Excerpts from GURPS Special Ops 2nd Ed.

"What Are Special Operations?" chapter intro, pp. 5-6.

The term "special operations" conjures up images of daring hostage rescues, brave bands of unconventional warriors leading armies of guerrillas against an occupying foe, and furtive forays into the nether world of espionage, deceit and danger. To be sure, there are elements of all of this in the world of special ops, but the reality is both more prosaic and infinitely richer than this popular image suggests.

We can probably get the best definition of special operations from those who order special ops units into action. In its 1998 Special Operations Forces Posture Statement, the U.S. Army defined special operations as "characterized by the use of small units in direct and indirect military actions focused on strategic and operational objectives. These actions require units with combinations of specialized personnel, equipment, training, and tactics that go beyond the routine capabilities of conventional military roles." The Posture Statement further lists five requirements that distinguish special operations from conventional military operations: unconventional training and equipment, political sensitivity, unorthodox approaches, limited opportunity and specialized intelligence. The key notion is that special operations forces either support conventional operations by doing what conventional forces cannot easily do for themselves, or replace conventional forces where such forces are inappropriate.

In wartime, special operations forces would provide a necessary foundation for conventional success by gathering information for strategic planning and use in propaganda, conducting commando and guerrilla operations, and organizing behind-the-lines resistance. In peacetime, the nature of special operations would be determined by the need for capabilities beyond the reach of, or politically inappropriate for, conventional forces.

Special operations are military operations, involving troops specifically trained for unorthodox missions in which the degree of force, the difficulty of the mission or an intimate connection to national policy makes it necessary to rely on specialized units. It is not so much that special ops soldiers are "super-soldiers" as that they have received specialized training inappropriate for or too costly for conventional units. They may be "elite" troops in some sense – in particular, as a result of selection procedures – but what they do is not so much better than as different from what conventional units do well.

Perhaps the best way to explain "special operations" is to describe the distinct types of missions that special ops units perform. The Posture Statement lists nine principal mission areas: counter-proliferation, combating terrorism, foreign internal defense, special reconnaissance, direct action, psychological warfare, civil affairs, unconventional warfare and intelligence operations. In addition to these primary missions, it also lists "collateral activities" (see sidebar) considered appropriate for special ops units, including combat search and rescue, counterdrug activities, demining activities, peace operations, coalition support and a variety of "special activities" in support of national foreign policy.

"Alpha Group" entry, pp. 38-39.

Alpha Group

In 1974, the KGB reorganized V-Group, its secret assassination unit. Two new units – Alpha Group, specializing in counterterrorism, and Beta Group, charged with assassination missions – were formed to replace V-Group. A third unit, Vympel Group, was later added to the roster of KGB special operations units.

In 1979, members of Alpha Group, along with operatives from both Beta and Vympel, were selected to form the Kaskad assault group. This group played an integral part in the attack on the Taj-Bek Palace during the Soviet overthrow of the Afghan government in 1979 (see p. 21). During the late 1980s, Alpha Group performed a number of counterterrorist operations, dealing with everything from aircraft hijackings to kidnappings.

During the 1991 coup attempt, the Soviet Defense Minister and Chief of the KGB ordered Alpha Group, with the assistance of Soviet troops, to seize the Soviet White House and arrest President Boris Yeltsin and Russian Parliament leaders. In an unexpected and uncharacteristic move for KGB operatives, the two Alpha Group detachment commanders allowed their men to vote on the mission. The response was nearly unanimous: the orders were unconstitutional and illegal. Alpha Group refused to carry out the mission and seize the White House. Most of the other military units involved returned a similar response to the coup plotters. Combined with the popular support that the Russian leaders enjoyed, these refusals crushed the coup attempt.

In recent years, the KGB has been dismantled and replaced by a number of smaller intelligence services. At present, Alpha Group is subordinate to the Russian Federal Security Service – Federal'naya Sluzhba Beznopasti (FSB) – roughly equivalent to the U.S. FBI, and responsible for investigating domestic espionage and terrorism, and for fighting organized crime. Alpha Group is similar to the U.S. Army's 1st SFOD-Delta in mission and training. The Alpha Group character template is on p. 66.

Alpha Group Unit Organization. Details on Alpha Group are sketchy. It reportedly consists of a main group of 250 personnel stationed in Moscow, with smaller detachments in Yekaterinburg, Kasnodar and Khabarovsk.

"Alpha Group" template, pp. 66-67.

Alpha Group 190 points

The Basic Skills for a soldier in Russia's Alpha Group (p. 38) appear below; he must also select an MOS. If he is an NCO, warrant officer or commissioned officer, he will have the appropriate Special Skills package(s) as well, which will increase template cost.

Attributes: ST 11 [10], DX 14 [45], IQ 14 [45], HT 11 [10].

Advantages: Fit [5], and 25 points in additional ST or HT, Desirable Advantages (p. 46), Decorations (p. 46), Military Rank (p. 47) or Patrons (p. 49).

Disadvantages: Extremely Hazardous Duty [-20], and -25 points selected from the Desirable Disadvantages list (p. 50).

Basic Skills: Acting (M/A) IQ-1 [1]-13, Administration (M/A) IQ-2 [1/2]-12, Armoury (Small Arms) (M/A) IQ [2]-14, Boating (P/A) DX-1 [1]-13, Brawling (P/E) DX+1 [2]-15, Camouflage (M/E) IQ-1 [1/2]-13, Climbing (P/A) DX+1 [4]-15, Criminology (M/A) IQ [2]-14, Demolition (M/A) IQ-1 [1]-13, Driving (Automobile) (P/A) DX [2]-14, Electronics Operation (Comm) (M/A) IQ [2]-14, Engineer (Combat) (M/H) IQ-2 [1]-12, Escape (P/H) DX-1 [2]-13, Explosive Ordnance Disposal (M/A) IQ-1 [2]-13, First Aid (M/E) IQ-1 [1/2]-13, Gunner (Machine Gun) (P/A) DX+1 [1/2]-14*, Guns (Grenade Launcher) (P/E) DX+1 [1/2]-15*, Guns (LAW) (P/E) DX+1 [1/2]-15*, Guns (Light Auto) (P/E) DX+2 [1]-16*, Guns (Pistol) (P/E) DX+2 [1]-16*, Guns (Rifle) (P/E) DX+2 [1]-16*, Intelligence Analysis (M/H) IQ+1 [6]-15, Interrogation (M/A) IQ+1 [4]-15, Jumping (P/E) DX-1 [1/2]-13, Knife (P/E) DX+1 [2]-15, Leadership (M/A) IQ [2]-14, Mechanic (Gasoline Engine) (M/A) IQ-2 [1/2]-12, Orienteering (M/A) IQ+1 [4]-15, Parachuting (P/E) DX [1]-14, Photography (M/A) IQ [2]-14, Scrounging (M/E) IQ [1]-14, Shadowing (M/A) IQ [2]-14, Skiing (P/H) DX-1 [2]-13, Spear (P/A) DX-1 [1]-13, Stealth (P/A) DX+1 [4]-15, Streetwise (M/A) IQ [2]-14, Survival (Desert) (M/A) IQ-2 [1/2]-12, Survival (Mountain) (M/A) IQ [2]-14, Swimming (P/E) DX-1 [1/2]-13, Tactics (M/H) IQ+1 [6]-15, Teaching (M/A) IQ-1 [1]-13, Throwing (P/H) DX+1 [8]-15, Traps (M/A) IQ [2]-14.
* Includes +2 for IQ.

MOS Skills: Choose an MOS and spend a total of 13 points on it as follows:
All skills that appear as Basic Skills (above) must be increased by at least one skill level; all new skills must be learned at level 13 or better.

Communications: Increase Electronics Operation (Comm); add Telegraphy (M/E) or a second Electronics Operation specialty (M/A).

Demolition: Increase Demolition, Engineer (Combat), Explosive Ordnance Disposal, Traps; add Underwater Demolition (M/A).

Intelligence: Increase Intelligence Analysis, Interrogation, Photography; add Cryptanalysis (M/H), Lockpicking (M/A), SIGINT Collection/Jamming (M/H), Traffic Analysis (M/H).

Medical: Increase First Aid; add Diagnosis (M/H), Surgery (M/VH).

Weapons: Increase Armoury (Small Arms), Gunner (Machine Gun), Guns (Grenade Launcher), Guns (LAW), Guns (Light Auto), Guns (Pistol), Knife.

Special Skills: Military Rank [5/level] is required for the packages below: Rank 1-2 for NCOs, Rank 3 for warrant officers and Rank 3+ for commissioned officers.
Commissioned Officer or Warrant Officer (+!/2 point): Increase Administration to 13 [1/2].
NCO (+0 points): No additional requirements.

Customization Notes: This template is intended for use in a 200-point campaign. Spend your remaining 10 points to customize your character. Another -15 points in Acceptable Disadvantages (p. 50) and five quirks can be taken to get a further 20 points to customize with.

"M18A1 'Claymore' Mine" entry, p. 106.

M18A1 "Claymore" Mine: An above-ground weapon based on a WWII German design. It consists of a convex, 1.5-lb. block of C-4 explosive with 700 steel pellets embedded in it. It is pointed toward the desired area of effect, and may be detonated remotely or by a tripwire. When triggered, it acts like a huge shotgun round, attacking everything in a 60° cone in front of it. Roll vs. 14 minus the range penalty to hit. Multiple hits may occur; see p. HT21 or p. VE190. Each hit inflicts 6d+2 damage (treat as a bullet) out to 50 yards; halve damage after that. Anyone near the Claymore when it goes off also has a 6dx4 explosion to worry about, so it is usually deployed over 20 yards from friendly positions. Incidental fragmentation may cover a larger area to the side and rear; most troops take cover before detonating a Claymore. Weighs 5 lbs., including blasting cap, wire and detonator.

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