Tir Tairngire Peace Force Special Forces

A profile of one of the world's most effective fighting groups

The Tir Tairngire Peace Force Special Forces, popularly known as the "Ghosts", are ranked as one of the best special forces groups in the world, on par with the UCAS Navy SEALs and few, if any, others. For the Ghosts, this has been a hard-won honor, and not one which they are willing to let go of. Renowned for their stealth and high percentage of magically active members, the Ghosts are every bit as mystical and dangerous as their name implies. This file is an attempt to shed some light on one of the Tir's darkest and best-kept secrets.

Similar Groups: British Special Air Service, UCAS Secret Service, T�r na n�g Reach Fuileach

Size: 263 active combat members

Requirements:

Applicants must be at least 18 years of age when they sign up. As yet, there is no maximum age for elves, but the age limits are 28 for humans, 32 for dwarves, 20 for orks, and 25 for trolls; these limits can be exceeded once an applicant has become a member of the special forces. Although the Tir is racially biased towards elves in nearly every aspect, those responsible for special forces training recognize the combat value of the other races, thus there are no race or sex restrictions. Applicants may sign up for special forces training before joining the Peace Force, but must successfully complete basic training before beginning Basic Special Forces Training (obviously). Successful applicants will complete BSFT as well as one Q-school, and then survive a six-month probation period with Team 10 before they are officially considered a Ghost. It is recommended that new applicants be magically active, and mundanes will find that they have considerably more to prove in order to complete the training program

Branches:

Tir special forces can be divided up into three branches. The first of these, and the best-known, are the Ghosts. The Ghosts are divided up into ten teams as shown below, and comprise the vast majority of the Tir�s special forces personnel. Technically, they fall into the military division of the Peace Force, but they take their orders from the general staff of both the military and constabulary, as well as people even higher up. The Ghosts perform all types of special operations including covert, overt, or undercover missions.

Team 1: Military Operations (N)

Team 2: Military Operations (+)

Team 3: Military Operations (@)

Team 4: Military Operations (N)

Team 5: Military Operations (N)

Team 6: Military Operations (#)

Team 7: SWAT/Counter-Terrorism (T)

Team 8: SWAT/Hostage Rescue (T)

Team 9: SWAT/Hostage Rescue (T)

Team 10: SWAT/Training (*)

N: No set operational theater.
+: Operates almost exclusively in California Free State.
@: Operates predominantly in Europe.
#: Operates almost exclusively within the Native American Nations.
T: Operates almost exclusively within the Tir.
*: This team is primarily made up of potential Ghosts who are in their 6-month probation period, and thus spends considerably more time in training than the other teams.

The other two special forces groups are less well-known and fall outside the normal chain of command. These are the Bratach Gheal, or White Banner, and the Black Daggers. The Bratach Gheal are the High Prince's personal bodyguard and occasional muscle, according to the Tir Tairngire Sourcebook. They are answerable only to the High Prince. The Black Daggers are an elite corps of assassins and covert/undercover operatives answerable to the Council of Princes. No concrete evidence can be found to support the claim that the Black Daggers even exist, but they are included here nonetheless.

The teams are the foundation of the Tir's special forces program. The vast majority of its graduates go into the teams. However, members of Bratach Gheal do not have to do this. In fact, most of their members have not been a part of the teams except for their six-month probationary period. Members of the Black Daggers, however, are required to have spent at least one six year tour with the teams. Special forces members may transfer from one branch to another, although transferring into or out of the Black Daggers is extremely rare and extremely difficult.

Specialties and Capabilities:

As stated before, the Ghosts are best-known for their stealth capabilities. Ghosts are absolute masters of stealth. To compliment their stealth, Ghosts are also incredibly adept at close-combat. Magic is, of course, the other major fort� of the Ghosts, making them the most magically-capable special forces group in the world.

Teams One through Six are capable of performing all types of special missions and using all types of insertions. They are best at demolitions, elimination of personnel/assets, and extraction missions. They perform urban and wilderness combat with equal skill, and are most skilled at airborne or ground insertions. Teams Seven through Ten are mostly first-tour Ghosts, and therefore spend most of their time on SWAT and related missions. Their other skills, however, are equal to those of the other teams. It should be noted that all the teams perform missions outside their area of specialization. The specialties listed above simply note their most common mission type.

Bratach Gheal members are trained very heavily in combat, especially urban combat. The White Banner is really only concerned with two things: the protection of Lugh Surehand, and the annihilation of his attackers. Their skills reflect this.

Finally, the Black Daggers are the most effective of all the Ghosts. Most Black Daggers have a specialty in one field or another. This specialty can be anything from physics or chemistry to biotechnology and medicine or sociology. In addition, each of the Black Daggers is intimately familiar with the language and culture of at least three other nations and/or megacorps. All Black Daggers are magically active, and all of them are high-grade initiates. Because the Black Daggers have served at least one tour with the teams, they are very well-rounded individuals with incredible combat skills

Percent Cybernetically Augmented: 64
Percent Magically Active: 80

Though the majority of the Ghosts are magically active, many of them have gone under the knife for cybernetic surgery. All mundane Ghosts have undergone extensive cybernetic surgery, and many of the magically active ones have chosen to as well. However, it should be noted that most of the cybernetically enhanced Ghosts are either deckers or riggers. The percentage of cybernetically enhanced special forces personnel has increased by 2-5 percent per year since they were founded, though the percentage of magically active individuals has hardly fluctuated at all. This demonstrates the need they have felt to stay on top of the competition, as it were.

Group Organization:

This varies greatly from branch to branch. As of October, 2058, the Ghost teams have gone from fourteen to twenty members each, but actual team size will vary from mission to mission according to the decisions of the team's commanding officer or the general staff. Most of the time, they work in very small groups, ranging from two to five team members. The standard team makeup is as follows: one each commanding and executive officers; one magical officer; one magical sergeant; two each of intelligence/operations, computers/communications, transport/engineering, weapons/demolitions, and cybertech/medical sergeants; and six tactical support specialists, ranked E-2 to E-4.

There are 24 members of Bratach Gheal. They have a much looser organization than the teams, and are divided up as the situation dictates. However, there are always at least eight of them around the High Prince wherever he goes, but they often reform into larger or smaller groups according to the needs of the moment.

Black Daggers, again, have no real organization. The Black Daggers are loners, probably 75% of all their missions are solo. However, it is not uncommon for them to call in the assistance of the Ghosts to help with part of a mission. There are currently 25 Black Daggers.

Equipment:

As one can imagine, this varies considerably. For Black Daggers there is no such thing as standard equipment. All equipment carried by the Black Daggers is based on personal preference, customized, and always state-of-the-art or beyond. Cyberware will be delta grade, bioware will be cultured. Foci and quickened or anchored spells will be very common, especially among mages.

The teams have standardized their EQ considerably more. The Browning M2E, chosen for its durability, burst-fire capability, ammo capacity, and stability, is the standard sidearm. Naturally, the Ghosts equip their pistols with silencers, and either laser sights or Smartlink II's. In the SMG class, the H&K 227-S holds the honors, and the Ghosts pack them down with level four gas vents, folding stocks, silencers, and either a laser sight or Smartlink II. Ares Alpha Combat Guns with similar accessories are popular in the assault rifle category, although it is not uncommon for them to use the HVAR with maximum recoil compensation for high-threat missions. In the case of the HVAR, those team members without a cybernetic Smartlink are allowed to choose whether to add an under-barrel grenade launcher or a laser sight to their weapon. When shotguns are used, the Ghosts reach for the Franchi SPAS-22 packing maximum recoil compensation and the usual aim-enhancing equipment. However, the Ghosts modify their SPAS-22's by adding an in-line top-loader which increases ammo capacity to 21 rounds. Snipers use customized versions of the H&K PSG-54E, but they have been known to break out the Barret 121's from time to time. Heavier weapons and grenades vary from mission to mission, but the Ares HV MP-LMG is the most commonly used machine gun, and Panther Assault Cannons and Stoner-Ares M107 HMG's are also used. Each team member will also carry a survival knife and many carry some other sort of hand-to-hand combat weapon as well. Team riggers and deckers have extremely good remote control decks and cyberdecks, respectively. Armor is usually light military grade with thermal dampers and camoflauge, and a cloak made with ruthenium polymers is often worn over this for added stealth. Foci of all types are popular with the magically active members, though they are slightly less common than with the other branches. Cyberware will of course be beta and/or delta grade, and bioware will be cultured. Again, equip them as best fits the situation.

Finally, the Bratach Gheal have the most standardized equipment. When operating undercover, which is rare, they will be equipped much like the teams. But, when performing their regular duties of guarding the High Prince, they will be very different indeed. The members of Bratach Gheal have two uniforms: one of solid black light military grade armor, and the other of solid black medium military grade armor sculpted to look like mideval plate armor. The former is for missions away from the High Prince's palace, and the latter is for standard guard duty at the palace. The plate armor comes with a broadsword with a monofilament edge and incorporates an incredible amount of sensory and communications apparatus, as well as a variety of anchored spells including, but not limited to: personal spell, bullet, and blast barriers. Blade barriers are not included because anyone foolish enough to get that close is soon to be a dead fool. No matter which kind of mission they are on, they will be equipped with Ingram Super Mach 100's with internal Smartlink II, full recoil compensation, and 60-round clips. When on missions away from the palace, the SMG will be supplemented with a Franchi SPAS-22 assault shotgun, similar to those used by the teams. In addition, both mission types will demand the presence of a variety of grenades. The Bratach Gheal rarely, if ever, carry stun weapons. As with the Black Daggers, cyberware for the White Banner will be delta grade and bioware will be cultured. Foci and quickened or anchored spells are extremely common.
Deployment:

Though the special forces have their base at Hayden Slough Armory, most of them are located elsewhere. The Bratach Gheal have their base at the High Prince�s palace on Royal Hill, and are never seen elsewhere except when off-duty or escorting the High Prince. Black Daggers are free to go wherever they please, including outside the country, although their approximate location is known at all times by the Peace Force high command.

The Ghosts fall somewhere in between. When not on duty, they are free to go wherever they please within the country, but their approximate location is always known to the general staff. The Ghost teams are located throughout the country as follows:

Team 1: Hayden Slough Armory (Salem)

Team 2: Medford (Southwestern Tir)

Team 3: Hayden Slough Armory (Salem)

Team 4: Pendleton (Northeastern Tir)

Team 5: Camp Withycombe (Portland)

Team 6: Nyssa (Eastern Tir)

Team 7: Bend (Central Tir)

Team 8: Camp Withycombe (Portland)

Team 9: Eugene

Team 10: Hayden Slough Armory (Salem)
Author's Note:

Though no file of this type could be complete without an archetype profile, it is my belief that enough of this information already exists. Below I have included some links and information which I feel cover this fairly well. I have been asked if I plan to update this page for Third Edition rules. The answer to that question is a resounding 'No'. Though I am still an avid Shadowrun player and GM, my campaigns have since turned away from the more military aspects of the game. I find myself lacking the reason, motivation and time to update my material, let alone produce new articles.
Black Daggers
There is, of course, no standard archetype for the Black Daggers. Their individual nature makes this virtually impossible. There used to be two profiles of characters reported to be Black Daggers available on the web, but both have been taken down since this article was written. It can be assumed, however, that such characters will be extremely powerful, and more than a match for almost any shadowrunner team.
The Teams
Kjell Sawyer and James Meiers have written an excellent profile of Ghost Team Four which I think is fairly representative of the average team. You can also look at my file about the very first team of Ghosts, Ghost Team One, which is an in-character file and therefore does not include statistics.
Bratach Gheal
The members of White Banner will have greatly varied, but very high, personal attributes, but their skills will generally look like this:
Armed Combat (Edged Weapons): 8 or better, lower for mages
Firearms: 8, but 6 for mages
Gunnery: 2-5
Throwing Weapons: 6
Unarmed Combat: 8 or better, lower for mages
Athletics: 4-7
Stealth: 4-8
Conjuring: 6 or better, mages only
Sorcery: 8 or better, mages only
Biotech (First Aid): 3-8
Etiquette (Elven): 4
Etiquette (Military): 2
Interrogation: 3
Leadership: 3
Car: 4
Military Theory (Tactics): 2

Small Unit Tactics: 4
Special Skills
Security Systems: 6
All members of Bratach Gheal will have reflexes boosted to the maximum, whether magically or cybernetically, and each will have some sort of damage compensation, whether by magic or bioware. Also, each will have at least a Smartlink II and platelet factory implanted. Beyond that, most will have enhanced reaction, strength, etc. Combat, detection, and health spells, as well as certain manipulation spells are favored by the mages. The physical adepts always have Killing Hands at (Str)M or higher, and additional abilities are by personal choice, but will always relate to their job. All magically active members of Bratach Gheal will be at least grade 1 initiates, and the vast majority will be higher.
These are some other related links:
Peace Force Rank Progression
Ghost History and Training
A note on the use of special forces in Shadowrun
Back to the front page Questions or Comments?

All materials presented here were written or compiled by Byron Cutting, aka Rain. Copyright 1997-9, all rights reserved.
Some information was taken from the Tir Tairngire Sourcebook published by FASA Corporation, as well as various files by Kjell Sawyer. This information was used without the permission of its respective owners, but should not be viewed as a challenge to their copyrights. Shadowrun is a registered trademark of FASA Corporation.
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