C O N T E S T E D G R O U N D S T U D I O S

A GAME OF FRIENDS, ENEMIES, SECRETS & CONSEQUENCESIN THE AFTERMATH

Cold War? Hell, it was a Hot War.Robert S. McNamara,

US Secretary for Defence, 1961 - 1968

Oh, where are you coming from, soldier, gaunt soldier,

With weapons beyond any reach of my mind,

With weapons so deadly the world must grow older

And die in its tracks, if it does not turn kind?

Stephen Vincent Benet,

Song For Three Soldiers, 1940

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C r e d i t s

WRITING & GAME DESIGN: Malcolm CraigGRAPHIC DESIGN: Paul BourneILLUSTRATION: Paul BournePHOTOGRAPHY: Paul Bourne, Malcolm CraigEDITING & SUB-EDITING: Stephen Hickey, Chris Perrin, Joe MurphyPROOFREADING: Shevaun Frazier, Andrew Kenrick, Dom Mooney

PLAYTESTING: David Arthur, Michael Atkinson, Chris Bennett, Paulo Bongiovanni, Andrew Cunningham, Morgan Davie, Steve Dempsey, Scott Dorward, Robert Earley-Clark, Alex Fradera, Shevaun Frazier, Neil Gow, Stephen Hickey, Jan-Christophe Hoogendoorn, William Hume, Wai Kien, Stuart McIntyre, James Mullen, Chris Peterson, Dave Pickson, Richard Poole, Blair Rhodes, Derek Robertson, Simon Rogers, Neil Smith, Karen Twelves, Alan Twigg, Kat Urbaniak, Scott van der Valk, Graham Walmsley

LEGAL STUFF: 2008 Contested Ground Studios. All rights reserved. Reproduc-tion without the permission of the publisher is expressly forbidden, except for the purposes of reviews. Any similarities to characters, places, situations or institutions, etc. (without satirical intent) are purely coincidental.

DISCLAIMER: Hot War is a game for mature gamers. Remember, its only a game. The views expressed in this book do not necessarily represent the views of the staff of Contested Ground Studios.

CONTESTED GROUND STUDIOSwww.contestedground.co.uk

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C o n t e n t s

Foreword 004

C H A P T E R 1 :INTRODUCTION

Introduction 008Structure and History 009Source Fiction & Cold War Ethics 010The Built Artefacts of the Cold War 011In Conclusion 012Stuff You Need To Play 014Glossary of Terms 015

C H A P T E R 2 :THE HOT WAR

The Beginning of War 017The London Battles 0241 Week to 12 Months After 026Welcome To Hell 039A Secret History 040The Special Situations Group (SSG) 043

C H A P T E R 3 :CREATING GAMES & CHARACTERS

Game & Character Creation 052Closed & Open Games 056What Is A Closed Game? 056What Is An Open Game? 057Game Creation 058Character Creation 071Beginning Character Creation 072Assigning Attributes 073Creating Traits 074Creating Hidden Agendas 077Relationships 082The Experience Scene 084Character Creation Summary 087Pre-generated Characters 089

C H A P T E R 4 :PLAYING THE GAME

Scenes & Scene Framing 096Possible Scene Locations 097Conflict Resolution 098

Creating A Dice Pool 101Bringing In Hidden Agendas 102Bringing In Traits 103Bringing In Relationships 104Other Factors 106Synopsis Of Dice Pool Creation 107Rolling The Dice 107Consequences 110Telling The Story Of The Conflict 114Crisis Points 116Additional Rules 119Some Useful Hints and Tips For GMs 122Creating & Using NPCs 131Sample Detailed NPCs 136Sample Monsters 138

C H A P T E R 5 :ORGANISATIONS

Civil Organisations 146Military Organisations 150Police & Para-military Organisations 154

C H A P T E R 6 :LONDON & BEYOND

Under London 160Locations Within Central London 165Locations Within Greater London 168Locations Near London 170

C H A P T E R 7 :APPENDICES

Mediography 178Useful Websites 187Game Aids 188 A Players Primer To Hot War 189 Game Creation Sheet 190 Character Sheet 191 Simple NPC Sheet 192 Detailed NPC Sheet 193 Pre-written Game Creation Sheets 194

Afterword 198

Index 200

0317-5482 (M.S.3.)16th October 1963

The War Office,London, S.W.1.

WAR OFFICE NEWS BULLETINA substantial group of illegal refugees have been found hiding in the Shoreditch area. The Army removed the illegal refugees thanks to the vigilance of concerned local citizens. The general public are urged to report any sightings of refugees at once to the appropriate authorities.

The Navy engaged in a bombardment of the Hastings area, successfully wiping out a nest of Soviet Mobile Biological Weapons that threatened to advance on London.

Concerned members of the public apprehended a sniper in the Pimlico area. Members of the general public are reminded that enemy forces should be placed into the custody of the appropriate authorities. Vigilante activity, such as hanging or stoning, will be subject to investigation and punishment.

-------------------------------------------------------------------Tampering with this notice is a crime punishable by arrest.--------------------------------------------------------

A civilian injured during an incident in Clerkenwell.The individual has since been quarantined, pending de-briefing and processing.

Pr o f i l e Atomic Weapons Research Establishment (AWRE), Aldermaston

In 1950, the former airfield at Aldermaston, Berkshire, was designated to become the main base for the development of Britains independent nuclear deterrent. It was here that the British atomic, and later thermonuclear, weapons were created and maintained. While the Atomic Energy Research Estab-lishment (AERE) at Harwell concentrated on the power applications of nuclear technology, Aldermaston was first and foremost a centre of weapons develop-ment.

The AWRE also maintained subsidiary sites at Burghfield (also in Berkshire), Foulness Island on the Essex coast and at Orford Ness on the Suffolk coast. All of these sites could easily have been co-opted into twisted technology programmes, especially the lonely and isolated Orford Ness with its strange pagoda structures for the testing of detonation systems.

Like so many other notable locations, the AWRE would have been high on the list for targeting during a nuclear war due to its vital position in the UK deterrence system. Whether this came to pass in the time line of Hot War re-mains unknown. Suffice to say, expeditions out of London, into the wilds the Home Counties have become, could yield startling and valuable discoveries. Or they could simply lead to suffering and death.

B

C H A P T E R 2 : T H E H O T W A R

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The beginning of wAr : A diArY----------Day 1----------

Dear Diary,

Mr Browning seemed very pleased with the new advertisements in the Sun-day papers. Looks like we might be able to afford that holiday to the Lake District after all! Mum and Dad seem to be enjoying their new house in Morecambe. I think the sea air will do Mum a power of good, just what the doctor ordered.

Seems the Americans and the Russians are having a set to again! From what we heard on the wireless, the Russians have been setting up an army in Cuba, ready to invade the USA. From what the papers are saying, they have got missiles there as well. Like all these things, itll blow over. I remember when dad was flying in the Berlin airlift, everyone said the balloon would go up over that one, but nothing ever came of it.

----------Day 2----------

Dear Diary,

Dad won a local bowling club trophy at his first outing. Good for him, I always knew the old boy still had it in him. He also said that the RAF had been on the blower, apparently theyre saying that some of the old gang might need to be called up in the near future. Dad is furious as all hell, said he gave twenty years to the Air Force and thats all theyre damn well getting from him!

Eric was called back from leave early as well. Still, cant say Id be too miffed at that. Lucky blighter gets to zoom around in a Lightning half the time. All the girls at the pub are swooning over him every time hes back. Dad always did say thats how he got mum!

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C H A P T E R 2 : T H E H O T W A R

----------Day 3----------

Dear Diary,

Its all going off here, I can tell you. Theres been Army lorries going by all day. Non-stop, morning until night. Mrs Waltham says theyre going up to the establishment at Porton, says that they are doing all sorts of top secret things up there. Hah! She even says they test A-Bombs there! Twaddle!

Loads of jets flying about all day too. Look like Vulcans and Victors, dirty great white things. Fighter jets as well. I bet Eric is having a whale of a time, zooming about up there! Fantastic!

----------Day 4----------

Dear Diary,

Curiouser and curiouser (to steal a noted phrase). The wireless has gone all weird and Mr Briggs across the way says hes getting nothing on his television. Some strange lightning storms high up in the sky. Mrs Dingle even says she saw a black hole open up right up there in the clouds! And the phones have gone haywire, to boot. Everyones saying theyll be putting in a stern complaint to the GPO about this. Quite right too.

----------Day 5----------

Dear Diary,

We got a wireless message from the PM this morning. He said that hostili-ties have commenced between the USA and the USSR and that Britain would be honouring her NATO pledge whatever that might mean.

C H A P T E R 2 : T H E H O T W A R

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----------Day 6----------

Dear Diary,

Things have gone a bit horrible here. Weve had load of people stream-ing through the village. Some say that the Russians have been landing on the East Coast and all sorts of horrible stuff! Some of them are quite delirious, screaming about deformed soldiers and things stalking across the countryside.

Wireless is completely useless, not a chirrup out of it. Theres been a lot of rumours about A-Bombs being dropped on Sheffield and Birmingham! A-Bombs, if you can believe it. On Sheffield! What rot.

----------Day 7----------

Dear Diary,

Cant write too much, on the move. And the military types are taking away writing materials from anyone they see scribbling stuff down. There was a huge flash from the direction of Porton the other night. This morning, saw at least two Vulcans coming in low overhead, streaming fire out of their back ends. Not sure if they made it. No word from Mum or Dad. Or Eric.

----------Day 8----------

Dear Diary,

The last day has been sheer nightmare. Were heading towards London, along with thousands of other people. Every time anyone hears a noise, they all dive for cover like the entire Red Army has arrived. Lots of madness and nonsense. Women all hysterical about hellish creatures with guns killing everything. Huge explosion off in the direction were heading as well. Not so sure this is such a good idea.

C H A P T E R 2 : T H E H O T W A R

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----------Day 9----------

Dear Diary,

Our little band of refugees has gone. I fell in with a verger from some church or other after we were attacked in the night. Have no idea what in the name of God it was, but women and children were slaughtered. Must have been Russian paratroopers or something. Were trying to get to London, but the verger is in a terrible state. Its a job just to keep him quiet at times. In the darkness you can see things stalking the landscape, just off in the distance, fuzzy.

Found a whole column of people burned and withered. Skirted round them, as I thought it looked like an A-Bomb had been dropped in the area. Must keep my resolve up.

----------Day 10----------

Dear Diary,

London is hell. Bits of it are like when the Blitz was on. Someone dropped a pretty huge bomb to the north, everything just black rubble. The verger ran off screaming last night. Guess the poor sod just couldnt take it any more. Need to keep telling myself Im made of sterner stuff.

Some army chaps were pretty rough with me, seems theyre trying to keep people out. Blagged my way in, using dads old RAF number and stuff he told me, kid them on I was a forces chap in civvies. Seemed to work, they told me to head for Whitehall and report there for duty. Its a funny old world.

[Diary found and transcribed after recovery during routine sweep and clear mission in Clerkenwell]

C H A P T E R 2 : T H E H O T W A R

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1 Month After: Poster, Notification of RestrictionsC H A P T E R 2 : T H E H O T W A R

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MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC ARE REMINDED THAT THE FOLLOWING RULES ARE ----PERMANENTLY IN FORCE----UNTIL SUCH TIMES AS THE RESPONSIBLE CIVIL OR MILITARY AUTHORITY

APPROVES THEIR REPLACEMENT-------------------------------------------------YOU AND EVERY MEMBER OF YOUR FAMILY MUST CARRY YOUR IDENTIFICATION PAPERS AND RATION CARD ON YOUR PERSON AT ALL TIMES-

ANY PERSON, REGARDLESS OF AGE, WHO IS SEEN OUTSIDE THEIR HOME OR APPROVED FACILITY BETWEEN THE HOURS OF 7PM AND 7AM WITHOUT PROVIDING PROOF OF LAWFUL OR OFFICIAL BUSINESS WILL BE ARRESTED

-LOOTING, DISOBEDIENCE OF CIVIL OR MILITARY AUTHORITIES, ANY FORM OF ASSAULT ON CIVIL OR MILITARY AUTHORITIES MAY BE SUBJECT TO IMMEDIATE PUNISHMENT BY SHOOTING AT THE DISCRETION OF A RESPONSIBLE OFFICIAL

-FAILURE TO REPORT SIGHTINGS OF SUSPICIOUS INDIVIDUALS IS A CRIME PUNISHABLE BY WITHDRAWAL OF RATION CARDS FOR ALL FAMILY MEMBERS

GOD SAVE THE QUEEN27TH NOVEMBER, 1962

RESTRICTIONS NOTICE

RESTRICTIONS NOTICE

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C H A P T E R 2 : T H E H O T W A R

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7Months After: Poster, Advertisement For Seamen

Test subject #34521 during our third series of physiological examinations.

Lab assistant Reeves was injured during the procedure.

Testing will continue indefinitely.