Created by Max Tortoriello

Transcription

1 A pulp adventure roleplaying game featuring animals in aeroplanes / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / Created by Max Tortoriello FoxKit@DerpyMail.org

2 Alpha Version 0..0 Written by Max Tortoriello Character artwork provided by the perfectly wonderful Aviv Or Aircraft artwork provided by the ridiculously talented TheXHS Additional Character artwork provided by the fabulous Katie Larocco Tester and executive lunch-buyer: John Grinnell Tester and all-around decent chap: Joseph Kearney Tester and generally handsome fellow: Nick Larocco Tester and senior doughnut provider: Tim Moncivaiz Special Thanks to: Pandora Caitiff, and Chris Starr and his son Fonts used under free use licence include: Adventure by Neale Davidson Old Newspaper Types by Manfred Klein Aardvark Café by Harold Lohner Vanilla Whale by Ray Larabie Material herein is 20 Max Tortoriello Fonts and artwork are copyright their respective owners and used with permission or under free use licence This guide may be printed, distributed, or copied in its entirety, but may not be altered, sold, or copied for commercial use Test Guide Thank you for reading this test build of our little game, TailWinds. The rules and guide were written by one person, but the universe itself is a work of dozens. Originally created as a forum-based Roleplay, the TailWinds tabletop game has grown into something we want to share with everyone we can. We made the game with this idea in mind; that it can be taught in an afternoon to our non-game-playing friends, siblings, and parents. But we, as enthusiastic tabletop gamers ourselves, could not enjoy making a game too simple so we also wanted it to be a deep, exciting, and roleplay-driven experience. We feel we re getting closer to becoming that game we want, but we re not there yet. That s why we need and appreciate your help. Your advice, questions, and criticism stories, playtests, and characters we learn from every piece of feedback we receive. Thank you, from all of us, for reading even this. We hope you have an interest enough to try our game, send us your insights, and most of all we hope you have fun! Writer, designer, and Sky Pirate Captain --Max Tortoriello Max Tortoriello TailWinds 2

3 TailWinds is a roleplaying game set in 98, where the aeroplane is more common than the automobile, and the world is inhabited by anthropomorphic animals. The system is designed to be easy to run, simple to play, and most importantly of all- fun. The game is light-hearted and silly, and often characters are more like caricatures. It is one part 90s pulp dimestore adventure novel and one part Saturday morning cartoon show. This booklet is a list of guidelines- not strictly rules. At the end of the day, this game is about having fun- and rules should never stand in the way of that. Not everything can be covered in these guidelines, and in many instances the pilots and Flight Control (that s the narrator) have to do whatever seems most practical, most appropriate, and most entertaining. This game s intention is to provide an interesting universe and a solid framework that is both engaging and simple that rewards players and the FC for being adventurous, creative, silly, and involved in an experience that is, when all is said and done, a game. To play the game, you will need one person acting as Flight Control to tell the story. Two to five people acting as pilots are the characters in that story. You should also have paper, pencils, note cards, enough dice for everyone to have a handful- and a mat, poster-board, or dry erase board to act as an Initiative line. The Setting The universe of TailWinds is a parody of our own 98, filled with WWII-era planes, airships, and pulp-style heroes. The aeroplane makes up a good deal of the world economy, and many successful businesses make a living manufacturing, repairing, and designing the latest aircraft of the day facilitated by a universal and widely-used currency, the SkyDollar. Pilots and those brave enough to take to the skies are often seen as heroes, adventurers, and modern-day knights. The skies are divided, roughly, into six major factions- groups of pilots allied under a single banner. After the Great War, there were just the Outlawsthose that flew for only themselves; soldiers of fortune out for glory and freedom taking to the skies. Then came the Sky Pirates ravenous and opportunistic skallywags capturing cargo and wealth from passing planes. To combat them rose the Agency, a division of the ICPC, an aerial police force that protects all those that brave international airspace. And among those making a living in the air are the Mafia- a worldwide crime syndicate, the Kopfjäger- German soldiers for hire, and a secretive occult organization known by some as the Illuminati. The fox pulled the throttle out and turned the yoke, causing the cockpit to rattle unsteadily. It sounded as if the plane was ready to come apart any minute. Ailerons again? the boy mumbles, leaning back in his seat and placing a heavy leather boot up against the windshield. For all the noise the plane was making he didn t look much more than annoyed- his ears folded forward and tail bristling. Reaching behind his back, Todd takes a long glass cola bottle out from a weather-beaten crate behind the seat- some leftover plunder from days past- and pops the cap off with the clip of his unfastened seatbelt. The vulpine takes a long sip of sweet soda and looks relaxed while a well-aimed bullet flies through the hull of his plane and cracks his window on impact. The deformed lead falls to the floor of the aircraft with a clatter while the young Captain Marley uses his other foot to steer into the squadron of oncoming Agency Mustangs; his face relaxed in a cheerful but lazy smirk. Good day to be a Pirate. The TailWinds universe is a malleable placefacilitating whatever is needed for the current story. Pilots may find themselves solving a murder, tracking down a stolen artefact, uncovering the plot of a secret organization, battling pirates or running from the Agency. They may be helped or hindered by elements of the occult, supernaturalism, super-science, curses, and even magic. The skies of 98 need good pilots! The System TailWinds is a roleplaying game that rewards players for being involved, and for being creative. The mechanics are a supplement to a setting that allows characters to be simple, but strong in their personalities and therefore, easy to roleplay. Paper and Pencil Any pilot worth their salt should keep these in ready supply. Specifically, each character in TailWinds needs to keep track of their character on a character sheet, and should also keep an Initiative card handy. Both of these are included at the back of this test guide. Because your character will be advancing and making changes often, it s a good idea to use pencil instead of pen to keep track of these. Rolling Dice Often when describing an action, you will be asked to roll dice to determine whether or not you can perform an action, or how well. This is called a test. TailWinds uses ordinary 6-sided dice, usually several depending on your Skill. Dice in the rules are often abbreviated as D, so any text that reads +D, or -D means one more or one less die is added to that roll. Failures, Successes, and Aces Any time you are asked to roll dice, (with only one exception, but we ll talk about that later) you consider each die to be a success or a failure. A three or lower on a die is just ignored, but a four or higher is a success. Rolling a six on the die also grants you a bonus, called an ace. You get to consider it a success and roll it once more! You may only succeed or fail on an ace though, and you don t get a third roll. Obstacle Rating Simply put, this is how many successes you need to roll in order to succeed in a test. It represents how difficult it is to perform an action. Tying the Obstacle Rating is considered a success. An Obstacle Rating cannot fall below 0 for any reason. If an Obstacle Rating is or 0 then you only need to roll one success in order to succeed. Margin of Success This is a common term in this guide that refers to the number of successes you roll equal to and above the Obstacle Rating. For instance, if you roll success on an Ob test, then your margin of success is ; and if you roll successes on an Ob 2 test, then your margin of success is. Remember that matching the Obstacle Rating is still a success! Vs. Dice An opposed roll or vs. is when two people roll and the results are compared. A tie always works in favour of the player character. (Though if you like you can make interesting descriptions for ties as well, you know!) When you make a roll against a roll, you ignore any Obstacle Rating there might have usually been on the action, just compare the successes / / / / / / / / / / / / Your Attributes in the centre of your character sheet represent the limits of your character s abilities. While they usually start between two and four, they will grow higher each time you play the game to a maximum of ten each. NPCs and enemies in the game will use these instead of Skills, so each enemy only has five numbers to keep track of makes things easier for Flight Control! Muscle Your Muscle is your brute strength, endurance, dexterity, or hearty nature. It helps decide your Disposition in combat, and serves as the maximum for your Athlete and Scrapper Skills. Spirit Your Spirit is your personality, willpower, bravery, and strength of character. It helps decide both your Disposition and Expedition in combat, and serves as the maximum for your Deceiver, Diplomat, Mechanic, and Pilot Skills. Wits Your Wits is your brainpower, wisdom, reflexes, or quickness of wit. It helps decide your Expedition in combat, and serves as the maximum for your Acrobat, Detective, Linguist, Marksman, Medic, Scholar, and Scout Skills. Advancements Each session, you will earn an Attribute advancement, which allows you to fill in one of the circles below one of your Attributes of your choice. Once you have a number of advancements equal to that Attribute, raise it by one and erase all the advancements. There are also other ways of gaining Attribute advancements through roleplay, like playing to your Belief or Drive. Aircraft Attributes These are the Attributes that represent your aircraft, along with your own Spirit. Armour is your plane s resilience, defences, and heavy ammunition. Speed is your plane s turning radius, acceleration, and quickness. These Attributes do not advance over time; rather, you need to put money into your aircraft upgrading your engine or plating to increase them up to a value of ten each. Luck The last of your Attributes, Luck is something you can rarely control. At the beginning of every session every pilot rolls a die. This is the only time you will use the number on the die for its value. Take the number and add one to determine your Luck for the session. Fate Points Every character begins the game with one Fate Point that may be used on any roll. You may only have as many Fate Points as your Spirit score at a time, and you gain more by using a Trait against yourself; but we ll explain that in the Traits section. Using a Fate Point adds your Luck value in dice to a roll and can be incredibly useful that s between 2 and 7 more dice on a test! TailWinds

4 / / / / / / Almost every time you roll dice in TailWinds, it s because you are testing a Skill. In combat you ll use Acrobat or Athlete to dodge or withstand damage. You need Marksman to fire a gun, or Scrapper to swing a weapon, and Pilot to fly your plane. All Skills, even those that seem useless in combat, also give you access to unique Actions. Any time you are asked to make a Skill check, you roll a number of dice equal to that Skill, and count the successes. There are only thirteen Skills, but each is important! Acrobat (Wits based Skill) Characters trained in acrobatics are spry and quick. They can dodge attacks and jump over hurtles. They can easily scale walls and leap between spinning blades. Athlete (Muscle based Skill) Characters trained as athletes can endure attacks as well as difficult conditions. They can break down barriers, force open locked doors, and throw heavy objects. Shooting them only makes them angry. Deceiver (Spirit based Skill) Characters trained in deception are masters of legerdemain. They are stealthy, quiet, and good liars. They can disguise themselves in the shadows and stab (or shoot) their enemies in the back. Detective (Wits based Skill) Characters trained as detectives have an immaculate eye for detail. They reason, scrutinize, and infer. They can piece together a crime scene, tell if a person is lying, tail a suspect, and do it all with only a burnt-up dogend and a wry scowl. For every two ranks a character has in Detective, they may choose another city in which they are connected, and gain a +D bonus to tests made in that city. Diplomat (Spirit based Skill) Characters trained in diplomacy tell people just what they want to hear, and make them an offer they can t refuse. They can intimidate, negotiate, and make someone see their side of things. They make terrific strategists and leaders, and could sell an icebox to a penguin. Linguist (Wits based Skill) Characters trained in languages can speak many eloquently. They can write speeches, decipher codes and cryptographs, and even translate hieroglyphics. For each two ranks a character has in Linguist, they learn another language. Marksman (Wits based Skill) Characters trained in marksmanship are experts with guns. They can shoot the weapon out of a target s paw at fifty paces. Blindfolded. Under water. They can ricochet bullets off of walls, use them to cut ropes, and disable planes. Mechanic (Spirit based Skill) Characters trained as mechanics are geniuses with a wrench. If your plane isn t running, they can start it with a rubber band and chewing gum. They can patch up the bullet holes with duct tape and it ll fly better than the day you bought her. Medic (Wits based Skill) Characters trained in medicine didn t get their doctorate to be called mister or miss. These battlefield doctors can solve all of life s problems with a quick dose of adrenaline. Pilot (Spirit based Skill) All characters in TailWinds are trained as pilots in some regard. They fly bombers, fighters, scouts, and cargo. Trained pilots can fly from one corner of the globe to the other, through storms or under bridges, and they can land on a dime. Scholar (Wits based Skill) Characters trained as scholars are fonts of knowledge. History, mathematics, biology, physics, occultism- there s no area of study they don t know more about than you. For each two ranks a character has in Scholar, they also learn another area of study, and gain a +D bonus to tests made in that subject. Scout (Wits based Skill) Characters trained as scouts have the eyes of eagles. Some of them are eagles. A scout can see ten miles in a blizzard, and smell five miles in a tornado. They can spot an enemy plane against a night sky, follow a trail long cold, and survive in the harshest of environments. Scrapper (Muscle based Skill) Characters trained as scrappers are masters of handheld weaponry. Also hands. A sword, baseball bat, wrench, or even fist wielded by a scrapper becomes as dangerous as a bullet and sometimes faster than one too. Advancements Like Attributes, there are a number of circles to fill next to each of your Skills. In challenges and combat, you can gain advancements for succeeding with a Skill. In order to advance a Skill to the next rank, you need a number of advancements equal to the current Skill rank. Advancing a Skill from 0 to requires just one use, but if a Skill is 0 you don t get any dice to roll you need to be aided or use a Fate Point. However, if your Skill rank is equal to its governing Attribute, you cannot raise it further or gain advancements in that Skill. Use a variety of Skills to get the greatest benefit from them! Challenges Most of the time when you describe the actions of your character, it is simply taken as fact. Sometimes, what you describe is entirely impossible, and will lead the FC or other players to point out that an action simply cannot happen. Then there are times in the middle, where a situation can turn several ways and chance comes into play. These are Challenges. Challenges are fairly simple. Usually the FC will present a challenge or obstacle; a hallway filled with blades, a ticking bomb, a runaway stroller, or an argumentative antagonist. You may step forward, announce what Skill you wish to use, which can be any Skill that you can plausibly explain at the FC and other player s discretion, and describe the action that you are trying to take. The FC will assign a difficulty to the task either, 6, 8, or 0. Then you roll your Skill and the FC rolls the difficulty. Whoever has the most successes comes out victorious, with a tie falling in favour of the player. (If two players are rolling against each other, use another roll to break the tie.) The victor then gets to describe the result. If you succeed on the roll and roll more successes than the difficulty of the Challenge, you succeed perfectly! This grants you even more control when describing the result, as you not only succeed in the action you describe, but do so better than you were expecting. Aiding a Character If one of your Skills is 0, then you cannot test that Skill (unless you spend a Fate Point and try your beginner s luck!) You can test that Skill, however, if another character teaches you. If a character has at least in a Skill, they may use it to assist an ally by physically handing them one extra die to roll for that test. You can help a character or receive help even if your Skill is greater than 0 as well. Rarely is this performed in combat, but the FC may allow it if a character grants another cover, or momentarily distracts an enemy. Combat Skills In a combat, you will be using plenty of Actions, (which we ll explain in the combat section) each governed by a Skill most notably Marksman for guns, Scrapper for melee, and Pilot for aerial combat. Each Action will tell you what Skill to roll, and also what the Obstacle Rating is. If you roll no successes or a number less than the Obstacle Rating, you miss the attack. Alternatively, if you match or beat the Obstacle Rating, then you deal the margin of success as damage to the target, subtracting that number from their Disposition. In a combat, you may gain Skill advancements, but only one for each Skill, as usual. Using a variety of Skills in combat is the best way to get the most out of it! / / / / / / / / / / / / / / Every character begins with a Trait, a word that describes an aspect of their personality. Your aircraft also has a personality that you may utilize when in that aircraft. There is a list of examples below, but you are free to choose any adjective that describes your character best. You can use each Trait once every session to gain one of two benefits. You can use your Trait to consider s on the dice a success for one roll by describing how that Trait helps your character. Alternatively, you can use a Trait against yourself to gain a Fate Point. In combat and during a challenge you can use your Trait to consider s on the dice a failure, essentially the opposite of the benefit, by describing how your trait hinders you. This is considered using that Trait for the session, and you can only gain one Fate Point a session to a maximum of your Spirit value. When one of your Attributes reaches 6, you may choose another Trait that describes that Attribute. A character with a high Wits score might be wise, or a character with a high Spirit might be brave. You may have up to four, three for your character and one for your aircraft. Muscle Traits Spirit Traits Wits Traits Aircraft Traits Graceful Bitter Alert Acrobatic Hardy Bold Clever Aggressive Nimble Brave Cunning Antique Protective Calm Inquisitive Flashy Scarred Determined Observant Experimental Short Driven Optimist Independent Steady Extrovert Quick-witted Reckless Strong Fearless Rational Stubborn Tall Fiery Sceptical Sturdy Tough Honourable Wise Wing Leader Independent Innocent Leader Stalwart Stubborn TailWinds

5 /.. / / / /..... / / / / / / / To the left of your Attribute circle on the character sheet is a place for you to write your Belief and Drive. These are very important, as you are rewarded with advancements for playing them! Each one should be a short sentence, like a mantra or a mission statement. Drive This is your character s motivations or goals. What does your character want to do or accomplish? Do they steal from the rich to feed the poor? Defend justice to make the world a better place? Maybe they just want to get ahead of everyone else, and that s fine too. Belief This is your character s moral or ethical stance. What you believe is right, good, worthwhile, or just worth it. Your belief is how you perform your character s drive. Do you do things your own way? Only by the book? Only what is right, or the only way you know how? / / / / / / Guns, swords, aeroplanes, explosions challenges are plenty fun, but combat is where the game gets exciting! For this part of the game, you ll want to draw up or print out an Initiative line and cards for each of your characters and enemies. Keep this line and the cards in the middle of the table, so that everyone can see and interact with it. Active This is the Initiative line, where each character is represented by a card. Each turn every character on the line moves to the left, while using Actions moves you to the right. If an Action tells you to target an Initiative, then it means a single space on the Initiative line and only that space, unless it says to target that Initiative at every Altitude. Several characters can be on the same Initiative and act at the same time. No character should go past the 7 th space on the line so for instance, a character at position can only use a Defensive Action with a cooldown of 2 or less. Expedition When you find yourself in a fight, the first thing to do is find the number of Expedition points you have for that combat. This determines your starting position on the Initiative line and even allows you to soak damage when attacked. Simply roll your Spirit value in dice and add the successes from the roll to your Wits value; write this down as your Expedition! The FC will then arrange everyone on the line by Expedition, highest towards the left and lowest towards the right. Characters with the same Expedition are placed together on the same place, and there should be no gaps between characters. Whenever you take damage in a combat, you will have a chance to spend some of your Expedition points to soak it. When taking the damage you may lower your Expedition on your character sheet by any value you like, to a minimum of 0, to roll an equal number of dice. For each success you roll, you may ignore one point of the damage. You can do this once per attack as long as you have Expedition to spend. This does not count as an action, does not make the attack miss, and does not make the attack do less damage so deal status effects before soaking damage. Disposition Once you find yourself on the Initiative line, you ll need to roll Disposition. This is your health, of sorts your morale. To find your Disposition, roll your Spirit value in dice and add the successes to your Muscle score times two. Write this down as your Disposition. Each time you take damage in a combat and do not soak it, it is subtracted from your Disposition. When this reaches 0, you have the option to flee from combat, taken out until it is resolved. You may stay, however, but at great personal risk. If your Disposition is 0 and you take any amount of damage from an attack, you take a Wound (or Wreckage if you are in a plane) on your character sheet. You can only take one Wound from an attack, but they are plenty bad! Enemies though, have to leave battle when their Disposition reaches 0 and in addition, when you remove an enemy from combat, you and your allies gain Disposition! Wounds If you take damage from an attack when you are at 0 Disposition and are on foot, or sometimes from particularly dangerous Challenges, you may take a Wound. These are particularly dangerous; as you suffer a -D for each Wound you have to rolls for Expedition and Disposition on foot, as well as to Muscle and Wits based Skills. You can cure Wounds with the Medic Skill or by visiting a hospital. Alleviating one wound costs S$00 times the number of Wounds you currently have. At the beginning of every session, you also recover from one Wound naturally. If you have Wounds, you fall unconscious until one of them is cured. Wreckage If you take damage from an attack when you are at 0 Disposition and are in a plane, or sometimes from particularly dangerous Challenges, you may take Wreckage. For each level of Wreckage your aircraft has, you suffer a -D penalty to Expedition and Disposition rolls in that plane, as well as to the Pilot Skill. You can repair Wreckage with the Mechanic Skill or by visiting a repair shop. Repairing Wreckage costs S$00 times the level of Wreckage the plane currently has. If your aircraft has Wreckage, it is decommissioned until one of them is repaired. Actions Most of what you ll be doing in combat is using the Actions you choose for your character. They come in three types, Offensive, Neutral, and Defensive. Each Action has a Skill to use, an Obstacle Rating, and a cooldown, so be sure to write all of them down! Offensive Actions Offensive Actions are Actions that can cause damage. On your turn, you may use an Offensive Action, allowing you to choose a target (or sometimes several) for the attack. When you roll the attack, the target may then use a Defensive Action or not. If you succeed in the Skill test, you deal damage equal to the margin of success. The target may then choose to soak this if they have the Expedition. After that, you move back on the Initiative line by the cooldown of your Action- the spaces are numbered so you ll know where to go. Neutral Actions Neutral Actions are the other Actions you may use on your turn. Neutral Actions often either target allies or yourself, but they can sometimes target enemies. Neutral Actions do not trigger Defensive Actions, and never do damage, but their effects are explained by the Action itself. Most mundane Actions are also Neutral with a cooldown of. Throwing a switch, drinking a soda, or picking up a weapon are some examples of mundane Actions. Defensive Actions When you are the target of an attack, you may choose to defend yourself after the attack roll. Using a Defensive Action usually either lets you raise the Obstacle Rating of an attack, lessen the damage you take, or sometimes allow you to roll against the attack to deal damage. Using a Defensive Action sends you back on the Initiative by the cooldown of the Action, as usual. However, if you choose not to use a Defensive Action or if the enemy misses you, you may take advantage of expediency. Expediency means that any time you are the target of an Offensive Action and do not use a Defensive Action, you move up on the Initiative line by one. This can only raise you to position, however, not the active turn. Acting Simultaneously Often, more than one character will end up on the active position on the Initiative line. This means that anything they do happens at once! The rule is though, that every character gets only one Action on each turn. Therefore, if you are subject to an attack from another character on your Initiative, you have a choice you can use a Defensive Action to try and evade, or use an Offensive Action against a target and take the full brunt of the attack! This can benefit you as well though. If your allies are on the same Initiative as you and you all attack the same target, that enemy only gets one Defensive Action for the turn as well. The easiest way to determine the order of Actions on a turn is to start from the top of the line of cards in the active position, with the character that has been on that space the longest. As each character acts, tilt their card a bit, or place a marker on them to show that they have acted. Remember that even if a character falls to zero Disposition, they still get an Action on their turn they re not removed until the turn is over, since the actions are simultaneous. Once everyone has acted, move all the cards back by their cooldowns and start the next turn. Status There are three status effects in the game and two more for planes each relating to an Attribute. These effects are written on every Initiative card, so that the card may be tilted to display the status effect that character is under right-side-up. Certain Skills or aircraft weapons can take advantage of them to deal extra damage. An effect ends when the afflicted character reaches the active position or if an Action ends that effect. If a single attack can cause more than one status effect, the attacker chooses which to deal and a target can only be afflicted with one status at a time. Shaken This is dealt if you take damage greater than your Spirit value in a single weapon or Aircraft Offensive Action. It means you are frightened, surprised, or momentarily demoralized. The Obstacle Rating to hit a Shaken enemy with a Pilot test is less. TailWinds

6 Stunned This is dealt if you take damage greater than your Wits value in a single weapon Offensive Action. It means you are confused, dizzy, or disorientated. The Obstacle Rating to hit a Shaken enemy with a Marksman test is less. Unbalanced This is dealt if you take damage greater than your Muscle value in a single weapon Offensive Action. It means you are prone, stumbling, or off guard. The Obstacle Rating to hit a Shaken enemy with a Scrapper test is less. Crippled This is dealt if you take damage greater than your Speed value in a single aircraft Offensive Action. It means your aircraft is slowed or having difficulty turning. The Obstacle Rating to hit a Shaken enemy with a Marksman test is less. Rattled This is dealt if you take damage greater than your Armour value in a single aircraft Offensive Action. It means your aircraft has a hole in its armour or presents a brief vulnerability. The Obstacle Rating to hit a Shaken enemy with a Marksman test is less. With a handheld weapon you can deal the Shaken, Stunned, and Unbalanced effects, and with your aircraft you can deal the Crippled, Rattled, and Shaken effects. There are some Abilities and weapons that allow you to deal effects to aircraft with handheld weapons as well by ignoring the armour trait, but aircraft can only deal the Shaken effect to ground targets. Rewards For every combat, you should expect some sort of compensation. For any enemy you beat up, there s someone out there who will pay you for it Pirates take out bounties on Agency, the Mafia takes out hits on Outlaws, and so on. Every character you defeat has a bounty on their head, decided on by their rank and how many advancements they have. You ll have to turn this bounty in though, and sometimes they can be worth more if you bring them in alive / / / / / / / /.--. / / / / / / / / / / / Plane combat uses all of the same rules as ground combat. Actions you have on the ground, unless stated in the Action itself, can also be used in the air as long as you are using the source of the Action, as usual. Instead of using Wits to determine Expedition, you use Speed; and instead of Muscle to determine Disposition, you use Armour. The key difference comes from the Initiative line. On the ground, you have one line that you move back and forth on in the air, you have three: High Altitude, Mid Altitude, and Low Altitude. The Initiative line still works just the same, everyone on the active position taking an Action, then moving to the right, everyone else moving left. Altitude In aerial combat, most planes will begin at Mid Altitude and characters on foot or anything on the ground is at Low Altitude. The Obstacle Rating to hit a target above you is one higher for each Altitude. Planes can freely move up or down on Altitude just by increasing or decreasing the cooldown of any Action. You can climb by increasing the cooldown by one for each Altitude, and dive by decreasing the cooldown by one for each Altitude. It s rather difficult to stay at High Altitude for long without stalling. If you take an Action at High Altitude, you must dive at least one level lower or stall out. This means that after the second Action at High Altitude, you immediately fall to Low Altitude, but your cooldown is not lowered for it. Passengers Any plane can carry passengers- characters that are in the aircraft but not flying it. If you begin combat as a passenger, you use the aircraft s Speed and Armour to determine Expedition and Disposition. As a passenger, you have access to all of your normal Actions, but none of the aircraft s; however, if the aircraft has a second weapon, you can use its Basic Attack Action. When riding in a plane, you occupy the same Altitude as the pilot your cards always change Altitude together. Usually when you are in an aircraft you cannot be targeted by attacks, and instead split the damage the plane receives as evenly as possible among the pilot and passengers. In case of uneven amounts of damage, give the pilot the excess; do not round up or down. Quick, take the wheel! When flying a plane that is not yours, you have access to all of the basic Actions of that aircraft. You can perform any trained Actions you have of the same style as the aircraft you are flying or the weapons it has, but you obviously cannot use Actions from weapons or planes you are unfamiliar with. Falling While surface-to-air combat is not different than ordinary combat, there are special rules for characters crazy and stupid enough to jump out of their aircraft. Jumping out of an aeroplane is a mundane Action therefore Neutral, cooldown. You are placed on the Altitude you jumped at, and when your turn comes up you may make any Basic Attack Actions you have. As always, you may only make melee attacks against targets on your Altitude. Each time you make an Action you fall one Altitude as part of the cooldown. This is not considered diving, so the cooldown is not lowered. If you reach Low Altitude and make an Action, you are taken out of combat as part of the cooldown and take a number of wounds equal to the total Altitude you fell. While falling, you may try to grab another plane. You may, as a Neutral Action cooldown, catch any friendly plane on your Altitude and become a passenger of that plane. You may also, as a Challenge, try to grab onto an enemy plane. First announce the target you are trying to land on. The pilot of that aircraft and you make an opposed roll: usually your Acrobat or Athlete against their Pilot Skill. If you match or beat their successes then you are considered a passenger of that plane and move back by half of the number of dice they rolled (as is normal for Challenges). High Altitude Active Low Altitude While riding an enemy plane, you may make attacks against the pilot using any of your Actions. The pilot may not use their aircraft Actions against you, but they likely carry a sidearm and may use any Actions associated to fight back. If a character that is not on the plane attacks you while you are riding a plane and misses, an attack is made against the plane using a number of dice equal to the Obstacle Rating of the missed attack- and the reverse is also true of characters targeting the plane. This miss damage only applies when you are on an enemy plane, not an ally s. The pilot may try to shake you from their plane by starting a Challenge, usually their Pilot against your Acrobat or Athlete. If they are successful, you are shaken from the plane, and remain at the Altitude you were at when shaken off. If the plane is removed from combat, you are shaken off the same way. Armoured Targets Normally, vehicles such as planes and cars take damage slightly differently than your average soft target. They have a special quality referred to as the armour trait. Armoured targets take half damage (rounded down) from most melee and light projectile weapons, unless stated in the Action description. Concurrently, vehicles also have a hard time aiming at and hitting small targets on foot; and take a -D penalty to attack any target without the vehicle trait unless stated in the Action description, but on a successful hit they deal 2 more damage against non-vehicle targets. A lucky shot from a passing plane can be frightening! / / / / / / Actions were discussed briefly in the combat section, when we told you when to use them. Now let s discuss how to get them. At character creation, you will choose a fighting style, an aircraft style, and weapons. These, coupled with Skills, will provide you with all of your available Actions and you may take any that you qualify for. You cannot, however, be trained in more than six Actions; not including those marked as Basic. Pistol Attack (Basic) Requirements: Marksman 2 Offensive Action Marksman; Obstacle Rating This is the way that Actions are written in this guide, and on your character sheet. The name of the action is in bold and the cooldown is the number in the top-right. The second line contains the requirements to train the Action. On the third line is the type of Action (Offensive, Defensive, or Neutral) and the test including the Skill used, any bonuses, and the Obstacle Rating. In this guide, Offensive Actions appear in red, Defensive in green, Neutral in blue, and Abilities are listed in grey. Trained Actions You may use any Action you have trained, which means you have written it down on your character sheet. If you already have six trained Actions and you meet the requirements for a new one and choose to take it, you must replace one of the Actions you already have. TailWinds 6

7 Basic Actions Any action that says Basic next to its name does not need to be trained. Anyone who picks up a pistol can use its basic attack Action. There are several basic Skill Actions as well, such as Dodge and Endure, listed in the Skill Action section. You may also use basic Actions as improvised attacks. Any one-handed gun can be used as a one-handed melee weapon, so you can use its basic attack Action-same with two-handed guns, but you may not preform trained Actions with one. (Unless an Ability tells you otherwise.) Abilities Your character begins with a fighting style and an aircraft style- how they fight and how they fly. You may take up to two more Abilities later on that grant passive bonuses and abilities- raising the Obstacle Rating to hit you or giving you a +D against Defensive Actions, that sort of thing. They are listed along with Actions in the Skill Actions and weapons sections /..... / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / When creating characters for the first time, the FC should go around the table asking a series of questions to each pilot in turn, and these determine your starting Attributes and Skills. Afterwards, you will purchase upgrades and weapons for your aircraft, and then choose Actions. Let s start simple though. The first thing you write down should be your name, species, age, gender, aircraft name, and faction. Then, think hard when you decide on your Belief and Drive these are important, remember? You should then choose a weapon, fighting style, and aircraft style. Weapons Fighting Styles Aircraft Styles Unarmed One-Handed Melee Two-Handed Melee Pistol Rifle Shotgun Submachine Gun Grappler Martial Artist Pugilist Cloak and Dagger Duellist Florentine Savage Staff Fighter Swordsman Akimbo Pistols Gunslinger High-Cal Pistol Carbine Sniper Trick Shooter Buckshot Slug Rounds Stub Shotgun Automatic Rifle Machine Pistol Shock Trooper Bomber Fighter Gunship Interceptor Pursuit Scout Aircraft Weapons Light Machine Gun Heavy Machine Gun Rotary Gun Autocannon How Much Does This Gun Cost? In TailWinds, the SkyDollar functions as advancements for aircraft. Characters should be spending it on modifications, upgrades, and weapons for their planenot themselves. So gun costs are not factored into the system. It s simply not important. Everyone is assumed to have an adequate weapon at creation, as well as any mundane gear you like and can fit on the character sheet. Choosing a Species The advantages and disadvantages of certain species are left purposefully vague in the TailWinds system. This allows pilots to choose whatever they want to play, without requiring the rules for it. Your species benefits you in character creation, but the way you roleplay that character, describe their actions, and imagine them are the important areas. You won t see any mechanical bonuses for species, at least not in the form of numbers. If your character can see in the dark, can breathe underwater, has sonar, or can fly for short distances then you ll never need to roll for that you simply do it! In the TailWinds setting, almost any species is playable, with the exception of the dodo which is extinct, and the Tasmanian tiger which is endangered (there s only one left.) In the cannon, (that means the default. This can be changed, of course, for personal preference of the player or the FC. Please do not consider this a solid rule) there are no humans, though there are feral animals in the ways you would expect them. There is very little familiarity between a feral animal and their bipedal counterpart about as much as there is between humans and apes in the modern world. Many species eat meat, although there is a much higher likelihood of herbivores being vegetarians or the like. Ageing and height are generally around human standards, with a deviation of about fifty years, or a metre in either direction. Where mice may live for fifty years at a height of three feet or so, an elephant may be ten feet tall and a hundred and fifty years old! There are also no half-breeds. While in some cultures mixed couples are still seen as an oddity, this is a more progressive age. Children will either inherit their species from the mother or the father, becoming one or the other, much like on Saturday morning cartoon shows. Attributes (8 Points) Begin with one point in Muscle, Spirit, and Wits. Do you consider yourself brave, or are you more cautious? If you are brave, add one point to your Spirit; if cautious, add one to Wits. Do you value brains, or brawn? If you values brains, add one point to Wits; if brawn, add one to Muscle. Do you think it is more important to be strong, or to have strong friends? If you believe their strength is important, add one point to Muscle; if their friends are important, add one to Spirit. Increase one of your Attributes by one to represent your character s species. You may choose any of the three Attributes you like, but explain how that Attribute relates to your species. Increase the lowest of your Attributes by one. If two Attributes are the lowest, you may choose which to add it to. Aircraft ( Points) Begin with one point in Armour and Speed. If your Muscle is higher than your wits, add one point to Armour. If your Wits are higher than your Muscle, add one point to Speed. If the two are equal, you may add one point to either Armour or Speed. If your aircraft is a Bomber or Gunship, add one point to Armour. If your aircraft is a Pursuit or Scout craft, add one point to Speed. If your aircraft is a Fighter or Interceptor, add one point to either Armour or Speed. Distribute point freely among Armour and Speed to represent your plane s model and build. Skills (2- Points) Begin with one point in Marksman, Pilot, and Scrapper. If your Muscle is higher than your Wits, add one point to Athlete. If your Wits is higher than your Muscle, add one point to Acrobat. If the two are equal, you may add one point to either Athlete or Acrobat. Traits Rewards Add one point to Marksman, Pilot, or Scrapper representing your preferred method of combat. If your fighting style primarily uses Marksman, add one to that skill; if it uses Scrapper, add one to that. What Faction does your character ally with? Members of the Agency add one point to Detective, members of the Chicago Mafia add one point to Diplomat, members of the Illuminati add one point to Scholar, members of the Kopfjäger add one point to Linguist, members of the Outlaws add one point to Scout, and members of the Sky Pirates add one point to Deceiver. How do you speak to others? If you are intimidating, bossy, or charismatic place one point in Diplomat; if you are deceitful, flattering, or smarmy place one point in Deceiver. What is your speciality in the squadron? Discuss this with the squadron and place one point in your speciality. Each member of the squadron should have a different Skill that represents their role in the group. Do you consider yourself educated, or experienced? If you are educated, they may distribute points as you like between any of your Wits based Skills; if experienced, distribute points among your Spirit and Muscle based skills. Distribute points freely among your Skills to represent training, experience, education, and natural talent. Any number of these three points can be exchanged for another S$,00 in starting wealth each. If you were to describe yourself in one word, what would it be? You may choose from the list of Traits, or simply write your answer as a Trait. If you were to do the same for your aircraft, how would you describe it? You may choose from the list of Traits, or simply write your answer as a Trait. If a pilot has roleplayed the creation of their character particularly well, then the FC is well within their rights to grant an immediate Attribute advancement to every pilot creating characters. The goal here is not to generate jealousy by allocating one character an extra point, but to motivate the squadron to match the quality of involvement by rewarding everyone and making sure they know why. Every character begins with one Fate Point. Every character begins with S$,000 worth of gear, modifications, and weapons. Any money left over is discarded; you will have to earn a wage from the beginning. If a character plans not to have their own aircraft, they can use this to purchase modifications and weapons for the plane they will be a passenger on. Every character begins with S$20 in starting wealth. Once you are finished with all of these steps, it s time to decide on Actions. There is a list of Skill based, weapon and fighting style based, and aircraft weapon and style based Actions just after this section. You may train any that you qualify for to a maximum of six, and be sure to write down the Basic ones (which don t count as part of your six) on a separate sheet, or use the Basic Action sheet from the back of this guide. TailWinds 7

8 Acrobat The Acrobat Skill provides one of your most basic defensive techniques: the ability to dodge. In addition, this Skill is useful if you want to land on an enemy s aircraft, if you want to cartwheel through a hallway filled with poison dart traps, and for any act of acrobatics, dexterity, and flexibility. Characters who are experienced Acrobats are, understandably, harder to nail down, and at higher ranks in this Skill characters earn an Ability that raises the Obstacle Rating to hit them. Dodge (Basic) Requirements: Acrobat 2 Defensive Action Acrobat or less; Obstacle Rating 2 You may choose to roll a number of dice equal to or lower than your Acrobat Skill. If you choose to roll or more dice (before any bonuses), add to the cooldown. If you choose to roll 7 or more dice, add 2 to the cooldown. Add the successes from this roll to the Obstacle rating to hit you with the triggering attack. You may only perform this Action on foot. Deceiver The Deceiver Skill is useful if you would rather trick your enemies into a stupor than fight them. This underhanded Skill allows you to lie, bluff, flatter, disguise yourself, and for any act of deception, stealth, subterfuge, and misdirection. Characters who are experienced Deceivers can take advantage of a Stunned enemy to deal extra damage. Trip Up Requirements: Deceiver 2 (6) 2 Neutral Action Deceiver; Obstacle Rating 2 Target one enemy. The next Action that enemy makes suffers a -D for each success on this test, to a maximum of -D. (-D at Deceiver 6) Sneak Attack Requirements: Deceiver +2 Free Action Deceiver; Obstacle Rating 2 You take advantage of an enemy s misfortune, landing a hit in a particularly vital area. Usable when you hit with an Offensive Action against a Stunned enemy, add the successes to the damage dealt. This Action ends the target s status. Diplomat The Diplomat Skill allows you to let your teammates do the fighting, and make them better at it. In addition, this Skill is useful if you wish to convince, intimidate, direct, strategize, and for any act of diplomacy, haggling, or planning. Characters who are experienced Diplomats can take advantage of a Shaken enemy to deliver a more devastating attack. Consolidated Fire Requirements: Diplomat 2 (6) 2 Neutral Action Diplomat; Obstacle Rating 2 Any Action your allies make on the same initiative as this Action gain a +D to their roll for each success on this test to a maximum of +D. (+D at rank 6) Feel Lucky Requirements: Diplomat +2 Free Action Diplomat; Obstacle Rating 2 A particularly well-placed hit against a Shaken enemy further lowers their morale when you brag about it. Usable when you hit with an Offensive Action against a Shaken enemy, add the successes to the damage dealt. This Action ends the target s status. Athlete The Athlete Skill allows characters who do not wish to dodge attacks to simply endure them, lessening the damage through sheer force of will and muscle. In addition, this Skill is useful if you wish to knock down a wall, lift up a boulder, climb a sheer surface, or for any act of athleticism, strength, or force. Characters who are experienced Athletes are better at taking a hit, and at higher ranks in this Skill, characters earn an Ability that lessens the damage they take from attacks. Endure (Basic) Requirements: Athlete 2 Defensive Action Athlete or less; Obstacle Rating 2 You may choose to roll a number of dice equal to or lower than your Athlete Skill. If you choose to roll or more dice (before any bonuses), add to the cooldown. If you choose to roll 7 or more dice, add 2 to the cooldown. Subtract the successes from this roll from the damage caused to you by the triggering attack. You may only perform this Action on foot. Detective The Detective Skill is useful if you wish to find evidence, tell if someone is lying, to search a room for hidden devices or doors, and for any act of detection, insight, and keen perception. Characters who are experienced Detectives can take advantage of an Unbalanced enemy to deal extra damage. Also, for every two ranks you have in the Detective Skill you may choose a town or city. When making a Detective test to find people or information in a location you have chosen, you gain a +D bonus. Linguist The Linguist Skill is useful if you want to well speak other languages! More than that though, this Skill also allows you to translate an ancient language, decipher a complex code, write a moving speech or book, or for any act of linguistics, journalism, or eloquence in speech. Characters who are experienced Linguists can take advantage of a Shaken enemy to deal extra damage. Also, for every two ranks you have in the Linguist Skill, you may learn another language. Taunt Hard Boil Requirements: Linguist +2 Requirements: Detective +2 Free Action Linguist; Obstacle Rating 2 Free Action Detective; Obstacle Rating 2 You add a sharp insult to injury, further lowering the morale of a Shaken enemy. You punctuate a devastating attack with an appropriate, albeit short, quip that leaves your enemy demoralized. Useable when you hit with an Offensive Action against a Shaken enemy, add the successes to the damage dealt. This Action ends the target s status. Usable when you hit with an Offensive Action against an Unbalanced enemy, add the successes to the damage dealt. This Action ends the target s status. The pirates descended from a clear sky like something out of War of the Worlds. A huge zeppelin carrying an old Spanish galleon and weighed down with makeshift airstrips parted the thin clouds like wash on the sea. Ten, twenty planes flew from the clouds, their make and model undistinguishable from the Frankensteinian repairs done to the makeshift heaps. Two of the Outlaw mercenaries went down right away, taken out by a lunker that looked like a tank with wings and a stripped down P-8 with an 88mm anti-aircraft weapon welded to the bottom. A plane swooped low over one of the Outlaw Corsairs only to drop a madly cackling spider from the wing. The terrifying, mustached arachnid laughed through rotted, crooked teeth as he latched onto the cockpit of the aircraft and pulled the trigger of his shotgun against the glass until it was empty. Mockingly, the eight-legged terror jumped from the plane with a tip of his hat and caught the wing of one of the other pirates who slowed down just to watch the pilot of the Corsair bail before his plane hit the water. Heev a safe trip down, guero gatito! shouts the spider. It would be safe to say that Tito did not play with a full deck. It would be safer still to say that Tito played with a library card, five aces, get out of jail free, and does he even know what we re playing? Marksman The Marksman Skill is invaluable if you wish to use firearms. While this Skill provides no Skill Actions, it does grant you access to Actions in the weapon and fighting style sections after this one. In addition, this Skill is useful if you wish to shoot out a light, the gun out of someone s hand, or a lever from across the room. TailWinds 8

9 Mechanic The Mechanic Skill allows you to repair your squadron s planes and to hotwire their engines into putting out a bit more performance in a pinch. In addition, this Skill is useful if you wish to build helpful devices, disable complex traps or explosives, repair any machine you come across, or for any act of mechanism, gadgetry, or technical know-how. Repairs (Basic) Requirements: Mechanic 2 () (6) (0) Once per session, when you have ample time and opportunity, (Are on foot, with the aircraft, have an hour or so to work, and are not in combat) you may make a Mechanic test to alleviate one level of Wreckage from an aircraft. The Obstacle Rating is equal to the number of damage the aircraft has sustained. At Mechanic rank, this can be done twice per session, three times at 6, and four times at 0. Fuel Injection Requirements: Mechanic Neutral Action Mechanic; Obstacle Rating equal to target s Expedition You may choose to increase the cooldown of this Action up to the value of your Mechanic skill. For each point you raise the cooldown by, add D to this roll. Add the successes to the target s Expedition. This Action can only be used in an aircraft, and can only target an aircraft. After using this Action, you must use another Action before using this one again. Pilot The Pilot Skill is imperative to almost every character in the TailWinds universe, and necessary for any character in a plane. Pilot s licences are more common than driver s licenses, so every character has at least some know-how of the workings of an aircraft. You Pilot Skill also gives you access to Actions from your aircraft weapons and aircraft style later in this book in addition to being useful for performing aerial acrobatics, shaking unwanted passengers off of your plane, aerial stunts, and any time you want to fly under a bridge or through a narrow chasm. Evade (Basic) Requirements: Speed 2 Defensive Action Speed or less; Obstacle Rating 2 You may choose to roll a number of dice equal to or lower than your Speed. If you choose to roll or more dice (before any bonuses), add to the cooldown. If you choose to roll 7 or more dice, add 2 to the cooldown. Add the successes from this roll to the Obstacle rating to hit you with the triggering attack. You may only perform this Action in an aircraft. Withstand (Basic) Requirements: Armour 2 Defensive Action Armour or less; Obstacle Rating 2 You may choose to roll a number of dice equal to or lower than your Armour. If you choose to roll or more dice (before any bonuses), add to the cooldown. If you choose to roll 7 or more dice, add 2 to the cooldown. Add the successes from this roll to the Obstacle rating to hit you with the triggering attack. You may only perform this Action in an aircraft. Scout The Scout Skill allows you to assist your allies by spotting enemies and discovering obstacles. In addition, this Skill is useful if you wish to watch enemies from a great distance, discover imminent traps and hazards, to follow a trail left by a person or plane, or for any act of scouting, tracking, or trailblazing. Characters who are experienced Scouts can also take advantage of an Unbalanced enemy to deal extra damage. Spot and Mark Requirements: Scout 2 (6) 2 Neutral Action Scout; Obstacle Rating Target one enemy. Until that enemy takes an Action, your allies gain a +D bonus to any Offensive Actions made against that enemy for each success on this test, to a maximum of +2D. (+D at Scout 6) Quarry Requirements: Scout +2 Free Action Scout; Obstacle Rating 2 In a moment s glance, you see an enemy falter and are there to take advantage of the situation. Useable when you hit with an Offensive Action against an Unbalanced enemy, add the successes to the damage dealt. This Action ends the target s effect. Medic The Medic Skill allows you to heal your squadron s wounds and pick them up in a dangerous situation. In addition, this Skill is useful if you wish to examine the cause of death of a body, discern what types of medicines or tools are useful in certain situations, tell what type of poison a person might be afflicted with and how to cure it, and for any act of medicine, pharmacology, or surgery. First Aid (Basic) Requirements: Medic 2 () (6) (0) Once per session, when you have ample time and opportunity, (Are on foot, with the wounded, have an hour or so to work, and are not in combat) you may make a Medic test to alleviate one wound from another character. The Obstacle Rating is equal to the number of wounds the character has sustained +. At Medic rank, this can be done twice a session, three times at 6, and four times at 0. Adrenaline Injection Requirements: Medic Neutral Action Medic; Obstacle Rating equal to target s Expedition You may choose to increase the cooldown of this Action up to the value of your Medic skill. For each point you raise the cooldown by, add D to this roll. Add the successes to the target s Expedition. This Action can only be used on foot, and can only target a character on foot. After using this Action, you must use another Action before using this one again. Scholar The Scholar Skill allows characters with incredible knowledge and brainpower to think their way through any problem they come across. This Skill allows you to recall vast stores of knowledge on a variety of subjects, to outthink opponents and catch them up in their own logical fallacies, and for any act of scholasticism, reason, or logical thinking. Characters who are experienced Scholars can take advantage of a Stunned enemy to concentrate and deliver a more powerful attack. In addition, for every two ranks you have in the Scholar Skill, you may choose a new area of study like chemistry, biology, or occultism. When making a Scholar test dealing with one of your chosen subjects, you gain a +D bonus. Knowledge is Power Requirements: Scholar +2 Free Action Scholar; Obstacle Rating 2 You study your opponent s movements until you see a weakness, and a powerful hit bolsters your courage. Useable when you hit with an Offensive Action against a Stunned enemy, add the successes to the damage dealt. This Action ends the target s effect. Scrapper The Scrapper Skill is invaluable if you wish to use melee weapons. While this Skill provides no Skill Actions, it does grant you access to Actions in the weapon and fighting style sections after this one. In addition, this Skill is useful if you wish to punch out someone s lights, threaten someone with bodily harm, or cut an enemy s gun in half. This section contains a list of weapons, fighting styles specific to those weapons, and Actions that you gain from each of those. This list, obviously, is not comprehensive in a universe where rivet guns and tesla cannons are useable weapons however, they are offered as broad headings for the way things work. Crossbows can be considered two-handed melee weapons, and whips are one-handed. You are free to wield any weapon you wish simply choose one of these broad categories and re-flavour it to your liking. Also keep in mind that basic Actions can be very broad. Any firearms may be used to perform a basic melee attack depending on how the weapon is held. Most one-handed weapons can also be used for a basic one-handed melee attack, and anyone with a free paw can perform a basic unarmed attack. Any of the weapons in this section may Shake, Stun, or Unbalance a character on a successful hit. Ranged weapons can target and attack any character, but melee weapons may only be used against characters on the same Altitude as you. TailWinds 9

10 Unarmed Technically not a weapon, there are a myriad of weapons considered to be unarmed. Brass knuckles, metal gauntlets, boxing gloves, and your own bare paws (or bear paws) are considered part of this style. As long as you have a free paw you may train the following unarmed Actions, using Scrapper as your primary Skill. In addition, you may choose one of three unarmed fighting styles: grappler, martial artist, or pugilist. This will give you access to features, Actions and Abilities from that style at higher ranks. Unarmed Attack (Basic) Requirements: Scrapper 2 Offensive Action Scrapper; Obstacle Rating At Scrapper rank you gain improvised shield, a very respectable Defensive Action. Using a nearby piece of furniture, enemy, or item from your own equipment, you can lessen the damage dealt to an ally, even if they have already used a Defensive Action this turn. This Action also improves at Scrapper rank 6, providing another dice worth of damage reduction. Improvised Shield Requirements: Scrapper (6) 2 Defensive Action Scrapper (+D at rank 6); Obstacle Rating You may only use this when an ally is the target of the attack, instead of yourself. Subtract the successes from the damage taken from the attack. That ally cannot take a Defensive Action for the triggering attack and does not take advantage of expediency. At Scrapper rank you gain the ability to disarm opponents. While the Obstacle Rating and cooldown of this action are high, if successful you can leave an opponent without useable Offensive or Defensive Actions until their turn. This is better when performed against enemies farther back in the Initiative, and with Defensive Actions granted by their weapon, such as for shotguns or one-handed melee weapons. Disarm Requirements: Scrapper Offensive Action Scrapper; Obstacle Rating On a success, deal no damage- instead you may knock one weapon of your choice from the enemy s paw, rendering it and the related Actions unusable. The enemy may pick the weapon up as their turn as a mundane Action: Neutral, cooldown. This Action cannot be used against vehicles. But I Want To Do [Blank]! While Actions make up the most of what a character does in combat, they are not the only things you can do in combat. Actions are there to provide bonuses, flavour, and choices for characters, not to restrict them. Sometimes a pilot will want to do something not covered by the Actions, like hop in a plane or swing on a chandelier! Mundane Actions- like picking up a gun or hopping in a plane have a cooldown of, and don t require a roll. A player can also start a Challenge in combat, the same way they would normally. A Challenge in combat has a cooldown that s half of the difficulty of the challenge. So an Easy Challenge is cooldown 2, an average Challenge is, a tricky Challenge is, and a complex Challenge is. In combat, a perfect success on the Challenge lowers the cooldown by. These Challenges can be anything from picking the lock on a door to tripping an enemy to give him a -D to his attack. Negotiate the outcome with the FC and other players! Do what makes the most sense! Grappler Utilizing a strategy of grabbing, throwing, subduing, and piledriving your enemies, you turn your enemies momentum against them. Grappling is an unarmed style often synonymous with wrestlers or luchadores, but is also used by many kinds of subdual martial arts or when using garrotte wire. At Scrapper rank you gain rapid dismantle, the ability to take the gun or weapon that someone is trying to shoot, or stab, or bash you with and dismantle it to its base components. At higher ranks you gain several useful Defensive Actions and subdual techniques using your own strength and your opponent s momentum. Rapid Dismantle Requirements: Scrapper You may use disarm as a Defensive Action using an opposed roll against the attack instead of the Obstacle Rating. If you fail, you take full damage from the attack. Martial Artist The martial arts are a time-honoured mystery of The Orient, taught only to diligent students over many years. The practice of using fast, precise blows to down an enemy rather than the brutish punches of a pugilist hones not only the body, but the mind as well. At Scrapper rank you gain flurry of blows, the ability to attack faster with an open palm, and harder than most pilots with their fist. At higher ranks, you learn mystic abilities which allow you to stun, disorient, and incapacitate enemies with infallible accuracy and speed. Flurry of Blows Requirements: Scrapper The cooldown of your basic unarmed attack Action is reduced to 2 when you have both paws free. Pugilist You are a master in the most gentlemanly (or ladylike?) art of brutalizing another s face with your fist, brawling, boxing, or bartitsu. Whether with gloves, brass knuckles, wrapped cloth, or just bare fists your jabs will knock them down so hard they won t want to get back up. At Scrapper rank you gain the one-two punch ability, strengthening successive attacks against the same enemy. This conveniently couples with other Offensive Actions as well, so you can punch an enemy back just to gain a bonus to shooting them in the gut, if you don t mind sullying your honour for a moment. At higher ranks you gain slower, more powerful attacks and gain bonuses when Stunning or Unbalancing the poor rubes you re beating to a humiliated pulp. One-Two Punch Requirements: Scrapper When you hit a target with an unarmed Offensive Action, you gain a +D bonus to the next Offensive Action against that target. You lose this bonus after you perform an Action. But I Want To Do [Blank]! (Continued) If instead of a Challenge or an Action you want to do something to an enemy or character, you can do that too! Instead of rolling against the Challenge difficulty, you roll against the character s relevant Skill (or Attribute if they don t have Skills). The cooldown is equal to half of the defending character s dice. For instance, in order to grab an enemy and force them to the ground, you can roll your Athletics against their Muscle (since they don t have Skills, and are trying to throw you off). If their Muscle is, then the cooldown will be 2. Always round down to a minimum of. Just like Challenges, you can use any Skill for this as long as you can explain it properly! One-Handed Melee One-handed weapons are incredibly common, as almost any mundane item you pick up can be used as one. While pistols, stub shotguns, versatile two-handed melee weapons, and some types of submachine guns may be used to perform a basic one-handed melee attack, you cannot train Actions without an actual implement. Pipes, baseball bats, swords, knives, whips and any other melee weapon held in one hand are classified under this heading. With a weapon held in one paw you may train any of the following Actions, using Scrapper as your primary Skill. In addition, you may choose one of three one-handed fighting styles: cloak and dagger, duellist, and Florentine style. This will give you access to features, Actions and Abilities from that style at higher ranks. Melee Attack (Basic) Requirements: Scrapper 2 Offensive Action Scrapper +D; Obstacle Rating 2 At Scrapper Rank you gain the ability to parry opponent s blows. By raising your weapon, you may deflect the attack to eliminate the damage dealt, and even deal some in return; however, if you fail you take full damage from the attack, ignoring the Obstacle Rating. The cooldown may seem high for a Defensive Action, but if you roll well you can turn an opponent s attack against them. At Scrapper rank 6 you can also use this Action against bullets from pistols or submachine guns, knocking them out of the air or even sending them back at the attacker. Parry Requirements: Scrapper (6) Defensive Action Scrapper vs. Attack On a success, you deal damage to the target equal to the margin of success and take no damage. This is useable only against attacks from melee Actions. At Scrapper rank 6, this can be used against attacks from pistols or submachine guns as well. At Scrapper rank you gain the ability to feint, taking your enemy off-guard. Moving deftly to the side, you land an attack that your enemy doesn t see coming. The cooldown may be higher than your basic attack, but the extra die is incredibly useful when your enemy is trying to defend. This is a difficult Action to dodge, and is even better when attacking the same target as one of your allies as you still gain a +2D bonus when the target is defending against a different attack at the same time. Feint Requirements: Scrapper Offensive Action Scrapper; Obstacle Rating 2 On a successful hit, the target may not take advantage of Expediency. You also gain a +2D bonus if the target uses a Defensive Action. TailWinds 0

11 Cloak and Dagger Using a small, often cruel implement, you take advantage of an enemy s weakness, or even their obliviousness to your presence. You hide in the shadows, on rooftops, or under beds. You wait for your moment to strike, and you make it count. Cloak and dagger is an underhanded fighting style that uses poisons and subterfuge as much as simple one-on-one murdering. At Scrapper rank, you gain cruel opportunist- the ability to take advantage of any weakness. At higher ranks, you will learn techniques that utilize stealth, poisons, and trickery. Cruel Opportunist (Ability) Requirements: Scrapper When you hit a target suffering from a status effect with a one-handed weapon Offensive Action, you deal extra damage. This does not count as taking advantage of the effect, and does not end the effect. Duellist Using a one-handed weapon and often leaving the other paw bare for taunting gestures or a shield, the duellist style places more emphasis in honour and bravado than pure battlefield prowess. You are a modern day musketeer, dancing about the battleground while your stupefied foes don t even know that they ve already lost. At Scrapper rank you gain the unflappable ability, demoralizing any enemy you hit (traditionally by carving your initials into the front of their shirt) and motivating them to seek easier prey. At higher ranks in this style you gain new and exciting ways to further humiliate your pathetic adversaries! Unflappable (Ability) Requirements: Scrapper When you hit with your basic one-handed Melee Attack Action, the Obstacle Rating for that target to hit you is raised by one until you perform an Action. Florentine Style Using two one-handed melee weapons at once, you master a style that favours both offence and defence at once, leaving your opponents facing down a dangerous whirlwind of spinning implements. At Scrapper rank you gain the whirling blades ability. By alternating weapons in quick succession, you can make your usual basic attacks faster and more frequent than usual. At higher ranks in this style you gain many more defensive options, as well as a slower but stronger attack with both weapons at once. Whirling Blades (Ability) Requirements: Scrapper The cooldown of your basic one-handed melee attack Action is reduced to 2 when you are using two melee weapons. Two-Handed Melee Two-handed melee weapons are the slowest, heaviest, and hardest-hitting of all the melee styles. While many improvised weapons, rifles, shotguns, submachine guns, and any other implement held in both paws constitutes a two-handed weapon for the purposes of a basic attack, a more specialized weapon is necessary to train Actions. Large swords, hammers, staffs, pipes, wrenches, polearms, maces, and clubs all fall under this heading. You may also consider bows and crossbows as this type. With a weapon held in both paws you may train any of the following Actions, using Scrapper as your primary Skill. In addition, you may choose one of three two-handed fighting styles: savage, staff fighter, and swordsman. This will give you access to features, Actions and Abilities from that style at higher ranks. Melee Attack (Basic) Requirements: Scrapper 2 Offensive Action Scrapper +2D; Obstacle Rating 2 At Scrapper rank you gain the wide swing Action. You hit an enemy hard enough to carry the attack through to another character next to you. This haphazard attack has an incredibly high cooldown, but makes up for it with the ability to damage two targets in one swing. The best opportunities for this attack are when targeting an enemy that cannot dodge or raise the Obstacle Rating of the attack. The higher the margin of success on the first attack, the more damage you can do on the follow-through. Wide Swing Requirements: Scrapper Offensive Action Scrapper; Obstacle Rating On a successful hit, make a second attack against a different enemy on your initiative using the margin of success +D as the attack, (Ob 2). At Scrapper rank you gain the ability to hit enemies hard enough to stagger them, knocking them back on the Initiative instead of forward. This Action has a rather high cooldown and a tricky Obstacle Rating, making it slower and easier to dodge. It makes up for this, however, with its high damage potential and ability to slow down enemies. This Action works well against tougher enemies as you can postpone their turn, allowing your allies a chance to attack in force. Stagger Requirements: Scrapper Offensive Action Scrapper +D; Obstacle Rating 2 On a successful hit, the enemy moves back on the Initiative by one and may not take advantage of Expediency; or if they perform an Action and you hit, add one to the cooldown. Optional Rule: Death and Dying Heroes rarely, if ever, die in pulp fiction or in cartoons. TailWinds- being based on both- works much the same. Planes go down, people are shot, things explode- but much like the A-Team, no one gets more than bruised. As an optional rule, if a character sustains enough injury, (more than Wounds) or is caught in a situation that could mean certain death, they may be removed from the current session by the FC. At the beginning (or wherever is most story-appropriate) of the next session, you may restore the character to Wounds and have them rejoin the game. They must, however, detail the miraculous nature of their escape to the rest of the squadron. You thought I died when the mine collapsed, but I clambered to safety at the last moment, using an upturned mine cart to shield myself from the falling debris! Savage Using blunt weapons like clubs, hammers, maces, flails, and other heavy weapons like axes, the savage style is simple and brutal. Using brute strength, this style- if you could call it that- is based on simply hitting your enemy with a heavy weapon. Hard. Very hard. Until they stop moving. At Scrapper rank you gain the hack and slash ability, allowing you a bonus when you attack all out. As long as you keep on the offensive you retain this bonus, but you lose it the first time you defend. At higher ranks you gain several Actions that allow for slightly inaccurate but powerful attacks. Hack and Slash (Ability) Requirements: Scrapper At the beginning of every combat, you gain a +D bonus to all Offensive Actions. You lose this bonus for the rest of the combat if you perform any Action that is not Offensive. Staff Fighter With a quarterstaff, halberd, spear, or even nunchaku, staff fighters are masters of the defensive. Taking advantage of a longer weapon, you can defend and attack at once, adopting a spinning and acrobatic art that leaves no weaknesses. At Scrapper rank you gain the unbalancing stance which sends enemies who attack you and fail reeling back, fair game for you and your allies. The best way to take advantage of this is by using Defensive Actions, as damage is dealt before using your Expedition. At higher ranks you gain several defensive skills that showcase your versatile nature. Unbalancing Stance (Ability) Requirements: Scrapper When an enemy misses or deals no damage to you with an Offensive Action, any Offensive Actions against that enemy gain a +D bonus until they are hit with an attack or reach the top of the Initiative. Swordsman Using a two-handed blade, a huge sword, or a deadly katana, swordsman are dedicated masters of their art so focused in their abilities that they can shear the wings off a flying plane. This style makes you just as deadly against armoured targets and vehicles as you are against anything else. At Scrapper rank you gain the deepest cut, an ability that allows you to Cripple or Rattle planes and effect vehicles with all of your two-handed weapon attacks, including stagger and wide swing. Yes, even while falling through the air. The Deepest Cut (Ability) Requirements: Scrapper Your two-handed weapon Offensive Actions ignore the armour trait and can deal status effects to armoured targets. TailWinds

12 Optional Rule: FC Dice Sometimes pilots don t want to take risks. Some pilots have difficulty stepping out of their shells and getting involved with the table, which can be detrimental in a game so focused on interaction. FC dice are a way to encourage your pilots to describe their actions and try exciting things. If a player describes a particularly devastating attack, or fantastic use of a Skill, or does something that you, as the FC, really want to see them succeed inyou may grant that player an FC die. Simply hand that player one of your dice to roll with their own, giving them a +D. This is just the same as if a pilot were aiding another, except they are being aided by fate. Be generous about this, but try to use it to push your players to be more descriptive, more excited, and more adventurous with their actions. Pistol One of the most common weapons in modern day, pistols have a myriad of uses and are easy to carry and conceal. Most pilots carry one as a sidearm even if they specialize in another weapon. From the Agency s.8 revolvers to the Mafia s semi-auto handguns, the Kopfjäger s lugers, and the pirate s.60 calibre cliplocks pistols are quick, effective, no-frills implements and a description that also encompasses light one-handed ranged weapons. With a pistol held in one paw you may train any of the following Actions, using Marksman as your primary Skill. In addition, you may choose one of three pistol fighting styles: akimbo pistols, gunslinger, and high-calibre pistol. This will give you access to features, Actions and Abilities from that style at higher ranks. Pistol Attack (Basic) Requirements: Marksman 2 Offensive Action Marksman; Obstacle Rating A Marksman rank you gain the ability to feint, jumping to the side or using some advantage to catch your enemy off guard. Your attention to distracting your target gives this Action a higher cooldown and Obstacle Rating than your basic attack. You can offset this, however, if the enemy decides to use a Defensive Action, which grants you two more dice to roll for the attack. This Action is best used when the enemy is low on Expedition, or has little choice but to defend. Feint Requirements: Marksman Offensive Action Marksman; Obstacle Rating 2 You gain a +2D bonus if the target uses a Defensive Action. On a successful hit, the target may not take advantage of Expediency. At Marksman rank you gain the quick-draw ability. Pistols are much easier to draw than most weapons, giving you the ability to fire off a quick shot before battle has even properly begun. You can only use this Action when Expedition is rolled at the beginning of a combat. Even if you are not in the active position, you can use this Action to make an attack and move back 2 spaces from your starting position, as usual. This is an incredibly useful way to dispatch a minion or get in a quick jab before your enemy is prepared. Quick-Draw Requirements: Marksman 2 Offensive Action Marksman; Obstacle Rating You may only use this action to make an attack when you roll for Expedition, even if you are not on the active position. Akimbo Pistols Using two pistols at the same time is flashy, exciting, and quick. You dash into battle, spinning your guns as you fire off a rapid volley of shots, flying through the air while shooting both at the same time. Akimbo pistols is a style that is straightforward and deadly fast; the Occam s Razor of gunslinging styles. At Marksman rank you gain the alternating fire Ability. By shooting one of your guns at a time, you effectively carry twice the amount of ammo and fire twice as fast as when just carrying one gun, lowering the cooldown of your basic attack to 2. Alternating Fire (Ability) Requirements: Marksman The cooldown of your basic pistol attack Action is reduced to 2 when you are using two pistols. Gunslinger Using a pistol in one paw and a melee weapon in the other, gunslingers are practiced and talented enough that the two become interchangeable. Enemies at range hold the risk of receiving a bullet between the ears, while those up close are just asking for a decisive swing of the arm. At Marksman rank you gain the weapon focus Ability, allowing you to aim your melee weapon, parry with your bullets, and never be at a disadvantage if one of your weapons is lost. Weapon Focus (Ability) Requirements: Marksman When using both a pistol and a one-handed melee weapon you may perform pistol Actions using Scrapper and your one-handed melee Actions using Marksman. High-Calibre Pistol Using an ordinary 9mm isn t very effective against aircraft, cars, or armoured targets. That s why some pistol aficionados modify their weapons to fire.,.0, or even.60 calibre bullets, able to pierce through any plane, vehicle, wall, or heaven forbid person they aim at. At Marksman rank you gain the anti-armour Ability, allowing your pistol to effectively damage and cause status effects to targets with the armour trait. Anti-Armour (Ability) Requirements: Marksman Your pistol Offensive Actions ignore the armour trait and can deal status effects to armoured targets. Rifle Powerful long range weapons, rifles are usually well cared for. They are favoured by snipers, trick shooters, assassins, and any pilot who plans to go up against an armoured target without a plane. From bolt, to lever, to semiautomatic rifles, most of these types of weapons have been retooled to fire higher calibre anti-armour rounds, making them powerful, accurate, and perfect for taking down aircraft when on foot. With a rifle held in two paws you may train any of the following Actions, using Marksman as your primary Skill. In addition, you may choose one of three rifle fighting styles: carbine, sniper, and trick shooter. This will give you access to features, Actions and Abilities from that style at higher ranks. Rifle Attack (Basic) Requirements: Marksman 2 Offensive Action Marksman; Obstacle Rating 0 You gain a +D bonus if the target is on a later Initiative than yours. This attack ignores the armour trait and can deal status effects to armoured targets. At Marksman rank you gain the aim ability. With the powerful scope mounted on your rifle, you can lower the Obstacle Rating of your next attack. At first it may seem a waste to use a turn just to lower the Ob of an attack, but it is incredibly effective against enemies that like to dodge or raise the Obstacle Rating of your attacks. It is also useful against planes at higher altitudes where it can balance out the penalty for shooting upwards. Aim Requirements: Marksman (6) Neutral Action 2D (D at Marksman 6); Obstacle Rating Lower the Obstacle rating of your next rifle Offensive Action by the margin of success, to a minimum of 0. On a successful hit with that attack, the target may not take advantage of Expediency. You lose this bonus after your next Action. At Marksman rank you gain the ability to hit enemies hard enough to stagger them, knocking them back on the Initiative instead of forward. This Action has a rather high cooldown and a tricky Obstacle Rating, making it slower and easier to dodge. It makes up for this, however, with its high damage potential and ability to slow down enemies. This Action works well against tougher enemies as you can postpone their turn, allowing your allies a chance to attack in force. Stagger Requirements: Marksman Offensive Action Marksman; Obstacle Rating 2 You gain a +D bonus if the target is on a later Initiative than yours. On a successful hit, the target moves back on the initiative by one and may not take advantage of Expediency; or if they take a Defensive Action and you hit, add one to the cooldown. This Action ignores the armour trait and can deal status effects to armoured targets. TailWinds 2

13 Carbine Carbines are the bolt-action rifles issued in the Great War. Soldiers were trained to use their bayonets and the butts of their guns, and experience with trench warfare has made carbine users just as lethal at close range as they are at a distance. At Marksman rank, you gain the bayonet Ability, allowing you to train and perform two-handed melee Actions with your rifle. Bayonet (Ability) Requirements: Marksman Your rifle is considered a two-handed melee weapon as well. You may train two-handed melee Actions with it using Marksman instead of Scrapper. Sniper Skilled riflemen sometimes attach scopes and mounts to their rifles, extending the already impressive range of their weapons. Through the use of reinforced barrels, modified chambers, and heat sinks, these sniper rifles can fire.60 to.70 calibre rounds with incredible accuracy. A skilled rifleman can sometimes hit the pilot of a plane in mid-flight, downing the aircraft in a single hit. At Marksman rank you gain the long shot Ability, which deals extra damage if you hit with a shot you aimed beforehand. Long Shot (Ability) Requirements: Marksman When you perform an aim Action and the Offensive Action that the bonus applies to hits, you deal extra damage. Trick Shooter Lever-action rifles have been in common use since the mid-9 th century, when Winchester s popular.0-0 calibre weapons became a staple of the Wild West. They retained their popularity for their quick rate of fire, fine accuracy, and use in hunting. Modern versions of lever-action rifles are bored for highcalibre magnum rounds, but are mainly used by flashy performers and trick shooters. Most famously, this style is preferred by the idolized American raccoon Davy Crockett, as well as traveling performers like The Fabulous Topperweins. Lever-Action (Ability) Requirements: Marksman The cooldown of your basic rifle attack Action is reduced to. Shotgun Shotguns are fearsome weapons, and incredibly powerful at close range. Originally only used for hunting, soldiers in the Great War quickly discovered that a blast of birdshot was more useful in a trench than a pistol round or a knife. Today, these weapons are in fairly common use because they are cheap and relatively easy to come by. While some pilots prefer to use concussive force, packing their shotgun rounds with slugs, it s very difficult to dodge a cloud of buckshot from close range, and most pilots know better than to charge at an enemy with a shotgun. With a shotgun held in two paws you may train any of the following Actions, using Marksman as your primary Skill. In addition, you may choose one of three shotgun fighting styles: buckshot, slug rounds, and stub shotgun. This will give you access to features, Actions and Abilities from that style at higher ranks. Shotgun Attack (Basic) Requirements: Marksman 2 Offensive Action Marksman; Obstacle Rating You gain a +D bonus if the target is on the same Initiative as you. At Marksman rank you gain the dead stop ability, which allows skilled shotgun users to stop an incoming attack with a quick shot from their gun. The cooldown for this Action may seem a bit high, since firing while defending can take a while to recover from, but it can be well worth it if you can turn an enemy s attack against them. This is a bit risky too though, since if you fail you take the full brunt of the attack, ignoring the Obstacle Rating. This Action works best when being attacked on your turn since you can take advantage of the +D bonus and cooldown is still a little less than your basic attack. Dead Stop Requirements: Marksman Defensive Action Marksman vs. Attack You gain a +D bonus if the target is on the same Initiative as you. On a success, you deal damage to the target equal to the margin of success and take no damage. At Marksman rank you gain the knockback Action, a quick blast of buckshot that can knock an enemy off their feet, fair game for your allies to hit. This ability is best used against an enemy that has plenty of Disposition, but one very low Attribute. That way you can make the most of this Action and have a good chance at dealing a status effect. You will rarely be able to take advantage of this bonus yourself, but it can serve as a savage opener for an ally to take advantage of their weakness. Kickback Requirements: Marksman Offensive Action Marksman; Obstacle Rating You gain a +D bonus if the target is on the same Initiative as you. If this attack Shakes, Stuns, or Unbalances the target, Offensive Actions gain a +D against them until they are no longer under that effect. Buckshot Scattershot (Ability) Requirements: Marksman The Obstacle Rating of your shotgun Offensive Actions against targets on your Initiative are reduced by. Slug Rounds Foster Slug (Ability) Requirements: Marksman When you hit with a shotgun Offensive Action, the target may not take advantage of expediency. Stub Shotgun Snap Shot (Ability) Requirements: Marksman The cooldown of your basic shotgun attack Action is reduced to. TailWinds

14 Submachine Gun A relatively new invention, submachine guns combine the ease of use of the pistol s clip design with the rate of fire of a trench machine gun. Submachine guns are cheap, easy to use, and commonly available. Thompson model guns, dubbed Tommy Guns, are widely used by local armed police and Mafia members alike. Germany has also been a large producer of 9mm submachine guns since as early as the end of the Great War. Much of the submachine gun s popularity comes from its ability to lay down fire at a constant rate, and be reloaded quickly. They are incredibly effective against groups of enemies who stumble into each other when trying to dodge. With a submachine gun held in two paws you may train any of the following Actions, using Marksman as your primary Skill. In addition, you may choose one of three submachine gun fighting styles: automatic rifle, machine pistol, and shock trooper. This will give you access to features, Actions and Abilities from that style at higher ranks. Submachine Gun Attack (Basic) Requirements: Marksman 2 Offensive Action Marksman +D; Obstacle Rating 2 At Marksman rank you gain the burst fire ability, targeting multiple targets by laying down a thick cloud of lead. This Action has a fairly high cooldown, but to attack two or more targets with one Action makes it quite useable. This is best used against minions and characters that cannot defend, as you ll be rolling half as many dice as your usual attack. While it may seem tempting to gain a large bonus by attacking a lot of targets with this Action, it is most effective against two or three targets, as spreading your Marksman Skill thinner than that isn t a wise move. Burst Fire Requirements: Marksman Offensive Action Marksman; Obstacle Rating Target every enemy on a single initiative. Add D for each target after the first. Split the attack dice as evenly as possible between the targets and then roll the attack. At Marksman rank you gain the ability to lay down covering fire, staggering an enemy and making them easier for your allies to hit. This ability is best used against an enemy that has plenty of Disposition, but one very low Attribute. That way you can make the most of this Action and have a good chance at dealing a status effect. You will rarely be able to take advantage of this bonus yourself, but it can serve as a savage opener for an ally to take advantage of their weakness. Covering Fire Requirements: Marksman Offensive Action Marksman +D; Obstacle Rating 2 If this attack Shakes, Stuns, or Unbalances the target, Offensive Actions gain a +D against them until they are no longer under that effect. Automatic Rifle Select-Fire (Ability) Requirements: Marksman Your submachine gun is considered a rifle as well and you may train rifle Actions with it. Machine Pistol Short Burst (Ability) Requirements: Marksman The cooldown of your basic submachine gun attack Action is reduced to 2. Shock Trooper Run and Gun (Ability) Requirements: Marksman When using a submachine gun Offensive Action, you may increase the Obstacle Rating by one to lower the cooldown by one. Explosives Explosives are a frighteningly effective way of attacking multiple characters at once. They make a great supplement to any weapon and a great tool against groups of minions. They re also incredibly volatile and often as unstable as the pilots who choose to carry them. Any character may train the following as an Action. If you have a type of explosive as a trained Action then it is assumed that you are carrying enough of them. You do not need to keep track of how many you have; however, every time you use an explosive you must pay the cost of that explosive. It s assumed you bought it beforehand. If you don t have enough money to pay for the Action, then you re out you can t use the Action until you earn a few more SkyDollars. Since this is a test with set dice rolls and not a Skill roll, you cannot use your Fate Points or Traits to modify these Actions. Molotov Cocktail Cost: S$2 Offensive Action D; Obstacle Rating Roll the attack once and apply it to every character on an Initiative. Dynamite Cost: S$ Offensive Action D; Obstacle Rating Roll the attack once and apply it to every character on an Initiative. Panzerfaust Cost: S$60 Offensive Action 6D; Obstacle Rating Roll the attack once and apply it to every character on an Initiative. This attack ignores the armour trait. Gear TailWinds

15 Bomber Usually considered to be huge and burly planes, more recently fast attack bombers have been changing that view. Fast or armoured, bombers are a frightening sight, usually carrying an intense payload and armed with defensive guns. Bombers focus in what else bombs, making them more effective and easier to carry. Their beginning ability, air raid, is a devastating attack from high altitude that can attack multiple targets, but becomes less accurate for each. Being a Skill roll, it can also be modified with clever Trait or Fate point use. Bomber Feature: Payload You are not limited in the number of bombs your aircraft can carry and use. Air Raid Requirements: Pilot Offensive Action Pilot; Obstacle Rating equal to number of targets Roll the attack once and apply it to every character on an Initiative below you. You gain a +D bonus for each Altitude below you the target Initiative is. Explosives Expert (Ability) Requirements: Pilot (8) When using bombs or torpedoes, you gain a +D (+2D at Pilot 8) against all enemies, and the Obstacle Rating to hit allies is higher. Gunship Gigantic and heavily armoured, gunships are planes or sometimes airships or zeppelins built for multiple operators. They work best with a crew of two or three, with multiple guns and Actions. Since all the pilots in the aircraft share a Disposition, these aircraft need a high Armour and a liberal use of Defensive Actions. Luckily, they gain a bonus to Disposition for every passenger. They also have the top gun Action, which allows a risky but effective way to turn the tides of an attack, turning a tailing aircraft into a sitting duck but only if it works. Gunship Feature: Group Effort You gain a +D bonus to Disposition for each passenger in your aircraft at the beginning of a combat, to a maximum of +D. Top Gun Requirements: Pilot (7) Defensive Action Pilot vs. Attack You gain a +D bonus for each passenger in your plane, to a maximum of +2D. (+D at Pilot 7) On a success, you deal damage to the target equal to the margin of success and take no damage. Flying Fortress (Ability) Requirements: Pilot You gain a +D bonus when you perform a Defensive Action against an attack from below your altitude. Pursuit Pursuit craft are speedy, manoeuvrable craft that become better as they climb and dive. They do best with light or rotary guns, which they can use to attack rapidly. They function best at high Altitude; spinning, looping, and divebombing their targets from above. While the cooldown for their initial Action may seem high, it will often be one or two points lower than this when you dive as part of the action. Pursuit Feature: High Flier You gain a +D bonus to any Offensive Actions you perform at high Altitude. Divebomb Requirements: Pilot Offensive Action Pilot; Obstacle Rating 2 You gain a +D bonus for each Altitude you drop as part of this Action. Fast Attack (Ability) Requirements: Pilot When using an Offensive Action with a cooldown of 2 or less (after climbing or diving), you gain a +D to that Action. Fighter Fighters are the heads of the pack, the front of the squadron. They are greatly assisted for having their allies nearby, and often focus on the Scout or Diplomat Skills, that let them return the favour. Good all-around planes, fighters come in all makes and models, focusing on armour or speed or somewhere in-between. Any plane that begins combat on the same Initiative as a fighter has a better chance of sticking around. Their ability, marked target, allows allies to steer an enemy into your shots, making for deadly coordinated strikes. Fighter Feature: Wing Leader Any allies that begin combat on your Initiative gain a +D to Disposition. Marked Target Requirements: Pilot Offensive Action Pilot; Obstacle Rating You gain a +D bonus for each of your allies on the target s Initiative to a maximum of +2D. Formation Flier (Ability) Requirements: Pilot (8) When performing an Offensive Action, you gain a +D bonus for each ally attacking the same target at the same time, to a maximum of +2D. (+D at Pilot 8) Interceptor Interceptors are deadly predators of the sky. They pick their prey and tail it until it falls. Usually balanced and focusing on Deceiver Skills, they are difficult to shake and harder to dodge. Their seek and destroy feature allows them to mark their prey and pursue it relentlessly. They also gain the feint Action which, like the melee Action, grants them a bonus if their target attempts to dodge. While it is less accurate than a usual attack, it can be put to great use if the target is going to dodge or is looking to take advantage of Expediency. Interceptor Feature: Seek and Destroy At the start of a combat, choose an enemy. You gain a +D to Offensive Actions made against that enemy. When that enemy leaves combat, you may choose another. Feint Requirements: Pilot Offensive Action Pilot; Obstacle Rating 2 You gain a +2D bonus if the target uses a Defensive Action. On a successful hit, the target may not take advantage of Expediency. Deadly Aim (Ability) Requirements: Pilot (8) You gain a +D (+2D at Pilot 8) bonus when attacking a target below your Altitude. Scout Aircraft Small, incredibly fast, and as manoeuvrable as pursuit craft, Scout aircraft are also highly defensive. With the ability to restore Expedition and bonuses for being by yourself, Scouts can stay around for quite a while, flying circles around their attackers and waiting for a moment to strike. Their Action, defensive spiral, allows them a high-risk high-reward manoeuvre that leaves their attacker at Low Altitude and further back on the Initiative. Scout Aircraft Feature: Gain Momentum When you drop from High to Low Altitude in one Action, you gain Expedition. Defensive Spiral Requirements: Pilot Defensive Action Pilot vs. Attack You gain a +D bonus for each Altitude you drop as part of this Action. On a success, take no damage and drop the enemy to Low Altitude without lowering the cooldown of their Action. Lone Wolf (Ability) Requirements: Pilot (8) If you are the only member of your squadron on your Initiative at every Altitude, you gain a +D (+2D at Pilot 8) to Offensive Actions. TailWinds

16 Light Machine Gun Cost: S$00 In the beginning of the Great War, the heaviest weapon a pilot could ask for was a rifle, a net, or a half brick. It wasn t long before the light emplaced machine guns that were used to defend the trenches made their way onto the hull of German, British, and American biplanes. Today, many light machine guns are specially made to be mounted on aircraft either timed to fire in between the propeller blades, from the wings, or mounted on a swivel. They are cheap, flexible, and readily available support weapons. They can be especially effective on a fast plane as well, as enough speed can add to the velocity of the relatively small bullets to devastating effect. Light Machine Gun Attack (Basic) Requirements: Pilot 2 Offensive Action Pilot; Obstacle Rating Cost: S$2,00 Rotary Gun Rotary Gun Attack (Basic) Requirements: Pilot 2 Offensive Action Pilot +D; Obstacle Rating 2 Rapid Volley Requirements: Pilot +2 Free Action Speed; Obstacle Rating Useable when you hit with an Offensive Action with a Rotary Gun against a Crippled enemy, add the successes to the damage dealt. This Action ends the target s status. Rapid Assault Requirements: Pilot +2 Free Action Speed; Obstacle Rating Useable when you hit with an Offensive Action with a Light Machine Gun against a Rattled enemy, add the successes to the damage dealt. This Action ends the target s status. Heavy Machine Gun Cost: S$2,000 As aircraft became better armoured using steel instead of canvas, for instance there arose a need for heavier firearms. The.0 inch rounds of Great War machine guns just glanced off modern aircraft. That is why effective heavy machine guns are so sought after. Using.0 calibre all the way up to 2.7mm shells, heavy machine guns keep the same rate of fire of their lighter counterparts allowing for a truly frightening level of anti-materiel fire. The heavier rounds required water or air-cooling systems, reinforced barrels, and larger ammunition boxes. Obviously enough, this makes the weapons much bulkier and slower. A heavily armoured aircraft can take advantage of such a weapon, as they have the room for heavier ammunition. Heavy Machine Gun Attack (Basic) Requirements: Pilot 2 Offensive Action Pilot +D; Obstacle Rating Cost: S$,00 Autocannon Autocannon Attack (Basic) Requirements: Pilot 2 Offensive Action Pilot +D; Obstacle Rating 0 Heavy Shell Requirements: Pilot +2 Free Action Armour; Obstacle Rating Useable when you hit with an Offensive Action with an Autocannon against a Crippled enemy, add the successes to the damage dealt. This Action ends the target s status. Pilot: Roy Boyd Born in the American Southwest, Roy joined an aerial rodeo at a young age and has been stunt flying ever since. An Outlaw, a bounty hunter, and a self-proclaimed sheriff of the air, this coyote held aspirations of joining the Agency until he failed the psychological examination. His copilot, cactus, is a plant of few words. No words, actually. In truth it s a miracle that Roy is still alive after handing the controls of his plane over to his vegetative sidekick on several occasions. That said, Roy is honest, trustworthy, and values justice. He is a skilled wing-walker and is proficient with both a revolver and a lever-action rifle. Cactus is a plant. Heavy Barrage Requirements: Pilot +2 Free Action Armour; Obstacle Rating Useable when you hit with an Offensive Action with a Heavy Machine Gun against a Rattled enemy, add the successes to the damage dealt. This Action ends the target s status. TailWinds 6

17 Bombs and Torpedoes Bombs and torpedoes are effective and dangerous explosives dropped from an aircraft. They can be especially devastating against ground targets, both infantry and vehicles. They are much more expensive than handheld explosives, but they can deal much more damage. Like explosives, any character may train the following as an Action. If you have a type of bomb as a trained Action then it is assumed that you are carrying enough of them, though by default any plane can only use one in a combat. Every time you use a bomb, you must pay the cost of that bomb. It s assumed you bought it beforehand. If you don t have enough money to pay for the Action, then you re out you can t use the Action until you earn a few more SkyDollars. Since this is a test with set dice rolls and not a Skill roll, you cannot use your Fate Points or Traits to modify these Actions. 0lb. Iron Bomb Cost: S$0 Offensive Action D; Obstacle Rating Roll the attack once and apply it to every character on an Initiative below your Altitude. You gain a +D bonus against any ground targets and ignore the armour trait penalty. 200lb. General-Purpose Bomb Cost: S$80 Offensive Action 6D; Obstacle Rating Roll the attack once and apply it to every character on an Initiative below your Altitude. You gain a +D bonus against any ground targets and ignore the armour trait penalty.,000lb. Blockbuster Cost: S$00 Offensive Action 7D; Obstacle Rating Roll the attack once and apply it to every character on an Initiative below your Altitude. You gain a +D bonus against any ground targets and ignore the armour trait penalty. Armour Upgrades Duralumin Planform Wing Coating Requirements: Pilot 2 The Armour of this aircraft is raised by. Cost: S$2,00 Compressed Cowling Armour Requirements: Pilot Cost: S$6,000 The Armour of this aircraft is raised by, and the Speed is reduced by. Vulcanized Self-Sealing Fuel Compartment Requirements: Pilot The Armour of this aircraft is raised by. Speed Upgrades Ethylene Glycol Cooling Requirements: Pilot 2 The Speed of this aircraft is raised by. Cost: S$0,000 Cost: S$2,00 Two-Stage Centrifugal Supercharger Requirements: Pilot Cost: S$6,000 The Speed of this aircraft is raised by, and the Armour is reduced by. Turbo-Compound Arrangement Upgrade Requirements: Pilot The Speed of this aircraft is raised by. Performance Modifications Cost: S$0,000 Bomb Bay Expansion Requirements: Armour Cost: S$,20 Your aircraft may be outfitted with a second bomb or torpedo, and the cost for each bomb or torpedo is halved (rounding down). Aircraft Modifications Aluminium Chaff Countermeasure Requirements: Armour Cost: S$8,000 By spending a Fate Point when you are subject to an attack and have an opportunity to defend, you can cause the triggering attack to miss instead of defending; but do not take advantage of expediency and do not gain the usual bonus for using a Fate Point. Reheat Jetpipe Afterburner Requirements: Speed Cost: S$,00 By spending a Fate Point when you take advantage of expediency you may move up to the st place on the Initiative instead of the usual bonus for using a Fate Point. Secondary Ammunition Track Requirements: Speed Cost: S$8,00 If you miss every target with an Offensive Action in this plane you may lower the cooldown by to a minimum of. TailWinds 7