Heroes Unlimited vs. Somali Harakah al-Shabaab al-Mujahideen

[tamorrison]

I played several Heroes Unlimited games with my sons and used real-world situations as backdrops for many of the adventures. One of the more useful countries for an adventure setting is Somalia, where after 20 years of civil war and recurring famines, the weak government controls only a few blocks of the capital and an al-Qaeda-aligned militia controls the southern half of what's left of the country. Throw in a few cartoon bad guys and the potential for mayhem is endless. One of the *really* cool things is that the GM can use the Internet to download satellite maps of the area and photographs of real-world bad guys to have a very realistic mission brief.

The real-world al-Qaeda-aligned militia is known as Harakah al-Shabaab al-Mujahideen, "The Holy Warrior Youth Movement." They are better-armed and -trained than other Third World militias, making them powerful enough to be of use to a super-villain, while providing a group of heroes a credible but not overwhelming threat to overcome.

On Facebook, I floated the idea of posting some of what I wrote to Palladium fans. Some of the feedback was positive, mainly comments that such realism would make the game more interesting. Some of the feedback was negative, mainly in the vein of, "Won't that offend al-Qaeda?"

Personally, I don't care if I hurt al-Qaeda's feelings; I want to play a fun game.

My plan is to post a few generic militiamen now and then move on to named al-Shabaab leaders as I flesh them out. Let me know what you think.

[NMI]

See this thread Somali Pirates about what others have thought in regards to this subject [sort of]

[tamorrison]

Harakah al-Shabaab al-Mujahideen (“Holy Warrior Youth Movement”)

The below is an example of the real-world Harakah al-Shabaab al-Mujahideen, an al-Qaeda-affiliated Somali militia. It is dedicated to the creation of an Islamic caliphate in Somalia as a part of the larger al-Qaeda jihad to rule the world. It is significantly better than the typical Third World militia because al-Qaeda supplies it with experienced personnel and supplemental funding. Allegedly, Egypt, Eritrea, Iran, Libya, and Saudi Arabia also provide financial backing; Eritrea and Russia may provide weapons as well.

The below statistics can easily be tailored to almost any developing nation that has an insurgent movement that benefits from formal training camps, a professional cadre, and significant foreign backing.

While the statistics and backgrounds for the rank-and-file militiamen fairly accurately depict real life, artistic license will be taken with the named leaders. Terrorists and would-be dictators are often secretive, so publically-available information about them tends to be sketchy at best. Even where a complete dossier can be assembled, no Third World militiaman – no matter how experienced – can match a Palladium super-hero. Therefore, named leaders have been given semi-fictionalized backgrounds and super-powers in consonance with their real-life exploits.

Note: The vast majority of southern Somalis cannot read or write their native language (Somali). The Somali language did not have a written form until 1975; it uses the Roman alphabet. The civil war that began in the 1980s and ended in the collapse of the government in 1991 meant that only an elite minority of Somalis had the opportunity to learn how to read and write the Somali language. Northern Somalia (Somaliland) dragged itself out of anarchy a decade ago; central Somalia (Puntland) did so a few years later. While an infusion of Western aid has helped the governments of both Somaliland and Puntland to make some progress toward combating illiteracy, southern Somalia remains in the grip of anarchy, violence, and ignorance.

SOMALI: BASIC CHILD SOLDIER (INFANTRY) – Normal Human
Real Name: Varies. Islamic names such as Abdi, Ahmed, Hassan, Muhammad, Omar, etc.
Alignment: Typically Unprincipled, but generally follows the orders of evil superiors.
Attributes: I.Q. 8, M.E. 7, M.A. 9, P.S. 9, P.P. 8, P.E. 9, P.B. 10, Spd. 20
Age: 12-16 years of age Sex: Male
Size Level: 7 or 8 Weight: 91-133 pounds (41-60 kg) Height: 5 feet, 1-6 inches (1.55-1.68 m)
Hit Points: 12 (1st) or 16 (2nd) S.D.C. 12
Disposition: Fairly obedient but not overly brave. Average morale.
Powers: None.
Psionics: None.
Level of Experience: 1st or 2nd level militiaman
Level of Education: Military basic training, but never attended school
Scholastic Bonus: +8%
Occupation: Militiaman.
Automatic Skills:
Speak Native Language (Somali) 98% (cannot read or write Somali)
Scholastic Skills (Military Training):
Camouflage 38% (43% at 2nd level)
Detect Ambush 43% (48% at 2nd level)
Land Navigation 48% (52% at 2nd level)
Read/Write Arabic (Qur’anic) 43% (48% at 2nd level)
Swimming 63% (68% at 2nd level)
Wilderness Survival 43% (48% at 2nd level)
Weapon Proficiencies:
W.P. Automatic and Semi-Automatic Rifle
W.P. Heavy Military Weapons
W.P. Semi-Automatic Pistol
W.P. Knife
Physical Skills/Training:
Athletics (general)
Hand to Hand: Basic
Prowl 30% (35% at 2nd level)
Running
Secondary Skills:
Pilot: Automobile 74% (78% at 2nd level)
Speak Arabic (Qur’anic) 45% (50% at 2nd level)
One of the following skill pairs:
┌ Animal Husbandry 40% (45% at 2nd level)
└ Skin and Prepare Animal Hides 35% (40% at 2nd level)
┌ Farming 44% (48% at 2nd level)
└ Teamster/Wagoner 50% (55% at 2nd level)
┌ Pilot: Boating 64% (68% at 2nd level)
└ Fishing 65% (70% at 2nd level)
Combat Skills:
Attacks per Melee: 4
AKM: +3 to strike with an aimed shot, +1 to strike with a short or long burst, -6 to shoot wild
Bayonet/Knife: +1 to parry (also +1 to strike at 2nd level)
Hand to Hand: +1 to parry (+3 at 2nd level), +2 to pull punch, +3 to roll with punch
Heavy Military Weapon: +3 to strike with an aimed shot, +1 to strike with a short or long burst, -6 to shoot wild
Semi-Automatic Pistol: +3 to strike with an aimed shot, +1 to strike with a short or long burst, -6 to shoot wild
Other: +1 to dodge (+3 at 2nd level), +3 to roll with fall, +2 to roll with impact
Personal Profile: Child soldiers such as this one make up about 75% of al-Shabaab al-Mujahideen’s numbers. This militiaman is usually between 12 and 16 years of age. He and his family were poor goatherds or subsistence farmers or fishermen until the ongoing civil war drove them into a squalid and overcrowded refugee camp. For months or years they stayed there, wasting away with barely enough to eat, until an al-Shabaab al-Mujahideen recruiter promised him $400 and medical care for his family if he joined their militia. He trained for six months in a camp, concentrating on physical fitness; hand-to-hand combat; learning how to shoot small arms, machineguns, RPGs, recoilless rifles, and light infantry mortars; how to move and fight as a member of a light infantry unit; and how to recite the Qur’an. Now he eats two or three times a day. He sends most of his monthly pay back to his mother and father. The foreign mullahs want him to learn his place in the great jihad, the holy war to bring the world to Allah by ridding it of infidels. They say he will go to Paradise if he is killed in battle. He does what he’s told and repeats their words but doesn’t really believe them enough to want to die for their cause.
Weapons and Equipment:
NATO-pattern woodland camouflage uniform or Pakistani-style solid green shalwar kameez with pants
Kuffiyeh (headscarf) (red and white checked pattern)
Cheap black or brown canvas hiking shoes
AKM with full 30-round AK magazine and folding bayonet
Pistol belt with shoulder harness
4 AK magazine pouches with 4 full 30-round AK magazines
One-liter plastic canteen with canteen cover and cup
Weapon cleaning kit (AKM)
Qur’an

SOMALI: EXPERIENCED CHILD SOLDIER (INFANTRY) – Normal Human
Real Name: Varies. Islamic names such as Abdi, Ahmed, Hassan, Muhammad, Omar, etc.
Alignment: Typically Unprincipled, but some Aberrant. Normally follows the orders of evil superiors.
Attributes: I.Q. 9, M.E. 7, M.A. 10, P.S. 10, P.P. 9, P.E. 9, P.B. 10, Spd. 20
Age: 14-17 years of age Sex: Male
Size Level: 8 or 9 Weight: 106-156 pounds (48-71 kg) Height: 5 feet, 1-10 inches (1.55-1.78 m)
Hit Points: 19 (3rd) or 23 (4th) S.D.C. 12
Disposition: More disciplined, obedient and brave than a basic child soldier. Above average morale, but not fanatic.
Powers: None.
Psionics: None.
Level of Experience: 3rd or 4th level militiaman
Level of Education: Military basic training, but never attended school
Scholastic Bonus: +8%
Occupation: Militiaman.
Automatic Skills:
Speak Native Language (Somali) 98% (cannot read or write Somali)
Scholastic Skills (Military Training):
Camouflage 48% (53% at 4th level)
Detect Ambush 53% (58% at 4th level)
Land Navigation 56% (60% at 4th level)
Read/Write Arabic (Qur’anic) 53% (58% at 4th level)
Swimming 73% (78% at 4th level)
Wilderness Survival 53% (58% at 4th level)
Weapon Proficiencies:
W.P. Automatic and Semi-Automatic Rifle
W.P. Heavy Military Weapons
W.P. Semi-Automatic Pistol
W.P. Knife
Physical Skills/Training:
Athletics (general)
Hand to Hand: Basic
Prowl 30% (35% at 2nd level)
Running
Secondary Skills:
Pilot: Automobile 82% (86% at 4th level)
Public Speaking 35% (40% at 4th level)
Speak Arabic (Qur’anic) 55% (60% at 4th level)
Radio: Basic Communications 55% (60% at 4th level)
One of the following skill pairs:
┌ Animal Husbandry 50% (55% at 4th level)
└ Skin and Prepare Animal Hides 45% (50% at 4th level)
┌ Farming 52% (56% at 4th level)
└ Teamster/Wagoner 60% (65% at 4th level)
┌ Pilot: Boating 72% (76% at 4th level)
└ Fishing 75% (80% at 4th level)
Combat Skills:
Attacks per Melee: 4 (5 at 4th level)
AKM: +4 to strike with an aimed shot, +2 to strike with a short or long burst, -5 to shoot wild
Bayonet/Knife: +2 to parry, +1 to throw, +1 to strike (+2 at 4th level)
Hand to Hand: +3 to parry, +2 to pull punch, +3 to roll with punch, kick attack does 1D6 damage
Heavy military weapons: +4 to strike with an aimed shot, +2 to strike with a short or long burst, -5 to shoot wild
Other: +3 to dodge, +3 to roll with fall, +2 to roll with impact
Personal Profile: At 14-17 years of age, this young Somali is still a child soldier, but he has grown up a lot during his service with al-Shabaab al-Mujahideen. He is a veteran of many combats against rival militias, Ethiopian troops, and government and African Union forces. Al-Shabaab al-Mujahideen has rewarded him for his service with extra rank, extra training, extra pay, and possibly even a wife. He is the equivalent of a team leader, a squad leader, or a platoon sergeant. If he was particularly brave or effective in battle, the militia leadership obtained a wife for him. (She is 2-3 years younger than he is and usually was bought – yes, bought – from a starving refugee family and given to him – he never saw her before the wedding.) The foreign mullahs are teaching him his place in the great jihad, and he believes their words more the longer he listens. He is able to recite the Qur’an better now, and often helps lead the younger militiamen in prayer. He still doesn’t want to die, but as a professional holy warrior, he knows that risking his life is part of the job – a worthy and/or well-paying job at that. He still sends most of his monthly pay back to his mother and father, but now he may urge them to let more of their sons join al-Shabaab al-Mujahideen.
Weapons and Equipment:
NATO-pattern woodland camouflage uniform or Pakistani-style solid green shalwar kameez with pants
Kuffiyeh (headscarf) (red and white checked pattern)
Cheap black or brown canvas hiking shoes
Pistol belt with shoulder harness
One-liter plastic canteen with canteen cover and cup
Qur’an
One of the following weapons choices:
┌ AKM with full 30-round AK magazine and folding bayonet
│ 4 AK magazine pouches with 4 full 30-round AK magazines
│ Weapon cleaning kit (AKM)
└ 1 Fragmentation grenade
┌ RPD with full (100-round linked) drum magazine and folding bipod
│ 2 RPD drum magazine pouches with 2 full (100-round linked) RPD drum magazines
│ Weapon cleaning kit (RPD)
│ 1 Bush knife
└ (Note: Normally will have an assistant carry 2-4 additional full (100-round linked) drum magazines)
┌ PKM with full 250-round box magazine and folding bipod
│ 1 extra PKM box magazine with 250 belted rounds.
│ Weapon cleaning kit (PKM)
│ 1 Bush knife
└ (Note: Normally will have 1-2 assistants carry 1-2 additional full 250-round PKM box magazines each)
┌ Type 63-1 light mortar with bipod and baseplate
│ 3 HE-Frag mortar rounds
│ Weapon cleaning kits (Type 63-1 and Tokarev)
│ 1 Tokarev pistol with two full 8-round magazines and one magazine pouch
└ (Note: Normally will have 3-4 assistants carry 6 additional HE-Frag mortar rounds each)
┌ RPG with basic optical sight
│ Special backpack with 3 assembled RPG rounds (1 HEAT, 2 HE-Frag)
│ Weapon cleaning kits (RPG and Tokarev)
│ 1 Tokarev pistol with two full 8-round magazines and one magazine pouch
└ (Note: Normally will have an assistant carry 9 additional assembled RPG rounds (3 HEAT, 6 HE-Frag))

SOMALI: INFANTRY CAPTAIN – Normal Human
Real Name: Varies. Islamic names such as Abdi, Ahmed, Hassan, Muhammad, Omar, etc.
Alignment: About half Unprincipled, half Aberrant. Follows the orders of evil superiors.
Attributes: I.Q. 10, M.E. 8, M.A. 10, P.S. 11, P.P. 9, P.E. 11, P.B. 10, Spd. 21
Age: 18-40 years of age Sex: Male
Size Level: 9 Weight: 156-183 pounds (71-83 kg) Height: 5 feet, 2-11 inches (1.57-1.80 m)
Hit Points: 28 S.D.C. 12
Disposition: Experienced militia commander who rose through the ranks. Fairly brave but not fanatic.
Powers: None.
Psionics: None.
Level of Experience: 5th level militiaman
Level of Education: Military basic training, but never attended school
Scholastic Bonus: N/A.
Scholastic Bonus: +8%
Occupation: Militiaman.
Automatic Skills:
Speak Native Language (Somali) 98% (cannot read or write Somali)
Scholastic Skills (Military Training):
Camouflage 58%
Detect Ambush 63%
Land Navigation 64%
Read/Write Arabic (Qur’anic) 63%
Swimming 83%
Wilderness Survival 63%
Weapon Proficiencies:
W.P. Automatic and Semi-Automatic Rifle
W.P. Heavy Military Weapons
W.P. Semi-Automatic Pistol
W.P. Knife
Physical Skills/Training:
Athletics (general)
Hand to Hand: Basic
Prowl 50%
Running
Secondary Skills:
Pilot: Automobile 90%
Public Speaking 40%
Speak Arabic (Qur’anic) 65%
Radio: Basic Communications 65%
One of the following skill pairs:
┌ Animal Husbandry 60%
└ Skin and Prepare Animal Hides 55%
┌ Farming 60%
└ Teamster/Wagoner 70%
┌ Pilot: Boating 80%
└ Fishing 85%
Combat Skills:
Attacks per Melee: 5
AKM: +4 to strike with an aimed shot, +2 to strike with a short or long burst, -5 to shoot wild
Bayonet/Knife: +2 to parry, +1 to throw, +2 to strike
Hand to Hand: +1 to strike, +3 to parry, +2 to pull punch, +3 to roll with punch, kick attack does 1D6 damage
Heavy military weapons: +4 to strike with an aimed shot, +2 to strike with a short or long burst, -5 to shoot wild
Other: +3 to dodge, +3 to roll with fall, +2 to roll with impact
Personal Profile: This adult has spent the past four to eight years of his life serving al-Shabaab al-Mujahideen. He is a veteran of many combats against rival militias, Ethiopian troops, and government and African Union forces. Al-Shabaab al-Mujahideen has rewarded him for his service with extra rank, extra training, extra pay, a car, and a wife or two. He is almost certainly a father of 2D6 children and concern for their future keeps him from being foolhardy in battle. He is the equivalent of a platoon or company commander or a member of a battalion staff. He has more or less accepted his place in the great jihad; he aids the foreign mullahs proselytize to junior militiamen. He has sent for his parents and siblings to live in an al-Shabaab al-Mujahideen-controlled area; he has recruited some or all of his brothers into the militia; some of his sisters may have married militia members. (Although these would be arranged marriages, this is normal for Somali society.)
Weapons and Equipment:
NATO-pattern woodland camouflage uniform or Pakistani-style solid green shalwar kameez with pants
Kuffiyeh (headscarf) (red and white checked pattern)
Cheap black or brown canvas hiking shoes
Pistol belt with shoulder harness
One-liter plastic canteen with canteen cover and cup
Map of local area (hand-drawn and crude)
Compass (cheap civilian type)
Watch (cheap)
Pocket notebook with pen and/or pencil
Qur’an
4x4 Vehicle (Land Rover/GAZ-66/Toyota Land Cruiser/Jeep) (with pedestal to mount PK/SPG-9, no roof or glass)
AKM with full 30-round AK magazine, folding bayonet, and 4-power telescopic sight
4 AK magazine pouches with 4 full 30-round AK magazines
GP-25 grenade launcher (mounted under AKM)
20 40 mm grenades (12 HE, 2 bounding HE, 6 smoke)
1 Tokarev pistol with two full 8-round magazines and one magazine pouch
Weapon cleaning kits (AKM, GP-25, Tokarev)
1 Bush knife

SOMALI: SUICIDE BOMBER – Normal Human
Real Name: Varies. Islamic names such as Abdi, Ahmed, Hassan, Muhammad, Omar, etc.
Alignment: Typically Unprincipled, but generally follows the orders of evil superiors.
Attributes: I.Q. 8, M.E. 7, M.A. 9, P.S. 9, P.P. 8, P.E. 9, P.B. 10, Spd. 8
Age: 16-25 years of age Sex: Male
Size Level: 8 or 9 Weight: 118-168 pounds (54-76 kg) Height: 5 feet, 1-11 inches (1.55-1.80 m)
Hit Points: 12 S.D.C. 4
Disposition: Suicidal.
Powers: None.
Psionics: None.
Level of Experience: 1st level militiaman
Level of Education: Never attended school
Scholastic Bonus: N/A.
Occupation: Suicide bomber.
Scholastic Skills:
None.
Weapon Proficiencies:
None.
Physical Skills/Training:
None.
Secondary Skills:
Speak Somali (native language) 98% (cannot read or write Somali)
Read/Write Arabic (Qur’anic) 35%
Speak Arabic (Qur’anic) 45%
One of the following skill pairs:
┌ Animal Husbandry 40%
└ Skin and Prepare Animal Hides 35%
┌ Farming 44%
└ Teamster/Wagoner 50%
┌ Pilot: Boating 64%
└ Fishing 65%
Combat Skills:
Attacks per Melee: 1
No combat abilities.
Personal Profile: This Somali is poor, depressed, possibly HIV-positive, and thoroughly brainwashed. He and his family were poor goatherds or subsistence farmers or fishermen until the ongoing civil war drove them away from their homes and to the edge of starvation. Although suicide bombing is anathema to traditional Somali culture, the desperate conditions of the refugee camps and the twenty years of Somali anarchy have bred a generation of young men more susceptible to recruitment than their forebears. The al-Qaeda mullahs seek the sick, the depressed, and the hopeless, offering suicide bombers a guarantee of a better afterlife and $2,500 for their families. Whether or not the person has HIV, the mullahs will try to convince the prospective recruit that he has it and so has no hope of marriage and a normal life, but will die a long, slow, painful death, a burden to his already-starving parents and siblings. (Ruses include claiming that foreign aid workers gave him HIV-tainted vaccine or medicine, or arranging for the recruit to be raped by militiamen dressed as bandits, African Union troops, or Somali government forces.) The mullahs then present suicide bombing as the prospect’s only option to save his family from starvation and his only hope for a meaningful death and entry into Paradise. The mullahs portray HIV as a “biological weapon of the West” to motivate the recruit to seek a means to strike back against the “enemies of Islam.” The mullahs then bring the recruit to a training camp, where he is well-fed and subjected to intense brainwashing. The suicide bomber has studied the Qur’an intensely and has accepted his place in the great jihad, the holy war to bring the world to Allah by ridding it of infidels. He is willing and eager to die for this cause.
Weapons and Equipment:
Traditional Somali garb
Qur’an
Suicide vest with 11 pounds of plastic explosives, fragmentation layer (penny nails), command detonator, and remote detonator. (If he appears to be chickening out at the last minute, his handler will detonate the bomber’s vest from a safe distance.)
(Note: Somalis are so poor that only the comparatively well-off have vehicles, making it extremely difficult to recruit suicide car and truck bombers. It is also extremely difficult to teach a suicidal person how to drive like a normal person. The two known suicide car bombers in Somalia were actually recruited in North America.)

[Juce734]

I appreciate all the hard work you have done. I may use this in my game once I get around to incorporating that part of the world into my current game.

[tamorrison]

Thanks. There will be more. Harakah al-Shabaab al-Mujahideen has a significant number of fighting vehicles: armed jeeps, trucks, and even armored personnel carriers. In a few days, I'll post statistics for the vehicle crews. After that, I'll post Somali warlord statistics (there are several, most of whom actually fought against al-Shabaab in the past before changing sides). Once I am done writing about all the normal people, I'll submit posts for specific, exceptional leaders, fictionalizing them only slightly by giving them super-powers in accordance with their actual exploits. That way, GMs can use real-world news stories about them as part of their mission briefs to the players.

The way the format shows up in the message board is not the way it looks in my MS Word document. Even more frustrating, the profiles of the named leaders include photographs, but I think I can only post text here. Hmmm...

[Bood Samel]

Yea this is great material. I hoping to use warpath for gaming along these lines.

[tamorrison]

Urban combat takes on a WHOLE NEW MEANING when it's done in the streets of Mogadishu. Think "Black Hawk Down" but give the bad guys better training, higher morale, more heavy weapons, a few armored vehicles, and mortars.

Yeah, the super-heroes had *BETTER* be "super" and have their act together...

[tamorrison]

If anyone wants the MS Word document, just tell me how to attach it to a post or give me your e-mail address.

[jaymz]

Was just curious but wouldn't this be better for Ninjas and Superspies rather than HU?

Excellent work by the way.

[wolfsgrin]

Good work!

[Sir_Spirit]

Was just curious but wouldn't this be better for Ninjas and Superspies rather than HU?

Excellent work by the way.

WORks for both IMO.

[Sir Neil]

Urban combat takes on a WHOLE NEW MEANING when it's done in the streets of Mogadishu.... Yeah, the super-heroes had *BETTER* be "super" and have their act together...

Yeah! Never saw Black Hawk Down, but the image of powered armor supers prowling through a battle-scarred city on foot is really evocative.

...it becomes less so when they're clad in flashy colors, capes, and tights... Still would be fun for an Iron Age team, I think.

[Kovoston]

[quote="tamorrison"]Harakah al-Shabaab al-Mujahideen (“Holy Warrior Youth Movement”)



This is great! And would make a GREAT Rifter idea!

[tamorrison]

Was just curious but wouldn't this be better for Ninjas and Superspies rather than HU?

Excellent work by the way.

WORks for both IMO.

Sure, it could work for both.

N&SS: The basic problem for the heroes would be that they don't look like skinny Somalis, so they would stand out like - well, like tall, muscular, heavily-armed white people in the streets of Mogadishu. Assuming that the characters could even speak Somali, what would they say? "Um, yeah, we're Somalis. Nuthin' unusual about us. We look different 'cuz, uh, we're adopted?"

HU: Three out of five kids rolled up robots, and all three went for some variant of a flying tank. One was a Scooby-Doo Mystery Machine based on an upgraded Russian GAZ-66 chassis, with pop-out jump jets, rocket pods, autocannons, etc. One was a 20' lion, complete with fur, giant retractable claws, pop-out helicopter rotors, twin .50-caliber machineguns, and TOW missiles. One was an 8-foot tall battle droid who, despite his sunglasses and Hawaiian shirt, looked amazingly like a big killer robot, probably because of his not-concealed automatic 40 mm grenade launcher, .50-caliber machinegun, flamethrower - you get the idea. I had to give the kids somewhere they could use all that firepower, and Tokyo was taken (curse you, Godzilla!). So the kids got Mogadishu.

Rounding out the party, the fourth kid was an alien who had Alter Physical Structure: Electricity and Energy Discharge: Electricity powers. His favorite activity was zapping every bad guy who had even an ounce of plastic explosive on him. When the fifth kid, the psionic, hypnotized an approaching suicide bomber to return to his leader, the fourth kid followed at a distance and then zapped the Somali with a 10D6 lightning bolt.

Yeah, plastic explosive is designed to detonate by electricity. Boom.

But if you have players who can blend in, by all means, go for ninja-like stealth over massive firepower. Several blocks of an impoverished, war-torn city will thank you.

[slade the sniper]

Was just curious but wouldn't this be better for Ninjas and Superspies rather than HU?

Excellent work by the way.

WORks for both IMO.

Sure, it could work for both.

N&SS: The basic problem for the heroes would be that they don't look like skinny Somalis, so they would stand out like - well, like tall, muscular, heavily-armed white people in the streets of Mogadishu. Assuming that the characters could even speak Somali, what would they say? "Um, yeah, we're Somalis. Nuthin' unusual about us. We look different 'cuz, uh, we're adopted?"

HU: Three out of five kids rolled up robots, and all three went for some variant of a flying tank. One was a Scooby-Doo Mystery Machine based on an upgraded Russian GAZ-66 chassis, with pop-out jump jets, rocket pods, autocannons, etc. One was a 20' lion, complete with fur, giant retractable claws, pop-out helicopter rotors, twin .50-caliber machineguns, and TOW missiles. One was an 8-foot tall battle droid who, despite his sunglasses and Hawaiian shirt, looked amazingly like a big killer robot, probably because of his not-concealed automatic 40 mm grenade launcher, .50-caliber machinegun, flamethrower - you get the idea. I had to give the kids somewhere they could use all that firepower, and Tokyo was taken (curse you, Godzilla!). So the kids got Mogadishu.

Rounding out the party, the fourth kid was an alien who had Alter Physical Structure: Electricity and Energy Discharge: Electricity powers. His favorite activity was zapping every bad guy who had even an ounce of plastic explosive on him. When the fifth kid, the psionic, hypnotized an approaching suicide bomber to return to his leader, the fourth kid followed at a distance and then zapped the Somali with a 10D6 lightning bolt.

Yeah, plastic explosive is designed to detonate by electricity. Boom.

But if you have players who can blend in, by all means, go for ninja-like stealth over massive firepower. Several blocks of an impoverished, war-torn city will thank you.

VERY awesome idea! I like it, a lot. Not only is it interesting and fun, but there is a rational thought process behind it. Good job!

-STS

[Sir Neil]

The most common vehicle the robots will have to deal with? The technical.

[slade the sniper]

Against armored vehicles, it isn't much, but against infantry it's a killer! On the plus side, if you are handy enough you can mount missiles to it like a TOW, or an automatic grenade launcher, even stuff up to the 20mm autocannon range OR low recoil 30mm stuff...

IIRC you can make some sweet technicals from Road Hogs, a TMNT sourcebook and I think there are some cut down rules in HU and N&SS.

I remember seeing a convoy of technicals, 2 with 14.5mm HMG's and 2 with fire teams of infantry in the back (2 x RPG-7's, 2 x RPK's and 4 guys with AK's) absolutely devastate an insurgent ambush...absolutely nothing for armor, but the speed and agility of technical/motorized troops is something to witness and makes mech/MRAP mounted troops seem positively arthritic by comparison and with no body armor to wear, the troops themselves are very fast (not much good against US forces, tho...)

-STS

[tamorrison]

Somali technicals and associted crew...

SOMALI: BASIC CHILD SOLDIER (VEHICLE CREWMAN) – Normal Human
Real Name: Varies. Islamic names such as Abdi, Ahmed, Hassan, Muhammad, Omar, etc.
Alignment: Typically Unprincipled, but generally follows the orders of evil superiors.
Attributes: I.Q. 8, M.E. 7, M.A. 9, P.S. 9, P.P. 8, P.E. 9, P.B. 10, Spd. 20
Age: 12-16 years of age Sex: Male
Size Level: 7 or 8 Weight: 91-133 pounds (41-60 kg) Height: 5 feet, 1-6 inches (1.55-1.68 m)
Hit Points: 12 (1st) or 16 (2nd) S.D.C. 12
Disposition: Fairly obedient but not overly brave. Average morale.
Powers: None.
Psionics: None.
Level of Experience: 1st or 2nd level militiaman
Level of Education: Military basic training, but never attended school
Scholastic Bonus: +8%
Occupation: Militiaman.
Automatic Skills:
Speak Native Language (Somali) 98% (cannot read or write Somali)
Scholastic Skills (Military Training):
Automobile Mechanics 63% (68% at 2nd level)
Land Navigation 48% (52% at 2nd level)
Pilot: Automobile 82% (86% at 2nd level)
Pilot: Military Vehicles 52% (56% at 2nd level)
Pilot: Truck 72% (76% at 2nd level)
Read/Write Arabic (Qur’anic) 43% (48% at 2nd level)
Swimming 63% (68% at 2nd level)
Vehicle Weapon Systems 60% (62% at 2nd level)
Weapon Proficiencies:
W.P. Automatic and Semi-Automatic Rifle
W.P. Heavy Military Weapons
W.P. Semi-Automatic Pistol
Physical Skills/Training:
Athletics (general)
Hand to Hand: Basic
Running
Secondary Skills:
Electronics (basic) 45% (50% at 2nd level)
Mechanics (basic) 35% (40% at 2nd level)
Speak Arabic (Qur’anic) 45% (50% at 2nd level)
One of the following skill pairs:
┌ Animal Husbandry 40% (45% at 2nd level)
└ Skin and Prepare Animal Hides 35% (40% at 2nd level)
┌ Farming 44% (48% at 2nd level)
└ Teamster/Wagoner 50% (55% at 2nd level)
┌ Pilot: Boating 64% (68% at 2nd level)
└ Fishing 65% (70% at 2nd level)
Combat Skills:
Attacks per Melee: 4
AKM: +3 to strike with an aimed shot, +1 to strike with a short or long burst, -6 to shoot wild
Hand to Hand: +1 to parry (+3 at 2nd level), +2 to pull punch, +3 to roll with punch
Heavy Military Weapon: +3 to strike with an aimed shot, +1 to strike with a short or long burst, -6 to shoot wild
Semi-Automatic Pistol: +3 to strike with an aimed shot, +1 to strike with a short or long burst, -6 to shoot wild
Other: +1 to dodge (+3 at 2nd level), +3 to roll with fall, +2 to roll with impact
Personal Profile: Child soldiers such as this one make up about 75% of al-Shabaab al-Mujahideen’s numbers. This militiaman is usually between 12 and 16 years of age. He and his family were poor goatherds or subsistence farmers or fishermen until the ongoing civil war drove them into a squalid and overcrowded refugee camp. For months or years they stayed there, wasting away with barely enough to eat, until an al-Shabaab al-Mujahideen recruiter promised him $400 and medical care for his family if he joined their militia. He trained for six months in a camp, concentrating on physical fitness; hand-to-hand combat; learning how to shoot small arms and vehicle-mounted weapons; how to move and fight as a member of a motorized or mechanized unit; and how to recite the Qur’an. Now he eats two or three times a day. He sends most of his monthly pay back to his mother and father. The foreign mullahs want him to learn his place in the great jihad, the holy war to bring the world to Allah by ridding it of infidels. They say he will go to Paradise if he is killed in battle. He does what he’s told and repeats their words but doesn’t really believe them enough to want to die for their cause.
Weapons and Equipment:
NATO-pattern woodland camouflage uniform or Pakistani-style solid green shalwar kameez with pants
Kuffiyeh (headscarf) (red and white checked pattern)
Cheap black or brown canvas hiking shoes
AKM with full 30-round AK magazine and folding bayonet
Pistol belt with shoulder harness
4 AK magazine pouches with 4 full 30-round AK magazines
One-liter plastic canteen with canteen cover and cup
Weapon cleaning kit (AKM)
Qur’an
Assigned as a crewman (driver, gunner, or loader) to one of the following vehicles:
Technical, light: Unarmored jeep or light pick-up truck with no top or glass. A PK, DShK, or SPG-9 is mounted on a pedestal in the center of the crew compartment. Crew: PK or DShK: two, driver and gunner; SPG-9: three, driver, gunner, and loader.
Technical, heavy: Heavy civilian truck or military truck with intact cab but no glass. ZPU-2, ZPU-4, ZU-23-2, or SPG-9 mounted in the center of the bed of the truck. Some have light armor of crude local manufacture protecting the cab (A.R. 10, S.D.C. 400). Crew: four: driver, gunner, loader, and commander.
U.S. V-100/V-150: A ZPU-2 or ZU-23-2 in an open 360° mount takes the place of the turret. Crew: three: driver, gunner, and loader. May have a fourth crewman as a commander.
(Note: Al-Shabaab al-Mujahideen presses into service anything with a motor as a troop transport, cramming militiamen on top almost until they are hanging off the sides. Eight militiamen will ride on a light technical, twenty on a heavy technical, and twelve on the back of a V-100/V-150. The troops block the traverse of the vehicle’s weapons and must dismount for the vehicle to fire.)

SOMALI: EXPERIENCED CHILD SOLDIER (VEHICLE CREWMAN) – Normal Human
Real Name: Varies. Islamic names such as Abdi, Ahmed, Hassan, Muhammad, Omar, etc.
Alignment: Typically Unprincipled, but generally follows the orders of evil superiors.
Attributes: I.Q. 9, M.E. 7, M.A. 10, P.S. 10, P.P. 9, P.E. 9, P.B. 10, Spd. 20
Age: 14-17 years of age Sex: Male
Size Level: 8 or 9 Weight: 106-156 pounds (48-71 kg) Height: 5 feet, 1-10 inches (1.55-1.78 m)
Hit Points: 19 (3rd) or 23 (4th) S.D.C. 12
Disposition: More disciplined, obedient and brave than a basic child soldier. Above average morale, but not fanatic.
Powers: None.
Psionics: None.
Level of Experience: 3rd or 4th level militiaman
Level of Education: Military basic training, but never attended school
Scholastic Bonus: +8%
Occupation: Militiaman.
Automatic Skills:
Speak Native Language (Somali) 98% (cannot read or write Somali)
Scholastic Skills (Military Training):
Automobile Mechanics 73% (78% at 4th level)
Land Navigation 56% (60% at 4th level)
Pilot: Automobile 90% (94% at 4th level)
Pilot: Military Vehicles 60% (64% at 4th level)
Pilot: Truck 80% (84% at 4th level)
Read/Write Arabic (Qur’anic) 53% (58% at 4th level)
Swimming 73% (78% at 4th level)
Vehicle Weapon Systems 64% (66% at 4th level)
Weapon Proficiencies:
W.P. Automatic and Semi-Automatic Rifle
W.P. Heavy Military Weapons
W.P. Semi-Automatic Pistol
Physical Skills/Training:
Athletics (general)
Hand to Hand: Basic
Running
Secondary Skills:
Electronics (basic) 55% (60% at 4th level)
Mechanics (basic) 45% (50% at 4th level)
Public Speaking 35% (40% at 4th level)
Radio: Basic Communications 55% (60% at 4th level)
Speak Arabic (Qur’anic) 55% (60% at 4th level)
One of the following skill pairs:
┌ Animal Husbandry 60% (65% at 4th level)
└ Skin and Prepare Animal Hides 55% (60% at 4th level)
┌ Farming 60% (64% at 4th level)
└ Teamster/Wagoner 70% (75% at 4th level)
┌ Pilot: Boating 80% (84% at 4th level)
└ Fishing 85% (90% at 4th level)
Combat Skills:
Attacks per Melee: 4 (5 at 4th level)
AKM: +4 to strike with an aimed shot, +2 to strike with a short or long burst, -5 to shoot wild
Hand to Hand: +3 to parry, +2 to pull punch, +3 to roll with punch, kick attack does 1D6 damage
Heavy Military Weapon: +4 to strike with an aimed shot, +2 to strike with a short or long burst, -5 to shoot wild
Semi-Automatic Pistol: +4 to strike with an aimed shot, +2 to strike with a short or long burst, -5 to shoot wild
Other: +3 to dodge, +3 to roll with fall, +2 to roll with impact
Personal Profile: At 14-17 years of age, this young Somali is still a child soldier, but he has grown up a lot during his service with al-Shabaab al-Mujahideen. He is a veteran of many combats against rival militias, Ethiopian troops, and government and African Union forces. Al-Shabaab al-Mujahideen has rewarded him for his service with extra rank, extra training, extra pay, and possibly even a wife. He is the equivalent of a senior gunner, a vehicle commander, or a platoon commander. If he was particularly brave or effective in battle, the militia leadership obtained a wife for him. (She is 2-3 years younger than he is and usually was bought – yes, bought – from a starving refugee family and given to him – he never saw her before the wedding.) The foreign mullahs are teaching him his place in the great jihad, and he may believe their words more the longer he listens. He is able to recite the Qur’an better now, and often helps lead the younger militiamen in prayer. He still doesn’t want to die, but as a professional holy warrior, he knows that risking his life is part of the job – a worthy and/or well-paying job at that. He still sends most of his monthly pay back to his mother and father, but now he may urge them to let more of their sons join al-Shabaab al-Mujahideen.
Weapons and Equipment:
NATO-pattern woodland camouflage uniform or Pakistani-style solid green shalwar kameez with pants
Kuffiyeh (headscarf) (red and white checked pattern)
Cheap black or brown canvas hiking shoes
AKM with full 30-round AK magazine and folding bayonet
Pistol belt with shoulder harness
4 AK magazine pouches with 4 full 30-round AK magazines
One-liter plastic canteen with canteen cover and cup
Weapon cleaning kit (AKM)
Qur’an
Assigned as a crewman (gunner or commander) to one of the following vehicles:
Technical, light: Unarmored jeep or light pick-up truck with no top or glass. A PK, DShK, or SPG-9 is mounted on a pedestal in the center of the crew compartment. Crew: PK or DShK: two, driver and gunner; SPG-9: three, driver, gunner, and loader.
Technical, heavy: Heavy civilian truck or military truck with intact cab but no glass. ZPU-2, ZPU-4, ZU-23-2, or SPG-9 mounted in the center of the bed of the truck. Some have light armor of crude local manufacture protecting the cab (A.R. 10, S.D.C. 400). Crew: four: driver, gunner, loader, and commander.
U.S. V-100/V-150: A ZPU-2 or ZU-23-2 in an open 360° mount takes the place of the turret. Crew: three: driver, gunner, and loader. May have a fourth crewman as a commander.
(Note: Al-Shabaab al-Mujahideen presses into service anything with a motor as a troop transport, cramming militiamen on top almost until they are hanging off the sides. Eight militiamen will ride on a light technical, twenty on a heavy technical, and twelve on the back of a V-100/V-150. The troops block the traverse of the vehicle’s weapons and must dismount for the vehicle to fire.)

SOMALI: MOTORIZED/MECHANIZED CAPTAIN – Normal Human
Real Name: Varies. Islamic names such as Abdi, Ahmed, Hassan, Muhammad, Omar, etc.
Alignment: About half Unprincipled, half Aberrant. Follows the orders of evil superiors.
Attributes: I.Q. 10, M.E. 8, M.A. 10, P.S. 11, P.P. 9, P.E. 11, P.B. 10, Spd. 21
Age: 18-40 years of age Sex: Male
Size Level: 9 Weight: 156-183 pounds (71-83 kg) Height: 5 feet, 2-11 inches (1.57-1.80 m)
Hit Points: 28 S.D.C. 12
Disposition: Experienced militia commander who rose through the ranks. Fairly brave but not fanatic.
Powers: None.
Psionics: None.
Level of Experience: 5th level militiaman
Level of Education: Military basic training, but never attended school
Scholastic Bonus: +8%
Occupation: Militiaman.
Automatic Skills:
Speak Native Language (Somali) 98% (cannot read or write Somali)
Scholastic Skills (Military Training):
Automobile Mechanics 83%
Land Navigation 64%
Pilot: Automobile 98%
Pilot: Military Vehicles 68%
Pilot: Truck 88%
Read/Write Arabic (Qur’anic) 63%
Swimming 83%
Vehicle Weapon Systems 68%
Weapon Proficiencies:
W.P. Automatic and Semi-Automatic Rifle
W.P. Heavy Military Weapons
W.P. Semi-Automatic Pistol
Physical Skills/Training:
Athletics (general)
Hand to Hand: Basic
Running
Secondary Skills:
Electronics (basic) 65%
Mechanics (basic) 55%
Public Speaking 45%
Radio: Basic Communications 65%
Speak Arabic (Qur’anic) 65%
One of the following skill pairs:
┌ Animal Husbandry 70%
└ Skin and Prepare Animal Hides 65%
┌ Farming 68%
└ Teamster/Wagoner 80%
┌ Pilot: Boating 88%
└ Fishing 95%
Combat Skills:
Attacks per Melee: 5
AKM: +4 to strike with an aimed shot, +2 to strike with a short or long burst, -5 to shoot wild
Hand to Hand: +1 to strike, +3 to parry, +2 to pull punch, +3 to roll with punch, kick attack does 1D6 damage
Heavy Military Weapon: +4 to strike with an aimed shot, +2 to strike with a short or long burst, -5 to shoot wild
Semi-Automatic Pistol: +4 to strike with an aimed shot, +2 to strike with a short or long burst, -5 to shoot wild
Other: +3 to dodge, +3 to roll with fall, +2 to roll with impact
Personal Profile: This adult has spent the past four to eight years of his life serving al-Shabaab al-Mujahideen. He is a veteran of many combats against rival militias, Ethiopian troops, and government and African Union forces. Al-Shabaab al-Mujahideen has rewarded him for his service with extra rank, extra training, extra pay, a car, and a wife or two. He is almost certainly a father of 2D6 children and concern for their future keeps him from being foolhardy in battle. He is the equivalent of a platoon or company commander or a member of a battalion staff. He has more or less accepted his place in the great jihad; he aids the foreign mullahs proselytize to junior militiamen. He has sent for his parents and siblings to live in an al-Shabaab al-Mujahideen-controlled area; he has recruited some or all of his brothers into the militia; some of his sisters may have married militia members. (Although these would be arranged marriages, this is normal for Somali society.)
Weapons and Equipment:
NATO-pattern woodland camouflage uniform or Pakistani-style solid green shalwar kameez with pants
Kuffiyeh (headscarf) (red and white checked pattern)
Cheap black or brown canvas hiking shoes
AKM with full 30-round AK magazine and folding bayonet
Pistol belt with shoulder harness
4 AK magazine pouches with 4 full 30-round AK magazines
One-liter plastic canteen with canteen cover and cup
Weapon cleaning kit (AKM)
Map of local area (hand-drawn and crude)
Compass (cheap civilian type)
Watch (cheap)
Pocket notebook with pen and/or pencil
Qur’an
Cell phone, military radio (often U.S. PRC-77), or long-range civilian walkie-talkie (often FRS/GMRS)
Assigned as a commander to one of the following vehicles:
Technical, heavy: Heavy civilian truck or military truck with intact cab but no glass. ZPU-2, ZPU-4, ZU-23-2, or SPG-9 mounted in the center of the bed of the truck. Some have light armor of crude local manufacture protecting the cab (A.R. 10, S.D.C. 400). Crew: four: driver, gunner, loader, and commander.
U.S. V-100/V-150: A ZPU-2 or ZU-23-2 in an open 360° mount takes the place of the turret. Crew: three: driver, gunner, and loader. May have a fourth crewman as a commander.
(Note: Al-Shabaab al-Mujahideen presses into service anything with a motor as a troop transport, cramming militiamen on top almost until they are hanging off the sides. Eight militiamen will ride on a light technical, twenty on a heavy technical, and twelve on the back of a V-100/V-150. The troops block the traverse of the vehicle’s weapons and must dismount for the vehicle to fire.)

[tamorrison]

I'll post foreign fighters next, then named leaders. Again, the format I had in MS Word didn't transfer right to this forum. If you want this second installment, just let me know and I'll e-mail it to you.

[Sir_Spirit]

Was just curious but wouldn't this be better for Ninjas and Superspies rather than HU?

Excellent work by the way.

WORks for both IMO.

Sure, it could work for both.

N&SS: The basic problem for the heroes would be that they don't look like skinny Somalis, so they would stand out like - well, like tall, muscular, heavily-armed white people in the streets of Mogadishu. Assuming that the characters could even speak Somali, what would they say? "Um, yeah, we're Somalis. Nuthin' unusual about us. We look different 'cuz, uh, we're adopted?"

Yeah, cuz all those short/darks/kinny people live somewhere else, not amerrika!
ANd it's not like any of them could have training in martial arts or spying, I mean that's just for white folks. Tall, Muscular, Heavily Armed White Folk.
Meanwhle back in "vaguely Plasuible-land"...

HU: Three out of five kids rolled up robots, and all three went for some variant of a flying tank. One was a Scooby-Doo Mystery Machine based on an upgraded Russian GAZ-66 chassis, with pop-out jump jets, rocket pods, autocannons, etc. One was a 20' lion, complete with fur, giant retractable claws, pop-out helicopter rotors, twin .50-caliber machineguns, and TOW missiles. One was an 8-foot tall battle droid who, despite his sunglasses and Hawaiian shirt, looked amazingly like a big killer robot, probably because of his not-concealed automatic 40 mm grenade launcher, .50-caliber machinegun, flamethrower - you get the idea. I had to give the kids somewhere they could use all that firepower, and Tokyo was taken (curse you, Godzilla!)..

There are all sorts of sneeky power combo's. I Like the 20 foot lion though.

[tamorrison]

Sure, it could work for both.

N&SS: The basic problem for the heroes would be that they don't look like skinny Somalis, so they would stand out like - well, like tall, muscular, heavily-armed white people in the streets of Mogadishu. Assuming that the characters could even speak Somali, what would they say? "Um, yeah, we're Somalis. Nuthin' unusual about us. We look different 'cuz, uh, we're adopted?"

Yeah, cuz all those short/darks/kinny people live somewhere else, not amerrika!
ANd it's not like any of them could have training in martial arts or spying, I mean that's just for white folks. Tall, Muscular, Heavily Armed White Folk.

Haha. I had to laugh at your comment, but your point is well made. We Americans are used to mobility and heterogeneity; we have no idea how stratified other societies are until we actually go to one. All the times I was in Iraq, speaking fluent Iraqi Arabic, not one Iraqi thought I was native. They could tell that my olive skin was just slightly the wrong hue, that my face was just slightly too oval, and that my physique was much too athletic to have grown up under Saddam Hussein's regime. "Your parents are Lebanese, aren't they?" they would always ask. "And you grew up in America."

Likewise, Somalis can tell the difference between themselves to the extent that they can tell who came from what part of Somalia. Not only that, Somalis know everyone in their neighborhood. Even if the heroes look dead-on Somali, everyone will know that they're not from there. Unless they can impersonate specific local Somalis, strangers are going to stick out.

As for Somali ninjas and super-spies, yes and no. It's hard to run a school for ninjas in a place where people don't have enough to eat. The six-month basic training for al-Shabaab recruits represents the best the militia can do with the time, resources, and manpower available. It's a far cry from a ninja school, but it's far better than any other Somali militia - even better than many Third World government militaries.

That being said, however, al-Qaeda has sent some very talented people to help train and lead the Islamic militia. I'm writing descriptions and statistics for some of them now. When I am done, I'll post them here.

Again, thanks for the feedback. I look forward to hearing more.

[tamorrison]

FAZUL ABDULLAH MOHAMMED: SENIOR MILITARY LEADER – Mutant Human
(See the below link for photos.)
(Source: FBI, http://www.fbi.gov/wanted/wanted_terror ... h-mohammed, February 21, 2011.)
Real Name: Fazul Abdullah Mohammed
Aliases: Abdallah Fazul, Abdalla Fazul, Abdallah Mohammed Fazul, Fazul Abdilahi Mohammed, Fazul Adballah, Fazul Abdalla, Fazul Mohammed, Haroon, Harun, Haroon Fazul, Harun Fazul, Fadil Abdallah Muhamad, Fadhil Haroun, Abu Seif Al Sudani, Abu Aisha, Abu Luqman, Fadel Abdallah Mohammed Ali, Fouad Mohammed
Alignment: Aberrant.
Attributes: I.Q. 18, M.E. 25, M.A. 18, P.S. 13, P.P. 11, P.E. 13, P.B. 11, Spd. 23
Age: 38 years of age Sex: Male
Size Level: 9 Weight: 130 pounds (59 kg) Height: 5 feet, 4 inches (1.63 m)
Hit Points: 45 S.D.C. 41
Disposition: Highly intelligent, disciplined, and brave. Fanatical but neither stupid nor suicidal.
Powers:
Shape Changer: Fazul can change all aspects of his physical appearance: height (2 ½ to 12 feet [0.76-3.66 m]), weight, features, hair, eyes, skin color, etc. Fazul can grow tails, horns, claws, fangs, etc., but cannot grow wings or extra appendages.
Extraordinary Mental Endurance: Fazul’s high M.E. provides him a +5 to save vs. psionics and insanity.
Double-Jointed: May attempt to escape from bonds once per melee. When hands and/or feet are tied with rope, handcuffs, or chains, Fazul has a 79% chance of escape. When hands, arms, legs, and body are bound with rope, chains, straps, or straightjacket, Fazul has a 46% likelihood of escape.
Psionics: None.
Level of Experience: 9th level guerrilla/terrorist/militia leader
Level of Education: Equivalent of two years of military academy training.
Scholastic Bonus: +15%
Occupation: Military commander of Harakah al-Shabaab al-Mujahideen.
Automatic Skills:
Language: Comoran 98%
Language: Kiswahili 98%
Mathematics: Basic 98%
Scholastic Skills:
Detect Ambush 98%
Intelligence 97%
Interrogation 98%
Land Navigation 95%
Language: Arabic 98%
Language: English 98%
Language: French 98%
Tracking 94%
Wilderness Survival 98%
Weapon Proficiencies:
W.P. Automatic and Semi-Automatic Rifle
W.P. Semi-Automatic Pistol
Physical Skills/Training:
Athletics (general)
Climbing 82% (secondary skill gained at sixth level)
Hand to Hand: Basic
Prowl 98%
Running (secondary skill gained at ninth level)
Swimming 98% (secondary skill gained at third level)
Secondary Skills:
Computer Operation 98%
First Aid 98%
Forgery 79%
Language: Somali 94% (secondary skill gained at third level)
Pick Locks 44% (secondary skill gained at ninth level)
Pick Pockets 54% (secondary skill gained at sixth level)
Pilot: Automobile 98%
Radio: Basic Communications 98%
Combat Skills:
Attacks per Melee: 6
AKM: +6 to strike with an aimed shot, +4 to strike with a short or long burst, -3 to shoot wild
Tokarev: +6 to strike with an aimed shot, -3 to shoot wild
Hand to Hand: +1 to strike, +2 to damage, +3 to parry (+4 while in water), +1 to body block/tackle does 1D4 damage, +2 to pull punch, +3 to roll with punch, kick attack does 1D6 damage, critical strike on an unmodified 19 or 20, judo-style body throw/flip does 1D6 damage and target loses initiative and next action
Other: +3 to dodge (+4 while in water), +3 to roll with fall, +2 to roll with impact, +5 to save vs. psionics.
Personal Profile: Fazul was born in Comoros but grew up mostly in Kenya, the son of a respected Kenyan military officer and a middle-class Comoran mother. As a young adult, Fazul’s growing religious fervor caused him to break with his parents in 1993, quitting the Kenyan military academy to join al-Qaeda. He participated in the 1993 fight against UNISOM and the 1998 simultaneous bombings of the U.S. embassies in Kenya and Tanzania. Initially used as an intelligence agent, Fazul’s military training and keen intellect led to his assignment to al-Qaeda’s military operations branch. By 2005, Fazul had become the military operations chief for al-Qaeda in East Africa. After U.S. airstrikes killed the former head of al-Shabaab in 2008 and the former al-Qaeda chief for East Africa in late 2009, Osama bin Laden promoted Fazul to the position of al-Qaeda's leader in East Africa. Fazul uses his Shape Change ability, high Mental Affinity ability, and Forgery skill to move in and out of East African countries with ease. In August 2008, he slipped a police dragnet in Kenya. Fazul has been sheltering in Somalia with al-Shabaab al-Mujahideen and the Islamic Courts for years. He is a veteran of many combats; the third-rate Ethiopian, Somali government and African Union troops do not impress him. Fazul is considered to be al-Shabaab's military leader, while Sheikh Muktar Abdelrahman Abu Zubeyr is al-Shabaab's spiritual leader. Although he fights for the cause, not for pay, al-Shabaab al-Mujahideen provides Fazul a generous stipend. Fazul has four wives and 31 children in Somalia and another two wives and 11 children on the sly in Kenya. He is a holy warrior dedicated to the ultimate cause, but he doesn’t want to die. As a veteran guerrilla, he knows when to fight and when to run.
Weapons and Equipment:
When travelling outside Somalia, Fazul travels in alias and unarmed to avoid detection.
Casual Western-style civilian attire
Baseball cap
White tennis shoes or casual brown hiking shoes
Proper travel documents for his alias (expertly forged)
When in Somalia, Fazul dresses like the military commander he is.
NATO-pattern woodland camouflage uniform
Green boonie cover
Good black military boots
Pistol belt with shoulder harness
One-liter plastic canteen with canteen cover and cup
Walkie-Talkie (typically FRS or GMRS) with one set of spare batteries
Maps of southern Somalia, including detailed maps of Mogadishu, Kismayo, Belet Weyn, Juba Valley, (downloaded from the Internet, laminated, and annotated in grease pencil)
Compass (American military type)
Watch (basic digital)
Pocket notebook with pen and pencil
Qur’an
AKM with full 30-round AK magazine, folding bipod, and 4-power telescopic sight
4 AK magazine pouches with 4 full 30-round AK magazines
1 Tokarev pistol with two full 8-round magazines and one magazine pouch
Weapon cleaning kits (AKM, Tokarev)
2 Smoke grenades (yellow hexachloride)
2 Fragmentation grenades
Armored Land Rover: This former U.N. vehicle has been locally up-armored (A.R. 10, S.D.C. 400). Fazul’s bodyguards repaint it constantly to throw off surveillance and targeting, making it look like an ambulance, a U.N. vehicle, or a foreign aid organization’s vehicle. Fazul travels with four fourth-level bodyguards: two vehicle crewmen and two militiamen (see child soldiers, above). The vehicle has two military radios for command and control: a long-distance PRC-104 HF radio and a tactical PRC-77 VHF radio. In addition to their personal equipment, the bodyguards have an SA-7 to protect against air attacks, enough camouflage net to conceal the vehicle when it is parked, a well-stocked first aid kit, two 20-liter jerry cans of Diesel fuel, an extra load of ammunition, and enough food and water for two days.

OMAR SHAFIK HAMMAMI: MILITARY LEADER/PROPAGANDIST/RECRUITER – Mutant Human
(See the below link for photos.)
(Source: FBI, http://www.fbi.gov/wanted/alert/omar-shafik-hammami, February 22, 2011)
Real Name: Omar Shafik Hammami
Aliases: Abu Mansoor Al-Amriki, Farouq, Farouk
Alignment: Aberrant.
Attributes: I.Q. 18, M.E. 10, M.A. 32, P.S. 18, P.P. 10, P.E. 16, P.B. 19, Spd. 21
Age: 26 years of age Sex: Male
Size Level: 10 Weight: 160 pounds (73 kg) Height: 5 feet, 11 inches (1.8 m)
Hit Points: 37 S.D.C. 51
Disposition: Highly intelligent, charismatic, and brave. Fanatical but neither stupid nor suicidal.
Powers:
Control Others: Range: 42 feet (13 m), Duration: 4 minutes, Savings Throw: Same as psionics. Omar is +6 to save against any form of mind control. Omar uses this ability to control particularly tough opponents who get too close and to extract information from captives. He does not use this ability to get animals or other people to conduct suicide attacks, because any bomb worth delivering would have a blast radius greater than his range of control.
Extraordinary Mental Affinity: Trust/intimidate 98%. Omar can easily raise subordinate militiamen’s morale to fanatic heights. However, he does not try to intimidate his fellow jihadists, nor does he use them for personal gain.
Ambidextrous: Omar can use his right and left hands equally well.
Psionics: None.
Level of Experience: 6th level militia leader
Level of Education: Two years of college, then military basic training.
Scholastic Bonus: +15% for collegiate skills, +8% for military skills
Occupation: Military commander, propagandist, and recruiter for Harakah al-Shabaab al-Mujahideen.
Automatic Skills:
Native Language (English) 98%
Mathematics: Basic 98%
Scholastic Skills (College):
Islamic Studies 79%
Language: Arabic 89%
Literature: Arabic 79%
Public Speaking 79%
T.V./Video 89% (two skills; professional quality)
Scholastic Skills (Military Training):
Camouflage 67%
Detect Ambush 72%
Land Navigation 72%
Swimming 92%
Wilderness Survival 72%
Weapon Proficiencies:
W.P. Automatic and Semi-Automatic Rifle
W.P. Heavy Military Weapons
W.P. Semi-Automatic Pistol
W.P. Knife
Physical Skills/Training:
Athletics (general)
Body Building (secondary skill gained at sixth level)
Climbing 92% (secondary skill gained at third level)
Hand to Hand: Basic
Prowl 55%
Running
Secondary Skills:
Computer Operation 98%
Cook 90%
Dance 80% (Does not dance any more; considers it un-Islamic)
First Aid 59% (secondary skill gained at sixth level)
Language: Somali 89%
Sing 74% (Rap)
Pilot: Automobile 98%
Radio: Basic Communications 98% (secondary skill gained at third level)
Writing 62%
Combat Skills:
Attacks per Melee: 6
AKM: +5 to strike with an aimed shot, +3 to strike with a short or long burst, -4 to shoot wild
Bayonet/knife: +1 to throw, +2 to strike, +2 to parry
Heavy military weapon: +5 to strike with an aimed shot, +3 to strike with a short or long burst, -4 to shoot wild
Tokarev: +5 to strike with an aimed shot, -4 to shoot wild
Hand to Hand: +1 to strike, +3 to damage, +4 to parry (+5 while in water), +1 to body block/tackle does 1D4 damage, +2 to pull punch, +3 to roll with punch, kick attack does 1D6 damage, critical strike on an unmodified 19 or 20
Other: +3 to dodge (+4 while in water), +3 to roll with fall, +2 to roll with impact
Personal Profile: Hammami is a US citizen, born in Daphne, Alabama. Omar converted to Islam, his father’s faith, during high school. His religious fervor and attempts to convert others through his emerging mind control powers repulsed his Bible belt community. He dropped out of the University of South Alabama in 2002, moving to Toronto, Canada, and then to Cairo, Egypt. Finally travelling to Somalia in 2006, he joined Harakah al-Shabaab al-Mujahideen and quickly rose through the ranks. He now serves as a military commander, financier, and propagandist. Hammami has also become a primary recruiter for Al Shabaab; he has issued written statements on behalf of Al Shabaab and has appeared in the terror organization's propaganda videos and audio recordings. Since he appeared on the Al-Jazeera TV network and the YouTube website in 2007, more than 30 young Muslims have disappeared from Hammami's old stomping grounds in the U.S and Canada, only to reappear fighting with al-Shabaab. These North American recruits are used as cannon fodder in Somalia, not as agents to wreak havoc in their lands of origin. (Two were even deemed so worthless as to be used as suicide bombers against targets in Somalia.) The United States indicted him in August 2010 on the charge of providing material support to terrorists. He is a holy warrior dedicated to the ultimate cause, but he doesn’t want to die. As a veteran guerrilla, he knows when to fight and when to run.
Weapons and Equipment:
NATO-pattern woodland camouflage uniform
Kuffiyeh (headscarf) (black and white checked pattern)
Good black military boots
Pistol belt with shoulder harness
One-liter plastic canteen with canteen cover and cup
Walkie-Talkie (typically FRS or GMRS) with one set of spare batteries
Maps of local area and southern Somalia (downloaded from the Internet)
Compass (American military type)
Watch (basic digital)
Pocket notebook with pen and pencil
Qur’an
AKM with full 30-round AK magazine, folding bayonet, and 4-power telescopic sight
4 AK magazine pouches with 4 full 30-round AK magazines
GP-25 grenade launcher (mounted under AKM)
20 40 mm grenades (12 HE, 2 bounding HE, 6 smoke)
1 Tokarev pistol with two full 8-round magazines and one magazine pouch
Weapon cleaning kits (AKM, GP-25, Tokarev)
2 Smoke grenades (yellow hexachloride)
2 Fragmentation grenades
1 Bush knife
Technical, light: Unarmored light pick-up truck with no top or glass. A DShK heavy machinegun is mounted on a pedestal in the center of the bed; the vehicle carries 1,000 belted rounds for it. Omar’s vehicle has a PRC-77 VHF radio for tactical communications. He travels with two bodyguards: one third-level vehicle crewman and a fourth-level militiaman (see child soldiers, above). He often gives rides to the younger troops, so his vehicle typically has an extra six first- or second-level militiamen in back.

[Sir Neil]

Heh, if one develops Invulnerability and Teleport, they'd have a reusable suicide bomber.

The write ups would be more user friendly if the sections (skills/powers/etc.) were divided with bolding.

[tamorrison]

Heh, if one develops Invulnerability and Teleport, they'd have a reusable suicide bomber.

The write ups would be more user friendly if the sections (skills/powers/etc.) were divided with bolding.

Actually, the way I GMed the Somali adventures, there were several squads of tall, blond-haired, blue-eyed, super-buff terrorists acting as bodyguards for the upper leadership. (Yeah, these guys stuck way out from the local Somalis.)

Who were they? Well, back in the bad old days of the Soviet Union, Russian scientists were working on developing super-soldiers for use as Spetsnaz. When the Evil Empire went bankrupt, these scientists found themselves unemployed in Central Asia. As luck would have it, many of them found employment with al-Qaeda. Al-Qaeda has set up one or more secret laboratories in the Sahel and the Horn of Africa to churn out clones of the only genetically-modified Circassian who survived the scientists' fiendish experiments. It's up to the heroes to find them and shut them down...

I simply used the HU super-soldier template for these guys and gave them Military Specialist education levels.

[Sir_Spirit]

Haha. I had to laugh at your comment, but your point is well made. We Americans are used to mobility and heterogeneity; we have no idea how stratified other societies are until we actually go to one. All the times I was in Iraq, speaking fluent Iraqi Arabic, not one Iraqi thought I was native. They could tell that my olive skin was just slightly the wrong hue, that my face was just slightly too oval, and that my physique was much too athletic to have grown up under Saddam Hussein's regime. "Your parents are Lebanese, aren't they?" they would always ask. "And you grew up in America."

Yeah, in Korea we had civilian KPs and we could tell one of them was Chinese. 'Vietnamese' and 'Korean' and 'japan' have fairly distinct looks to me now. China 's big bigger than that(several ethnicities have effectively been "absorbed" by/into the Han).

Likewise, Somalis can tell the difference between themselves to the extent that they can tell who came from what part of Somalia. Not only that, Somalis know everyone in their neighborhood. Even if the heroes look dead-on Somali, everyone will know that they're not from there. Unless they can impersonate specific local Somalis, strangers are going to stick out.

Shapeshifting, Illlusion, There's a perception control power, plus s few other super abilities+ psionic magic etc....
Plus there is always bribes(not nessecarily money).

[tamorrison]

Yes, you have a point - magic and superpowers may be able to make the heroes look like local Somalis.

Bribes probably wouldn't work. How does one bribe every passer-by? Even the old trick of wearing a head-to-toe burqa/abaya might not work because Harakah al-Shabaab al-Mujahideen checks women on the street to see if they are wearing bras, which are un-Islamic because they are "deceptive". I am not making this up - see http://archive.arabnews.com/?page=4&sec ... =10&y=2009.

As I get time, I'll keep writing stats for named al-Shabaab leadership and known al-Qaeda operatives working with al-Shabaab. I'll finish with fictional super-villains I've put in the mix to show how the real-world militia can be "mixed and matched" with just about any flavor of bad guys to make a nice series of adventures for a solid gaming group.

[Sir_Spirit]

Yes, you have a point - magic and superpowers may be able to make the heroes look like local Somalis.

Bribes probably wouldn't work. How does one bribe every passer-by?

Boxes of Chocolat?
Or Food/water for the village?
I mainly meant bribe the leaders of neutral /allied tribes not directly under their thumb.....
WEll, that's what I was thinking....

[tamorrison]

Yes, you have a point - magic and superpowers may be able to make the heroes look like local Somalis.

Bribes probably wouldn't work. How does one bribe every passer-by?

Boxes of Chocolat?
Or Food/water for the village?
I mainly meant bribe the leaders of neutral /allied tribes not directly under their thumb.....
WEll, that's what I was thinking....

Good thoughts if the heroes were sauntering through a small village. The U.S. and its allies definitely bribed its share of local sheiks in Iraq the same way.

However, we're discussing a big city: Mogadishu. Think Detroit, twenty years after the police give up and flee. Yeah, a lot of Detroiters would also leave, but in Somalia's case, there's nowhere for the people to go because the whole country went kaput. So in this city of several hundred thousand survivors, there are crowded streets full of pedestrians, donkey carts, a few old Fiats, and gunmen with technicals.

That's a lot of chocolate you'd have to carry around, assuming it didn't melt in the 130-degree heat.

Bribing select leaders is possibly doable, but the heroes would have to make contact with them first and would risk being seen before the bribery could take place. Even if/when contact could be made, the heroes would have the basic problem of operating in the enemy's backyard. That means that the local leaders would probably be hostile to the heroes. Assuming the heroes are even able to meet the local leaders to make an offer, these leaders would face the quandary of how to accept the bribe without al-Shabaab killing them for it later. After all, the heroes are going to kill/capture someone formally allied to the leader and then leave. If/when it becomes known that the leader aided (or just turned a blind eye toward) the heroes, who is going to protect the leader and his clan when the remaining 3,000 al-Shabaab militiamen come to exact revenge?

In Iraq, we found that the local sheiks tended not to want to cooperate with us unless we were prepared to stay and provide security for them personally and for their people. A small group of super-heroes on a commando mission can't make such a commitment and a clan leader is savvy enough to know that, both in Iraq and in Somalia.

So, sneaky heroes would be better off not relying on bribery.