TEXT: Lead Writer & Designer: Sean Patrick Fannon
  Editing: Carinn Seabolt, and the Global Operations Force Command Team
  Layout & Graphic Design: Bill “teh ebil bunneh” & Jeff Arbough
  Artist: Phil Cho, Roberto Garcia, and Roger Bonet Martinez
  Acknowledgements:
  Michael Knight & Jeff Arbough, the creators of VENOM Assault and the world of 
  Freedom Squadron; John Stephens, our retail consultant and creator of historical and 
  economic-oriented content; Donavin Hatcliff, Executive Producer of the Kickstarter, 
  cosplay consultant, and contributor of “The Archives”; Carinn Seabolt, a partner to 
  me in all things, including making this a reality; Juliet Meyer, our Media & Branding 
  Consultant, creator of so many cool videos; and Raymond Bruells, III, Global 
  Operations Force Coordinator, fiction and game contributions.
  Additional Contributions:
  Jen Atkinson, John Atkinson, Scott Crosson, David Forby, Sean Frank, Gilbert Gallo, Koji 
  Goto, Brian Keller, Jason Luedeking, Mike Anthony Lythgoe, Kenny Mahan, Brennan 
  McCue, Jim Miller, Elle Owls, Chris Parks, Leonard Pimentel, Wen Reischl, Nestor 
  D. Rodriguez, Thom Shartle, David Shinefeld, Jennifer Shinefeld, Joe Thomas, Ross 
  Watson, and Cory Williamsen
  My Very Special Thanks to My Patreon Supporters:
  Walking Away from Explosions—John Atkinson; Going Epic—John Ackley, Robert 
  McKavanagh, Bill Woods; Part of the Adventure—Geard Evertjes, Thomas Ryan, Jesse 
  Edmond, Justin Wyatt, Boomr Wolf, Brandon Struble, Katie Kerber, Joe Thomas, Gary 
  Phillips, Thomas Stewart, Jeff Ruiz, Ender, Kenn Hensley, Peter Adams, Rob Towell, 
  Lohengrin Canon, Kylan Toles, Malcolm Serabian, Colby Niehaus, Nestor Rodriguez, 
  Scott Crosson, Cameron Corniuk, Jeffrey D. Gordon, Sean Tait Bircher; Along for the 
  Ride—Michael Walsh, Ron, Jason Kemp, Father Morpheus, Martin Tucker, Mica Fetz, 
  Chaz Kemp, Manuel Sambs, Stephen Smith, Andy Arminio; Here for the Show—Shawn 
  Gustafson, Patrick Greenlaw, Satyros Phil Brucato, Topher Scott, Greg Fitzsimmons, 
  Sara Quinn, Rudy, Jacob Thurston, Lee Garvin, James Dezomits, and Jonathan Henry
  This game references the Savage Worlds game system, available from Pinnacle Entertainment Group at
  www.peginc.com. Savage Worlds and all associated logos and trademarks are copyrights of Pinnacle 
  Entertainment Group. Used with permission. Pinnacle makes no representation or warranty as to the quality, 
  viability, or suitability for purpose of this product. Freedom Squadron and related logos, characters, names, and 
  distinctive likenesses thereof are © SpyGlass Games, used with permission by Evil Beagle Games.
  FREEDOM SQUADRON
  SWADE Operations Menu
  
  2
  A guide to converting Freedom Squadron 
  characters and other elements to full 
  compatibility with Savage Worlds Adven-
  ture Edition (SWADE)
  Written by Sean Patrick Fannon
  Heads Up, Commandos!
  This memorandum comes straight from 
  the top brass, intended for complete 
  distribution to all points and immedi-
  ate implementation in all operational 
  theaters. SWADE protocols are now the 
  defining rules of engagement, as well as 
  the logistics and training orders of the 
  day. We are Freedom Squadron, we adapt 
  to all challenges… for Freedom! – BIG 
  IRISH
  In more practical terms, we encourage 
  all Freedom Squadron fans to use this 
  document to get their characters and 
  games up-to-date with the latest version 
  of the core Savage Worlds rules. We 
  had the good fortune of some advance 
  understanding of where SW was going 
  (to include what was already revealed in 
  Flash Gordon), so this shouldn’t be too 
  onerous a task. 
  Note that all future Freedom Squadron 
  manuals and materials will be published 
  in full compatibility with SWADE going 
  forward.
  CHARACTER 
  CREATION
  The first section to deal with is, of course, 
  Character Creation. Please reference 
  that section in the Freedom Squadron 
  Commando’s Manual as you read through 
  this. You’ll also want to reference the 
  Characters section of SWADE at the 
  same time.
  CONCEPT AND RACE
  Freedom Squadron players are all 
  Human, starting with one free Edge as 
  before. Because we recommend the Born 
  a Hero Setting Rule, you can still ignore 
  the Rank restrictions.
  As part of your Concept choice, you still 
  select a Vocation Framework and follow 
  that process as before. Some of the VFs 
  are adjusted below to adapt to changes in 
  the core rules.
  HINDRANCES AND 
  ATTRIBUTES
  This process really isn’t any different, 
  except that SWADE encourages you to 
  choose your Hindrances earlier in the 
  process (which we agree with).
  Restricted Hindrances
  There’s a few new and modified Hindranc-
  es, so let’s address those here. Comman-
  dos simply cannot have the following new 
  Hindrances, as they wouldn’t get through 
  training: Can’t Swim, Clumsy*, Elderly*, 
  Hesitant*, Illiterate, Mute*, Obligation**, 
  Slow**.
  Commandos with the following Hindranc-
  es must have also gone through the 
  Carnage Dome (and thus have that Edge): 
  SWADE Operations Memo
  
  3
  Driven (Major; Minor is allowable nor-
  mally), Jealous (Minor only; Major is not 
  permitted), Ruthless (Minor only; Major 
  is not permitted), Suspicious (Minor only; 
  Major is not permitted).
  (*) – GMs may work with players to allow 
  these Hindrances on a case-by-case ba-
  sis, if a decent story for how an exception 
  was made or the problem was carefully 
  concealed is crafted. 
  (**) – The Minor versions of these might 
  also fall under the above exception, but 
  the Major versions simply won’t pass 
  muster.
  SKILLS
  This is where things get a bit more 
  involved. Freedom Squadron is definitely 
  a More Skill Points setting (as per the 
  new Setting Rule), so everyone still starts 
  with 15 skill points. The trick here is that 
  everyone now starts with a free d4 in Ath-
  letics, Common Knowledge, Notice, 
  Persuasion, and Stealth. The easiest 
  thing to do here is just give everyone a 
  bonus die in each of these. 
  Since Common Knowledge was not in 
  the original list for FS characters, that 
  will probably sit at a d4 for most folks. 
  GMs may decide (with our blessing) to 
  allow one or two of those new “free” 
  points to be shifted to a higher Common 
  Knowledge. For example, if a bonus die 
  in Stealth is about to take a character 
  from a d10 to a d12, encouraging them 
  to go with a Common Knowledge of d6 
  instead may make better sense for your 
  campaign.
  The Focus rules from FS are still very 
  much in place as a Setting Rule for that 
  world (remember that only up to two 
  Focuses, maximum, may be applied to 
  any single Trait roll). The following Skill 
  adjustments need to be made to make 
  FS Commandos compatible with SWADE: 
  Faith, Focus, Psionics, Spellcasting, 
  and Weird Science (called Advanced 
  Tech in FS) will all be dealt with in the 
  Occult Operations Manual.
  Gambling is back in as an available skill 
  in FS (since making it a Focus of Smarts 
  goes against the new philosophy of Attri-
  butes as passive Traits, and Streetwise no 
  longer exists as a skill). Anyone with Fo-
  cus levels in Gambling should be allowed 
  to trade them in; a single Focus level is a 
  d6 in Gambling, while Mastery is a d8.
  Hacking is Computers, and vice-versa. 
  If you wish to be fully SWADE compatible 
  in terminology, simply replace Comput-
  ers with Hacking. However, we still call it 
  Computers officially in Freedom Squad-
  ron.
  Investigation is now called Research; 
  simply swap the names accordingly for FS 
  characters. For some characters, it may 
  make more sense for them to trade dice 
  in Investigation for Tradecraft.
  Ignore the Languages skill as presented 
  in SWADE and stick with the Language 
  rules as presented in FS.
  Occult is a solid skill to have but is 
  mostly dealt with in the Occult Operations 
  Manual. If new Commandos want to take 
  it, they should be allowed, and it applies 
  to understanding some of what’s going 
  on with the Grifstals, among other things.
  Streetwise is gone as a skill. Players 
  should be allowed to shift dice in this skill 
  to Intimidation, Persuasion, and/or Tra-
  decraft as they choose. Note that those 
  characters who gain Streetwise dice from 
  a Vocation Framework might gain the 
  Streetwise Edge instead (see below).
  Tracking is now rolled into Survival. 
  The way to easily handle this is to allow 
  anyone with a d4 in Tracking to convert 
  that to a Focus under Survival, while a d6 
  
  4
  or higher becomes a Mastery. GMs should 
  allow “leftover” dice to be added to Sur-
  vival or elsewhere.
  VOCATION FRAMEWORKS
  There’s a lot of finagling that needs to 
  happen here to make things more com-
  patible with SWADE. Each VF from the 
  Commando’s Manual is adjusted accord-
  ing to the following guidelines. Only the 
  parts that require changes are noted; 
  everything else is just as it is presented in 
  the book.
  Archaeologist
  Find it, Wherever it Is: “The greatest 
  Archaeologists know how to find what 
  they’re looking for, among the libraries 
  and museums of the world, and some-
  times among the worst rogues of civili-
  zation. They start with Persuasion and 
  Notice at d6, Research at d8, and the 
  Streetwise Edge.”
  Athlete
  Athletes now gain one more roll on the 
  Hero’s Journey table, which must also be 
  made on either Close Quarters Combat or 
  Physical Training.
  Driver
  One with the Wheel: Just replace this 
  with the new Ace Edge.
  Ex-Criminal
  Life on the Streets: Replace this com-
  pletely by granting the Ex-Criminal the 
  Streetwise Edge and a d6 in both Intim-
  idation and raising Common Knowledge 
  to d6.
  Special Talents: Replace Scrounger with 
  Scavenger.
  First Responder
  Strength Requirements: Rename this 
  to Physical Requirements, which grants 
  the First Responder Strength of d6 and 
  increases Athletics to d6. The First Re-
  sponder treats their Strength die as one 
  category higher for purposes of Encum-
  brance and Minimum Strength require-
  ments, which stacks with Brawny.
  Guerrilla Fighter
  Due to the enhancement to Home Turf, 
  Guerrilla Fighters only gain two rolls on 
  the Hero’s Journey tables. One is on the 
  list indicated first, the other can be on any 
  chart except Aviation or Naval Operations.
  Home Turf: Change this one completely 
  and allow the Guerrilla Fighter to choose 
  either the Streetwise or Woodsman Edge.
  Journalist
  Investigative Journalism: Replace 
  Investigation with Research, and replace 
  Streetwise with Persuasion.
  Law Enforcement Officer
  Criminal Investigation: Change this one 
  completely by giving the Law Enforce-
  ment Officer the d6 in Notice, a d6 in 
  Persuasion, and the Streetwise Edge.
  Masked Vigilante
  No adjustments needed.
  Medic
  No adjustments needed.
  Ninja
  Shadow Masters: Increase the starting 
  Athletics to d8.
  
  5
  Pilot
  Keep It In the Air: Just replace this with 
  the new Ace Edge.
  Top Guns: This must be adjusted for the 
  new SWADE Chase & Vehicles rules. The 
  Pilot draws a bonus Action Card each 
  round in these situations, and gains a +1 
  to all Maneuvering rolls.
  Sailor
  Helmsman: “Sailors have a d8 Boating 
  Skill, and a d6 in Electronics and Notice 
  to start with, being masters of the seas 
  and waterways, trained extensively in 
  various technologies, and always on the 
  lookout for danger.”
  Scientist
  No adjustments needed (though note that 
  Computers = Hacking if you want to use 
  the SWADE name for it).
  Soldier
  Army Training, Sir!: Adjust the bonus 
  skills list as follows—Athletics d6, Driving 
  d4, Fighting d6, Healing d4, Notice d4, 
  Shooting d6, Stealth d4, and Survival d6. 
  The Soldier also gains the Soldier Edge 
  from SWADE.
  Special Agent
  Trained Investigator: Changed to d6 
  Intimidation, d6 Notice, d6 Persuasion, 
  and the Streetwise Edge.
  Spy
  Intelligence Gathering: Change Investi-
  gation to Tradecraft.
  Quick and Adaptable Minds: Just 
  replace this with the Jack-of-All-Trades 
  Edge.
  Sword Saint
  Mastery of the Blade: Replace Quick 
  Draw with Trademark Weapon (which 
  must be the Sword Saint’s primary 
  sword).
  Tech Specialist
  Keyboard Commando: Computers = 
  SWADE Hacking, and reduce the bonus 
  to +1 with all rolls related to digital tech 
  (in keeping with getting bonuses under 
  control, which is one of the subtle-yet-key 
  aspects of the new Savage Worlds rules).
  The Hero’s Journey: Freedom Squadron 
  Specializations
  The “domino effect” of changes means 
  a few table entries need to be adjusted. 
  Where passages are rewritten, we’ve put 
  quotes around them.
  Aviation Table
  Flight Systems: “You know how to get 
  the most out of any plane or helicop-
  ter you fly. Your vehicle’s effective Top 
  Speed increases by 25%. This isn’t an 
  actual change to the vehicle’s stats; it 
  represents how much better the craft 
  performs under your control.”
  Air Support: “There are times when 
  the only cover a Freedom Squadron 
  team has in the field is the weapons of 
  friendly aircraft. Whether as an effective 
  door gunner or a very skilled operator of 
  forward-mounted machine guns, you can 
  use your aircraft’s weapons to perform 
  the Suppressive Fire maneuver over a 
  Large Burst Template. The number of 
  Maximum Casualties you can affect is 
  doubled. During Plans & Operations play, 
  this ability gives you a +1 on any Support 
  rolls you make using Piloting (this stacks 
  with the bonus gained from Hot Zone 
  Maneuvers).”
  
  6
  Air Superiority: Adjust the Shooting bo-
  nus down to +1 (though passengers also 
  gain that bonus).
  Emergency Maneuvers: “Some folks 
  think you have a preternatural gift for 
  saving your aircraft from the worst hits. 
  You can spend a Benny whenever your 
  craft suffers a Critical Hit to move the 
  result up or down the chart by one level. 
  For example, if a Crew result is rolled, you 
  can spend a Benny to make it a Chassis 
  hit; with a Guidance result, you can spend 
  a Benny to make it a Scratch and Dent 
  result instead. You also gain +2 on any 
  Piloting rolls to Soak wounds for your 
  vehicle.”
  Hot Zone Maneuvers: The last sentence 
  is changed to say “During Plans & Oper-
  ations play, this ability gives you a +1 on 
  any Support rolls you make using Piloting 
  (this stacks with the bonus gained from 
  Air Support).
  Emergency Repairs: “When things don’t 
  go smoothly, there are moments when 
  you don’t have the time to wait for getting 
  on the ground for proper repairs. As long 
  as you have a way to keep the craft in the 
  air (effective autopilot, a co-pilot), you can 
  attempt emergency repairs to deal with 
  any Guidance, Locomotion, Weapon, or 
  System hit. Your Repair check is made at 
  –2; with a success, the repairs take 1d6 
  rounds. On a raise, you somehow jury-rig 
  it within a round. Such repairs will only 
  last for a very short while (GM option).
  Evasive Maneuvers: “Some call you the 
  hardest target in the sky, maddeningly 
  difficult to get a lock on in midair combat. 
  All Shooting rolls against your aircraft are 
  made at –1; this stacks with the Evade 
  Maneuver in Chases and Dogfights.”
  Black-Ops Table
  Global Contacts: “You’ve been all 
  around the world, and you know people 
  almost everywhere who might be able to 
  help you. Even better, most of them owe 
  you favors. You have the I Know a Guy 
  Edge, and you can automatically make 
  the person or group you invoke (with the 
  Benny) into a Contact for future use (see 
  Plans & Operations Manual).
  Infiltration: “Deep cover operatives are 
  the most important part of intelligence 
  gathering and are also the ones called 
  upon to do the most damage when 
  the time comes. You are an infiltration 
  specialist, gaining +1 on all Performance, 
  Persuasion, Stealth, and Tradecraft rolls 
  related to getting inside an organization 
  or otherwise being undercover. You also 
  gain Focuses in Bribery, Disguise, and 
  Forgery. You gain two additional languag-
  es, as well.”
  Field Acquisitions: Acquisition of ma-
  terial assets in the field—even from truly 
  disreputable sources—can mean the dif-
  ference between a successful mission... 
  and death. You have the Scavenger Edge 
  and Connections (Black Market).
  Carnage Corps Table
  No adjustments needed.
  Close Quarters Combat Table
  Hand-to-Hand: Change Improved Martial 
  Artist to Martial Warrior.
  Melee Shooting: “Equilibrium between 
  ranged and melee combat is something 
  you’ve long trained for. You gain a +1 
  Shooting against any adjacent target. 
  Your Parry is +1 versus anyone shooting 
  at you from an adjacent space. You are 
  not Vulnerable if you are in melee and 
  shoot at someone non-adjacent. Finally, 
  you can use other short-barrel weapons 
  
  7
  (SMGs, sawed-off shotguns) as well as 
  pistols in melee (GM’s call what quali-
  fies).”
  Combo Fighting: “You know how to com-
  bine powerful kicks with other strikes for 
  a devastating whirlwind of pain. You have 
  the Frenzy Edge, and if you hit with both 
  Frenzy dice from an attack against the 
  same target, your second rolled damage 
  gains +2.”
  Denial Fighting: “There are times when 
  it’s important to get out as fast as you got 
  in. You have the Improved Extraction Edge 
  (skipping the need to have the Extraction 
  Edge first).”
  Combat Medicine Table
  Pathology: You’ve got hot zone experi-
  ence that would give most people night-
  mares, a trained pathologist who knows 
  much about the diseases of the world. 
  People suffering from Chronic conditions 
  gain +2 to their Vigor rolls at the begin-
  ning of each session if they are in your 
  care. Those suffering from a Debilitating 
  disease can gain relief from their symp-
  toms from your daily Healing efforts, and 
  you gain +2 on the roll. Against Lethal 
  diseases, you can make a Healing roll at 
  –2 (which offsets your Mastery: Pathol-
  ogy bonus, described below) to come up 
  with treatment in time. All of these are 
  described in greater detail in the Dis-
  ease Categories section of the SWADE 
  rulebook. You gain Mastery: Pathology 
  (usually linked to Healing), which helps 
  identify a pathogen and work out all the 
  relevant information in tracking and treat-
  ing it. You also know how to contain an 
  outbreak and handle related matters. 
  Command Table
  This table needs more finagling than 
  most, due to some major changes in how 
  Leadership Edges work and how Support 
  functions (in place of Cooperative Rolls) 
  in SWADE. These are very positive chang-
  es, but they do make the Command Table 
  the most wonky of the Hero’s Journey 
  results in Freedom Squadron.
  Operational Expertise: Replace “Coop-
  erative” with the word Support (making it 
  fully compatible with how SWADE refers 
  to things).
  Coordinated Fire: Change the name 
  to Tactical Coordination and use the 
  following text—“You’re a master at coor-
  dinating the movement and actions of 
  your troops. You have the Inspire Edge, 
  but the benefits are increased to +2 for a 
  success and +4 for a raise. If you already 
  have Inspire (as from rolling Inspiring 
  Command on this table), you gain +1 to 
  all Battle Rolls.
  Tactical Analysis: “As a Tactician (mean-
  ing you gain that Edge), you may also 
  grant any soldiers under your command a 
  free re-roll (as though spending a Benny) 
  during Quick Combat encounters. You 
  may use your Battle skill as your roll 
  in such encounters, as well. If the GM 
  doesn’t use the Quick Combat rules, they 
  should allow this result to be re-rolled. If 
  you already have Tactician (as from roll-
  ing Tactical Coordination on this table), 
  then you gain Master Tactician.
  Inspiring Command: “Perhaps you were 
  born to lead, because when the chips are 
  really down, you can help your subordi-
  nates pull something deep from their 
  gut and overcome almost any challenge. 
  You gain the Inspire and Common Bond 
  Edges. If you already have Inspire (as 
  from rolling Tactical Coordination on this 
  table), you gain one additional starting 
  Benny per session.”
  Tactical Coordination: “You are such a 
  superior Tactician (gaining that Edge), you 
  draw your additional Action Cards with 
  
  8
  the benefits of the Quick Edge at work 
  (discard and replace any cards of five or 
  less). You can also use the Tactician abili-
  ty during Plans & Operations play (draw-
  ing an added Challenge Card per round 
  to replace a Challenge or discard). If you 
  already have Tactician (as from rolling 
  Tactical Analysis on this table), then you 
  gain Master Tactician (which means you 
  also draw two added Challenge Cards per 
  round of P&O).
  Frontline Leadership: Added to the 
  existing benefit, the character also gains 
  the Natural Leader Edge.
  Infantry Table
  Advanced Infantry Table: Spending 
  these Skill Points is subject to the linked 
  Traits cost effects.
  “Frosty”: Add “and Stunned” to the effect 
  this result has on adjacent characters.
  “Hair-trigger”: Replace Quick Draw with 
  the Quick Edge.
  Sniper: “Relaxed inhale. Slow exhale—
  stop halfway. Squeeze the trigger. Boom, 
  headshot. You’re the sniper every enemy 
  fears and every ally prays for. You have 
  the Marksman Edge. Furthermore, if you 
  take a full turn to Aim, you gain one free 
  reroll on the damage when you take the 
  shot the next round.”
  Intelligence Table
  Analysis: Replace “Investigation” with 
  Research. 
  Cryptography: Replace “Investigation” 
  with Research.
  Infiltration: “Deep cover operatives are 
  the most important part of intelligence 
  gathering and are also the ones called 
  upon to do the most damage when 
  the time comes. You are an infiltration 
  specialist, gaining +1 on all Performance, 
  Persuasion, Stealth, and Tradecraft rolls 
  related to getting inside an organization 
  or otherwise being undercover. You also 
  gain Focuses in Bribery, Disguise, and 
  Forgery. You gain two additional languag-
  es, as well.”
  Intelligence Data: Spending these Skill 
  Points is subject to the linked Traits cost 
  effects. Add Tradecraft and Research to 
  the list of skills that can be enhanced.
  Scholastic: Stick with the revised Schol-
  ar Edge in Freedom Squadron.
  Linguistics: The Languages rules of 
  Freedom Squadron remain in effect (all 
  characters gain ½ Smarts die, while 
  Linguists gain an additional Smarts die 
  worth of languages. Instead of +1 Charis-
  ma, the hero who rolls this result gains 
  Focus: Smooth Talker (usually applied to 
  Persuasion).
  Intrusion: Spending these Skill Points is 
  subject to the linked Traits cost effects.
  Asset Manipulation: “HUMINT—human 
  intelligence work—is the art of being out 
  among people, interacting, observing, 
  and learning all that can be understood 
  through direct contact with the world. 
  You’ve a strong knack for the work, 
  gaining the Streetwise Edge. In addition, 
  you can use your Tradecraft skill (with the 
  +2 bonus) to Network among other spies, 
  security forces, and related factions.”
  Logistics Table
  Emergency Procurement: It’s worth 
  noting here that this result makes much 
  more sense as written, now.
  Resource Networking: “You’ve been 
  moving materials and personnel for 
  people for years, all across the globe. 
  You’ve got a lot of favors stacked up. You 
  have the I Know a Guy Edge, but if you 
  
  9
  can make a Logistics roll at –2, you don’t 
  have to spend a Benny.”
  Operational Support: “Well-read and 
  heavily practiced across a wide variety of 
  subjects, you often serve as the ultimate 
  “back up” to your team in the field. You 
  have the Jack-of-All-Trades Edge, and you 
  also gain a +1 whenever you’re making a 
  Support Roll for someone else’s task.”
  Adaptive Procurement: Treat this as 
  rolling Emergency Procurement.
  Interpersonal Communications: 
  “Understanding that it takes diplomacy 
  and charm to grease the wheels, you’ve 
  become quite good at communication 
  and negotiation. You gain the Charismatic 
  Edge, and a die type in Persuasion. You 
  also gain one free reroll on any Logistics 
  rolls.”
  Mechanized Table
  Motive Systems: “Somehow, you man-
  age to make your vehicles that much 
  better when you’re at the wheel. Your 
  vehicle’s effective Top Speed increases 
  by 25%. This isn’t an actual change to the 
  vehicle’s stats; it represents how much 
  better the craft performs under your 
  control.”
  Offensive Driving: “When they hear 
  you scream “Ramming speed!” everyone 
  knows things are about to get messy. You 
  gain a +2 on Driving checks when per-
  forming a Force or Ram Maneuver, and 
  when calculating damage against a suc-
  cessfully hit opponent during a Ram, the 
  dice rolled are d8s, or d10s with a raise 
  (the damage rolled against your vehicle is 
  still only measured in d6s).”
  Tactical Driving: “You drive everything 
  like you stole it, automatically drawing 
  one extra Action Card (per the Chase 
  rules in SWADE). You also gain a +1 to all 
  Driving rolls when using the skill as a Ma-
  neuvering Trait, and when making Trait 
  rolls related to Complications.”
  Gunner: Adjust the Shooting bonus down 
  to +1 (though passengers also gain that 
  bonus).
  Emergency Driving: “Some folks think 
  you have a preternatural gift for saving 
  your car or tank from the worst hits. You 
  can spend a Benny whenever your vehicle 
  suffers a Critical Hit to move the result 
  up or down the chart by one level. For 
  example, if a Crew result is rolled, you 
  can spend a Benny to make it a Chassis 
  hit; with a Guidance/Traction result, you 
  can spend a Benny to make it a Scratch 
  and Dent result instead. You also gain +2 
  on any Driving rolls to Soak wounds for 
  your vehicle.”
  Stunt Driving: “The spirit of Evil Knievel 
  lives on in you. You can make a vehicle 
  jump, roll on half its wheels or track, and 
  do other insane things the GM allows. 
  Among other things, this grants an addi-
  tional +1 to maneuvering rolls to Change 
  Position and Force maneuvers, and 
  grants an additional –1 when using the 
  Evade maneuver.”
  Defensive Driving: You maneuver your 
  vehicle like it’s a wild weasel on the 
  loose. All Shooting rolls against whatever 
  you’re driving are made at –1; this stacks 
  with the Evade Maneuver in Chases and 
  Dogfights.”
  Naval Operations Table
  Marine Systems: “Watercraft respond to 
  you in uncanny ways. Your vehicle’s effec-
  tive Top Speed increases by 25%. This is 
  the effect of your mastery, not an actual 
  change to the mechanics of the thing.”
  Offensive Boating: ““Damn the torpe-
  does! Full speed ahead!” Farragut’s cry 
  reverberates down the ages to you when 
  things get desperate. You gain a +2 on 
  
  10
  Boating checks when performing a Force 
  or Ram Maneuver, and when calculat-
  ing damage against a successfully hit 
  opponent during a Ram, the dice rolled 
  are d8s, or d10s with a raise (the damage 
  rolled against your vehicle is still only 
  measured in d6s).”
  Tactical Boating: The waterways are 
  your Indy 500 track, and the open sea is 
  akin to the Baja 1000 when you’re driving 
  the boat. You automatically draw one 
  extra Action Card (per the Chase rules in 
  SWADE). You also gain a +1 to all Boating 
  rolls when using the skill as a maneu-
  vering Trait, and when making Trait rolls 
  related to Complications.”
  Nautical Warfare: Adjust the Shooting 
  bonus down to +1 (though passengers 
  also gain that bonus).
  Emergency Boating: “You have no inten-
  tion of going down with the ship, because 
  you have no intention of letting the ship 
  go down. You can spend a Benny when-
  ever your vehicle suffers a Critical Hit to 
  move the result up or down the chart by 
  one level. For example, if a Crew result is 
  rolled, you can spend a Benny to make it 
  a Chassis hit; with a Guidance/Traction 
  result, you can spend a Benny to make 
  it a Scratch and Dent result instead. You 
  also gain +2 on any Boating rolls to Soak 
  wounds for your vehicle.”
  Defensive Boating: “You maneuver your 
  craft like a porpoise. All Shooting rolls 
  against whatever you’re driving are made 
  at –1; this stacks with the Evade Maneu-
  ver in Chases and Dogfights.”
  Physical Training Table
  Strength Training: “Strength training is 
  a way of life for you, and your muscles 
  have muscles. You add a die type to your 
  Strength, and you gain the Soldier Edge. 
  If you already have that Edge, you gain 
  a +1 to all Strength checks and Fighting 
  damage rolls instead.”
  Reflex Training: Change the +2 interrupt 
  bonus to Athletics instead of Agility. 
  Equine Training: “Though a rare pursuit 
  in such a high tech world, the ability to 
  ride horses and other beasts of burden 
  can mean the difference between life or 
  death in the harshest places on Earth. 
  You gain Riding at d6, or increase your 
  Riding by a die type if you already have it. 
  You gain a +1 to all Riding checks (includ-
  ing when using Riding for Fighting, as per 
  the Mounted Combat rules), and you can 
  mount or dismount as a Free Action. You 
  may spend your Bennies on the behalf of 
  any mount you ride.”
  Acrobatics: “You’ve a preternatural gift 
  with the discipline known as parkour, 
  giving you both the Acrobat Edge and the 
  Free Runner Edge.”
  Search & Rescue Table
  Tracking: You’re an expert in the search 
  part of S&R. You gain a die type in Notice 
  and Mastery: Tracking. 
  Special Operations Table
  Small Unit Tactics: Replace “cooperative 
  roll” with Support roll.
  “Adapt and Overcome”: Intense focus 
  and dedication are defining qualities for 
  special operations people, and you have 
  it in great abundance. You have the Elan 
  and No Mercy Edges.
  Tech & Engineering Table
  Experimental Tech: Until the Advanced 
  Technical Manual comes out, use the 
  Weird Science Arcane Background from 
  SWADE, with the modification that the 
  player can select Computers (Hacking), 
  Electronics, or Science in place of the 
  Weird Science skill.
  
  11
  Harder to Kill
  Note that the Setting Rules for Freedom 
  Squadron grant this (and increasingly 
  improved versions) once a Commando 
  reaches Seasoned.
  Linguist
  Ignore this in favor of the Freedom Squad-
  ron version.
  Natural Leader
  Please take note that this is now man-
  datory in order for Leadership Edges to 
  affect other player characters.
  No Mercy
  The revised version of this Edge is now 
  back in play and available to select.
  Scholar
  We’re sticking with our revised version of 
  this Edge for Freedom Squadron.
  Two-Fisted/Two-Gun Kid
  It bears noting that these now exist as 
  two separate Edges. GMs will need to 
  decide if they’re going to require existing 
  characters to have both Edges to have the 
  combined benefits.
  FREEDOM SQUADRON 
  EDGES
  Some of the Edges created for Freedom 
  Squadron before SWADE came out need 
  adjustments.
  Battle Hardened
  If a character already has this, add the 
  +2 to Vigor rolls to avoid Knockout Blows 
  that the Iron Jaw Edge provides. Other-
  wise, characters should take Iron Jaw 
  instead.
  Advanced Technical Training: Spending 
  these Skill Points is subject to the linked 
  Traits cost effects.
  Data Acquisition: Change Investigation 
  to Research.
  EDGES
  A few adjustments in this area are 
  needed to make Freedom Squadron fully 
  SWADE compatible. Note there are some 
  new Edges, such as Aristocrat and Fame/
  Famous, that really add to the concepts 
  folks might have (a duchess who’s also 
  an effective Spy, a famous rock star 
  who’s also amazing with machine guns). 
  As well, a lot of other Edges, like Block 
  and Dodge, are much more useful, while 
  still others (like Marksman) work a bit 
  differently.
  SWADE EDGES
  Arcane Background
  The Gifted AB can be allowed as an ex-
  tension of the Strange DNA idea, but GMs 
  should feel free to tightly control this. The 
  Arcane Backgrounds of Magic, Miracles, 
  and Psionics are all permissible; use 
  them as-is in SWADE for now. The Occult 
  Operations Manual will provide some 
  additional material to enhance their use 
  when it’s released.
  Weird Science is also allowed, though 
  it is renamed Advanced Tech for the 
  Freedom Squadron setting. Instead of 
  the Weird Science skill, the player may 
  choose Computers (Hacking, if you elect 
  to switch to that name), Electronics, or 
  Science as the Arcane Skill. The choice of 
  skill will drive the special effects and trap-
  pings of that character’s Advanced Tech 
  devices or power uses.
  All other rules under Powers in SWADE 
  should apply as written.
  
  12
  acts exactly as that Edge, but it costs a 
  Benny to activate. Unless the hero uses 
  a Plans & Operations Mission Reward to 
  make the person or group a new Contact 
  (see Plans & Operations Manual), the 
  favor is “used up” and another Benny will 
  have to be used on them in the future.
  Operational Planning
  Add Natural Leader to the Requirements. 
  If someone achieves Operational Plan-
  ning due to a Hero’s Journey roll, assume 
  they also gain the Natural Leader Edge.
  Scrounger
  Replace this completely with the much 
  simpler Scavenger Edge from SWADE.
  Tricky Fighter
  “Knowing how to quickly take advantage 
  of an opportunity often spells the differ-
  ence between good and dead. Heroes 
  with this Edge suffer no multiple action 
  penalty when they do a Fighting Test Ma-
  neuver and a Fighting attack on the same 
  round (even if they attack a different 
  target than they made the Test against).”
  Zone Specialist
  Remove the Streetwise requirement and 
  option for selecting Urban as a Zone. 
  Instead, a character may use either 
  Logistics or Tradecraft in place of Survival 
  to determine what bonuses they achieve 
  (though they still must have Survival d6+ 
  to take the Edge in the first place).
  In the section regarding Sky Zone Spe-
  cialists, replace the reference to an Agility 
  check with Athletics.
  Arsenal
  There’re a few notes to make sure Gear 
  and Vehicles are fully compatible with 
  SWADE.
  Combat Ace
  “Pilots, drivers, and sea vessel operators 
  with this Edge are excellent vehicular 
  combatants. They don’t suffer a multi-ac-
  tion penalty for taking an action that 
  requires a Boating, Driving, or Piloting 
  check (such as a Maneuver during a 
  chase or dogfight) and firing a weapon on 
  the same round.”
  Combat Sense/Improved 
  Combat Sense
  These should be removed in favor of the 
  enhanced Block and Improved Block from 
  SWADE.
  Dirty Fighter
  “When lives are on the line and the 
  mission is at stake, there’s little value in 
  an “honest fight” to some. Dirty Fighters 
  gain a +2 bonus with Tests when using 
  Fighting.”
  I Know a Guy
  Remove the Streetwise skill requirement. 
  Also, the character can have either Char-
  ismatic or Fame to take this Edge. It’s 
  rewritten as follows: 
  “Some people seem to know someone 
  everywhere they go. The contact may not 
  be the most amazingly helpful person—
  they may even hate the hero for some 
  past slight or money owed. The person 
  known may be well-placed in an organiza-
  tion, or just as easily homeless and only 
  know a few possibly helpful rumors. The 
  point is, however, almost anywhere they 
  go, the hero seems to know someone, 
  and that person usually at least knows 
  something of value or can contact some 
  helpful folks.
  Once per session, the player can invoke 
  this Edge to effectively have the Connec-
  tions Edge with any person or group. This 
  
  13
  ARMOR
  All listed Armor has the Ballistic Protec-
  tion quality described in SWADE (mean-
  ing you automatically subtract 4 points of 
  damage from any bullet before resolving 
  AP or anything else). Note that this also 
  applies to the armor worn by VENOM 
  soldiers and operatives.
  WEAPONS
  Note that “Semi-Auto” doesn’t really 
  apply anymore (though any weapon listed 
  as Semi-Auto automatically qualifies for 
  use with the Double Tap and Rapid Fire 
  Edges.
  GEAR KITS AND 
  ADVANCEMENT
  SWADE eliminates the concept of expe-
  rience points (xp) for Advances. Since 
  the number of Gear Points a commando 
  has was originally tied to having enough 
  experience to advance, the conversion is 
  relatively easy: 
  Advance
  Gear Points
  1st
  18
  2nd
  20
  3rd
  23
  4th
  25*
  8th
  30
  12th
  35
  16th
  40
  20th
  50
  (*) – Customized Gear allowed.
  VEHICLES
  The vehicle rules in SWADE represent a 
  pretty streamlined update to previous 
  iterations. All the vehicles statted out in 
  Freedom Squadron are listed below with 
  the new indicators. Note that Large ve-
  hicles can now take four Wounds before 
  being Wrecked, while Huge vehicles can 
  take up to five Wounds.
  Avalanche Assault Snowmobile: Size 4 
  (Large), Handling +0, Top Speed 90 MPH, 
  Toughness 16 (7), Crew 1+3
  Devil Ray Fast Attack Mini Sub: Size 5 
  (Large), Handling +1, Top Speed 75 MPH, 
  Toughness 21 (10), Crew 1+1
  Hornet Aerial Assault Transport: Size 
  8 (Huge), Handling +2, Top Speed 240 
  MPH, Toughness 30 (15), Crew 2+14
  Patriot Air Superiority Attack Jet: Size 
  8 (Huge), Handling +3, Top Speed 2100 
  MPH, Toughness 15 (4), Crew 1+1
  Sawfish Stealth Assault Hydrofoil: 
  Size 9 (Huge), Handling +0, Top Speed 75 
  MPH, Toughness 26 (11), Crew 1+7
  Scorpion Assault Jeep: Size 3, Handling 
  +1, Top Speed 135 MPH, Toughness 17 
  (7), Crew 1+3
  Scorpion Mk2: Size 4 (Large), Handling 
  +0, Top Speed 120 MPH, Toughness 23 
  (10), Crew 1+5
  Timberwolf Fast Attack Snowmobile: 
  Size 2, Handling +2, Top Speed 75 MPH, 
  Toughness 11 (4), Crew 1+1
  THE PLANS & OPERATIONS 
  MANUAL
  There are few necessary notes relating to 
  making the P&O Manual compatible with 
  SWADE.
  SETTING RULES
  There is no need for the Blood & Guts 
  Setting Rules, since SWADE brings back 
  the ability to spend Bennies on damage 
  re-rolls in core game play. 
  For GMs who feel Extra Effort is too easy, 
  the alternate Conviction Setting Rule may 
  make more sense.
  
  14
  Creative Combat and Dumb Luck are 
  other optional new Setting Rules we like 
  for Freedom Squadron. 
  PLANS & OPERATIONS
  The changes here are primarily in terms 
  of nomenclature: 
  All references to Cooperative rolls and 
  now Support rolls.
  Wherever it says “Investigation” on 
  a card, read that as “Research.” Yes, 
  Research can still help with Covert and 
  Interaction Challenges.
  Ignore all references on the cards to 
  Streetwise or Tracking.
  As with all things, “Computers” = “Hack-
  ing.”
  
SOURCE: textdata/thevault/Savage Worlds System (SWADE) [multi]/Freedom Squadron/Savage Worlds - Freedom Squadron - SWADE Operations Memo.pdf