Official Game Adventure After Midnight

By Anthony Herring Table of Contents

Introduction ...... ………………………………… 2 Chapter 18: Bellevue Hospital ...... ……………………… 27 The Player Characters ...... …………………………… 4 Chapter 19: A Talk With Felicia ...... …………………… 28 Non-Player Character Factions ...... ……………………… 7 Chapter 20: Johnny's Apartment ....……………………. 28 The Hypnoporter Machine ...... ………………………... 9 Chapter 21: Chocolate Zombies .....……………………... 30 Chapter 1: Recent Headlines ...... ……………………….. 11 Chapter 22: Bank Heist ...... ………………………….. 32 Chapter 2: At the Met ...... ………………………….. 11 Chapter 23: Go To Jail, Go Directly ..…………………... 33 Chapter 3: A Walk in the Park ...... …………………….. 13 Chapter 24: Here Comes the Judge ..……………………. 33 Chapter 4: Screams in the Dark ....…………………….. 13 Chapter 25: Bad News ...... …………………………... 35 Chapter 5: Trouble at Hank's ...... ……………………... 14 Chapter 26: A Meeting ...... ………………………….. 35 Chapter 6: Big News ...... …………………………... 15 Chapter 27: Wideawake ...... …………………………. 36 Chapter 7: A Drink on the House ...……………………. 16 Chapter 28: A Message From Max ...……………………. 39 Chapter 8: A Day Off ...... …………………………... 17 Chapter 29: To the Met Once More ...…………………... 39 Chapter 9: The Roarin' Twenties ...……………………. 18 Chapter 30: The Burning Ghost .....……………………... 40 Chapter 10: But I Wanna Be Sam Evans! …………….. 19 Chapter 31: The World Below ...... ……………………… 41 Chapter 11: The Big Game ...... ………………………. 20 Chapter 32: Morlocks and Marauders …………………. 43 Chapter 12: Washington Square .....…………………… 21 Chapter 33: This Isn't Kansas Anymore ……………….. 45 Chapter 13: More Big News ...... ……………………... 22 Chapter 34: The Rescue of Callisto ..……………………. 45 Chapter 14: A Talk With Johnny .....………………….. 23 Chapter 35: The Defeat of Mister Fear …………………. 46 Chapter 15: On the Water-front ...... …………………... 23 Epilogue: The Story Continues ...... ……………………… 48 Chapter 16: Back to the Twenties ....…………………... 25 Non-Player Character Roster ...... ………………………. 51 Chapter 17: Shocking Headlines ....……………………. 26

Credits The Fine Print This book is protected under the copyright laws of the United States of Design: Anthony Herring America. Any reproduction or other unauthorized use of the material or artwork contained herein is prohibited without the express written consent of Editing: Mike Breault TSR, Inc. and Marvel Entertainment Group, Inc. Distributed to the book trade Cover Illustration: Jeff Butler in the United States by Random House, Inc., and in Canada by Random House Interior Illustrations: John Statema of Canada, Ltd. Distributed to the toy and hobby trade by regional distributors. Maps: Dennis Kauth, Frey Graphics MARVEL SUPER HEROES is a trademark of the Marvel Entertainment Typesetting: Kirn Mohan Group Inc. All Marvel characters, character names, and the distinctive Keylining: Stephanie Tabat, Roy Parker likenesses thereof are trademarks of the Marvel Entertainment Group Inc. Marvel Entertainment Group Inc. All Rights Reserved. TSR, Inc. The TSR logo and PRODUCTS OF YOUR IMAGINATION are trademarks POB 756 owned by TSR, Inc. Game Design * 1990 TSR, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Lake Geneva, Printed in U.S.A. WI 53147 U.S.A. INTRODUCTION

A thick mist rises eerily from the In the Basic Set rules, a player has to as possible, and calls for a FEAT roll. ground, covering Central Park with its make a green FEAT roll for his The bar's Intensity is equal to its glistening wetness. character to succeed at any action, material strength. Because Excellent Outside the Metropolitan Museum of limited only by the Judge's discretion. Intensity is less than Spider-Man's Art, a stealthy figure glides down from The idea of Intensity has been added in Amazing Strength, the player needs the fog-filled sky. Nearby a bell tolls the the Advanced Set rules in order to only a green or better result on the hour—it's after midnight! determine whether certain FEATs are Universal Table to succeed. Yes, true believers, it's time for After feasible, as well as the cdlor result Midnight, Part 1 of the stupendous Gang needed for the FEAT to succeed. Impossible FEATs. As with Automatic Wars Trilogy. Intensity is set as a rank (Feeble, FEATs, the Judge must decide when a That's right. There are two more Monstrous, etc.). Compare the requisite FEAT is impossible. Generally, any thrilling adventures in the series, MLA2, Ability against the Intensity to action with an Intensity more than one Night Moves, and MLA3, Night Life. determine the color of the FEAT rank above the hero's Ability may be If Part 1 gets your heart bumping, required for success, as follows: considered impossible. you'll want to invest in Parts 2 and 3, in —If the Intensity rank is greater than If the action is important for the order to continue the campaign against the Ability rank, only a red result is successful completion of the adventure, the crime lords. However, all three successful. the Judge may rule that a red result adventures are designed to be self- —If the two are equal, a yellow or red achieves success for an otherwise contained, so they may be run result succeeds. impossible FEAT. individually or as a series. —If the Ability rank is greater than Example: From the previous example, the Intensity rank, then any colored suppose the metal bar is made of After Midnight contains: result (except white, of course) indicates Adamantium, and not iron. Spider-Man success. cannot bend a bar of Adamantium steel —a 64-page adventure book (you're —If a FEAT does not have a stated because its Unearthly material strength reading it now) that details the player Intensity, assume that any color result is two ranks higher than his Amazing characters, the non-player characters, means success. Alternatively, you may Strength. It looks like curtains for the and the story itself. declare the Intensity to be Typical. wall-crawler. —a pull-out map sheet that depicts Like most Judges, the Judge in this several important locations. Automatic FEATs. In order to reduce example does not like to see heroes —a cover that features various maps the number of dice rolls during the meet untimely ends during the middle of designed to help play run smoothly. game, certain simple or unimportant an adventure he has spent hours writing. actions can be considered automatic. If The thoughtful Judge allows the player As Judge, you should read through the the Intensity for the action is three or to attempt a FEAT roll, even though entire adventure book at least once more ranks lower than the hero's bending an Adamantium bar is normally before play commences. If you are an Ability, the FEAT is automatic—no roll an Impossible FEAT for Spider-Man. A inexperienced Judge, you may also wish is necessary. red result is required for success. The to review the Marvel Super Heroes rule The final decision as to whether a player will likely spend a lot of Karma books. FEAT is automatic is left to the Judge. to save the web-head from certain death. After Midnight is compatible with If a simple action is crucial to the story, Good luck, Spidey! either the Basic or Advanced rules, and the Judge has every right to call for a relies heavily on material published in FEAT roll. In some cases, as with the Karma Points the Deluxe City Campaign Set. effects of poisons, a FEAT roll is However, have no fear. You do not have required regardless of the Intensity. Some chapters of the adventure are to own the campaign set to play the Example: Spider-Man is in a death followed by sections about Karma, Gang Wars Trilogy. trap. Flexing his superhuman muscles, which present suggested Karma awards he attempts to bend an iron bar and and reductions. All heroes who actively Intensity and FEATs escape. participate in the events of the chapter Normally, this action is an Automatic should split the points evenly among For those of you who own the FEAT because the iron bar is made of themselves (or add them to a Karma Advanced Set, this is old hat—you may Excellent strength material, which is Pool, if the heroes have one). However, skip it if you wish. Judges still using the three ranks less than the web-slinger's the Judge may give a larger portion of Basic Set rules should read this section Amazing Strength. However, the Judge the Karma Points to characters who do carefully. wants to make his death trap as exciting most of the work.

2 The Premise The priceless tome is rumored to If you are thinking of starting a new contain arcane inscriptions that enable campaign within New York City, After The Fixer and Mentallo have joined the reader to create an assortment of Midnight is a great first adventure. forces once again. Their nefarious plan horrible monsters. During the course of play, the heroes is to form a criminal organization, Their plan is to cause super heroes establish themselves with numerous placing themselves as its leaders. To this (the player characters) to believe the contacts, opening the way for future end they stole the Mister Fear costume Maggia is responsible for a rash of encounters beyond those described in from the police, and gave it to a small- "supernatural" crimes, thus provoking After Midnight. As Judge, this module time thug, who became their enforcer. the heroes to subdue Hammerhead. In provides you with many ideas for With the help of the new Mister Fear, addition, they hope to incite several scenarios of your own design (see the Mentallo and the Fixer swelled their small-time gangs into joining forces and Epilogue). ranks with the members of a Yancy attacking Hammerhead's family. If you are currently running a super Street gang called the Batboys. All hero campaign set within the Big Apple, seemed to be going well for the new Getting Started After Midnight offers you new insights organization, until it was learned that a into this fabulous city. It also provides Maggia family (under Hammerhead's The majority of the action of After your campaign with refreshing plot control) was already operating in the Midnight takes place on Manhattan twists, which you can embellish or area. Island. If you are a proud owner of the ignore as you wish. Dubbing their gang the Faces of Fear, Deluxe City Campaign Set, you will If the super heroes in your campaign the Fixer and Mentallo decided to bring find it very helpful. Many of the have a base of operations in another city about the downfall of Hammerhead's adventure settings in this module are (such as Los Angeles, for example), branch of the Maggia. They stole an described in greater detail in the getting them to come to Manhattan is no ancient book from the Metropolitan campaign set. Nevertheless, as problem (see Chapter 1). Museum of Art, leaving clues to mentioned earlier, you can successfully incriminate Hammerhead. run After Midnight without this set.

3 THE PLAYER CHARACTERS

The three adventures in the Gang known as the Black Widow. Excellent Blunt damage. Daredevil can Wars Trilogy are designed for use with While in the United States on a throw it up to 1 area away and ricochet characters of the players' own creation. mission, she fell in love with Hawkeye it off multiple targets or hard surfaces However, should your players not have and defected from the Soviet Union. She with a Power Stunt. By firing a line original characters (and they don't want publicly revealed her true identity, and from the club to any adjacent area, to take the time to create some), allow offered her services to SHIELD. Daredevil can use it to swing up to 3 them to choose from those described Her romance with Hawkeye ended, as areas per turn. below. did her subsequent love affair with Blindness: Because he is blind, Daredevil, although she remains friends Daredevil is unaffected by any light- Black Widow with both men. The Black Widow was a based attacks, illusions, or hypnosis. Real Name: Natalia Alianova member of the Champions of Los Romanova Angeles, and serves as a reserve Talents: Daredevil is a master of member of the Avengers. Acrobatics, and he possesses Martial F IN 40 Health: 100 Arts A, B, and E. He is a Weapons A RM 30 Daredevil Specialist with his Billy Club, receiving S GD 10 Karma: 70 Real Name: Matthew Michael a +2CS to hit. Although he has been E EX 20 Murdock disbarred, Murdock retains his legal R GD 10 Resources: GD (10) training. I IN 40 F IN 40 Health: 110 P EX 20 Popularity: 30 A IN 40 Background: One day, young Matt S GD 10 Karma: 91 Murdock saw a truck about to hit a blind KNOWN POWERS: E EX 20 man. Hurling himself in front of the Widow's Bite: The Black Widow wears R TY 6 Resources: PR (4) vehicle, Murdock was able to keep the bracelets that include a number of I MN 75 man from being struck. However, a weapons and devices: P GD 10 Popularity: 6 canister of radioactive waste the truck —Electro-Blaster: She can shoot an was carrying burst open, and Murdock Excellent Energy attack up to a range of KNOWN POWERS: was bombarded with radiation which 4 areas. Enhanced Senses: Daredevil's senses of blinded him, but also heightened his —Gas-Launcher: She can fire gas- touch, taste, hearing, and smell have other senses. filled capsules containing Excellent been enhanced to Monstrous rank. He Matt Murdock later met a blind Intensity tear gas. Range is 4 areas, and can identify substances by taste, read martial arts master known as Stick, who the gas fills 1 area. print on a page by touch, or track by taught him how to use his augmented —Cable-Launcher: From her scent. senses and trained him as a fighter. bracelets, the Black Widow can fire a Overloading his senses reduces In order to finance his son's college cable that is 3 areas long and is made of Daredevil's Enhanced Senses to education, Murdock's father Jack (who Incredible strength material. It includes Incredible rank. This occurs when was a boxer past his prime) agreed to fix a grappling hook. By swinging on the Daredevil experiences excessive noise a fight. But because Matt watched the line, she can move up to 4 areas per or numerous rapidly moving objects, for bout, his father could not humiliate round. example. himself in front of his son and decided Wall-Crawling: The gloves and boot Daredevil can use his enhanced not to throw the match. Jack was later soles of the Widow's costume are hearing in a Power Stunt to determine if gunned down in retaliation. covered with microscopic suction cups, a person is lying (he listens for an The grief-stricken Matt Murdock enabling her to wall-crawl with erratic heartbeat) with Amazing ability. finished his studies at Columbia Remarkable ability. Radar Sense: Daredevil has developed University, then opened a law office an omnidirectional sense that operates with his partner, Franklin "Foggy" Talents: The Black Widow is a weapon as primitive radar. He can "see" three- Nelson. specialist with her widow's bite (+2CS dimensional images up to 3 areas away, Murdock was determined to bring his when using the weapons or cable), and regardless of light conditions. Rapid father's killers to justice, but he could is also skilled in Martial Arts A, B, and movements and chaotic conditions see no legal way of doing so. Hence, he E. She has Detective/Espionage and reduce this Power and his Intuition to decided to adopt the guise of a costumed Military skills, and speaks several Incredible rank. Daredevil cannot be vigilante, and called himself Daredevil. languages. blindsided. He was successful in avenging his Billy Club: Daredevil carries a Billy father. Background: Natalia Romanova was Club made of Incredible strength Daredevil has had numerous vio- trained by the KGB to become the spy material. He may wield it or throw it for

4 lent encounters with Kingpin, who grip, and the elder Rand fell to his Endurance ranks increase +1CS. His robbed Murdock of the woman he death. Health raises to 130. loved, his fortune, and his legal Spurning Meachum's offer of Ankh: This object glows in the presence standing. assistance, Daniel and his mother of danger, giving Moon Knight attempted to make it back to camp on Monstrous Danger Sense. Using the Iron Fist their own. As they approached a long Ankh raises his Intuition +3CS to Real Name: Daniel Rand suspension bridge, they were attacked Amazing. It can be thrown to inflict by a pack of wolves. Daniel's mother Good damage. F IN 40 Health: 100 held off the fierce predators long Bola: This weapon can be thrown up to A RM 30 enough for Daniel to escape, but she 3 areas to inflict Typical damage, or to S GD 10 Karma: 125 was killed. make a Good Grappling attack. E EX 20 Daniel wandered alone in the frozen Ivory Boomerang: Like the bola, it has a R GD 10 Resources: PR (4) wilderness and was soon discovered by range of 3 areas. It causes Excellent I IN 40 some of the denizens of K'un-Lun, who damage, then returns to its thrower. P MN 75 Popularity: 20 took the boy to their city. He was Lasso-Grapple: This can be used at a brought before the ruler, Yu-Ti, who maximum range of 1 area to inflict KNOWN POWERS: sensed Daniel's desire for vengeance Good damage, or to make an Excellent Chi: By focusing his spiritual energy, and apprenticed him to martial arts Grappling attack versus a single target. Iron Fist can temporarily (for 10 turns) master Lei Kung and the Thunderer. Moon Knight can also use it as a increase his Fighting, Agility, Strength, At age 19 Daniel Rand opposed the grapple, enabling him to climb walls at or Endurance by +1CS. A Psyche FEAT fire-breathing serpent called Shou-Lao a rate of 2 stories per turn. and 1 turn are required. Afterward, his the Undying. When he grabbed its body, Scarab Darts: With a range of 3 areas, Health temporarily drops 25 points. Daniel received mystic emanations from these weapons cause Good Edged Iron Fist: Once per day he can use his the beast's dragon-shaped scar, marking Throwing damage. As a "called shot," Chi to deliver a devastating blow. A where its heart had been ripped out Moon Knight can use them to pin a Psyche FEAT determines the damage years before. During the struggle, the target to a wall. (green = Incredible, yellow = Amazing, scar imprinted itself on Rand's chest. Throwing Irons: These can be used at a red = Monstrous). Afterward, an After killing the serpent, Rand range of up to 5 areas to inflict Good Incredible or Amazing blow causes him plunged his hands into a brazier Blunt Throwing damage. to temporarily lose 50 Health points, containing Shou-Lao's molten heart, while a Monstrous blow drains Iron Fist which the creature had been guarding. Talents: Moon Knight has acquired the of 50 points and knocks him Daniel's fists shone with a quasi- skills of a Soldier, Driver, and Financial unconscious for 1-10 turns as well. mystical force, and he earned the title specialist. "Iron Fist." Talents: Rand's aptitude with Martial Returning to America, Daniel Rand Background: After rejecting his father's Arts enables him to Slam or Stun became a crimefighter. He joined forces way of life, Marc Spector pursued a opponents who have greater Strength with Power Man (Luke Cage) in the very materialistic life. He became a than his Endurance. Heroes for Hire business. liaison to the CIA, but soon resigned to become a mercenary soldier. Background: When he was only nine, Moon Knight As a soldier of fortune, Marc Spector Daniel Rand traveled to Tibet with his Real Name: Marc Spector worked as second-in-command to Ron- father, mother, and his father's business ald Bushman, a terrorist for hire whose partner, Harold Meachum. They were in F RM 30 Health: 80 face was tattooed as a death mask. search of the fabled city of K'un-Lun. A EX 20 While Bushman's forces were fighting Along the way, disaster struck. Daniel S GD 10 Karma: 60 rebels in the Sudan, Spector learned that slipped and fell off a treacherous E EX 20 Bushman planned to loot a nearby mountain pass, dragging his mother and R GD 10 Resources: RM (30) archaeological dig. This was all Spector father over with him. While he and his I EX 20 needed to finally realize that he was mother landed on an ice shelf, his father P RM 30 Popularity: 10 fighting on the wrong side. He decided dangled over the sheer precipice and to leave Bushman that night. called to his partner for help. Hoping to KNOWN POWERS: Unfortunately, Dr. Peter Alraune, an take over Rand's share of their business, Power Boost: While the moon is up, his American archaeologist working to Meachum instead caused him to lose his Fighting, Agility, Strength and preserve the treasures at the site,

5 tried to stab Bushman. Spector the affections of Reva Connors. tion he receives. Spider-Man cannot be instinctively stopped him, and Bushman Unfortunately, Stryker's illicit wealth blindsided while his Spider-Sense is in killed the archaeologist. Spector warned made him a more eligible suitor. effect; he may perform defensive the archaeologist's daughter Marlene to One night Stryker was badly beaten in actions if he succeeds at an Intuition get to safety and then challenged a mob hit. Cage and Reva Connors saw FEAT roll. If this sense is denied him, Bushman. Spector lost and was left in a lot of each other while visiting Stryker his Intuition is as listed and all Agility the desert to die. at the hospital. Stryker believed Cage FEATs are at -1CS. Adherents of an Egyptian religion was trying to steal Reva away from him Web-Shooters: From devices on his found Spector, but it was too late to save and became insanely jealous. Stryker wrists, Spider-Man can fire a weblike his life. They took him before the statue planted heroin in Cage's apartment and chemical formula. The webbing has of Khonshu, the Egyptian god of the tipped off the police, and Cage was Incredible material strength the round it moon. Miraculously, Spector's heart arrested on drug charges. is fired, and hardens to Monstrous began beating again. In a delirium, he A few days later, Reva was killed in a strength in the following turn. The attributed his revival to Khonshu, and mob hit intended for Stryker. From webbing dissolves in one hour. He uses declared himself the moon's knight of prison, Cage swore vengeance against it to restrain foes, to make swing lines vengeance. his former friend. (traveling 3 areas/turn), to create Spector destroyed Bushman's While Cage was in prison, a research missiles that inflict Excellent Blunt organization in that part of the world, physiologist arrived to perform an damage (range: 3 areas), and to create then returned to America. He decided to experiment in cell regeneration on shields of Monstrous strength. adopt the costumed identity of the Moon volunteer prisoners. Cage volunteered, Spider-Tracer: Spider-Man carries Knight in order to use his acquired but the experiment was sabotaged by a small homing devices shaped like wealth and resources to wage war guard, allowing it to advance to a point spiders that are tuned to his Spider- against criminals. beyond its design. Cage's body was Sense. He can track them with Amazing enhanced, giving him superhuman accuracy up to 1 mile away. Power Man strength. He used his new powers to Real Name: Luke Cage escape from prison. Talents: Peter Parker is a graduate Back in New York, he discovered that student in chemistry with a background F RM 30 Health: 130 using his superhuman strength to thwart in physics. He works as a photographer A GD 10 crime could be quite profitable. He at the Daily Bugle. S IN 40 Karma: 36 defeated Stryker, and with the help of E AM 50 Iron Fist was able to clear his name. He Background: One evening Peter Parker R GD 10 Resources: PR (4) and Iron Fist formed an organization attended a public demonstration on the I EX 20 called Heroes for Hire. safe handling of nuclear waste P TY 6 Popularity: 18 materials. During the exhibition, a Spider-Man common house spider wandered into the KNOWN POWERS: Real Name: Peter Parker path of a particle beam accelerator. The Invulnerability: Power Man has spider fell on Parker's hand and bit him. Incredible resistance to physical and F RM 30 Health: 160 On the way home, Peter was attacked energy attacks. A AM 50 by a gang of thugs; to his surprise, he Regeneration: Luke has the Poor ability S IN 40 Karma: 70 found that he could toss them around to heal, enabling him to gain his E IN 40 like rag dolls. Dazed and confused, he Endurance rank number in Health three R EX 20 Resources: TY (6) ran into the path of a car, and jumped to times per day. I GD 10 safety by clinging to a wall. Parker P IN 40 Popularity: 30/6 quickly associated these superhuman Talents: Luke is skilled in Martial Arts powers with the bite from the A and E, Law Enforcement, and KNOWN POWERS: radioactive spider. Criminology. Wall-Crawling: Spider-Man can adhere After his Uncle Ben was slain by a to vertical and upside-down surfaces burglar that Peter could have Background: Luke Cage grew up on with Amazing ability. apprehended for a previous offense, he the streets of Harlem, often committing Spider-Sense: Spider-Man possesses a realized that with power comes petty crimes with his friend, Willis Combat Sense of Amazing at all times. responsibility. In the costumed identity Stryker. As the two matured, Cage This sense warns him of potentially of Spider-Man, Peter Parker began to found legitimate odd jobs, while Stryker dangerous situations. The higher the use his abilities to fight crime. became a criminal. rank of the danger, the greater is the Cage and Stryker became rivals for intensity of the sensa-

6 NON-PLAYER CHARACTERS FACTIONS

The super heroes encounter many Yancy Street. They profited mainly by territory. The Faces of Fear have non-player characters (NPCs) during the selling drugs. However, they were also infringed upon Hammerhead's turf, adventure. For ease of reference, they involved in a number of crimes, from which causes a terrible gang war, unless have been divided into six factions (or muggings to auto theft. the heroes can intervene. groups): Currently, they have been In order to utterly defeat the Faces of — the Faces of Fear incorporated into the Faces of Fear; they Fear (and the heroes), Hammerhead has — the Maggia are looking forward to much bigger hired several super-powered criminals. — the Crimson Smiles Gang crimes. To disguise themselves, they They are detailed in the Non-Player — the Flashing Blades Gang wear cheap Halloween masks, like those Character Roster, and include — the Buzz Cuts Gang found in any novelty store. Blacklash, Boomerang, Eel, Scorpion, — Contacts and Other NPCs and Whirlwind. Typical Batboy These groups are described in the Typical Maggia Thug following paragraphs. Statistics for F TY 6 Health: 32 individual NPCs may be found in the A GD 10 F GD 10 Health: 32 Non-Player Character Roster at the end S TY 6 Karma: 14 A TY 6 of this module. E GD 10 S TY 6 Karma: 16 R PR 4 Resources: TY (6) E GD 10 The Faces of Fear I TY 6 R TY 6 Resources: GD (10) P PR 4 Popularity: 0 I PR 4 This gang of villains was secretly P TY 6 Popularity: 0 brought together by the Fixer and Talents: None. Mentallo. Should the fledgling Talents: They are trained in Martial organization crumble, Mentallo and the Weaponry: Mister Fear has armed them Arts B. Fixer are relying on their anonymity to with handguns. As the Batboys, they avoid retribution. Not even the members used to carry baseball bats. Weaponry: Wearing pin-striped suits, of the Faces of Fear have any idea who Hammerhead's thugs carry revolvers the Big Boss is. Since opening shop on the streets of and brass knuckles. Next in the hierarchy of the gang is New York, the Faces of Fear have Mister Fear. He acts as a liaison begun to terrorize merchants by forcing The Crimson Smiles Gang between the mysterious Big Boss them to pay "protection" money. By (Mentallo and the Fixer) and the low- selling drugs, they destroy families and This gang of young toughs hangs out life members of the Faces of Fear. lives as well. at Friscoe's Bar and Grill on the Lower Next in the structure are several super Operating mainly on the Lower East East Side. They operate mainly as drug villains, including Black Talon, Side of Manhattan, the Faces of Fear are pushers, muggers, and hired killers. Scarecrow, Frankenstein's Monster, and in direct conflict with the Maggia. They call themselves the Crimson the members of the Night Shift (Shroud, Smiles after the way in which they slit Gypsy Moth, Werewolf, Tatterde- The Maggia their victims' throats—they are certainly malion, and the Brothers Grimm). not nice guys. All of these superhuman criminals are This criminal organization is the most The Crimson Smiles are the first to be under the influence of Mentallo and the powerful in the world. Besides having attacked by the members of the Night Fixer's hypnoporter machine (see the an iron grip on most drug traffic, illicit Shift, under Mister Fear's control. next section for details on this powerful gambling, and other prohibited gadget). With this device, they are able activities, it also influences political Typical Crimson Smile to dominate the "monsters," and teleport officials and labor unions. them to various locations in Manhattan. The Maggia is broken down into a F TY 6 Health: 32 Finally, at the lowest level of the hierarchy of independent groups called A GD 10 organization are the former members of "families." Each family controls a S TY 6 Karma: 12 a street gang called the Batboys. They specific territory. Each is forbidden to E GD 10 serve as a vital connection between the operate in another family's territory R PR 4 Resources: PR (4) Faces of Fear and the streets, gathering without permission. I PR 4 information and breaking legs. The Hammerhead family claims most P PR 4 Popularity: 0 At one time, the Batboys operated on of Lower Manhattan, Greenwich the Lower East Side of Manhattan near Village, and the Lower East Side as its Talents: None.

7 Weaponry: The Crimson Smiles carry Talents: None. Talents: None. switchblade knives. Their leader has a handgun. Weaponry: They carry straight razors. Weaponry: Buzz Cuts carry switch- blades. The Flashing Blades Gang The Buzz Cuts Gang Contacts and Other NPCs Although this gang operates mostly on This gang of street punks hangs out at the Lower East Side, they like to meet at Starky's Pool Hall, located on the Lower A number of NPCs serve vital roles Hank's Tavern in Times Square. They East Side. They make money through during the adventure. They present the profit mainly from drug trafficking. extortion and selling narcotics. The heroes with needed clues, continuing the They carry straight razors as their Buzz Cuts take their name from their flow of the story. While many of them trademark. hair style—a very short flattop. aid the heroes, others are deadly The Flashing Blades are the second They are the third gang to be attacked opponents. Statistics for all of them may gang to be hit by Mister Fear and the by the Faces of Fear. be found in the Non-Player Character Night Shift. Roster. Typical Buzz Cut Friendly NPCs encountered by the Typical Flashing Blade heroes include Mr. Maximilian Pride, F GD 10 Health: 28 Felicia Bifrost, Johnny Bifrost, Black F TY 6 Health: 28 A TY 6 Panther, Callisto, and Skids. A GD 10 S TY 6 Karma: 11 Not-so-friendly characters include S TY 6 Karma: 16 E TY 6 Arclight, Harpoon, Vertigo, and several E TY 6 R PR 4 Resources: PR (4) Mark IV Sentinels. R TY 6 Resources: PR (4) I PR 4 I PR 4 P PR 4 Popularity: 0 P TY 6 Popularity: 0

8 THE HYPNOPORTER MACHINE

This powerful device was created by best of his ability. A successful roll a chair in one of the hypnoporter's six the combined genius of the Fixer and means the subject has resisted that stage chambers may be teleported by the Mentallo. The machine consists of a of questioning. operator. Teleportation takes three turns. tremendous accumulation of circuitry Opposing the hypnoporter strains the When it occurs, the chamber quickly and computer hardware, including metal victim's Psyche. Each attempted Psyche (within 1 turn) fills with green gas. mainframes, glass bubbles holding FEAT roll inflicts 5 points of Health Lightning dances through the cloud and strange gases, flashing monitors, and the damage. If the hero chooses to answer upon the victim's skin (during turn 2), ever popular blinking lights. all questions without a struggle, no causing only an intense tingling and no At the heart of the structure is a damage is inflicted. damage. Suddenly (during turn 3), there control console and two large, metal In order to resist the first potency is a loud crack and the subject vanishes. chairs (one for the Fixer and the other level, an Excellent Intensity Psyche The subjects of all six chambers (one for Mentallo). FEAT is required. For the second level subject per chamber) may be teleported The hypnoporter has a Reason of one must roll a Remarkable Intensity at the same time, and they may even be Remarkable, and is made of Typical Psyche FEAT. To resist the third level sent to different locations. Subjects may strength materials. requires an Incredible Intensity Psyche be teleported up to 250,000 miles away Extending from the machine is a FEAT. (to the moon, for example). Individuals tangled mass of black cables. They The subject may try to deceive the weighing over 2,000 pounds may not be connect to a series of six glass and steel hypnoporter by lying. This is extremely teleported. cubicles (Excellent material strength), difficult, requiring a successful The hypnoporter is currently equipped each of which measures 10' x 10' x 10'. Amazing Intensity Psyche FEAT roll. with a very precise grid map of Inside each cubicle is a reclining chair Manhattan. Teleporting within this area similar to that used by a dentist. A Mind Control: A victim of the has no chance of failure. subject is fixed to each chair by steel hypnoporter may totally lose control of If individuals are teleporting outside restraints (Amazing material strength). his conscious mind. The character's of Manhattan, attempt an Excellent Above each seat dangles a large helmet, personality remains intact, but his Intensity Reason FEAT for the to which are attached the wires of the actions are controlled by the operator of hypnoporter. If successful, the teleport hypnoporter. the machine. A controlled individual has works as desired. If the roll is failed, the no memory of the time he is under targets are transferred to a random Hypnoporter Powers control. location (Judge's option). The subject may attempt to resist the A safety feature in the hypnoporter The hypnoporter has a number of Mind Control by succeeding at a prevents it from teleporting travelers useful Powers: Remarkable Intensity Psyche FEAT roll. into solid objects. If the roll is successful, the hypnoporter The hypnoporter may be set to return Mental Probe: When an individual is may not be used in an attempt to Mind teleported individuals at a given time, or strapped into a chair in one of the Control that individual until 1-10 hours when a specified circumstance occurs. cubicles, and the helmet is placed on his have elapsed. If the roll is failed, the For example, all of the Fixer and head, the operator may attempt to probe conscious actions of the character are Mentallo's "monsters" return if they are the subject's mind for desired controlled. knocked unconscious. information. A controlled player character gains an To be returned, the traveler must have The hypnoporter has three potency additional Psyche FEAT roll each time previously had a small tracking device levels. The Fixer and Mentallo usually he is commanded to perform a Karma- placed beneath his skin at the base of begin at the lowest potency level. losing action, or one that is life- the skull. The instrument is about the If the victim resists questioning, they threatening (robbing a bank, attacking size and shape of a quarter. It monitors increase the potency to the next level, his friends, committing suicide, etc.). the subject's vital signs and present accompanied by lots of flashing lights No Karma may be added to any FEATs location. and threatening sounds. This continues while under control, including this Teleporting a returning individual until either the subject reveals Psyche FEAT. takes two turns. During the first turn, everything he knows, or he resists all Unless otherwise stated in the text, no lightning dances across the target's skin; three levels of questioning. previously controlled non-player in the second turn, he vanishes with a For each potency level, a subject who characters can resist the hypnoporter, thunderous crack. wishes to resist the machine must even if placed in a Karma-losing or life- A returning individual may bring only attempt a Psyche FEAT roll. If the roll threatening situation. inorganic material back. The cargo can is failed, the hero must answer to the weigh a total of 500 Teleportation: A subject strapped into

9 pounds, or the traveler's Strength weight traveler. The hero finds himself grab- hypnoporter. Mister Fear cannot use it. limit, whichever is less. bing air. If a player character attempts to use any Powers of the machine, he must Teleportation and the Heroes. During —Placing a homing device on the attempt an Incredible Intensity Reason the course of the adventure, the heroes villain. A smart player, and especially FEAT. Success indicates the hero can encounter numerous NPCs who teleport one playing Spider-Man, may decide to accurately employ all of the Powers of when knocked unconscious, or when a place a tracer on a villain in order to the device. Failure means the character specified time limit has expired. locate the hideout. Unfortunately, this simply cannot understand how to In order to capture the villains, the does not work because the hypnoporter operate the hypnoporter. players are sure to come up with some is sophisticated enough to detect the ingenious attempts to thwart the device while it is reforming the Teleportation Power of the hypnoporter. teleported villain's molecules. Scratch Unless you, as Judge, decide one homing device. otherwise, it is suggested that all attempts fail. By capturing villains —Using various Powers. There are a before they teleport, the flow of the number of Powers the heroes could use adventure and encounters in future in an attempt to alter or stop the chapters are jeopardized. teleportation (Probability Manipulation, Some possibilities the players may Nullifying Power, Density Manipu- come up with are described below. lation, etc.). All attempts fail.

—Grabbing a teleporting villain in Using the Hypnoporter order to teleport with him. This does not work because only inorganic matter may The Fixer and Mentallo are the only teleport with a returning NPCs skilled in the use of the

10 CHAPTER 1: RECENT HEADLINES

SUMMARY: The heroes learn about However, should they be reluctant, crime are being withheld by the the theft of the artifact. Let the have each of the player characters authorities, the museum's curator, adventure begin! receive a message from the curator Mr. Maximilian Pride, refused to through contacts they had established comment to reporters." STARTING: Read the following boxed prior to the adventure. If a hero has no text to the players: contacts, the curator simply places an ad AFTERMATH: The theft of anything in all of the major newspapers in the from the Met is a major media event. While flipping through your local U.S. (He is a very determined man!) Not only is the crime detailed on the Monday morning paper, you notice Assume the ads are seen by the front page of every newspaper in the an interesting article on the front characters. country, but it is also on national page: The notes (or ads) implore the super television all day Monday. heroes to meet with Mr. Pride at the "PRICELESS MUSEUM PIECE During the day, the heroes witness museum five minutes before closing STOLEN! television interviews with celebrities of (4:55 p.m.) on Tuesday (the Met is the art community, all of whom are Sometime after midnight last night, closed on Mondays; this gives the appalled that the security of the museum a priceless book was stolen from the characters one full day to travel to has been breached. If one artifact has Metropolitan Museum of Art in New Manhattan, if they are in another city). been taken, what is to keep the thieves York City. Police have no suspects A night watchman will be waiting for from stealing other art treasures? and are continuing their them at the door. Be sure the players realize the theft is investigation. When the heroes decide to visit the receiving a lot of public attention. A The book, oddly titled A Madman's Met, proceed with Chapter 2. robbery at the Met should be enough to Mutterings, is several hundred years entice the heroes. By solving this old and deals with topics pertaining KARMA: important crime, the costumed charac- to the supernatural. Deciding to investigate with- ters can expect some good publicity Because specific details of the out a note from the curator: +5 (and possibly a monetary reward).

CHAPTER 2: AT THE MET

SUMMARY: The heroes visit the 1. How was the book stolen? The theft He is reading today's issue of the Metropolitan Museum of Art to look for took place in the library—the same Daily Bugle. clues, either on their own initiative or at room the heroes are sitting in. The book "Hello, I'm Maximilian Pride, the the request of the curator. was kept in a locked case, which was curator." smashed to bits. There were no signs of STARTING: Read the following text to forced entry into the museum. Only the the players: ENCOUNTER: Mr. Pride asks the alarm protecting the case was activated. heroes to be seated at an old oak table in During the robbery, security cameras the library. He asks if any of them It's nearly five o'clock—closing recorded an unnatural darkness in the would like a drink. Whether or not they time at the Met. An elderly library; this darkness totally concealed want anything, Maximilian asks Harry watchman named Harry meets you at the thief. to have someone named Felicia bring the entrance to the museum, just as (The truth of the matter is that the coffee from the cafe. the last visitors are leaving. Shroud was teleported into the library. Although Mr. Pride has been asked by Unfortunately, your guided tour is Cloaking the area in darkness with his the police to remain silent, recent events short, for your destination is nearby. Darkforce Control Power, he smashed have caused him to believe the police Harry leads you through the Great the case with a nearby chair, took the are going to need all the help they can Hall, which is currently decorated book, and was teleported away.) get. He is prepared to answer the heroes' with medieval tapes-tries and questions, and he is willing to reveal weaponry, and into the library. 2. Was anything else stolen? Several some useful information. Some of the Sitting in a comfortable chair is an other valuable texts on display with the most important questions and answers elderly man wearing a fine suit. book in question were left untouched. are the following ones: When the guards

11 responded to the alarm, they found no Enter Ms. Bifrost. When the heroes "GANG HANGOUT DEMOLISH- sign of any intruders, except for one have nearly finished questioning Mr. ED IN WILD RAMPAGE! incriminating clue. Pride, Felicia finally arrives with a pot of coffee and whatever else the heroes Friscoe's Bar and Grill, located on 3. What is the evidence? Nestled upon may have asked for. the Lower East Side, was nearly torn the ruins of the display case was a hat, Clattering cups and saucers, the young to the ground late last night. similar in style to that made famous by waitress appears flustered. Anyone Police reports state that just after the gangsters of the 1920s—a wide- succeeding at a Typical Intensity midnight a lunatic entered the bar brimmed fedora with the crown creased Intuition FEAT realizes Felicia is and began smashing anyone and lengthwise. Stuck into a black band extremely nervous. If asked, she replies anything in sight with an uprooted around the hat was a note that read: that nothing is wrong, and continues street sign. pouring drinks. Three persons were killed, and five "Hammerhead's puttin' the hammer At some point she accidentally spills others suffered minor injuries in the down!" hot coffee on one of the characters (roll scuffle. The suspect is still at large. randomly). If the hero reacts nicely, Eyewitnesses report the madman as The police took the hat and note, but Felicia smiles warmly and helps clean being 'a monster, like Frankenstein or the watchman (Harry) had read it, and up the mess. Should the hero be rude or something.' later told the curator. abusive, the waitress flees from the Police refute this, speculating that room in tears. by the amount of destruction more 4. What is the name of the book? The Felicia is upset because she believes than one individual was involved. book is titled A Madman's Mutterings. It her twin brother, Johnny, is involved in Gang fights are common in the was written in 1690 by a man named the theft of the book. She knows that he establishment, say the police, Bartholomew Jacobs, who was burned hangs out with a street gang called the because it is one of the hangouts of as a witch in 1692. Flashing Blades. Felicia thinks Johnny the notorious Crimson Smiles gang." Because of the fragile nature of the was forced to commit the crime as part book, Mr. Pride has never endeavored to of some sort of initiation. (She is read it, nor has he allowed anyone else Mr. Pride explains that he believes the mistaken, however—see Chapter 3.) to handle it. However, he knows the book has been deciphered, and that writing supposedly consists of a more incidents of murder are imminent. AFTERMATH: If the heroes have hodgepodge of myths and speculations He told the police of his fears, but they gained Felicia's trust by seeming about the supernatural. The book is laughed at him. He begs the heroes to concerned about her and by not being thought to be confusing and tedious to recover the book, "for the sake of New rude when she spills hot coffee, go to read. York City!" Chapter 3. If they upset her, go to The curator is aware of a legend If your players are heavily motivated Chapter 4. concerning the book (which is often told by money, Mr. Pride is willing to offer during tours of the museum). According up to $50,000 for the return of the book. KARMA: to the tale, A Madman's Mutterings was Befriending Felicia: +10 written in a secret code, which when Digging for More Clues. The heroes Scaring Felicia away: -15 deciphered, reveals how to create an may wish to further research the history assortment of gruesome monsters. of Bartholomew Jacobs and A Apparently, Bartholomew Jacobs was Madman's Mutterings. It is unnecessary burned because he summoned such for them to do so, however, because Mr. creatures from the spirit world. Pride offers to do the research himself. Originally, Mr. Pride put little If he finds anything interesting, he credence in the legend, considering it an promises to get in touch with the heroes amusing anecdote. However, he has immediately. recently changed his opinion. The curator asks the characters to leave a telephone number or an address Recent Weird Happenings. Read the where they can be reached. If they do following boxed text: not (because of secret IDs or whatever), Mr. Pride states that he will take out ads in the Daily Bugle to contact them. Mr. Pride opens today's Daily Bugle, lays it on the table, and points to one of the headlines:

12 CHAPTER 3: A WALK IN THE PARK

SUMMARY: If the heroes were kind to After a few minutes, Felicia finally He was really referring to her job at the Felicia Bifrost, they find her sitting on a confides in the heroes. Read the Met (Felicia was recently hired as a park bench outside the Metropolitan following boxed text to the players: waitress). Museum of Art. She has been waiting Felicia tells the heroes that Johnny is for the characters, and has something As you make small talk with really a good person who has been important to tell them. Felicia you once again get the feeling forced to turn to a life on the streets in she has something to say but is afraid order to survive. She begs the heroes to STARTING: When the heroes exit the to say it. make Johnny give back the book before Met, read the following boxed text to Finally, behind a mask of tears, she he is arrested. the players: breaks down and confides in you. If the heroes promise not to take "I know who stole that old book ... Johnny to jail, but instead agree to try to As you walk out of the museum, it was my brother! (sob, sob)" convince him to leave the gang, Felicia you notice the waitress who served tells them where to find the Flashing Blades. coffee during your talk with the ENCOUNTER: Felicia goes on to curator. She is sitting on a park When they promise to help, Felicia explain that her twin brother, Johnny informs the player characters that the bench, but she quickly stands up Bifrost, is a member of a gang of street when she notices you. Flashing Blades are having a meeting toughs. She has tried to talk Johnny into tonight around midnight at a bar in The setting sun glistens warmly off leaving the gang many times but has her pristine face and ebony hair—she Times Square called Hank's. "The stolen always failed. The gang members call book will probably be there," she says. is a very beautiful young lady. themselves the Flashing Blades. "Hello, again. Could we talk?" Sunday night she overheard Johnny AFTERMATH: If the heroes are As before, she seems nervous, as if talking on the phone about "a job at the planning to go to the meeting to retrieve something is on her mind. Met." Putting two and two together, she the book and show Johnny the error of "It's nearly dark, and I really don't realized her brother was part of the his ways, go to Chapter 5. want to walk through Central Park museum robbery. alone. Would you walk me to a cab?" KARMA: As mentioned earlier, she is mistaken. Promising to help Johnny: +5

CHAPTER 4: SCREAMS IN THE DARK

SUMMARY: The heroes exit the lapsing into unconsciousness, he says people playing sports, riding Metropolitan Museum of Art after a that the attack will be at Hank's Tavern, bicycles, or walking with young meeting with the curator. Having blown in Times Square. children. The citizens here now are a the encounter with Felicia, they do not Unless the heroes can somehow heal seedy lot—the kind of people who gain any valuable information from her. Mark, he must be taken to a hospital. If only come out at night. Nevertheless, the heroes encounter a the players manage to heal him, he Suddenly, from out of the darkness, member of the Flashing Blades, who pleads with them to go to Hank's with you hear a scream of pain. gets them back on the right track. him and help his friends. He does not know why Hammerhead is out to get STARTING: When the heroes leave ENCOUNTER: Three Batboys (disgui- him and his buddies. the museum, read the following: sed as members of Hammerhead's Mark does not freely admit that he is a Maggia family) have beaten up a member of the Flashing Blades and his member of the Flashing Blades. Your meeting with Mr. Pride took "friends" are all gangsters. When the heroes arrive, they find longer than you thought. The sun has Mark Black lying on the ground set, and night has settled over Central AFTERMATH: The players decide to moaning loudly. There is no sign of the Park. thwart the attack at Hank's Tavern. Go young man's assailants. The few people you see walking to Chapter 5. Struggling to stand, Mark screams that about are much different from those he must warn his friends because you saw in the park during the day. KARMA: Hammerhead is going to make a hit on There are no longer any Getting Mark to the hospital: +5 them tonight. Before Healing Mark: +10

13 CHAPTER 5: TROUBLE AT HANK’S

SUMMARY: The heroes approach them are armed with submachine guns. Blades. Some of the most important Hank's Tavern, where they become The driver carries a handgun. questions and answers are listed below. involved in a drive-by shooting; they If the car is stopped, the thugs do not also must defeat the Werewolf. hesitate to fire upon the heroes. If they 1. Where did the Werewolf come must flee from the car, they attempt to from? He suddenly appeared right in the STARTING: If you are using the map take hostages (there are a lot of people middle of the bar and started whaling on included with the Advanced Set, Hank's on the sidewalks). anybody he could reach. Tavern is located on the corner of 8th Avenue and Grant Street, on the first Cry of the Werewolf. During the battle 2. Where is the book? Johnny swears floor of the place marked "vacant with the thugs, any hero succeeding at a he didn't steal the book. He does not building." Typical Intensity Intuition FEAT hears know where it is. If he did swipe the If you have the map included with the screams coming from the interior of book, why would he send monsters to Basic Set, Hank's is along 7th Avenue, Hank's Tavern. kill his own friends? on the first floor of the building marked Inside, the Werewolf is attacking the "Schweinenger's Furs." patrons. For each turn the heroes ignore 3. What does Hammerhead have to do An interior map of Hank's Tavern has the screams, one young man is killed by with all of this? Rumors on the street been included with this module. the Werewolf (a maximum of 5). If the say that Hammerhead's Maggia family Read the following boxed text to the player characters respond within one stole the book. They are using monsters players when they arrive at Times turn, the deaths are prevented. to try to wipe out rival gangs. Monday Square and approach Hank's Tavern: Most of the customers are trying to night the Crimson Smiles were attacked, flee through the doors and windows. and tonight the Flashing Blades were You are standing outside Hank's Those trapped inside are attempting to clobbered by the Werewolf. Tavern. The full moon hangs above find cover behind tables and chairs. the city, watching impassively. The monster continues to destroy the 4. What gang is likely to be attacked Late at night, Times Square is a bar and its inhabitants for five more next? Most likely the Buzz Cuts will be very busy place. Con men and turns before being teleported back to the hit tomorrow night. They hang out in a prostitutes fill the streets, along with Fixer and Mentallo's hideout. Should he pool hall on the Lower East Side called junkies and pushers. Panhandlers beg be knocked unconscious, Werewolf Starky's. for loose change, while performers teleports immediately. When do back flips and play old musical teleporting, lightning dances across his 5. Where is Hammerhead's hideout? instruments for money. Even in your body, and he vanishes with a thundering Johnny and his buddies don't know for strange costumes, you draw only a report. sure. They believe Tommy Kent (the few stares. Thirty turns after the monster leader of the Buzz Cuts) probably Suddenly, a woman's scream and disappears, the police and a news crew knows where the heroes can find the squeal of a car's tires grab your arrive on the scene. If the heroes stick Hammerhead. Several months ago, attention. A long black sedan tears around, they can expect to answer a lot Tommy worked for the Maggia, but down the street, scattering people in of questions, and get their faces they had a falling out. Hammerhead has its path. From the windows, the bar- splattered all over the newspapers and sworn many times to have Tommy rels of machine guns protrude men- television in the process. killed. acingly. It's heading right for you! Johnny Bifrost and Pals. Before the Getting Johnny out of the Gang. If the police show up, Johnny Bifrost and the players are faithful to their agreement On any street adjacent to the tavern, other Flashing Blades approach the with Felicia, they attempt to talk Johnny place a marker for the car 4 areas away heroes. into leaving the Flashing Blades for from Hank's. The sedan is moving at a Johnny suffered only a few scratches good. Trying to do this while his friends rate of 4 areas per turn. during the fight. Obviously shaken are standing around requires a red (especially if the Werewolf killed some Popularity FEAT. Otherwise, because of ENCOUNTER: The heroes have one of his friends), Johnny thanks the tonight's gruesome events, merely a turn to react before the car drives by characters for their help. green result is called for. Hank's. Inside the sedan are four of the Anyone succeeding at a green Batboys (disguised as Hammerhead's Popularity FEAT can get the answers to The Goons in the Sedan. The heroes men), who have orders to do a drive-by some important questions from Johnny probably assume (incorrectly) that the shooting at Hank's Tavern. Three of and the other members of the Flashing four gangsters in the drive-

14 by shooting are members of Hammer- rated into a new gang, the Faces of Fear, Allowing thugs to shoot inno- -15 head's family. by Mister Fear.) cents or take hostages: If the heroes consult the police about Keeping Werewolf from killing: +30 the men in the car, the officers inform AFTERMATH: If the heroes decide to Defeating the Werewolf: +35 them that the four thugs all have wait and go to the Buzz Cuts' hangout Allowing Werewolf to kill: -All criminal records. However, the punks tomorrow night, go to Chapter 6. If they have never been associated with want to go tonight, go to Chapter 7. A Note about Karma. Because the Hammerhead, but were members of a Werewolf teleports when it has been Yancy Street gang called the Batboys. KARMA: rendered unconscious, the heroes gain The Batboys were a small-time gang Getting Johnny out of gang: +25 only half the normal Karma award for who used baseball bats as weapons. Failing to get him out of gang: -10 defeating it. This applies to all other They recently faded away. No one Keeping thugs from shooting in- +30 NPCs who are defeated by the heroes knows what happened to them. (They nocents or taking hostages: and then teleported by Mentallo and the were secretly incorpo- Fixer.

CHAPTER 6: BIG NEWS

SUMMARY: The heroes decide to Opening the morning issue of the watch out, Hammerhead, 'cause either spend the day resting, searching Daily Bugle, you notice a very [insert names once more] are gonna for clues, or performing the daily interesting article: getcha!'" routines of their civilian identities (if they have secret IDs). "MONSTERS IN NEW YORK? WHAT'S NEW? ENCOUNTER: During the time STARTING: Heroes with secret Ids between encounters, the heroes may Last night, Hank's Tavern was the often have day-to-day responsibilities in wish to dig for clues or consult contacts subject of two attacks. The first was their civilian lives (families, jobs, etc.). they had established prior to beginning apparently a gang-related drive-by Because this adventure takes place over the adventure. Any such clues or shooting. several days, such heroes must see to contacts are left to the creativity of the According to witnesses, the second their obligations between encounters. Judge. assault was instigated by 'a wolfman, Karma awards for making and breaking with claws and fur and everything!' commitments can be found on page 23 AFTERMATH: If the heroes are going What's going on New York? of the Basic Set Campaign Book, and to Starky's Pool Hall for the first time, Monday night it was Frankenstein, page 37 of the Advanced Set Players' turn to Chapter 7. last night it was the Werewolf. When Book. are these monster murders going to This chapter is designed to let the POPULARITY: The heroes may be stop? When are the authorities going heroes know how their actions (and made to look good or bad, depending on to do something? Is this for real? those of the villains) are being viewed their actions. Either the Basic Set rules The police refute the existence of by the public. The following newspaper or the Advanced Set rules may be used monsters, claiming the violence is the article concerns the events that took to determine awards and reductions of result of a growing gang war. place at Hank's Tavern. The Judge Popularity. As a general guide: Most of the victims of last night's should feel free to add more details, mayhem were members of the describing the specific actions of the KARMA: Flashing Blades street gang. They heroes and villains. Positive media coverage: +1 wish to thank [insert names of Read the following boxed text to the Negative media coverage: -3 heroes] for their assistance. players: According to one of the young toughs, 'Without them super-dudes we'd all be dead. The Maggia is behind all of this. You better

15 CHAPTER 7: A DRINK ON THE HOUSE

SUMMARY: The heroes go to Starky's asking questions, they must succeed at a Throughout the dimly lighted Pool Hall to find out from Tommy Kent red Popularity FEAT. room, you see men hunched over where Hammerhead's hideout is; they If either FEAT is missed, the Buzz decrepit pool tables. also want to prevent another monster Cuts jump the heroes with pool cues and At the bar, a wino moans and begs attack. switchblade knives, in an attempt to for one last free beer. Such is the drive the "costumed creeps" off their daily routine at Starky's Pool Hall. STARTING: If you have the Basic Set turf. For each hero present, there are map, consider Starky's Pool Hall to be three thugs. located at Olson's Five & Dime (on the After two turns of combat, Shroud and corner of Arthur St. and 8th Ave.). ENCOUNTER: The way in which the Frankenstein's Monster teleport into the If you are using the Advanced Set heroes approach the situation greatly pool hall (see following). map, Starky's is at Octavian's on Pierce affects what they encounter. There are a If the heroes can avoid a fight, they (a restaurant on the corner of Pierce St. couple of possibilities. can learn some important information and 6th Ave.). from Tommy Kent, the leader of the An interior map of Starky's Pool Hall The Blunt Approach. If the heroes Buzz Cuts (see following). has been included with this adventure. enter the pool hall in costume, everyone When the heroes enter the pool hall, except the Buzz Cuts quickly leave— The Stealthy Approach. If the heroes read the following boxed text to the this is their turf and they plan to defend enter the pool hall wearing appropriate players: it! disguises (as street punks, etc.), the If the characters reveal that the Buzz occupants do not react strangely. Should Cuts are going to be attacked tonight As the sound of billiard balls they wear something inappropriate and offer to help, they must succeed at a cracking together assaults your ears, (such as a three-piece suit) consider this yellow Popularity FEAT in order to be a thick haze of cigar smoke stings to cause the same reaction as the blunt believed and accepted by the gangsters. your eyes. approach. If they do not state why they are here, The gangsters are easily distinguished but simply start making demands or from the other patrons

16 because of their haircuts (flattops, of (at least 20 bucks). Otherwise, he is Hammerhead will move on to bigger course). thankful for the characters' help during game, but he has no clue as to what that the fight, and answers their questions might be. Out Go the Lights. At some point freely. during the evening, Shroud and Frank- A few of the most important questions Here Come the Cops. Thirty turns after enstein's Monster are teleported into and answers are listed below. the monsters vanish, the police and a Starky's Pool Hall by Mentallo and the news crew arrive on the scene. If the Fixer. 1. Where is Hammerhead's hideout? heroes are still around, they can expect The exact time of the attack is up to The only place Tommy knows about is a to be asked a lot of questions. the Judge. It is suggested that it occur speakeasy called the Roarin' Twenties. The Buzz Cuts back up anything the during a fight between the heroes and It's not too far away, on the Lower East heroes say, and they are more than the Buzz Cuts, or while the characters Side. Hammerhead likes to play poker happy to elaborate to reporters. Unless are questioning Tommy Kent. in the back room. the player characters ask them to be Shroud appears at point "S" on the quiet, Tommy Kent and the Buzz Cuts map of Starky's, while Frankenstein's 2. Where is the book? He does not brag to the media about the abilities of Monster teleports in at point "F." They know for sure. The rumor on the street the heroes. They also spout threats begin to wreak havoc at the pool hall for is that Hammerhead stole the book and against Hammerhead and the Maggia. 20 turns before being teleported back to it has given him magical powers. the Fixer and Mentallo's hideout. Their Hammerhead is supposedly using his AFTERMATH: If the heroes go to the objective is to cause as much death and new arcane abilities to summon Roarin' Twenties, go to Chapter 9. If property damage as possible. monsters in an attempt to wipe out rival they want to return to their base and If either of them should be knocked gangs. Obviously, there must be some wait a day before going, turn to Chapter unconscious, the one who is disabled truth to the rumors because of what 8. teleports automatically, while the other happened tonight. continues to fight. KARMA: 3. What gang will be hit next? Tommy Fighting the Buzz Cuts: -10 Some Answers. If the heroes question has no idea. He is surprised that Defeating Shroud: +25 Tommy Kent before Shroud and Hammerhead is wasting his time on Defeating Frankenstein's +25 Frankenstein's Monster attack, he small-timers like the Buzz Cuts and the Monster: expects some money for his information Flashing Blades. Tommy suspects that Building is severely damaged: -15

CHAPTER 8: A DAY OFF

SUMMARY: Before going to the attack. The incident occurred at a When asked about monsters in his Roarin' Twenties, the heroes take time Lower East Side pool hall called city, the mayor had only one thing to off to pursue their daily activities. Starky's. say: 'Hogwash!'" According to police, the establish- STARTING: During the course of the ment is a gang hangout with a violent day, the heroes see the following ENCOUNTER: During the time past. newscast on television. Read the boxed between encounters, the heroes may It certainly is living up to its text to the players: wish to dig for clues or consult contacts reputation, for last night a large they had established prior to beginning brawl took place. Witnesses reported the adventure. Any such clues or While watching television, a VNN seeing a number of super-powered contacts are left to the creativity of the newscast grabs your attention: individuals, including (insert names Judge. of heroes]. "MORE MONSTER MURDERS Witnesses also attest to have seen AFTERMATH: If the heroes are going 'Frankenstein' and a creature cloaked to the Roarin' Twenties for the first Last night New Yorkers were in darkness. time, turn to Chapter 9. shaken by yet another monster Until they have a suspect in custody, police refuse to speculate POPULARITY: See page 15 for about these strange beings. details.

17 CHAPTER 9: THE ROARIN’ TWENTIES

SUMMARY: The heroes go to the Square Arch at midnight, and an attack, Jack resists any Mental speakeasy in hopes of retrieving A you'll get what you want. Powers with all of his might, and he Madman's Mutterings from Hammer- tries to strike the offending hero if given head and his minions. —Mister Fear." the opportunity.

STARTING: If you have the Basic Set A trap door in the floor of the back Jack the Bartender map, Guide's Grocery (on the corner of room leads to the basement, where 9th Avenue and Cleveland Street) is a liquor and other supplies are stored. A F GD 10 Health: 40 good location for the Roarin' Twenties. hidden door in the basement opens onto A GD 10 If you employ the Advanced Set map, a subway tunnel. Hammerhead uses this S GD 10 Karma: 14 consider the speakeasy to be at the secret entrance whenever he visits the E GD 10 unemployment office (on the corner of Roarin' Twenties. R PR 4 Resources: PR (4) Johnson St. and Grant St.). I TY 6 An interior map of the Roarin' ENCOUNTER: The approach the P PR 4 Popularity: 0 Twenties has been included with this characters take to investigate the Roarin' module. Twenties greatly affects what they Abilities: Jack was once a talented The Roarin' Twenties is a legitimate encounter. There are several boxer, granting him the equivalent of business. However, it is owned, possibilities. Martial Arts B and a +1CS when operated, and frequented by members of fighting unarmed. the Hammerhead family. The bar is The Illegal Approach. If the heroes open from 5 p.m. to 1 a.m. every day break in while the bar is closed, they Weaponry: Jack is unarmed, but he can except Sunday. find the bartender (named Jack), who use his hands to great effect. The speakeasy is decorated with demands that the characters leave 1920s style furnishings. During hours of immediately. If the police arrive while the heroes operation, the place is filled with people If the heroes refuse, or begin to ask are in the bar, the characters have some out for a good time. Many of the patrons him questions, Jack picks up a phone explaining to do. Unless one of the dress in clothing appropriate for the era. resting on the bar, and begins to dial the heroes succeeds at a green Popularity Behind the bar is a long, one-way police. Unless Jack is stopped (by FEAT while talking with the police, the mirror. On the other side is the back pulling the telephone cord from the authorities begin to arrest the characters room, which serves as an office and wall, or whatever) the authorities arrive for breaking and entering. private game room. Anyone standing in in five minutes. Jack interferes, however, and informs the office can see everything that Whether or not the police are on the the police that he does not plan to press happens in the bar by looking through way, Jack again demands that the heroes charges, if the heroes will agree to leave the mirror. leave, if they have not already done so. the area. Jack refuses to explain himself, The only entrance to the office is a He is unarmed and does not attempt to stating only that it may be in his boss's heavy door (Excellent material strength) physically interfere with the super- best interest if the heroes remain free. near the bar. A large thug is always powered characters. When they agree to leave the Roarin' sitting on a stool beside the door. He The only thing to be found in the bar Twenties in peace, the characters are does not allow anyone to enter the office is the letter, which is locked in the safe. freed. unless that person's name is on a list in The bartender knows the combination, If the Popularity FEAT roll is his pocket. but he refuses to reveal it to the heroes. successful, the police do not attempt to Inside the back room are a long table If he is threatened, Jack challenges arrest the heroes, but instead they allow and several comfortable chairs. On the one of the characters to a fair fight. The the characters to leave (after giving table is a rack holding an assortment of bartender agrees to give the combination them a lengthy lecture about abusing poker chips and two decks of cards. to his opponent, if he loses. If Jack wins their super powers). Against one wall of the office is an old the boxing match, the heroes must safe (Remarkable material strength, promise to peacefully leave the bar. The Blunt Approach. If the heroes weighs 200 pounds) containing $20,000 Although Jack has given up boxing, he enter the bar in costume during business in cash and a loaded handgun. Also in still keeps in good shape and is a worthy hours, most of the customers hurriedly the safe is a letter to Hammerhead from opponent. exit. Those who remain are Maggia Mister Fear. Alternatively, various Mental Powers thugs (three for each hero present), The letter says: could be used to extract the information carrying concealed handguns. from Jack's mind. Considering this to be Hammerhead's men know better "Come to the Washington

18 than to start a shoot-out. While the "flappers" dance frantically. Thug #1: "Yeah, the Boss ain't bartender dials the police, they merely By simply trying to blend in, and never seen him before, but he's glare at the heroes, holding their pistols listening to the people around them, the supposed to be good. His name's Sam beneath their coats. heroes hear fragments of a conversation Evans. I got orders to pick him up at If the heroes make any threats or between three thugs sitting nearby. LaGuardia. His flight arrives at nine attempt to enter the back room, the Read the following boxed text to the o'clock. What time is it? Geez, I gotta thugs draw their weapons and shoot. players: go!" Hammerhead is not present. If the characters do nothing, the police Three drunk thugs at a nearby table AFTERMATH: If the heroes find the eventually arrive and ask them to leave. are talking rather loudly. The authorities do not have a warrant to letter and decide to go to Washington search the building for the stolen book; Thug #1: "Yeah, the Boss sure is Square, go to Chapter 12. If one of them they suggest that the heroes go through steamed. Wait till he finds the guys wants to impersonate Sam Evans and legal channels if they want to who stole that book!" enter the poker game, go to Chapter 10. investigate the Roarin' Twenties. Thug #2: "I hear there's a big poker KARMA: If the characters decide to petition the game in the back room tonight." court or hire a lawyer, the heroes The illegal approach: -20 discover they do not have enough Thug #3: "I ain't gonna make it. Winning the boxing match: +10 evidence for a search warrant. Ten o'clock is too late to start a game The blunt approach -10 for me. Besides, the Boss don't like (no combat): The Stealthy Approach. If the to lose." The blunt approach -20 (with combat): characters disguise themselves before Thug #2: "I heard some big wheel The stealthy approach: +10 entering the Roarin' Twenties, the from Chi-Town's gonna be in the customers continue about their business. game." A small band plays music appropriate for the period, while

CHAPTER 10: BUT I WANNA BE SAM EVANS!

SUMMARY: The heroes decide that Chicago to come to New York. Surely embarking. One of them stands out one of them should impersonate Sam Hammerhead will spring for a ticket so from the rest. Although he is wearing Evans in order to enter the poker game he can make it back to Chicago in time the current fashion in suits, on his and find out who stole the book from for that game? head is a 1920s style hat, with the ace Hammerhead. (Actually, Hammerhead While the hero impersonating the thug of spades sticking up from a velvet never possessed the book, but at this escorts Mr. Evans to the ticket counter, band. He must be Sam Evans. point the heroes probably believe he the hero disguised as Sam Evans did.) encounters the real thug. The player ENCOUNTER: To be successful, the character is given a ride back to the STARTING: The heroes must beat heroes must keep Sam Evans from Roarin' Twenties in a plush limousine. Hammerhead's thug to the airport to getting to the poker game. There are intercept Sam Evans. For simplicity's numerous ways for the players to go AFTERMATH: When the hero (as sake, assume they are successful. When about this. Sam Evans) finally arrives for the game, they arrive at LaGuardia, read the The simplest method is for one of go to Chapter 11. following to them: them to impersonate Hammerhead's thug. He tells Mr. Evans the game had KARMA: to be cancelled. "Sorry we couldn't tell Looking at the arrivals board, you Thinking of an ingenious plan ya sooner, Boss. Your plane was already see that the flight from Chicago which involves no serious in flight. Guess you'll have to go back to arrived at the gate one minute ago! infractions of the law: +15 Chicago, eh?" Rushing to the gate, you see an Using a plan that breaks major Evans is obviously infuriated. He gave assortment of business-types dis- laws (such as kidnapping): -30 up the chance to play in a big game in

19 CHAPTER 11: THE BIG GAME

SUMMARY: Hoping to discover who Playing a Real Game. If you and your rumors is rumors. I didn't swipe no has the book, one of the heroes friends enjoy playing poker in reality, book. It's all a frame-up!" (disguised as Sam Evans) enters a poker you may want to play a few hands. As game with Hammerhead. Judge, you take the role of 2. "Who's trying to frame you?" Hammerhead. While one of the players "That's what I'd like to know! I gotta STARTING: The following text is for pretends to be Sam Evans, the rest may hunch it's some joker callin' himself the hero impersonating Sam. However, play Hammerhead's thugs. Mister Fear." read it out loud, so everyone can enjoy 3. "So who's Mister Fear?" the fun: Roll the Dice. Alternatively, you can "My spies tell me he's operating a new quickly simulate a poker game with gang—on my turf! I got a note from him You are led into the back room of dice. Allow each participant to attempt this morning. It said something like, 'Be the Roarin' Twenties. The rattle of an Intuition FEAT. The one with the at the Washington Square Arch at poker chips and the noxious smell of highest color result wins the hand. The midnight, and you'll get what you want.' cigar smoke fills the air. first player to win three hands wins the I guess he means the book. I got a little Sitting around a large, oak table game. A tie counts as a split pot. surprise for him." Hammerhead looks at with three of his cronies is the his watch. "Yeah, a super surprise!" notorious Hammerhead. During the Game. Because Sam Evans He rises to shake your hand. is a member of the Chicago Maggia, he AFTERMATH: The hero in the poker "Youse must be Sam Evans. I hears has Hammerhead's complete trust. game will probably excuse himself so you cut a mean deck. Sit down, and Hammerhead is willing to answer any he can inform his companions that let's get started." questions Sam (the hero) has. The something is going to happen at the answers to the most important questions arch. When they decide to go to the are given below. ENCOUNTER: The actual outcome of Washington Square Arch, turn to Chapter 12. the poker game is irrelevant. But if the 1. "So what's this I hear about you players must know who is winning, you stealing a book from the Met?" have a couple of options. KARMA: "Well, youse knows how it is— Good role playing: +5

20 CHAPTER 12: WASHINGTON SQUARE

SUMMARY: The heroes go to the paired, scaffolding runs up one side of Suddenly, the air crackles and four Washington Square Arch, hoping to it. Any hero succeeding at a Good people appear out of nowhere to encounter Mister Fear and retrieve the Intensity Agility FEAT can easily climb stand beneath the arch. They immed- book. the scaffolding to the top of the iately surround the man in the coat. monument. STARTING: The arch is located in the When the characters approach the center of Washington Square Park. A arch, read the following boxed text to ENCOUNTER: The man beneath the map of the area has been included with the players: arch is one of Hammerhead's thugs. He this adventure. is acting as bait. He holds a submachine gun beneath his coat. The small, rectangular park sits in the It's a foggy, cold night at The four people who appeared near heart of Greenwich Village. In the late Washington Square Park. Ahead of the thug are Scarecrow, Gypsy Moth, 1600s the park served as a burial ground you in the gloom is the arch. By the and the Brothers Grimm. They were for beggars and the anonymous. scaffolding running up one side, it teleported here by Mentallo and the Later, in the 1700s, it became a looks as if the structure is in the Fixer, and they have orders to kill popular dueling ground and a place of process of being renovated. whoever they discover near the arch public hangings. Several of the ancient Embracing warmly, two young (which includes the two lovers on the gallows trees still stand. Hundreds of lovers sit upon a stone bench beneath park bench). skeletons lie moldering beneath the soil. the glistening light of a street lamp. The arch stands 86 feet tall (6 areas) Not far away, a bell tolls the hour— The Skeleton Horde. Unknown to the and is 30 feet across. Being constructed it's midnight. heroes, Black Talon was teleported to of white marble (Excellent material A figure moves from the shadows the top of the arch. Having studied the strength), it weighs in excess of 700 to stand boldly beneath the arch. He stolen book, he has increased his occult tons (Shift-Z Strength to lift). is wearing a long coat and hat. From knowledge. Because the arch is being re- this distance it is hard to tell, but he Black Talon uses his new power to could be Hammerhead. cause 80 skeletons buried beneath

21 the park to crawl to the surface, where If the heroes help, the lovers flee from activities in the area, he is trying to wipe they attack anyone present. The horde the park in terror. out Hammerhead's family. does not burst forth until three turns 3. Where is the book? They do not have elapsed. The Escape. Black Talon and the Night know. They are certain that Hammer- Shift crew are teleported back to head did not steal it. More Super Villains. As part of his Mentallo and the Fixer's hideout after 20 own devious trap, Hammerhead hired turns. If one of them is rendered AFTERMATH: This has almost the Eel and the Scorpion to kill Mister unconscious, he teleports immediately. certainly been the most difficult Fear. They are lurking in the fog near When Black Talon teleports, the encounter for the heroes. They need the arch. When the thug gets in trouble, skeletons crumble to dust. some rest. Go to Chapter 13. they come forward to help. However, since Mister Fear is not present, they do Interrogating. If the heroes capture KARMA: not hang around long, especially when Hammerhead's thug, the Scorpion, or Rescuing the two lovers: +40 the heroes show up. the Eel, they may want to drill the Capturing the Eel: +40 captive for information. Capturing the Scorpion: +50 The Two Lovers. When the fighting If the heroes promise not to turn them Capturing the thug: +10 begins, they sit cowering on the park over to the police, they answer a few Defeating Scarecrow: +15 bench, watching in shock. questions: Defeating Gypsy Moth: +20 However, when the skeletons start 1. Why are you here? They were hired Defeating Black Talon: +30 emerging from the earth all around the by Hammerhead to kill Mister Fear. Defeating the Brothers Grimm: +40 area, they attempt to flee. Unless the Allowing the arch to be -30 heroes help, the young college students 2. Who is Mister Fear? Word has it damaged: are injured. They will spend several that he is the mastermind behind a new Allowing the two lovers to be -30 weeks in the hospital. gang. In order to control illicit injured: CHAPTER 13: MORE BIG NEWS

SUMMARY: The heroes recuperate injured (or killed), or the heroes hung more Health Points. and fulfill their daily obligations. around to speak with the police, alter the When you decide they have had article accordingly. enough rest, read the following: STARTING: The heroes notice two The following television news item important newspaper articles, and they involves the theft of two dozen M-16 While reading the Daily Bugle, you hear a newscast on television. The first assault rifles by Mister Fear. happen upon the following ad in the newspaper report: personals column: While watching the news on Flipping through the Daily Bugle, television, you notice the following [Insert names of heroes]: Meet me at you read the following article on the VNN newscast: the Obelisk in Central Park at midnight. back page: Signed, Johnny B. "ARMORY ROBBED "DISTURBANCE IN WASHING- Late this afternoon, a National ENCOUNTER: During the time TON SQUARE PARK Guard Armory on the Lower East between encounters, the heroes may Last evening around midnight, Side of Manhattan was robbed. wish to dig for clues or consult contacts police responded to a disturbance at Authorities would not state exactly they had established prior to beginning the Washington Square Arch. what was stolen. However, it is the adventure. Any such clues or They found numerous holes in the believed that a large number of contacts are left to the creativity of the ground around the structure. The turf assault rifles were taken. Judge. was covered with a thin layer of a The police have no suspects." 'flourlike' powder. AFTERMATH: When the heroes go to Police speculate it is the result of a meet Johnny Bifrost at the Obelisk in The next entry is a message from Central Park, turn to Chapter 14. college prank." Johnny Bifrost. If the heroes sustained heavy damage in Chapter 12, you may POPULARITY: See page 14 for The above entry may be changed delay this message for a day or two, details. dramatically. If the two lovers were enabling them to recover 22 CHAPTER 14: A TALK WITH JOHNNY

SUMMARY: The heroes arrive at the during the fight, treat any Kill results Once again you find yourselves Obelisk in Central Park for a meeting against him as Stuns instead. prowling through the night. Ahead of with Johnny Bifrost. When the battle is over, Johnny you stands the Egyptian Obelisk, explains that his "friends" tried to kill which you also know as Cleopatra's STARTING: The Obelisk is also him because he knows some secret Needle. Vague hieroglyphics are known as Cleopatra's Needle. It was information: At 1 a.m. tonight, there is carved into the pink stone of the donated to the city by Khedive Ismail going to be a huge gang meeting. It has monument. Pasha in 1880. been organized by somebody called At the base of the structure you see The monument is fashioned from pink Mister Fear. It will take place at a the familiar figure of Johnny Bifrost. granite (Excellent material strength). It warehouse on the Lower East Side near Standing menacingly all around him is 77 feet tall (5 stories) and weighs 200 Pier 44. Johnny does not know what the are several street punks. tons (Shift-X Strength to lift). meeting is about. With a flick of their wrists, blades A brief history of ancient Egyptian Johnny is not willing to go to the gleam in their hands as they move in pharaohs is engraved on the Obelisk in meeting. He offers to summon the for the kill. badly weathered hieroglyphics. police to arrest any of the Flashing Included with the Deluxe City Blades the heroes have captured. Campaign Set is a map of Central Park, ENCOUNTER: The punks are Interrogating any captured gangsters showing the location of the Obelisk. It is members of Johnny's former gang, the results in no useful information. very useful for this encounter. Flashing Blades. Johnny recently quit AFTERMATH: The heroes go to the If you do not own the set, refer to the gang, possibly with the aid of the meeting at the waterfront. Turn to either the map in the Advanced Set or heroes in Chapter 5. Chapter 15. that in the Basic Set. Both maps show a The gangsters know Johnny plans to small park containing a statue. Consider squeal about the big meeting with KARMA: the Obelisk to be the statue. Mister Fear tonight. They have come to Arresting the thugs: +15 When the super heroes approach the kill him. For each hero present, there are Keeping Johnny from getting +10 monument, read the following boxed two gangsters. hurt: text to the players: Be sure that Johnny is not killed Allowing the Obelisk to be -30 damaged: CHAPTER 15: ON THE WATERFRONT

SUMMARY: The heroes go to the right is Pier 44. You can hear (and moved toward the middle of the warehouse to find out what the meeting smell) the East River as it flows building and are being used as a is about. through the darkness beyond the pier. platform. The streets are deserted. Standing on the makeshift stage is STARTING: If you have the Basic Set This end of the warehouse is a man wearing a costume. He must map, consider the waterfront warehouse surrounded by a loading dock, be the mysterious Mister Fear. He to be located at the Ace Handling complete with a row of large, sliding appears to be speaking to a group of warehouse (between 8th and 9th doors. They are all shut. people, but it is difficult to tell from Avenues). At each end of the loading dock is the window. If you are using the Advanced Set a small door. Light shines through map, the warehouse is at the School the windows in them. District Garage and Warehouse (on the ENCOUNTER: The walls and ceiling corner of 8th Ave. and Buchanan St.). of the warehouse are concrete (Excellent An interior map of the warehouse is If the heroes peer into a window, read material strength). The sliding doors and included with this adventure. the following: the side doors are steel (Remarkable When the characters approach the material strength). The side doors are building, read the following: Your view is partially blocked by a unlocked, while the shipping and huge stack of wooden crates. Neat receiving doors are locked from the inside. Ahead of you is the warehouse rows of them run the entire length of The wooden crates (Poor material Johnny was talking about. To your the warehouse. Several of the crates have been strength) inside the warehouse contain engine parts and tools (weight

23 800 lbs., Excellent Strength to lift). and hide behind the rows of crates. If When they quiet, Mister Fear Unless the heroes have an appropriate any of the heroes fails a Good Intensity continues, "You've all been attacked Power, they cannot hear Mister Fear's Agility FEAT, they have been spotted. by his monsters. I say this time we speech from outside the building. Proceed as per the Blunt Approach, strike before he does!" How the heroes approach the situation above. With that said, he kicks open one affects what happens. There are a couple If they succeed at the Agility FEATs, of the small crates, and out pour a of possibilities. the heroes enter the building undetected. dozen M-16 assault rifles! By hiding behind the rows of crates, Moving as one, the mob rushes the The Blunt Approach. If the heroes they may watch and hear Mister Fear's stage. Mister Fear grabs one of the burst into the warehouse, Mister Fear speech. rifles and fires a burst into the screams for the street punks to kill them. Read the following boxed text: ceiling. Bullets ricochet crazily, and He then teleports to the Fixer and the crowd falls back. Mentallo's hideout. Standing before the platform is a With a look of satisfaction, he The majority of the gangsters are small mob of street punks from yells, "Tomorrow night we attack!" members of the Flashing Blades and the various gangs. You recognize Buzz Cuts, two gangs the heroes have members of the Flashing Blades and The heroes must keep the thugs from helped previously. Because of this, the the Buzz Cuts. getting the assault rifles. If they do not, thugs hesitate for one turn. On the stage is Mister Fear. To the player characters are going to be in By succeeding at a yellow Popularity each side of him is a wooden box, big trouble. FEAT, one of the heroes can persuade which are different from those you One way to get them is to persuade the the mob not to attack. If the roll is are hiding behind. gangsters that Mister Fear, not missed, the punks draw their blades and In an excited voice, he yells above Hammerhead, is really behind the rush forward. For each hero, there are the din, "I've had enough of monster murders. This requires a yellow ten gangsters. Hammerhead, how about you?" The Popularity FEAT with a –2 Column crowd responds by cheering and Shift. The Stealthy Approach. The characters yelling threats against the Maggia. may decide to sneak into the warehouse

24 If the FEAT is successful, Mister Fear too heavily outnumbered. In this case, cancelled. Turn to Chapter 17. teleports away in disgust. He cannot Mister Fear passes out the guns. He tells If they failed to get the weapons, the take the guns or anyone else. the thugs to be at the Roarin' Twenties attack against Hammerhead occurs If the Popularity FEAT is failed, at midnight tomorrow night, where they tomorrow night, unless the heroes warn Mister Fear orders the goons to attack. will wipe out Hammerhead once and for him. If they decide to visit the Roarin' He then kicks the other crate off the all. Twenties to warn Hammerhead, go to stage; it breaks open, scattering the Chapter 16. Otherwise, turn to Chapter weapons among the crazed thugs. There Interrogating the Creeps. If the heroes 17. are 12 assault rifles in each box, and talk the gangsters out of a fight, or each firearm is loaded with a clip subdue any of them, they can learn that KARMA: holding 20 rounds of ammunition. the attack is scheduled to take place Recovering the rifles: +20 Another option is simply to attack tomorrow at midnight at the Roarin' Failing to recover the rifles: -10 before the rifles are handed out. Mister Twenties. Turning gangs against Mister +20 Fear does not engage in combat, and he Fear: teleports away at the first opportunity. AFTERMATH: If the heroes recovered Fighting the gangs: -10 Finally, the heroes could simply the guns (peacefully or otherwise), the Allowing the warehouse to be -15 observe and do nothing, feeling they are planned attack against the Maggia is damaged:

CHAPTER 16: BACK TO THE TWENTIES

SUMMARY: The heroes go to the head's trap. A curtain has been hung Hammerhead paid the costumed Roarin' Twenties to warn Hammerhead along the stage. Six thugs are behind the criminals to kill anyone who came into about the mass gang attack instigated by curtain. When the heroes near the center the bar. The thugs were simply Mister Fear. of the room, the curtain falls and the following orders. thugs spray the area with sub-machine STARTING: When the heroes gunfire. After this initial assault, Mister Fear and Friends. Because of approach the bar, read the following Blacklash, Boomerang, and Whirlwind the disturbance at the Roarin' Twenties, boxed text to the players: burst through the large one-way mirror Mister Fear has called off his attack. behind the bar. With the thugs backing The heroes have inadvertently suc- Ahead of you is the Roarin' them up, the super criminals battle the ceeded at preventing a huge gang fight. Twenties. On the door is a big sign heroes. which says, "CLOSED FOR There is no way for the heroes to talk AFTERMATH: Go to Chapter 17. RENOVATION." themselves out of a fight. There are no lights on inside, and Hammerhead's men do not listen to KARMA: nobody seems to be around. reason. Responding to the commotion, Capturing Blacklash: +30 the police arrive in ten minutes. Capturing Boomerang: +40 Capturing Whirlwind: +40 ENCOUNTER: No matter what time of Asking Some Questions. If the heroes Capturing the thugs: +15 day or night the heroes arrive at the bar, subdue any of the thugs or super- Allowing the building to be -15 the place appears deserted. However, powered creeps, they can ask some damaged: the front door is unlocked. questions before the police arrive. Hammerhead has already been warned about an attack by one of his 1. Where is Hammerhead? The bad informants. He has prepared a trap for guys do not know where he is or how to his assailants. contact him. They do know that he has Hammerhead does not know exactly taken the monster attacks very seriously. who has been sent to kill him, however. He is probably hiding out at one of his If the heroes enter the bar, Hammerhead safe houses. assumes they are his enemies. If the heroes enter the speakeasy, they 2. Why did they attack the heroes? have walked into Hammer- Expecting an attempt on his life,

25 CHAPTER 17: SHOCKING HEADLINES

SUMMARY: While resting between ter Fear in Chapter 15), and if they did The previous event should have been encounters, the heroes read a bizarre not go to the Roarin' Twenties to warn thwarted by the heroes in either Chapter story about zombies in the morgue. Hammerhead (Chapter 16): 15 or Chapter 16. If it was allowed to They also receive an urgent message occur, the characters lose 50 Karma from Felicia Bifrost. Your favorite television program is Points. Hammerhead was not involved rudely interrupted by a VNN news in the attack. STARTING: One of the heroes notices bulletin: The next entry is a message from a startling headline on the front page of Felicia Bifrost to the heroes. If the the Daily Bugle. Read the following "ESCALATING GANG VIOLENCE characters sustained heavy damage in boxed text to the players: IN NYC either Chapter 15 or Chapter 16, you The streets of New York are even may delay the message a day or two. The front page of the Daily Bugle more dangerous these days, thanks to This gives the heroes a chance to is adorned with a very disturbing an escalating gang war. recover valuable Health Points. headline: Last night after midnight, a deadly When you feel the characters are gunfight took place on the Lower ready for the next encounter, read the "CORPSES WALK OUT OF East Side of Manhattan at a bar boxed text to the players: MORGUE! called the Roarin' Twenties. Eleven Late last night, the police received persons suffered serious injuries. While perusing the Daily Bugle, a series of frantic phone calls from Three of them are not expected to you discover an interesting ad in the workers in the morgue of Bellevue live. personals column: Hospital. The bar is rumored to be owned [Insert names of heroes]: Meet me According to the employees, over a and operated by a Maggia family. outside the Met at the Obelisk at 7 dozen corpses suddenly opened their According to our sources, several p.m. Urgent. Signed, Felicia Bifrost. eyes, stood up, and marched out of gangs formed a mob and stormed the the building. The walking dead filed establishment in an attempt to kill the into a waiting van and were driven head of the family. AFTERMATH: If the characters are off. Surprisingly, the 'gangbusters' were planning to look for clues at Bellevue All of the witnesses have been armed with M-16 assault rifles. Hospital, go to Chapter 18. admitted to Bellevue for psychiatric Police have confirmed that the If the heroes are going to the Obelisk evaluation and questioning. weapons were some of those stolen to meet Felicia Bifrost, turn to Chapter The police have no comment." from a local National Guard Armory 19. earlier this week. KARMA: The next entry should be read only if Numerous arrests were made at the Failing to prevent gang attack: -50 the super heroes failed to stop the mass scene, and police promise that more gang attack (instigated by Mis- are soon to follow."

26 CHAPTER 18: BELLEVUE HOSPITAL

SUMMARY: The heroes go to Mr. Biggies is obviously heavily ENCOUNTER: The candy has been Bellevue Hospital to question the sedated. He has difficulty answering the poisoned. If the patients are allowed to witnesses who saw the walking dead. heroes' questions, often bursting into eat any, they are stricken with incoherent jabbering. convulsions and begin to asphyxiate. An STARTING: When the heroes arrive at Jimmy relates that the corpses slid emergency team of physicians and the hospital, read the following boxed themselves out of their compartments nurses is able to save them, but they fall text to the players: and walked out of the room. They into comas. proceeded to the "meat wagon" entrance Because Mr. Biggies mentioned the As you pass through the main of the morgue, where they piled into a van smelled like chocolate, the entrance of Bellevue Hospital, you waiting van. characters should realize something is see a nurses' station down the The vehicle was white and smelted wrong when the Hammerhead Doodles corridor. Several nurses are standing strongly of chocolate. Jimmy could not arrive. Mr. Dodd and Ms. Waylan are in behind the counter. see the driver. nearby rooms. If the heroes act quickly, You approach and ask to visit the Two other people, Mr. Dodd and Ms. they can keep the patients from eating patients who claim to have seen Waylan, saw the event. If questioned, the candy. corpses walking in the morgue. they can add no useful information. Slightly surprised by your Doctor List believes the corpses were AFTERMATH: If the heroes are costumes, the head nurse says, "I'll stolen and the witnesses are suffering planning to meet Felicia Bifrost at the have to call Dr. List. He's in charge from hysteria. He finds the idea of Obelisk, go to Chapter 19. If they have of those patients." zombies in the hospital to be ludicrous. decided to visit the Hammerhead She dials the phone and says, "Dr. After the heroes have finished asking Chocolate Factory, see the following. List? This is Nurse Crandall. I have questions, read the following boxed text several super hero types down here to the players: The Hammerhead Chocolate Factory. who want to speak with your special The players may wish to visit the patients ... yes, doctor. Okay." A nurse enters the room carrying a factory to find out why they are making She hangs up and informs you that package. She says, "This just arrived poisoned chocolates. Dr. List will be down shortly. for Mr. Biggies. I also delivered one Actually, the place is a legitimate After several minutes, the good to Mr. Dodd and Ms. Waylan." business that does not produce deadly doctor finally steps out of a nearby The patient grabs the parcel and goodies like those delivered to the elevator. begins tearing off the wrapper. Inside patients at Bellevue. The Fixer and "Hello, I'm Dr. List. Please follow is a white box of candy. In large gold Mentallo are making the tainted treats in me." letters is written "HAMMERHEAD their own factory in the hope of getting You step into the elevator, and DOODLES." Below that in small Hammerhead thrown in jail. begin to ride to the 23rd floor. black letters it says "Chocolate If the heroes take a box of the toxic Doctor List says, "Did any of you Supremes." bonbons to Hammerhead's factory, the know that Bellevue is the oldest With drool dribbling down his manager informs them that they were general hospital in North America? chin, Jimmy Biggies opens the box not made in his plant. By comparing the Although we treat illnesses of all of sweets, and a small envelope falls fakes to a box of authentic Hammerhead types, we have acquired the to the floor. Doodles, it is obvious the boxes reputation of being a mental hospital. delivered to Bellevue are clever counterfeits. I must say, however, that we do Inside the envelope is a card that indeed have an excellent psychiatric reads: department. Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha!" KARMA: Preventing the patients from +30 "A parting gift from the dearly eating the toxic treats: The elderly (and somewhat strange) departed." Allowing the patients to be -30 Dr. List rambles on for some time poisoned: before leading the heroes into the room An address gives the location of the of Jimmy Biggies, the first person to see Hammerhead Chocolate Factory. the corpses move.

27 CHAPTER 19: A TALK WITH FELICIA

SUMMARY: The heroes arrive at the worried about her twin brother, Johnny. of Art stands the familiar Obelisk. Obelisk in Central Park for a meeting She relates to the characters that On a bench beside the monument is with Felicia Bifrost. Johnny has been missing since Felicia Bifrost. Staring into the yesterday. That was the last time she gathering darkness, she appears very STARTING: For a description of the spoke to him. nervous, as if she expects someone to Obelisk, review Chapter 14. Johnny told her that he was trying to jump out and grab her at any Included with the Deluxe City help the heroes find the book, and that moment. Campaign Set is a map of Central Park, he had discovered something important. showing the location of the Obelisk. Felicia believes Johnny is in big trouble If you do not own the set, refer to ENCOUNTER: Felicia is under the (and she is right). either the map in the Advanced Set or influence of the Mind Control Power of "If Johnny found something, it is that in the Basic Set. Both maps show a the hypnoporter. Even so, her person- probably at his apartment," she says. small park containing a statue. Consider ality is intact, and she appears normal to Felicia gives the characters the address, the Obelisk to be the statue. anyone she meets. and asks them to please find her twin. When the super heroes approach the The Fixer and Mentallo have become Obelisk, read the following boxed text tired of the characters interfering with AFTERMATH: The heroes go to to the players: their plans. Felicia is being used to lead Johnny's apartment to look for clues. the heroes into a trap. Turn to Chapter 20. When the heroes approach, they find Shadows have fallen across Central Felicia with tears running down her Park. Near the Metropolitan Museum KARMA: angelic face. If asked what is bothering Promising to find Johnny: +10 her, she explains that she is very

CHAPTER 20: JOHNNY’S APARTMENT

SUMMARY: In search of clues "HAMMERHEAD DOODLES." Below have been boarded up. The place concerning Johnny's disappearance, the that in small black letters it says looks like it could collapse at any heroes arrive at his apartment only to "Chocolate Supremes." moment. find a deadly bomb with their names on On the box is an envelope. Inside is a In the shadows of the doorway, you it! card that reads: think you see some of the human denizens of Yancy Street. "A savory explosion of flavors just for STARTING: Johnny lives in the you! From the folks at the Aurora roughest, most decayed neighborhood Chocolate Mill, 2112 E. 14th St." on the Lower East Side—Yancy Street. ENCOUNTER: The three people in the When the heroes arrive at Yancy doorway are winos. They are sharing a The box contains plastic explosives. Street, read the following boxed text to bottle of very expensive liquor, and When the box is opened, an LED the players: appear to be only semi-conscious. No readout begins to count down. The one else is in the entire building. heroes have two turns before the bomb There are three floors in the building. Johnny lives on Yancy Street. explodes. Johnny's room is on the first floor. The When you see the neighborhood, you The detonator is connected to the door was secured with a padlock, but it realize why Felicia did not want to explosives by two wires—a red one and has been pried off. come here. a yellow one. To deactivate the bomb, Inside, the room is a mess. Things The streets are lined with the red wire must be disconnected. If the have been scattered all about, as if abandoned cars, rusting into oblivion. yellow wire is cut before the red one, someone was looking for something. Spilled garbage cans block the the bomb explodes. If both wires are cut There is only one thing of interest in the sidewalks, where cats and dogs fight at the same time, the device has a 50% apartment. for scraps. The stench of decay is chance of detonating (roll randomly). In a cleared space in the center of the oppressive. Allow anyone with the Electronics room sits a large, white box (1' x 2' x 1'). Finally, you come to Johnny's Talent or the Repair/Tinkering Talent an On the milk-white wrapper in large gold apartment building. The windows attempt at a Good Intensity Reason letters is written FEAT. If successful, the hero

28 realizes the red wire must be cut first. If 1. Has anybody carrying a white box Realizing that Felicia has led them the roll is missed, the character has come through here recently? Three guys into a trap, the heroes may decide to come to a wrong conclusion. came here earlier in a white van. They visit her. In this case, see below. If the heroes are unable to disconnect gave the winos a bottle of good hooch to or dispose of the bomb, it detonates, keep an eye on their vehicle. They wore In Search of Felicia. Getting in touch collapsing the apartment building. funny masks, they smelled like with Felicia Bifrost is not going to be Anyone in the same area as the chocolate, and they had some sort of easy; she is not listed in the phone book. explosion suffers Amazing Edged white goo on their boots. The obvious place for the heroes to Attack damage. Everyone else in the find her is at the Metropolitan Museum 2. When was the last time you saw building sustains Remarkable Edged of Art. When they arrive there, the Johnny? They do not know Johnny. Attack damage. heroes discover from Mr. Pride that However, when those three guys came Felicia did not show up for work. He back out, they were dragging a young The Winos. If the heroes do nothing to gives the characters Felicia's address, if man who was kicking and screaming for help the winos, and the building falls, they ask for it. help. they are severely injured and must be Maximilian Pride is unaware that all taken to a hospital. 3. What was the license plate number of the information he has concerning If the heroes rescued them and they of the van? Two of the winos give Felicia is false. The address is an are unhurt, the winos answer a few different numbers; the third thinks the abandoned lot. No matter what the questions. If the heroes speak to the van did not have a license plate. heroes do, they cannot find Felicia. bums before searching Johnny's apartment, or after the bomb has been AFTERMATH: Believing the bomb KARMA: deactivated, getting any answers from would utterly destroy the heroes, the Deactivating the bomb: +20 them requires a yellow Popularity Fixer and Mentallo foolishly left the Allowing the bomb to explode: -20 FEAT. address of their chocolate factory on the Rescuing winos before the +60 If the roll is successful, the drunks card included with the box of exploding bomb detonates: answer the heroes' questions to the best candy. When the heroes go to the Allowing winos to be hurt: -30 of their ability. Some of the most Aurora Chocolate Mill, turn to Chapter important questions and answers: 21.

29 CHAPTER 21: CHOCOLATE ZOMBIES

SUMMARY: The heroes go to the Radiation). There are 15 Batboys the gruesome mixture. Aurora Chocolate Mill in search of working in the factory. Five of them are Johnny Bifrost. armed with M-16 assault rifles. Johnny Bifrost. Johnny is dangling above the toxic vat. He is hanging STARTING: The factory is located The Vats. The factory is dominated by upside down by a length of rope (Poor near the East River. It is surrounded by two open-topped vats. An assortment of material strength). run-down buildings and is protected by machinery connects them together. The The rope is fixed to an electric winch. an eight-foot-tall, chain-link fence. final product is formed here. The blobs The controls of the winch are on the A map of the Aurora Chocolate Mill is of candy fall to a conveyor belt, which wall, where Black Talon is standing included with this adventure. carries them to be packaged by some of (marked by a "B" on the map). When the heroes approach the the Batboys. Black Talon has orders to kill Johnny, chocolate factory, read the following One of the tanks contains boiling but he is taking his time about it. Johnny boxed text to the players: chocolate. It is untainted and smells is being slowly lowered toward the delicious. Several of the Batboys grasping arms of the radioactive The Aurora Chocolate Mill stands monitor pressure and temperature valves zombies. before you. It appears to be at the base of this vat. somewhat run-down. The lot is The other vat is a different story. It Enter the Heroes. When the heroes overgrown with weeds, and all the contains a putrid mixture of toxic waste enter the part of the factory containing windows in the building have been and syrup. The substance gives off the vats, Black Talon orders the zombies covered with sheets of plywood. radiation (Excellent Intensity). to climb out of the syrup and attack. The place is surrounded by a chain- Anyone who is not resistant to There is one zombie for each hero link fence. A "For Sale" sign is radiation and is within 1 area of the present. fastened to the front gate. toxic vat must attempt an Endurance Statistics for the zombies are given in FEAT against the Excellent Intensity the entry for Black Talon in the Non- radiation. If successful, the hero is Player Character Roster. In addition to ENCOUNTER: The front gate is unaffected, but he must continue to the statistics listed there, the zombies secured with a large padlock (Excellent attempt Endurance FEATs each round emit Good Intensity radiation, due to the material strength). The characters that he remains within the radiation toxic goo. should have little difficulty entering the zone. Anyone in the same area as one or compound, either by breaking the lock If a roll is failed, the hero immediately more zombies must attempt an or scaling the fence. falls unconscious for 1-10 turns and Endurance FEAT against the Good The white van is parked behind the loses an Endurance rank. At the end of Intensity radiation. The effects of factory. Inside are dozens of boxes of 1-10 turns, the hero must attempt success or failure are the same as for Hammerhead Doodles. They all contain another Endurance FEAT at his lowered being near the toxic vat (see earlier). poisoned candy, which the Faces of Fear rank. If he succeeds, the effects of the When the heroes are discovered, five plan to give away at a local school. The radiation are halted. of the Batboys open fire with their treats are slightly radioactive, which If the next roll is failed, he loses assault rifles. The others beat a hasty may be detected by an appropriate another Endurance rank and falls retreat. Power or device. unconscious for 1-10 more rounds. This Even if the heroes stop Black Talon The front offices and employee lounge process continues until a roll is before Johnny is lowered into the toxic are vacant and devoid of furniture. successful and the effects are halted, or syrup, he dies from the radiation. the hero's Endurance reaches Shift-Zero, Nevertheless, within 1-10 turns Johnny The Faces of Fear. The Fixer and at which point the character dies. is reborn with all of his mutant powers Mentallo recently purchased the Aurora The toxic syrup has been created by operational. With his newly crystallized Chocolate Mill through an agent. Since Black Talon through the use of his eyes, Johnny Bifrost helps the heroes then they have been busy producing necromantic powers. As part of the defeat Black Talon and the zombies. tainted treats. Many of the factory's process, the brew must be "stirred by the If Black Talon is knocked former employees have been well paid hand of the living dead." unconscious or captured, he to train the Batboys in the proper use of The animated corpses from the immediately teleports to the Fixer and the machinery. morgue of Bellevue Hospital are inside Mentallo's hideout. Obeying Black The Batboys wear white coveralls and the vat. Obeying Black Talon's Talon's last command, the zombies Halloween masks. Their clothing and commands, the zombies walk around continue to battle the heroes even after masks are designed to protect them from the inside of the tank, effectively stirring their creator has fled the scene. radiation (Excellent Resistance to

30 Questions and Answers. If the heroes Mister Fear that the candy would only 6. Where is the book? Although they subdue any of the Batboys, they may make the children sick for a few hours. have never seen it, the Batboys suspect want to ask the thugs some questions. (Actually, the toxic candy would kill the Boss has the stolen book. They Unfortunately, the Batboys are not nice any child who eats it.) mistakenly believe that he is using the guys; they do not willingly give up any arcane tome to summon and control the information. 3. Who is the Boss? The Batboys have super-powered monsters. Because of the Batboys' hostile heard talk on the street that the Kingpin disposition toward the heroes, getting is the Boss, but they are not certain that Quizzing Johnny. The heroes will information out of them requires a this is true. (Actually, this is a false certainly want to ask Johnny Bifrost successful Popularity FEAT. This is an rumor created and spread by the Fixer some questions, especially if he used Impossible FEAT, unless the super and Mentallo.) any super powers. Getting information heroes promise the gangsters something The Batboys are never allowed to see from Johnny does not require a in return for answering a few questions the Boss. They take orders from Mister Popularity FEAT. He is willing to help (i.e., to not turn them over to the police). Fear, who in turn receives instructions the characters in any way he can. In this case, a red result is needed for a from the Boss. successful Popularity FEAT. 1. Why is he here? He does not know. If the player characters threaten the 4. Who is Mister Fear? The Batboys Three guys wearing masks came to his lives of the Batboys (or physically abuse lie to the heroes, telling them they do apartment and kidnapped him. They them) in order to get the information, a not know Mister Fear's true identity. brought him here, where they planned to successful yellow Popularity FEAT is Actually, the Batboys are fully aware kill him. Johnny thinks Mister Fear required. Even so, the heroes lose five that Mister Fear's real identity is Alan wants him dead because he told the Karma for resorting to such devious Fagan. heroes about the gang meeting at the tactics. Note that some heroes (such as waterfront warehouse. If the heroes succeed at one of the Daredevil) have the ability to detect lies. Popularity FEATs described above, the Even so, the Batboys do not divulge the 2. Who are the guys wearing coveralls Batboys answer the characters' truth about Mister Fear. The only way to and masks? Johnny recognized some of questions to the best of their ability. get this information is to extract it from them because they foolishly called each Several of the most important questions the minds of the thugs by employing an other by name. They used to be (and corresponding answers) are listed appropriate Mental Power or device. members of a gang called the Batboys. below. Note that, depending on the Now they call themselves the Faces of composition of the player character Fear. Their leader is Mister Fear. 1. Why are they making poisoned group, some of the heroes may already candy? By poisoning the consumers of know or suspect who Mister Fear is. 3. Who is Mister Fear and where is Hammerhead Doodles, "the Boss" hopes Spider-Man was involved in stopping his hideout? Johnny does not know who to get Hammerhead in trouble with the Pagan's earlier plot to blackmail New Mister Fear is, or where his hideout police. The Batboys have been told that York City (see the Mister Fear entry in might be. However, he did hear some of the resulting lawsuits could financially the Non-Player Character Roster the Batboys talking about a big job cripple Hammerhead's Maggia family, section), so he may figure that Pagan is planned for tonight-they are going to effectively shutting down their back in business. (If none of the players rob the East River Savings and Loan. organization. This would allow the are aware of any facts about Mister Faces of Fear to control all illicit Fear, it is up to you whether their 4. How long has he had super activities on the Lower East Side. characters "automatically" know any powers? Johnny never knew he had worthwhile information.) them before—his eyes were normal 2. Is there any more candy besides until now. He believes the radiation what is here in the factory? The first 5. Where is the Boss's hideout? The released by the toxic syrup in the vat shipment has been loaded into a van Batboys do not know where the Boss's affected his eyes in some strange way, parked out back. The Batboys have been hideout is located. They believe that granting him his new abilities. instructed to take the boxes of treats to a Mister Fear and the other super villains (Actually, the radiation killed the virus school in the morning, where they are are the only people who know where to that was keeping Johnny's powers supposed to pass out the deadly goodies find the Boss. The Batboys think that dormant.) to the children. Mister Fear and the "monsters" teleport Originally, the Batboys refused to kill to and from the Boss's hideout (and they innocent kids, but the thugs were told by are correct).

31 5. Where is the book? Contrary to Johnny swears that Felicia could not be they decide not to stop the bank heist, what Felicia told the heroes, Johnny has responsible. He promises to find his go to Chapter 25. not been trying to help them find the sister in order to get an explanation, and book. He does not know anything useful quickly leaves the chocolate factory. KARMA: about the ancient tome. Defeating Black Talon: +35 When Johnny discovers that Felicia AFTERMATH: If the heroes go to For each zombie disabled: +30 lied and led the heroes into a trap, he thwart the robbery at the East River Capturing the thugs: +15 becomes visibly shaken. Savings and Loan, turn to Chapter 22. If

CHAPTER 22: BANK HEIST

SUMMARY: The heroes attempt to The villains remain for a maximum of inside. You can plainly see the stop a robbery at the East River Savings five turns before being teleported back massive vault door. and Loan, but they end up being to the Fixer and Mentallo's hideout. As a Suddenly, the area in front of the arrested for the crime! last act of destruction, Tatterdemalion vault seems to glow, and four people drops an incendiary grenade as he appear out of thin air! STARTING: An interior map of the begins to teleport. bank is included with the adventure. Unless the heroes can somehow If you have the Basic Set map, ENCOUNTER: The Fixer and dispose of the grenade, it explodes in consider the bank to be on the first floor Mentallo have teleported Frankenstein's one turn, igniting all of the money and of the Executive Building (on 7th Monster, Tatterdemalion, and the papers in the vault. The fire burns with Avenue and Arthur Street). Brothers Grimm in front of the vault Remarkable Intensity. If you are using the Advanced Set (the hypnoporter could not teleport them map, the Empire Bank (on the corner of inside the vault). They have been sent The Police. Immediately after the Grant and Johnson Streets) is now the here to steal the Starfire Necklace and to villains teleport, a fire truck and three East River Savings and Loan. destroy as many valuables as they can. SWAT vans from the Special Weapons The savings and loan is secretly By ruining the money, mortgage Force (SWF) arrive on the scene. Each owned by the Maggia. Unknown to the papers, and bonds, Mentallo and the van holds ten SWF Operatives. government, the Maggia uses the bank Fixer hope to financially cripple (or at to launder money. The vault contains least injure) the Maggia. They intend to SWF Operatives over $1,000,000 in cash, along with an sell the diamonds in the necklace and F EX 20 Health: 46 abundance of mortgage papers and use the Vibranium for a new device they A GD 10 bonds. are planning to build. S TY 6 Karma: 22 Currently, the Starfire Necklace, If the heroes try the front door, they E GD 10 which boasts three of the ten largest find it locked. They must break into the R TY 6 Resources: GD (10) diamonds in the world and is made of bank to stop the robbery (no Karma loss I TY 6 pure Vibranium, is being kept in the for doing so). No matter what they do P GD 10 Popularity: 4 vault. It is one of the crown jewels of (even if someone Phases through the Wakanda, whose king, T'Challa (the glass) the alarm is set off. Talents: All operatives are skilled in Black Panther) is presently in New York During the first turn of action, Law Enforcement, surveillance, serving a diplomatic function. Frankenstein rips the vault door off its shadowing, and Marksmanship. When the heroes approach the hinges. (If the alarm has not yet been Weaponry: Each operative carries a building, read the following boxed text activated, this certainly does it.) handgun with two extra ammo clips, a to the players: Tatterdemalion then rushes into the vault, forces open a safety deposit box, riot gun, a pair of handcuffs, a walkie- and stuffs the Starfire Necklace into his talkie, a flashlight, a flak jacket (Good It is late at night, and there are only shirt. protection versus physical damage), and a few pedestrians and automobiles on While Frankenstein and the Brothers a uniform and belt to hold the the street. Grimm hold off the heroes, equipment. The front wall of the East River Tatterdemalion uses his gloves to rot The SWF is a team designed to handle Savings and Loan is made of glass. A money, mortgage papers, and bonds. super-powered individuals. In each of few security lights are on the three SWAT vans are ten sniper rifles and an assortment of

32 gas grenades that may be fired from riot Karma and Popularity losses (at least - AFTERMATH: The heroes are in the guns, including tear gas, smoke, and 60 Karma and -1/2 of all Popularity), slammer. Go to Chapter 23. knockout gas. and become hunted criminals if they are The SWF operatives burst from their not captured at the bank. KARMA: vehicles with weapons ready. They When they surrender, they are loaded Defeating the Brothers Grimm: +30 demand that the heroes surrender at into the vans. As the doors close, the Defeating Frankenstein's +25 once. last thing the characters see are the Monster: The heroes should not attack the SWF. firemen busily cleaning up the mess at Defeating Tatterdemalion: +15 If they do, the results are left to the the East River Savings and Loan. Surrendering to police: +5 Judge. The heroes should suffer serious Resisting arrest: -60

CHAPTER 23: GO TO JAIL, GO DIRECTLY…

SUMMARY: The heroes have been and videotaped. ing. Each of them is taken to a separate arrested by the SWF as suspects in the The operatives ask the characters to confinement cell, similar to those robbery of the East River Savings and describe everything that occurred at the described in Chapter 35. Loan. bank. Because the Starfire Necklace was If all the heroes' rolls are successful, stolen, this is a national security matter, the operatives believe the characters and STARTING: The heroes are driven to and the heroes are not allowed to make allow them to leave after repeating their SWF Headquarters. They are then any phone calls. story several more times. escorted into a high-security conference When the heroes try to reason with the room for questioning. The room is SWF operatives, each of them must AFTERMATH: If the heroes must airtight, and the walls and door are attempt a Popularity FEAT. A red result attend a hearing, go to Chapter 24. If made of a thick titanium steel alloy is required for success. their story has been accepted and they (Monstrous material strength). If any of the heroes fail the roll, the are free, turn to Chapter 25. operatives do not believe their story. ENCOUNTER: The heroes are inter- The characters must attend a hearing KARMA: viewed by two SWF operatives. The before a judge tomorrow morn- The heroes are freed: +5 interrogation is both tape-recorded

CHAPTER 24: HERE COMES THE JUNGLE

SUMMARY: The heroes appear before atives. After driving for several find the vault literally ripped off its Judge Clayton, who listens to the minutes, one of the operatives turns hinges. characters and the district attorney on the radio. You hear the familiar "Numerous suspects were appre- before setting bail. voice of a local newscaster coming hended, including [enter names of from the front of the van: heroes]. These 'heroes' are expected STARTING: The morning after the "Late last night several super- to appear before Judge Clayton later bank heist, the characters are driven by powered individuals were arrested as today. the Special Weapons Force to the suspects in the robbery of the East "Although it has not been confirm- courthouse. River Savings and Loan. Members of ed by the authorities, it is believed During the journey, read the following the Special Weapons Force, a police the Starfire Necklace was stolen in boxed text to the players: emergency team designed to handle the robbery. The necklace is one of super-powered criminals, arrived on the crown jewels of the nation of You have been loaded into a the scene to Wakanda, whose king, T'Challa, is SWAT van by several SWF oper- currently visiting

33 hearing begins. If they do not have a without the film they are likely to be New York City for unspecified lawyer, one is appointed to them by the convicted. (The film was stolen by an diplomatic reasons. court. agent of the Fixer and Mentallo; it "When asked to comment, T'Challa Note that Daredevil is a talented should be recovered by the characters in stated that. . ." lawyer. If someone is playing him, Chapter 35.) As the officer switches off the Daredevil can speak for the group. Because of the diplomatic importance radio, the van pulls to a stop. of retrieving the Starfire Necklace, You step out into the bright light ENCOUNTER: During the hearing, the Judge Clayton declares a trial date of of morning. You are on the street in district attorney claims that he can one month from today. He sets bail for front of the court house. On the steps produce witnesses who were on the the heroes at $250,000 each. in front of the building is a small street outside the bank. If the characters cannot pay, T'Challa mob of news reporters and The witnesses have all made secretly pays for their release. He cameramen. statements to the police, saying they saw wishes to remain anonymous in the As your escort of police officers the heroes break into the bank. hope of tracking the heroes to the leads you up the steps, the crowd However, they did not see anyone else necklace. gathers around you. They attempt to in the building, which conflicts with the shove microphones in your face, but characters' testimony. When the alarm AFTERMATH: When the bail is paid, the police keep them back. The sounded, all of the witnesses fled the the heroes are free. Proceed with question on everyone's lips is, "Why scene. Chapter 25. did you rob the bank?" The district attorney informs the court that the film from the security cameras POPULARITY: If they wish, allow the PCs to make a which recorded the robbery has The heroes make a statement +2 short statement to the media. vanished. Even without the film, he to the media, vowing to Once inside the building, the heroes believes he has enough evidence to catch the real thieves: may call an attorney and have a brief convict the heroes. Although innocent, the heroes -1/2 conference with him before the The heroes' lawyer tells them that have been accused of a total crime:

34 CHAPTER 25: BAD NEWS

SUMMARY: The heroes read about the heist, or when the heroes are released robbed. Police arrived to discover the bank robbery, and they receive a from jail: vault ripped from its hinges. message from Johnny Bifrost. Curiously, all money and legal documents kept inside the vault were In the personals column of the STARTING: The first newspaper destroyed by the thieves. Daily Bugle, you find an ad article should be read to the heroes only The only object found missing was addressed to you: if they did nothing to thwart the bank the Starfire Necklace, one of the robbery and you skipped Chapters 22, [Insert names of heroes]: Meet me crown jewels of the African nation of 23, and 24. behind Hank's Tavern at 10 p.m. Wakanda. T'Challa, the king of On the day after the bank heist, the Very important. Signed, Johnny B. Wakanda, is currently in the city for characters cannot help but notice a vivid diplomatic purposes. headline on the front page of the Daily Strangely, the police found no AFTERMATH: The heroes go to meet Bugle. Read the following: signs of illegal entry. Security Johnny in the alley behind Hank's cameras recorded only an unnatural Tavern. Turn to Chapter 26. As you pick up today's issue of the darkness near the vault." Daily Bugle, you are startled by the KARMA: front page headline: Making no attempt to prevent -10 the bank heist: "SAVINGS AND LOAN ROBBED! The second entry is from Johnny Bifrost to the heroes. Read the following Late last evening, the East River on the day after the bank Savings and Loan was

CHAPTER 26: A MEETING

SUMMARY: The heroes meet Johnny Johnny can feel that it is Felicia who versation with Johnny, choose one of Bifrost in the alley behind Hank's has been placing the picture in his mind, the heroes at random and allow him to Tavern. and he can tell that she is in danger. He attempt a Good Intensity Intuition believes Mister Fear has abducted her FEAT. If the result is green or better, STARTING: When the heroes arrive and is trying to kill her. He relates his the hero has the feeling that he is being for the meeting, read the following: fears to the heroes and asks them to watched. help. The heroes are being secretly You are in the alley behind Hank's observed by the Black Panther (alias Tavern. It is getting late, and the air The Vision. The sign that Johnny has T'Challa). His goal is to recover the is foggy and cold. received is a picture of the Statue of Starfire Necklace. The king of Wakanda A figure emerges from the shadows Liberty. The monument has Felicia's is secretly following the characters in to stand in the middle of the alley. It face, and it is bound by ropes and the hope that they will lead him to the is Johnny Bifrost. He is wearing a chains. The perspective seems to be as if stolen jewel. long, leather coat and mirrored Johnny were standing about a mile north If the heroes start to look for him, be sunglasses. The glasses effectively of Liberty Island, where the statue is sure that the Black Panther gets away conceal his crystallized eyes. From located. without being seen—he is encountered the look on his face, he appears to be (In fact, Felicia is being held on Ellis later and has been included here to add a worried. Island, which lies one mile north of sense of mystery to the heroes' meeting Liberty Island.) with Johnny Bifrost. Allow the players to see a map of ENCOUNTER: Johnny is indeed Manhattan. If you do not have a map, AFTERMATH: The heroes and worried. Since seeing the heroes at the you can find one at your local library. Johnny go to Ellis Island. Turn to Aurora Chocolate Mill, he has not been By looking at a map, and from the clues Chapter 27. able to find his sister. in the vision, they should be able to Felicia has been abducted. She has figure out where Felicia is. If they KARMA: been placing a vision in Johnny's mind cannot, Johnny proposes that they go to Figuring out where Felicia is +5 which has greatly disturbed him. She Ellis Island. being held: has been trying to communicate her Johnny has to tell them to go -5 whereabouts to him, but her telepathic The Black Panther. During the con- to Ellis Island: abilities have been drastically hampered. 35 CHAPTER 27: WIDEAWAKE

SUMMARY: The heroes go to Ellis strong enough, he can make several each carries a handgun, a billy club, a Island to rescue Felicia Bifrost. Once trips, each time carrying a different walkie-talkie, and handcuffs (Excellent there, they are attacked by several character. If none of them can fly, they material strength). super-powered Sentinels. must rent a small boat or swim. For a fee (at least $100) they can rent a boat 4. Commons. All of the decrepit STARTING: Ellis Island is located from someone at the docks. buildings that once stood here have been about one mile southwest of Manhattan, demolished and hauled away. The area and one mile north of Liberty Island. It Ellis Island. The numbers of the is now a commons, complete with is approximately 1,300 feet east of the following areas correspond to the clipped grass, shrubs, trees, flowers, and New Jersey shoreline. numbers on the map of Ellis Island. picnic tables. Two security officers A map of the island is included with patrol the surrounding area 24 hours a the adventure. 1. The Dock. The channel running day. From 1892 to 1943 Ellis Island served through the middle of the island is a as the chief United States immigration ferry slip. The ferry carries tourists from 5. Fountain. A beautiful fountain station, processing millions of European the mainland during the day. The dock stands here. Positioned on a block of immigrants. Now it is a national is made of concrete (Excellent material granite in the center of the fountain is a monument. strength). It runs the entire length of the miniature replica of the Statue of Known only to certain government north side of the ferry slip. Liberty. The statue is made entirely of officials, part of Ellis Island is being bronze (Good material strength, weighs used to support Project Wideawake. 2. Ferry Building. This building has 800 pounds). been renovated; it is now a cafe and gift Project Wideawake. In response to the shop. During the evening hours, three 6. Restricted Area. A ten-foot-tall attempted assassination of Senator ferries are docked in front of the ferry security fence (Good material strength) Edward Kelly by the second building. surrounds the southern half of the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants, the Office island. On the fence are posted of the President sanctioned the secret 3. Main Building. This entire structure numerous signs that read: and illegal "Project Wideawake." has been authentically restored. A The project's agenda is to investigate canopy entrance opens onto the main "KEEP OUT! any super-powered mutants whom the room, known as the baggage room. Up a CONSTRUCTION SITE project directors believe pose a threat to large staircase is the registry room, HARD HAT REQUIRED" national security. Unfortunately, the where immigrants were processed. project has overstepped its bounds by Upstairs may also be found balcony The area beyond the fence is a jumble capturing and incarcerating many dormitories, an interrogation room, of debris. When the fighting starts, the suspected mutants. This is in total meeting rooms, a library, a theater, a characters can find an assortment of disregard of the basis of the United bookstore, the tourist information office, makeshift weapons, from utility poles to States legal system—that an individual and rest rooms. chunks of concrete. is innocent until proven guilty. The main building is patrolled by This part of the island is closely The installation on Ellis Island is a three security officers 24 hours a day. monitored by hidden security cameras laboratory designed to investigate how (Excellent Intensity Intuition FEAT mutations that bestow superhuman Security Officers required to find them). After the heroes powers come about, and how they may have poked around in here for a couple be inhibited or prevented from F GD 10 Health: 36 of turns, they are spotted. The Sentinels developing. Felicia and Johnny Bifrost A GD 10 beneath the helipad are immediately were born in the sterile environment of S TY 6 Karma: 18 launched (see area 8). this laboratory. E GD 10 R TY 6 7. The Old Hospital. Scaffolding on Getting to the Island. Johnny feels that I TY 6 the walls of the hospital reveals that it is Felicia is in urgent need of help. He P TY 6 in the process of being renovated. wants to rescue her the same night he Anyone succeeding at a Good Intensity meets with the heroes. If the heroes Abilities: The security officers have Agility FEAT can climb the scaffolding want to go on the following day, Johnny been trained in Law Enforcement. to the roof. The building is three stories protests vehemently and declares that he tall. Renovation has begun on the will go alone if they will not help him. Weaponry: They wear uniforms; interior, but much of it is still a mess. If one of the heroes can fly, and is

36 8. The Helipad. This circular platform ENCOUNTER: alarm. The deeper you go, the louder is made of a steel alloy (Amazing it becomes. material strength). All debris has been The Security Officers. The northern Finally, the elevator stops, and the cleared in a 1-area radius around the half of the island is patrolled by two doors open onto a large laboratory. helipad. security officers carrying flashlights, in Flashing sirens on the walls reveal By pressing a button in the secret addition to their normal equipment. If that the place is on full alert. laboratory, it is possible to cause the the heroes are trying to be sneaky, they Strapped to a table in the center of helipad to slide open. Below the helipad spot the guards before the guards spot the chamber is Felicia Bifrost. She is is a large chamber that contains three them. surrounded by an assortment of Mark IV Sentinels, programmed to If the heroes are spotted, the security machinery that flashes, gyrates, and capture intruders. officers use their walkie-talkies to alert screeches. She is in obvious pain. the secret lab. The Sentinels are Between you and her is a group of 9. The Shack. Standing near the immediately launched. The guards stay 11 men and women. Three of them helipad is a wooden shack. Actually, the well away from the fight. are security officers, holding assault structure is made of reinforced concrete rifles pointed right at you. Behind (three feet thick, Amazing material The Sentinels. The Sentinels are them are eight people wearing red lab strength) concealed with wooden programmed to capture intruders and to coats. planks. A big sign on the door reads: avoid killing. They are also One of the scientists speaks, "This programmed to avoid damaging any of is a United States Government instal- "EXPLOSIVES! the buildings on the island and to lation. For your actions you can AUTHORIZED PERSONNEL ONLY!" concentrate their efforts upon anyone expect to be charged with trespass- who is causing damage to the structures. ing, destruction of government The door is made of a steel alloy If the heroes are losing the battle, the property, terrorism, and conspiracy ... (Amazing material strength) and is Black Panther arrives at the last minute only to name a few. Please surrender covered by planks. There is a wooden to rescue them. Simply fudge his rolls, at once, or we will use force." handle on the door. If anyone tries to allowing him to smash Sentinels right open it normally, it appears to be stuck, and left. He has tracked the characters to and the handle breaks off. Ellis Island in search of the Starfire The scientist tries to stall for time. By If a hero believes the door is made of Necklace. eliminating the Sentinels, the heroes wood, and he attempts to smash through If you feel the heroes may need help have scared the wits out of everyone in it, he is in for a big surprise! Treat this finishing the adventure, the Black the secret lab. as a Charging Attack, and consider the Panther offers to join them. Otherwise, If one of the heroes demands that they door to have Amazing Body Armor. he slips back into the shadows; he may release Felicia, allow the player to The door is sealed by an reappear in later chapters, as needed. attempt a Popularity FEAT. A red result electromagnetic lock. Ripping the door is required. However, grant the player a open (not Charging through it) requires The Secret Lab. At the time of the +4CS to the roll because the an Amazing Intensity Strength FEAT. heroes' arrival, there is only a skeleton government people would really like to An Excellent Intensity Intuition FEAT staff at the secret laboratory. This is avoid a fight. is required to find the lock's control because the entire project is being If the roll fails, or the heroes attack, panel, which is concealed behind a revamped by the government. the security officers open fire. During hinged plank. The door can be opened Currently, there are eight scientists in the battle, the scientists merely attempt by short-circuiting the control panel. the building, 12 technicians (food to stay out of the way. This requires a successful Remarkable preparation, sanitation, and When the security officers are Intensity Reason FEAT. Allow any maintenance), and three security defeated, the scientists surrender characters with the Engineering, officers. Because of the Sentinels, only without a struggle. They release Felicia Computers, Electronics, or Repair/ a few guards have been assigned to the from the experimental machinery. She Tinkering Talent a +1CS to the roll. installation. staggers into Johnny's arms, and the pair Within the shack is an elevator. It has When the characters ride the elevator make their way to the elevator. two buttons inside—up and down. The to the secret lab, read the following The heroes should not dawdle—a down button lowers the elevator to the boxed text to the players: military helicopter armed with 12 heat- secret laboratory. seeking missiles (Incredible Edged damage, Excellent Agility) is As you descend in the elevator, you begin to hear the sound of an

37 on its way to the island. It is carrying tempted to lead the heroes into a trap (in super villains the heroes have twenty heavily armed soldiers, and it Chapter 19). encountered previously—lightning arrives five minutes after the end of the Even though her powers were allowed dances across her skin, and she vanishes fight in the underground lab. to develop several weeks ago by the with a loud thunderclap. During the Fixer and Mentallo, Felicia lies to the teleportation, there is a look of terror on What Happened to Felicia? Felicia is heroes and tells them she has no her face. still under the influence of the superhuman powers. If the characters Cursing Mister Fear, Johnny becomes hypnoporter. Even so, she appears bring up the fact that she contacted hysterical; he must be calmed down by normal. When the characters return to Johnny telepathically, she still claims the heroes. He begs them to let him join Manhattan, she attempts to answer their not to have any special powers. As a their team so he can avenge his twin questions, but the Mind Control function of the Mind Control, she can sister. Unless you or the players have a interferes with the veracity of her never reveal her identity as Lady good reason, Johnny should be allowed answers. Anguish, or the fact that she has Mental to complete the adventure with the Felicia explains that she was abducted Powers. heroes—they are going to need him! in her apartment by the scientists. They When the scientists captured Felicia, took her to Ellis Island and subjected their equipment temporarily nullified AFTERMATH: At the moment, there her to a series of horrible experiments. the teleportation disc implanted in the is nothing the heroes can do to find The scientists revealed to her that she back of her neck. Because it was no Felicia. After their battle with the and Johnny are mutants with latent longer functioning, the Fixer and Sentinels, they probably need some rest. powers. They have been under the close Mentallo lost the ability to teleport her. Turn to Chapter 28. scrutiny of the government for most of While the heroes are questioning their lives. Felicia, the teleportation disc is KARMA: Because of the Mind Control, she reactivated. Mentallo and the Fixer For each Sentinel defeated: +75 claims to know nothing about Mister immediately teleport her to their hideout Rescuing Felicia: +20 Fear or the bomb planted in Johnny's to find out what happened to her. Felicia For each historic building -20 apartment. She denies that she at- begins to teleport exactly like the damaged:

38 CHAPTER 28: A MESSAGE FROM MAX

SUMMARY: The super heroes receive following boxed text to the players: night. I have some important a message from Mr. Maximilian Pride, information concerning the object the curator of the Metropolitan Museum In the personals column of the you seek. Harry will meet you at the of Art. Daily Bugle, you notice an ad door. Signed, Mr. P. addressed to you: STARTING: If the heroes need some rest, allow them to recuperate for a day [Insert names of heroes]: Please AFTERMATH: The heroes go to the or two before presenting them with the meet me at the Met at 5 p.m. to- Met to meet Mr. Pride. Turn to Chapter next "hook." When the super heroes are 29. ready, read the CHAPTER 29: TO THE MET ONCE MORE

SUMMARY: The heroes meet Mr. is that they were three respected college has returned to the world of the Pride at the Metropolitan Museum of students. living!" Art. He opens a copy of The Spirit 2. Who is the editor, and where can he Tracker, an obscure newspaper STARTING: When the characters be reached? The editor of The Spirit dealing with the supernatural, and arrive at the Met, read the following: Tracker is named Artemis Hoot. Mr. reads an article to you: Pride discourages the heroes from "Several students of New York visiting the editor's office by telling Once again you are met at the door University report having seen a ghost them that he believes he has gained all by Harry, one of the night watchmen. beneath the Washington Square Arch available information. He escorts you to the library, where at the stroke of midnight last night. you find Mr. Pride sitting at a long According to eye witnesses, the 3. Why did the ghost appear at the table. Several opened books lay specter was that of a burning man, Washington Square Arch? Mr. Pride is scattered about the table. The curator who 'called out to us from the flames, not sure, but he believes the powers of is writing in a notebook, while demanding that we return his book.' the book must have been used near the flipping through one of the old texts. "One brave student, who ventured monument. When he notices you, he says, quite close to the apparition, reported If the heroes describe their encounter "Hello. I'm so glad you have come. that the flames appeared real, but with the skeleton horde (Chapter 12), Please have a seat." they produced no heat. When the the curator speculates that this is why observers backed away, the ghost Bartholomew Jacobs chose to manifest vanished." ENCOUNTER: Mr. Pride has been at the arch. After finishing the article, Mr. extensively researching Bartholomew Maximilian is aware that Black Talon Pride says, "I spoke with the editor of Jacobs, the author of A Madman's is a necromancer. He suggests that the this paper. He assures me the Mutterings. He has uncovered some villain may have deciphered the book incident was not a hoax, and the important information. and used it to enhance his arcane spirit is likely to return to the same powers. place. After you have seated yourselves, "I believe the ghost is Bartho- 4. Where is Felicia Bifrost? He doesn't Pride continues, "As I told you at our lomew Jacobs. Perhaps if you go to know. She has not reported to work for first meeting, Bartholomew Jacobs the arch tonight, the apparition will several days. wrote A Madman's Mutterings and reveal the location of the book." was burned as a witch in Salem in 1692. AFTERMATH: When the heroes "Recently, I uncovered a curious Pride attempts to answer any decide to go to the arch, turn to Chapter legend concerning Bartholomew and questions. For instance: 30. his book. According to the tale, as Even though Maximilian has tried to the flames consumed him, he swore 1. Who were the witnesses who saw discourage them, it is possible the that he would return to claim his the ghost? Because they wish to remain characters may decide to visit the book if it were ever used by another anonymous, the editor of The Spirit offices of The Spirit Tracker. There is magician. I believe that Mr. Jacobs Tracker would not reveal the identities nothing to be learned by doing so. Mr. of the witnesses. All Maximilian knows Hoot does not reveal the identities of the witnesses under any circumstances. 39 CHAPTER 30: THE BURNING GHOST

SUMMARY: The heroes encounter the was here that Black Talon used the book from the flames and touches one of the ghost of Bartholomew Jacobs. to raise the dead from their graves. At characters. The transferral is automatic. the present time, the ghost cannot Bartholomew is no fool—he chooses a STARTING: When the characters venture more than 1 area away from the hero with obvious physical abilities and arrive at the arch, read the following: arch. Powers (such as great Strength) over Although he is in obvious pain, one who seems to rely on mental It is another cold night in New Bartholomew can speak to the heroes. abilities and Powers. York, and Washington Square Park He informs them that he has come to The hero on the pillar is in obvious appears to be deserted. Standing reclaim his book. However, he cannot agony. He can only writhe in pain. As impassively, the arch looms in the leave the flames unless his spirit enters a the other heroes watch helplessly, the fog before you. mortal body. If one of the heroes will burning pole and the flames quickly In the distance, a clock tower tolls accept his spirit, Bartholomew promises sink into the dark hole, which midnight. to guide them to the book. vanishes—there is no time for the Suddenly, the ground beneath the Unfortunately, Bartholomew is a liar. unfortunate hero to attempt an escape arch bursts into flames. From a When one of the heroes accepts the from the hellish pillar. widening hole, a long, blackened offer and approaches the ghost, Bartholomew possesses all of the pillar is thrust into the night air. Bartholomew extends his hand from the physical abilities and Powers of the Fixed to the pole is a burning man. spectral flames and touches the character he has exchanged bodies with. He screams hideously as the fire character. The spirit of the hero and the However, he does not possess that hero's continues to devour him, the same spirit of Bartholomew transfer—the mental abilities and Powers or Talents. way it has done for nearly three hero's soul is now fixed to the burning Bartholomew's mental abilities are: hundred years. pole, and Bartholomew's soul is in possession of the character's body. R RM 30 Karma: 115 If none of the heroes willingly accepts I GD 10 ENCOUNTER: Bartholomew Jacobs the ghost's offer, Bartholomew springs P MN 75 has returned to haunt the arch because it

40 Bartholomew may spend only his own Hero on a Stick. The hapless hero 1. Where am I? This is a domain Karma, and not that of the character he trapped on the pillar is in the nether whose rulers draw power from the is possessing. realms, suffering in the place of countless souls tormented here. Bartholomew Jacobs. Although all of Truth or Consequences. The heroes the character's mental abilities and 2. What is Bartholomew's plan? Over are certainly going to be upset with Powers are intact, they are of no use the centuries, Bartholomew discussed Bartholomew. If they attack him, he here. There is nothing the hero can do to his background and his plan of escape does not fight back, but surrenders escape. with the souls near him. They willingly immediately. Take the player aside (out of earshot reveal the story to the hero. When questioned, Bartholomew of the other players), and read the As the flames consumed his mortal swears there is nothing he can do to following boxed text to him or her: body in 1692, Bartholomew Jacobs return their friend until he has the book made a pact with the lords of this realm. (which is true). He cannot tell the You are chained to a massive pillar In exchange for Bartholomew's soul, characters where the book is located of black stone. It must be hundreds of they agreed to allow the black magician because he does not know. miles high. The atmosphere all about to seek vengeance upon anyone who Bartholomew can only sense the book; you crackles and sparks with crimson employs his magic book. Thus, Bartho- he can track it like a bloodhound. flames. lomew is granted a respite from his Bartholomew does not inform the Occasional gouts of fire spiral up torture from midnight to sunrise when- heroes that he has only until sunrise to the stone column. Their touch causes ever the power of the tome is unleashed. recover the book. At dawn he must your spirit to shudder in agony. However, the lords of this realm return to the arch, where he must change You are not alone in your misery. realized that if Bartholomew retrieved places with the unfortunate hero and Looking up and down the length of the book his Arcane Powers would sink back into the nether realms. the black pillar, you see tens of return, allowing the sorcerer to escape Without his book, Bartholomew thousands of screaming souls chained this domain. These rulers swore to find cannot employ his Magic Powers. By with you. the book and destroy it, thus preventing retrieving the book, he hopes to free The anguished souls closest to you Bartholomew from ever leaving. himself from his place of torment. seem surprised by your appearance. Apparently, they never found the book Through clenched teeth one of them because Bartholomew was allowed to AFTERMATH: Bartholomew moves speaks, "It would seem that leave. If he finds his spell book, Bartho- to a nearby manhole cover and proceeds Bartholomew's plan was successful, lomew Jacobs will never return, and the to enter the sewers. He realizes he may for you have accepted the burden of hero will suffer for eternity in his place. need help recovering the book, and he his eternal suffering!" Be sure the player of the trapped hero asks the heroes to follow him. If they agrees to keep the previous information refuse, Bartholomew warns them that from his friends. they will never see their comrade again, Allow the hero to speak to nearby unless they help find the book. souls. They attempt to answer any of the KARMA: When the heroes follow Bartholomew character's questions. Some of the most Accepting Bartholomew's offer: +5 into the sewers, turn to Chapter 31. important questions and answers are the Following him into the sewer: +5 following:

CHAPTER 31: THE WORLD BELOW

SUMMARY: The heroes follow everywhere in New York City, not state that they are marking their Bartholomew Jacobs, whose spirit including the other four boroughs (the trail, don't give them a map! Let them possesses the body of one of their Bronx, Queens, Brooklyn, and Staten get the feeling they are lost, and are at teammates, into the sewers below Island). It is much too elaborate to be the mercy of Bartholomew's guidance. Manhattan. mapped. (There are manhole exits to street level Simply draw a random map as the every few hundred yards, but don't STARTING: The sewer network heroes progress through the sewers, if mention this unless the players ask.) beneath Manhattan reaches virtually they require one. If the players do

41 The sewer tunnels are circular in cross Alligator (excluding natural Body Armor) forces section, measuring anywhere between the hero to succeed at an Endurance six feet to 30 feet in diameter. On each F PR 4 Health: 64 FEAT or be unable to perform any side of a tunnel is a two-foot-wide A GD 10 actions or concentrate. walkway. Sometimes these have rails, S RM 30 This encounter can be especially and sometimes they do not. E EX 20 troublesome if it occurs just prior to any The tunnels are dimly illuminated by R FE 2 other numbered encounter. light filtering down through manholes I FE 2 and curb grates on the streets above. In P FE 2 4. Vagrants. In a side tunnel devoid of some places, phosphorescent algae water, several beggars have built a fire grows on the walls. 2. Rats. Ahead, the stream of sewage of rubbish and other refuse. They eye In the middle of each sewer pipe is a is frothing with rats. The walkways on the heroes mournfully, and they plead stream of putrid brown water. The both sides of the tunnel are choked with for food and money. sewage is anywhere from six inches to the little creatures. These are only a few of the forgotten four feet deep, and may be deeper after It is possible for the characters to people dwelling within the sewers. They a rain storm. gently push the rats out of their way. have no useful information for the When the characters enter the sewer, Many of the rodents flee, running down heroes, nor can they act as guides. They read the following: into the sewage or into small pipes and are here merely to remind the players of crevices. The rats do not attack unless the horrible atmosphere of the sewers. You follow [name of possessed hero] they are attacked. down a long steel ladder into the main There are over 100 rats. They attack in 5. Dealers. The characters have sewer tunnels of the city. packs of ten. stumbled upon a large processing tank. Vapors rise from a stream of foul The river of sewage does not flow into sewage running down the middle of the Rat, pack of 10 the tank. The floor is covered with dust. tunnel. Through the murky air you can Several punks are using the tank as a see numerous pipes intersecting at odd F EX 20 Health: 48 secret base for producing illegal drugs. angles. Not only does the sewer smell A TY 6 Their laboratory consists of several bad, but it is also a bewildering maze. S FE 2 wooden crates (Poor material strength, As your possessed comrade heads off E EX 20 serving as tables), three chairs (Typical down a walkway above the fetid water, R FE 2 material strength), a camping stove his footsteps echo eerily off the grimy I FE 2 (Typical material strength), and walls. From his familiar face comes the P FE 2 numerous common household voice of Bartholomew Jacobs: "Follow implements. Several pounds of narcotics me, quickly. I feel that time is short!" A pack of rats attacks on the Edged are present. Attack column of the Universal Table. For each super hero present, there are ENCOUNTER: The following They cannot score Stun results, but may two gang members in the lab. For the encounters may be sprung upon the inflict Kill results from multiple attacks. statistics of the thugs, use any of the heroes at any time during their trek street gangs described in the Non-Player through the sewers. It is not necessary to 3. Mosquito Swarm. A cloud of Character Factions section, but use a play all of them. Simply pick a couple hungry mosquitoes fills the tunnel. They different name. of the ones you like best. descend upon the heroes. By capturing the gangsters, destroying As Judge, you should not be reluctant the lab, and revealing its location to the to add details to the encounters, or to Mosquito Swarm police, the heroes can do the people of create encounters of your own. New York a great service. F EX 20 Health: 48 1. Alligators. It is common knowledge A FE 2 AFTERMATH: After several that alligators thrive throughout the S FE 2 encounters, Bartholomew leads the sewers of New York City. As the heroes E EX 20 heroes deeper—into the Morlock walk down a particularly wide tunnel R FE 2 tunnels. Go to Chapter 32. (30 feet across), several of the reptiles I FE 2 quickly emerge from a number of P FE 2 KARMA: smaller, intersecting pipes. Unnecessary slaughter of rats: -20 The swarm attacks on the Edged Giving aid to vagrants: +10 There is one alligator for every hero Attack column, but cannot inflict Stun Destroying laboratory: +20 present. or Kill results. Rather, any mosquito Capturing dealers: +15 attack against unprotected flesh 42 CHAPTER 32: MORLOCKS AND MARAUDERS

SUMMARY: The heroes meet two of reach a height of 50 feet. The Alley and Alley Combat Table the denizens of the Morlock tunnels, its myriad branches were designed to while Bartholomew Jacobs faces the hold over half of the population of New D100 Roll Result wrath of the rulers of the nether realms. York City. 01-50 Nothing Special Bartholomew Jacobs leads the 51-60 Water Main STARTING: The Morlock tunnels characters from the sewers and into the 61-70 Sewage Pipe were constructed by the federal Alley. When the super heroes reach this 71-80 Steam Pipe government during the civil-defense point, read the following boxed text to 81-90 Electrical Wiring scares of the 1950s. In the event of a the players: 91-00 Explosion nuclear war, the government and the military planned to shelter much of New Your descent through the sewers Result Descriptions York's population in them. However, has led you to a different network of international tensions eased, and the tunnels. These are obviously not Nothing Special. Other than causing tunnels were forgotten. meant for sewage, but were designed normal damage to the tunnel wall, there Not long ago, a mutant outcast named with some other purpose in mind. is no special result. The walls are made Callisto discovered the tunnels, and You have entered a vast tunnel that of reinforced concrete and steel claimed them for herself. Callisto was is at least 50 feet wide and 50 feet (Remarkable material strength). soon adopted as the leader of a group of high. The walls are lined with pipes, Water Main. A water main running mutant refugees, who lived within the bulges, and protrusions of all kinds. along the wall has been ruptured. network of tunnels and became known Their function is not immediately Thousands of gallons of water spew into as the Morlocks. apparent. the Alley with Incredible Intensity. Unfortunately, the evil mastermind As you study your new Because the water flows from multiple called Mister Sinister desired the environment, you see a flash of light directions and swirls about the walls, Morlock tunnels for himself. He down the tunnel and hear a scream of every character within 5 areas of the commanded his group of mutant pain. A battle is going on nearby! breach must attempt an Incredible assassins (known as the Marauders) to Intensity Agility FEAT. Success hunt down and destroy the Morlocks. indicates the individual avoided the Beneath the streets of New York City, ENCOUNTER: Many of the pro- flood. a fierce battle took place, in which most trusions along the walls are containers All those who fail the Agility FEAT of the Morlocks were slaughtered by the holding emergency supplies (dried and are attacked by the water as if it were Marauders. The remaining Morlocks canned foods, water, bedding, first aid making a Charging Attack with became fragmented. Many of them packages, and similar items). They were Incredible Endurance. Any characters wandered off to die alone in the dark meant for the survivors of a nuclear war. sustaining a Hit, Slam, or Stun result are passageways. However, most of the canisters have caught in the flood, and are quickly Callisto survived the battle. She has been broken open, and their contents swept 7 areas down the passage. found no rest, however, for Mister stolen. At this point (7 areas away), the Sinister and the Marauders hunt her to stream expands across the floor of the this day. Battling in the Alley. Because of the Alley, losing much of its force. Because The Morlock tunnels are between 100 numerous protrusions, pipes and cables it is now only one or two feet deep, and 250 feet below the streets. Between lining the walls of the Alley (or any of characters in the water are in no danger them and the surface are subway tunnels the Morlock tunnels for that matter), of drowning (unless they are and the sewers. damaging the walls has unpredictable unconscious) and can easily regain The Morlock tunnels are similar to the (and often disastrous) results. Any time control of their movement. sewer tunnels, except that the floors are a character fires a stray missile attack, Because of the immense size of the flat and dry. Like the sewers, the or Slams an opponent into the wall, Alley, it is only flooded to a depth of Morlock tunnels form a confusing maze check to see if there is a special one foot. But until the rupture is of different-sized passages and pipes. occurrence. Roll a D100, and consult repaired, several square blocks of The Morlock network is centered the following table. Manhattan are without water. around a vast tunnel, known as the Sewage Pipe. A large pipe is "Alley," which runs north and south breached, spewing putrid waste into the through the middle of Manhattan Island. Alley. Treat this like a water main The Alley is 70 feet wide and is rupture—it's just more disgusting. supported by arching ceilings that Steam Pipe. Running along the walls and ceiling of the Alley are

43 numerous steam pipes. One or more of in intense pain. The unseen hands do not teenager, while the other appears to them have broken and are emitting venture from the rift. be around forty. blasts of superheated air. If the heroes defeat Bartholomew, the The young girl is on the defensive, The steam blows in many directions. voice offers them a deal. In exchange struggling to protect herself with a Everyone within 3 areas of the breach for Bartholomew's soul, it will release weak force field. The older woman must attempt an Excellent Intensity the souls of any heroes chained to the seems intent on killing her, as she Agility FEAT. All those who fail the pillar. All they need to do is toss sends the girl flying into the wall of Agility FEAT are attacked by the steam Bartholomew into the pit. Of course, the tunnel with a powerful as if it were making an Energy Attack of whether they should trust such an shockwave attack. Excellent Intensity. Characters may obviously nasty being is something easily avoid the blasts of whistling air they'll have to decide! on the following turn. Allow the heroes to intervene before If the hero possessed by Bartholomew Electrical Wiring. Inside the walls Skids is attacked again. Arclight fights is cast into the rift, the souls switch once and ceiling are large cables that are the characters until reduced to half of more, and Bartholomew resumes his insulated with rubber, and conduct high her Health. At that time she attempts to place on the pillar. The formerly pos- voltage electricity. One of the cables has flee down a side tunnel. sessed hero must now pass an Excellent been partially severed, causing Intensity Strength FEAT or be rechained dangerous sparks of lightning to arc Enter Evil. As Arclight runs away, the to the pillar. When Bartholomew is crazily from the walls, floor, and passage vibrates from a tremendous fixed to the pillar, the rift closes and the ceiling. thunderclap. A rift opens in the ground. voice is not heard from again. Any characters within 2 areas of the Accompanied by a spout of flames, a If any of the heroes are attached to the broken cable are attacked by arcs of long pillar rises from the gaping hole. pillar when the rift closes, their souls are Incredible Intensity electricity. If the The hero who switched souls with separated from their bodies. The heroes' Alley has previously been flooded by Bartholomew is fixed to the stone souls are transported to the nether realm. water or sewage, this can be a column. But all hope is not lost. particularly dangerous event. In this Read the following boxed text: If Bartholomew throws all of the case, the electricity flows through the heroes into the rift (which is very water, attacking everyone within 7 A booming, disembodied voice unlikely) and they become chained to areas. speaks. "How dare you attempt to the pillar, the unseen hands then venture In either situation, the electrical deceive me? Bartholomew Jacobs, out of the hole, overpower attacks halt after 1-10 rounds, when the your soul is mine!" Bartholomew, and chain him to the cable has finally short-circuited. The Bartholomew cowers against the pillar. The pit closes. loss of power causes a temporary tunnel wall and says, "Do not cast me If only Bartholomew's soul is chained blackout in the buildings on the street back into the fire, master. I will do when the rift closes, the heroes are left above the Alley. anything you ask!" in peace. However, it appears that they Explosion. Reserved for use after a The voice laughs and says, "Bring no longer have a guide to lead them to nuclear holocaust, military weapons me these mortals, and you shall have the book. were hidden in some of the protrusions your wish." Skids wakes up and asks the along the walls of the Alley. These characters what happened. When they Using the physical abilities and supplies include firearm ammunition, relate their story, she offers to take them Powers of the hero he is possessing, grenades, and dynamite. When the wall to a place she believes is the hideout of Bartholomew attacks the characters. He is ruptured, the lethal materials detonate, Mister Fear. However, the heroes must attempts to cast them into the rift. inflicting Remarkable Edged Attack first help her rescue a friend from the During the battle, the voice laughs damage to everyone within 2 areas. Marauders. continuously, but its owner does not interfere. Skids remains unconscious, Skids and Arclight. The battle AFTERMATH: If any of the heroes slumped against the wall. witnessed by the heroes is between one have been transported to the nether If a hero is thrown into the rift, he of the Morlocks, named Skids, and one realm, go to Chapter 33. Otherwise, turn must succeed at an Excellent Intensity of the Marauders, called Arclight. When to Chapter 34. Strength FEAT to climb back out. If the the characters approach the fight, read roll is missed, invisible hands chain the the following: KARMA: hero to the pillar. Defeating Arclight: +50 The only way to break free of the Defeating possessed hero: You see two women engaged in a pillar is to make an Unearthly Intensity hero: you decide fierce battle. One of them is a Strength FEAT. The flames do not burn Being chained to the pillar: -25 the character, but his soul is

44 CHAPTER 33: THIS ISN’T KANSAS ANYMORE

SUMMARY: Within the nether realm, grimoire into a fire. tens of thousands of screaming souls the heroes' souls endure great suffering. The super heroes cannot argue the chained with you. The only way to escape is to make a matter. When the characters accept the Time has no meaning in this place. bargain with the rulers. bargain, their souls are returned to their It is impossible to tell how long you bodies. have been here, but it seems an STARTING: Read the following boxed Time is different between the dimen- eternity. text to the players: sions. Although countless days have Without warning, the voice that passed in the nether realm, only one turn spoke in the sewer booms out. has elapsed within the Morlock tunnels. You are chained to a massive pillar "I hope you are enjoying your stay To anyone left behind in the Alley, the of black stone. It must be hundreds of in my domain. I have come to make heroes appear to have died when the rift miles high. The atmosphere all about you a bargain." you crackles and sparks with crimson vanished with their souls. One turn later, flames. however, their lifeless bodies are ENCOUNTER: In exchange for their Occasional gouts of fire spiral up suddenly revived (at full Health). souls, the heroes must destroy Bartho- the stone column. Their touch causes lomew's book for the rulers of this your soul to shudder in agony. AFTERMATH: Go to Chapter 34. domain. Being immortal, they are in no You are not alone in your misery. hurry and thus no time limit is set. To Looking up and down the length of KARMA: fulfill their part of the bargain, the the black pillar, you see Accepting the bargain: +10 player characters merely have to cast the

CHAPTER 34: THE RESCUE OF CALLISTO

SUMMARY: Callisto has been cap- ENCOUNTER: At the end of the water is currently at a height of five feet. tured by Marauders. If the heroes rescue passage is a door made of a steel alloy Swimming in the water are six her, she and Skids lead them to Mister (Amazing material strength). It is alligators. When the water reaches the Fear. shaped like a submarine hatch, with a height of the platform (ten feet), the spoked wheel that must be turned to alligators will devour Callisto. The STARTING: The heroes are in the open it. water rises at a rate of one foot per turn. Alley with Skids. She explains that a The door has been locked from the The heroes have five turns before friend of hers named Callisto, who was inside. It is possible to forcibly turn the Callisto is killed. the original leader of the Morlocks, has wheel, breaking the lock and opening For the statistics of the alligators, see been captured by several of the the door. This requires a Remarkable Chapter 31. Marauders. Intensity Strength FEAT. Only one hero Skids leads the characters from the can try to turn the wheel at one time. The Marauders. Standing at point "A" Alley and into the maze of side The room beyond the door is a on the map is Arclight, if she was not passages. circular processing tank. A map of the captured in Chapter 32. Standing at Read the following boxed information Marauders' hideout has been included point "H" is Harpoon, and Vertigo is at to the players: with this adventure. point "V." A five-foot-wide walkway with no rail At the Judge's option, Vertigo Following Skids, you are led runs all the way around the chamber. It attempts to use her Equilibrium Distor- deeper into the maze of passages and is 20 feet above the floor, and the door tion Power to cause heroes to fall into chambers known as the Morlock opens onto it. the water. Harpoon then throws one of tunnels. After several minutes, Skids Rising from the middle of the floor is his energized Slayspears into the water, hesitates. a rectangular cement platform that is ten causing Incredible Energy damage to "At the end of this tunnel is one of feet tall, five feet wide, and ten feet anyone in the pool. However, this also the lairs of the Marauders. I am sure long. Chained on top of the platform is affects the alligators. that Callisto is being kept there. Callisto. Bring her to me, and I will take you Beneath the walkway on the opposite Freeing Callisto. By turning a valve in to Mister Fear." side of the tank, a large pipe extends the pipe, the water may be shut off from the wall. Water is spewing from it, before it reaches Callisto. In doing this, filling the chamber. The the heroes can spare the lives

45 of the alligators. The keys to Callisto's Take a Break. If the heroes want to rest AFTERMATH: Go to Chapter 35. bonds are in Vertigo's clothing. before facing Mister Fear and his When Callisto is taken back to Skids, minions, Skids takes them to one of her KARMA: the pair agree to escort the heroes to a secret places. Here they may eat, sleep, Defeating Arclight: +50 place used by SHIELD, but which they and recover valuable Health Points. Defeating Harpoon: +40 (correctly) believe is now the hideout of As Judge, allow them to stay for as Defeating Vertigo: +100 Mister Fear. long as you deem appropriate. If they Rescuing Callisto: +20 If Callisto is killed, Skids is are resting for an inordinate amount of Failing to rescue Callisto: -ALL heartbroken. Nevertheless, she is time, Skids begins to protest, fearing Unnecessary slaughter of -20 thankful to the heroes for saving her that they are never going to leave her in alligators: from Arclight (in Chapter 32), and she peace. agrees to guide them to the hideout.

CHAPTER 35: THE DEFEAT OF MISTER FEAR

SUMMARY: The heroes discover the agent. However, he turned traitor and who cannot see the lasers. However, any hideout of the Faces of Fear. tried to take over the organization. heroes being guided must pass a Typical Mentallo was caught and imprisoned in Intensity Agility FEAT. If anyone fails STARTING: A map of the hideout has a very special SHIELD foxhole. This the roll, the trap is sprung. been included with the adventure. foxhole is currently the Fixer and The place is actually an abandoned Mentallo's hideout. The Inner Door. This door is exactly SHIELD "foxhole." When SHIELD was like the outer door, but it only responds in operation (they may still be active in ENCOUNTER: to the hand print of the Fixer or your campaign), agents used the Mentallo. Anyone attempting to batter foxholes in the sewers as emergency The Trap. The outer door to the hideout down the door must succeed at a refuges after their covers had been is camouflaged and is set into the main Remarkable Intensity Strength FEAT. blown on the streets. Although SHIELD wall of the Alley. Anyone simply A hero may attempt to short-circuit has become defunct, the foxholes walking past the door must succeed at the sensor, causing the door to slide remain intact. an Incredible Intensity Intuition FEAT open. This requires an Excellent Most SHIELD foxholes are merely to notice it. Someone actively searching Intensity Reason FEAT. Allow anyone ten-foot-square concrete rooms (walls for the door must make an Excellent with the Engineering, Computers, are Excellent material strength). Each Intensity Intuition FEAT. Electronics, or Repair/Tinkering Talent contains a row of six wall lockers, each The door sensor is coded to accept a +1CS to the roll. of which usually holds a hand weapon, a only the Fixer or Mentallo. If anyone first aid kit, a portable two-way radio else places his palm on the sensor, the The Main Chamber. SHIELD used linked to SHIELD headquarters, and door will open, but the gas trap is then this foxhole to imprison powerful or concentrated food supplies. The shelters set off. important criminals. The main chamber also contain several folding chairs, a If the trap is activated, invisible laser once held equipment to prepare porcelain washbasin and toilet, and a lights crisscross the entire length of the processed foods, wash clothes, and see wall mirror. A foxhole is powered by short passage between the outer and to the day-to-day needs of the inmates. long-life batteries. inner doors. If a laser is disrupted Currently, all of these sundries have Because the shelters are concealed by (someone walks through a beam), a been removed by Mentallo and the Fixer camouflaged steel doors (Remarkable noxious cloud of the Fear Compound (teleported far, far away, to be precise). material strength), the lockers are not (see Mister Fear in the Non-Player The far end of the room is dominated locked. To enter a foxhole, an agent Character Roster) fills the chamber. by the hypnoporter machine. The wall places his hand on a hidden sensor plate. It is possible that someone with an behind the device is covered with The sophisticated machinery confirms appropriate Power (Energy Detection, blinking lights, forming a very detailed the agent's identity, then slides the door Enhanced Senses, etc.) can see the grid map of Manhattan. The six glass panel up into the ceiling. invisible laser light. In this case, that and steel cubicles attached to the Mentallo was once a SHIELD hero can easily cross the passage to the hypnoporter are lined up in two neat inner door; he may also guide others rows down the middle of the room.

46 If you are playing this adventure Anguish) are sitting at the controls of The Hypnoporter. Damaging or separately from the trilogy, Mentallo the machine. During the first round of destroying the machine does not free and the Fixer are sitting at the controls action, one of them presses a button, any player characters or non-player of the hypnoporter when the heroes opening all of the doors to the characters from the effects of Mind enter the main chamber. Mister Fear and confinement cells. Control. If the device is hit with a bolt Felicia Bifrost (as Lady Anguish) are Lady Anguish is wearing the Starfire of energy, it catches on fire, throwing standing before the machine speaking Necklace. The security camera film sparks and emitting a harmless green with the Fixer and Mentallo. from the East River Savings and Loan is gas. During the first round of action, either in Mister Fear's pocket. Allow the heroes to believe the Mentallo or the Fixer presses a button, hypnoporter is about to explode. opening all of the doors to the The Confinement Cells. Each of these However, it merely burns and smokes confinement cells. rooms is locked by a sliding door made for a while before crumbling into a ruin The stolen book, A Madman's of a steel alloy (Amazing material of melted machinery. Mutterings, is in Black Talon's cell. strength) The walls are reinforced Lady Anguish is wearing the Starfire concrete (Remarkable material Help. If the heroes are losing the fight Necklace. The security camera film strength). (which is a definite possibility), you from the East River Savings and Loan is Each confinement cell contains a bed have several options that can help them in Mister Fear's pocket. and a porcelain wash basin and toilet. out. Black Talon, the Brothers Grimm, If you are playing this adventure as Frankenstein's Monster, Gypsy Moth, 1. Felicia Bifrost. Allow Felicia to the first part of the Gang Wars Scarecrow, Shroud, Tatterdemalion, and break free of the Mind Control and help Trilogy, Mentallo, the Fixer, and the the Werewolf are each in a separate cell. the heroes. This is especially plausible if stolen book are not in the hideout, but They are all under the Mind Control Johnny Bifrost is with the player are encountered in the next module, Power of the hypnoporter. When the characters. A treacherous Psionic Attack MLA2, Night Moves. doors to their cells slide up, they move from her can easily eliminate a super Mister Fear and Felicia (as Lady to attack the heroes. villain for 1-10 turns.

47 2. The Night Shift. Allow one or more bers of the Night Shift are found in the hypnoporter has not been destroyed in of the "monsters" to snap out of the hideout. The Fixer and Mentallo are not the battle, the heroes may want to use it Mind Control. This causes them to falter seen and are still at large. The stolen to remove Mister Fear's mental block for one turn. They may then attack the book is not in the hideout (it is with the and the Mind Control from the NPCs. heroes or the villains, depending upon Fixer and Mentallo). See the section entitled "The the circumstances of the battle, and what Mentallo, the Fixer, and A Madman's Hypnoporter Machine" for details on makes sense to you as Judge. Mutterings will be encountered in the how to use the device. next part of the trilogy. If the heroes figure out how to operate 3. Callisto. Callisto (if she was However, the Starfire Necklace and the machine, they can successfully rescued previously) and Skids enter the the film from the East River Savings remove the Mind Control from the hideout to help the heroes. and Loan are discovered in the hideout NPCs. However, because the non-player by the super heroes. characters cannot remember anything 4. The Black Panther. If he did not while they were controlled, they do not join the team earlier, the Black Panther Questioning the Creeps. The heroes know that Mentallo and the Fixer are may burst into the hideout to help the certainly want to ask the villains where involved. They can only remember heroes. He has been secretly tracking they can find the book. Getting any being abducted and being placed in the the characters, hoping they will lead him useful information is difficult. hypnoporter by Mister Fear. to the Starfire Necklace (which they Mister Fear's mental block cannot be have). 1. Mister Fear. Although not removed without killing him, which is influenced by the hypnoporter, he has obvious to anyone operating the AFTERMATH: There are two possible had a block placed in his mind, causing hypnoporter, or attempting to use a outcomes to this encounter. In both him to forget that the Fixer and Mental Power to remove the block. cases the heroes succeed (with a little Mentallo are the "Big Boss." No matter what they do, the heroes help from you, if needed). All Mister Fear can tell the heroes is cannot learn that Mentallo and the Fixer that the Big Boss has the book. He does are the Big Boss. 1. If played as a separate adventure, not know who the Big Boss is, nor does the heroes capture Mister Fear, he know where to find him. KARMA: Mentallo, the Fixer, and the super- Capturing Black Talon: +75 2. Felicia Bifrost. She vaguely powered "monsters." Capturing the Brothers Grimm: +60 remembers that there was more than one The player characters also retrieve the Capturing the Fixer: +40 "Big Boss." This is all she knows. arcane book, the Starfire Necklace, and Capturing Frankenstein's +50 the film from the security cameras at the 3. The Night Shift. The super villains Monster: East River Savings and Loan, which were (or still are) under the influence of Capturing Gypsy Moth: +30 clears the heroes of any charges brought the Mind Control. They cannot Capturing Mentallo: +50 against them during the robbery. remember anything during the entire Capturing Scarecrow: +30 time they were controlled. Questioning Capturing Shroud: +50 2. If After Midnight has been played them is of no use. Capturing Tatterdemalion: +30 as the first part of the trilogy, only Capturing the Werewolf: +75 Mister Fear and the mem- Let's Try the Hypnoporter! If the Capturing Lady Anguish: +50

EPILOGUE: THE STORY CONTINUES

SUMMARY: The heroes tie up any encounters can be used as hooks to lead No matter what their intentions might loose ends before proceeding with their your players into future adventures of be, there are sure to be numerous next adventure. your own design. individuals interested in acquiring the hypnoporter: ENCOUNTER: This chapter details The Hypnoporter. Because of its many numerous encounters the heroes can powerful functions, the hypnoporter is a 1. The heroes want it. If the play through prior to beginning the next very valuable device. The Fixer and hypnoporter was not destroyed, the module, MLA2, Night Moves. Mentallo created it to help them players may wish to move it from the Even if you do not plan to run the perpetrate their nefarious schemes. Fixer and Mentallo's hideout and install Gang Wars Trilogy, the following Nevertheless, it could be used for good it in their own base of operations. With purposes. quite a bit of effort and planning, the 48 device can be dismantled and trans- porter. The Maggia desire it in order to camera film in Chapter 35, Judge ported piece by piece out of the sewers. increase their operations, branching out Clayton drops all of the charges against However, correctly putting it back into other areas of criminal activity. them. The characters are free. together requires an Incredible Intensity If the heroes have the device, can they If they were unable to get the film, Reason FEAT. If the roll is failed, allow keep it out of the hands of the Maggia? they could still be convicted, even if the heroes another try on the following Owning the hypnoporter could be more they captured Mister Fear and the other day, but increase the Intensity of the trouble than it's worth. This could be the villains. To determine the outcome, Reason FEAT by one rank to Amazing. basis of another adventure involving the follow these steps: Allow them further attempts each day heroes and the hypnoporter. until the Intensity is increased to a point 1. If tried as a group, the hero with the where it is impossible for them to 4. Uncle Sam wants the hypnoporter. highest Popularity must attempt a correctly reassemble the machine. Because it believes the machine is a Popularity FEAT. If the characters are If they cannot get the hypnoporter to threat to national security, the U.S. tried separately, each must attempt the work, an obvious solution for the heroes Government demands that the heroes FEAT. is to find someone who can. Possibilities turn over the machine and any include Reed Richards of the Fantastic information they have concerning the 2. Shift columns as follows: Four, Doctor Henry Pym, Doctor device. * +1 if the hero making the FEAT has Octopus, Mad Thinker, Professor X, If the characters are mutants or the Law Talent and is defending himself Egghead, the Tinkerer, and many more. "questionable" heroes, the government or the group. The heroes could also seek aid from a could come down on them hard, forcing * +1 for each rank above Good (or for powerful institution, such as SHIELD them to become fugitives. This could be every 200 Resource points) paid for the (if it still exists), the U.S. Government, a good way to put a new twist into your lawyer's fee. Frost International, or Stane campaign. * +1 for each of the Faces of Fear who International. was captured. How the heroes persuade one of these 5. A powerful super villain wants the * +1 for each favorable witness that NPCs or organizations to help them is machine. There are a multitude of testifies for the heroes (the Black their problem; this could be the basis of costumed creeps who would love to Panther, Mr. Pride, Johnny Bifrost, etc.). an entire adventure. have a device like the hypnoporter. Some NPCs, such as Callisto and Skids, Because of the heroes' knowledge of are unwilling to appear in court. 2. The heroes want to build their own the machine (especially if they may own * +5 if the Starfire Necklace was hypnoporter. If the hypnoporter was it) the characters are certain to returned. destroyed in the battle with the Faces of encounter one or more super villains * -3 because of the three eyewitnesses. Fear, the heroes might wish to salvage planning to steal it or duplicate it. An * -4 if any of the heroes is a known parts in an attempt to build their own encounter with one of these NPCs can mutant. machine. be the springboard for a whole By studying the wreckage of the adventure or series of adventures. 3. No Karma can be spent on the hypnoporter, any heroes attempting to Popularity roll. If the result is green, build a teleporter, mental probe, or mind The Trial. If the heroes did not yellow or red, all charges against the control device (or combination of all convince the Special Weapons Force heroes are dropped. They are free. three) gain a +2CS to the required operatives of their innocence in Chapter If the FEAT is missed, the characters Reason FEAT. However, at least one 23, they must go to trial. are found guilty and lose all Popularity. Special Requirement is needed for the Finding a good attorney is up to them. The exact sentence is left to the Judge. machine to function, which should be If one of the characters is a talented In this case, the jury has come to the determined by the Judge. lawyer, he can represent the team. conclusion that the heroes were the Either the Basic Set or the Advanced Unless they desire it otherwise, the accomplices of Mister Fear and the Set rules may be used to determine the characters are tried as a group. Faces of Fear. cost and effectiveness of the characters' During the proceedings, the district The players may wish to appeal to a endeavors. attorney presents three witnesses, all of higher court, which is acceptable. whom saw the heroes enter the bank. During the time between trials, the 3. The Maggia wants the machine. They did not see any of the super heroes must remain in prison, however. Because of the damage inflicted on villains because they fled immediately At the time of the second trial, allow them by the Faces of Fear, the Maggia after the alarm sounded. the heroes to attempt Popu- realizes the value of the hypno- If the heroes recovered the security

49 larity FEATs once more. If the roll is The Marauders. This evil group of the group, or she can be used strictly as missed, the sentence stands. superhuman mutants is led by a an NPC. If having all of the heroes thrown in powerful individual named Mister the slammer is unacceptable for your Sinister. By defeating Arclight, Har- Johnny Bifrost. Beneath his rough campaign, the Black Panther bursts into poon, and Vertigo in Chapter 34, the exterior lies a good person who would the courtroom during either the first or heroes have undoubtedly garnered his make the world a better place if he had second trial, and presents Judge Clayton wrath. As Judge you can design a the power to do so. With the recent with the security camera film. The complete scenario involving the development of his mutant abilities, heroes are freed. They owe T'Challa a Marauders and the super heroes. Johnny now has that power. big favor, which could be the basis for As with his sister, the heroes can train an adventure set in the African nation of The Rulers of the Nether Realm. If Johnny to use his powers to become a Wakanda. any of the characters accepted the rulers' good crimefighter. They can do it If the heroes were tried separately, it is bargain, those heroes are expected to themselves, or give the job to someone possible that some of them were found find the book and toss it into a fire. Of else (Professor X, for example). guilty while others were acquitted. The course, this will utterly destroy the free heroes must recover the security book, which is the rulers' true goal (to Project Wideawake. By rescuing camera film in order to legally release keep it out of the hands of sorcerers who Felicia from Ellis Island, the heroes their teammates. This could be the might gain the power to interfere with have certainly gotten themselves into starting point for another adventure. their realm). trouble with Project Wideawake. If the heroes find the book and burn it, Strangely, no charges have been filed The Curator. If you are not planning to they have fulfilled the bargain and their against the characters, and the incident run the next two modules in the Gang souls are safe. However, they each lose has not been reported by the media. This Wars Trilogy, the heroes should have 30 Karma for destroying the artifact. is because of the top secret nature of recovered the stolen book in Chapter 35. If the characters recover the book, but Project Wideawake. If they return it to Mr. Pride at the Met, give it to the curator instead of Nevertheless, the directors of the he is very grateful for their help. If they destroying it, they have not upheld the project have not forgotten the heroes. are expecting a reward, he pays them up bargain. Nevertheless, the nether realm's Perhaps the characters are being to $50,000. rulers do not immediately appear to watched. Perhaps they will encounter claim the heroes' souls. more advanced Sentinels in future The Black Panther. T'Challa's main The Judge should employ this threat adventures. Who knows? concern is recovering the necklace. If as a device to keep the players on their the heroes help him, he promises to toes. The heroes have now acquired AFTERMATH: After the characters testify for them at their trial. some very powerful enemies, whom the have tied up any loose ends, it is time to The Black Panther could become an Judge can use to mislead and frighten begin with the second module, MLA2, important contact for the player them merely by the slightest suggestion. Night Moves. characters, possibly supplying them Enjoy it to the hilt! If you are not going to run the Gang with Vibranium (a very rare and Wars Trilogy, but would rather design valuable metal), or leading them into Felicia Bifrost. The heroes are in for a your own campaign, you should be able adventures set in the African nation of surprise when they unmask Lady to build several excellent scenarios Wakanda. Perhaps Vibranium is a Anguish and discover that she is Felicia based upon the ideas presented in After Special Requirement needed to repair Bifrost. At heart, Felicia is a good Midnight. the hypnoporter. person who has been manipulated by Mister Fear, Mentallo, and the Fixer. KARMA: Callisto and Skids. If the heroes She is unaware of her dual identity, and Recovering the hypnoporter: +10 rescued Callisto, she and Skids can be she does not realize she has super Building another hypnoporter: +5 consulted as friendly contacts in the powers. Giving the book to Mr. Pride: +30 future. If the heroes must go to court, The heroes can do the world a great Destroying the book: -30 Callisto and Skids will not leave the service by seeing that Felicia is trained Helping Felicia become +50 Morlock tunnels to testify for them, in the proper use of her abilities. She has a superhero: however. the potential (and motivation) to become Helping Johnny become +50 Callisto and Skids could be used as a a very powerful crimefighter. a superhero: hook to lure the heroes into another At the Judge's option, her character Being cleared of charges +10 Pop adventure set within the tunnel networks can be given to a new player entering in court: below Manhattan, at the Judge's option. Being found guilty: -ALL Pop

50 NON-PLAYER CHARACTER ROSTER

Arclight Bifrost, Felicia Background: Felicia Bifrost and her twin brother, Johnny, were born in 1972 Real Name: Phillipa Sontag Alias: Lady Anguish in a secret laboratory as part of an experiment designed to inhibit the F RM 30 Health: 120 F TY 6 Health: 32 powers of mutant humans. By infecting A EX 20 A GD 10 their bodies with a new strain of virus, S RM 30 Karma: 46 S TY 6 Karma: 80 their DNA structures were altered, E IN 40 E GD 10 effectively subduing their powers before R TY 6 Resources: GD (10) R GD 10 Resources: TY (6) they could develop. I EX 20 I RM 30 For five years they lived in the hidden P EX 20 Popularity: -10 P IN 40 Popularity: 0 science complex. Without the love of their parents, they had only each other. KNOWN POWERS: KNOWN POWERS: They grew up under the close Though she is unaware of it, Felicia is observation of impassive scientists, and Shockwave Attack: Arclight can direct a a mutant with super powers. they were subjected to countless wave of kinetic energy by striking a experiments, many of which were cruel Costume: In her alter ego as Lady An- target with her hands or feet. This has a and inhumane. guish, Felicia wears a black and silver shockwave effect, hitting all targets up As the final stage of the experiment, body suit. She also wears a black helmet to 3 areas away with a blast of Amazing all memories of their lives at the with a visor that conceals her face. Her Intensity. This causes no damage institute were concealed by mental costume enables her to generate a perso- directly, but victims may be Stunned or blocks. False memories were implanted nal force field, granting her Incredible Slammed. within them, and they were adopted by a protection against Energy and Force Alternatively, she may strike a single couple living in Manhattan. attacks and Remarkable protection living target for Incredible Blunt Their stepparents knew of the versus all other types of attacks. damage, or a nonliving target for experiments. They received $50,000 to Amazing damage. Psionic Attack: Felicia can project raise the twins and to maintain the secret psionic force blasts at a range of 6 areas of the twins' past lives. Body Armor: Arclight wears a silver suit with Excellent Intensity. She must make As part of the agreement, a scientist that provides Good protection against a Psyche FEAT to strike her target. The posing as the family doctor was allowed physical and energy attacks. victim must succeed at a Psyche FEAT to see the children monthly. If the or be knocked unconscious for 1-10 doctor discovered any signs of Talents: Arclight was trained in the rounds. Characters with Mental Powers developing powers, he was instructed to Military. may use their Power ranks instead of inform the institute immediately. Psyches to resist the attack. Unfortunately, the scientists had not Background: Phillipa Sontag is chosen the children's parents well. By haunted by memories of the time she Telepathy: With Remarkable ability, she the time the twins were teenagers, their served with the American ground forces can establish mind-to-mind communi- stepfather had died, but not before in Vietnam. She discovered body cation with others at a range of up to six gambling and drinking all of their building as a release of her internal miles. If the subject is willing, or has a money away. strife. Arclight is a member of the Psyche rank of less than Remarkable, Knowing they were mutants, their Marauders, and has had a part in all of the telepathy is automatic. Equal Psyche stepfather had always loathed them, and their major operations. ranks require a yellow FEAT. Minds he secretly feared them. Their with Mental Powers or some form of stepmother was exactly the opposite. Psionic defense call for a red FEAT. She cared for the twins deeply, but she Unwilling beings with Psyches of could not support them. Incredible or higher are impossible Felicia and Johnny were forced to take FEATs. to the streets in order to survive. Felicia Resistance to Radiation: Felicia has found employment as a singer in a Amazing protection against all forms of sleazy nightclub. Much to her regret, radiation. Johnny joined a gang called the Flashing Blades, and he made money by Talents: Felicia has worked as a night selling drugs and stealing cars. club singer and has the Performer skill. Felicia was unaware that she be-

51 came the love interest of Alan Fagan totally reflective mirrors. He has several Fighting ability when engaged in (Mister Fear), who saw one of her powers based upon his shiny, crystalline unarmed combat. performances. As part of the deal eyes: between Mister Fear and the Fixer and — Protected Senses: Johnny ignores Background: See Felicia Bifrost. Mentallo, Felicia was captured and attacks to his eyes of less than Amazing subjected to the Mind Control Power of Intensity. Black Panther the hypnoporter. — Infravision: He can see in normal During the process, the Fixer and darkness to a range of 5 areas. Darkness Real Name: T'Challa Mentallo penetrated the mental blocks created by a Power (such as the placed in her mind by the scientists. Darkforce) with an Intensity of F AM 50 Health: 140 They exposed her to a strong dose of Amazing or better limits his sight to two A IN 40 radiation in order to allow her mutant feet. S EX 20 Karma: 60 powers to develop. After fashioning a — Light Emission: By absorbing and E RM 30 costume for her, they dubbed her Lady focusing existing light, Johnny can emit R GD 10 Resources: AM (50) Anguish. They have been using her in twin beams of Remarkable light energy. I RM 30 their nefarious schemes. As normal light, the Power can be used P EX 20 Popularity: 66 Because of the effects of Mind to illuminate a 1-area radius, or to Control, Felicia is unaware of her temporarily blind a foe. As laser light, KNOWN POWERS: alternate identity as Lady Anguish. the beams inflict Remarkable Energy Although her personality remains intact, damage. In all cases, range is limited to Infravision: Although he cannot see in she has no memory of Mister Fear and 8 areas. absolute darkness, the Black Panther has the Faces of Fear. — Reflection: Johnny can reflect Excellent infravision, and he can see Recently, the Fixer and Mentallo Energy and Force attacks by absorbing well even on moonless nights. secretly arranged for Felicia to be hired them through his body and emitting Tracking: With his keen senses, the as a waitress at the Metropolitan them from his eyes. If the attack is of Black Panther has Amazing Tracking Museum of Art. Her job brings her into Amazing Intensity or less, the entire ability. He can follow a trail up to 12 contact with the player characters. attack is reflected, and Johnny suffers hours after it was made outdoors, or half Scientists from the secret institute no damage. this time if in a city environment. have been attempting to locate the twins If the attack is of Monstrous Intensity for some time. Felicia is abducted by or greater, Johnny sustains damage Talents: The Black Panther is skilled in them during the adventure. equal to the Power rank number of the Martial Arts A, B, C, and E. He can also attack minus 50 (his Power rank use Acrobatics and Tumbling in combat. Bifrost, Johnny number). The remainder of the attack is With regard to physics and electronics, reflected. he has Excellent Reason. F EX 20 Health: 46 Energy absorbed by Johnny must be A GD 10 reflected as soon as possible (in the Background: T'Challa was born as a S TY 6 Karma: 18 same turn, or the one following). He prince of the African nation of E GD 10 may reflect the energy at any target Wakanda. He was sent away to be R TY 6 Resources: PR (4) within range. Maximum range is equal educated at the finest schools in both I TY 6 to the maximum range of the original Europe and America. With a degree in P TY 6 Popularity: 0 attack. physics, he returned to his homeland. In all cases, Johnny must succeed at In order to assume the mantle of KNOWN POWERS: an Agility FEAT to strike his target. leadership, he faced two tests. The first Johnny is a mutant with latent super Attacks based on light energy (lasers, placed him against six of Wakanda's powers. During the adventure, he is for example) are easily controlled by fiercest warriors in unarmed combat. subjected to a heavy dose of radiation, him—he gains a +3CS on his Agility The second was to obtain the secret which causes his powers to become FEAT. heart-shaped herb that grants great active. When this occurs, his powers are Resistance to Radiation: Johnny has physical strength and heightened senses. as follows: Amazing protection against all forms of T'Challa skillfully passed both tests, and he was allowed to wear the Mirrored Eyes: After Johnny's radiation. ceremonial garb of the Black Panther, mutations have been allowed to surface, the totem animal of the Wa- his eyes permanently solidify, becoming Talents: Johnny has received training in Martial Arts B, granting him a +1CS to

52 kandan people. By using his abilities, powers are of Monstrous rank (75). their creator. (Thus, unless the character T'Challa has greatly helped his people, Zombies possess Physical Abilities that has this power at Remarkable ability or both by protecting them from invaders are -3CS from the Power rank of their better, he cannot raise skeletons.) and by leading them to greater creator. Mental Abilities are Shift-Zero. Mental Abilities are Shift-Zero. A industrialization and wealth. A zombie's Health is equal to the Power skeleton's Health is equal to one-half of The Black Panther was offered rank of its creator. its creator's Power rank number. membership in the Avengers by Captain When a zombie's Health is reduced to When a skeleton's Health is reduced to America, and he accepted. During a zero, it is not unconscious or killed, but zero, it is destroyed. Like zombies, leave of absence from his royal duties, it is disabled. Although it may moan and skeletons are immune to attacks based he learned American methods of wiggle about, it can no longer attack. on Mental Powers, disease, poisons, crimefighting. He later returned to Zombies are not affected by Stun pheromones, hard radiation, and sonics. Wakanda, resuming the active kingship results on the Universal Table. A Kill The Black Talon can directly control of his people. result indicates that the creature's brain as many skeletons as he can zombies Recently, T'Challa came to New York has been damaged, immediately (30). City to serve a diplomatic function. disabling it. Zombies may be Slammed. When the Starfire Necklace (one of the Zombies are immune to attacks based Talents: The Black Talon is a student of crown jewels of Wakanda) is stolen on Mental Powers, disease, poison, Occult Lore, especially voodoo. from the East River Savings and Loan, pheromones, hard radiation, and sonics. the player characters encounter the They are unaffected by illusions because Background: The original Black Talon Black Panther. Depending upon the they cannot see them. was millionaire Desmond Drew, who heroes' actions, they become the Black The only way to deanimate a zombie secretly led a voodoo cult. Drew Panther's allies or his hated enemies. is through the Exorcism or Healing claimed to have supernatural powers, Power. Exorcism frees the trapped life- which were really the feats of his Black Talon force, while Healing actually negates mother, the blind houngan Mama the animation. Limbo. When his followers learned that Real Name: Unrevealed The Black Talon can telepathically he was an impostor, they beat him to control up to his Psyche rank number death. F TY 6 Health: 42 (30) of zombies directly. Uncontrolled, A Creole youth with actual voodoo A TY 6 they can obey simple verbal powers took on the name and costume S GD 10 Karma: 56 instructions. (Kill anyone who enters of the Black Talon. He had dealings E EX 20 this room, for example.) with the Grim Reaper, which brought R TY 6 Resources: TY (6) The Fixer and Mentallo have allowed him into conflict with the West Coast I EX 20 the Black Talon to study the arcane Avengers. P RM 30 Popularity: -10 book they stole from the Met. With it he Most recently, he has become a victim has increased his power so that he may of the Fixer and Mentallo's hypnoporter; KNOWN POWERS: now animate the skeletons of long-dead he is being used by them against his individuals. The Black Talon may now will. Necromancy: By performing a mystical raise up to 80 (his Power rank number) ceremony, the Black Talon can animate skeletons from their graves at one time. as many as 20 zombies at one time. A typical skeleton has the following A zombie made by him from the body stats: of a normal man has the following stats: F GD 10 Health: 40 F RM 30 Health: 80 A GD 10 A RM 30 S GD 10 Karma: 0 S RM 30 Karma: 0 E GD 10 E RM 30 R S-0 0 Resources: NA R S-0 0 Resources: NA I S-0 0 I S-0 0 P S-0 0 Popularity: -30 P S-0 0 Popularity: -30 Skeletons possess Physical Abilities of The Black Talon's necromancy -5CS from the Power rank of

53 Blacklash Background: Mark Scarlotti was — Gravityrang: This boomerang contacted by the Maggia while working creates a local gravity field of Incredible Real Name: Mark Scarlotti toward a degree in engineering at Intensity. Rensselaer Polytech. After graduation, — Reflexerang: A Bullseye result on F RM 30 Health: 80 he was employed by the Maggia as a the Blunt Throwing column indicates A GD 10 weapons designer. With Maggia funds, the target must check for Stun or be S GD 10 Karma: 34 he created a steel-fiber whip capable of knocked over. E RM 30 penetrating virtually any substance. R EX 20 Resources: TY (6) Blacklash has worked for the Maggia Talents: Myers is a Weapon Specialist I GD 10 as a costumed agent, and he has had with boomerangs, gaining a +2CS to hit. P PR 4 Popularity: -8 several run-ins with Iron Man. He can throw them with no risk of Most recently, he has been hired by injuring himself. He also has a +1CS KNOWN POWERS: Hammerhead to help defeat Mister Fear with other thrown objects. and the Faces of Fear. Body Armor: Blacklash's steel mesh Background: Fred Myers used to be a body suit provides Good protection Boomerang professional baseball pitcher. After from physical attacks and Excellent being suspended for accepting a bribe, protection from energy attacks. Real Name: Fred Myers he worked for a criminal organization as Whips: Blacklash's arsenal centers a special operative. He has worked for around a pair of specially designed F EX 20 Health: 80 the Secret Empire, Justin Hammer, and titanium whips (Incredible material A RM 30 the Kingpin. Most recently, he has been strength). They are stored in his gloves, S GD 10 Karma: 26 hired by Hammerhead to help combat and may be used in a number of ways: E EX 20 the Faces of Fear. — As Whips: With a +2CS for R GD 10 Resources: GD (10) Weapon Specialization, Blacklash I GD 10 Brothers Grimm attacks with his whips for Remarkable P TY 6 Popularity: -5 Blunt weapon damage. The whips may Real Names: Percy and Barton Grimes Grapple an opponent with Incredible KNOWN POWERS: strength. F TY 6 Health: 52 Boomerangs: Displayed prominently on — As Nunchaku: He may make two A GD 10 his costume are seven boomerangs. separate attacks for Excellent damage S TY 6 Karma: 40 Each has special properties. Unless each. E RM 30 otherwise noted, they are of Excellent — As Explosives: If wound around an R GD 10 Resources: EX (20) material strength. opponent, a whip may be detached from I GD 10 — Shatterang: This boomerang its handle, causing it to explode for P EX 20 Popularity: -5 explodes on contact, inflicting Amazing Incredible Blunt damage to its target Edged damage to everything within 1 and Excellent Blunt damage to all KNOWN POWERS: area. within 1 area. The explosion may be — Gasarang: Upon detonation, this Battlesuits: The Brothers Grimm have timed for up to three rounds. boomerang releases a Monstrous battlesuits that enable them to create a — As Vaulting Poles: The whips may Intensity tear gas, affecting everyone number of (often deadly) articles, all of be stiffened to form vaulting poles, within 1 area. which are related to nursery rhymes or allowing 1-story vaults. — Razorang: Made of Incredible fairy tales. The following are attacks — As Shields: The whips may be spun strength material, this boomerang they have been known to use. to form shields affording Excellent inflicts Remarkable Edged throwing — Golden Threads: Remarkable protection. damage. Ensnaring missiles with a range of 3 — Bladerang: This boomerang can be areas. Talents: In addition to his Weapon thrown for Incredible Edged damage. — Flying Star: Made out of Excellent Specialist ability with whips, Blacklash However, it has no effect on Body material, this object can fly at Poor is trained in Martial Arts A, C, and E. Armor of Good or higher material speed (4 areas/turn). He is experienced in Engineering, strength. — Pies: The pies explode, releasing a especially in weapon design. — Screamerang: The sound of this murder (group) of crows that fly weapon in flight is an Excellent Intensity sonic attack.

54 around the target. This hindrance causes Callisto Eel a -2CS penalty on Agility FEATs. — Dummies: These two dummies are Real Name: Unrevealed Real Name: Edward Lavell decoys. The character must roll a successful Intuition FEAT roll to F IN 40 Health: 90 F EX 20 Health: 76 distinguish these from the real thing. A EX 20 A RM 30 — Eggs: The eggs explode, releasing S GD 10 Karma: 60 S TY 6 Karma: 22 an Incredible corrosive (range: 2 areas). E EX 20 E EX 20 — Beanstalk: The beans grow up to 2 R GD 10 Resources: FE (2) R EX 20 Resources: TY (6) areas above the ground, creating an I IN 40 I TY 6 Incredible ensnarement attack. P GD 10 Popularity: 6 P TY 6 Popularity: -2 — Stardust: This acts as an Incredible paralysis attack (range: 1 area). KNOWN POWERS: KNOWN POWERS:

Talents: The Grimm brothers have Hypersenses: Callisto has Incredible Eel Suit: Although the Eel has no innate Business skill. senses of sight, smell, hearing, touch, superhuman powers, his costume gives and taste, as well as nocturnal vision. him the following abilities: Her hypersenses give her the following Background: The original Brothers Electrical Generation: The Eel can fire Power Stunts: Grimm were two life-sized mannequins bolts of electricity up to 1 area away, — She can Track with Incredible that were animated by magic and garbed inflicting Incredible Energy damage. ability. in death-headed costumes. Anyone who touches the Eel automati- — She can detect poisons with The two Grimes brothers purchased a cally suffers Incredible Energy damage. rundown theater where the magical Incredible ability. ceremony had taken place. Discovering — When attempting to surprise her, Resistance to Electricity: The Eel's the mannequins, Percy and Barton attackers suffer a -6CS. costume provides him with Incredible resistance to any form of attack that is Grimes felt compelled to try on the Knife: Callisto carries a knife that is based on an electrical current flow. costumes. They found they possessed made of Excellent material and inflicts the same powers of prestidigitation that 10 points of damage. Body Coating: The costume exudes a the original Brothers Grimm greaselike substance, making it hard for Slingshot: At a maximum range of 2 mannequins had. opponents to get a firm grip on him. areas, this weapon inflicts 5 points of The Brothers Grimm joined the Night This gives him a +5CS to Escape. Shift. Recently, like the other members damage, and may Stun opponents. of the Night Shift, the Brothers Grimm Light Emission: The Eel can make his were abducted by Mentallo and the Talents: Living below the city, Callisto costume glow in the dark, illuminating Fixer and subjected to the hypnoporter. has Monstrous knowledge of New the area he is in. York's tunnel systems. She receives a They are being used to commit a series Radarsense: His costume continuously +1CS when knife-fighting, and can use of crimes. generates an electrical field that detects her slingshot with Remarkable ability. anyone entering the area he is in. This raises his Intuition to Amazing against Background: Callisto discovered a any surprise attack that could forgotten system of tunnels deep conceivably be anticipated by this beneath Manhattan. She banded together power. a group of outcast mutants who lived there; the group became known as the Talents: Lavell is skilled in Electronics. Morlocks. In single combat with Storm (a Background: The original Eel was slain member of the X-Men) Callisto was by the Gladiator. Edward Lavell either defeated and lost the leadership of the acquired the original Eel's costume or Morlocks. Nevertheless, she continues somehow duplicated it. This remains a to act as their leader in Storm's absence. mystery. The new Eel battled Power Man and Iron Fist when he attempted to

55 free Hammerhead from police captivity. gravity field that Grapples with Frankenstein's Monster He has recently been hired by Hammer- Incredible Intensity. head to help combat the Faces of Fear. Pistol: With a range of 7 areas, his laser Real Name: "Adam" pistol inflicts Excellent Energy damage. Fixer F EX 20 Health: 120 Flight: The Fixer can fly at Shift X A GD 10 Real Name: Norbert Ebersol speed for up to 20 hours. He can hover S IN 40 Karma: 20 and Blindside unsuspecting opponents. E AM 50 F GD 10 Health: 32 Helmet: His helmet provides R PR 4 Resources: None A GD 10 Remarkable protection to his senses I TY 6 S TY 6 Karma: 70 (sight and hearing). It has a 3-hour air P GD 10 Popularity: -2 E TY 6 supply. R IN 40 Resources: RM (30) KNOWN POWERS: I EX 20 Psi-Screen Device: This handy gadget Body Armor: The monster's thick skin P GD 10 Popularity: -10 grants the Fixer an Incredible Intensity psi-screen. acts as Good body armor versus physical attacks. Because of its physical KNOWN POWERS: Talents: The Fixer is a genius at resilience, all physical combat effects Body-Suit: The Fixer wears a uniform Electronics, Engineering, and against it are reduced by one color, that grants him Typical protection Computers. He also has the Repair/ making it immune to Red results. against physical attacks, Excellent Tinkering skill. Rapid Healing: The monster regains its protection versus fire and heat, and Endurance rank in Health points once Incredible protection against electricity. Background: Norbert Ebersol's every hour instead of only once per day. Battle-Vest: His metal vest is fashioned mechanical aptitude was apparent even Suspended Animation: Whenever the from Remarkable strength material. It when he was a child. At the age of three, monster is subjected to cold of at least supports many of his weapon systems. he took apart and repaired an alarm clock. By the age of 13, he had Remarkable Intensity, it enters a state of Sonic Blaster: This weapon emits a constructed a small electric automobile suspended animation until it is warmed. Remarkable Intensity beam, affecting and a relatively complex robot arm. It suffers no damage from the cold. A everyone in the target area. It has a Both were made from readily available successful Endurance FEAT avoids this range of 4 areas. spare parts. Norbert dropped out of high effect. Electrification: The vest can be school due to a lack of interest. Huge Size: Standing over eight feet tall, electrified, inflicting Incredible Norbert was fired from several jobs, the monster is considered to have Feeble electrical damage to opponents who including auto mechanic, television Growth permanently, penalizing it with touch it. repairman, and electronics laboratory a +1CS to be hit. assistant, all because of his air of Launchers: The Fixer's battle-vest is superiority and unorthodox approach to Talents: None. equipped with grenade launchers that simple tasks. have a range of 5 areas. The two Calling himself the Fixer, Norbert Background: In the late 18th Century, primaries hold Incredible Rank found that planning and executing Victor Frankenstein, a brilliant student ammunition. Below the primaries are elaborate crimes stimulated him; it also in chemistry and biology at the six single-shot launchers that hold provided him with the materials needed University of Ingolstadt, began Remarkable Rank ammo. Both to create advanced technological experiments to create artificial life. He primaries or three secondaries can be devices. He was contacted by Mentallo, hoped to learn how to reanimate the fired per turn. and the pair forged a partnership that dead, thus discovering a means for Ammunition: All standard grenade types nearly took over SHIELD'S New York human immortality. may be used in his launchers (tear gas, headquarters. Frankenstein succeeded in making a fragmentary, smoke, knockout gas, Recently, he and Mentallo have living giant from various parts of flash, concussion, and sonic). teamed up once again. They formed a different human corpses. Terrified and criminal organization called the Faces of revolted by his creation, Frankenstein Gravity Clamp: This steel clamp can be Fear, and are attempting to eliminate abandoned the thing. fired up to a range of 2 areas. If it hits, their rival—a Maggia family run by The confused monster journeyed into the target is surrounded by a Hammerhead. the countryside. Although its brain held no memories, the creature

56 was very intelligent. It not only learned Gypsy Moth ing affairs with Hollywood starlets. to survive on its own, but it also learned Sybil used her powers to weave a set human language by secretly observing Real Name: Sybil Dvorak of wings and a disguise, and she began people. to scour the haunts of the rich and The monster's attempts to befriend F TY 6 Health: 42 famous in search of her errant lover. people were met with fear, hatred, and A GD 10 What she saw angered her, and she used violence. Saddened and angered, it S TY 6 Karma: 18 her abilities to prey upon the socialites. wanted vengeance on all humanity, and E EX 20 Eventually, she found a way to be on its creator in particular. However, its R PR 4 Resources: RM (30) included in Jason's will. Soon afterward, loneliness was greater than its hate. I GD 10 Jason Reed died of an obstructed blood Victor Frankenstein agreed to create a P PR 4 Popularity: 0 vessel. Sybil inherited all of his wealth. mate for the monster, if the pair would She used it to start a hedonistic cult, go far away from human civilization. KNOWN POWERS: placing herself as queen. But he did not live up to his promise. Most recently, the Gypsy Moth has When his work was nearly complete, Psychokinesis: Gypsy Moth is a mutant become a victim of the Fixer and Frankenstein feared the grotesque with the ability to manipulate material Mentallo's hypnoporter. She is being couple would produce a race of by mental command. She prefers to used by them to commit a series of monsters; he destroyed the female affect soft materials (organic tissue, crimes against her will. before it was brought to life. fabric, etc.), as opposed to hard, Enraged, the monster caused the death inorganic ones (metal, stone, etc.). Hammerhead of Frankenstein's wife. Chasing his She can affect nonliving materials at Monstrous rank. This is sufficient to creation into the Arctic, Frankenstein Real Name: Unrevealed succumbed to cold, fatigue, and hunger. cause a hero's costume to constrict or bind (treat as a Wrestling hold at the He was brought aboard a ship, where he F EX 20 Health: 60 clothing's material strength). died. A GD 10 Gypsy Moth can also manipulate Finding Frankenstein's corpse, the S GD 10 Karma: 50 organic material, causing muscles to monster was repentant and tried to E EX 20 cramp and skin to break. She must commit suicide. It was frozen within the R GD 10 Resources: EX (20) succeed at a Monstrous Control roll ice, and entered a state of suspended I GD 10 with a -4CS to do this. If successful, her animation. P RM 30 Popularity: -3 Several years later, the creature was victim must roll a successful Endurance FEAT roll or suffer up to Remarkable revived by heat and wandered in Europe KNOWN POWERS: for a time. It battled Dracula and damage (and possible stun). Her power suffered an injury to its vocal cords, is effective within a 1-area range. Marksman: Hammerhead is a natural marksman with Incredible Agility with leaving it unable to speak. Once again, it Flight: Gypsy Moth can fly at 4 areas guns of all types. He prefers the fell into suspended animation within ice. per turn. She cannot carry much more Thompson sub-machine gun. It has been revived again in recent than her own weight. Her wings are years. One of Frankenstein's purely ornamental and are not used to Metal-Plated Skull: Hammerhead's descendants, Veronica, operated on the help her fly. cranium has been replaced with steel creature's larynx, enabling it to speak. (Amazing material strength) that pro- Most recently, the monster has Talents: None. vides him with Incredible body armor become a victim of the Fixer and against all physical damage directed at Mentallo's hypnoporter. It is being used Background: Sybil Dvorak's mutant his head. When ramming an opponent, by them to commit a series of crimes powers manifested themselves while she Hammerhead gains a +2CS to hit and against its will. was a child. Raised by gypsies, she inflicts Remarkable damage, in addition spent much of her time focusing her to any other bonuses for Charging. mental abilities. Exoskeleton: When Hammerhead is She met an actor named Jason Reed expecting trouble, he wears a strength- and moved to Hollywood to become his boosting exoskeleton. It raises his mistress. The glamor and excitement Strength and Agility to Incredible, and it soon faded when she discovered that provides him with Incredible protection Jason was hav- against physi-

57 cal, electrical, and fire attacks. His tional turn spent charging, to a Mentallo Health increases to 120 while the device maximum of Monstrous for a harpoon- is worn. sized missile. Real Name: Marvin Flumm By doubling the mass of the missile Talents: He is skilled in Business/ over harpoon size, the maximum energy F TY 6 Health: 52 Finance, Maggia Organization, and limit is increased by +1CS. Reducing A GD 10 Criminology. the mass by half reduces the limit by - S TY 6 Karma: 90 1CS. For him, imbuing weapons other E RM 30 Background: At one time Hammerhead than harpoons is a power stunt, R GD 10 Resources: TY (6) was an ordinary thug. He was severely requiring a red FEAT roll and the I RM 30 beaten and left to die in New York's spending of 100 Karma. P AM 50 Popularity: 5 Bowery district. Jonas Harrow, a failed — Harpoon can charge items with surgeon, found him and saved his life by other types of energy (light, radiation, or KNOWN POWERS: replacing his ruined skull with an Darkforce) to a maximum of unbendable steel plate. Remarkable Intensity by succeeding at a Telepathy: At a maximum range of five The beating Hammerhead suffered power stunt. miles, Mentallo has the Amazing power induced amnesia. The only thing he can to psionically communicate with three Slayspears: Harpoon's favorite weapons remember prior to the attack is a movie people at once. are (you guessed it) harpoons. They are poster advertising a 1920s gangster film, five feet long with barbed heads and Hallucination: With this Amazing which he chose to base his personality weigh 20 pounds each. power, Mentallo can generate images in on. In addition to inflicting Good Edged the minds of up to three people. Each After recovering, he won the Attack or Edged Throwing damage, target is allowed to attempt a Psyche leadership of his own Maggia "family." Harpoon can imbue them with up to FEAT to sense that it is an illusion. Although his underlings use advanced Incredible energy. He can carry as many Those who fail believe the images to be technology, he instills them with old as 20 harpoons in his quiver. real. gangland traditions. Radar Sense: Using his psionic Body Armor: Harpoon's body suit grants Harpoon energies, he has the Feeble ability to him Good protection against physical detect the presence and shape of and energy attacks. intangible or out-of-reach objects. Real Name: Unrevealed Talents: Harpoon is a Weapons Anti-Psionic Helmet: His helmet F EX 20 Health: 90 Specialist with harpoons, granting him a enables him to use the following A RM 30 +2CS with them. powers: S GD 10 Karma: 22 — Excellent resistance to all psionic E RM 30 Background: Much of Harpoon's attacks. R TY 6 Resources: GD (10) history is a mystery. He is a young — Excellent mental invisibility. I TY 6 Eskimo, and he is a member of the Weaknesses: He suffers a -1CS to attack P GD 10 Popularity: -10 Marauders. Like the rest of the moving targets. If his helmet is disabled Marauders, he is a cold-blooded killer. or missing, he sustains twice the normal KNOWN POWERS: He happily took part in the Morlock damage from psionic attacks. Imbue Energy: Harpoon can charge massacre, and he is responsible for objects with energy, causing them to Angel losing his wings. Talents: Because of his mechanical release the energy on contact for aptitude, Mentallo is considered to have additional damage. He usually limits Remarkable Reason when dealing with himself to harpoons for weapons, and to Electronics or Firearms. electricity, concussive force, or stunning force as energies. Background: Marvin Flumm's Imbued objects have the following telepathic powers began to manifest effects: themselves during his adolescence. — An object receives Remarkable Ignoring his powers, Marvin was energy if Harpoon concentrates on it for content to work as a shoe salesman. one round. The energy is increased by His abilities were detected by Niles +1CS for each addi- Nordstrom, the director of SHIELD'S ESP Division, and Martin was asked

58 to join. His powers quickly developed, age, the ring cannot penetrate body Background: Maximilian Pride was along with his ambitions. He conceived armor of Typical or better rank. born in England in 1940 during one of the idea of secretly taking control of Hitler's bombing raids. After the war he Gas Mask: Mister Fear is protected SHIELD and using its resources to gain and his family migrated to the United from his own gas by wearing a gas political power. His plan was States. mask. His full body suit prevents any discovered, and he was forced to flee. Maximilian has been employed as the contact with the gas. He allied himself with the Fixer, and curator of the Met for nine years; he staged a raid on SHIELD'S Manhattan enjoys his job thoroughly. The recent Talents: Alan Fagan is skilled in headquarters, which nearly succeeded. theft of a valuable book brings him into Business/Finance. At the present time, he has once again contact with the player characters. joined forces with the Fixer. Background: Alan Fagan is the fourth man to wear the Mister Fear costume. Scarecrow Mister Fear He is the nephew of Larry Cranston, Mister Fear number three, who died an Real Name: Ebenezer Laughton Real Name: Alan Pagan accidental death in a battle with Daredevil. F EX 20 Health: 70 F TY 6 Health: 32 After Cranston's death, Fagan A RM 30 A GD 10 obtained the costume and equipment of S GD 10 Karma: 28 S TY 6 Karma: 40 Mister Fear and started his own life of E GD 10 E GD 10 crime. His first major plot, blackmailing R TY 6 Resources: TY (6) R GD 10 Resources: RM (30) New York City with a small nuclear I EX 20 I EX 20 weapon, was foiled by Spider-Man and P FE 2 Popularity: -6 P GD 10 Popularity: -5 Hawkeye, and Fagan was sent to prison. However, after serving his sentence, KNOWN POWERS: KNOWN POWERS: Fagan got a court order allowing him to Contortionist: Being double-jointed, the Fear Compound: Mister Fear employs a retake possession of the Mister Fear Scarecrow can fit his body through any chemical compound capable of equipment. Now, instead of trying to go aperture that is at least one foot wide. triggering the human instincts of fear it alone, he has resurfaced as an ally of and flight. Being a drug of Unearthly the Fixer and Mentallo. Talents: The Scarecrow is a trained Intensity, the slightest whiff of it is To be more precise, although he Acrobat and Tumbler. He has Remark- sufficient to make the bravest hero doesn't realize it, Mister Fear is actually able skill in lockpicking, safecracking, cower in the presence of Mister Fear, or a puppet of his newfound "friends." He and escapology. flee from him in terror. Affected is the front man of a new gang called the characters can make no attacks, and Faces of Fear, which Fagan sees as an Background: Ebenezer Laughton saw a must flee the area for 1-10 turns. opportunity to use his powers to their "rubber man" perform at a traveling The Fear Compound has no effect on fullest. carnival and became obsessed with robots, androids, and nonhumanoid emulating him. aliens. Pride, Mr. Maximilian Since he was double-jointed, Ebenezer was naturally flexible. He quickly Fear Gun: Mister Fear uses this weapon F PR 4 Health: 20 learned to twist and bend his body into to fire pellets containing the Fear A TY 6 numerous unusual positions, and to Compound up to a range of 5 areas. One S PR 4 Karma: 40 perform various acrobatic stunts. pellet emits enough gas to cover one full E TY 6 Unfortunately, he decided to use his area. He uses the gun with a +1CS to R EX 20 Resources: GD (10) abilities as a costumed criminal called Agility. I GD 10 the Scarecrow. While serving a prison Fear Ring: He wears a ring capable of P GD 10 Popularity: 10 term, including a year in solitary injecting a concentrated dose of the Fear confinement, the Scarecrow went Compound. Mister Fear must strike an Talents: As curator of the Metropolitan insane. opponent in a slugfest to use the ring. Museum of Art, Maximilian has the Most recently, he has been subjected Inflicting Poor dam- Business/Finance talent, and he is well to the Fixer and Mentallo's hypnoporter. versed in Art History. The Scarecrow has

59 become an unwilling lackey of the two Sentinels, Mark IV Mark IV Sentinels can release steel evil geniuses. tendrils (Remarkable material strength) Real Name: Not applicable designed to Grapple opponents up to 2 Scorpion areas away. F EX 20 Health: 165 Searchlights: With their searchlight Real Name: MacDonald Gargan A EX 20 eyes, Mark IV Sentinels can illuminate a S AM 50 Karma: NA 2-area volume up to 5 areas away. F RM 30 Health: 150 E MN 75 A IN 40 R TY 6 Resources: NA Talents: None. S IN 40 Karma: 22 I TY 6 E IN 40 P PR 4 Popularity: NA Background: Mark IV Sentinels are R TY 6 Resources: TY (6) large, humanoid robots. They were I TY 6 KNOWN POWERS: designed to either capture or kill P GD 10 Popularity: -15 Robotic Construction: Mark IV superhuman mutants, but they have also Sentinels are built in humanoid form been employed against super-powered KNOWN POWERS: and stand 20 feet tall (Incredible rank humans. Climbing: The Scorpion can climb with Growth, +2CS to be hit). They are The United States Government has Excellent ability. totally immune to disease, gas, and secretly licensed Shaw Industries to psionic attacks. They can survive in a build Sentinels for use in top secret Body Armor: His suit grants him vacuum indefinitely. projects, namely Project Wideawake. Excellent protection against physical Even though it is illegal, the Office of damage and Remarkable protection Flight: Mark IV Sentinels can fly at the President sanctioned Project against electrical attacks. Excellent airspeed (10 areas/round) Wideawake, which is supposed to using jet propulsion units in their feet. Cybernetic Tail: Able to inflict investigate and capture any super- Amazing Blunt damage, the Scorpion's Mutant Detection: Mark IVs can scan humanly powerful mutants believed to tail is made of Incredible strength all living beings within 7 areas and represent a threat to national security. material. He can coil it like a spring to determine if they are human or mutant. propel him up 3 stories or 2 areas Shroud Body Armor: They are fashioned from across. It is equipped with a plasma Remarkable strength materials, granting projector that can fire bolts that inflict Real Name: Unrevealed them Remarkable protection against Remarkable Energy damage up to 10 physical and energy attacks. areas away. F RM 30 Health: 80 Energy Beam: From their hands Mark A EX 20 Talents: None. IVs can emit an Incredible Force beam, S GD 10 Karma: 70 and from their eyes they can emit an E EX 20 Background: In order to discover how Incredible Energy beam. Both have a R GD 10 Resources: GD (10) Peter Parker managed to photograph maximum range of 2 areas. I IN 40 Spider-Man, J. Jonah Jameson hired P EX 20 Popularity: -10 Learning Program: After three rounds private investigator Mac Gargan. of analysis, Mark IVs gain a +1CS While Mac was stalking Parker, KNOWN POWERS: against an opponent due to a special Jameson learned of Dr. Farley Stillwell, learning program. The data can be Darkforce Control: By tapping into the who had developed a strange mutagenic stored for future use against the same Darkforce dimension, the Shroud can process capable of endowing animals opponent, and can be shared with other create regions of darkness. He can with uncharacteristic features. Jameson Sentinels of the same series (Mark IV). darken 1 area per turn, to a maximum of paid Stillwell and Gargan each $10,000 5 areas. The darkness negates all light to create a creature that could kill Gas Jets: Mark IVs can emit a sources of less than Amazing Intensity, Spider-Man. Thus, the Scorpion was Remarkable Intensity knockout gas and it causes everyone in the area to born. from their chests. Maximum range is 2 perform all combat and FEAT rolls at - Recently, the Scorpion was hired by areas. 3CS. The Shroud can manipulate the Hammerhead to help battle the forces of Catch-Web Cables: From their wrists, Darkforce into shadows and shapes to the Faces of Fear. serve as decoys.

60 Mystic Vision: Although he is blind, the Skids him Incredible ability to break free of Shroud possesses mystic senses that holds. Kevlar layers give Tatter- enable him to see without penalty, even Real Name: Sally Blevins demalion Excellent protection against in his own darkness. This vision works physical attacks. in all areas adjacent to his own. He can F GD 10 Health: 30 Knockout Cloak: Tatterdemalion's cloak see beyond walls and barriers. He A TY 6 contains chloroform capsules of cannot see beyond this 1-area range. S PR 4 Karma: 34 Remarkable Intensity that can knock out E GD 10 a target for 1-10 turns. Talents: The Shroud is skilled in R PR 4 Resources: PR (4) Martial Arts A, B, C, and E. I GD 10 Throwing Scarf: Arnold can wield his P EX 20 Popularity: 1 scarf to inflict Good Blunt damage. Background: When he was only ten years old, his parents were killed by a KNOWN POWERS: Talents: Arnold is a skilled tapdancer hold-up man. Embittered and orphaned, and casino operator. the youth decided to dedicate his life to Force Field: Skids continuously has fighting crime. Good protection versus physical, gas, Background: Arnold Paffenroth began In college he studied law and mental, and energy attacks. She can dancing when he was eight. He was the criminology, and built his body to its increase her force field to Remarkable only son of a husband-and-wife peak physical potential. After rank at will. To temporarily turn it off, vaudeville tap-dancing act. graduation he journeyed to Nepal and she must succeed at a Psyche FEAT. At age 18, he met a dancer named the temple of the Cult of Kali, where he Skids has developed a Power Stunt that Julia Walker, and the pair formed a studied their martial arts and mystical enables her to "skate" on her force field, dance team that became popular enough disciplines. reaching Typical landspeed (45 mph). to star in several motion pictures in the When he had learned all he could at late 1940s and early 1950s. the temple, he received the "Kiss of Talents: Skids spends much of her time When he could no longer find work in Kali" from a branding iron, which in the tunnel systems beneath New York Hollywood, he made a living as a casino imprinted the shape of the goddess Kali City; she has a Remarkable knowledge operator. However, he got into trouble upon his eyes, cheeks, and forehead. He of this area. with Las Vegas mobsters, and he was discovered that his eyesight had been swindled out of everything he owned. replaced by a mystical extrasensory Background: For the most part, Skids Mentally deranged, Arnold fled to Las perception. Later, he developed the is a normal teenager. She is on good Angeles, where he soon became a ability to summon a volume of absolute terms with Callisto and the Morlocks, drunken derelict. darkness. and has adventured with X-Factor. After several years, Arnold was Making his way back to America, he recruited into an army of derelicts by adopted the identity of the Shroud. He Tatterdemalion Sidney Sarnak, who had been outfitted was determined to destroy the by the Committee, a secret group of underworld from within, and he began Real Name: Arnold Paffenroth businessmen attempting to create a to build up a reputation as a criminal. climate of fear that they believed would Thus far his plan has worked; he has F EX 20 Health: 70 stimulate the economy. organized his own gang called the Night A EX 20 Sidney Sarnak was driven insane, and Shift. S GD 10 Karma: 8 the Committee turned to Arnold Most recently, the Shroud has become E EX 20 Paffenroth. Calling himself the Tatter- a victim of the Fixer and Mentallo's R TY 6 Resources: FE (2) demalion, Arnold struck out randomly hypnoporter. He is being used by them I PR 4 at the wealthy. Unlike common to commit a series of crimes against his P FE 2 Popularity: -1 criminals, Tatterdemalion destroyed will. money and material possessions. KNOWN POWERS: After a number of escapades, Gloves: Tatterdemalion's gloves have Tatterdemalion was recruited into the been soaked in chemicals that give him Night Shift. Recently, Tatterdemalion Excellent ability to rot paper and cloth. has become a victim of the Fixer and Mentallo's hypnoporter. He is being Costume: Nonstick chemicals grant used by them to commit a series of crimes against his will.

61 Vertigo Werewolf for up to 30 minutes. The Werewolf can jump two stories (areas) up or across. Real Name: Unrevealed Real Name: Jack Russell Invulnerability: The Werewolf has Amazing resistance to all forms of F GD 10 Health: 46 F RM 30 Health: 120 physical damage, except that caused by A GD 10 A EX 20 silver weapons. His Endurance can be S TY 6 Karma: 56 S RM 30 Karma: 91 reduced below Feeble only by silver E EX 20 E IN 40 weapons. R TY 6 Resources: GD (10) R TY 6 Resources: EX (20) I GD 10 I MN 75 Silver Vulnerability: If struck by a silver P IN 40 Popularity: -10 P GD 10 Popularity: -2 weapon, the Werewolf must attempt an Endurance FEAT roll. A Red or Yellow KNOWN POWERS: KNOWN POWERS: result is treated as a "kill."

Equilibrium Distortion: Vertigo can Lycanthropy: During the three nights Talents: Jack Russell has Mystic psionically distort a target's sense of per month of the full moon, Jack Background and the Occult Lore skill. balance, rendering the victim virtually transforms into a werewolf because of a As the mindless creature during the helpless. curse. The stats listed above and the nights of the full moon, Jack has the To a single individual, she does this powers described below are the result of Resist Domination ability. The more with Unearthly Intensity. To a group of this transformation. savage Werewolf has the equivalent of targets in 1 area, up to 3 areas away, she Even under a normal moon, Jack can Martial Arts D. does this with Amazing Intensity. transform at will, keeping his Targets must succeed at a Psyche personality intact. In this form he Background: Jack Russell and his sister FEAT roll against the Intensity of this appears much like the traditional Lissa grew up in Los Angeles. When ability or be knocked to the ground, wolfman. However, during the full Jack reached 18, he began to transform unable to more or attack. If the victim moon he automatically changes into a into a werewolf on the three nights of fails a Psyche FEAT in the second savage beast that is more wolflike, and the full moon. consecutive round, he falls unconscious his Reason is reduced to Feeble. The mystical extradimensional beings for 1-10 turns. If Vertigo is knocked Jack's human statistics are as follows: known only as "The Three Who Are unconscious, her Power is negated. All" granted Jack the power to change at F TY 6 Health: 28 will, regardless of the time of month. Talents: None known. A TY 6 This allowed him to retain his human S TY 6 Karma: 26 intellect while in the form of the Background: Originally a Savage Land E GD 10 werewolf. On the nights of the full primitive, Vertigo was given R TY 6 Resources: EX (20) moon, his human mind still regresses to superpowers by the Savage Land Mutate I GD 10 that of a savage beast, however. leader, Brainchild. She has battled the P GD 10 Popularity: 0 Hoping to find a way to retain control X-Men, Spider-Man, and Ka-Zar. on the nights of the full moon, Jack Before the Savage Land was Claws: With his razor-sharp claws and Russell contacted Dr. Karl Malus. destroyed by Terminus, she left and teeth, the Werewolf can inflict up to Unknown to Jack, Dr. Malus was joined the Marauders. Like them, she is Remarkable Edged damage. The claws criminally inclined. He attached Jack to an emotionless killer. are of Good material strength. an experimental machine in order to Infravision: The Werewolf can see in subvert his will. Jack escaped with the the dark with Excellent ability. help of Spider-Woman. However, when the full moon arose, Extraordinary Senses: He can track by Jack found that the doctor's treatment smell, and he remembers scents had strange side effects. As usual, Jack previously encountered. The Werewolf lost control over his transformation, but can hear a heartbeat at a 1-area range, he also changed into an even more and smell an approaching being within a wolflike creature. This more savage 3-area range. All are at Amazing rank. werewolf has a longer snout and ears, a Running and Jumping: He can run at curved spine, and jointed legs. Poor ground speed (2 areas/round)

62 The Werewolf joined the Night Shift, — By spinning he can generate air Remarkable strength material, while he a gang led by the Shroud. Recently, Jack currents that provide him with is using his power to fly. Russell has become a victim of the Fixer Remarkable body armor against — He carries 10 shuriken-like and Mentallo's hypnoporter. He is being physical attacks and missile weapons. weapons. Made of Good strength used by them to commit a series of — While spinning he can escape any material, each can be thrown up to 3 crimes against his will. Grapple as if he possessed Monstrous areas away, causing Remarkable Edged Strength. Throwing damage. Whirlwind — For up to ten minutes, he can fly at Good airspeed (8 areas/turn) like a Talents: The Whirlwind is skilled in Real Name: David Cannon helicopter. Wrestling and Driving. From past — The Whirlwind can generate a professional experience, he has the F GD 10 Health: 90 focused blast of air capable of inflicting Performing talent in ice-skating and A IN 40 Remarkable damage. circus performing. S GD 10 Karma: 18 — By generating a tornado in the area E RM 30 he is in, the Whirlwind inflicts Background: Born a mutant, David R TY 6 Resources: TY (6) Remarkable damage to everyone in that Cannon soon learned he had the ability I TY 6 area. With a yellow Catching roll, he to move his body at tremendous speeds. P TY 6 Popularity: -8 can throw an opponent out of the area. He found employment as a circus With an Agility FEAT roll, the performer, a professional wrestler, and KNOWN POWERS: Whirlwind can throw the victim at a as an ice-skating competitor. However, specific spot. he was drawn to a life of crime by Spinning: The Whirlwind can spin his several small-time crooks who ran a Weaponry: The Whirlwind uses two body up to 400 rpm. He is immune to betting syndicate and wanted him to fix types of Edged weapons: vertigo or dizziness; he has developed races for them. — While spinning with his arms the following Power Stunts: The Whirlwind has had numerous outstretched, the Whirlwind can use his — The ability to move at Excellent encounters with the Avengers, Arm Blades. By making a normal ground speed (5 areas/turn). By building especially Dr. Henry Pym. Recently, he Fighting roll, he is able to inflict up momentum, he can move up vertical was hired by Hammerhead to help Amazing Edged damage. He can walls a number of stories equal to twice defeat the Faces of Fear. the areas he has covered on the ground. employ the blades, which are made of

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