Sample file IMBALANCE OF TERROR By: Chuck Rice Additional Characters by: Jason Tondro SampleArt By: David Bednarski, Jacob Blackmon, file Storn Cook, Molly Alice Hoy, Dionysia Jones, Joe Singleton, Welcome to Imbalance of Terror. This Imbalance of Terror adventure features the hunt for a murderous vigilante named the Black Terror, but there’s a “Ah! I’m so glad you could come dear twist: a group of hired mercenaries are trying Spinster. It’s past time you and I got to kill him. The Terror’s original sidekick, acquainted.” Obsidian, approaches the heroes and asks them to save his former mentor. He thinks he The prim, proper woman sniffed and sat should go to jail and receive psychiatric care, down, “I go to great lengths to ensure no one rather than be murdered by a team of hired knows of me at all. If I weren’t so curious how thugs. The adventure is perfect for a group of you know what you know, I’d have sent you a “street level” heroes. If the heroes are cosmic letter bomb and nothing else.” defenders, this adventure will be beneath their notice, and possibly too easy for them. The older man just smiled, “Well I’m glad you Vigilante heroes, however, might see decided to have a chat with me. It would be a something of themselves in the Black Terror. shame for this single-malt to go to waste. I believe you and I have something in common. The best kind of thing in common: an enemy.”

He let that sink in as he sipped the very fine whiskey poured over one cube of ice, “That operation of yours in D.C., probably a lot of planning involved. And then he comes along, spraying his poison gas everywhere. He did the same to an operation of mine in New Orleans.”

The woman nodded, and poured herself a glass, no ice for her. The man smiled. He liked her style.

“So, here’s my proposal, you and I each recruit some muscle, oh don’t wrinkle your nose like that, we both know that sometimes force is required. As smart and as well- equipped as this Night Terror is, he’s still just an ordinary man. He can be overwhelmed. I think 6 of the right sort could get the job done. Three for me, and three for you. And to make things interesting, we’ll make a wager. Ah! I see you like that idea. Yes, shall we say, 50 million dollars to the one whose hireling gets Samplethe job done? file

3 Prologue: Chapter 1:

Black Terror under siege Unexpected Guest

The adventure begins with the heroes doing Wait until the heroes are together, discussing whatever it is they do in between adventures. their next move. If the heroes don’t get They might be living together at a joint HQ, together to have this discussion, then the receiving accolades for their heroic deeds, or physical encounter described below will separated and going about their private lives. happen to only one of them. It’s of course Either way, a live news report comes through. possible that they have the discussion from Responding to what seemed like an ordinary different places, via a video conference or bank robbery, the Black Terror was ambushed something similar. by 5 . According to news reports Regardless of how the encounter the vigilante was heavily injured and barely happens, one or more of the heroes will be managed to escape. Only the arrival of a large approached by Obsidian. In classic street force of police distracted the and vigilante fashion he will attempt to go allowed him to get away. unnoticed until the last possible instant. When Give the heroes this basic background on he is noticed, he will introduce himself as the Black Terror: Originally he was a Black Terror’s first sidekick. He left when the from the golden age, active during the Terror’s methods became unacceptably depression and WWII. The identity has been brutal, but before he started outright killing passed down from hero to hero through criminals. He can give the heroes background methods unknown. About 10 years ago, on the Terror’s early days that they haven’t something changed, and the Black Terror discovered on their own, but like any good went from an old-fashioned vigilante with a vigilante, he’ll try to be secretive and sidekick, who used gadgets and knockout mysterious. He will give the heroes any gas, to a cold-blooded killer who works alone information he has to to get them involved and wipes out criminals with a deadly nerve however. He knows he can’t take care of this toxin. himself, and he thinks his mentor is going to If the Black Terror has been encountered die without help. before (from the Super Handbook Use Obsidian’s description, along with hereafter SVHB), then the players will likely Black Terror’s, to provide the heroes with any not need the above introduction. If this is his additional background they need to get them first appearance, explain that previous to this involved in the adventure. his activities have been limited to the Obsidian’s stated goal is the apprehension Washington D.C. beltway area. For reasons of Black Terror. He thinks his mentor needs unknown, he has now begun operating in help, and also jail will help get the current hit whatever region the campaign takes place in. squad off his back (especially after timely intervention by the heroes). But more than Samplethat, Obsidian also recognizes file that the Terror has gone too far, and needs to pay for his crimes.

4 Chapter 3:

Rumble at the docks

Second engagement with .50-.50, Iron, Night Fighter, Sterling and Death-Urge. If the PCs have done their homework, they can tear this team apart and make the fight much easier. If not, they can always just try to fight them straight up. In particular, it will be very easy to get Sterling and Night Fighter to turn on each other. Another option (though slightly more difficult) is to get Night Fighter to turn on the assassins altogether, by appealing to her honor, or (much more likely to work) promising to protect her father. This fight will be sprawling, chaotic and multi-sided. At a minimum there will be the heroes (including Obsidian), Professor Peril’s minions, the Spinster’s minions, and the Terror all acting on their own. Even if you Chapter 2: don’t normally use maps or a hex grid, it’s advisable to sketch the encounter out on a piece of paper to keep track of all the players. Investigating the hit men

Obsidian isn’t totally clued in on the local crime beat, but he has a vague indication that Chapter 4: these villains shouldn’t be working together, he suggests investigating them to find out what’s up. Late Entries

Allow the heroes to make use of their skills, Eventually, the heroes should be able to take and any number of them might prove useful to down the villains, especially due to their lack finding out about the assassins hunting the of coordination. They can tackle one group of Terror. The PCs can potentially learn that . assassins while another goes after the Terror. 50-.50 and Outlaw Iron were last known to be At his breaking point, the Terror is suicidal, in the service of Professor Peril. Also Night and Obsidian attempts to convince him to turn SampleFighter was thought to be a hero for a time himself in. At this point Endgamefile arrives. He’s while in Japan. Lastly, she and Sterling are learned of the competition between Peril and known to HATE each other. the Spinster and wants to prove he’s the

5 REAL mastermind. Ideally the heroes will be adventure, any could turn into a nemesis for wounded enough that Endgame can make a the heroes. Night Fighter in particular, could convincing threat by himself. If not, perhaps either be a love interest, or a recurring villain. add a villain or two to the mix to make the final Reluctant villains are some of the most encounter more of a threat. interesting foes a hero can face, as they can talk them down rather than just punching them until they fall unconscious. Epilogue:

The Fate of the Terror

The final fate of the Black Terror depends on the actions of the heroes and the overall tone of the campaign. It might serve as a launching pad for the Terror as an ongoing villain in the campaign, a way to introduce Obsidian as a rival hero, or an ally, or perhaps both. A hero with medical, legal, or psychiatric skills might become involved in the Terror’s fate after his arrest. Perhaps treating hm for mental illness, discovering that his madness has a medical cause (long term exposure to his knockout then death gas), or just arguing that his actions in the wake of his nephew’s death constituted treatable insanity rather than first- degree murder. Even without any of these skills, the Terror might befriend a hero that he sees as an old-school vigilante like him. The two could bond, despite being on opposite sides of the law, each with a different point of view of their duty as heroes. Remember that the Terror sees himself as a hero. He believes the heroes are misguided and naive, and will attempt to convince them he’s right. The adventure will also get the heroes on the radar of both Professor Peril and the Spinster. Even though neither has an active part to play in this adventure, they are watching, and neither is fond of heroes Samplemessing up their carefully-laid plans. file Among the mercenary assassins in the

6 Villains .50-.50

Prowess Good 5 Coordination Great 6 Strength Fair 4+2 Intellect Average 3 Awareness Good 5 Willpower Fair 4

Stamina 8+2

Specialties Athletics Stealth Technology Weapons Expert (Guns)

Powers Combat Armor: Resistance Device Great 6 Extra: Ability Increase (Strength) Arm-Mounted .50s: Blast Device Great 6 Extras: Burst

Qualities Trained Killer ever done for us? And the answer was: A Lifetime of Resentment nothing. Danny must have heard that story a "You're the guy who killed Airman!" thousand times. With his father in prison, Danny was raised by his mom and his grand- dad, and life wasn't easy. What's changed in Autofire the last forty years? Not much. A lot of the If .50-.50s Blast penetrates Resistance, he people Danny grew up with are in prison now. gets +2 to damage. He's done some time himself. The super- heroes, they look out for their own kind, and that''s not Danny's kind. People like him are on their own in America. Description: Danny Miles has had it with the So Danny learned to fight. He learned to keep damn super-people. All of them. When he was his head when guns were drawn and he little, other children idolized super-heroes, but learned to kill. There was a guy offering good Danny never did. His grand-dad made sure of money for a job, and when Danny found out that. One day, when Danny was little, his later that guy was a NEST recruiter, he didn't grand-dad walked right up to one of those much care. He had bills to pay, man. But the cosmic types, a guy who thought he was so job was interrupted by Airman, basically a guy great on account of saving aliens on other Samplein a bird outfit. There were afile lot of bullets. One planets, and asked him, hey, what have you too many for Airman. Danny got the credit.

7 From that point forward, Danny Miles was a .50-.50 in Play criminal super-star. NEST ran a bunch of tests .50-.50 is not a complex character; a on him and determined that he was a prime universe needs bad guys and candidate for "training and exploitation." He Danny Miles is an example of the sort of bad took their training and refused to be exploited, guys which will crowd the shelves of such a stole the guns and armor he had been trained place. Mechanically, he is straight-forward: he in, and became a free agent. Most of his carries two .50 machine guns on his arms. As contracts are for super-heroes out of uniform. written, he is an assassin, which means he is He's smart enough not to get in a straight-up usually operating alone. Alone, he will be fight with some irradiated freak or demigod. pummeled by heroes and quickly thrown in Instead, his clients hire him when they have prison. If you don't want to re-use .50-.50, or found out who these heroes are in their secret you want to do a story set in prison, this is an identity. That's when Danny comes in. Armed excellent way to use him. However, if you with twin .50 machine guns, he's not a subtle want .50-.50 to be a recurring threat whom the killer. He's killed half a dozen superheroes, heroes actually fear, then he must operate but many more girlfriend reporters, aging from a distance. When a hero discovers him, aunts, and little brothers. He takes contracts that hero is alone, in his civilian identity, and on individuals unrelated to the hero business, unable to compromise his secret identity. . but he charges the same price, figuring that 50-.50 escapes, and his mark might also although those cases are easier, he's got a survive. reputation to maintain. It can take months for him to finish a job; in between, he takes short Use .50-.50 to shake up the status quo in your vacations, which usually involve a lot of game and take care of loose plots. It sounds partying, drugs, and sex. heartless to kill a PC's romantic interest, but this happened in superhero comics all the It's not the life his grand-dad would have time and was a time-tested way to clear the imagined for him, but it's also one that deck for new characters and stories. Likewise, wouldn't have surprised him. shooting the mayor or police chief who has been pro-hero allows you to replace that character with a suspicious anti-hero NPC, Danny's grandfather was the man who chided changing the tone of your story and forcing Hal Jordan for not doing anything for "the the PCs to negotiate new challenges and black skins" in a famous scene written by relationships. Denny O'Neil and drawn by Neal Adams. Airman is a hero in the public domain who has been used by other writers and publishers, including Malibu; he is a bit too much like for my taste, hence his choice as victim. A 21st century re-imagining of Airman might take up the mantle but leave the bird- motif behind. Sample file

8 Death Urge

PRO Great 6 COO Great 6 STR Great 6 (8) INT Average 3 AWA Fair 4 WIL Fair 4 Stamina 10 (12)

Specialties Aerial Combat Master Martial Arts Military Stealth Expert

Powers Ability Increase Device (Strength): +2 Strength (Battlesuit) Flight Device: 4 (Battlesuit) Extra: Silent Flight Damage Resistance Device: 6 (Battlesuit)

Qualities Hired Gun Sadist “Fate brought us together.”

Description: “Trips” Turner earned his fated to come together. Deep down inside nickname as a young man. He loved to send they wanted to jump. They just needed his other kids flying, especially if, in doing so, he “help”. could cause more harm than just embarrassment. The sadistic young man This situation got much worse for the world targeted bicyclists and skateboarders, until by when Trips stole a battlesuit from Daedelus accident he sent a student into traffic and International. The suit was designed for killed him. The rush of that first moment never special ops insertion, and boasts extremely wore off. Jack graduated into a job as a hit maneuverable flight, with a stealth gliding man, with a specialty of making his targets’ mode. Now Death-Urge can just swoop down death appear accidental. His personal favorite and pluck his targets off balconies, soaring was a faked suicide by jumping. He’d force high before dropping them to their deaths. He the target to write a suicide note at gunpoint, still fakes suicides for a price, but often his then throw them off the nearest tall building. clients don’t care. SampleHe began calling himself “Deathurge” because file in his twisted mind, he and his victims were

9 Night Fighter 46 Image 2

Prowess Great 6 Coordination Great 6 Strength Fair 4 Intelligence Average 3 Awareness Great 6 Will Great 6 Stamina 10

Specialties: Master Athletics Master Martial Artist Master Stealth

Powers Fast Attack: 6 Dazzle Device (Vision): 6 (blinding powder) Blast Device (Shooting): 6 (long bow)

Qualities Quote: *unnerving silence* Hate Sterling Reluctant Villain

Description: Born Ayaka Sato, the Night Fighter was trained in the arts of Ninjutsu by her father from a young age. Although he had been an assassin in his youth, he’d gone into hiding, and taught his daughter to use her training for good. In addition to her extensive training, Ayaka is armed with a variety of traditional ninja gear: a bow, and small packets of blinding gas. At closer ranges she relies on her martial arts prowess, which is considerable.

Ayaka was just beginning her career as a mysterious blackmailer (in truth it’s the crimefighter, and had tangled several times Spinster but Ayaka has no idea who it is). with Sterling, assassin for hire, when she began receiving blackmail letters. Someone As if the misuse of her gifts isn’t enough, now knew everything about her father, and would Ayaka has been forced to team up with expose him, resulting in his certain death, Sterling, an amoral sociopath who she Sampleunless Ayaka did what he or she wanted. despises. file Since then, she’s been the pawn of her

10 Obsidian

Prowess Amazing 8 Coordination Great 6 Strength Incredible 7 Intelligence Great 6 Awareness Fair 4 Will Fair 4 Stamina 11

Specialties: Expert Athletics Expert Weapons Law Science Stealth

Powers Damage Resistance Device: 3 (Armored Suit) Life Support Device (Toxins): 1 (Built-in gas mask) Super Speed: 3 Strike Device (Slashing): 7 (Mystic Obsidian hands of the so-called hero. At first it was the Blades) worst of the worst, child abusers and drug Extra: Can also inflict blunt damage of dealers who sold to children, that sort of thing. 8 if used while sheathed. The police turned a blind eye to these deaths, believing that the Black Terror was a force for Qualities good and was simply doing what had to be Quote: ““You face the sword of Damocles.” done. Criminals were getting more ruthless Legacy Hero and the Black Terror matched them. Back from Retirement Eventually, Jason went west, ostensibly to join Description: Jason Maxwell was recruited out one of the most prestigious law firms in of college by the original Black Terror, Cedric California. Free of the conscience of his Cowan. At first he had no code name of his original mentor, Cedric sunk further and own and had the same powers as his mentor. further into darkness. Meanwhile Jason had The two fought crime and racism, while Cedric lost his belief in the justice system. Though he worked at the FBI and Jason attended law couldn’t stomach the methods of his mentor, school. Jason saw how they got results, and often were necessary to circumvent a corrupt and Over time, the Black Terror’s methods inefficient court system. became more and more violent. Criminals Samplewere beaten until they gave information on file their gangs, occasionally perishing at the

11 Jason never showed up for his first day Then the Black Terror crossed a line no working for the law firm. Instead he took the one thought he would cross. Criminals were money he’d saved and attended community killed with a new lethal gas the vigilante had college, studying archaeology and wandering concocted. He even critically injured the police the deserts of the southwest alone, lost in his when they tried to stop him. Most recently, the thoughts of a failed career as a “white knight” Terror simply filled an entire room where the vigilante. It was on one of these sojourns that local syndicate was meeting with his gas, Jason discovered a pair of mythic blades killing 34 in one swift, brutal attack. made of obsidian, but harder than steel. Jason confessed his vigilante identity to his wife for the first time, but it turned she Jason modified his old sidekick costume and already knew, and had figured out that he was adopted the identity Obsidian. He fought crime the original sidekick to the Black Terror. Jason by night and studied, then taught, archaeology knew what he had to do, and his wife during the day. Years passed. Jason married approved. If he couldn’t talk his former mentor a fellow professor, had two children, and into accepting psychiatric counseling, he’d adventured less and less. He took his take him down by any means necessary. students into the desert he had come to love, and taught them to dig the ancient past from the soil.

Sample file

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