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

[Eukie]

Originally Posted by acrosome

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)

I'm aware of General of the Army - comes with having a military interest in WWII. Though, under this system, what rank does a General of Armies hold? :P

(7.25, I'd guess...)

Originally Posted by acrosome

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

That makes sense. Though I'm tempted to make the fractions be fifths, so a fraction of rank is worth exactly one point...

Originally Posted by cosmicfish

I would up the Security Clearance a level. These guys are really only restricted by need to know, and that (to me) is SC 2.

I'll have to check what various supplements give for Security Clearance. I probably need to touch up the template anyway, since Tactical Shooting has a lot of options and Techniques that weren't in 3E or used in SEALs in Vietnam, so I forgot about them. For example, all SFOD-D operators have sniper training, Tactical Shooting introduces various Techniques that snipers should/must have.

Originally Posted by cosmicfish

Guns (Pistol) should be a mandatory skill. For the work these guys do, they all spend a LOT of time with pistols. And (as others noted) I would consider raising the levels - you would be hard pressed to find better tactical shooters in the world than these guys.

Hmm, probably. I based it on the 'nam-SEAL template, but I could probably make one of the choose-a-Guns-specialties into one for Pistol to better reflect their narrower focus. I ended up doing that for my UK Special Air Service template I'm working on, and since SFOD-D was closely based on SAS, they're probably not too dissimilar. As for the Guns levels... Tactical Shooting gives Guns 15 to special forces, but also has an example of a Guns (Rifle) 18 SFOD-D sniper. 3E Special Ops 3E gave them Guns 17. I guess I could go with 17.

Originally Posted by cosmicfish

Your CQB technique needs to be designated for a skill, and really, they should have a lot of points in Gun techniques like CQB, Immediate Action, and Fast-Firing.

Oh, drat, I missed that. It looks like I'll need to do a lot of updates on this package to cover proper use of Techniques from Tactical Shooting. (Though it seems that, with the "best at everything"-approach of special forces, every single one of them will have all the points in everything, which is a bit dull from a gamist perspective, though perhaps somewhat accurate from a simulation perspective...)

Originally Posted by cosmicfish

You included all these SF MOS packages at the bottom, but in reality SF is not a unique pipeline to Delta. Some will take that route, but others will come from the Ranger Regiment or other units, despite the "SF" in "SFOD-D". Including the SF MOS packages makes no sense unless you also include a general SF template to go along with them.

I included them because I read, variously, that part of SFOD-D operator qualification and training is going through the Special Forces Qualification Course, which includes being selected for and trained in an SF MOS. Hence it seemed that Delta Force operators would have one of those MOSes.

[cosmicfish]

Originally Posted by Eukie

Hmm, probably. I based it on the 'nam-SEAL template, but I could probably make one of the choose-a-Guns-specialties into one for Pistol to better reflect their narrower focus. I ended up doing that for my UK Special Air Service template I'm working on, and since SFOD-D was closely based on SAS, they're probably not too dissimilar. As for the Guns levels... Tactical Shooting gives Guns 15 to special forces, but also has an example of a Guns (Rifle) 18 SFOD-D sniper. 3E Special Ops 3E gave them Guns 17. I guess I could go with 17.

It will vary depending on what era you are talking about, but it is likely that current Deltas spend as much time or more with pistols and assault rifles than anything else - sniper qualification is important but not something that most of them will be doing every mission. In short, I would say that Rifle and Pistol should be equal, with a smattering of points in other skills.

Originally Posted by Eukie

Oh, drat, I missed that. It looks like I'll need to do a lot of updates on this package to cover proper use of Techniques from Tactical Shooting. (Though it seems that, with the "best at everything"-approach of special forces, every single one of them will have all the points in everything, which is a bit dull from a gamist perspective, though perhaps somewhat accurate from a simulation perspective...)

Agreed on all counts.

Originally Posted by Eukie

I included them because I read, variously, that part of SFOD-D operator qualification and training is going through the Special Forces Qualification Course, which includes being selected for and trained in an SF MOS. Hence it seemed that Delta Force operators would have one of those MOSes.

Nope. Completely different training programs with completely different outcomes. Delta only has "Special Forces" in its title because it was founded and operated under the auspices of that command. SFQC is longer than Delta selection, but also has lower expectations of initial ability and covers a lot of things (languages, interpersonal skills, etc) that Deltas don't need while giving comparatively short shrift to others.

I have an old friend who is currently in SF, and he said the 75th Ranger Regiment was probably a better pipeline for Delta than SF was... although there is always the possibility he was yanking my chain.

[Ulzgoroth]

Originally Posted by Eukie

Oh, drat, I missed that. It looks like I'll need to do a lot of updates on this package to cover proper use of Techniques from Tactical Shooting. (Though it seems that, with the "best at everything"-approach of special forces, every single one of them will have all the points in everything, which is a bit dull from a gamist perspective, though perhaps somewhat accurate from a simulation perspective...)

It also may be a bit wrong from a gamist perspective, if involves points in four mutually-exclusive techniques (such that you'd get strictly better results by raising skill). Though many gun techniques are at least potentially cumulative, so that's less of an issue than it tends to be for melee stylists.