Get to those adventure prompts, Double Time!
over 2 years ago – Fri, Dec 17, 2021 at 07:40:20 AM

Adventure Prompts

In my efforts to keep theFreedom Squadron Facebook group and Twitter account active, I've spent the last week posting "Mad-Lib"-style adventure prompts inspired by issues of [a spin-off comic of the primary franchise to inspire Freedom Squadron]. In case you haven't seen them, I'm reposting them below.

"Best Defense"

[VENOM/the Terrornauts/an unaffiliated terrorist group] have hijacked a [passenger liner/plane/train] en route to [a major TAC city/a major Neo-Communist city/a major Chinese city]. They are demanding [the release of prisoners/a ransom/a policy shift].

The Mission Team must board the vessel and save the passengers. Once onboard, though, the team discovers that the terrorists’ demands are just a ruse and their real goal is to [detonate a bomb in the destination city/attack a military target/ make off with cargo aboard the vessel].

"That Sinking Feeling"

A [Chinese/Neo-Communist/VENOM] defector has reached out to Freedom Squadron. Due to the defector’s prominence, they can only be extracted if Freedom Squadron stages a false operation to draw the defector’s faction out. The Mission Team is assigned to “salvage” a “[abandoned lab/downed airplane/sunken boat or submarine]” supposedly containing prototype experimental technology. [VENOM/a rival VENOM leader] gets wind of the operation as well, leading the mission team to [fight on two fronts/turn the enemies against each other].

"Words of Honor"

A [nerve gas bomb/nuclear device/other weapon of mass destruction] from World War III has been discovered [teetering on a glacier/near an active volcano/in the ruins of a city destroyed in “Operation: Scorched Earth”]. The conditions will soon result in the weapon going off, endangering nearby population centers.

The anti-tamper devices are exceptionally complex. The creator of the device, a former [Neo-Communist officer or scientist/VENOM operative on the outs with VENOM Commander or Mamba Khan], has secretly reached out to Freedom Squadron, offering to deactivate the device in exchange for protection.

Unfortunately, this dirtbag is one of the worst dirtbags of WWIII. A squad of [Belgian freedom fighters/Italian AISE agents/Norwegian FSK commandos] are on the way to the asset’s location in [an Amazon rainforest plantation/Moroccan villa/Steels Industries Special Economic Zone] to apprehend and/or execute the villain.

The Mission Team must split their forces to both contain the weapon and extract the asset (calling in Mission Specialists as needed). They have leeway to negotiate with the other force attempting to neutralize the asset as needed, but said force is Hostile.

The asset is also guarded by an elite squad of VENOM agents who don’t realize the asset is seeking protection from Freedom Squadron.

Yeah, it’s complicated.

"Burn-Out"

A VENOM client state in [the Baltic/North Africa/Southeast Asia] has been selected as the proving ground for a new experimental [airplane/boat/self-propelled artillery unit] prototype designed by [El Guapo/Gorgon/Steelz Industries]. The local dictator will be conducting tests on VENOM’s behalf.

The Mission Team is assigned to extricate the prototype if possible and [destroy/sabotage/get the plans for] the prototype if not. Security on site is very tight, but one of the heroes realizes they know a [WWIII compatriot/former lover/long-time rival] working for the despot. Leveraging this past relationship for aid will place that person in terrible jeopardy, but it increases the chances of success a hundredfold.

The team may call in a/n [aerial/marine] bombardment as a a distraction.

Say Hello to Double Time!

Time for another art and character preview! Meet Command Sergeant Major Double Time, Freedom Squadron's top non-com!

★ DOUBLE TIME

File Name: Ioakimo Falaniko

Rank: Command Sergeant Major

Branch: High Command

Primary Military Specialty: Command Senior NCO

Birthplace: Catbalogan, Samar, Philippines

Double Time had a long and successful career in the US Army well before WWIII broke out. At the start of the conflict, he was discussing with his husband whether they wanted to stay in the United States after retirement or return to the Philippines. Those plans were put on hold for the duration of the war, and the Sergeant Major was in the thick of things almost from the beginning.

He’d been training for the war for over two decades, but it truly became personal when Sergeant Major Falaniko's son Jonathan was killed in combat. From that moment, he became driven. When Falaniko’s unit was shattered and he was wounded, he walked out of the recovery ward to find "an officer that remembers how to fight." By coincidence, he ran into Abraham Steel, and the two became inseparable.

Today, Double Time makes sure General Steel occasionally slows down enough to take care of himself and is in charge of developing the NCOs of Freedom Squadron. Given the low ratio of officers in Freedom Squadron, this is a critical task—and one that Falaniko intends to keep doing until he drops dead. Deeply concerned with the welfare of Freedom Squadron’s personnel, he recognizes to bleed less in war, you must sweat more in peace.

"Do the officers run this? No! You do, Sergeant! And we train to standard!"—Double Time

Mission Specialist Use: Like most of Freedom Squadron High Command, Double Time only rarely participates in field missions. Mission Teams deployed to South East Asia may rendezvous with members of the extensive Falaniko family as local guides. As a Contact, he offers either d10 to Tactical Challenges or d12 to Interaction Challenges.

Attributes: Agility d8, Smarts d10, Spirit d12, Strength d8, Vigor d10

Skills: Athletics d6, Battle d10, Common Knowledge d8, Demolitions d10, Driving d6, Electronics d6, Fighting d8, Healing d4, Intimidation d12+1, Logistics d6, Notice d10, Performance d8, Persuasion d8, Repair d6, Shooting d8, Stealth d4, Survival d6

Focuses: Assault Rifles, Knives, Throwing

Masteries: Guitar, Lines of Fire, Tactical Withdrawals

Languages: Filipino, Cantonese, Cebuano, English, Spanish, Tagalog

Pace: 6; Parry: 6; Toughness: 17 (10)

Hindrances: Driven (major, No one will say 'If only I was trained better'), Loyal, Military Dependent (Minor, his husband, Mateo)

Edges: Brave, Command, Demolitions Expert, Dig In!, Hold the Line, Level Headed (Imp), Non-Commissioned Officer, Professional, Soldier, Strong Willed, Tactician

Gear: Custom KevRam combat armor (+10, ballistic protection), custom FN Five-seveN MK 5 pistol (Range 12/24/48; Damage 2d6+4, ROF 1, AP 6, Shots 25) and extra magazine, combat knife, com button.

Special Abilities:

• Tactical Analysis: As per Tactician, Double Time may also grant any soldiers under his command a free reroll (as though spending a Benny) during Quick Combat encounters. He may use his Battle skill as his roll in such encounters, as well.

Meet Chauffeur! And Updates!
over 2 years ago – Sun, Dec 05, 2021 at 04:04:02 PM

Wow, November got away from me real quick!

Things are proceeding well behind the scenes. Among other things:

• Text is completed for the Field Manual and it is on its way to layout.
• The only text missing for the Friends/Foes Manual is the backer characters. Otherwise, it will be on its way to layout as soon as the rest of the new art comes in.
• The Venom Lieutenant Generator is nearly complete.
• "Secret in the Ice!" needs a final editing pass to add in some connective tissue and give GMs tips on adding random adventures to the Plot Point Campaign.
• "Glamor and Glitter" and "Robo-Cons, Arise!" are outlined and being written. Perhaps most importantly, I have versions of the Robo-Tron race and Vehiculator Function Framework that I'm really happy with. It's very tricky balancing giant, shape-changing robots against army men, but I think I've figured it out. 

In the meantime, here's a preview of one of the brand-new characters premiering in the Friends/Foes Manual, as created by Tammy Keyes with art by Phil Cho!

★ CHAUFFEUR

File Name: Portia Ferrari

Rank: Senior Commando

Primary Military Specialty: Driver

Additional Specialties: Demolitions

Branch: ConOpForce/Light Mechanized

Birthplace: Maranello, Modena, Italy

Portia Ferrari is the great-great granddaughter of Enzo Ferrari, the famous race car driver and entrepreneur. She was born with a silver spoon in her mouth and grew up lacking nothing. As a spoiled rich kid, she spent her early adult years going to crazy parties, driving fast cars, and engaging in wild shenanigans.

When WWIII started, several of her friends decided to do something with their lives and joined the military. Ferrari was sheltered enough that she was able to ignore the horrors of the war, until those friends were shipped back home in body bags. Then the evil of VENOM suddenly became apparent to her, and she decided that she had to finally stand up for what was right.

She joined the Italian military as a driver. She quickly discovered she loved the adrenaline rush of combat, much more than anything she had ever experienced before. Chauffeur likes to brag that she’s gotten speeding tickets on every continent. She quickly got a reputation for her willingness to drive anything under any circumstance, no matter how dire. Chauffeur is completely fearless behind the wheel, which is a quality that Freedom Squadron looks for.

“I can drive anything, anywhere, but I specialize in driving VENOM crazy.”—Chauffeur

Mission Specialist Use: Unlike most other vehicle specialists, Chauffeur knows how to drive everything from boats to cars to planes to tanks. She’s a perfect supplement to a team likely to see changes in Zones during a mission. As a Tactical Contact, she offers a d10.

Attributes: Agility d10, Smarts d6, Spirit d6, Strength d8, Vigor d6

Skills: Athletics d6, Boating d10, Common Knowledge d6, Driving d10, Fighting d6, Healing d4, Notice d8, Persuasion d6, Piloting d10, Repair d8, Shooting d8, Stealth d6, Taunt d6

Languages: Italian, Emilian, English, Romagnol

Focus: Ground Vehicle Mechanics

Pace: 6; Parry: 5; Toughness: 11 (6)

Hindrances: Heroic, Impulsive, Overconfident

Edges: Ace, Attractive, Combat Ace, Rich, Steady Hands

Gear: KevRam combat armor, Five-seveN MK 5 pistol and extra magazine, combat knife, 3 fragmentation grenades, 3 smoke grenades, com button, combat helmet cam.

Special Abilities:

• Tactical Driving: Chauffeur draws one extra Action Card during Chases (see Savage Worlds). She also gains a +1 to all Driving rolls when using the skill as a Maneuvering Trait and when making Trait rolls related to Complications.
• Motive Systems: Chauffeur’s vehicle’s effective Top Speed increases by 25%.
• Defensive Driving: All ranged attack rolls against whatever Chauffeur is driving are made at –1; this stacks with the Evade Maneuver in Chases and Dogfights.

Rider Covert Action and Reconnaissance

With VENOM utilizing the Terrornauts as a vector for domestic operations right in the hearts of TAC member states, Freedom Squadron has begun experimenting with new means of confronting this threat while reducing the chance of a public panic.

The Rider series of vehicles are sports cars equipped with hidden weapons and surveillance systems. Ceramic armor and aluminum oxynitride windows provide the maximum durability available without reducing performance. Integrated sensors increase effectiveness during stakeouts, even allowing for listening in on targets while tailing them or during high-speed chases.

SIZE 4 (Large)

HANDLING +2

TOP SPEED (MPH) 160

TOUGHNESS 19 (6)

CREW 1+3

Notes: Booster, Covert Surveillance Pack (integrated), Sensor Suite.

Weapons:

• 2× Linked 25mm Heavy Machine Guns (Range 50/100/200, Damage 2d10, AP 4, ROF 3; Fixed Front, Imp. Stabilizer). It takes one action to deploy or retract the guns.
• 8× Mini-Hellfire Missiles (Range 100/200/400, Damage 4d8, AP 20; HW, SBT). It takes one action to deploy or retract the launchers.

One more day to do some late backing or add-ons!
over 2 years ago – Thu, Nov 18, 2021 at 08:08:55 PM

We have one more day left for late backers and anyone who wants add-ons for the Freedom Squadron Kickstarter! Get your goodies now before it's too late!!

- Any late backers please feel free to comment or message us!

- If you did not receive a survey link let us know and we can direct you on how to get a new one.

- Get the goodies here: https://freedom-squadron-friends-foes-manual.backerkit.co...

Thank you for all of your support!

CLARIFICATION: BackerKit links arriving by tomorrow!
over 2 years ago – Thu, Nov 11, 2021 at 06:51:39 PM

I have been informed that a test to make sure the BackerKit links safely went out to Kickstarter backers means the majority of you will not receive the link until tomorrow. About 5% of kickstarter backers received it as a test but the rest should arrive by morning.

Let us know if you haven't received your link by 5PM Central on November 11th.

In the meantime, please let your friends who didn't back the Kickstarter know that they can now make late pledges!

-Sean Tait Bircher, co-lead developer for Freedom Squadron for Savage Worlds

WHOA! The BackerKit page is live!
over 2 years ago – Wed, Nov 10, 2021 at 11:25:48 AM

Wow, we were even more ready with the BackerKit page than I thought! It is now live, so head on over to the BackerKit link to order "Robo-Cons Arise!" and other swag!

-Sean Tait Bircher, co-lead developer for Freedom Squadron for Savage Worlds