''RDF Sourcebook'' is a supplement published by
Game Designers' Workshop
Game Designers' Workshop (GDW) was a wargame and role-playing game publisher from 1973 to 1996. Many of their games are now carried by other publishers.
History
Game Designers' Workshop was originally established June 22, 1973. The founding m ...
(GDW) in 1986 for the near future post-apocalyptic role-playing game ''
Twilight: 2000'' that places gameplay in Iran.
Contents
"RDF" stands for "
Rapid Deployment Force
A rapid deployment force is a military formation that is capable of fast deployment. Such forces typically consist of elite military units ( special forces, paratroopers, marines, etc.) and are usually trained at a higher intensity than the rest ...
", an American concept in the 1980s for a small but potent mobile force that could be quickly deployed to trouble spots in the world to defend American interests.
[J Record Revising US Military Strategy, 1984, 1st Edition, Pergammon-Brasseys, McLean, Virginia, p. 36.] ''RDF Sourcebook'' presents information on Iran and the surrounding area before and after a fictional Third World War; it includes a map of southern Iran, orders of battle for the US and Soviet forces in the area, and information on important
non-player characters.
The book includes:
* Map of southern Iran
*Character generation tables for soldiers of various nationalities, including American, British, Soviet, and Iranian.
*Order of Battle for all forces that remain in the area after the nuclear war
*Specifications for 30 vehicles and weapons
*Biographies of major notable personalities in the region and various organizations
Publication history
GDW published the post-apocalyptic role-playing game ''Twilight: 2000'' in 1984 that posited a nuclear war between the United States and the Soviet Union that was followed by a conventional war. It is in the world of the conventional war that the role-playing takes place. GDW published a number of adventures and supplements for the system, including ''RDF Sourcebook'', a 48-page softcover book written by
Frank Frey, with
Loren Wiseman
Loren Keith Wiseman (March 7, 1951 – February 14, 2017) was an American wargame and role-playing game designer, game developer and editor.
Career Game Designers' Workshop
After graduating from Illinois State University, Loren Wiseman co ...
and
Frank Chadwick
Frank Chadwick is an American multiple-award-winning game designer and ''New York Times'' best selling author. He has designed hundreds of games, his most notable being the role-playing games ''En Garde!'', '' Space: 1889'' and ''Twilight 2000' ...
, with interior art by Tim Bradstreet and Liz Danforth, and rear cover art by Steve Venters. It was published by GDW in 1986.
Frank Frey wrote several pages of additional rules for aircraft, published in GDW's magazine ''
Challenge'', to be used with the upcoming sourcebook.
Reception
In Issue 80 of ''
Space Gamer/Fantasy Gamer'', Richard A. Edwards thought the book would be very useful for
gamemaster
A gamemaster (GM; also known as game master, game manager, game moderator, referee, or storyteller) is a person who acts as an organizer, officiant for regarding rules, arbitrator, and moderator for a multiplayer role-playing game. They are m ...
s, saying "While those looking for specific mission briefings will be disappointed, players and referees of ''Twilight: 2000'' will find ''RDF Sourcebook'' to be indispensable for providing new character generation tables and equipment lists."
In a retrospective review of ''RDF Sourcebook'' in ''
Black Gate'', Patrick Kanouse noted that "armed with the ''RDF Sourcebook'' and the voluminous extra information in
'Twilight:2000'' adventure''King’s Ransom'', any gaming group will be able to find hours of play and adventure in Iran. Kanouse concluded, "The book is, in the end, an excellent resource for groups wanting to play in a region outside Europe and the US."
References
{{reflist
Role-playing game supplements introduced in 1986
Science fiction role-playing game supplements
Twilight: 2000