SFOD-D ("Delta Force") template (critique?)

[Eukie]

In lieu of figuring out where Hans-Christian Vortisch lives so I can turn up on his doorstep and demand he write me GURPS: Delta Force at Mogadishu*, I've tried my hand at creating a 4E template for the US Armed Forces' First Special Forces Operational Detachment-Delta (SFOD-D), also known as "Delta Force", based partly on 3E Special Ops 3rd edition and partly on Vortisch' SEALs in Vietnam. I'm not entirely happy with it though, in part because I don't really know how to accurately assign skills based SFOD-D's myth-ridden and secret training or supposed capabilities.

As a basis, I took the SEAL template from SEALs in Vietnam, removed most of the aquatic skills, and added the Ranger Training lens, since about 70% of all SFOD-D "Operators" come from the Airborne Rangers, and SFOD-D seems to largely expand upon the core skills of the Rangers. According to usmilitary.about.com, the MOSes in the template are used by SFOD-D, but I haven't found a second source that can verify this. Some skills were pillaged from the Special Warfare Strategic Reconnaissance Course and Special Warfare Target Interdiction Course skill lists from 3E SpecOps 3E, since all Deltas are, supposedly, trained as snipers.

I think this template should be optimised with regards to DX and IQ. It might seem strange to get IQ at a lower level than both Will and Per, but it adds up to something like 18 vs. 20 points. As with 3E SpecOps 3E templates, it should be fine/possible to reduce DX and IQ to 12 or even 11 (keeping all the relative skill levels the same) to represent a Delta Force Operator that isn't a protagonist of a piece of heroic fiction.

1st SFOD-D Operator (270 points)
Attributes (175 points)
ST: 11 [10]
DX: 14 [80]
IQ: 13 [60]
HT: 12 [20]
Will: 14 [5]

Advantages (37 points)
Fit [5]
Military Rank 1 [5]
Security Clearance (for knowledge necessary to their missions) [5]
Language (any) [Broken] [2]
20 points worth of additional ST, HT, Military Rank, Security Clearance, Reputation (from decorations), or appropriate Talents.

Disadvantages (-50 points)
Duty (US Army, Extremely Hazardous) [-20]
-30 points worth of appropriate Disadvantages for a SpecOps soldier. (A list of suggestions can be found in 3E SpecOps or on p. 15-16 of SEALs in Vietnam)

Primary Skills (58 points)
Armoury (Small Arms) IQ-1-[1] 12
Boating (Unpowered) DX-1-[1] 13
Brawling DX-[1] 14
Camouflage IQ-[1] 13
Cartography IQ-1-[1] 12
Climbing DX-2-[1] 12
Explosives (Demolition) IQ-[2] 13
Explosives (EOD) IQ-1-[1] 12
Fast Draw (Ammo) [1] 14
First Aid IQ-[1] 13
Forced Entry IQ-[1] 13
Guns (Grenade Launcher) DX-[1] 14
Guns (Rifle) DX+2-[4] 16
Guns (any two specialities from among LMG, Pistol, Shotgun or SMG) DX+1-[1+1] 15
Hiking HT-[2] 12
Interrogation Will-1-[1] 13
Intelligence Analysis IQ-2-[1] 11
Karate DX-[4] 14
Knife DX-[1] 14
Navigation (Land) IQ+1-[4] 14
Observation Per-[2] 13
Parachuting DX-[1] 13
Running HT-[2] 12
Savoir-Faire (Military) IQ-[1] 13
Scuba IQ-[2] 13
Soldier IQ-[4] 13
Stealth DX-1-[1] 13
Survival (Desert) Per-1-[1] 12
Survival (Jungle) Per-[2] 13
Survival (Mountain) Per-[2] 13
Survival (Woodlands) Per-1-[1] 12
Swimming DX-1-[1] 13
Tactics IQ-[4] 13
Throwing DX-1-[1] 13
Traps IQ-1-[1] 12

Secondary Skills (19 points)
Administration IQ-1-[1] 12
Driving (Automobile) IQ-1-[1] 12
Driving (Heavy Wheeled) IQ-1-[1] 12
Electronics Operation (Comm) IQ-1-[1] 12
Environment Suit (NBC) DX-1-[1] 12
Escape DX-[4] 14
Forward Observer IQ-1-[1] 12
Gunner (Machine Gun) DX-[1] 14
Gunner (Rocket) DX-[1] 14
Leadership IQ-[2] 13
Lockpicking IQ-1-[1] 12
Mechanic (Diesel Engine) IQ-1-[1] 12
Scrounging Per-[1] 13
Teaching IQ-1 [1] 12
Tracking IQ [1] 13

Background Skills (19 points)
Although most special forces demand large amount of work that leave little time to other endeavors, Operators may still have hobby, professional or academic skills from before they joined SFOD-D, or that they engage in in what little free time they have. You have 15 points to spent on your a Skill Package. Consider spending the remaining points here to represent a college education, previous employment, or a pre-SFOD-D MOS such as typing or cooking.

Techniques (12 points)
Close-Quarters Battle [2] 18
HALO/HAHO [3] 12
Immediate Action (Guns (Rifle)) [2] 14
2 points in Immediate Action for any of your other Guns specialties or Gunner (Machine Gun)
Rappelling [1] 14
Set Trap [2] 12


Skill Packages (Military Occupational Specialties)
Special Forces Weapons Sergeant (7 points)
Increase Armoury (Small Arms) to IQ+0 level (13) [+1]
Add Armoury (Heavy Weapons) IQ-[2] 13
Add Artillery (Cannon) IQ-1-[1] 13
Increase Gunner (Machine Gun) to DX+1 level (15) [+1]
Increase Gunner (Rocket) to DX+1 level (15) [+1]
Increase Guns (LAW) to DX+1 level (15) [+1]

Special Forces Assistant Operations and Intelligence Sergeant (7 points)
Increase Intelligence Analysis to IQ+0 level (13) [+3]
Increase Observation to Per+1 level (14) [+2]
Add Photography IQ-1-[1] 12
Increase Teaching to IQ+0 level (13) [+1]

Special Forces Senior Sergeant (2 points)
Increase Administration to IQ+0 level (13) [+1]
Increase Teaching to IQ+0 level (13) [+1]

Special Forces Medical Sergeant (12 points)
Add Diagnosis IQ-[4] 13
Increase First Aid to IQ+2 level (15) [+3]
Add Physician IQ-2-[1] 11
Add Surgery IQ-1-[4] 12

Special Forces Communications Sergeant (3 points)
Increase Electronics Operation (Comm) to IQ+0 level (13) [+1]
Add Electronics Repair (Comm) IQ-[2] 13

Special Forces Engineer Sergeant (10 points)
Add Engineer (Civil) IQ-1-[2] 12
Add Engineer (Combat) IQ-1-[2] 12
Add Mathematics (Applied) IQ-2-[1] 11
Increase Explosives (Demolition) to IQ+1 level (14) [+2]
Increase Explosives (EOD) to IQ+0 level (13) [+1]
Increase Cartography to IQ+0 level (13) [+1]
Increase Intelligence Analysis to IQ-1 level (12) [+1]

Lenses
Commissioned Officer (16 points or more)
The Commissioned Officer lens on page 13 of SEALs in Vietnam seems to cover ground for an officer with a solid college education. If you don't have access to SEALs in Vietnam, the following are core to being a Commissioned Officer:
Add the Military Rank 4 advantage [+15]
Increase Administration to IQ+0 level (13) [+1]

Foreign Language (2/4/6 points or more):
Add Language (any) at [Broken/Accented/Native] [2/4/6]. Repeat as necessary.

Jungle Warfare School: (2 points)
Increase Navigation (Land) to Per+0 level (13) [+1]
Increase Survival (Jungle) to Per+0 level (13) [+1]

NCO: (0 points)
Because all SFOD-D members must be E-4's or higher, the skills necessary to being an NCO are already part of the core template. Therefore, being an SFOD-D NCO has no point cost.

Northern Warfare School: (3 points)
Add Skiing DX-2-[1] 12
Add Survival (Arctic) Per-[2] 13

Special Warfare Target Interdiction Course: (7 points)
Increase Armoury (Small Arms) to IQ+0 level (13) [+1]
Increase Forward Observer to IQ+0 level (13) [+1]
Increase Camouflage to IQ+2 level (15) [+3]
Increase Stealth to IQ+1 level (14) [+2]

Underwater Operations Combat Diver’s Course: (5 points)
Increase Swimming to DX+0 level (14) [+1]
Add Navigation (Sea) IQ-2-[1] 11
Add Boating (Powerboat) DX-1-[1] 13
Add Survival (Island/Beach) Per-1-[1] 12
Add Explosives (Underwater Demolition) IQ-1-[1] 12

Warrant Officer: (11 points)
Add Military Rank 3 advantage [+10]
Increase Administration to IQ+0 level (13) [1]

* ...and also Green Berets in Grenada, SAS in the Falklands, KSK in Kosovo, etc.

[TheOneRonin]

You can get a lot of good info on Delta from Charlie Beckwith's book Delta Force, and Eric Haney's Inside Delta Force.

These guys shoot A LOT. More than just about anyone else other than maybe DevGru or the SAS. I think Guns 16 is skirting the bottom...18 is what the Assaulters need to have to realistically be able to execute the hostage rescue stuff they train for.

A lot of the other stuff looks spot on.

I have to leave the house for a bit, but I'll have some more feedback later on this evening.

[Miles]

This entire thread should be useful to you. It even features the full fledged argument over apropriate levels of Guns that OneRonin brings up. (conclusion: somewhere between 15 and 21)

[johndallman]

It looks pretty good, but some of your skill levels are off by one, e.g. Brawling. Were some of the calculations done when DX and IQ were different? The Guns levels are somewhat confused, and not consistent.

I'm surprised guys who are a minimum of Military Rank 1 don't have any Leadership.

Survival and Scrounging are Per-based, which will improve them.

[Eukie]

Originally Posted by johndallman

It looks pretty good, but some of your skill levels are off by one, e.g. Brawling. Were some of the calculations done when DX and IQ were different? The Guns levels are somewhat confused, and not consistent.

I'm surprised guys who are a minimum of Military Rank 1 don't have any Leadership.

Survival and Scrounging are Per-based, which will improve them.

Uh... yes... It appears that I increased the DX to optimise the template... and forgot to update the linked DX/A/H/VH skills. I also reduced Per back down to IQ level, since that's a more optimal purchase with regards to the linked skills. Unless I've made even more mistakes, this should come to about 15 points less. (Actually 13. I adjust the number of points available to background skills to make the template come to nice round number.)

As for Survival and Scrounging being Per-linked, my excuse is simply that with so much back-and-forth with 3E Special Ops 3E, I mistook the 3E skill default for the 4E default... and the fact that SEALs in Vietnam lists Survival as IQ-linked, oddly enough.

Of course, the template that originally came to a very nice 275 points now has a cost of just 260, which isn't quite as nice a round number. I guess if I wanted to make up the difference I could just increase 3 Guns specialties and add a few more Tradecraft-y skills...

Originally Posted by TheOneRonin

You can get a lot of good info on Delta from Charlie Beckwith's book Delta Force, and Eric Haney's Inside Delta Force.

These guys shoot A LOT. More than just about anyone else other than maybe DevGru or the SAS. I think Guns 16 is skirting the bottom...18 is what the Assaulters need to have to realistically be able to execute the hostage rescue stuff they train for.

A lot of the other stuff looks spot on.

I have to leave the house for a bit, but I'll have some more feedback later on this evening.

Thank you. I was cautious of giving them very high skill levels because it's an easy trap to fall into, to give the mythical special forces soldiers superhuman skills. Though I guess I could increase some of the Guns skills to 16 or 17 (in line with the 3E template).

As for reliably doing what the Assaulters train for during hostage rescue, I'm overall unsure about using the raw probabilities to determine what a skill level should be like. For one, the near-Gaussian distribution of 3d6 and how it interacts with GURPS firearms rules doesn't really model reality very well in the first place, by my interpretation. Hence, what is the "correct" value for one situation would be the wrong one for another.

Though I shall admit that 16 was chosen rather conservatively.

Originally Posted by Miles

This entire thread should be useful to you. It even features the full fledged argument over apropriate levels of Guns that OneRonin brings up. (conclusion: somewhere between 15 and 21)

Then I don't feel too bad about giving them a skill of 16 as my cautious approach. Thanks.

[acrosome]

There are E-4s in SFOD-D, but they are support troops. You will not find an operator who is that low of a rank. They have to prove themselves quite thoroughly to even be invited to try out for SFOD-D. This means some time in service, and rank. If there are any below E-6 I'd be surprised. If you've ever watched The Unit you'll note that just about everyone is a Master Sergeant.

Remember that in 4e the Soldier skill covers a LOT of ground. For instance, it lets you use your own army's standard commo equipment. Electronic Operations (Communications) is a much more broad skill, giving decent defaults for using everything from a Russian R-123 to a microwave tower to an ELF relay. And, I would presume, gives a decent Morse Code default.

That said, I wouldn't be surprised if SFOD-D does in fact teach that broader skill. But you still might be able to use Soldier to save points.

See here re: Soldier skill:

http://forums.sjgames.com/showthread...hlight=soldier

I'd be shocked if they all didn't have SCUBA and Parachuting (HALO).

Do you think Area Knowledge (Every Modern Airliner Model) would be a valid skill? :)

[Peter Knutsen]

Originally Posted by johndallman

I'm surprised guys who are a minimum of Military Rank 1 don't have any Leadership.

I'm not surprised that IQ 13 junior NCOs who aren't US Army Special Forces can get by with Leadership at default.

[Peter Knutsen]

AFAIK, Delta is mostly hostage rescue, so it would make sense to give them some sort of CQB-boosting Perk. I saw one in another thread, a few days or weeks ago, but I can't recal the specifics.

[Eukie]

Originally Posted by acrosome

There are E-4s in SFOD-D, but they are support troops. You will not find an operator who is that low of a rank. They have to prove themselves quite thoroughly to even be invited to try out for SFOD-D. This means some time in service, and rank. If there are any below E-6 I'd be surprised. If you've ever watched The Unit you'll note that just about everyone is a Master Sergeant.

It's a heroic template, and I based that requirement on the selection criteria. Templates are guidelines after all; nothing stops you from buying the two extra levels of Military Rank with the 20 points you get under Advantages.

Originally Posted by acrosome

Remember that in 4e the Soldier skill covers a LOT of ground. For instance, it lets you use your own army's standard commo equipment. Electronic Operations (Communications) is a much more broad skill, giving decent defaults for using everything from a Russian R-123 to a microwave tower to an ELF relay. And, I would presume, gives a decent Morse Code default.

That said, I wouldn't be surprised if SFOD-D does in fact teach that broader skill. But you still might be able to use Soldier to save points.

I based it on the Vietnam-era SEAL in SEALs in Vietnam, which does have Electronics Operation (Comm) as a primary skill irrespective of Navy rating. As for Morse code, you only get that default at TL5-TL7; the modern-day ElOps/TL8 (Comm) skill doesn't let you use Morse.

Originally Posted by acrosome

I'd be shocked if they all didn't have SCUBA and Parachuting (HALO).

...welp, it seems I forgot to give them SCUBA, since SFOD-D does make that part of the selection criteria. Whoops. As for HALO, I gave them all a technique that puts their HALO/HAHO skill at qualified levels (according to the guidelines in 3E SpecOps 3E).

Originally Posted by acrosome

Do you think Area Knowledge (Every Modern Airliner Model) would be a valid skill? :)

Not really, but I am on the outlook for a Perk, Advantage or Technique that represents extensive training in assaulting airframes.

Originally Posted by Peter Knutsen

I'm not surprised that IQ 13 junior NCOs who aren't US Army Special Forces can get by with Leadership at default.

...whoops, missed that too. NCOs are supposed to have Leadership at 13. Give me a minute to fix it.

Originally Posted by Peter Knutsen

AFAIK, Delta is mostly hostage rescue, so it would make sense to give them some sort of CQB-boosting Perk. I saw one in another thread, a few days or weeks ago, but I can't recal the specifics.

Close-Quarters Battle is a Technique in GURPS: Tactical Shooting. I could give them a couple of points in that. Now if only there was some way to give Techniques optional specialties in "Modern airliner". :P

[acrosome]

Originally Posted by Eukie

It's a heroic template, and I based that requirement on the selection criteria. Templates are guidelines after all; nothing stops you from buying the two extra levels of Military Rank with the 20 points you get under Advantages.

But you include the Rank 1 in a template that is obviously an operator, rather than a personnel clerk or light wheeled vehicle mechanic. It's wrong. Rank needs to be 2 as a minimum in the template. That's a very junior Delta operator.

What if one of your players doesn't want to "waste" the points to buy higher rank? Then you'd have a highly experienced and capable Delta operator... who is a corporal. Which is absurd. (Trust me- it's absurd.)

Unless of course you buy into the bit about Rank not directly corresponding to real-world rank, but rather being an expression of how many people work under you. In such a situation a Delta E-6 would be a professional trigger-puller essentially acting like a private and not in command of anyone, and thus technically Rank 0 with Courtesy Rank 2. But I don't like that for a number of reasons, and the Social Engineering: Pulling Rank supplement fixes the issue. Sort of.

I also really like the fractional rank optional rule- it allows much more rank granularity for a military-themed campaign. Off the top of my head, something like:

0.00 Recruit Private E1
0.25 Private E2
0.50 Private First Class
0.75 Specialist
1.00 Corporal
1.25 Sergeant
1.50 Staff Sergeant
1.75 SFC
2.00 Master Sergeant
2.25 Sergeant Major
2.50 Command Sergeant Major
2.75 Warrant Officer
3.00 Junior Chief Warrant Officer
3.25 Chief Warrant Officer
3.50 Senior Chief Warrant Officer
3.00 Second Lieutenant
3.25 First Lieutenant
3.50 Captain
3.75 Major
4.00 Lieutenant Colonel
4.50 Colonel
5.00 Brigadier General
5.50 Major General
6.00 Lieutenant General
6.50 General
7.00 General of the Army (an unusual and uncommon rank- look it up)
7.50 Chief of Staff of the Army
8.00 Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (by law the highest ranking military officer in the United States)

Under this system your template needs minimum Rank 1.5, I'd say.

I made warrant officers essentially redundant with lieutenants and captains (I've seen company-sized maintenance units commanded by warrant officers), and decided to cap it at Rank 8 since Social Engineering says that's the usual limit. I tried to make break points rational: Rank 1 defines an NCO, Rank 2 is a senior NCO, Rank 3 is the break point to be an officer, Rank 4 is for field-grade command (since most majors end up being staff officers, at least in theory), and Basic Set says that Rank 5 is a break point for access to unusual or very expensive assets, so that seems appropriate for general officers. You could argue a lot about this, and I'm sure that others have posted similar schemes. For instance- especially if you are using the Pulling Rank supplement, it's hard to argue that a 2LT has more pull than a CSM. (But I guess that for Pulling Rank you'd just need to round the CSM to Rank 3 for assistance rolls, anyway, so maybe it's appropriate.)

As I said, I did this off the top of my head. And frankly if it weren't for the descriptions in Basic Set I would have put more Ranks lower down, since I think that generals are pretty interchangeable for game purposes.