Flying Lead - List of Character Special Rules

I have compiled here the different Special Rules available to Flying Lead characters in my Expanse universe.  Most are drawn from the various Ganesha Games rulebooks (FL=Flying Lead, MDRG=Mutants and Death Ray Guns), some are of my own making (LW=homegrown) and others are translations of 5PFH rules (5FPH).  I have sometimes modified the rulebook special rules (sometimes just a name change) and indicate that by "mod".

In this 5PFH crossover, only some Special Rules stem from training or inherent capacities.  Many others come from the equipment or enhancements that characters benefit from.  A few are directly linked to the Stat Bar. of 5PFH.

Inherent / Training capacities can be acquired during Step 9 of Post Battle Activities.  Their XP cost is indicated in [ ].  In the case of # type capacities, the upper limit is indicated by [ ; # ]

Stat Bar

Luck [#] (5FPH)
A character with Luck can expend it to avoid any hit result of his or her choice, from Gone to Ground up to Gory Death.  The Luck # is then reduced by 1 (and may drop to zero).

Move S/M/L (5PFH)
Used to translate the 5PFH Speed Stat into an equivalent FL Move rate.

Reroll Q Failure (5PFH)
Allows additional steps in the conversion from 5PFH Reactions Stat to FL Quality.  The character can reroll 1 failed Quality check die roll.

Resilience [#] (LW)
Characters equipped with bio-implants, or just naturally tough or insenstive to pain, get a saving throw against an Out of Action result (only).

Make a Q test with three dice.   Each die equal or superior to # is a success.

0 successes mean the character is Killed in Action - you should have stayed down !

1 success means the character is Out of Action.

2 successes mean the character is Shaken.

3 successes mean the character is Gone to Ground.

If the character is put Out of Action again, he may not make a Resilience test.

Sprinter # (FL mod)
Once a turn, the character can add S to # of his move actions.  During this sprint, the character cannot use a Move and Fire weapon, and cannot be shot at by an enemy character he moves into contact with (p. 8 FL Rulebook).

Inherent capacities and training
 

Acrobat (FL) [7]
An acrobat will have +1 on Q rolls when testing for falling damage and Climbing.  Firers targetting an Acrobat will do so at -1.


Assassin (FL mod) [20]
Any Aimed Blow, or any Aimed Shot at a range of L or less, from an Assassin is Lethal to the target (p. 22 FL Rulebook).

Climber (FL) [5]
The character is a climbing specialist.  He doesn't have to check for falling when climbing obstacles.

Close Quarters Battle Specialist (FL mod) [4]
A character with CQB is automatically considered to have a better weapon than his opponent during hand to hand combat, unless the opponent also has CQB.

Cool Headed (LW) [7]
Such a character does not have to fire if he is on Overwatch and a target enters his Overwatch weapon distance.


Eager (FL mod) [7]
The character is eager to please his Leader.  He only needs to be in LOS of the Leader to receive +1 Q, no matter the distance.

Fanatic (FL)  [7]
Driven by the 'cause', a fanatical character is at +1 Q for any Morale Check and has a +1 bonus in hand-to-hand combat.  Fanatics do not make Morale Checks when a friend is killed by Friendly Fire.


Fear [#] (FL mod)  [15; 3]
The character instills dread in his enemies.  An enemy who wishes to fire on him or charge him must make a morale check on # dice.  A target with the Fear special rule can always be ignored for target priorities.

 

Fireteam (LW) [12]
Figures with the Fireteam ability can form Fireteams of two or three characters (maximum).  The player rolls one set of activation dice, and all members of the Fireteam receive however many actions their Q entitles them to.

To be considered part of a Fireteam, a character must be within L of another member of the Fireteam, if both have a functioning PCD; otherwise within S.  LOS is not required.

Members of a Fireteam can use their actions in any order : hence having received two actions each, Character A might fire, Character B move and engage in hand to hand combat, and then Character A move.  They do not have to perform the same actions.

Some or all members of a Fireteam can, by using 1 Action, use Concentrated Fire (FL rulebook, p. 18).

If the Q value of any member of the Fireteam was sufficiently low for 2 failures to have been rolled, the turnover occurs once all members of the Fireteam have taken their allowed actions.

If any non-Robot member of a Fireteam is Out of Action or Killed in Action, all other members of the Fireteam must take a Morale Test.  The -1 for no friend within Medium distance does not apply unless the character testing is the last member of his Fireteam.

 

Hero (FL) [20]
A Hero always automatically passes one die during Activation and Morale rolls. A Hero may also, once per game, reroll any one set of dice or make an opponent reroll any one set of dice.


High-G (LW)  [4]
This character suffers no penalties in High-G environments, which occur when a space-going vessel undertakes manoeuvres.

Medic [#] (FL mod) [20; 4]
A Medic starts with #3 and can attempt to heal an Out of Action character, unless he has the Robot special rule (see p. 12 FL Rulebook).  Medics test with Q #.

 

Panic [#] (5FPH)
Only enemies can have this special rule.  When a turnover occurs, for each enemy that has been put out of action during the current turn, roll 1d6.  Every die that shows the panic value of an enemy figure causes it to Bail.  Those closest to the characters battlefield edge are affected first.  Note that some enemies, for example Lieutenants, are not afflicted by Panic #.

 

Slippery (MRDG) [10]
A Slippery character can leave a hand-to-hand combat without suffering a Free Hack.


Sniper (FL mod) [20]
This represents a trained sniper, and does not therefore include all characters wielding a sniper rifle.

Any Aimed Shot (but not Aimed Blow) from a Sniper confers the Fearful ability on the weapon used.  A Sniper disregards any targeting restrictions, and reduces the firing penalty due to range by 1 (he can thus shoot out to 3x weapon range with no penalties).  A Sniper's Overwatch range is increased to L.

Solitary (FL mod) [4]
Used to working alone, solitary characters do not suffer a -1 to their morale checks if no friend is within Medium distance.  They do not, however, benefit from the +1 Q that a Leader gives and cannot be part of a Fireteam.



Weapons Expert (FL mod) [7]
The character can pick up a weapon from an Out of Action or Killed in Action friend or enemy and use it.  He can also join a Crew during a battle.

 

Gear and Gadgets
 

Body Armour [#] (FL mod)
Firers targetting a character wearing Body Armour will do so at -#.  The Body Armour modifier is not, however, cumulative with either cover or being prone.  # can vary from 1 (light body armour) to 4 (heavy combat suit)


Camouflage (FL mod)
A character benefitting from camouflage always benefits from the Ambush bonus for Ranged Combat as long as their first action is used to shoot, unless their target has Danger Sense.
The character counts as a hidden target (-3) if the enemy is firing from at more than 2 x L, if the character is in cover, and did not shoot during their last Activation or shot and then moved at least S to their present position.


Chucker [#] (FL mod)
Thanks to specialised targetting equipment integrated into his weapon, the character gets + # on Q rolls for grenade deviation (be it thrown or weapon-launched grenades)

 

Danger Sense (FL mod)
Opponents do not get any Ambush bonus against this character 

Fearless (FL)
The character does not have to take a Morale Check to fire upon or charge an enemy with the Fear special rule.  He also ignores Morale Checks caused by Gory Deaths.

Flying (MDRG mod)
A character with Flight may freely move over any terrain, but ends each Activation on the ground (including on top of a terrain feature,...).  He has line of sight to all characters on the battlefield, except those within forests (or equivalent), inside roofed buildings, underground, or similar.
A Flying character cannot be targetted by Overwatch, except when he takes off.  He can leave hand-to-hand combat without suffering a Free Hack, unless the enemy also has the Flying special rule.


Force Field [#] (LW)
A character protected by a Force Field ignores the result of a Ranged Shot as long as the force field is active.  A Gone to Ground result inflicts 1 overload, a Shaken result 2 overloads, an Out of Action result 3 overloads and a Killed in Action 4 overloads.

Make a Q test for each overload.  If any are failures, the Force Field has overloaded and the character no longer benefits from it for the rest of the battle.

A Force Field is also out of action if the number of overloads received during a pair of turns (to take into account the effet of Overwatch shots) equals or exceeds the # number.

A Force Field offers no benefits in hand to hand combat.  A Force Field may only work against weapons with the Area weapons special rule or, on the contrary, not work against such weapons.

 

Hacker [#] (LW)
Personality
For 1 Action, a Hacker can attempt to jam various enemy systems.  He chooses his target and rolls # dice for a Q check.  A target cannot be chosen more than once per activation.  All effects are immediate and last until the end of the enemy's next turn.
For X successes :
- jam X characters Personal Communication Devices or
- reduce by X the Q of a designated character with the Robot special rule or a Vehicle or
- reduce by X the C of a designated character with the Robot special rule or a Vehicle
If an enemy Hacker is on overwatch, he can use this overwatch to force the player's Hacker to reroll as many dice as his # level.

 

Large (LW)
A Large character suffers no movement penalties when moving through broken terrain or crossing obstacles, although it cannot cross obstacles that are classed as impassable.  Ranged combat against a Large target benefits from a +1 modifier.

Lightning Reactions (LW)
Thanks to specialist tracking devices, when the character is placed on Overwatch (p. 16 FL Rulebook), his Overwatch weapons range is doubled.


Marksman (FL)
The character receives +1 on Combat when taking an Aimed Shot.

 

Momentum (FL mod)
A character with momentum may move into hand-to-hand combat and make an attack as one action.  He cannot fire during this action (by using, for example, a Move and Fire weapon).

Night Vision (LW)
The character is unimpaired by environmental conditions such as darkness, smoke or dust.


No PCD Personal Communication Device (FL)
Most characters have a communications device which allows Fireteams and Leaders to work within L and not require LOS, but this may not always be the case.  A character whose PCD is jammed is also temporarily considered as having this negative trait.

 

Poor Shot (FL)
The character suffers a -1 modifier to his Combat Value when firing, though not when defending.

 

Relentless (LW)
The character ignores any Gone to Ground results, but is Out of Action if he receives a Shaken result.

 

Steady Under Fire (FL mod)
A character who is steady under fire treats a Shaken result as Goes to Ground, if the firer's result was exactly the double of the defender's.


Strong [#] (FL mod)
Thanks to personal strength, drugs or a powerful exoskeleton, the range of any thrown object or weapon is increased by # distance sticks.  The character receives a +1 bonus in hand-to-hand combat, and +1 Q for any task requiring physical force (such as bashing down a door,...).  The character can carry a load, such as a wounded comrade, without any movement reduction.