Recon RPG Original

The original RECON RPG, first published in 1982 by Joe F. Martin and Role Playing Games, Inc., is a Vietnam War-themed role-playing game that immerses players in small unit military operations through detailed and often unforgiving mechanics. Designed for 3–9 players, one of whom acts as the Mission Director (MD), the game emphasizes realism, progressive revelation, and strategic thinking over power fantasy. Players assume the roles of recons—soldiers from elite units like LRRPs, Force Recon, SEALs, or MACV-SOG—engaging in covert missions deep in enemy territory. Character creation involves detailed stats like Strength, Agility, and Alertness, which affect everything from combat effectiveness to survival skills like climbing and stealth. Characters are further defined by skillsets (e.g., demolitions, sniper, medic) and military specialties (MOS), with progression tied more to mission success and smart decisions than to combat kills. Missions range from prisoner snatches and sabotage to intelligence gathering, with the game emphasizing ambush avoidance, stealth, and realism over gun-blazing heroics. Terrain is generated dynamically, using miniature figures or simple tokens, and encounters are driven by alertness rolls and randomized contact tables that create tense, unpredictable scenarios. RECON leans heavily on player creativity and group coordination, requiring careful planning and constant improvisation. Non-player characters (NPCs) like villagers, NVA officers, or CIA contacts are brought to life by the MD, contributing to a living narrative where players often find themselves vastly outnumbered, relying on cunning rather than brute strength. A blend of gritty tactical simulation and theatrical roleplay, RECON avoids traditional fantasy tropes, instead focusing on the ethical ambiguity, psychological tension, and deadly realism of asymmetric jungle warfare in Vietnam.