Tactical Tuesday #13: Tough as Nails
Advice for Lone Bounty Hunters in Warzones
PCs, Listen Up—This Is How You Survive
1. Stay Fast and Light
You’re out here alone. You’re not carrying every weapon Rambo ever used. Pick your gear smart—rifle, sidearm, knife, maybe some explosives if you can handle the spice. The key is mobility. You’re not a juggernaut. You can’t outlast a squad. But you can outrun them, outthink them, and hit them where it hurts before they know you’re there. A speed kill is a clean kill, and clean kills mean you’re still breathing.
Pro Tip: Always keep an escape route in mind. If the heat comes down, evading is better than engaging.
2. Always Work the Intel
This isn’t about being the one-man wrecking crew—you’re not as cool as you think. The job starts long before you pull the trigger. Scout the area. Learn who’s fighting who. Figure out who you can bribe, who you can intimidate, and who’s likely to take a shot at you just because they don’t like your face. Good intel is better than a full mag every single time.
And don’t just trust the local fixer or your mysterious backer. Check their story against what you see with your own eyes and hear from other sources.
3. Pack for Everything, Plan for Nothing
You’re in a pulp warzone—things don’t follow a script here. Always keep water, ammo, and medical gear on you. Your knife isn’t just for combat; it’s for cutting wire, prying doors, or, hell, eating your sad field ration.
But here’s the trick—your plan WILL go to hell the first time shots start flying. Expect chaos. Prepare to improvise. Think three steps ahead because by the time you’re at step two, a grenade will have turned everything sideways.
4. Play the Shadows
You’re not the hero of this story, no matter how much you want to be. Heroes kick doors in and scream one-liners. You? You wait. You stalk. You strike when the enemy lets their guard down. Being unseen means being alive. If you get spotted, make it count—none of that “spray and pray” crap. Every bullet has to work.
Pro Tip for Urban Missions: Always scan the windows. Snipers love windows. Don’t be their shot of the day.
5. Don’t Piss Off Everyone at Once
This isn’t a Hollywood thing where you can fight the rebels in one scene and the militias in the next. Play your cards right. The enemy of your enemy might not be your friend, but they could be useful for a while. Promise them something shiny, and they might just fight the other guys while you do your job. But don’t forget—you’re a tool to them, just like they are to you.
6. Never Get Too Comfortable
You’ve pulled off a hit, grabbed your target, and pocketed the cash. Great. But the fight isn’t over. It’s never over until you’re out of the danger zone, preferably with you and your paycheck intact.
Warzones are unpredictable, and just because you think you’re safe doesn’t mean you are. Keep your eyes on the horizon and another mag locked and loaded. The vultures always circle when you’re least ready.
For GMs—Making Warzones Matter
Alright GMs, don’t be too kind to your lone-wolf PC. They’ve chosen to do this the hard way, so give it to them hard but fair—emphasis on fair. Here’s how you keep them sweating and begging for more.
1. Layer the Danger
Keep them guessing. Sure, they’ve got bad guys to deal with, but throw in environmental hazards, informant betrayals, flash floods, or a medic shortage in a town they thought was neutral. Make it less about ‘what’s right in front of me’ and more about ‘what the hell could be next?’
2. Moral Choices with Consequences
Give them tough calls. Do they blow their cover to help a family escape crossfire, or do they stay hidden and walk away clean? Do they leave behind a critical informant because doubling back to save them might cost too much time?
Consequences are king in a pulp game; every decision should ripple outwards.
3. Use a Clock of Chaos
Build tension over time. The longer they stay in the zone, the more heat they pull. The war escalates. The enemy adapts. Equipment breaks. Allies get spooked or turn on them. Keep the tension mounting until they feel their getaway will be more satisfying than the job itself.
4. Unique Encounters with Flare
Play up the pulp! The bounty isn’t just a guy—it’s a double-agent hiding in a rebel camp disguised as a cook. The vault they’re breaking into? It’s in the ruins of a temple, now a headquarters for a merc unit. Make it big, bold, and outlandish—after all, this is pulp!
Tables for the Field
2d6 Unexpected Complications
Roll 2d6 when something unwanted interrupts the bounty hunter’s mission.
| Roll | Complication |
|---|---|
| 2 | A sandstorm/monsoon cuts visibility to zero. |
| 3 | Enemy patrols intensify—double guard numbers. |
| 4 | Equipment failure—critical gear breaks. |
| 5 | Civilians stumble into the conflict zone. |
| 6 | Local wildlife attacks—watch those teeth! |
| 7 | The target has tipped off their allies. |
| 8 | A sniper nests nearby and fires on sight. |
| 9 | An audio device broadcasts their location to enemies. |
| 10 | A rival bounty hunter shows up to claim the prize. |
| 11 | Fuel or ammo is running dangerously low. |
| 12 | An ally betrays them. |
2d6 Unique Rewards or Opportunities
Roll 2d6 for some unexpected loot or narrative twists to make the job more colorful.
| Roll | Reward/Opportunity |
|---|---|
| 2 | An encrypted map of enemy supply lines. |
| 3 | A supply cache hidden by a defector. |
| 4 | The captured target offers a second, better-paying job. |
| 5 | A piece of intel leads to a forgotten treasure cache. |
| 6 | A civilian provides unexpected medical aid. |
| 7 | A temporary ally offers backup for a later mission. |
| 8 | Reinforcements scare off minor threats. |
| 9 | A rare and reliable vehicle is discovered. |
| 10 | Smuggled goods can be flipped for profit. |
| 11 | Advanced weaponry or tech, almost untraceable. |
| 12 | The local populace starts idolizing them, offering haven and bonuses. |
One Last Thing
To the lone wolves out there—you’re not invincible, but you’re damn close if you follow the rules. For the GMs, your job is to make them bleed just enough to earn their triumph. That’s the pulp way. Now get out there and make warzones wild again.
And remember, when all else fails—duck. You’ll thank me later.
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