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Old 08-06-2009, 07:46 PM
jester jester is offline
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Join Date: Sep 2008
Location: Equaly at home in the water, the mountains and the desert.
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Funny you should post this topic, I was rolling up the NPCs for my Ruins Campaign.


But for a party I would suggest the following:

A leader, rank is not required. Think Kelly from Kellys Heroes, or Reese from Hell is For Heroes or Sgt Stryker from Sands of Iwo Jima. All former leaders who fell from Grace to a much lower spot of leadership, but when the chips were down, they were natural leaders who took charge or the men followed because they knew their stuff!

A weapons specialist! This can be a machinegunner who is an old salt who I like to pair with a green recruit so he can keep an eye on and break in. <Stole this theme from Fields of Fire.> Or a mortarman, I made a character for a Korea game and the character had a 60mm mortar with a small baseplate who fired the weapon trigger fire, think of it kinda like a very large 203. Also, there is the character who is just very good with a grenade launcher. A guy who humps a 203 or a 79 or a HK69 and he just can't miss, and with that skill, he gets the party out of a jam all the time.

MAYBE one "SPECIAL" type I am not fond of SF/Green Berets, I usualy toss in a Salty soldier who was either with a Ranger unit, or had been a ranger or at least through the school. He is the scout and the super ninja who has per the game the "stealth" or "recon" or even "Observation" skills.

A Sniper, not in all of my campaigns. But this could be a good ol boy who knows how to shoot who has a bolt action rifle or other good rifle and he knows how to use it. This guy in many campaigns is also the groups ace in the hole, taking out other snipers or machinegunners or other badies who have the party pinned down. <Think the sniper from Saving Private Ryan.>

Old Salty Sgt, think the Sgt from Stripes, "I'm gettin to old for this..." Or the old Sgt who is the Cols Aid Konrad from "Battle of the Bulge" he is old, he has seen action alot, maybe to much and isn't afraid to speak his mind, he is also tired.

The Rebel who is just GOOD at his job and that has made him freinds, think of the character "Stiener" from "Cross of Iron." A hero who is favored among the top leadership so he can get away with alot more otherwise, he is also good and pulls off the impossible which further endears him with the high command. However it is that rebellous streak coupled with the vast knowledge and experience so he does things his way which is contrary to the immediate comand.

A regular Rifleman, he is expereinced, but nothing special. He stands the watches, provides cover when needed but pauses when its time to go over the top first.

Green Kid, a conscript or even a support type now thrown to the wolves in a combat unit. Scared, without experience and still learning, the question is, will he survive?

Loner, a burnt out trooper, he used to be good, he used to be eager, he once upon a time truly beleived in the cause. Now he is a zombie who is just going through the motions living day to day or even hour to hour. He no longer feels, he no longer has freinds they all have been died. He is distant and no one knows much about him.

Drinker, a former leader who saw to many of his men die. He crawled into a bottle. He can act when he needs to but preffers to hide in the bottle when he can. And often you do not know if he is drunk.

Medic; This is usualy a talented type who cares about the folk in their team. They are usualy everyones freind and they hardly ever engage in action.

Radio; not always in my groups. Usualy someone from a rear unit who was placed in this position. Often if the group has a vehicle I do away with this post all together, or if there is an FO or someone similiar.

FO; A former mortarman, FAC, or FO or similiar. They know how to operate the radio, they also know something about the ordinance in their field, be it artillery or aircraft bombs or mortars etc. An example, a FAC is also the groups Pilot, an FO is also their mortar or artillery expert.

Mechanic, he is the secondary driver. He drives the truck or support vehicle of the group but not the combat vehicle. He is a master of the wrench.

Driver, this guy is just plain NUTS!!!! He is a maniac behind the wheel and will drive places where a mountain goat wouldn't go. He is meticulous about his vehicle. He knows his way around a wrench, but he is not the expert that their mechanic is.

Armored Vehicle Driver/Crewman; this guy is often the groups heavy weapons and com expert since they will have had those skills in their vehicle and are now the partys expert.

Scrounger; A good rifleman, he is also at times the defacto scout of the unit. He can find what the party needs through various means. And he follows the old saying of "sharp eyes and light fingers."

I can also sometimes toss in other personality traits like the hero, or the coward, or the guy trying to be a hero. The old salt who is just burnt out, the eager youth who talks so tough but has yet to be in a fight, alcoholism, drug abuse, sadism and so many other aspect. I also will often merge the above making complex characters who have multiple traits. Howabout a semi suicidal engineer who is now doing EOD?

Anyhow those are some of the things.

But a vanilla group:

Leader, current or former officer or senior Sgt who is skilled in navigation FO and a all around good fighter.

A machinegunner who can keep the baddies pinned down.

The medic who saves everyone

Scrounger/Rifleman, he keeps the party supplies.

Driver, he can get people out of trouble as fast as they got into it, and he can turn a wrench when needed too.

Scout; this is the person who is always on point, they do the patrols and can find the trail or where the enemy is. This is the person who keeps you out of trouble, and they are a demon in a fight.

Those are the basic types every campaign needs. All other types are a plus.
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