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Sparky McDibben
2023-03-05, 08:04 PM
Hey, I'm thinking about setting up a sandbox creation tool for the Everyday Heroes system that recently dropped. I figure the closest we have to an old-school town => wilderness => dungeon => wilderness => town gameplay loop is probably something like being mercenaries.

(By this, I'm specifically hewing closer to the imagination of a PMC in something like Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain as opposed to a real-life PMC).

Thus, the core of my question: Does anyone know of a book that already helps a DM set up a sandbox area specifically designed for modern play that embraces paid violence as part of the gameplay loop?

1) I don't want to repeat something that's already been done
2) I like to learn from other people's work
3) I obviously want to avoid any potential copyright issues

Thanks!

Duff
2023-03-06, 09:35 PM
I can't think of a game that would even have a need for such a book other than maybe "Twilight 2000"
And that was set in the future when it was written...

Pauly
2023-03-07, 01:00 AM
Twilight 2000

Also kinda sorta maybe Cyberpunk 2020 and Shadowrun, although those are more city oriented.

Edit to add:
I had completely forgotten about this, but GURPS - Autoduel. I think it might fit your bill close to perfectly.
Based on the Carwars board game, which I played extensively.

Duff
2023-03-07, 02:32 AM
C'Punk and Shadowrun might be good matches for the style. But the setting has important differences.

Battletech/Mechwarrior might also be a good fit for style. I can't think of a specific book, but I'd bet it exists.
GURPS might have something worth looking at

Sparky McDibben
2023-03-07, 08:51 PM
Thanks, y'all! I'm familiar with Battletech: Mercenaries (the book), but found it incredibly granular in a way I didn't like. Well, I don't like it now, but back in the day, I found it fascinating.

I'll take a gander at Twilight:2000, though. Thanks!!

SpyOne
2023-03-13, 11:59 AM
The second edition of Twilight:2000 had a book called Merc:2000 specifically for abandoning the original setting and playing as modern contractors.
And of course Recon from Palladium Books offered, in addition to the main Vietnam setting, the ability to play as mercenaries in various fictionalized parts of the world. In particular there was a campaign outlined where the characters are ... hired by the State Department to accept a job offer from a Central American country to run the defense of a province near the border of a communist neighbor.

Millennium's Edge was an RPG where the characters work for a company that ranges from private detectives to mercenaries.

And Holistic Designs put out a line of d20 books for modern play either in the military or as private contractors. There were books for Somalia, Afghanistan, Colombia, and the FBI.

Berenger
2023-03-21, 09:05 AM
Starvation Cheap: Military Campaigns for Stars Without Number was made for science fiction but mostly relies on universal tropes that can readily be used for contemporary play. It has GM tools for the creation of military and mercenary campaigns, specific mercenary companies, wars and conflicts and appropriate missions and adventures.