DEAD MAN’S CURVE by Richard Halliwell and Sean Masterson ‘The Dark Future and White Line Fever rlebooks cate fora series of one-ot! games, The players use cars for one game only, and stat the next game with new cars and divers. This articles the tt part of a series that provides rules to allow players touse the same divers and veicios ver anuraioee of connected gam to develop roadtighting character. The more gam richer, to. He wil find himself under more re fight alongside him, layer runs hi aled a campeign. In a campaign, what happens during one game affects what happens during the next. Payers get the chance ‘character in, the tougher and more skilful the character becomes, Hel get ure. And hell be able to buy new equipment to repair or modify his wehiie and ecru divers to Playing @ Dark Future campaign is much more fun than playing one-off games and litle extra effort is involved. Payers begin a campaign with equal funds and have to earn more money, not just fo buy new equipment, But to Keep ther divers and vehicles roadworthy. 4 story built up around each game. It begins before the roadfight takes place and continues after it has ended, Players can ty to out manoeuvre each other before the roedtight begins. After combat, players ae faced with the damage done to thei vehicles armour and systems ged thes oneae ‘mental state Players have to cope with other unpleasant aspects of the world their characters lve in. Big media Goals are always athe offing tor moderately successful roadtighers. Ds ing withthe mecia in 1996 can be as dangerous to person's health as roadtighting heel Everything has a price, even the act of survival. Sophisticated technology can lengthen 3 driver's lifespan but the price isnt ust paid in dollars PLAYERS AND UNITS. ‘A ark Future campaign can beset up among aay number of payers, six ‘being the optimum number. Campaigns are jus ae suited to two players, ‘ith an optional reeree or Gamesmaster IGM), Each player contols one ‘or more units. A unit i either an Outlaw Gang or 2 Sanctioned Op. The ‘more players there ara, the better itis for each person to play one unit. ‘Smaller games aremade more interesting players cantroltwovnits each, such as a game with two players, each contrling one Sanctioned Op and ‘one Outlaw gang. The choice iiaft to the payers If six people ate hoppy running two for even more) units each, then they are free to do $0, The ‘one restriction is that all the players should agree to begin the campsign with the same number of units, even if they drop ane of these units out of lay later. Abolance shouldbe found between the types of unit being payed. There's ‘50 problem with several players running Outlew gangs becouse Outlaw ‘Gangs come into confit wth each other llth time, However, if too many payers choose torun Operatives, t may become dificult to arrange games, 18 Ops do not usually fight one another! ach unit consists of a number of drivers or characters (the two terms ar interchangeable). The campaign game comprises asaquence of Dark Future games with each payer pitting one unit agent an opposing unit belonging to another player. These articles explain how the sequence of games fits together and what happens to survivors, Sanctioned Ops and Outlaw Gangs The typeof unit determines to some extent, how many drivers It contains. ‘Sanctioned Operatives always begin a campaign as solitary, independent rivers who have managed to acquire the funds they need to got alone ina roaatighting career. A single river and vehicle make up the unit laithough Ops can build up agencies as the campaign progresses) [player who takes the Outlaw rol starts with a unit consisting of at east ‘wo divers and corresponding number of vehicles. Outlaws come from "background where @ certain amount of interdependence has helped them survive thus far. The unitis made up of a number of driver ight from the beginning, The vehicles may be cars, bikes, trikes, of motorbike sidecat combinations. ‘Assuming that payers’ characters survive the roadtights they participate in, thay can be played for 8s long as a player wishes, Players can rotire ‘their Op and Outlaw characters trom active play at any time. Even when ‘nits taken out of active play, it might sponsor new gangs or agencies or example, the controling player might donate $100,000 from the unit's funds to set up a new unit for new campaign. Before long, players running campaign games will find themselves constructing thetr own vividly detailed Dark Future environment. The brocess should be ae much fun as the games themselves. wore Points ‘Much of a driver's progress is recorded inthe various points systems Introduced or expancied upon in this book. The points systoms atfect eh ‘other, as well the diver, in intricate ways, Drivers who survive a game gain mileage points. As mileage increases, 30 does dive sil. Players also gain psychosis points which rellect the increasing stress caused by the career and ifestyo of a highway marron, Finally, kudos points may be accrued by drivers who survive ong enough to become famous oF notorious, Mileage points, crive sil, psychosis points and kudos points can never Stop below zero. ‘These diferent types of points and their game effects ee described in full later (see Mtieage. Psychosis and Kudos), BEGINNING A CAMPAIGN ‘Acampaign begins with each player choosing aunit type. Eachuniteceives '100,000. For Ops this represents @ mixture of seifaised funds and perhaps sponsorship trom a friendly agency. For Outlaw gangs, the money Fepresentshelp from underworld sources of allkinds: the mob for example or booty trom previous ras. Players spend the money as they see fit. Vehicles are chosen, designed {and equipped with weapons and other systems from Datk Fue and White Line Fever. Everything 3 payer wants his unit to use ints fist game must be paid for out of these funds. Tha only exception to this the driver, A Sanctioned Op player gets his fst drives tree. Ar Outlow player gets his first two drivers fre, At the begining ofa campaign gama, al drvers have 2 drive sk of 2, ‘There are no restrietions on how the players spend ther money, other than that al players must agree on the equipment they're going to allow Into ‘their games. The choice of vehicles mey be widened to slow an Op to buy @ Renegade and an Outlaw to buy an interceptor. However, divers who choose a vehicle not normally associated with their particle role vilfind themselves disadvantaged at some point during the course of tee Camparon, Campaign games are played out in a numberof contract sequences. The main feature of acantract sequence isthe stageinvelving oastghts played ‘utusing the usval Dak Future rules. These games ae called engogements tositferentate them from the campsign game. The diferent combinations ‘of engagement are Op vs Outlaw Gang ‘Outlaw Gang vs Outlew Gang ‘Outlaw Gang vs Renegade Op (Op vs Renegade Op Renegade Op ve Renegade OpTHE CONTRACT SEQUENCE ‘A contract sequence represents several factors of the campaign game First, it serves as a measure of tine. It could be 48 hours ori could be two weeks. However much of the calendar It represents ts kita are defined asthe maximum amount of activity one roedtighter ean engage in, compared to another, The kinds of sctivities that take place during the contract sequence are slighty different for Ops and Outlaws. The contract sequence regulates When and how these activities take place regardiess of the characters {oles. Tenumberof engagements theta river may fake parting regulated by the contract sequence. This ensures that opposing drivers progress at ‘realistic rate. A contract sequence consists of one engagement for each Unit inthe campaign and the consequences of those engagements being calculated for every driver involved In the case of an Operative, the beginning of the contract sequence represents a period of activity when diferent corporations or state ‘authorities ae offering bounties forthe elimination of Outlaw gangs and ‘renegade operatives in the Op's area. The Sanctioned Op must find on ‘opponent on whom 3 bounty is offered, seek out and engage him, then take the consequences, {In the ease of an Outlaw gang, the contract represents cut-throat ‘underworld influence on thet activities, An Outlaw geng might attack an Op after deciding that he could become a problem fr their operations in the future. The gang can take preventative action by hunting him down, ‘Alternatively the sequence could represent gangs fighting each other to Setend or invade terior. Ifthe gang is subjected to1an attack by an Op, ‘then this oadtight merely represents the gang's struggle fr survival over a short period af time. A picture of what is going on is grodualy bul up inthe payers’ minds This pictures the background against which the game is played. As you ‘ead through these rules, ideas wil come to you or you wil ind ways of ‘ncorporating the ideas you might already have. By the time You're easy topley. ou'llknow exactly why the scurn oughtta be blown off the road! Campaign games, then, are played outin a series of contract sequence {At the start of each sequence, a player must have record sheets for his characters and vehiciesready. You'll alzoneed tokeop arecordof each river's mileage points, psychosis points kudos points and so forth, When the contract sequence is played, everything that happens in any particular ‘hase is assumed to take place simultaneously. The contract sequence begins with attack declarations when the players termine which units are going to fight. The roaufigh Heel is covered bythe section on Approach and Engagement which is followed by optional ‘les on night diving and roaatighting in hostile environments, The remaining phases ofthe contract sequence are outlined inthe section on ‘Survival ad tly explained in the sections that follow DEAD MAN’S CURVE ATTACK DECLARATIONS ‘The matter of who attacks whom is decided by a series of attack ‘contract sequence. 2. Avunit can only be the subject of one attack declaration in each 3. Aunit cannot make an attack declaration itis sready the subject Of an attack dectaration by another payer. 4. When an attack declaration is made the two units involved inthe {declaration must conform to one ofthe ngagement typos described ‘earls (eg Op vs Outlaw Gang or Outlaw Gang vs Octlow Gang) ‘Attack declarations cannot be made otherwise fe a Sanctioned Op ‘cannot make an attack declaration against another Sanctioned Oph ‘There are anumber of reasons for these retictons, which vary from case to.case. A unit cannot attack another unt that is already the subject of fn attack declaration because for instance, when an Operative takes up ‘ contract on an Outlaw, that Op has exclusive rights to that Outlaw for the period of that contract sequence, ‘When two Outlaw gangs take each other on for teitoril reasons ofr ‘the sake of rivalry, more powerful underworld forces are keen to se which side proves itself stronger by its own ment, and passes the word thet the ‘wo beligerents should not be interfered with for the tine being, W1wo gangs arrange tofight each other, thy must do so secretly o avoid the attentions ofthe media and the authorities, soa Sanctioned Op who Wants to take @ contract out against one of those gangs simply cannot find out the gang's location for the period of this contact sequence, Units ean only make one attack declaration per contract sequence because {each attack requires planning and raining, In ation, the consequences of the attack are time-consuming. A unit can decline tobe the subject ‘of any atack deceration butt must retir trom the campaign immediatly tit does sole the characters have gone into retirement) The player who ontraledt cannot crete anew unit forthe campaign unt the beginning of the naxt contract sequence contract sequence begins with players making atack declarations with f2ch of ther nits, This is done a8 follows 1. Each layer rolisa dice Staring with the player who rolled thehighest ‘core, and going clockwise around the table players are allowed to “declare an attack by one of ther units ona unit controled by another player, subject to the restrictions mentioned above worDEAD MAN'S CURVE ‘When player has made one attack declaration, it becomes the next player's turn tomake one. As each declaration is made, the choice ‘of units to attack decreases, so players should ensure thet they don’t “double book a unit by arranging more than one engagement for 3. When al the players have made an attack declaration with one of ‘heir units. the player who made the frst attack declaration can mel ‘2 attack declaration with another unt, if he's playing more than ‘one unin the campaign. Atack declarations are made for extant inthe same order 28 before 4. No engagements are payed until al the players have atranged all the engagements for the contract sequence. Units that either do not mske an attack declaration or become the subject of one during the attack declaration phase cannot enter an engagement Lunt the next contract sequence. Overs in these units receive No pa unless they'e Outlaws. nor can they accumulate Kudos or mileage pots ' siversin such units have more than 2 psychosis points, they must stl ‘make a peychosis test ax instructed in the section on Payehosis. Arosdtightr's carers made up of ne or more contract sequences. When allthe engagements arranged in the attack declaration phase have been layed and when the consequences ofall those engagements have been ‘determined forall the criversinvlved, anew contract sequence can begin. lt players don't want to start new contract sequence they must tire {rom the campaign. Players running Op characters who want to turn Fenegade and become Outlaws can do so now. At the beginning of anew contract sequence, 3 new round of attack declarations is made. The ‘creumstances that determine whether or not there canbe another contact sequence are described below under Winning, Losing and Starting Again. For exemple: four payers. A, 8, Cand 0, begin a campaign. Player A ‘andplayerB each contol one Op; players C and both ru an Outlow | gang Ailfour players have designed their units They each olla dice ‘and rls highest. so the order in which the attack declarations wil ‘bemade is 8, ©. Dand’ A.B says that C's gang has got the locals worred. ‘and he has been hired to clean up the area for them, s0 he declares {an attack against C’s gang. It should now be C's tum to declare an attack but his only units oheady ‘the subject of ene. His gang knows that the locals are aftr ther blood “and he's going to spend tis contract sequence trying to survive ther ‘wrath. Itmoves on to D's tun 1 declare an attack. The only person ‘with anit that can beattackedis A. Well apart rom the oad combat ‘experince hell get from attacking an Op, t shouldn't do his gang’ ‘reputation any harmif they'@ een tobe on the offensive. He declares {an attack against A's solo Op Final it's As turn to make an attack ‘declaration. He cant, of course, because there are no units (or him toattack, and he doesn't have 9 unit capable of attacking anyway. So his Op has heard down the grapevine that some Outlews ae using ‘im to prove how tough they ae. He's not worried. I's these kinds of circumstances that Ops et ther reputation. Hel stil be able f claim ‘bounty tom state authorities the defeats D's gang. That's what he | {901 into this job for. The attack declaration phase is complete I Attackers and Defenders Units making attack declarations are known as the attackers for that engagement. Ther opponents are the defenders. Thediflerencesbetween ‘attackers and defends are explained in the next section wor APPROACH AND ENGAGEMENT When one player makes an attack declaration on another, an engagement is played between the two units. All the engegemants that secur in 6 ‘contract sequence ae considered to take place simultaneous, so they may be played in any order that suit the players, The attacker can specify how many of fis unit's vehicles wil take part in the engagement In addition, attackers are subject to the restrictions of the engagement objectives described below. The defender must use athe vehicles in his unit butis not subject to the engegement objectives, ‘The process that determines the nature ofthe engagement. ond what each side's vehicles are doing just pio to is called the approach There ere ‘three types of approach: the pursuit, th intercept and the ambush, The ‘three types of approach proviging thee eitferent types of game and they can lead to exciting developments early oninan engagement. An attacker ‘may find well prepared opponent tuning the tables oni. The approach, ‘also determines exactly when and how vehicles on both sides enter ¢ Combat situation When one player is about to play another, both are entitled to know thet ‘opponents’ ve skils and their units total dolar value THE APPROACH Once the two sides have arranged to fight the engagement, allocated ‘rivers and vehicles, and prepared record sheets, the game should be started by making an approach rol, Whoever wins the approach rol wil hhave some say now thetwo sideemaet. The side thetloses the approach fol is considered to be cruising. Cruising units are subject to.» number of restrictions, explained below. To make the approach roll both players rll one dice and apply drive skill and information bonuses Drive Skill Bonus Ha unit's east skied driver has a dive skill of 4 or mor, the controling player gains a bonus to the dice rol. Lowest Drive Skit 45 67 890 ‘Approach Roll Bonus eR Information Bonus ‘Accurate and detailed information canbe avitaifactoria getting the jump 8n a target or avoiding being taken by surprise. Various sources of information exist and canbe usedby anyone who can afford ther services, Ops can use the services of» spacial tracing agency called Ratcatchers, Rateatchors can give details of gangs, including names, bounties andiast known location. Information is complied by 8 combination of satelive tracking, state and federal authovtes, undercover Ops and meny other sources. Most ofthese invelve scouring computer networks worldwide tofind out what certain ngvidualsaregetingupta An Operative ot agency an spend upto $18,000 on Ratcatchers data before an engagement For f22ch $5,000 spent, they gaina +1 bonus ta the approach ell The money must be spent before the approach rll is mace, utiaws can buy information available on the grapevine, which consists ‘of aloose association of hackers onthe payroloterganisod crime, These hhackers tp into various useful areas ofthe computer networks stick thet {ingersin the wind and sel the data to anyone withthe cash. A gang may {pend up to $20,000 prior to an engagement; for each 810,000 spent, they gain a +1 tothe approach rll. The money must be spent before the approach foil is mada, Approach Result Once both players have ole a dice an added and bonuses, subtract the defenders total from the attacker's total and consult the folowing taste ‘ot Rosutt Ooriess _Thedefendermay choose the type of engagement: Intercept, pursut or ambush 102 ‘The attacker may choose the type of engagement butis restricted toa choice of interceptor pura Dormoce The attacker has @ free choice of the type of engagement: intercept, pursuit or ambush Because both sides must make dice rll to determine the nature ofthe ‘approach it may be the case that an attacker who vols baly finds mseENGAGEMENT TYPE ‘The winner of the approach roll chooses whether the engagement that fs about to take place is an intercept, @ pursuit or an ambush, Alter the engagement, when the players calculate how many mileage points ther rivers have earned, the number of mileage points avaliable {othe surviving drivers wil depend onthe type of engagement they have Just fought. Being the winner or loser of an approach all docs nat any ‘way affect a unit's status a8 attacker or defender For example: Lucas Nash, an independent Senctioned Op. declees “an ettack on anewly-formed Miomy based Maniax gong consisting ‘of two Renegades. The Maniax hove been kept informed by thei ‘bigger cousins’ hacker crews (though this help cost them $10,000) andhave + 0n thei approachrol, Nash doesn't use Ratcatchers 0 he has no modifiers to apply. The Maniax ro’ (+1) = 6. Nosh ‘ols 2 2. The Maniax score's subtracted trom Nash's score to give ‘tota/of minus 3. Thisis less thon zeroso the defender isallowed {0 choose the natura of the approach - he's managed to out ‘manoeuvre the Op. The Maniax player sets up an ambush, Nash willbe attacked by one carin each direction. ‘Sa, even though Nash took a contract on the Outlaws, and is {therefore technical the attacker the Maniax have successfully | ‘tumed theit defence into an attack which will make the situation | 28 unfavourable forthe Op as possible f Nash survive, he might | Start thinking about a subscription to Rateatchers. —__| Intercepts and ambushes are combat engagements. Thay vive a vicious head-on clash between two opposing units, Pureutis a flghvengagement IRinvolves one unit chasing anether. The citerla that determine how many mileage points are earned citfer forthe two types of engagement because ‘they require diferent skl onthe part of thedhiversinvolved Mileage points ate fully explained in Mileage. Intercept 1. Generate a stretch of 7 track sections. 2. The winner ofthe approach oll chooses which end ofthe track he wants to stat from, 3, Theloserot the approach ollplaces hie vehi sections ofthe opposite end. These vehicles stet the engegement Under a cruising restrictions (see below). They must be facing #9 that they are heading towards the enemy unit ist, within 2 track 4. The winner ofthe approach rol places his vehicles within 2 track sections of his nominated end, heading in towards the middle, 5. The winner then solects any starting speeds forbis models. Different vehicles can travel at diferent speeds. There are no cruising Pursuit Generate a stretch of 7 track sections, 2 Thenitthat ost the approachrollmust place its vehicles anywhere Inthe 31d or th track sections, facing inthe crection in which the track wae lid. 3. This unit is subject to all eruisng retictions (see below 4. The winner ofthe approach rl stats anywhere on Tat rack section and may choose a starting speed of atleast 6Omph or the sefety limit the vehicle s on a curve. There fs no maximum ni. The vehicles should face inthe dectionin which tha rack sections we la Ambush 1. Generate a stretch of 9 track sections. The usual rles on track ‘Generation ate then used. However there may be a maximum of 9 ‘wack sections in play throughout the game. Allowing 9 track sections to stayin play is going to make it much ‘more dificult or the quarry (0 shake pursuers reflecting the fact thatthe ambushers have » much better knowledge of the locahty. 2 The unit whichlost the approach ol places alts vehicles anywhe con the 3 central track sections. The player may choose the direction ‘of travel for these vehicies, but they must all travel in the sme ‘rection and obey all cruising restrictions (see below! DEAD MAN'S CURVE 3. The winning unit places vehicles onthe 2 sections at ether o¢ both fends of the tack ‘The ambusheris alowed to sandwich the target between two groups. ‘of moving vehicles. Vehicles i rot ofthe target an either bo owing ‘in the same direction 88 their quarry - placing passives or making lite dificult with rearing wespons- or can be heading towards the targetinintercept fashion, Vehicles behind the target must head towards i 4 The ambusher can also place any numberof his vehicles on the 2 lanes nearest to any roadside, facing in any dection, on any of the track sections generated for the start of play (including those ‘ccupied bythe unit that lost the approach rl, These vehicles ae {assumed tobe moving otf. They start the first tum at 20mph, speed factor “Ambushes can become chaotic, especially when both sides have lots of vehicles and the ambusher has cars in Both intercept end pursuit positions. The unit being ambushed should ry to minimatise ‘casualties on initial contact and then get out of there as fast aS possi. CRUISING RESTRICTIONS Engagements often start with one side simply driving along the highway, Dlsfully unaware of what's about to hit thom, These vehicles are sad tobe cruising. ‘Dark Future charactors are used to driving very dangerously for much of {he time, Orivers act diferenty when they're not in comb sition ‘The rules below are designed to keep drivers at a safe, economical speed, ‘20d keep them onthe right side of the road uti they see the en (Bish readers should note tht inthe US the right sie indeed the right side) All the cruising vehicles belonging to # player must travel in the same ‘rection, although their speeds may vay slightly a8 detailed below They ‘must occupy only the righthand aide of the road ie the & lanes tothe "ight of the double yellow line, Vehicles on straight sections start the game traveling at a cruising speed ‘of between SOmph and BOmph. The player chooses a speed from within {this ange when the vehicles are placed onthe board atthe Beginning of ‘anengagement, Vehicles on curves must start atthe safety it for that part of the curve While under cruising resteictions, vehicles must proceed at between 50 ‘ang 8Omph, and must slow dowa to optimum speed for curves if they ate ‘ot already traveling at thet speed or slower. They must aise remain on the right side of the road, Cruising vehicles may enter the fourlanes onthe ltt-hand side ofthe rack only i there is some form of obstacie = and or debris, for example on ‘this othe next section of track. Vehicles dodging such obstacles must ‘move back to the proper road postion as soon ae possibie but they don't have to exceed safety mits todo ths Cruising vehicles aren't alowed to drift on curves - they must stayin the ‘seme lanes a5 when they moved onto the curve. Ending Cruising Restrictions Cruising restrictions end when the cruising sie spots the opposition. The ‘enemy can be seen by a unit when thet unt can trace line of sight, slong the length ofthe board, between one ofits vehicles and one of the enemy vehicles. I doesn matter what range exats between the wo unit ine ‘of sight are traced from the centre of one car model to any part of another ‘model along a strotch of wack sections ‘Although ine of sight is normally only traced along the board, it may be traced across board edges ita vista opens up. At the beginning at each tum, a side at cruising speed may rolle dice If the dice scores a 5 8 ‘assume a vista has opened up, alowing the cruising vehicles to spot enemy Vehicles beyond. This rule simulates the fact that even on the most favourable ground on the most meticulously chosen ambush position, ‘heres tila chance of the ground rising or flattening to give one side a clear view of the other Once a driver has spotted a hostie vehicle either by direct line of sight ‘or by a vista: the entire side is freed from cruising restrictions, I the ‘engagement begins withthe opposition already neigh, assume that they ‘hawe just come int view or thatthe culsing side has ust identified ther as hostile vohices. The cruising side must stil start the game within ‘Ctusing speed but Is immediately freed from cruising restrictions Entering Combat When the two sideshave finished the approach, the engagement begins 2d they enter combat. The engagement ie then played using al the les trom Dark Future, White Line Fever and the roles inthis ence wor9DEAD MAN'S CURVE THE ENGAGEMENT OBJECTIVE LUnscrupulous players might want to setup a situation where they can leave the engagement before any combat takes pace if doing s0 would be to their advantage. For instance, an Outlaw player who gets to choose the type of engagement could set up a puraut against an Op just so het he could immediately tun around, move his velcle out of pay and goin the benefits of loa fexplainedin the next section, leaving the bewildered Op to face almost certain bankruptey ‘When a ployer makes an attack declaration against another player, his unit is obliged to reach the engagement objective inorder tobe abe to clam any pay or this contract seqence. This is because an attacker has mage ‘some kind of contract to take on his opponent in a roadight, which i he isto maintain any kindof creabity withthe people he's doing the ob for, he must try to keep. A unit's engagement objective is met when a least one vehicle from the attacking unit has remained within four spaces ‘of atleast one vehicle from the defending unt for aix phases lie the range between the vehicles is four or less). This shows that the attacker hes ‘serious intent with regard to keeping his part of the contact. Staying within engagement range makes it difficult for an unworthy attacker to break off an engagement without good reason The six pases