A Bridge Too Far Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Game Rules
  • 1. Attributes
  • 2. Life Points
  • 3. Challenges
  • 4. Combat
    • 4.1 Normal Combat
    • 4.2 Multiple Combat
    • 4.3 Mass Combat
  • 5. Weapons and Equipment
    • 5.1 Ammunition
  • 6. Morale Points
  • 7. Time Units
  • 8. Modifiers
  • 9. Diary
• Character Sheet
  • Starting Inventory

Game Rules

1. Attributes

As the character Marek Zadrożny, you possess three basic attributes that determine your abilities and how you interact with your surroundings. They are as follows:

Body. This represents your strength, resistance, and agility. Physical actions are generally linked to this attribute.

Mind. This symbolises your intelligence, astuteness, and perception. Mental actions are normally associated with it.

Will. This represents your force of will, charisma, and morale. Actions related to spirit and personality belong to this attribute.

You have six points to distribute among them with the restriction that you cannot have two attributes with the same value, which effectively means that you must assign a 3 to the attribute you want to be most developed, a 1 to the least developed, and a 2 to the other one. The distributed points represent the dice that you will roll when asked to test any of your attributes. As you will see, the more dice you have in each attribute, the easier it will be to overcome the challenges that you face.

Example: One option would be Body 3, Mind 1, and Will 2. Another option is Body 2, Mind 3, and Will 1.

2. Life Points

The adventure you are about to start is not easy and your health will probably suffer because of it; in fact, you could die. The characteristic that governs this aspect is Life Points (LPs). You begin with 8 LPs and you can never exceed this level, except when the text explicitly states the contrary, though there will be occasions when the number of points decreases. Be very careful, because if your LPs reach zero or below at any time this means that you have died, even if the text continues. You will have failed in your adventure, and you must go back to the start and try to do better the next time.

3. Challenges

You will often be required to test one of your attributes when facing a challenge to overcome. Something like this will be written: Test your Body at Difficulty 3, Test your Mind at Difficulty 4, etc. To see if you succeed in your effort, roll as many six-sided dice (d6s) as you have points in the indicated attribute. Unless stated otherwise, you will be successful if the number on at least one of the dice equals or exceeds the difficulty level.

In some circumstances (combat is one of these, as you will see below) it is important to count the number of successes you achieve in the challenge (number of dice with a value equal to or higher than the difficulty level). In such a case, it will be stated how this influences the test.

4. Combat

Throughout the adventure, more than one adversary will try to injure you, or end your life. This situation represents a special type of challenge called combat, which is treated in its own way. While challenges are usually handled with a single roll of the dice, combats usually require a series of dice rolls.

When you need to fight, you will do so hand-to-hand (for example, with a knife) or at long range (for example, using a submachine gun). It will be clearly stated how you are fighting (the former will be most common), as well as the scores of your enemies (you can write them down on the appropriate section of the character sheet). If you are fighting hand-to-hand you will use your Body, but if you are fighting at long range you will utilise your Mind.

Combats are divided into rounds called 'assaults', and they are treated differently depending on the number of combatants. One-on-one fights (with some exceptions, you against one enemy) are considered 'normal' combats. Those involving more than two participants are called 'multiple' combats.

If you lose the combat and there is no indication that you should continue reading, then you have died. In this case, go to section 241 for your final score.

4.1 Normal Combat

In Normal Combat you roll the dice ('attack roll') for each assault, trying to reach the difficulty level associated with your opponent. You should not only determine if you have been successful, but also count the number of successes you have obtained. If you have managed to equal or exceed the stated difficulty with any of your dice, you have injured your opponent; otherwise, your opponent has hit you.

If you have hit your opponent, then count the number of successes and apply your weapon's multiplier (see next section): this is the damage that you have inflicted. If your opponent has injured you (you did not get any successes), you must subtract as many LPs as the points of damage caused by your opponent. The assault is now completed. If either of the combatants has lost all their LPs, then they have been defeated (if it is you, then you have died). Otherwise, a new assault begins, and this continues in the same way until there is a victor.

Example: An enemy soldier appeared while you were walking down a road and he attacks you. It is not feasible for you to escape, and so you confront him and engage in combat. This is a hand-to-hand combat, so you use Body. The difficulty level of the combat is 4; the soldier has 5 Life Points (LPs) and causes 3 Damage Points (DPs). It will be written like this:

SOLDIER (Body) Difficulty 4; 5 LPs; 3 DPs

Let's suppose you have Body 2 and make an attack roll, getting a 2 and a 5. As 5 is at least equal to the difficulty of 4, so you injure him. If your weapon's multiplier is, let's say, x2 then you cause him an injury of 1 (number of successes) x 2 (multiplier) = 2 DPs. The soldier has 5-2=3 LPs left. A new assault begins. You roll again and get a 1 and a 3. Bad luck: you fail and receive 3 DPs, which you subtract from your LPs. In the third assault, you get a 4 and a 6, so you cause 2x2=4 DPs; the soldier dies as he only has 3 LPs remaining.

4.2 Multiple Combat

In a Multiple Combat, three or more adversaries confront each other; generally, you will face two or more enemies on your own, but sometimes you will have someone at your side and must make decisions for them during the fight. If the fight reaches a point at which it is one against one, then the rules for normal combat are used.

In each assault, choose which enemy or enemies you (and your ally if anyone fights at your side) are confronting so that no one is left without an opponent. For example, if there are two of you fighting against three, you could decide that you fight against two and your ally against the third enemy; if, however, you have no ally, you will have no choice but to confront all three enemies on your own. After deciding who fights who, it could happen that you or your ally has numerical inferiority or superiority. In such a situation, proceed as explained below.

If you have numerical inferiority, you must first choose which of your opponents to attack. Then you roll the dice as described in 4.1, but you suffer a penalty depending on the degree of numerical inferiority.

• One against one: No penalty.
• Outnumbered by 1: You throw one less die in the attack roll. If you have Body 1, then you subtract 1 from the die result.
• Outnumbered by 2: You throw two less dice in the attack roll. If you have Body 1, then you subtract 2 from the die result; with Body 2, you roll only one die and subtract 1 from the die result.
• Outnumbered by 3: You only throw one die in the attack roll. If you have Body 1, then you subtract 3 from the die result; with Body 2, you subtract 2 from the die result; with Body 3, you subtract 1 from the die result.
• Outnumbered by 4 or more: You die automatically.

The penalties causing you to subtract a number from the die result do not apply to any additional dice provided by Morale Points.

After making the die roll, success indicates that you have hit the chosen opponent, and you apply damage as explained in 4.1. If you have failed, you only receive damage from the enemy you chose to attack. All this also applies when you roll the dice for your allies.

If, on the other hand, you have numerical superiority, first you choose who will make the attack on your opponent; then reduce the difficulty of your opponent by 1 for each degree of superiority over him. So, in a combat with three of you against an enemy with difficulty 5, the target to reach in your roll would be 5-2=3. If the roll is successful, only the damage caused by whoever attacked the enemy is applied (accounting for their weapon's damage and the number of successes obtained, as explained in 4.1). If the roll is a failure, the attacker will receive their opponent's damage.

4.3 Mass Combat

In a Mass Combat, 10 or more opponents face each other, and most of the time you and your unit must confront an enemy unit. In such a case, both units are treated as if they were individuals. Your characteristics are substituted for those of your allies, and you fight the enemy.

In each assault, you roll the dice as if it were a Normal Combat. If your unit has numerical inferiority, your enemy's characteristics will include a penalty indicating the number of dice you subtract from your roll. All other potential modifiers – such as cover, troop quality, and motivation – are already included in the values.

Example: Your entrenched platoon is being attacked by double the number of enemy troops. Furthermore, the difficulty is increased because they have Tanks. Your ability is incremented because you are defending in cover (the trench). This is a long-range combat, so MIND is used. This is all written as follows:

Allies: Polish Platoon x4 (Mind 2). 10 LPs.

Enemy: Wehrmacht Company Difficulty 5; 20 LPs; 4 DPs.

You can see that it is Mind 2 after applying your cover and enemy tank support. The damage caused by your unit is x4 and the difficulty is 5.

You roll the dice and get 2 and 5. You inflict one hit on the enemies. Applying the multiplier, you cause 4 points of damage to the Germans. They have 16 left, so it will be a tough fight. On the next roll, you get a 1 and a 3. You do not cause any hits, so the Germans inflict 4 points of damage on your unit, which now has 6 points left. Continue the combat until either unit has 0 or fewer hit points.

As in a Normal Combat, if your Allied unit's Life Points reach 0, you have been defeated and you suffer the same fate as your companions, but this does not necessarily mean that you die, so follow the instructions written there.

5. Weapons and Equipment

During the course of the adventure, you will probably find weapons and objects that could prove useful. The effect of any object might be specified when you find it (for example, a first aid kit that heals 2 LPs), or you might not be told anything more; in any event, note down the object on your Character Sheet in case the text asks you later whether you have it.

Note: The list of starting equipment and a sample Character Sheet can be found at the end of this book.

You will generally use weapons in combat. Each weapon (or lack of one) has a value between 1 and 6 that acts as a multiplier when determining the damage caused. Each time you make an attack roll in an assault and achieve a hit, multiply the number of successes by the value of the weapon: this is the number of LPs you remove from your opponent. If you have to fight without weapons, the multiplier is 1, which means that the damage caused is equal to the number of successes.

Example: Fighting against a soldier, you wield a knife (weapon x2) and have achieved two successes in your attack roll. The damage you apply is: 2 (successes) x2 (the knife's multiplier) = 4 LPs.

Bear in mind that you can carry a maximum of three weapons, although small weapons such as knives, stilettos, and brass knuckles do not count towards this limit.

Note about ammunition: When you find a firearm, you will see, for example:

You discover an MP-40 and 5 Ammo.

Note these down on your Character Sheet.

5.1 Ammunition

When preparing the game, you have a list of starting equipment including the ammunition for each firearm you have. You should note down on your Character Sheet the ammunition you have for each type: pistol, rifle, submachine gun, etc.

Ammunition can increase when indicated. It can also decrease.

Each time you fail a shot, in other words when you have not had a single success during an attack roll, you must reduce by 1 the ammo for the weapon you are firing. It is possible that you will run out of ammunition during the adventure. In such a case, you can change your weapon (if you have another) and continue firing. If you are left with no ammunition for any weapon during a combat, then you lose it automatically (you have died and the adventure is over).

6. Morale Points

Marek belongs to the most elite Allied troops of the Second World War. This gives you an additional advantage in this adventure if things go wrong.

You have as many Morale Points (MPs) as the value of your Will plus 2. You can use them in the following ways:

1. When explicitly given the option to use one.
2. Before rolling the dice, you can use 1 MP to roll an extra die.
3. Immediately after any die roll, you can use 1 MP to add 1 to the die of your choice.

You can use more than one MP at the same time, but use them wisely: Used MPs are not recovered unless explicitly awarded to you. There is no limit to the number of MPs that you can have.

7. Time Units

At certain moments during the adventure, it will be necessary to account for the passage of time. When this is the case, the text will ask you to add one Time Unit (TU). Simply note it down in the appropriate section of the Character Sheet.

8. Modifiers

During the adventure, as a result of certain decisions, you may receive some type of bonus or penalty. Note it down in the 'Modifiers' section of the Character Sheet, and do not forget to use it when needed!

9. Diary

Sometimes you will be asked to note down certain information in your diary. This will open up new paths for you during the adventure.

Note: This gamebook uses six-sided dice (d6s). To make it easier, you will find dice drawn in the bottom right corners of the book. Choose a page randomly to obtain a result, as if you had rolled a die. In this way, you can play when it is difficult to roll dice or if you do not always carry them with you.

Character Sheet

The character sheet records: Name (Marek Zadrożny, 1st Independent Parachute Brigade); Life Points (LPs): 8; Morale Points (MPs); Body, Mind and Will, each with a Modifier; and a Diary.

Starting Inventory

• knife (damage x2)
• STEN submachine gun (damage x4), STEN ammunition
• Webley revolver (damage x4), Webley ammunition
• fragmentation grenades (damage x5)
• signal flare (red smoke)
• cigarettes
• combat rations (incl. water)
• first aid kit (heals 2 LPs)
• wristwatch
• small spade
• petrol lighter
• diary and pencil
• operational map of the drop zone