VALKYRIA CHRONICLESROLEPLAYING GAME

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(PLACEHOLDER: TABLE OF CONTENTS 1 - RECTO) Contents

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Foreword

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Fore

wor

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It is the year 1935…War has descended once more upon the continent of Europa. Two powers, the Imperial Alliance, and the Atlantic Federation, clash yet again to continue a war that never truly ended, and seems destined to never truly end. Until the tide of iron and lead is held back with a wall of dearly sold lives, and the Europan fields

bear witness to bitter sacrifice, this conflict can see no conclusion.

Only one thing is clear: it is Ragnite that was the cause for this war, and it is Ragnite

that will end it. The lack of it forced the Imperials’ hand, and they saw no recourse but

to take it from their neighbors, by force if need be. It is Ragnite that gives life and salves

wounds, but it too is the power that moves engines of war. It burns to give light, yet it may

burn to take life as well. Ragnite is the fulcrum upon which Europa turns, and industry

and society demand more of it.

While the Imperials blitz through the Federation’s defenses, the call of Ragnite has also

led them to be emboldened enough to launch an invasion against a peaceful, independent,

and neutral principality: the Principality of Gallia. Outnumbered, outgunned, and

outmatched, the Principality of Gallia seems doomed to fall.

Nevertheless, there is still hope. The Imperial Alliance failed to cow Gallia once before.

Now its army marches with veterans, its banners carried on the backs of a citizen army

that has prepared for war since childhood. Gallia will fight bitterly for its independence.

And perhaps, like the Lion’s Paw flower, it will find a way to live.

But strange rumors are already being whispered. Some say that ancient ruins have been

uncovered, yielding terribly powerful weapons of war. Some whisper of old and noble blood

running strong, of the awakening of the pure-blooded scions of the old Valkyrur race. If

such rumors are true, they can be Europa’s new hope, or its greatest despair. Only time

can tell.

Introduction

Intr

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The WarComes Home

Welcome to the Gallian battlefield, soldier! VALKYRIA CHRONICLES is a roleplaying game of war and hope, where players take on the role of Gallian soldiers fighting against the tyrannical invasion of the Imperial Alliance, all set within the same colorful and vibrant world as the renowned (and similarly named) Valkyria Chronicles console roleplaying games. Individually, the player characters are soldiers, but together, they are a squad, one of many such squads in a regiment, performing direct action missions of varying profiles, strengthening their bonds of camaraderie, and being one of many ridding Gallia of foreign invasion.

The world of VALKYRIA CHRONICLES is a recently industrialized world, mired in a pitched war that threatens to engulf the entire continent of Europa in the fires of destruction. The war has recently come calling to the neutral Principality of Gallia—your home—because of its abundance in Ragnite: a natural resource that is vital to the industrial world. Now Gallian plains resound with the thunderous beat of guns great and small, and the squeak of treads and Ragnite engines of armored tanks are its new anthem. Even worse, strange rumors abound of the resurgence of great and terrible power. Some say the pure-blooded descendants of the old Valkyrur have surfaced, the potential of their ancient blood flowing in their veins, and that the Imperials have one such individual among their ranks. But these are all just rumors, surely?

The goal of VALKYRIA CHRONICLES is to tell war stories, of soldiers at the front, facing the inexorable advance of a power so much greater and more terrible than their own nation. But all hope is not lost, for all the sons and daughters of Gallia have mobilized to fight against these invaders. And perhaps, through skill—and not a little bit of luck—you may yet triumph. After all, your nation was founded on the principles of the noble Valkyrur, and with their guiding hand, you cannot be defeated.

WHAT IS A ROLEPLAYING GAME?In a roleplaying game (RPG), players gather around a table (or any other suitable environment) with the intention of telling stories. While the term RPG is similar to the term used for many video games (such as the one this book is based on), and though they descend from the same lineage, the manner of their execution is quite different. Even if you think you know the definition of an RPG, it is encouraged that you read on, especially if you came here from exposure to the Valkyria Chronicles console roleplaying game.

Many of these RPGs focus on a particular setting, theme, and mood. Some of them focus on high adventure, while some of them indulge in political intrigue. Others focus on the mundane, quotidian, and every-day life, while still others forge paths to the fantastical, the mystical, and

future, or alternate realities. Some of them are relatively peaceful endeavors, while others (like this one) focus on war and conflict.

Indeed, the worlds and themes roleplaying games can encompass are extremely diverse, and the manner in which they are played is equally so. Nevertheless, there are a few constants.

Most of the players create a character (known as a Player Character, or a PC), an alter ego through which they will explore the world and fight, defining his strengths, weaknesses, their history and personality. Players make decisions that impact the story as it unfolds. When decisions must be made and action taken, the game’s system springs to life. The function of the rules in an RPG is to facilitate how you control and define a character in the game in certain situations, such as setting up camp, fixing a tank, or providing suppressive fire against an Imperial squad. Often, you are required to roll dice when the outcome of an action is in doubt or carries a risk of failure, with the result dictating success or failure. This chance of failure adds vibrancy to the game, so when success is achieved, it is well-deserved. While at first the rules will seem intimidating, you will quickly discover they are very easy to learn, and quite intuitive. VALKYRIA CHRONICLES is based on the WARHAMMER 40,000 ROLEPLAYING SYSTEM, in particular the incarnation of the rules as presented in the RPG ONLY WAR (an intriguing RPG and setting in its own right). This system is designed on a simple set of base mechanics. Once these basic mechanics are understood, everything else becomes easy.

Helping to interpret and adjudicate these rules is the Game Master (GM). The role of GM is decided by consensus, but it is usually pretty obvious who it should be. The GM is one person in the group who bears multiple responsibilities. Firstly, and most importantly, he is the narrator, the creator of your story. The characters live in the world he depicts through his words, and he describes any situation and setting as best as he can. Secondly, he interprets the rules, using them to service a good story, and being a sort of referee. Thirdly, he plays all the non-player characters that the players interact with (including their enemies), imbuing them with life, personality, motivation, and memorability for the players. If the players are actors playing characters in a movie, then the GM is the director who dictates the scene and the tone.

With the interaction of the players and the GM, they collaboratively create a story. There is no winning or losing in a roleplaying game. All roleplaying games follow one simple rule that dominates above all others: have fun. If the story is vibrant and active and everyone is having fun, then everyone wins. If the players are bored, inactive, and disapproving, then everyone loses. It is a group effort, so the onus is on everyone in the group to make sure that this improvisational theatre of the mind is as much fun for everyone as possible.

IntroductionAn Example of Play

It’s been a timeless problem to explain role-playing games to anyone, and often the best way to “get” it is to read or watch actual play experience. While this book is not accompanied by a video, there are many video examples of roleplay that can be searched on the Internet (here’s hoping you find one with a good group). This doesn’t go too much into the rules (I don’t want to overwhelm you with rules this early), but it does let you see the basics of roleplaying: that it’s really just a game of acting and telling stories collaboratively with friends. You might want to seek out other examples of play of other RPGs on the Internet. In Japan, chronicling RPG sessions for public perusal (they call them “replays”) is a source of entertainment, and have spawned entire media franchises of TV shows and movies! Reading or watching different styles of examples of play can be fun in and of itself.

In this example, Andy is the Game Master. Nina is playing Kaylinn, the squad Sergeant. Ted is playing Sarkoff, a headstrong Scout. Mark is playing Oscar, a veteran Shocktrooper. Carla is playing Rasti, an arrogant Sniper. The four of them belong to B Company of the 14th Rifle Division. When an ambush struck their company as they were making a push into the Imperial-occupied Gallian city of Clearlake. Separated from company and comrades when extracting themselves from the ambush, they must follow the sounds of gunfire to reconnect with their unit, all while treading lightly as they travel through the war-torn city.

Andy (GM): Though only 20 minutes ago, you were chased through the streets by intense gunfire, now the streets are empty. You guess that the Imperials must be following B Company through the city. You scan your surroundings. The cobblestone street beneath your feet makes each of your steps click. All around you are houses, two to three stories high, each of which could hold a hidden Imperial squad. The echo of weapons fire can be heard at a distance, though you’re not quite sure how far. It must be B Company engaging with the enemy. What do you do?

Nina (Kaylinn): “Eyes open everyone, and try to keep silent. We’re sitting ducks until we get back to B Company. Rasti, can you tell where those shots are coming from?”

Carla (Rasti): I can make a Perception Test to find out, right Clark?

Andy (GM): Feel free.Carla rolls a Perception Test.Carla (Rasti): I passed my Test.Andy (GM): Good work. You can tell that the noise

is coming from a northeasterly direction, and it can’t be more than a kilometer way. Your problem, however, is that the road you’re on only goes northwest, and the way back is southeast.

Ted (Sarkoff): “This is getting us nowhere. I’m busting down houses, see if we can find a way to cut through them to get there faster.”

Nina (Kaylinn): Good idea. We’ll take a house on the

right and see where that takes us. “Oscar, cover the door while Sarkoff makes entry. Rasti, watch those windows.”

Mark (Oscar): “Got it, boss.” I stack up beside Sarkoff on the door.

Carla (Rasti): “On it.” I train my rifle on the windows.Ted (Sarkoff): Once everyone’s in position, I kick the

door open and immediately rush inside, covering left.Mark (Oscar): I go in after him, covering right.Andy (GM): The house seems empty of occupants...

on the first floor at least.Ted (Sarkoff): I shout “Clear!” to signal Kaylinn and

Rasti to come in after us.Andy (GM): Inside, the house looks a mess. Scattered

chairs around a table indicate what might have been a living room, while sunlight streams in above the kitchen, and over a hole in the floor, where a dud artillery round rests. Apparently it tore through the roof and the second floor. There doesn’t seem to be a back door that would lead to further houses, and a fence surrounds the house anyway, though a single wooden stair goes up to the second floor.

Ted (Sarkoff): I take point again and bolt up the stairs, not even bothering to quiet my steps when I do. I mention, “Might be a way to get to the other houses through the second floor.”

Carla (Rasti): “Sarkoff, what in the hell?!” I chase after him.

Andy (GM): Sarkoff, when you reach the upper floor, you see two rooms on either side of the stairs. One of them has an open window, and you can see it leads to an open window on another house, exactly where you want to go. They’re probably separated by a small gap. Rasti, you caught up with Sarkoff.

Carla (Rasti): I put a firm grip on Sarkoff’s shoudler and jerk him around so he’s looking at me. “Sarkoff, are you crazy? Kaylinn said we keep quiet, and that’s what we’re gonna do. You don’t off without telling anyone.”

Ted (Sarkoff): “We’re cut off from the company, and we need to get back as fast as possible. Don’t you see that?”

Carla (Rasti): “No, YOU need to get back... because you’re worried about Martha. Look, I know you’re thinking about what’s happening to her while the company is under fire, but she can take care of herself.”

Ted (Sarkoff): “You can’t seriously be telling me to slow down when our friends need us.”

Carla (Rasti): “Yeah, I am. You don’t get to go ahead without a care for the consequences and leave the three of us to take care of the mess you’ll make. You’ll draw Imps if you get careless, and we’re all in trouble then. You do NOT get to put me in a situation where I can die. I’m too valuable to this unit to die.”

Ted (Sarkoff): “Well, I’m sorry I’m not as good at killing people as you. Unlike all of you, I’m not so death-obsessed. You can stay here if you want. I’m going on ahead, with or without the rest of the squad.” I wrench myself away from Rasti’s grip on my shoulder, and sprint to the open window, attempting to make the jump.

Carla (Rasti): “Sarkoff, you son of a bitch!”Andy (GM): It’s a jump with some distance. Make an

Intr

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Agility or Acrobatics Test.Ted makes an Acrobatics Test, an easy pass, because

he is Trained in the Skill.Ted (Sarkoff): I passed my Test.Andy (GM): Awesome. You run across the room,

avoiding the hole in the floor you saw earlier, and jump the gap between the windows, landing clear into the next room. Unfortunately, it seems there is an Imperial soldier here, slumped against a wall. When you landed on the floor, however, the thud jolted him awake. Quick to react, he quickly picks up his rifle!

Carla (Rasti): Dammit! Okay, I don’t think I can make the jump to chase after him, but I run up to the window anyway to see if there’s anything in the alleyway between the houses.

Andy (GM): Good thinking. As you reach the window, you suddenly hear from below, “Gallians! Up there, in the windows! One of them just jumped through to the building on the right!” When you poke your head out, you’re greeted by automatic fire. Imperial soldiers in the alley are trying to lay down Suppressive Fire on you! I’ll make a roll for them. Little chance of you getting hit, though.

Andy rolls for Suppressive Fire for the Imperial soldiers. As expected, because of the nature of the attack, no bullets hit home.

Andy (GM): Rasti, you’ll still have to roll a -20 Willpower Test to resist being Pinned, though.

Carla (Rasti): Argh. Alright.Carla rolls for the Test, and as expected, the penalty,

and her already low Willpower makes her fail.

Carla (Rasti): Nooooo.Andy (GM): Lead streaks toward you. You duck back

behind the wall in time for protection, but the bullets tear splinters off the timber framework. The fire is too much, and you dare not stick your head back out. You’re Pinned, Rasti. Kaylinn, Oscar, the sound of gunfire has already drawn you upstairs, firearms at the ready.

Nina (Kaylinn): “What in the name of the Valkyrur is going on?!”

Carla (Rasti): “Sarkoff jumped to the other house and stirred up the hornet’s nest! We’ve got maybe two Imps in the alley!”

Nina (Kaylinn): “Brilliant. Alright, we have to get to him now.”

Mark (Oscar): “Grenades down the alley now, if we’re in a hurry.”

Nina (Kaylinn): “Alright, me and Rasti on covering fire. Oscar, get a grenade out. On 3. Let’s do this right. We’re all getting back alive.”

What happens next? It is likely the GM will have everyone roll for Initiative, to formally begin combat. They then take turns in Structured Time doing actions. What will happen to Sarkoff and the Imperial he’s confronting? Will the squad make it out alive as Kaylinn said? And what of the ambushed B Company? Will they be valiantly holding out when the squad reconnects with them, or torn to pieces by the Imperials. Nina, Ted, Mark, and Carla will find out as their game goes on...

I: Playing the Game

I:Playing the Game

• THE TOOLS OF PLAY

• TESTS

• THE ROLE OF FATE

• MOVEMENT

I: Pl

ayin

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e Gam

eChapter I:

Playing the Game

Outlined in this chapter are the game’s core mechanics. Through these mechanics, both the players and the GM can play VALKYRIA CHRONICLES. The rules cover Tests, the basic method of task resolution, and how to set task difficulties Special rules and conditions, and how they affect the player, are also covered.

The Tools of Play

To facilitate play, VALKYRIA CHRONICLES requires a few things in place before play can begin. Two of these are of vital importance that it’s worth spending a few words on how they work.

GAME DICEVALKYRIA CHRONICLES’ rules use ten-sided to decide if actions are successful or not. These ten-sided dice can be purchased in your local game store. Ideally, each player will need at least two or three of these, and the GM will sometimes require at least twice more than that.

In RPG parlance, dice rolls are notated with a format. One ten-sided die is notated as “1d10”, for example, while two ten-sided dice are notated as “2d10”, etc. If notated as such, all you need to do is roll the amount of dice indicated and add their result. For example, if the game or GM asks you to roll 2d10, roll two ten-sided dice, and add what comes up. If, for example, a 6 and 3 come up, you get a value of 9.

Sometimes, you will be required to generate a random number between 1 and 100. This is often called a percentile roll, and is notated as 1d100. Obviously, a one hundred-sided die is rare, but two ten-sided die serve this purpose adequately. Roll two-ten sided die, designating one as the “tens” digit and the other as the “ones” digit before the roll is made (differently coloured dice help in this regard). For example, if you designate a red ten-sided die as the “tens”, and a blue one as the “ones”, and roll them, and the result comes up as 6 for the red, and 3 for the blue, the result you have is a 63.

There will be times when the rules will ask for a 1d5 roll. Again, a single ten-sided die is adequate to the task. Simply roll a 1d10, divide the result by two, and round up.

CHARACTER SHEETSTo track the capabilities, strengths, weaknesses, condition, and other things about his character, a player will need a character sheet especially designed for the VALKYRIA CHRONICLES RPG. A copy is provided at the end of this document, and is also available for free at . You will have to print these character sheets.

Later, the character creation rules will provide you information on how to fill out this character sheet to outline your character’s capabilities. During play, players will refer to this character sheet often when the GM asks them to test their abilities. Always take care of your character sheet, and do not lose it! If you can, store it in a folder or clearbook during or after play.

…AND ALL THE RESTA few more things are required before you start playing VALKYRIA CHRONICLES:

• A copy of this rulebook, digital or physical• Three or more people to play the game• A quiet place to play around (the vast majority play on a table at home or at a café, but any place you deem adequate is fine)• Three or four hours of gaming time• Paper, for notes• Pencils• Erasers• Wouldn’t hurt to throw a sharpener in there too• Snacks and drinks (you will need this, just trust me on this. Portable one-hand snacks are ideal, like sandwiches, pizza, or chips.)• Maybe a copy of the different soundtracks of the Valkyria Chronicles games, for flavour and mood.

To plot out combat maps and the like (and you will need to, or else everyone who played Valkyria Chronicles on the console will throw a fit), some people are content to use graphing paper. This is perfectly fine for some people, but others like to buy a whiteboard, pre-marked with a grid, and one they can draw on with dry erase markers. Often they will use figures or tokens to represent the Player Characters, their opponents, as well as other facets of the battlefield. Others will prefer the electronic method, using computers to map out the combat grid for them, and displaying it in a projector screen or a large TV visible to all in the table.

You decide which method is right for your group. The graphing paper approach is cheap, but suffers from lack of visualization. The whiteboard-with-figures method might be expensive, but it does elevate the game to a tangible level. Maybe you have figures lying around and you can split money for the whiteboard? The electronic method is obviously prohibitively expensive if you don’t have the materials at all beforehand. But if you do, the potential for play is definitely increased (bigger combat maps not bound by table size, for example).

Always remember, whatever method you use to portray your combat maps, the first rule of any roleplaying

I: Playing the Game

game is to have fun. Choose whatever your group is most having fun with.

CHARACTERISTICSCharacteristics are a definition of a character’s natural potential, the attributes that define the limits of his physical and mental capability. They come in the form of a number in between 1 and 100. Each character in VALKYRIA CHRONICLES has nine different Characteristics, representing nine different areas where he can define his ability. Many of these will be modified in an individual role by Skills, Potentials, equipment bonuses, the environment and immediate conditions, and other external factors. Because Characteristics define the target number of a dice roll for each Test, a higher Characteristic is always better than a lower one. Each is listed here with a brief description and their common abbreviation (sometimes used in the rules).

WEAPON SKILL (WS)Weapon Skill is a measurement of a character’s ability in melee and hand-to-hand fighting. Whenever a character is swinging his limbs to fight, whether using fists, blades, or the butt of his rifle, Weapon Skill is what defines how good he is at it.

BALLISTIC SKILL (BS)Ballistic Skill is the Characteristic for which a character’s accuracy in ranged combat will depend upon. Accuracy in small arms, tank cannons, a lance, or chucking grenades relies upon this.

STRENGTH (S)The physical strength of a character, and how much power he can put in strikes, or his power to push, pull, or lift heavy objects. Melee damage is modified by strength, as is how much equipment a character can carry.

TOUGHNESS (T)This defines the hardiness of a character. The higher this is, the easier a character can handle serious injury or resist poisons, toxin, stressful environments, and other factors that will test his physical endurance.

AGILITY (AG)Agility is a measure of a character’s speed, reflexes, poise, and fine motor control. Whenever a character has to dodge a sword or perform athletic or acrobatic actions that require delicate skill, this Characteristic is called for.

INTELLIGENCE (INT)The character’s general mental faculty and breadth of knowledge is what this Characteristic measures. Reasoning, logic, research, the connection of facts, memory, and technical acumen will all call upon this Characteristic.

PERCEPTION (PER)A character’s awareness, and how attuned his senses are to changes in his environment fall under the domain of

this Characteristic. When searching for clues, getting a bearing on direction with the stars, or scouting for Imperial soldiers in camouflaged positions, Perception will define how good you are at it.

WILLPOWER (WP)Mental fortitude and a character’s willingness to push forward and carry on despite adversity fall under the purview of Willpower. When a character has to take action despite enemy suppressive fire, or must snap out of a reverie after seeing his best friend die to an Imperial artillery strike, Willpower will see him through. It is thought that Valkyria use Willpower to strengthen their awesome powers, though no such confirmation exists.

FELLOWSHIP (FEL)Fellowship determines your people skills and your social acumen, and is a measure of how well you innately interact with others. When befriending the company quartermaster, inspiring your platoon to stand firm, or romancing a companion, this Characteristic comes into play.

CHARACTERISTIC BONUSESAs explained previously, Characteristics are a number between 1 and 100. This number is also the source for a Characteristic Bonus, which is equal to the tens digit of a Characteristic. For example, a character with a Willpower of 56 has a Willpower Bonus of 5. These Characteristic Bonuses are used in many different ways, and usually they are called for to add their value in some way (such as damage, range, etc.)

When a Characteristic Bonus is abbreviated in the text, it will use the abbreviations listed above with a “B” added to the end (for example, Strength Bonus would be “SB”, with “S” being the abbreviation for Strength).

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eTests

The Test is the basic mechanic for determining success and failure in VALKYRIA CHRONICLES. If a character must do something that has consequences for success or failure, or has direct effect on the game and the story—such as shooting a lance at an Imperial tank’s Ragnite radiator, determining the combat tactics of an enemy commander through his troop movements, or persuading a fellow soldier to take your place in the patrol—the GM may ask the player to roll a Test to determine how well they do.

STEPS TO MAKING A TEST• Determine the Skill or Characteristic being Tested. Every Test has to correspond to a Characteristic or Skill (which is a certain way of using a Characteristic). Usually the GM will announce this to the player, though the player can make suggestions if he thinks a different Skill or Characteristic can be used.• Once the Characteristic, or the Characteristic that is attached to a Skill, is determined, add or subtract any modifiers that may make the Test easier or harder. The difficulty of a Test is set by the GM, which may add or subtract to the Characteristic being Tested. In addition, environmental factors may come into play. For example, a Tracking Test made in clear terrain in daylight might get a +10 or +20 modifier, while the same Test made in rough terrain at a cloudy, moonless night might impose a -10 or -20 penalty.• Once the final number after modifiers are added and subtracted is determined, make a percentile roll.• If the result of the percentile roll is less than or equal to the final number of the Characteristic being Tested, then the Test is a SUCCESS.• On the other hand, if the result of the percentile roll is greater than the final number of the Characteristic being Tested, then the test is a FAILURE.• Note that a natural roll of a 01 means that the Test is an automatic success, even if the total modifiers of the Characteristic would have made the target number less than 01. Likewise, if the result is a natural 100, then the result is always a Failure, regardless if the modifiers would have made the target number go above 100.

SKILL TESTSSkill Tests are the most common tests made in VALKYRIA CHRONICLES. Each Skill has a Characteristic associated with it (located in this rulebook as well as in the character sheet) that sets the base level of the Skill on a scale of 1-100. For example, Command is associated with Fellowship, while Awareness is associated with Perception. When a call for a Skill Test is made, the player of the character performing the action takes any relevant positive and negative modifiers to the Characteristic as determined by the GM. Once the final number is determined, the player makes a percentile roll and compares the result to the final target number. Any result equal to or less than the final target number means the character succeeds at the Test.

A Skill Test is always easier if a character is trained in the Skill. If a character is untrained at a Skill, he can still attempt to do it, but he does so at a severe penalty. Testing an untrained Skill results in a -20 penalty to the Test, in addition to any other external penalties and the difficulty of the Test.

CHARACTERISTIC TESTSWhile Skill Tests are often made for most tasks, sometimes there will be tasks that fall under no particular Skill. In these cases, the GM chooses a Characteristic and you test that Characteristic as is. This can be anything from pushing through some sandbags or remembering someone’s face, and is most often used in determining the accuracy of an attack in combat. Again, follow the steps to making a Test, adding or subtracting any modifiers, but none from a Skill (because none exist). In all other respects, this is the same as a typical Test.

DEGREES OF SUCCESS AND FAILUREIn most cases, all that is required to be determined in a Test is whether it succeeded or failed. There are times though (most often in combat) where how great the degree of success and failure may be an important factor.

Degrees of Success (DoS) and Failure (DoF) can be measured quite easily. If the Test is a success, then that is already one DoS. For every 10 points by which the character succeeds, she gains one DoS. Conversely, if the Test was a failure, then that is one DoF. For every 10 points by which she fails, the character gains one DoF.

AUTOMATIC SUCCESS AND FAILUREAs a general rule, one shouldn’t Test for every task. The GM should generally only call for a Test if the outcome is in doubt and the action carries consequences for failure. Otherwise, the game would slow down considerably. Simple, stress-free tasks such as climbing a ladder or running through open terrain, should require no Test. On the other hand, the GM can simply rule a task fails outright due to impossibility, to prevent players fishing for a natural 01.

EXAMPLESoldier Edy Nelson has to lead her squad back to base, with only the natural foliage terrain features to guide her. This would call for a Navigate (Woods) Test, which is associated with Intelligence, of which Edy has a score of 37. However, because she is untrained in Navigate (Woods), she suffers a -20 penalty, and thus must hope that the result is lower than or equal to 17. If it was raining with low visibility, the GM could rule that the Test has a Hard difficulty, which would be a further -20, resulting in slim chances that Edy would find her way back, and a very bad day of patrol for her squad.

I: Playing the Game

EXAMPLERounding a corner at a sprint, Soldier Jane Turner finds herself face-to-face with an Imperial trooper. Acting quickly, she swings her assault rifle up to her hip, and opens up with a full-auto burst. Jane has a Ballistic Skill of 49. Her player makes a percentile roll and gets a result of 14: a success! That results in one Degree of Success, plus one each for every 10 points by which she succeeds, which is 3. The total is four Degrees of Success, which means all four rounds from the full-auto burst all hit home, tearing into the poor Imp soldier.

EXTENDED TESTSThere will be cases where a character may have no choice but to perform a task for an extended period of time, often due to the complex nature of the task. An example of a task like this is repairing a vehicle, or hitting the books for research. In such a case, the GM will usually announce an Extended Test, which consists of multiple Skill Tests. Each Skill Test will consume a given length of time, usually provided by the GM or the task itself. A GM can always modify this length of time to suit the purposes of the story.

OPPOSED TESTSAt times, a character will have to make a Test against a foe, who is himself making a Test in opposition to the character. As can be imagined, this is often done in combat, such as in grappling, but it can also apply to non-combat tasks, such as a race. These sorts of Tests are called Opposed Tests. Both participants make a Test as normal, and the one who succeeds wins. If both participants succeed, then the one with the most Degrees of Success wins. If the DoS are equal, then the participant with the higher relevant Characteristic Bonus wins. In the unlikely result that this is a tie, then the lowest die roll wins.

If both participants lose, the GM can decide on which of these two things occur: either the Test ends in a stalemate, with no one winning, or they can keep making Tests until someone wins. Both are appropriate, and it us up to the GM which method he wants to use.

TEST DIFFICULTYA Test, as mentioned before, can have varying difficulty, depending on the external circumstances, with the environment most contributing to any difficulty factors. A Gallian sniper can be observing Imp positions at a bright, clear day, while another can be doing the same thing under a rainy, moonless night. Both might demand an Awareness Skill Test, but one is clearly more difficult than the other. How much harder, though?

Such a call can be stated in the text for Test itself, usually in a format like (Hard (-20) Awareness Test), but quite often the GM will have to determine the difficulty himself. The GM chooses an appropriate modifier from Table 1-1: Test Difficulty below, which is then added or subtracted as a modifier to the Characteristic being Tested.

Table 1-1: Test DifficultyDifficulty Test Modifier

Trivial +60

Elementary +50

Simple +40

Easy +30

Routine +20

Ordinary +10

Challenging +0

Difficult -10

Hard -20

Very Hard -30

Arduous -40

Punishing -50

Hellish -60

ASSISTANCEIt will be a strange thing to go through a game of VALKYRIA CHRONICLES alone. A soldier is part of a squad comprised of other Player Characters and their Comrades. They may succeed together in tasks where others would fail alone. Perhaps it’s breaking down a door, or pushing a tank out of a mudtrap. In any case, such scenarios might need the squad to work together.

In such cases, the primary actor of the Test can (with the GM’s permission) ask the assistance of other characters in the squad, or indeed, any NPC in the vicinity that might be willing to help, or can be convinced. When the percentile roll is made, only the main actor actually makes the roll, but everyone else who assists reduces the difficulty of the Test by one degree. If the Test should succeed, the character gains an additional Degree of Success by dint of the assistance.

LIMITS ON ASSISTANCESome Tests must be made alone, and cannot benefit from the assistance of other characters. Such Tests are usually self-evident, but in any case, here are the restrictions for assistance:

• A character must have training in a Skill when assisting a Skill Test.• The assisting character must be adjacent to the main actor performing the Test.• If a character is performing a Test as part of a Reaction or Free Action, no assistance can be rendered to such Tests.• When Testing to resist poison, toxin, disease, or Fear, assistance cannot be rendered.• No more than two characters may assist in a single Test, unless the GM decides it is permissible and applicable.• The GM has the final word on whether assistance is possible or not.

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eThe Role of Fate

All Player Characters begin play with at least one Fate Point. The exact number of Fate Points a character gets is decided upon character creation, though more can be received in the course of the campaign. Fate Points, in an abstract way, mark the Player Characters as narratively separate from the thousands of other Gallian soldiers fighting and dying against the Imperials. As members of a story centered on them, the Player Characters are destined for great things, marked by fate to better see things through. While it may not mean they are invincible, it does mean that they are more than just an ordinary trooper.

USING FATE POINTSFate Points allow players to better mold the story, shaping narrative to their will. With these rare points, they can mitigate bad situations or turn failure into success. It is designed so that players are not so afraid of facing risk, and the game retains a sense of adventure, which makes for more exciting stories. Most importantly, it gives player characters a “bye” against character death, though it will still cost them dearly.

A character has a limited pool of Fate Points from which to draw from. Any spent Fate Points are replenished in the next game session, or in the middle of a session that the GM deems appropriate (often a reward for excellent roleplaying). Fate Point use is a Free Action, and is also usable at any time, on anyone’s turn.

Spending a Fate Point allows the character to do one of the following:

• Re-roll a failed test once. The results of the re-roll are final.• Gain a +10 bonus to the Test. The Fate Point must be spent before the dice are rolled.• Add a Degree of Success to the Test. The Fate Point may be spent immediately after a successful Test.• Count as having rolled a 10 for Initiative.• Instantly remove 1d5 Damage (this doesn’t affect Critical Damage).• Instantly recover from being Stunned.• Remove all levels of Fatigue.

BURNING FATE POINTSCharacter death is a real thing, and when it happens, it is unfortunately permanent. But Fate Points can shape this too, delaying a meaningless death. When a character dies, he may “burn” a Fate Point, permanently reducing his maximum number of Fate Points by one. Whatever killed the player character, it is (mostly) ignored. He miraculously survives, through some contrivance that the GM or the player can think up. He isn’t unscarred, though. A character inside a tank when it blows up may survive through burning a Fate Point, but will have horrible burns, and is, for the moment, unconscious with zero Wounds, barely alive. More complicated situations (such as, for

example, drowning in a river, never to be seen again) will be left to the GM and the player himself to work out how exactly the Player Character scrapes back to the land of the living.

Other strange and rare circumstances can demand the burning of a Fate Point, usually in the form of a Test to manifest a supernatural (some say Valkyrian) ability. In such cases, the text of the ability will usually say when it is possible or required to burn a Fate Point.

A Fate Point can be burned even if it has already been used for the session.

GAINING ADDITIONAL FATE POINTSCharacters can gain additional Fate Points depending on the discretion of the GM. This means, among other things, that burned Fate Points can be recovered (though rarely). The GM can award new Fate Points when the campaign reaches a certain dramatic point, a key turn in the plot, or for great roleplaying of acts of cunning, cleverness, heroism, duty, sacrifice, and camaraderie. The GM always has the final word on awarding Fate Points.

Movement

In certain situations—most often in combat and forced marches—it is necessary to find out how fast a character can move. In a game of VALKYRIA CHRONICLES, there are two ways of keeping time, Narrative Time and Structured Time, and each has its own rules for determining movement.

STRUCTURED AND NARRATIVE TIME

Structured Time is typically used in combat. During these times, a character can use an Action (Actions, and combat in detail are discussed later in Chapter VIII: Combat) to move in one of four speeds: Half Move, Full Move, Charge, or Run. Each will move the character a certain number of meters, as determined by his Agility Bonus, and may be modified through some Potentials or Traits. The exact number of meters a character moves, corresponding with his Agility Bonus, is detailed below in Table 1-2: Structured Time Movement.

Table 1-2: Structured Time Movement (Meters/Round)

AB Half MoveFull Move Charge Run

0 1/2 1 2 3

1 1 2 3 6

2 2 4 6 12

3 3 6 9 18

4 4 8 12 24

5 5 10 15 30

I: Playing the Game

Table 1-2: Structured Time Movement (Meters/Round)

AB Half MoveFull Move Charge Run

6 6 12 18 36

7 7 14 21 42

8 8 16 24 48

9 9 18 27 54

10 10 20 30 60

In Narrative Time, a character is usually not involved in combat, but is in a situation that, while it is not as critically important to know his exact movement, might still be useful. Narrative Time Movement rates is the speed of a character moving at standard speeds in a leisurely fashion. Other external factors can obviously affect this, such as weather, terrain, and environment, and can assist the character in their travel or become troublesome in their presence.

Table 1-3: Narrative Time MovementAB Per Minute Per Hour Per Day

0 12m 0.75km 7km

1 24m 1.5km 15km

2 48m 3km 30km

3 72m 4km 40km

4 96m 6km 60km

5 120m 7km 70km

6 144m 9km 90km

7 168m 10km 100km

8 192m 12km 120km

9 216m 13km 130km

10 240m 14km 140km

NARRATIVE MOVEMENT AND TERRAINThe state of the local terrain that the character or squad is treading on will greatly affect the pace of their movement in Narrative Time. The cobblestone streets of Bruhl are obviously far less of a hassle than the thick vegetation of the Kloden Wildwood. Thick foliage, dense crowds, trafficked roads, soft sand, deep mud, can all hinder progress, so a character’s movement in Narrative Time is halved in such places. Furthermore, the GM determines if characters receive any penalties or the like for navigating these environments.

HURRYINGFor a number of hours equal to his Toughness Bonus, a character can pick up the pace, doubling his Narrative Time Movement rate. After this period, the character must make a Challenging (+0) Toughness Test or take 1 level of Fatigue. In addition, a Hurrying character is otherwise too focused on making his way expeditiously through the

terrain, and thus suffers from a -10 to all Perception-based Tests.

Through whatever circumstance might dictate it, a character can keep up his increased pace, suffering an increasing difficulty in his Toughness Test every time to avoid accruing more levels of Fatigue. For example, the character suffers a -10 penalty to his Toughness Test after the second time period, a -20 on the third, and so forth.

RUNNING AND NARRATIVE TIMEA character may Run in Narrative Time, though doing so drains what reserves of energy he has very quickly. By Running, a character can move triple his Narrative Time Movement rate. However, each hour of sustained Running requires the character to make a Toughness Test with a cumulative -10 for each successive hour past the first to maintain this grueling pace. Failing the Toughness Tests grants 1 Fatigue level. Worse, Running characters suffer from a -20 to all Perception-based Tests, as they are far too dead set on maintaining double time. Much like Hurrying, a character can keep pushing himself to the limit, but penalties are cumulative and will accumulate.

FORCED MARCHINGA standard day’s march is around ten hours a day, but battlefield circumstances or their commanding officer’s needs can make them go beyond this time. Characters can press forward a number of hours equal to their Toughness Bonus without fear. Beyond this, a character must make a Toughness Test with a cumulative -10 penalty for each hour traveled beyond his Toughness Bonus. A character who fails his test gains 1 level of Fatigue. Because of the Fatigue being gained, it is possible that a character might faint due to marching. Every 2 hours of rest removes one level of Fatigue gained from forced marching.

CLIMBINGA soldier’s life is never just marching. Sometimes, to navigate an obstacle, you have to go above it instead of around it. Scaling a small house, descending from a fortified wall, or getting to an overwatch position might all require climbing in some form. Climbing is divided into two types: simple climbs and sheer surfaces.

SIMPLE CLIMBSSimple climbs are performed on sudden, steep low elevation, such as a low wall, fence, a post, or the lip of a trench. Such terrain requires concentration but not really expert skill to negotiate. In cases where the character is not being distracted and can take his time, no roll is needed.

Simple climbs are complicated when a character cannot focus on the task. When he is hurrying, being chased, under fire, or other such stress, he must make a Challenging (+0) Strength or Agility Test (player’s choice). With one Degree of Success, the character completes a climb at a rate of one-half his Half Move speed. Each further DoS is an additional meter. If the Test failed, the character falls from his starting climbing position. The GM can adjust the difficulty of this task depending on other

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efactors, but in general, simple climbs, such as stairs or a strongly built ladder, are so simple as to require no Test.

SHEER SURFACESAny climb that is complex enough to require training in skill and specialized equipment falls under here. The sheer cliffs of the Marberry Shore, or the treacherous and icy heights of the Diebal Mountains, and even the walls of the Ghirlandaio Fortress are examples of this type of terrain. Climbing these challenging surfaces requires a Hard (-10) Climb Test. One Degree of Success means the character has climbed half of his Half Move speed, with each further Degree of Success allowing him one more meter of elevation. If the Test is failed, the character falls from his starting climbing position. Some specialized tools, such as ropes and harnesses, may make this task easier and provide bonuses.

ABSEILINGSometimes there will be a need to descend a sheer surface quickly, whether that is from a natural cliff face, or from a building to a window in the wall. Abseiling can be attempted in such cases to quickly climb down. This requires specialized climbing gear, a drop harness, and a strong line, before the character makes a Challenging (+0) Agility Test. With one DoS, the character descends at a rate of 10 meters per round, plus an additional meter for every DoS. With one DoF, the descent rate is reduced to 5 meters per Round. With two or more DoF, the character must make a Challenging (+0) Strength Test to maintain his grip. Failure means he loses his grip—and will fall to grievous injury or death if he is not equipped with a drop harness or otherwise secured.

JUMPING AND LEAPINGA jump is any controlled vertical ascent or descent wherein a character attempts to jump as high as he can, or jump safely down from an elevated surface with the intent to not take Damage. If a character is pushed off an elevated surface, and otherwise had no hand in his fall, he is not jumping, but falling (he will likely take damage. Falling is discussed in a later portion of the book). A leap, meanwhile, is a horizontal jump where a character covers as much ground as possible. Bot tasks benefit from a running start, and both require a Full Action.

STANDING VERTICAL JUMPSOn average, a character can jump roughly one-half meter off the ground, as measured from his feet. This height only varies slightly among characters, depending as it does on body mass as much as Strength and Agility. With this, a character can reach a ledge or item that would otherwise be out of reach, provided it is as high as his own height, plus one meter for average arm length, and an additional half-meter for the average standing jump. This task requires no Test, but if a character subsequently mantles onto a ledge, that may require a Challenging (+0) Strength Test at the GM’s discretion.

When jumping down, a character can safely descend

a number of meters equal to his Agility Bonus with a Challenging (+0) Agility Test. With one DoS, he lands on his feet without incident. If he gets a DoS, but the jump height exceeds his AB, he takes Falling Damage (see Chapter VIII: Combat) equal to the distance jumped in meters beyond his AB, and also ends the Turn prone. With one Degree of Failure, he takes Falling Damage for the entire distance of the fall and ends the turn prone. However, if he gets Degrees of Success equal to the additional meters beyond his Agility Bonus, the character takes no Falling Damage and doesn’t fall prone.

RUNNING VERTICAL JUMPSA running start of at least four meters in a straight line can increase a character’s jump height. The character makes a Challenging (+0) Agility Test. With one Degree of Success, she can add half her Strength Bonus, rounded up, to her normal vertical jump distance, with an additional half-meter for each additional DoS. If she gains a Degree of Failure, the character stumbles and must succeed on an additional Challenging (+0) Agility Test or fall prone. For every additional four meters beyond the first four that the character runs through before a jump, he receives a +10 bonus to his Agility Test, to a maximum of +30.

STANDING HORIZONTAL LEAPSThis task requires a Challenging (+0) Agility Test. With a Degree of Success, the character leaps a distance equal to his Strength Bonus, plus another half-meter for every additional DoS. With a Degree of Failure, the character only leaps a distance equal to half his Strength Bonus rounded up; each additional DoF reduces that distance by another half-meter (to a minimum of one-half meter). Should it be important, the height attained in this leap is equal to one-quarter the distance leapt in meters rounded up.

RUNNING HORIZONTAL LEAPSLike a Running Vertical Jump, a character must have four meters of running space before attempting this task. The character makes a Challenging (+0) Agility Test. With one Degree of Success, the character leaps a distance equivalent to his Strength Bonus, with another half-meter for each additional DoS. With a Degree of Failure, the character only leaps a distance equivalent to half his Strength Bonus rounded up, with each additional DoF reducing that distance by a half-meter (to a minimum of one-half meter). For every additional four meters beyond the first four that the character runs through before a jump, he receives a +10 bonus to his Agility Test, to a maximum of +30. Should it be important, the height attained in this leap is equal to one-quarter the distance leapt in meters rounded up.

SWIMMINGUnless the character is specifically created as not knowing how to swim (and that would be very strange in a society with mandatory military service like the Gallians, though not exactly uncommon), a character usually needs no Test

I: Playing the Game

to swim under ideal circumstances. But these times hardly call for ideal circumstance. It is likely that Gallian soldiers might find themselves swimming in rivers with raging currents, cold water, carrying equipment ranging from 45 to 95lbs, and sometimes fighting while doing so. Swimming under dangerous conditions demands a Challenging (+0) Swim Test as a Full Action from the character. With one Degree of Success, the character moves a number of meters equal to one-half of his Strength Bonus in any direction. He may also, at his discretion, simply tread water. A Degree of Failure means that the character is dead in the water due to confusion or some other circumstance, and cannot move for that Turn. A character can attempt to swim underwater, but must hold his breath to do so. Any character who attempts to swim but cannot physically achieve this (due to unconsciousness, paralysis, loss of limb, bound, etc.) automatically begins to sink. While underwater, it is possible for a character to Suffocate as e begins to drown. See Chapter VIII: Combat for more information on Suffocating.

Carrying heavy equipment, such as the heavy lancer armor, or indeed, a lance, makes swimming much more difficult than it otherwise would be. If a character is wearing heavy armor, or is otherwise heavily encumbered, all Swim Tests are Very Hard (-30) and a Degree of Failure automatically grants a character 1 level of Fatigue.

SWIMMING AND NARRATIVE TIMEProlonged swimming, even in ideal circumstances, is always taxing on the body. A character can swim for a number of hours equal to his Toughness Bonus. At that point, he must make a Toughness Test each hour with a cumulative -10 penalty per hour. When he fails this test, he gains a level of Fatigue. Should a character fall unconscious because of Fatigue while swimming, he immediately sinks below the surface and begins to Suffocate (see Chapter VIII: Combat). To determine the distance covered for each hour of swimming, consult Table 1-3: Narrative Time Movement, and swap the characters Agility Bonus for his Strength Bonus.

CARRYING, LIFTING, AND PUSHING OBJECTSIt is not usually of narrative concern how much weight a character can carry. Oftentimes, common sense can serve as a guide, and this is usually the consensus around the table. The average Gallian soldier can reasonably carry a standard kit. She will be able to carry her main service weapon, along with one or two side arms, such as a pistol or a sword, in addition to a few magazines of extra ammo and miscellaneous equipment in her standard kit. These rules are for the cases when the question of weight is being approached within the limits of reason. In such cases, you need only get the sum of the character’s Strength and Toughness Bonuses and compare it to Table 1-4: Carrying, Lifting, and Pushing to see the corresponding measures of her might. Certain Traits and Potentials may certainly increase this amount.

Table 1-4: Carrying, Lifting, and PushingSum of SB and TB

Max Carrying Weight

Max Lifting Weight

Max Pushing Weight

0 0.9kg 2.25kg 4.5kg

1 2.25kg 4.5kg 9kg

2 4.5kg 9kg 18kg

3 9kg 18kg 36kg

4 18kg 36kg 72kg

5 27kg 54kg 108kg

6 36kg 72kg 144kg

7 45kg 90kg 180kg

8 56kg 112kg 224kg

9 67kg 134kg 268kg

10 78kg 156kg 312kg

11 90kg 180kg 360kg

12 112kg 224kg 448kg

13 225kg 250kg 900kg

14 337kg 674kg 1,348kg

15 450kg 900kg 1,800kg

16 675kg 1,350kg 2,700kg

17 900kg 1,800kg 3,600kg

18 1,350kg 2,700kg 5,400kg

19 1,800kg 3,600kg 7,200kg

20 2,250kg 4,500kg 9,000kg

CARRYING WEIGHTThis is the amount of weight a character can carry reasonably without suffering from Fatigue and movement penalties. Any more beyond this and the character is Encumbered.

LIFTING WEIGHTThis is the amount of weight a character can lift off the ground without issue. Though he can move while lifting load, if this load exceeds his Carrying Weight, he is Encumbered. Attempting to lift a heavy load is a Full Action. A character can attempt to lift more than his limit with a Challenging (+0) Strength Test. For every Degree of Success, the character can add +1 to the sum of his Strength and Toughness Bonuses for the purpose of determining limits. If the character achieves two or more Degrees of Failure, he immediately gains 1 level of Fatigue.

PUSHING WEIGHTThis is the maximum amount of weight a character can push across a smooth surface, such as a barracks floor or the marble floor of a Gallian castle. Other types of more uneven or difficult terrain can hinder this task, or even make it impossible. Pushing an object is a Full Action, and a character pushing weight up to her limit is not subject

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eto a Test. Pushing a weight beyond their limit requires a success on a Challenging (+0) Strength Test. Each Degree of Success adds +1 to the sum of his Strength and Toughness Bonuses for the purpose of determining limits. If the character achieves two or more Degrees of Failure, she immediately gains 1 level of Fatigue.

ENCUMBERED CHARACTERSAny character carrying a weight that is heavier than is Carrying Weight, but lighter than his Lifting Weight, is Encumbered. Any Encumbered character suffers -10 to any movement-based Test, and reduces his Agility Bonus by 1 for the purposes of determining Movement and Initiative. In addition, after a number of hours equivalent to his Toughness Bonus have passed while carrying this weight, the character must make a Challenging (+0) Toughness Test or gain one level of Fatigue.

THROWING OBJECTSA character can pass a piece of fruit or a canteen to a companion, or he may want to throw a grenade or knives with the intent to harm. All of these tasks require throwing. Any normal object that weighs at most up to half of her Lifting Weight can be thrown by that character. To throw, the character makes a Challenging (+0) Strength Test. A Degree of Success indicates that the object is sent soaring through the air at a distance equivalent to her Strength Bonus. For each DoS, this distance is increased by a factor of one, so that two DoS means that the character throws it at twice her Strength Bonus, and so on. With a Degree of Failure, the object failed to be thrown as intended, being sent a number of meters equal to half his Strength Bonus rounded down. A result of 0 means that the object was merely cast at the character’s feet. Should it be necessary to calculate damage to the object after it hits a hard surface, it takes 1d10+SB Damage+1 for every additional DoS after the first. These rules do not apply to aerodynamic objects and grenades. These weapons have a range on their profile, and being weapons designed specifically to be conveyed by throwing, require a Ballistic Skill Test to hit accurately. A character can attempt to throw something heavier than his Lifting Weight, but must pass a Hard (-10) Strength Test before he can do this.

LIGHTINGThe presence or absence of light can often be the factor in any military operation. Raids are often conducted under the cover of darkness as much as possible, while ambushes benefit from the ambushers sticking to the shadows where the light doesn’t reach. The darkness can be an enemy and friend to Gallian or Imperial soldier alike, and any soldier would be wise to know when it is advantageous or not, and whether or not to light his flashlight in dark places. VALKYRIA CHRONICLES uses three levels of light: Bright, Shadow, and Darkness.

Any lighting condition where vision is unimpeded, unhindered, and unimpaired in any way is Bright lighting. These can include sunlight, but also artificial Ragnalights, and street lamps.

When the light source is semi-obscured, such as by fog, smoke, or indeed, in the case of the sun, the horizon, then such conditions are described as Shadow lighting. Pre-dawn and pre-dusk hours are usually Shadow hours, as is anywhere where the light begins to fade and give way to darkness.

When all you can see is inky black, with little to nothing in front of you except the lack of light itself, that is a condition of Darkness.

Vision is obscured in Shadow, and even more so in Darkness, but such adverse conditions also affect a character’s movement rates and combat ability if they are not careful. In Shadow, characters can move without penalty, but only at Half their movement speed in Darkness. A character can always attempt to move faster, but they may wander and stumble in the dark, hurting themselves more than they are their enemy. If they choose to do this, they must succeed on a Hard (-20) Perception Test or get lost and/or stumble on delicate equipment or giant tree roots, etc. See Chapter VIII: Combat for more rules on how lighting affects combat in a greater detail.

II: Unit Creation

II:Unit Creation

• MILITARY ORGANIZATION

• DEFENDERS OF THE PRINCIPALITY

• UNIT CREATION RULES

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Chapter II:Unit Creation

“Alone, a soldier is easily out-gunned, his paths of escape an elementary thing to block off. Alone, a soldier is cornered, and hunted, and eliminated. Alone, a soldier already has one foot in the grave. But a soldier never fights alone.”

- Gallian Army Field Manual

While certainly significant, the Gallian Armed Forces’ military capability is far outstripped by its two gigantic neighbors, the Federation, and the Imperials. Though Gallia’s defense research can lay legitimate claim to being more advanced in many aspects, they lack the industrial capacity to maintain advanced weapons of war, or the necessary manpower to sustain them. The backbone of the Gallian Armed Forces must lie instead in the coherency, dedication, and morale of its smaller formations, in teams or units that must fight with two or threefold skill, dedication, and ferocity. The Imperials are merciless, and worse, seemingly endless in number. A Gallian unit will survive only by dint of depending on each other, relying on not just tactical acumen, but the bonds formed on the battlefield, to hold the line and win the day.

Because of the constraints put upon them by their small population, the Gallian Armed Forces prize smaller units above larger formations. Smaller units will certainly still answer to their mother regiment, and carry their regimental colors with a great measure of pride. But in the end, it is within a regiment’s component units—its companies, platoons, and squads—where lies Gallian military strength.

These units are key to the Gallian Armed Forces’ organization. Soldiers in the unit train together, developing trust and coordination in the shared experience of training and combat. Unit tradition and history runs strong for the Gallians, providing the soldiers under it with a united fighting spirit. Small platoons, and even squads are often given orders for independent action, being encouraged to conduct themselves with personal initiative and daring, making units the basic independent fighting component of the Gallian Armed Forces. While missions are received and relayed from regimental HQ, it is left to individual unit commanders to interpret and implement them. It is not rare for different companies, or platoons within a regiment to move out in separate missions. This gives junior officers, such as lieutenants and captains, a great deal of influence. While regimental HQ receives the supplies, individual units are armed, outfitted, and equipped to their combat role and organizational needs. The mustering of the Armed Forces has been taxing on logistics and supply trains for the Commissariat and the National Arsenal, as regimental commands struggle to continuously train, feed, arm, finance, and provide medical care to multiple combat

units, each with different demands.It is natural that the Player Characters will be heavily

influenced by the unit they are assigned to. This chapter outlines the rules for the character of the unit, and how they influence the Player Characters in a mechanical way, as well as providing players with points of roleplaying opportunity that they would be wise to use to the fullest. While a unit can be defined here by rules, numbers, and other mechanics, that is certainly not the whole story. Any traditions, history, and notable figures within the unit are all points that bring flavor to the table. Defining any daily rituals, unique training experiences, and pre-combat stories are also helpful. Gallian Army boot camp, or even how the characters ended up in their unit, might even be fun to roleplay for a few sessions in and of themselves! In this regard, knowledge of the Valkyria Chronicles universe might be helpful, or else a smattering of influence from war stories of other media, such as novels, biographies, movies, and television.

Before players create their Player Characters, they must first decide, as a group, what Unit they are assigned to. All Player Characters must belong to one Unit. No exceptions. Once they have chosen a Unit, they may proceed to Chapter III: Character Creation to start crafting their individual characters.

MILITARY ORGANIZATIONEven though units may follow different strategic doctrines, and perform different roles in the battlefield, there are a few constants it cleaves to, whether the unit is a hardy rifle unit, or composed of diverse militiamen. This is largely due to concerns of chain of command and having to answer to a mother formation. For more detailed information in the Gallian Armed Forces’ organization, refer to Appendix I, in page .

The foremost administrative formation is the regiment. A regiment consists of around 1,500-3,000 men, though in wartime, this number can fluctuate wildly to varying degrees. Serving largely as a pipeline from High Command to its subordinate units, members of a regiment still fight under its colors, and any units under its command will always feel a sense of camaraderie with their sister platoons and companies. Regiments are commanded by Lieutenant Colonels or Colonels, but a shortage of senior officers in this most recent conflict have forced Majors and even some Captains to be brevetted to a regimental command.

Under the command of regiments are smaller units. The largest of these are companies, of which a regiment may have anywhere from 13-20 (depending on the regiment’s size), each company consisting of 80-215 soldiers. Commanded by a junior officer, usually of the rank of Captain (affectionately referred to as the “cap” by his subordinates), companies are expected to break off from the main regimental body, and perform independent missions with their attendant platoons on their own AO.

Companies are divided into 3-7 smaller units, varying in name depending on the company’s combat role. Armour and vehicle companies are split into squadrons,

II: Unit Creation

and infantry companies are divided into platoons, while artillery companies separate into gun lines. Squadrons, platoons, and gun lines are led by Lieutenants or 2nd Lieutenants (often called by the abbreviation “LT” by Gallian soldiers), the lowest commissioned officer rank, but doubtless being groomed for higher command. Each of these units number around 26-44 men. Like a company to the regiment, squadrons and platoons will break off often to take operational objectives in a single battlefield, though batteries often act in support of other formations.

The lowest tactical unit is the squad, team, or section commanded usually by a Sergeant (the “sarge”, in Gallian soldier colloquialism), a non-commissioned officer. An infantry squad consists of 8-13 men, covering ground quickly to achieve tactical goals. Artillery sections will be manning one or two gun pieces, or providing security to the artillery. In armored cavalry squadrons, a team might be responsible for one vehicle, with the rest in a supporting role to protect the vehicle’s flanks, or else operating some aspect of the vehicle.

UNITS IN VALKYRIA CHRONICLESAside from the choices a player makes during character creation, the choice of which Unit their Squad is assigned to will define a large portion of her abilities, her equipment, and even the personality of the campaign. After all, a Gallian Militia armored cavalry unit is quite different in character to a Penal rifle unit.

All the pre-made Units present in this chapter have been made using the Unit Creation Rules fond later in the chapter. Players can use these pre-made Units to quickly look at a selection of choices for the group, beginning play immediately as part of these iconic units of the Valkyria Chronicles universe, as well as serving as examples of what can be done with the Unit Creation Rules.

Every regiment grants some permanent bonuses and drawbacks to Player Characters, which are presented in the following categories:

• Characteristic Modifiers: These are permanent, one-time modifications to a character’s base Characteristics. They are only applied after generating Characteristics (see Chapter III: Character Creation).• Starting Aptitudes: There will be a few elements in a Unit that may grant additional starting Aptitudes to a character. Because it might be possible for a character to gain an Aptitude twice in this way (one from the Unit, and one from his choice of Billet), he may select one additional Aptitude that shares its name with a Characteristic, should this happen. For more information on Aptitudes and how they affect the purchasing of Skills and Potentials, refer to Chapter III: Character Creation.• Starting Skills: Characters from a Unit start with these Skills known. If the character would ever receive a specific Skill twice, from Unit Creation or his Billet, he gains an extra advance in that Skill, starting the game Trained in that Skill.• Starting Potentials: All characters from the Unit possess these Potentials, disregarding prerequisites. If a character would receive a specific Potential twice, from

Unit Creation or his Billet, he instead receives a free 100 XP to spend at character creation.• Special Abilities: Each Unit’s origin, its strategic doctrine, and any Unit Drawbacks, will define a few special abilities and rules for characters in the regiment, not usually found anywhere else. They will be listed in full if they are present.• Standard Regimental Kit: All Units possess a list of equipment that characters will have when play begins, and will be easier for them to resupply. This is the Standard Regimental Kit. Some will be listed as per Soldier, meaning each character is issued those items. Some are listed as per Squad, meaning that each squad of Gallian soldiers will receive these items as a group.• Favored Weapons: Units will, depending on their function, cleave to a particular heavy weapon or special weapon. Favored weapons such as these are easier to obtain and resupply, granting characters a +10 bonus to Logistics Test to request and resupply these weapons and their ammunition.

CHOOSING A UNITA campaign of VALKYRIA CHRONICLES starts with the players choosing a single shared Unit where their Squad of Soldiers belongs. This determines the origin of the Unit, their commanding officer, their usual mission profiles, and other roleplaying facets of a campaign. After deciding on a Unit, all players should record any important information on the squad sheet, at which point they then proceed to Chapter III: Character Creation. Choosing a Unit is the group’s first “big decision,” so as such there are a few ways to handle it:

ROLL PRE-MADEAcross the Valkyria Chronicles universe, certain Units have become famous for their exploits. Some of them are provided here for players to immediately choose and jump into character creation, their characters becoming part of a Unit of renown.

MAKE YOUR OWNThe players can use the Unit Creation Rules to create their own regiment. Perfect for groups who want to make a regiment unique to their desires, and forge their own path in the war against the Imperials.

TRUST THE GMSometimes, the GM will have a certain campaign and story in mind, in which a certain type of Unit will fit. If the GM suggests pre-determining what Unit the PCs belong to, it might be worth thinking about, as it allows him to plan ahead, the campaign being tailored to the specifics of the Unit he has in mind.BASIC TRAINING

Many Units may include choices in Starting Characteristics, Potentials, Aptitudes, and Skills, that are marked by an “or” in the text. In these cases, individual characters make the choice of what he or she wants to begin play with.

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7th Platoon“Our land has been robbed of peace, its green fields trampled and its hills running red with innocent Gallian blood. When you fight, you take back some of that peace, little by little, until we are finally free again.”

- Captain Eleanor Varrot, commander of the 3rd Regiment

What started out as a rag-tag, barely cohesive assemblage of militiamen has turned out to be one of the most cohesive fighting units active in the front. Thanks in part to an excellence of leadership (some of them veterans of the First Europan War), proactive NCOs that have worked to keep morale up, and initiative and lateral thinking shown by its platoon commander, 7th Platoon of the 3rd Regiment has proven itself to be a worthy combat unit.

Mustered under the wing of the 3rd Regiment (under the command of EW1 veteran Captain Eleanor Varrot, who was breveted to a colonel’s command as regiment commander), 7th Platoon saw its first few months of the war deployed in diverse locations. In a major offensive action at Vasel, in what has become known as Operation Cloudburst, 7th Platoon took back the Vasel Bridge, taking control of both ends of the bridge in an innovative use of 7th Platoon’s platoon armor unit. Platoon commander Gunther forded it across the river and surprised the enemy in the early dawn hours. The victory there denied the Imperials key control of the largest crossing in the Vasel River and forced them to find another route to maneuver armor across the river. Now the platoon sees action in the Kloden Wildwood, attempting to halt the Imperial advances there.

7th Platoon’s commanding officer, Lieutenant Welkin Gunther, is the son of the late Gallian commander and celebrated EW1 war hero, General Belgen Gunther. Though pursuing a career in the sciences instead of the military, Lieutenant Welkin Gunther’s ability to perceive tactical opportunities where no one else could (largely through creative application of his university-learned skillset) has acquitted him well. There is reason to believe that he may have inherited his father’s penchant for military genius, a fact that has earned him many a watchful eye, both in the Militia and the Army.

As a militia unit, the personnel that make up 7th Platoon come from very diverse backgrounds, from university students to traveling troubadours, along with some EW1 veterans, some of whom serve as platoon NCOs, teaching their trade to the newer troopers. Lieutenant Gunther even accepts many Darcsen in his ranks, including his adopted sister. Other dark-hairs have assumed key positions in the platoon, which has made more than one observer express some worry. Though others in the platoon would have it another way, they have learned not to voice such concerns to the lieutenant’s face. For now, at least, they need every fighting man and woman they can get. That Lieutenant Gunther was able to shape a militia unit into a combat capable unit that shows initiative and

daring is a testament to his skill as a commander.7th Platoon’s combat cornerstone is their riflemen,

plain and simple. With many of their scouts originating from their respective Town Watches, they have had ample time to improve their accuracy. More so than most other units, 7th Platoon’s soldiers are prone to daring dashes across enemy fire to acquire flanking positions, and exploiting tiny opportunities and holes in the enemy lines to outmaneuver their enemy. The lieutenant encourages and expects such out-of-the-box thinking, and actively works to foster it among his men.

The platoon’s firepower is enhanced greatly by the presence of the Edelweiss, a unique and one of a kind heavy tank designed by Belgen Gunther and his Darcsen friend and engineer Theimer. It serves as Lieutenant Welkin Gunther’s command tank, and as such rarely detaches from Lt. Gunther’s command squad. Though notoriously slow outside of roads and a ragnoline-heavy beast, it serves adequately in most roles, from anti-tank combat to infantry support.

II: Unit Creation

UNIT RULESCharacters belonging to 7th Platoon gain the following advantages:Characteristic Modifiers: +5 Ballistic Skill, +3 Strength, -3 Intelligence, +3 Fellowship.Starting Skills: Athletics, Common Knowledge (Gallia), Linguistics (Gallian Standard), Trade (Player’s choice); Inquiry or Navigate (Grassland) or Navigate (Urban) or Navigate (Woods) or Survival.Starting Potentials: Catfall or Resistance (Cold) or Resistance (Heat) or Resistance (Poison) or Unremarkable; Combat Sense, Iron Discipline, Rapid Reload.Imperial Small Arms: Characters belonging to 7th Platoon may take a Logistics Test with a -10 penalty to acquire Imperial assault rifles, submachineguns, battle rifles, carbines, pistols, and sniper rifles.Logistical Non-priority: Judged as less effective combat units than the army, 7th Platoon often has to go to combat with less equipment, having to do more with less. 7th Platoon units only have 20 points to determine Standard Unit Kit.Wounds: 7th Platoon characters generate starting Wounds normally.Standard Unit Kit: 1 Gallian-4 battle rifle and four magazines, 1 Viper-E pistol and two magazines, 1 complete set of BD armor, 2 B-Type M1 frag grenades, 2 B-Type M3 AT grenades, 1 B-Type M2 smoke grenade, battledress uniform, poor weather gear, combat knife, rucksack, basic tools, mess kit and water canteen, blanket and sleeping bag, ragnite torch, grooming kit, dogtags, cricket clicker, Gallian Army Field Manual, 2 weeks’ combat rations.Favored Weapons: Mags M10 assault rifle, Cyclone heavy machine gun

7TH PLATOON UNIT CREATION CHOICESThe rules listed for the 7th Platoon have been created using the Unit Creation Rules later in this chapter. The following choices were made:Origins: Gallian Militia UnitCommanding Officer: InnovativeUnit Type: Rifle UnitDoctrines: Fire and Maneuver, Imperial Small ArmsTotal Cost: 12 points

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Unit 422,“The Nameless”

“When a person dies, someone somewhere will mourn his loss. That’s as true for us as it is for the Imperials and Gallians.”

- Lance Cpl. Imca No. 01, Unit 422

Criminals, treasonous soldiers, Imperial deserters, thieves, murderers, and even hated Darcsen. All scum. And all are welcome to Unit 422, also called “The Nameless,” for once you enter, you surrender your name, and become only a number. Some of the soldiers in the Nameless are surely not criminals, transferred to the unit for Valkyrur knows what reason. What does it matter? Here they are, and now they will fight for redemption like everyone else.

The Nameless don’t even exist on paper. Their actions go unrecorded, their story untold. They are a deniable operations unit, ready to do the dirty work that would bring the wrong sort of international attention to Gallia. Civilian raids, Imperial capture and interrogation, one need only name it. Some of their operations toe the line of war crimes. They are always on the front, and always overeager to prove their loyalty to Gallia, exemplified by their motto “Altaha Abilia,” or “Always Ready” in the Old Northern language.

With their former commanding officer dead, their current commander is 2nd Lt. Kurt Irving No. 7, a promising Lanseal graduate, but recently accused of treason, and newly transferred to the unit. He has proven himself a more than capable commander, but his cold exterior has not endeared him to his troops. He is faced now with the daunting task of coming into an undisciplined, dishonored unit and trying to turn it into a semblance of a capable fighting unit.

Populated by truly colorful characters, the Nameless have the benefit of calling upon the skills of many dangerous men and women. Professional criminals, hucksters and opportunists, sadistic arsonists, seemingly cursed soldiers, disavowed Gallian agents, Imperial turncoats, Darcsen, and treasonous soldiers all find a home here. Worse, some of them even volunteered to be on this suicide platoon. All lend their effective expertise to Unit 422 in their own way. They have earned their reputations as tenacious do-or-die soldiers, and No. 7 has been particularly adept at moving his troops into position to take out enemy tanks that would have otherwise decimated his formation.

Most recently, the Nameless were deployed to the town of Aslone, recently occupied by Imperial forces. Not only did they take on an Imperial force far more numerous than them, they did it with guerrilla tactics, staying stealthy and occupying the surrounding countryside with surprising agility. The final assault on the town was a resounding success, and the entire operation, from commencement to conclusion, effectively lasted barely

less than 72 hours.Though they ask and expect little help from allied

Gallian units, most in the unit accept the lot that they have been cast in, no matter how unfair or unjust they might think it is. Most think that as long as they defend Gallia, they are doing their duty. After all, even criminals need a place to come home to.

II: Unit Creation

UNIT RULESCharacters belonging to the Nameless gain the following advantages:Characteristic Modifiers: +3 Weapon Skill, +3 Ballistic Skill, -3 Strength, +3 Agility.Starting Aptitudes: OffenseStarting Skills: Athletics, Common Knowledge (Gallia), Deceive, Intimidate +10, Linguistics (Gallian Standard), Operate (Wheeled), Operate (Tracked).Starting Potentials: