Greetings Mercs

Thanks for looking this over and perhaps taking an interest in joining the Washington D.C. chapter of Mymidon Press’s Manhunter RPG. Rather than blabber on for the next couple of pages, I have organized this PDF as a FAQ for your convenience and also to address the common issues with a game of this style. Get back to me with your availabilities if you are interested as well as any comments questions or concerns.

What is Manhunter/What’s the setting?

Manhunter is a gritty, mostly hard sci-fi RPG set in the year 3010. In the game, players take on the role of mercenaries trying to make a decent living in the galaxy. The tone and setting of the game takes much from films like “Blade Runner” and Ridley Scott’s “Alien” as well as other more fantastic pop-cult films such as “Dune” and “Spacehunter: Adventures in the Forbidden Zone”. Literary influences come from the the novels of

Greg Egan (Permutation City, Quarantine), Alan Dean Foster (The Man Who Used the Universe), David Drake (Hammer’s Slammers) and Frank Herbert. Other role-players have mentioned it reminds them of Shadowrun in space.

Why a space game?

I find the area to be heavily saturated with D&D games and I would like to offer players a break from the standard sword and sorcery world. Manhunter is not well known, and delivers a different experience with a familiar feel so I decided to give it a try.

What’s the system?

Manhunter was created in 1990, and has changed hands several times. Each time it was re-written for a new system. The current version takes its cues from several systems, but the game is played with a modified D20 Modern system. That will be the base system for this game as it works well with the campaign style and it’s modular design allows for the easy removal of magic and other fantasy-oriented themes while maintaining an easily “teachable” system of skills and balances.

I hate the D20 system… Why should I even consider playing this?

First off, I would like to say, don’t be a hater… This system is really just “D20” in the name, kind of like how the United States World Cup Soccer Team is called “Professional”. Secondly, the system has been modified and has proven well in play tests to provide a fun and engrossing RPG environment without relying on number stacking or a constant search for the next +1 item modification.

Over 10 years of playing this game has helped us find problems with the various systems such as D20, RIFTS, White Wolf, Shadowrun, GURPS and basically everything else out there that functions smoother than Myrmidon’s old faux AD&D bastard hybrid system. What remains are the skill sets and the skeletal basis of the systems that lends itself well to creating specialized Soldiers of Fortune, which is exactly what this game calls for. The game has been modified to maintain extreme lethality but still provide for RP’ing as opposed to the Run-and-Gun Munchkining or Monty Hall that is common in D20 games of the day.

Fair enough, but I still hate Hit Points/Magic/Levels/the D20 system on principal alone.

Wow… that’s a lot of hate, and I am really sorry that you had a GM who traumatized you and couldn’t tell a story to save his ass. One time I had a GM smash me over the head with a Dragon Lance book for 5 minutes for telling him that the “Random Encounter chart” didn’t have to used so religiously… to this day the word “Kender” still makes me throw up in my mouth a little bit, but I would still play the system if the people and GM would make it more than just a “rule system” and turn it into a “story”.

Let’s make this really easy… If anyone has individual questions or concerns about the D20 Modern system and want to know how the players and GM’s view these issues and how they avoid common pitfalls that reduce D20 storytelling to basic Final Fantasy emulation, send me an e-mail with your questions and concerns. I’d be more than happy to give you an example of actual Manhunter gameplay or develop a scenario where that issue is addressed and why the pitfalls and horror stories that accompany that issue don’t becomes a problem in this setting.

What common “D20” crap is missing in Manhunter?

First off, there is no alignment, thank god. This game is also missing all of the monsters, arcana, items or settings common to Dungeons and Dragons. You can be assured that you will never encounter a Magic Missile and shotgun wielding Illithid or crazy Uzi carrying Kobold who will jump out of a “Hot-Topic Backpack of Holding” and steal your Bugbear-920 Hovercycle and “Cyberdeck of Many Things”. There are no potions, clerics, wands, spells, oils of <insert effect here>, backstabs, smiting-of-evil, or other such commonalities.

Another change is that the classes are largely customizable, acting as a foundation for building a character around several occupational classes that come at 3rd level. These customizable fundamental classes follow a specific stat or aspect of heroism that your character is attached to and thus help to create a special occupational class for your Mercenary down the road. On top of that, the hit dice for the 6 are all pretty standard across the board… so you don’t have anymore level 5 wizard with only 7 HP or level 3 barbarians with 55.

Cold hard cash is another familiar D20 concept that has vanished. Like alignment, the tracking of cash was just not conducive to this environment, so a new system of wealth was developed which uses an abstract value to encompass a character’s monetary worth in the galaxy (credit, investments, cash, etc.).. This change, along with the removal of magical items, pretty much eliminates the whole “Greyhawking” and jackal-like looting that bogs down encounters in other games.

In Manhunter, there are simple revolvers that will blow a level 10 character’s head off in a single point-blank shot; 40 foot tall government assault mecha who are as tough and resilient to damage as you would expect them to be; starships and a mix of nasty aliens who pilot them; cybernetics; genetic engineering; punky psychics who make a living off of your weak willpower; neural interfaces and advanced holographic cybernets; psychotic homicidal robots and the equally whacko maniacs who hunt them; plasma weaponry and rail guns duels; and a whole heaping amount of double-crosses, death and good ole fashioned dismemberment.

System aside, how’s the game-world structured?

Manhunter takes place in a dynamic universe, meaning that the events have been set in motion that will unfold despite the characters’ involvement. A war between the Chiropti and Gorushan Empires might have no effect on the characters directly, but it makes trips into Chiropti and Gorushan space more difficult when certain missions call for it.

Game sessions will be arranged as missions at first; simple one shot tasks designed to give the group experience and learn what they can and can’t do. The team for that days game will be assembled from all the players who attend as well as any necessary NPC’s that the character’s wish to hire to help them with their task, if they can afford it. Each session will have a handful of jobs to be chosen. Each will have a level of difficulty, objective and pay offered. The jobs will always start and end at the character’s main base of operations. This could be an asteroid base hidden away from all sensor sweeps, filled with the latest weapons, technology and a fully stocked wine cellar… or it could by four broken tables strapped together at a shitty bar on some space station at the ass end of the universe while all the characters huddle around a broken video phone, trying to make write down the objectives for their next mission before the call time expires. As the characters perform more and more tasks, the world will begin to develop 3-dimensions. Bartenders and NPC’s from rival Merc groups will soon become named staples of the game. Quirky weapons dealers, brutal authority figures and the shady character’s at the local bar will develop histories and backgrounds as the game moves on. When this has been established and the characters feel comfortable with the function of their group and the other players, then the major story arc will begin.

What do you mean by “Dynamic Universe?”

Well, aside from the actual definition of “dynamic” as being ever changing, Manhunter is also weird in that there are currently two other parties playing the game in the same universe. The first group lives in the Detroit, Michigan metro area and they play once or twice a month. Their mercenary group performs odd jobs and

“acquisitions” for big companies and slimy crime bosses. Their actions have caused them to be banned form over 140 space stations and 1 Empire.The second group used to play in Munich Germany but now functions primarily near Chicago. This group is made up of espionage specialists (spies and assassin squads) who recently turned to chainsaw-wielding maniacs. The D.C. group would be the third in this web, with the actions of each group affecting the world that the others inhabit. The D.C. group will have its own story arch that will begin as simple tasks and eventually lead to a grand plot that may be skipped or followed.

So will this be an epic campaign or pickup game?

It’s a hybrid of both. The game is designed so that people can come and go and play as they choose. The majority of sessions will be tagged as “stand-alone” session, arranged as a single mission or task that the group can accomplish in one sitting. Stand-alone sessions will start and end within spitting distance of a centralized location so that when all of the players

assemble for the next game, all characters will be within realistic proximity to the action. The location will be a logical one to return to such as a space station to collect payment, get a new job and repair their starships.

At times, sessions will be tagged as “campaign” sessions, in which the mission and events will be part of an overarching storyline and the events will take multiple sessions to complete. These sessions may involve drop-in players, but they are unlikely to get the full experience of the story arch. The announcement of every game will include whether the missions is a “stand-alone” or “campaign” session.

This design allows characters to come and go as they choose, letting people sit out games without a major penalty. It also adds a dynamic sense and a sense of realism. Not every mission will require a heavy weapons specialist, so he may sit out one or two of the company runs.With campaign sessions, each mission or event will lead up to an in depth story arch, but the arch will come when I feel that the players know each other and how

the characters operate and the group becomes functional. The core players will then play the arc and the drop-in characters can come and play as they please. The story arcs will begin to overlap until this game becomes an epic space opera. Drop-ins will always be welcome.

What do you mean by Drop-in players?

To me, a drop-in is a player who can’t make steady games but likes to “drop in” and play every once and awhile. I originally chose Manhunter because I wanted to bring together all the scattered RP’ers that I’ve been running into in the DC area and I feel that I can make a good game that accepts Drop-ins in an acceptable, logical way that doesn’t seem cheesy or forced. I hate it when D&D groups just “run into some guy on the side of the road” so I tried to develop a realistic setting where Drop-Ins would be a normal and even preferred occurrence.

Why are you allowing Drop-ins?

Well, a lot of people don’t know what type of game this is, nor do they know if they have time for it. They also don’t know the people involved. Making a Drop-In style game gives people a chance to play without any fear of commitment and if the game works well and they like it, they will come back. Players also don’t have to feel bad about not being able to play ALL the time. Many times I find players who can’t make a twice a month game and so they quickly turn tail and run. People have different schedules and availabilities. Manhunter is built to accommodate all schedules but still maintain an epic and accomplished feeling throughout the game. Players in a Manhunter game should be able to play once every two months alongside a player who plays once every two weeks and feel equally as involved and engaged in the story.

How will Drop-ins be welcome in an Epic Space campaign?

Drop In characters will act more like special guests that who will help the core players through certain parts of the arch. Think of a drop-in player like a re-occurring guest star on Star Trek, such as “Q” or “Lor”. In the past, this method has made for some drop-in character’s to become legends among the core group. At times, the skill sets and abilities of the drop-in player are such an asset that the crew will not even consider attempting certain tasks without that player’s character on the roster.

It’s important to note that if a player can’t attend a session, his character can’t attend either. When the other characters are playing through the current chapter, the character of the player who sat out will be accomplishing other tasks while the company is on the job. When the player who sat out comes back to the game, he won’t know what happened last game, nor will his character. The other players will have to bring him up to speed, in game, if they want to. This can lead to intricate webs of deceit that can make the game devious and exciting. The sense of realism comes from the fact that the character and player experiences are the same and anything told to the player is also learned by the character. If your characters screw over another player, who was not

present, by killing off one of his contacts then your characters will have to deal with the ramifications. However, you could just make the murder look like an “accident” and come up with a good bullshit story.

This method of play also keeps players from having to be NPC’ed and possibly killed off as a result. It also keeps players from being useless flies-on-the-wall who just sits around until the other players need them to perform a specific task. I can recall a good number of times where some in a group has said: “Hey, isn’t that thief guy with us? Let’s have him trip the traps and pick the locks. Who cares if he dies, the GM won’t kill off his character if he’s not here!”

Won’t Drop-ins fall behind the Core Players?

No. The D20 Modern level system isn’t as structured as D&D. Level means very little if you have cunning and a trust sidearm. Every level grants you a jump in skill proficiencies and sometimes a little jump in combat ability, but it’s not as extreme as Wizards and Warriors in D&D. There are no Druid animal forms, divine powers, 8d6 of backstab, or level 9 spells of Power Word “Nasty” to make someone look forward to that next 2000 xp.

All special abilities are geared towards shaping your character to interact with the game environment as opposed to making them a badass. On top of that, a laser rifle will kill a level 20 character just as easily as it will a level 1.

Characters can increase their abilities via cybernetics and bionics, but that is not a result of level, it’s a result of wealth, contacts and using your intellect to score the right equipment. True, characters can get richer if they play more, but safety and power comes with the number of people who are willing to jump in front of a bullet for you. Sweet talking characters have a lot of mojo on the streets and space stations of the Manhutner universe just as Mecha pilots have a lot of pull in the military colonies and hot zones of the Outer Rim.

Also, there are no real superior items and equipment like D&D. Weapons and equipment can be modified, but there is no “magical” equipment available. Masterwork or exceptional mundane goods can be acquired by the characters at 1st level or 20th level with a little bit of streetwise and the right amount ammount of credit..

Can we hire other characters/NPCs to come with us on specific tasks?

Absolutely, in fact it’s encouraged. The group will not be perfect and at times you will need a specialist. Sometimes these specialists will be other Drop-In characters, other times they will be NPC contacts, who you will work with frequently if your group is poorly made. Every character will have quirks and payment requirements, unless you would like to offer them a contract to work exclusively with your organization.

You said the characters take on the role of Mercenaries? So it’s like bounty hunting in space, mostly?

If that’s what you’re into, yes. The game and its character creation system are designed to make characters that can function as part of mercenary squad. The purpose of the squad is dependant on the players. Past games have included bounty hunting teams, special Ops groups for hire, assassins, intergalactic delivery boys, gun and drug runners, space pirates, 10,000-man mercenary armies, tour guides (not joking), and good ole fashioned vigilantes. The group will reach a consensus on what they want to play and then characters will be made to fit that structure and contribute to the group goals. There are enough jobs that need to be done in the Manhunter universe that there will always be something missing from every group and the members will have to think on

their toes to accomplish tasks. When the Conudyne Corporation requires the group to break into the Galactic Terra-forming regional headquarters to acquire files from their mainframe, you wish that one of your members had taken a few extra levels of computer hacking and espionage skills… No matter though. Your pilot took a few 3-day community college courses in lock-smithing and Video/Audio Repair! You’ll get past those pesky mag-locks and annoying laser trip wires without a hitch… I’m sure of it. The point is that the game will be tailored to the players.

Ok, so what kind of characters can I make?

Whatever really, there are thousands of races in the Manhunter Universe. Manhunter chooses 12 races to highlight as they make up over 90% of the galaxy’s sentient population, however, feel free to create other species. Once you pick a race, you can customize your character to be just about anything from a spacecraft engineer, or hardcore bionic commando, down to a slug farmer of Rynor 5. This is one game were the characters will talk over what they are going to make and come to a consensus on what will benefit the party and what will not. A group of sleuths and spies doe not need a loud annoying 2 ton cyborg skulking around after them, ruining all their good espionage attempts. That character will spend the majority of his time “waiting on the ship”.

This game was once RIFTS base. Can I RIFT in my juicer/cosmo-knight/glitterboy from another game?

Let’s assume for the moment that we are able to convert the RIFTS system over to D20 without a lot of bullshit whining and arguing from anyone who has two-cents to toss in…Now, to answer the question… to put it simply, no. Original palladium RIFTS is a game of High damage, big guns, mega-combat and tons of flying missiles and laser blasts and sometimes people role-play in the middle of all the ass-whuping. Manhunter is the other side of the coin. Weapons are deadly, armor is flimsy, and the natural hazards of space combat and alien worlds makes this game more like a form of dramatic Space Film Noir/Horror than Hollywood Summer Blockbuster Sci-Fi. The game is more like Blade-runner or Battlestar Galactica (the new one) and less like Star Trek: the Next generation or Star Wars. Anything from the standard RIFTS Megaverse would just be too much for this game to handle… It would be like bringing a level 20 Lich Archmage or Exalted character into a Call of Cthulu game.

How do I contact you? I have some ideas for the game/want to talk more about it?

Feel free to contact me through meetups.com or send emails to Samas990@gmail.com GM’s Recommended Viewings:

Blade Runner, Alien, Dune, Cowboy Bebop, Pitch Black, Battlestar Galatica (the new series), Akira, Ghost in the Shell (Films and Stand Alone Complex), Event Horizon, Tri-Gun, Star Trek II: Wrath of Khan, Star Trek VI: The Undisocvered Country, Metropolis, The Fifth Element, Nadesco, Robotech, Macross, Robotech, Neon Genesis Evangelion.