"Feet first into hell."
Commandos are the backbone of any military operation. They deploy from orbit, breach enemy positions, and hold the line when everything goes sideways. Where others see impossible odds, Commandos see Tuesday.
Commandos excel at:
They are the reliable core of any combat squad - not flashy, but devastatingly effective.
Commandos are professional soldiers. They've seen combat, lost friends, and kept fighting. They respect discipline and chain of command, but know when to improvise.
Consider:
| Skill | Application |
|---|---|
| Weapon Skills (Medium) | Standard infantry weapons - rifles, carbines, SMGs |
| Combat Tactics | Suppression, covering fire, squad coordination |
| Athletics | Movement under fire, climbing, sprinting |
| Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Dirt Nap | Death on a ground op; also a bad combat drop |
| Feet First | Standard orbital insertion; the only way down |
| Glass Floor | Orbital bombardment zone; nowhere to dig in |
| Pod Rash | Bruising from a hard drop-pod landing |
| Tuesday | Any mission with impossible odds |
| Boot Print | Commando's calling card; a secured position |
| Rim Rot | Psychological decay from long outer-rim patrols |
| Dig and Pray | Establish cover under fire and hope it holds |
Patrol logs - Commando, designation "Vex"; UNI-NAV Deep Patrol, Outer Rim Sector 7-Kappa
Fourteen supply drops since Vex's last shore leave. She'd stopped counting calendar days around drop eight; out past the rim, time was measured in ration packs and fuel reserves, both getting thin.
The signal hit her console at 0347 ship-time. A distress beacon, colonial frequency, broadcasting from a grid square that was supposed to be empty. Vex stared at it for six seconds. Regulation said report it, flag it, wait for confirmation from command. Command was nineteen days away at best comms relay speed.
She adjusted her heading.
The colony was there. It shouldn't have been, no charter on file, no registration, no beacon on any UNI-NAV survey, but there it was. A cluster of prefab habs wedged into the shadow of a ridge on a moon that didn't have a name, just a number. Atmo was thin. Survivable, if you didn't plan on running anywhere.
The habs were quiet. Power was on. Lights cycling. Air recyclers humming their low drone. She swept the first three structures with her carbine up and her scanner pinging. Fourteen colonists on file according to the distress beacon's manifest. She found bedrolls, tools, a kitchen with food still in the hydration cycler. Thermal coffee pot, still warm.
No people.
The fourteenth hab was locked from the inside. Vex put her boot through the seal, frontier pragmatism; replacement seals were nineteen days away too, and found a girl. Maybe twelve. Sitting cross-legged on the floor with a data pad in her lap and a look on her face that said she'd been expecting someone, just not someone in UNI-NAV colours.
"They went into the ridge," the girl said. Calm. Too calm for twelve.
"Who did?"
"Everyone."
Vex looked at the data pad. Survey scans. Geological. The ridge wasn't rock; or it wasn't just rock. The readings showed a cavity beneath the surface, something regular, something structured. Old. Older than the colony. Older than anything that had a right to be out here.
"How long?" Vex asked.
"Two days. They said they'd found something. They said it was important." The girl paused. "They said they'd be right back."
Vex checked her carbine. Checked her sidearm. Checked the locker on her ship; three flares, a breaching charge she'd been saving for an emergency, and half a ration pack she'd been saving for morale. She loaded everything she had.
"Stay here," she said.
"That's what they said too."
Vex stopped at the entrance to the ridge; a crack in the rock face, wide enough for one, sloping down into something her scanner couldn't resolve. The readings fuzzed and died two metres past the threshold. She clicked on her helmet lamp. The beam cut a hard line into the dark.
Nineteen days to backup. No comms relay that could reach command faster. Fourteen colonists who went into a hole and didn't come back. One Commando and whatever was in the weapons locker.
Vex stepped into the dark.
It was definitely a Tuesday
Best Legacies: Soldier, Ranger, Space Cadet
Best Origins: Human, Boehec, Cyborg
Best Organizations: CONFED, CORSEC, MERCS
Recommended Skills: Movement - Athletics, Espionage - Search, Intel - Survival
Suggested Skills: Movement - Acrobatics, Espionage - Stealth
| Rank | Title |
|---|---|
| 2 | Commando |
| 4 | Lance Commando |
| 6 | Senior Commando |
| 8 | Strike Commando |
| 10 | Master Commando |
New Commando operatives begin with the following standard-issue gear:
| Item | Description |
|---|---|
| Carbine | Standard medium weapon |
| Sidearm | Backup pistol |
| Medium Armor | Tactical protective gear |
| Frag Grenades (x2) | Standard fragmentation ordnance |
| GPS Scanner | General Purpose Scanner (10m range) |
| Toolkit-First Aid (Std) | Basic medical supplies |
Every shot is math. Range, wind, weapon drift, target movement; the Commando just does it faster than anyone else.
Here's what goes into making a round land where you point it.
| Layer | Source | Cap |
|---|---|---|
| Core Weapon Training | 11 × Rank, +5 on-specialty type (automatic) | 115 |
| Weapon Skill | +1% per SP in weapon type | 25 |
| Weapon Familiarity | +1% per hit with this specific weapon | 20 |
| Max Accuracy Bonus | 160 |
"Aim for the glowing bit. If nothing's glowing, make something glow."
When a Commando's attack falls within their Combat Window, they don't just miss - they line up a Called Shot. While other operatives flail at center mass, Commandos learn to read anatomy, identify weak points, and put rounds exactly where they'll do the most damage.
When your Combat Window opens, you can declare a Called Shot. Your options depend on what you know about the target:
Obvious Weak Spots: Ask your GM to list the creature's obvious soft spots - eyes, joints, exposed organs. Any Commando can target these. The GM will provide some delectable choices based on what's clearly visible.
Hidden Weak Spots: If you've studied the creature beforehand - whether through a subscription to whatever intergalactic creature database of horrors you prefer, or access to its data file - you can identify additional vulnerabilities. Roll Aliens, Biology, Culture & Customs or Diagnosis to reveal weak points that aren't immediately obvious: secondary nerve clusters, concealed breathing sacs, poison glands tucked under chitinous plates.
The more obscure the weak spot, the more devastating the effect - but typically the higher the TL to confirm the hit.
Once you've declared your target (breeding sac, sensory cluster, that weird pulsing thing on its back), roll to confirm against that location's TL. Some spots are easier to hit than others:
If you confirm the hit, the creature suffers the effect listed for that location. The GM can choose between the creature's specific vulnerability effects or the standard table below.
| Target | Effect on Confirmed Hit |
|---|---|
| Neural Tissue | Allies gain Boon(1) to all rolls against the target until end of next turn. |
| Eyes/Sight | Allies gain Boon(1) to Stealth checks and defence rolls against the target's ranged attacks until end of next turn. |
| Ears/Hearing | Allies gain Boon(1) to Stealth checks against the target's hearing until end of next turn. |
| Touch/Nerve Cluster | Allies gain Boon(1) to defence rolls against the target's melee attacks and fine manipulation until end of next turn. |
| Nose/Smell | Allies gain Boon(1) to Stealth checks against the target's scent-based detection until end of next turn. |
| Taste/Chemoreceptors | Allies gain Boon(1) when applying poisons or toxins to the target until end of next turn. |
| Special Sense Organ | Allies gain Boon(1) to checks against the creature's special sense (Tremor, Radar, Telepathic, etc.) until end of next turn. |
| Legs/Locomotion | Allies gain Boon(1) to Movement checks against the target; target loses 1 Speed until end of next turn. |
| Arms/Manipulators | Allies gain Boon(1) to defence rolls against attacks and manipulation from that limb until end of next turn. |
| Torso/Body | +1 Hit. |
| Breathing Apparatus | Allies gain Boon(1) to Physical checks against the target; creature begins suffocating. |
| Poison/Venom Glands | Allies gain Boon(1) to defence rolls against the creature's poison; gland ruptures internally, creature takes its own poison damage. |
| Reproductive Organs | Creature becomes Enraged; acts recklessly, allies gain Boon(1) to attack rolls against the target until end of next turn. |
| Natural Weapon | Allies gain Boon(1) to defence rolls against that natural weapon (bite, stinger, claw, etc.) until end of next turn. |
| Held Item | Allies gain Boon(1) to defence rolls and checks against the target using that item. Target drops the item. |
| Worn Item | Item loses 1 Quality for every 5 points the attack exceeds the TL. |
Many creatures have unique vulnerabilities not covered by the standard table. A Silicoid's crystalline resonance node, a Zod warrior's pheromone sac, an Omega Spore's central nucleus - these are the targets that end fights quickly.
Your GM will provide creature-specific Called Shot options and their effects. When in doubt: if it pulses, glows, or looks important, shoot it.
All Commando abilities are purchased with Ability Points (AP) during R&R.
Cost: 2 AP
Activation: Passive
Requires: Tier 1
Effect: When in cover, gain +2 to Armour Factor. You can establish a defensive position as an Extra Action.
Cost: 2 AP
Activation: Passive
Requires: Tier 1
Effect: Gain Boon(1) to identify weak spots on creatures you've encountered before. Your experience catalogues vulnerabilities automatically.
Cost: 2 AP
Activation: Passive
Requires: Tier 1
Effect: Called Shots against Medium targets only suffer +5 TL instead of +10. Precision under pressure is a Commando's bread and butter.
Cost: 2 AP
Activation: Passive
Requires: Tier 1
Effect: Adjacent allies gain +1 to AF against targets you've hit this round. Your fire marks the threat for the whole team.
Cost: 2 AP
Activation: Passive
Requires: Tier 1
Effect: Take no damage from falls up to 10 metres; half damage beyond. Drop pods, rooftops, cliffs; a Commando lands on their feet.
Cost: 2 AP
Activation: 1 Action
Requires: Tier 1
Frequency: At will
Effect: Lay down suppressive fire to support a squadmate. Grant one ally within weapon range Boon(1) to their next TL Defence roll.
Cost: 2 AP
Activation: 1 Action
Requires: Tier 1
Frequency: At will
Effect: Lay down suppressive fire to support a squadmate. Grant one ally within weapon range Boon(1) to their next TL Attack roll.
Cost: 2 AP
Activation: Passive
Requires: Tier 1
Effect: When you confirm a Called Shot, the Bane effect lasts until the end of the target's next turn instead of yours. They don't shake it off that fast; not when you put the round where it counts.
Cost: 2 AP
Activation: Passive
Requires: Tier 1
Effect: When you confirm two consecutive Called Shots against the same target location, the second inflicts Bane(2) instead of Bane(1). Same spot, twice. The message gets through.
Cost: 2 AP
Activation: Passive
Requires: Tier 1
Effect: After you successfully confirm a Called Shot against a creature, all future Called Shots against that creature type gain Boon(1) to the confirmation roll. You remember what worked, and you write it down; in bullet holes.
Cost: 2 AP
Activation: Passive
Requires: Tier 1
Effect: Your Called Shots to Held Item and Natural Weapon targets reduce the TL modifier by 5 (Medium targets become +5 TL instead of +10). You've spent enough time on the range to learn that the weapon is a target too.
Cost: 2 AP
Activation: Passive
Requires: Tier 1
Effect: When you confirm a Called Shot to Legs/Locomotion against a bipedal target, the target is also knocked Prone. One leg down, balance gone; gravity does the rest.
Cost: 2 AP
Activation: Passive
Requires: Tier 1
Effect: When you confirm a Called Shot, your next attack against the same target this turn gains Boon(1). You already know where the gap is; the second round just widens it.
Cost: 6 AP
Activation: Passive
Requires: Tier 2
Effect: You always act first in the opening round of combat. Gain Boon(1) on all actions during the first round after deployment.
Cost: 6 AP
Activation: Passive
Requires: Tier 2
Effect: Called Shots to Torso/Body deal +2 Hits instead of +1. You know exactly where to put rounds for maximum effect.
Cost: 6 AP
Activation: 1 Action
Requires: Tier 2
Frequency: Once per encounter
Effect: Stabilize a wounded ally adjacent to you. You've patched up enough squadmates to do it on autopilot.
Cost: 6 AP
Activation: Passive
Requires: Tier 2, Take Out the Knee
Effect: Your Legs/Locomotion Called Shots knock the target Prone regardless of how many legs it has; quadrupeds, hexapods, whatever. If it walks, you can drop it. Anatomy is just engineering with more screaming.
Cost: 6 AP
Activation: Passive
Requires: Tier 2
Effect: When you confirm a Called Shot to Legs/Locomotion or Arms/Manipulators, the target is also Slowed until healed. One shot, two problems.
Cost: 6 AP
Activation: Passive
Requires: Tier 2
Effect: Your Called Shots to Legs/Locomotion inflict -2 Speed instead of -1. You're not aiming to slow them down; you're aiming to make them reconsider standing up.
Cost: 6 AP
Activation: Passive
Requires: Tier 2
Effect: Gain Boon(2) when identifying alien weak spots using Aliens, Biology, Culture & Customs or Diagnosis checks. Fieldwork beats textbooks every time.
Cost: 6 AP
Activation: Passive
Requires: Tier 2
Effect: When you score a Critical on a Called Shot to Worn Item, the item loses an additional 1 Quality on top of the stacking modifier result. Corporate-issue gear isn't built to take hits from someone who knows where the seams are.
Cost: 6 AP
Activation: Passive
Requires: Tier 2
Effect: When you score a Critical on a Called Shot to Neural Tissue, the target also loses 1 action on their next turn. You hit the wiring, not just the casing.
Cost: 6 AP
Activation: Passive
Requires: Tier 2
Effect: When you score a Critical on a Called Shot to any sensory organ (Eyes, Ears, Touch, Smell, Taste, or Special), the Bane penalty increases to Bane(2) for that sense until healed. One good hit to the right cluster and the whole input channel goes to static.
Cost: 6 AP
Activation: Passive
Requires: Tier 2, Rapid Deployment
Effect: On the first round of any combat encounter, your first Called Shot suffers no TL size penalty (Medium, Small, and Protected targets are all treated as Large/Obvious). Combined with Rapid Deployment, you act before the rest of the squad; the first thing through the door is a bullet, and it already knows where it's going.
Cost: 6 AP
Activation: Passive
Requires: Tier 2, Follow-Up Shot
Effect: When you confirm consecutive Called Shots against the same target, each hit grants a stacking Boon(1) to your next attack against that target, until the end of your turn. The bonus resets if you miss or switch targets. Every confirmed hit shows you more, your muscle memory maps the target in real time.
Cost: 10 AP
Activation: 1 Action
Requires: Tier 3
Frequency: Once per turn
Effect: Designate up to 3 allies within voice range. They gain Boon(1) to their next attack roll. If all attacks hit the same target, deal bonus damage equal to the number of Hits landed.
Cost: 10 AP
Activation: Extra Action (when all HITS are marked)
Requires: Tier 3
Frequency: Once per Mission
Effect: Instead of going DOWN, stay at 1 HIT. Gain Boost(1) to all attacks for 3 rounds. You cannot be healed during this time.
Cost: 10 AP
Activation: Passive
Requires: Tier 3
Effect: When you score a Critical on a Called Shot, the target also suffers the corresponding severe condition: Eyes → Blinded, Ears → Deafened, Legs → Restrained, Arms → limb disabled, Neural → Stunned(3). The condition lasts until healed. When you land the perfect shot, it hits perfectly.
Cost: 10 AP
Activation: Passive
Requires: Tier 3
Effect: Fire Team Leader affects up to 5 allies instead of 3. Your command presence covers the entire squad.
Cost: 10 AP
Activation: Passive
Requires: Tier 3
Effect: Small/Protected targets only suffer +10 TL instead of +20. At this level, nothing is too small to hit.
Cost: 10 AP
Activation: Passive
Requires: Tier 3
Effect: Last Stand can be used twice per mission. You've stared death down so many times it blinks first.
Cost: 10 AP
Activation: Passive
Requires: Tier 3
Effect: Your Called Shots inflict Bane(2) instead of Bane(1). Every shot you place is surgically precise; the target doesn't just flinch, they fold.
Cost: 10 AP
Activation: Passive
Requires: Tier 3, Hamstring
Effect: Your Called Shots to Legs/Locomotion inflict -3 Speed instead of -2 (replaces Hamstring). At this point you're not targeting legs; you're removing them from the equation.
Cost: 10 AP
Activation: Passive
Requires: Tier 3, Take Out Both Knees
Effect: When you confirm a Called Shot to Legs/Locomotion against any target with legs, it is knocked Prone and Slowed until healed. Additionally, all other enemies within 5m who witness it become Shaken(1) for 1 round. Watching six legs buckle at once sends a message no translator can soften.
Cost: 10 AP
Activation: Passive
Requires: Tier 3
Effect: When you score a Critical on a Called Shot to Legs/Locomotion, the target is Restrained until healed. When you score a Critical on a Called Shot to Arms/Manipulators, the limb is completely disabled; no attacks, no manipulation, no exceptions. They're not walking that off.
Cost: 10 AP
Activation: Passive
Requires: Tier 3
Effect: Your Called Shots to Worn Item targets lower Quality by 1 for every 3 points over the TL instead of every 5. At this level, you don't damage equipment; you erase it from the field.
Cost: 10 AP
Activation: Passive
Requires: Tier 3
Effect: When you score a Critical on a Called Shot to Torso/Body, deal +3 Hits instead of +1. The round goes exactly where the armour isn't. Every time.
Cost: 10 AP
Activation: Passive
Requires: Tier 3, Sustained Accuracy
Effect: When you confirm consecutive Called Shots against the same target, stacking Boon has no cap and persists into your next turn as long as you keep hitting the same target. Miss or switch targets and it resets. At this level, you don't hit, you just never miss.
"Help is three weeks away. So don't need any."
— Vex, UNI-NAV Deep Patrol