.62mm. Drum-,
belt- or dip-fed.
DShK HealJY Machinegun. 12.7mm. Belt-fed.
SVD Sniper Rif/e. Semi-automatic. 7.62mm.
Clip-fed.
Grenades and Mines
RKG3M Antitank Hand Grenade.
RGD-5 Fragmenation Grenade.
RGD-l Smoke Grenade.
Illumination and gas grenades are known to be
in service.
Several types of antitank, antipersonnel and gas
mines are available. Gas mines usually contain
mustard gas.
Aircraft
Mi-2 Liaison Helicopter. Can carry 8 passengers
or 4 stretchers.
Mi-8 Medium Lift Helicopter. 32 passengers or
12 stretchers. Sometimes armed with rocket pods
and cannons when used for assaults.
Mi-26 HealJY Lift Helicopter. 70 passengers or
25 stretchers.
Mi-24E Assault Helicopter. 8 passengers or 2
stretchers. Armed with a mixture of rockets, AT-6
ATGMs, and a 4-barreled 23mm gatling gun.
Mi28 Attack Helicopter. 2 crewmen, no
passengers. Armed with rockets, AT-6 AlGMs, and
a 4-barreled gatling gun. Extremely fast and agile.
MiG-29 Air Superiority Fighter. l000km range.
Armed with gatling gun and 6 air-to-air missiles.
MiG-,f3 Air Superiority Fighter. 600km range.
Armed with gatling gun and 6 air-to-air missiles.
MiG-31 Long Range Reconnaissance Aircraft.
Speed in excess of Mach 3. 1500km range.
MiG-27 Multi-role Fighter. 600km range.
Armed with gatling gun, laser-gUided bombs and
rockets, also carries air-to-air missiles.

61

TBE BACKCROUND SECTION ~~~~~~~~

Su-24 Strike Aircraft. 1500km range. Armed
with gatling gun, laser-guided bombs and air-tosurface missiles.
Su-25 Ground Attack Aircraft. 550km range.
Armed with gatling gun, laser-guided bombs, airto-surface missiles and rockets.
Su-27 Interceptor. 1400km range. Armed with
8 air-to-air missiles and gatling gun.
An-12 Light Transport Aircraft. 105 passengers.
Range 550km with full load, 5000km otherwise.

26. TllIELINE
America surrenders in the year "19xO." The
following years are 19x1, 19x2, and so on. The
previous decade was the 19wOs, and the following
will be the 19yOs.

(26.1) Prelude
19wO: USA, USSR sign START II, prohibiting
orbital defenses. Aid to Contras not renewed.
Communist government takes power in South
Africa. NASA's budget cut.
19w2: Panama falls to Communist insurgency.
West Germany calls for closer ties with Eastern
Europe. Democratic government established in
South Korea. America signs treaty which
effectively abolishes private property rights in space
or on the high seas.
19w5: Allegations that the Soviets are violating
START II agreements dismissed by an American
government determined to pursue good relations
with the USSR. Press decries those who press the
allegations as "right-wing lunatics:' Honduras,
Guatemala, Columbia fall to Communist insurgency. France pursues military build-up. Labor government takes power in Britain. NASA's budget cut.
19w7: Britain withdraws from NATO, all
American bases closed, unilateral disarmament.
Civil war in Mexico. Japan establishes close ties
with China. NASA's budget cut.
19w8: Ed Murphy elected President in a close
contest. His inauguration speech calls for a "new
sensitivity at home and abroad:' Berkeley elects
Communist mayor. NASA's budget cut.
19w9: Labor Party conference adopts Militant
Tendency platform Virtually unanimously.
Netherlands, Belgium, Denmark, Italy withdraw
from NATO. French military build-up continues.
Japan, China, both Koreas sign mutual defense
pact. NASA's budget cut.
19xO: Mexico City falls to Communist
insurgents. Soviet Union announces completion
of orbital defense network. Occupation begins.

May 10, 19xO: All major U.S. cities occupied.

May 18, 19xO: Soviet troops cross Rhine. Force
de Frappe launched at targets within the Soviet
Union; missiles obliterated by Soviet defenses. In-

THE SHAPE OF
THINGS TO COME

tensive combat along the French border.

May 29, 19xO: Cuban, Nicaraguan and Soviet
troops launch offensive against Republic of Texas.
House-to-house fighting continues in Paris.
June, 19xO: Sporadic uprisings across America.
Most Swiftly put down. Operations against Texas
continue. President Murphy remains in office as
head of a "coalition" government. Several Congressmen join the Communist Party. Paris falls.
July, 19xO: Increasing unrest in the countryside,
especially in the American West, threaten Soviet
supplies and communications. Austin faUs. TokyoBeijing alliance condemns Soviet hegemonism.
Labor Parliament postpones elections. Several
Conservative members protest and are executed.
August, 19xO: Mass executions throughout
Texas. Uprisings put down brutally. Additional
troops ferried from Europe. Some congressmen
and senators disappear. News blackout in effect.
Slave labor camps established in the Hebrides.
September, 19xO: Radio Free America begins
broadcasting. Government passes stringent gun
control laws, law lifting habeas corpus restrictions
for "the duration of the present emergency:'
Queen attempts to dissolve Parliament, and is executed. A lone raven is seen leaVing the Tower of
London.
October, 19xO: Soviets begin stripping America
of machine tools and robots. Massive crop confiscations in areas of America where there is unrest.
Major uprisings in Britain.
November, 19xO: Soviets settle in to winter
quarters; tempo of counterinsurgency operations
slacken. Massive starvation in some areas of the
country.
December, 19xO: With few exceptions, America
is firmly in the grip of the Occupation. Europe is
prone beneath the Soviet heel. Only in Asia does
any power defy Soviet control, and even China
and Japan are careful not to antagonize the Russians. American liberty is represented only by a
few ill-clad, poorly-fed men, shivering over inadequate fires in the forests and mountains of the nation. The Soviet Union seems invincible. And yet,
late at night, in Arkansas's remote Boston Mountains, a group of diverse men meet surreptitiously - and thus is born the Rebel Command.

Note: We describe below our plans for supplementary material for THE PRICE OF
FREEDOM.
Within a few months of THE PRICE OF
FREEDOM's publication, we will publish a
game master screen, along with a booklet of supplementary material. Around the same time, we'll
also publish a full-length adventure set in Idaho,
tentatively called Your Own Private Idaho, written by Steve Gilbert.
Most adventures will include additional maps.
All will use the same scale and 16mm hexes, so
all may be used together.
Most adventures will also include several pages
of additional rules for use with THE PRICE OF
FREEDOM. We will not change the basic systems
in these rules; instead, we will introduce new
equipment and capabilities.
Miniatures for use with THE PRICE OF
FREEDOM will appear in the first quarter of
1987. Dark Horse Miniatures will be producing
these; see section 5.1 of the Player Book for
more details.

(26.2) The First Year

March 15, 19xO: Soviet Premier demands
American surrender.
March 21, 19xO: American nuclear missile testlaunched from silo in Nevada; destroyed.
March 31, 19xO: President Murphy surrenders.
April 1, 19xO: Soviet troops begin to arrive in
Washington, New York, San Diego, Newport
News. Several sharp naval battles destroy the bulk
of the American fleet. Nuclear submarines remain
at large.
April3, 19xO: All commercial flights grounded.
April 7, 19xO: West Germany surrenders.
American troops interned.
April 12, 19xO: Texas secedes from the Union.
April 29, 19xO: Government nationalizes television networks.

62

My Country,
Right or Wrong.

GAMEMASTER BOOK

Designer's Notes
It is traditional in notes such as these to be entertaining, or to preach pretentiously about the art
of game design. Instead, I'd like simply to thank
the intellectual forebears of the project.
Ken Rolston deserves a great deal of credit,
though his politics probably make him shudder at
the prospect. I have learned a great deal about
the nature of roleplaying from him in the last few
years - though I started by thinking there was little
I needed to learn.
Dan Palter first proposed a game set in a Sovietoccupied America some two years ago, and believed, from the start, that the idea was an extraordinarily powerful one. It was not until we
brainstormed on the background for the game's
future history that I realized how much potential
the idea had for a roleplaying setting.
Frank Chadwick deserves more credit than
anyone can give him, for breaking the path.
Twilight 2000 tells the stories of a post-nuclear
holocaust world in which the players are the survivors of a disintegrating U.S. Army Europe; THE
PRICE OF FREEDOM, of course, has the
players as guerrillas seeking to free America from
Soviet oppression. Both games have near-future
settings and a modem weapons orientation in
common, but they create two very different
roleplaying experiences.
Dave lsby is to be credited for interesting me
in modern military affairs to begin with. Adam
Kasanofs cynical right-wing sense of humor was
seminal in my conception of the game.
Finally, I'd like to thank Len Quam, whose
knowledge of military equipment nicely complemented my areas of ignorance, and without
whose research the combat system would have
been sadly deficient.

PRICE OF FREEDOM

Helicopters
They can transport troops deep behind enemy
lines at 200 miles per hour. They can destroy tanks
from better than two miles distance. They can
withstand direct hits from .50 caliber machineguns
and dodge air-to-air missiles. With lightning speed,
transport, scouting and attack capabilities, the
helicopter is the most versatile new weapon on
the modern battlefield.
'
They can land troops in. Virtually any type of
terrain, shred ground troops with autocannon fire
and provide heavy weapons support where no
other weapon system can travel. That's why
helicopters are such powerful weapons in
counterinsurgency warfare.
Because. they move so rapidly, helicopters are
often the first to react to a rebel attack. Depending on the distance to the nearest base, reaction
time can vary from a few minutes to several hours.
The charts and tables used with helicopters can
be found in the four-page cardboard screen stapled
in the center of this bookllOrt.

THE PRICE OF FREEDOM

27.1 Missions
Helicopters are extremely versatile craft, and are
used for a wide variety' of missions, from civilian
rescue to combat troop insertion. Some of the
more common military assignments are:

Supply

area. The size of the transported unit can vary from

a few officers to a full regiment. Escorts are provided in combat areas. Each helicopter's passenger
capacity is listed on the Helicopter Chart (see
pull-out).

Assault

Assault mISSIons, technically called "vertical

Supply missions originate from an airport or
envelopments," are undertaken by all types of
major supply base. Delivery of supplies is either . helicopters, and may bE! launched in coordination
to another base or to troops in the field. When
with ground troops and artillery. Assault missions
supply missions take place in a combat zone (an
are aimed at seizing control of rebel strongholds
area with heavy rebel activity), assault helicopters
or areas of unrest. They are also used to cut lines
or jets act as escorts.
of retreats for rebel groups.
Mi-6s, Mi-26s, and captured American CH-47s,
Standard assault mission procedure is for attack
SH-3s and CH-53s are commonly used for basehelicopters to suppress any enemy operating in
to-base supply missions. Smaller transport
the area, (I.e., shoot at them to keep their heads
helicopters such as the Mi-8 and the UH-60 are
down) while the troop transports disgorge their
used to take supplies to field troops.
passengers. Sometimes, where 110 suitable landing
Troop Transport
Transport missions usually begin or end at a base

YOUR OWN PRIVATE IDAHO

11

zone is to be found, one will be stripped bare by

artillery fire or rockets.

"Free Hunt"
"Free hunt" missions.are flown by mixed groups
of scout and attack helicopters over areas of heavy
reSistance. Individual helicopters are essentially
authorized to shoot anything that moves.

.Observatlon
Individual scout helicopters (or teams of two)
are employed on these missions. The mission's
purpose can range from tracking the movement
of enemy units to coordinating artillery fire.
Scout helicopters carry little armor or weapons
and are easily destroyed. Downing a scout
helicopter may seem like a good idea but is
guaranteed to alert the Russians to a guerrilla
presence.

27.2 Movement
Helicopter Skill
Any character with a helicopter skill of 10 or
more may fly a helicopter under normal circumstances - skill rolls are only required when
difficult maneuvers are performed, when dodging fire, when flying in bad weather, and so on.
When a character with a helicopter skill less than
10 attempts to take off, he must make a skill roll,
doubling his skill number before rolling. If he fails
his roll, the helicopter crashes; it is damaged and
cannot fly again until repaired, and the occupants
may suffer damage (refer to the Helicopter Occupant Damage Table).
A character who possesses the flying skili, but
not the helicopter skill, can still try to fly a
helicopter; however, his skill number is halved,
after all other modifications, whenever a skill roll
is required.

Helicopter Counters
A number of helicopter silhouettes are printed
along the left-hand side of the cardstock helicopter
chart pull-out. Cut the strip of silhouettes along
the solid lines; the result will be double-sized
(roughly I" x 1/2") helicopter counters. These
can be used with THE PRICE OF FREEDOM's
maps.
Helicopter counters occupy two hexes. For
movement purposes, a helicopter is considered to
occupy the hex in which the main body section
of its helicopter counter is located. It is considered
to' face the hexside opposite its tail. When it
changes facing, its tail swings around its main body
section, so that the tail section moves from one
hex to another while the main body section remains in the same hex. When a helicopter moves,
it pays the terrain costs of the hexes its main body
section enters, not the costs of hexes occupied by
the tail section.
Helicopters can land or take off in clear, road,
broken and brush hexes. Both hexes it occupies
must be of these terrain types for takeoff or landing to take place.
When a helicopter is fired upon. the firer may
use either hex the helicopter occupies when
calculating the range at which he is firing
whichever he prefers. However, fire is still considered to be directed at the helicopter as a whole
(see 27.4).

Elevation
At any given time, a helicopter can be at one
of four heights: grounded, nap-of-earth, low or

12

high. A helicopter at nap-of-earth is flying as close

to the ground as its speed permits, follOWing the
contours of the earth - this makes it a very difficult target to spot and hit. A helicopter at low
level is higher up, but within 100 meters of the
ground and taking some advantage of its contours.
At high level, a helicopter is higher still, and flies
without reference to the ground. Piloting a
helicopter is eaSiest at high level. since the pilot
need not pay any attention to the terrain
but
high level helicopters are easily spotted and
destroyed. Generally, helicopters only fly at high
level when there is no danger of contact with the
enemy.
A helicopter may change height by one level
per tum from grounded to nap-of-earth, or napof-earth to low, etc. Changing altitude does not
cost movement points.
Grounded helicopters may "taxi," at the rate of
one hex per turn through clear or road hexes.
Otherwise, they may not move, except to rise to
nap-of -earth.
For observation purposes, helicopters at napof-earth are considered to be one level higher than
the hexes over which they are flying (if the hexes
are at different elevations, use the higher one).
Helicopters at low level are 6 levels higher than
the terrain they fly over. Line of sight to helicopters
at high level cannot be blocked by terrain.

Mov,ment Rates
The Helicopter Travel Chart lists long distance
and combat movement rates for helicopters, by
type .(attack, scout and transport). The chart is
used in the same way as the Travel Chart (see
Gamemoster Book, page 63). The Helicopter
Chart lists each helicopter's type.
When engaged in combat, helicopters use the
Helicopter Terrain Effects Chart (rather than the
normal one) to determine movement costs.
Helicopters at nap-ofearth pay conSiderably
greater costs than those at low or high level.
When flying over long distances, hehcopters flying at high level fly at the rates listed on the
Helicopter Travel Chart. Those at low level fly at
half those rates, and those at nap-of-earth, one
fourth.

facing
A helicopter must face toward one hexside at
all times (see "Helicopter Counters" above). If it
enters one of its three rear hexsides, its facing does
not change (it is backing up). A helicopter which
backs up may only move one hex per combat
round.
When a helicopter moves forward, it may move
into the hex it is facing, or a flanking hex. If it
moves into a flanking hex, its facing is changed
so that it now faces away from the hex it just left.
This change in facing does not cost any additional
movement pOints.
A helicopter may change its facing without moving from its current hex; doing so costs one movement point per hexside turned.

Ranges
A helicopter has a limited range. Helicopters'
carry only so much fuel, and consume it at a rapid
rate. Each helicopter's range is listed on the
Helicopter Range Chart. The printed range is the
total number of kilometers a fully-loaded helicopter
can travel before it must refuel. Helicopters carrying less than a full load can fly as much as four
times farther; see the "range modifiers".

YOUR OWN PRIVATE IDAHO

27.3 Crew and Passengers

The Helicopter Chart lists the number of crew
and passengers each helicopter can carry. In some
cases, helicopters may transport vehicles or other
heavy equipment in place of passengers (as indicated). Regardless of the number of crew listed
all helicopters can be flown by one person:
However, some of the helicopter's weapons may
be unable to fire or will fire at reduced effectiveness
if inadequate crew are available.

Embarking Passengers
A helicopter must open up before embarking
passengers; sliding ramps are deployed from the
rear of the helicopter or sliding doors opened on
its side. Characters may embark or disembark on
the same round that a helicopter opens up.
Any number of passengers may be embarked
in a single combat round. During any subsequent
round the helicopter may fly off and/or close up.
A helicopter may fly while open.
Embarking a vehicle is a time-consuming task.
As a general gUideline, embarking a mid-sized
vehicle loaded on a pallet requires 4 combat
rounds. Vehicles which are not palle~-loaded or
awkwardly shaped may take as much'as fifteen
minutes to embark.

Disembarking Passengers
Passengers may disembark from a helicopter
while it is on the ground, jump from it while the
helicopter is at nap-of-earth, or rappel while the
helicopter is at nap-of-earth or low altitude.
Passengers jumping from a helicopter more than
5 meters off the ground should use the Falling and
Collisions Table.
Vehicles may only disembark from grounded
helicopters. Disembarking takes a single round.

27.4 As Targets
Armor Ratings
Refer to the Helicopter Chart. It provides data
on a wide variety of helicopters, including military
and civilian craft from the United States and the
Soviet Union.
The section labeled ''Armor Ratings" lists four
ratings for each helicopter - front, rear, flank, and
belly. The belly rating is used when a helicopter
is at nap-of-earth or low level and the firer is within
five hexes, or at high level and the firer is within
25 hexes. Otherwise, the front, flank, or rear rating
is used, as appropriate (see 20.2 in the Gamemaster Book).

Fire vs. Helicopters

When a character fires at a helicopter, the normal combat tables are used to determine the range
to the target, whether the firer jams, and ammo
expenditure.
Refer to the Fire vs. Helicopters procedure on
the cardstock pull-out. Modify the firer's skill as
the Fire Modifiers Against Helicopters chart indicates. Then, make a skill roll against the modified
skill number. If the roll fails, the helicopter is missed. If it succeeds, the .target is hit.
When a helicopter is hit, refer to the Helicopter
Damage Table to determine the degree of damage.
The armor rating of the side of the helicopter hit
modifies the die-roll on this table. (Note that this
procedure is different from the one used for
vehicles.) Unless the vehicle is undamaged, refer
to the Helicopter Occupant Damage Table to
determine whether and how badly the occupants

THE PRICE OF FREEDOM

are injured. If the helicopter suffers heavy damage

or the pilot is injured, you must also refer to the
Helicopter Crash Table.

Small Arms vs. Helicopters

When small arms are used against a helicopter.
the firer must declare whether he is using aimed,
rapid or burst fire. Aimed fire uses 1 ammo point.
Rapid fire uses 2 ammo points, A character may
only use burst fire if his weapon contains at least
4 ammo points; performing burst fire uses all remaining ammo or 10points, whichever is less. The
type of fire used affects the firer's skill number (see
Are Modifiers Against Helicopters).

Elevation
When a helicopter at high level is fired upon,
count the number of hexes between firer and
target, and increase this number by 25%. The
result is the effective range.
The range to helicopters at other elevations is
not affected by elevation.
Example: A helicopter 3 hexes away is 3 hexes
away regardless of its altitude, unless it's at high
level, in which case the range is 4.
A helicopter's elevation does affect the flrer's
combat skill (see Fire Modifiers Against
Helicopters) .

or at nap-at-earth - resolve these according to

the normal grenade rules.

27.5 Helicopter Weapons

As indicated on the Helicopter Chart, some
helicopters mount one or more weapons. Each
weapon is front. mounted, flex-mounted or doormounted. Flex- and door-mounted weapons are
indicated on the Helicopter Charts; all other
weapons are front-mounted_
Front-mounted weapons can be fired by the
pilot or another crewmen. They can only fire at
targets in the helicopter's front arc (see Arc of Fire
Diagram, page 63 in the Gamemaster Book).
Flex-mounted weapons can be fired by the
pilot or another crewman. They can fire at any
target that is not in the helicopter's rear arc. Refer
to the Arc of Fire Diagram; pretend that the
helicopter's main body is in hex 4109 facing toward
the bottom of the page. The shaded area is where
a flex-mounted weapon can't fire.
Door-mounted weapons can only be fired by
crewmen other than the pilot. They can only be
fired at targets on the helicopter's flank - that is,
in neither its front nor rear arc.
A helicopter may fire one flex- or front-mounted
weapon, plus one door-mounted weapon per
combat round, only.

Ammunition
The number of ammo clips (not just points) carried for each weapon is printed after the weapon's
name on the Helicopter Chart.

Firing at Vehicles
When a helicopter fires from high altitude at a
vehicle that's within 20 hexes, or from low altitude
or nap-of-earth at a vehicle that's within 5 hexes,
it is firing at the vehicle's "top" (flank) armor. Otherwise, use the vehicle's front, flank, or rear armor,
as usual.

Machineguns
When a character fires a helicopter-mounted
machinegun, he uses his automatic weapons skill.
Note that some machineguns can be dismounted
(see Helicopter Chart),

Autocannons
Helicopter autocannons follow the same rules
as vehicle autocannons (see 20.5 in the

Gamemaster Book).
UngUided Rockets
When a helicopter fires its rockets, it may fire
any or all of its rockets at once
exhausting its
entire stock, if the firer wishes. Rockets are fired
using the gunnery skilL If more than one "clip" of
rockets is fired, they may be fired at different
targets, so long as all targets are in the weapon's
arc of fire, and each is adjacent to another target.

Anti-tank Guided Missiles

Unlike vehicles, helicopters can fire their entire
stock of AruMs before reloading is necessary.
First-generation AruMs cannot be fired by
pilots, only by other crewmen. Second-generation
ATGMs can be fired by either.
A maximum of one AruM may be fired per
round.
A helicopter can only fire AruMs if it hovers during the same combat round it may change facing, but may not move otherwise.
AruMs are fired using the heavy weapons skill.

ISAMs
ISAMs ("infantry" surface-to-air missiles) may
normally only be fired at airborne targets
(helicopters or fixed-Wing aircraft) at a higher
altitude than the firing helicopter, or the same one.
They are fired using the heavy weapons skill, and
follow the rules of section 28.

Grenades
Grenades may not be thrown into helicopters
unless open, and grounded or at nap-of-earth.
Apply the "door" modifier to the thrower's manual
dexterity when he tries to throw into an open
helicopter.
A crewman may drop a grenade from a
helicopter by opening a window. Make a manual
dexterity roll for the dropper; if it succeeds, the
grenade lands in the hex thrown. Otherwise, it
scatters. Choose an arbitrary hexside as the
"reference hexside."
'Grenades may not be dropped from helicopters
at low or high level - they'd explode before
reaching the ground.
Passengers may throw grenades (and fire
weapons) from open helicopters on the ground

THE PRICE OF FREEDOM

YOUR OWN PRIVATE IDAHO

21

Anti-Aircraft Weapons
For game purposes, all anti-aircraft weapons are
divided into two types: anti-aircraft guns and
SAMs (surface-to-air missiles). SAMS are divided into ISAMs (infantry.SAMs), SRSAMs (shortrange SAMs). MRSAMS (medium-range SAMs),
. and LRSAMs (long-range SAMs). Anti-aircraft
guns are normally mounted on vehicles, though
towed versions exist. ISAMs are hand-held
weapons carried by infantry, though some are occasionally mounted on vehicles. SR, MR and
LRSAMs are almost always mounted on vehicles.

28.1 Mountings
Anti-aircraft weapons can be vehicle-mounted,
hand-held or towed. The Anti-Aircraft Vehicle
Chart describes the. vehicles which carry antiaircraft weapons; it is used in the same way as the
regular Vehicle Chart. Note also that the Mi-28
carries an ISAM.
There are towed versions of anti-aircraft guns;
there are also towed American SRSAMs and
MRSAMs (all eqUivalent Soviet weapons are
vehicle-mounted). Towed weapons are mounted
on trailers and can be pulled by vehicles.
Some ISAMs are vehicle-mounted; however,
most are hand-held. Hand-held weapons can be
carried and fired 'by indiViduals.

28.2 Firing Anti-Aircraft

Weapons
Hand-held weapons can be fired by individuals;
other anti-aircraft weapons require a crew of two
to fire.
Anti-aircraft guns are fired using the gunnery
skill; SAMs using the heavy weapons skill. A firer
must be able to see his target to fire.

hit it. If a target is at a lower altitude than the firer,

28.4 Other SAMs
the missile may not be able to sense the target
Other SAMs are radar-homing - that is, their
against the background of the terrain. Moreover,
it may lock onto another heat source, e.g., a camp launchers contain radar systems to identify and
lock onto targets, and the missiles themselves use
fire, searchlight, or the sun. When firing at a target
radar to track targets once locked on. (The SA-ll
below the horizon, halve the firer's skill, in addi. has an auxiliary heat-seeking system it can use
tion to all other modifications.
instead.)
In general, the gamemaster should be sensitive
When a SAM is at a higher elevation that its
to the possibility of locking onto false targets, and
call for heavy weapons skill rolls when it is plau- target, it may not be able to spot the target on
radar. When fired under these conditions, halve
sible for a missile to track the wrong target.
Soviet SA-7 and SA-9 missiles have relatively the firer's skill number.
primitive heat sensors. One of these ISAMs can
28.5 Anti-Aircraft Guns
only hit a target if fired from the target's "rear arc"
Similarly, anti-aircraft guns use radar to spot and
(see 27.5 for a definition of rear arc).
lock onto targets; they, too, are halved when fired
from above.
Some antiaircraft guns (e.g., the towed 2U23)
are not equipped with radar; again, halve the firer's
skill number when he fires such a weapon.
Anti-aircraft guns, unlike all other anti-aircraft
weapons, may fire at ground targets. When one
does so, treat it as an autocannon firing HE shells,
and use the normal rules for vehicle weapons (see
20.5).

28.6 Resolving Fire

Hand-held ISAMs are single-shot weapons once fired, they are out of ammunition. If the firer
is carrying extra missiles, he may reload the
launcher - this can take anywhere from 4 to 12
rounds, depending on his familiarity with the
launcher, and its degree of sophistication. Vehiclemounted SAMs have ammo clips, and follow the
same rules as ATGMs (see 20.5 in the

Gamemaster Book).

28.3 ISAMs
All ISAMs are heat-seeking missiles. This means
that they must be able to sense a target's heat to

22

YOUR OWN PRIVATE IDAHO

The Anti-Aircraft Weapon Combat Chart provides data about the different anti-aircraft
weapons. "Range" and "rate of fire" are used in
the same way as on the Vehicle Weapons and Artillery Combat Table. "Engagement altitude" is the
maximum height at which the weapon can fire that is, anti-aircraft guns can only fire at grounded targets or ones at nap-of-earth (because their
engagement altitude is "NOE," for nap-of-earth).
The "damage modifier" modifies die-rolls on the
Helicopter Damage Table. "Weapons of Type" lists
the names of American and Soviet weapon
systems of the corresponding type.

THE PRICE OF FREEDOM

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PRICE OF FREEDOM

GAMIMASTIR CBARTS
GRENADES AND MINES
VS. VEHI~LES TABLE
Weapon

No
Armor

Weapon

6
6
5
5
4
3
2

15
15
12
12
10

19
20
18

16

Fragmentation
Antitank
White phosphorus
Satchel charge
Antipersonnel mine
Antitank mine
Claymore mine
Molotov cocktail
Dynamite

Pistol
Rifle
Carbine
Semi-automatic rifle
Shotgun
Machine pistol
20
20

10

20

Throwing knife
Shuriken
Procedure: When a character fires at a vehicle, refer to the Small Ar~s Combat
Table (in Freedom File D) to determine whether it jams, permitted types of fire,
ammo points per clip, and range.
1)tpe of Fire: Unlike fire against individuals, when a character uses rapid or
burst fire, he must spend the entire round firing against a single vehicle, and
resolves only one fire. Rapid or burst firing increases the chance of hitting - but
does not mean the player rolls more than once.
Ammunition: A character using aimed fire against a vehicle consumes 1 ammo point. One using rapid fire consumes 2 points. A character can only burst fire
against a vehicle if his weapon contains at least 4 remaining ammo points. When
he burst fires, 10 ammo paints are expended, or however many points are left
in the weapon, whichever is less.
Fire Modifiers: Once a player has used the Small Arms Combat Table to determine his range, he refers to the Fire Modifiers Against Vehicles, below. He
modifies his weapon skill as the Fire Modifiers direct.
The Vehicle Chart: One modification is made for the vehicle's "hit modifier."
Refer to the Vehicle Chart. Find the vehicle at which fire is performed along the
left-hand side of the chart and the side of the vehicle at which the character is
firing (front, rear or flank) along the top. ("Flank" means either side, the top, or
bottom.) At the intersection, you'll find a letter, followed by a slash and a number
or a dash .
The letter is the armor rating of that side of the vehicle - no armor, light, medium
or heavy.
The number is the vehicle's hit modifier. (If there's a dash instead of a number,
the vehicle's hit modifier is zero [0].) The hit modifier is added to the firer's skill
number.
Hitting: Once the firer's skill number has been modified, make a skill roll. If
it is successful, the target has been hit. If it is not, it has been missed. (If the
failed roll is a 20, the weapon may jam; see the Small Arms Combat Table.)
Damage: Refer to the table above. Find the weapon name along the left-hand
side of the table, and the armor rating (found on the Vehicle Chart) along the
top. Cross-reference to yield a penetration modifier. Then, refer to the Vehicle and
Obstacle Damage Table (on page 32) to determine the damage suffered.

2
6
6

4
2
6
6

Range
Medium
Long
Vehicle's Hit Modifier
Target Moving

Type of Fire
x1f2
Aimed (1 ammo point)
Rapid (2 ammo points)
x%
+1
Burst (4-10 ammo points)

-4
-2
+2

-3

Procedure: Vehicle hit modifiers are found on the Vehicle Chart. Modify
the firer's weapon skill as indicated. Halving or quartering for range occurs after all other modifications.

PRICE OF FREEDOM

Med.

17,
8
15
14
15

20

12
12
12

Heavy

20
-

14
19
17
20
4
18
20
18

20

Procedure: Refer to the Grenade and Mine Combat Table to determine

range and whether the grenade or mine is a dud. Then, if using a'
grenade, refer to the Modifiers Against Vehicles below; modify the
thrower's manual dexterity as indicated.
Refer to the Vehicle Chart to determine the vehicle's hit modifier and
armor rating. (Mines are always resolved against the vehicle's bottom
["flank") armor.)
Make a manual dexterity attribute roll against the modified attribute
n~mber. If it succeeds, the vehicle has been hit. If the roll is a 20, themine or gre'.'ad~ m!!-y be a dud (see Grenade and Mine Combat Table).
If the vehIcle IS hIt, use the table above to determine the penetration
modifier, in the same way that the Small Arms vs. Vehicles Table is used
,vehicles wi~.h no armor (only) can be affected by grenades and mines
With blast radII of 1 or more which land outside their hex; other vehicles
can only be affected by grenades and mines in their own hex. When
resolving attacks agathst vehicles with no armor, the blast modifier rules
are used (see Grenade and Mine Combat Table). Blast modifiers (like
the penetration modifier) are subtracted from the die-roll on the Vehicle.
and Obstacle Damage Table (on page 32).
Characters outside the vehicle and within the blast radius are affected
normally.

GRENADE AND MINE MODIFIERS

AGAINST VEHICLES
Modifications

to Manual Dexterity:

Range
Medium
Long

X1f2

+?
-3

Vehicle's Hit Modifier

Vehicle Moving

x1f4

. Procedure: Modify the thrower's manual dexterity as specified.

Range modifications occur after all others. Vehicle hit modifiers are
found on the Vehicle Chart.

SIGHTING RANGE CHART

Lighting

Weather
Conditions

FIRE MODIFIERS AGAINST VEHICLES

Light

Clear
Light Rain/Snow
Heavy Rain/Snow
Blizzard/Smoke/Fog
Mist

Daylight

"

Dawn/Dusk

Night

any

25

40
20
8
50

20

12
10
5
2
12

10
4
25

Procedure: Find the weather condition along the left-hand side of the
table and the lighting condition along the top; cross-reference the two.
The result is the maximum distance, in hexes, at which a target can be
observed. "any" means the target can be seen at any distance.

GAMEMASTER BOOK

31

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high explosive;

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19

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20
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20
16
12

DP _ dual purpose; HV _ high velocity;

WP - white phosphorus; AGL ., aulomatlcgrenadelaullCher;

see the Vehicle Chart.

LAW _ lightantitankweapon;ATGM _ antitankguidedmissle.

Procedure: Follow the same procedure as for grenade combat (against personnel and against vehicles), except that:
Some weapoos have minimum ranges; weapons may no! lira at ranges listed under "Imp." (lor "Impossible").
Heavy weapons skill is used instead of manual dexterity.
Each heavy weapon has a rate of lire. A character llring a heavy weapon must spend the whola round doing so. The weapon may be fired as many times
as its rate 0/ lire. Weapons with rates 01 fire 01 VI, '1.1, or If. may only be !ired every 2nd, 3rd, or 4th round; two characters must spend that many rounds doing
nothing bul preparing and firing the weapon lor it to be Urad. (II only one charactar does so, ilS rata of lira is halved.)
Rilla granade laullChers and bazookas ignore the regular ammunition rules. Ammunition lor these weapons are provided in shells. not In clips. Each time
tha waapon 1lllred, one shell 15 consumed. The waapon is never out 01 ammunilion until all ahells are consumed.
Heavy weapons lira may scatter mora than one hex. Sea section 16 under "scatter".
II e vehicle Is the target, and Is hit, characters outside the vehicla are no! affected unless the vehicle is destroyed or oblitarated.
For more Inlormatlon, sae section 16.

OCCUPANT
DAMAGE TABLE

VEHICLE AND OBSTACLE

DAMAGE TABLE

_t

15

.,.,
.,
(,r

Stun

Ugh!

HerIy

1_

KiK

Ig

10-15

1&-18

1~

20

leU

MODIf1ERS

...

Of

HEAVY WEAPONS
MODIFIERS

Vehicle OIl

.,
.,

MODIFlERS TO THE DAMAGE ruLE

8taa modifier (vehic:1eI
with no srmot 0fI/y)

AGAlHST

OCCUPANT DAMAGE

more

,....,...ion Modiliar

Modlflel'S
~:

"'"

Medium

...

"'"

ObIiteraled

Modilier

.,
.,
0

."

"'rm P9reonrMtl and v.hIcift

oIMr Itwln ATOMa

Medium

,~

Loo,

,~

Range: ATOM

,V.
,,.

~
Firing Grenade Launchar lrom
rTIOYing vehicle or animal

-5

Modifiers
AGalnat Pe~nal Only

"'rvet '1ImIIIn ~pe

Broken, Brush, Swamp, Low Wall, Stream -1
Procedure: When a vehicle Is hit In combat, this table Is used to determtne what damage Is sutf9red. Use the Smell
Arm. va. Vehlct" Tibia, the Grenadand Min.. va. Vehicles Table, the Heavy Waapon. COrnJ)at TlIble Of the
Rough, Crater. RUbble. WOOds. River -2
Vehicle Wee!:n. end Artillery Combet Tlble, as 'PfrlOPrlate, 10 datenn,l'ItI a penelralion moditiM.
Trench, Forest, Dune
Then, roll t die. Subtract Ihe penetration modifier rom the die-roll. Find the mod;tled dle-roll (which may be a
000,
-3
ll8IIatlve number) on the table: tha entry on the same line determines tha damage sutf9red. Example: The penetraWindow or Slit
lion number Is 18. A 12 I, rolled . 12-18 Is -6; -6 II leas Ihan 0, so I'lO dsmage Is clone.
If the vehicle suNers s~ damage. raler to the Oc~nl Demage Table. Roll the die once to< aach ch-aracter In
Fira at a Weapons Fiash
3
the vehlcla. Modify each d aroIl ss directed t:I'f the M lIIere Agalnsl Occupanl Damaga. Find the modified die-roll
on the table; lhe ooffespondlng entry Is the damage suffered t:I'f lhe character. Also roll dam~ for characters &djlModilla...
cenl 10 obstacles which are damaged, ~ng the dllTl8g8 modiflar. Exampla: The veh
has suNered heavy
AgaInst Vtlhlclft Only
dle-rolilor one is 6; the modil;ar lor heavy damage Is "+2", so lha
dam;:e:' Ills occupied t:I'f two characters.
Vehicle Hit Modifier
.1
modi ed dle-roliis 8. The first character suffers a stun. The seco-nd die-rolill 16, modilied 10 18: the seco-nd character
II heavily wounded.
3
Vehicle Movi
T"
Vehicle demage Is cumulative. If a veh,cla tekes damage leas severe Ihan lIS currenl IeveIthara Is I'lO eNact. If
II takes damage equal to Its cumlntlavel its damage goe!I up one level (I .e.. lrom light to medium), 1111 takes damage
Modlflal'S to the Demaga ot.roll
more severe than ita current taveI. its damage t.....1 Is Increased 10 thaI damage level.
Blast Modifier
Key: Vehicle damage iSltetad In only the mosl general terms. Exactly what, for Instance, "medium dllTl8ge" means
is len 10 lhe ge.memaatef's dlscflllion. Here are S(IfI'I8 guidelines, however.
Targat Prone
Light Demage: OCCupants may be damaged, but Ihe vehicle II still Operable (mostly oosmetlc damage). AI the
gamemaster's discretion, exposed weaponry (e.g., pln-mounled machlneguns) may be ioop8fllbie. ObstacleS sre
weakened.
MecJfum Oa~: The vehlcla'l movement rate is halved <g:1 tirea Of damaged track). ~m8$ler's discretion, some Of all oItha vehicle's light weapons (coaxial
machl~na. A M launchers. grenade launchers. BIC.) ~
i~ ObstacIaa have
through which obseMdlon and weapons fire may take place (treal as silts).
HeINY mage: The vehicle's movement rate il~arte
(more at Ilres Of thrown uack). AI the gamemaster's discretion. some or all 01 the vehicle's ~S(including
main guns) may be lnoparabie. In addition. Itle ve icle will be unable to trayel any large distance without major repairs. Ob8taclea have holes through
ich movement
is cs~treat as wlndow$).
s
: Vehicle Is Inoperable. All weapons ara unusable withoul major repairs. Characters In the vehicle's he~ must roil on Ihe Occupant Damage Teble with no
modltlers. Obstacles hive major holes blown In them (treat as doonI).
CibHIBntted: The vehicle Is Inoperable. II and all weapons are irreparable, Characters In the vehicle's Of an adjacent hill( must roll on ttle OCcupant Damage Tabla
with no mQdiliers. Obstacles sre completely destroyed (tfoal as rubble).

-.-.
,.

32

GAMEMASTER BOOK

I:; I

PRICE OF FREEDOM

,
\

Autocannon
Penetrator
Small Main GunlAecoiUess Rille
Panetrator

HE
HE

l00mm or less Artillery

HE

Smoke/Gaslilluminationt
101149mm Artillery

HE

ICM
SmokeIGasllllumlnatlont
Artillery

t See

sectiOn 21 .7

2-75

,..,.,

,. ..
1>"
.,.
,.20
,.,." ., .".,
,."
..
""
,

. .

.~

.,

HE

Large Main Gun

Panetrator

>100

,, ro,

13-16

17

."

....

"

, .".

11

6,.,50

,
2

."

t7.7S

21-3)

..
,."
.. .., ." ....,
.. ....."
3

31-~

12

31-~

12

,..,.,

41-2)

3
3

18

15

,,
, , .." """ ,,
.."

nlOO

17

"

,, ,
,
"
, ,
" "
,
,

1215

2150

18

15

7Hl

lor the effectl 01 Smoke, Gas, sno Ittumlnatlon rounds.

These ate Impossible ranges lor mortars within the category. Guns and howltzars of l00mm Of less and 101mm1 49mm h..... a short
and 17100, respecllvely.
Light _ lightly wounded; Heavy _ heavily wou!'lCled; Incap. _ Incapacitated; Imp. _ Impossible; HE _ high explosive;
leM Improved COI1Y8ntlonai munitions.

"

15

rang-a of 17..&0 hexes

PI'Ocedure: This table Is used In tM same way as tM Heavy Waapons Comb81 Table, exceplthat:
Ammunillon: All ammunition lor these weapons is In sheUs, not clips. On-e Shell is consumed per fire. Weapons ara n..... r out 01 ammo until allshalls are
consumed.
Gunnary or Indirect fire skill Is used Instead of heavy weapons skill.
Each weapon can lira mota than ona ammunition type. Each type has lIS own line on the tabla.
The blaat radlu, lor' gas or ,moke sl'l8l1l, the radiuS from the Impact hex ccwered by gas or smoke. For an Illumination shell, the blast radius is the radius
of the Illuminated

.re.

OBSTACLE CHART

VEHICLE WEAPONS AND

ARTILLERY MODIFIERS

Rocta. ..... ...ns.,

~: ""'_.'O":

MIIIn 0.. ....; AecGI ..... RIfIn

"'"
"'"

RIo ....: ArtWt.ry

"'"

VII/"Iidt", Hit Modil\tot

MoYing

Modm.

f
A

reIerenciJ hexslde

to the Damage

turned 1t

_1

OM-lOIt

T.rget PTone
Bini Modifier

-,-,

lYPe (SIWI ~
outIoCIe dwKI... hal
RubDlot. Woods
Cral.r, ForesI
Door. lI'&nctl. WlncIoIor<. SI~

-,-,

"""'n

...

-3

TatgIC \llhicle

Procedure: Trace a line lrom the firer

to the terget hex. The hexsJda across
which tM line passes Is called the
fffIenInce haxsIde. Rolla die; 01'1 a 1-12 one
01 the hexes of the second ring I, the Impact hex; on a 13-20 the shell lands on
the third ring . In this case, roll the die
again; on a roll of 1-18 It lands In one of
tM hexes of the third ring; on a 19 Of 20,
with artillery or vehicle weapons firing, the
shell Is s dud. Otherwise the die Is rolled
again until a I-IS Is rolled.

e>-111n*1 cars. _ _ ....

_ _ ..,.,. 01
......
fiIaII willi ..-01.

MtOIum

plulglau ... ~
~M lit...,

~ 01 NtIdbf,ga.
with liQukI

Rat9: 1IIotIa...

--

__

-.

HORSE COMBAT TABLE

Actron

,.,

Stun

Charge/Melee
Melee ..... Human
Melee vs. Horse

'7

1-14

. ,.
8-"

LIght

15-17

Oamege

H,ovy

Incap.

11-14
13-15

15-17
16-18

18

19

Kill

,8-,.
,9-,.

,.

ProcedUI1l: Use the horae's combat training skill and the Melee ModlfJer1l (see Freedom File
D) to determine whether or not the horse hits. lilt does, determine which line 01 the table a.boYe
is used - use Charge/Melee" il the ecUon was ChargelMel. . ; use " Mel. . vs. Human" If the
target Is human and the action was Melee; usa "Melee S. Horse" II the target is anotMr horse.
Usalhe same procedure as for other combat tabies to determine how much damage the target suffef"s.

PRICE OF FREEDOM

GAMEMASTER BOOK

33
I

N1-

N1NI.,
II
wlo Ir..!ler
Bulldozer
MlllUry V. hlel..
Soviet Tanks

ASU-8S
T-82
T72
T-eo
SovIeI APC.
SMP-,

N/+2
N/+2

LI.,

MI-

Ml-

HIHIlI-

MILILILILI-

BMp2

STA...
BTR70

STR ...
MT-LS

SMO

lIlI-

BRDM

Soviet Sell-Propelled Artillery

SAUI22
SAU152
U.s. Tanka

M-<lO
MI

M'
Hummer
and Soviet

Annot': N

NI.4
NI+2
HI.!
ll-

NI+'

lIlI-

LI-

MI.,
Hf.'

lI-

lIlI-

NI-

GI~

Glass

None

R.ti

Glasa

RH'
RH'

Glau

None

NI+'

,n~

mega-huge mel. . _apon

LI-

lI-

MI-

lI-

N1-

,,
3/8
3/8
2/1.
2114

N~.

SMG (PEN
LMG (PEN
lMG (PEN
LMG (PEN

10;
15;
10;
10;

HE 40); mmg leI (3(0)

HE 25); mmg lei (500); hrng [PJ (100)
HE 18), mmg Ie] (400); hmg [PI (100)
HE 18); mmg Ie) (400); tlmg WI (100)

SMO (HE 40): , .. Q8n_ A10M (5); mmg leI and mmg [PJ (400)
AC(PEN20:HE4OI;2ndgen.AlGM(S):mmg[C)andmmg[p)(AOO)

hmg [PI fOOl: mmg (PI (400)

hmg

[PI'OO):

mmg

IPI (4(0); AGS-17 (180)

GI...

T~""

0,.,

T,"'"'"
T_

T~""

E",,....
E_
E_
E",1ooed

T""",,,

E",""""

~Four"
Foo,'
Foo,
Tracked

EnelOMd
Enclosed

Ope,
Ope,
E!'ICIOMd

N1N1-

2/1,
216
216

LI-

lI-

,,

l00mm-149mm erty (HE 30; ICM 8; Smolut 4); mmg (PI (400)
15O.mm erty (HE 20; IC M 5; Smoke 5); mmg [PI (400)

lIMI-

LMG (PEN 20; HE 43): mmg ICI (200): limo IPI (300)
LMG (PEN 25; HE30); mmglCJ andmmgjPI (300): IImg [PI (400)

T~""

E",1ooed
E","'"

N1LIN1-

2/1,
317

EnclOMd
EnclOMd
Olu,

lI-

2/8

NI-

NI-

IlS
1/12-20

LI.'

Nf.3

N/.,
NI.2
N/.I

'121-30
1/12

_...

Tracked

Foo,'

T~""
T~

hmg (PI (eoo)

T~

I>C (PEN 100: HE 2(0): 2nd gen . ATOM (8)

AC (PEN 50; HE 100) (X M,rIt 19 (HVHEDP 100; HVHE 200;

T~'"

WP 10; SITIOM 10) (X IImg [PI (500) or 2nd gen. ATOM (12)
None or limo [PI (4()()) or recoUless rUle
None
None
None

Rear
Rear

Foo,

RH'
R.ti

E","'"

hmg [P (100); mmg PI (500)

mmg (PJ (400)
SMG (HE 30); lSI gen. ATGM (4); mmg [PJ and mmg Ie) (400)
hmg IC](I00)+mmg[P](400)or2ndgen.ATGM{8)+mmg IP](200)

2/8

N/.2

_no armor; L

R.ti
Rear/Four

,13-,

N/.,

NI-

N~
N~

M/+2
N/+2

N1lINI_

NILIN1-

In-7
1/2'15
1/8-23
1/4()-6()

lIll-

HI-

NI-

NI-

MI-

M/.,

MI.,
LI-

N/-

MI.,
MI.,
HI.,

lIlI-

N/-

KEY:

N/+2

lIlI-

U.S. APC,
104113

N/-

NI.,

Enclosed

E","'"
E",_

GlasslOpen
Glass
Gla..

Ope,

_ IighI armot; M _ INdium armor. H _ heavy armor

weaponl: mmg _ INdium maehlnegun; hmg .. heavy mad'linegun: LMG _ ..rg.e main gun; SMG .. small mlln gun: N;; .. aulOC:annon; lSI gen. AmM .. IirIt
~Iion anillank lI'l'ided missile; 2nd gen. ROM .. aecood geoerllion Intllank guided mt.alle; AGS-17 .. AG$-17 all10mllic gren.de "unci!; Mark 19 .. Mark 19
eutomllic grenade Launcher. l00-149rnm Irty .. loomm 10 149mm .rtillefy gun: 150+mm.rty .. Irtille<y gun 01 morl then l50rnm caliber; [PI" wu.pon Is pin-mounled
( _ 20.5) ; IC] .. weapon Is couJaI; (I) .. numbet' 01 ammo clips (kII' rnachlneguns) Of number oIl1he1ls (lor OIhers) carried. HE .. hogh .... pIosIve. PEN .. pene1rsIOf .
ICM .. Improved c:onventionaJ munition . WP .. wll"e phospllorus: HVHE._ high velocity 1l00h .... pIosive: HVHEDP .. high ....Iocity high .... pIosi .... dual purpoee
'TtN1 .. trac~ vehicla for strallfT\, It'Id rive ....
VehIcIu have Ihree annor r.t'ng' for lronl. !I.nk. Ind raar. ra$p8C'livaty. They ara uHd a,daKrlbed In tha Comb.t TlbIn. ln .Odlllon, 8O!TIe vahlcles h..... hll modlll ....
In lhe Iorm of a slaah snd a number alter the annOf riling. which modilies a character's ,kill nllmber when he IIrea al Ihal aida 01 a vehlele.
Thl nllmbet' of c _ carried by I .... hicle II "lied in tha CrewlPassenge.... coilimn. II I vehicle can also carry passenge ..... Ihe nllmber it can carry follows Ih. nllmber
01 crew Ind I sluh. IIlhe number 01 palsengerl I. &lCprHsed as e range (.. g. " 1220"). Ihl p.eciH nllmbe. or plSsenoa .... which can be Clr1'iltd depends on the exact
&ile oIlne Vlhocia (/.... the gamemester's whIm) . s.a 20.3.
The weapona car.1ed by each ....nicl. era IIlIed In lhe weapons section See 20.5.
A vehicle', drlvtt type Iffectslls rnovttmInt
the T.r1"IILn Ertecl$ Chan (ifl FrHdotn FII. 0) and Ih. ~I Chan
A ....nlclll. anclosu....ffects grenade combat ( _ 20.2)

ra',: _

LOAD CHART

FALLING AND COLLISION TABLE

Dlltlnc e Fl ne n
In Mete,.:
In Elev.t lon Leve l.

YeIodty of

,..
,.,

7-t2

5-"

1120

,-8
9-'5

,,..

eomalon

In ."n/hour :
Olml;e:
No Effect
Stun
Ugh! Wound
Heavy WOund

16-16
I.

Incapaci1ation

20

KIll

3-'

..

13-18

21-50

-,

Animal
3150
11-16

5'.

7-10
51-100

101-200

201<

'9-30

10-13
1417
18-19

,.,

-,

10-15
16-17

7-10

20

'8-20

11-20

-,

'-6

'-3
'-8

720

17

--,

3-20

Procedu re: Flnd the distance fallen or velocity of collision al the top of the table. Roll the die
and lind the number rolled on that column 01 the table. Read aCrOSS to the left to determine the
degree 01 damage suffered .

Plock Animal.

"""
O.

Mule or Donkey

G~I

OnIfI .I.nlma's
..... C~

.....
"""0._

Mule 01' Donkey

Coo

o.C,"

Got! Can

.....
,......
,..
" ..
""' .
.....
.....
""'" ..
1<"'" ..

7. . . .

1<'" ..

c.t Small ~ vehicle

d.awn by I slngLa Inimll
~.

large Iour-wtleeled vehI-

cle. drawn by two .nlmelson good

SUrl.cH. Four 10 III~ can be hL\Ch.
ltd 10 help pull when off the <OItd

34

GAMEMASTER BOOK

PRICE OF FREEDOM

,
I

TRAVEL CHART
long dlst.lnce I1Ite comblit fIIte
Drive l'yJM (kllometef8lhour) (hexea/round)

Method:

.....

"Log

walking
~Drawn

Vehicle

OxeniG08ts
OxIGoat-Orawn Vehicle
Bicycle
C8rfMocorcycle

J...,

APClTank

5
5
5

Rear

Log.

Rear
Rear
1'00,
Tracked

"-

5
20

"""'" """

10
10
5

2
2
15

Rear

Tenaln Modfflerw (Appty only 10 long-distance rates; 1'I'lOY8I'I'IeI point

costs taka care oIlerrain problems In combat.)
R .,
1'00,
Tracked
Din road

15
20
20
20

100
100
80

All rates assume good roads.

1
1

2
2

2
2

FJelds
Wood.

ForeSC

Swamp
Hills"
Mountalnous'
Rainy'

2
2
3

5
Imp.

10

10

Imp.
Imp.

Imp.

Imp_

10

Imp.

Imp.

Heavy Snows' \

ProcedUI'll: Divide movement rate from table above by the number listed.
"imp.": The whicla may not operate In Ihe kind of terrain indicated.
'Cumulative with terrain type (e.g .. lor a wl'leeled vehicle operating In hilly fields in Ihe rain, divide by 20 (5 lor fields, 2 tor hills, 2 for rain).
' 11 humans are equipped with snowshoes, crostKOuntry skis, EKC. divide by 2 In5lead 01 4. The vehicle divisors tor heavy snow apply only if on
roads. Rear-wheel and 4wheel drive vehicles may not travel off the roads in heavy snows. Tracked vehicles may still do 10.
Nole: " Woods" Implies heavy underbrush. " Forest" is a climax lorest with large trees, in which the underbrush has largely dl&d off because little
light reaches the forest lloor. Forest Is easier to walk through, but large tree boles make vehicle traffic impossible.

FOOD. WATER & SHELTER CHART

Fatigue

Food,
failure 10 eal
Inadequate ralions

exhaustion

,_,

1 dey
3 days

1 momh

W.~r:

none. desert

......

2 ' -..

Inad~ate, deser1

1 day
1 day
3 days
3 days

none.
& humid
Inadequata, hot & humid
none, cool
Inadequate, cool

AI,

woe'

, "I
I

.11

"

","

2 ...'"

1 month
5 minutes
4 minutes

2 ...",
2 .....

,r

"

E"~"'~ ~~,..... :"hi' "P~'..~"''''''''''''

...

,_,
, ,

3 days

3 minutes
90 seconds

",

1 momh
6 months

1 day
3 d'Y'
3 days

,, ,,

90 seconds
30 seconds

Death

more daY' (OM week): and

flU light clothing (characters Wllh light clolhlng al 50

A searchlight does nol illuminate

L _ _ -'. Ihese hexes.

HEALING TABLE
Wound Status

No Medical Attention

Succentul Medical Roll

Incapacitation

1 roIlIhoIJr
lallure _ death
1 _ heevy wounds

Heavy Wounds

1 roIllday
lailure _ Incapacitat&d
1 _ light wounds

1 ""~
success _ heavily wounded
20 - death
1 roIl/Week
success _ lightly wounded
20 _ Incapacitation

Ught Wounds

1 roUlWeek
1 roIllday
success _ healed
lailure _ heavy wounds
success .. healed
Procedure: Find the character's wound stale along the lett-hand side 01 the table. ti the character has not received medical attention, use the " No Medical
Attention" column. Make a constitution roll lor the character every time the Int&fV8llndicated passes (an hour lor an Incapacitated character. a day lor.
heavily wounded one, etc.). II the roIllalls, the severity of the character's wounds increases one level-lrom light wounds 10 heavy 10 Incapacitation 10
death. (The wounds have become Infected or Ihe character has bled to death.) It the roll Is a SI.lCC8SS then either the wound level stays the same Of decreases
ulndlcated. llthe number shown Is rolled then follow its Instructions. For e)(8mple, under " HeavyWounds" It says " 1 _ Ught wounds; " this means thai
If the character roUs a 1 when he makes his constitution roll, the wound level Is reduc&d to Ught wounds.
II another character has made a successful medical skill roll 10 treat the character, use the "successful med!cal roll" column. Make a constilulion roll
aher the Intervallndical&d; If Ihe roll succe&ds. the severity of the wounds decrease by one level (from lncapacltaUon to heavy to light 10 healed).

PRICE OF FREEDOM

GAMEMASTER BOOK

63


VEHICLE ROSTER
Name:
Drive
Counter:
Panic:
Movement Rates (paved road)
Long Distance: - - Combat:
Weapons:
1.
Ammo~:

2.

Ammo

I
I

Htl Mod

Armor

I
I

Front

3.

AmmO~:

4.

Ammo

Drive Type: _ _
Name:
Panic:
Counter:
Movement Rates (paved road)
Combat:
Long Distance:
Weapons:
1.
Ammo

Armor
Flank

~
Hit Mod

D
Checki!
glass broken

bJ

Notes:

2.

Ammo~:

3.

Ammo~:

4.

Ammo~:

3.

Ammo

4.

Ammo

Front

1.

Ammo

2.

Ammo

3.

Ammo

4.

Ammo

Check If

I I
Hit Mod

Hit MOd

bJ I ID
bJ

Ch&ckil

glass broken

Hit Mod

I I
Hit Mod

bJ
Armor
Flank

bJ ~
Front

~
Hit Mod

Enclosure

D
Checki!
glass broken

bJ

Notes:

Notes:

~
Hit Mod

glass broken

Flank

Rear

Anmr

Hit MOd

Hi! MOd

Flank

Drive Type: _ _
Name:
Counter:
Panic:
Movement Rates (paved road)
Long Distance:
Combat:
Weapons:

I I
I I

Weapons:
1. _ _ _ _ _ Ammo~:

Ammo~:

Notes:

Rear

Name:
Drive
Counter:
Panic: _ _ __
Movement Rates (paved road)
Long Distance: __ Combat:

2.

I I

Rear

NPC ROSTER
Name:
Counter:
Location:
Panic:
Leadership:
Alertness:
Manual Dexterity:

Name:
Counter:
Location:
Panic:
Leadership:
Alertness:
Manual Dexterity:

Skills:

Skills:

:
:

Hand-to-hand:
Weapon:
Ammo Clips:
Weapon:
Ammo Clips:
Grenades

Hand-to-hand:

DOD
DOD
DOD
DOD
DOD
DOD

DDDWDDD
DOD DOD DOD
DOD DOD DOD
DOD DOD DOD
DOD DOD DOD
DOD DOD DOD

DOD
DOD
DOD
DOD
DOD
DOD

Melee Weapon:

Weapon:
Ammo Clips:
Weapon:
Ammo Clips:
Grenades

DOD
DOD
DOD
DOD
DOD
DOD

DOD
DOD
DOD
DOD
DOD
DOD

DOD
DOD
DOD
DOD
DOD
DOD

DOD
DOD
DOD
DOD
DOD
DOD

DOD
DOD
DOD
DOD
DOD
DOD

Melee Weapon:

Other Equipment:

Other Equipment:

Ammo Point Expenditure:

Ammo Point

Expenditure~

Purchasers of this game have West End's permission to photocopy this page.

64

GAMEMASTER BOOK

PRICE OF FREEDOM

PRICE

~OFFREEDOM~

CHARTS AND TABLES

Crowl
US Helicopters
AH64 "Apache"

Atk

HI-

M/+1

U-

U-

AC (F] (PEN 120); 2nd gen. ATGM (16) + rockets (8),

or AlGM (8) + rockets (16), or rockets (32).

AH1 "Cobra"

Atk

MI-

U-

NI-

NI-

AC

[FJ

(PEN 150); 2nd gen. ATGM (8) + rockets (8),

or AlGM (4)
UHBO "Blackhawk"
UH1 " Huey"

OH58 "Kiowa"
CH46 "Sea Knight"
CH47 " Chinook"
CH53 " Sea
SH3 "Sea King"

"

Civilian Models

Tr
Tr
Set
Tr
Tr
Tr
Tr
Set

MINININININININI-

+ rockets (16).

U+l

U-

U+l

N!+1
NIN/+1
N/+3
N/+2

NININININININI-

N/+1
NIN/+1
Nf+2
N/+2
N/+2
NI-

'2fO..l0

NIN/+2
NINI-

NIN/+4

3170'

1 hmg (100).

3/32
2112

None, or rockets (12) and 2 hmgs (100).

N/+2

NI-

3/11
3/10
214
2125
2145
2155
2130

2 Imgs' [O[ (400); 2nd gen . ATGM (16).

2 Imgs' (O[ (400).

1 hmg IF] (300).

None
None

None
None

None

Soviet Helicopters
Mi2 "HopUte"
MI..e " Hook"

MI-8 "Hlp"
Mi-24 "Hind"

Set
Tr

..

Atk

NIN/+'
NIMI-

NIN/+4

NI+2
U+l

N/+1

U+l

218

None

Hind A: 1 hmg (150); 1st gen. AlGM (4) ; rockets (12).

Hind 0 : 4 hmgs (150); 151 gen. AlGM (4); rockets (12).
Hind E: AC IF] (PEN 100); 2nd gen. ATGM (4);
rockets (12).

MI-26 "Halo"
Mi-28 " Havoc"

Tr
Atk

U+1

U+5

HI-

MI-

N/+2
U-

U+4

u-

31100"

None, or 1 hmg (200).

AC (F] (PEN 150); ISAM (2); 2nd gen. ATGM (4) +
rockets (6), or ATGM (8), or rockets (12).

Key,
Helicopter Type: Alk .. anack; Tr - transport; Set .. scout.
Armor: N .. no armor; l .. light armor; M .. medium armor; H '* heavy armor.
We_pons: Img - light machlnegun ; hmg .. heavy machinegun ; M; .. autocannon; 1s1 gen., 2nd gen. ATGM .. first or second
generation antitank guided missile; lSAM - Infantry surface-to-air missile; (OJ _ weapon is door-mounted; IF] .. weapon is I\ex-mounted;
number of ammo clips or number 01 shells (2 or more weapons of the same type each have this many); PEN .. penetrator.

<*l ..

Helicopters have four armor ratings: front , flank, rear, and belly. Their use Is described In section 27.4. In additiOn, some vehicles
have hit modifiers listed. These affect a character's skill number when firing at that portion of the helicopter.
Passengers of scout and transport helicopters may fire Into the helicopter's flank arc at one quarter their skill. (exceptions: MI-6/26,
CH-53, CH-46, and CH-47).
Weapons listed on the Helicopter Chart are detailed in section 27.5.
these Imgs may be removed and used by ground personnel.

t may carry 1 BMP or

tt may carry 2 SMOs,

1 BMO in place 01 50 passengers.

1 BMP, or 1 ASU-85 in place of 75 passengers.

Note: All helicopters can be litted with some sort of armament given lime. In addition. the MI-8 and Mi-24 are equipped with spray
tanks for chemical warfare.
CopyTlght

C>

1987 Wesl End Games, Inc.

HELICOPTER RANGE CHART

Helicopter

Range

Civilian Models

330km
612 km
600 km
625 km
530km

AH64
AH1
UH60
UH,

Helicopter

Range

Helicopter

Range
200km
440 km
500km
400 km
530 km

OH58

500 km

CH46

"'>6

400 km

CH47

666 km
500 km
240 km

Mi-8
Mi-24
MI26
Mi-28

CH531SH3

"'>2

Range

Unloaded (Tr or Set)

Modlhers

Unloaded (Alk)

l~htlY

x4
x2

Loaded

r or Sct)

!I

x2

HELICOPTER TERRAIN EFFECTS CHART

NOE

Clear. Broken, Brush. Swamp, Rough. Crater, Trench

Stream. River
Road
Woods, Rubble, Building
Forest

AH-64 "Apac he"

HELICOPTER TRAVEL CHART

Helicopter

long Distance Rate

Combat Rallt

""po

(kllometerWhour)

(hexes/round)

Scoul

275
250

Transport

200

35
30
25

Al1ack

2
6

Find the terrain type along the lefthand side and cross
reference with the helicopter's altitude. The result Is the movement cost
to enter the hex.

Unfavorable weather conditions (high winds or

poor visibility) may ground aircraft. Scouts are
most vulnerable to bad weather (because altheir
light weight), and attack helicopters feast

vulnerable. Visibility of 112 km or less (due to snow

or rain) or winds in excess 01 40 km/ hour (gale
strength) will ground all aircraft.
il '

ANTIAIRCRAFT WEAPON COMBAT CHART

Weapon

ISAM

SRSAM
MASAM
LASAM
AAGUN

RanGe

Rate 0'

Engagement

F".

Imp.

Short

Medium

Lon.

Altitude

Damage
ModifIer

0-17

18-85

86-300

301-800

NOE

0-33

34-400

300-1000

NOE

0-85
0-300
0

86-1000

301-1500

1001-1500
1500-2500
86-300

1000-2000
1501-2500
25004000
301-500

+1
+2
+6
+4

,
,

'/2
'/3

1-85

LOW
HIGH

NOE

Weapons of

TYpe

SA-1411319f7, Stinger,
Chaparral
SA.a, Roland

SA8111 , Hawk
SA-4I12, Petriot

--

ZSU-23, Vulcan

ley,
ISAM .. infantry SUrface-t~8Ir missile.
SRSAM .. shorl range lurface-to-air missile.
MASAM .. medium range 5urface-to-air missile.

LASAM .. long-range surface-to-air missile.

MGUN .. anti-aircraft gun.

Notes:

5.4-9: The SA-9, SA-13 and Chaparral are treated as ISAMs even though vehicle-mounted.
ISAMs: An ISAM is a portable, handheld surface-to-air missile.
B/ast Radii: No blast radius is listed for these weapons. However, if a missile hits a larget at NOE in a hex occupied by or
adjacent to characters, they suffer damage as if a fragmentation grenade had exploded in their hex.
Use A(}ainst Ground Targets: Only AAGUNs may be fired against ground targets. When one does so, treat It as an

autocannon firing HE shells.

Proc.dure: Use the table to determine range in the same way as all other combat tables. "Imp." means the weapon
may not lire at that range. Weapons may only lire targets at "engagement altitude" or higher. "Rate of lire" Is used in the
same way as on the Heavy Wetipons Combat l8bIe. Damage modifiers affect dle-rolls on the Hellcopler Damage T8b1e.
"Weapons of Type" Indicate the names of Soviet and American weapon systems of the indicated type.

FIRE VS HELICOPTERS
Determine the tirer's skill with his weapon. Refer to the
Helicopter Chert and determine the target's armor rating
and hit modifier. Add the modifier to the skill number.
Modify the skill number as Indicated by the FIfe Modtflera

Agaln.t H.IIcop.... chart.

Roll the die. If the number rolled Is greater than the
modified skill number, the target is missed. Otherwise, it

Is hit. If hit, refer to the Helicopter Damage T"lo determine the damage the helicopter suffers. On any result other
than "no effect," refer to the Helicopter Occupant
Damage Tllble to determine what damage crew and
passengers suffer.

If the piiOl Is Injured or the helicopter suffers heavy

damage, refer to the "sUcopt... Crah lWde 10 determine
whether the helicopter crashea If It does, refer again to

the Helicopter Occupant Oenwge Table.

Helicopter
Counters
(cut on
solid lines)

FIRE MODIFIERS
AGAINST HELICOPTERS

_Fk1..

x'.
xV.
x"

Small Arms: aimed

rapid

""'"

Heavy Weapons (excluding rille grenade

launchers)
Rille Grenade Launchers
Vehicle Weapons (excluding autocannons)
Autocan nons

x v.
x V.
x V.
x"

Movement
Moving at 1h of combat rate or laster
Hoveri ng (ATGMs do not receive this bonus)

x"
x2

Altitude
NOE
High

x"
x2

.....

x"
xV.

Medium

Coo,

HELICOPTER DAMAGE TABLE

Ole-roll

Damage

-lor less
0-1

no effect

2-4

medium

light

- 1-

5-7
8-16
17 or more

heavy
destroyed
obliterated

Armor

Light
Medium

+2

Heavy
AA weapons

-1

-2
-5

+ damage

Stun

Light

He",

InClip.

Kill

1-'

1()'15

16-18

19

20

Modifiers Against Occupant Damage

Helicopter'. Demege

Modifiers to the Damage Table

None

HELICOPTER OCCUPANT
DAMAGE TABLE

modifier

Koy,

Modifier

- 2

Ught Damage
Medium Damage
Heavy Damage
Destroyed
Obliterated
Crashed from High altitude
Crashed from Low altitude
Crashed from NOE
Cras hed while laking oft

+2

+.+20
+5
+2
0

-3

No effecI: No damage is sustained.

/..Jghr Damage: The helicopter's electronics and weapon systems

may have suffered damage, speed is reduced by one-Ihird
because 01 rotor damage. Repair is possible in a few hours.

HELICOPTER CRASH TABLE

Medium Damage: Speed halved, weapons Inoperable. Repair

will take several days.

Occurrence

Heavy Damage: Speed Is quar1ered, the helicopter must land

Immediately. Repair will take a week al a major repair facility. Roll
on the Helicopter Crash Table.

DesfrCld: The helicopter fal ls from the sky. Gannot be repaired.

ObIitemted: Helicopler explodes and is torn Into small pieces.

All occupants 81'8 killed automatically. II at NOE all characters on

ground In adjacent hexes take damage as if lrag grenade
exploded.
Procedure: Roll the die. ModIfy the number rolled as the

1Iocfttt.,. to the ~ Tete direcl. Find the modiftec:l rotl on

the Hetlcoptef DaJMie 'r.bN.. The corntt,pOnding result Is lhe
degree 01 damaged suffered (see k8y aboWt) _Note thai some antiaircraft weapons have " damage modifiers" which affect the dieroll; see the AntJ.Alrcraft W"PI>M 1WM.

Pilot was stunned

Pilot rec9!Y9d Light wound
Pilot received Heavy wound
Pilot Is Incapacitated
Pilot Is Ki lled
Helicopter is at High altitude
Helicopter Is at Low altitude
Helicopter Is at NOE

ModUler to
Pilot'. Skill

0
-2

-.

- 12

automatic

+5
0

-5

Proc:.chu.: Roll against Ina charactllJ' s skill as

modified above. II tna character lails the roll then the
helicopler haS crashed and cannot fty until repaired ; roll
agaIn on the Helicopter Occupent
rllble

o.m.oe

M48Al "Chaparral"

" Vulcan"

I I

Soviet AA Vehicles

SA-6I11

U.1
UUU.'
U.'

SA-4i12

N/+2

ZSU-23-4 "Shilka"

SA-9
SA-13

SA-a

Tracked

Enclosed

ISAM (4+4)

Rear

Enclosed

Tracked

ISAM (4+12)
SRSAM (4)

Enclosed
Enclosed

Nf+1

MRSAM (3) lal

N/+2

LRSAM (2) lal

AAGUN (20) Ib)

U.'
UU-

N/+1

AAGUN (50)

N/-

U-

Nf+2

N/+1

Nf+3
N/+3

ZU-23

Rear
Tracked
Tracked

Enclosed
Enclosed

Towed

US AA Vehicles
M42 "Duster"

LJ-

M163 "Vulcan"

UUU.,

M48A1 " Chaparral"

Hawk

U-

AAGUN (12) Ib)

Tracked

Open

N/-

AAGUN (40)

Tracked

Enclosed

N/+1

N/-

4-5

ISAM (4+8)

Tracked

N/+2

N/+1

24
24

MRSAM (3) 101

Tracked

Enclosed
Enclosed

MRSAM (3) 101

Towed

Nt+1

4-6

LRSAM (6) Idl

Tracked

SRSAM (2+10)

Towed

UU-

Hawk (Towed)
Patriot
Roland (New Mexico
National Guard only)

U.,

N/+1

la) These SAMs are generally deployed in groups of four vehicles Independent launch vehicles have no intrinsic radar.

Enclosed

three launch vehicles and a radar vehicle.

Ibl These antiaircraft guns have no radar. Halve the firer 's weapon skill. after all other modifications, when firing an
AA gun without radar or whose radar has been disabled .
Icl These SAMs are generally deployed in groups of 24 vehicles - 9 launch vehicles and 15 assorted command posts,
aquisition radar vehicles, guidance radar vehicles, and spare missile carriers.
Idl Deployed in groups ollwo vehicles -

one radar vehicle and one launcher.

PToced.ure: Use this chart in the same manner as the Yehle.. Cha". The number In parentheses is the number of
ammo clips (AAGUNs) carried. When two numbers are separated by a plus fag. "4+4"), the first
missiles (SAMs)
Is the number at missiles carried on firing racks, and the second the number of additional missiles carried. The latter
must be mounted on racks before they can be fired - a process requiring some minutes.

or:

Weapon

Pistol
Rifle
Carbine
Semiautomatlc rifle
Shotgun

Automatic rif-Ie
Machine rifle
?ubmachinegun
Light machinegun
Medium machinegun
Heavy machinegun

19
18
18
17

5
5
10
5

18
16
15
16
15
15

10
50
10
50
25
50

AIR
AIR

AlRIB
AlRiB
AlRIB
RIB
RIB
RIB

0-5
0-4
0-5
0-2

6-15
5-10
6-15
3-4

16-50
11-40
16-50
58

1-6
1-6
1-6
1-3

7-11
710
7-9
48

12-15 16-19 20
1114 1519 20
1013 14-19 20
913
1920

7
7
6
10

16
16
15
18

20
20
19

05
0-6
0-3
0-8
O-tO
0-12

6-15
717
4-7
920
11-25
1330

16-50
1850
8-20
2150
26-60
3175

16
15
15
13
1-2

79
68
68
46
3-6
25

10-13
913
913
713
7-13
610

6
5
5
4
3
2

15
12
12
10
9
5

20
19
20
18
16
10

14-19
14-18
14-18
1418
14-18
1117

20
1920
1920
1920
19-20
18-20

20

Shuriken

AjMI1l1ldlcaltS thai !he IxJ\\ Iring has broken - replacement requires from 1-20 combal rounds depending on Ihe I)'pe of bow.
~ Tht>t IIoeapons Ignore ammunillon rules (see
Book rule 5.8. "Sows and Thrown Weapons").

PIa",

}JnJ1lO

= ammo poinlS in a clip. Lighl = lighlly \\~unded . Heavy = heavily ~unded. Incap. = incapacilJued.

A = .~ Imed .

R = Rapid. B = Bun!.

SMALL ARMS

FIRE MODIFIERS AGAINST VEHICLES

~pe

Range
Medium

Long

FIRE MODIFIERS
AGAINST PERSONNEL
Range
Medium
Long
Target Prone

-4

-2
-4
-6

Movement
Fire from moving vehicle or animal
Target moving

-5
-2

Fire at a Weapons Flash

Opportunity Fire

-1

-2
-4
-1

+4
-4
-3
-2

of Fire
Aimed (1 ammo point)
Rapid (2 ammo points)
Burst (410 ammo points)
. Target Moving

-4
-2
+2

-3

MELEE COMBAT TABLE

X1f2
Xl/4

Target Terrain Type

Broken. Brush. Swamp. Low Wall . Stream
Rough, Crater, Rubble, Woods, River
Trench . Foresl, or Dune
Apenure adjacent to firer
Door (otherwise)
Window (otherwise)
Slit (otherwise)

Type of Fire
Aimed
Burst

Vehicle's Hit Modifier

x 1/2
x%
+7

Bushwhack
value

Weapon
Hand-to-hand
Small knife
Medium knife
Large kni fe
Small club
Medium club
Large club
Garotte

4
14
16
10
10
12
8
19

Stun

Damage
Light Heavy Incap.

114
1-10
18
1-5
112
1-10
1-8

15-17
1115
9-14
6-12
13-17
1115
9-14

18
1618
15-17
1316
18
1618
1516

MELEE MODIFIERS
Target Surprised
Attacker Prone
Target Prone

1920
19
1819
17-18
19
19
17-18

x2

-4
+4

Kill
-

20
20
1920
20
20
1920

Weapon
1-8

9-15

6-9

_2

_2

1-12

13-15 16-18

3-4

5-6

1-7

8-14

15-17 18-19

1-4

5,12

13-16 17-18 19-20

1-4

5-10

11-15 16-17 18-20

13-17 18-19

20

6 (-2)3

12

18

_2

_2

12

20

12

18

Fragmentation

19

0-2

3-4

5-7

Smoke

19

0-2

3-4

5-6

Gas

18

0-3

4-5

Antitank

17

0-1

White Phosphorus'

19

0-2
0-1

Satchel Charge

18

Antipersonnel Mine

17

Antitank Mine

18

Claymore Mine

19

1-5

6-12

Gas Mine

17

_2

_2

Molotov Cocktail

16-17 18-19
_2

_2

20

1 (-3)

_2

_2

_2

19

20
20

_2

Skill

0-1

3-4

1-10

11-13 14-18 19-20

Skill

0-2

3-4

5-6

1-9

10-12 13-18

17

20

14

15

19

1 (-3)

14

17

3 (-2)

15

20

2 (-2)

20

19

20
20
6

I~

At night, any hex within 6 hexes of the target hex is illuminated.

see the gas mine or gas grenade ru les (14.4 and 17.4)
see rules on claymore mines (17.3)

GRENADES

VEHICLE AND OBSTACLE

DAMAGE TABLE
Modified Penetration
Ole-roll

Modifiers to Manual Dexterity

Range: Medium
Long
Observation:

no effect
light
medium
heavy
destroyed
obliterated

MODIFIERS TO THE DAMAGE TABLE

X1/2

XV4

Thrower does not have a line

of sight to the target hex

Target Terrain Type

Woods, Forest
Door or Trench not adjacent to thrower
Window or Slit not adjacent to thrower
Adjacent to Wall, Crater

Penetration Modifier
Blast modifier (vehicles with
no armor only)

-1
relerence he tde

-1

XV2

-1
-2
-4
+1

Modifiers to the Damage Die-roll

Blast Modifier

-?

Target Area
Vented
Enclosed

+2
+5

OCCUPANT
DAMAGE TABLE
Stun

Light

1-9

10-15

-1
-2
-4

Target Prone

-2

SKILL AND ATTRIBUTE

MODIFIERS CHART
Kill

Heavy Incap.
16-18

20

19

MODIFIERS AGAINST
OCCUPANT DAMAGE
Ve hicle Damage

Terrain 'TYpe (grenade exploded outside

the character's hex)
Rubble, Woods
Crater, Forest
Door, Trench, Window, Slit

Modifier
-2
0
+2
+8
+12

Light
Medium
Heavy
Destroyed
Obliterated

SIGHTING RANGE CHART

Weather
Conditions

Damage

-lor less
0-2
3-5
6-7
8-14
15 or more

GRENADE MODIFIERS
AGAINST PERSONNEL

GRENADE SCATTER
DIAGRAM

Lighting
Daylight

Dawn/Dusk

Night

Clear

any

Light Rain/Snow
Heavy Rain/Snow

40
20

Blizzard/Smoke/Fog

Mist

50

25
20
10
4
25

12
10
5
2
12

Character's
Cond ition
lightly wounded
heavily wounded
fatigued
exhausted

Modifier

-2
XV2

-2
XV2

GRENADE AND MINE

MODIFIERS AGAINST VEHICLES
Modifications to Manual Dexterity:
Range
Medium
long

X1/2

XV4

Vehicle's Hit Modifier

Vehicle Moving

+?
-3

Imp.
Rifle Grenade Lau
HE
HEDP
WP
Gas

Short Medium Long

0-5

6-10

11-16

Stun

Light

1-8
1-9
1-7
+

9-15
10-16
8-15
+

16-18
17-18
16-18
+

19
19
19
+

20
20
20
+

1-8
1-9

9-15
10-16

16-18
17-18

19
19

20
20

1-10

11-17

18

19

20

17-65

19
19
18
17

Mark 19 AGL
HVHE
HVHEDP

50"

AGS-17 AGL

30

0-5

10

6-15

16-32

Bazooka
LAW
1st Generation ATGM

2t

2nd Generat.ion

2t

Yo
'13

12
7

18
15

10

19

0-7

8-12

13-20

21-50

1-6

7-13

14-16

17-18

19-20

12

0-1

2-10

11-25

26-50

1-10

11-17

18

19

20

12

18

19

0-1

2-8

9-20

21-32

1-11

12-17

18

19

20

14

20

18

0-30

31-150 151300 301500

1-9

10-17

18

19

20

1 (-6)

10

16

19

0-8

9200

1-11

12-17

18

19

20

2 (-4)

12

19

16-24 25-250

'/2

18

(-3)

4-15

Bullet-trap
Rifle Grenades

0-3

18
15
17

33-500

18
18
16

12
7
11

201350 351650

2(-3)

20

-Am munition is in ~hclls . not clips.

+Same as gas grenades - sec 14.4 .
tAmmo supply di ffers for vehicle-mou nted ATG Ms - sec Ihe Vehicle Chart.

VEHICLE WEAPONS AND

ARTILLERY MODIFIERS

HEAVY WEAPONS MODIFIERS

ARTILLERY SCATTER
DIAGRAM

Modifiers Against Personnel and Vehicles

Range: other than ATGMs
Medium

Modifiers Against Personnel and Vehicles

XV4

Range: ATGMs

Long

X 1/2

Range: Artillery
Long

Range: Mortars
Medium

Short

x%

Long

x'h

X1f4

Firing Grenade Launcher from moving vchicle or animal -5

X 1f2

Target Terrain Type

Modifiers Against Personnel Only

Long

X 1f4

Modifiers Against Vehicles Only

'-'ch icl e's Hit Modifie r

-?

Target Vehicl e Movi ng

-3

-2

Door

-3

Window or Slit

-4

-?

i
!

I
~

J
J

hl

Rubble. Woods

-1

Crarer. Forest

-2

Door. Trench. Window, Sl it

-4

Autocannon
Penetrator
HE
Small Main Gun/Recoilless Rifle
Penetrator
HE
Large Main Gun
Penetrator
HE
100mm or less Artillery
HE
Smoke/Gaslliluminationt
101-149mm Artillery
HE
leM
Smoke/Gasliliuminationt
150+mm Artillery
HE
leM
Smoke/Gasliliumi
t See section 21.7 for the effects of Smoke, Gas,

-3

Vehicle Hi( Modi fier

+?

Thrget Vehicle MOI'ing

-3

character's hex )

-4

Modifiers Against Vehicles Only

-2

Terrain Type (Shell exploded ou!Side

-1

Broken. Brush. S .....amp. Low Wall. Stream

Rough. Crater. Rubble. Woods. River
Trench, Forest. Dune

Fire at a Weapons Flash

Modifiers to t he Damage Dleroll

Target Prone
BiaSi Modifier

X 1/2

Long

Range: Autocannon;
Main Guns; Recoilless Rifles

ModifIers to the Damage Dleroll

"reference hexslde

-7
-2

BiaSI Modi fier

Target Prone

01

0-1

01

060'

070'

016

275

2-100

2150

6180

76200 201-400
15
12

68
3-4

912
5-8

13-16
914

1720
1520

1
2

14
12

57
3-4

811
5-7

1215
8-12

16-20
13-20

2 (-3)

4-6

720

3 (- 2)

3-4

57

820

3 (-2)
3/3/30

2
2

3
3

4-5
4

620
520

4 (-2)
7 (-1)
7/7/45

1
2

7
10

15
17

18
20

4
6

10
15

17
19

8
12

12

20

8
16

13
20

jl

101250 251350

151300 301500

81-150

151-600

71100

1775

3
7

76-200
7
6 (-3)
1
1
3
9 (-2)
2
5
15
20
9/9/60
These are impossible ranges for mortars within the category. Guns and howitzers of
1000m or less and IOlmm-149mm have a shon range of 17-80 hexes and 17-100, respectively.
2

and Illumination rounds .

3
2

4
3

520
420

1:

,~

,.

J,

.1'

~
:1

:i!,

,i'
I'
J

Civilian Vehicles
Passenger car
Van or Pickup
Light Truck
Tractor Tra~er
wllrailer
w/o trailer
Bulldozer
Miiitary Vehicles
Soviet Tanks
ASU-85
T-S2
T-72
T-80
Soviet APCs
BMP-l
BMP-2
BTR-SO
BTR-70
BTR-40
MRB
BMD
BRDM
Soviet Self-Propelled Artillery
SAU-122
SAU-152
U.S. Tanks
M-SO
Ml
u .S. APes
M113
M2
Hummer
U.S. and Soviet
Jeep
Medium Truck
Heavy Truck
Motorcycle

Rear
Rear/Four
Rear

Glass
Glass
Glass

Rear
Rear
Tracked

Glass
Glass
Open

Tracked
Tracked
Tracked
Tracked

Enclosed
Enclosed
Enclosed
Enclosed

SMG (HE 40); 1st gen. ATG~,g); mmg [CI and mmg [PI (400)
AC(PEN20;HE40);2ndgen . .A: M(5);mmg[Clandmrng[PJ(400)
hmg [PI (100); mmg [PI (400)
hmg [PI (100); mmg [PI (400); AGS-17 (180)
hmg [PI (100); mmg [PI (500)
mmg [PI (400)
SMG (HE 30); 1st gen. ATGM (4); mmg (PI and mmg (CI (400)
. hmg(CI(100)+mrng[PJ(400)or2ndgen.ATGM(8)+mmg[PJ(200)

Tracked
Tracked
Four
Four
Four
Tracked
Tracked
Four

Enclosed
Enclosed
Enclosed
Enclosed
Open
Open
Enclosed
Enclosed

4
5

100mm-149mm arty (HE 30; leM 6; Smoke 4); mmg [PI (400)
150+mm arty (HE 20 ; leM 5; Smoke 5); mmg [PI (400)

Tracked
Tracked

Enclosed
Enclosed

M/-

U-

4
4

lMG (PEN 20; HE 43); mmg [CJ (200); hmg [PI (300)
lMG(PEN 25; HE 30); mmg [C) and mmg [PI (300); hmg [P)(400)

Tracked
Tracked

Enclosed
Enclosed

L1L1N/-

N/L1N/-

2/11
3/7
2/8

Tracked
Tracked
Four

Enclosed
Enclosed
Glass

N/N/+2
N/+3

N/N/+l
N/+2
N/+l

1/5
1/12-20
1/21-30
1/1-2

hmg [PI (SOO)

Ae (PEN 100; HE 200) ; 2nd gen . ATGM (8)
Ae (PEN 50; HE 100) or Mark 19 (HVHEDP 100; HVHE 200 ;
WP 10; Smoke 10) or hmg [PI (500) or 2nd gen . ATGM (12)
None or hmg [PI (400) or recoilless rifle
None
None
None

N/N/N/+l

N/N/+l
N/+2

N/N/N/+l

1/1-7
1/2-15
1/8-23

None
None
None

N/+2
N/+2
LI+l

N/+4
N/+2
N/+l

MI+2
N/+2
N/+l

1/40-60
113-5
1/1-3

None
None
mega-huge melee weapon

MIM/H/H/-

LlM/+l
M/+l
H/+l

L1L1M/M/-

4
4
3

u-

uu-

N/-

318

l/-

U-

N/N/-

3/8
2114
2114
218
2111
216
216

L1L1-

L1L1-

L1L1-

M/+l

H/-

M/+l
H/+1

L1M/+l
L1N/N/+l
L1+2
N/-

M/-

uU...,...

N/-

U-

u-

U-

N/-

N/-

u-

UU-

UU-

N/-

U-

N/-

SMG
LMG
LMG
LMG

(PEN
(PEN
(PEN
(PEN

10;
15;
10;
10;

HE
HE
HE
HE

40) ; mmg [el

25) ; mmg [C]
18); mmg [C]
18); mmg [e]

(300)
(500) ; hmg [PI (100)
(400) ; hmg [PI (100)
(400) ; hmg [PI (100)

lasslOpen
Glass
Glass
Open

OBSTACLE CHART

LOAD CHART
Animal

Rear
Rear
Rear
Rear

Armor
Class

. Load Carried
'TYpe of Obstacle

TERRAIN EFFECTS CHART

Terrain
"TYpe
Clear
Road
Broken
Brush
Swamp
Rough
Woods
Crater
Rubble
Forest
Trench
Dune
Stream
River
low Wall
High Wall
Door
Window
Slit
Stairway
Cliff
Tree

Movement Point Cost

Fire
Line of
4-wheel
Modifier Legs Wheels Drive Tracked Sight
0
0
1-

2
2

-1

2
2
2

-2
":2

3
2

-2

3
4

-1
-1

-2

4
imp.
imp.
imp.
imp.
imp.
imp.
imp.
imp.
imp.

+1
+4
+1
+3
imp.

imp.
imp.
imp.
imp.
imp.

imp.
imp.
imp.

2
2

-4
-4
-4
-1

-2

-1
imp.

-2
-4

-6

=----

5
5

1
1
1

2
2

1
1

1
1

Peck Animals
Horse
Mule or Donkey
Ox
Goat
Draft Animals
Horse Cart
Horse Wagon
Mule or Donkey
Cart
Mule Wagon
Ox Cart
Ox Wagon
Goat Cart

200
150
250
35

Overturned garbage cans,

kg

rubble. house wall. wood

no armor
renee. glass windows.
Rocks, stone walls.
concrete road dividers,
plexiglass windows, a
light
layer of sandbags, cans
filled with liquid.
Ovenurned cars. concrete
walls. several layers or
medium
sandbags. cans filled with
sand.
Concrete br idge abutment ,
overturned trucks,
heavy
concrete bun kers, ban k
vault doors.

kg
kg
kg

400 kg
1000 kg
200
750
500
2000
100

kg
kg

kg
kg
kg

2
2

3
imp.
4
imp.
imp.
4

4
imp.
4
imp.
4
imp.

imp.

+3
imp.
imp.
imp.
imp.

+1
imp.
imp.
imp.
imp.

B
-

imp.
imp.
imp.

imp.
imp.
imp.

Chain link fence wi ll delonale an ATGM.

Bazooka. or LAW round prematurely.

-B
B

- .
B

In Elevation Levels
Velocity of Collision
In km/hour:
Damage:
No Effect
Stun

light Wound
Heavy Wound
Incapacitation
Kif!

3-6
1-2

7-12
3-4

13-18
5-6

5-10

11-20

21-50

1-8
9-15

2-9

IS-IS

19
20

1
10-13
14-17
18-19
20

1
2-9
10-15
16-17
18-20

2-6
7-10
11-20

1
2-3
4-6
7-20

2
3-20

"SMALL ARMSe
FIRE MODIFIERS
AGAINST PERSONNEL

Weapon

Range
Pistol
Rifle
Carbine
Semi-automatic rifle
Shotgun
Machine pistol

Automatic carbine
Automatic rifle
Machine rifle
Submachinegun
Light mach inegun
Medium machinegun

19
19
18
18
17
16
18
18
16
15
16

6
5
5
10
5
10
10
10
50
10
50

AIR
A
AIR
AIR
AIR
AIR

02
0-5
0-4
0-5
02
02

0-4
AlRJB 05
AlRJB 06
AlRJB 0-3
RJB
08
010

AlR/B

35
6-15
510
615
3-4
3-8
510
615
717
4-7
9-20
11-25

6-20
16-50
1140
16-50
5-8
920
11-40
16-50
18-50
820
2150
2660

17
1-6
16
1-6
13
16
1-6
16
15
15
13
12

8-14
7-11
710
7-9
4-8
7-13
7-9
7-9
6-8
6-8
4-6
3-6

1518
12-15
1114
10-13
9-13
1417
1014
10-13
9-13
9-13
713

20
19
16-19 20
15-19 20
14-19 20
1418 19-20
1819 20
15-19 20
1419 20
1418 19-20
1418 1920
1418 1920
19-20

Medium

Xl/2

Long

xl/4

Target Prone
Target Terrain Type
Broken, Brush, Swamp, Low Wall, Stream

-1

Rough, Crater, Rubble, Woods, River

Trench, Forest, or Dune

-2
-4

Aperture adjacent to firer

-1

Door (otherwise)

-2
-4
-6

Window (otherwise)
Slit (otherwise)

Movement
Fire from moving vehicle or animal
Target moving

Type

Aimed

Ammo = ammo points in a clip. Light = lightly wounded.

A = Aimed. R = Rapid. B = Burst.

Heavy

= heavily lI\Junded.

Incap.

= incapacitated.

+4
-4

Fire at a Weapons Flash

-3

Opportunity Fire

-2

Procedure: Modify the firer's skill number as the chart

ind icates. " x '12" or " x ',4" means the skill number is
halved or quartered, rounding fractions down. Any
halving or quartering occurs after the skill number is
modified for other reasons. Also see the Skill and
Attribute Modifiers Chart.

FIRE AGAINST PERSONNEL

Type of Fire: There are three types of fire: aimed (A) , rapid (R), and
burst (B). Not all weapons can use all three types: the "Type of Fire" column
indicates which types each weapon can use.
When a character fires, he must state which of the permitted types of fire
he uses. Aimed fire is against one target and consumes one ammo point.
When using rapid fire, a character can fire tw ice, consuming one ammo
poi nt per fire. When using burst fi re, a character cim fire up to fi ve times,
consuming two ammo points per fi re. (For more detail, see the "Ammunition"
section of rule 5.8 in the Player Book).
Ammuni tion: T he "ammo" column indicates how many ammo points
an ammunition clip for a weapo n contains. When a weapon consumes as
many points as its clip contains. it is out of ammunition, and must be reloaded
before it can fire again.
Players should keep track of ammunition expenditure by pencil ing hash
marks in the "Ammo Points" section of thei r character sheets.
Range and Other Modifiers: Determine the firer's sk ill with his weapon.
His skill number is modified by a number of factors (see the Fire Modifiers
Against Personnel chart). The first such facto r is range.
Count the number of hexes between firer and his target (includ ing the target
hex, but not the firers). Refer to the line of the table printed with the weapon's
name and fi nd the distance in hexes on that line in the "Range" sect ion of
the table. The column in wh ich the distance lies determines whether the
weapon is being fi red at short , medium or long range.

-5
-2

of Fire

Burst

Ajam indicales that the bowstring has broken - replacement requires from 1-20 combat rounds depending on the type of bow.
.. These weapons ignore ammunition rules (see Player Book rule 5.8, "Bows and Thrown Weapons").

-4

Example: A pistol is fired at short range if the target is 0 to 2 hexes away;

at medium range if 3-5 hexes away; and at long range if 6-20 hexes away.
If the target is at medium range, the fi rer's ski ll number is halved ; if at
long range, it is quartered .
The firer's skill number is also modified for target stance, the type of fire,
the terrain in the target's hex, etc. - see Fire Modifiers Against Personnel.
Hitting: Roll the die. If the number rolled is less than or equal to the
fi rer's modified ski ll number, the target is hi t and damage is determined.
If not , fire has no effect. If a 20 is rolled, the weapon may have jammed.
Damage: If the target is hit, roll the die again. Find the number rolled
.in the " Damage" section of the table on the firing weapon's line. The column
in which the number is found determines what damage the target receives.
Example: If a pistol hits and the damage roll is I through 7, the target is
stunned; on an 8 through 14 , the target is lightly wounded; on a 15 through
18, heavi ly wounded; on a 19, incapacitated; and on a 20, killed .
J a m: If the "to hit" roll is a 20, the firing weapon may have jammed. Each
weapon has a "jam number," printed in the "lam" colu mn on the weapon's
line of the table. Roll the die again; if the number rolled is equal to or greater
than the jam number, the weapon is inoperable: guns are jammed, and bowstrings are broken. Thrown weapons cannot j am .

Weapon
Fragmentation

19

0-2

3-4

5-7

Smoke

19

0-2

3-4

5-6

Gas

18

0-3

4-5

6-9

1-8
_2

9-15

16-17 18-19

_2

_2

_2

20
_2

1 (-3)

Antitank

17

0-1

1-12

13-15 16-18

19

0-2

3-4

5-6

1-7

8-14

15-17 18-19

Satchel Charge

18

0-1

1-4

5-12

13-16 17-18 19-20

1 (-3)

Antipersonnel Mine

17

1-4

5-10

11-15 16-17 18-20

3 (-2)

Antitank Mine

18

Claymore Mine

19

15

6-12

Gas Mine

17

_2

_2

1317 1819
_2

_2

Molotov Cocktail

Skill 4

01

3-4

110

1113 14-18 1920

Dynamite

Skill 4

0-2

3-4

5-6

1-9

10-12 13-18

19

20
20

Modifiers to Manual Dexterity

Range:

_2

White Phosphorus'

19

GRENADE MODIFIERS
AGAINST PERSONNEL

2 (-2)

20

6(-2)3

_2

_2

20

Medium

X1f2

Long

X1f4

Observation: Thrower does not have a line

of sight to the target hex
Target Terrain Type
Woods, Forest

-1

Door or Trench not adjacent to thrower

-2
-4
+1

Window or Slit not adjacent to thrower

Adjacent to Wall, Crater
Modifiers to the Damage Die-roll
Blast Modifier

2
J

<

At night, any hex within 6 hexes of the target hex is illuminated.

see the gas mine or gas grenade rules (14.4 and 17.4)
see rules on claymore mines (17.3)
see below

III

GRENADE COMBAT AGAINST PERSONNEL

Procedure:
Modify the thrower's manual dexterity as directed by the Grenade Modifiers Against
Personnel chart. Note that one modifier is for range; determine the range following the
procedu re described on the Small Arms Combat Table,
Make an attribute roll using the modified manual dexterity. If the roll succeeds, the grenade
lands in the target hex . If not , refer to the Grenade Scatter Diagram to determine where
the grenade scatters. If the roll is a 20 the grenade may be a dud (see below) .
Blast Radii: Each grenade or mine has a blast radius, printed in the "Blast Radius" column
of the table. If a grenade's blast radius is a dash (''..,C'), it does damage only to characters
in the hex where it lands. If its blast radius is a number, it can also do damage to all characters
located within its blast radius (e. g ., a grenade with a blast radius of 2 affects all characters
within two hexes).
Damage: Roll once on the damage section of the Grenade and Mine Combat Table for
each character within the blast radius. Modify a character's die-roll as indicated in the "Damage
Modifiers" section of the Grenade Modifiers Against Personnel chart. If the character
is not in the grenade's impact hex (or the hex where the mine is located), the die-roll is
modified by the blast modifier, which is printed in parentheses after the blast radius on the
table. The blast modifier is multiplied by the character's distance from the impact hex. A
modified die-roll of less than I is treated as a roll of I; a roll greater than 20 is treated as a 20.
Example: A character is two hexes away from an antipersonnel mine when it explodes.
The mine's blast radius is 3 and its blast modi fier is (-2) . Therefore the character must
make a damage die-roll. A 20 is rolled which would normally kill the character, but since
he is two hexes from the mine the die-roll is reduced by four (2 hexes x - 2 modifier =
- 4). The modified roll is 16, and the character is incapac itated.
Duds: If the character rolls a 20 on his manual dexterity roll, the grenade or mine may
be a dud. Roll the die a second time. If the number is equal 10 or greater than the dud
number the grenade/mine fails to explode. Otherw ise, it functions; determine scatte r normally
and resolve damage for .any characters within the blast radius.
Mines: All of the above rules apply to mines, except that no manual dexterity roll is made
and no scalier occurs.
<Molotov Cocktails and Dynamite: Instead of making a "dud" roll, the person who prepared
the dynamite Or molotov for throwing makes a demolitions skill roll. On a 20 it blows up
in the thrower's hex. On any other failed roll, it fails to explode.

-?

Target Area

+2
+5

Vented
Enclosed

GRENADE AND
MINE COMBAT

x'i2

Terrain Type (grenade exploded outside

the character's hex )

Door, Trench, Window, Slit

-1
-2
-4

Target Prone

-2

Rubble, Woods
Crater, Forest

Modify thrower's manual dexterity as indicated. Also

see the Skill and Attribute Modifiers Chart.
When rolling fo r damage, modify roll s as indicated
under "Modifiers to the Damage Die-roll." A "vented"
target area is one partially enclosed (open-top vehicle,
building large r than one hex, etc.); an "enclosed area"
is fully enclosed (tank, small building, pillbox).

GRENADE SCATTER DIAGRAM

reference hexside
Procedure:
Trace a line from the thrower or firer to the target
hex. The hexside across which the line passes is
called the reference hexside. Ro ll the die; the
grenade or shell lands in the hex indicated relative
to the reference hexside. That is, if a 1-4 is rolled,
it scatters. away from the thrower or firer; if a 17-20
is rolled it scatters towards him; etc . ..

MELEE COMBAT TABLE

Weapon

Bushwhack
value

Stun

Procedure: Detennine the attacker's skill number - use his hand-

Damage
Light Heavy Incap.

Kill

Hand-Io-hand

1-14

15-17

18

19-20

Small knife

14

1-10

11-15

16-18

19

20

Medium knife

16

1-8

9-14

15-17

18-19

20

Large knife

10

1-5

6-12

13-16

17-18

19-20

Small club

10

1-12

13-17

18

19

20

Medium club

12

1-10

11-15

16-18

19

20

Large club

1-8

9-14

15-16

17-18

19-20

Garotte

19

to-hand skill if unarmed, his melee weapons skill otherwise. The

skill number is modified as indicated by the Melee Modifiers Chart.
A skill roll is then made against the modified skill number.
If the skill roll is a success, the target is damaged; roll again and
refer to the damage section of the table to determine what damage
he receives (see Small Arms Combat Table for a more complete
procedure explanation).
The bushwhack value is only used if the attacker has surprise and
makes a successful stealth skill roll. If he does, and his skill roll
succeeds, he may kill the target automatically; roll again. If the
number rolled is less than or equal to the weapon's bushwhack value,
the target is dead. If not, damage is determined normally.

~~:~~~~~~~>

MELEE
f::: ' ~.;,->-_~_=_=::::::==_-_-_.
_ _">
COMBAT AND
TERRAIN EFFECTS CHART
TERRAIN EFFECTS

Terrain
Type
Clear
Road
Broken
Brush
Swamp
Rough
Woods
Crater
Rubble
Forest
Trench
Dune
Stream
River
Low Wall
High Wall
Door2
Window2
SIit2
Stairway
Cliff
Tree

Movement Point Cost

Line of
Fire
4-wheel
Modifier Legs Wheels Drive li'acked Sight
0
0
-1
-1
-1
-2
-2
-2
-2
-4
-4
-4
-1
-2
-1
imp.

-2

-4
-6
-

1
1
2
2
2
3
2
3
4
2
2
3
2

-'
+1
+4
+1
+3

2
1
2
2

4
imp.
imp.
imp.
imp.
imp.
imp.
imp.
imp.
imp.

1
1
1
2
2
3
3

1
1
1
1
2
2
4

imp.

imp.

B
B

imp.
imp.

imp.

4
3

imp.

imp.

4
2

-,

+3

+1

imp.

imp.
imp.
imp.
imp.
imp.

imp.
imp.
imp.
imp.

imp.
imp.
imp.
imp.

2
5
5

imp.
imp.
imp.

imp.
imp.
imp.

imp.
imp.
imp.

MELEE MODIFIERS
CHART
Target Surprised
Attacker Prone
Target Prone

x2

-4
+4

The attacker's skill number is modified

as indicated; also see the Skill and

Attribute Modifiers Chart.

Procedure: Find the terrain type along the left-hand side. The entry in the
"fire modifier" column is the number to be subtracted from a firer's skill
number when firing at a target in or immediately behind the indicated terrain
type. The number under " Legs" is the number of movement points a character
spends when entering a hex of the terrain type; if the number is preceded
by a plus (" + "), the cost is for crossing a hexside printed with the terrain
type. and is cumulative with the cost of the hex entered (e.g., crossing a
low wall into a rough terrain hex costs 4 movement points). The numbers
printed under the "Wheels ," "4-wheel Drive," and "Tracked" columns are
the movement point costs for various types of vehicles. If the letter " B"
is printed under the " Line of Sight" column, the terrain blocks lines of sight.
"imp." means impassable; the terrain may not be entered or crossed.
I Characters may only enter when swimming see 7.6; and vehicles may
only enter if able to swim or prepared for snorkeling - see 20.6 - both
in the Gamemaster Book.
2 Fire modifier is - 1 if firer is adjacent to aperture.

SKILL AND ATTRIBUTE

MODIFIERS CHART
-2
x 1/2
-2
x 112

character
character
character
character

lightly wounded
heavily wounded
fatigued
exhausted

Whenever a character makes any skill or

attribute roll (including a weapons skill roll in
combat), the modifiers above apply. If the
character is lightly wounded or fatigued , his skill
or attribute number is reduced by 2 (if both, by
4); if he is heavily wounded or exhausted, his
skill or attribute number is halved (quartered
if both apply). (Halving occurs after all other
modifications to the skill number.) Other
modifiers may be applied at the discretion of
the gamemaster. Round fractions down.

I
i

I
I

Table of Contents

4. NonPlayer Character Personailty

1. Introduction

(4.1) Race/Nationality
(4.2) Informants

(1.1) What the Gamemaster Pack Contains

(l2) Function, Organization of the Occupying Forces

(1.3) Ranks in the Soviet Army

2. Occupation rorces Generation

(2.1) Area Importance Modifier

(2.2) The Garrison Table

(2.3) Attached Personnel
(2.4) Garrison Reinforcement

3. Individual Units
(3.1) Airborne Troops

(3.2) Spetsnaz Troops

(3.3) Motor-Rifle Troops

(3.4) Tank Troops

(4.3) Tactical Tags

(4.4) Treatment of Civilians
(4.5) Passions/Interests
(4.6) Personality Tags

(4.7) Physical Tags

5. The Mayberry Garrison

(5.1) How to Use the Mayberry Garrison
(5.2) Mayberry Demographics'

(5.3) Third Company

(5.4) Maps and Floorpians
(5.5) Adventure Hooks

6. Soldiers of the Mayberry Garrison

Copyright 1987 by West End Games, Inc. THE PRICE OF

FREEDOM is West End's name for its roleplaying game of
resistance to Soviet occupation; trademark applied for.
This is a work of fiction. All 'the characters and events portrayed in
this game are fictional. Any rese!J1blance to real persons or events is
purely coincidental.
Special thanks to Colt Firearms for weapon illustrations and
technical information.

ISBN O-87431-058-X

_"WWEST
~

(END

t.~GAME5

251 West 30th Street

New York, NY 10001
THE PRICE OF FREEDOM

SOVIET GEJIlERATlON BOOK

Inlroduclion
The Booklet

(1.1) What the Gamemaster

Pack Contains
This Gamemaster Pack contains three things:
the booklet you are reading, a full-color battle map,
and a gamemaster screen printed with the charts
and tables most often used during play.
The Gamemaster Screen

The Gamemaster Screen is printed on one side

with the charts the players use - the tables and
procedures used for small arms, grenade and
melee combat, and so on. The other side is printed
with tables for the gamemaster - Virtually all the
tables used in THE PRICE OF FREEDOM.
Note that the gamemaster tables are more com
plete
for example, the gamemaster's Small
Arms Combat Table includes data for using small
arms against vehicles, while the players' version
does not. However, the procedures which are
printed on the players' side are omitted from the
gamemaster's side; it is presumed that the gamemaster is familiar enough with the game procedures not to need them any longer. If he does
need to look at a procedure, they can be found
in Freedom Flle D or the Gamemaster Charts
in the original game.
To use the Gamemaster Screen, prop it up on
the table with the players' side facing outward and
the other side facing the GM. The GM may hide
his notes, maps, die-rolls, and junk food from the
players behind the screen.

The Gamemaster Booklet contains rules for

generating small Soviet military units tank platoons, motor-rifle companies, airborne sections
and the like - as weD as individual Soviet soldiers.
Also included is a pregenerated Soviet garrison,
complete with skills, attributes, weapons, and personalities for the soldiers and officers of the Third
MotorRifle Company.
Section 1.2 below gives a brief overview of the
organization of the various branches of the Soviet
force in occupation of the United SOViet States;
follOWing that, section 1.3 lists the ranks of soldiers
and officers in the Soviet Army.
Chapter 2 provides a system for generating
Soviet garrisons suitable for protecting areas of
small to medium importance; chapter 3 details the
weapons, vehicles, and attributes of individual
soldiers within each service branch of the Soviet
army; chapter 4 adds personality to Soviet
characters; chapter 5 describes the pregenerated
Mayberry garrison; and chapter 6 lists the skills,
attributes, personality, and background of the officers in the Mayberry garrison.
The Map

The map portrays a suburban neighborhood

centered around a town hall. The area displayed
on the map matches the description of the

GAMEMASTER PACK

Mayberry garrison; if the GM is not using the

pregenerated garrison, the map can be used to
represent any suburban area. The map is described
in detail in chapter 5.

(1.2) Function, Organization

of the Occupying Forces
Described below are the branches of the Soviet
Armed Forces most typically in direct conflict with
Resistance forces (the Strategic Rocket and Air
Defence Forces aren't listed, for example; they will
rarely be encountered). Each section consists of
a short description of the branch's function followed by a description of the small-unit complement
of the branch (i.e., company-size and smaller).
Note that the unit complement shows the units
at full strength; in actuality, Soviet units will rarely operate at full strength. (The unit generation
system typically generates units at 50-75% of full
strength.' The same is true for the equipment listed
below for each unit most units encountered in the
field will be much less well-armed.
.
Spetsooz Troops

These are elite soldiers filling somewhat the

same function as US Army Special Forces, Navy
SEAls, and Marine Recon units: infiltration for
reconnaissance and destruction of enemy headquarters, command posts and communications
centers. They are also trained to assassinate important enemy military and political figures.

THE PRICE OF FREEDOM

..

A full-strength Spetsnaz battalion consists of 27

officers and NCOs (3 majors, 9 captains, and
assorted lieutenants and sergeants) and 345
enlisted men equipped with a wide variety of
heavy and light weaponry and vehicles. Organization below battalion-level is fluid: as few as five
and as many as 372 Spetsnaz soldiers and officers
may work together, depending on the job.
Airborne Assault Troops
Soviet airbome assault troops are highly-trained
infantry who deploy by parachute, fixed-wing aircraft, or chopper. Compared to a tank or motorrifle unit they are lightly armed, but their high
maneuverability makes them an extremely important part of the Soviet armed forces.
An airborne section consists of seven enlisted
men and a lieutenant, armed with light machineguns, anti-tank weapons, and auto-rifles. A platoon consists of three sections plus platoon HQ
(one senior lieutenant and two enlisted men armed
with autO-rifles). A company consists of company
HQ (a captain, two senior lieutenants and seven
enlisted men armed with SAMs and auto-rifles),
three platoons plus one anti-tank platoon (one officer and 12 enlisted men armed with ATGMs and
RPGs).
Motor-Rifle Troops
The modem infantry. A Soviet motor-rifle unit
is composed of soldiers and ground transport BMPs, BTRs, and/or trucks.

THE PRICE OF FREEDOM

A motor-rifle platoon consists of one lieutenant

and 31 enlisted men in three vehicles. The men
are armed with RPGs, SAMs, LAWs, LMGs, and
an auto-rifle and sniper rifle. A company consists
of company HQ (a captain and two senior
lieutenants and nine enlisted men carrying autorifles in two vehicles) and three platoons.
Tank Troops
The tank's maneuverability, hitting power, and
armor make it the most deadly weapon on the
modem battlefield (though as technology improves
it may soon have to share that dubious honor with
the helicopter). Fortunately, the tank is not particularly useful in counterinsurgency/counterterrorism operations (when facing tanks, Resistance
forces tend to simply disperse into areas the tanks
cannot follow).
Soviet tanks are crewed by three men. Tanks
typically deploy in companies of 10 to 13 tanks
(three platoons of four tanks each plus one for the
commander - a captain).
American tanks are crewed by four soldiers.
Soviets manning US equipment will deploy four
men per tank.
Tanks are exceedingly expensive pieces of
equipment, and the SOViets will be reluctant to
waste them. When expecting significant trouble,
a tank company will be accompanied by a motorrifle company as well as supported by air and artillery, where possible.

(1.3) Ranks in the Soviet

Army
Listed below are the Anglicized names of the
ranks in the Soviet army, followed by the English
translation and the military unit that each rank
normally commands, though officers will often
command smaller (or larger) units .
General - General: Front or military district
commander.
Lieutenant General - Army commander.
General-Mayor - Major-Generai: Divisional
commander/deputy army commander.
Polkovneek - Colonel: Regimental
commander/deputy divisional commander.
Podpolkovneek - Lieutenant-Colonel:
Battalion commander/deputy regimental
commander.
Mayor - Major: Deputy battalion
commander.
Kapeetan - Captain: Company commander.
Lieutenant - Lieutenant: Platoon/squad
commander.
Starshly Serzhant - Senior Sergeant:
Squad/section commander
Serzhant - Sergeant: Section commander.
Mlasdhly Serzhant - Junior Sergeant.
Yefretor - Private First Class.
Ryadovoy - Private.

SOVIET GENERATION BOOK

Occupation Forces Generation

The United States is a big country: 3,615,211
square miles of mountains, forests, deserts, plains,
town and cities. Over 250,000,000 people live
here.
As the subjugation of America begins, there are
roughly 360,000 Soviet soldiers in the occupying
forces - one for every 10 square miles of US land.
Even if the Soviets concentrate on holding just the
cities and heavy industry, they're going to be
spread thin. The only way they can possibly succeed is to garrison only the most important areas
with infantry, and hold their mobile forces in
reserve to reinforce units under attack and destroy
concentrations of Resistance.
The Soviet reserve forces are much too powerful
to attack. They are composed of division-sized (or
larger) mechanized units and are defendl!d by
tank, air, artillery, and special forces. Therefore,
the Resistance will concentrate on harrassing the
garrisons: attacking many different areas simultaneously so that the occupiers must either disperse.
their forces to protect the outposts or give them up.
following is a system for generating typical
Soviet garrisons protecting areas of low to medium
importance - rural areas with small towns and
,light industry. If your players are interested in taking on more important targets - nuclear
generators, the Detroit automobile industry, Washington, D.C., etc. - hit them with a few tank and
BMP/.BTR divisions, a couple of Spetsnaz and airborne brigades, and two or three artillery batteries.
Then have them roll up new characters.

To generate an appropriate garrison for an area,

it is necessary to determine how important that
area is to the Soviets - or that area's area importance modifier. Determine the area importance
modifier for the garrison by adding together the
appropriate numbers below.
Rural/Wilderness: -4
Small Town (9,999 or less!: -2
Medium Town (10,000-39,999): 0
Large Town: (40,000-75,000): +2

Resources

None: -2
Farming, timber:
Petroleum, metal ores, coal: -+:2
Uranium, precious metals: +4

Industry
No Industry: - 2
Light Industry: 0

Transport
Railroad, Airport, and/or Major Highway: +4

Resistance Activities
None: -4

Low:
Medium: +4
High: +6

Example: Mayberry is a medium-sized town of

15,000 (O); Mayberry is principally a farming
community with a small mining business (+2);
the Takidasha computer factory is located just outside of town (+4); there are no important
highways, railroads or airports nearby (O); and
there has been no Resistance activity in the area
to date (-4); so, Mayberry's area importance
modifier is + 2.

(2.2) The Gamson Table

To determine the unit makeup of the town's garrison, roll a die and modify the result by the area
importance modifier.

(2.4) Garrison Reinforcement

The Soviets are able to put an entire motor-rifle
division Virtually anywhere in the US within 24
hours. (Prudent Resistance groups would be well
advised not to hang around in one spot that long.)
While the PCs' actions will seldom warrant the
attention of a division, there will often be smaJler
Soviet units within supporting distance of the garrison. Use the tables below to determine what
Soviet units are around. and how near or far away
they are.
Roll a die on the first table to determine if any
smaller units are in the area. (Roll once for each
service branch.) If any units are around, roll to
determine how long it would take for the units to
reach the garrison. (Modify both rolls by the area
importance modifier.)

Units in Area
Motor-Rifle:

18nk:

Die RoU Garrison

o or less:
1-4:
5-10:
11-14:
15-17:
18-20:

(2.1) Area Importance

Modifier

Population

Medium Industry: +2
High-Tech Industry (computers,
telecommunications, etc.): +4

21 or
greater:

Unoccupied
Motor-rifle platoon
2 motor-rifle platoons
Motor-rifle company
Motor-rifle company plus airborne
platoon w/transport helicopters
Motor-rifle company plus tank
platoon

Airborne:

Spetsnaz:

Die Roll:
5 or less:
6-15:
16+:
10 or less:
11-13:
14+:
10 or less:
11-14:
15-18:
19 +:
14 or less:
15-17:
18 + :

None
Platoon
Company
None
Platoon
Company
None
Section
Platoon
Company
None

5-10 men
15-30 men

Time of Arrival
Motor-rifle company plus airborne
company w/transport helicopters
and tank platoon

Motor-Rifle

(2.3) Attached Personnel

Each garrison has two or three secret Party and
KGB spies (see Informants table In Personalitychapter). In addition, each company-sized garrison
also has an official Party Observer (the political
officer, assistant to the company CD.), and two
to four lower-level officials (assistantS to the poUtical
officer, re-education officers, etc.). The KGB
assigns one official intelligence officer ( in addition
to the many hidden spies) to each company-sized
garrison as well.
Company-sized garrisons also contain communications personnel, supply officers, translators,
and maintenance personnel. Smaller garrisons
have to use soldiers (and occasionally US civibans)
to do this work.

GAMEMASTER PACK

Tank:

Airborne:

Spetsnaz: '

Die RoO:
3 or less: 4 hours
2 hours
4-9:
1 hour
10-18:
19+:
30 minutes
7 or less: 4 hours
8-14:
2 hours
15-18:
1 hour
19+:
30 minutes
1 or less: 4 hours
2-3:
2 hours
1 hour
4-13:
14+:
30 minutes
6 or less: 4 hours
7-12:
2 hours
1 hour
13-17:
30 minutes
18+:

THE PRICE OF FREEDOM

Individual Unils
This chapter details the exact makeup of the gar
risoning unit: how many soldiers are in it, how
good the soldiers are, what equipment they carry,
etc.
Each section - Spetsn(lz, airborne, motorrifle,
and tank - contains the fo\1owing parts:
Troop Quality Table: Roll a die, modifying the
ro\1 by the area importance modifier. The result
will determine if the troops are elite, veteran, or
green. Then find the troop quality modifier, below;
that is used in later steps.

Troop Quality

Troop Quality Modifier

Green
Veteran
Elite

-3
0
+3
Soldiers in Unit: Roll a die, modified by the
troop quality modifier.

Weapons/Vehicles Tables: Roll a die on each.

Specialty: This lists the specialists found in a fully

trained unit. Since most units are subject to man

power shortages, they will rarely contain the ap
propriate number of specialists. Preceding the list
of specialties is the dieroll to determine if a soldier
has a specialty. Note that Spetsnaz and airborne
soldiers may have two specialties; tank and motor
rifle soldiers may have only one. (Example: Sgt.
Smlthsky is an elite airborne soldier. The GM rolls
to determine if Smithsky has any specialties: the
roll is an 18; Smithsky does. The GMpicks one
or two skills from the list.)
The section also shows the average skill level
of the specialist. (Example (continued): Smlthsky
has a rating of 15 in his specialties.)
Skills/Attributes Table: This table lists the
average skills, attributes, leadership, and morale,
for elite leaders and soldiers. Veteran leaders' and
soldiers' average scores are one less than those
shown; green troops' average scores are two less.
Note that the skills listed for each character are
those they would gain through official training and
education: it is certainly possible that an Airborne
soldier might be an excellentconartist, for elS.am
pIe, but he isn't taught that skill at boot camp. If
you think a character should have an unofficial
skill, give it to him.
Important: The Russian language skill is handl
ed somewhat differently from other skills: no skill
level is provided. Proficiency in this skill is based
upon the soldier's nationality, as described in the
Personality chapter. If you are not using the Per
sonallty chapter, simply assign each soldier a Rus
sian language score of 1720.

Randomizing Skills
.If you wish to randomize the average scores and
specialty ratings, roll a die and consult the randomizer table, below.
.

THE PRICE OF FREEDOM

Skills
Combat

Randomlzer Table
Ole Roll Modifier
1-2
37
812
13-17
1820

-2
-1
0
+1
+2
Example: Sgt. Smithsky is a specialist in Mountaineering; the average rating for an elite airborne
specialty Is 15. The GM rolls a '7' {-1} on the
randomizer table: Smithsky's actual rating Is 14.

(3.1) Airborne Troops:

Troop Quality:

Auto. Weapons:
Handto-Hand:
Heavy Weapons:
Melee Weapons:
Pistols:

Soldiers in Section:

12
10

8
?
8
10

6
?
4

8
6
6

Communication
Bureaucracy:
Lan. - Russian:
Lan.
English:
Writing:

Crafts
Demolition:
DriVing:
Helicopter:
Navigation:

12 or less: Green
13-15:
Veteran
16+:
Elite

10
8
6
4
8

5
10
12
10

8
8
6

Education

3 or less: 5 men, 1 officer

410:
6 men, 1 officer
11 + :
7 men, 1 officer

Weapons:
Roll for each airborne soldier:
1-11:
AK74, 8 clips, 3 frag grenades
1216:
AK-74, 8 clips, 1 RPG18'
1718:
RPK MG", 8 clips, PM, 4 clips
19:
PK MG", 4 clips, PM, 4 clips
20:
RPG16t, 3 rounds, PM, 4 clips
3 per section maximum
1 per section maximum. Another soldier will carry an extra
6 clips for this weapon.
.
t 1 per section maximum. Another soldier will carry an additional 1-3 rounds for this weapon.

Biology:
ChemiStry:
Native History:
US History:
Medicine:
PhysiCS:

4
4
10
4
8
8

8
6

Survival
Camouflage:
Camping:
Home Area Lore:
Area Statnd. Lore:
Mountaineering:
Stealth:
Swimming:

4
6
5

6
6
4
10

4
10

4
6

Vehicles:
Roll for each Section:
17:
Ground (BMD, truck, bus, etc.)
810:
Civilian helicopter'
1119:
Military helicopter'
20:
Paradrop
See helicopter rules in The Price of Freedom adventure,

Your

OWTl

Private Idaho.

Specialties: On a roll of 16 +, an airborne soldier

will be a specialist in one or two of the follOWing:
A Combat skill, Demolition, Electronics, English,
Flying, Helicopter, Vehicle Repair, Medicine,
Mountaineering
Specialty Rating: 15

Attributes
Strength:
Manual Dexterity:
Agility:
Alertness:
Constitution:

Leadership:
Panic Level:

Officer Enlisted
8
10

12
12
10

12
10
10

10

(3.2) Spetsnaz Troops:

Troop Quality:
7 or less: Green
8 13:
Veteran
14+:
Elite
Soldiers in Unit: Depending on their assignment, a Spetsnaz unit in the field contains
anywhere from 10345 men and 1-27 officers.
Weapons/Vehicles: Since Spetsnaz troops are
used for everything from assassination to
infiltration to shock troops, the weapons/vehicles
must be tailored to the situation. When outfitting
a Spetsnaz unit, simply decide what weapons/
vehicles are appropriate - then give them the
best.
Specialties: On a roll of 15 +, a Spetsnaz soldier
will be a specialist in one or two of the following:
A Combat skill, Demolitions, Driving Heavy
Vehicles, ElectroniCS, English, Flying, Helicopter,
(Area Stationed) Lore, Mountaineering

Specialty Rating: 16

SOVIET GENERATION BOOK

Attributes
Strength:
Manual Dexterity:
Agility:
Alertness:
Constitution:
Leadership:
Panic Level:

Skills
Combat
Auto. Weapons:
Hand-to-Hand:
Melee Weapons:
Pistols:
Thrown Weapons:
Communication
Bureaucracy:
Cryptography:
Interrogation:
Lan. - Russian:
English:
Lan.
Writing:
Crafts
Demolition:
Driving:
Driving, Hvy. Veh.:
Navigation:
Vehicle Repair:
Education
Biology:
Chemistry:
Native History:
Area Statnd. Hist.:
Medicine:
Physics:
Social Sciences:
Survival
Camouflage:
Camping:
Disguise:
Home Area Lore:
Area Statnd. Lore:
Mountaineering:
Stealth:
Swimming:

Weapons: Roll for each soldier:

1-5:
AK-74, 10 c1ips,.4 frag
grenades
6-11:
AK-74, 10 clips, RPG-18"
12-14: RPG-16", 3 rounds, PM, 6
clips
.
15-18: RPK MGt, 8 clips, PM, 6 dips
19:
PK MGt, 8 dips, PM, 6 clips
AGS~17, PM, 4 clips
20:

Officer Enlisted
8
10
10
10

14
10
6
4

10
12

10

4
8
4

12
10
6
4
6

15 per platoon maximum.

3 per platoon max. Another soldier will carry 3 addl
tional rounds for this weapon.
t 3 per platoon max. Another soldier will carry 12 addl
tional rounds for this weapon.
:t 1 per platoon max. Another soldier will carT\! 12 addl
. tional rounds.
1 per platoon max. This is a crew weapon. requiring 3
soldiers to carry disassembled. Each soldier will carTY 12
rounds for this weapon.

Specialties: On a roll of 17 + , a soldier will have

one of the following specialties:
A Combat skill, English, Construction Trades,
Demolition, DriVing, Driving Heavy Vehicle, ElectroniCS, Vehicle Repair, Medicine, Camouflage,
Camping
Specialty Rating: 14

?
10
14

?
6
10

10

12

6
8

Attributes
Strength:
Manual Dexterity:
Agility:
Alertness:
Constitution:

6
4
4
10

Officer Enlisted
10
12
12
12

12

10
10

Leadership:
Panic Level:

4
6

10

Skills
Combat
Auto. Weapons:
Gunnery:
Hand-to-Hand:
Heavy Weapons:
Melee Weapons:
Pistols:
Communication
Bureaucracy:
RUSSian:
Lan.
Lan. - English:
Writing:
Crafts
Driving:
Driving, Hvy Vhd:
Vehicle Repair:
Education
Biology:
Chemistry:
Native History:
US History:
Medicine:

8
10

10
10
6

8
6

6
8

10
?

8
?

4
4

8
14
8

8
12
6

Survival
Camouflage:
Camping:
Home Area Lore:
Area Statnd. Lore:
Mountaineerirrg:
Swimming:

10

4
6

4
8

4
6
10

4
10

4
4
4
6
6
5
4
8
6
10

4
6

6
5
10
8
10

(3.3) MotorRine
Troop Quality:
14 or less: Green
15-17: Veteran
18+:
Elite
Soldiers in Platoon:
1-5:
23 men, 1 officer
6-10:
25 men, 1 officer
11-15:
28 men, 1 officer
31 men, 1 officer
16 + :
Vehicles:
Each platoon will have 3 vehicles. Roll to determine the type.
1-3:
Civilian
US M113
4-5:
6-10:
US Hummer
11-12:
BMP-1
13:
BMP-2
14-17: BTR-60
18-20: BTR-70

GAMEMASTER PACK

,I

...

THE PRICE OF FREEDOM

(3.4) Tank
Troop Quality:
10 or less: Green
11-14: Veteran
15+:
Elite
Soldiers/Vehicles in Platoon
Die Roll Men
Vehicles
1-3:
4-13:

6 men
2
8 men,
1 officer
3
14-20: 11 men,
1 officer
4
WeaponS: Each crewmember will cany a PM and
4 dips ammo. In addition, on a roll of 10-20, the
officer's tank will carry an SMG.
Vehicles:
1-7:
US M-60
8-10:
US M-1
11-12: T-55
13-16: T-72
17-20: T-80
Specialties: On a roll of 16 +, a tank crewmember will be a specialist in one of the following:
Gunnery, English, Driving Heavy Vehicle, Elec
tronics, Vehicle Repair, Medicine
Specialty Rating: 15

Attributes
Strength:
Manual Dexterity:
Agility:
Alertness:
Constitution:

Leadership:
Panic Level:

Officer Enlisted
10
10
9
10
9
10
12
10
10
10
5
4
9

Skills
Combat
Auto. Weapons:
Gunnery:
Heavy Weapons:
Pistols:

8
10
12

10
14
10
8

Communication
Bureaucracy:
Lan. - Russian:
Lan. - English:

4
?

Crafts
Driving:
Driving, Hvy Vhcl:
ElectroniCS:
Vehicle Repair:

8
16
10
12

8
14
8
14

Education

.,
'I

Biology:
Chemistry:
Native History:
US History:
Medicine:
Physics:

4
4
5
4
8
8

5
6

SUrvival
Home Area Lore:
Area Statnd Lore:
Swimming:

4
10

10

Non-Player Character
Personality
Private Bogdonavich stood at attention In front
of the warehouse. His back straight, his shoulders
jtrm, his stomach sucked in - the very model of
a professional soldier.
At least until Lieutenant Karimpny finished his
inspection. Then Bogdonavich's shoulders
slumped and he acquired a rather large paunch;
.he made an obscene gesture toward Karimpny's
retreating back, casually dumped his AK-74 in the
dirt and lit a cigarette.
From the darkness, John 'Stonewall' Jackson
looked on with satisfaction. "Okay folks," he
whispered to his companions. "We've got exactly 90 minutes before Karimpny comes back.
Louise, got the bottle?" The woman displayed the
liter of Absolut vodka. Jackson grinned.
"Great, You keep Bogdonavich occupied;
Harry 'n' me 'II need at least 10 minutes to set the
explosives and get out. Let's roll." The two men
moved off Silently.
.
The woman opened the bottle and, grimacing
in distaste, took a small mouthful and poured the
rest down the front of her blouse. Then she staggered toward the guard.
"Boggie," she called loudly. "Hey Boggie, wanna party?" An almost comical look of surprise and
fear on his face, the guard hastily dropped his
Cigarette and grabbed his rifle. Recognizing her,
his expression rapidly changed to disgust. The
woman winked at him lewdly and blew him an
exaggerated kiss.
"Boggie-poo," she cooed. "How come you
never come 'n' see me any more? Your little
Louisie's gettin' lonesome!" She smiled seductively
- then her eyes rolled up, and she collapsed at
his feet.
Bogdonavich smothered a curse and, dropping
his gun once again, leaned down and began shaking Louise roughly. "Wake up, you stupid drunken
woman!" he whispered. "Wake up! The Lieutenant will kill us both if he finds you here! Go home
- now!"
Louise began to snore. Loudly.
Bogdonav/ch looked around quickly, picked
Louise up, slung her unceremoniously over his
shoulder, and carried her back to her home, vow
ing never again to even look at a superior officer's
mistress.
The two Resistance fighters slipped unseen in
to the warehouse.
The next morning, over four tons of artillery
shells exploded quite satisfactorily.

(4.1) Race/Nationality
The Soviet Union is comprised of diverse races.
Not surprisingly in an empire built on fear, con
quest, and ruthless oppression, the races which

THE PRICE OF FREEDOM

make up the Soviet Union don't like each other

very much. Most have little in common - and
many don't even speak the same language.
While many would see marked military disad
vantages in an army made up of people who instinctively dislike each other and who don't share
a language, that's not how the Party and KGB look
at it.
They know that it's hard to conspire to mutiny
against the government with people you detest;
it's even harder to do so with people who don't
speak your language. Conversely, it is much easier
to convince someone to turn informant against his
fellows if they belong to a hated race.
The Soviet government knows that the greatest
threat to its supremacy is the Red Army; it is more
than willing to trade some of the army's efficiency
and morale for the government's security.

Allied Armies
The Soviet Union will call on its allies to supply
a good portion of men and equipment to the occupying forces. Cuban, Vietnamese, Nicarauguan,
East German, and other units will be stationed
across America.
While less politically reliable and more poorly
armed than the average Soviet troops, the Vietnamese, Nicaraguan, Cubans and Libyans will be
especially feared here because of their history of
conflict with the US and its people.
Morale will be good in these units; equipment
will range from average to terrible.
At Company-level and lowj:lr, Allied units will
be manned exclusively by soldiers of their own nationality; Soviet "advisors" will be in charge of
brigade-level and larger units.

Occupying Unit's Nationality

Roll on the table below for each unit; then roll
on either the Soviet nationalities table or the
foreign nationals table to determine the precise
nationality.

Die Roll
1-15:
16-20:

Nationality
Soviet Union
Allied Nation

Soviet Nationalities
Most Soviet troops in Occupation will be drawn
from the Group of Soviet Forces Germany and
from the western militray districts. They are the
most capable, well-trained, and loyal troops in the
Soviet Army. Units in the eastern Soviet Union
would be otherwise occupied (with the Pan Asians)
and probably to unreliable to be used outside of
the U.S.S.R. Russian illiteracy is a large problem
in those units, as well.

SOVIET GENERATION BOOK

Roll for each soldier in the Soviet unit to determine the soldier's nationality and fluency in Russian. Use the randomizer table on page 5 to vary
soldiers' Russian fluency.

Soviet Nationality Table

Die Roll Nationality (Russian Fluency)
1-8:
9-10:
11-13:
14-15:
16:
17:
18:
19:
20:

Informant's Table

European Russian (19)

Ukranian (17)
Byelorussian (13)
Uzbek (10)
Tatar (9)
Kazakh (8)
Georgian (8)
Baltic (6)
Turkoman (6)

Roll a die for each soldier.

Ole Roll
1-3:
4-17:
18-20:

Informant For:
KGB
No One
The Party

(4.3) Tactical Tags

There are poor, average, and good soldiers in
the Occupying forces. Once combat is joined, this
is simulated by the leadership and panic values
of the soldiers; however, it is often useful to have
an idea of the specific tactical tendencies of the
soldiers - especially officers.
Roll a die on the tactics table below for the officer in charge of a unit or garrison. Add the troop
quality modifier to the roll.

foreign Nationals
Roll for each Allied unit.

foreign Nationals Table

Die Roll Nationality (Russian Fluency)
1-9:
10-15:
16-18:
19:
20:

All are universally hated and distrusted by the

soldiers; the life-expectancy of a revealed informant on duty in a combat zone - where all sorts
of unfortunate accidents can so easilly occur is pretty short.

Cuban (12)
Nicaraguan (9)
East German (13)
Vietnamese (8)
Libyan (6)

Die Roll
1:
2:

(4.2) Informants
In addition to official KGB and Party observers,
each Occupying unit contains secret Party and
KGB informants. These men are chargep with
keeping an eye on other soldiers, making sure that
no one is conspiring against the govemment, no
one is stealing more than his due, that everyone
is meeting the production quotas (or "norms") set
by the high command, etc. Informants will include
regular soldiers, accountants, supply clerks, officers, and assassins.

3:
4:
5:
6:
7:
8:
9:
10:
11:

12:
13:
14:
15:
16:
17:
18:
19:
20:

,(4.4) Treatment of Civilians

Roll a die for each soldier.

Die Roll Result

1-3:
Barbaric: Detests and fears

4-9:

10-14:

Tactics
Panics under fire
Unable to react to new
circumstances
Follows "The Book" always
Rushes headlong. into combat
Takes unnecessary chances
Underestimates opposition
Overestimates oppostion
Hated by troops
Overcautious
Willing to take risks
liked by troops

Fearless under fire

Sneaky
Ruthless
Unpredictable
Well organized
Knows the opposition
Understands troops
Beloved by troops
Feared by troops

15-18:

19-20:

Americans, engages in routine

atrocities: torture, execution,
intimidation, etc.
Poor: Dislikes Americans intensely.
More than willing to use deadly
force when the situation warrants.
Does not encourage atrocities doesn't discourage them either.
Average: Doesn't care either way
about Americans. Will do whatever
is necessary to keep things running
smoothly - open hand, or mailed
fist.
Good: Sympathizes with
Americans. Attempts to establish
friendly relations with them; reluctant to utilize harsh punishments
against them unless directly
ordered.
Excellent: Actively likes
Americans. Maintains very good
relations with civilian populace;
shields them from pain and suffering as much as possible.

GAMEMASTER PACK

THE PRICE OF FREEDOM

(4.5) Passions/Interests

(4.6) Personality Tags

While many soldiers' passions and interests will

have little effect on play - it is hard to im~gine
Resistance fighters finding a way to use a soldier's
love for ballet against him, for example
some,
like greed, self-preservation, lust, etc., may make
quite a difference. And who knows: maybe one
of the Resistance fighters is an ex-ballerina ...

Check the soldier's Tactics tag, Passions,and Interests, then examine the list below to see. if any
personality tag seems especially appropriate for
what you already know of his personality. If not,
roll a die.

Passions
Roll once on the Passions/Interests table, below.

Interests
To determine a soldier's interests, first roll a die
on the table below to determine the number of
interests the soldier possesses and the interest
points in each. Then roll on the Passions/Interests
table for each interest.

Interests
Die Roll (Interest Points In Each)
1-2:
3-4:
5-6:
7-8:
9-11:
12-13:
14-15:
16-18:
19-20:

2 (10, 10)
2 (14, 6)

2 (18, 2)
3 (7, 7, 6)
3 (11, 5,4)
3 (15, 3, 2)
4 (5, 5, 5, 5)
4 (13, 3, 2, 2)

5 (9, 5, 3, 2, 1)

Passions/lntrests Table
Die Roll
1-2:
3-4:
5-6:
7-8:
9-10:
11-12:
13:
14:
15:
16:
17:
18:
19:
20:

Sports (weightlifting, soccer, highjumping, cycling, polo, etc.)

Games (chess, backgammon, cribbage, Against the Reich, etc.)
Relatives in another country
Music (classical, modern,
rock'n'roll, jazz, etc.)
Art (painting, literature, sculpture,
architecture, dramas, movies, etc.)
Science (physics, chemiStry,
biology, natural, astronomy, etc.)
Relatives in United States
Sadism
Self preservation
Alcohol
Sex
Money
Gambling
Personal Advancement

Die Roll Personality tag

1:
2:
3:
4:
.5:
6:
7:
8:
9:
10:
11:
12:
13:
14:
15:
16:
17:
18:
19:
20:

Dapper
Depressed
Dignified
Enthusiastic
Fanatic
Gregarious
Humorous
Indulgent
Intelligent
Loud
Lustful
Modest
Outgoing
Proud
Selfish
Stupid
Subdued
Suspicious
Vigorous
Worldly

(4.7) Physical Tag

Roll a die. on the major feature table, then roll
again on the proper section of the specific physical
tag table to determine the soldier's physical tag.
For more distinctive characters, roll twice.
Note that there are literally millions of possible
physical tags; feel free to make up your own for
your Soviet soldiers.

Die Roll Major Feature

1-4:
5-8:
9-12:
13-16:
17-20:

Hair
Body
Expression
Facial Fe,ature
Speech

Specific Physical Tag

Die Roll Hair
1-3:
4-6:
7-9:
10-12:
13-15:
16-18:
19-20:

Bald
Beard/Mustache
Clean
Color
Curly
Dense
Unkempt

Die Roll Body

I:
Awkward
2-3:
4:
5:
6-7:
8:
9:
10:
11-12:
13:
14:
15:
16:
17:
18-19:
20:

Die Roll Expression

1-2:
3-4:
5-6:
7-8:
9-10:
11-12:
13-14:
15-16:
17-18:
19-20:

Angry
Cheerful
Dour
Dimples
Never Changes
SmUing
Sneer
Solemn
Squint
Tick

Die Roll Speech

1-2:
3-4:
5-6:
7-8:
9-10:
11-12:
13-14:
15-16:
17-18:
19-20:

Accented
Cheerful
Deep
Flamboyant
Lisp
Loud
Nasal
Precise
Shrill
Soft

Die Roll facial Features

1-2:
3-4:
5-6:
7-8:
9-10:
11-12:
13-14:
15-16:
17-18:
19-20:

Acne scarred
Big ears
Bushy eyebrows
Eye color
Scarred
Sloping forehead
Steel teeth
Strong nose
Sunken cheeks
Weak chin

Die Roll Clothing

1-5:
6-10:
11-15:
16-20:

THE PRICE OF FREEDOM

Beefy
Burly
Dark
Fat
Graceful
Handicapped (limps, crippled hand
or leg, etc.)
Lumbering
Muscular
Pale
Poised
Scrawny
Slouching
Short
Tall
Thin

SOVIET GENERATION BOOK

Clean
Dirty
III-fitting
Non-regulation (scarf, jeans, tee
shirt, etc.)

The Mayberry Garrison

Nobody knew what to do when the Commies
came to Mayberry. Mayor Nancy Coopersmith
urged us to grab our guns and kill everyone of
~m who set foot in our town. Leroy Jones, owner
of the Mayberry Feed 'n' Generol Store and high
leader of the Klan; said just about the same thing
- though he used rougher language. Rev.
George Thatcher disagreed; said we should "pray
to Mighty Jehovah to deliver us from our
enemies;" but in the meantime pretty much try
not to rile 'em up.
In the end we didn't do much of anything, of
course, and the Commies waltzed in and took
over town hall. Since then Nan Coopersmith's
been arrested and carted off to someplace called
"The People's Shockworkers' Psychiatric Hospital" for "therapy" - none of us'll ever see her
again, I reckon; almost all our cattle and winter
feed's been "nationalized" (stolen, that is); and
all of the Jews, Blacks, Indians and Mexes have
been shot or sent off to relocation camps out west.
I guess we've just about had enough. Me, Bert,
Annie, Ed, Joe, Joe Jr. and some of the other
boys are takin' off - into the mountains
but
before we go, we're gonna say a special goodbye
to the folks in town hall.
You wanna come along?

Town Hall
Under the SOViets, Mayberry town hall is the
1347th Local Area Administration Center
L.AAC. (roughly equivalent to a County Seat)
- as well as the headquarters, barracks, prison,
and supply dump for the 3rd Company, 43rd
Motor-rifle batallion' - garrison, 1347th L.AAC.
The L.A.A.C. has completely supplanted the
local government. It issues internal passports and
work permits; it records births, deaths, and marriages; and it is responsible for tax collection and
issuance of the new "redbacks"
the United
American Soviet money. In addition, the L.AAC.
administers vital services: garbage collection, mail
service, street repair, citizen relocation, reeducation, etc. Until the Party can supply bureaucratic manpower, US civilians from the old
Mayberry town government are still more or less
running things - though under the close supervision of Sr. Lieut. Surakev, Lieut. Talin, and their
assistants.

Patrols/Guards
The First and Second Platoons share guard/
patrol duty. At any time, about half of the soldiers
from each platoon will be on duty; the other half
will be in the barracks (D and E sections of the
second floor; see f1oorplans, below). Coslgien's
Third Platoon is permanently stationed at the
Takidashi Computer works, 15 minutes away.
Five men from I..ekouski's Second Platoon, on
vehicular patrol of Mayberry in a BMP-2, drive past
the garrison once or twice an hour (they're also
In radio contact at all times). I..ekouski's other
BMP-2 is on extended patrol of the entire
L.AAC.; it i~ from five to 45 minutes away at any
,given time.
Gobinskl's First Platoon guards the garrison.
Two-man patrols circle the building day and
night. It takes 14 minutes to complete a circuit;
patrols run continuously during daytime, and at
Irregular intervals of not less than once an hour
during the night.

This chapter is used in conjunction with Map'

3 included in The Price of Freedom
Gamemaster Screen. The map details a section
of a small town - a public building (Mayberry
Town Hall) set on a steep hillside among suburban houses.
The follOWing sections describe the garrison
manning the town: Third Company of the 45th
Motor-Rifle Battalion.

(5.1) How to Use the

Mayberry Ganison
The town and garrison of Mayberry can be
easily included in an existing campaign or adventure, Mayberry could be a small town anywhere
in the United States - as long as the area has
trees, grass, hills, and middle-class suburbs.
Third Company, the garrisoning unit itself, is appropriate to guard any low to medium importance
area before the Resistance starts making trouble.
Once the PCs begin blowing the environs up in
a big way, however, the garrisOn will be augmented
by other troops (and possibly a few tanks).
As a campaign progresses, the town hall will
take on more of the look of a fortress under siege.
The Soviets will systematically demolish all of the
buildings within 100 yards, add barbed wire fences,
searchlights, and dogs; they will also build
maintenance sheds, prison compounds, helicopter
landing fields, etc.

10

GAMEMASTER PACK

THE PRICE OF FREEDOM

Two soldiers each are stationed on all sides of

the building (hexes 1813, 2110, 2115, and the nest
in hex 1813; see 5.4, below). An additional eight
soldiers are on guard duty inside the building,
along with 15-20 others asleep on the second
floor.

(5.2) Mayberry Demographics

Population: 18,000 white baptist/protestant
farmers; some high-tech workers and bigcity commuters of no particular race or
religion.
Location: Anywhere USA. 50 miles from
nearest big city; 10-20 miles from good
Resistance terrain - mountains, forest, or
swamp.
Resources: Farmland, timber, some tired old
ore mines outside of town.
Industry: Takidashi Computer works built just
outside of town in the '70s. (Video games,
home computers, talking teddy bears, etc.)
Transport: None of any importance: small airfield outside of Takidashi plant, dirt roads
to farms and hills, two-lane highway to city,
abandoned railroad to mines.
Resistance Activities: Morrie Howard and
Lawrence Fine got themselves shot a couple of weeks back while trying to blow up
the town hall, that's about it.

Area Importance Modifier: + 2

(5.3) Third Company

Elite Motor-Rifle unit garrisoning the town of
Mayberry
2 full platoons, 1 skeleton platoon

HQ Staff
Captain Vaslli Kararov: Commander
Sr. Lieutenant Alexl Surakev: 2nd in Command; Party/Government liaison
Lieutenant Rudl Latislaw: 3rd in Command; Duty Officer
Lieutenant Lori Talln: Civilian Affairs;
Re-education (KGB)
Sgt.. Godanskl: Radio & Supply Officer
Sgt.. Koridan: Security Officer
Sgt. Donavich: Medical Officer
6 enlisted men

1st Platoon (Elite)

SJ. Sergeant Leonid Gobinskl: CD.
31 men in Platoon; 25 present for duty

Vehicles:
2 US M113 (I under repair), 1 US Hummer,
1 bus, 2 pickup trucks, 1 motorcycle

Weapons:
Soldiers Carrying
AK-74 & 10 clips, 4 frag
9:

1:
3:
2:

grenades
AK-74 & 10 clips, RGP-18, 2
phosphorus grenades
RPK MG & 10 clips, PM & 4
clips
PK MG & 8 clips, PM & 4 clips
1 AGS-17 & 36 rounds
(disassembled; each man also
carries a PM & 4 clips)
AK-74 & 10 clips (also carrying
radio)

THE PRICE OF FREEDOM

Specialists
1 Automatic Weapons, 2 Gunnery, 1 Indirect Fire, 2 English, 3 Driving (Heavy Vehicle), 2 Vehicle Repair, 1 Medicine
Specialty Rating: 14

Second Platoon (Veteran)

Sgt.. Ivan Lekouski:

co.

28 men in platoon; 22 present for duty.

Vehicles
3 BMP-2's, 2 sedans, 1 pickup truck, 2 motorcycles

Weapons
Soldiers
6:
10:

4:

2:

Carrying
AK-74 & 10 cliP&, 4 frag
grenades
'
AK-74 & 10 clips, RP.G-18, 2
phos grenades
RKP MG & 10 clips, PM & 4
clips
AK-74 & 10 clips (also carry
radios)

Specialists
1 Automatic Weapons, 1 Gunnery, 2 Bargain, 2
Con, 4 English, 2 Drug Lore
Specialty Rating: 13

Third Platoon (Veteran)

Sgt. Yurl Coslglen: C.o.
12 Men in Platoon; 6 present for duty.

Vehicles
1 US M113 (permanently disabled), 1 bus, 1
sedan, 1 motorcycle

Weapons
Soldiers
4:
1:
1:

Carrying
AK-74 & 12 clips, 6 frag
grenades
RPK MG & 8 clips, PM & 6 clips
AK-74 & 10 clips (also carrying
radio)

Specialists
1 Automatic Weapons, 1 Hand-to-hand, 1 English

Specialty Rating: 14

(5.4) Maps and Floorplans

Map 3: Town Hall and Surroundings
Map 3is a tactical display of the Mayberry town
hall and surrounding area. The color of each hex
indicates the terrain that occupies it, as follows:

Hex

Terrain Type

1812
clear
1710
woods
1611
road
1009
stream
1808
rubble
1017
clear (playground)
Other features on the map:

Hex

Feature

1803
2013
1918
1722
2222

house
town hall
civil war memorial cannon
stone wall
bush

Buildings
The closed squares printed on the bUilding walls
represent doors; the open squares represent
Windows.

Houses
The houses are two-story wooden buildings put
up around the turn of the century. The three
houses to the north have been taken over by
Soviet officers; fhe two destroyed houses to the
south were burned to provide a free fire zone
around town hall. The other houses are still occupied by Americans.
Most houses contain basements and attics; the
stairs are located in the center-most hex In the
house.
The houses are kept locked at all times (difficult
Strength task to break open; average to difficult
manual dexterity or Locksmithing task to pick open
- if you've got the proper tools). One or two
houses have working electronic alarms.
The smaller buildings next to many houses are
garages used to store cars, bicycles, lawn-mowing
equipment and the like. The garages are one-story;
the doors are locked (average difficulty to pick).

Town Hall
A 14 by 24 meter wood and stone building put
up in 1876 to celebrate the centennial, the town
hall was considered unbelievably extravagant for
a town of 5,000, but the town planners expected
Mayberry to treble in size within the next decade
and also expected the increased tax revenue to
pay for the bUilding. They were wrong of course:
Mayberry's population remained depressingly
stable through World War I, and the town hall
wasn't paid off until 1925.
Since then, the town hall's fortunes have risen
and fallen with the town's: when times are good,
the building is modernized, painted, kept in good
repair; when times are bad, the building suffers
from neglect. Times have been good recently until the Soviets moved in, of course.

Extertor
A straight barbed wire fense surrounds the
building, running along the hexsides one hex
away. During the day, the wire is opened at hexes
1813, 2115, and 2214, allOWing safe passage to
the building; at night, the only entrance is at hex
1813.
Fixed spotlights illuminate the grounds within
two hexes of the building. (The tree in 1710 and
. the bushes in 2216 provide cover; they are slated
for removal.)
The East Face: The main entrance faces Taylor
Street. Taylor St. is closed to civilian traffic; a
BMP-2 or US Hummer is usually parked at hex
1612. There is a fixed machinegun nest above the
main entrance to the building where two soldiers
man an HMG and two AT-4 ATGMs behind a low
wall of sandbags on the balcony.
The North Face: To the north of the building
stands the Civil War memorial cannon. Beyond
that is Fife St. Soldiers and supplies are brought
in through the entrance at 2115.
The West Face: Originally a picnic area, the open
ground to the rear of the building sees little use
these days. Off limits to Americans; occaSionally
bodies or prisoners are quietly hustled out the back
door to waiting vehicles in the parking lot.
The South Face: The two houses to the south
were destroyed by the Soviets to make it difficult
for saboteurs to sneak up to the building. The door
in hex 2110 leads directly into the auditorium in
the basement; when Americans are herded into
the building for re-education or mass interroga'
tion sessions, they will use this entrance.

SOVIET GENERATION BOOK

11

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12

GAMEMASTER PACK

THE PRICE OF FREEDOM

Town Hall Interior

Following is a description of the interior o(town
hall; it is keyed to the f100rplans on page 12.

First Floor
AIA3: Entrance and main hall.
. AI: Two soldiers stand guard outside the doors

Second Floor
A: Hallway and machinegun nest.
AI: Hallway. Two guards from the HQ unit
stand at the top of the stairs. (These soldiers are
assigned to escort US nationals into the Mayor's
office.) .
A2: Machinegun nest. A balcony runs along the
front of the building, providing a 2 meter by 3
meter platform directly above the main entrance.
The Soviets have placed an HMG and 2 AT-4
ATGMs and two soldiers here around the clock.
B: Third Company Headquarters.
BI: Captain Kararov's quarters. Spartan: bed,
table, chair, uniforms.
B2: Radio room. Contains R107 Manpack radio
and R-126 very low power radio for talking to 43rd
Batallion HQ and Third Company's Platoons. A
soldier on duty here at all times.
B3, B4: HQ command. Maps, duty rosters,
orders, secret files, f;iecoders, requisition forms,
reports, etc. Kararov, Surakev, or Talin, plus two
soldiers will be on duty here during the day; one
soldier will be here during the night.
B5: Enlisted HQ soldiers' barracks. Nine beds;
nine sets of dirty uniforms; three quarts vodka; 5
AK-74s; 30 clips ammo; 3 sidearms.
C: Mayor's suite.
CI: Mayor's office. Josh Bensen, acting mayor,
preSiding. Big desk, bookshelves, couch, chairs,
wet bar. Fully bugged. A Civil War Peacemaker
Colt pistol hanging on the wall above the Mayor's
desk actually works; it's cleaned and fully loaded
(it was Nancy Coopersmith's grandfather's).
C2: Soviet/American liason office. Sergeant
Koridan's office. Listens in on Mayor, tells him what
to say, threatens his life, etc.
C3: Mayor's secretary's office. Contains desk,
chair, typewriter, and Jo Marybeth Wilson, the
Mayor's secretary. Window into reception room,
C4, allows Jo to see whds waiting to see the
Mayor.
C4: Reception room. Couch, chairs, ashtrays,
Time magazines. Small window into Mayor's
secretary in C3.
0: Kitchen, mess, sick bay.
01: Kitchen. Two large stoves, four refrigerators,
two Sinks, large counter, loads of dry goods. Most
of this was installed at gunpoint against electrician's
vigorous objections; the fuses blow about once a
month, leaving the north side of the building dark.
02: Sick bay. Two beds, clean linen, medical
supplies, etc. First aid, mostly. Difficult cases
transferred to batallion hospital.
03: Enlisted men's mess. Tables, chairs, food,
posters of Lenin, etc.
04: Officers' mess. Tables, chairs, food, posters
of Lenin, vodka, Tv, etc.
E: Barracks.
20-30 men here around the clock. Beds, tables,
chairs, vodka, dirty uniforms. .

day and night. US citizens are allowed inside only

during working hours or by special invitation; all
are searched by the guards (very difficult task to
smuggle handgun or larger past this search).
A2: Main hall. Empty during night. Daytime:
Two guards stand at the bottom of the stairs facing
the entrance. All visitors must check in at the information desk (A3). US citizens may enter only
the Public Service Bureau at will; to go anywhere
else, they must submit a request form and receive
a written pass from the official they want to see.
A3: Information desk.
B: Courtroom.
Court is in session for three hours Monday and
Thursday morning. Judge Hacker, ably assisted
by Lieutenant Talin of Civilian Affairs (KGB),
decides the fate of hooligans, tax evaders,
malcontents, etc. Two soldiers are stationed against
the north and south walls when court is in session.
C: Judge's chambers.
Lieutenant Talin has taken over Hacker's
chambers. In addition to the desk, chairs, couch,
closet and bathroom, he's added a KGB shortwave radio, and a high-securlty safe containing all
sorts of interesting spy documents.
0: Judge's/County Attorney's offices.
Judge Hacker's office is 01; the County Attorney's office is D2. Bugged thoroughly by Talin.
E: Conference room.
Long table with comfortable chairs running
down either side. Used (oddly enough) for conferences. Bugged.
F: Employees' lounge.
Couch, table, kitchenette, TV. Used only by
Soviets; off-limits to Americans. Bugged.
G: Printing Offices.
Contains typewriters, copy machine, artist
board, personal computer and laser printer.
Passports, permits, official proclamations are
printed here by four Americans under close supervision. One English-speaking officer is stationed
here working hours; two guards are stationed outside the door day and night. Bugged.
H: Public Services Bureau.
HI: US citizens needing passports, driver's
licenses, marriage permits, working permits, living permits, education vouchers, quota
deferments, quarterly visa updates, audit reports,
etc., stand in extremely long lines and try to attract the attention of frightened, harned and overworked civil servants behind the counter in H2.
H2: Six frightened, harned and overworked civil
servants serve hundreds of US citizens under the
eye of one English-speaking Party supervisor.
H3: Records. Originally on microfilm, but since Basement
the Occupation microfilm's been impossible to ob- A: Entrance.
Two soldiers stationed here at all times.
tain and they've gone back to paper. (The room
B: Third Company supply.
is about ready to burst.)
20 AK-74s & 950 clips; 60 frag grenades; 40
I: Vital Services Bureau.
The garbage collection, street repair, snow plow- phosphorous grenades; 25 RPG-18s; 2 RPK MGs
ing, ambulance, street lighting, and education ser- & 550 clips; 1 RPG-16 & 45 rounds; 5 PMs &
vices (which used to occupy most of the second 50 clips. In addition, contains 100 CW/Rad suits
floor) have been jammed into these incredibly & masks; 50 uniforms; 3 radios; 5 binoculars; 2
cramped offices (six people per office). Bugged; cases requisition forms; 1 soccer baD; and 12 cases
vodka.
Johnson in sanitation is a KGB informant.
C: Physical plant.
CI: Furnace, water heater, c.entral AC, pipes,
THE PRICE OF FREEDOM

tubes, mechanical devices, etc. Furnace and electricity generator run on oil; 500 gallon oil container
buried behind town hall (heh, heh).
C2: Janitor's office. Desk, chair, couch, grease,
dirty magazines, coffee, etc.
0: Holding pen.
KGB hasn't gotten around to building separate
cells yet; everybody's thrown in one big square,
concrete, featureless room. Doors are locked and
barred from the outSide; no toilets or water, and
poor ventilation.
E: Re-Education center.
Originally the town meeting hall. Podium, slide
and movie projector, and 200 colorful plastic seats.
Talin holds weekly "seminars" for the town bigwigs
to extoll the merits of the Communist system.

(5.5) Adventure Hooks

Following are three adventure hooks for use
specifically with the Mayberry garrison. (See
Chapter 5 of the Gcrmemoster Book.)

The Puppet
The Soviets find it convenient to keep an
American as puppet mayor of Mayberry, both to
convince US citizens that they have some control
over their own lives, and to convince Party officials
back in the USSR that re-education of Americans
is coming along nicely. Josh Bensen, Deputy
Mayor since Nancy Coopersmith was kidnapped,
is the current puppet.
He's darn good at it, too. During the food paniC
three weeks ago, an angry and hungry crowd
gathered outside town hall, demanding that the
Commies get them SOme food. A few rocks and
bottles were thrown, and, as the soldiers nervously
fingered their weapons, Bensen came out on the
balcony and urged the civilians to go home, that
things were sure to get better real soon. "My
friends, let me assure you that we are doing
everything in our power to alleviate thiS unfortunate crisis:'
While Bensen didn't convert the townspeople
to Communism en masse, he managed to calm
them down enough to avoid bloodshed.
The Resistance needs bloodshed.
If they are to regain their freedom, the American
people must fight. By defUSing potentially explosive confrontations between US citizens and
Soviet soldiers, Bensen is deliberately harming the
Resistance.
Obviously, he must be destroyed.
The only problem is, the deputy mayor never
leaves town hall. He's living there "for the duration of the crisis." How to kill him?
The mayor's office is in the southwest comer
of the building on the second floor. Perhaps a
sniper on the roof of one of the houses to the
southwest could get a shot through the window ...
Get another riot started. Shoot the mayor when
he comes out to calm the people ...
Wangle an audience with the mayor and smuggle in some plastiC explosive and a time-delayed
fuse ...

The PrIsoner
They've grabbed Jock!
Jock Lebanis - ex-pro-running back, TV and
movie star, and now Resistance leader - has been
captured and taken to town hall! He must be
rescued!
Mabel Hightower, Resistance spy, says the
Commies are going to interrogate him back at 43rd
Batallion HQ. The 43rd has sent a chopper to pick

SOVIET GENERATION BOOK

13

Jock up it'll be landing behind town hall within

the hour.
Not only is he a hero to all true Americans,
but Jock knows just about everything there is to
know about the Resistance in this area - including
the PCs' identities. If the Commies can break him
- and they can break anybody, given time - the
Resistance, the Pes, and all their friends and family
will be in tremendous danger.
Jock must be rescued, or, failing that, killed,
before the KGB boys at the 43rd can open him
up. The player characters can attempt a daring
rescue of Jock before he gets on the helicopter,
or perhaps attempt to put a bullet into him as he
is being loaded.
The copter will land in the parking lot to the
north west of the town hall approximately an hour
from the present time; the PCs have little chance
to prepare for the encounter. They will have to
knock out the six or seven soldiers escorting Jock
from the building to the vehicle, disable the copter
so it cannot give immediate chase (or, of course,
steal it), and get out. No problem.
Prudent Resistance fighters will hide a man in
one of the surrounding buildings with an SAM ...
just in case all else fails.
The Treasure of the Sierra Madre
Ed Binkley, Mayberry's leading wealthy recluse
and eccentric, has lived in a small cave ten miles
out of town for the past twenty years, subsisting
mainly on a diet of varmints, wild mushrooms and
Oreo cookies. Ed's life has been pretty much unaffected by the Occupation; though Ed's fortune in
bonds and securities has been rendered worthless,
he never spent any of it anyway. And the Soviets
haven't gotten around to liquidating harmless
lunatics yet.
However, the Russian Invasion has halted production of Oreos. Incensed, Ed took his old 1863
Sharps Repeating Carbine and put a bullet through
a Russian soldier's head. He was caught and killed,
but he died free - fighting for something he
believed in - Oreo cookies.
Shortly after his death, Ed's sister, old Miss
Aggie, comes to a Resistance fighter with a strange
story. Throughout his life, she says, Ed claimed
that he had hidden 50 pounds of pure gold in
town, someplace where "the Cobbly-wobblies
could never find it:' For obvious reasons she never
paid much attention to anything Ed said; however,
after he died she went through his things - and
found an old bill from the Charleston Safe Co. for
one hidden safe installed in the basement of the
house on the corner of Bea and Taylor (the ruined house at hex 1808). Before he went crazy, Ed
used to own that house.
Is it possible that there are 50 pounds of pure
gold hidden in the ruins of that house?
That kind of money would buy lots of food,
shoes, and guns for the Resistance. But how to
get it? The house's current owner, Rashjamere
Mondaffi, is a Resistance fighter; he knows nothing
about any treasure hidden in his basement, but
he gives the PCS permission to look for it.
In any event, the adventure should contain a
large helping of The Great Escape-style intrigue,
tunneling, skulking around in the dark, falSifying
documents, bribery, etc. A successful operation will
probably entail little or no combat.
An unsuccessful operation will no doubt result
in the demise of all the persons involved.

14

Soldiers of the Mayberry

Garrison
Captain Vasili Kararov
Commander Third Company - Elite Motor-Rifle
Officer
Physical Tag: piercing blue eyes
Personality Tag: kind
Passion: ballet
Interests: dogs (111, classical music (5), women (4)
Strength: 9
Manual Dexterity: 11
Agility: 9
Alertness: 13
Constitution: 8
Leadership: 5
Panic: 4
Important Skills:
Pistols: 9
Bureaucracy: 10
English: 15
Driving, Heavy Vehicle: 15
Medicine: 7
Sex: male
Age: 63
Hair: gray
Eyes: blue
Height: 5' 11"
Weight: 185 Ibs
Race/Nationality: European Russian
Informant For: No one
Tactics Tag: Loved by troops
Treatment of Civilians: Excellent
Character Background:
Kararov joined the Red Army in the early '50s
because he believed that it would spearhead the
Great Worker's Revolution, sweeping the globe
free of decadent Capitalism and the disease which
is Fascism. "This is the beginning!" he thought
proudly, as his glOriOUS Red Army rolled into
Hungary to free the enslaved workers from the
tyranny of the oppressors.
Then Czechoslovakia followed Hungary and
Poland followed Czechoslovakia. Then Angola,
Vietnam, Nicarauga, Afghanistan
for Kararov
they have all blurred into one fantastic scene of
blood and screams and pain and death. He doesn't
know if he believes in the Red Army or the Great
Worker's Revolution any more - all he knows is
that he's tired, and he's sad for all the brave and
foolish young men who are still to die.
Kararov is an extremely dangerous opponent.
He has fought insurgency and counterinsurgen~
cy actions across the globe for 40 years. He is
respected by his superiors - even the KGB and
the Party give him their grudging admiration
he is a brilliant tactician; and he is beloved by his
men, most of whom would willingly die for him.
He is a careful soldier; he has no ambition and

GAMEMASTER PACK

few vices; and he cannot be frightened or goaded into rash actions.

But perhaps his most dangerous quality is his
humane treatment of US civilians. His obvious
decency and kindness soon begins to sap them
of their fear and hatred; until he is destroyed or
provoked into committing reprisals against the
populace - something he is extremely reluctant
to do the civilian population wiUgrow more and
more reconciled to their servitude, and less and
less willing to risk upsetting the boat by helping
the Resistance.
.,

Sr. Lieutenant Alexi Surakev

Second in Command to Kararov - Veteran
Motor-Rifle Officer
Physical Tag: burly
Personality Tag: enthusiastic
Passion: personal advancement
Interests: soccer (lO}, antiques (1O}
Strength: 10
Manual Dexterity: 13
Agility: 7
Alertness: 11
Constitution: 9
Leadership: 4
Panic: 4
Important Skills:
Automatic Weapons: 13
Gunnery: 10
Pistols: 7
Language - English: 7
Demolition: 12
Sex: male
Age: 29
Hair: brown
Eyes: blue
Height: 5' 10"
Weight: 195 Ibs
Race/Nationality: European Russian
Informant For: The Party
Tactical Tag: Fearless under fire
Treatment of Civilians: Average
Character Background:
Alexi is the product of a mixed marriage - his
Russian father met and feU in love with his mother
while serving at the Soviet EmbasSy to Paris. His
mother, a brilhant French artist, immediately applied for citizenship to the USSR, and, five years
later, was accepted. The couple married, and Alexi
was born soon after. Seven and a half months
after, to be precise, something which has caused
Alexi no little embarrassment and which possibly
explains his overwhelming need to prove himself
- as a human being and as a loyal Soviet citizen.
THE PRICE OF FREEDOM

In the Army, he has done so with a vengeance.

He is an enthusiastic officer, willing and able to
lead his men into battle for the glory of the Soviet
Union. He's at best an average administrator, but,
as he is fond of saying, "It's better to win a battle
than to write a tidy report about it."
Veteran of the Afghanistan War of Liberation
and of the mopping up operations in West Germany and France, Surakev has proven himself
cool, brave, and daring under fire, always ready
to exploit the least weakness in his opponent. He
takes chances which others would call rash, but
so far they have paid off spectacularly. His high
rank at such a young age accurately reflects his
superiors' opinion of his abilities.
Surakev has good connections in the Party
through his father, now a high-ranking Officer of
Occupation, though he is still looked upon with
some suspicion by the KGB because of his
mother's nationality. His men respect and admire
him, though some think that he is a little too quick
to risk their necks for his own glory.

Lieutenant Rudi Latislaw

Third in Command; Duty Officer - Elite MotorRifle Officer
Physical Tag: short
Personality Tag: dignified
Passion: women
Interests: chess (1O), his children (10)
Strength: 11
Manual Dexterity: 13
Agility: 8
Alertness: 10
Constitution: 8
Leadership: 4
Panic: 5
Important Skills:
Gunnery: 14
Pistols: 8
Language - English: 7
Language - Spanish: 13
Driving, Heavy Vehicle: 13
Medicine: 7
Sex: male
Age: 37
Hair: black
Eyes: brown
Height: 5' 7"
Weight: 165 Ibs
Race/Nationality: European Russian
Tactics Tag: Cautious
Informant For: No one
Treatment of Civilians: Poor

Character Background:
Latislaw is an orphan from the slums of Moscow.
Brought up in a State-run orphanage, at an early
age he learned both self-reliance and love for the
State.
He ~as drafted at 17. To his surprise he liked
the Army: he was used to regimented life from
the orphanage, and his shortness was much less
apparent when he was sitting at the controls of
an APC.
He also likes the attention women give a man
in uniform, and at 21 he married a Moscow barmaid who has since given him three children.
While he has tried to remain faithful to her, he has
been known to take a mistress when away from
home for a long time.
Latislaw has seen action in a few of the many
border-clashes between the USSR and the PanAsians. While an uninspired leader, tending to do
things "by the book:' he is conscientious and alert.

THE PRICE OF FREEDOM

He knows the Third Company inside and out and

he hates to lose men. Though he may not be a
qUick thinker, he doesn't panic under pressure, and
his soldiers respect him.

Lieutenant Lori Talln

Civilian Affairs; KGB liaison
Rifle Officer

Veteran Motor-

Physical Tag: sneering expression

Personality Tag: fanatic
Passion: bigotry
Interests: sadism (lO), alcohol (10)
Strength: 11
Manual Dexterity: 11
Agility: 8
Alertness: 12
Constitution: 8
Leadership: 2
Panic: 5
Important Skills:
Automatic Weapons: 9
Hand-to-hand: 15
Melee Weapons: 6
Pistols: 9
Interrogation: 15
Stealth: 7
Tracking: 8
Sex: male
Age: 22
Hair: brown
Eyes: blue
Height: 6'0" Weight: 200 Ibs
Race/Nationality: European Russian
informant For: KGB
Tactics Tag: Hated by troops.
Treatment of Civilians: Barbaric

Character Background:

Strength: 9
Manual Dexterity: 11
Agility: 7
Alertness: 11
Constitution: 7
Leadership: 1
Panic: 10
Important Skills:
I-Jand-to-hand: 4
Pistols: 3
Bureaucracy: 13
Language
English: 12
Sex: male
Age: 25-50
Hair: brown
Eyes: blue
Height: 5' 8" Weight: 175-225
Race/Nationality: Armenian, Ukranian, European
RUSSian
Informant For: KGB, no one, The Party
Tactics Tag: Panic under fire
Treatment of Civilians: Average

Character Background:
These three slobs are civilian accountants and
petty bureaucrats who were recalled into active
service a little over two months ago. Surly, iU-tempered, or cheerfully stupid - their personalities
are up to you, but keep them comical. Their
function is to wander around mghtenedly in the
line of fire, shouting madly and trying to shoot their
rifles with the safeties on.
They will also get captured from time-to-time,
at which point they will immediately spill what Uttle
information they have managed to jam into their
subhuman braincases. Think of them as a
combination Three Stooges/Sgt. Shultz.
They will probably have a real short lifespan.

Talin was born and raised in a lower-class slum

in Stalingrad. His father, a stupid, surly eviltempered bigot of a steel-worker, [eft Talin two
things when he died: a crescent-shaped scar on
his lower back from one of many drunken
beatings, and all of his personality flaws.
Talin is a virulent anti-Semite and looks with
contempt upon all non-white races. He especiaUy
hates Orientals.
Talin has found the Army the perfect place to
exercise his penchant for sadisim, finding special
satisfication in brutalizing and killing civilians. The
one thing he dislikes about the Army is that there
are so many foreigners in it. Vietnamese, Cubans,
blacks - what is the world coming to, anyway?
[n addition to his official duties as informant and
spy, the KGB has occasionally used him to murder
foreign soldiers who have fallen from favor Nicarauguans who question orders, obstreperous
Yugoslavians, etc.
His superiors distrust him, and his fellow soldiers
dislike him intensely. He is positively loathed by
non-European-Russian troops. If he isn't careful,
somebody is going to aCcidentally shoot him in
the face fifteen or twenty times.

PhYSical Tag: bloodshot eyes

Personality Tag: nervous
Passion: glory
Interests: alcohol (14), sports (6)
Strength: 12
Manual Dexterity: 13
Agility: 9
Alertness: 10
Constitution: 7
Leadership: 4
PaTlic: 7
Important Skills:
Automatic Weapons: 8
Heavy Weapons; 13
Pistols: 9
Language
English: 6
Mountaineering: 8
Sex: mille
Age: 29
Hair: black
Eyes: blue
Height: 5'11" Weight: 175 lbs
Race/Nationality: Polish/Russian

Sergeants Gudanski,
Koridan, and Donavich

Informant For: KGB

Tactics Tag: Takes unnecessary chances
Treatment of CiVilians: Poor

RadiO, Security, and Medical Officers - Veteran

Motor-Rifle paper-pushers

Character Background:

PhYSical Tags: nondescript

Personality Tags: nondescript
Passion: staying alive
Interests: alcohol (5), women (5), gambling (5),
OlympiC sports (5)

Sr. Sergeant Leonid Gobinski

1st Platoon Commander - Veteran Motor-rifle
Soldier

Leonid's socialist grandparents emigrated to

Moscow shortly after the revolution. While experiencing some prejudice because of their
ancestry, they joined the Party and worked hard.
Eventually they were accepted as loyaJ Russians
and prospered. When the Germans invaded in
WWII, Leonid's grandfather fought with the

SOVIET GENERATION BOOK

15

Partisans, and afterwards was awarded the coveted

Order of Glory, Class II for bravery. Leonid's father
followed his father's footsteps, earning the Order
of Bogdan Khmelnltsky, Class I for bravery in the
Afghanistan war - posthumously, unfortunately.
Leonid is trying hard to live up to his father's
and grandfather's example. He has no real gift for
soldiering, he hates the st!.l-pidity of war and is
terrified of getting killed: he's slowly destroying
himself trying to:fill their shoes.
.
Leonid currently has his alcoholism under
control; he hasn't yet gotten drunk on duty.

Sr. Sergeant Ivan Lekouski

2nd Platoon Commander Veteran Motor-Rifle
Soldier
Physical Tag: dirty
Personality Tag: lazy
Passion: money
Interests: comfort (11), gambling (5), alcohol (4),
Strength: 12
Manual Dexterity: 12
Agility: 8
Alertness: 10
Constitution: 10
Leadership: 3
Panic: 9
Important Skills:
Automatic Weapons:'9
Hand-to-hand: 6
Language - English: 13
Forgery: 8
Criminal Operations: 9
Sex: male
Age: 21
Hair: black
Eyes: brown
. Height: 5'9" Weight: 160 lbs
Race/Nationality: European Russian
Informant For: No one
Tactics Tag: Rushes headlong into combat
Treatment of Ciuilians: Good
Character Background:
In his four short.years in the service, Lekouski
has eared the title of "the dirtiest soldier in the Army." He stoutly denies anything of the kind, unshakably convinced that he is as good a soldier
as the next man, and better than most. Repeated
lectures, fines, demotions and punishment details
have done nothing to shake his opinion.
Basically, Lekouski is eager to serve his country and be a good soldier, but none too sure how
to go about it. The fighting's the easy part: "You
go out and shoot the guys who are trying to shoot
you." It's all that other stuff - guard duty, saluting,
waking up on time, not fraternizing with the
enemy, keeping clean, etc.
that throws him.
For Instance, he's currently running a thriving
black market operation selling old equipment and
ammunition to the Resistance. He doesn't see
"they were just going
anything wrong with It
to throw the stuff out anyway, nyet?"
and it
never occurs to him to wonder what the crazy
Americans want with that useless junk anyway.
He recently lost his AK-47 in a poker game. (He
promptly stole somebody else's.)
But drop him in a field and tell him to kill all
those guys over there. .. he'll do his level best.
And he's good at it. .
No one is exactly sure why he is in command
of the 2nd Platoon. Kararov is going to demote
him as soon as he has an adequate replacement.
Lekouski knows this and doesn't particularly care.

16

Sergeant Yurl Cosigien

3rd Platoon Commander - Veteran Motor-Rifle
Soldier
Physical Tag: balding
Personality Tag: bitter
Passion: personal advancement
Interests: fishing (18), skiing (2)
Strength: 12
Manual Dexterity: 12
Agility: 8
Alertness: 10
Constitution: 10
Leadership: 3
Panic: 10
Important Skills: .
Automatic Weapons: 12
Pistols: 12
Language .,.... English: 5
Driving, Heavy Vehicle: 12
Sex: male
Age: 36
Hair: bald
Eyes: blue
Height: 5'10" Weight: 160lbs
Race/Nationality: Yugolsavlan/Naturalized
Russian
Informant For: No one
Tactics Tag: Follows "The Book" always
Treatment of Cluillans: Poor
Character Background:
At 36, Yurils still only a'sergeant In the Army.
He knows it's because he was hom a Yugoslavian.
Those stupid, pigheaded bigots in High Command
have had it in for him ever since he joined up.
Never mind that he's been a Russian citizen since
he was six. Never mind that he has served faithfully
in the Army since he was 17. All that they know
is he's Yugoslavian and not to be trusted.
He was about to quit - his five-year hitch was
up - and then this stupid war came along. So
now he's in for 'the duration' and there's not a
chance in hell he'll get anything out of it - except shot. He's not excited by the prospect.

Pavel Partsik
Sergeant - Elite
Physical Tag: tall
Personality Tag: proud
Passion: chess
Interests: military history (10), fine art (10)
Strength: 12
Manual Dexterity: 12
Agility: 8
Alertness: 10
Constitution: 10
Panic: 9
Important Skills:
Auto Weapons: 9
Hand-to-Hand: 6
Language - English: 5
US History: 5
Medicine: 5
Sex: male
Age: 18
Hair: brown
Eyes: brown
Height: 6' 1" Weight: 195 Ibs
Race/Nationality: European Russian
Informant For: The Party
Tactics Tag: Ruthless.

GAMEMASTER PACK

Character Background:
From the age of ten, Partsik wanted to be in the
Red Army. His father, a Professor of Economics
at the Kiev Institute, Violently disapproved, but
Partsik perSisted. After a year of pleading, his .
father submitted and, using his Party connections,
secured his son a place in the prestigious Frunz
military academy. Since then, Partsik has been in
the Army.
He's a brilliant soldier. He's a tough fighter, he
understands the limitations of his men and equipment, and he isn't afraid to die. He's coltl, emotionless, calculating, cool under fire. He has no
life outside the Army.
Partsik's expecting to be promoted soon; when
it comes through, he will probably be assigned
command of the 2nd Platoon.

Frans List Heinzelmann

Soldier - Veter~n
Physical Tag: overweight
Personality Tag: gregarious
Passion: music
Interests: Germany (7), rock'n'roll (7), women (6),
Strength: 12
Manual Dexterity: 12
Agility: 8
Alertness: 10
Constitution: 10
Panic: "10
Important Skills:
Auto Weapons: 8
Language
English: 5
Age: 21
S~: male
Eyes: blue
Hair: brown
Height: 5'10" Weight: 200 Ibs
Race/Nationality: East German
Informant For: No one
Tactics Tag: Overcautious
Treatment of Ciuillans: Poor
Character Background:
Heinzelman isn't exactly sure how he got into
this mess. A native of East Germany, he was an
exchange student of classical music at the
University of Leningrad when he received his
notice of induction. Into the Russian Army. Into
the elite Third Company of the 43rd Regiment of
the Russian Army. To say the least, it is quite
unusal for East German music students to be
drafted into the elite service branches of the Soviet
Army.
Repeated requests for transfer to an East
German outfit have gotten him nowhere. His
superiors, as baffled as he, figured the best thing
to do was to pretend nothing was wrong and treat
him like any other draftee. His fellow soldiers
subject him to no little abuse, but he is such a
good-natured, likeable person that at least they
haven't killed him.
And the funny thing is, he's not a bad soldier.
He likes driving those big BMPs around, and whUe
he is none too thrilled about getting shot at, he
doesn't panic, either. He's even worked out a deal
with a crooked shipping clerkto send "decadent"
rock'n'roll records and music videOs, which he buys
by the case from the black market, back home to
East Germany.
/hcldentally, he was drafted because of a
massiue computer malfunction at the Moscow
branch of the Bureau of Military Affairs. The BMA
offiCials steadfastly deny that there was any error
at all; Heinzelman Is likely to be in the army for
a long, long time.
.
THE PRICE OF FREEDOM

'RICI
OF FREEDOM
~

Steve Gilbert with Greg Costlkyan

Design

Leonard Quam
Research

Kevin Wilkins and Stephen Crane

Graphic Design

Mongol
Cover Illustration

John Tortogllone
Interior Illustrations

Dione Malz
Character Illustrations & Graphic Design

Greg Costlkyon
Original System Design

Paul Balsamo, Tim Burton, Peter Corless,

Craig Foster, Bill Hen, Len Quam, Sam
Weiss, Martin Wixted
Playtesters

Many thanks to Dave Harlingshead, Wolf

Trippe, Caterpillar Tractor Co., and the u.s.
Department of Agriculture Forest Service for
their assistance.
Back couer photo of AH-64 Helicopter
courtesy of the U.S. Army.
Copyright 1987 by West End Games, Inc.

WEST END GAMES, INC.

251 West 30th Street
New York, NY 10001

THE PRICE OF FREEDOM

YOUR OWN PRIVATE IDAHO

Introduction
o~ 1

Adventure Materials

Before you get started. we'd better tell you

what's in this adventure and where you can find it.
Helicopter and Anti-Aircraft Charts
In the center of this booklet is a four page cardstock folder. printed on both sides with the data,
charts, and tables you need when using helicopters
and anti-aircraft eqUipment in THE PRICE OF
FREEDOM. To remove it from the book, pry the
staples upward, lift, and push the staples back
down. (In this decadent, litigious society, our
lawyers suggest we tell you to use a screwdriver
or similar object rather than your fingers to pry up
the staples, as you might prick yourself. Frankly,
we think it's ridiculous that we have to tell you this,
a fundamental affront to the rugged individualism
upon which our culture is based. Write your congressman, but in the meantime, be careful.)
Because the charts are printed on cardstock,
you can use them as a "screen," to hide your notes
and die-rolls.
Hand-Outs and Rosters
Immediately behind the helicopter charts is a
4-page pull-out, printed with the hand-outs, maps
and rosters you'll use in -the adventure. Among
these are:
a map of the Challis-Borah Peak area showing the important sites of the adventure, which you
may hand to the players (as reSidents, they know
this information);
another map of the area, depicting the disposition of rebel and Soviet forces; the players may
learn this information during the game, but do not
possess it to begin with;
the orders of Pacific Occupation Front Command, announced by Lt. Col. Geboshnovik duro
ing the adventure;
rosters listing the Soviet troops encountered
during the adventure;
and maps of Chilly and the Mackay Dam
tower, used when the PCs reach those locations.
You can cut up the hand-outs so you can hand
them to your players at propitious moments in the
adventure, or, if the idea of mutilating your adven
ture in this fashion fills you with dismay, you may
photocopy them and cut up the copies. Note: In
some cases, one side of a hand-out is printed with
information you do not want your players to know.
For example, the map of the Challis area is backprinted with the Soviet rosters. When you let your
players examine the map, ask them not to look
at the back.

Player Characters
The next 4-page folder inward from the center
is printed with six pregenerated characters. We
recommend that you cut the character sheets apart
and give one to each of your players. Don't worry
if you've got fewer than six players - some
characters will be unplayed - but make sure that
Nate Washington and Horatio Spaulding are used,
as they have skills vital to the completion of the
adventure.
If you prefer, you can have your players
generate their own characters (see 0.4 for using
Your Own Private Idaho in a campaign). If you
do so, we suggest that you have Nate Washington
join the PCs as a non-player character helper and
information source. Unless the PCs come from
Milner or the surrounding area, they may not know
information vital to the completion of the adventure. Nate can provide such information when
necessary.
The Helicopter Rules
Finally, the next 4-page folder in is printed with
the helicopter and anti-aircraft rules. They explain
how helicopters and antiaircraft eqUipment
operate in THE PRICE OF FREEDOM, and
how the helicopter and anti-aircraft charts are
used. You tan remove the rules and put them in
your Gamemaster Book, or leave them, as you
like.
The Map
Inserted in the booklet you'll find a new full-color
map (Map 4) for use with THE PRICE OF
FREEDOM. It depicts a section of Mackay Dam,
where the climactic battle of the adventure takes
place. It also includes a trail and section of
woodland, which is useful for staging forest ambushes and other encounters during the adven
ture. Map 2 is useful for this purpose, too.
Terrain types are:
Hex terrain type
1001 forest
1203 brush
1405 path (treat as clear)
1314 rough
1422 stream
2521 lake (treat as river)
1921 sluice gate (impassable)
2022 dam top (treat as clear)
2623 tower (treat as a building with
windows on all 6 hex sides)

YOUR OWN PRIVATE IDAHO

Note that elevations on this map are represented

in a little different way than in other PRICE OF
FREEDOM maps. A single elevation line can indicate a cliff or dam face - that is, a change of
many elevation levels. The elevation level is printed
on both sides of the line; thus, hex 1819 is at elevation 60, and hex 1820 at elevation 1.

0.2 Background
The Challis Area
The Challis National Forest lies in central Idaho.
It boasts the state's highest point (Borah Peak,
elevation 12,662), encompasses most of the
Sawtooth National Recreation Area, and is slightly
smaller than the state of Connecticut. Within its
borders are some ten to twelve communities,
depending on how fleXibly you use the term,
whose populations range from less than 50 to
slightly more than 1100. The total population of
Challis Forest: just under 3500 souls, 5400
assorted firearms, and 6200 Bibles, excluding the
numerous Gideon Psalters which have accumulated over the years.
Challis Forest is a conservative area, bedrock
Republican and rife with Evangelicals. Its citizens
saw the Russian invasion as a personal affront, and
were not especially surprised at having been let
down by the bureaucrats in Washington.
There are very few children in Challis Park. The
economy, based on timber, farming, and hunting,
was in depression even prior to the Occupation.
Most of the inhabitants are 35 or older. Ambitious
youngsters tended to move to Boise, or even farther afield, to Seattle or California, in search of
jobs and bright lights.
The land is rugged - mountains covered in
forest and dotted With streams, natural caves and
animal trails.
Challis was left pretty much alone for the first
few months of the Occupation. As a rural, relatively poor region (with a stiff-necked and heavilyarmed population), it was not high on the Communists' list of priorities. Life went on pretty much
as before - except that supplies of gasoline, consumer goods and produce became scarce.
The area might have been left alone for years
to come - except for Benny's Bastards.
The First Idaho Brigade
Benedict Arnez was inappropriately named; no
traitor he. At age 18, he earned a purple heart
forJreading shark-infested water off Kwajalein for
four hours, his wounded lieutenant in his arms,
after his transport was sunk by Japanese bombers.

THE PRICE OF FREEDOM

After he returned to a hero's welcome in his Idaho

panhandle home, he settled in to a long,
reasonably happy life with his schoolday
sweetheart, running a small-town hardware store.
He voted Republican, hunted every fall, remained faithful to his wife, went to church every Sunday but never paid much attention to the sermons,
drank a little too much but not too too much, and,
according to town gossip, spoiled his kids. He
would have lived and died as a small-town, harddrinking, God-fearing Republican if the Occupation hadn't intervened.
His wife had died three years before (of
pneumonia, compounded by years of heavy
smoking), and Arnez had little to lose. Though life
in rural Idaho had little reason to call on the skills
learned as a World War II combat infantryman,
those skills remained alive. And in the Idaho
panhandle could be found men willing and eager
to fight
from frank American Nazis to
Republican farmers, from meetin' house fundamentalists to radical libertarians fleeing highertax states.
Arnez became their leader. And his force, the
grandly-named First Idaho Brigade, is now over
300 strong.
The Communists React
For some months, the Brigade wandered across
Idaho, recruiting, performing an occasional bit of
sabotage, and killing collaborators. The Communists let Arnez operate essentially unchecked;
Idaho is a remote area, and the First Idaho Brigade
seemed unlikely to do severe damage. To Arnez,
the time unharried was a Godsend. During this
period, he and his men acquired substantial munitions, including a number of bazookas and light
antitank weapons. They built or acquired a
Kurasawa transmitter, and joined the Radio Free
America network.
Central Idaho Is covered with a network of rivers
and streams, and roads are few; the First Idaho
Brigade moved mostly by canoe. Using canoes,
it could move far and fast across terrain Virtually
impassable otherwise. Canoes can carry substantial supplies, too; and portaging a lightweight
aluminum canoe is not difficult.
The Soviets paid little notice to Arnez - until,
on October 4th, the Brigade ambushed a Soviet
convoy traveling on Route 93, near Ellis. Fifteen
trucks, gallons of fuel, tons of ammunition and explosives, and equipment stripped from mines in
Montana and heading for the Soviet Union by way
of the port of Portland - not to mention 42 men
- were lost.
That in itself was alarming enough. Even more
alarming was the fact that the Brigade was apparently headed for the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory - a huge reserve formerly
operated by the Atomic Energy CommiSSion, now
lightly guarded by Soviet troops, where a considerable supply of fiSSion abies could be found.
A decision was reached high up in the Pacific
Occupation Front command: the Idaho insurgency
must be halted, now, while it was still small enough
to contain.

THE PRICE OF FREEDOM

Operation Talon
Pacific Occupation Front command knows very
little about the rebels in Challts Forest. Strength
estimates range from 100 to 1000. They do know
that the guerrillas seem to operate mostly in and
around Borah Peak. Pin-pointing their location is
impossible
the area is densely wooded, the
Brigade contains crack woodsmen, and the rebels
frequently disperse into small groups. Therefore,
air raids are of little use.
The 84th Guards Motor-Rifle Division, mountain warfare veterans from Aghanistan, was
ordered into the area. Containing 12,000 men,
it should be more than enough to supply the
lO-to-l manpower ratio theory demands for
counterinsurgency operations.
The 84th's armor elements were ordered to
spread out along Interstate 93 (see Map B), occupy the towns along it, and patrol it constantly.
The infantry regiments were to spread out along
State Road 28, and, dismounted, advance across
the Lemhi and Lost River mountains. The armor
was "The Mortar," against which "The Pestle" of
the infantry would grind the First Idaho Brigade.
An assault helicopter company was attached to
the 84th Guards. Stationed in Chilly, it would provide air support, reconnaissance, and rapid troop
transport, as necessary.
Arnez's choice: engage the 84th's veteran infantry or fall back to be crushed against the impenetrable armor curtain along Interstate 93.

0.3 Adventure Summary

The Boys in Red Arrive
Some days before the adventure begins, men
from the First Idaho Brigade swept through Milner,
the small town where the PCs all live. The rebels
recruited a few of the younger men, made some
contacts, and left.
The adventure begins as the Soviets arrive. The
PCs establish a rendezvous at Willow Creek Cave.
They can flee at once, or wait to see what happens. In all likelihood, some of those who flee are
captured. They, and those who stay, are forced
to watch helplessly while the Reds execute l8-year
old Lynsie Shaffer, and are then imprisoned in the
local high school gym, along with all other
suspected rebel sympathizers:
With some luck, the PCs escape and make their
way to Willow Creek. Here, they meet with
Jeremiah Washington, who is in radio communic;ation with the First Idaho Brigade. The Brigade is
encircled, and must break out if it is to survive.
Jeremiah fills the PCs in. They must figure out
how to rescue the Brigade.

YOUR OWN PRIVATE IDAHO

Chilly Airbase
To do so, they must destroy Mackay Dam. That
would flood a section of Route 93, opening a gap
in the Soviet lines. The First Idaho Brigade could
canoe across the floodwaters, while the remaining Soviet armor would be helpless to intervene.
Only one problem: the Soviet assault helicopter
company based at Chilly
outside the floodwaters' path. Rebel canoes struggling across a
flooded Lost River valley would be so many sitting ducks for the choppers to sink.
So Chilly airbase has to be destroyed first.
Mackay Dam
Destroying Mackay Dam isn't as easy as it
sounds. either. For one thing, it's defended by a
squad of Soviet soldiers. Taking them out doesn't
solve the main problem: Mackay isn't a concrete
dam, but an earthen one. Blow a substantial hole
in a concrete dam, and the weight of water will
collapse the whole thing - but an earthen dam
is much more stable. There's a way to destroy it
- but it isn't easy.
And Afterwards
Assuming the PCs do the job, the rebels are
saved. That can be the end of the adventure or the beginning of another one.

0.4 Using the Adventure in

Your Own Campaign
Though Your Own Private Idaho is based in
a particular area of Idaho, it can easily be adapted
to any remote mountain region. It could as readily take place in the White Mountains of New
Hampshire, upper Ontario, the Colorado Rockies
or even (with a suitable change in weather) the
Sierra Madre. The main elements you need are
a) a dam, b) a region with relatively few roads for
the guerrilla group to roam, and c) a road the dam
will flood.
If these don't exist in your area, you have two
options. The first is to fudge things; put the dam
you need in your area, even though there isn't one
there, and tell the players not to complain. The
world of THE PRICE OF FREEDOM is not,
after all, completely identical to our own, and a
bit of gamemasterly license is occasionally required
to make the story work.
If you don't like that, shanghai your players
someplace where a dam and trackless wilderness
do exist. Unless you live in flattest Iowa, that's
probably no more than a few hundred miles away.
How to shanghai them? Here are a couple of
ideas.
The PCs are chased by a squad of Soviet
counterinsurgency specialists out of their home
area, and head for the First Idaho (New Hampshire? Ontario?) Brigade, hoping to)ink up with
it. They run right into preparations for Operation
Talon.
The PCs are captured, and forced at gunpoint
into a cattle car which is supposed to take them
to the Arctic death camps, but which, with usual
Russian efficiency, is shunted off onto a siding
where the PCs make their escape. They find
themselves in a small town in Idaho - or wherever
you decide to site the adventure.

The Boys in Bed Arrive

Summary. Soviet soldiers arrive and interrogate
everyone in town. Anyone who sticks around is
forced to witness as defenseless, sobbing Lynsie
Shaffer is executed. Afterward, "subversives" are
held in the town gymnasium. The PCs (escaping
from the gym. if necessary) meet at Jeremiah
Washington's secret hideaway.
One sticky point should be mentioned: meeting
at Jeremiah Washington's hideaway is a good idea,
because he's in touch with the First Idaho Brigade,
and has some weapons and supplies. However,
of the PCs, only Nate Washington knows of the
hideaway at the start of the adventure. It is very
likely that the PCs will want to fix a rendezvous
at some point in the game; and Nate's player, if
he's smart, should suggest the Willow Creek Cave.
If he doesn't, you should remind him of it. If the
players don't fix a rendezvous, you must intervene
more blatantly - simply tell the necessary players,
"You've heard Jeremiah is hiding out at a cave
near Willow Creek and is in radio contact with the
Resistance. You think you know which cave, too
little Nate Washington broke his ankle playing
up there one summer a long time ago."

1.1 Getting the Mail

Read this aloud:

Till recently. life hasn't been too bad in

Milner - not near as bad as the rest of the
country, least as far as you hear from Radio
Free America, The Reds have pretty much
left Custer County alone. Of course. there
isn't a lot up here they want, About the only
effect of the Occupation has been that fresh
food and gasoline are tough to get. That, and
when you go into Pocatello, you're likely to
get stopped by Commie soldiers.
Things're going to change, though. Last
week, a couple of fellows from Benny'S
Bastards. the "First Idaho Brigade," drifted
through. They made a speech, got some
food and ammo and such, and moved out.
A number of the young men joined 'em including Kim Shaw's and T.J. Callahan's
sons and Boyd Johnson, Lynsie Shaffer's
sweetheart.
Word is, the rebels bushwhacked a convoy on Route 93, near Ellis. not too long ago.
And word is. there are Soviet troops on the
way.
You've all come down to Milner's post office to pick up your mail, just like you do
every day, Sundays and holidays excepting.
It's a brisk October day, clear, with
temperatures in the low 4!ls. The trees are
losing their leaves. You meet outside the
post office, and get to talking.

Have your players introduce their characters to

one another. Tell them they all know each other.
Encourage them to pass character sheets around;
there's nothing on anyone's sheet that the other
PCs wouldn't know (or at least suspect).
Tell them a little about Milner and the surround
ing area. Give them Map A, and let them study
it. Summarize the information in section 0.2, "The
Challis Area:' Let them talk until they begin to
make some concrete plans, then:

Down the road, there's a line of graypainted vehicles. They're heading this way.
If the PCs move fast, they can get out of town
now leaving most of their possessions (including
all weapons) at home. If they do so, suggest they
set up a rendezvous (and, if necessary, mention
Jeremiah Washington's cave). OtherWise, they
may scatter to their homes, or wait for the arrival
of the Soviet convoy.
If they scatter, they hear the announcement
below over loudspeakers as Soviet vehicles drive
through the town, repeating it.
If they stay and wait, the Soviets pull up.

It's a convoy of three Soviet tanks and

three armored personnel carriers - big,
dangerous machines that move faster than
such heavy-looking vehicles should. A man
protrudes from the open hatchway of each.
They pull up in front of the post office, and
the commander of the lead tank speaks
through a loudspeaker in heavily accented
English, his breath visible in the cold air:
"Citizens of Milner! I am Colonel
Geboshnovlk. I am taking control of this
town in the name of your government.
Return to your homes at once! Repeat,
return to your homes at oncel My soldiers
will interview each of you in your homes. If
you possess any firearms, please have them
ready to tum over to the authorities. If you
comply with our instructions, no harm will
come to you.
"Return to your homes at once:'

1.2 House-to-House Search

If the PCs get in their vehicles and drive home,
they are left alone. They can't go too far out of
town, as Soviet tanks are lining up all along Route
93 (see 2.2). If they try to leave town, they en
counter SOViets along the road, and are arrested
and imprisoned in the town gym.
If the players ask, everyone is within walking
distance of his house, so they may walk if they
don't want to drive.
None of the PCs is carrying anything more than
the barest necessities, so they must return home

YOUR OWN PRIVATE IDAHO

if they are to stock up. If they prefer, they can head

to one person's house, but if so, they must rely
solely on the equipment listed on his character
sheet (plus heavy winter clothing for all).
Take each player aside
into another room,
if possible and ask him what he is doing. Take Kim
Shaw and Horatio Spaulding aside together, as
they live.in the same house. There are baSically
three options: heading for the hills, returning home
to get eqUipment and then heading for a rendez
vous, or following Soviet instructions.

Sneak Into the Forest

Milner is surrounded by forest, so it is quite
possible for someone to sneak into the woods,
either before or after returning home and getting
eqUipment. If someone does, tell him:

You manage to get your stuff, and leave

by the back door. One of the neighbors sees
you go, and smiles uncertainly, You make it
down to the creek and into the woods.
There are already SOviets patrolling the woods
there precisely to prevent Milner's citizens from
leaVing. Their orders are to arrest anyone they encounter, and escort him to the gym. They are to
fire only if fired upon, or if someone they en
counter resists.
Ask the player to make an alertness roll. If he
succeeds, tell him: You smell a cigarette. He
may either investigate, or back away qUietly. If he
backs away, he escapes and may go on to his
rendezvous. If he investigates, or if he failed his
alertness roll to begin With, he must make a stealth
roll to avoid being spotted by the SOViets.
If he is spotted, one of the Soviets yells
"Preeval!" (Halt!). The PC can run, surrender, or
try to fight. The Soviets have automatic rifles, skill
of 10 and panic level of 8. If the PC runs, a successful agility or Milner lore roll will let him escape
- he must make one roll per combat round (as
the Soviets pursue and fire at him) until he
escapes, is killed or incapacitated, or surrenders.
If he fights and manages to beat the Soviets, the
gunfire is heard all over town. He can escape by
running for his life, pursued by Soviet APCs
crashing through the woods.
If he surrenders, he is imprisoned in the gym.

Go Home, Get Stuff, and Meet At

Another PC's House
If a player returns home, give him a brief
decription of his house. Here's one for each PC:
Kim Shaw: Kim lives in a singlestory ranch
style house on the outskirts of central Milner, near
the woods. It's made of wood and shingled, and
contains (among other things) a wellequipped
kitchen.

THE PRICE OF FREEDOM

========================~========================
Nate Washington: Nate lives in a small, neatly
kept-up clapboard house with his grandfather. It's
just behind the Village Store, and contains three
rooms.
"Doc" Jorgensen: Doc's house is a modern
single-story brick bUilding on Milner Main Street.
It has a garage and a separate entrance for his office. Inside, it's slightly untidy; Doc has someone
come in every week to straighten up, but isn't terribly neat himself.
T.J. Callahan: T.J.'s farm is a mile outside central Milner. A storage shed is attached to the kitchen. The bUilding itself is of sturdy wood construction with a tar-shingle roof. It's quite large, and
centers on a big living room with a huge fireplace.
Diana Cohini: Diana lives in a trailer near the
railroad tracks.
Horatio Spaulding: Horatio is a boarder in
Kim Shaw's house.
A PC can return home. assemble equipment,
and get to another PC's house without difficulty.
Just as soon as they're all together, there is a knock
at the door: the Soviets have arrived. They're conducting a house-to-house search, confiscating
weapons and radios. If they're permitted entry,
they want to know why the PCs have brought their
possessions here, and why they have not gone
home as instructed. Unless the PCs resist, they are
arrested and held in the gym until 5 PM, when
Lynsie's execution in Milner Park occurs (see
below).
If they met at TJ. Callahan's farm, he can hide
the other PCs in his "storm cellar," used by his
grandfather in Prohibition days to hide illegal
hooch. The Soviets tromp around searching
Callahan's premises, but don't find the cellar; see
"Go Home and Stay" below.
If they met any place other than Diana Cohini's
trailer, can try to sneak out and into the woods
when the Reds arrive. If they do so, make stealth
rolls for each Pc. Any failure means they're seen;
four Soviets pursue. A successful agility roll (to outdistance pursuit) or Milner lore roll (to find a hiding
place) must be made by each PC to escape; see
"Sneak Into the Forest" for the Soviet's orders and
reactions. Each is armed with an automatic rifle;
one is a sergeant (skill 12, panic 5, leadership 3);
the others, enlisted men (skill 10, panic 8).
Go Home and Stay
If a PC goes home and waits for the Soviets,
as requested, four show up - a sergeant and three
privates (stats above). The sergeant reads a series
of questions, in barely comprehensible English.
They are:
"Do you have any firearms or other
weapons?" If the answer is yes, he says "Bring
them to me." He confiscates them; one of the
privates carries them to a jeep outside.
"Do you have any Bibles or other religious
icons?" Again, if so, these are confiscated.
"Do you have a radio?" Again, it's confiscated.
After he's gone down the list, two privates keep
the PC at gunpoint while the sergeant and the
other private search the house. They are not
destructive, but are quite thorough. They are fairly honest; small items may be pocketed surreptitiously, but no major theft occurs.
If any hidden firearms, bibles or radios are
found, the PC is arrested and taken to the gym,
where he is held until the meeting in the park.
If the PC complies with the Soviets' instructions,
before he leaves the sergeant says:
THE PRICE OF FREEDOM

"There will be a meeting at 5 o'clock in the

park. Attendance Is mandatory. Goodbye."
He hands the PC a copy of the Pacific Occupation Front Command regulations (see hand-outs).

1.3 The Meeting in the Park

At 5 PM, the Soviets gather the citizens of Milner
to the town park - a large, grassy area in the
center of town, where, in happier times, the High
School band used to give concerts on cool summer nights. It's getting dark, and they've rigged
up spotlights. Any of the PCs still in town attend;
anyone who stays home is physically rousted out
and force-marched to the park by Soviet soldiers.
Anyone who was arrested is brought to the park,
under guard.
Read this:
Finally, everyone in town is assembled.
It's cold. Everyone is bundled up, some are
shivering. On the periphery of the crowd are
a couple of dozen Soviet soldiers, all with
automatic rifles.
Colonel Geboshnovik walks to the band
stand and climbs its stairs. He clears his
throat, and says: "Citizens! By the authority of Act of Occupation 16A-l, I hereby
declare the town of Milner to be under martial law. This means that I have the power
of life and death over every one of you:' He
pauses.
"In the course of our search, we found
several illegal items In the hands of one Lynsie Shaffer, Including scurrilous propaganda Issued by the enemies of the people. The
penalty for this crime is death." He breaks
off and barks something In Russian.
FOur Sovie~ soldiers emerge from the town
hall, escorting IS-year old Lynsie Shaffer.
Lynsle is known to all of you - a bright, Intelligent young girl, sweetheart of Boyd
Johnson - who's now with the rebels.
Lynsie is barefoot, clad In a torn dress.
She walks Quietly between the soldiers,
head low, eyes unfocused, a steady stream
of blood flowing from her nose. She seems
unaware of the cold. One of the soldiers ties
her hands behind a "No Parking" signpost
in front of the town hall. Then, the four of
them line up five yards away.
Lynsie suddenly realizes what Is happening, and moves to place the thin, 2-lnch
signpost between her and the guards.
Geboshnovik speaks in Russian again; the
guns fire.
The signpost offers little protection.
The four soldiers snap to attention.
There Is Quiet.
Geboshnovlk turns to address the crowd.
"We are not here to destroy you. We have a
job to do, and our orders. Do as you are
directed, and you will be In no danger.
"The following citizens will move to the
steps of the town hall:'
He speaks a long list of names - perhaps
two dozen.
The name of any PC not already arrested is included. Anyone who fails to comply is clubbed
senseless with the butt of an automatic rifle, and
dragged to the town hall.
Then, Geboshnovik speaks again. "The
rest of you are free to go:' The crowd drifts
off. Twelve Soviet soldiers hold you at gunYOUR OWN PRIVATE IDAHO

point in front of the town hall.

1.4 In the Gymnasium

Those named are herded to Fillmore Central
School, the town's high school, and held in the
gym, along with anyone arrested previously.

Milner Residents
Martha Graeme
Physical Tag: Wears horn-rim glasses and a
loop of leather she uses to hang them around
her neck when she isn't wearing them.
Personality Tag: She's capable, brooks no
nonsense, and Is currently very frightened .
Age: 62
Motivation: Survival.
Applicdble Skills:
Language - Russian : 17
Description: Martha Is FUlmore Central's
language teacher. She lives parsimoniously in
an apartment above the Village Store, living
on her meager school salary. She's known to
generations of Milner students as a holy terror
- and to friends of her own age as something
of a wit.
Carey Michaels
Physical Tag: Beer gut.
Personality Tag: Annoyingly jockish - slaps
you on the back, offers to buy you a beer, tries
to break your fingers when he shakes your
hand.
Age: 34
Motivation : Get back at "them".
Description: For Carey Michaels, the Russian
Occupation is a heaven-sent way to get back
at "them" - all the wise-ass geeks, jocks and
cheerleaders who put him down In high school,
all the doctors, lawyers and storekeepers
(anyone successful) who's "kept him down"
since. He's been feeding Information about the
Milner area to a KGB agent in Pocatello for
months. The Soviets put him in the gym so
he could inform on anyone who tries to make
trouble. He might agree to help the PCs break
out, but If so, would attempt to betray them
at the earliest opportunity. He tries to force his
way into any conversation among the
prisoners.
John Maxwell
Physical Tag: Red check flannel shirt, scruffy
beard.
Personality Tag: Slightly depressed ,
hard-drinking.
Age: 36
Motivation: Protect wife and kids.
Description: John Maxwell tries to make a living out of 100 acres of farmland outside Milner.
It's been a hard life, both before and after the
Occupation, but John has doggedly stuck to
it. He's worried sick about his wife and kids,
from whom he's been separated. He's a good
friend of T.J.'s; if anyone talks to him, he
volunteers the information that "the Russians
plan on shipping us out tomorrow." He heard
it from Martha, who overheard the guards talk
Ing. John would gladly help the PCs in a breakout attempt; if he does, it's your (the
gamemaster'sl job to make certain that he Is
killed herOically in the escape. (Just another
reason for your PCs to fight for The Cause.)

They've been selected for any number of reasons

- from known pre-Liberation fascist affiliations to
some sergeant's whim - but all boil down to one
thing: these are "potential subversives." the citizens
of Milner who. the Reds fear. may resist. Tomorrow. they 'lI be loaded on trucks and shipped out
to detention areas near Boise. Some will go on
to the Arct ic death ca mps: others. released but
confined to the Boise area _
The gymnasium is also an auditorium . There
is a full basketball court which is sometimes used
as a stag>! !or school plays and lown meetings.
Three hU:ldred seat, face th e court.
The Pacif'c Occupation Front Comma nd regula tions are posted on the door (see hand-outs). If
the players haven' l seen them already. hand it to
them.
The Russians aren': expecting any particular
resis:ance from cowed ar.d d,sarmed civilians. Two
guards K>!ep an eye on the prisoners, standing at
one end of t:,e g~' m with loaded weapons. The
prisoners mil l about. a little bewildered. The PCs
present may talk with one another, and to the
prisoners if they wish; everyone in Milner knows
Just about everyone else. The box on page 5 provides capsule descriptions of three Milner residents
whom you can use if the PCs strike up a
conversation .

GMing Hint: Working With

Your Players
You and your players are, through the game,
jointly telling a story. Stories have certain requirements: heroes don't die on page one, and
climaxes must satisfy. Your job is "to provide
opposition" - that Is, to take the roles of the
players' opponents and to pose them obstacles
they must overcome - but not to thwart them.
Indeed, you must often help your players tell
a story in an appropriate way.
For example, our PCs are locked in the gym
and are looking for an escape route:
Player: Hmm. What about windows?
GM: There are small windows around the top
of the gym.
Player: Damn. We can't get out that way.
GM: (Rolls dice.) Hmm. You notice that the
uppermost bleachers are only about four feet
below the lip of the windows.
Player: Aha! Now ... what can we use to
smash the windows?
Before the player asked, the game master
didn't know anything about windows; he invented a plausible description on the spot.
When he saw which way the player's thoughts
were .tending, rather than quash any hope of
escape, he left an opening - an escape route
for the player to exploit.
The gamemaster is working with his players
- letting them invent and execute a plausible
escape. His job Is not to prevent escape, but
to make escape Interesting.
Plausibility Is the key. It is not plausible for
the door to the gym to be open. The Soviets
are not that stupid; they locked their prisoners
in. It would be dramatically unsatisfying - and
rather silly - for the PCs to walk out without
any opposition. Instead, the gamemaster has
to make the players work a little to escape but to let them escape if they're clever enough.

After ten minutes . three Soviet soldiers come

in with a large pot and several crates filled with
plastic bowls and spoons The pot contains an
un inter>!sting but palatable b>!ef stew, which they
dish out Later. they collect the bowls and spoons
!n a garbage can, and leave.
Escaping
aturally. the PCs want to escape from the gym.
How do they do so? Let them discuss the situa:ion among themselves, ask questions of you to
obtain necessary information, and come up with
a plan of action. There is no obvious way to
escape, but it is necessary (in plot terms) for the
PCs to do so, so they will. If they come up with
a plan that is at all clever, you should let it succeed. Not easily, to be sure; at a minimum, a little
violence and a tense skill roll or two should be required . You should cooperate with the players in
developing a viable plan.
Here are five ways to escape:
Free PCs Break Them Out: If any PCs fled
for the woods when the Russians arrive. they learn
that the others are imprisoned in the gym . They
sneak into town , break into the gym , kill the two
guards, and let the prisoners out.
Questioning Guards: The prisoners are quite
confused and frightened. Can they go to the
bathroom? Is anyone going to provide blankets
and mattresses, or are they expected to sleep on
the polished wood floors? What's going to happen to them tomorrow? What's going on? The
prisoners are cowed and fearful. However, if
anyone starts questioning the guards, the prisoners
crowd around, yelling questions, some crying,
some shoving. The guards are reluctant to shoot ,
because there's no reason to - just a lot of
frightened Americans . In the ruckus, the PCs can
crowd quite close to the guards - then grab their
weapons and attack with bare fists. With any luck,
the guards can be beaten senseless quickly - and
an escape made before reinforcements arrive.
Bathroom escape: If someone needs to go
to the bathroom, one of the guards unlocks the
door. There's another guard on the other side; he
escorts the character to the bathroom. Only one
character may go to the bathroom at a time. The
guard will not enter a women's bathroom; female
characters can escape through the bathroom window. Men can attack in the lavatory, and may be
able to defeat the guard. Note that this is only a
viable means of escape for one character; if several
are in the gym, this method is not useful.
Bribery: The guards cannot be bribed into letting the PCs go, but they can be bribed to let a
prisoner have special priveleges - a piece of
equipment, a trip to the bathroom, etc. A bribe
might be used to get close to a guard, in preparation for an attack. The bribes most likely to work
include liquor, drugs, food, and nubile young
women.
Fire Alarm: What if someone held a match to
one of the sprinkler sensors? I bet the Soviet
guards would be disconcerted by a shower of water
and loud alarm. Maybe they could be bushwhacked, or someone could sneak away in the confusion. Of course, this would also attract attention
from the town ; the volunteer firemen would arrive, and probably a Soviet tank or two with them.
Note that some of these might free all the
prisoners. Fine, except that we can't have 20
friends tramping around with the PCs. While the
escape is in progress, an APC filled with Soviet

YOUR OWN PRIVATE IDAHO

Gym Guards
Attributes:
Strength: 10
Manual Dexterity: 8
Agility: 8
Alertness: 10
Constitution: 12
EqUipment: uniform, automatic rifle, three
reloads, small club, papers, knife.
Skills:

Automatic Weapons: 8
Hand-to-Hand: 6
Melee Weapons: 6
Bargain: 8
Language - English: 2
Guard 1
Physical Tag: short, dark-haired, unshaven.
Personality Tag: Eyes the women, grins nastily.
Motivallon: He'd just as soon desert and spend

his time drinking and whOring, but he's deathly

afraid of his superiors.
Guard 2
PhYSical Tag: Slightly oriental in appearance.
Personality Tag: Efficient, but considerate, as

much as orders permit, of the prisoners'

welfare.
Motivation: Doesn't think much IIbout the
rights or wrongs of the whole war; he does his
job and tries to be proud of it.
troops shows up and starts firing; everyone scatters, and only the PCs manage to stick together.

1.5 Getting to the Cave

Once past the Soviet patrols, getting to the cave
is not difficult. All of the PCs know how to get
there. Willow Creek is a small stream that runs
north-south just outside of Milner; the cave is about
five kilometers south along the creek. The woods
around the creek cannot be traversed by vehicles,
but ground-level vegetation is sparse - neither
humans nor horses have much problem .
The trip through the woods is a brief interlude
which you should use to set the mood a bit. Read
this to your PCs, or adapt it to circumstances as
necessary:
There's a little sliver of a moon, and the
stars are glorious. You stumble at first, but
your eyes gradually adjust, until you're
almost surprised at how much you can see.
There's a fringe of lee at the sides of the
creek; It's going to be a cold night, you can
tell.
One of you holds up a hand, and you all
halt. There's a sound - not of nature, a manmade sound. It's a fast beat, a faint one, now
setting louder. You drift Into the woods and
freeze; there, In the sky, you can see them.
Three helicopters, high up, together,
heading east Into Challis forest. They stalk
across the sky like three black spiders,
hunting for men.

1.6 In the Cave

Willow Creek cave is a natural cavern. It was
once the haunt of several thousand bats, which
were exterminated when several were found to be
rabid. It is here that Jeremiah Washington,
amateur ham radio operator and octagenarian ,
has set up shop.

THE PRICE OF FREEDOM

======================*======================
If the pes approach at night, a heavy black
drape is hung over the mouth of the cave. As they
near, they see the outline of the drape, surrounded in steady electric light. When they look in, read:
Inside Is a cave about the size of a small
house, lit by a bulb suspended from the ceilIng. Its dim light illuminates a ham radio
set against the back wall. To your left Is a
bedroll; a young boy, dressed In camouflage,
lies In It. His right shoulder Is covered with
blood-soaked bandages. Stooping over him
Is your old friend Jeremiah Washington.
I

The PCs may have come to the cave in small

groups, or all together. Whichever, Doc Jorgensen
is going to want to see to Mendez. Once he's done
so, Jeremiah dishes out a meal and stokes up a
battered briar pipe.
It's time to talk.
Jeremiah is in radio contact with Benedict
Arnez, and can provide a great deal of information about Soviet plans, the First Idaho Brigade's
dispositions, and so on. Jose is also a potentiallyuseful information source, although he can only
speak for brief periods - he really is severely
wounded. He was with Kim's sons before he was
wounded; last he heard, they're okay, although
Matthew has a bad cold.
Tell the players that Jeremiah is in radio contact with Benedict Arnez. Encourage them to ask
questions. You can, if you like, simply read off the
information below; but it's better to let your players
ferret it out themselves. They can talk to Jeremiah,
Jose and Benedict; you must play those
characters' roles in conversation with the PCs. See
the character descriptions above for a guide to
what they're like.
You want the players to learn that:
The Soviets' arrival in Milner is merely part
of a major operation directed against the First
Idaho Brigade. The Reds aren't going to leave
Milner until the First Idaho is destroyed - or
breaks out of the encirclement and leaves the area.
The Brigade's destruction, needless to say, would
mean the death of Kim Shaw's kids, and T.J.'s.
Arnez is aware of Soviet plans. Jeremiah has
been monitoring Soviet military communications;
his knowledge of Russian and cryptology have
allowed him to piece together what's going on.
The First Idaho Brigade is hemmed in, caught
between the armor deployed along Route 93 and
the infantry along State Road 28. Two days ago,
the Brigade tried to break out. (Hand Map B to
your players.) They failed. Mendez participated in
the break out, and is in bad shape. He took several
shrapnel wounds from a grenade. During the next
night and day he managed to work his way toward
Milner; Jeremiah found him and brought him to

THE PRICE OF FREEDOM

the cave (no mean feat for a man of 82 Jeremiah is exhausted).

The trap is closing in. The breakout has failed. The First Idaho has many wounded, and is
being harassed continuously by attack helicopters.
Unless the PCs can help, the Brigade is faced with
certain destruction. (This point is important. If the
PCs talk to Arnez, make sure he complains about
the "road hogs" which harass his men. This is more
of the private code; road hog = motorcycle
"chopper" [in bikers' slang] = chopper =
helicopter.)
The Soviet helicopters are based in Chilly, just
south of Milner on Route 93.
The Soviet infantry along State Road 28
haven't yet begun to advance; according to the
Soviet plans for Operation Talon, the trap will finish
closing in 8 days. That may be optimistic; the
Lemhi and Lost River mountains and some of the
roughest country in America lie between them and
the rebels. The terrain is defensible, and the Soviets
will be made to pay for their victory - but Arnez
sees no hope.

along the Route would be wiped out - opening

a gaping hole in the Soviet lines. The Brigade
(which, remember, moves by water) could canoe
across the floodwaters.
The First Idaho Brigade can't blow the dam itself
because it's on the other side of Route 93 - across
the line of Soviet armor.
But before the dam is blown, the helicopter base
at Chilly must be destroyed or sabotaged. For one
thing, blowing up the dam will take a considerable
amount of time - placing explosives to blow up
a whole dam is time-consuming. A small number
of Soviets troops guard the dam; if the helicopter
base is intact, they can radio for help, which can
arrive in a matter of minutes. If the helicopters are
wiped out, even if the troops radio, it will be hours
or possibly days before reinforcements can arrive.
Secone, the helicopter base is upstream of
Mackay Dam. It won't be wiped out if the dam
is blown. Rebel canoes struggling in the open
across floodwaters would be Sitting ducks for
Soviet attack helicopters. The escape is only feasible if the copters are put out of action.

The Plan
Map B shows (among other things) the location of Mackay Dam, the Big wst River valley
below it, and the positions of the 164th Tank Regiment - within that valley.
It doesn't take a genius to figure out that if
Mackay Dam were blown, the whole Big wst River
valley - from the dam to Arco along Route 93
- would be flooded. The Soviet armor stationed

Planning
Ideally, the players should decide to destroy the
helicopter base and blow the dam without much
prompting from you. That's the ideal, because that
way you preserve their illusion of free will. If
Jeremiah simply lays out the plan as his idea,
they'll feel you're leading them around by the nose.
If they don't come up with a viable plan

Jeremiah Washington
PhySical Tag: Walks stooped, with a cane.
Personality Tag: Always polite, soft-spoken.
Age: 82
Race/Nationality: Black. He and his nephew
Nate are, in fact, the only blacks in Milner.
Motivation: Protect his ham radio. Make
America free for ham radio operators
everywhere.
Skills:
Cryptology: 14
Milner Lore: 16
Language - Russian: 19
Electronics: 15
Description: Jeremiah's lived a long life. It's
never easy being the only black in a town of
over a thousand people, but for 20 years that's
been Jeremiah's situation. His one all consuming passion is his ham radio. Jeremiah
was first introduced to the radio while in the
service during World War II. At the end of the
war, he Joined U.S. Army Intelligence. There
he stayed until the end of the Vietnam War.
It was during this stint that Jeremiah learned
cryptology and RUSSian. Since retirement, he's
occupied himself by talking to his old buddies
(and new ones) via ham radio. His life is
centered around his radio and the friends he
has through il.lf thiS radio were ever destroyed.
Jeremiah would sink Into an extreme and permanent depression.

Jose Mendez
PhYSical Tag: Hawk nose, dark hair.
Personality Tag: Impatient.
Age: 17
Motivation: Fight the Russians anywhere, any
time.
Skills:

YOUR OWN PRIVATE IDAHO

Hand-to-Hand: 10
Melee Weapons: 12
Pistol: 14
Rifle: 14
Thrown Weapons: 16
Tracking: 12
First Idaho Brigade Lore: 12
Description: Jose will probably have a short Ufe
as a freedom fighter; he's rash, angry and overconfident. When the PCs first meet him he is
badly wounded, but In time may heal well
enough to aid them. He knows quite a bit
about the First Idaho Brigade, and will happily give this information to the PCs if they have
won his trust.

Benedict Arnez
Physical Tag: A nose like a smashed
mushroom (e.g., Karl Malden) ,
Personality Tag: Thinks very logically (step by
step), friendly but serious, never Impatienl.
Age: 60s
Motivation: Patriotism.
Description: Arnez is in radio communication
with Jeremiah Washington, and the PCs may,
If they wish, talk to him directly. He assumes
all communications are monitored by the Russians, and has worked out, with Jeremiah. a
kind of code using ancient baseball statistics
and dialog from television commercials (none
of which the Russians can be expected to
know),
Arnez is eager for help. He wants the PCs
to provide a diversion. He'll coordinate a final
break-out attempt with their diversion, so he
needs them to set a time for il. (The precise
date and time can be relayed by Jeremiah usIng their private code - "So what's the score?";
"Red Sox, 19-10, bottom of the seventh.")

themselves, you'll have to have Jeremiah intervene. At least he'll keep the adventure on track.
Actl;Jally, something in between is more likely.
Although the players should conclude that destroying the dam is a good idea very quickly, it may
take them a while to realize that the helicopters
must be put out of action. If they don't figure this
out and broach the idea of blowing the dam to
Jeremiah, he points out the danger posed by the
choppers. Intervene as much as necessary to keep
the adventure going
but no more than is
necessary.

Time Pressure
As long as they are in Jeremiah's cave, the PCs
can talk to Arnez and coordinate with him. Once
they leave, they're out of touch; Jeremiah has no
transmitters to spare. As a result. the players must
tell Arnei when he should launch his final attack
before they embark on their mission.
That should make them nervous. They haven't
seen Chilly or the dam, and don't really know what
doing their job will entail. Nonetheless, they have
no alternative.
Moreover. they know that the Soviets plan to
finish off the First Idaho in eight days. Arnez thinks
he can hold them off a little longer - but not
much. They've got to promise to blow the dam
within that time. If they fail, Arnez will attack at
the wrong moment - and the First Idaho will be I
destroyed.

1.7 Getting Weapons &

EqUipment
Executing the plan is not going to be easy. The
first step is to obtain equipment. With luck, the
PCs salvaged some of their possessions from the
occupation of Milner. At worst, they've got little
more than the clothes they wear.
Jeremiah can help a little bit. He's got two deer
rifles and 20 ammo clips for them; Jose isn't going to be using his automatic rifle, so the PCs can
take it and 4 ammo clips. Jeremiah can also supply
blankets and food for ten man-days.
To blow the dam, however, the PCs will need
explosives. If they ask Jeremiah, he can radio the
First Idaho Brigade and, in a coded message, ask
for help. As a matter of fact, the rebels can help;
in the raid on the truck convoy which precipitated
the Soviet attack, they captured quite a lot of explosives. That, along with a considerable supply
C!f other equipment, is stored in a cache at a location they call "Widow's Knees" (see Map A).
Some other ways to get weapons:
Sneak back into town and get equipment from
the PCs' houses. If they want to do this, play it
out. Call for a few sneak and alertness rolls to get
through the Soviet patrols. This is risky business;
we consider it acceptable for one or two PCs to
be killed or captured in the process.
Bushwhack Soviet soldiers and take their
weapons. This is a dangerous desperation move,
but can work. Unless the PCs invent some clever
traps, casualties are likely. Note that Soviet soldiers
patrol the woods around Milner in pairs; the PCs
might be able to take out a pair if they work at
it. The Soviets stretched out along Route 93 are
tougher; as described in 2.2, there are a lot of them
and they're positioned to reinforce one another.
Conceivably the PCs could ambush a group, but
since they have no heavy weapons, this is a dicey
proposition. Also, a successful attack would raise
all holy hell; Soviet troops and helicopters would
show up and begin combing the woods.

Moving Around Challis

Summary: The PCs are going to wander around
the woods a lot if they're going to complete their
mission.

2.1 Map A
Map A depicts the adventure's important locations. A hex grid is superimposed; each hex is 5
kilometers across. Distances can be measured by
counting hexes. Terrain is indicated by pattern.
Refer to the long distance movement rules (page
39 in the Gamemaster Book) and the Travel
Chart (page 63). Using these and the map, you
can easily calculate travel time between locations.
The PCs can travel in four ways: walking, by
horse, by canoe, or by vehicle.

2.2 The Roads

The first things occupied during Operation Talon
were the towns along Route 93 and the highway
itself. Pacific Occupation Front Command fuUy expects another breakout attempt.

YOUR OWN PRIVATE IDAHO

The 164th Regiment (the 84th Guards' tankers)

contains 100 tanks more or less, depending on
how r:nany have broken down on any given day.
These 100 tanks are divided into 10 companies
with 10 tanks apiece. Map B shows their disposition. Scattered between are numerous smaller
vehicles, from armored personel carriers to confiscated Honda 750s. Many actively patrol up and
down the highway constantly.
Small groups may be able to slip across the road,
especially at night; but any large group is readily
detected. Trying to drille (or walk) along the
highway is tatamount to suicide.
If the characters cross Route 93, read:

Route 93 Is practlcaUy a fortress. Vehicles

are scattered all along It. An APe rests on
the road's shoulder about a hundred yards
away. Two soldiers on Yamaha 350s hastily
painted with red stars pass by. A heavy
machlnegun sits behind a pile of sandbags,
its muzzle pointed toward the woods. Two

THE PRICE OF FREEDOM

soldiers sit beside the rnachinegun; one Is

smoking a cigarette.
Ten tanks straddle the road about a half
mUe away from your position.
This is pretty representative - obViously,
specifics change with location, but some concentration of Soviet soldiers can be found every few
miles, and light vehicles patrol constantly.
There are major roadblocks one mile outside (

~~:1d;~:(~~a~~t~~~~~~k;~~~:k~~~:~I:~

the road.
Undisguised characters who approach a
roadblock are immediately arrested and taken to
the Milner gymnasium.
Players can try to bully, bluff or bribe their way
past roadblocks while disguised as Russian
soldiers. They can try, but we don't think much
of their chances. For one thing,- none of the PCs
speaks Russian. For another, they'll need Soviet
uniforms. For a third, Nate is never gOing to pass
for a Russian - and there are no Ethiopian troops
in Idaho.
lt a firefight erupts at a roadblock, the characters
have to act fast. Three rounds after the battle
begins another squad of soldiers (same stats)
emerges from the woods on the east side of the
highway. Five rounds after that, a Hind-E assault
helicopter appears. They have five rounds from
the moment they see the helicopter till it reaches'
them. Minutes later, three T-72 tanks come rumbling down the highway.
All of this might not seem fair; it isn't. A firefight
near Route 93 is SUicidal. If the PCS haven't figured
this out after you described the situation on the
highway to them, so be it.

2.3 Horses
All of the Pes are competent horseback riders
- riding is a popular sport in the Challis area. T.J.
happens to have some horses.
Challis Forest is primarily climax forest. Horses
can travel it, with some difficulty.
As the movement rules indicate, the PCs do not
go a lot faster while riding horses - but they can
carry a great deal more gear.

2.4 A Walk (or Ride) in the

Woods
In addition to the vehicles which line the roads,
the Soviets have established a series of strongpoints approximately a half kilometer into the
woods on the east side of the highway. Each
strongpoint is composed of one company, some
140 soldiers. From these advance positions, patrols
are sent out constantly.
If within five miles of the highway on the east
side of the woods, the PCs have a 50% chance
of running into a Russian patrol every hour (see
3.1). Patrols are in constant contact with divisiori
command; any firefight soon escalates as reinforcements arrive. If the helicopter base is still
operational, three Hind-Es arrive 15 rounds after
combat begins. Two more squads reach the scene
10 rounds after the helicopters. Even if the
characters ambush a patrol, so that no distress call
is made, units in and around the highway can hear
the shooting and react.
The area to the west of Route 93 is much more
lightly patrolled (the Soviets expect any attack to
come from the east). Patrols on the west side are
neither numerous nor particularly cautious. They

THE PRICE OF FREEDOM

~!!"~!!~~=:~~~~~;i.

,
" .:

are encountered only at the gamemaster's

discretion.
Anyone captured in the woods is taken prisoner
and taken to the Milner gym.

2.5 Moving Along Rivers

The Challis area is covered with a network of
streams and rivers; many are naVigable by canoe.
Only the largest are shown on the map; the PCs
can travel just about anywhere by canoe.
The rivers shown can be paddled at 8 kilometers
per hour downstream (south, in the case of the
Big Lost River), or 2 per hour upstream. When
travelling along streams not shown on the map,
PCs travel at a rate of 2 kilometers per hour; they
must spend a great deal of time portaging from
one stream to another and detouring to follow the
watershed.
Combat rate while in canoe is 10 movement
pOints per combat round (1 movement point per
water hex), as long as at least two people in the
canoe are paddling. If only one is paddling, combat rate is 2 movement points per round.
One canoe can carry 350 kilograms; figure each
character is the equivalent of 50 kilograms, so if
loaded with 6 characters, the canoe can only carry
50 kilos of equipment (and it's going to be awfully cramped). When traversing floodwaters or
rapids, the canoe should carry half as much
weight, or run a considerable risk of capsizing.
When searching for a canoe, roll against each
character's Milner Lore to determine if he knows
the whereabouts of one. Anyone who makes his
skill roll remembers "01' Man Harroway's place"
(see 3.2). (There are also canoes at Widow's
Knees.)

ing time will be spent fighting battles or solving

problems once they've gotten where they're going. Walking, riding or canoeing across the
wilderness is laborious and time-consuming; unless
you spend at least a little time describing each trip,
travel will seem too much like teleportation.

Player: Okay, we start out for Chilly.

GM: You get there, no problem.
A little weak, yes? How about:

The sun's slanting rays shadow the forest

floor with dappled leaves. You struggle up
a hillside, avoiding loose rocks as best you
may. You hear a movement off to your right,
and whirl to face It - a deer bounds away.
(Anyone for a little hunting?)
or

The morning dawns gray. A thin sleet patters on your parkas as you walk. Much of It
bounces off, but enough melts to soak them
through. It's awfully cold. In places. the
dead needles that carpet the forest floor are
covered with a thin film of Ice. The wind
picks up, and sleet stings your faces.
or

This hill Is steeper than It looked on your

map. Your horse is having problems climbing; if you continue, you risk breaking its
leg.
or

The river gurgles qUietly as you go, your

paddles rhythmically breaking the water. On
each backstroke, a stream of water drips.
Occasionally, the lower fingers of your hand
dip Into the stream; your gloves are soak
lng, your fingers getting numb.

2.6 Atmosphere
In "game hours;' the PCs will spend a lot of time
moving from place to place. Yet most of the play-

YOUR OWN PRIVATE IDAHO

Things to Stumble On
The following are a number of encounters
that may occur at your discretion.

3.1 A Soviet Patrol

Read this aloud:

The silence of the forest 15 broken by the

sound of voices. Thirty meters ahead, Soviet
soldiers move along a path. They haven't
seen you . . . yet.
Setting Up: To run this encounter, use Map 4

from beneath Its hood. In back of the cabin

is what looks llke a well house or storage
shed.
The cabin door opens. A bearded man
steps out. He's holding a rifle - It's aimed
straight between your eyes.

Uneasy around people, brusque to the point of

being rude, and curiously private, Tucker Harroway
has been living in his log cabin for more than twenty years. Folks say he moved to Idaho from L.A.,
but no one knows for sure. Tuck receives no social
but treat the cabin and the dam area as heavy security, welfare, disability Or retirement checks,
forest. The Russians' skills and set up are detail- nor does he have an account at any local bank,
ed in the Soviet Patrol Roster (see hand-outs); ter- yet he never seems short of cash. Any number
rain is described in 0.1.
of rumors as to the source of this wealth are curPCs may set up on any path hexes they wish. rent - from jars of money buried by the light of
The Soviets move along the path through hex the moon to counterfeiting.
2409, 2410, etc., at the rate of 3 hexes per turn
Tucker is extremely suspicious of people who
until they reach hex 1012 and exit the board, or trespass on "his property". Tuck doesn't actually
are activated (see 13.1. page 42 in the Game- have any claim to the land around his cabin, but
master Book). Remember to make alertness rolls
he protects it all the same. When the players meet
as required.
him his first words are, "Git off my property." Any
Normally, an NPC only makes an alertness roll fast ,moves produce a warning shot - one tats
h '
when he can trace a line of sight to a PC, and close enough to make you wonder whether it realwoods is blocking terrain. However, for the pur- ly was a warning short, or whether Tuck missed.
poses of this fight, the sighting rules are modified
Tuck, believe it or not, is unaware that the Rusas follows: if a Soviet soldier is within three hexes sians have conquered America. It's been nearly
of a PC but cannot trace a line of sight to the PC, nine months since he last traveled to Milner; his
you still make an alertness check for the soldier, cabin has no TV or radio. If the PCs ask for help
but multiply his alertness by 1/4 (i.e., if the soldier's "against the Russians;' Tuck assumes that they are
alertness is 8, he succeeds only on a roll of lor 2). survivalists stockpiling against the future. Tuck,
If the patrol is encountered east of Route 93, himself a survivalist, is quite happy to tell the
the Soviets' preservation level is 3 (they know rein- players where they can get what they need.
forcements are nearby - see 2.4 above). If west
TJ: We need some guns.
of the highway, their preservation level is 5.
If the PCs capture a Soviet, they may interrogate Tuck: Uh huh, course you do. I suggest you go
to the smithy down in Leslie. Tell him Tuck sent
him. At first, all he'll say is his name (Vasily.
you.
.
Krastik), rank and serial number. He speaks a little
TJ:
(Thinking
he's
been
told
an
important
conEnglish; a successful interrogation skill roll gets him
nection In the underground.) Great! Now aU we
to talk. He knows the general dispositions of all
need is some explosives.
Soviet forces in the Milner area. Vasily pleads for
Tuck:
Explosives, hey? Pretty heavy-duty stuff.
his life, "For the sake of my two sons, Ivan and
I reckon you can get some at the hardware store
Demitri, and my loving wife Katrina, who waits
down in Milner.
for me in Leningrad".
TJ: Well, thanks. .. did you say the hardware
3.2 01' Man Harroway
store in Milner? What about the Russians?
Once the players realize Tuck doesn't know
Tucker Harroway is a hermit; he lives in a log
cabin near the Big Lost River. Tuck can often be America is occupied, convincing him is difficult.
seen paddling up and down Its length in his canoe. Tuck demands hard proof. Once convinced, he
When the players reach the cabin, place Map is extremely helpful, and joins the PCs if asked.
If the players get fed up with Tucker and try to
4 on the table (treat the dam area as forest) and
take what they need, Tuck resists. He either opens
read:

Ahead Is a clearing of scrub and lichen.

In Its center Is a log cabin. Smoke rises from
a tin-pipe chimney in Its roof. In front of the
shack is an old wreck of a Chevy. Its tire
rims rest on cinder blocks; weeds sprout

10

YOUR OWN PRIVATE IDAHO

fire or makes a break for his house. In the basement he has some heavier we.ilpons he uses
without heSitation if threatened.
Tucker's house contains:
2 kerosene lamps
5 gallon tank of kerosene
6 weeks' canned food
3 hunting knives
2 sets of winter clothes
2 sets of snow shoes
300 feet of nylon rope
2 hunting rifles (20 ammo clips)
In addition, feel free to include any common
household items that seem reasonable (e.g., Coke
bottles so the PCs can make Molo~ov cocktails).
Tucker has a root cellar beneath his house. Here
he keeps his heavier weapons. The door is hidden beneath his bed and is booby-trapped. To find
'it, a player must state that he is actively searching
and make a successful alertness roll.
The booby-trap is six sticks of dynamite attached to a tripwire and a lO-second timer. To avoid
activating the timer, a character must open the
trapdoor slightly (8 inches or less), reach inside,
and unhook the tripwire from the nail to which
it is attached. Otherwise, when the door is opened it pulls the tripwire and activates the timer. Ten
seconds later, six slicks of dynamite and a 50
gallon drum of gasoline explode, killing anyone
in the basement. Roll for anyone inside the cabin
when the explosion occurs, and apply the effect
below:

die-roll
1-2
3-5
6-10
11-15
16-18
19-20

effect

none
stun
light wound
heavy wound
incapacitated
kill
If the players have won Tucker's trust, he gladly shows them the basement and his cache of
equipment:
2 automatic rifles (5 ammo clips each)
6 sticks of dynamite
50 gallon drum of high-octane gasoline
6 fragmentation grenades
3 white phosphorous grenades
The shack, behind Tuck's house, is a small
p~mp-house (Tucker's source of water). Inside are:
a shovel
an axe and wedge
a pick
saw, hammer, wrenches, etc.
two canoes

THE PRICE OF FREEDOM

3.3 The First Snowstorm

One night, when the PCs camp outdoors, spring
this:

In less than an hour the thermometer has

plummeted from a comfortable 15 degrees
Celsius to a frigid -5. Flakes of snow and
sleet are falling in ever-increasing numbers.
Wind whips the trees. and blows snow
across the ground.
A snowstorm is beginning. Over the next twelve
hours, thirteen inches of snow are deposited. Wind
gusts of up to 30 kph push the wind chill factor
to - 20 Celsius,
Dramatic weather shifts such as this are uncommon but not unheard of in the mountain heights
of the Pacific northwest. For the characters, this
night can be one of great opportunity or great
misery.
Characters who aren't dressed for the cold suffer. The effects can be drastic (see the Food, Water
& Shelter Chart in the Gamemaster Book, page
63). Minor effects are left to the GM's discretion.
For example, you might rule that a character
without gloves receives a - 2 skill modifier when
firing a gun.
There are two ways for ill-clad characters to deal
with the cold: building a fire, and finding shelter.
Most of the effects of extreme cold come from
the wind. In this snowstorm, characters exposed
to the wind are considered to be at - 20 degrees
Celsius; characters sheltered against the wind are
at 0 degrees.
A successful camping roll is needed to find
shelter in the woods - a cave, a building, or
material to build a lean-to. Failure means the
character must wander for 10 minutes before making another roll.
Building a fire in a raging snowstorm is difficult.
First the characters must find a reasonably dry
place. Then, a successful camping roll is needed
to start the fire; halve the character's camping skill
number before rolling. Failure means that he cannot start a fire in this location and expends several
matches.

THE PRICE OF FREEDOM

For adequately-clothed characters, the storm

can be an opportunity. Minus 20 degree weather
doesn't appeal to the average Russian soldier any
more than anyone else; for the next twelve hours
most guards are more concerned with staying
warm than keeping a close watch. To reflect this,
the alertness of all Russian guards stationed outdoors is reduced to one fourth its normal value
during the storm (this includes those at the dam
and Chilly helicopter base).
In addition, all helicopters are grounded, and
all Soviet vehicles immobilized. Characters may
drive if their vehicles are equipped with snow tires
and if a successful driving skill roll is made. Failure
means the vehicle slides off the road and is stuck
on the shoulder.
Twelve hours after it begins. the storm abates,
leaving more than a foot of snow on the ground.
The Soviets begin clearing major roads; within
fours hours Route 93 is open.
Note that snow conSiderably increases movement costs (see the Travel Table on page 63 of
the Gamemaster Book). Any character with
snow shoes may ignore snow for movement rate
purposes. In addition, snow has no effect on canoe
movement rates.

3.4 Widow's Knees

"Widow's Knees" is the rebel codeword for a
cache of equipment left on a creek tributary to the
Big Lost River, south and west of Milner (see Map
A). The PCs can learn of it from Benedict Amez
(~ia Jeremiah's shortwave), or from Jose Mendez.
The cache is key to the conclusion of the adventure; the explosives it contains are needed to blow
Mackay Dam. Mendez can lead them directly to

YOUR OWN PRIVATE IDAHO

it if healthy. Otherwise, it must be found from coor-

dinates prOVided by Arnez or Mendez. Its location

can, in theory, be pinpointed using a compass and
a USGS map of the region - but, in practice, this
is not always simple. It is very easy to mistake one
terrain feature for another. If attempting to locate
the cache, one player must make a mountaineering skill roll; if successful, he finds it. If he fails,
an hour is wasted searching for the cache, after
which time he can try again. If he fails three times,
he is unable to locate the cache.
Among other things, the cache contains 1000
kilograms of ametol, an explosive somewhat more
powerful than TNT, captured by the rebels from
a Soviet convoy. Unfortunately, the three canoes
the cache contains can't carry both the ametol and
the PCs. To get it to Mackay, they'll need to build
a raft. Luckily, the cache also contains rope, and
Doc Jorgensen is a competent carpenter. ("construction trades" includes this skill)
The cache is a trench covered with a tarp and
tree branches. It contains:
3 aluminum canoes
7 paddles
2 automatic rifles and 10 ammo clips
1 submachinegun and 6 ammo clips
4 rifles and 10 ammo clips
6 molotov cocktails
200 meters climbing rope
1000 kilograms ametol
100 meters detonation cord, various blasting
caps, plunger, etc.
100 square meters oilcloth
200 kilOgrams potatoes
10 kilograms beef jerky
assorted dry timber
15 assorted axes, saws, etc.
10 kilograms nails
3 casting molds for lead bullets
500 pieces brass for .30-30 bullets (same caliber
as rifles above)
5 kilograms lead-tin alloy in ingots (Original intended for casting military miniatures, but useable
for the production of bullets)

23

Chilly Air Base

Summary: The Soviets have established a
helicopter base at Chilly; to fulfill their mission, the
PCs must destroy or sabotage it.

4.1 Metropolitan Chilly

Chilly, Idaho: the original wide place in the road
- seven houses, a ranger station, and a fourthrate motel a few miles south of Route 93. [t is experiencing something of a boom; its population
has increased by a factor of ten in the last few days.
Of course, the original population of the town
is on a cattlecar heading for Bozeman, Montana
and pOints north. Its current population is entirely Russian.
When the PCs arrive at the outskirts of Chilly,
hand them Map D, and show them where they
are. You must choose the speCific location, which
will depend on the direction from which they approached the town. Read:

Below you lies Chilly. A few Soviet

soldiers stroll across the airfield. The world
seems cUriously quiet. Then ...
WHAPWHAPWHAP from behind, there's
a roar of sound, the thunder of a helicopter
Dying nap-of-earth. It Rlls the sky, and then
it's past, hovering above Chllly and slowly
descending to earth. The roar turns to a
whine as the rotors slow. Grass (and snow,
if the storm has occurred) whip away from the
down-blast; technicians run toward the
craft, crouching. An Exxon fuel truck pulls
up. Soldiers mount rocket pods under the
chopper's body. The pilot and gunner get out
and stretch.

pany's "Hinds;' If truth be told, the 11th Company

has inflicted more casualties on the First Idaho than
the rest of the 84th Guards Motor-Rifle combined. Arnez and his men dread the distant sound
of choppers.
But the company's Mi-8s are not to be dismissed. These massive transports can carry as many
as 32 men at a time - an entire platoon. One
of Arnez's few advantages is that he knows where
the Soviets are - Jeremiah keeps him informed
- while the Soviets blunder about. The rebels can
mass to assault one point on the Soviet line.
Because the advanCing Soviet infantry are without
their ground vehicles, it is difficult or Impossible
to r~nforce the line where a rebel attack occurs
- 'doing so means climbing mountains or crossing rivers. The Mi-8s playa vital role - they can
transport reinforcements where no other vehicle
can. If truth be told, it is the 11ths "Hips" which
have done most to prevent a rebel breakout.
In addition to the pilots and gunners who man
these fearsome war machines, more than a hundred maintenance and support personnel live in
and around Chilly.
An air defense platoon is deployed to' defend
the company against assault and sabotage, and

to prOVide ann-aircraft support in the unlikely event

of an air attack. The air defense platoon contains
2 officers with pistols, 14 enlisted men with
automatic rifles, one ZSU-23-4 anti-aircraft gun,
one SA9 surface-to-air missile launcher, a BRDM
and a truck (see anti-aircraft rules and charts).
A medical section of three men runs a small
hospital.
All told, more than 150 soldiers guard Chilly.

4.3 Geography
Chilly lies in a bowl formed by hills along the
north and east. The road which connects it with
Route 93 leads between two hills. To the southwest
some miles away is the Big I..Dst River (see Map DJ.
The air defense platoon is stationed atop the
hills above the road. From that position, the
ZSU-23-4's radar can scan the surrounding area
for approaching aircraft. Its guns dominate the
whole of Chilly; it can be used against ground
troops as well, and stands ready to repel a ground
assault.
Chilly'sseven houses are more than jammed
with Soviet troops. A temporary sheetmetal and
cinderblock dormitory has been erected; a similar
but larger building has been built as a hangar for

4.2 Men and Machines

Chilly is occupied by the 11th Assault Helicopter
Company. Diagram A on page 21 shows the
organization of a typical company, and the men
and equipment contained in it.
The company's teeth is its four Mi-24E attack
helicopters. Each is mounted with an autocannon,
antitank missiles, and rockets; they can fly in excess of 200 miles per hour, destroy tanks from two
miles distance, shred Infantry, and dodge air-toair missiles. These are truly awesome weapons of
war. (See the helicopter rules and charts for more
information.)
Since the Inception of Operation Talon, they
have been the scourge of the First Idaho Brigade.
Challis Forest is a trackless wilderness of mountain peaks and raging streams. The advancing
Soviet infantry was forced to leave its support
vehicles along Route 28; neither artillery nor AFVs
can help them. For heavy weapons support, they
rely on the hard-hitting power of the 11th Com-

24

: " '~f"' ' '<: ' ;'-'-' ' ' ' "' ' -i~ ~';':';
YOUR OWN PRIVATE IDAHO

. :.......

'p'= __

,,'.;;.r~'-_~'v-~.~_~.,......._S:3;~
THE PRICE OF FREEDOM

the helicopters. Both of these are off the road, in

what used to be grazing land for sheep. Most of
the sheep have been eaten, but a few bedraggled
specimens can be seen at the fringe of the field,
The hills around the village and the woods down
to the Big Lost River are occasionally patrolled.
However, the 11th is not expecting trouble, and
the patrols are perfunctory.
The letters printed on Map D indicate:
1-6: Houses occupied by soldiers.
A: The largest house. The company's captain
sleeps here, and uses the house as his staff
headquarters.
B: Dormitory. A sheetmetal and cinderblock
building. Also used as mess hall.
C: Hangar. Helicopters are kept here. There's
a searchlight on the roof.
D: Motel. Used as make-shift hospital. Medical
section stationed here.
E: Landing sites. Helicopters take off and land
from these.
F: Supplies. Kept under tarpaulins.
G: Lean-to Garage. BUilt out of sheet metal.
Exxon fuel truck and other vehicles kept here.
Also, the air defense platoon is kept on the hill
just north of the road. It is not identified by letter,
to avoid giving the players a hint. The ZSU-23-4
and SA-9 are kept there, and are manned around
the clock.

4.4 Routine
Operation Talon is expected to last at least a
week. Conducting operations around the clock
that long would tire the men of the 84th Guards
excessively. Too, advancing at night invites attack
by the rebels, who know the terrain far better. Consequently, most operations take place during the
day, and that is when the 11th Assault Helicopter
Company flies its missions. The only time it fUes
at night is when a rebel attack occurs; then, klaxons sound over the base, and choppers scramble
to support the men of the 84th.
The normal daily routine is:
0500: Reveille. Klaxons sound. Men are out of
their beds and at parade attention within ten
minutes. Captain inspects company. Calisthenics.
Punishment details announced.
0530: Men eat breakfast in shifts (makeshift
dormitory doubles as mess hall). Numerous
soldiers move about the village and the hangar.
The doors of the hangar swing open to reveal eight
helicopters within. Two Chevy Blazers with red
stars painted on their sides are also kept in the
hangar. The Chevys haul the helicopters out to
their landing circles.
0545: Klaxon sounds. Pilots and gunners run
to their craft. Last inspection of craft. Last munitions loaded.
0600: In pairs, Mi-24E Hinds take off and head
east. Mi-8s mayor may not accompany them,
depending on the reqUirements of the day's
missions.
0600-1800: The entire airfield is extremely
busy. Helicopters return periodically for fuel and
munitions. An Exxon fuel truck refuels them when
needed. The Mi-8s are loaded with ammunition,
food, clothing and other supplies, and take off to
resupply the 84th Guard's infantry as necessary.
OccaSionally, wounded are taken off an Mi-8 and
to the motel on stretchers. Sometimes, a helicopter
is hauled into the hangar; there, mechanics work
it over. Once or twice a day, trucks trundle down
THE PRICE OF FREEDOM

the road from Route 93 with supplies, which are

rapidly unloaded. Most are stored on the ground,
under tarps; some are taken into the hangar or
commissary.
1800: By this time, the last of the helicopters
has usually returned to base. Many carry empty
missile racks. Upon landing, crew disembark and
head for the largest house (A). Blazers tow the
choppers back into the hangar. Sometimes, two
Mi-24Es are tied down and left on the airfield after
being resupplied - in case they should be required
during the night.
18002000: Mechanics continue to work on
the helicopters. The rest of the men eat dinner in
shifts in the mess hall. Occasional Singing can be
heard from the dormitory.
2100: Curfew. All lights in the base, with the
exception of a searchlight mounted atop the
hangar, click off at the same time. All is qUiet.
21000500: Guards patrol the hangar, administration, and airfield; occasional patrols
wander the surrounding hills. Four men remain
in the hills to man the anti-aircraft guns; three
guard, while one keeps an eye on the radar. At
0100 hours, there is a change of guard.

4.5 What Will the PCS Do?

When the PCs arrive, the scale of activity at
Chilly should daunt them. Six people are not going to wipe out the base by charging in, deer rifles
blasting. The first thing to do is gather information.
If they despair, tell them there's a way to do the
job. After all, what kind of story faces the hero with
a completely insoluble problem? Real life can be
hopeless, but that makes for dull fiction. Daunting obstacles are desirable; insuperable ones, a
waste of time.
The best way to gain information is to watch.
Any of the surrounding hills give the PCs a good
view of Chilly. Though the hills are patrolled
sporadically, the PCs can usually see the patrols
coming. However, if the episode begins to drag,
you can liven things up by having a patrol wander
right past the PCs. Ask the players what their
camouflage and stealth skill numbers are, tsk-tsk,
roll some dice, and announce that the patrol
passes them by. They won't be discovered unless
they open fire or do something equally stupid because once discovered, destroying Chilly really
does become impossible.
By watching, the PCs can learn the base's
routine and the different buildings' functions. If
they watch carefully, they may note that, every
six hours, a group of men climb the hill where the
anti-aircraft guns are kept, and another group
comes down. At some pOint, ask each of the
players to make an alertness check with a "x1/2"
modifier; if any succeeds, tell him he sees a glint
of metal from the hill.

4.6 The Players Plan

Once they've gathered information, the players
must plan their attack. As we've said before,
players are imaginative, and yours may hit on an
interesting solution to the problem that we have
not anticipated. In the follOWing sections, we
discuss a number of possible plans, and how to
stage each of them. If your players do figure out
another way, we hope you'll be able to borrow bits
and pieces from the suggestions below.

YOUR OWN PRIVATE IDAHO

In general, the PCs ought to realize:

Right after 1 AM is a good time to attack. At
that point, Virtually everyone is asleep and the
guards have just changed, so the PCs will have
the greatest amount of time to work before the
next guard change.
The only lighting in Chilly after curfew is the
searchlight. It swings about in a regular pattern,
so a small group of people can move about the
village if they plan movement carefully and find
cover before the searchlight m"oves their way.
If the PCs actually enter Chilly and try
anything, they have to be silent. Firearms and
grenades are useless; any loud noise will wake the
encampment, and six people can't take on 150.
The patrols are somewhat lackadaisical, and
can generally be avoided if the PCs are careful.
So how can they take out the choppers?

4.7 Skeet Shooting With a

ZSU
One way is to capture the ZSU-23-4.
It and its accompanying SA-9 are well located.
The Soviets have complete air superiority, so an
air attack is unlikely; however, American guerrillas
have proven fiendishly inventive in the past.
Attacks by hang-glider, radio.controlled aircraft
and light planes loaded with explosives have been
known. Consequently, a radar watch is advisable
- so the ZSU needs to be at a high point. That's
why it's on a hill.
Located where it is, the ZSU commands the entire valley. Though designed as an anti-aircraft gun,
it can fire at ground targets, and is devastatingly
effective against infantry. Moreover, it is an armored vehicle, albeit a somewhat lightly armored
one. The rebels have few heavy weapons capable
of knocking it out. Therefore, any attack on the
base by guerrillas would be met by withering fire.
Its location is also a weakness. If the ZSU is captured, it can pour fire on Chilly, destroying the
helicopters and killing a very large proportion of
its defenders.
The best time to attack is at night, shortly after
1 AM. There are four men guarding the ZSU-23-4.
One is in the vehicle iiself, watching the radar. The
other three are outSide, standing around a campfire. Since their eyes are not adjusted to the dark,
the PCs can sneak up fairly close. Have each PC
make a stealth roll; if any fails, make alertness rolls
for each of the three guards at the campfire. (See
the ZSU-24-4 Crew Roster, part of the hand-outs,
for the guards' stats.) If any guard makes a successful roll, he hears something - says, "What
was that?" in RUsSian, then moves out into the
darkness. weapon ready. In this case, the PCs do
not get a round of surprise - otherwise, they do.
All combat is at short range. Because the opponents are so close to each other, you don't need
to use a map or miniatures - we suggest you
describe the situation to your players and let them
decide what to do.
Because there are 6 PCs to 3 Soviets and the
Reds have a propensity to panic, the fight won't
last long, especially if the PCs do get surprise.
The guy inside the ZSU is another matter. Roll
panic for him each combat round, as well as for
the others. The first round that he doesn't panic,
he radloes for help. The PCs can hear him yelling through the hull, and a fuzzy radioed response.
Five rounds later, a klaxon sounds down at the
base.

25

After he's radioed, anytime the guy in the ZSU

doesn't panic he's busy slamming hatches and buttoning up. It takes him two rounds to complete
the job. If a PC grabs one of the hatches before
then, he can enter and fight the man in the ZSu.
If the PCs don't notice what's going on or don't
finish off the outside three in time, they're in bad
trouble. Once the ZSU is buttoned up, it's virtually impossible to get inside.
Let's assume they get inside before it's buttoned up. They still have a problem. True, Nate
Washington has some gunnery skill - but he's
never used Soviet equipment, all of the controls
are labeled in Russian, and there's no manual to
be found. When he first fires the ZSU, halve his
skill number (to 5) to reflect his unfamiliarity with
the equipment. Each time he fires it, increase his
effective skill by one - first to 6, then to 7, etc.
until he reaches his full value of 10.
The hangar must be hit 5 times for all of the
choppers to be destroyed. Have Nate keep on
making his rolls until he succeeds, the ZSU runs
out of ammo, or Soviet reinforcements arrive.
Soviet reinforcements? Oh, yes. In all likelihood,
the man in the ZSU got off a call for help before
he was killed. fuur rounds after he does so, a klaxon sounds, lights corne on in the camp, men start
running for the hangar, and a squad forms and
comes up the hill. They reach the ZSU ten rounds
later. Ten rounds after that, one of the choppers
takes off and come.s up the hill, Strafing.
Of course, Nate can stop shooting at the hangar
and try to take out the squad corning up the hill,
or the chopper once it's airborne. That's fine, but
keep track of ammo expenditure
it is limited,
and Nate isn't all that accurate. Remember the air
defense platoon's BRDM, too; the Soviets use it
to shoot back. It's normally kept in the vehicular
lean-to mentioned in 4.3.
What if the Pes didn't get into the ZSU? The
guy inside depresses its barrel and cranks it around,
trying to draw a bead on the PCs. If they keep
an eye on it, they can evade him - visibility from
inside a buttoned-up ZSU is limited. If he does
manage to spot a PC, he fires, turning the PC into
shredded wheat. There's not much the PCs can
do about this, except, perhaps, to construct a
make-shift satchel charge out of dynamite or
ametol and plant it under the vehicle. Of course,
if they destroy the ZSU, they've also destroyed their
means of blowing up the hangar.
There's still one alternative - the SA-9. It's kept
up here with the ZSU because SA-9s have no indigenous radar
instead, they connect to a
ZSU-23-4 via cable, using its radar for fire control. The SA-9's missiles can still be fired, even
without radar - they're heat-seeking, designed
to horne in on a jet's contrail. Of course, there are
no jets hereabout. If an SA-9 is fired without a
target to lock onto, it goes ballistic that is, it just
heads where you pOinted it. If the Pes aim it right,
it can strike the hangar. Unfortunately, its warhead
is a mere 5 kilograms of explosive, so it needs to
hit something explosive in the hangar. A lot of fuel
and munitions are stored there, so this is not
impossible.
Properly speaking, firing a SAM requires heavy
weapons skill, but we suggest you generously let
Nate use his gunnery skill. As with the ZSU, halve
it the first time he fires, etc.
If an SA-9 missile hits the warehouse, roll the
die; on a roll of 1 through 8, it is destroyed. There
are only 4 missiles on the SA-9's firing rack; once

26

they have been fired, it must be reloaded before

it can be fired again. There are 6 more missiles
inside. The Pes are completely unfamiliar with the
equipment and are probably being shot at reloading takes two characters 8 rounds per
missile, and when they're finished, an alertness roll
is needed to make sure they've done the job right.
Failure means that when'fired, the missile spins
off the rack, hits the ground nearby, and explodes.
So here are the PCS, desperately struggling with
the controls to the SA-9, while the ZSU's barrel
swings around looking for PCs to kill, and the Russians down at the base are running around preparing to assault. Practically speaking, Nate has 4
shots - and if he misses, Soviet troops arrive to
make his life miserable. Tense moments like these
make for some of the best roleplaying experiences.

4.8 Moonlight Sabotage

The only light in Chilly at night is the searchlight
on top of the hangar. It moves in a regular pattern, so, by planning movement carefully, a small
party can make its way to the hangar unobserved. If the PCs try thiS, stage the trip to the hangar
with a tense moments or two, e.g.:
Two guards stroll by, talking quietly; one stops
and lights a cigarette, in front of the bushes where
the PCs are hiding, then strolls on ...
The searchlight sweeps around, and the Pes
must sprint for cover - make an agility roll ...
There are two guards at the hangar's door. It's
a cold night; they're moving about, stamping their
feet, trying to keep warm. Every once in a while,
one enters the hangar, and a moment later,

YOUR OWN PRIVATE IDAHO

another takes his place. ("Gods, it's cold out here;

your turn, Ivan.")
If the PCs approach the front of the hangar, the
guards challenge them, and open fire. However,
the PCs can sneak up the sides of the hangar, then
attack. Silence is absolutely necessary; a shot or
an explosion rouses the entire camp. Luckily, Kim
Shaw is good with shuriken, T.J. with melee
weapons, and Diana and Doc can use bows. If
they use surprise well, the PCs can take out the
guards fast. (See the Hangar Guard Roster for
stats.)
The PCs needn't worry about the searchlight
operators. They're not in line of sight of the door,
and don't know what's going on. If the PCs get
nervous, they can take out the operators - but
had better move fast. Afterward, someone must
man the searchlight and keep it moving. Otherwise, a patrol comes to find out why the light has
stopped, and the jig is up.
There are four more guards inside, sitting on
crates around a card table, playing poker; a Coleman lamp nearby provides light and a little
warmth, The table is about 12 meters (2 hexes)
inside the building and in direct line of Sight of the
door.
The door is like the door to many warehouses:
it's a giant garage door, openable by hand or
machine, with a human-size door in the middle.
The guards enter and leave through the smaller
door; whenever it opens, a breeze blows into the
hangar, and the card-players look up. The PCs
have one round after they open the door before
the Soviets react, and another round thereafter

THE PRICE OF FREEDOM

before the Soviets can get their weapons and open

fire - basically, two rounds before all hell breaks
loose. Remember, though, that some of the
Soviets may panic.
Two PCs can shoot through the open door at
the same time, but not if anyone is moving through
it in the same round. A PC can run through the
door and charge/assault the Soviets in one round
(since they are within 2 "clear terrain" hexes).
If a Soviet gets a shot off, three rounds later the
klaxon sounds and men start pouring out of the
dormitories. At this point, the PCs would be lucky
to escape, let alone destroy the hangar. Nate could
still steal a chopper (see 4.9), but this is a desperation move.
Once the characters secure the hangar, they can
sabotage the helicopters. Nate Washington can use
his helicopter skill to sabotage their engines beyond
repair, or the PCs can simply blow them up. A
substantial supply of munitions - rocket pods and
missiles - is stored in the hangar. Horatio
Spaulding can improvise something using his
demolitions skill. Unless the PCs have acquired
a fuze and blasting cap along the way, they'll have
to set off the explosion by tossing a stick of
dynamite and running - or hauling out a 57mm
rocket designed for use with the Mi-24s and firIng it at the hangar. Either way, the camp is going
to be as active as a disturbed anthill as soon as
the explosion goes off, so the PCs had better have
an escape route planned.

4.9 Devil Take the

HINDmost
Or they could steal a chopper.
Why not? It won't be easy, but it's certainly the
most audacious approach. Nate Washington has
some helicopter skill - he wasn't trained as a pilot
in the army, but was fascinated by the machines
and spent a lot of time around pilots, who
sometimes let him take the controls. Of course,
his skill is only 8, which means he isn't quite competent
but what the hell.
First, the PCs have to get into the hangar and
take out the guards - 4.8 discusses that. Then,
they need to stoke up on supplies and fuel. There
are munitions in the hangar; loading up a Hind
takes the PCs about half an hour.
Next step, open the hangar door . . . Oops.
What about the guys on the roof? They're puzzled when the hangar door opens. It's not supposed to be opened until reveille. They'll alert the
camp . . . unless the PCs take them out, quietly,
and man the searchlight themselves.
Okay, the door is open. How to get the Mi-24
out of the hangar? The helicopters have wheels,
but pushing is impractical - think of 6 men trying to push a Mack truck. The Soviets use Chevy
Blazers to pull them in and out of the hangar, but
starting up a Chevy engine will rouse the camp.
There's only one alternative: fire up the chopper inside the hanger, tilt it forward, and try to fly
it out the open hangar door.
This works. Sort of. The moment the engine
starts up, there are shouts from outside. It takes
a minute or so for the rotorS to pick up speed; by
the time Nate gets started, men are pouring out
of the dormitories. They don't know what's going
on yet, though; are these joy-riding soldiers, or
what?

THE PRICE OF FREEDOM

Nate must make a helicopter skill roll. If he fails,

the helicopter doesn't make it out the hangar door,
and sort of bounces around in the hangar. He can
try again next round. If he rolls a 20, it slams
sideways into another chopper, the rotors hit
something and come scaling off, the helicopter
heels over and slams into the ground, exploding.
Scratch everything in the hangar, PCs included.
With luck, he gets it out the door. Anyone not
in the chopper had better get in now. With a successful skill roll, he can ascend a bit, and turn
around to face the hangar. A gunnery skill roll is
needed to fire the rockets; if Nate manages this,
the hangar explodes, and the other copters are
destroyed. If he fails, he misses.
Once the Hind opens fire or after ten rounds,
if it hasn't fired by then - the Soviets realize what's
up. Give them four rounds to prepare then the
ZSU opens fire. (Its gunners skills are printed on
the ZSU Roster.)
Note that the chopper is below the ZSU, so rule
28.5 comes into play (see anti-aircraft rules).
Once the hangar is destroyed, Nate needs
another successful skill roll to get the helicopter
moving fast and away from Chilly. In two rounds,
it can zip over one of the hills around Chilly, and,
if it stays at nap-of-earth, get off the ZSU's radar
screen. If it rises too far above the surface and the
ZSU or SA-9 is still in range, the Soviets try to get
off a shot. Incidently, a helicopter can often dodge
a surface-to-air missile; if Nate makes a successful
alertness roll, he sees the missile coming, andcan
attempt a helicopter skill roll to dodge it.

4.10 Getting Away

Whether or not the PCs succeeded in taking out
the hangar, they must get away.
By Vehicle: This is a bad idea. Neither the ZSU
nor SA9 can make' much headway through the
woods, and heading up Route 93 is sheer suicide.
Those T-72s will make mincemeat of the
characters if they try.
By Helicopter: If the PCs stole a helicopter, they
can make their getaway in it. It's also a fast way

YOUR OWN PRIVATE IDAHO

to get to Mackay Dam

and to take out the
guards there.
There is, however, a hitch. The ZSU does its
best to track the helicopter. As previously indicated, it opens fire if the PCs aren't careful to
keep off its radar. Once they've gotten out of firing range, they can climb as high as they wish
but the ZSU's radar has a range of 25 kilometers,
and can track them. Unless the PCs fly nap-ofearth all the way, the SOviets know where they've
landed, and converge on the dam meaning the
PCs won't have enough time to blow it.
By root: The difficulty of escaping by foot
depends on where the PCs are when they destroy
the airbase, and how they do it. If they sabotaged
the helicopters qUietly, they can get out of Chilly
without much problem. Then, they have at least
a few hours of lead before their handiwork is
discovered.
If they blow up the hangar with the ZSU, they
have at most a few minutes before Soviet soldiers
reach the hilltop and begin to comb the woods.
If they blow up the hangar with the munitions they
found in it, the camp wakes up the moment the
explosion occurs - the few patrolling guards in
Chilly run for the hangar and men start pouring
out of the dormitories. Getting out of Chilly means
a running firefight, and dodging patrols once in
the woods.
And if they failed to knock out the helicopters,
there are hourly helicopter sweeps for two days.
The PCs had better keep under cover as much
as they can.
To keep tension up, have the PCs encounter
at least one patrol as they flee. Call for camouflage
and stealth rolls to hide; use the standard Soviet
patrol (see rosters).
By Canoe: It's about 5 km from Chilly to the Big
Lost River - a couple of hours travel. The PCs
have to dodge Soviet patrols along the way. If
they've cached canoes, they can head upstream
or down. Heading upstream allows a Soviet patrol
to catch up. Heading downstream, they can outdistance pursuit.

27

Mackay Dam
Summary: The valley below Mackay Dam includes most of Route 93 down to Arco, Idaho and the Soviet armor stationed along its length .
If it can be blown, the First Idaho Brigade can
make its escape. When the PCs get to Mackay,
they discover an unexpected problem: Mackay isn't
going to be easy to blow. It's not a concrete dam,
but an earthen one - and far more difficult to
destroy.

5.1 The Dam

Mackay Dam was constructed in 1918. Its main
functions are irrigation and flood control. It is not
made of concrete, but of earth and gravel. While
a concrete dam is stronger per cubic foot, a properly constructed earthen dam is actually more
stable. A concrete dam is arced; the weight of the
water creates compressive forces which help hold
the water back, in a manner analogous to an arch
or tension bridge. If any stone in an arch is removed, the arch falls; if any portion of a concrete dam
is destroyed, the rest is likewise.
An earthen dam is a pile of dirt. Destroying one
part does nothing to the rest.
In 1980, Mackay Dam was rocked by an earthquake, which, at its epicenter some 80 miles away,
measured 8 on the Richter Scale. Mackay Dam
held.
Is there any way the dam can be destroyed?
Yes, but it won't be easy.

The dam Is made of gravel and dirt, standIng 80 feet tall, over 70 feet thick at the top,
with a span of almost 1/4 mile.
The land above the east side of the dam
is flat, gradually turning to rolling hills. An
aging Caterpillar backhoe sits by a cluster
of trees.
On the west side, the dam abuts a wall of
brown rock. This cliff, specked with birch
and evergreens, rises for 200 feet above the
dam before tapering away.
The only building to be seen Is located
near the western end of the dam. A circular
control tower rises out of the reservoir, its
roof 20 feet above water level. It is connected to the dam by a metal walkway. The
top of the tower is ringed with windows. Inside, a fourth soldier can be seen moving
about. As you watch. one of the soldiers on
the dam crosses the walkway and enters the
control tower.
Protruding from the dam's base on the
near side, opposite the tower, are three 20
foot pipes. Water pours from one of them.

5.3 The Guards

The first step is getting rid of the guards.
Guarding a dam is tedious. Guarding an indestructable dam in a pacified area is especially
dull. This particular squad takes its mission about
as seriously as it deserves. (See the Dam Guard
Roster for stats.) Their leader is Vladimir Kechnik .

Lieutenant Vladimir Kechnlk

B Squad. 2nd Platoon, D Company, 164th
Tank Regiment, 84th Motor-Rifle Division
Physical Tag: Uniform and hair dishevelled.
Personality Tag: Drunken.
Motivation: Vladimir is a spoiled kid who
knows Daddy will get him out of trouble, and
whose main goal is having a good time.
Applicable Skills:
Pistol: 6
Hand-to-Hand: 6
Melee Weapons: 8
language - English: 15
While ignorant of military tactics, disrespectful toward military procedure and bored with
military life, Vladimir has one quality that
assures him a successful army career: his father
is General Kechnik, Commander of the 143rd
Spetsnaz, presently engaged in the pacification of Baltimore.
Papa has high ambitions for his son and arranged his "combat assignment" through Colonel Geboshnovlk (who was only too happy
to earn a few brownie pOints with the higherups). At the conclusion of Operation Talon,
Vladimir will undoubtedly receive glowing
praise from Geboshnovik, at least one decoration, and a prompt promotion to Captain.

Mackay Dam
Vital Statistics

Span - 460 meters

Height - 27 meters
Width - 53 meters at the base, 23 meters at
the top. (Mackay Dam was originally intended to be considerably taller, hence the large
width at the base.)

5.2 First Impressions

The full-color map included in Your Own
Private Idaho is of the western section of the dam
(see 0.1 for an explanation of terrain) . When the
PCs reach the dam. place the map on the table.
Read :
The mountain air is bitter against your
skin. Small snow drifts, remnants of the
year's first snowstorm, lie piled against tree
trunks. Below In the valley Is Mackay Dam.
Two Russian soldiers walk along Its length.
Another leans against a BMP parked on the
dam. He Is smoking a cigarette.
28

YOUR OWN PRIVATE IDAHO

THE PRICE OF FREEDOM

Guard duty in Vladimir's squad is rather informal: one man stays by the BMP, while anyone who
feels like it walks along the dam to take the air.
Usually, no one feels like it, except during the occasional piss-off-the-top-of-the-dam contests.
Mostly the soldiers remain in the tower, sleeping in the living quarters downstairs or playing
chess and drinking upstairs. Supplies are flown in
once a week by helicopter. The helicopter's pilot
is aware of Vladimir's parentage and always
manages to bring plenty of non-regulation items
- including, on his last trip, a rather voluptuous
blonde named Sheena Karn (see box on page 30).
Though the squad is completely unprepared,
attacking them is difficult. Unless they are overwhelmed qUickly, the Russians use their radio to
call for reinforcements. Destroying the dam takes
quite a while - a minimum of two days, in fact.
If the Russians call for help, the PCs aren't going
to have those two days.
Every six hours, Vladimir checks in with Operation Talon headquarters in Milner via radio. This
transmission isn't scrambled, but he does use a
code for identification - which Sheena knows.

5.4 Getting to the Tower

During the day, an assault on the dam is
especially difficult. There are always at least three
men in the tower, with full view of the dam. To
cross the dam from its eastern edge on foot takes
a running character 6 rounds. Each round , make
alertness rolls for each Russian in the tower. Halve
each character's alertness before rolling. If a roll
succeeds, the Russian is activated and may begin
to take actions. (Russians are also activated if any
gunfire occurs; see Gamemaster Book. section
13.) Note: When characters are crOSSing the dam
they are not allowed to make stealth rolls because
there in no place to hide.
At night, moving acoss the dam is less difficult .
There are usually only two unsleeping Russians
in the tower. Their alertnesses are quartered
(multiply by '14th and round down) before each
alertness roll.
There are three less obvious ways to approach
the tower: down the cliff, by canoe, and by
swimming.

Cliff Climbing
A character may climb down the cliff face
without a rope by making a successful mountaineering skill roll. If he fails his roll, he falls 100
or more feet - roll on the Falling and Collision
Table (see Gamemaster Charts.) on the "31-50
meter" column of the table. If he's above the lake
when he falls , roll only on the "7-12 meter" column , but the splash automatically alerts the
Russians.
To climb down the cliff during the day takes 30
minutes; at night, 45 minutes. A character climbing during the day is certain to be seen before he
reaches bottom. At night , a character in dark
clothes cannot be seen against the cliff-face.
If a character has a rope, he can climb down
the cliff with a much-reduced chance of falling.
It takes 10 rounds for one character to climb down
with a rope alone. He must make a mountaineering skill roll; if he fails, roll on the "13-18 meter"
column of the Falling and Collision Table. If he
climbs during the day, make one alertness roll for
each Russian in the tower; if at night, he is not
spotted .
With climbing rope and pitons, one character
with mountaineering skill may attempt to lead the

THE PRICE OF FREEDOM

rest down the cliff, by roping them together. Working down the face takes 30 minutes. Each
character makes a mountaineering or agility roll
(whichever is more favorable) . Anyone who fails
falls off. At that point, the lead character makes
a mountaineering skill roll; if he suceeds he stops
the other character from falling . The faller dangles
from the cliff face by the rope, held on by the pitons
and other characters, and may resume climbing.
If the mountaineering skill roll fails , all characters
are ripped from the face and fall together. If the
characters climb during the day, they are
automatically spotted ; if at night. make one alertness roll for each Soviet in the tower, but multiply
his alertness by l/4th before rolling. If the Soviets
are activated , the characters are noticed half-way
up the cliff, and the Soviets can easily shoot them
off.
The best way to get down the cliff is to rappel.
To rappel down the cliff a character must have at
least 250 feet of nylon rope, a pair of gloves, and
a rappelling harness . Before rappelling the
character should put on the harness and gloves,
pass one end of the rope through the two rings
of the harness, tie the end of the rope to one of
the numerous trees which dot the slope and then
throw the other end of the rope off the cliff so that
it hangs freely. Next , the character must make a
successful mountaineering skill roll to rappel down
to the dam. A failed roll means that the character
lands hard and is stunned for two rounds. In addition , if he fails a guard may have heard the noise;
make an alertness roll for anyone guard in the
tower (halving his alertness if it is dark) . Rapelling
down the cliff takes only one round .
Lastly, a character may attempt to rappel down
a cliff without a rappelling belt. To do this the
character must make a mountaineering roll. Failure
means he has fallen a hundred feet (roll on the
31-50 meter column of the Falling and Collision
Table, or on the 7-12 meter column if he falls in
the reservoir). Success means that the character
has reached the dam but is stunned for three
rounds because of the extreme physical hardship
of rappelling without a harness.

Swimming
The second way to approach the tower is by
swimming. Characters with a swimming skill of 10
or more can automatically reach the tower. Those
without must make a swimming skill roll, doubling their skill number before rolling . Failure means
the character begins to drown halfway there.
Mountain water is cold. Mountain water just
after the first snowfall is close to freezing.
Characters who remain in the water for more than
five minutes must make constitution rolls. A
character who fails his roll immediately goes into
shock and begins to drown .
If the players swim to the tower during the day,
make two alertness checks for each Russian in the
tower. At night , make only one alertness che~k
for each Russian, and mUltiply his alertness by 1/4
before rolling.
Controls in the tower open and close the water
tunnels. At present, only one of the three tunnels
is open and spilling water. Its intake is behind the
tower, under the walkway (see Map C) and against
the dam. Any character within one hex of the
opening feels a strong pull toward it. If a character
swims into the opening's hex , there is a chance
that he'll be sucked into it. Make a swimming skill
roll for the character; if he fails, he's sucked in, falls
to the dam's base through the water tunnel , and

YOUR OWN PRIVATE IDAHO

is smashed on the rocks below. Miraculous survival is possible, but it truly is miraculous; unless
the player spends several hero points, don't even
bother rolling on the Falling and Collision Table.

Canoe
There's a bend in Lake Mackay (see Map A);
a canoe on the northern half of the lake cannot
be seen from the dam , until it rounds the bend
(which is about 2 kilometers from the dam) . During the day, canoes are sure to be seen from the
dam . It would take ten minutes (40 combat
rounds) of frantic paddling to reach the tower ;
make alertness rolls for any Soviet on the dam or
in the tower each combat round.
At night, it may be possible to sneak up to the
tower itself by paddling qUietly. Only two Soviets
are conscious; make alertness rolls for them, halving their alertnesses. If either succeeds, he spots
the PCs in their canoes just as they enter the edge
of Map 4. If both fail , the PCs can canoe right up
to the edge of the tower, and can use a rope and
hook to climb in one of the windows on Levell,
or explosives to blow a hole in the side of Level 2.

The Control Tower

The top level of the tower is connected to
the dam by a metal walkway. and is surrounded by glass windows.

Levell
A - Circular metal stairway leading to level

2.
B - Soviet field radio. It is in perfect working order and has a range of 35 kilometers,
Once every six hours, Operation Talon command checks in with the dam garrison via
radio.
C - Control panel. There are three levers
on the right hand side of the panel, marked
in English "Window 1 - Window 2 - Window 3". The three windows are located on the
side of the tower (see diagram). When a window is opened. water flows through it Into the
tower then under the dam and, finally, out the
spill tunnel. They may be partially opened to
allow for slower water flow, or multiple windows may be opened to quicken the pace.
Even if all windows are opened Simultaneously
the water rate remains at a safe level; the mission cannot be accomplished simply by
manipulating the dam's controls.
Also on the first level are; 4 chairs and table,
clockradio, refrigerator, three cases of
Budweiser, assorted meats and vegetables.
light machinegun with 20 clips ammo.

Level 2
A - Stairway.
B - This portion has been curtained off and
is deSignated as Vladimir's private 'office'.
C - Bunk area for the troops. Four cots line
the walls.
D - Storage area. The following items are
stored here: canned food for eight men for two
weeks, case of fragmentation grenades (20).
25 clips of ammo for AK-74, 6 white
phosphorous grenades.
E - Generator, with 500 liters fuel .

29

5.5 The Fight

If the Soviets spot the PCs. they order them to
surrender. Assuming the PCs dont. the Soviets
open fire. I( the PCs attack first. they have the usual
round of surprise.
Once shooting starts all soldiers in the tower rush
to the control room (see Map C). In the heat of
battle. Vladimir forgets to call for reinforcements:
the characters have 10 combat rounds before he
remembers and gets a message off.
I( a Soviet soldier is incapacitated or killed . roll
for panic for each remaining soldier. Any who fail
leave the tower and run to the BMP, if it isn't under
attack and there are no PCs in their path. Otherwise they flee . to the tower's living area.
The soldier by the BMP. if still alive. jumps into
it and opens fire on the rebels with its main gun:
He continues to fire until wounded, when he
panics and tries to drive the BMP along the dam
to the tower. I( stunned while driving. roll against
the soldier's driv ing skill; if he fails, he drives off
the dam and plunges into the valley far below. The
BMP explodes in a tremendous fireball.
If the Russians are bottled up in the living area,
Vladimir. in desperation, uses Sheena as a
hostage. He threatens to kill her and claims he has
called for reinforcements. I( the characters are
about to give in, this would be a good time for
Sheena to turn heroine.
The PCs can try to talk the Russians out of the
living area; this only works if Vladimir is alive, as
he's the only one who speaks English. To talk them
out, a character must make a successful fast talk
or con skill roll. I( he does. the surviving Russians
surrender.
Or the characters could simply blast them out
like real Americans. You know the combat system.
Go to it. Try to keep Sheena alive; she'll be need ed . For instance:

The case of frag grenades explodes with

an ear-shattering boom. You peer in; the
room Is a shambles, the walls torn by
thousands of shrapnel fragments. Several
shapeless forms which moments ago were
Soviet soldiers lie stlll on the floor. Near the
far wall you hear a moan from underneath
a mattress. A young woman emerges, stunned by the explosion.
Using Sheena
Sheena can come into playa number of ways.
Vladimir may use her as a hostage. If the PCs burst
into Vladimir's room and surprise him, Sheena is
with him, scantily clad . If the assault on the tower
is going badly, Sheena suddenly sees the error of
her ways and tips the battle in the PCs' favor.
Regardless of how they encounter her, Sheena
is tearful, ashamed of her recent behavior. In part,
this is self-serving; the PCs are toting large
weapons, and Sheena had better be helpful if she's
going to survive. In part, this is the result of a disappointment; Vladimir was a dud, and Sheena's less
certain her strategy of collaboration makes sense.
In part, however, her conversion is genuine; she
is ashamed.
Sheena knows the code word Vladimir uses
when reporting to division HQ - "shulehr" ("cardsharp"). If the characters are patient, they can extract it from her. Moreover, she knows Russian
(which none of the PCs do) . She can't be the one
to call division HQ and report, because a female
voice would make them suspicious: however. she

30

Sheena Karn a/k/a Mindy Wagenzeller

PhYSical Tag: Blonde, tosses her head.
Personality Tag: Rather flippant.
Motivation: Survival.
Applicable Skills:
Hand-to-Hand: 12
Rifles: 10
Fast Talk: 9
Language - Russian: 14
Sheena is a gold-digging blonde-haired
hussy with a heart of gold. Yes, that's a
stereotype, but roleplaying stereotypes can be
a lot of fun; go to it. She's an aspiring actress.
Alone and unskilled, she decided to
"cooperate" with the Reds and get whatever
she could. She learned about Vladimir - and
his pop - through a Soviet helicopter pilot.
She convinced the pilot to fly her to the dam.
Vladimir turned out to be a bit of a bust; the
Idaho wilderness is not Sheena's idea of the
big time, and it's pretty clear Vlad intends to
dump her the moment OperaliQn.Jalon is over.
can coach one of the PCs in what to say. and he
can make the report.
like many converts, once she's decided to cast
in her lot with the PCs, Sheena is a bit fanatical.
She shows no mercy to her former friends. If any
of the original garrison are alive, she insists on killing them . If the PCs refuse to do so, she tries to
kill them herself at the earliest opportunity.

5.6 Destroying the Dam

At this point, the players may think they've won.
They've destroyed the choppers at Challis, they've
got the explosives, and they've taken the dam . It's
just a matter of planting the ametol, sitting back,
and touching it off, right?
Maybe not.
Take Horatio Spaulding's player aside, and explain the situation to him - that it's an earthen
dam, one. moreover, that's 160 feet thick at the
base. Even 1000 kilos of ametol isn't going to do
more than blow a dent in it. It's not like a concrete dam. If they could blow a section of the dam
out, that might be enough to do the trick: water
would begin pouring through, and as it did, would
erode the sides of the break and widen it. But
they'd need to blowout a whole section, from the
base to the top.
If Horatio isn't around, demolitions or engineering skill rolls all around are a good idea. If anyone
succeeds. give him the bad news. If no one does.
they can go ahead and try, but the most they can
do is blow a dent in the lip of the dam.
Once you 've told the players the bad news, let
them despair for a moment. Then, if no one thinks
of it, have Sheena mention the backhoe. If they
don't get the hint, try this:
Gamemaster: Sheena says, "Hey, guys; what
about the backhoe? The backhoe, what about
it? I mean, like, what about the backhoe? Huh?"
Ideally. the players come up with these things
on their own . They really hate being led around
by the nose. and we really hate doing it. But if
necessary ...
The Caterpillar Backhoe Loader
When the players examine the backhoe, read :
A backhoe is a huge earth-mover with a
bulldozer-like plow (called the "loader

YOUR OWN PRIVATE IDAHO

bucket") on one end and a smaller, more

versatile scoop (or "digger bucket") on the
other_
The backhoe Is parked 20 meters from the
east edge of the dam. Its wheels and the
loader bucket are sunk into the mud, almost
to the axle. Weeds jut out from beneath the
engine hood. The cabin Is In an equal state
of disrepair; two thirds of its exterior Is
covered In rust. The remaining third Is the
original yellow, but the paint Is bubbled and
cracked, threatening to fall off at the next
rain. The glass of the cabin Is specked with
a series of circular cracks - one of which
still holds a BB suspended In It. Beer bottles litter the cab's Interior, mixed with
ankle-deep mud and slush. A longabandoned blrd's nest lies nestled amongst
the control panel levers; inside It are three
empty eggshells.
This vehicle was being used to widen the road
that leads from the dam to Highway 93 when
America surrendered . In the weeks of upheaval
that followed , it was forgotten by all except local
kids who played "construction team" until it ran
out of diesel fuel and then used the cabin windows
as targets for their air rifles.
After inspecting the vehicle, the characters
notice that the backhoe is out of fuel and its engine
is in an extreme state of disrepair.
Backhoes. like most heavy vehicles, run on
diesel fuel. I( the characters managed to capture
the dam garrison's BMP intact, they can siphon
off its fuel. This provides enough diesel to run the
backhoe for eight hours. In addition, the tower has
its own electricity generator; it consumes gasoline,
but the backhoe will run on gas (albeit it'll sputter
a bit from time to time). The generator tank contains close to 500 liters of fuel, more than enough
to keep the backhoe running.
Despite its apparent disrepair, Cat backhoes are
sturdy machines. Getting it working again is tough ,
but quite feasible - and Nate Washington has just
the needed skills.
The engine has been resting idle for almost
seven months. To get it started , it needs to be
broken down , cleaned and rebuilt. This requires
no less than three successful vehicle repair skill
rolls, one every four hours for a total of twelve
hours' work. Failing a roll means that the character
must work for an additional four hours before at tempting another skill roll. A second failure means
that one or more parts must be replaced before
work can continue. Finding parts means the
characters must sneak back into Milner or another
town.
A character who is competent (skill of 10 or
more) in "drive heavy vehicles" can drive the
backhoe without problems. If a character has a
lesser skill, he must make a skill roll when he first
uses it to avoid dumping loads in the wrong place
(conceivably, on another character), or to change
its position. Double the character's skill number
before making the roll. Call for additional rolls if
the driver tries anything fancy while using the
backhoe.
Seven months in the mud have left the teeth
on the loader bucket rather rusted . The first time
the characters attempt to use the loader bucket,
three of its teeth break off. It can still be used for
moving loose dirt , but only the digger bucket can
be used to dig.

THE PRICE OF FREEDOM

So What Good Is It?

The theory is this: if you simply plant the explosives on the side of the dam and let them blow,
most of the ex plosive force dissipates int o the air.
If, however, you plant them deep inside the dam .
and dig out enough of the dam itself to weaken
it, it's possible to blowout a section . There's no
way to destroy the dam as a whole, but a section
may be enough .
There are two ways to plant the explosives: by
digging in from the base, or down from th e to p.
To dig in from the base, the PCs must drive the
backhoe down the eastern embankmen t to the
base of the dam . Make a drive heavy vehicles roll
for the driver; success means the backhoe reaches
the dam base safely. Failure means that the
backhoe starts to slide out of control and the player
must roll again . A second fa il ure means that th e
backhoe turns sideways and tips over: on a roll
of 19 or 20 the character receives a light wound .
If the backhhoe reaches the bottom of the dam
safely, the PCs may begin digging immediately.
It takes the characters 24 hours of continuous
work to dig deep enough into the dam for the
ametol to do its job. If they dig for more than 36
hours, they are risking a cave-in. Warn them that
the dam is beginning to look un stable above where
they are digging. If they continue, roll a die every
hour. On a roll of 1 through 5, a cave -i n occurs .
Read :
A clod of dirt bounces off the cabin roof.
Moments later another falls; then, all at
once the entire dirt face of the dam slides
toward you.
Ask the player what he's doing . If he wants to
run, make an agility roll. If successful. the character
manages to scramble away before the backhoe is
buried under a wall of dirt. If he fails or if he doesn't
run, he is trapped in the cabin of the backhoe
under a mound of dirt.
The idea of being buried alive terrifies most
people. Read :
"Amazingly, even though you are buried
completely, the backhoe is running. There
is a small pocket of air near the top of the
cabin, but already you can smell the exhaust
of the diesel engine."
A close brush with death indeed. Once the
character gets over his initial terror, he can struggle
to the surface. The backhoe is irretrievably lost.
Of course. the characters have already dug deep
enough into th e dam.
The other way to plant the explosives is from
the top. This is slower but doesn't involve the
dangerous drive down the easte rn embankment.
After driving out to the center of the dam, the
backhoe operator can excavate a two-meter pit
in two hours. This is slow for a backhoe. but
Mackay Dam has hardened almost to rock since
its construction .
Over 72 hours. the PCs could dig deep enough
to place the ex plosives well below the waterline .
Once the dam is prepared the players can plant
the explosives. Prepping 1000 kilograms of ametol
is a slow task . Unlike dynamite. which can be
detonated by sympathetic explosions. each piece
of ametol must be rigged with a blasting cap, which
in turn is wired to a junction box . From this box
a cable leads to a plunger. It takes four hours to
set the charges. and another fifteen minutes to run
cable from the junction box to th e plunger.
THE PRICE OF FREEDOM

A Word on Pacing
The destruction of Ihe dam is a limeconsuming process: there is no way to avoid
this. You must work to keep tension high. Don'l
give the players too much lime.
Back in Jeremiah's cave. they set a lime and
date for the rebel breakout. If they don't blow
the dam in time, the First Ida ho is doomed _
That ought to provide enough tension. You
may have a problem. however, if the players
took too long to get to the dam - or gol there
too fast.
Suppose they play brilliantly and reach the
dam three days early. They Immediately fix the
backhoe loader and start to work on the dam.
If you don't interfere, they'll flnish - and then
have to wait for two days before blowing the
dam. Waiting is dull. But what if they receive
a message, "the Russian final assault has just
been moved up 48 hours"? Now, instead of
time to spare, they must struggle furiously to
meet the deadline. Make them sweat.
Of course, this works both ways. If the pes
get to the dam two hours before the final attack is scheduled to begin, have SoViet command delay 11 a day because of "heavy
resistance".

5.7 The Dramatic Conclusion

Read :
The quiet mountain air is broken by a sound
that has become all too familiar over the
last few weeks - an approaching
helicopter.
Once a week, the garrison is resupplied by a
Mi-8 transport. It is arriving now. Yes, the base at
Chilly is out - but this copter is flying up from
Pocatello. Vladimir Kechnik is th e son of a general,
after all.
A Soviet transport chopper appears, flying toward the dam. It stops and hovers
several hundred meters away.

Once the pilot has radioed for help, the PCs

have ten minutes to act. If they don't do something
by then, three BMPs loaded with troops arrive. If
everything is ready, the player whose character set
the explosives {probably Horatio} must make a
cemolition skill roll.
If he makes his roll, all is well; see below. But
i; he fa ils The plunger handle rotates once and the
red activation light comes on. You depress
the handle in one swift motion. Nothing
happens.
A rock jarred th e insecurely-fastened detonation wire. Someone is going to have to run out
across the dam. find the problem. and fix it. You
might pain t out that the explosives could go off
at any moment.
It's up to the playe rs to fix the junction box
before the soldiers start arriving. This is simple
enough; any character with electronics, demolition, or appliance repair skill can do the job. But
it does take a few minutes - until, say, the clank
of approaching BMPs can be heard in the distance.
Finally with , moments to spare, the charge is
ready. As soon as the explosives are detonated ,
read:
Once again you push the plunger down.
FOr a split-second nothing happens: the dam
is standing, the water calm. Then suddenly
there Is a flash . . . a thunderclap . . . the
entire center of the dam lurches as tons of
dirt and gravel are thrown hundreds of feet
into the air. Then the dirt falls back to the
earth.

Pilot
Applicable Skills:
Helicopter: 12
Demolition: 3
Automatic Weapons: 8

Copilot
The pilot has just spotted the hole dug by th e
backhoe. His first action is to radio for help. After
that , he lands, explores the damage, and, if he
finds the explosives, tries to disconnect them.
If he sees the pes before he lands. the copilot
opens the front side door and opens fire with a
light machinegun . The pilot continues to harass
the characters for as long as possible. Note: The
Mi-8 is completely unarmored . For the pilot to
hover and exchange fire from point blank range
is near-suicide. On the other hand , it makes a nice

YOUR OWN PRIVATE IDAHO

Applicable Skills:
Helicopter: 10
Automatic Weapons: 10
The dam still stands. But a 40-foot gap
has been blown in its center. A torrent of
water spills through it. The left side collapses in a shower of mud. Erosion Is beginning; it will be hours before the lake behind
Mackay Dam is empty, but already the river
below it Is rising sharply. Your job is done.

31

Aflermalh
And Jeremiah has a message hom
Matthew - "Thanks; Ma."

6.1 Thanks. Ma

Back at the cave, Jeremiah greets you

with the widest smile you've ever seen, 6.2 Rewards
throat-searing chili, and what's probably the
At the end of the adventure, it's time to award
last good bourbon in Idaho. Soviet mllitary
communications are still chaos; the tanks skill and hero points. In general, each character
along Route 93 never knew what hit them. should receive 6 skill and 2 hero points if the
Amez and his men crossed the floodwaters adventure was completed successfully, without a
without mishap, and are half way to Moscow lot of prodding on your part. If they fail miserably,
by now - Moscow, Idaho, that is. They'll . assign each character 2 skill and no hero points.
take care not to get trapped again like they If the characters succeed, modify their rewards as
follows:
did this time.

Tucker Harroway

Sheena Karn

Physical Tag: Huge, bearded.

Personality Tag: Gruff.
Passion: Independence.
Interests: Hunting (10), his "property" (10).

a/k/a

Sex: Male
Hair: brown
Height: 6 I 2"
Strength:
Manual Dexterity:
Agility:
Alertness:
Constitution:

8
8
7
15

Automatic Weapons:,
Hand-to-Hand:
Melee Weapons:
Rifles:

American History:

10
10
10
14

Communications:
Bargain:
Language - English:
Sketching:
Writing:

32

Appliance Repair:
Construction Trades:
Craft - Wood-Carving:
Demolition:
Driving:

10
10
10
10

Education:

Skills:
Combat:

10
19
14
11

SurVival:
Camping:
Fishing:
Hunting:
Challis Lore:
Stealth:
Swimming:

or cleverly
-1 if the character was particularly cowardly
or obtuse
Skill Points
-1 if you had to drop an occasional hint to
keep the adventure on track
- 3 if you practically had to tell the players what
to do
+ 2 if the players come up with clever, unanticipated solutions to problems.

Mindy Wagenzeller

Sex: Female
Hair: blonde
Height: 5' 8"

Crafts:
12

+.1 if the character acted particularly herOically

Physical Tag; Blonde, tosses her head.

Personality Tag: Rather flippant.
Passion: Survival.
Interests: Money (10), country (10).

Age: 49
Eyes: brown
Weight: 200 lb.

Attributes:

Hero Points

7
10
10
5
7
10

Attributes:
Strength:
Manual Dexterity:
Agility:
Alertness:
Constitution:

Age: 22
Eyes: blue
Weight: 130 lb.
Language - English:
Language
Russian:
8
Writing:
12
Crafts:
10
Craft - Acting:
12
Driving:
8

12

8
4
10

Communication:
Bargain:
Con:
Fast Talk:

YOUR OWN PRIVATE IDAHO

14
9

Education:

Skills:
Combat:
Hand-to-Hand:
Melee Weapons:
Pistols:
Rifles:

19
14
10

9
8
9

American History:
Russian History:
Humanities:

12
8
10

SurVival:
Fishing:
9
Horse Riding:
10
Boise (Home Area) Lore: 5
Stealth:
10
Swimming:
10

THE PRICE OF FREEDOM

Name: Nathaniel

Background Information
Race/Nationality: Black
Politics: Apolitical, but a strong believer in self reliance
Religion: Atheist
Education: 10th Grade, High School Equivalency
PreOccupation Iob: Vehicle Repair Specialist in the Army
Family Relationships: Orphan. Distant from all relatives
except gPandfather. Relationship with grandfather
characterized by respect and unspoken admiration.
Grew Up In: South till fourteen, thereafter in Milner.
Personal Heroes: Jeremiah Washington, Lee Iaccoca,
Malcolm X

Washington
Personal Information
Physical Tag: dark eyes
Personality Tag: aggresive, knows what he wants
Passion: his grandfather
Interests: cars & other vehicles (10), Milner (10)
Sex: male
Age: 21
Hair: black
Eyes: brown
Height: 6' 2"
Weight: 190 lb
Attributes
, Strength:
Manual Dexterity:
Agility:
Alertness:
Constitution:

Hero
Points

10
12
8
12
8

Combat Information:
Weapon
Skill No.
Automatic Rifle
14

Jam
18

Ammo Points

Ammo
10

Fire'IYpe
A/R/B

Equipment
huntin9 ,knile
hikin9 boots
parka
backpack
allweather sleepin9 ba9
Iishln9 rod and tackle
banda99S, mercuroohrome

Short
0-5

Range
Med
6-15

Long
16-50

Name: Diana Cohini

Attributes
Strength:
Manual Dexterity:
Agility:
Alertness:
Constitution:

8
IS
13
8
6

Hero
Points

Combat Information:
Weapon
Skill No.
Pistol
12
Bow
10

Ammo Points

Jam
19
19

Ammo
6

Age: 22
Eyes: black
Weight: 100 lb

Equipment
parka
winter clothin9
hikin9 boots
canteen mess kit
freezedried canned food
(for 6 people lor 1 day)
cllmbin9 rope pitons
Fire Type

AIR
A/R

Short
0-2
0-5

Stun
1-6

Light
7-9

Damage
Heavy
10-13

Incap
14-19

Kill
20

Background Information
Race/Nationality: American Indian (Blackfoot Sioux)
Politics: Native American liberation movement
Religion: Atheist
Education: B.S., Political Soience, Washington State University
PreOccupation Job: law student
Family Relationships: Only child, close to parents who live in
Chicago but haven't visited in two years.
'
Grew Up In: Milner
Personal Heroes: Russel Means, ThunderRollingOverthe
Mountain (Chief Ioseph), Sitting Bull

Personal InfOlmatlon
Physical Tag: jet black hair
Personality Tag: independant, antagonistic
Passion: Freedom
Interests: Native American history (10), law (10)
Sex: female '
Hair: long, straight, black
Height: 5' 3"

bluetip matches
a9in9 4wheel drive pickup
(2 9allons 01 9as remainin9)
automatic rille 6 reloads
3 Ibs. 01 dried salami and cheese
canteen mess kit
car repair tools (jack, wrenches,
manuals, limited supply 01
spare parts, etc.)

.38 pistol (2 reloads)

huntin9 bow 24 arrows
compass
backpack
allweather sleepin9 ba9
tube tent (sleeps 1)
ci9arette li9hter
huntin9 knife

Range
Med
3-5
6-8

Long
6-20, '
9-13

Stun
1-7
1-8

Light
8-14
9-15

Damage
Heavy
15-18
16-18

Incap
19
19

Kill
20
20

Name: Terence "TIll

Callahan
Personal Information
Physical Tag: thinning hair covered by a faded Seattle
Mariners cap
Personality Tag: says, "Yessiree, Bob" frequently
Passion: Kim Shaw
Interests: his farm (10), Milner (5), baseball (5)
Sex: male
Hair: brown
Height: 5' 10"
Attributes
Strength:
Manual Dexterity:
Agility:
Alertness:
Constitution:

14

Hero
Points

Age: 43
Eyes: blue
Weiqht: 178 lb

Ammo Points

8
10
8
10

Combat Information:
Weapon
Skill No.
RiUe
10
10
Shotgun

THE PRICE OF FREEDOM

Jam
19
17

Ammo
5
5

Background Information
Race/Nationality: IrishAmerican
Politics: Democrat
Religion: Lapsed Catholic
Education: High school
Pre Occupation Job: Farmer
Family Relationships: Wife left ten years ago, close to two
sons, both of whom helped out on the farm, in love with
Kim Shaw (haven't quite gotten around to tellin' her yet).
Grew Up In: Milner
Personal Heroes: Teddy Roosevelt, FOR, Alvin Davis

Equipment

banjo
9Uncleanin9 kit
snow shoes
Kin9 James Bible

hidden storage tank

(200 9allons 9asoline)
heavy winter clothin9
4-wheel drive pickup truck
manual on bovine diseases
(2 9allons 9as)
fishin9 taclde
shot9un, 10 ammo clips (hidden) heavy hiking boots
axe (large kniJe)
beer cooler
tractor (no 9as)
Coleman stove
8 horses, saddles gear lor all
100 head 01 cattle

Fire Type
A
AIR

Short
0-5
0-2

Range
Med
6-15
3-4

YOUR OWN PRIVATE IDAHO

Long
16-50
5-8

Stun
1-6
1-3

Light
7-11
4-8

Damage
Heavy
12-15
9-13

Incap
1619
14-18

Kill
20
19-20

13

Skills
Combat
Automaic Weapons:
Gunnery:
Hand-to-hand:
Melee Weapons:

14
10
8
10

Communication
Bargain:
Fast Talk:
Language - English:
Writing:

10
8
19
10

Craft
Driving:
Driving, Heavy Vehicle:
Electronics:
Helicopter:
Vehicle Repair:

10
10
6
8
14

Skills
Combat
Bows:
Hand-to-hand:
Melee Weapons:
Pistols:
Rifles:
Thrown Weapons:

10
6
2
12
8
6

Communication
Bargain:
Bureaucracy:
Language - English:
Language
Sioux:
Writing:

8
10
19
12
10

Cralt
Driving:

Survival
Camping:
Challis (Home) Lore:
Horse Riding:
Mountaineering:
Stealth:

10
5
10
6
12

Education
Native American History:
Law:
Social Sciences:

14
14
12

Survival
Horse Riding:
Milner (Home Area) Lore:
Mountaineering:
Stealth:
Swimming:

10
5
10
12
10

12
12
10
10

Communication
Bargain:
Instrument - Banjo:
Language - English:
Writing:

10
10
19
10

Craft
Craft - Farming:
Demolition:
Driving:
Gllnsmithing:

14
8
12
14

Character Background: Growing up as an orphan wasn't easy. Your early

life was spent moving from one poverty-line relative to another. Some of them
treated you with respect but most saw you as a live-in servant. Then you moved
in with your grandfather. Unlike other adults in your family he was directed,
serious
an achiever. Soon he became your role-model.
At eighteen you quit school to join the army, where you have done quite
well as a vehicle repair specialist.
But before you knew it, President Murphy knuckled under to the Russians
and your unit was disbanded.
Adventure Background: Last week, a squad of rebels drifted through. They
were part of Benny's Bastards operating up north. They gave a speech, talked
to some folks, and left. A bunch of the local kids left with them. You were
tempted to go, too, but your grandfather needs you.
Grandpa's a big radio ham. He gets Radio Free America every evening,
and sometimes even talks to someone in the Idaho Brigade over the radio.
This morning, he told you, "Nate, word is a whole lot 0' Soviets have been
seen goin' through Boise, headin' this way. I want you to help me carry my
stuff up to that cave on Willow Creek where you used ta play. I want you
to stay here, but if the Reds come through, you keep your head down, y'hear?"
So you dragged his stuff up there. He's camping out there now. You sure
hope there isn't any trouble, though.

Character Background: You are the youngest in a family of six. Even in

a town the size of Milner you saw the economic disparity between Native
Americans and whites. Your holidays were accompanied by gifts from
strangers: a turkey at Thanksgiving, a worn doll at Christmas. As you got
older you realized that these presents came from charities that allowed rich
immigrants to get rid of their guilt through anonymous tax-deductable donations
just another subtle way of oppressing the Native Americans.
By the time you were ready to attend college you'd learned to use white
guilt to your advantage and received a full scholarship to Berkeley. There you
studied law and worked with the Native American Movement as a part-time
investigator.
It was during your fIrst independent assignment (studying the socio-economic
inequities between Native Americans and other races in Milner) that the collapse of America occured.
Adventure Background: Just move to this new land and you'll live there
forever, free and undisturbed. How many times did your ancestors hear that
promise? And what are the first words of the new Soviet overlords?: "Move
to the new Amerindian Autonomous Region and you'll be free to live there
forever." Not this time. You don't know how your going to fight them, but
when the time comes you'll be ready.

10

Skills
Combat
Hand-to-hand:
Melee Weapons:
Pistols:
Rifles:

14

Education
Engineering:

Education
American History:

10

Survival
Fishing:
Horse Riding:
Milner (Home Area) Lore:
Stealth:
Swimming:

n
6
10
10

Character Background: You've always believed in takin' life one day at a

time. Work the land the good Lord gave you, and have faith in your neighbor.
Vote Democrat in every election. Obey God and the President.
These ideals, taught to you by your parents (God rest their souls), have supported you all of your years, and seen you through some pretty tough times.
But maybe its time to revise them ... slightly.
Screw the President! You'll be damned if your gonna let a buncha Commie
Reds overrun your farm. Not while one drop of blood remains in your veins.
Not that you're gonna get yourself killed right off, nosirree Bob. Just lay low.
Take one day at a time, until you see your chance ...
Adventure Background: Talk is, the Reds is coming. You don't know exactly how you're gonna get rid of them Commies. Both boys are gone. Found
a note sayin' they'd left to join the Resistance somewhere in Challis Forest.
Can't do much for 'em now, but you can keep Kim safe.

YOUR OWN PRIVATE IDAHO

THE PRICE OF FREEDOM

Name: Horatio Spaulding

Background Information
RacelNationality: English
Politics: Socialist
Religion: Methodist
Education: Sc. B. in geology from Blackpool University
Pre-Occupation Job: Geologist
Family Relationships: Distant from parents in Liverpool,
never visit. Close to sister who lives in London.
Grew Up In: Liverpool
Personal Heroes: Ramsay MacDonald, John Stuart Mill,
Arthur Scargill

Personal Information
Physical 'lag: sharp nose
Personality Tag: calm
Passion: geology
Interests: classical music (10), socialism (10)
Sex: male
Hair: brown
Height: 6' 0"
Attributes
Strength:
Manual Dexterity:
Agility:
Alertness:
Constitution:

Hero
Points

12

Age: 29
Eyes: green
Weight: 160 lb

Ammo Points

14
8
8

Combat Information:
Weapon
Skill No.

Equipment
ieel (10 qallollS qas remaininq)
U. .G.S. maps of Milner &
surroundinq area
Brunton oompass
qeoloqioal hammer
maqnifyinq q lass
sample oases

Ammo

Jam

Fire Type

Short

olipboard
sleel ruler
pens & penoils
hunlinq knife
baokpaok
blankets
parka, winter olothinq
hikinq boots

Range
Med

Name: Kim Shaw

Attributes
Strength:
Manual Dexterity:
AgUity:
Alertness:
Constitution:

Age: 43
Eyes: blue
Weight: 129 lb
Ammo Points

Hero
Points

5
8
13

12

Combat Information:
Weapon
Skill No.
Shuriken
12

Ammo

Jam

Equipment

Fire Type
AIR

Short
0-1

Light

Damage
Heavy

4man tent
ponoho
portable sun stove
oanned food (enouqh for 1
person for 60 days)
aspirin, penioillin, bandaqes
kitohen matohes
star ohart taken from recent

oar with 4wheel drive

(5 qallons of qas)
.
three pairs of snow shoes
heavy winter olothinq
axe (larqe knife)
3 shuriken
nunohuku (medium olub)

12

Stun

Incap

Kill

Background Information
Race/Nationality: WASP
Politics: Democrat"
Religion: Baptist
Education: B.A.
PreOccupation Job: Teacher at Filmore High School
Family Relationships: Divorced. Two teenage sons - very close.
Mother and father live in St. Louis, visits every summer.
Personal Heroes: Horace Mann. Christa McAuliffe. Sally Field
Grew Up In: Milner

Personal Information
Physical Tag: alert eyes
Personality Tag: open, sincere
Passion: Doc Jorgensen
Interests: children (10). Milner (10)
Sex: female
Hair: brown
Height: 5' 5"

Long

liter Glenmoranqie (sinqle-malt

Scotoh)
seismoqraph
20 stioks of dynamite

Range
Med
2

Long
3

Stun
1-10

Light
1115

Damage
Heavy
1618

issue of
Astronomy
maqazine
flashliqhl with
batteries

Incap
19

Kill
20

Name: Henry "Doc"

Jorgensen

Background Information
RacelNationality: Swedish-American
Politics: Apolitical
Religion: Presbyterian
Education: MD, Stanford University
Pre-Occupation Job: General practitioner in Milner
Family Relationships: Parents dead, two younger bothers
both killed in Korea. Distant from other relatives.
Grew Up In: Palmetto, California
Personal Heroes: John F. Kennedy, Beach Boys. Christiaan
Barnard

Personal Information
Physical Tag: grey hair
Personality Tag: greets people with a friendly handshake
Passions: healing the sick and helping the injured
Interests: women (5), medicine (10), Beach Boys (5)
Age: 51
Eyes: blue
Weight: 185 lb

Sex: male
Hair: grey
Haight: 6' 1"
Attributes
Strength:
Manual Dexterity:
Agility:
Alertness:
Constitution:

Ammo Points

Hero
Points

"blaok baq"
stethesoope, little rubber
hammer. narrow-beam
flashliqht with maqnifyinq
qlass, rubber hose, syrinqes,
scalpel, eta.
druqs: antibiotios, diuretios,

12
5

16
9

Combat Information:
Weapon
Skill No.
8
Compound Bow

THE PRICE OF FREEDOM

Equipment

Jain
19

Ammo

Fire Type

AIR

Short
05

morphine. aspirin
first aid equipment: bandaqes,
looal anesthetio. iodine,
surqioal thread, surqioaltape,
petroleum jelly, etc.
1 liter brandy ("medioinal
purposes")
glasses
.
heavy winter clothinq

Range
Mad
68

YOUR OWN PRIVATE IDAHO.

Long
9-13

Stun
1-8

Physioian's Desk Referenoe

huntinq bow & 24 arrows
souba qear
1978 Buiok Skylark (10 qallons
of gas remaininq)
3 cans Spam
2 jars brandied peaohes

Light
, 915

Damage
Heavy
16-18

Incap
19

Kill
20

19

Skills
Combat
Hand-to-hand:
Melee Weapons:
Pistols:
Rifles:
Thrown Weapons:
Communication
Language - English:
Sketching:
Writing:

Craft
Demolition:
Driving:
Driving, Heavy Vehicle:
Flying:

Skills
Combat
Hand-to-hand:
Melee Weapons:
Rifles:
Thrown Weapons:
Communication
Con:
Fine Arts:
Language - English:
Sketching:
Writing:
Crafts
Driving:
Vehicle Repair:

Skills
Combat
Bows:
Hand-to-hand:
Melee Weapons:
Pistols:
Rifles:

8
10
10

14
10

19
10
14

Survival
Horse Riding:
Liverpool (Home Area) Lore:
Milner Lore:
Stealth:
Swimming:

10
5

4
12
10

10
12
7

10

14
10
8

12
12
4
19
7

Education
American History:
European History:
Humanities:
Physics:

14
10
10
6

Survival
Horse Riding:
Milner Lore:
Stealth:
Swimminq:

10
12
12
12

12
10
6

8
8
6
6

Education
Bioloqy:
Chemistry:
Humanities:
Medicine:

10
10
6

14

10

Communication
Fine Arts:
Language - English:
Sketching:
Writing:

19
14
12

Craft
Construction Trades:
Driving:

12

20

Education
Chemistry:
Geology:
Social Sciences:

10

Survival
Drug Lore:
Santa Barbara (Home) Lore:
Challis Lore:
Horse Riding:
Stealth:
Swimming:

8
5
6

]0
10
10

Character Background: Frankly, Labor makes you sick half-assed weakkneed panders to bourgeois sensibilities_ England is gray, dispirited,
unemployed, and Labour plays the same damned tune. Perhaps, however, it
was inadvisable for you to call the Conservative Party chairman a "bleeding
fascist" and hurl a cream pie in his face. They deported you to America, your
"native land," although you left it at age six. (The fact that your visa had
expired twelve years previously might have had something to do with it, too.)
At least America is forthrightly reactionary. And there are pretty fair opportunties for an exploration geologist.
Adventure Background: Six months in America, working on a small survey
job in Milner, a pleasant but stale town in central Idaho. Next thing you know
you're living in an occupied country, and England is occupied also.
Stupid Russian nits. History shows Imperialism weakens the Mother State.
By occupying the world they're breeding their own destruction. Of course,
the more the occupied nation resists the quicker the collapse will occur.
A group of Resistance fighters wandered through town a few days ago; now,
it's said, there are Russians on the way. You're not sure whether to lie low
or fight.

Character Background: Between raising two sons, teaching 10th grade

English, arid taking karate classes, you barely have a moment to yourself.
But it's nice to keep busy.
Peter, your oldest son, just graduated from high school. Matthew just turned
15. Maybe when both boys are gone from college you'll leave Milner, move
to California, lay in the sun. You've been teaching high school for 21 years,
no reason why you can't do that in San Francisco.
Adventure Background: It happened the day after Peter received his class
schedule from Kansas State University in the mail. America surrendered. Life
has been pretty tough since then. San Francisco sounds like a bad idea at
the moment. At least Milner was left pretty much alone - until now.
Recently, some men claiming to belong to something called the First Idaho
Brigade drifted through. The boys left with them. Peter is old enough to know
what he's doing - but Matthew, Matthew!
Doc and T.I. Callahan keep dropping by to make sure everything is all right.
Doc's tbe only one you've trusted enough to tell where the boys are. You just
hope and pray they'll be okay.

Character Background: You grew up along the coast of southern California;

you probably spent more time surfing than in school as a kid. You went into
medicine as your parents wished. Life seemed simple, until Dennis,. your
younger brother, set off an antitank mine near the Changjin Reservoit: in Korea.
Two weeks later your older brother was reported MIA as the Chinese continued
their push down the Korean peninsula. Your mother, unable to withstand the
double blow, spent the next five years in a variety of sanitariums, until her
death in 1956.
Southern California seemed full of specters, and you moved to the most
remote place you knew - Milner. You've spent a peaceful, not too unhappy
life here, taking care of the local folks' medical needs and skiing in the winter.
Adventure Background: It's been two weeks and already medical supplies
are starting to dry up. Before long you won't have anything to practice medicine
with, and fighting is on the way. That's what Kim Shaw, a friend and local
teacher, says, anyway - and she should know. Both her boys joined the
Resistance last week, when some guys from the "First Idaho Brigade" drifted
through. Fighting means il'\iured, which doesn't please you too much, but you
suppose someone will haveoto glue 'em back together again.

YOUR OWN PRIVATE IDAHO

THE PRICE OF FREEDOM

MACKAY DAM GARRISON

f

....

NPC Name

t:

and Counter

U. ICechnik (A)
A_(O)

--

Rifleman (F)
Rifleman (G)
Rifleman (H

9
9
9

..... (.1)

i,

;;

3:

,.

I.

"

12
12

"
"

"

10
12
10
BMP Gunner (K)
's.t"" _ ... ~"'II on m. II.... "'.say. s.. ..., tor ".....
~ 1oOicI....... e..rytt19 lft/ft,fI\II'l'nnIO, ....... ~ . . . . . .i l _ In !he tonIKII_.

Drive Type: ~
Panlc: _~;-__
Movement Rates (paved road)
Name:

BMP-I

Counter:

Long Distance: ~ Combat:

~ao;;:~
2. 1st

Q!!!,

"

r---::==----,
r-J
~

~,

Ammo~HE r-JI:: II
~

ATGM Ammo ~:

3.

mma tel

Ammo ~ :

4.

mma(pJ

Ammo~ :

Enel'"
E-.

THE HANGAR GUARDS

Il

0
F
G
H

Nola.: Start in hex 2226. Driver set up It!

hex 2225

S8.

.!t

~i

I. I. I.
I.

,

NOlI G\Iato. J _

"

AA

Eell
000

00

,~

000 FragOO
000 FragO

AA

14

K ...

" AAAA
,
I. I. ' ' '
10

12

~Il

~i

AA

000 FragOO
000 FragOO

on !he tOOl,

SOVIET PATROL
Skills

l:'

t:

3:
c
:;; :
B
c
'"
3: 3: c c
e
,c Z Cu ." t:c ii,c 3: ~ 'c" r ;;: ~ 8. EE 8. Explosive.
8 '" !l c ,. .il a: ,. ".... ~
~
'
"
,
'
"
0

.~ .508 ~
~
1- AA pEo' KnIfo
0
1L J"' I ,R . , I ..
~ gg; =~
I,~ MOl'
. ,;
AA
00: WP O
2808
" , 14- AA poe KnIfo f'"Orag 00;
G
WP ::
"
H
12
boc

I~
, 2904
SMG pOD

"
~

....

....
....

I. I.

."

I.

.
..... =
~MoI

I.I. I.I.

Long Dlstance:.....{L Combat: ~

1.

AAGUN

Ammo~:

Ammo~ :

AmmoG;] :

Notes:

16

."

Name: ZS~2~ Drive Type: ~

Panic:
Counter:
Movement Rates (paved road)

Weapo.,.:

AmmoG;J

..
QJ

[4] '-

--[4]
~-

and IoIIdet . .

"'"'

Name:
Drive Type: ~
Counter:
Panic:
Movement Rates (paved road)

[4]
~-

IJ..I

,..,."..onc.r, ",...,

H<*- THe

Weapons:

I~~I
0_.
--

ISAM

(-

2.

Ammo~ :
Ammo~ :
Ammo G;J :

Ammo ~:

Notes: SA-9 CIIrrifJa " additional rocllts

bur It tlllces several minutes to reload

YOUR OWN PRIVATE IDAHO

01

Long Dlalanee:..1Jl!L Combtll: ~

1.

Ioc:~ ~

SlIots 101 1M ZSU23-I and 1M 50\-11 are Iltred . , . ..

~
........

1.;,.1

.-

- IEncio<!l

~~

THE PRICE OF FREEDOM

MAPA
Challis-Borah Peak Area
Key:

hill/forest

river

D
D
D

mountain peak

c::J

dam

highway
paved road
1111111111111111

dirt road

town

mountain/forest

clear

scale: 5 km/hex

continental divide and Montanalldaho

border

THE PRICE OF FREEDOM

YOUR OWN PRIVATE IDAHO

15

MAPC

Mackay Dam Control Tower

*1
-----E

E\i.

Mackay

Reservoir

~--~----------------------~----~--~
t------53 meters-------I

o
Level 2
(see p. 29 for key)

MAPS

Key:
ROADS---RIVER -

BIG LOST RIVER

FLOOD PLAIN l1li
AREA OF
CONTROL

Operation
Talon

THE PRICE OF FREEDOM

YOUR OWN PRIVATE IDAHO

17

MAPD

House 1-6
Fence'--(Key on page 25)

BY ORDER OF PACIFIC OCCUPATION FRONT COMMAND

The following regulations apply to all communities in the counties of Custer, Butte and Lemhi, Idaho:
1. Death of a single Soviet soldier will result in ten civilian deaths along with the execution of all criminals involved.
2. Curfew is 2100 hours.
3. Henceforth, gatherings of four or more citizens are prohibited except at official public meetings.
4. Citizens wishing to leave the community in which they live must obtain the approval of the local State Security
commander.
5. Destruction of property on any scale is hereby deemed a capital offense.
6. Private ownership of any firearm, bible or other religious implement, or radio is hereby deemed a capital offense.
Citizens failing to obey these or other orders of authorized military personnel are subject to confinement or
relocation.'

Imposed under martial decree by authority of Act of Occupation 16A1.

18

YOUR OWN PRIVATE IDAHO

THE PRICE OF FREEDOM