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, I�-----I Official Game Adventure

Contents

The Cruelest of Dreams ....•.....•....•...... 2 The Te leporters' Railroad ...•.....•....•...... 18

Choices, Choices ...... •...... •...... 5 Salvation ...... •...... 22

Loose Ends Encounters ...... •.....•...... 7 The Arm of the State ...... •....•...... 25

How the Worlds End ...... •....••...... 12 Non-Player Characters ...... •.....•.....•...... 27

The Peoples' Revolution ...... •.....•...... 12 The Great Debate Cards ...... •••..••...... 32

Written by David "Zeb" Cook Interior Illustrations by the Marvel Bullpen Edited by Bill Siavicsek Typography by Kim Janke Cover by Statema & Ordway Cartographyby Dennis Kauth

'M TSR, lnc. P.O.Box 756 � Lake Geneva, WI TSA, 'nc. �"ODUCTS0' TOU" ".. QUu.nON'" 53147

This bookis protected under the copyright laws of the United Stales of America. Any reproduction or unauthorized use of thematerial or artworkcontained herein is prohibited without the express written consent of TSR. Inc. and t-.tarvel Entertainment Group_ Distrif>. uted to the book trade in the United States by Random House, Inc. and in Canada by Random House of Canada. Ltd. Distributed 10 the toy and hobby trade by regional distributors. The names of characters used herein are fictitious and do not reler to any persons living or dead. Any descriptions including similarities to persons living or dead are merely coincidental. Atl Marvel characters and the distinctive likenesses thereof are trademarks of the Marvel Entertainment Group, Inc. and ate used with permission.(;1987 Marvel Entertainment Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved. The TSR logo and PRODUCTS OF YOUR 1�.4AGINAT10Nate trademarXs owned by TSR. Inc. Game design COpyrightc1987 TSR, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Printed in the U.S.A.

Why We Fight I know that I shall meet my fate Somewhere among the clouds above; Those that I fight I do not hate, Those that I guard I do not love; My country is Kiltartan Cross, My countrymen Kiltartan's poor, No likely end could bring them loss Or leave them happier than before. No law, nor duty bade me fight, Nor public men, nor cheering crowds, A lonely impulse of delight Drove to this tumult in the clouds; I balanced all, brought all to mind, The years to come seemed waste of breath, A waste of breath the years behind In balance with this life, this death.

An Irish Airman Foresees His Death -w. B. Yeats Perhaps it is only the cruelest of powers are enemies, traitors of the fight and battle against seemingly dreams - a nighlmare that taunts people - and sometimes even hopeless odds. wilh hope before smolhering you friends. This adventure, aside from all its under its shroud of despair and If you have already played the battles and plots, presents your char­ death. In your dreams there are other modules in this series (Night­ acters with one other great task, scenes that can only be remembered mares of Futures Past, The x­ perhaps the hardest one they have in fragments - the searing exhaus­ Potential, and Reap the Whirlwind), ever had to role play. To succeed, to tion of blind running, the searchlights this module continues and concludes win, to overcome the impossible blazing in grimy alleys, the animalis­ the events of the series. Information odds they face, your player charac­ tic panting of human hounds, the given in the previous adventures will ters (guided by the choices of the immobilizing cold of the Canadian be used here, particularlythe rules players) must live up to their titles winter, the snapping of automatic and descriptions of life in this bleak and their names. They must become fire. future. If it has been a while since true heroes. This isn'l something a But these are horrors you have you played the previous modules, player can just pretend his character survived. The concentration camps, you may want to refreSh yourself with is doing. It is not even a definable the hate-filled mobs, the coldly the details of life in the future. Fur­ thing. Yo u will have to listen to your vicious police, the maniacal polili­ thermore, if you are playing this as players and pay attention to what cians, even the vacant stares of your the last of the series, you must use they have their characters do to beaten comrades; none of these the same characters who have sur­ know when they have discovered have broken your will to fight. But vived the previous adventures (intro­ true heroism. throughout your nightmares are the ducing replacements to till the ranks It is easy for a character to go fear­ Sentinels. Inescapable robots. of the fallen as needed). They may lessly into battle or face some partic­ Machines. Never tiring, never surren­ have information, equipment, and ular evil, but this is not true heroics. dering, never forgetting their only powers vital to the conclusion of the There is no single villain, no easy purpose - to kill you, destroy you, series. solution available here. Now each annihilate you and every one of your It is also possible to play this mod­ PC must delve deep inside and dis­ kind - mutants. ule without the preceding three of cover the greater meanings of hero­ Now you have finally struck at the the series, although much of the ism. For noble heroism rises heartof the monster. The Sentinel impact of the story will be lost. How­ unbidden within people, often before factory, their birthplace, is ash. Slow­ ever, if this is the case, the module they even know it. It is within the ly, nigh imperceptibly, the scales of should not be used as a campaign power of the PCs to break the chok­ victory have swung in your favor. But setting. Instead, the adventures here ing grip of this nightmarish future. the fight is far from ended and victo­ can be used in your normal cam­ But this won't happen in a single ryrests between the jagged jaws of paign world. It is not unknown for battle or with an easy choice. Instead defeat. Now is the time to regain the super heroes to find themselves the PCs can only succeed through title "super hero." transported briefly to alternate painful choices, self-sacrifice, leader­ Flames of Doom is the fourth mod­ futures. How the characters get there ship, and the courage of their convic­ ule in a series that describes one (and how they get back) is only lim­ tions. Throughout this adventure, the possible future of the MARVEL ited by your imagination. If you do players will be forced to make SUPER HEROESN world. It is not a use this module as a stand-alone choices - hard choices -that have pretty future. It is a world where the adventure, read the "American Goth­ little to do with simple combat and United States has gone mad, ic" section before beginning play. bashing things. Yo u, as storyteller, gripped in a blind hatred of mutants This adventure is not designed or must drive home to them the possi­ and any like them. During the series, tailored for any particular hero or ble consequences of each choice. your characters have escaped con­ group. Indeed, you are encouraged These results can be brilliant, futile, centration camps, stolen their daily to create your own heroes rather or even morally Sickening and play­ bread, thwarted Hitlerian politicians, than use any who are active today. ers should see what their characters narrowly averted the specter of death The majority of these have already become because of this. Player char­ camps, and battled the relentless fallen prey to the wave of mutant acters unwilling to do any less than Sentinels. They are hated by the mania or that most remorseless this will not and cannot succeed. common people because they are power of all, age. With few excep­ mutants. They are distrusted by their tions, the survivors are tired and fellow mutants because they might beaten. A lone few - the indomita­ be informers. Indeed, any with super ble and the maniacal - still live to

2

American Gothic Mutants must report to Mutant Intern­ are actually deceased or are suHer­ Over the centuries, men have wit­ ment Centers. ing some prolonged absence of an nessed and committed countless extra-dimensional nature. acts c! horror against their fellows. Mutants must display identification Some were small, some here great, markings upon their persons at all In addition to those listed above, but it was always too easy to dismiss times. there are others who may be alive, with a simple, "it can't happen here." captive of the Sentinels, or perhaps Well, it can and it did. Mutant organizations are illegal. more mercifully dead. These include: It begins in the late 1970s and early 1980s. For years, reports of Unlicensed assembly of mutants is Ariel Magneto costumed criminals, vigilantes, and illegal. Colossus Rachel Summers peopte with funny powers had been Franklin Richards Storm Increasing and the word "mutant" Harboring a mutant is a crime. was coming into wider and wider However, there are also a few sur­ use. The public dismissed it as hys­ Resistance means arrestor death. vivors, refusing to surrender. Legend­ teria and hype. Then the tenor began ary among these is Wolverine. Ever to change. Alison (Dazzler) Blaire Remember citizen - reportall crimes the loner, it is thought he lives in the publicly revealed her mutant powers for the good of all! northwoods of Canada and has (in an eHort to promote her film), strong links to the Canadian Resist­ Magneto was tried before the World By order of the United States Gov­ anCe Army (CRA). He has a talent for Court, and the devastating battles of ernment (Project Wideawake MD appearing at the right place and at super beings became all too visible. 6347-A) the right time. He does not fight for Normal folks feared the powers of love of his country, but out of loyalty mutants. Mutants replaced AIDS, The Hall of Heroes and remembrance to his friends. He crime in the streets, liberalism, and However, there has been some espouses no great cause, only even the Soviets as the "greatest resistance. Initially many super hatred for the enemy, a point of his danger to the American People" in heroes, mutant and not, saw the own personal tionor. the pages of panic-mongering tab­ danger and fought back. Most are Other mutant survivors have also loids. Vehement editorials even dead and the Sentinels wear their been reported, although such claims appeared in reputable newspapers. colors as trophies. The litany of the are wildly unfounded. Most reliable All this might have died down, fallen is long and includes: are the reports concerning the activi­ leaving only an ugly welt on society, Angel Magma ties of a three-person team - Can­ if it hadn't been for Senator Robert Banshee Mr. Fantastic nonball, Mirage, and Lila Cheney. Kelly and the Second Brotherhood of Beast Nightcrawler Their activities tend to be sudden Evil Mutants. Publicly struck down by Black Panther Scarlet Witch raids and hurried disappearances. these criminals, Kelly had been both Captain America Spider-Man They have little contact with the CRA a presidential candidate and chair­ Cyclops The Invisible and the mutant Underground, so man of the Senate "Mutant Menace" Woman their plans and goals. are currently hearings. Mutant-bashing had sud­ Daredevil Sunspot unknown. denly become respectable. Dr. Doom' The Human Torch Beyond these few, virtually no A survivor, Cannonball, made the Dr. Strange' The Thing other mutants survive from the "old statement on page 3. Hulk Thor days." At least not free and on the Iron Man Vision loose. The Sentinels have been Citizens! Know Yo ur Laws! Karma Wolfsbane frighteningly eHective in their short Mutants cannot bear children. reign.

• Due to the nature of these super All mutants must register. beings, it is unknown whether they

4 Judging Flames of Doom is not a 1) The player characters have made factory and still have access to simple matter of beginning at the contact with the CRA. that information. beginning and plodding through to 2) The Sentinel factory has been The Underground must be present the end of the module. The MX destroyed. to provide those characters running series so far has presented a com­ 3) The death camp program has the teleporter railroad with a safe base plex and incredibly diHicult reality for been publicly revealed and of operations and resources. The other the player characters. This means McGrafton has been humiliated. two conditions provide the characters they have lots of choices. Your job as However, his status as a mutant with information needed to set up the Judge is to sort through these possi­ has not been revealed. actual teleportoperations. Each alone ble choices, pick one, and guide 4) The public execution of lorelei seems like an insignificant bit of data. everything toward that conclusion. was thwarted. The mutant research work identifies The first step to running Flames of Clearly, these are daunting tasks, several different mutants who are Doom is to select the way the entire perhaps beyond the capabilities of necessary to set up the railroad. The series will end. Four different endings your PCs. Therefore, not all of these information in the Sentinel factory are given in this module. All of them objectives need be met. Each, how­ provides information on the powers are difficult and some are quite miser­ ever, serves to sway public sympathy and locations of interned mutants. It able and depressing. A few, however, or even the balance of power. Unified may be possible for players to do with­ hold out the hope of a better, even command under the CRA is vital to out the latter two conditions (although sane, future for mutants and man­ an effective war. The destruction of organizing the railroad will be much kind. Other endings are certainly the Sentinel factory prevents infinite harder). However, the operation can possible, however these are some of Sentinel reinforcement. The truth of never be successful withou1 the coop­ the most likely and more entertaining the death camp plan disgusts a large eration of the Underground. outcomes that could occur. portion of the population, creating the Each ending requires certain con­ necessarysupport of the masses Salvation ditions to come about before it can (while maintaining McGrafton's secret This solution does not present the be used. Like the alternate future prevents more fuel for the anti-mutant characters with a long and difficult presented in this module series, blaze). Finally, the rescue of lorelei struggle, nor does it give them an each ending is itself an alternate begins the process of rebuilding the intricate puzzle to solve. Yet this is future. Thus, your Mutant Future image of super-powered beings as perhaps the most difficult solution of Marvel campaign may have an "good guys," necessary to make a all. The PCs discover a method to entirely different ending from that of political settlementbetween humans return to the past. Realizing they can a fellow Judge. Indeed, you can even and mutants possible. change the future by altering the have your characters play each pos­ past (after much debate), they make sible ending, shifting forward and Te leporters' Railroad the attempt. However, their calcula­ back between these alternate In this solution, the mutants have tions are in error and they are faced futures. It is confusing, but it hap­ not solved the problem, only escaped. with a situation far different from pens all the time in the comic books! Through the knowledge and ability of what they expect. Instead of merely A brief description of each ending the powertul teleporter Lila Cheney, altering the future, the characters and the conditions required for it is the mutant Underground is working to must decide if they want to totally given below. spirit small groups of mutants to rewrite it. However, the only future safety. This safety is of a most unusual they can create is one where The People's Revolution nature - a Dyson sphere across the mutants dominate humans in an This ending assumes that the only voids of space. Here mutants can live equally savage and fascist state. The solution is to launch some type of in safety, though they will never know player characters must find some long, difficult, and bitter struggle peace. The conditions for this ending way to solve this dilemma. To reach against the Sentinels and their sup­ are: this pOint and find the right way out porters. This means total war and 1) There must be an active and vig­ of this "solution," the following condi­ perhaps civil war, an ugly and terrify­ tions need to have occurred: orous mutant Underground. ing thought. It is also the solution 2) The characters must discover the 1) The characters must have met with the best chance of victory. secret mutant research being and gained the trust of Sebastian However, a revolution does not carried out by Dr. Fuchida. Shaw. have any chance unless the condi­ 3) The characters must have tapped 2) The characters must have the tions are right. These conditions are: the computers of the Sentinel ancient Iron Man armor.

5 Of these conditions, the first of your campaign is finished. Like a ters, and Psychiatric Panels -all the these presents the player characters good movie or novel, you want your things PCs are just dying to get with the plans and general working campaign to end with all the ques­ involved in! principles for an experimental time tions answered. The one thing you machine. The second is necessary don't want is your players leaving the The Humans since the armor must be table saying, "That was fun, but With the overthrow of the Sentinels cannibalized to provide the vital whatever happened to... ?" Some of and the release of the internees, a elements for the time machine. these unresolved matters you will large number of humans are going to have to handle yourself, without any be in for a rude awakening. Every· Life in Hell advice from others. thing they had believed (and support­ Of all the endings, this is the easi­ However, certain situations are ed) has now been overturned. The est to achieve. All the player charac­ likely to happen. Some of these are reactions will be varied. Some, ters have to do is nothing. They have obvious and are dealt with in the secretly loathing the old order, will be accomplished nothing in the pre­ next section ("Loose Ends Encount­ happy; most will accept the situation vious adventures - nothing has ers"). Others are more abstract and with a fatalistic resignation. A few will changed. The Sentinels still lord over are harder to provide with set be unable to cope. Driven by their all and the misery and anguish con­ encounters or answers. own hatreds and the collapse of their tinue. It might still be possible for the dream, they will try to fight back how­ player characters to win, but the The American Government ever possible. Furthermore, in addi­ prospects are worse than bleak. Assuming the characters are suc­ tion to all these, are those people Once you have selected an ending, cessful, something must be done to who see the upheaval as a way to read both the "Loose Ends Encount­ establish a solid new government. gain. They will falsely accuse others ers" section and the one describing The current rulers are most likely of crimes and atrocities, perhaps the ending you have chosen. Do not unacceptable for a number of rea­ even inciting mob actions against begin running the adventure until you sons. They could be Sentinel sympa­ their victims. have had a chance to think out and thizers or, worse yet, collaborators. To prevent these events, the PCs plan what you want to happen! They may be too weak-willed or are going to have to work hard. Aside from choosing an ending to dispirited to do any good. In any Some type of effective and fair jus­ this series, you must also decide if case, the PCs should be involved in tice must be created. It must be one you want to close this campaign world the making of a new government. that squashes any legitimate completely, perhaps to return to a attempts at rebellion, yet protects the more familiar modern-day Marvel The Interned Mutants rights of all. Most of all, it must only campaign. It's your choice. Even if Those mutants rescued from the be a temporary thing. To o many the player characters overthrow the internment camps have lost every­ nations have discovered it is all too tyranny of the Sentinels, they can thing. They have no property, homes, easy to overthrow one type of tyr­ continue to adventure in the world of families, or, in many cases, even anny for another. Whatever system of this alternate future. Indeed, it could dignity. Many of them bear rage and special justice is set up by the player actually give you (and your players) hatred against those who imprisoned characters, they must know when it more freedom to create new adven· them. These want "justice" or is no longer needed. tures, heroes, villains, and strange revenge on collaborators. Worse yet, situations. However, it would also many of these interned mutants have The Sentinels mean that you would have a lot of the power needed to strike back Even in the most successful situa­ work to do. This is a future where hard. The embittered survivors, tion - a revolution with the full sup­ most of the old-time heroes and vil­ many potential villains, will be port of the American people - there lains no longer exist. True, you could released on America. are going to be a number of unde­ bring a few back through strange But not all released feel this way. feated or undiscovered Sentinels machines and time-slips, but your The majority are simply grateful that laying around. These will be a con­ players would quickly tire of this as a the nightmare is finally over. Yet the stant nuisance in the years to come. plot device. player characters must do something Player characters can either do noth­ Since you may be ending a major to handle the release of the survivors ing, only reacting when a new Senti­ campaign world with this module, and their needs. Most likely this nel menace appears, or can organize there will probably be a number of means charming bureaucratic offices an agency or operation to actively unresolved problems - loose ends like Claim Committees,Refugee track down and destroy all remaining - that should be dealt with before Relocation Boards, Retraining Cen· Sentinels.

6 The Many Faces of Mystique maintain itself.Since she can control half-thought plan.Coldly calculating Sometime a horse 1'1/ be, sometime her cells, Mystique has decided that public opinion, Mystique decided she a hound, manipulating aged cells to become could not lose. If the public was cowed A hog, a headless bear, sometime new and healthy again is well within by the might of mutants, she could a fire; her power. Still, she has not lived long quickly rise to power.If public opinion And neigh, and bark, and grunt, enough to prove her theory, but to reacted against the mutants, Raven and roar, and burn, date she has been able to ward oN all Darkholme would be ready. Betting on Like horse, hound, hog, bear, fire, eNects of age, lending it strong sup­ the second result and the president's at every turn. port. reaction, Mystique had already decid­ Second is her presence on Project ed the true nature of the Sentinel Pro­ A Midsummer Night's Dream Wideawake as Raven Darkholme. It gram. For, unknown to all, the - William Shakespeare was extremely convenient that she Sentinels are secretly loyal to her. Here is a mystery and a puzzle. was available and willing to be on the More than anyone, Mystique under­ Since Project Wideawake was first commission at just the right time. stood the paranoid madness of Henry commissioned, one of its principal Given this coincidence, Mystique Peter Gyrich. Encouraging him, she members has been Raven might find it convenient to hide from supported his plan to reactivate the Darkholme. But Raven Darkholme is her enemies by joining them. But, Sentinels. Her other position in DAR­ far more than she seems to be, for even so, why did she support the PA (Defense Advanced Research unknown to all others she is also the Sentinel Program - the construction Planning Agency) gave her unique mysterious mutant known as Mys­ of powerful robots with the ability to access to the program. This she tique. It is only by her mutant sha­ locate and deal with mutants? Surely exploited to secretly alter the program­ peshifting power that she has these robots would have detected ming of the Sentinels. The first step managed to maintain her secret her. Even with a personal masking was to program them to ignore her lives. And the big question is - what device she would be taking a great mutant presence (along with any she is she up to? risk - a risk that could have been might designate). The second step More than anyone else, Ravenl avoided by using her influence to was to implant an automatic override Mystique is responsible for the scuttle the Sentinel concept.So, command.When uttered, this com­ pathetic state America finds itself in. what is she really doing? mand - the word "Mystique" - ren­ As Mystique, she organized and led Mystique is nothing if not prag· ders any Sentinel completely obedient the Second Brotherhood of Evil matico Well before the assassination to her orders.This command is only Mutants in their assassination of of Senator Kelly, she had decided effective when the Sentinel believes it Senator Kelly. Conventional wisdom she was immune to the effects of to have been given by the real Raven says that Mystique, seeing the rising age. Barring unforeseen accidents or Darkholme.Thus it is not enough for a fear of mutants, dramatically struck mayhem, she would live forever. And character to learn the word or even to down Kelly (along with Professor living forever would give her time to be disguised as her and make the Xavier and Moria MacTaggart) to accomplish her dreams, complete attempt.The disguise must be so teach normal humans to fear and mastery of the world and possibly perfectas to beat all the detection respect the might of mutantkind. even the universe! But to do this she abilities of a Sentinel, including the However, her plan horribly backfired, needed power ...and protection. encephalo-scan. resulting in Project Wideawake and Realizing she had time, she was So far the Sentinels are nearly fin­ the Sentinel Program. Nothing more patient. As Raven Darkholme, she ished with the first of Mystique's goals was heard of her and it is assumed used her natural brilliance, cut-throat - the removal of any threat to herself. she fled.This is what all believe her morals, and mutant power to rise Nearly any mutant who could chal­ plan was. But was it? through the layers of American lenge her has been removed, either to There are several things to consider bureaucracy. As Mystique, she camps or more permanently.The offi­ about Mystique. First is the nature of recruited what super villains she cial power of the government is her ability - to control the cells of her could, to give her the muscle she enslaved to the might of the Sentinels. body allowing her to reshape her phys­ needed when the time was right.But Phase One is nearly complete. Phase ical form, changing pigmentation and living, breathing people were unde­ Two is about to begin. even creating new limbs. As she pendable, untrustworthy, and treach­ In Phase livo, Mystique intends to became familiar with her own abilities, erous; she wanted something better. extend the power of the Sentinels (and she conceived the notion that she The rising mutant hyst9ria afforded thus her own power) over the entire could very well be immortal! After all, her a chance. world. The result will be hideous. age is only the inability of the body to The assassination of Kelly was no Those nations with the might have

7 made it clear they will reduce North the message, Mystique arranges a encephala-patterns of Mystique. America to ash should the Sentinel meeting with them. Again, the mes­ Mystique bides her time, waiting for cancer spread beyond the borders of sage comesthe same way. This time it the right opportunity to use her the United States and Canada. Mys­ names a location, a derelict shopping shape-shifting power to escape. tique does not care; she knows she mall, and a time (approximately 3-4 If or when Mystique discovers she will survive. The Sentinels do not care; days off) for the PCs to meet their cannot kill the player characters with­ as a force they will survive. She only unknown ally. (Pick the exact place out endangering all her work, she wants power. They only seek to follow and time that makes sense within your makes a second offer to them. This their programming. campaign.) The message urges the offer is made through radically differ­ Sooner or later, Mystique is going to PCs to use every caution, as their new ent channels - the local newspa­ beccme aware of the activities of the contactdoes not want to be discov­ pers. Show the PCs the "Cease-Fire player characters, particularly if they ered. Handout" found on the large map. have had great success. She need not When the player characters arrive Mystique, through the auspices of urge the Sentinels to greater action, at the meeting location, they find Project Wideawake, is extending a for they do this of their own accord. everything as it should be (even if limited cease-fire to the "band of She gives orders that the PCs are not they arrive earlier than the stated criminals who have repeatedly be captured. They are far too danger­ meeting time). Mystique is not going endangered the health and safety of ous to keep alive. to be so obvious. Instead, she arrives innocent civilians purely in the inter­ If this fails and the player characters disguised as an innocuous but hag­ ests of the well-being of all law­ still manage to damage the Sentinels, gard woman of about 45. An accom­ abiding people." The terms of the Mystique takes the great risk of meet­ plished actress, she behaves cease-fire allow the rebel mutants to ing the characters personally. Using nervous and frightened. name a time and place to confer with her Mystique identity and the mutant Quickly, she explains, "My name is a designated representative of the Underground (which she has always Martha Weeks. I'm a human and I've government. The purpose of this talk maintained contact with), she makes never done anything like this, but I is ostensibly to discuss "conditions contactwith the PCs. A message want to help. I'm a secretary with Sen­ of surrender by which the rebel arrives, verbally memorized by a mem­ SatCom (Sentinel Satellite Command) mutants will lay down their arms and ber of the Underground the PCs know and ..:' But her explanation is cut place themselves under government and trust. The message is as follows: short by a tremendous, explosive roar! supervision." The Sentinels have arrived! If information is requested through "I have heard of you and can give Mystique has used herself as bait the Underground about this meeting, information of immediate use. Please to lure the PCs into the open. She the reactions range from confusion be quick, I am already at grave risk. has previously arranged to have to suspicion. No one has any infor­ Must meet immediately. Pass your eight Sentinels (7 Alpha Sentinels mation to contradict the statements answer through the messenger and led by 1 Omega Sentinel) to follow in the papers. There have been none await my reply. her to this location (use the Shopping of the usual signs of a counter­ "M" Mall Battle Map). Their orders are to insurgency move - more identifica­ kill, not capture, anyone arriving at tion checkpoints, rebasing of As is the case of all messages this location other than Mystique. Sentinels from outlying areas, received through the Underground, The Sentinels take no action against increased SWAT:AM training exer­ the messenger has no idea who the her and she flees the scene as soon cises, greater-than-normal radio traf­ message is from. He heard the mes­ as possible. The Sentinels are under fic, or heavier anti-mutant sage from someone else and, as he strict programming to see that no propaganda. Still, a cease-fire offer acidly points out, didn't ask toomany harm comes to her, even if it means is unprecedented in the history of the questions about who it came from. they must stay their hand. struggle, raising suspicions among Indeed, by being nosy, the PCs have This instruction gives the player Underground leaders. violated the unwritten rule of the characters a chance of surviving the The chosen government repre­ Resistance - don't ask toomany fight if all else fails. If Mystique is sentative is none other than Raven questions. Questions about other used as a hostage, the Sentinels will Darkholme/Mystique. Her desire to Resistance cells are bad - each be forced to allow the characters to meet with the PCs has nothing to do group is intensely paranoid about ns escape. They continue their pursuit with a cease-fire. Instead, she wants own survival as informers and turn­ at whatever distance they feel is to make them an offer. If the player coats abound. safe, however, following the organic characters will renounce their cause If the player characters respond to patterns of the PCs and the and join her personal staff, she will

8 see that they come to no harm. Fur­ characters, the U.S. government, Mystique, since of all the Sentinels, thermore, she guarantees that they Project Wideawake, even his "moth­ Nimrod alone no longer accepts her will not be interned and will be given er" Mystique. In a heartless, command overrides. Furthermore, any full freedoms (equal to humans), mechanical way, Nimrod has tran­ person who attempts to activate the provided they follow her instructions. scended all of these things. Mystique override is a criminal, She promises to use her influence to Nimrod is the highest expression according to Nimrod's new defensive save their loved ones. She suggests of Sentinel technology. Built as a programming. they can do more good for their own one-of-a-kind project, Nimrod is a However, the second of Nimrod's people working with her than against fearsomely aggressive opponent. twochanges is of much less concem her. She points out the risk she is Originally, in Mystique's scheme, to the player characters than Mys­ taking - she is not acting on orders Nimrod was to be her ultimate body­ tique. The reprogramming attempt of the government, but is using her guard. However, fate and events made Nimrod aware of the override own influence. Essentially, Mystique have forced a change in her plans. command in his own computer brain. is offering them positions as the new Fate has intervened in an ironic With logical efficiency, Nimrod has Freedom Force, although she does way. One important feature of Nim­ removed this command. He does not not use this title. rod's design is a fully functional AI know who placed the command and is If the characters accept, Mystique (artificial intelligence) computer­ still not aware of the block that pre­ extends her protection from the Senti­ his brain. This computer gives Nim­ vents him from discovering Mystique nels over them. She makes it clear to rod complete independence from is a mutant. However, he will not the characters that she controls the any Sentinel base since he can respond to commands from Mystique, Sentinels - not the government or make decisions on his own. At the a fact she does not know at present. anyone else. Furthermore, with the same time, his computer brain allows Should she discover this fact, she will characters present, she orders the him to make lightning-quick calcula­ have additional cause for winning the Sentinels to destroy the new Freedom tions. However, his makers unknow­ characters to her side. Force at any cost should something ingly did their job too well. Of late, Unless the pes have defeated happen to her. She does not reveal Nimrod's artificial intelligence has him, Nimrod is going to be a very her true identity as Mystique or even startedto give him something else - BIG nuisance. Being more than just the fact that she is a mutant. emotions and self-identity. Nimrod is programming, Nimrod intelligently If previous attempts to slay or no longer a machine, he is now Nim­ realizes that the defeat of the player seduce the pes fail, Mystique reverts rod the machine/man. characters is the key to restoring the to doing everything in her (and the The event that upset Mystique's Sentinels (and thereby protecting Sentinels') power to kill the player plans for Nimrod was the attempted humanity). If the characters don't go characters. From this point on, no reprogramming by Dr. Hernandez. looking for him, he comes a'hunting mercy or even regard for innocents While not successful, this reprogram­ for them - but only on his own affects the actions of the Sentinels. ming attempt initiated software terms. He is smart and the odds will All-out war has been declared on the defense programs in Nimrod's com­ always be heavily in his favor before player characters. puter. These have discovered and he acts. Nimrod can appear at any removed previous evidences of time and anywhere that is suitable The Great One "tampering" and have created new for your campaign. He was a mightyhunter before the barriers to future attempts. Due to his nature (and the nature Lord: wherefore it is said, Even as The result of these is two-fold. Rrst, of this adventure), there is no set Nimrod the mighty hunter before Nimrod's much-vaunted combat edge encounter with Nimrod. However, the the Lord. is being slightly eroded by his new suggested encounter for each end­ feelings. Although still utterlydedi­ ing and guidelines below should help - Genesis 10:9 cated to his directive to hunt and neu­ you prepare any encounter the pes tralize all mutants, Nimrod has begun have with him. He is grim. He never surrenders. to care more for humans and himself. He never forgets. He never forgives. Thus, if he can avoid the injury of a The People's Revolution He is unique. Of all their foes, the human through the use of Karma Nimrod, leading a full company of heroes face none more relentless points, he does so. Should his own Alpha and Omega Sentinels, and implacable than Nimrod, the destruction be imminent, he retreats descends on the eRA camp while ultimate Sentinel. Of all things in this from battle, unless the retreat would the bulk of the army is absent, mak­ insane world, he is the one thing that definitely endanger humans. His sec­ ing a raid to the south. The player is beyond reach of all - the player ond change is of greater concernto characters and a handful of other

9 mutants must defend the camp. 2) Have the characters been filmed chance of success with any of the However, Nimrod has come specifi­ in action? endings (other than those that lead cally looking for the mutants who Yes: Nimrod gains the + 1 CS bonus to utter failure), it is vital that they destroyed the Sentinel factory. allowed from his special learning cripple the Sentinel communication programs. network. There are two ways this can The Te leporters' Railroad No: Nimrod gains no bonus. be done. One is difficull. The other is The player characters have just 3) Have the characters fought other virtually impossible. safely returned to the Dyson sphere Sentinels in battles that lasted longer The harder and most obvious with another successful pick-up than 3 rounds? method is to destroy the central com­ when there is the sudden "Zam!" of Yes: Nimrod gains his learning pro­ puter control. Aside from the obvious a teleporter.There, before their eyes, gram bonus when fighting those heavy protection such an installation stands Nimrod! Using an enhanced characters and is specially prepared has, there are a few other difficulties teleportation circuit and following the for any techniques used to damage with this option. The first is locating residual energies of the characters, or destroy other Sentinels. the centrat computer.Since their he has followed them home. He No: Nimrod gains no bonus. assumption of virtual power, the Sen­ makes a quick scan of the place and Since Nimrod is the most powerful, tinels have rebuilt the central com­ "Zam!" disappears again. Unless deadly, and potentially frightening puter in a new location, far away the PCs pursue and stop him, the foe the player characters will face, it from the original site at Shaw Indus­ location of their secret world will be is important that this encounter be tries. It is not a piece of information revealed to all the Sentinels, who will played correctly. You do not want to they bandy about, either. Indeed, if be sure to return! throw away the best and most excit­ you want, the player characters are ing battle encounter in the adventure simply not going to be able to locate Salvation for lack of preparations.Introduce this headquarters. Relentless in his pursuit, Nimrod him only after you understand all his If you do allow the PCs to attack follows the characters back in time. powers and how they can best be the central computer control (and Here he confronts them just as they used against the characters. this is not recommended!), you will are about to achieve their goal. If the Remember, your play must be as have to create a floor plan of the PCs can defeat him, they may be smart as Nimrod's! base. It is located in an underground able to use his memory data to show complex (similar to Cheyenne Moun­ the world what will happen unless The Eye That Never Blinks tain), hardened against nuclear Project Wideawake is stopped. Of The Sentinels are powerful foes, attack and well-protected against course, they may also be delivering but even those as mighty as they nearly all known mutant threats.The the needed technological firepower have weaknesses. It is only by prey­ entire complex is encased in ada­ straight into the hands of the enemy. ing upon these weaknesses that the mantium.There is a standing force player characters can hope to win. of one full company of Sentinels (81 Life in Hell Perhaps the Sentinels' greatest Alpha Sentinels, 16 Omega Senti­ Nimrod hunts the characters down weakness is their highly centralized nels, 4 mark VI Sentinels, and 9 IV and attempts to neutralize them, just command structure.Sentinels, while mark Sentinels).The central com­ as he was built to do. fearsome and innovative in combat, puter also controls a number of To help you prepare for the actual are still only machines, bound to the installed defenses including nerve­ combat, these guidelines will give orders and directives of someone or gas dischargers, catch-web cables you some idea of Nimrod's capability something. In this case, it is a thing with built-in nullifiers, a full spectrum in the coming fight. - the central computer control. In range of energy beams, disintegrator one way or another, all Sentinels are beams, light traps, nerveshock corri­ 1) Have the player characters tied to it. It is the home of vast data dors, and psychic inhibitors. In short, encountered Nimrod before? banks that record every mutant ever virtually every defense that has ever Ills: Nimrod is prepared for any tactic encountered. It tracks the location of been used by the Sentinels is used to battle or defeat him in the every Sentinel in North America.It installed here.Furthermore, all Senti­ previous encounter. He does not mere­ monitors the communication network nels, including Nimrod, have priority ly anticipate the move, he has pre­ vital to all Sentinel headquarters. response orders should any attack pared active counter-measures to Without it, the Sentinels become be mounted on the central computer. damage, subdue, or kill his attackers. isolated, waging a war without In the long run, it is best if the central No: Nimrod makes no special prepara­ orders.Obviously, it has to go. computer center is the last target tions based on personal experience. For the characters to have any attacked, well after the Sentinels

10 have been destroyed. range 50 miles) controlled by infra­ central computeris cut off.Thus, no Fortunately for the player charac­ red, optical, and radar guidance sys­ Sentinel but Nimrod can call upon ters, there is another, possibly easier, tems (F 15). Fortunately, these information in the central computer. method to cripple the Sentinels' weapons are mainly intended for use (Nimrod carries his own data base wi th communication network. All Senti­ against large targets. Smaller ones him.) Adaptive learning gained from nels use FM or tight-beam laser to (such as a single person) have a -2 previous encounters in other sectors is communicate with the central com­ CS when shot at. Each ASAT also lost to the Sentinels, along with knowl­ puter.However, both these methods carries a cluster bomb, a small edge of specialized tactics and their are greatly limited in range, laser explosive charge that hurls a cloud counters.Information Oncluding known especially being restricted to direct of steel balls out in all directions. mutants at large) that applies to the line-of-sight communications.There­ These only do Good damage to any­ current patrol area is still available on fore, all Sentinels rely upon SenSat­ one within the one kilometer blast the Surveillance Base computer. Large Com Network (SSCN). This is a area, but are quite effective at scale reinforcement and redeployment series of three geosynchronous sat­ destroying unarmored sensitive is no longer possible.Mutant detection ellites (satellites that revolve over the equipment.Firing the cluster bomb through satellite link is no longer possi­ same point of the earthat all times) destroys the ASAT. None of the ble. Full normal functions cannot be that provide complete coverage over ASAT's are armored, as their defense restored for six to eight months. If only North America. If the characters can lies in their ability to destroy any two satellites are destroyed, the effects reach these satellites (in low earth threats. Their highly sophisticated above only apply to one coast. After orbit) and destrtly them, Sentinel guts make them very vulnerable to one week, the blacked-out terrilory contact witt; the central computer will attack and each is considered to regains all normal functions but the be knocked out. have 20 Health.The communication ability to draw on the central data To knock out these satellites, the satellites themselves have no base. If one satellite is destroyed, one PCs must first locate them. like the defenses and any character reaching coast is under a communication black­ central computer, Sentinels tend to or successfully shooting one can out for 72 hours. After this time, all be close-mouthed about the orbits of automatically disable it. normal functions return, as the remain­ these relays. However, the orbit If all the satellites are destroyed, all ing two satellites are maneuvered into paths are known to SenSatCom relayed Sentinel communication to the new positions. technicians, military specialists, and those still working at the hollow shell of NASA. If player characters have contacts in these areas, they can gain the appropriate information. Otherwise, PCs with astronomy or physics knowledge can calculate the general locations of the satellites based on the probable locations needed to provide adequate cover­ age.These calculations will produce 2-12 sites of which only three will be reasonably accurate. Once in space, the characters must make an Amazing Reason FEAT roll to locate each satellite. If the roll is failed, a new entry into the suspected orbital path must be made. However, even these satellites are not without their defenses. Each has two bodyguards - modified ASAT (Anti-Satellite) satellites. These, origi­ nally designed to find and kill other satellites, are now fitted with defen­ sive weaponry. Each ASAT has a powerful laser (Amazing damage,

11 The web of man, strength, is based in Alaska, sepa­ characters are going to have to Grey as armor, rated from the rest by the broad spine accept some of the demands of army Is now being woven; of the Canadian Rockies. Each of the life. These are not the simple matters The Va lkyries fi ve brigades numbers about 6,000 of rising at reveille, saluting, or Will cross it soldiers. These soldiers are thinly remembering to say "Yes, sir," and With a crimson weft. spread throughout the area, not pre­ "No, sir." No, the characters are senting concentrated targets to Senti­ going to have to accept orders and Nja/'s Saga nel raids. Thus, camps of the CRA take responsibility for others. It will - trans. Magnusson & Palsson seldom number more than 30 to 50 be a hard task. people and are based within actual Like the Sentinels, the CRA is This section gives details of three communities of sympathizers. grouped into combat units. However, of the four possible endings provided Fortunately for the CRA, the Canadi­ in this case, the organization is a in this adventure. If you have already ans of the north woods are a rugged weird blend of Underground, decided which ending you wish to and independent-minded lot with little SHIELD, and regular army terms. use, you do not need to read this love of outside interferencesuch as The smallest group is based on the entire section. You only need to read the Sentinels would bring. The accept­ Underground's unit, the cell. Each the information under that ending. ance of the CRA could be due to the cell consists of three to five persons, However, if you are still uncertain as backwoods mystique surrounding all of whom know and trust each to which ending you want to use, Wolverine or the tough-as-nails appeal other. This trust is important, for if briefly read through all the informa­ of Nick Fury. Whatever the source, the the cell collapses, the CRA will fall tion below. locals have begun to speak of the apart. Each member of the cell is a Remember, just because you eRA as "our boys" much like the Field Agent, a holdover-title from the choose to play one ending does not soldiers of previous wars. SHIELD days. One member of each mean you cannot later play another. In addition, the CRA maintains con­ cell is the Reporting Agent or corpo­ The Marvel Universe is filled with tact with infant movements throughout ral. This corporal reports to the next opportunities to travel backward and the country, encouraging them and level up, the District Office, also forwardin time. Furthermore, if you trying to coordinate their activities with called the "cadre." cleverly use a multitude of alternate the strategies of the eRA. Some The District Office is commanded futures (and alternate pasts!), there groups cooperate willingly, happy for by a sergeant. Normally, five to sev­ is no reason you cannot play each the support - both material and moral en cells report to each District Office. ending out to the end. - the CRA provides. Others reject The sergeant knows the com­ any guidance from outsiders, suspect­ manders of those District Offices The People's Revolution ing them of treachery or having their working in the areas around him and This ending can only be used if the own political programs to push. Of all coordinates missions with them. player characters have made contact these groups, the strongest and best Each District Office reports to the with and been accepted by the Cana­ organized outside the CRA is Sebas­ captain of the Regional Battalion. dian Resistance Army (CRA), a rag-tag tian Shaw's Mutant Army, a guerrilla It is at the battalion level that the collection of former American and network operating mainly in Te xas. true army structure of the CRA sets in. Canadian soldiers, SHIELD agents, Player character experience with the Each battalion has 10 to 15 District human rebels, and fugitive mutants. Mutant Army is valuable to the CRA. It Offices reporting to it. In addition, each This group, approximately 30,000 is quite likely that once accepted, the battalion maintains a company of strong, has been struggling to survive pes will be asked to work as couriers heavy weapons (heavy machine guns, in the harsh forests of the Northwest and liaisons between the two groups. concussion cannons, and a few pieces Te rritories. At the same time, the CRA of armor) and a squad (5-12 persons) is trying to build itself into the resist­ How the eRA Works of specialists. These specialists ance army that will drive out the hated If you are going to use this ending include demolitions experts, pilots, oppressors - the Sentinels. It does for the Future in Flames campaign, it mutants with combat-specialized not look to be an easy task. is important that you understand the powers, and a few, truly rare, mutants Organizationally, the CRA is divided structure and operations of the CRA. with highly specialized military applica­ into five brigades, loosely spread east For, unlike so many undisciplined tions. Some send and receive to west from northern Ontario to north­ super-hero groups, the CRA works thoughts which cannot be intercepted central Alberta and north into the hard to be an army - indeed it must by the Sentinels. Others intercept the Yukon and Northwest Te rritories. A if it is going to survive. To take part in secret frequencies of the Sentinels, sixth brigade, much weaker in or lead the revolution, the player overhearing their communicalions. A

12 few are even able to block out radio America. Aswith the other HQs in the members are the ones who must signals in limited areas. There are CRA, CRASH also commands a num­ decide the grand strategy of the CRA. mutants with healing powers, mutants ber of special units.These include Their choices determine Nick Fury's able to scramble unshielded electron­ military specialists in a number of actions and the operations of the bri­ ics, and even one who can project the different areas - combat engineering, gades.They decide just what the CRA mutant X-factor aura onto others logistics, transport, communications, is fighting for and what they hope to (including Sentinels)! medical, and intelligence staffs are all accomplish. These decisions then Above the battalion captains is the important. There is also a special shape the propaganda of the CRA, brigade colonel. Each brigade is iden­ bodyguard/strike team - the cream of determining how the common people tified with its regional headquarters. SHIELD and the most capable combat react to them and their deeds. These HQs have long since moved mutants. Player characters who have Finally, the council also controls from their original locations, so the shown themselves powerful, effective, the Tr aining and Indoctrination Cadre names have little meaning now. The and intelligent can be attached to this (TIC).This unit is responsible for five in Canada are Primrose, Great unit, if they wish. Finally, there are the seeing that new recruits are trained Slave, St. Jean, Athabasca, and The air assets of the CRAAF. Here the for combat and that veterans under­ Pas brigades.The brigade and battal­ fi nest craft are kept, including an old­ stand the goals of the eRA.This ion commanders have worked hard to model Blackbird (similar to the X-Men cadre is a powerful force, since it can instill an esprit de corps among the plane of the early '80s), two sub-space be used to pOlitically indoctrinate the members of each brigade, no easy orbiters, a deep-space atmospheric soldiers of the CRA, creating a loyal task considering the loose organiza­ glider rocket, and 10 VTOL (Vertical and dedicated soldiery.The council tion at the levels below. In addition to Take-Off and Landing) jets. There are is painfully aware of the power and its battalions, each brigade holds a also a number of SHIELD attack heli­ responsibility it holds, particularly the number of specialized assets to be copters and specialized hover plat­ menace present should it come assigned out as needed. Crucial forms. The majority of SHIELD's under the sway of an evil or unscru­ among these is the CRAAF (Canadian surviving equipment is held here. pulous demagogue. Resistance Army Air Force), a noble Thus, there is a little of every type of Currently, there are eight members title for a battered and hodge-podge armament SHIELD has used in recent on the council.Tw o, Nick Fury and collection of airplanes. Each brigade years, although much of it is worse for Wolverine, are members out of respect has several small planes (flown by wear. For PCs, this means that for their knowledge and experience. volunteer bush pilots), civilian helicop­ CRASH will only authorize the use of The remainder hold seats for their ters and one or two heavy combat its equipment for well·thought and military, political, scientific, or real­ aircraft.These are severely limited by realistic plans. Even then, the avail­ world savvy.The background and a lack of fuel and sizeable landing ability of any given piece of equipment attitude of each is outlined below. strips.Thus, they are only committed is limited - the CR A can be assumed Fury: Little need be said of this to the most crucial air operations, to have a resource level of Excellent. Nick great man's career for it has been where they will have the best degree Since the equipment is very scarce, well-publicized in the past. He has of success.Other special companies CRASH only authorizes its use in the served his country since World War II include the elite Strike Teams, com­ most desperate situations. It prefers at and has risen to manage the largest posed of hardened SHIELD agents, this time to save its equipment for and most powerful enforcement veterans of the Canadian and Ameri­ when it can strike the final blow. agency in the world. His experience can special forces, former SWAT:AM with world-shattering threats and his officers, and powerfulmutants . These The Council on Political Affairs tough, upright morality have carried teams regularly undertake the most However, Nick Fury is painfully him through many bleak times. Here dangerous and critical missions. aware that he is no politician, con­ and now is the worst. Above the brigades is the CRASH stantly blaming himself for SHIELD's Of all the council members, Nick I (Canadian Resistance Army Supreme destruction at the hands of bureau· Fury best remembers the lessons of Headquarters). At its head is Nick crats and Sentinels. Thus, advising the past. For him, the Sentinels are Fury, one-time SHIELD commander. him in all matters is the Council on no less than the evil of Hitler reincar­ Former officers of the U.S.and Cana­ Political Affairs. nate. The attitudes and parallels dian Anmies have willingly deferred to For the player characters, this coun­ between the two are all too obvious. his experience, as he possesses more cil is perhaps more important than the The Sentinels only remind him of the practical combat time against both organization of brigades. The council comrades he lost in another war, normal and super-powered enemies is charged with overseeing of the revo­ steeling his resolve to destroy them. than nearly any other man in North lution, a critical task.The council

13 1

Politically, Fury is conservative and Pentagon to the use of the CRA. and an Indian woman, Dr. Nelson strongly anti-communistic. It's not Politically, Tu rner is embittered by has traveled the world extensively that he has any strong political phi­ his treatment at the hands of the and has much to base her judgments losophy; again, his ties to the past bureaucrats. He has decided he has on. She survived a difficult childhood betray him. He remembers how the no use for the Sentinels or their lack­ of constant moving, bigotry, and cul­ promise of unity between the Allies eys, the current government. He tural pressure to earn a scholarship collapsed during the Cold War. Thus, naively believes that all can be set at a modest Midwestern University. he is highly suspicious of "revolu­ right if the CRA and its political coun­ While she did not demonstrate an tion," preferring a return to good, old cil assume control. Like many mili­ innovative brilliance there, she values and a strong, peaceful socie­ tary men, he believes the armed excelled in analy1ical and evaluative ty. For all his fiery talk and skill-at­ forces can do a better job of running studies. As such, she became a val­ arms, Nick Fury is getting old and no the country than elected officials. ued assistant in laboratories of the longer has a reason to love war. Sentinel program. However, after JefferyMcEwan: Mr. McEwan is a several run-ins with Raven Scotsman, assigned to the CRA as a Wolverine: Wolverine hates this Darkholme and a growing concern liaison by the British government. council and dearly wishes he were about the programming of the Senti­ Officially, his duty is to observe and not a part of it. He has no political nels, she quit the project. Shortly reporttheir activities to his superiors. ambitions or beliefs. He only after this she survived several mur­ Secretly, he is supposed to coordinate responds to the demands of the derous attacks, the cause of which a number of services for the CRA. internal self, following his secret was obvious to her. It was in fleeing Great Britain has an only thinly-veiled moral map. It is only his sense of one of these attacks that she fell in dislike of the Sentinels, particularlyfor honor and obligation that keeps him with Thomas Grafton, a CRA agent. their depredations into Commonwealth here. He feels he has to be on this He brought her to CRASH, where territory. As such, the current govern­ council because he owes it to com­ her advice and expertise have ment has been providing covert sup­ rades who fell in the past. However, proven invaluable many times over. portto the CRA. McEwan has been he still considers the whole thing a She recently married Grafton. able to arrange weaponsshipments waste of time. Her experiences as a Navy brat and is occasionally authorized to pass Wolverine's only solution to the allowed her to see quite a number of on classified information of use to Sentinel problem is to destroy them different cultures. Although she has CRA operations. Because of the - by himself if he has to. Thus, he no strong political beliefs (being importance of these services, McEwan will supportany plan that achieves middle-of-the-road Democrat prior to is grudgingly given a seat on the coun­ this goal and any political solution the start of this nightmare), she has a cil. that expiates his sense of obligation. natural abhorrence of social injus­ McEwan's politics, however, are tice. This includes persecution, dis­ decidedly not in line with those who parity of wealth, social classes, and Rear-Admiral Warner Tu rner, Ret.: sent him. While he has always been Rear-Admiral Tu rner was once a bureaucratic justice, among others. an effective, if not brilliant, liaison rising star in the Pentagon establish­ However it is only now that she is officer, he secretly harbors resent­ ment, before everything went to piec­ becoming politically active. Her sen­ ment against the upper classes of es. Unable to stand by silently while sibilities could be exploited to sup­ English society, particularly the "old the Sentinels dismantled his beloved port a number of different pOSitions. boy" network. Politically, he has a Navy, Tu rner spoke up once too loud decidedly socialisUcommunist out­ Albert Rubin: Rubin gleefully points and more than once too often. Quick­ look. These feelings are not so out that ever since he became "politi­ ly, he saw his career dead-ended and strong to lead him into actual treach­ cally aware" some twenty years ago, then de-commissioned by political ery, but he does not mind directing a he has done his best to be aconstant maneuvers. It didn't take a brilliant developing political group toward a thorn in the side of those in power. To mind to see that those on Project certain outcome. this end he has had an illustrious, Wideawake were responsible for his albeit unprofitable and unappreciated, fall. Determined not to go quietly into Dr. Parajhat Nelson: Dr. Nelson was career. As a student he edited, printed, the night, he helped the infant CRA a middle-level researcher during the and hawked issues of the infamous survive the first few years in the wil­ early stages of Project Wideawake's "Commie-Scare Sheet" with its guar­ derness. Knowing there is little place Sentinel reactivation program. She is antee to outrage sacred cows from for a sailor in a land-locked war, Tu rn­ the council's expert on Sentinel pro­ right to left. After a highly publicized er has turned his organizational gramming and capabilities. Born the breach of national security lawsuit expertiseand old contacts in the daughter of an American Navy man (which he won), he and several others

14 founded Pike, Inc., the "alternative Deng Marxists, Neo-Stalinists, or was nobody important. He has never business construct, a working model Third World governments. While held public office, served in the mili­ of a socialist business within the capi­ politically far to the left, Rubin is the tary, written a book, or expounded talistic society." His tactics and criti­ most motivated and has the most great political philosophy. He was cisms quickly brought him in connict feeling for the undercurrent moods of just an ordinary man, the manager of with the Wall Street types, garnering America. He quite naturally supports a trading post in northern Manitoba. yet more publicity and several more revolution aimed at the restructuring When the Sentinels first came, he lawsuits against him in the process. of the American Political Machine. was content to mind his own busi­ This time his antagonist was the SEC ness. The giant machines never Once the Canadian (Securities and Exchange Commis­ Wilson Petries: came that far north and he didn't Minister of the Interior, Mr. Petries has sion). Although he lost he only served have much use for the cities anyway. fallen quite far from his safe, secure a token sentence, paying a small fine He spent several summers sitting on position. When the Canadian Parlia­ and spending six months in a Federal his porch, watching a few more refu­ ment was dismantled by the Sentinels prison. As usual, the sentence only gees than last year arrive. He lis­ (shortly after their occupation of Cana­ gave him more opportunities to define tened to their stories and helped da), Petries' public and personal life his political philosophy. them all he could. And then one day crumbled. Out of work and alarmed by However, it was while in prison that he took his gun and disappeared. A the direction North America is headed, widespread mutant identification and year later, he turned up in the eRA Petries has chosen to risk his life by registration began. As part of com­ camp, ready to serve. A few of the joining with the CRA. monplace procedure, Rubin was Indian volunteers saw "the spirit of Petries is basically a conservative scanned and found to be an anoma­ the Wendigo" in his eyes. at heart, but has learned that no one lous human. Needless to say, upon Since his arrival at CRASH, Dean can be judged in simple terms. His his release from prison, he began to has proven himself more than once. foremost goal is the liberation of protest the rising fascist state of He is a rare thing, a natural charis­ Canada. The problems of the United America. Legal forms of protest were matic, able to inspire others with his States are of only secondary con­ quickly quashed and Rubin began to leadership. His common sense, cern. This cause has led him to fuller face a round of court cases, jail insight, woodsman skills, and spirit­ understandings of the diverse nature terms, mob scenes, and beatings. ual intensity have quickly moved him of his own land. A keen statesman, Cut off from the system, he and the up in CRASH.He has no clear politi­ he often constructs compromises late Edward Glean founded AMA, the cal beliefs, only a desire to see between the suspicious factions of American Marxist Army. Rubin and things "put right." He does have a the rank and file, getting radical Que­ Glean, along with a handful of oth­ natural distrust of technology, scien­ becois, stolid Alberta oilmen, taciturn ers, launched a campaign of urban tists, and formal philosophies. Just Kootenay Indians, middle-class terrorism designed to humiliate and what motivates Dean and how he got Ontario businessmen, and more to harass the Sentinels and the U.S. this way is a total mystery, something meet and lend their support to the government. Their combat methods, he never talks about. CRA. Petries envisions the CR A as while insignificant, were quite spec­ more than just a Sentinel resistance tacular and noticeable.They were Startthe Revolution With ...? movement. He takes its name seri­ done to generate media attention of The first step of beginning the war ously and foresees it as the core of a the Sentinels, hopefully driving home against the Sentinels is for the council, political movement that will place their ineffectiveness. Of course, if and perhaps the player characters, to Canada in the dominant position in the incident cast the Sentinels and decide just what type of war to con­ North America. Given the state of their lackeys in an evil role, so much duct. To do this, the PCs must earn affairs in the United States, his ambi­ the better. Feeling that now is time admittance to the council sessions. tion is neither far-fetched nor mega­ for more direct action, he has estab­ To earn this right, the player char­ lomaniacal. Furthermore, his role in lished contact with the CRA. acters must prove they are tough, the CRA is vital, since he provides Through the strength of his convic­ dedicated, and intelligent. There is the Canadian leadership needed to tions and his sheer willpower, Rubin no space for weak, spineless bozos gain the support of the local people. has obtained a seat on the council. here. If the PCs have already met There is no doubt about Rubin's Herschel Dean: It is difficult to mea­ with Nick Fury (from events in MX3), political convictions, although he sure by just what reasoning Herschel it is quite possible these questions fervently disclaims any connection Dean has been made a member of have already been answered. If the with the Politburo, Chinese Marxists, this council. Prior to the beginning of characters led the assault on the Leninists, Tr otskyites, Stalinists, the Sentinel horror in Canada, Dean Sentinel factory (and did not hope-

15 lessly bungle the job) there is no This is the same company that has vote before the council. Te ll the players question about their credentials. been raiding the cells, so any Senti­ they should now vote for the solution 1 Otherwise, you will have to use the nels destroyed can be removed from their player character (not the NPC past actions of the PCs (and what the total strength.The CRA provides council members) would prefer.The the grapevine has said about them) guides to the Sentinel base (a clearing vote can be public or, if you wish, l to determine their worth. on the shores of the lake), but offers secret.The solution with the most If the player characters have not no other assistance. If the characters votes is the winner. The NPC council met with the CRA before, they have succeed in destroying or severely members vote as follows: to prove themselves to Fury and the damaging the Sentinels, the council others. Upon contacting the CRA, considers them worthy. Nick Fury Solution #4 the PCs get passed through different Wolverine Abstain cells until they arrive at CRASH.The The Great Debate Rear-Adm.Tu rner Solution #2 first cell that finds them views them After the player characters are McEwan Solution #1 with great suspicion (treat as popu­ accepted into the council, the real Dr. Nelson Solution #3 larity 0).The player characters could issues begin.The PCs must help Rubin Solution #1 be plants attempting to infiltrate the decide the direction the war will take. Petries Solution #3 CR A. They are held incommunicado For this part of the module, photo­ Dean Solution #4 for a week, not told anything, while copy page 32, "The Great Debate the cell awaits orders. This begins a Cards." Cut apart the different posi­ What It All Means series of secret moves for the PCs, tion statements and give one to each The solution the characters from one town or camp to another, player or group of players (try to choose has an effect on the success each time meeting with suspicion make the groups equal in size if pos­ of the war. The good and bad points and distrust that they must over­ sible). Let each player or group read of each are given below. come. At the same time, the area is the position statement. Be sure Solution #1: However radical this being heavily patrolled by a company everyone understands their position seems, this solution is almost a text­ of Sentinels.One check should be since they must argue for it. If you book example for how to wage a made each day, using the "Search want, you can also read the descrip­ guerrilla war - a small, determined Flow Chart" from MX1 if it is availa­ tion of the appropriate council mem­ minority battling against a far more ble (CRA cells have Amazing protec­ ber who supports the position.When powerful, but potentially hateful ene­ tions), or by making an Amazing everyone is ready, tell the players my. Guerrilla wars are never easy. FEAT roll. If the roll is successful, the these different positions are the opin­ They can take a very long time to Sentinels have come no closer to ions of other council members and succeed and require extraordinary finding the cell. If the roll is failed, are the proposals before the council. dedication from the fighters.Savage the next highest color will also be Each player (or group) must now brutality on both sides is common­ considered failure the next time. rOle-play the part of the council mem­ place.Innocents invariably get hurt, Thus white and green mean failure ber in favor of that position. The play­ especially since guerrilla soldiers when checking after the first failed ers must decide on the best policy must disguise themselves as civil­ die roll.When all results give failure, for the conduct of the war. Further­ ians to survive, causing the authori­ the CR A camp is discovered. Two more, players who can successfully ties to treat all civilians as potential triads of Sentinels (6 Alpha Senti­ argue for their position will earn their enemies. The actual rebellion is very nels) raid the camp some time that PC extra Karma points, depending fragile in its early stages, since day. After changing cells five times on how well they do. After telling severe setbacks only discourage (each accompanied by a 3-5 day your player's this, let them work out a people, not encourage them. delay), the characters reach CRASH. solution.This may take some time, A guerrilla war must also gain the Upon reaching CRASH, the tough­ but be patient. If your players are support of the population. This is ness of the PCs wi ll be self-evident. It good role-players the resulting dis­ normally done by tying the actual •\ is clear their powers must be substan­ cussion should get very lively! war to a clear political goal. This goal tial simply because they have survived The object of this discussion is not must include the overthrow of local this long. However, they have yet to to win the argument, but to reach a or national authority. No cease-fires prove their dedication and brains so decision. If the players can reach a or terms can be accepted, since the Nick Fury gives them a seemingly compromise, than all the PCs earn 20 replacement of the evil government impossibleassignment. They are Karma points. However, if the players is a key part of the politics.More ordered to destroy the Sentinel com­ resign in frustration, unable to reach a effort has to be spent on politicizing pany that has been plaguing the area. solution, the choices are put up to a the masses - getting them to agree

16 with the policies of the rebels. Solution 64: This answer essentially the five Canadian CRA brigade HOs Due to th'e high degree of central ducks the issue. It recognizes the and allow them to choose a location control that is needed to fight a guer­ need to begin with immediate military for CRASH.Nex1 have them assign rilla war and the need to appeal to operations- realistic ones that can be strike teams from the CR A Resourc­ people's sense of social injustice, fought on a small scale - and to es Ta ble (show them this or make a most rebellions take on a socialist! improve the equipment and training copy) to the diHerent CRA brigades. communist tone.While this is not levels of the army. However, it gives no Where they put their main forces absolute, it is a very common result answers for what to do with liberated determines the areas where most of of popular revolutions. territories.Therefore, combat teams their attacks will be made. Still, for all its dangers and faults, have a + 1 CS under this solution, but When they are prepared, they can this solution oHers the greatest hope liberation attempts suffer a -1 CS for assign operations to each strike of success against the Sentinels. lack of a political plan. team. These operations are: The people feel a part of the process Tr ansfer: The strike team moves to and so there is a + 1 CS on all libera­ The Conduct of War any other CRA HO.Subtract it from tion attempts. A war, rebellion, or whatever you the old brigade and add it to the new call it is not a small aHair. In this Solution #2: This is perhaps the worst one. case, it will involve thousands of of all the solutions.The CRA cannot Train and Equip: This allows one people, hundreds of miles, and hours afford the lUxury of time. If it does not scout team to be improved to a strike of careful planning. There is simply act soon, its members will get discour­ team or one strike team to be no possible way to prepare every aged and many will desert. At the improved to an elite team.Only one encounter, engagement, and set­ same time, the Sentinels will hardly be team per brigade can train and equip piece battle that will occur.You, as inactive.They continue to wear down each turn. Judge, must decide what actions the power of the CRA, even before it Patrol: Designate the team's patrol your player characters are going to has a chance to act.Finally, this solu· area. Patrols have no specific mis­ be involved in. Player characters tion seriously underestimates the sion but are assigned to collect can also become involved in the might of the Sentinels, potentially set­ equipment, find recruits, and harass planning and strategy of the war. ting up the eRA for a major disaster. the enemy. They are expected to Given the huge scope of operations, However, the solution is correct in handle any Sentinels they encounter this is not an unreasonable role for pointing out that more and expert by themselves. them. For the most part, the PCs training is needed to defeat the Senti­ Raid: Designate the target of the allocate resources and plan raids, nels. If intensive training is chosen, the strike team. The team has been taking the field only for the most quality of each combat team (whatever assigned the task of making a quick major operations.These, along with its size) gets a + 1 CS bonus. hit and run on a particularly impor­ Sentinel raids on the patrols, HOs, tant target. Normally several teams Solution 13: This solution assumes and depots of the CRA, should give will be assigned the same target at the Sentinels will accept a negotiated the characters plenty to do. Ambi­ the same time. peace, especially to establish a tious Judges can also introduce spe­ Liberate: Designate the area to be mutant homeland. This can only be cial home-made adventures - liberated. This is the most diHicult possible if the CRA is extraordinarily Slipping deep into Sentinel territory and intense operation the CR A can successful and is powerful enough to to rescue or locate a group of poten­ mount. In it, not only do teams defeat protect its borders. This might be tial recruits, going out of the country the Sentinels in the area, but also possible but it won't be easy. How­ to visit important suppliers in Europe attempt to guard the borders from ever, this outcome might also be and Asia (a good opportunity to intro­ further attacks and assume govern­ entertaining if the Judge wants to set duce an adventure that has abso­ mental control of the area. Liberation up a long-running campaign cen­ lutely nothing to do with the is normally done only after raids tered around the conflicts between Sentinels), or tracking down and 1 have neutralized all enemy strong­ the Sentinels and the mutant home­ dealing with Mystique. holds and patrols have encouraged land.The best suggestion from this However, you must also be able to the populace. solution is that the British might be play oul lhe general course of the After the characters have assigned able to provide more than just mate­ war. Your players must play Ihe parts all combat teams they wish, it is time rial suppOrt. Backed with the promise of the overall commanders of Ihe to calculate the results of that of nuclear protection, the CRA gains CRA (whether these are Iheir PCs or month'S actions. For this, assign one a great deal of teeth (a +2 CS nol). Using the map of Sentinel of the point values below to each toward the liberation of any territory). America, show them the location of team based on its activities for the

17 turn (or have your players do this). made. II a white result is rolled, three ters can eventually overwhelm teams are lost and the overall colorof even the might of the Sentinels. J Patrolling team (any type) 10 pts. the area is increased by one. If the However, there is much potential Raiding scout team 3 pts. result is a color less than that required, for utter disaster. Rash players Raiding strike team 5 pts. one or two teams are lost (as in a and ill-thought strategies will sure­ Raiding elite team 10 pts. Raid) and one installation in the area ly carry the revolution to destruc­ Liberation team (any type) 3 pts. is rebuilt. It has the same color as the tion. " you find your group headed To tal the number of points for all die result (green or yellow). This in such a direction, do not hesitate teams doing the same action in the installation must be destroyed before to have Nick Fury relieve them of same area. Thus, if five strike teams more liberation attempts can be made command or transfer them to are patrolling in the Northeast area, in the same area. some other duty. As he can the total would be 50 points. Note explain, "There are some gen­ that only raiding teams sent against eRA Karma erals who are born to lead the the same target should be added In some ways, the CRA is like an charge into the guns, not organize together. Make a FEAT roll for each entity unto itself. Thus, it is able to the mules and kitchens needed to operation, using the total value to earn Karma for certain actions it feed the fighting men. And I wish I determine the proper Rank. The successfully accomplishes (and lose could be there with you." consequences of each FEAT roll Karma for others). This is not a Kar­ depends on the mission and the ma pool! No individual, including the The Te leporters' Railroad color result. player characters, can contribute to the CRA totals, nor can they draw "Brothers, now your friends have Patrolling: On a white result, one team upon this Karma. The smallest unit come! (of the Judge's choice) has been upon which CRA Karma can be Be bra ve! Be brave! captured or eliminated. The patrols spent is the strike team. Thus, CRA Wo uld you see me taken captive?" fai led. On a green result, one new Karma can be used to alter the out­ scout team is recruited for that come of some action in the war, but it Black Elk Speaks brigade. On a yellow result, two new cannot save PC lives. - John G.Neihardt scout teams are recruited. A red result At the beginning of the campaign, has the same effect as yellow and, in the CRA begins with 15 Karma There are words, drifting like the addition, a triad of Sentinels is points. The CRA gains and loses breeze, heard here and there, destroyed, allowing one team to Karma for the following actions: always fading away, floating through immediately advance to the next the Underground - the teleporters' grade. Completely liberating an area + 1 0 railroad! It is a fantastic thing, a my1h Raid: On a white result, the attack is Destroying an internment of hope and fantasy, a story that a failure. Hall the attacking force is camp +15 many have heard but none have destroyed (Judge's choice). seen - but is it real? There is no Destroying an installation - 3 Otherwise, the attack may succeed if Causing Sentinels to rebuild one to say. It remains only words - it equals or betters the color of the a wind in this desert. an installation - 5 attacked base. II it does not, the Causing Sentinels to attack fails and the CRA loses one The Whispered Wind increase defense of an area - 10 strike team for every color difference As th_e player characters concen­ (a green result on a red installation Last Words trate on day-to-day survival and plan would mean the loss of two teams). When playing this war, remem­ for another big strike against the Once an attack is successful, the ber that the player characters also hated Sentinels, they come into con­ base is permanently destroyed need an excuse to go out and tact with other Underground cells. In (unless a liberation attempt fails). adventure. There are many sug­ these brief contacts, two things will Ubera tion: Liberation can only begin gestions in this section and in be exchanged - equipment and after all installations in an area have other sections for exciting information. While equipment may collapsed to successful raids. II the encounters your PCs can have. be useful, experienced Underground liberation FEAT roll is equal to or Be sure to spice up your sessions members know information is worth greater than the color of the area, the with a lively balance of thought its weight in gold. Therefore, any of attempt was successful. The color of and action! the following rumors may reach the the area is reduced by one (from red By applying these rules with ears of the PCs. to yellow, etc.). It remains at this new clever role-playing, player charac· "Thursday night there'll be a camp level until another liberation attempt is

18 of black-tech marketeers down by they refuse to follow all your clues, bat worthy. While several may have the old highway. They're promising continue to run the game and await a useful skills for day-te-day survival, security as proof of their stuff!" new opportunity to introduce these none have ever fought back before. encounters. They are not going to start today. "There's a request going through At the first sign of resistance, both the vine to find any 'porters. The Black-Tech Camp SWAT teams open fire. Stun rays, Someone wants to set up a talk with Black-tech marketeers are a spe­ machine pistol tracers, and explod­ them. It's said they got some kind of cialized group of Underground mer­ ing canisters of gas fly through the plan. There's a drop you can leave chants who deal in the tools of area. The other mutants have the information at - it's that old survival, those items that are hard to sense to hit the deck, dropping out of houseboat down by the river." find, build or buy - masks, jammers, the line of fire. The PCs are in the wild weasels, and the like (see crossfire, but the confusion works to "You remember Lila Cheney, the Appendix #2). They roll into towns at their advantage. Quickly, SWAT offi­ rock star? She was seen last week, infrequent intervals, driving battered cers find themselves dodging each on the other side of town. Like, vans or rusting station wagons filled other's fire. One or two fall from stray everyone knows she's a mutant, with dirty cardboard boxes of useful shots or beams. man, so what's she doing around stuff. Criminals themselves, wanted At this point the Sentinels inter­ here? Last I heard she was recording for aiding the cause of mutants, their vene on the side of good -the stuff in France. Hey, I even got one livelihood depends on the quality of police. The battle fought among the of her latest tapes. Wanna hear it?" their merchandise. tangle of bushes and trees is no Upon arriving at the camp, well longer a simple capture operation. "Scouts north of town say they after dark, the player characters see The player characters have powers came across a bunch of wrecked an old Vo lkswagen van and two uni­ endangering the safety of society. An Sentinels. Looked like a great big fist dentifiable station wagons parked in immediate radio signal for reinforce­ had punched through them. Maybe a thicket of brambles not far from the ments is made. Another Sentinel the CRA is getting close to us and road. Black figures hover in the triad will arrive in eight rounds. the Sentinels are trying to keep it a headlights, poking through battered During this combat, Cannonball secret." equipment mounded on old card and Mirage make an appearance - tables. Hushed voices occasionally a real dramatic appearance. Just "The Old Man says the railroad's rise in sharper protest as haggling when things seem the worst for the coming. Says the trains gonna come reaches a crucial point. PCs (such as the arrival of Sentinel and take us to some place we've However, this is not a black-tech reinforcements), the chest of one of never seen. Te lls him this in his camp. II is a SentineIlSWAT: AM trap. the giant robots explodes! With an dreams it does. Yo u know how the The five marketeers are SWAT: AM amplified "SQUAAAAAAAARKKKK!" Old Man gets, kinda weird-like when officers from another district, cooper­ the Sentinel topples. Beyond this, he has one of those dreams." ating with local Sentinel authorities. the lanCing blast of a plasma rifle Shortly after the PCs arrive and have sears the outer shell of another The Meeting had a chance to look at the gear machine. The cavalry has arrived! From the rumors, the player char­ (which is genuine), the officers trig­ Once the combat is finished (and acters have been given suggestions ger an FM relay summoning a triad the Sentinels fight to very end), Can­ of two possible places they could go of Alpha Sentinels led by an Omega nonball blasts down to land beside - the black-tech marketeers camp Sentinel. When the Sentinels land, the player characters. "There ain't or the houseboat on the river. If they the SWAT: AM men scramble for their no time to talk now. So hit the road!" are reluctant to go out, any of several cars in mock panic only to reappear he says coldly, pushing them toward things could happen. During a rou­ with hand-held searchlights, stun one of the vehicles. "Meet us at the tine maintenance check of their rifles, and a gas grenade launcher. houseboat down river. Yo u'll know equipment, the PCs discover that Five more SWAT: AM men close in the one. Now get going!" And with some vital part is about to burn itself behind the mutants, armed with that Cannonball and Mirage take off out. Or several mutant friends could machine pistols (loaded with armor­ for the west. announce their intention to go to piercing bullets). Their leader If the characters take the car and either the black market or the house­ demands the surrender of all leave, they discover the vehicle is a boat. Or Sentinel patrols could get mutants. veritable mutant-protection paradise! close to the PCs' current base, sug­ Of the 10 mutants (other than the It is fitted with on-board scanners, gesting that it's time to move on. If PCs) in the area, none are truly com- jammers, masks, and wild weasels. It

19 does not have any weaponry. It is the majority of mutants, so they have from his grip and cartwheels, point to clear the Sentinels didn't want them set out to build the Te leporters' Rail· handle, to the base of a railing. to gain too much. road. They're still in the beginning With a gasping whimper he strug­ stages. They've only got one tele­ gles up, stumbling toward his knife. The Houseboat porter who can get there - Lila Che­ One arm dangles uselessly at his Sure enough, pushing through the ney. "If the Te leporters' Raitroad side. His dark shirt istorn and brambles down to the riverbank, succeeds," breaks in Sam, his eyes streaked with blood. there's the houseboat the characters aglow, "then we'd be able to rescue The stranger is Marco Pene, unwit­ were told about. Getting closer, they mutants right out from under the tingly teleportedwith the group to suddenly hear the whinny of a horse. noses of our enemies!" Lila's home, the Dyson Sphere. Orig­ "Yo, folks," hails a tall, short­ Suddenly the boat heaves upward inally planning to kill one of t�e haired blond man (Cannonball). and the floor underneath them group and escape into the river, Mar­ "What might you be wanting in these explodes, shattered by the metallic co now finds the tables turned. Blind­ parts?" He carries a large and dan­ fist of a Sentinel! Everyone is ly panicked and utterly terrified, he gerous looking energy rifle. A woman knocked off their feet and must make attacks anyone who comes near him. steps up behind him, her red-skinned Endurance FEAT rolls or be stunned If captured or surrounded, he col­ features framed in a barbaric mixture for 1-2 rounds. Lila is flung back­ lapses like an empty balloon, break­ of Norse and Indian dress (Mirage). wards, slamming her head against a ing into hysterical, panting screams. She, too, carries a dangerous­ bulkhead. Limp, she tumbles onto "What have you done! What have looking rifle. Moving forward, she the remains of the floor. In the next you done to me! Yo u've killed me! I nods to her companion and then round, the Sentinel surges further hate you all!" stares intently at the characters. upward and the boat shudders and At this point, all the PCs are sub­ splits in half. The characters find themselves on jected to Mirage's image generation, The houseboat is under attack by the umpteen-hundredth deck of as she demands to know what they three Alpha Sentinels, one from some gleaming metal tower. All seek. Provided the PCs have come below, one from above, and one around are rising towers, arched with good intentions, they pass from the shore. Each is specially threads of bridges, cantilevered gar­ Mirage's test. On board, they meet equipped with a psychic lance to dens, musical statuary, and even the third member of the houseboat deal with Cannonball. This device more bizarre delights. In the dis­ crew, Lila Cheney. produces a blast of psychic energy of tance, a few lone figures move Unknown to everyone, this rather Amazing intensity. Aside from the about. Lila Cheney has brought them interesting reception has been damage, it produces wracking pain, home. observed by a third party - Marco certain to keep Cannonball from As the PCs get oriented, Sam and Pene, hound for the Sentinels. As blasting. Worse still, Lila Cheney Dani apologize for the surprise. Here the characters disappear into the remains unconscious and is slipping is where the Te leporters' Railroad will boat, he slips away to make his into the river. If she drowns there is end, explains Sam, in a world secure report. no hope for the railroad. Mirage's from the Sentinels and all they After any amenities that can be first duty is to save her, leaving her mean. A world for all mutants. But managed (a cup of tea or crackers), teammate and the PCs to the mercy now they must make plans. Cannonball grills the characters on of the Sentinels. After being shown apartments the subject of teleports. Have they After the player characters defeat more lavish than any they have seen every met any? Do they know any the Sentinels, one of them notices a in ages, after they have bathed and teleporters now? Are any of them flashing ray of sun-shined steel from changed into the first clean clothes teleporters? What kind of teleport the corner of his eye. Wheeling in perhaps weeks, and after they range are the characters talking about, he sees a black-clad figure have eaten all they could want of about? leaping toward them, knife in hand, things they cannot identify, their As Sam (Cannonball) Guthrie con­ just as ... the world lurches. hosts get down to business. The tinues to question the characters, essential problem, as they see it, is Lila and Danielle (Mirage) Moonstar Home Away From Home that they haven't been able to locate unfold their plan. The three of them "Aiiiiieeee!" howls the black-clad any mutant teleporters, much less have found a free place, although figure as he slams and skids across any with the power to reach this they cannot say where. But the prob­ the metal ground, wrenched out of place. Therefore, they have to do lem is getting there. It's a long way his murderous trajectory by an something to improve their chances. off and the journey is not possible for unknown hand. The knife springs To that end Mirage has worked up a

20 plan. If, just if, they could secretly tap they have managed to construct a However, love does not change his into the Sentinel sensor net, they powerful hyperspace tap that will basic personality. He is still vengeful, should be able to use the Sentinels' relay the information directly to the greedy, and arrogant. He has many own equipment to find the mutants Dyson sphere. flaws to which he is totally blind. they need. The job is more than the Sam, Dani, and Lila are willing to If the characters mock him, he three of them can accomplish and wait until the PCs heal any damage retreats further into himself, all they need the help of the player before starting the mission. They are things good turning to hate and characters. unwilling to wait longer than this. bitterness. If he is treated with Clearly, the most logical place to Every day there are fewer and fewer respect and his feelings are not make the tap is at SenSatCom mutants, and every day their dishonestly used (something he has (Sentinel Satellite Command). All chances of success are less. Player done enough to recognize in others), orbital sensor data passes through characters can explore and Marco finally oHers to help. He has here and, as an extra bonus, they'll investigate the alien technology deduced, through the whispered also be able to listen in on the while they wait. Lila has no objection conversations and the secret plans, communications of the diHerent to this, but points oul the obvious what the group intends to do. He has Sentinel Has. SenSatCom is also risk - in this case a large crater been to SenSatCom in the past. If one of the few remaining command about a mile away. "A little too much they take him along, he will help installations to still employ human trial-and-error," she explains. Player them once they get inside. His civilians. However, getting in, characters who do experiment need motives for going along include his planting the device, and getting out not make any Reason FEAT rolls, new emotions and a burning desire are not going to be any easy matter. although you can have them throw to strike back at something, Player characters who have read the dice all you want. They should anything, he hates - in this case the the computer files of Dr. Ya gami only find equipment you want them Sentinels. It is up to the PCs to trusl Fuchido (from MX2: Th e X-Potentia� to have. him - or not. know that he was doing extensive While the PCs recover, so does research on classification of mutant Marco Pene. There is no one else in The Raid types. His research has uncovered a the region of the tower with time to When all the preparations are method of sensor analysis, allowing spare on Pene, so he becomes the made, Lila assembles the group and him to identify basic mutational PCs' responsibility. After overcoming prepares to go. The plan is simple. powers. Any character who read the his initial shock, Pene sits about in Lila teleports them all into the com­ material can attempt a red Reason sullen despair. He knows the pound. She, guarded by Mirage and FEAT roll to remember the basic Sentinels think he has defected. He Brightwind, remains behind. Since calculation necessary to identify a is now a criminal. Any promise of the Cannonball is not a great master of teleporteraura. Characters who fail good life from that source is gone. As stealth, he will split oH from the the roll or never had the chance to time goes on, however, Pene begins group to create a diversion outside read the files carefully still remember to look about him. Here, in the the compound's perimeter. It is up 10 the nature of Fuchido's research. sphere, is the kind of life he had lost. the player characters to place the This, too, can be accessed from If he were to hook up with these tap. Since all satellite signals are SenSatCom. clods, at least for as long as he scrambled, the tap must be placed Player characters who had a needed them, he might yet come out inside, on the main antenna junction chance to look over the computer of this on top. If confined, he to pick up the signal after it has files at the Sentinel factory should promises to behave if released. In passed through the de-scrambler. make a normal Reason FEAT roll. If most ways he becomes a model Sam figures it will take the Sentinels successful, the character remembers prisoner. about 30 minutes to arrive. After 30 seeing a computer file that listed the It is love, however, that finally does minutes, Lila and anybody with her known powers of all mutants in Pene in. If any female PC (of will teleport back to the sphere. Any­ internment camps. Like Fuchido's reasonably normal appearance) one who is not present then is left work, it should be accessible through treats him honestly and kindly, behind. If the Sentinels arrive sooner, the computers of SenSatCom. psychological and emotional forces Lila is to immediately leave. For any­ The three have already begun take their toll. To o proud and one who is left behind, there is a work on the plan. Sam and Lila have well-bred to be subservient or secondary pick-up point 30 miles scouted the area and found a fawning, he does his best to be north of SenSatCom, in an old ceme­ suitable teleportation pOint within the genteel, polite, and kind. After a tery. Lila will show up there the next grounds. From the alien devices, time, it is clear what his feelings are. night around three in the morning.

21 Marco Pene: If Marco accompanies type of information needed. Since rescued. The Dyson sphere is begin­ the raid, he stays with the player nearly anything that needs to be ning to feel like home. characters. He knows the locations known is in these files, the range of the checkpoints and can warn could run from easy to impossibly Salvation characters of these. He gives a + 1 hard. As Judge, you must decide Time is a river, the resistless CS to the location of other alarm how diNicult the task will be (based flow of al/ created things. One devices. He gives a + 1 CS to on what you want them to know). thing no sooner comes in sight attempts to locate the correct place than it is hurried past and to set the tap. If cornered or things The Main Junction: This is where the another is borne along, only to look bad, he will fight back his tap is to be placed. However, PCs be swept away in its turn. emotional attachments and turn the must decide which of the 16 diNe rent­ PCs in to save his own skin. Second, colored cables is the right one. Yo u The Meditations of Marcus Aure­ he is vengeful. Given a chance, he should secretly make a Reason FEAT lius will take out some of his hatred on roll for the character trying. Only a red his former masters. If any PC has result succeeds. The characters have For this adventure, the player treated him badly, Marco also uses no way of knowing if they did good characters must have the Iron Man this raid to exact vengeance on until they return to the sphere. armor found in MX3: Reap the Whir/­ them. Marco is teetering on the edge wind. If they do not have the armor of sanity at this time. The Bad Guys' Cavalry yet, play out the adventure found in In this raid, when the cavalry MX3 which allows them to find it. Features of SenSatCom arrives it is not good news. If drawn by Cannonball's diversion, three The Return of Shaw Guardposts: Each post has three triads of Alpha Sentinels will con­ Some time after the player charac­ human guards. All are armed with verge on a spot at the opposite end ters have destroyed the Sentinel machine pistols. A concussion rifle is of the compound from Lila Cheney. factory, they receive the following kept behind the desk, along with a Sam, seeing them arrive, kicks into message through the Underground. silent alarm that brc adcasts on local stealth mode and bugs out as fast as "I have need of your special talents, Sentinel frequency. It takes one possible. If drawn by the alarms, one for I believe we have found a way to round for the guare' behind the desk triad will drop oN to investigate the free ourselves from tyranny once and to activate the silent alarm. If the diversion while the other two con­ for all. It will make the factory and all alarm is triggered, Sentinel arrival tinue on to SenSatCom. This time that came before it meaningless in time is pushed forward 10 minutes. Sam bugs out, but with the intention comparison. Return your reply through of warning and rescuing the PCs the usual channels. Alarm Beams: These are standard while Lila and Mirage prepare to "Shaw" electric eyebeams. If broken they 'port away. If he can't get to them, trigger the silent alarm. the characters are left on their own If the characters agree to meet him, to deal with two triads of Alpha Senti­ an exchange of messages takes Random Person: This is a person nels. place until a suitable meeting time walking down the hall or working at a and place is found. In the last mes­ desk. Most of these are secretaries And In the End sage, the one agreeing to the meet­ or technicians. One in 10 will be a If the raid on SenSatCom is a suc­ ing, Shaw also writes, "It is of the guard. cess, the player characters earn 30 utmost importancethat you bring the Karma points each. They have made armor. We ar it if you will, but bring it." Blast Doors: These Incredible mate­ the dream of the Te leporters' Rail­ The meeting site that is chosen is rial air-tight doors automatically close road a reality. Over the next few a secure Sight. When the PCs arrive, when the alarm is sounded. weeks, suitable teleporters are there are no Sentinels in sight nor located. Some are easily contacted will any arrive during the course of The Computer Center: This room, and convinced. Others are afraid or the meeting. Shaw will not make any filled with terminals and technicians, stubborn and want nothing to do with attempt to harm or threaten the char­ while tempting, is not the PCs' tar­ the plan. A few must be snatched acters during this meeting either. He get. However, any character with right out from under the noses of the needs their cooperation in his plan. Computer Ta lent can attempt to enemy. But the Railroad is a suc­ If at all possible, Sebastian Shaw access a Sentinel file from here. The cess. With more and more teleport­ looks even more worn and haggard diNiculty of the task depends on the ers, more and more mutants are since their last meeting. Leading a

22 PCs will be out of his way. Already he considers their growing might and popularity a threat.

The Power Pack Unfortunately, to power a single round trip, Shaw must drain the power pack of the Iron Man armor. Completely. To tally. Dead forever. "It is," he says, "the cost of freedom." If the player characters refuse, Shaw makes no attempt to detain them. He only sags back in his chair, an exhausted man. Shaw is ready to begin work imme­ diately. It takes him and his techni­ cians several hours to hook up the power pack. During that time, he suggests, the characters should decide to when they want to go.

Goodbye, Goodbye Finally, Shaw finishes. The tempo­ ral transfer device looks something like a cross between a giant tesla coil and a merry-go-round. Heavy cables run to the cannibalized suit of armor. guerrilla war has taken its toll. After a things - a time destination, travelers, Shaw comes over and presses an cursory greeting he turns the and a power plant. object into the team leader's hand. conversation straight to business. "This is the recall. Press that button His first questions are about the suit. The Right Time and you have 10 seconds to get Did the characters bring it? Is it still The one thing Shaw hasn't been everyone together. After 10 seconds, intact? Are any functions damaged? able to decide is how far back to go the device begins an automatic Only after he is satisfied on all these to prevent the current nightmare return cycle. Don't lose it - it's your counts does he discuss his plans from happening. He offers the follow­ only way back." with the PCs. ing list of what he thinks are the key Once the group takes its positions As he quickly explains, because of dates of recent history. around the device, Shaw pulls a pair their raid on the Sentinel factory, he of goggles over his eyes and begins 1) The assassination of Kelly was able to recover a number of old the countdown. 2) The restart of the Sentinel Pro­ and new computer files from the "10. 9. 8, good luck! 7. 6. 5. 4, gram Sentinel data banks. One related to a close your eyes! 3. 2, be sure you 3) The passage of the Mutant Affairs temporal transfer project his Blue Sky make the right ... "ONE!" Act department had been working on BVROOOOOP-WHUPPPP! The 4) The attempted premiere of Alison before it was shut down. He was quite room explodes in pinwheels of light Blaire's movie surprised then when he came across and suddenly the floor drops out a new file showing that the project from under the characters! The Tr avelers had been reactivated by the Sentinel The characters have been He needs the player characters to research labs. After digging a little dropped into a huge, darkened com­ serve as travelers. First, after their deeper and using what little influence mittee chamber. The salvation of the success at the factory, he has a he still has, he acquired the plans to a future lies ignominiously in a tumbled respect for their skills. Second, he prototype temporal transfer (also heap. has to remain behind to operate the known as time travel) machine. He controls. Third (although he doesn't has constructed the machine and it's tell them this), if it doesn't work the all ready to go. It only needs three

23 Hello, We Must Be Going There are currently 50,000 members humans - serving tea, running mes­ No matter what choice they made, of the Mutant Alliance, stationed sages, polishing equipment. the character have not arrived at the throughout the halls of Congress and If you decide the future remains as time they expected. As they look up the Pentagon, awaiting my signal. it has been, the characters arrive in from the floor, however, they will rec­ Should I give it, they will use what­ the future just as they left it - ognize this place. On the far side of ever force is necessary to gain con­ oppressed and hunted. the chamber is a single curved bar. trol of the key areas of the At it sit a number of people, each government. Do not doubt that we Life in Hell spotlighted out from the darkness. In will win. Nothing changes. Nothing ever the center is a small witness table, "We oHer you a nation living in will. It is just a long, hard struggle to also dramatically lit. peace with itself where Homo Superi­ stay alive or escape to another land. Scanning faces, the characters will or can reach his fullest potential for It keeps going like this until the Sen­ recognize each and every one of the good of the nation. Do you tinels have destroyed all the mutants them. They have been burned with accept our rule?" in the Flames of Doom hate into their memories. In the cen­ At this point the PCs are faced ter sits "The Monster," Henry Peter with a diHicult moral problem. If they Gyrich. The others around the table allow Da Costa to carry out his plan include Valerie Cooper, Raven (which will succeed unless they inter­ Darkholme, Judge Petrie, and Frank vene), he will create a nation where Lowell. The player characters have humans are discriminated against landed in the private committee and oppressed - a world the chambers of Project Wideawake! reverse of the one the characters Even as the PCs try to figure out came from. However, if they do inter­ what is going on, so are the council vene and defeat Sunspot and Mag­ members. Suddenly Gyrich starts ma in battle (thus preventing the shouting for the guards. coup), they will have saved Project Wideawake. They will have kept the Sunspot and Magma future just as they know it. The door to the conference cham­ There is no hope of changing ber splinters open and fountains of Roberto's opinions, just as there is lava burst through the floor on either no hope of influencing Gyrich. But side! Standing in the doorway is a where persuasion fails, trickery and large, night-black man. Behind him is cleverness may prevail. a woman of living fire. The black figure strides in, easily batting aside Hello, Hello! a guard who rushes forward. "Don't If you decide the future has been even try it," says the woman to the improved and the nightmare halted, other guards in the chamber. the characters reappear wi th a loud "Gentlemen and ladies," says the BVROOOOOP-WHUPPP! into a black figure, addressing the bar, "I gleaming white lab. Assistants and am RobertoDa Costa, although you technicians hurryover and unstrap may prefer to call me Sunspot. The them from comfortable chairs. Watch­ woman behind me is Magma. I ing through a window is Sebastian believe you can see how she earned Shaw, well-dressed and dignified. her name. We represent the Mutant "Congratulations everyone, on our first Alliance." With a flicker, the black trip through time!" he booms over the figure is replaced by a well-muscled public address system. man dressed in the finest clothes. If you decide the future has "We have come to oHer you a changed to one dominated by choice. It is a very simple one. Either mutants, the scene is very much like you place the authority for Project the one above. However, the techni­ Wideawake and the supervision of cians and specialists wear the uni­ the U.S. government in my hands or forms of the Mutant Alliance. - I kill you and take it all anyway. Handling the more menial tasks are

24

------Appendix #1: Sentinels fired from eyes. Incredible damage, Known Powers: 2 area range. Energy beams can All Sentinels, regardless of model, Flight: Can fly 10 areas per round also function as searchlights. share certain common characteris­ using boot jets. tics. They are all 20 feet tall and Gas Jets: Remarkable potency gas Mutant Detection: Can detect humanoid in appearance. Their sen­ dispensers in palms with 2 area range. mutants within two miles. sors are mounted in their heads, Gas can be any of several types - their computer brains in their chests. knockout, tear gas, poison, smoke, etc. Computer Link: FM radio link to All can speak and communicate by headquarters computer, allowing Catch-Web Cables: Restraining radio. They can survive in all envi­ instant identification of known cables of Remarkable strength fired ronments, even underwater or in mutants. outer space. They speak whatever from wrists with a range of 2 areas. languages they need and utilize all BodyArmor: Remarkable armor of Mark V Sentinel radio frequencies. They walk at Remarkable material. F 20 Ex Health = 190 Good speed, but cannot run or jump. A 20 Ex Energy Beam: Full spectrum eye­ Sentinels are fitted with a special S 50 Am Karma = 0 beams of Amazing power with a learning program. After three rounds E 100 Un range of 2 areas. of combat against a newly-encoun­ R 10 Gd Resources = 0 tered foe, all Sentinels gain a + 1 CS Gas Jets: Remarkable potency gas I 6Ty in combat against that foe. All Senti­ dispensers in palms with 2 area P 6 Ty Popularity = 0 nels are connected by radiol range. computer link and can share or Known Powers: Alpha Sentinel retrieve data instantly. When patrol­ Flight: Can fly 10 areas per round F 50 Am Health = 250 ling for a known foe, they are normal­ using boot jets. A 40 In ly fitted with special equipment to S 50 Am Karma = 0 deal with that particular enemy. Just Mutant Detection: Can detect E 150 Shift X how any Sentinel has been custom­ mutants within one mile. R 20 Ex Resources = 0 ized is left for the Judge to decide. Computer Link: FM radio link to I 10 Gd All Sentinels are able to repair headquarterscomputer , allowing P 10 Gd Popularity = 0 themselves provided they have at instant identification of known least 20 percent of their original Known Powers: mutants. Health points remaining, they have Flight: Can fly 12 areas per round access to repair materials, and they Body Armor: Remarkable armor of using boot jets. have suHicient time to make the Remarkable material. repairs. Repairs take 30 minutes per Mutant Detection: Can detect Energy Beam: Full spectrum eye­ 10 Health pOints restored. mutants within 10 miles. beams of Amazing power with a Mark IV Sentinel range of 2 areas. Computer Link: Tight-beam laser units link each Alpha Sentinel to its F 20 Ex Health = 165 Gas Jets: Remarkable potency gas A 20 Ex headquarters, allowing instant identi­ dispensers in palms with 2 area fication and threat analysis of known S 50 Am Karma = 0 range. E 75 Mn mutants. Cold Beams: R 6 Ty Resources = 0 Liquid nitrogen spray Body Armor: Incredible armor made I 6Ty from eyes. Ta rget must make Endur­ of Incredible material. P 6 Ty Popularity = 0 ance FEAT, checking the Stun column. Stunned characters are encased in Energy Beam: Full-spectrum eye­ Known Powers: Good material strength ice. beams of Amazing strength with a 6 Flight: Can fly 9 areas per round area range. Eyebeams can also pro­ Mark VI Sentinel using boot jets. duce concussion force blasts. F 30 Rm Health = 250 Mutant Detection: Can detect A 20 Ex Insulation: Excellent resistance to electrical attacks. mutants within one mile. S 50 Am Karma = 0 E 150 Shift X Body Armor: Remarkable armor of Darts: Each carries 10 darts (fired up R 10 Gd Resources = 0 Remarkable material. to 3 per round) in its main body. I 10 Gd These have a range of 3 areas and Energy Beam: Full spectrum beams P 6 Ty Popularity = 0 cause Excellent edged damage.

25 Darts are ineffective against Known Powers: Force Field: Nimrod can make an Incredible or better materials. Incredible Strength force field. Flight: Nimrod is able to fly by Omega Sentinel magnetic induction up to 15 areas Te leportation: Nimrod can teleport

F 50 Am Health = 290 per round. (maximum range five miles, line of A 40 In sight if unfamiliar) on a successful Matrix Battle Computer: Equal to the S 50 Am Karma = 0 Psyche FEAT roll. Omega Sentinel learning program, E 150 Shift X but the bonus can be gained from Nerveshock: Anyone touching R 30 Rm Resources = 0 any observation of the target in Nimrod must make an Endurance I 20 Ex action, including films. FEAT roll or be stunned 1-10 rounds. P 10 Gd Popularity = 0 Characters held by Nimrod are Mutant Detection: Internal analyzer Known Powers: stunned until released. range is 20 miles, expanding to 100 Fligh t: Can fly 12 areas per round miles when connected to computer Inhibitor Field: Nimrod can project a using boot jets. network. psychic inhibitor field in the area he is in and all adjacent areas. Anyone Mutant Detection: Can detect BodyArmor: Amazing armor of attempting psychic actions must mutants within 100 miles. Amazing material. make a red FEAT roll to break the Computer Unk: Using tight-beam Energy Beam: Ful!-spectrum control field. lasers, Omega Sentinels are including electro-magnetic, Scanners: Nimrod cannot be connected to a nationwide computer molecular, sonic, and concussive deafened or blinded. His scanners network. Data in any Sentinel energies. These can be fired from operate at Class 1000 rank. computer is automatically available. any point on his body. The range is 4 Characters within 2 areas can be areas and the damage is Monstrous. BodyArmor: Incredible armor of scanned and analyzed, determining Incredible material. Auto-Repair: Nimrod's improved type and ranks of all powers and auto-repair allows regeneration on abilities. He is able to extrude a Energy Beam: Full-spectrum and the molecular level. His repair micro-satellite dish from his own concussive force eyebeams of mechanisms function if he has at form, allowing him to patch into any Amazing power with a 7 area range. least 10 Health points remaining. For satellite and access its sensors and Encepha/o-scan: Automatic lie every 20 points of Health restored, communication network. detection unless a red Psyche FEAT he must reduce one other power by ShockVleb: This creates an energy roll is made. two ranks. Nimrod will retreat rather web of Amazing material strength than let his overall power level drop Insulation: Remarkable resistance to and Remarkable damage. Those below Excellent. Recent electrical attacks. entangled must make an Endurance improvements in his auto-repair FEAT roll or be stunned until Darts: Omega Sentinels have 10 allow him to repair 10 Health points released. The web can be projected darts (fired up to 4 per round) carried every 15 minutes. out to 2 areas and covers 1 area. in the main body. These cause Disintegrator Beam: This obliterates Nimrod must make a Remarkable Excellent edged damage to a range one cubic yard of inorganic material FEAT roll to succeed. The web lasts of 3 areas. They are ineffective each round. The range is 2 areas one round, but successive attempts against Amazing or better materials. and the beam affects any material of can be made from round to round. Learning Program: The + 1 CS Incredible strength or less. Ho/o-form: Nimrod is able to encase combat bonus is applied after only Pressor- TractorBeam: This allows himself in a holo-field, allowing him two rounds of combat. Nimrod to move objects toward or to assume a normal human Nimrod away from him. The beam can move appearance. This field allows him to

F 50 Am Health = 300 an object 1 area per round for every change his apparent mass and A 50 Am rank above Good that Nimrod height upon assuming the new form.

S 50 Am Karma = 70 applies. The Strength of the beam is Programming prevents him from E 150 Shift X Monstrous. If the target strikes an assuming the form of a known

R 30 Ex Resources = In object the damage applied is equal human or mutant. (40) to the strength of the beam (object I 30 Gd struck determines the type of

P 10Ty Popularity = 0 damage).

26 Appendix #2: Non·Player Marksman Ta lent with Guns. He has only teleportbetween known loca­ Characters also mastered some of the basic tions. However, it now seems that the Cannonball survivaltechniques - building farthershe teleports, the less precise masks, jammers, and a variety of Sam Guthrie, Rebel, Mutant destination information is required. anti-Sentinel devices. Thus, she can teleport interstellar F 30 Rm Health = 90 A 10 Gd Contacts: Nearly all those Sam distances when she knows only the S 10 Gd (30 Guthrie knew and loved from his spacial coordinates of the target planet and the general terrain of the Rm) Karma = 10 youth are dead. His few remaining E 40 In contacts are either those of his cell target area. However, shorter dis­ tances (intercontinental hops, for R 10 Gd Resources = Pr -Mirage and Lila Cheney - or are (Ex) allies to the cause. These include example) require a much higher I 10 Gd several journalists and human sym­ degree of precision. These jumps can only be made with greater risk. P 20 Ex Popularity = -10 pathizers. When working through his When attempting a shorter hop, she Known Powers: Earth-based contacts, Cannonball's resources are only Poor. However, must make a successful Psyche Flight: Cannonball flies by generating when visiting Cheney's world, Sam's FEAT roll or become lost, randomly thermo-chemical energy and releas­ resource level improves to Excellent, appearing somewhere else at the ing it through his skin. This is usually although he is limited by what can be same relative distance (but not nec­ accompanied by heat, smoke, flame, teleported back. essarily direction) she was 'porting. and noise although he has, through Lila actually finds it easier to travel Background: Sam Guthrie has all the practice, managed to suppress these from one point on Earth to another icy cool of an awkward youth grown effects for short periods of time (one by hopping to her interstellar home up. He has overcome his clumsiness round automatic and an Endurance (see below) and back. When she and naivete through rigid control and FEAT required for each additional teleports, she indiscriminately carries self-criticism. He acts and moves like round). Furthermore,desperate prac­ all objects (including robots and a man forever on the edge of an tice has allowed him to refine control equipment) that occupy the same explosion. He has seen his old team­ over his weakest area, turning. Thus, area as she. While she has not been mates slain, his own life destroyed. he only needs to make an Agility able to selectively teleportother per­ He just might be ready to fall over FEAT roll when turning 180 degrees sons, she has practiced controlling that edge. or greater. When flying, he can travel the radius of her teleport effect. To at Amazing air speed in a straight date, it now ranges from a five foot line. His strength increases to Lila Cheney radius around her to one full area. Intergalactic Thief, Ex-Rock Star, Remarkable while flying. He can Dyson Sphere: Lila's adopted home Mutant make Monstrous level charge attacks (perhaps her true home) is a Dyson and can carry opponents with him on F 10 Gd Health = 66 sphere, an artificial wor1d. Built as a A 20 Ex a Power FEAT roll. He can travel huge globe200 million miles across, S 6 Ty Karma = 20 about one mile on a single blast of this wor1d encloses a small star. The E 30 Rm power. If surprised, he may involun­ inside is covered by ancient cities, R 20 Ex = tarily shut off his power (Psyche Resources Pr (In) apparently long abandoned. This is the I 10 Gd FEAT roll to avoid), making him vul­ home Lila Cheney has bestowed to the nerable the next round. P 10 Gd Popularity = 10 mutants of earth. Wr thin the sphere are Force Field: While flying, Sam's Known Powers: a numberof high-tech devices, only a few of which Lila is familiar with. She is blasting energy protects him with a Specialized Te leport: Lila Cheney has willing to experiment with other force field of Monstrous level against extremely long-ranged teleportation devices, but is extremely cautious since physical and energy damage. This powers, with some known limitations other trials produced spectacular but extends to those things and people and several untested abilities. It is he is carrying. If he drops someone, hugely destructive resuHs. The com­ known, for example, that she can plexity of unknown ecuipment found on they take damage as if he struck teleportover interstellar distances, the sphere should beconsidered them at his current speed. He is not but she has never been tested tele­ Unearthly. immune to mental or magical attacks porting for shorter hops. It seems while blasting. that distance may also be a factor in Tale nts: Lila has Perfonmer talent and is Ta lents: Sam is knowledgeable with how well she knows her target point. also a thief of Incredible ability. She most personal weaponry and has For years she assumed she could sPf'aksseveral languages, not all of

27 them native to Earth. She is not a brings her power into effect, mostly of her people. Amara is headstrong, fighter and never really wants to be when she is extremely upset. temperamental and sensual, confi­ one. dent enough of herself to freely show Body Armor: In Magma form, Amara her passions and ambitions. Contacts: Lila's contacts are is a woman of flaming lava, giving numerous. Although her popularity on her Good protection from physical Earth hasfallen greatly (since it has damage and Unearthly protection Mirage been publicly revealed that she is a from fire and heat. Water does not Danielle (Dani) Moons/ar, Rebel, mutant), she is still remembered in significantly affect her. Mutant Europe and can manageto sell a few F 30 Rm Health = 80 Lava Blasts: Amara can project mag­ records there. She has many contacts A 20 Ex ma from her hands, using the Energy = within the music industry, although S 10 Gd Karma 20 column at Remarkable Agility. She they will not openly come to her aid E 30 Rm has a range of 3 areas and can anymore. From her exploits in the R 10 Gd Resources = Pr cause up to Monstrous damage. She past, she has several contacts in the I 20 Ex can use these to tunnel through solid intergalactic underworld and playboy P 40 In Popularity = -10 matter (Monstrous material strength cultures. She is Sam Guthrie's lover, a or less) at a rate of 2 areas per Known Powers: feeling mutually shared. round. Image Generation: Mirage has the Background: Little is known of Lila's Healing: When in contact with the power to create realistic images from past. She deliberately never talks earth, Magmarecovers one Endur­ the minds of others. This power about it. She claims to be of Earth, ance rank every 10 turns, regardless works at Unearthlyabil ity. Mirage but once named the sphere as her of activity, provided she remains in must select an image of some home. It is clear she was once a thief contact with the ground for that time. desire, fear, or emotional impact and adventurer through parts of the If reduced to 0 Health points while on (greatest fear, heart's desire, father galaxy. She has a very strong instinct the ground, she falls unconscious for figure, etc.). If the target fails a for self-preservation which she 1-10 rounds. After this, a successful Psyche FEAT roll against her power, sometimes finds difficult to ignore. Endurance FEAT roll allows her to he will see the desired image. Though she professes to only do regain consciousness with full Health Indeed, the image will be visible to things for herself, it is clear she loves points and abilities. All of her powers all, although only the target(s) will Sam Guthrie and just may believe in weaken when she is out of contact react to it as real. Mirage's range is the mutant cause. with the ground (or something fixed to normally line of sight, but it can also it) for over 10 rounds. In this event, function through any direct vision­ Magma she suffers -1 CS for every 10 enhancing system (binoculars or a Amara Juliana Olivians Aquilla, Con­ rounds up to a maximum of -3 CS. telescope, for example). The vision sort of Sunspot, Mutant only lasts as long as she concen­

F 16 Ex Health = 100 Ta lents: Amara is a skilled fencer, trates. The power also functions on A 20 Ex gaining + 1 CS when fighting with a animals, but the image is only seen

S 10 Gd Karma = 60 sword. She speaks Latin and by the target. E 40 In English. Limited Te lepathy: Mirage, while not R 30 Rm Resources = Gd Contacts: Aside from her family in a full telepath, possesses a telepath­ I 20 Ex Nova Roma, Amara has contacts ic rapport with higher animals, espe­ P 20 Ex Popularity = 10 with any of the original New Mutants cially dogs, wolves, faxes, coyotes, Known Powers: still alive, the Hellions, and the Hell­ cats of all types, and birds. The abili­ fire Club. ty even functions on mutants able to Earth Control: Magma can control the assume animal forms. She can share movement of plates and lava within Background: Born to the ancient their feelings and senses, and can the earth. She can cause small nobility of a lost civilization, Amara even see through their eyes. This earthquakes and fountains of lava has since made her permanent ability functions at Monstrous rank. out to a 4-area range (Monstrous home in the modern world. She is ability and damage). She can turn drawn to Sunspot, as each feeds off Death Sense: Granted to her by the any rock (or rock-like material) into the other's assured superiority, ambi­ Va lkyor of Asgard, this is Mirage's lava and shape it at will. She can tion, and passionate nature. For her, power to sense another's imminent control lava only in her fiery form. On Roberto is the closest man she has death. This usually manifests itself rare occasions, she subconsciously met to match the strong-willed ideal as a "death glow" surrounding a

28 person at the start of some pain. Once, as a youth, she had been must make an Endurance FEAT roll • undertaking (such as an adventure). happy, excitedly unsure of herself, every round. She cannot assume an Although this can be determined by and interested in the normal desires overtly non-humanoid form. The making a FEAT roll for her ability, it is of a teenage girl. Now she is nearly change process requires one round. recommended that the Judge decide overwhelmed by continual visions of Her normal appearance is that of a when this power will or will not death-she sees it in the auras of midnight-blue skinned woman with function (especially in relation to Underground contacts, in her straight black hair. player characters). If a death glow is dreams, and in her hopes for her own Combat Suit: Mystique occasionally detected, that character will attract future. Everything she ever had is uses a special combat suit. This attacks and will be unable to spend gone. Everything she wants-a man absorbs any electrical attack, redi­ Karma on Endurance FEAT rolls for to love, peace, and freedom from her recting it as a general energy blast the course of the adventure. terrible duties-seems beyond her (Range 2 areas, Damage -1 CS of grasp. Without these, she is gradually Brightwind: Another result of her attack that struck her). The suit also slipping away, becoming a mirror sojourn in Asgard is the Valkyor inhibits undesired teleportation image of her sole contact, becoming horse Brightwind, a pure white attempts against her. a true Va lkyor in spirit. winged stallion. Brightwind is in Psionic Scrambler: Within her suit is constant psi-link with Mirage when an electronic scrambler which masks on Earth. The steed has Excellent Mystique her true thoughts from outside detec­ Strength, able to carry up to 800 Ibs. Raven Darkholme, Member of Project tion. With the improved abilities of when flying. It flies at Excellent Wideawake and DARPA (Defense the Sentinels, she has modified the speed. Its psi-link allows it to know Advanced Research Planning Agen­ scrambler to transmit truthful brain­ when Mirage is in danger and it will cy), Mutant wave patterns when necessary. A defend her to the death. It can make = F 20 Ex Health 90 successful Psyche FEAT roll vs. three attacks (bite and hooves), one A 20 Ex Monstrous intensity penetrates the for Excellent and the others for S 10 Gd Karma = 150' scrambler to the extent that its pres­ Remarkable damage. E 40 In ence will be detected and vague Equipment: Although Mirage has R 30 Rm Resources = Mn patterns of Mystique's true thoughts never relied on equipment as part of I 20 Ex will be read. her image, her lack of physical P 40 In Popularity = 20 We apons: Mystique commonly car­ attacks has forced her to use • Mystique's Karma reflects her inor­ ries an assortment of small gases, weaponryto battle the Sentinels, dinate influence and Popularity as explosives, flares, acids, and the who are otherwise immune to her Raven Darkholme. like. All of these are of Incredible powers. She most commonly carries potency. She normally carries a gar­ a highly potent plasma rifle (Range 3 Known Powers: rote and knife which she is Excellent areas, Monstrous damage). She may Imitauon: Mystique is a metamorph, with. Her connections with Project be carrying other weapons. able to mimic the form of other Wideawake, DARPA, and the Senti­ Ta lents: The hard life of rebellion has humans and human-related creatures nels allow her access to any weapon­ taught Mirage many things she never including mutants, inhumans, and ry in the United States Arsenal. thought she needed to know. She is other super-powerful beings. This Furthermore, her control over the a Remarkable shot with all personal metamorphosis appears 10 occur at a Sentinels allows her full use of these weapons. She, like Cannonball, has cellular level and is initiated by a psy­ machines, too. learned to build masking devices, chic field. This field extends to her Personal Mask: Although she has jammers, wild weasels, and a host of clothing as well, but Mystique has embedded non-detection orders with­ other anti-Sentinel gear. Her been unsuccessful at projecting it in the Sentinel programming, Mys­ experiences have also given her the farther than this. Her ability to imitate tique cannot control non-Sentinel benefits of Leadership, although is Unearthly, down to vocal cords, scanners. Thus, she always carries a there are precious few left to lead. fingerprints, retinal scans, and smell. She can even generate additional micro-mask on her person. This is Contacts: Aside from those she limbs within the restrictions of her concealed as her DARPA identifica­ knows in the Underground, Mirage mass. She cannot increase or tion card. The mask has a Feeble has only one forbidding decrease her overall mass and main­ range but a Monstrous density. How­ contact-Death. taining a larger physical shape is a ever, its micro-miniaturized circuitry creates an enormous power drain on Background: Mirage is a woman in great strain. When dOing so, she

29 its tiny battery. Thus, the mask images that would deceive a Senti· gust of all his society friends. His cannot be run for more than five nel. His range is only limited by ter· inheritance was confiscated, rela· minutes without recharging. rain and visibility, although it does tives turned their backs on him, and Mystique only switches it on to pass not function with electrically he was finally deported to an intern· through checkpoints, turning it off enhanced or processed images. ment camp. His world of wealth and immediately afterward. privilege collapsed. Mutant Flash: Upon detecting an Though morally bereft, Pene was Ta lents: Mystique is trained in basic aura, Pene can alter the bio· not a weakling. Life in the camps weapons up through energy rifles, all electrical charge of the field, making make him tough, brutal, and desper· 6f which she uses at Excellent levels. it visible to normal sight. He can also ate. He came to hate mutants for all She knows martial artsstyles B and control the intensity of this field. By they had done to him, hate himself C. She has Leadership skill. pushing the field to the utmost of his for what he had become. After sev· ability, Pene can cause a mutant to Contacts: Mystique, in her Raven eral murderous rages and attempts "burst" in a blinding flash of Incredi· Darkholme persona, has extensive on his own life, his power manifested ble intensity light. This only affects contacts within the U.S. government, itself. For pathetic, spoiled Marco those characters in the same area including all remaining members of Pene, it was his ticket out of Hell. and must be focused upon a mutant the Project Wideawake council. It only took a little persuasion to (although Pene can use himself as Likewise, her contacts are convince Marco to sell out. All he the focus). Affected characters are well·established within the defense had to do was a little something for blinded for 1·6 turns. Pene himself is industry, all of whom now work on the jailers and they would see he not affected by his own power, pri· Sentinel projects. As Mystique, she lived in style. Why, with enough marily because he knows just when has maintained contacts within the cooperation, he might even return to the flash will occur. tiny Mutant Underground. She never his old life. Marco jumped at the betrays these contacts, since this Ta lents: Marco has Sharp Weapons chance; he became a hound. would dry up her source of and Languages talents. He normally Life as a hound, however, never information. Of late, Mystique has carries a stiletto boot knife when out did turn out to be what he expected. also been building overseas contacts on missions. His cooperation didn't seem to make with a variety of governments and a difference. In the eyes of the SWA· Background: Born and bred in under a variety of guises. She is l:AM men he worked with, Marco wealthy society, Pene grew to be an doing this in preparation for her was the lowest of the mutants, one elitist snob. All his life he was told plans to secretly rule the world. who sold out his own kind. Other that he and those of his station were mutants knew what he did and hated better and more necessary than the him for it. Alone and unloved, Marco Marco Pene great unwashed portions of the retreated and sheltered in the one GovernmentHound, Mutant population-the middle class and thing he knew how to do-the hunt, = poor. When the first rumblings of F 16 Ex Health 35 the bloodlust, and the kill. Yet even Project Wideawake surfaced, his A 20 Ex that has not been enough. S 10 Gd Karma = 60 parents wasted no time in determin· E 15 Gd ing whether they had the "correct" Sunspot R 10 Gd Resources = 0 genetic status, only to be shocked to Roberto Da Costa, ex·New Mutant, I 16 Ex discover that they were anomalous Leader of the Mutant Coalition, P 20 Ex Popularity = 0 humans. Wisely, yet arrogantly, they joined the small flight of other Mutant Known Powers: wealthy families to live among the F 20 Ex Health = 76 Mutant Vision: Pene is able to detect expatriate colonies of Europe. Here A 10 Gd

the body aura of mutants in much Marco's feelings of superiority and S 6 Ty (40 In) Karma = 30 the same manner as organic scan· social class were only enhanced. E 40 ln

ners. To his eyes, mutants radiate a After his parents died in a tragic R 16 Ex Resources = Ex peculiar colored aura, invisible to boating accident, Pene foolishly I 10 Gd

normal means of detection. He has chose to return to the States to live P 20 Ex Popularity = 10 no ability to see the aura of normal or with relatives. He confidently expect· Known Powers: even anomalous humans. His detec· ed his family's money and influence tion ability operates at Un�arthly to keep him safe from all trouble. He Enhanced Strength: Sunspot is able rank and is not fooled by electronic was extremely wrong. He was quick· to convert solar energy into Strength, Iy shown to be a mutant to the dis·

30

------up to the rank given in parentheses. be used as effective diversions. telltale signature of a mutant, making When doing so, he turns glowing Jammer range is determined by him appear "normal" to Sentinel black. In sunlight, he can use his ranks, as given below. scanners. Masks are rated by range power for unlimited rounds. In and number of persons they can Rank Radius Range darkness or shade, the ability is protect. limited to 8 rounds after which he Shift 0 1 area Rank Range Characters must make an Endurance FEAT roll Feeble 2 areas each round. The first failed roll Poor 4 areas Feeble 2 feet 1 results in a -1 CS for that round. On Typical 6 areas Poor 4 feet 2 the second failed roll, he falls Good 20 areas Typical 6 feet 3 unconscious. Excellent 1 mile Good 8 feet 4 Remarkable 5 miles Excellent 10 feet 6 Ta lents: Roberto speaks English, Incredible 20 miles Remarkable 1 area 8 Portuguese, and Latin. He is Amazing 50 miles Incredible 1 area 10 knowledgeable in Leadership and Monstrous 150 miles Amazing 1 area 15 political science. He has a natural Unearthly 500 miles Monstrous 2 areas 25 charm with women. Unearthly 4 areas 40 The time required by Sentinels to Contacts: Sunspot has many find a jammer can be found by mak­ In addition, a mask has a separate connections through the original ing a FEAT roll vs. the jammer's rating for how effective it is against New Mutant group, the various rank. Sentinel scanners. X-Men, and the Hellfire Club which his father was once a member of. White result - one hour Black market cost: Highest rank +3 Green result - 1-10 hours CS. Background: Sunspot has come a Ye llow result - 1 day Minutemen: This device creates an long way since the days of the New Red result - 1-10 days Mutants. In his world, the death of image of a mutant to lure Sentinels Kelly initiated a virtual war between Jammers of Typical rank or less within range and then detonates. mankind and mutants. It is a war are automatically found in one hour Each day a FEAT roll is made for the Sunspot is determined to win. In this or less. Jammers are not easily port­ device, based on the rank of its lure. he has not changed, he is still as able. One Sentinel arrives for each color result. A separate rank determines stubborn and hot-headed as ever. Black market cost: equal to range the pwoer of its blast (treat as an However, he has lost the youthful rank. hope and belief he once had. edged attack on each Sentinel). Oth­ Although he talks of a better world, it Wifd We asel: This is a decoy that er types of minutemen can be is hard to tell if he is even listening to appears to be a mutant to Sentinel designed. scanners. One or more false images himself anymore. Black market cost: Highest rank + 1 can be created. The wild weasel can CS. The Hardware of Hell hide a mutant in a forest of false images, but attracts Sentinels. The 1.0. Cards: I.D. cards are necessary Throughout their adventures in this ranges are the same as jammers. for mutants to move about and work new land of horror, the player charac­ The number of images created is without suspicion. They must be ters are going to need some special­ equal to the rank number. Wild wea­ shown for all basic purchases and ized pieces of equipment. These are sels can be programmed to create upon demand by any law officer or only summarized here; complete images of particular mutants. When Sentinel. Those without cards are information on each can be found in checking to see if Sentinels discover automatically criminals. Since cards MX1: Nightmares of Future Past. the source of a wild weasel, use the rely on fingerprints and photographs, Jammers: A jammer blocks the scan­ same results as for jammers but read "borrowed" cards are seldom of use ners of Sentinels. Jammers hide each result as one greater. Thus, a to characters. Cards can be forged mutants, but also create a "white green result means one day is and are of various ranks of quality. hole" in the Sentinels' map. They do required. A wild weasel is the When inspected, the rank of the card not know what is there, but they approximate size of a television. is compared to an Intuition FEAT roll to determine success or failure. know that it is something important. Black market cost: Highest rank + 2 They will immediately try to find the CS. Black market cost: Rank of card + 1 source of the jamming. Jammers can CS. Masks: A mask device conceals the

31 Appendix 3: The Great from any source that is willing to centrate on building its army and Debate Cards oHer it. attracting all the free mutants it can. Proposed by Albert Rubin When it has assembled a big enough force, it should fight to free a limited Solution #1: Solution #2: area (all of Canada at the most). We are engaged in nothing less than Once a secure area has been estab­ The CRA must build itself into a a war of exterminalion, a battle Ihal lished, the CRA can demand a truce proper army that can take on the must be fought with every breath to and set up a mutant homeland. With Sentinels. The officers and men have the bitter end. Therefore, the only enough might, the CRA can force the already learned from their mistakes way to succeed is to gain the support Sentinels and the U.S. government and the supportof the British will of those people who have been dis­ to meet its terms. The British will provide the equipment to rebuild. possessed and crushed by the Senti­ give guarantees on the security of When all this is done, the CRA can nels. this homeland. With this done, the take the Sentinels on in a face-to­ The rebellion must be one that CRA can get to the more important face fight. As the CRA succeeds, the comes from the people. To succeed, business of rebuilding what is left of people of Canada and America, who it must topple the present govern­ society. really don't like the Sentinels, will ment, since this has been corrupted Proposed by Petries flock to the CRA and the army will by the Sentinels. It must have the continue to grow. Sabotage should support of the majority of the popula­ Solution #4: not be used, because this looks bad tion. This can be done with political and will lose the support of potential The war can only be fought to education and a program to abolish recruits. There is no particular need destroy every Sentinelin North the social injustices of society. The for polilical training of the troops, America. That is the only way things army should be the people, living because they are already dedicated can ever hope to return to any type among Ihem like fish in water. There­ men. Instead, propaganda should of normal life. Therefore, the concern fore, eHortsmust be concentrated on concentrate on maintaining their fine of the CRA is to wage war, since it is wearing down the enemy, discredit­ morale and letting the people know pointless to plan for anything else. ing him, and forcing him to commit that the CRA is coming to free them. The situation is grim and the CRA acts against the populace. The CRA Proposed by Rear-Admiral Tu rner can't aHord the lUxury of wailing to must be ready to exploit the hatred build stronger forces. Therefore, it of the people, turning them against Solution #3: must begin small actions aimed at the Sentinels and recruiting them to gaining more supplies and �qui'p: the cause. The army must always This is a war of mutants against their ment and providing a high VISibility to pick its own fights and never attempt oppressors. There is no way mutants attract new troops. It must also get a stand-up battle against the Senti­ are ever going to be accepted by stepped-up supply shipments from nels unless it has overwhelming normal people ever again, not after Britain and begin planning a proper odds. Sabotage and infiltration are all that has happened. The goal of campaign with clear military objec­ the tools of the army. Finally, the liberating all of North America is just tives. CRA must be willing to accept help not praclical. The CRA should con- Proposed by Nick Fury

32 -- I I I I I I St. Jean I The Pas I I I

•

North America Map

• Sentinel Regional HQ

Internment • Camp