Buck Rogers: Countdown to Doomsday 1990 Strategic Simulations, Inc.

ManualTABLE OF CONTENTSINTRODUCTION.........................................................1 What Comes With the Game?..........................................1 Before You Play....................................................1 Getting Started Quickly............................................1 Using Menus........................................................1 Beginning to Play..................................................2MODIFYING CHARACTERS AND TEAMS.......................................3 Team Creation/Training Menu........................................3 Non-Player Characters (NPCs).......................................3 Viewing Characters.................................................4 Character Status...................................................4ADVENTURING..........................................................5 Display Screens and Points of View.................................5 3-D and Area Views.................................................5 Combat View........................................................6 Overland Map.......................................................6 Solar Map..........................................................6 Adventuring Options................................................6OUTPOSTS.............................................................7ENCOUNTERS...........................................................9 Combat.............................................................9 After the Battle..................................................10 Space Combat......................................................11 After Space Combat................................................12

Page [1]INTRODUCTIONWHAT COMES WITH THE GAME?You should find the following items in the game box:Disks, Rule Book, Log Book, Data CardThis Rule Book is designed to explain all your options and guide youthrough playing the game. If you are not familiar with the BUCK ROGERS XXVgame system, you will find helpful information about how things work in theLog Book.The Log Book contains a variety of information including details aboutcharacter careers, technology, combat and an introduction to the adventurestory. The Log Book also includes the maps, information, rumors and storiesthat you will need to play the game. You will discover for yourself which ofthe tales you hear are fact and which are fiction.The Data Card explains how to start the game and select items and menuoptions with your specific computer. It also shows how to get right into thegame without having to read through the rules.[Due to the fact that the Amiga version of this game is not yet releasedthere is no typed up Data Card]BEFORE YOU PLAYThere is no copy protection on your COUNTDOWN TO DOOMSDAY disks, so pleasemake backup copies and put the originals away for safekeeping. When youstart the game, you will be asked to answer a verification question from thisRule Book or the Log Book before you can play. [REMOVED BY SKID ROW 1990!!!]Turn to the page as indicated for either this Rule Book or the Log Book, findthe indicated word, type it in and press the Return or Enter key.GETTING STARTED QUICKLYCOUNTDOWN TO DOOMSDAY comes with a ready-made team that allows you to beginadventuring immediately. Use the instructions on the Data Card to load thesaved game that has been provided and begin playing. [I installed this on myHD and there was NO pre-made party] These rules and the Log Book will answer

any questions during play.USING MENUSAll commands are menu based, and the concept of the active character iscentral to the game. Outside of combat the active character's name ishighlighted on the display. During combat the active character is surroundedwith a cursor at the start of his combat segment.During combat the active character is chosen automatically according to thecharacter's initiative and random factors. Other times you may select whichcharacter is active before choosing other commands.If a command affects the whole team, just select the command. If the commandaffects one character, make that character active and then choose the command.****************************************************************************Example: To look at a character's equipment, select that character, choosethe VIEW command, and then choose the GEAR command. The computer displays alist of that character's gear.****************************************************************************Menus are displayed either vertically or horizontally.Vertical menus select the character or item to be acted upon. If there aremore choices than will fit on the screen at one time, use the NEXT and PREVcommands to view the additional selections.***************************************************************************Example: When purchasing gear, selections are made from a vertical menu listof equipment.***************************************************************************Horizontal menus list what that character can do or what can be done to thecharacter. In the rules, menus are shown with all of their options.In some cases options will not be available every time a menu appears.***************************************************************************Example:BOOTY MENU:VIEW TAKE POOL DIVVY EXITThe options TAKE AND DIVVY will only appear if there it booty to take.***************************************************************************The Rule Book only lists the general menus. Special menus will appear withmany encounters that indicate available options.

BEGINNING TO PLAYTo begin playing the game you must load a saved game or make characters andband them together into a team.CREATE NEW CHARACTERADD CHARACTER TO TEAMLOAD SAVED GAMEINITIALIZE MOUSE/JOYSTICK [Ha! Don't need this one!]EXIT TO DOS/WORKBENCHCREATE NEW CHARACTER is used to build a character. Detailed informationabout characters, races, careers and so on is available in the Log Book.This command starts the process of making a new character.PICK RACE lists six races a player-character can be in the twenty-fifthcentury.PICK GENDER lists the sex the character can be.PICK CAREER lists the careers a character is qualified for based on race.The computer randomly generates the character's ability scores. If you arenot happy with the scores, you may roll them again. Remember that you canuse the MODIFY CHARACTER command on the Team Creation/Training Menu to changethe character's ability scores and hitpoints after the character has beengenerated.CHARACTER NAME provides a 15 letter space to type in the character's name.On some computer systems the character is named after the abilities scoresare generated.

ALLOCATE SKILL POINTS allows you to allocate points to the character's Careerand the General skills. This phase really determines a character's strengthsand weaknesses. See the section on skills in the Log Book for moreinformation.SELECT CHARACTER ICON allows you to select the shape that will represent thecharacter in combat. You can select new combat icons from the TrainingCenter menu. On some systems the character will be saved after the combaticon is selected.EXIT from any of the character creation menus will display the Team CreationMenu.ADD CHARACTER TO TEAM allows you to add characters to the team from the savegame disk. A team is a group of characters composed of up to six playercharacters (called PCs) and up to two non-player characters (called NPCs). Ateam should have a balanced mix of characters with different careers. Formore information about building teams see the Log Book.LOAD SAVED GAME permits you to resume a game that had been previously saved.The saved game provided with COUNTDOWN TO DOOMSDAY can also be loaded.INITIALIZE MOUSE/JOYSTICK sets up the joystick or mouse.[Still don't need this one!]EXIT TO DOS/WORKBENCH ends play.

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MODIFYING CHARACTERS AND TEAMSThe Team Creation/Training Menu shows the characters currently in your teamand lists the commands for creating and modifying the team. Not all of theoptions will be available at all teams.Team Creation/Training MenuCREATE NEW CHARACTERPURGE CHARACTERMODIFY CHARACTERICON SELECTTRAIN CHARACTERVIEW CHARACTERADD CHARACTER TO TEAMREMOVE CHARACTER FROM TEAMLOAD SAVED GAMESAVE CURRENT GAMEBEGIN ADVENTURINGEXIT TO DOS/WORKBENCH

PURGE CHARACTER eliminates a character from the team and erases him from thesaved game disk. A purged character may not be recovered.MODIFY CHARACTER can change the character's ability scores and HP. UseMODIFY CHARACTER to change a character generated in COUNTDOWN TO DOOMSDAY tomatch a favorite BUCK ROGERS XXc game character. A character cannot bemodified once he has begun adventuring.ICON SELECT allows you to select a new icon to represent a character incombat.TRAIN CHARACTER increases a character's level when he has gained enoughexperience points (EXP). Characters can only advance one level at a time.If a character has gained enough experience to advance more than one level,he will advance one level and then lose all experience in excess of one pointbelow that required for advancement to the next level. See the section onExperience Points in the Log Book for an example.Characters get additional points to allocate to skills as they advance, andWarriors gain weapon skills. See the Advancement Tables starting on Page 40

of the Log Book for EXP requirements. There is no charge for trainingcharacters.VIEW CHARACTER displays about a character. For more information see theViewing Characters section on page 4.REMOVE CHARACTER FROM TEAM transfers a character from the team to the savedgame disk.SAVE CURRENT GAME stores the current game to the save game disk or directory.BEGIN ADVENTURING starts the game.EXIT TO DOS/WORKBENCH quits the game.

NON-PLAYER CHARACTERS (NPCs)During the game the team will encounter Non-player Characters (NPCs). Theymay talk to the team, attack or offer to join the team. NPCs that join theteam are treated like player characters with a few differences. The computergenerally commands NPCs in battle. Characters with Leadership skill may beable to put NPCs who have joined the party under direct control (this isdifficult). NPC's have morale--if things are going badly for the team, NPCsmay run. Gear can be traded to some NPCs, but they cannot be traded fromconscious NPCs to other characters. If an NPC dies, however, you can use theTRADE command on the Gear Menu to take his gear. Only two NPCs at a time mayjoin the team and they may insist on taking a share of all booty found.

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VIEWING CHARACTERSThe VIEW command displays the character summary screen.Encumbrance is the total weight the character is carrying. As a characterbecomes more encumbered, his combat movement speed drops. Encumbrance isbased on the weight a character carries above the weight allowable bystrength. Combat Movement is how many squares a character can move duringa combat round. This is based on his readied armor, strength and totalencumbrance.CHARACTER STATUSOKAY means that the character has positive HP and can move and fightnormally.POISONED means that the character is suffering from the effects of somepoison, and must have a Medic perform a Treat Poison immediately after combator become Comatose.UNCONSCIOUS means that the character has exactly 0 HP. He cannot move orfight, but is in no danger of dying.COMATOSE means that the character is severely injured and has lapsed into acoma. Comatose characters require hospitalization or shipboard MedicalCenter care to recover.DEAD means that the character has died.FLED means that the character fled from the battle. After the battle he willrejoin the team.GONE means that the character was abandoned during a combat and the body hasbeen lost forever.

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From the View Menu several options are available to inspect the activecharacter. Not all of these commands are available at all times.VIEW MENU:GEAR SKILLS WPN SPEC TRADE EXITGEAR will show all the equipment the character is carrying. Items precededby a YES are ready for use. Not all commands in the Gear Menu are alwaysavailable.Gear Menu:

READY TRADE DROP HALVE JOIN SELL EXITREADY is used to change the ready status of a weapon, armor, or other item.Only readied gear can be used in combat. Characters can only ready oneweapon at a time, except that a grenade can be readied while a character hasa readied grenade launcher. On some systems there are items that can only bereadied or unreadied while in either camp or combat.TRADE on the Gear Menu is used to transfer an item from one character toanother. Choose the item and then the character to receive it. Rememberthat a conscious NPC will not give up an item once he has it.DROP permanently removes items from a character. Dropped items may not berecovered.HALVE will divide a bundle of grenades or poison antidotes into two bundles.For example, halve would turn on bundle of 24 grenades into two groups of 12each.JOIN combines grenades and poison antidotes into one line of the gear list.No more than 100 items can be joined onto one line. This is handy becausethere are a limited number of slots available on a gear list.SELL (only available at shops) causes the shopkeeper to make an offer on thehighlighted item. Sold gear may not be recovered.WPN SPEC allows Warriors to examine their weapon specialization bonuses.TRADE on the View Menu is used to transfer credits from one character toanother. Indicate which character is to receive, and then indicate what andhow much is traded to the other character. On some systems this option isonly available if you select the View Menu from outposts shops or from theBooty Menu after combat.

ADVENTURINGAfter setting up your team and reading the background information in the LogBook, it is time to head for adventure, fame, and glory. Your team willengage in fierce battles, find booty, and sometimes have to stop, andrecuperate from battle.DISPLAY SCREENS AND POINTS OF VIEWDuring the adventure, teams must travel from planet surfaces to the reachesof space. There are several points of view or areas that are displayed fordifferent regions.3-D AND AREA VIEWS3-D view appears in towns, aboard enemy rocketships and so on. This viewappears at the top left of your screen and shows the surrounding area fromthe team's perspective. Rotate the team's facing and move using thedirectional. The direction controls for your computer are described on theData Card.Area view provides an overhead view of the team's surroundings, replacing the3-D view. choose the AREA command from the Adventure Menu. This view is notavailable in many regions.In the area display a cursor shows the team's position. On some computersystems, the cursor is an arrow that indicates current team facing. On somecomputer systems you may move around while in the area view, on others thisview is only to help you get your bearings.

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To the right of the point of view window, in either 3-D or Area, are the mapcoordinates, current time, facing direction (N, S, W, E) and what the team isdoing.Every time the team moves a square, one minute of game time passes.

COMBAT VIEWCombat view occurs automatically whenever the team engages in battle. Thecombat screen is a detailed view of the area the team was in when theencounter began.OVERLAND MAPThis view displays a large region and is used to move across planetarysurfaces. Move the team with normal direction controls.

SOLAR MAPSolar Map view is used when the team is traveling in its rocketship toanother planet or outpost. Simply move the ship towards the destination asyou would move in any other view. The difference between this view andothers is that destinations are orbiting the sun, and they move as the shipdoes. The relative speed of the ship is very fast, so reaching destinationis not difficult--that is if there are no encounters with pirates or RAMwarships.Each move on the solar map takes three days of game time.

ADVENTURING OPTIONSThe Adventure Menu controls normal game options while exploring or travelingbetween planets or outposts. While traveling on the solar map, some commandsare not available.Adventure Menu:MOVE AREA VIEW LOOK CHANGE ROCKET SAVEMOVE is used to actually get to where you can move the team around the map.The team can turn right or left, turn around, or move forward. Refer to theData Card for computer-specific movement information. Select EXIT to returnto the Adventure Menu.AREA toggles between the area and 3-D view. In many regions this command maynot be available.VIEW displays the character screen and the View Menu.LOOK is used to search an individual square. Looking in a square takes tenminutes of game time.CHANGE is used to change the characters in the team and the parameters of thegame.

Change Menu:ORDER PURGE MESSAGES ANIM LEVEL EXITORDER changes how the characters are listed on the screen and how they aredeployed in combat. Characters at the top of the list tend to be on thefront line in combat.PURGE eliminates a character from the team and erases him from the saved gamedisk. A purged character is gone forever and may not be recovered.MESSAGES controls the rate at which messages are printed on the screen. Ifthe game is running too slowly, use the FASTER command to speed up thedisplays. If you have trouble reading messages, try the SLOWER command.ANIM allows you to toggle the animation of the close-up pictures on and off.Turning the animation off speeds up the game. This command is not availableon all computers.LEVEL permits you to adjust combat difficulty.

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Level Menu:NOVICE CADET TROOPER VETERAN ACEThe game is preset at the Trooper level. This is the level at which weconsider the game to be balanced. To make the combats easier, choose eitherthe Novice (easiest) or Cadet level. To make the combats more difficult,choose either the Veteran or Ace (hardest) level.When you choose to make the game more difficult, you are rewarded byreceiving more experience points from your combats. When you choose to makethe game easier, you are penalized by receiving fewer experience points fromyour combats.Receiving fewer experience points will slow the rate at which your charactersadvance levels. Advancing at a slower rate will give you less powerfulcharacters which, in the long run, may more than offset the benefits ofplaying at an "easy" level.ROCKET is used to examine the team's rocketship. This is only available

during space travel, and may not be on all computer systems.SAVE restores the characters and current game to the save game disk ordirectory. Saved games may be loaded either from the first menu or from theTeam Creation/Training Menu. Save often -- especially after surviving reallytough encounters. See your Data Card for computer-specific savingsinstructions.OUTPOSTSOutposts are pockets of humanity, if not civilization, sprinkled around thesolar system. They range in size from city-sized installations on planets toglorified rocketship service stations among the furthest asteroids. Outpostsare where teams can buy new gear and ammunition, get ship repairs andpurchase fuel.The Outpost Menu allows the team to get to the various facilities that may befound in outposts. Larger stations, of course, have a greater variety ofservices to offer than the smaller frontier outposts.Outpost Menu:BANK DOWNTOWN HOSPITAL PORT TRAININGBANK will allow you to deposit credits for safekeeping. An extensivecomputer network keeps track of accounts so that you may withdraw your fundsfrom any branch in the solar system.Bank Menu:DEPOSIT WITHDRAW EXITDEPOSIT prompts you for the number of credits you wish to deposit.WITHDRAW allows funds to be retrieved from the team account.EXIT returns to Downtown Menu.DOWNTOWN is where Shops, Restaurants, and so on are located.Downtown Menu:SHOP LIBRARY BAR RESTAURANT EXITSHOP allows characters to buy and sell equipment.Shop Menu:BUY SELL AMMO VIEW POOL TAKE DIVVY EXITBUY displays the available gear and costs. Select items for the activecharacter to buy.SELL puts you in the Gear Menu with SELL option highlighted. If this optionis not available on your system, then select the VIEW option then the GEARoption then choose SELL.AMMO is used to purchase ammunition for a character's weapons. Thisincludes recharges for battery packs on energy weapons such as lasers.

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VIEW displays the character screen with the SELL command available in theGear Menu.POOL places all the team's credits into a pool which can be used by anymember to make purchases. Use the TAKE or DIVVY commands to pick up thecredits pool after all purchases have been made.TAKE is used to pick up credits from the team credits pool.DIVVY picks up everything from the pool and distributes even shares among theteam.EXIT returns to Downtown Menu.LIBRARY is where the team goes to get information. To effectively use alibrary, at least one character needs to have Library Search skill.BAR and RESTAURANT are places where characters go to hear the latest gossipand news. The quality and class of clientele in these establishments varies

a great deal. Going to a high society place may get you a different type ofinformation than a dive.Bar Menu:BUY DRINK TALK WAIT EXITBUY DRINK purchases a round of drinks for the team so that they can relax andlisten to the latest gossip unobtrusively.TALK has members of the team chatting with patrons and trying to coaxinformation.WAIT has the team sit tight and see what happens.EXIT returns to Downtown Menu.Restaurant Menu:ORDER FOOD TALK WAIT EXITORDER FOOD has the team sit down to a meal and listen to gossip.TALK has members of the team chatting with patrons and trying to coaxinformation.WAIT has the team sit tight and see what happens.EXIT returns to Downtown Menu.HOSPITAL offers first rate medical services, for a fee.Hospital Menu:HEAL EXITHEAL will have the hospital give medical treatment to the active character.EXIT returns to the Outpost Menu.PORT is where ships are repaired, resupplied, fueled, and launched.Everything in port is paid for from the team's NEO salvage account. This isthe account that is credited with the salvage value for enemy ships the teamhas defeated. At Salvation Station port facilities and materials are free.All other stations charge the going rates.Port Menu:LAUNCH REPAIR FUEL AMMO MED SUP EXITLAUNCH exits the outpost and puts the team in space.REPAIR has your shop repaired at the port shipyards. The cost of repairswill vary with the amount of work required.FUEL allows you to purchase fuel for your ship.AMMO allows you to purchase ammunition for your ship's weapons.MED SUP allows the team to restock the shipboard Medical Center.EXIT returns to the Outpost Menu.TRAINING allows characters to get to a Training Center and advance in level.You can also modify the team using the Team Creation/Training Menu.

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ENCOUNTERSWhen a team comes across opponents or NPCs, an encounter occurs. If the teamattacks immediately it may receive a bonus to its initiative in combat. Ifthe opponents surprise the team, the opponents can attack immediately and geta bonus to their initiative in combat. If the opponents do not attackimmediately, the team can react by choosing from an Encounter Menu.Encounter menus vary and they list options for new situations.****************************************************************************SAMPLE ENCOUNTER MENU:COMBAT WAIT FLEE TALKIn this menu you have opportunities to attack immediately, wait and see, run

away or try and talk.****************************************************************************COMBATDuring combat the computer chooses the active character. Characters withhigher dexterity will tend to go before characters with lower dexterity. Acharacter may hold his action until later with the WAIT command. There is amore detailed description of how combat works in the Log Book.The active character will be centered on the screen at the start of hiscombat segment. The active character's name, HP, AC, and current weapon aredisplayed. The Combat Menu lists the character's options.COMBAT MENU:MOVE TARGET VIEW INTIMIDATE QUICK AID SPRINT DODGE JETPACK WAIT GUARD ENDMOVE allows a character to move into an opponent's square.NOTE: if a character selects SPRINT or DODGE all further movement by thatcharacter during that round will be sprinting or dodging.TARGET allows weapons to be aimed. If the character has shot an opponent ina previous segment, the cursor will come up on that target.When targeting, the range to the target will be displayed above the menu baron some systems. If a character moves adjacent to an enemy, and has no moremovement remaining, the TARGET command can be used to attack with a meleeweapon (mono knife, sword, etc.) The TARGET command can also be used tosurvey the condition of your team and enemies. As you move the target cursorover a character or opponent, HP and weapon information will be displayed onthe right of your screen.Target Menu:NEXT PREV MANUAL ATTACK CENTER EXITNEXT is used to look at all possible targets, starting with the closesttarget and then going to the next farthest and so on. NEXT and PREV onlyindicate targets in the character's line of sight.PREV (Previous) is the opposite of the NEXT command. Use this command tolook at the possible targets starting with the farthest, and working backtoward the character. This command is most often used to select a target fora missile attack.MANUAL permits the player to aim anywhere on the map. Only targets in thecharacter's line of sight can actually be attacked.ATTACK is used to fire a weapon, throw a grenade, or attack an adjacent enemywith a melee weapon (mono knife, sword, etc). If this option is notdisplayed the target is out of range or not in line of sight.CENTER will center the screen around the cursor. This is helpful whenmanually targeting. This option is not available on all computer systems.

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VIEW displays the character screen and View Menu.INTIMIDATE is the skill to project an aura of menace and to frighten adjacentopponents. Intimidated opponents will be too frightened to move or fight forone round.QUICK turns control of the character over to the computer Press the spacebar to regain manual control of characters. Under computer control, afighting character with a readied missile weapon will tend to hang back andattack from a distance. If the character has no readied ranged weapon, hewill ready a melee weapon and charge.Characters will remain under computer control for all subsequent combatsuntil manual control is again selected.AID only appears if a team member is bleeding to death. Only character withFirst Aid or Treat Light Wounds skills can use the command. The command willperform either First Aid or Treat Light Wounds, depending on the charactersabilities. Also, medics with the Treat Stun/Paralysis skill can also use theAID command to treat stunned characters. The team member using the AIDcommand must be adjacent to the victim.

SPRINT allows a player to run at double normal combat move distance. Thecharacter cannot shoot or guard after sprinting.DODGE has the character move and try to evade enemy fire at the same time.The character will receive a temporary AC bonus that increases as he advancesin level. The character cannot do anything else in the samesegment--including attack or fire weapons.JETPACK allows a character with a jet pack to fly over the battle to anysquare in range. Any opponents guarding in squares adjacent to thedestination square can attack when the character lands. JETPACK can only beused in outdoor fights, and the character must have a jet pack and Use JetPack skill.WAIT causes the character to hold his turn until after the other charactersand opponents have acted.GUARD sets a character armed with a ranged, non-area effect weapon (laserrifle, bolt gun, etc.) to fire automatically at the first opponent to move.Characters armed with melee weapons will attack the first opponent to moveadjacent.END finishes a character's turn.AFTER THE BATTLEWhen combat is over team Medics will treat wounded characters and you willsee how much experience each character receives. After this the Booty menuis displayed. Most of the Booty Menu commands work like the commands in theShop Menus.BOOTY MENU:VIEW TAKE POOL DIVVY EXITVIEW displays the character screen and View Menu.TAKE permits the active character to pick up any gear or credits left bydefeated opponents. This will only appear if the opponents had booty or theteam has pooled its funds.Take Menu:GEAR CREDITS EXITGEAR lists the equipment in the booty. Frequently, the weapons and armorused by opponents are not listed because they are poor quality and not worthtaking.CREDITS displays the amount of credits found after a battle.EXIT returns to the Booty Menu.

Page [11]SPACE COMBATThe solar system is a dangerous place in the twenty-fifth century. Spacetravel is filled with the constant threat of pirates and RAM warships. Inspace combat there are two basic menus; one of the pilot, and another for thecrew. Not all options in space combat menus are always available.Pilot Menu:FIRE TARGET QUIT VIEW CLOSE WITHDRAW RAM BOARDFIRE allows the pilot to attack with the ship's K-cannons and missiles. Thisattack has the greatest chance to hit, and will affect random systems on theenemy ship.TARGET allows the pilot to fire the ship's K-cannons and missiles at specificsystems on the enemy ship. Targeting is more difficult than the general FIREcommand.QUIT ends the pilot's turn.VIEW allows you to examine either the ship or the pilot.CLOSE shortens the distance between your ship and the enemy ship. If theenemy ship is faster than yours, and attempts to WITHDRAW, you will not beable to close.

WITHDRAW attempts to escape the enemy ship. If your ship is not faster thanthe enemy ship, you will not be able to disengage.RAM is an attempt to crash your ship into the enemy ship, RAM uses thepilot's Pilot Rocket skill to determine success. When ships ram, the damageinflicted on each ship is the tonnage of the other ship. For example, if a150 ton ship rams a 50 ton ship, the larger ship suffers 50 points of hulldamage while the smaller ship suffers 150 points of hull damage.BOARD is only available if the enemy ship can no longer maneuver and therange is zero or one. When you board your team docks with the enemy ship'sairlock, and they must fight their way in. The only way to salvage a ship isto board it and capture both the control bridge and engineering sections.Sections that have been destroyed do not have to be secured. Only characterswith spacesuits or armor can board ships with zero life support.Crew Menu:FIRE TARGET LOAD JURYRIG QUIT VIEW COMMAND AID BOOST ENGINES SENSORSFIRE is similar to the Pilot Menu command, except that crew members may onlyfire lasers.TARGET is similar to the Pilot Menu command, except that crew members mayonly fire lasers.LOAD reloads ships weapons. This command only appears when a weapon is emptyor not fully loaded. The weapons that are ready to be loaded are displayedwhen LOAD is selected.JURYRIG appears when some weapons or system has been damaged, and if thecharacter has the Jury Rig skill. Ship's systems can only be successfullyjury rigged once per battle. Weapons can be jury rigged whenever they arenonfunctional. The chance for success and degree of accomplishment is basedon the character's skill level. When this command is selected a menu ofdamaged systems will come up.

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QUIT ends the character's turn.VIEW allows you to examine either the ship or the character.COMMAND only appears when the pilot is dead or incapacitated. COMMAND ordersthe current character to take control and pilot the ship. Remember: Put acharacter with good Pilot Rocketship skill into the pilot's position if thefirst pilot is incapacitated--this skill is crucial in space combat.AID only appears when a character is bleeding to death, and the currentcharacter has either a Treat Light Wounds, or First Aid skill.BOOST ENGINES attempts to squeeze extra speed from the rocket engines. Thiscommand only appears if the current character has Nuclear Engine Repairskill. The engines may be damaged if the skill check fails. Engines canonly be boosted successfully twice during a battle.SENSOR only appears if the current character has Sensor Operation skill.This is an attempt to probe the enemy ship.

AFTER SPACE COMBATAfter your team has defeated the enemy ship, boarded it, and secured both thebridge and engineering sections, a salvage beacon is attached to the hulk anda NEO tug will pick it up. The team is automatically credited the salvagevalue of the ship in their NEO salvage account. This account can be used topay for ship repairs, fuel, ammo and medical supplies at any space port.At the same time as the beacon is being placed, all salvageable fuel from thedefeated ship will be transferred to your ship.Medics on the team will perform whatever services they can for the wounded,and additionally, all possible field repairs will be made on the ship. Ifthere are any valuables on the captured ship a Booty Menu will also come up.---Typed by OLLIE NORTH of SKID ROW. Edited by PARASITE.

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BUCK ROGERS: COUNTDOWN TO DOOMSDAY LOG BOOK

TABLE OF CONTENTSIntroduction........................................................1The Team Assembles..................................................2Characters and Teams................................................2Additional Character Attributes.....................................3Character Races.....................................................4Careers.............................................................5Skills..............................................................7Assembling a Team..................................................10Non-Player Characters (NPCs).......................................11Money..............................................................11Combat.............................................................11Rocketships and Space Travel.......................................14Space Combat.......................................................17Gear...............................................................19Robots, Gennies and Other Opponents................................21Log Entries........................................................23Appendix...........................................................39 Racial Attribute Modifiers Table.................................39 Allowable Careers by Race Table..................................39 Strength Modifier Table..........................................39 Dexterity Modifier Table.........................................39 Constitution Modifier Table......................................39 Rocketjock Level Advancement Table...............................40 Warrior Level Advancement Table..................................40 Engineer Level Advancement Table.................................40 Rogue Level Advancement Table....................................40 Medic Level Advancement Table....................................40 Armor Class......................................................40 Weapons Table....................................................40 Skills Table.....................................................40Glossary of Game Terms.............................................41Credits............................................................43

Page [1]INTRODUCTION:1990-2050Remnants of the old-time Soviet hardliners launch the space weapons platform:Masterlink. U.S. strategists send the American ace Anthony "Buck" Rogers todestroy Masterlink. Buck is sent up in an experimental space plane outfittedwith a new cryogenic system for high altitude ejection. Masterlink isdestroyed, but Buck Rogers' plane is heavily damaged and his frozen bodyfloats in space.When Masterlink is destroyed, the Soviet extremists fire a salvo of ballisticmissiles at the U.S. The resulting conflict enters history books as the"Last Gasp War." World governments look in horror at the insane danger ofesecalating arms races and maintaining nuclear arsenals. Governments aroundthe globe disassemble their war machines and power shifts from the nationalgovernments to large international alliances, such as the Russo-AmericanMercantile (RAM), the Euro-Bloc faction, and the Indo-Asian Consortium.2051-2100The System States Alliance forms to represent the three big power blocs andfringe Earth nations to help ensure the survival of a depleted and pollutedEarth.Nuclear fusion propulsion technology allows mankind to move out into thesolar system. The System States Alliance forms an organized effort toexploit the nearby planets. RAM, having the most clout, grabs rights toMars, while Luna goes to the Euro-Bloc, and the Indo-Asians take Venus.Initial interest in the planets is for resources. True colonization is slowat first, as mankind both adapts to alien environments and adapts theenvironments to mankind.2101-2400Trips to the planets become commonplace, and terraforming technology hastransformed the surfaces of Mars and Venus to become more habitable forhumans. Genetic engineering skills develop new life forms, called Gennies,that can be tailored to nearly any environment or function.

In 2275 RAM, groaning under an increasing repressive Earth government,rebels. Venus signs a nonaggression pact with Mars, and ten years of warfollow. Earth falls into barbarism with her major population centers left inruins, and cut off from much needed extraterrestrial resources. At the endof the war, RAM completely dominates the remains of old Earth.In 2310 refugees from Earth, and others who are discontent under RAMdomination, begin a crash program to colonize Mercury. Asteroids are movedinto orbit around the planet, and moveable cities are built on the surface.Mercury develops an economy based on mining and solar power.2401-2455Mars and Venus, once forbidding alien wastes, have been terraformed and nowsupport populations in the millions. Bases have been esablished on Mercuryand Luna. Colonies float in the edges of the Jupiter gas clouds and citieshave been carved out of asteroids.RAM rules old earth with cruel effciency and an iron hand, its brutal Terrinecombat gennies roam and enforce the planet's exploitation.A daring band of Rebels called the New Earth Organization (NEO) is formed tocombat RAM domination.

Page [2]2456The figure of Buck Rogers has been elevated to nearly mythical status bymedia hype--he has become a symbol as the last martyr of old Earth's foolishpolitical struggle. In a strange twist of fate Buck Rogers --the myth-- isrecovered alive from his frozen sleep!With his tactical genius and fearless daring, Buck Rogers joins NEO in itsbattle against RAM.NEO and Buck Rogers, form a dangerous plan to subvert RAM control of theEarth. The cornerstone of RAM's dominance of the planet is "Gauntlet", anorbital weapons platform originally constructed by the old Systems StatesAlliance. Gauntlet had been designed to act as a watchdog against nuclearweapons. Under RAM administration, the station was upgraded to both watchthe subservient Earth and completely control all traffic to and from theplanet.Buck steals a squadron of RAM's latest spacefighters, a squadron slated forGauntlet's defensive force, and attacks the station. The surprise attack isa success. Without Gauntlet, Simund Holzerhein, the head of RAM, decidesthat over control of Earth is too expensive and orders RAM troops off theplanet. The mood on Earth and in NEO is a combination excitement and dread.The victory seems easy... too easy.2456 (Now)Earth is under the control of NEO now, but the shadow of RAM is stillpresent, Occasional attacks by RAM military are explained away as "acts ofoveranxious officers" and "unfortunate lapses of judgement." NEO scramblesto rebuild a shattered planet and build the forces required to fend off RAMattack it feels is inevitable.THE TEAM ASSEMBLES"Buck Rogers!" The name is everywhere. "Buck Rogers and NEO victory atGauntlet -- Vid at eleven." The Video Network News, people talking on thestreets of old Earth, even in teh furthest asteroid outposts -- Buck Rogersand NEO are everywhere.There is a feeling of hope now. After years of domination, RAM no longerhold old Earth, and NEO is finally able to make a real stand against thecorporate behemoth. Victories, real and exaggerated, boost NEO confidencedaily.NEO ranks are swelling with new recruits -- young people who never beforefelt they could make a difference. Your team is assembled from those ranks.Each member has made his or her way to Chicagorg with plans to join the waragainst supremacy. Each has visions of great victories, glory and lastingfame -- like Buck Rogers...CHARACTERS AND TEAMSTo play Countdown to Doomsday, you must make characters and band themtogether into a team. The team must have a variety of talents and skills tosurvive and finally succeed. The following sections describe everything thatgoes into making a character and assembling your team.CHARACTER ABILITY SCORESEvery character has seven randomly-generated ability scores that define theperson. The scores describe the character's strength, intelligence, and so

on. The base value for each ability from 3 (low) to 18 (high). Each racehas ability modifiers that are automatically factored in when the characteris generated. For example, Martians receive a -1 modifier to strength, butthey get a +1 bonus modifier to thier dexterity. The following describeseach ability.Strength (STR) measure physical power and indicates a character's endurance,stamina and muscle bulk. Strong characters can carry more weight inequipment without becoming encumbered, and they have combat bonuses whenfighting with melee weapons (swords, mono knives, etc).

Page [3]Dexterity (DEX) measures hand-eye coordination and agility, as well asreaction speed and other reflexes. High dexterity give characters bonuses toavoid being hit during combat, determines how fast they react, and how wellthey can fire ranged weapons (laser rifles, bolt guns, etc)or fly a rocketship.Constitution (CON) measures physical toughness and resistance to pain andhardship. High constitution increases the amount of damage a character canwithstand before dying.Intelligence (INT) measures reasoning ability, memory(to some extent), andgeneral wit and cleverness. High intelligence is required for most careers-- in the twenty-fifth century stupidity kills.Wisdom (WIS) measures common sense and ability to understand the ways of theworld. This is the skill that both aids Medis in making sound treatments,and keeps Rogues from fleecing the wrong victims. High wisdom give bonusesto such skills as Tracking and Planetary Survival.Charisma (CHA) measures persuasiveness and how well others react to acharacter. Leaders are marked by high charisma, and this ability is valuablewhen dealing with strangers. High charisma gives bonuses to such skills asIntimidation and Acting.Tech (TCH) is short of Technical Knowhow, and is a special mix ofintelligence and wisdom that measures affinity for machinery and equipment.High tech scores imporve such valudable skills as Jury Rigging and First Aid.MORE ON ABILITIESThe STR, CON and DEX bonus tables start in the appendix on page 39. Ablilityscores can affect skills: this is described under Skills and Abilities onpage 7.ADDITIONAL CHARACTER ATTRIBUTESCharacters have three attributes that change during the game: ExperiencePoints, Level, and Hit Points.Experience Points (EXP) measure what a character has learned. EXP are earnedby winning battles, finding money, and completing parts of the adventure.characters with enough EXP may advance in levels. The Level AdvancementTables begin in the appendix on page 40.Level measure a character's career advancement. Characters gain valuableskill points and combat proficiency when they advance in level. Whencharacters have sufficient EXP to go up a level, they must go to the TrainingCenter to receive the additional instruction for advancement.Example: A second level Warrior with 4000 EXP can train and become thirdlevel.No matter how many EXP a character has, only one level can be gained pertraining session. A character with sufficient EXP to gain two or more levelscan train, advance one level, and then lose all EXP in excess of one pointless than is required to advance another level.Example: A second level Warrior with 16,500 EXP (enough to advance to fourthlevel) would train, advance to third level, and be left with 7999 EXP (800would be fourth level). The character could then easily gain the one pointneeded to advance and then train again quickly.Characters start the adventure at second level and can advance to eigthlevel.Hit Points (HP) measure how much damage a character can withstand beforebecoming unconscious or dead. Characters gain between 1-6 and 1-10 HP perlevel depending on their career.

Page [4]MORE ON ATTRIBUTESThe Level Advancement Tables showing EXP requirements for all careers beginon page 40.CHARACTER RACESTeam members can be any of six races -- four human type or two gennies,Terrans, Martians, Veusians, and Mercurians are all, in spite of some geneticengineering, considered humans. Martian Desert Runners and Tinkers aregennies that have been bred to include non-human characteristis with thebasic human genotypes. Each race has unique modifiers to basic attributes,and some careers are limited to certain races. The following sectiondescribes each of the races.Terrans are the last of the unengineered humans in the solar system. Whilethe other civilized races have undergone genetic adaptation to suit newplanets and environments, the human population on old earth takes pride intheir pure strain. Suffering under the yoke of RAM tyranny has taught theTerrans determination and patience.Allowable Carrers: AllAblility Modifiers: CON+1, WIS+1Martians have developed under RAM auspices the oldest and most advancedcivilization in the solar system. The Martians themselves tend to be proudto the point of arrogance. Because of the lower Martian gravity and oxygencontent, Martians are slightly weaker than Terrans but about average forother civilized races.Allowable Careers: AllAbility Modifiers: STR -1, DEX +1, CON-1, WIS -1, CHA +1Venusians are a divergent lot. Venus hs threee distince cultures beneath itsbillowing atmosphere. The Aerostators float above the land, and make theirliving primarily as tradesmen and herders. The ground-dwelling Aphroditansare farmers, miners, and shrewd traders. The dominant culture on Venus isthe theocratic Ishtarians. They control New Elysium, Venus' only majorspaceport.Allowable Careers: AllAbility Modifiers: DEX -1, CON +1, WIS +1, CHA -1Mercurians are a unique and rough mixture of cultures. Originally, Mercurywas the site of large solar energy collection stations called Mariposas. TheMercurian Sun Kings are descended fromteh original Mariposa owners, and arequite wealthy. The Sun Kings are renowned for decor that is both fabulouslyexpensive and totally devoid of taste. The remaining three cultural groupson Mercury are descended from the refugees that fled to the planet to escapethe turmoil in thh rest of the solar system. The Miners inhabit largesubterranean warrens shielded from the intense heat. The Musicians are theMercurian merchant class. The Desert Dancers live on the planet's surface,continually following the shaded side of the planet.Allowable Careers: AllAbility Modifiers: STR -1, DEX +1, CON +1Tinkers were originally bioengineered to include attributes from smallanthropoid species, such as lemur and gibbons, to work in cramped spaces.They are very clever with tools and all manner of technology.Allowable Careers: Engineer, MedicAbility Modifiers: STR -2, DEX +3, CON -2 TECH +3Desert Runners are one of the oldest of the bioengineered races, and are bredfor the savage Martian surface. Their original purpose was to care for thelarge heards of

Page [5]animals that were seeded onto the planet during the late stages ofterraforming. The Desert Runner engineering adds a mix of canine and felineattributes to the basic homo sapien stock. They can run long distances onall fours, and fight viciously with their retractable claws. Desert Runner'sclaws allow them to do an extra point of damage if they fight barehanded.Allowable Careers: Rocketjock, Warrior, EngineerAbility Modifiers: STR +2, DEX +2, CON +1, CHA -1

MORE ON RACESThere are several tables summarizing racial attribute modifiers and allowablecareers in the appendix starting on page 39.CAREERSThere are five careers for characters to choose from in Buck Rogers, and eachcareer has a unique set of skills associated with it. Minimum attributes arerequired for each career choice. For example, Mdeic characters must haveminimum scores of 12 in dexterity, intelligence and wisdom. When creatingcharacters, the career is selected first, then the computer will generateability scores to fit. Some careers are limited to select races. Rogues forexample, can only be human. Each career has a set of Career Skills that thecharacter learns while training for a given occupation.THE FOLLOWING DESCRIBES EACH CAREER.Rocketjocks have what one twentieth century author called "the right stuff."They are only truly at home when they are clutching the controls of some typeof space vehicle. They pride themselves in their ability to out fly and outromance anybody in the galaxy, and too often they're right.Special Ability: Rocketjocks receive a 10% bonus to all piloting skills.Ability Score Requirements: DEX 13, INT 11, CHA 12.Eligible Races: Terran, Martian, Venusian, Mercurian, Desert RunnerCareer Skills:Drive Jet CarDrive Ground CarManeuver in Zero GNoticePilot Fixed WingPilot RocketPilot RotorwingUse Jet PackWarriors dedicate their lives to mastering the skills of combat. Even withthe development of fantastic new weapon technology, battles are still won andlost by men. Warriors train hard, and study strategy and leadership inaddition to combat skidlls.Special Abilities: Because of their rigorous training, Warriors receivebonuses to the amount of damage they can withstand. Warriors can also attacktwice per round with their fists where other characters can only attack once.Warriors do one to three points of damage with their bare fists, where otherclasses do one to two. Every second level (2nd, 4th, 6th...) Warriors alsoreceive a specialization bonus to a weapon of their choice. Weaponsspecialization bonuses can only be a maximum of plus three per weapon.Ability Score Requirements: STR 10, DEX 8, CON 10, INT 8Eligible Races: Terran, Martian, Venusian, Mercurian, Desert Runner

Page [6]Career SkillsBattle TacticsDemolitionsLeadershipManeuver in Zero GMove SilentlyNoticeRepair WeaponUse Jet PackEngineers are what hold the world together -- without them the artifices oftechnical civilization would crumble. Engineers aren't as cocky or flashy asRocketjocks, but they have a similar arrogant pride in their abilities.Engineers love machines and fine workmanship. They prefer the company of acranky ship's power plant to the hubbub of a port bar.Special Abilities: NoneAbility Score Requirements: STR 10, CON 12, INT 8, TECH 13Eligible Races, Terran, Martian, Venusian, Mercurian, Tinker, Desert RunnerCareer SkillsJury RigManeuver in Zero GNoticeRepair ElectricalRepair Life Support

Repair MechanicalRepair Nuclear EngineRepair Rocket HullRogues live by wi, cunning, and oftentimes, the misfortune of others. Rogueshvae talents for fast talking, and bypassing pesky security systems. Becauseof the nature of their work, and their ability to make lasting enemies.Rogues who live to any noticeable age tend to have very fast reflexes.Special Abilities: Rogues receive a 10% bonus to all career skills.Ability Score Requirement: DEX 13, INT 8, WIS 9, CHA 13Eligible Races: Terran, Martian, Venusian, MercurianCareer SkillsBypass SecurityClimbFast Talk/ConvinceHide in ShadowsMove SilentlyNoticeOpen LockPick PocketMedics seems to be very popular whenever a team sees any action. When theWarrior develops work-related injuries (usually laser holes), or the engineergets too close to an engine that blows up, the Medic puts them back together.The advancements of medical techonology will never remove the need for humantouch in healing. Medics learn skills such as treating wounds counteractingpoisons, and operating shipboard Medical Centers.Special Abilities: Medic Careers Skills can ONLY be learned by Medics --allskills from other careers can learned by anyone(although without careerbonuses)Ability Score Requirements: DEX 12, INT 12, WIS 12Eligible Races: Terran, Martian, Venusian, Mercurian, TinkerCareer SkillsDiagnoseLife Suspension TechnicianTreat Critical WoundsTreat DiseaseTreat PoisoningTreat Light WoundsTreat PoisoningTreat Serious WoundsTreat Stun/Paralysis

Page [7]MORE ON CAREERSThe summary of careers allowable to each race is in the appendix on page 39.The Careers Skills tables begin on page 5.SKILLSSkills represent specific abilities of characters. For the Rocketjock, theability to zig when he's supposed to zig and zag when he's supposed to zag ina space battle is the skill called Pilot Rocket. There are two types ofskills: Career Skills and General Skills. Career Skills are the types ofthings a character would learn while training for a job. General skills areextracurricular abilities that the character might find useful. Charactersget points to allocate to skills. Because the player gets to choose wherepoints go, each character develops uniquely.Some commands in the game are only available to characters with the correctskills.Example: The JURYRIG option only appears during space combat if a ship'ssystem is damaged and the character has Jury Rig skill.ASSIGNING POINTS TO SKILLSNewly generated characters start at second level with 80 points to assign toeight different Career Skills, (they get 40 more points for each levelgained). New characters may allocate 30 points to any single career skill,but no more than 15 points may be allocated at one time after that. There isno limit to how many ppoints can be allocated at one time after that. Thereis no limit to how many points can be allocated to a Career Skill overall --only 80 points total can be allocated to any single General Skill.New characters may choose a maximum of seven General Skills to start the game

with. They can assign 40 points to these skills. With each new level gainedcharacters can choose one additional skill, and assign 20 more points to anyof their General Skills. So, choose the mix of skills wisely for your teamcharacters. Career Skill points can only be assigned to Career skills andnot General skills and vice versa.SKILLS AND ABILITIESEach skill primarily uses one ability, and so most are listed by theirprimary ability requirement. Pilot Rocket, for example is a dexterity skill,while Repair Rocket Hull is a tech skill. The exception to this are theMedic skills, which are only available to characters with that special careertraining. In addition to career bonuses, characters get Ability Bonusesadded to their skills. The Ability Bonus is simply the character's score forthe appropriate ability.Example: A character with 15 points allocated to Use Jet Pack (a dexterityskill), and with 17 dexterity, would have an effective skill of 32.SKILL PREREQUISITESSome skills require minimum scores in other skills before points can beallocated to them.Example: Jury Rig skill requires minimum scores of 10 in both repairMechanical and Repair Electrical.Certain skills in the game are useful only as prerequisites for otherskills.SKILL CHECKSA Skill Check is used to determine whether a character can perform someaction that requires a certain skill. For example, Medics make Skill Checksagainst their Treat Light Wounds skill to see if they can restore hitpointsto injured characters after combat. A skill score represents a percentagechance

Page [8]for success on a Skill Check. If a character has a 75 Jury Rig skill, thenhe has a 75% chance of successfully jury rigging an average problem. Thechance of success changes if the situation is more or less difficult.UNUSED SKILLSA few of the listed skills are not actually used in Countdown to Doomsday.They have been included for use in sequel games. Unused skills are noted inthe following section.SKILLS DESCRIPTIONSDEXTERITY SKILLS:Acrobatics is the skill of balancing, juggling, avoiding falling objects andother unusual feats of dexterity.Climb is the skill of scaling anything from mountains to buildings withoutthe use of ropes.Drive Groundcar is the ability to use any type of small wheeled vehicle.This skill is not used in Countdown to Doomsday.Drive Jetcar is the ability to use any type of small jet-propelled vehicle.This skill is not used in Countdown to Doomsday.Hide in Shadowns is the ability to use available cover, both shadows andterrain, to avoid detection.Maneuver in Zero-G is the skill used to move and work in a gravity-freeenvironment. This is a critical skill whenever fighting in a Zero-Gsituation. Characters who fail a Maneuver in Zero-G Skill Check receive alarge penalty to their movement and ability to hit targets.Move Silently is the ability to travel quietly, even through brush or overrocks and gravel. This skill is used when attempting to backstab duringcombat.Pick Pocket is used to take small items from unsuspecting victims.Pilot Fixed Wing Craft is the ability to fly jet or propellor-poweredaircraft. This skill is not used in Countdown to Doomsday.Pilot Rocket is used to operate any rocketship. This is the premiere skillof Rocketjocks.Pilot Rotorwing Craft is the ability to fly helicopter-type aircraft. Thisskill is not used in Countdown to Doomsday.

Use Jet Pack is the skill to operate a personal jet pack. This skill can beused during combat if a character is outfitted with a jet pack.TECH SKILLS:Bypass Security is the skill to trace and disable electronic alarm systems.Commo Operation is adeptness with communications equipment, including repairand operation.Demolitions is the skill to use, place and defuse explosive devices.First Aid is the ability to perform minimal emergency medical treatment.Characters with First Aid are handy during combat to augment Medics.Jury Rig is the very valuable skill to patch together damaged equipment.This skill can be a real lifesaver during space combat. Prerequisites areRepair Mechanical(10) and Repair Electrical(10)Open Lock is the skill of picking mechanical locks. Electronic locks arecovered under the Bypass Security SkillRepair Electrical is the skill to maintain and repair electrical systems.This skill is used to make field repairs to a ship after combat.

Page [9]Repair Life Support is the skill to maintain and repair life support systems.This skill is used to make field repairs to ships after combat.Prerequisites are Repair Mechanical(25) and Repair Electrical(30)Repair Mechanical is the skill to maintain and repair mechanical equipment.This skill is used to make field repairs to ships after combat.Repair Nuclear Engine is the skill to maintain and repair nuclear enginesfound on rocketships. This is used to make field repairs to ships aftercombat. Prerequisite is Repair Mechanical(10).Repair Rocket Hull is the skill required to patch up damaged rocketshiphulls. This skill is used to make field repairs to ships after combat.Prerequisite is Repair Mechanical(10).Repair Weapon is the skill to restore damaged weapons to service. This skillis used to make field repairs to ships after combat.Sensor Operation is familiarity with the operation of sensor equipment andevaulation of sensor data. This skill is used to gather information aboutenemy ships and crew sizes during space combat.MEDIC SKILLS:Diagnose is the ability to determine the nature of an ailment or internalinjuryLife Suspension Tech is the skill to operate and diagnose potentialmalfunctions on life suspension equipment. This skill is not used inCountdown to Doomsday.Treat Critical Wounds is the ability to deal with severe injuries.Prerequisite is Treat Serious Wounds(40).Treat Disease is the ability to treat diagnosed diseases. Prerequisite isDiagnose(25). This skill is not used in Countdown to Doomsday.Treat Light Wounds is the ability to give field aid to minor injuries. Thisis similar to the general First Aid skill, and is valuable during combat.Treat Poisoning is the knowledge of how to counteract diagnosed poisons.Prerequisite is Diagnose(15).Treat Serious Wounds falls between Treat Light and Treat Critial Wounds.This skill is only used after combat. Prerequisite is Treat LightWounds(30).Treat Stun Paralysis is a battlefield skill to treat battle induced shockfrom sonic stunners.INTELLIGENCE SKILLS:Astrogation is the ability to calculate courses, plot the movement ofastronomical bodies, and to sight on stars. Astrogation is used to findspecific locations while traveling in space. Prerequisites are Astronomy(20)and Mathematics(25).Astronomy is a working knowledge of the planets, stars, and otherastronomical bodies. Prerequisite Only.

Battle Tactics is the understanding of small-group combat tactics. If acharacter makes a Battle Tactice role at the start of an encounter, the wholeteam will receive combat bonuses because they are better able to act as aunit.Disguise is skill in the use of makeup and costume to assume a newappearance.Library Search is the skill to ferret information out of computer librarysystems.Mathematics is the ability to perform complex mathematical operations andcalculations. Prerequisite Only.Mimic is the ability to copy the vocal patterns and sounds of others.

Page [10]Navigation is the skill to calculate courses and effectively steer arocketship on its trip. Prerequisites are Astronomy(15) and Mathematics(25).Planetology is an understanding off the ecology, climate, geology, andhazards of planets.Programming is the ability to program both planetside and shipboardcomputers. Prerequisite is Mathematics(10).CHARISMA SKILLS:Act is the ability to memorize and perform lines and to take oncharacterizations.Befriend Animal is the skill to relate to animals and create some kind ofrapport.Distract ist the ability to successfully act as a diversion or to direct avictim's attention.Etiquette is an understanding of the rules and conventions of a culture.This is especially useful when patronizing teh better class establishments onOutposts.Fast Talk/Convince is the skill to flim flam and get others to agree oracceptl.Intimidate is the ability to create an aura of menace and danger. Successfulintimidation during combat will cause enemies to be taken aback while theydecide whether to fight or flee.Leadership is the skill to give orders and see that they are carried out.Characters with Leadership skill can, if they make a difficult Skill Check,take control of NPCs during combat.Sing is the ability to deliver a tune with a melodious and pleasing voice.This skill can come in handy in Outpost bars.WISDOM SKILLS:Notice is the skill of careful, trained, observation. Many times a characterwith high Notice skill will see things that other team members miss.Planetary Survival is a working hard knowledge of how to survive wildernessconditions on a variety of planets. Prerequisite is Planetology(10).Shadowing is the ability to follow people in urban areas without beingdiscovered.Tracking is the skill to follow tracks and signs in a wilderness environment.ASSEMBLING A TEAMAssembling a strong and mult-talented team is the key to success in Countdownto Doomsday. The variety of careers and skills must be able to deal with themany perils and uncertainties of the twenty-fifth century.CAREERS AND RACES MIXEvery team should have at least one Rocketjock, one Medic, and one Engineer.The remainder of the party can be a mix of careers. Take a look at theRacial Attribute Modifiers to select a good mix of races.SKILLS MIX

Several skills are critical for the survival of the team. Medical and FirstAid skills are used to patch up wounded team members. At least one characterwith Pilot Rocket is required to effectively control a rocketship.Characters with Engineering skills like Jury Rig are very useful during spacecombat. Maneuver in Zero-G is used every time the team fights in anull-gravity environment. Battle Tactics is very useful during fire-fights.Other useful skills are: Leadership, Intimidate, Navigation, Astrogation,Sensor Operation, Demolitions, Use Jet Pack, and Move Silently.

Page [11]NON-PLAYER CHARACTERS (NPCs)Non-player characters (NPCs) are the people the team meets during theadventure. Sometimes NPCs are threats taht the team must deal with quickly.Other times NPCs may offer valuable information or even join the team forawhile. NPCs that join the team generally fight under computer control. Ifany member of the team has Leadership skill, and makes a successful SkillCheck at the start of a combat, then you may control the NPC for that battle.DIGITAL PERSONALITIES (Dps)In the twenty-fifth century, computer techonology has advanced to the pointthat fully aware, computer-based intelligences have evolved. These DigitalPersonalities can be either purely computer-generated or based on a livingthing, once living mind. A suffix of .DOX is added to the names of computerpersonalities for ease of indentification.MONEYEvery planet in the solar system has its own currency system, but the Credithas been developed as the common unit of exchange. Bank accounts andinterplanetary transactions, for example, are always handled in credits, onany planet. The most common form in which to carry money is negotiable"Credit cards." Each card has a coded strip that "remembers" how much it isworth. Purchases can be debited from the card value until it is valueless.Unlike twentieth century credit cards, these cards cannot be replaced if lostof stolen -- they can be used by anyone who gets hold of the card.COMBATThe team moved through the derelict rocketship carefully. Ulysses, one ofthe team's two warriors was leading. He strained his senses, trying to pickup any sign of combat gennies or security robots. They had just movedcautiously around one corner into a new corridor when Ulysses heard thedistinct whine of a laser firing circuit charging..."Security robots ahead! Red, dump a grenade on 'em. Doc and Ratchet hit 'emwith laser! Looks like it's gonna hit the fan..."Whether facing killer Terrine gennies or boarding space pirates you will findyourself in combat often in the twenty-fifth century.INITIATIVEEach round of combat is divided into 10 segments. The segment a character oropponent acts in depends on his initiative number. This is a randomlygenerated number for each character and opponent. This random number isgenerated at the beginning of each combat round and is modified by dexteritybonuses or penalties and random factors (such as surprise) to arrive at theinitiative number.Sometimes a character will act in segment 10 of one round and segment 1 ofthe next, appearing to act twice in a row. This is especially common if youuse the WAIT command. When the WAIT command is given, that character'saction will be delayed until segment 10.COMBAT ABILITYEach character's ability in combat is defined by his THAC0, damage and AC.ACA character or opponent's difficulty to be hit is represented by his ArmorClass or AC. The lower the AC the harder it is to hit the target. AC isbased on the armor a character is wearing and any dexterity bonus.

Page [12]THAC0THAC0 represents ability to hit enemies in melee or with ranged fire. THAC0stands for To Hit Armor Class 0. This is the number a character must 'roll'equal to or greater than to damage on a target with an AC of 0. The lowerthe THAC0 the better the chance to hit the target.

Note: The generation of a random number is often referred to as a 'roll'. Indetermining if an attack is successful, the roll is a random number from 1through 20.An attack is successful if the random number is greater than or equal to theattacker's THAC0 minus the target's AC. THAC0 may be modified by range,terrain and zero-G conditions, among other things.Example: A Warrior with a THAC0 of 15 attacking an opponent with an AC of 3would need to roll:(THAC0 15) - (AC 3) = 12 +But to hit an opponent with an AC of -2 he would need to roll:(THAC0 15) - (AC -2) = 17+THAC0 decreases (requires a lower number to hit an opponent) as a character'slevel increases. Great strength can help THAC0 if the character is attackingwith a melee weapon (sword, knife, etc).DAMAGEWhen a hit is scored, the attacker does damage. Damage is the range of HPloss the attacker inflicts when he hits an opponent in combat. Damagedepends on the attackers weapon type and sometimes the attacker's strength(when using melee weapons).Some opponents take only partial or no damage from certain weapon types.Robots, for example, are immune to such attacks as dazzle or gas grenades,while Venusian acid frogs are unaffected by fire.SAVING THROWSWhenever characters or opponents are poisoned, subjected to extremes of heatand cold, or certain types of weapons, the computer checks to see if theymake their Saving Throw. A successful save means that the target had someinnate immunity to the poison, or was not hit full-force by the weaponeffect. Generally a successful save will mean that the target was unaffectedor damage that would otherwise be taken is halved.LEADERSHIP SKILL CHECKWhen NPCs join the team, they will generally fight under computer control.If any member of the team has Leadership skill, and makes a successful SkillCheck at the start of a battle, an NPC will be under manual control for thatbattle.BATTLE TACTICS SKILL CHECKThe computer automatically makes a Battle Tactics Skill Check for anycharacters with the skill. If any character is successful, the entire teamreceives a plus one combat bonus because they are better able to act as agroup.MANEUVER IN ZERO-G SKILL CHECKWhenever character enter combat in null-gravity conditions, they must make aManeuver in Zero-G Skill Check or become severly restricted. Charactersthat fail to make this roll receive a minus two combat penalty and theirmovement is reduced to three squares per round.

Page [13]COMBAT MAPCombat takes place on a tactical map that is a detailed 3-D view of the mapterrain that the team was in when combat began. This map is overlaid with aninvisible square grid. As you move characters, you will notice thateverything moves on the grid from square to square. Moving diagonally oftencosts more movement points than moving horizontally or vertically.TERRAINWhen the laserbeams and rockets start flying, being able to duck behind coverbecomes a big concern. There are three basic type of terrain: clear,hindering, and blocking. Clear terrain is just that, open and free ofobstacles. Hindering terrain offers some cover from enemy weapons fire bymaking targets more difficult to hit, and slows movement. When travelingoverland, hindring terrain might be bushes or low rocks. In outposts orcivilized areas, hindering terrain would be objects like tables or computerterminals. Blocking terrain would be walls or trees -- objects that cannotbe moved or fired through at all.TEMPORARY OBSTACLESSeveral weapons have effects that hinder combat: chaff, aerosol, and gas.Chaff clouds will cause missiles from rocket weapons to lose tracking as wellas causing all types of explosive shields to detonate instantly when they hit

the chaff. Aerosol clouds are designed to diffuse laserbeams. Gas clouds donot affect ranged combat, but anyone or thing that moves through a gas cloudwithout some kind of breathing apparatus must make a saving throw or becomeincapacitated.COMPUTER CONTROLThe computer controls the actions of opponents, NPCs, and PCs set tocomputer control with the QUICK command. You may take control of PCcharacters during any combat round. See your Data Card for instructions onhow to use QUICK on your specific computer system.RANGEEvery ranged weapon has a short, medium, and long range. At short range theweapon fires with no penalties. At medium range there is a minus two penaltyto hit, and at long range there is a minus five penalty.RATE OF FIREMany weapons can be fired more than once per round. When firing a rapid fireweapon, such as a needle gun, all shots are aimed at one target unless targetis eliminated before all rounds are fired.Example: A warrior firing a bolt gun at a wounded opponent drops his targetwith the first shot. The warrior can then shoot at another opponent. If thefirst shot had missed, or not finished the opponent off, the second shotwould have been fired at the same target.GRENADESWhen most weapons miss, the shots have gone wide and not done any perceivabledamage. Grenades, on the other hand, can miss their intended target, rollinto an adjacent square, and detonate there. Grenads can be thrown, orlaunched, into empty squares.REAR ATTACKS AND BACKSTABBINGIf an opponent is attacked by two characters from one sid, a third charactercan blindside him using a melee weapon and gain the advantage of a rearattack. Because the target is already sistracted, he cannot defend againstthe second attack very well.

Page [14]Backstabbing is similar to the regular rear attack, except that the firstattacker and the character attempting to backstab must be directly oppositeeach other. Additionally the backstabber must make a Move Silently SkillCheck. Damage from a backstab is greater than a rear attack. Rogues havebonuses to their Move Silently skill, and hence ability to backstab.MOVEMENTThe number of squares a character can move is affected by carried weight andstrength. A character's movement range is displyed on the view screen andwhen moving during combat. Moving through hindering terrain (bushes, tables,etc.) will slow a character to half normal movement, while sprinting allows acharacter to move at double the normal rate. Dodging characters move atnormal rate but their bobbing and weaving makes them more difficult to shootat.RUNNING AWAYCharacters may flee from the battlefield if they can move faster than allenemies. Characters may not move off the battlefield if they move slowerthan any enemies. Characters have a 50% chance to move off the battlefieldif they can move as fast as the fastest enemy opponent.Exception: If an opponent or character can reach the edge of the combat mapwithout any of his opponents being able to see him, he may then fleesuccessfully, even though he may be slower than his opponents.A character that moves off the battlefield returns to the team when the fightis over. If the whole team flees it will not receive any EXP for opponentskilled before retreating.AFTER COMBATIf one or more characters survive on the battlefield at the end of combat,the bodies of unconscious or dead team members stay with the team. If theentire team flees from combat all unconscious and dead team members arepermanently lost. If ALL the team members are slain, go back to your lastSaved Game and try again from that point.MEDICAL ATTENTIONAfter the battle is over any team Medics will use their skills automaticallyto patch up the wounded. Medics will make checks against all appropriate

skills for each wounded character.ROCKETSHIPS AND SPACE TRAVELThe evolution of sophisticated rocketships has opened solar system tomankind. COUNTDOWN TO DOOMSDAY spans the vast reaches from the sunbakedMercurain Mariposas to the hard vacuum of the asteroid outposts.ROCKETSHIPSA far cry from their twentieth century ancestors, twenty-fifth centruyrocketships are sleek, finned craft that navigate the solar system driven bypowerful nuclear engines. Sensor and communications gear is used to navigatethe ship, send and receive messages, and to probe enemy ships during combat.Sophisticated computer-aided controls help steer rocketships through the voidof space, while the complex maze of plumbing, air tanks, and hydroponic vatsof the life support system churn out breathable atmosphere for the crew.

Page [15]SPACE TRAVELBefore embarking on a space flight, the team needs to fuel up the ship andpurchase service stores for field repairs. If you run out of fuel inmid-flight, you never know who might come to pick you up...NAVIGATION SKILL CHECKA successful Navigation Skill Check means that the pilot has charted aneffective, fuel efficient course. If the pilot fails the Navigation SkillCheck, the plotted course will consum extra fuelAstrogation Skill Check - An Astrogation Skill Check is required whenattempting to pilot the ship to a specific small body in space, such as anasteroid outpost. If the pilot fails the check then the ship must swingaround for another pass through the same area and try again.MERCURYClosest to the sun and possible the richest planet in the system, Mercurygathers sunlight via hugh satellites known as Mariposas. The sunlight isthen beamed to the rest of the solar system as microwaves. This providesMercury with its great profits.The wealthy of Mercury live on the Mariposas. Each satellite is uniquelydesigned, with its own baroque flavor and decor. Many of the rich enjoydressing up in styles from ancient earth. The Mariposas also have thelargest number of holidays per year. each one is an excuse for wildparties and parades.

Page [16]Most of the profits are controlled by an elite group of ruling families,known as the Sun Kings, Presently, the Gavilan family and its allies holdfirm control of the government. This faction is very pro-RAM and muchcommerce takes place between the two nations. Other Sun Kings have differentviews and political infighting is common.Other groups on Mercury include the Musicians and the Dancers. Their namesderive from the fact that most cities on Mercury bear the names of famouscomposers. The Musicians are the merchant class -- well-to-do, but withlittle political influence. They are content as long as the economy isstrong.The Dancers are nomads on Mercury's surfce. They travel in great rail citiessearching and exploiting mineral deposits. They are poor and generallydiscriminated against. They are the backgone of the "Mercury for Mercurians"movement. The faction's goal is to isolate the planet from entanglingalliances, such as the current ones with RAM. Since the Dancers are bannedfrom the satellites which house the governing Sun Kings, they have littletrue power.VENUSThe planet is barely terraformed - normal humans can only survive unprotectedon mountain tops and in the upper atmosphere. The lowlands are filled withgennies and genetically modified jungle. The creatures here are extremelydangerous, and the rain is so heavily laced with acid that it would dissolvean unprotected human in very short order.The intelligent race of gennies, known as the Lowlanders, inhabits this acidjungle. They are believed to be primitive and warlike. Some experts disputethis, since they provide the only known supply of Gravitol. Gravitol isrequired to survive for long periods of weightlessness and is critical tospace travel.

The humans of Venus are allied with NEO against RAM. The Lowlanders are moreneutral: they will sell to anybody. Because of the Lowlander's regularcommerce and the undesirability of the jungle, it is relatively easy to slipa space craft onto the planet -- as many Gravitol smugglers can attest to.EARTHThe homeworld of unmodified humans has been RAM's dumping ground for decades.Recently, with the help from Buck Rogers, NEO has seized control of Earthfrom RAM. Now a cold war exists between the two factions. Occasionalincidents occur, but RAM blames them on rogue commanders or NEO infighting.Earth's cities suffered badly in the open war, but are slowly being rebuilt.Above Earth is a huge junk belt, formed from the detritus of innumerablespace launches over the centuries. Most of this garbage is completelyunidentified, so NEO often sends scavenger parties to investigate. At theheart of the belt is a space station Salvation III, officially a scrap yard.Actually, this is the top secret base of NEO's military wing. As newrecruits, your characters will be based at this station.LUNAThe lunar peoples are strict isolationists. It was only through RAM'smissteps that Luna joined NEO in the last open conflict. Offworlders arerarely tolerated beyond the spaceport proper.

Page [17]MARSRAM's home world, which it shares with the Desert Runner gennies. RAMevaluates everything in terms of profit and loss -- in fact the NEO victoryfor control of Earth was an effort by RAM to cut losses on expensive businessventure. Humans, being fairly common, are rated at a rather low economicvalue.The Desert Runners inhabit the fringe lands and are ignored or persecuted byRAM. The runners live in mud huts and often keep hers of hexadillos. Armedonly with crossbows, they present little threat to RAM's objectives.Most of Mar's commerce flows through the Pavonis Space Elevator, a satellitetied to the ground by a huge elevator. So much traffic passes through, thatundercover NEO teams use the facility for resupply.ASTEROID BELTThe asteroids are sparsely populated by the most independent group of humansin the system: the asteriod miners. Mahy spend months at a time alone,prospecting the many rocks. The many island sized asteroids make the belt anideal place for hidden bases. Both RAM and space pirates keep innumerablehideouts, ports and research stations in the belt.SPACE COMBATTwo days out of Salvations Station, the buzz of conversation and the dullthrob of the rocket engine was shattered by the piercing wail of the battlestations siren."Sensors have detected a large ship at extreme range!""Are they responding to the comm, Ratchet?""They are not responding. Might be a RAM cruiser from the readings.""Warm up the lasers -- looks like a fight..."SPACE COMBAT DISPLAYWhile the combatants ships circle and maneuver for shots, all the crew seesare display screens. Whenever a character attempts sensor probe of the enemyship, the enemy ship image will be replaced with a summary screen ofeverything the sensor was able to detect.SPACE COMBAT SKILLSThere are several skills that are extremely valuable, some even critical, inspace combat. Piloting skill is important during space combat. The JURYRIGcommand uses the Jury Rig skill to make emergency repairs to the ship duringcombat. Sensor Operation skill is used for the SENSOR command to probe theenemy ship. The AID command requires either a First Aid or Treat LightWounds skill. After the battle all of the repair skills (Repair Computer,Repair Nuclear Engine, etc.) are used automatically to make field repairs tothe rocketship.FIRING SHIPS'S WEAPONSCharacters use thier normal THAC0 to determine whether attacks with ship'sweapons are successful. Select the best characters to fire weapons, andhave

other characters stand duty loading weapons or jury rigging systems.DISABLING ROCKETSRocketships lose speed as their huls and engines are damaged. A rocketshipis dead is space when the engine, controls, or fuel reaches zero. When therocket's hull reaches zero, it is breached and the ship explodes.If Hull is reduced to one-half, the ship is slowed by one movement point.

Page [18]If Engine reduced to one-half, the ship is slowed by one movement point.If Engine is reduced to one-quarter, the ship is slowed by three movementpoints.Speed is always at least one until Control, Engine, or Fuel is reduced tozero.BOARDINGWhen a rocket has been disabled, you can move to range 0 or 1 and dock at theairlock with the BOARD command. To secure the ship your team must fighttheir way onto the enemy ship and secure both the control bridge andengineering sections. If either section is destroyed during the battle, onlythe remaining section need be captured. If your ship has been disabledduring the battle, the enemy may try to board and capture your ship.SALVAGEOnce a ship has been boarded and secured, a salvage beacon will be placed onthe derelict so that it can be picked up by a NEO spacetug and taken toSalvation. The salvage value of the ship is determined by how much is leftintact. The funds are automatically put into your team's NEO SalvageAccount. Usable fuel from the enemy ship is automatically transferred intoyour tanks.AFTER THE BATTLEWhen teh battle is finished, team Medics will treat all wounded characters,and the Engineers will perform any repairs that they are able. If there areany credits or items found on the enemy ship, a Booty Menu will come up justas in regular combat.

Page [19]GEARBLADED WEAPONSCutlass a broad bladed sword favored by space pirates. Length: 70 cm avgKnife any short bladed weapon. Length: 15 to 40 cm.Mono Knife is a knife made from a single piece of synthetic diamond. Theedge is sharpened to a single molecule in width (monomolecular - hence thename) Length: 15 to 30 cmMono Sword is an entire sword made with the same material and construction asthe shorter Mono Knife. Length: 70 to 80 cmPolearm is a pole weapon similar to the ancient naginata of old Earth. Theseweapons are sometimes carried aboard pirate or warships for boarding.Length: 2.25 to 2.5 metersSword is a long bladed weapon. Most swords used in the twenty-fifth centuryare patterned after the rapier used in the fifteenth and sixteenth centurieson old Earth. Length: 70 to 90 cmRANGED WEAPONSBolt Gun is a miniature magnetic cannon. Metal bolts are accelerated downthe length of the gun barrel by magnetic fields. Maximum Range: 16Desert Runner Crossbow is a weapon evolved from the crossbows of old Earth.Desert Runner crossbows are designed to fire metal bolts and they are verysimple and reliable. Maximum Range: 8Heat Gun is a weapon that evolved from the flame throwers of twentiethcentury Earth. The gun has two tanks: one with compressed air, the otherwith highly combustible fuel. When the gun is discharged, a blast ofsuper-heated plasma is released at high velocity. The fuel recharge forthese weapons is fairly expensive, and they are dangerous to use in confinedspaces. Maximum Range: 6Laser Pistol uses a capacitor system to fire a small diameter beam ofcoherent light. Lasers are capable of burning through most materials, butcan be countered by reflective or curved surfaces. Maximum Range: 32

Laser Rifle is a larger, more powerful version of the laser pistol. MaximumRange: 120Microwave Gun fires a short-range beam of concentrated microwave radiation.Microwaves can penetrate any non-metallic substance, but are reflected by allmetals (and hence most types of armor). Maximum Range: 16Needle Gun works on the same principle as the bolt gun except that theammunition is small needles. Maximum Range: 12Rocket Pistol fires a stubby, self-propelled, explosive projectile.Rocket-type weapons are ideal for zero-G combat as they have no recoil. Theprojectiles incorporate a microscropic integrated guidance system, and theyarea actually able to veer up to 20 degrees from their original course.These so-called "smart bullets" can, however, be thwarted by chaff andElectronic Counter Measure (ECM) systems. Maximum Range: 16Rocket Rifle is a larger version of the rocket pistol, firing a bigger,longer range projectile. Maximum Range: 80Sonic Stunner emits a high-frequency sound that is tuned to the harmonicresonating pitch of most nervous systems. Targets of the weapons must make asaving throw or be rendered unconscious. Maximum Range: 4

Page [20]EXPLOSIVES AND HEAVY WEAPONSGrenade, Aerosol Mist releases a vaporous cloud designed to diffuse laserfire. Mist lasts four round under normal gravity but dissipates in one roundin zero-G.Grenade, Chaff releases a cloud of metallic flakes and small strips. Chaffoffers protection from smart shells (from rocket pistol or rifle), and"stupid" explosive projectiles (rockets, plasma, etc.) entering the cloudwill explode instantly. Chaff lasts four rounds under normal gravity butdissipatess in one round in zero-GGrenade, Dazzle releases a blinding electrical discharge arc. Characters oropponents in the effected area who are not wearing protective goggles mustmake a saving throw or be blinded for two to seven rounds. Blindedcharacters receive severe penalties to both THAC0 and AC.Grenade, Explosive is little changed from its twentieth century counterpart.Explosive grenades are fitted with proximity detonators that fire when theyreach their target. The sensitivity of the armed detonator makes theseweapons susceptible to premature discharge when entering chaff clouds. Does4 to 40 points of damage.Grenade, Gas similar in effect to twentieth century tear gas, anyone enteringthe cloud without protective gear must make a saving throw or becomeincapacitated for two to seven rounds. Gas cloud lasts four rounds undernormal gravity but dissipates in one round in zero-G.Grenade, Stun is simila