Zaibatsu Rpg Adventure - The Chiba Connection

 Here is an adventure for the Zaibatsu RPG, using the system's core mechanics and stats, involving a bodyguard and their corporate charge. And this connects back to our OSR Commentary - The Long Shadow of The Zaibatsu rpg by Paul Elliot From Zozer Games

Adventure: The Chiba Connection

Synopsis: The PCs are contracted by the powerful Daiyon Zaibatsu to escort Akari Tanaka, a brilliant but naive biotech researcher (the "charge"), to a secure data drop in the Chiba sprawl. Akari has sensitive data on a black-market "replicant" ring operating out of a local genetics clinic. The clinic, run by a rival corporation (or an independent criminal org, the "Octopus" is a classic enemy), wants the data back and will use various means to stop them: street muscle, corporate spies, and a final confrontation at the clinic's data-wipe server.

System Notes

The Zaibatsu RPG uses a 2d6 system based on the Cepheus Engine rules.

• Stat checks: Roll 2d6, aim for half the relevant Stat + 2d6, total 10 or better (GM discretion on Difficulty Modifier).
• Skill checks: Roll 2d6, aim for 8 or better (Skill level adds a bonus to the roll).
• Combat: Fights are fast and deadly. Attacks are resolved in phases: Melee first, then Ranged, then Movement. Damage can inflict Stuns or Wounds.

Key Characters

The Bodyguard (PC Template)

• Concept: Corporate Security Solo / Street Samurai
• Stats: Strength 10, Dexterity 12, Constitution 11, Intelligence 10, Awareness 12, Willpower 11, Charisma 8
• Skills (select from): Combat (any) +1, Stealth +1, Drive +1, Counter-Security +1, Awareness +1, Tactics +1
• Gear: Heavy Pistol (2d Damage), Kevlar Vest (counts as Subdermal Armour in some cases), secure comm unit, 4,000 Yen.
• Retrogenics (Optional): Subdermal Body Armour (20 points, treat as kevlar vest in HP terms), High Pain Threshold (ignore wound penalties).
• Motivation: The paycheck is good, but the bodyguard might also have a personal code of honor (Bushido 2.0) or simply a desire to keep this kid alive.

The Charge: Akari Tanaka (NPC)

• Concept: Biotech Researcher, Naive but Headstrong
• Stats: Strength 6, Dexterity 8, Constitution 7, Intelligence 14, Awareness 10, Willpower 12, Charisma 11
• Skills: Science +2, Computer +1, Research +2, Etiquette (Corporate) +1
• Gear: Data Chip (encrypted), personal comm unit, lab coat.
• Motivation: Expose the illegal and unethical use of memory-less clones (replicants) by her former employer. She may be willing to take risks that put the PCs in danger.

The Adventure

Part 1: The Meet and the Ambush

The adventure begins at a neutral drop point, a crowded noodle bar in the lower Tokyo sprawl.

1. The Handover: The PCs meet Akari. She's nervous, twitchy, and constantly checking her surroundings (Awareness 10). She has the data chip.
2. The Hitters: As the PCs exit the bar, a "boostergang" (likely paid off by the clinic) attempts a drive-by on a motorbike.
   • Enemies: 2 gang members on a speeder bike (Strength 8, Dexterity 10, Skills: Drive+1, Pistol+1; armed with Light Pistols, 1d Damage).
   • Challenge: The PCs must protect Akari while taking down the gang members. This is a fast, urban combat scenario, with plenty of cover (market stalls, overflowing dumpsters, etc.). A failed Awareness check might mean the PCs are caught off guard.

Part 2: The Data Trail

After the firefight, the PCs need to get the data to a secure terminal. The original drop point is compromised.

1. Alternative Routes: The main roads are blocked due to the incident. The PCs must use their Drive or Stealth skills to navigate side streets and maintenance tunnels.
2. Hacking the Network: Akari suggests a public data-fax machine in a nearby convenience store to upload a location change to their Daiyon contact.
   • Challenge: When attempting to connect to the network, a corporate 'decker' attempts to trace them. A PC with Computer or Counter-Security skills can engage in a quick cyberspace battle (using the Zaibatsu's card-based hacking rules).

Part 3: Clinic Zero

The PCs reach the secondary drop point: an abandoned genetic modification clinic. It is not abandoned.

1. Security Measures: The clinic is guarded by a single security drone (see stats below) and several locked doors (Counter-Security checks to breach). Akari might be able to provide the access code if the PC makes a successful Charisma or Willpower check to keep her calm and focused.
2. The Confrontation: The head of the replicant program, Dr. Hiroshi, confronts the party. He is desperate and possibly injected with a combat drug like Speedball.
   • Enemy: Dr. Hiroshi (Intelligence 13, Strength 9, armed with a hidden dart gun loaded with Virax-B tranquilizer) and a Security Drone.
   • Dr. Hiroshi Stats: Strength 9, Dexterity 9, Constitution 8, Intelligence 13, Awareness 11, Willpower 10, Charisma 7. Skills: Science +2, Computer +1, Pistol +1.
   • Security Drone Stats: 20 HP (does not use damage table). Equipped with a Smartgun (2d Damage). The PC needs to roll a 5 or 6 to damage it with small arms. It has an Autoarm (attacks as skill 7-, 2 Stuns damage).
3. Resolution: The PCs defeat Hiroshi and the drone and successfully upload the data, securing the payment and ensuring Akari's safety (for now). The repercussions from the Daiyon Zaibatsu (and their rivals) promise future adventures.

OSR Review & Commentary On Hostile Situation Report #19 Arachnoid By Paul Elliot - Would You Like To Know More

 On a remote colony world lives a hidden danger - a species of ferocious bug that breeds underground, but that emerges when the time is right as a devastating swarm to devour everything in its way. Each bug is as big as car and just as tough. And these bugs have a few surprises up their sleeves. If you're a colonist, pray you haven't built your settlement on top of a bug nest, and if you're a US Marine - then good luck ... you'll need it!

When it comes to adapting Eighties & classic Nineties movie properties while filing the serial numbers off Paul Elliot is a master. These bugs that wake up are the classic Star Ship Troopers movie bugs. And the situation here on this 2d6 Hostile encounter is dire! Imagine that your a corporation whose set up a colony on a world lightyears from Earth and suddenly, a whole cloth colony of alien giant insects wakes up! 
Now you've got too deal with a growing threat of 'Star Ship Troopers' style movie giant bugs wrecking havoc on your colony world. 
Hostile Situation Report #19 Arachnoid  By Paul Elliot takes the bugs from Star Ship Troopers and boils the them down to a one page 2d6 nightmare that unlikely PC's are going to find themselves in. 
This little free hand out is up too Zozer Games usual standard of quality. And with Hostile rpg's books it would be quite easy for a DM to crank out a Starship Troopers style campaign easily. 

It would be so easy to slip a whole cloth Star Ship Troopers style campagin right inot the Hostile Setting with the PC's handling their usual roles. And this is due too the flexibility of the Hostile rpg rules and setting. Imagine the corporates mad scramble trying to cope with the intelligent insect forces of the bugs who have suddenly awoken from a centuries nap. There's just enough here within Hostile Situation Report #19 Arachnoid to get such a campaign off the ground right now! 

For my own group of players tonight the threat was nasty and dangerous as they found themselves on a colony about to over run by the bugs. They haven't made the connection.. yet. To the actual threat of the bugs because they seem to think of them as dumb animals not realizing the looming threat as an army awakens! 

Review & Commentary On The Hostile Situation Report #017 For The Hostile rpg

" HOSTILE Situation Reports - Free one-page NPCs or adventure situations for the gritty HOSTILE setting."

CONAM 17

"A waystation, off the traffic routes, with unused areas powered down, shuttered and off-limits. A skeleton crew keeping things running, and a manager who is agitated and desperate to leave. And she has a job for you .."

  If your looking for a good beginning and mid level encounter/adventure to kick off your Hostile rpg campaign this is a good one! The Hostile Situation Report #017 for the Hostile Rpg  combines the mission & deadly encounter out in the blackness of space. This bases is off the usual trade routes and the manager has an agenda of their own and the PC's are at the center of this. 
Hostile Situation Report #017 has everything that a DM needs to bring a touchstone or as a jump point for a Hostile rpg campaign; "ConAm 17 is a corporate waystation, out on the Frontier. Once a thriving hub for corporate and industrial traffic, new colonies have since opened up alternate trade routes. ConAm 17 is now a shadow of what it once was." This allows the situation of open corporate corruption for PC's to get involved. Or at least that's what it looks like from the outside.  Maya Donaldson runs the station, but is a manager at wits end.  
And here's where the PC's get involved & this Hostile Situation Report goes deeply into a full on investigation mode. The PC's are going to become fully familiar with Com AM 17 station. This is an awesome encounter that runs deeply into the Hostile rpg turf. 

The Hostile Situation Report #017  for the Hostile Rpg takes full advantage of the Hostile rpg rules from the ground up especially the setting campaign material and the Hostile rules. There's room for Hostile rpg DM to inject their own scares and terror within this adventure encounters.  And this is a solid adventure encounter that delivers the full on goods if used correctly. 

Ceres Contraband -- The Long Shadow of The Zaibatsu rpg by Paul Elliot From Zozer Games Session One

 'You have one hundred years removed from your sentences', the chirpy robot's voice echoes through the former luxury appartment on the Mexico/Texas border 'Free Enterprise Zone'. The warehouse was completely checked out by our cybersneaks. This session picks up with our heroes deep in the clutches of the cartels. Last time we were shown the contraband from Ceres. This session picks up from here on the blog. 

Our heroes planted two homers for the corporate forces to come in. And do some clean up after they met two of the heads of the local snake heads. 

There are other warehouses within the city & we haven't found them.. yet. The party was able to get outta of there with mininum fuss. There's a ton of officers and soldiers of the cartels. 
They were heavily armed but why?! Sure there's the contraband but then we saw them. A Ceres slicer queen was held within a biological specimen holding cell. These horrors were found on ruins on Ceres 14 years ago during the first recession. They wiped out the entire expediation. The general population of Earth is unaware of the alien species. The corporations are aware of them. These slicers secrete a highly addictive hormone to attractive prey animals for baby's first meal. These horrors should not be on Earth! They're outlawed on every nation on Earth. 
Our party planted miro explosives all over the ware house to have the corporate forces do clean up. Our cybersneaks warned us about the bigger bosses of the cartels coming in. This might meet that we've had our cover blown! Fortunately we bluffed our way out just as the cartel bosses came in. And then the explosives were triggered. 
Our next task is to locate those other warehouses and then do a deep dive into the other tendrils of the cartel. We regrouped back at our apartment. 

OSR Commentary - The Long Shadow of The Zaibatsu rpg by Paul Elliot From Zozer Games Session One

 The PC's are called into the 'Free Enterprise' zones on the Texas/Mexico border on Earth. The PC's have been placed within the sphere of the snake heads and the cartels of this disputed regiion. The PC's are agents acting for the corporation. 

The PC's are positioned to look over any contraband that comes through   the 'Free Enterprise' zones on the Texas/Mexico border. This session picks right up from here on the blog.
I had the PC's mix it up with some cartel soldiers and thugs from rival houses. They earned the ire of the rival houses after making life difficult for the PC's. 
Corporate assets swooped in and cleaned up after the PC's. The party started back traking the rival house's warehouses and assets. 
The party had 20 years knocked off of thier sentences and had to check in with thier robotic parol officier.  
Then it was back into the grind as a local snake head rival met with the PC's about a new shipment of contraband coming into the local space center. We secured a meeting for that night. 

The warehouse shuttles came in. And we were meeting with a local representive to secure a buying position. 
We wanted to examine the merchandise before we put down any money into this. 
This wasn't our cash but the nano bombs in our brains were itching. 
We got to  the warehouse sector and things looked normal. We had weapons stowed in our ride. We had sidearms on us and began the meeting with two vat grown clone warriors. They were grown muscle for the cartels.. 
We were escorted through two strange and alien drug factories. Inside two longer warehouse spaces we found eighteen rows of strange egglike plants.  
The last time our player's PC's saw something like this was wayout on the Outer void. These egg like plants give off a strange blue white liquid drug. We had our cybersneaks trailing our every move and building up a profile of this smuggling operation. We ended here. 
 

Review & Commentary on The Clash of Steel Rpg By Paul Elliot

 "Clash of Steel is a dark fantasy rules set, for solo and table-top play, that evokes the grim sword and sorcery tales of Robert E. Howard, Michael Moorcock and Clark Ashton Smith. Magic is dangerous and dark, and corrupt and decadent empires struggle to retain their hold on vassal states and tribes. You play as anti-heroes, that are just as likely to rob travellers as to rescue them, they have a chequered past and seek out their own fortune or fame in a savage and uncaring world."

 Clash of Steel is a new 2D6 based, with a 10+ to succeed in any task  Sword & Sorcery rpg. The Clash of Steel rpg system  game has expanded in into a whole cloth Sword & Sorcery system. Clocking in at more then 200 pages this game hits the high marks for tapping deeply into the dark fantasy literature vein. Clash of Steel By Paul Elliot is very well done. This rpg has a very well laid out system, easy to read fonts, and professionally done book. 
This is a game that delves deeply into dark region of the genre by giving the DM & the players a fast and gritty character generation. The magic system is a fast, intuitive, and highly quick 2d6 system. The magic system is powered by demons. This makes magic a very shaky business. 
The combat system is brutal and highly dangerous indicative of the Sword & Sorcery genre. Why? Because of the fact that PC's can roll over thier actions in combat; 'Successful attacks can be ‘held-over’ to create more serious injuries in later rounds.'  Even the monsters are quick and easy with one line stat blocks so that you as the DM can add them into your adventures quickly. 

Clash of Steel does something that other rpg's including the world's most popular fantasy rpg. What Clash of Steel does is too bring both solo and group play into a quick & solid rpg system. And what we get is an engine for Sword & Sorcery adventure right outta of the box. 
The game is one that puts the DM & the players within an adventure game that is geared around both solo play. This means the player can take a PC and become engrained into a world of Sword & Sorcery. Other players are not needed! But bringing them on board & you've got a campaign that could last for many years to come. 
Clash of Steel is a solid Sword & Sorcery rpg & powerful engine for a dark fantasy rpg adventure. Grab this one because Paul Elliot has out done himself on this one. As a Sword & Sorcery rpg Clash of Steel is solid! 

OSR Commentary - The Long Shadow of The Zaibatsu rpg by Paul Elliot From Zozer Games

 "As the street soldiers of the world’s most powerful corporations (the Japanese zaibatsu) you become expendable and deniable employees fighting for profits, power and your lives. You’ve been recruited from the dark and murky Japanese underworld to carry out illegal terrorist activities on behalf of that employer and have one foot in the stylish corporate-minded boardrooms of the zaibatsu, and one foot in the filth and squalor of the criminal underworld."

The Zaibatsu rpg by Paul Elliot remains one of my all time favorite's by Zozer game. This is a game that springs deep into the Cyberpunk genre & it all dives into the world of the Hostile rpg. The Hostile rpg has a ton of snakeheads and gangs that surround this criminal underworld.  This criminal underworld is rife with unscuplious character. The PC's are totally the street scum and criminal elements. The PC's are working for the very corporations that they are making war & combat on. 

Why?! Because of the fact that the PC's are prisoners who have to give back to the corporate society. They are sent on missions by thier corporate sponsors. This way they get so many years off thier sentences. If this sounds like the classic Cyber City Oedo 808 anime? That's because it's because that anime is such a classic to our players and family. This was a classic anime element that we added into our own Zaibatsu rpg campaign. 
Many of the elements here are excellent because they connect right back into the Earth of 2225. Zaibatsu is perfectly aligned with the burnt out husk that is Earth. 

The PC's could find themselves on the border between Texas and the rest of the states dealing with the cartels for the corporations. Then moved into the slums of Tokyo and the underbelly of Japan's criminal underworld. Because the party are agents of the corporations there's lots of flexibility to a Zaibatsu. 
And the enterprise zones are begging for agents and mercs to help them take control. There's plenty of work for agents and mercenaries who work for the corporations. And this is where are players come in and thier rather desparate PC's. The fact that they work for the very people that they hate is both iconic and very dangerous. They may find themselves hunting the very people that they once called friend.  

Welcome to The Party Pal - Session Report- Forever War By Paul Elliot For The Hostile Rpg

 Picking up right here from this past week's Forever War game adventure. We got a secure resource of water and set up power generation. Our sniper teams sent a few spies off too the great beyond and everything seems to be going well. 

Our team is near the unclaimed mountain territory and we're expanded out our patrols all ready. We've encountered swamp, mud, and Jellies. These things are horrid little alien parasites that seem to get into everything including gear, equipment, etc. We've got our scientists working on it back home. 

We had no major incursions.. yet but we're starting to send out drones & sniper teams into the field. The planet of course hates us & as per usual conditions are Hell. The weather really plays up on Leviticus & has happered efforts to find and identify other mercenary positions. 

With a storm raging for two days we've told our guys to stay put. There's an uneasy feeling about Leviticus as a whole among the players and that's a good thing. My DM really played up the weirdness & paranoia of the planet. Random stuff like coms cutting out, all of the electronics and batteries going down, and electronics totally screwing up when they've been checked with successful rolls. 

Review & Commentary on HOSTILE Situation Report 015 - Hallow's Eve By Paul Elliot For The Hostile Rpg or Old School 2d6 Science Fiction Games

 'A horror roleplaying seed. It's back again: the Hallow's Eve, that semi-mythical starship seen on the edge of systems at this time of year, before plunging back into hyperspace. Its sojourn amongst the stars has lasted 18 years. What happened to the crew? What about its cargo of gold and uranium, worth a fortune?"

"The ghost ship is only an hour distant from your position. Could you solve the mystery of its curse, and perhaps salvage its cargo for yourselves? "

HOSTILE Situation Report 015 - Hallow's Eve is a Halloween style adventure written by Paul Elliot. We're going to take a look at the bits and pieces of this adventure. 

So "The Evelyn Star" was the second Harbinger prototype & went missing many years ago. The Evelyn Star is also know as the Hallow's Eve because of the infamy surrounding this vessel. Then this vessel is dropped into your party's hands. The adventure is very well constructed.

The Hallow's Eve adventure is very well constructioned & written. The design here is that the adventure plays on the fear of the unknown. There's a lot of moving parts within HOSTILE Situation Report 015 - Hallow's Eve. This means that this adventure is going to be keeping your party very busy. There's lots of opportunity for salvage within this adventure. There are however lots of complications for extreme danger lurking within this adventure.HOSTILE Situation Report 015 - Hallow's Eve is a very dangerous mission/encounter and this after all the Hostile rpg. Everything including and especially space is trying to kill your party. 

The whole cloth of this adventure rests on the party's choices and decisions. These are going to affect many parts of the outcome or deaths of the PC's. I don't want to give too much away from HOSTILE Situation Report 015 - Hallow's Eve. I do think that this is an adventure that is for an experienced Hostile rpg party. 

HOSTILE Situation Report 015 - Hallow's Eve By Paul Elliot is a very well constructed adventure. It take the usual salvage mission in space trope and turns it on it's ear. This adventure takes the party and makes them really on edge with a ship and circumstances in dire straits. Get this one because it would definitely make for a fun nights adventure or as the stepping stone for a full blown Hostile campaign. 

Entering The Fray - Session Report- Forever War By Paul Elliot For The Hostile Rpg

 We see opportunity in crisis and the September Group has it's mercs heading into Leviticus's conflicts  an irresistible lure. This game session report picks right up from the Forever War review here.   Most of our players were running a scouting party that was to establish a forward base for our merc unit. 

Serveral years ago we sent scouts to access the horrid conditions on the conflicts with the colonies of Leviticus. These were followed up with our main  party's ships heading toward's Leviticus. While there's plenty of opportunity for bodyguards, security, work, etc. the whole place is crawling with competition. Our scouts have found serveral fire fights and came into conflict with two unknown merc units with a few days of boots on the ground. 
Our scout's team cleared the way for our merc unit's Harbinger to land on Levitcus & complete preparation for a forward fire bases. But we experianced heavy fire from  rival mercenary company. The conflict was a pain in the ass but to about twenty minutes with good dice rolls. 

We got our base set up and after three months in  hyperspace arrived on Leviticis. Our party landed and used our Harbringer as the main base feature. This allows us to set up command very quickly. We've got  a parameter set up & we're ready to access the planet. 

We're ready to send out sniper teams around the base tonight. And set up parameter guards. The whole base is on alert and we've got an  internal source of water for the moment. 

Review & Commentary On Forever War By Paul Elliot For The Hostile Rpg

 Leviticus. Eden. Paradise. Earth’s first interstellar colony, where many nations established hopeful new settlements. It was no paradise… the planet proved to be hostile and unforgiving: plant life interfering with electronics, intelligent carnivorous vines, jungle rot and leechlike ’jellies’.

But the incredible mineral wealth made Leviticus an irresistible lure. The colonized continent was an ancient asteroid impact crater, packed with valuable ores. The corporations rushed to the planet and began turning paradise into hell. Chaos erupted. Colonials fought their governments as well as the corporations. And the wars continue today.
​

Ignored by the media back on Earth, Levitcus is a now a mercenary’s paradise. Opportunities abound for security work, corporate contracts, training rebels or defending the colonial cities. And there are chancers everywhere: diplomats, mercenary brokers, would-be presidents, warlords, smugglers and thousands of mercenaries seeking work. And there is plenty of war to go around ...

"Is it really just a coincidence that this perfect world, this unspoiled paradise is right there, 33 light years from home? Or is it part of a much larger plan? This isn't just a dream for me. It's a calling. - Megan Tanner, one of the first colonists on Leviticus" 

Forever War By Paul Elliot For The Hostile Rpg just dropped. Forever War is a whole craft campaign setting from the ground up with an over arching mercenary slant to it. Levitcus is a world of war and exploitation fought over for it's vast mineral wealth and a continant sized war torn problem just waiting for a group of PC's mercenary PC's. Forvever War is particularly well written with lots of hotspots, points of violence, and opportunities for PC's to be killed. This is a perfect campaign for both beginning or experienced PC's. This is not a campaign to be trifled with. As a world Leviticus is a world on the edge and totally ingnored by the Hostile rpg. This is a world where the horrors of war are visited upon the populations of the colonies. The situation is spiralling out of control because these are failed colonies who are hanging on the edge of the war. 

The situation on Leviticus is a microcosm of what can go completely off the rails within the Hostile universe. Corporate powers at each other's throats through warfare with colonists caught in the middle. This is a situation where the rope of diplomacy has been cut long ago. Everything about Leviticus is dangerous but there is plenty of opportunity for those bold enough to take it.  This is a solid campaign setting and weird interstellar warfare location just waiting for PC's to stumble into the 'low end' of the warfare here.  All artwork within Forever War is done by human artists. 

The world of Leviticus is a place where the plants & animals want to eat and destroy the PC's without mercy from the super leech 'Jellies' to the vines that thread thier way through electronics. Leviticus is a world of contrasts from it's deserts to it's jungle infested plains. This is world that rebels against it's occupants and colonists. This is not an easy place to wage war.

You will be waging war against the colonists, the corporate forces, thier handlers, and encountering every slimeball who comes to this world. All of this in a hundred and thirteen pages of nasty warfare infested Hell. 

Review & Commentary On HOSTILE Situation Report 011 - Black Moon By Paul Elliot For The Hostile Rpg

 

"Another routine supply drop - this time to a remote moon, site of a terraforming project. Your ship suffers some unexpected damage during landing, but the terraformers seem happy to help.

"Then the terraforming experiments seem to go wrong, and your crew are prime suspects. Why are some of the colonists behaving oddly, while others seem scared? What's going on?"

"What is the secret of the Black Moon, and can the PCs discover it before they are unable to ever step foot off at moon again?"
I've been looking to take the September group into space again. Along comes Black Moon By Paui Elliot and it couldn't come at a better time for the Hostile rpg. The September group has done secrurity on supply ships before & the adventure set up is primed for this assignment; "The PC are a supply ship crew (with a few NPC crew onboard), landing on a dark moon that orbits a gas giant. The outpost is carrying out geothermal and geomagnetic resonance power experiments. As they land, their ship malfunctions, only a skilled pilot can avert a crash landing. Crucial electronics are fried. The terraformers explain that these geomagnetic power surges are a regular occurrence, and they use shielded electronics. They are surprised the ship was vulnerable. The PCs are welcome to use spares from Casper to fix their computer, and the engineers will gladly help out too, if needed."  Here's the thing Hostile Situation Reports often times seem to become campaign cornerstones in our games. What the situation reports do is bring an aspect of the Hostile rpg into focus and let the players play the adventures out through thier PC's. 
 Black Moon By Paui Elliot in many ways is very Lovecraftian with a lurking danger and possibly more. There's enough within the Black Moon adventure for an evening's entertainment for the Hostile rpg. However given the tight parameters of the adventure it wouldn't take much for a DM to adapt Black Moon into an adventure for the Earth & Clement Sector easily.
Paul Elliot's writing here is incredibly tight and easily adapted to other Cepheus Engine and old school 2d6 Science Fiction rpg's. My advice is to grab this one! 

Review & OSR Commentary On Dirty Wars Corporate Armies In The Hostile Setting By Paul Elliot For the Hostile Rpg

 "​Private military contractors are the mercenaries of the Hostile setting, fighting the 'dirty wars' ... unconventional, irregular, unlawful, complicated ... 

"These forces are hired by corporations, governments and NGOs to secure locations, carry out patrols, peace-keeping, VIP escort and, more recently, full-on combat operations in high-intensity war zones. "


"This book helps you create a experienced veteran - the perfect PMC candidate. It also goes into PMC organisation and mission types, and on establishing your own PMC. New military vehicles are provided, a useful kit list and a run-down of all of the 'dirty wars' in the Hostile setting."

Dirty Wars Corporate Armies In The Hostile Setting By Paul Elliot For the Hostile Rpg is the latest offering from the prolific pen of Paul Elliot. Dirty Wars dives below the surface of the dirty world of corporate armies. The first part of Dirty Wars goes into PC creation, career events, and career rotation for mercenary character creation. 
The author does an excellent job of creating no nonsense, grounded PC's without diving into action movie cliches. Dirty Jobs takes the worry out of PC creation with easy and straight forward creation in the world of Hostile. And in the world of Hostile there are literally plenty of opportunities for a mercenary campaign according to the intro; "Private military contractors in 2225 have many opportunities for employment, not just amongst the crisis zones and battlefields of a crumbling Earth, but on the off-world colonies that orbit remote stars. The long, icy tendrils of the corporate interstellar supply lines must be protected from saboteurs, fractious colonies, economic collapse and jealous colonial authorities. Do you want a piece of the action? If you have the relevant experience and clean rap sheet, then sign up!" So Dirty Wars this gives the impression of the deep & dangerous corporate warfare world of Hostile. And it's a really good overview in Dirty Wars. 

 

Hostile's big time corporate warfare players next from Amadeus Group to Vigo's Combat Specialists. Then we get the payers & client list which are a group of mega corporation that PC's really don't want to cross in the  world of Hostile. 
And then we get into contract work and taking a job. The DM actually gets mission & adventure types with set up, victory conditions, and exacution. This is done for the DM with style. 
Then we get into the down and dirty of creating a PMC which covers;"a Record of 10 or 20, which serves as a measure of their professionalism, efficiency and reliability, important factors in attracting investment." again this is a well done compliment to the system.  
Then the 'Gear & Rules' section which gives us new weaponry, gear, and more for our PMC. And there's some neat little bits and pieces here for a party. Then we dive into vehicles for the player's PC's. 
Finally, we get a 'Creating The Enemy' section which is a small tool box for creating oppostion forces from elites to common foes. This sesction has a small selection of great NPC's ready to take down your PMC. And then we get a nice 'Mission Randomiser' generator for creating missions and adventures on the fly. Even deeper into Dirty Wars we get a Warzone Encounters which is a tool box for on the fly encounters. 
We then dive into the Dirty Wars section  of Hostile a cross section of Earth, and beyond warzones where your PMC can shine! Note that Dirty Wars is a lethal and highly dangerous universe where your a bullet away from a new PC. Dirty Wars continues this tradition. 
Given the over all sheen of Dirty Wars, I've got to say that I continue to be impressed with the quality of writing, the design ethos, the layout, and solid vision of Dirty Wars & Hostile. Dirty Wars is an excellent fit for  the universe of Hostile. The overall package of Dirty Wars is absolutely consisent with the world of Hostile. 

OSR Commentary On Gunboats and Shuttles By Paul Elliot For the Hostile Rpg

 We had a very low key Easter with my folks & over the holiday I've been thinking about the Hostile Rpg. Specifically the Gunboats & Shuttles supplement which includes a pasiche of smaller ships that make up the universe of Hostile. 

Who cares? Well, these are the ships that PC's are going to see day to day working on a corporate colony world. And these are also the ships that are going to be saving the behinds of the PC's. This is especially true of the mercenaries and adventurers. Because these ships are the backbone of any army or force within the Hostile universe. And they are vital on so many fronts from transporation to resupply these ships make up the vital points of the infrastructure chain within a colony or fighting force. 
These ships might also be the only vital link that a colony has to it's resupply ships. 
To say that this is a vital Hostile book is an understatement. Ian Stead one of the artists and illuminataries behind Hostile posted one of my favorite ships from Gunboats & Shuttles on Twitter erm 'X'. 

The Starlifter remains a party favorite and if it looks like it came out of Space 1999. There are reasons for that and that's because this is a boat with mission specific capable cargo inserts. Need a Science mission specific profile cargo insert with a laboratory built in?! The Starlifter has you covered. Right after that your colony needs cargo lifted to the next outreach colony on another world?! The Starlifter has you covered. 
And this goes on and on with this starship/shuttle which is a workhorse and ongoing round about of a craft. 
And I've dropped these seemlessly into our Clement/Earth sector campaigns as well. These ships and gunboats hit the spot to drop into a campaign. For Hostile the high tech level colonies manufacture thier own Starlifters with tonnes of variations available to them. 
The Starlifter is beloved by our players in Hostile rpg because these ships are used by our Russian mercenaries the September Group. And they've saved our guys countless times with shuttles being named after the Russian mythological gods. Our mercenaries have several variatants of the Starlifter that are manufatured exclusively for them. 
Why is the Starlifer beloved?! Because the ship is reliable, tough, and has so many verstile profiles and roles.