Ops and Tactics

Yeah, it's kinda like this. And yes, all of this is possible.

Ops and Tactics is a Modern homebrew tabletop RPG, set between sometime after the cold war, and the near future. It has no fluff, and the users of the game are on their own to design scenarios and make enemies for the most part.

It is basically 3.5 with guns.

As of current, Ops and Tactics also has two splatbooks which are Modern Magika and Advanced Arms.

It is at the moment finished in 6th Edition, 6.36.

Basics

Ops and Tactics uses a custom, heavily modified d20-like system that has provisions for bleed damage, specific shot placement, and alternate modes of fire for firearms, as well as a point based action economy for the combat system.

The game also focuses on the customization and variety of weapons, allowing a player to customize their weapons in a number of ways, from trivial (such as adding finishes and colors to the weapon), to the practical (scopes, sights, and weapon modifications). The game also features a massive choice of listed weapons in a variety of calibers. Instead of the normal generic weapon choices that rely on a weapon's "Size" or "Type", to determine damage and range, ammunition load and caliber determine the damage.

The core rulebook is written with almost no fluff actually injected into the gameplay, allowing for a multitude of settings to be used without modifications to the core rules.

2nd Edition brought more weapons, more feats, and more attacks into the possibilities. Two of the most drastic changes were how grenades worked and the addition of new attack possibilities and feats.

3rd Edition brought in a new combat system that takes its cues from Jagged Alliance, introducing a point based action economy.

4th Edition further expounded on the point based combat system, focusing on specialization through feats, expounded on bows as weapons, and introduced the first split to Armory. Other smaller rule changes have been added in order to make the game run smoother.

Weapons

Ops and Tactics shines on weapon selection and modularity. The melee weapons are broken up into three and a half different categories: Simple, Archaic, Exotic, and Improvised.

Simple weapons are weapons that people in the modern world are inherently able to use, such as bats, hammers, stun guns, and shields.

Archaic weapons are weapons of old, usually not encountered in a modern setting, such as swords, staves, axes, and bayonets.

Exotic weapons are weapons that require particular special training to even begin to grasp how to use, such as a chainsaw, nunchaku, or a flail.

Improvised weapons could be thought of as a half category, because they fall under all of the aforementioned categories. However, they are items picked up and used as one would a normal weapon. For example, using a lead pipe instead of a baseball bat.

All of the mentioned weapons can have upgrades installed on them, that make them even more effective in combat.

The ranged weapons themselves are broken up into two categories: Firearms and Non-Ballistic weapons.

Firearms encompass all types, from the tiny holdout handguns all the way to anti-materiel rifles and rocket launchers.

Non-ballistic weapons include bows, crossbows, throwing knives, bricks, and flamethrowers.

Most of the ranged weapons can be upgraded at the choice of the user, with a multitude of upgrades that can be stylized for the task at hand.

Curio and Relic Update

Curio and Relic was an update to the Ops and Tactics line that introduced pre-Cold war firearms, allowing players to keep the Ops and Tactics flair in settings such as the Wild West, the World Wars, or even the American Civil war.

It got to 2nd Edition, but was later been blended into the Armory Splatbook.

Third Edition

3rd Edition was a complete rewrite of the system using the wounds system, as well as a bunch of other upgrades and updates.

This version was the version that introduced the Combat Point system.

Fourth Edition

4th Edition is a another complete overhaul of the combat system, as well as a few major upgrades involving bows, and crossbows.

This was the "Final" Core Rulebook version, and was the springboard that was planned to launch the various planned splatbooks.

There were a number of small updates that existed for 4th edition, called Supply Drops that added equipment and variant rules for Ops and Tactics.

Fifth Edition

5th Edition was a major update in the Ops and Tactics game system, removing the D20 from the primary dice component and replacing it with 3d6 instead.

Some of the Supply Drops that were generated during 4th Edition were blended into the various splatbooks they fit into, and as such made the game much less book heavy.

Small tweaks, fixes, feat changes, and rule additions were also been added.

Sixth Edition

6th Edition has updated formatting, removed the Archetype character classes left over from d20, and is the current version for play.

It is still being updated, with many updates coming about monthly.

Armory

Ops and Tactics: Armory was a splatbook for 4th Edition and 5th Edition, that added and listed hundreds of firearms with illegal modifications that could be used in conjunction with 4e. It also added revised gunsmithing rules, and the ability for one to create their own AR-15, for any situation.

As of 6th Edition, it was been blended into the core rulebook once more. Only to be taken out again in later versions of 6th Edition.

Modern Magika

Ops and Tactics: Modern Magika began as a splatbook for 4th Edition and 5th Edition, that introduced a magic system, and three fantasy races: Orcs, Elves, and Dwarves, into the Ops and Tactics Universe.

The magic system introduced a new skill: Spellschools, that are used to cast spells, write new spells, and identify spells. The spell system is based somewhat on the Elder Scrolls: Morrowind's design element when creating spells, that there are no set spells, rather the spells are built by the mage themselves, using parameters. Psionics and Incantations were added in subsequent versions.

Advanced Arms

Ops and Tactics: Advanced Arms is a splatbook introduced in 4th Edition, that introduced new weapons, such as caseless ammunition firearms, plasarms, and lasarms (and now elarms), and two additional races: the Polarans and the Kandari, and later on Synthetics (androids), into the Ops and Tactics Universe.

Field Identification Guide

Field Identification Guide is essentially Ops and Tactics' version of the Monster Manual™. According to ancient Ops and Tactics lore, Field Identification Guide (FIG) was created after a brave and daring person noted to SweetSourSauce that there were no real monsters or antagonists listed anywhere in any of the books to fight. Needless to say, a game built around modern firearms combat and with so many listed firearms would not go very far or be very interesting without things to fight. SweetSourSauce agreed, and after some initial offerings by the brave reader that were intended to go into a GM and Player's guide, SweetSourSauce decided that an actual, dedicated book of monsters was necessary. He also decided that he really did not want to write it and allowed the brave reader to author it. This was around the time that the authoring program was changed over to LaTex. Fortunately, an anonymous contributor was able to put in place the initial LaTex (hot) formatting for the FIG (and the other books). The Field Identification Guide is primarily the work of a two man team. As of present, the Field Identification Guide totals 184 individual entries for monsters and NPCs. Unfortunately, it too must constantly be updated so that it may stay consistent with the three main rulebooks that are "finished." A second Field Identification Guide has been completed.

Current Edition

• Current Development blog with downloads to the books: http://opsandtactics.blogspot.com/

The development blog will always have the most current versions of everything.