The Pelgari

I. Introduction

The ancient Pelgari race are a mystery. No one knows where Pelgar is, or how large their empire is. Their spaceships use an advanced warp-drive technology that gives no advance notice of arrival and no trail to follow when they leave. They make no treaties or agreements with other races. Sometimes a fleet of their ships will show up in human-inhabited space, engage in mutually profitable trade for a day or a month, then disappear. The same ships may appear at another planet and attack without mercy, for no visible reason. At other times, their ships just appear, watch us for a while, and vanish. All we know for sure about them is that their technology is superior to ours, probably the best in the galaxy, but they are few in number.

Because of this, the Pelgari way of war has little use for wild charges, or any kind of hand-to-hand combat. Instead, they rely on long-range weapons and special-purpose troops powered by their fantastic technology. Their strategy is to whittle down their enemies' numbers from a distance, then finish off the survivors. Their vehicles will often pursue a fleeing foe, but the foot soldiers tend to consolidate their gains rather than finish off a defeated enemy.

The most distinctive feature of the Pelgari army is their teams of special-purpose soldiers. These are all graduates of the Advanced-Science Pelgari Infantry College, where they spend several years practicing with their special weapons and the tactics to best use them. These ASPIC warriors form teams, each of which serves a specific purpose. Some are armored-vehicle killers, some specialize in long-range fire, and some even seek out close combat. Their uniforms and equipment are different from the other Pelgari.

Another feature of Pelgari units is that they do not use armor. Instead, they use deflector-shield technology, which is even harder to penetrate. Most Pelgari units move fast and hit hard, but aren't strong in the Toughness department. Their leaders mingle with the soldiers but rarely expose themselves to enemy fire.

Pelgari skin is light blue. They otherwise resemble humans, aside from their three-fingered hands, pupil-less eyes, and total lack of hair. They seem to prefer a slightly higher percentage of oxygen in their air than humans do.

The basic specifications of each unit and weapon are listed in tables at the end of this rule book. A general description of the units and weapons, along with specifics about special rules, takes up most of the book.

II. Troop & Vehicle Summary

• Gunmen are the basic Pelgari foot soldier.
• ASPIC Warriors are special-purpose, specially-equipped teams. There are seven kinds of ASPIC Warriors, each with a unique role on the battlefield.
  1. Death Dervishes lunge into battle swinging two high-tech swords.
  2. Heat Seekers are slow-moving living shields.
  3. Road Runners have enhanced foot/leg gear for unbelievable speed.
  4. Falcon Fliers soar above the battlefield and drop at will.
  5. Tank Breakers are anti-armor specialists.
  6. Near Skippers blink instantly from place to place.
  7. Far Pointers use long-range missiles to decimate their enemies.
• Healers are unarmed combat physicians who heal wounds on the battlefield.
• Tenders can fix damaged vehicles, enabling them to keep fighting.
• Leaders (Thirda and Second Commanders) provide leadership to the foot soldiers. Every formation bigger than a team-1 must have a leader.
• Tripods walk across the battlefield as self-propelled artillery.
• Kraits are light, fast skimmer-bikes that serve as cavalry to the Pelgari.
• Platforms (Small, Medium and Large) are weapons-carrying skimmers.
• Backfires are personnel-carrying skimmers. Attacking them point-blank is unwise.
• Quickfires are Backfires converted into main-battle tanks.

III. Pelgari Soldiers

Pelgari always stay close to one another. They suffer a -1 penalty on their separation checks.

Pelgari never kill enemy wounded, but will happily slay the doctor-type units that tend to them.

III-a. Forming an Army

Team-2 must contain 3 team-1's and at least one Third Commander. At least one of the team-1's must be gunmen, and none of the three can be the same type, except for gunmen. It can optionally include up to four vehicles, a Healer, a Tender, and a Hero. Heavy-weapons soldiers cannot be part of a team-2.

Team-3 must contain 3 full team-2's, including at least three different kinds of ASPIC Warrior teams, plus another ASPIC team of yet another kind, a Second Commander, and a Third Commander. It can optionally include unlimited vehicles, Healers, Tenders and Heroes.

III-b. Soldier Types

Name:	Gunman
Type:	Basic soldier

Pelgari Gunmen shun hand-to-hand combat, but it's not because they are bad at it. Their most common weapon, the CLR, is a superb weapon, and the Gunmen know how to use it. Most team-1's have two Gunmen armed with CLR's, and one with a CLS or a medium weapon.

Name:	Death Dervish
Type:	ASPIC Warrior

Death Dervishes are among the few Pelgari who seek close combat. Their armament consists only of two Dervish Blades. They wield these swords in a two-handed flurry of wanton destruction that is unnerving to the most battle-hardened enemy. Death Dervishes who are adjacent to two or more foes can attack two different opponents in a turn, at -1 on their attack rolls. If he attacks only one foe, the Death Dervish can hit him twice at no penalty.

Name:	Heat Seeker
Type:	ASPIC Warrior (heavy)

Heat Seekers often accompany Death Dervishes into a fray, but their role in battle could not be more different. A Heat Seeker carries heavier deflector shields than most vehicles, along with hand weapons (a CLP and a Shield Enhancer). His goal is to seek out the heat of battle, and to shield other Pelgari behind him as he advances, trusting in his shields to protect him and them. Only the bravest Pelgari will volunteer for such a position. Their morale tends to be sky-high.

Name:	Road Runner
Type:	ASPIC Warrior (light)

The Road Runner is the fast-moving "cavalry" of the Pelgari soldier force. They wear special boots and leg equipment that lets them move as fast as a skimmer vehicle. Their attack rolls are at -3 if they move and shoot in the same turn, but their ability to quickly penetrate a hole in the enemy line, or to plug a hole in the Pelgari position, makes them valuable. Road Runners always carry CLS'es.

Name:	Falcon Flier
Type:	ASPIC Warrior (airborne)

Falcon Fliers are the airborne troops in the Pelgari army. Lightly shielded and lightly armed, their mission is to drop on enemy weak spots, strike quickly, and flee before the foe counter-attacks. They are fast and elusive in the air, and their ability to land anywhere on the battlefield makes them unpredictable and feared. Falcon Fliers always carry CLS'es.

A team of Falcon Fliers starts the game in the air, held aloft by their suspensor backpacks. While in the air, they can move over any terrain, obstacles, or enemies. They can turn and maneuver in the air; they can move their entire flight-move allowance or only part of it. At will, they can land, where they move and fight normally. They can return to the air at any time. Falcon Fliers cannot move on the ground and in the air in the same turn.

Falcon Fliers cannot fire their weapons while in the air; controlling their suspensor packs takes too much concentration.

Name:	Tank Breaker
Type:	ASPIC Warrior (heavy-weapon)

These anti-armor specialists move somewhat slowly, due to the heavy shielding they carry to protect themselves from the vehicles they hunt. They all carry CLR burst guns and (optionally) EMP grenades, and seek out enemy vehicles and powered-armor soldiers. A favored tactic is to ride a Backfire APC into a fray, quickly dismount, fire one salvo at a large enemy vehicle, then jump back into the Backfire before the vehicle can turn and retaliate.

Name:	Near Skipper
Type:	ASPIC Warrior

The Near Skipper's value does not lie in his weaponry or shielding, which are fairly weak, but in his special move. Each turn, a Near Skipper can activate the "skipper" device in his backpack, blink out of existence, and reappear a moment later, some distance away. The destination hex can be up to 5 hexes away from where he started, and he will always land in the desired hex (which must be empty). His facing will be the same as it was before he skipped. He can turn one hex-side after he skips. The Near Skippers love to suddenly appear behind enemy lines, or pop in behind a vehicle and bang away at its weak rear armor. Two Near Skippers in each team carry CLR's; the third carries a medium weapon.

Name:	Far Pointer
Type:	ASPIC Warrior (heavy-weapon)

These are the long-range experts, the hit-men of the Pelgari. They wear range-finding gear in their helmets, and their accuracy is deadly. Their weapons (Shrike rocket launchers) are best used against other soldiers, so their preferred targets are leader units, airborne soldiers, and super-soldiers like Norx Linebackers. They do not suffer the usual -1 penalty when shooting at airborne soldiers. They cannot move and fire in the same turn.

Name:	Healer
Type:	Doctor

The Healer plays a vital role in the Pelgari army, since every soldier is precious. Each turn, a Healer can turn one Pelgari in the same hex (but not himself) or in an adjacent hex, from Wounded to normal.

Name:	Tender
Type:	Fixer

The Tender can repair damaged skimmers anywhere on the battlefield. Each turn, a Tender can do a level-1 repair on a Pelgari vehicle in the same hex or in an adjacent hex, or he can do a level-2 repair if he rolls a 4-6. The vehicle cannot move during turns when it is being repaired, although it can attack normally.

Name:	Third Commander
Type:	Low leader

The Third Commander is the most common leader. Troops within 3 hexes of a Third Commander gain his benefit when facing morale checks.

Name:	Second Commander
Type:	Medium leader

A Second Commander must be part of every team-3. Troops within 5 hexes of a Second Commander gain his benefit when facing morale checks.

Name:	Ah-Toon
Type:	Hero

Ah-Toon will never advance beyond Fourth-Commander rank -- he's too unconventional. He is legendary among the soldiers, however, because he is the only living Pelgari who has graduated from all seven ASPIC programs. He can serve as any kind of ASPIC warrior, as long as you have some of that ASPIC type in your army. You choose which ASPIC type he will be at the start of the game, and he will attach himself to a team-1 of that type. He is an Elite Fourth-Commander and carries whatever weapon his ASPIC teammates carry.

Name:	Toa-Noga
Type:	Hero

Toa-noga is a natural leader. Had he been born into a more prominent Pelgari family, he undoubtedly would be a Second or First Commander by now. Even as a Third Commander, he still exerts an amazing influence on the soldiers around him. He is Elite, and his leadership range is 5, not the usual 3. He prefers to fight alongside Gunmen, wielding a medium weapon of some kind.

Name:	Sah-Tsar
Type:	Hero

Sah-Tsar is a Healer without equal. His skill in diagnosing and treating injuries is almost uncanny. Each turn, Sah-Tsar can heal two wounded Pelgari, not the usual 1, as long as he ends his move adjacent to both of them. If no wounded are nearby, he can also do level-1 repairs on small vehicles if he rolls a 4-6.

III-c. Soldier Attributes

III-d. Weapons

• Grenades (can carry 1 of these in addition to any other weapon):
• EMP Grenade generates a short-ranged electromagnetic pulse that ruins any electronics in its target hex. Vehicles will be disabled; StarMarine PARM's, Zrute battle-suits, and any other powered battle-armor will be shut down. Ordinary foot soldiers are not affected. If the EMP Grenade hits its target, don't roll for AP or toughness; just roll one die. This EMP roll succeeds on a 5-6 for power-suited soldiers and small vehicles, or 4-6 for large vehicles; otherwise, the EMP Grenade does nothing. Vehicles that get hit are disabled. If the target is a power-suited soldier, he is considered Wounded. He can't be fixed by a Healer, but can return to normal if a Fixer does a level-1 repair on him. Stack the EMP Grenade marker with the disabled armor-wearer to distinguish him from a wounded soldier.

• Hand weapons (can carry two of these):
• CLP (cold-light pistol) is a lower-powered version of the CLR. It is the preferred weapon among ASPIC Warriors who can carry only hand weapons.
• Dervish Blade is a long, curved sword similar in appearance to a katana, but more akin to the Dran Empire's monomolecular blades. Only Death Dervishes use this weapon.
• Shield Enhancer increases a Pelgari soldier's armor rating by +1.

• Light weapons:
• CLR (cold-light rifle) is the standard Pelgari soldier's weapon, possibly the best infantry weapon in the galaxy. StarMarines call this gun the "cooler."
• CLS (cold-light sub-rifle) is an assault gun, more compact than a CLR. It fires twice per turn at the same hex.

• Medium weapons:
• Super CLR is a cold-light rifle with a stronger power source for better range.
• CLR Burst Gun uses the same power source as the super CLR, but channels it into a single devastating blast. Only certain ASPIC Warriors can use it.
• Twin CLR is a double-barreled CLR that fires twice per turn, at the same hex or at widely different hexes. Its AP and damage are similar to the normal CLR.

• Heavy weapons:
• Triple CLR is a three-barreled CLR that can pour fire into a target. It fires three shots per turn; you can choose to fire them at one, two, or three targets, as long as they are all adjacent to each other. Its AP and damage are the same as for the normal CLR.
• CLC (cold-light cannon) is an enlarged CLR with much greater range and damage. It is the most common heavy weapon in the Pelgari arsenal, and the most expensive.
• Shrike is a small guided-missile launcher used only by Far Pointers. It is unable to pierce much armor, but it is deadly against soldiers and has an amazingly long range.
• Volcano Cannon is a terrifying weapon that actually makes the ground explode. It builds up a charge of energy in a distant patch of ground or rock, restrains the charge as it builds, then suddenly releases the restraint. The resulting blast not only affects the hex in question, but sends a frag attack (AP=1, damage=2) into all six surrounding hexes. A volcano cannon cannot move and fire in the same turn, even in a vehicle.

III-e. Vehicles

Name:	Tripod
Type:	Small ground vehicle (walker)

This is the only non-skimmer in the Pelgari army. Its three legs give it a steady aim for its weapons (one heavy firing front, and one light weapon firing 360). It isn't as fast as other Pelgari vehicles, but its shields are surprizingly strong for a small vehicle. Its role is to follow the ground troops and support them with direct fire.

Name:	Krait
Type:	Small skimmer vehicle

This skimmer-bike is maneuverable and fast! It carries a driver and one weapon firing ahead. It lacks the shielding for head-to-head combat, and the ahead-aiming can be a limitation, but it is very versatile on the battlefield, excelling at end-around attacks. Kraits must be bought in three's.

Name:	Light Platform
Type:	Small skimmer vehicle

Light Platforms are just what they sound like: weapons platforms. They can move fairly fast, and they carry basic deflector shields. They mount a medium weapon in front, and two light weapons right and left. The light platform has a crew of three, one of which is the driver, so only two of its weapons can fire each turn. Pelgari Platforms are usually used as self-propelled artillery, not as assault vehicles, and are bought in threes.

Name:	Medium Platform
Type:	Small skimmer vehicle

Medium Platforms are slightly larger than Light Platforms. They can carry a heavy weapon in front, and can fire all three weapons in a turn, but they are otherwise identical.

Name:	Heavy Platform
Type:	Small skimmer vehicle

The Heavy Platform is noticeably larger than the Medium, and is better shielded. It carries a medium weapon in front and heavy weapons right and left. All weapons can fire each turn.

Name:	Backfire
Type:	Large skimmer vehicle

The Backfire is a personnel carrier. Two team-1's of any kind can ride inside it. It carries no weapons, but its deflectors are strong, and it carries a nasty surprize for anyone who attacks it with a close-combat weapon, whether they hit it or not: the attacker receives a powerful electric shock. This shock "attack" always hits, has an attack-roll modifier of +2, and does 3 damage.

Name:	Quickfire
Type:	Large skimmer vehicle

The Quickfire is a Backfire that has been modified into a battle tank. It keeps the shock counterattack of the Backfire, but instead of carrying soldiers, it carries a heavy weapon in a 360-degree turret, and two light weapons in corner turrets which can shoot front/left and front/right. It doesn't qualify as a supertank, but it is very fast for a tank.

IV. Game Tables