eden studios presents, vol. 1

Buffy the Vampire Slayer™ & © 2004, ANGEL™ & © 2004. Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation. All Rights Reserved. The Unisystem™ Game System © 2004 CJ Carella. The Unisystem™ is used under exclusive license.

© 2004 Eden Studios. All Rights Reserved.

Visit www.edenstudios.net

$15.00 (U.S.)EDN5500

ISBN 1-891153-94-3

Eden Studios, Inc. is pleased to announce a new supplementseries called Eden Studios Presents (ESP). Focusing on a widevariety of Unisystem materials, each book will be filled withscenarios, archetypes, monsters, new and alternate rules, andmuch, much more.

Volume 1 of the ESP series features:• New monsters by David F. Chapman for your Buffy or Angel RPG game. • L is for Liberty, a Terra Primate Apeworld by Dan Proctor.• An interview with Jason Vey, author of the upcoming AFMBE

supplement, Dungeons & Zombies.• Archetypes for any Unisystem game.• A Unisystem sci-fi setting by Andrew Peregrine• An intercepted phone conversation between David F. Chapman,

the Conspiracy X 2.0 Developer, and a mysterious Agent X.• Tigereye, a Conspiracy X scenario from Jason Little with notes

for both Unisystem and the original game mechanics.• A new monster for WitchCraft and Armageddon by Charlie Von Eschen.

Future issues will contain articles just as exciting as this first book. Prepare yourself forscintillating scenarios, archetypes galore, previews of future products, handfuls of badguys, Chronicler and player tips, and even a multi-episode campaign!

Eden Studios views ESP as an ideal showcase for both new and known authors, givingeveryone the potential to be a part of the team! Eden realizes there are a great manyquality "unknowns" out there and wants to give them the opportunity to shine. Veteranwriters are also welcome, providing solid groundwork for gamers to use, spindle, andmutilate. Whether you are a up-and-comer, an oldtimer, or just a fan, you'll find new andinteresting material in each book.

So, what are you waiting for?

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Eden StudiosPresents Volume 1From the Editor 2by Derek Stoelting

Cover Shot: A New Monster for WitchCraft • Armageddon 3by Charlie Von Eschen

Interview with Dungeons & Zombies Author Jason Vey 4by Derek Stoelting

Spacefarers and Prairie Folk: A Cinematic Setting 7by Andrew Peregrine

Conspiracy X 2.0 Interview with David F. Chapman 23by

Tiger Eye: A Conspiracy X Scenario 26by Jason Little

Slay-worthy: New Monsters for Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel 45by David F. Chapman, with additional writing by Derek Stoelting

L is for Liberty: A Terra Primate Apeworld 49by Dan Proctor, with additional writing by Derek Stoelting and Jason Vey

Archetypes 56All Flesh Must Be Eaten by Andrew Ferguson

WitchCraft • Armageddon by Derek Stoelting

Editing and Proofingby Shari Hill, M. Alexander Jurkat, Derek Stoelting, Jason Vey

Cover Art by Carlos Samuel Araya

Interior Art by Travis Ingram and Ginger Kubic

Graphic Design and Art Direction by George Vasilakos

Produced and Published by Eden Studios6 Dogwood Lane, Loudonville, NY 12211

Buffy the Vampire Slayer™ & © 2004, ANGEL™ & © 2004. Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation. All Rights Reserved. The Unisystem™ Game System © 2004 CJ Carella. The Unisystem™ is used under exclusive license.

© 2004 Eden Studios. All Rights Reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced without written permission from the publisher, except for review purposes. Any similarity to characters, situations, institutions, corporations, etc. (without satirical intent) is strictly fictional or coincidental. This book uses settings, characters and themes of a supernatural nature. All elements, mystical and

supernatural, are fiction and intended for entertainment purposes only.

Comments and questions can be directed via the Internet at www.edenstudios.net. via e-mail to [email protected] or via letter with a self-addressed stamped envelope.

First Printing, May 2004

Stock EDN5500 ISBN 1-891153-67-6 Printed in USA

A Brief Note from Derek Stoelting,Editor of Eden Studios Presents

Welcome to Eden Studios Presents!ESP, as we’ve taken to calling it around the office, is Eden Studios’ latest endeavor to feed our ravenous

fans. Inside these very pages, you will find material for all of the Unisystem game lines. Future issues won’tbe so grandiose in scale, but they will be just as entertaining, just as useful, and just as exciting to read.

This book may hit your friendly local game shop’s stands later than you expected. That, I will admit, ismy fault. I jumped head first into this project, not actually realizing how much work it would entail. WhenI thought I had reached the midway point, I stepped back and looked at what I had.

At that point, I panicked. I found material that needed fixing: rewrite something here, send that out toanother editor to look at (thanks Jason, Shari, & Alex), cut that other thing out completely, and move thisother item to the next volume.

Thus, I dug in my heels and went back to work. Before I knew it, I missed my deadline. Then, it was theweek after the deadline. Then . . .

Throughout the process, I maintained the mantra of “At the end of the day, is this the best material youcan create?” George said that phrase to me one year at the Origins convention. We were discussing theOrigins Awards. One of Eden Studios’ books was up for an award. George reasoned that even if the bookdidn’t win the award it was up for, he knew which book was the best. As I sit here typing up this editorialcommentary, I look back on what I’ve compiled. I look at the material from brand new, never before seenauthors. I look at material from authors that already have their foot in their door. I look at material from pre-viously published authors. I look at the material that my fellow editors helped to produce.

And, I judge it the best material that could be produced for this book.

We’ve got generic space material, Terra Primate material that can use the generic space material, an inter-view with Jason Vey, preview material for Con X Unisystem, a full-blown scenario for Con X featuring orig-inal and Unisystem rules, new zombies for AFMBE, stats for the creature on the cover, and new archetypesfor a handful of games.

Volume Two is nearing completion as I type this. Most of the authors have turned their work in early.Some of the editing has begun. We are going a different route with Volume Two. Instead of trying to coverground for every single Unisystem game out there, we are narrowing our focus towards the undead. That’snot to say everything in the book will be about vampires, vampyres, and zombies. However, the book willspend a lot of time discussing them.

And, Volume Two will be done on time.

Remember, keep your hands and feet inside the ride at all times, do not unbuckle your seatbelt until theride comes to a complete stop, and don’t forget to send us feedback as you exit the ride!

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Bathsha are the Ethereals of Dementia.Obsessions, codes of conduct, delusions, covetous-ness, and cruelty are their domain. Most often, theBathsha inhabit the Periphery in Hod, amplifyingdreamer’s obsessions so they spill over into the wak-ing world. Infrequently, one of these dream denizensfinds its way to Malkuth by successfully inspiring adreamer to become its Chosen, or through a sum-moning—intentionally or otherwise. Suddenly aquiet neighbor begins a reign of terror.

Common Ethereal and SpiritPowers

Bathsha share all basic Ethereal and spirit abilities(see Book of Hod, p. 117; Armageddon, p. 297) withsome modifications noted below.

Powers Special to BathshaPhysical Manifestation: Bathsha manifest on

Malkuth by spending one Essence for every fivepoints of their Vital Essence. These entities appearto arise from the victims of those they inspire, giv-ing congratulations and rewards while spurring theirChosen onward to greater feats. Bathsha usuallymaterialize as their Chosen’s perfect prey, idealizedin order to reaffirm the hunt or serve as the fruit ofthe Chosen’s particular Amplified Obsession.

Amplify: Bathsha must spend one Essence pointper level of the target’s Willpower to increase theseverity of each Mental Drawback afflicting theirChosen. If this boost brings a Drawback to levelfour, it becomes an overpowering Obsession for theduration of the power (one hour per Success Levelof the Willpower and Spiritus Task). Amplify maybe resisted by Mundanes with a Difficult WillpowerTest. Gifted and Supernaturals resist with a SimpleWillpower Test. If a behavior-restricting MentalDrawback, such as Honorable, has been Amplifiedto level four, the Chosen seeks to impose that behav-ior on others, sometimes violently. Chosen with twoor more contradicting Mental Drawbacks raised tosuch a high level flip-flop between them; he maybecome a self-tortured coma victim or commit sui-cide due to their conflicting desires.

Buying into the Dream: A Bathsha who isalready influencing a Chosen may cause a nearbytarget to become infected by the Chosen’s particulardementia by spending two Essence per level of thevictim’s Willpower. Those under the effect of thispower find themselves agreeing with and desiring tobe a part of a Chosen’s mental landscape. Thispower has a duration of one-half an hour per Successlevel of the Willpower and Spiritus Task. A SimpleWillpower Test resists Buying into the Dream for allcharacter types. Victims who fail the Test will doanything in their ability to make the world fit theChosen’s warped view. If a victim is afflicted by aMental Drawback that contradicts the Chosen’sdementia, that Drawback is effectively reduced byone level of severity.

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BathshaStrength: 5 Intelligence: 4 Dexterity: 5 Perception: 6Constitution: 6 Willpower: 5

Vital Essence: 54 Energy Essence: 51 Life Points (when manifested): 105Spiritus: 5

Cover Shot: A New Monster forWitchCraft • Armageddon

Interview with aZombie Master

I recently had a chance to sit down and talk toJason Vey about his upcoming book Dungeons &Zombies, working with Eden Studios, over-zealousplaytesters, and future work.

Tell me about D&Z. What were you trying to dowith it? Were you trying to emulate any particu-lar aspect of fantasy roleplaying? Were you try-ing to avoid anything in fantasy roleplaying?

Settle in, because this is going to be a long answer.D&Z actually came about in a strange way. I’d doneup a piece for my website that contained fantasyrules for the cinematic Unisystem, and they startedrolling really well. So well, in fact, that I started towonder if I could pitch them. Obviously, at the time,there wasn’t a non-licensed core book for the cine-matic rules, so that wouldn’t work. But, WitchCraftseemed ideal for handling it. I e-mailed Alex Jurkatasking if there was interest. His response was posi-tive, but less-than-enthusiastic. He noted that tryingto compete with D&D was suicide unless you had areally good gimmick. He was right.

Then, a couple of days later, I got another e-mail.Seemed George Vasilakos had seen my rules onlineand they wanted me to do a sourcebook for AFMBE.Eden came up with the title Dungeons and Zombies.It seemed comically appropriate. So, we set to work.I wrote an outline, proposing four Deadworlds basedon themes that Alex suggested: Pulp (Conanesque),Literary (Tolkienesque), Arthurian, and Oriental.The Oriental one proved the most difficult, as I wasunable to access Enter the Zombie, due to Eden’sdesire to have people be able to play the supplementif they owned only the core book.

When we started out, the mission statement waspretty simple, though very difficult in the long run toeffectively achieve. This was not “the” definitiveUnisystem Fantasy Roleplaying Game. It wasanother genre book for AFMBE, and had to be treat-ed as such, while still filling the gap to satisfy thosewho’d been clamoring for Unisystem fantasy rules.A tall order, but I think we pulled it off.

As for what we were and weren’t trying to emu-late, I don’t think we had any aspirations to makethis “the Unisystem version of [insert roleplayinggame].” Other than the Deadworlds (whose influ-ences are obvious), we mostly just tried not to makeit a direct D&D rip-off. It had to have its own flavorand style, and had to be as open and customizable asthe rest of the Unisystem products. D&D influencesare there, to be sure. D&D set the standard, and wasthe first fantasy roleplaying game. In any given fan-tasy game there are always going to be some ele-ments that hearken back to that origin. But, overall Ithink D&Z has a pretty unique feel.

I was in on the playtest of this book. It was veryhot and heavy at times. Do you think that affect-ed the book?

Boy, that’s an understatement. There were someknock-down-drag-outs during playtest. But, in theend it happened because everyone was so passionateabout the book. Everyone wanted it to be the best itcould be, and you can’t go wrong with that kind ofenthusiasm. There were some requests for reprintedmaterial and details that there just isn’t room for in asourcebook. I started to wish I had a whole corebook worth of space to work with after awhile! But,in the end, it was those arguments, debates, and such


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that helped to shape the book into its final form. Ireally do owe the playtesters a huge vote of thanks.They were all great, and they all kept me on my toesthroughout. I think the book is much better off for itin the end.

For those of us who want more than just hackand slash, what can we look for in this book?

It’s Unisystem. That means that hack and slash israrely your best bet, given just how deadly combat isin the rules. We’ve imported a slightly abbreviatedversion of the magic system from WitchCraft andArmageddon, which is very freeform and conduciveto creativity on the part of people playing magi.We’ve also gone out of our way to conceive of good,epic stories for the Deadworlds. However, for thoseof you who are into hack and slash, fear not. There area few optional rules suggestions and tweaks in thereto cater to your power-gaming needs as well (grin).

What’s your favorite part in this book?

I think the author bio is the best part.

That’s a joke, son.

Seriously, that’s a really tough call. I like thewhole book. I don’t know if we necessarily hit agrand slam, but we’re most definitely bases-loadedon it. As far as my favorite part—I’d have to say thatthe rules stuff in chapter 2 was great fun to come upwith, put together, and hammer out. As for theDeadworlds, Dead Gods and Demon Lands is prob-ably my favorite, because I’ve always liked gritty,pulp-style fantasy like Robert E. Howard, FritzLieber, R.A. Salvatore, Weis and Hickman. You getthe idea.

You worked with Eden Studios’ new editorRoss Isaacs on this book. How was working withhim?

Well let me preface this by saying that I think Rossis a very skilled editor. He can come off as a bit bluntat first, but it’s because he doesn’t have the time tomince words. He’s a busy guy and an editor whoknows what he wants and expects from his writers,and he’s very specific in his comments and requests.He was a consummate professional the entire time,

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and I appreciate that more than I can express. Youdon’t always get that in this industry. In fact, I’d goso far as to say it can be a rarity. I just hope he feelsthe same way about me.

Did we butt heads? Once or twice, yeah. You haveto understand that writers and editors have alove/hate relationship. We realize that we need eachother, but nobody likes to see their stuff cut up andreworked.

Ross knows his stuff, and I’d happily work withhim again. I think I’m a better writer for havingworked with him—and I’m not just saying that totow the company line. It’s the God’s Honest Truth.Ross was great to work with.

What other Eden Studios books have you con-tributed to?

Truthfully? None! This was my first project withEden, and it was hard work, but a blast. I really hopeto do more for Eden in the future.

What brought you to work with Eden Studios?

It was a combination of factors. I’ve always been afan of C.J.’s stuff; he and I seem to have strangelysimilar mindsets as far as horror gaming and fictiongo. I’ve never met C.J. face-to-face, and only spokento him briefly via e-mail or IM twice, but as far as hiswriting goes, the guy’s brain works on a level that Ijust grok. So when I found out that he was writing theBuffy game, I had to check it out. I’d been seeingWitchCraft on the shelves in my FLGS for monthsand been tempted to pick it up, but was worried aboutgetting burned by an impulse buy (which I’m sureyou’ll agree can easily happen with core books).Then, at Origins a few years ago, I had the opportu-nity to play in a WitchCraft game and demo Buffy,and I was hooked immediately. At that con, my girl-friend and I purchased WitchCraft and AFMBE.Since then, I’ve gone on to buy every Unisystemproduct I can get my hands on. I can’t get enough.When I started freelancing, I knew right away thatEden was a company I wanted to write for, so I gaveit a shot, and thus far, it’s worked out pretty well.

Are there any future publications you areworking on for Eden Studios that you can tell usabout?

Nope. I can tell you that I have a couple submis-sions and proposals in—one for a new WitchCraftAssociation, and one for another sourcebook forAFMBE, but both are in limbo until I hear fromGeorge, Alex, or Ross. I also intend to be a prettyregular contributor to ESP. And hey, if they’ve gotanything they want to throw my way, I’m on boardin a New York minute.

What other roleplaying game material haveyou written?

Truth be told, I’m actually pretty new to the field.I’ve done an article for Palladium Books’ Rifter linein issue 16, which I then expanded to a full source-book for their Nightbane roleplaying game (anotherC.J. work, incidentally) called Shadows of Light. Itwas advertised as the first new book for NB in fouryears, but in actuality, I think it was closer to seven.So, that was pretty cool. I’ve got a number of differ-ent ideas swimming around in my head right now,most of which will probably never see the light ofday, but I’ve currently gone back to work on a novelI’m trying to finish. Hopefully, that’ll see bookstoreshelves some day.


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Several recent television series have caused resur-gence in the desire for a sci-fi game with a westernfeel to it. Farscape and Firefly are two shows thatimmediately come to mind. Inspired by these shows,you may be wondering how to create a similar cam-paign world for yourself. Luckily, Eden Studios’Unisystem books are more than up to the task. Thisarticle is a mixed bag of odds and ends thatDirectors can utilize to create their own adventureson the frontier of space.

For those of you unfamiliar with the science fic-tion—western genre, we should take a moment topaint you a picture of this campaign world style.After all, how do you mix the low-tech world of thewestern with the high-tech world of science fiction?The best way to do it is by using supply anddemand. In such a world, technology is the preserveof the rich and the privileged. This is not reallybecause it is expensive, but because owning it givesyou power. After all, if you and your people havethe laser guns and the others are using clubs, youare going to win. So in the worlds ruled by the richand powerful, technology is plentiful and inexpen-sive. However, the further you are from civilization,the more difficult such things become to acquire.On the frontier of space, things look little differentfrom a frontier town in the 1800s. Moreover, justlike a frontier town, these places on the edge of civ-ilization aren’t so law abiding. The rule of the gunapplies in most cases. If you have a ship you can getwork, but plenty of people will want to steal fromyou.

Characters, Attributes,and Skills

In an atmosphere of betrayal and mistrust, thereare very few champions, and most folk start out withthe same chances in life. Therefore, we suggest thefollowing as a Character Type template. There is onechange to the usual rule though . . . points fromDrawbacks can be added to Attributes and DramaPoints, not just Qualities and Skills.

Cinematic Unisystem Attributes 15

Qualities 15

Drawbacks Up to 15

Skills 15

Drama Points 15

New and Adjusted SkillsWild Card (Barter)

When things are scarce, real trade often reverts tobarter. Money in the frontier can often mean very lit-tle. Paper from some far-off government or bank isno use when you need engine parts, food, and med-ical supplies. The people who need such things oftencan’t get enough cash together for them anyway.Therefore, you need to come to some arrangement.This skill allows you to haggle and horse trade withdignity and style. While the Influence skill usuallygoverns this sort of thing, it is important enough hereto justify being a skill in its own right. It also includesthe ability to spot a bargain in the first place.

Using the Skill: Use Intelligence and Wild Card(Barter) to see the worth of the goods on offer.Sometimes hard bargaining requires the use ofWillpower. The Director may allow Perception andWild Card (Barter) to spot a potential bargain. Thosewithout Wild Card (Barter) use Influence – 3.

Spacefarers and Prairie Folkby Andrew Peregrine

For those using classic Unisystem rules,the following Character Type can be used.

Classic UnisystemAttributes 20

Qualities 15

Drawbacks Up to 10

Skills 30

Metaphysics purchased with Quality/Drawback points

Languages Depending on your style, the languages in the set-

ting can vary dramatically. You may wish to haveeveryone speak the same language, say English.Other Directors may prefer to have a larger varietyof spoken languages. For them, we recommendusing languages that were pseudo-common in theOld West – English, Chinese, and Spanish. We real-ize there are a whole slew of dialects associated withChinese and Spanish. Don’t go worrying your prettyhead about that, it’s not worth fretting over. If youneed more than three languages, throw in French,German, and Russian. That should cover it!

Qualities & DrawbacksMany of the Qualities and Drawbacks from pub-

lished books work just fine for this genre. Some (likeMilitary Rank) may need a little adjustment for thespecifics of your world, but are otherwise the same.

In this setting, the Age Quality represents twentyyears, instead of one hundred years.

New Qualities and Drawbacks Born with a Silver Spoon

3-point Quality

You have grown up among the rich and powerful,with a proper education. Add +1 to one of yourmental attributes, as well as one point in a knowl-edge-related skill and one point in a science-relatedskill to represent your education. You are alsoaware of how to behave in more elegant social sit-uations. This means you know how to act and fit inat a high-class shindig, so add +1 to social rollswhen in a civilized area. Of course, not everyone onthe frontier is glad to see a person from the wealthyplanets. In some cases, there might be someonewho wants to teach the person with the silver spoona lesson . . . or two.

Can’t Back Down

4-point Drawback

There are certain things in life you just cannotignore. Maybe it’s people talking about your ship, ortrying to make you drink to the health of the localcorrupt governor. Whatever it is, you will neverwalk away from asking someone to explain her inex-


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Cinematic UnisystemSkill Suggestions

Adjust the Crime Skill to cover electroniclockpicking and security systems.

Change Getting Medieval to Old Style.

Change Gun Fu to Gun Play.

Change Kung Fu to Getting Personal.

You may also wish to add the followingSkills to your Wild Card Skill list.

Scripture Learning – the holy books can bemighty helpful to some folk.

Cooking – there are no food replicators inthis universe.

Dancing – some people ain’t no good atperforming, but do like a good hoedown.

Fashion – what the rich folk are wearing.

Gossip – what the rich (or poor) folk aretalking about.

Gunsmith – a man needs to know how tomake his firearms personal.

History - a specific hobby knowledge, likeimportant wars, people, or dinosaurs.

Literature – you may be familiar with thewriting that educated people read.

Local Customs – just in case kissing a girlmeans you have to marry her.

Love Play – the vertical bop and otherentertaining activities.

Pilot – whether it’s steering boats, planes,or space vessels, you’ll need this skill to stayafloat.

Ride - staying atop horses and keepingthem healthy.

Survival – how to stay alive in the wilder-ness.

World Lore – knowing a particular planetvery well.

cusable opinion—no matter how stupid or illadvised it may be. Whether the person in question isa star ship officer or the local drunkard, you cannotleave it alone.

Class Arrogance

2- or 4-point Drawback

You are bigoted about social class in some man-ner. If you are rich, everything on the frontier seemsprimitive and worthless to you. If you are poor, any-one with money is a wastrel and a loser. For twopoints, this bigotry shows up in small and annoyingways, which occasionally drops you into trouble.For four points, your friends regularly drag you outof bar fights.

Courtesan

9-point Quality

You trained as a courtesan, a high class and insome parts, a well-respected form of prostitution.You gain +1 to Dexterity and +2 to Perception. Youadd +2 to rolls to influence folks. You also gain WildCard (Love Play) at +4. This represents your skill inetiquette, ritual, and sensual arts. Your name may beknown to a variety of well-respected clients. Theseclients may be happy to assist a lady in trouble or inneed of business. You may wish to take theAttractiveness Quality as well. However, it is notessential, as a courtesan is an educated entertainer,and much more than a pretty face.

Dazed and Confused

2- or 6-point Drawback

The world is not the same for you as it is foreveryone else. Maybe you were born that way, orsuffered from terrible mental trauma as a child. Fortwo points, you are rather shy and withdrawn. Yousuffer a –2 penalty to all social rolls. For six points,you are almost in another world entirely. You suffer–4 to all social rolls and –2 to all perception rolls.You tend to say strange things at odd moments, dueto your odd means of reasoning. In addition, at anytime the Director may tell you something complete-ly different from what the Director tells the otherplayers. This represents how the world looks

through your confounded brain. This can be as badas thinking a gun is actually a stick or that your trav-eling companions are old friends from school. Youmay be able to overcome this flaw with the rightmedication.

Holy Man/Woman

4-point Quality

You are a priest, maybe a nun, or a missionary,trained in the ways of your religion, and part of agreater religious organization. It is your job to helpthe souls of the needy in the universe, and out in thefrontier there are a lot of needy. You may also beable to count on the help of the church organizationto which you belong, but the frontier is often furtheraway than their reach. You gain +1 Perception and+3 total levels to any social-, knowledge-, or lan-guage-related skill. You suffer from the two-pointNon-combatant Drawback (for which you don’t getany points back). You gain only four character pointsif you take the six-point version of that Drawback.Most will treat you with a little more respect if youadvertise the fact you are a holy man. Then again,some folks might take offense.

Hunted

2-point/level Drawback

Bad people want you. Maybe you are a criminal, orperhaps a runaway indentured worker. It could alsobe that bad people want a quiet word with you. Thehigher the Drawback the more time and effort theywill expend, or the more powerful they are, or both.

Mercenary

5-point Quality

You are a mercenary, always looking for a way toearn more money. You might have some kind ofethic you follow (which would make the HonorableDrawback a good choice) or you might walk overdead bodies, even your friends, to get what you want(in which case the Covetous (Greed) Drawbackwould be a good choice). You receive two freepoints to place in any of your physical Attributes,one point in a crime-related skill and two points toyour ability to use firearms.

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Natural Leader

5-point Quality

You have the ability to inspire people with yourleadership. Anyone following a plan you have con-ceived (under your orders) can choose one skill thatshe will use while carrying out the plan. Any use ofthis skill during the plan receives a +1 bonus.

Non-Combatant

2- or 6-points

You don’t like getting into fights. Maybe you arescared, or maybe you just don’t like to hurt folks.For two points, you just cannot throw the firstpunch. You will not fight anyone who hasn’t direct-ly attempted to attack you. Hit by a grenade or otherarea effect doesn’t count as a reason to fight, unlessthey throw it at you specifically. For six points, youcan never attack someone else, for any reason, evenself-defense. Maybe you made a vow or just loathephysical violence. The Director may allow you toovercome this with a Willpower Roll in extreme cir-cumstances – such as your mother will die if youdon’t shoot the bad guy.

Ornery

3-point Quality

You are stubborn as a mule. Add one to yourWillpower as you are very set in your ways and willrarely change your mind.

Privileged Family Upbringing

4-point Quality

You grew up in the rich worlds, resulting in a goodfamily and breeding. Sometimes your family namewill get you help from others of your social class.Your greater education gives you a +2 to any knowl-edge-related skill. You also gain one level of theResources Quality for no additional cost. You maytake this Quality with the Born with a Silver SpoonQuality.

Reputation Good/Bad

2-points/level Quality or Drawback

You are known for something you’ve done (or arethought to have done). If it is a good thing, this is aQuality; if it ain’t so good, it’s a Drawback. Thehigher the level, the more people know about thisreputation, or the bigger the rep is in a smaller area.Note that among some criminals and bad folks, a badreputation can be an advantage.

Smuggler

3-point Quality

Whether it’s guns, people, or parts, you’re the per-son that folks like for transporting it across restrict-ed space. Not only do you know who has goods tosell, you also know who’s the most likely to pur-chase those goods. Your knowledge may be planet-or system-based, depending on the scope of yourcampaign. Work with your Director to narrow downyour field of employment.

Those with the Smuggler Quality may want toalso purchase another occupational Quality to use asa “cover.”

You gain one level in Intelligence, four levels inContacts (may be split up into multiple Contacts),and three levels of Hard to Kill. You also have threelevels of the Adversary (Law) Drawback and twolevels of the Hunted Drawback.

Spacecraft

2-points/level Quality

You have a share in the ship the Cast owns. Thenumber of points in this Quality represents yourstake in the ship’s ownership. If you are the onlyone, the ship actually belongs to you. Each level youtake in this quality grants one space ship characterpoint to spend on the ship.

Sweet Temperament

3-point Quality

You are just so darn nice and wholesome that folkstake kindly to you. Any time you want to influencesomeone to help you with something or do you a


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favor you gain a +2 bonus. This bonus only appliesif you have not tried to fight or intimidate your tar-get or anyone else around recently.

Talented

5-point/skill Quality

You are unnaturally good at a certain skill. Yougain a +1 bonus when you use it. In addition, youcan always make a roll for anything that may applyto the skill, even if it is something you have no expe-rience in doing. Your natural talent grants you a bet-ter intuition than most. You may also improve yourskill level to greater than any usual maximum yourDirector may apply with experience points.

Technology

1- to 5-point Quality

You own a piece of advanced technology. It couldbe an advanced laser gun or maybe a piece of med-ical equipment. It could also be a vehicle like ahover car. The cost depends of the item you choose.It’s all bought and legal, but that don’t mean thereain’t no critter gonna try and take it from you.

Psychic AbilitiesAnother set of abilities you may wish to include in

your game is psychic powers. They are a staple of sci-ence fiction, but not so much with the western. Thereare plenty of ways this can work. You may decide thatpsychic powers are common. In this case, you canallow players to pick psychic qualities like Telepathyand Telekinesis. On the other hand, if you decide suchpowers are very rare, you could add a few points tothe cost or simply disallow certain powers and limitthe amount of levels the players may purchase.

However, psychic abilities need not be somethingyou are born with. You could assume anyone blessedwith such psychic power has had someone messingabout inside her brain. Likely candidates to performthis insidious activity include the government andcorporations. Religious groups or fringe scientistsare other choices for developing psychic powers. Ifthis is the case, the experimental victims should havea high Intelligence or Willpower Attribute. You mayallow them to use Quality points to raise their

Attribute scores. After all, the brain fiddlers need thebest clay to work with.

Sadly, acquiring such rare and potent abilitiescomes with a price. Allow the player to takeDrawbacks as usual for his character, but focus onones like Dazed and Confused, RecurringNightmares, Emotional Problems, MentalProblems, and Hunted. Playing it very strictly, youmay insist that characters must take a few of theseDrawbacks to balance out the fact that the characterhas psychic powers.

When you have figured out how psychics work inyour game, there are plenty of powers in Unisystemgames for you to choose from, such as PsychicVisions, Pyrokinesis, and Telepathy. You may eveninvent new abilities, allow characters to improvetheir abilities, or even gain new powers. You mayalso allow other powers based on the Unisystemversions of magic and demonic powers.

Cinematic UnisystemPsychic Notes

If you are going with the rare and/or brainrewired theory, you may wish to give psychics abit of extra luck now and again. You can do thisby letting them spend more than the usual num-ber of Drama Points on mental actions, or bygiving them random bonuses whenever you seefit. This is not too much of a bonus, as you canapply random penalties and freeze their powerat any time within the dictates of your storyline(or personal vindictiveness). Psychic power is acapricious and little understood thing, never anexact science. There may be other powers andflaws that the character discovers because of therewiring in his brain, but we’ll let you surprisehim with that!

SpacecraftCurrent Unisystem rules for spacecraft do not

exist, and full rules for them could fill an entiretome. However, as sci-fi just is not the same withoutthem, these basic rules should suffice. We areassuming that for this game the Cast Members owna ship. Probably nothing fancy, and even then it costthem all they had. The ship is their lifeline and homeall in one. Without it they cannot work, withoutwork they starve. Each job they do must also takeinto account that the ship needs upkeep and supplies.Feel free to use the ship as a plot device wheneveryou like. If you want them to go to a certain planet,make sure a part of the engine blows out, a part thatcan only be replaced where you want them to go.Parts can also make great adventure hooks. Theymay try to steal an upgrade from a technologicalplanet, or trade for what they want. Some peoplemay offer expensive parts as payment for servicesrendered. Often a rare part is worth more than anycash settlement. Parts are expensive after all, so feelfree to charge them a vast percentage of their profitsfor supplies and repairs as well. However, do letthem hit pay dirt occasionally, otherwise, they’ll allsettle down to a life of farming.

Spacecraft are created with space ship characterpoints, through the Spacecraft Quality. The total lev-els the players purchase in this Quality represent thenumber of points they may spend on their ship. If acharacter did not take the Spacecraft Quality, he hasno points to add and theoretically no say in wherethey are spent. He also has no share in ownership ofthe craft. The Spacecraft Quality points represent the

money each character invested in buying the ship inthe first place. Sometimes, these points do not repre-sent a financial stake the character has in a ship, butmore of an emotional one. An engineer who rebuiltthe engines single-handedly could use the SpacecraftQuality to represent his investment of time and love.

Ship SizeThe first thing to spend points on is the size of the

ship. The size rating is (obviously) how big yourship is. It also establishes a base number for manyother calculations about the ship, such as the crewrequired and cargo space.

For every two full points of size the ship has, itrequires one Crew Unit. Each unit consists of oneoperational crewman and one technical crewman.Simply put, this means one pilot and one engineer.On larger ships, the operational crew may also benavigators, damage control officers, or operationsmanagers. Additional technical crew are usually justmore engineers. Ship Size 0 or below requires justone crewman skilled in both disciplines. Whenassigning points to the ship’s size, ensure that theship is small enough so that the players have enoughcrew to fly it, and that it is big enough for them allto live in it.

Any ship can comfortably house five people foreach point of the size rating. Housing means givingeveryone a room and carrying enough food for along trip for everyone. If things are desperate, a shipcan carry twice that many people if folks can standto double up, and eat a lot less. However, that will bea very long trip for everyone involved.


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The amount of Cargo Units in a ship is equal totwice the ship’s size. The cargo needs its space. Youshould rate cargo in units based on its bulk.Therefore, a unit of cows is not nearly as valuable asa unit of diamonds. A unit of cows is probably justone cow, whereas a unit of diamonds is a whole boxfull. Obviously, the unit of diamonds is the betterdeal, but finding a full cargo unit of such things isvery rare. However, if a man has a whole heap ofcows he needs moving and the characters have alarge cargo hold, the job is a good one. There is oftennothing to stop characters from taking on differentcargos at the same time though, if space is available.

Ship Size General Example-2 One/two-man shuttle (shuttle

pod on Star Trek)

-1 Small five-man shuttle (shuttle craft on Firefly)

0

1 (Jubal Early’s ship on Firefly;Slave 1 from Star Wars)

2

3 Average cargo trader (Serenityon Firefly; Millennium Falconin Star Wars)

4

5 Large freighter/attack ship(Reaver Ship on Firefly;Liberator on Blakes 7)

6

7

8 Large cruiser (USS EnterpriseD in Star Trek)

9

10 Battle cruiser (Alliance cruiseron Firefly; star destroyer onStar Wars)

There are more things on which to spend yourSpacecraft Quality points. You determine what theplayers can buy. You may veto certain Qualities ifthey do not fit the campaign world. You may alsorule the ship is not big enough for certain equipment.For instance, a fully equipped medical center isnever going to fit onto a shuttle, no matter how manypoints the players spend.

Spaceship EquipmentWeapons

5-, 10-, or 15-point Quality

5 You have some form of weapon the pilotcan fire.

10 Pilot weapon and one gun turret.

15 Pilot weapon and 2 gun turrets.

Sensors and Electronics

Variable Quality or Drawback

–2 Very bad, blind as a bat most days

0 Stuff works

+2 Good Stuff

+4 Excellent Stuff

Engine


–2 Very Slow Engine

0 Normal Engine

+3 Fast Engine

Extra Cargo Space

1-point Quality

Each point in this Quality allows you to takeanother unit of cargo. You may not have a higher rat-ing than 1.5 times your ship’s usual cargo unit rating.

Hiding Places

3- or 7-point Quality

You have secret places to store cargo. For threepoints, you can hide one unit of cargo. For sevenpoints, you can store two units of cargo.


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Medical Bay


–2 Not even so much as a bed for theinjured.

0 You have a first aid kit here somewhere.

+2 You have a medical room, with a bed anda first aid kit.

+4 You have a fully equipped medical bay.

+8 High tech bay for multiple patients.

Stealth Technology

10-point Quality

You are not cloaked, but you can fool most sen-sors that your ship is not there. You are fine as longas no one looks out of the window.

Emergency Measures


–5 None

–2 A couple of fire extinguishers, maybeone space suit.

0 Extinguishers and suits for everyone.

+2 As above, but also for guests.

+4 State of the art damage control and evacu-ation equipment (excellent fire suppres-sion systems, safety back ups, materialsthat don’t burn or give off fumes when onfire, fully equipped lifeboats with survivalrations, and plenty of space suits for every-one).

Space CombatA full system for actual space combat is again

beyond the scope of this article. The detail we haveprovided for spacecraft is mainly to allow you todescribe the vehicle the characters use to get wherethey are going. However, eventually they are goingto run into trouble.

During space combat, the pilot uses his Wild Card(Pilot) skill to attempt evasive maneuvers. Gunnersuse the appropriate skill (Gun Play or Wild Card(Heavy Weapons)) to fire the ship’s weapons (if it

has any). The pilots of all opposing ships roll theirWild Card (Pilot) skill to see who has the best posi-tion. The ship’s engines modify the roll according totheir cost. Whichever ship gets the highest roll is theone in the best position, and gets to fire at its chosentarget. In turn, according to the result of their pilot-ing skill roll, all gunners on all other ships get to rollto hit their targets. Damage is applied. Then the WildCard (Pilot) skill is rolled again.

Shields are too high tech for a true western sci-figame. Therefore, whenever a ship takes fire, damageoccurs. Assume a ship can be hit as many times as ithas size points before things go badly wrong. Foreach hit after that, a critical system fails. Thisrequires an engineer or technician to attempt a repairroll to get it going again. However, if the same sys-tem takes damage a second time, the repair rolls suf-fer a -5 penalty. If the system is hit a third time, it isirreparable without new parts, time, and a completeoverhaul in a spaceport. To see which system takesdamage, roll on the Ship Damage Table.

Ship Damage TableRoll 1D10

1 Life Support.

2-3 Engines.

4 Medical Facilities.

5 Drive Controls (Steering).

6 Weapons (or sensors if you areunarmed).

7-8 Cargo space (destroys 1 cargo unitrather than requires repair).

9 Crew Quarters (destroys randompossessions rather than requiresrepair).

10 Food and Supplies storage (when“destroyed” there are none left).

Once a ship has taken twice its size points in dam-age, it is no more than debris. At that point, the char-acters had better have space suits on.

New WeaponsWe could list all manner of equipment and

weapons. However, just a few will have to do you.There are plenty of high tech devices in the Slayer’sHandbook (for the Buffy the Vampire Slayer roleplay-ing game), Armageddon, and the Terra PrimateApeopolis Apeworld that you’ll find useful. Thesethings should remain rare and valuable; you can cre-ate them as you need for plot devices and goodies forvillains. However, do remember that villain’s toyshave a habit of being stolen by Cast Members.Consider yourself forewarned.

To keep you going, here are some quick sugges-tion for the sort of weapons you may allow in yourgame. Damage is how much they hurt. Clip is thenumber of shots they fire before needing to bereloaded. Range is whether they use the pistol orrifle distances.

Hand Laser/Blaster: This high-tech weapon seescommon use on rich planets. The weapon has only afew shots but the ones it fires count. It essentiallyfires explosive plasma, which packs quite a punch.However, the range is short and it gets mighty hot ifdamaged.

Damage: 18 Clip: 6 Range: Pistol

Standard Peacemaker Pistol: These guns areeverywhere. They have a good range and are highlyaccurate (unlike their original namesake). They arealso as cheap as the ammunition they require, mak-ing them the weapon of choice for the career merce-nary. The guns fire bullets from a rotating cylinderlike a revolver, but they also store ammunition likean automatic. This reduces reload time considerably.


Heavy Pistol: Some folks just got to have a big-ger gun than anyone else.


Plasma Assault Rifle: This is a very nasty pieceof equipment. It fires bullets that are also sealedplasma explosives, getting the best of both worlds. Italso has a large magazine, sights, and stabilizers. Agun like this could easily becomes a mercenary’sfavorite. Many people have names for theirs, likeBetsy for instance.

Damage: 30 Clip: 20 Range: Rifle

Happy TrailsSo, there you have it, partner. While we could go

on for a lot longer, this should get you started on yourown wild west in space campaign. From here, thereis a wealth of adventure ideas if you know where tolook. Almost any science fiction game should gener-ate ideas for adventure hooks that involve travellingto other worlds. Once the characters get to thoseother worlds, you can find things to keep them occu-pied in any good western game. Try to give everyaspect of life in the universe a western theme. Platesand mugs are plain and functional, often made ofcheap metals like tin. Folks gather to eat at woodentables, even in a spacecraft. People in frontier worldsare often prejudiced against outsiders who do notshare their ways. Community is important to every-one, whether a ship’s crew or a group of settlers.Finally, hardship comes as standard in all but themost privileged lives. Rich folk are somehow differ-ent and above the commoners. Those born into fron-tier life live in a world where people die of hungerand want when crops fail or medicines are scarce.

This is the life the characters are trying to avoid.Their ship gives them the chance to aim for some-thing better than most other folks do. Life is hard forthem too, but if they are out in space, they have thechance to forge their own destiny, and not fall preyto the elements or the hardships of settler life. Thatis all any of them really ask, the chance to make theirown lives.

Even if it takes a gun to let them keep flying.

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Useful ResourcesRoleplaying Games

Any Unisystem Corebook - for rules, equipment,and a whole lot more.

Fistful O’ Zombies – for genre, lingo, style, andrules.

Slayer’s Handbook – for it’s invaluable Wild Westbackground.

Deadlands – full of western adventure ideas.

GURPS Wild West and GURPS Space – good gen-eral source material for both aspects of the game.

Traveller (in all its various forms) – a good lowtech space game.

Werewolf Wild West – a good Wild West resource.

Comics & Novels

The Last Shot (4 issues and a preview) – goodmixture of high tech manga and western.

The Saint of Killers (& Preacher) – bad times inthe old west.

Films & TV

Any western film will supply style that you canapply to your game. Some (like Outland) are spaceversions of old westerns, which help show how tomix the two. Definitely watch Stagecoach, the JohnFord version with John Wayne! Actually, anythingdirected by John Ford is good, as are most JohnWayne films. You may also want to look at anythingdirected by Akira Kurasawa. Even though he madeSamurai films, he was heavily influenced by theHollywood western. His films Yojimbo and TheSeven Samurai became A Fistful of Dollars and TheMagnificent Seven respectively. Another film,Rashomon, was made into a western staring WilliamShatner! A look at Kurasawa’s films shows how touse western themes in a very non-western story.

Also check out:

High Noon - Gary Cooper goes out to face the badguys alone.

Outland - Sean Connery does Gary Cooper in thisversion of High Noon in space.

Battle Beyond the Stars – a not bad attempt to doThe Magnificent Seven in space.

Tombstone, Wyatt Earp, Young Guns (1&2) -modern western movies with a less romantic ideaabout the old west.

Farscape (all 4 seasons) – which had its ownshare of wild west style and frontier life amidst thehigh tech.

Shane - Any episode of this classic western willdo.

Star Wars – while it has a mix of genres, it is easyto spot the western genre in the melee.

Blazing Saddles & Carry on Cowboy – westernthemes, but mainly because they are funny.

Firefly – science fiction and western, consider itessential viewing.

“Living in Harmony” - a western episode of ThePrisoner, useful for mind games.

“A Fistful of Datas” - Star Trek fun on theholodeck with a western theme.


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Str 2 Int 3 Dex 4 Per 5 Con 2 Wil 2

Qualities Attractiveness +3 (3)Courtesan (8) Reputation (Good) 2 (4)Resources (Wealthy) (3)

DrawbacksClass Arrogance (2)Covetous (Mild Conspicuousness) (1)Non-combatant (2)

Skills Acrobatics 3 Art 2 Computer 1 Crime 0 Drive 0 Getting Personal 0 Gun Play 0 Influence 5 Knowledge 3Languages 2 Medical 2 Mr. Fix-it 0 Notice 2 Old Style 1 Pilot 0 Science 0 Wild Card (Barter) 3Wild Card (Love Play) 4

Background on the CourtesanIt takes more than beauty to impress theAcademy. A courtesan is no mere doxy orstrumpet. Sex is a small part of the job we

do. We are trained to be companions forour clients - not playthings. As such, weare educated to understand almostevery aspect of life, allowing us torelate to our clients’ troubles, whetherphysical or mental. We also learn how

they can be rested, calmed, excited, andon occasion manipulated.

Unfortunately, the rich are concerned onlywith money and their own meaningless

social games. Few see me as anything morethan a commodity to be bought and sold,rather than a professional. Out here in thefrontier, I’ll not find a man as dashing orrefined. Yet, I need not worry about the poli-tics of the rich, either.

Quote“How dare you! No whore could charge the

sort of prices I do, or be worth every penny.”

Roleplaying theCourtesan

People come to you for the company ofa beautiful and educated companion. Sexisn’t always what is important, as youoffer an intimate way for a person to relax.

While you very much wish to fall inlove, you have been hurt before. One day,you may learn that honor, honesty, and

bravery are just as attractive qualities, per-haps, more so.

CourtesanLife Points 26 Drama Points 10

Combat ManeuversManeuver Bonus Base Damage NotesDodge 7 – Defense actionKnife 5 4 Stash, slabPunch 4 4 Bash


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Qualities Artist (2)Hard to Kill 3 (3) Mercenary (5)Nerves of Steel (3)Situational Awareness (2)

DrawbacksCan’t Back Down (4)Covetous (Serious Greed) (2)Mental Problems (Mild Cruelty) (1)Ornery (3)

Skills Acrobatics 3 Art 4 Computer 1 Crime 4 Drive 1 Getting Personal 4Gun Play 5 Influence 0Knowledge 0Languages 0Medical 1 Mr. Fix-it 1 Notice 4 Old Style 1 Science 0 Wild Card (Barter) 1Wild Card (Pilot) 1

Background on the Mercenary Gunslinger

My folks were the local law in our town.They were saving up money so that I couldgo off-world to college. I might have too,except the Barlow gang came to town and

shot my parents dead. Ma and Pa hadput two of the gang in jail. Fourother Barlows busted them out andthey all came looking for revenge.

There was no warning. They just rodeinto town one day and riddled the sher-

iff station with bullets. After I buriedthem, I picked up a gun and went after

the gang, becoming a bounty hunter.

When I started doing the work, Ihad high morals, but life has a way ofstealing your morals from you. Out on

the frontier, you do what work you can. Ididn’t just run out and start killing folk,these things take time. One day someonegets in the way and you shoot him.Eventually, you start reasoning that somebad guys are better off dead. If someonehad done in the Barlow gang, my folkswould still be around today.

I hired onto this crappy ship withthis weird bunch of crewmates. TheCaptain keeps giving me a fair shareof the proceeds, and I keep offeringmy skills. It’s a good arrangement,no complications.

Quote“I’m not all bad; I do good deeds

if the money’s right.”

Mercenary GunslingerLife Points 51 Drama Points 10

Combat ManeuversManeuver Bonus Base Damage NotesDodge 9 - Defense actionKnife 6 8 Slash/stabPeacemaker 10 14 BulletPunch 9 8 BashHunting Rifle 10 20 Bullet

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Qualities Fast Reaction Time (2)Good Luck 2 (2)Spacecraft 1 (2)Situational Awareness (2)Sweet Temperament (3)Talented (Pilot) (5)

DrawbacksHonorable 2 (2)

Skills Acrobatics 1 Art 0 Computer 2 Crime 0 Drive 3 Getting Personal 1Gun Play 1Influence 0Knowledge 0Languages 2Medical 0 Mr. Fix-it 2Notice 3 Old Style 0Science 1 Wild Card (Pilot) 4

Background on the PilotI never did like being on the ground as a child.

When I was accepted into flight school, I wascompletely amazed, yet disappointed at thesame time. Flight school was just too expen-sive and I was just a farm girl. I could neverattend, but when I wrote to the school to tellthem, they said I had enough talent to quali-fy for sponsorship.

Flight school was amazing, but the peo-ple were horrible. The rich kids didn’tliked being beaten by a farm girl. I quali-

fied as a fighter pilot well ahead of theothers, but didn’t take up the position

the military offered me. I knew the peoplewould be the same as those in flightschool, all money and fancy ways.

Quote“Sorry it’s a bumpy ride, Captain,

but asteroid storms on full burn aretricky.”

Roleplaying thePilot

You are a just a sweet girl whojust likes to fly. You have someof the best training and recom-mendations that anyone couldwant; you could have had your

pick of work. However,you didn’t want to be shoe-

horned into some militaryhierarchy, or hang out withjock pilots who thoughtthey were better thaneveryone else. You justneed to fly, and this ship

and her crew let you dothat just fine.

PilotLife Points 26 Drama Points 10

Combat ManeuversManeuver Bonus Base Damage NotesDodge 5 - Defense actionHand Blaster 5 18 BashPunch 5 4 Bash


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Qualities Contacts (2)Good Luck (2)Holy Man (4)Honorable (2) Talented (Mr. Fix-it) (5)

DrawbacksNon-combatant (6)

Skills Acrobatics 0 Art 0 Computer 2 Crime 0 Drive 2 Getting Personal 1 Gun Play 0 Influence 2 Knowledge 3 Languages 2 Medical 0 Mr. Fix-it 4 Notice 3 Old Style 0 Science 1 Wild Card (Barter) 1 Wild Card (Pilot) 1 Wild Card (Scripture Learning) 3

Background on the Preacher Engineer

In the monastery, if a thing needed fixing,you did it yourself or it stayed broken. Weoffered services to local people as well, whowere very glad to have things fixed for the

cost of a simple meal.

Gold brought hundreds of companymen who threw everyone out of theirhomes. Whole families were movedoff-world. I looked after the familiesas best I could, but very few had anymore use for a preacher. Graduallythe community separated as workwas found. In time, my flock left mebehind. They say God provides. Well,He doesn’t put food in your mouth. I

needed work, and took it on the firstship that would have me aboard.

I’ve fallen in with a bunch of crimi-nal. I wonder if I left God behind, or ifhe’s been following me all this time;just waiting for me to turn round andsee him again.

Quote“No, prayer won’t fix the engine; I

can do that without God. I’m savingmy prayers for this ridiculous plan.”

Roleplaying thePreacher Engineer

You are not the typical preach-er, or technician. You see peo-ple and engines in the same

light. You followedwhat you thought Godwanted of you, and

things worked out. God left you whenyou needed himmost, and you wereangry for a time.

Preacher EngineerLife Points 30 Drama Points 10

Combat ManeuversManeuver Bonus Base Damage Notes

Dodge 3 – Defense actionPunch 3 4 Bash

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Qualities Attractiveness +2 (2)Criminal (2)Eidetic Memory (2)Good Luck 5 (5)Resources (Middle Class) (2)Situational Awareness (2)

DrawbacksCovetous (Serious Greed) (2)

Covetous (SeriousConspicuousness) (2)

Mental Problems (SeriousRecklessness) (2)

Skills Acrobatics 3 Art 1 Computer 1Crime 4 Drive 1 Getting Personal 1Gun Play 1Influence 2Knowledge 0Languages 0Medical 0 Mr Fix-it 0Notice 3 Old Style 0Science 0 Wild Card

(Barter) 2Wild Card

(Card Games) 4 Wild Card

(Pilot) 1

Background on the Saloon GirlWhen I was a little girl, I loved to dance.

Aunt Sally worked in a saloon, andevery now and then I could visit

her. I’d sit quietly by the stage inthe evening and watch the danc-ing. Sure, it wasn’t very proper,and if Aunt Sally had told myparents she let me watch I’dnot have been allowed to visitagain.

When I hit sixteen, Ijoined up with a group of

travelling dancing girls. I love the life andit’s taught me a few new skills. I learnedhow to play a little poker. My innocent

routine lasts long enough to clean out atable. There is always someplace to see,always a saloon needing a dancing girl,always a few marks drunk in the

saloons.

Quote“Surely you kind gentlemen have

space in your game for me. I’vealways wanted to learn poker.”

Roleplaying theSaloon Girl

You are a bit of a wild child.You love to dance and scam.Life is out there for the taking,and you want it all. You couldjoin a ship just to get to the

next job or stay to fleecethem of their cash. Aslong as they can take you

somewhere newand show yousomething youhaven’t experi-enced, you mayjust stay and helpthem out.

Saloon GirlLife Points 30 Drama Points 10


Dodge 5 – Defense actionHoldout Gun 5 12 BulletPunch 5 4 BashKick 4 6 BashSpin Kick 2 8 Bash

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Qualities Contacts (5)Hard to Kill 3 (3)Natural Leader (5)Situational Awareness (2)Spacecraft 5 (10)

DrawbacksCan’t Back Down (4)Clown (1)Emotional Problems (Depression) (1)Honorable (1)Obligation (to his Crew) (Important) (1)Resources (Below Average) (2)

Skills Acrobatics 0 Art 0 Computer 0Crime 3 Drive 0 Getting Personal 2Gun Play 2Influence 2Knowledge 1Languages 0Medical 0 Mr Fix-it 2Notice 3 Old Style 0Science 0 Wild Card

(Barter) 3

Wild Card (Pilot) 2

Background on the SpaceCaptain

I got off-planet the only way I could - Ijoined the army. They gave me a gun and a ten

minute lesson on which way to point it. Then,they sent me to hell. Survival rate on our

missions was only ten percent. Promotionswere quick in coming. I made sergeant ina few months, and I always made sure atleast twenty percent of my people cameback with me.

One time I did my part, but the gov-ernment didn’t do theirs. It seemsthat extraction was a bit too expen-sive for them to do right then. Theyleft us on a barren rock with only afew rations and no medical aid.When they finally arrived therewere only ten of us left, out of the

seventy that survived the fighting.

I went home, but home wasn’t thereanymore. I’d been away for ten years,and Ma and Pa had died. I sold theirfarm for a decent price, and spent it allon a ship. I got together a crew, and wetake work where we can find it. Don’tmuch care what the work is, as long aswe can keep flying.

Quote“Here’s the deal. You’re on my

crew and you do what I say. In return,I make sure you come home.”

Space CaptainLife Points 35 Drama Points 10


Big Knife 3 6 Slash/stabDodge 4 – Defense actionPunch 5 4 BashWinchester Rifle 5 18 BulletShotgun 5 20 BulletSix-Shooter 5 15 Bullet


>HERMES QUERY: SURVEILLANCE RECORD LINE DEVELOPER CONSPIRACY X 2.0

1 match found. <Summary> available.

>SUMMARY

//Summary of tapped phone conversations using keywords “Conspiracy X”//

Dialogue recorded from phone conversation dated 01/01/04, between unknown contact [called “X” for the<transcript>] and <David F. Chapman> [developer for the upcoming <Conspiracy X> project]. AegisPrime removed certain materials for security reasons and to fulfill confidentiality agreements.

>HERMES HYPERLINK: TRANSCRIPT

//Transcript of conversation detailing forthcoming Conspiracy X project//

File number: 102.211.14.1644.14.04 Date: 01/01/04 Transcripted: 01/04/04 Location: Norfolk, United KingdomSubjects: “X” and David F. Chapman [DFC]

X: “Are you sure this line is secure?”

DFC: “I checked it this morn-ing. I haven’t been out of thehouse long, they couldn’t havere-instigated a tap that quickly.”

X: “You remember whathappened to George’s files?”

DFC: “That’s because he was too close to exposing the truth. The NDD removed the files before hecould go public. What I’m hoping to dois to restore that information, and makeit available before the Black Book canstop us.”

X: “How did you get involved?”

DFC: “It started years ago when I was run-ning an independent comic publishing company.A friend, J, contacted me knowing my interest ingaming and a certain paranormal investigation TVseries that was running back then. From readingthe initial publication, I was hooked. I read every-

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thing that had been put into print, and I approached Edenabout a possible Conspiracy X comic series. However,the independent comics market was on a decline and mycompany went on hiatus. I maintained my contact withEden and started submitting material which lead to myhelping on Buffy, Fistful o’ Zombies and eventually proj-ect editing <Terra Primate>. Always in the back of mymind was the world of Conspiracy X. There was justsomething about it that seemed to ring so true. Thebackground was so detailed, I started to doubt its claimsas a work of fiction.”

X: “I know you can’t tell me too much, butwhat is the deal with the new edition? How didthat come about?”

DFC: “The core rulebook for Conspiracy X was run-ning out of stock. Eden knew that eventually it wouldhave to go to reprint and the initial idea was to go to anew edition. However, there was some debate regard-ing the system. Original fans of Conspiracy X voicedtheir desire for a clean-up of the original rules, somethought a change to d20 Modern would be the best wayto go, while others thought Unisystem would be thelogical choice. The original system was fine, althoughit did face some criticisms. Yet, if it retained its origi-nal system, Conspiracy X would be the only game Edenproduces which isn’t Unisystem or d20. Just when peo-ple were forgetting about the game, and after I’d fin-ished work on <Terra Primate>, I drafted a proposal toEden explaining how Conspiracy X could be convertedto Unisystem and retain everything that made the gameso popular. After a bit of adjustment, and knockingsome controversial ideas around, the project was green-lighted. It has taken some time to knock into shape,after all, there were fourteen books to take into account,many of which had rules that supersede their precedingbooks. Character creation evolved from the corebook,to Aegis Handbook to Sub Rosa, etc. All of this had tobe addressed as well as converted to Unisystem.”

X: “How has all the original material beenconverted? Have there been many changes?”

DFC: “There have been a few changes, but theessence, the background, has remained the same.Although the system has changed, everything that waspossible in the original CX will be possible with the newedition. The plan is for three initial books. TheCorebook will cover character creation, which is a mas-

sive amount of information to take in. Professions,pulling strings, masses of new Qualities and Drawbacksand some skills had to be created to ensure the optionsof the original game would remain. With Cell creation,rules for game play and the basics of the setting, it washard to keep the core book from being even thicker than<Armageddon>. <CJ> advised on some elements,keeping Conspiracy X completely compatible with all ofthe Unisystem games to date. In fact, the Sourcebooksplanned [see below] will directly address mixing the set-tings with that of <WitchCraft> [the Combine as part ofthe conspiracy, the relationship between Seepage andEssence] other full Unisystem games.”

X: “Wait a second! Seepage? What is thisSeepage?”

DFC: “Just about everyone has a smattering of psy-chic ability, like hunches or precognitive dreams. Mostpeople are unaware, but this psychic energy leaks out,especially at times of fear or stress. The energy pools inplaces strong in superstition or belief. This energy iscalled Seepage. If enough of it gathers, it can becomesentient – an malicious presence that can distort reality,alter perceptions and corrupt the unprepared, mutatingthem physically and twisting their minds. The skilledcan use these manifestations to their own end, althoughthey constantly risk corruption.”

X: “Okay, now back to what you were sayingabout Unisystem games.”

DFC: “Fans of the other games will find plenty ofinspirational material in Conspiracy X, as well as amyriad of new character options. Conspiracy X couldeven be used to tie in with non-Unisystem games thatEden produces, such as Odyssey Prime [ideas forincorporating Aegis and the Saurian threat are provid-ed in Odyssey Prime] or even Buffy [is the Initiativepart of the conspiracy?]”

X: “You said ‘the basics of the setting?’ Howdo you mean?”

DFC: “One thing that was addressed was how mucha player should know. The corebook is basically aplayers’ handbook, and we limited the amount of back-ground the player would know about the conspiracies,the aliens, and the paranormal. That is where the sec-ond two books will come in. The <Extraterrestrials


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Sourcebook> reproduces all of the information fromthe races books, converts it to Unisystem and is for theChronicler only. The <Paranormal Sourcebook> willdetail psychic abilities, rituals, corruption, and crypto-zoology. While enough of this is presented in the core-book to allow players and Chroniclers to play the game,the wealth of material in these two sourcebooks willtake the game anywhere they can imagine. These willbe supplemented by the <Conspiracies Sourcebook>which will take the conspiracy to whole new levelswith the .”

X: “You said before, about the backgrounddetail, how it didn’t seem like fiction . . . what’sthat all about? Is it true?”

DFC: “I can’t say too much. It all started withRoswell. A secret organization called <The Watch>split into two warring factions. Both <Aegis> and<The Black Book> think they are working to aid theworld. One hopes to rid the planet of the alien threat,the other hopes to protect humanity by working with thealiens. Agents work in secret to investigate paranormaloccurrences, alien sightings, or supernatural creatures.It’s not just the three alien races that threaten humanity,there’s the slow and relentless corruption from a malev-olent supernatural force. Powerful psychic agents per-form inhuman feats, while others cast dangerous spellsto try to protect an unsuspecting world. While I can’tsay if it’s true or not, I’ve always felt that Conspiracy X,and other media such as The X-Files or Taken are justthe government preparing society for the inevitable.When they finally reveal the knowledge that they havebeen hiding from us for all these years, the world won’tscream in panic, as we will have been half expecting it.The only thing we don’t know is if the little grey menwill be ‘Close Encounters’ peace and love, or ‘Signs’and fighting them off with baseball bats. In CX, thegreys are far more dangerous than you could imagine,something so totally alien in their thinking… and theyare just one of the races that threaten and manipulate theworld. Then there are the inhuman predators that stalkthe night, creatures from our nightmares that encroachinto our reality . . . I can say no more.”

X: “How has the game converted? Will therebe a noticeable difference in game play?”

DFC: “There have been a few changes, but that ismostly the result of the changing face of the world.The government departments have undergone dramaticrestructuring since the publication of the originalbooks, and these changes had to be taken into account.From the minor move of the ATF enforcement to themajor changes from the Department of HomelandSecurity Act. However, the original game was an inter-esting hybrid. It encouraged secretive manipulations,and fans have said that CX agents played “smokingman” characters that use their influence to achieve theirobjectives. On the other hand, the original game alsoprovided rules for cinematic gun-fu, despite how dead-ly armed combat was. The new edition again allowsfor both types of play. The manipulation and pullingstrings remain, while the cinematic element can beemployed for those who enjoy suited agents engagingin extreme martial arts and bullet-dodging gun-fu.There has also been the addition of[XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX] derived from alien tech,which allows an experimental few agents to[XXXXXXXXXXXX].”

X: “And the fans of the original game? Whatabout them?”

DFC: “All of the books will have conversion rulesto allow the easy transition from one system to theother. I hope that with the publication of the new edi-tion, interest will be restored in Conspiracy X with thegamers and the demand will be there for some of theinformation that has remained in the classified files(such as Area 51, Terra Incognita, [XXXXXXXX] andExtinction) to see public access (with conversion rulesfor the original CX fans). This will all depend upon thereaction to the new CX. The CX world is vast anddetailed, and there is a wealth of material that remainsto be seen. Unless, of course, someone takes it intotheir hands to try to silence us . . . Wait a minute, didyou hear that?”

X: “What? I didn’t hear anything…”

DFC: “The clicks. There was noise on the line.This isn’t secure. Someone was listening to all this…[hangs up]”

<end transcript>

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Introduction

Adventure BackgroundThe agents are contacted by their parent Cell with-

in Aegis to investigate rumors that a newer medicalresearch facility, the Asklepios Corporation, made amajor medical breakthrough. They claim to have anew nanotechnology-based project that cures cancer.Asklepios Corporation is a UK company that hasAmerican lawyers brokering a deal for FDAapproval and nationwide testing to get their productinto the market as quickly as possible. The agentssoon learn that other powers are interested in thistechnology, as well, and will stop at nothing toacquire the cure. Can the agents keep the cure fromfalling into the wrong hands—and is this miraclecure just too good to be true?

The agents discover a conspiracy brewing aroundthis medical breakthrough—dubbed ProjectPanacea. One of the American lawyers has beenapproached with a business proposition—steal asample of Panacea and turn it over to TakeiIndustries, a Japanese medical research facility, inexchange for several million dollars. The Yakuza, aJapanese organized crime syndicate, is secretlybehind the attempts to obtain Project Panacea. TheYakuza have sent one of their own men to the UnitedStates to keep an eye on things, a biologicallyenhanced assassin known as Tiger Eye.

Ultimately, the agents learn that the Yakuza have alarge interest in Takei Industries. They have secretlybeen developing a cancer-causing agent they intendto use in their criminal enterprise. The discovery ofthe Panacea technology spurred the Yakuza toaction—if they can control both the cause and thecure for their biologically engineered strain of can-cer, the potential for worldwide extortion and terror-ism is overwhelming. The agents must discover theconspiracy and stop those involved before a cancerepidemic is unleashed upon an unsuspecting world.

This module uses New York City as the hub ofactivity. Game Masters should feel free to adjust thesetting to fit the area where their campaign is set. A

large metropolitan area works best, but creativeGame Masters can easily modify this.

In Chapter One: Mission Briefing, the agentslearn about Asklepios Corporation for the first time.The parent Cell contact for this mission providesbackground information on Asklepios Corporation,including a recent press release and initial medicalfindings based on their nanotechnologycure—code-named Project Panacea. The agents aretold about Davis, Davis & Goldstein, the law firmhandling the Asklepios Corporation account in theUnited States, and are asked to plant bugs in the lawoffices to learn more.

In Chapter Two: Long Arm of the Law Firm,the agents conduct research about Davis, Davis &Goldstein as they hatch a plan to infiltrate the lawfirm and set up surveillance. There are various role-playing opportunities that allow access to the facili-ty without raising too much suspicion. Fast-talking,deception and subterfuge are the agents’ bestweapons, as direct conflict or violence sends the par-ties under investigation into hiding.

Chapter Three: The Junkyard Drop provides achance to gather intelligence on the law firm. Theagents learn that representatives from AsklepiosCorporation will be meeting with lawyers fromDavis, Davis, & Goldstein to hand over importantmedical documents, research results—and mostimportantly—an actual sample of the ProjectPanacea biotechnology. The agents’ instructions areto stake out the meeting. There they discover thatother people are interested in the technology, and afirefight erupts.

A dangerous adversary, known as Tiger Eye, inter-rupts the proceedings. The head of AsklepiosCorporation is murdered, and a fierce battle ensuesover the briefcase with the Panacea sample and med-ical research. The agents must decide whether to risktheir lives to secure the briefcase.

The mysterious stranger reveals himself to theagents in Chapter Four: Taming the Tiger. TheYakuza enforcer is sent to retrieve everything relat-


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ed to Project Panacea, and has ties to a Japanese firmfunding the Asklepios Corporation research. Theclues start to fall into place for the agents as theyrealize a conspiracy exists between members ofAsklepios Corporation, Davis, Davis, & Goldsteinand Takei Industries—a nefarious plot to release abio-engineered pathogen that will cause cancer . . . acancer that only Takei Industries will have the curefor, thanks to Project Panacea.

If Tiger Eye has the briefcase and the samples ofProject Panacea, the agents need to recover it imme-diately. If the agents hold the briefcase, Tiger Eyehunts the agents down to obtain it. One way or theother, the agents confront Tiger Eye in a deadly finalconfrontation.

Finally, in Chapter Five: Winding Down, theagents decide the fate of Project Panacea—whetherthe materials are returned to Asklepios Corporation,destroyed, or handed over to Aegis. Their parentCell contact rewards them for their work, and theagents earn well-deserved commendations

The Appendix provides a detailed list of the keycharacters involved in this adventure. This sectionhas all the information the Game Master needs tobring these characters to life—NPC backgrounds,motivations, and relevant game statistics.

Chapter One: Mission Briefing

While enjoying some time off after their previousmission, the agents are contacted by their parent Cellwith instructions to travel to New York City to learnmore about a task Aegis would like them to perform.Each agent is contacted secretly, with instructions tomeet this coming Friday at a large office building indowntown Manhattan. Let the characters roleplaybriefly to make their plans for the trip or to makeexcuses with their “real life” jobs for the suddendeparture.

Regardless, on Friday the agents enter a largebuilding in the center of the hustle and bustle ofManhattan. They arrive on the 30th floor, speakbriefly with a secretary, and enter a meeting roomthrough a metal detector and down several long,twisting corridors. If any of the agents are carryingweapons, security guards politely ask them to turnthem over for the time being.

The meeting room is a large conference area withjet-black furniture, paneling, and accessories. Alarge, sleek table with a glass top sits in the center ofthe room. A closed file folder rests on top of thetable. Enclosed is a copy of the Press Release fromAsklepios Corporation (see p. 44). Once all theagents are in the meeting room, a video monitor setinto the wall crackles to life. The monitor reveals anelectronically masked silhouette of a man’s face. Adeep, bass voice rumbles through speakers set in thecorners of the conference room.

READ ALOUD TO PLAYERS

“Please, take your seats. We have much todiscuss. As you know, each of you has per-formed valuable services for Aegis in the past.We need your services again. I am the actingcontact for this Cell for the duration of this mis-sion. You can call me Senior Agent Fetters.

“It has come to my attention that a medicalresearch facility in Europe has developed agroundbreaking advancement in nanotechnolo-gy. The company, the Asklepios Corporation,has submitted a patent for a new biological tech-nology, dubbed Project Panacea. Among otherbenefits, Panacea may hold the key to the curefor cancer.

“As you can imagine, if even a portion of thisis accurate, then we are on the verge of a med-ical revolution. Rumors persist that several par-ties are interested in acquiring this medical mar-vel for themselves—and you can be certain theirmotives are less than humanitarian.

“I have learned that Asklepios Corporation isworking with an American law firm to securedomestic and international rights for pharmaceu-tical testing and distribution. The law firm,Davis, Davis & Goldstein, happens to be righthere in New York City. At the end of next week,high-level Asklepios Corporation executivesarrive to meet with their lawyers at Davis,Davis, & Goldstein. Once there, they shall beginthe legal process of securing distribution rights.

“This is where you come in. Your mission isto gain access to the law offices of Davis, Davis& Goldstein, and plant surveillance equipment.We need to know more about the technology,Asklepios Corporation’s plans here in theStates, and the exact role of the law firm in theproceedings.

“You have access to the resources here in thisoffice, and may use this as a base of operationsfor your mission. However, secrecy and subtletyare paramount. If members of either AsklepiosCorporation or the law firm grow suspicious, wemay not only lose our best chance to learn moreabout them, but we may alert the other groupsinterested in this technology.

“We will meet in this conference room at1900 hours each day this coming week for a sta-tus report. Now, you have the weekend to pre-pare yourselves. I suggest you get started.”

With that, the person referring to himself as AgentFetters is willing to answer a few brief questions, butremains tight-lipped about anything related to who isfunneling him orders. His answers are brief and per-functory. Afterward, the video monitor blinks off.

The group should start investigating as soon aspossible. They undoubtedly have access to sophisti-cated computer equipment linked to the Internet,large databases of technical, medical, and espi-onage-related information, and several governmentagencies’ watch lists. A handful of other researchersand assistants in the facility are available to assistthe agents in tracking down leads.

Research TopicsThere are several topics for the agents to pursue. If

the agents head down a path not covered here, feelfree to either rein them in by revealing nothing rele-vant, or create red herrings by planting rumors aboutpossible links to Alien technology, former villains ororganizations they may have run into or other imag-inary threats.

Agents can use either Computer Use or Researchto investigate and can work together to increase theirchances of success. Based on how the agents proceedand the degree of success they achieve with eachpiece of research, relay the information found below.

Asklepios Corporation Learning about Asklepios Corporation is easy.

They have made huge medical advances in only afew short years. There is substantial informationonline and in medical journals.

Df2 Information

• Dr. John Raffert founded Asklepios Corporationseven years ago.

• Dr. Raffert is well known and well respected inthe medical community for his tireless work oncancer research over the years.

• Asklepios Corporation’s headquarters are inLondon, but research branches in France,Germany, and Greece also exist.

• Asklepios Corporation has had six pharmaceuti-cal products approved for use throughoutEurope, all for the treatment of various commonailments.

• Asklepios was the Greek God of Healing – a fit-ting name for a medical research group. In fact,the Sanctuary of Asklepios in Ancient Greecewas the greatest healing center in the world atone time.

• The dendrimer technology described in the pressrelease refers to innovative biochemicalresearch, the next evolutionary step of nanotech-nology—this breakthrough is seen as providingentirely new methods of medicinal treatment fora variety of illnesses.

Df3 Information

• Before breaking into the cluttered pharmaceuticalfield, private donations and government grantsprovided the majority of Asklepios researchmonies.

• Project Panacea is clearly the most medicallyadvanced project Asklepios Corporation hasever accomplished.


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• The project lead for Panacea is a well-respectedmedical pioneer named Dr. Allan Summers.

• Other research facilities have offered Dr.Summers very lucrative positions, but he refusesto leave Asklepios Corporation.

Df4 Information

• Takei Industries, a major medical facility inJapan holding numerous contracts with theJapanese government, has a recent history offunding and research sharing with AsklepiosCorporation.

• The most aggressive leaps in technology haveoccurred in the last year. It all started at roughlythe same time a Dr. Alex Gildon joined theresearch team.

• Agents achieving a Df4 success can also gainaccess to a list of important people related toAsklepios Corporation. A separate Df4Computer Use or Research Test is required tolearn the specific information associated witheach person. See Appendix for more details.

Red Herring Information: Feel free to distributethese notes to add confusion or misinformation tothe research, or if the agents wish to investigate lessreputable sources of information. This information isalso handy if an agent tests Luck and ends up with aBad Luck result.

• Conspiracy web rings and message boards insistthat Asklepios Corporation’s success is due inpart to the application of Ancient Atlantean sci-ence (False).

• A presumably high-ranking government officialhas revealed to secret sources that the cancer curehas been cultured from alien DNA harvestedafter a UFO crash in Europe last spring (False).

• Rumors that Takei Industries, the Japanese med-ical foundation working with AsklepiosCorporation, has ties to the Yakuza crime syndi-cate (True).

• The largest private investment in AsklepiosCorporation is from Ronald Armitage, an incred-ibly wealthy Australian banker (True, but irrele-vant).

Davis, Davis & Goldstein Learning about Davis, Davis & Goldstein is a bit

more difficult. They are a relatively small law firmyet to make a big splash in the news with any of theirclients.

Df2 Information

• Davis, Davis & Goldstein has office space on the33rd floor of a business building in midtownManhattan.

• The Senior Partners are Donald Davis, Jr.,Donald Davis, Sr., and Richard Goldstein – allthree have established reputations as excellentlawyers.

• The law firm specializes in providing interna-tional clients with the means to broker distribu-tion rights within the U.S.

Df3 Information:

• Donald Davis, Jr. is the point person on theAsklepios Corporation account.

• The Asklepios Corporation account would con-ceivably be the single largest account ever han-dled by Davis, Davis, & Goldstein and repre-sents the potential for millions of dollars in rev-enue.

• Agents achieving a Df3 success acquire a floorplan of the law office’s suite. See Chapter Two:Long Arm of the Law Firm for more details.

Df4 Information:

• Last year, Donald Davis, Jr. accumulated anenormous gambling debt—conflicting reportsput the amount anywhere between $500,000 and$3 million.

• Agents achieving a Df4 success can also gainaccess to a list of important people related toDavis, Davis & Goldstein. A separate Df4Computer Use or Research Test is required tolearn the specific information associated witheach person. See Appendix for more details.

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Red Herring Information: Distribute these notesto add confusion or misinformation to the research.Agents investigating less reputable sources of infor-mation will also come across this information. Thisinformation is also handy if an agent tests Luck andends up with a Bad Luck result.

• Lisa Cushing, the office manager at the law firm,is having an affair with Donald Davis, Jr. (False).

• The law firm has strong ties to organized crime,and helps the Mafia launder money (False).

Chapter Two: Long Arm of the Law Firm

After conducting research, the agents shouldbegin their plans to infiltrate the Davis, Davis &Goldstein law firm and plant the surveillance equip-ment. If the group does not have the proper surveil-lance equipment, Agent Fetters provides the groupwith the following equipment:

• One micro-transmitter. This small device is thesize of a videotape. It has a 100-hour battery life.Place this within 100 meters of the surveillancebugs to amplify their output and broadcast.

• Six electronic “ears.” Each of these audio bugs isslightly smaller than a dime. They are simplemicrophone components with an internal batterylife of 100 hours. They collect a wide range ofaudio frequencies, and can generally capture anysound louder than a whisper within 10 meters.

• Four electronic “eyes.” Each of these video bugsis the size of a cigarette lighter. They are simplefisheye lens video components with an internalbattery life of 100 hours. They record in full-colorand have an effective visual range of 20 meters.

The agents may contact Agent Fetters withrequests for additional surveillance equipment ormission-specific gear. Agent Fetters denies allweaponry requests. Fetters re-iterates the impor-tance of secrecy and maintaining a low profile.

There are numerous methods of gaining entry intothe law firm to plant the bugs. Agents may come up

with several ideas that could all work. Reward theagents’ creativity by adjusting the Difficulty of vari-ous Tests based on their planning. Outlined beloware several possible plans.

Disguise: The group could develop disguisesusing the Disguise skill and create a reason for enter-ing the office. They could pose as delivery men withimportant packages to drop off, caterers bringinglunch in for an important meeting, members of thenightly cleaning crew there to vacuum and tidy up.There are many possibilities using this approach.

If this is their approach, have a member of thegroup attempt a Df3 Disguise Test to create believ-able disguises.

Covert Methods: The agents may decide to avoidany personal contact whatsoever, trying to gainaccess to the building after hours. There are serviceelevators, HVAC ducts, stairwells, and many placesa creative agent to sneak.

If this is their approach, a Df4 Computer Use Testallows access to the building’s structural layout,security camera stations, and additional information.Depending on how they apply this information andtheir actual plans, a Df3 or Df4 Stealth Test may benecessary to bypass security guards and surveillanceequipment. A Df3 Lockpicking Test allows accessinto the main office space.

Leveraging Contacts: Another option is to lever-age contacts the players know to help gain access.Someone with a high-level media contact may try toset up an interview with one of the lawyers, usingthis opportunity to access the offices. Agents withstrong business contacts may decide to set up ameeting with the lawyers to discuss a possible rela-tionship with the firm (legitimate or otherwise).

This approach may require a Df2 or Df3 ForgeryTest to create documents, media passes or other itemsto lend credibility to the agents’ cover story, unlessthey can obtain real copes of such items. This methodallows agents a variety of roleplaying opportunities.

Psychic Abilities: Some agents may have psychicabilities that could help. While several of these abil-ities are rather subtle, some are far more direct.Telepaths or agents with Greater Bio PK may decideto apply their psychic abilities to members of the lawfirm. Telekinetic characters may try to insert the sur-


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veillance equipment remotely. There are simply toomany possibilities to cover here.

No one in the law firm has significant psychicabilities to detect or resist those powers. Use thestandard rules for Psychic abilities from theConspiracy X rulebook to resolve these tests.

The Law Offices of Davis,Davis & Goldstein

Through their research, the group most likely hasacquired a floor plan of the offices. If so, planningwill be much easier.

The firm’s office is located on the 33rd floor of a50-story business building in midtown Manhattan.The office takes up about one-third of the floor. Theoffice directly above them is a credit card collectioncall center, and the office below them is a technicalrecruiting firm. The law firm has been in this loca-tion for nearly 15 years, and building security knowsmost of the lawyers and employees.

The building has a large main lobby with a securi-ty station operation 24/7. They have security camerasin the main lobby, the elevators and the hallways ofeach main floor, but not inside the individual busi-nesses. Two security guards are on duty at all times inthe lobby, and two more make rounds through thebuilding. There is a parking complex with severalsublevels and enough space to accommodate 250cars. 200 of the parking places are reserved for theworkers in the building. Fifty parking places areavailable for visitors on the first sublevel. There aretwo service elevators and two stairwells running fromthe parking level to the main lobby.

Four elevators run from the lobby to the 25thfloor, and four other elevators run from the 26ththrough the 50th floors. Two sets of stairwells, dou-bling as emergency exit paths, run the course of thebuilding. Among all the different businesses,between 5,000-8,000 people work in the buildingduring the day; generally fewer than 1,000 work dur-ing off-peak hours.

Upon exiting an elevator on the 33rd floor, visitorsare immediately greeting by Lisa Cushing. A sittingarea, two rest rooms, and a utility closet are imme-diately to the left of the elevators. Behind the frontdesk are a hallway leading perpendicular, and two

hallways running parallel away from her desk. Theperpendicular hallway leads to a break room and thefirst of two reference libraries.

The hallway to Lisa’s right contains five associ-ates’ offices, a supply room, and ends in a hallwayleading to the right. This hallway contains threemeeting rooms and leads to the hallway on Lisa’sleft hand side.

The hallway to Lisa’s left contains the offices ofRichard Goldstein, Donald Davis, Sr., DonaldDavis, Jr., a second research library, the combinedoffices of Louis Armstead and Janet McCauley, thecombined offices of Jacob Richardson and AndrewStone, the emergency stairwell exit, a second set ofrestrooms, and three associates’ offices.

General office information: The office containsstylish art, comfortable furniture, and state-of-the-arttechnology.

Front desk and reception area: Lisa Cushing,the office manager, is always at the front desk dur-ing normal business hours. She is polite and courte-ous, but insists on seeing credentials or identifica-tion for anyone stating they are part of the media,police, a delivery service, or anyone else she doesnot know on sight.

Research Libraries A & B: Both libraries havefour computer stations with access to the Internetand several legal databases, numerous shelvesstacked with legal books, and dozens of filing cabi-nets with reference documents and forms. Bothlibraries also have laser printers linked to the net-work. All the computers in the office can print to oneof these two printers.

Offices for senior partners: These offices featureluxurious hardwood floors, burnished woodendesks, chairs and tasteful art. They are large, com-fortable offices with high-end computers andInternet access. There is a secure intranet to handleoffice business, email, and internal communications.Hacking into the network is a Df4 ComputerProgramming Test if done from outside the offices,or a Df3 Computer Programming Test if attempt-ed from one of the computers inside the network.

Offices for junior partners and associates:These offices feature functional wood desks, com-fortable chairs and numerous filing cabinets. These

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employees each have high-end computers withInternet access. There is a secure intranet to handleoffice business, email, and internal communications.Hacking into the network is a Df4 ComputerProgramming Test if done from outside the offices,or a Df3 Computer Programming Test if attempt-ed from one of the computers inside the network.

Meeting Rooms A, B & C: All three meetingrooms feature large wooden tables and chairs tocomfortably seat up to twelve people. They havestate-of-the-art multimedia projection systems anderasable marker boards which slide open to reveal aprojection screen. Potted plans, artwork, and a fewsmall desks fill out the meeting rooms.

Break Room: This large room features two longcafeteria-style tables and chairs for up to twelve peo-ple. A refrigerator, microwave, and two vendingmachines occupy the back wall. A large coffeemaker is always running, brewing regular and decafcoffee for employees and visitors. There is a smallsink and cabinets housing napkins, utensils, mugs,coffee refills, and other similar items.

The Inside Scoop Assuming the agents used some creativity and tact,

they have little trouble getting inside the law officesand planting the surveillance equipment. Do not for-get about the daily updates with Agent Fetters—theseare opportunities to spur them into action, but to offersuggestions if the agents seem stymied.

After completing this mission, they return to meetwith Agent Fetters. With the surveillance equipmentoperational, the agents have gained access to someimportant information. During one of the meetings,Agent Fetters reveals that he pulled some strings andreceived this information:

• A small contingent of Asklepios Corporationrepresentatives will arrive in the U.S. on the fol-lowing Tuesday.

• Those attending are Dr. Allan Summers, Dr.Alex Gildon, Stan Matthewson, James Kenichiand Ken Kimuro. See Appendix for more infor-mation about these characters.

• Dr. John Raffert will not arrive until Thursdayafternoon. He is finishing paperwork necessary fortransporting biological material internationally.

• Donald Davis, Jr. and Dr. John Raffert havereferred to an off-site meeting to hand overmaterials important to the application. DonaldDavis, Jr. has expressed concern that the lawoffices may be too high profile and subject tosurveillance by third parties.

• Agent Fetters believes this implies that a sampleof Project Panacea is coming to the U.S. for sci-entific analysis as part of the patent applicationprocess.

• The drop off will be made Thursday at midnightat an abandoned junkyard in Queens. Recordsindicate the property belongs to a former clientof Davis, Davis & Goldstein.

Armed with this information, Agent Fetters givesthe agents their next assignment. The agents willstake out the junkyard on Thursday and obtain visu-al and audio confirmation on the parties involved inthe drop, and ultimately acquire the Project Panaceasample.

Chapter Three: The Junkyard Drop

Once they receive orders from Agent Fetters, theagents should start preparing for their next mission.They have access through Agent Fetters to sophisti-cated surveillance equipment to monitor the drop.Agent Fetters urges the agents to exercise a degreeof caution, but admits that obtaining the ProjectPanacea sample is the single most important aspectof the mission.

Depending on how long it took the agents to bugthe law offices, they may have nearly a week beforethe drop takes place. This allows them to case thejunkyard or obtain a layout of it.

There are several ways to get this map. The agentscan pull up a plot plan online by making a Df3Computer Use Test, or by going to city hall and ask-ing for the building schematics. They can also sim-ply drive by the facility and make their own obser-vations.


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Possible ConfrontationIf the agents do their own drive by surveillance of

the junkyard on the Tuesday or Wednesday before thedrop, a Df4 Perception Test reveals that a blue sedanwith rental tags is also slowly driving by the area. Ifthe agents drive by on more than one day, thisbecomes a Df3 Perception Test, as they have a chanceto have seen the same car on more than one day.

This car has two Yakuza enforcers sizing up thejunkyard for the eventual firefight they know iscoming on Thursday. If the agents tail or pursue thiscar, it leads to a small, rundown hotel a short dis-tance from the junkyard. Seven Yakuza are at thehotel, waiting for word from Ken Kimuro on thedetails of the drop. They currently plan to drive intothe junkyard after everyone else, closing off theentrance, and providing a getaway for Kimuro afterhe grabs the sample.

If the agents are foolish enough to engage the fullcomplement of Yakuza, a firefight certainly breaksout. Four of the Yakuza provide cover fire to allowthree of the members to leave through a back door inthe hotel. The Yakuza will fight to the death. SeeAppendix 1 for statistics on the Yakuza Muscle.

Lay of the Land The junkyard is a large land plot in a derelict sec-

tion of town. Once a prosperous warehouse district,there is little around. Abandoned warehouses litterthe area for several blocks around the junkyard. Afew demolished buildings dot the landscape. Verylittle traffic passes through the area and few vagrantsor homeless bother with it. Rats and some loose dogsare common, but otherwise it is a fairly quiet anddowntrodden section of town.

Seven-foot tall chain link fences surround thejunkyard, with rusted razor wire coiled along thetop. A heavy chain and lock run through the twolarge swinging gates by the front of the junkyard,where a worn sign reads “Carter’s Junk and Scrap.”A smaller, similarly locked gate is along the back ofthe junkyard. Both locks are still serviceable, andDonald Davis, Jr. has the key.

The junkyard covers two acres of land. Piles ofcars fill the property. There is a single road wideenough for vehicles to use. The road leads from thefront gate, past a small building, and then it winds its

way to the back gate. Cast Members and NPCs maywander off the main road. This causes a slight risk ofinjury from debris, unstable car piles, and rats.

A Df3 Lockpicking Test is required to open thelocks without destroying them. Characters can climbthe fence and avoid cutting themselves on the razorwire with a Df4 Strength Test. Failure requires aLuck Test. If the agent has Good Luck after failingto climb, he suffers no damage. On a roll of BadLuck after failing to climb, the razor wire cuts themfor Fw2 damage. Any other result inflicts Fw1 dam-age. If the agents remove the razor wire, a Df3Strength Test is needed to climb the fence.

The majority of the piles of junk are stacks of par-tially scrapped cars from 10 to 15 feet tall. There arealso many piles and heaps of tires, junked car partsand miscellaneous scrap metal. Most of the stacksand piles are stable. Characters should make Df3Strength Tests to safely climb any of the piles.

A wide dirt path leads to an abandoned trailer rest-ing on cement blocks, which used to function as theoffice. It is currently empty and in poor repair.Rickety wooden steps lead up to the trailer. The win-dows are broken and the furniture and fixtures insidesmashed, rusted and moldy. Rats infest most of thetrailer, as well as most of the junkyard.

If any of the characters are particularly attentive toa nearby utility pole or the transformer, they have asmall chance of noticing something. A Df4Perception Test reveals that attached to the very topof the pole are metal and rope materials. A Df4Intelligence Test will tell the agents it is a zip wireharness. The zip wire harness is a combination ofrepelling gear and a variety of ceramic or metalloops used to quickly travel along wires or ropes.Used properly, the zip wire harness would allow aperson to quickly zip along the telephone wires atthis utility pole to a point several blocks away.

A Df5 Perception Test reveals that someone hastampered with the transformer. Soldered to the sideis a small metal canister. Someone took care to makethis appear as if it belongs, but it is in far bettershape than the rest of the metal. Careful inspectionreveals three blocks of C4 explosive set with anelectronically controlled remote detonationsystem—someone could trigger the explosives fromup to 150 meters away.

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The Drop As long as the agents use some caution to hide out

in the junkyard and wait for the drop, the eveningunfolds as outlined below. Ken Kimuro keeps to theoriginal plan even if he knows of the agents’involvement.

At 11:45 PM, a black sedan with New York platespulls up to the junkyard. Donald Davis, Jr. gets outof the vehicle and unlocks the front gate. The carpulls up the path and turns around by the trailer.Donald Davis, Jr. walks to the rear exit and unlocksthe chained door. He then returns to the car andlights up a cigarette. The car engine is running andthe headlights shine. Two unfamiliar men are withDonald Davis, but remain in the car.

At midnight, a dark green sedan with rental platespulls into the junkyard. Dr. Alex Summers, Dr. JohnRaffert, and Stan Matthewson get out of the car. Dr.Raffert has a large silver briefcase handcuffed to hiswrist. Dr. Raffert and Donald Davis, Jr. begin to talk.

Shortly after midnight, the blue sedan the agentssaw earlier approaches with its headlights turned off.The car rolls just inside the front gate and idles there.Three Japanese men in black trench coats emerge,and a driver remains in the car. They stick to thesides of the path, slowly moving up the path untilthey are about twenty feet from the green sedanbelonging to the Asklepios Corporation people.

A Df3 Perception Test reveals that the men arearmed. One appears to have a submachine gun ofsome sort under his coat, while the other two havesemiautomatic pistols. Df4 Perception Test revealsthe following information about the men:

• All three men are missing the last knuckle on thepinky finger of their right hand

• All three men have tattoos covering the backs oftheir hands and necks which continue until cov-ered by their trench coats

At 12:10 AM, after several minutes of discussion,Stan Mattewson pulls out a key ring and unlocks thehandcuff from Dr. Raffert. As soon as Dr. Raffertremoves the briefcase from his wrist and StanMatthewson takes a step toward Donald Davis, Jr.,the agents can attempt a Df3 Perception Test to heara single “pop.”

A small red spot appears on Dr. Raffert’s forehead,and he falls to the ground. Tiger Eye used a high-powered rifle to shoot him. A Df4 Perception Testallows the agents to take a guess at the source of theshot based on a glimpse of muzzle flash or trajecto-ry. Tiger Eye is perched on the top of the utility pole,so adjust the difficulty of the roll based on the loca-tion of the agents. Also, note that Tiger Eye waits fora clear shot to kill Dr. Raffert—even if the Agentsinterrupt the meeting.

After the gunshot, the different groups react as fol-lows:

• Donald Davis, Jr. attempts to grab the case andflee through the rear exit. If he is injured, he sim-ply flees. Donald Davis has a rental car parked ablock away. He tries to make a run for the carand return home, waiting for a call from hisTakei Industries contact.

• The two men with Donald Davis, Jr. return to thecar and try to drive past everyone else to leavethrough the front—ramming the Yakuza car ifnecessary.

• Stan Matthewson tends to Dr. Raffert. Once real-izing Dr. Raffert is dead, Stan tries to recover thecase, return to the car, and leave through thefront entrance.

• The Yakuza and Ken Kimuro try to acquire thecase—even shooting Donald Davis, Jr. if neces-sary—then get into their car and flee. TheYakuza start firing at the Asklepios Corporationemployees to provide cover for Ken Kimuro.

• Tiger Eye will break down his rifle and waits tosee what happens. If the Yakuza acquire the case,he uses his zip line to flee the scene. If the agentsor someone else gets the case, he attempts toacquire the case and then tries to flee. With hisheightened agility and strength, he climbs downfrom the utility pole, tries to acquire the case, andthen heads back up the utility pole. Tiger Eye’s


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primary escape route is to use the zip line harnesshe installed earlier to travel from this utility poleto another pole a block away where he willdescend and get onto a motorcycle.

This is a very volatile situation. The agents are inserious danger if they dive into the midst of the fire-fight. Based on their reactions to the shooting andthe chaos that ensues, the agents may not try toacquire the case immediately.

Getting a Glimpse of Tiger Eye Whether or not the agents acquire the briefcase,

the Game Master should let Tiger Eye escape.Displaying amazing physical prowess, his escapeis the first opportunity for characters to witnessproof that this unknown assassin is not a typicalYakuza thug.

If he is involved in close combat, Tiger Eye strikeshard and fast to incapacitate enemies. He uses simplecombos to knock opponents prone so he can movequickly to escape. Due to his heightened strength, hecan easily jump over the fence of the junkyard with arunning start if he needs to. If using the zip line, heflees the scene quickly to reach his motorcycle, hid-den a block away beneath some trash cans.

If the agents pursue Tiger Eye, he uses a variety oftechniques to distract them. First, he detonates theexplosives attached to the transformer once hereaches his motorcycle. If Tiger Eye must takeanother avenue of escape, he detonates the explo-sives to provide a distraction.

Tiger Eye litters his path with caltrops when onfoot. Agents need to make a Df3 Agility Test everysix meters they follow Tiger Eye to avoid stepping onthe caltrops. The caltrops deal Fw1 damage. Drivingalong the same path requires a Df4 Driving Test toavoid running over the caltrops and popping the tires.

Chapter Four: Taming the Tiger

Regardless of how the drop goes down, only twooutcomes exist. Either the agents acquired the brief-case or they did not. What happens in this chapterhinges on who has the briefcase. In addition, nowthat the agents have evidence of Yakuza involve-ment, they can learn more about why the Yakuzawant to obtain Project Panacea.

Yakuza Involvement If the agents want to learn more about the

Yakuza’s interest, their best bet is scouring theInternet for information and tapping into interna-tional crime watch lists and databases. If the agentshave a few clues to cobble together for the search,this is a Df3 Computer Use or Research Test. If theagents are not sure what they should be looking for,adjust this to a Df4 Test.

• Government threat and organized crime watchlists indicate the Yakuza have been involved infunding the Japanese medical company TakeiIndustries—the same company involved in theAsklepios Corporation research projects.

• Aside from the public information on TakeiIndustries and its contract with the Japanese gov-ernment, sources inside Takei Industries haveallegedly leaked information that Takei has beendeveloping chemical and biological “counterweapons” for the Japanese military for the lastseveral years.

• Conspiracy theorists and terrorist watch listsbelieve that Takei Industries has been secretlydeveloping an airborne pathogen which cause itsvictims to develop cancer—the same type of can-cer that the Panacea technology cures.

• The Yakuza see this as a lucrativearrangement—they can generate incredibledemand for Project Panacea by deliberatelycausing people to develop cancer, and being theone and only source of the cure.

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If the Agents Have theBriefcase

Tiger Eye does not rest until he acquires the case.Within two hours of the meeting, Tiger Eye contactsthe agents via their personal cell phones, pager, fax,or other means. His message is simple—turn thesample over or suffer the consequences.

Whether or not they hand the sample over toFetters, Tiger Eye stalks the agents. If they return totheir base of operations or retreat somewhere, letthem catch glimpses of a dark shadow on their trail.Tiger Eye follows them on his motorcycle wherepossible, or by foot if necessary.

If the agents refuse to turn over the sample, orhave already turned Panacea over to Agent Fetters,Tiger Eye becomes desperate. He has rigged a bombusing 10 blocks of C4 – enough to decimate nearly acity block. It is a similar bomb to the one used at thejunkyard, but with a far greater amount of C4. Thethreat is real. Tiger Eye has attached the bomb to agenerator behind a local hospital, and threatens todetonate the bomb unless the agents hand Panaceaover to him.

At this point, Tiger Eye risks anything to acquirePanacea. He simply cannot fail the Yakuza again.Should he not return to Japan with Panacea, he willbe forced to commit ritual suicide.

This works to the agents’ advantage—they can setup a meeting for a drop-off where the group can con-front Tiger Eye. Creative agents can set up all thedetails of the drop themselves. Tiger Eye insists onmeeting somewhere within 150-200 meters of thehospital where he has the bomb—he suggests a parkacross the street from the hospital’s parking structure.

This should clue agents in that if he has the deto-nation device, the meet is somewhere close enoughto trigger the explosive if necessary. Tiger Eye has asmall electronic transmitter set up to remotely deto-nate the bombs. Due to the amount of metal casingand other materials around the bomb, the transmitterhas an effective range just less than 200 meters.

The group has the flexibility to set the time andnature of the drop off, and will be able to stake outthe hospital. If the group allows Tiger Eye to takePanacea and leave, he rides off on his motorcyclewith the promises not to detonate the bomb. The fol-

lowing morning, one of the characters receives acourier package with the cell phone and instructionson where to find the bomb and how to disarm it.

If the group uses this as a lure to bring Tiger Eyeout into the open and dispose of him, they had bestdo so quickly. Unless the agents can subdue or killTiger Eye in two rounds of combat, he uses his cellphone to detonate the bomb. While the drop-point isjust outside the blast radius, the blast destroys theentire hospital. Casualties reach over 5,000 people.In the ensuing chaos, Tiger Eye flees on his motor-cycle after grabbing Panacea.

If the agents wish to turn over the Project Panaceamaterial to Agent Fetters, he recommends a blinddrop. If the agents argue against this, due to TigerEye’s involvement, Agent Fetters reluctantly agreesto meet them at a location of their choosing.

If the Agents Do Not Havethe Briefcase

Things are considerably more difficult for theagents if they do not have the brief case. Tiger Eyemakes plans to leave the country and to turn the caseover to the Yakuza. The agents have three days tolocate Tiger Eye before he drives to Baltimore, wherehe will board a plane for Seattle and then to Japan.

Tiger Eye is waiting a few days for the heat to diedown. Security at all nearby airports are on a height-ened alert, so he is working with his Yakuza contactsto make travel plans. Tiger Eye is staying in aYMCA in Manhattan to keep a low profile. He hasrigged a suitcase with special ceramic inserts andpaneling so he can transport the Panacea materials ascarry-on luggage without alerting security or trig-gering metal detectors.

The agents need to pull in every available resourceto track him down. This is an opportunity for somecreative roleplaying and strategizing. Possibleavenues to explore include the following:

• Find surveillance footage. A bail bond andcheck-cashing store a few blocks from the junk-yard has video of a motorcycle speeding pastshortly after the explosion. The owner heard theexplosion and called 911 to alert the police.Other businesses along his escape route mayhold additional information about the directionhe traveled.


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• Track down eyewitnesses. A homeless mannamed Jenkins sifts through garbage in the alleywhere Tiger Eye kept his motorcycle. He sawTiger Eye make his escape, heading toward thefreeway, a few blocks away—which leads toManhattan.

• Locate Ken Kimuro or Donald Davis, Jr. forinterrogation. This largely depends on whetherKen or Donald survived the junkyard drop. IfKen survived, he is trying to lay low, and checksout of the Hilton hotel where he and the otherAsklepios Corporation folks are staying. IfDonald survived, he heads home to pick up asuitcase and then flees to the airport heading forthe Cayman Islands.

• Contact local airport employees or travel agenciesto determine if Tiger Eye is trying to leave thecountry. Someone might be able to track downtravel plans to Japan, and the most likely exit pointfrom the United States would be the Seattle-Tacoma International Airport in Washington.

If the group fails to find Tiger Eye in three days, heflees to Japan, and the group has virtually failed themission. In a matter of weeks, news media will beginreporting mysterious outbreaks of cancer in Japanand the Pacific Rim. This could lead to additionaladventures tracking down Tiger Eye across theocean—but that is left to the Game Master.

Chapter Five: Winding Down

Once the group deals with Tiger Eye, theirinvolvement near an end. There are several factors toconsider when wrapping up the adventure.

First is determining the ultimate fate of thePanacea technology. If Tiger Eye escaped with thesamples, the previous chapter gives a glimpse of theinternational terror resulting from the agents’ failure.If the agents have control of Project Panacea, theyhave to decide what to do with this medicalmarvel—turn it over to Agent Fetters and Aegis,return the technology to Asklepios Corporation,keep it for themselves, and so on.

As long as the agents disclose a reasonableamount of information to Agent Fetters—particular-ly the clues tying Takei Industries to the Yakuza or

experimental biological weaponry—Aegis opera-tives step in to help resolve things. Aegis secretlyworks through political and military channels toensure Takei Industries will not be able to continuedeveloping—or to release—their pathogen.

This is the opportunity for the Game Master todecide whether or not to tie any loose threads fromthe adventure into future plot points. The agents mayhave made an enemy of the Yakuza, who couldbecome a recurring villain. The actions of the agentslink directly to the fates of Donald Davis, Jr. andother important NPCs who survived this scenario. Ifthe agents saved the lives of Dr. Allan Summers,Stan Matthewson, James Kenichi, or Donald Davis,Jr., they have new contacts.

Rewards for a job well done Aegis awards Downtime to the agents, once they

provide a final brief of events and submit reports toSenior Agent Fetters. The base reward for the sce-nario is two weeks of Downtime. If the agents suc-ceed in recovering Project Panacea and turn it overto Aegis, grant an additional week of Downtime.

The Game Master should apply discretion andadjust the Downtime based on how the agents per-formed. Were the agents creative? Did they workwell together? Was the mission a resounding suc-cess? Did the agents minimize civilian and collater-al damage?

In addition to the Downtime, if Agent Fetters isimpressed with the agents’ work he offers valuableresources to the agents to improve their cell. Usinghis influence and contacts, Agent Fetters arrangesto provide the group with five IntelligenceResource Points.

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Appendix: Cast of Characters

Senior Agent Michael Fetters, Aegis Operative

Michael Fetters is a large, intimidating man in hisearly 40s. He has closely cropped salt-and-pepperhair and beard, and a steely gaze. Standing just oversix feet tall, he has a very muscular build. AgentFetters is very straightforward and no-nonsense inhis approach. He does not enjoy idle chitchat or jok-ing around. Agent Fetters has been working forAegis in one capacity or another for nearly fifteenyears, and has seen things that would make lessermen crumble.

The group never actually meets Agent Fetters inthis adventure. Agent Fetters handles all interactionsthrough scrambled video images and remote com-munications. However, his profile and informationare provided in case Game Masters wish to includeAgent Fetters in future scenarios.

The Yakuza For the purposes of this adventure, the Yakuza

represent a powerful Japanese crime syndicate, sim-ilar in general ways to American organized crimeenterprises. The name evolved from a worthlesshand of cards (an 8, 9 and a 3, or Ya-Ku-Za) in theJapanese version of Blackjack, called Oicho-Kabu.The Yakuza’s tattoos are well known. Originally, thetattooing represented a visual record of an individ-ual’s achievements—criminal and otherwise.Eventually, the tattoos became a symbol of patienceand endurance, as well as a designation of member-ship in a particular Yakuza clan or family.

The Yakuza are fiercely loyal to their clans, andthey exhibit a strong sense of honor within theirranks. Failure to accomplish goals can have severerepercussions—it is not unheard of for a Yakuza tohave a portion of a finger cut off because of disobe-dience or failure.

In the campaign world, the presence of the Yakuzaindicates a new threat to the agents. The Yakuzaorganization is a formidable enemy, with inex-haustible resources and dangerous members who

work tirelessly to achieve their goals. This providesan opportunity to create additional campaign hooksand create a recurring cast of villains. If the agentssucceed in thwarting the Yakuza’s goals, they doubt-less gain the attention of this powerful group.

Typical Member, Yakuza Muscle

The agents may run into several Yakuza during themission. In general, these Yakuza are fairly seasoned– most have seen quite a bit of action. They sport thedistinctive tattoos along their arms, chest, and backshowing that they hold an average status level in thegang. They wear long trench coats to keep their tat-toos concealed when working, and sport sunglasses,close cropped hair and a no-nonsense approach.Most have knives in addition to their automatic pis-tols. One in every four Yakuza Muscle is equippedwith a submachine gun.

Str 4, Siz 3, Agl 3, Ref 3, Per 2, Wil 3, Int 2,Luck 2/12

Skills: Brawling 2, Drive 2, Language (English)1, Language (Japanese) 5, Melee (Knife) 2,Small Arms (Pistol) 2, Stealth 1

Weapons: Knife (Fw3), Automatic Pistol(Wn3), Submachine Gun (Wn3)

Tiger Eye, Yakuza Covert Operative

Tiger Eye is a Yakuza enforcer secretly workingfor Takei Industries. His goal is to eliminate anypotential threats to the Yakuza bio-weaponry agendaand secure the briefcase containing the Panaceasamples. Failure simply is not an option for him.Years ago, he failed the Yakuza once, and lost thelast two knuckles on his right pinky finger.

Tiger Eye is a tall, wiry man with a geneticallyenhanced body. He is in phenomenal shape, and hisstrength, agility, and endurance are all above humannorms due to years of experimentation by TakeiIndustries. Tiger Eye’s has dark hair cut close to thescalp, and a milky white scar cuts through his lefteyebrow. Aside from his forearms and head, nearlyevery remaining inch of his body bears tattoos,including a massive pouncing tiger that takes up hisentire back.

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Tiger Eye uses stealth to keep himself hidden aslong as possible, then pounces when the opportunityarises. For example, he hides at the junkyard, usinga long-range sniper rifle to eliminate the head ofAsklepios Corporation. When the time is right, hemoves in to acquire the briefcase and retreats usinghis remarkable enhanced reflexes and acrobatics.

Tiger Eye has completely average Good Luck –his background provides him with attributes wellabove average, so he does not need to rely on luck tosee him through. However, you will notice that TigerEye has a rather high Bad Luck score. This reflectsthe unpredictable and unstable genetic tamperingand biological manipulation that makes Tiger Eyesuch an unique physical specimen.


Skills: Brawling 2, Demolitions 4, Drive (Car)2, Drive (Motorcycle) 4, Escape 3, Gymnastics4, Language (English) 2, Language (Japanese)5, Martial Arts 4, Melee (Knife) 3, Shadow 3,Small Arms (Pistol) 3, Small Arms (Rifle) 3,Stealth 4, Thrown Weapons 3

Special Attributes: Ambidextrous, High PainThreshold, Physical Training

Weapons: Knife (Fw3), Sniper Rifle (Wn4)

Asklepios CorporationAffiliatesDr. John Raffert, CEO

Dr. Raffert is a slightly overweight man in hislate 50s. He has graying hair, a thick gray beard,wears glasses, and walks with a cane. He has adeep, rumbling voice and a very strong presence. Itis easy to see why he is the spokesperson forAsklepios Corporation. Dr. Raffert is the winner ofseveral prestigious medical awards. The medicalcommunity respects him. His intentions are pure –he truly wants to share this medical breakthroughwith the world.


Skills: Computer Use 2, Drive 2, First Aid 2,Medical 2, Research 3, Science (Biology) 4,Science (Chemistry) 3

Dr. Allan Summers, Scientist

Dr. Summers is a wisp of a man – extremely gaunt,with a palsied left hand. He is in his mid 50s and hasthinning hair and bad breath. Dr. Summers is thebrains behind the current dendrimer patent project,code-named Panacea by the scientific team. He isvery protective of his work. Dr. Summers refuses toleave Asklepios Corporation, even though he hasreceived offers of extremely lucrative positions withcompeting companies. Takei Industries has offeredhim a sizeable bonus for completion of the project.He does not realize it is to ensure a cure is availablefor the Takei plague.


Skills: Computer Use 2, Drive 2, First Aid 2,Medical 3, Research 3, Science (Biology) 3,Science (Chemistry) 3, Science (Zoology) 3

Dr. Alex Gildon, Scientist

Alex is a former scientist from Upjohn, LENS andother research facilities. He stole research files and pro-vided them to scientists working at AsklepiosCorporation—one of the reasons Asklepios has madesuch quick progress on their latest dendrimer technolo-gy. He is a scientific mercenary of sorts, and can bebribed or coerced into helping the agents, if they candetermine his background and leverage that informa-tion. Alex is in his mid 40s, and his tastes are quiteexpensive—he enjoys fine cigars and cognac, and he isalways dressed in the latest styles.


Skills: Computer Use 3, ComputerProgramming 1, Drive 2, Forgery 2, Medical 2,Research 2, Science (Biology) 3, Science(Chemistry) 2


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Stan Matthewson, Security Officer

Stan is the no-nonsense head of security forAsklepios Corporation. He is a stocky man in hislate 30s, sporting a broken nose and gnarled hands– signs of his former life as a professional rugbyplayer. He constantly smokes cigarettes, and isnever far from Dr. Raffert’s side. While he is suspi-cious by nature, he follows Dr. Raffert’s orderswithin reason. His primary concern is the safety ofboth Dr. Raffert and the briefcase – he will sacrificehis life to protect both.


Skills: Brawling 3, Drive 3, Melee (Club) 2,Small Arms (Pistol) 3

Weapons: Police baton (Tw3), Automatic Pistol(Wn3)

James Kenichi, Japanese Businessman

James is a representative of Takei Industries,traveling with the Asklepios Corporation officialsto ensure plans go well for his company. He wearsan eye patch over his left eye. James is in his mid30s, and is always impeccably dressed. He speaksflawless English, as well as Italian, French, andGerman. James is a shrewd businessman who is farmore interested in how the proceedings will affectTakei Industries than how they impact AsklepiosCorporation. He is unaware of Takei Industries trueplot.


Skills: Computer Use 3, Drive 2, Language(English) 5, Language (Japanese) 5, Language(Italian) 4, Language (German) 3, Research 1,Science (Biology) 2

Ken Kimuro, Japanese Businessman

Ken is Mr. Kenichi’s personal assistant. He makesall travel and business arrangements for Mr.Kenichi. Secretly, he knows all about Takei’s plans,and has been inserted by the Yakuza to keep an eye

on Mr. Kenichi to make sure he doesn’t catch on towhat is really going on – and to eliminate him if heever does. Ken is a short, slender man with jet-blackhair and eyes. He wears a business suit that hangsloosely from his small frame, but he moves withgrace and poise.


Skills: Computer Use 2, Cryptology 2, Drive 2,Language (English) 1, Language (Japanese) 5,Martial Arts 3, Melee (Knife) 2, Small Arms(Pistol) 2, Stealth 1

Weapons: Knife (Fw3), Automatic Pistol(Wn3)

Thomas Silvers, International LawRepresentative

Thomas Silvers is a solicitor working forAsklepios Corporation out of London. Thomas is theone who originally arranged for AsklepiosCorporation to work with Davis, Davis & Goldstein.He attended Yale for a semester abroad, where hemet Donald Davis, Jr. He is a middle-aged man,recently divorced, who is devoted to his work andlittle else. Thomas does not know any of the detailsabout the project, only the legal requirements andobstacles to getting worldwide distribution.

Roland Armitage, Asklepios CorporationInvestor

While not directly involved with the adventure orwith any of the plots, the agents may come acrossinformation about Roland Armitage as a potentialred herring. Roland is a wealthy Australian bankerwho has been subsidizing some of AsklepiosCorporation’s medical research. In fact, after TakeiIndustries, Roland has provided the most funds tothe project. He has a seven-year old granddaughter,Janice, who has Leukemia, and he hopes AsklepiosCorporation can find a cure.

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Davis, Davis & GoldsteinDonald Davis, Jr., Junior Partner

Donald “Donnie” Davis, Jr. is in his mid 30s. Helooks and acts like a college-fraternity-boy-turnedlawyer. Donnie is outgoing and gregarious, and he isalways joking around. He is the lawyer currentlyhandling Asklepios Corporation’s patent applicationprocess. Unknown to the other partners of the firm,Donnie has some knowledge about what is reallygoing on; he was promised some serious cash incen-tives by Takei Industries to get the briefcase andsamples from Asklepios Corporation. Donnie set upthe meeting in the junkyard, which happened tobelong to a construction company he had represent-ed several years ago that recently went out of busi-ness. He is a terrible gambler, and has accumulatednearly three million dollars in gambling debts overthe last few years. He sees this payoff from TakeiIndustries as a way to clear his debts.


Skills: Computer Use 3, Drive 2, Forgery 1,Research 2, Small Arms (Pistol) 1

Weapons: Automatic Pistol (Wn3)

Donald Davis, Sr., Senior Partner

This man is all business. Donald Davis, Sr. is asharp man in his late 50s with gray hair and a thickmoustache. He is always well dressed and deals withpeople in a very straightforward and direct manner.He doesn’t appreciate his son’s humor or the way hetakes things so lightly—but is impressed thatDonnie, Jr. was able to secure the AsklepiosCorporation as a client . . . a client will generate con-siderable revenues for Davis, Davis & Goldstein.Donald, Sr. is handling Asklepios Corporation’s U.S.licensing arrangements.


Skills: Computer Use 2, Drive 2, Research 2,Science (Psychology) 1

Richard Goldstein, Senior Partner

While Richard is a senior partner in the firm, hiscurrent workload does not include the AsklepiosCorporation account. Richard is a thin man in hislate 60s with thinning gray hair and a penchant forbow ties. Currently, Richard is more a figureheadand public voice for the firm than a practicinglawyer. His wife Elizabeth recently passed awayfrom cancer, and he is pleased that his law firm mayplay some small role in curing cancer through theirrepresentation of the Asklepios Corporation.


Skills: Computer Use 1, Drive 2, Research 2,Science (Psychology) 1

Lisa Cushing, Office Manager

Lisa is the office manager for the firm. She is anattractive brunette in her early 30s. Lisa works at thefront desk, greeting visitors and working directlywith the partners’ personal secretaries to arrangemeetings, coordinate travel plans, and perform othersimilar tasks.

Louis Armstead, Junior Partner

This 30-something lawyer got his law degree fromStanford. Louis deals with international law and reg-ulations for companies looking to do business in theU.S. He has been with the firm for only a fewmonths, after coming from a competitor in NewJersey.

Janet McCauley, Junior Partner

Janet is a working mother in her earl-40s. Her spe-cialty is liability law for American companies thathave large production facilities overseas. She hasbeen a member of the firm for fifteen years, and islikely to become a Senior Partner when RichardGoldstein retires.


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Jacob Richardson, Junior Partner

Jacob works with licensing and merchandising.He is slightly overweight, in his 50s, and hides adrinking problem from his partners. Jacob missed achance at Senior Partnership – perhaps stemmingfrom a drunken run-in with Donald Davis, Sr. at afirm holiday party in 1996, where Jacob accusedDonald, Sr. of nepotism.

Andrew Stone, Junior Partner

Andrew is a sharp-looking lawyer in his early 30s.He is a legal whiz who has quickly risen up theranks. His expertise lies in marketing and advertis-ing accountability – Andrew looks over most clientbusiness proposals dealing with sweepstakes andcontests.

Unisystem Notes The following notes and materials provide

Unisystem fans a look into the world of ConspiracyX. These notes and materials will vary from the finalUnisystem version of Conspiracy X.

Difficulty Level Tests While the Unisystem Corebook for Conspiracy X

is still in development, we thought we would pro-vide some notes for Unisystem fans wishing to runthis game for their crew of players. Please bear inmind that these are approximate conversions and notthe final word on the matter.

Notes for weapons are not included. Those statis-tics may be found in any Unisystem corebook.

Difficulty Modifier Conversion Table

Conspiracy X Test UnisystemDifficulty Levels Task Roll Modifier

Df2 0

Df3 -2

Df4 -4

Df5 -6

Df6+ -2 cumulative

Ignore the rules of Good Luck and Bad Luck.

Tiger Eye’s abilities are exclusive to him andTakei Industries. Conspiracy X Unisystem does notcontain this power.

NPC Character Stats

Yakuza MuscleStrength 3 Constitution 2Dexterity 3 Intelligence 2Perception 3 Willpower 2LPS 30 Spd 10EPS 26 Essence 15Skills: Brawling 3, Gambling 2, Guns(Handguns) 3, Hand Weapon (Knife) 3, PickPocket 1, Stealth 1

Gear: Brass Knuckles, Knife, Handgun

Tiger EyeStrength 3 Constitution 3Dexterity 5 Intelligence 3Perception 3 Willpower 3LPS 49/73 Spd 16/22EPS 32/50 Essence 20/29Qualities/Drawbacks: Fast Reaction Time,Hard to Kill 5, Honorable –1, Notoriety,Situational Awareness

Skills: Acrobatics 3, Demolitions 3, Dodge 4,Drive (Motorcycle) 2, Guns (Handgun) 3, Guns(Rifle) 5, Hand Weapon (Knife) 3, Martial Arts2, Stealth 4, Tracking 4

Gear: Handgun, Knife, Leather Jacket,Motorcycle, Sniper Rifle, Tools, Zip Harness

Powers: All physical Attributes may be boost-ed +3 levels for two minutes two times per day.If a Task or Test is failed while using any phys-ical Attribute, Tiger Eye loses the raised levelsof that Attribute and suffers a –1 to all actionsusing that Attribute. These bonuses affectSecondary Attributes and are the second num-ber in his stat block.

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Dr. John Raffert, Dr. AllenSummers, and Dr. Alex Gildon

Strength 2 Constitution 2Dexterity 2 Intelligence 4Perception 3 Willpower 2LPS 26 Spd 8EPS 23 Essence 15 Skills: Computers 2, Drive (Car) 1, Engineer(Biological) 3, Engineer (Mechanical) 3,Medicine 4, Science (Biochemistry) 5, Science(Biotechnology) 5, Writing (Technical) 1

Stan MatthewsonStrength 4 Constitution 3Dexterity 4 Intelligence 2Perception 4 Willpower 3LPS 48 Spd 10EPS 35 Essence 20Qualities/Drawbacks: Fast Reaction Time,Hard to Kill 5 (5), Nerves of Steel (-3)

Skills: Brawl 4, Bureaucracy 2, Dodge 3, Drive(Car) 1, Electronic Surveillance 3, Guns(Handgun) 4, Guns (Rifle) 3, Guns (SMG) 2,Hand Weapon (Knife) 2, Intimidation 2, Notice4, Sport (Rugby) 3, Stealth 2

James Kenichi and Ken KimuroStrength 2 Constitution 2Dexterity 3 Intelligence 3Perception 2 Willpower 3LPS 26 Spd 10EPS 26 Essence 15 Skills: Bureaucracy 3, Computer Use 3, Drive(Car) 2, Haggling 2, Humanities (Economics) 4,Language (English) 5, Language (Italian) 4,Language (German) 3, Research/Investigation2, Science (Biology) 2

Donald Davis, Jr. Strength 2 Constitution 3Dexterity 4 Intelligence 5Perception 3 Willpower 3LPS 30 Spd 14EPS 29 Essence 20Qualities/Drawbacks: Charisma 3, PhotographicMemory, Reckless

Skills: Brawl 2, Bureaucracy 4, Dodge 1,Driving (Car) 2, Guns (Handgun) 2, Haggling 2,Humanities (Law) 5, Notice 3,Research/Investigation 3, Smooth Talking 3,Storytelling 3, Writing (Legal) 5

Gear: Handgun

Donald Davis, Sr. and Richard Goldstein

Strength 2 Constitution 2

Dexterity 2 Intelligence 5

Perception 2 Willpower 2

LPS 26 Spd 8

EPS 23 Essence 15

Skills: Bureaucracy 5, Driving (Car) 1,Haggling 4, Humanities (Law) 5, Humanities(Sociology) 4, Research/Investigation 4,Smooth Talking 2, Writing (Legal) 5


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ASKLEPIOS SUBMITS FOURTHUS NANOTECHNOLOGY PATENT

LONDON -- Asklepios Pooled Development Research (NYS: ASKR) has submit-ted an application for its fourth patent from the United States Patent and TrademarkOffice in the last 18 months. The proposed patent, tentatively dubbed “Anionic/cation-ic dendrimer antimicrobial or antiparasitic compositions,” has been submitted by theAsklepios Corporation, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Asklepios Pooled DevelopmentResearch.

This further consolidates Asklepios’ worldwide dendrimer/nanotechnology intellec-tual property. If Asklepios receives this fourth patent, it would trail only LENSIndustries (NYSX: LNS) of the United States for nanotechnology property patents.LENS Industries currently has six such patents.

In addition to its own extensive intellectual property portfolio, Asklepios has exclu-sive commercialization rights to all future pharmaceutical applications arising fromany of its dendrimer patents—including applications based in the United States,United Kingdom, and Japan.

Dr. Jonathon Raffert, CEO for Asklepios Pooled Development Research, remarked,“Asklepios continues to develop new applications for nanotechnology. Asklepios is aleader in using new technology to paint a picture of hope for those suffering afflictionsbefore thought untreatable.” Dr. Raffert’s comments complement Asklepios’ latestquarterly update, which shows impressive progress in medical research dealing withthe treatment of a wide variety of major diseases:

• Prionic diseases

• Colon, pancreatic, and liver cancers

• Lung, breast, and prostrate cancers

• Respiratory viruses and afflictions

• Sexually transmitted diseases

Asklepios is engaged in discussions with potential license partners to develop andcommercialize Asklepios’ intellectual properties on a global scale. Dr. Raffert stated,“We are offering the opportunity for pharmaceutical companies to develop new andimproved drug treatments by introducing our proprietary dendrimer-based nanotech-nology into their products. Together, we will ensure the future is a healthier place tolive.”

---- Associated Press NewsFAX Service © 2004 ----

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Many who poured through the Buffy the VampireSlayer Corebook noticed that several monsters werementioned that did not have statistics. Well, we hereat Eden Studios Presents have heard your cries ofdistress. We charged Dave F. Chapman with makingsure that we had material in this first issue to appeaseyour longings. He was even nice enough to includepage references for those of you that don’t havethose pages memorized (shame on you!).

We hope you enjoy them and we look forward tooffering you more Slay-worthy material in the nextvolume of ESP.

The Dra’hak (see BtVS Corebook, p. 73)

The Dra’hak are a parasitic species of insect, taint-ed with demon presence centuries ago. Theseinsects can grow between 12-18 inches in length.They sport four legs ending in small grabbing pin-cers and wings. Their clear carapaces reveal paleand translucent innards, and are covered in an oilyresidue that, while non-toxic, is really gross. Theyinhabit humid areas, preferring swamps, lakeshoresor lagoons, but they happily spread to more inhabit-ed areas if the weather is suitably sticky.

The Dra’hak feed mainly on sweat, craving the saltyliquid almost constantly. They feed off on animalsmost of the time, but do not pass upon a chance to supfrom a sleeping human if the circumstances are right.

They only really become a threat in the summermonths. This is when they play out their bizarremating routine. Once the female’s eggs are fertil-ized, she finds a suitable host to act as an incubatorto her young. The male may even assist by distract-ing the target while the female attaches herself to itsback, stinging them repeatedly in the sweaty smallof the back (the easiest place to aim for). Each“sting” fires up to a dozen tiny offspring just underthe skin.

The following day, each wound comes up as aseeping sore, raised from the skin. If untreated, thesore explodes within twelve days (doing 10 pointsof damage), releasing the young. Treatment,unfortunately, requires surgery to remove thepouches, although there are tales of an arcane ritu-al that dispels them.

New Monsters for the Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel RPGs

by David F. Chapman with additional writing by Derek Stoelting

NNaammee:: Dra’hakMMoottiivvaattiioonn:: Feed and reproduceCCrriitttteerr TTyyppee:: Demon/Insect hybridAAttttrriibbuutteess:: Str 1, Dex 4, Con 2, Int 1, Per 3, Will 2AAbbiilliittyy SSccoorreess:: Muscle 8, Combat 10, Brains 10 LLiiffee PPooiinnttss:: 22DDrraammaa PPooiinnttss:: 1SSppeecciiaall AAbbiilliittiieess:: Flight

MMaanneeuuvveerrssNNaammee SSccoorree DDaammaaggee NNootteessDodge 10 — Defense actionGrapple 12 — Resisted by DodgeBite 12 5 Must Grapple firstSting 12 8 Must Grapple first,

if damaged, target isimpregnated with evilDra’hak spawn!

D’imangi (see BtVS Corebook, p. 100)

The D’imangi are a race of Primals, a proud butviolent people heralding from Africa. These Primalsare shape-shifters, whose forms are both human anda vast upright rhino/humanoid. The curious thingabout the D’imangi is that the rhino-form is theirnatural shape. Following a lunar cycle, similar tothe were-wolf, they transform for the three nightssurrounding the new moon into a human formalmost indistinguishable from Joe-average (maybe alittle heavy-set, usually with graying hair). In thebrutal world of the D’imangi, this is a time of greatweakness and vulnerability. At the end of this timeof weakness their skin turns grey and hardens, legsbecome thicker, feet huge and heavy, and one ormore horns appear on the creature’s transformedsnout, as they revert to their normal form.

Watchers have discovered that, in a similar waythat rituals, meditation, and arcane substances cancontrol the wolf-change in some Primals, theD’imangi use a ritual to avoid turning human.Unfortunately, one of the necessary components ofthis ritual is a fresh human skull. The skull iscleaned and ground into a thick white paste, mixed

with herbs and oils, then applied direct to the skinfor the duration of the lunar cycle.

Curiously, the D’imangi are allergic to silver, akinto werewolves. Silver weapons inflict double nor-mal damage (slashing and bullet weapons inflicttriple damage). They are less effective than normalmetal weapons, however—subtract three pointsfrom any damage rolled (before the multiplyingeffect), to a minimum of one point of damage.

Cytorrakkian Demon (see BtVS Corebook, p. 103)

The Cytorrakkian race hails from a volatile hell-dimension—a land of fiery pits, lava pools, andburning rocks. Like the salamander of legend, theywere most at home there. They played in the fires,swam in the lava, and slept on the rocks. That was,until the fires went out. Whether the flames extin-guished the raw fuel, or something put them out, noone knows. Without their heat, the Cytorrakkiandemons needed to find a new home, and fast.

A few of the elder Cytorrakkians uncovered anarcane ritual, scorched into the walls of a long for-gotten temple. The ritual would open a rift betweenworlds. Many saw this as the last hope for their peo-


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NNaammee:: D’imangiMMoottiivvaattiioonn:: Stay D’imangi, avoid the weak formCCrriitttteerr TTyyppee:: Primal AAttttrriibbuutteess:: Str 6, Dex 5, Con 5, Int 3, Per 3, Will 4 AAbbiilliittyy SSccoorreess:: Muscle 18, Combat 16, Brains 12LLiiffee PPooiinnttss:: 70DDrraammaa PPooiinnttss:: 5SSppeecciiaall AAbbiilliittiieess:: Primal, Horn, Natural Armor

(AV 3)MMaanneeuuvveerrss

NNaammee SSccoorree DDaammaaggee NNootteessDodge 16 — Defense actionGrapple 18 — Resisted by DodgeKick 15 18 BashPunch 16 16 BashHorn 14 14 Stab/Slash

When in weak form, use Joe School stats from the BtVS Corebook, p. 154.

ples, and en-masse they hurled themselves into theportal. The portal was unstable, sending their raceinto countless difference dimensions, some appear-ing in our world, all unable to control where or whenthey emerged.

The Cytorrakkians that have made it to our worldare always cold. They shiver and complain aboutthe temperature most of the time, turning the heatingsystems up to the maximum even in the heat of sum-mer. While they do not take damage from the cold,

they are uncomfortable and can be easily repelled byfire extinguishers and snowballs!

Cytorrakkians are usually tall and thin, almostelfin, with brilliant red hair and eyes (most hidethese through contacts and hair-dye). Some turn toarson, while rumors persist of a plot to increase theheat from the sun—creating the ultimate globalwarming. Watchers investigating these claims havefound nothing to confirm them.

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NNaammee:: Cytorrakkian DemonMMoottiivvaattiioonn:: HeatCCrriitttteerr TTyyppee:: Demon AAttttrriibbuutteess:: Str 3, Dex 4, Con 3, Int 2, Per 3, Will 2AAbbiilliittyy SSccoorreess:: Muscle 12, Combat 14, Brains 11LLiiffee PPooiinnttss:: 45DDrraammaa PPooiinnttss:: 5SSppeecciiaall AAbbiilliittiieess:: Resistance to Fire (immune to

all fire damage), Increased Life PointsMMaanneeuuvveerrss

NNaammee SSccoorree DDaammaaggee NNootteessDodge 14 — Defense actionGrapple 16 — Resisted by DodgeKick 13 11 BashPunch 14 9 Bash

NNaammee:: Pus MonsterMMoottiivvaattiioonn:: Regain enough life-essence to be alive again.CCrriitttteerr TTyyppee:: Ectoplasmic Entity AAttttrriibbuutteess:: Str 2, Dex 1, Con 5, Int 1, Per 3, Will 4AAbbiilliittyy SSccoorreess:: Muscle 10, Combat 9, Brains 9LLiiffee PPooiinnttss:: 38DDrraammaa PPooiinnttss:: 2SSppeecciiaall AAbbiilliittiieess:: Life-Drain; damage immunity

MMaanneeuuvveerrssNNaammee SSccoorree DDaammaaggee NNootteessDodge 9 — Defense actionGrapple 11 — Resisted by DodgeKick 8 6 BashPunch 9 4 BashLife Drain 11 10/turn Bash,

must Grapple first

A second rumor persists about Cytorrakkians. Itseems that the first Cytorrakkian spread a rumor thathis people possess a hidden weakness. Supposedly,this weakness was written down in a book. No onecan find the weakness in all known texts related tothe Cytorrakkians. The reason for this is simple.There is no hidden weakness. The Cytorrakkianstarted the rumor merely to torment humans.

Pus Monsters (see BtVS Corebook p. 144)

Pus Monsters, for want of a better name, are a sideeffect of contact with the dead. A form of sentient andmobile ectoplasm, they usually resemble a strange dol-lop of icky goo that has mysteriously sprouted a num-ber of legs. They feed from the life-energy of livingcreatures, hoping to gain some semblance of the lifethe ectoplasm inherently remembers. Unfortunately, itdoes this by landing on a living creature and literallysucking the life force out of it.

With every ounce of energy it drains, it growsmarginally in size. There are reports of some enti-ties being over seven feet tall in a gelatinoushumanoid form. Being composed of nothing morethan pus-like ectoplasm, they are immune to physi-cal damage. Most physical attacks against PusMonsters result in a messy splash that has no effect.They are dispelled by magic, frozen, or dissolvedand diluted in a vast amount of water (preferably saltwater), or evaporated if subjected to a superheatedenvironment.

For each 10 Life Points that the Puss Monsters’life-drain power draws from a victim, the creaturegains +1 permanent Life Points. Every 50 LifePoints drained, it gains +1 permanently to a physicalAttribute (Strength, Dexterity or Constitution).


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The Visitors Two years ago, they arrived. They came in ships

several miles long. At first, they made no contactwith us, despite our governments’ repeated attemptsto engage them. Then, a week after their arrival, theybegan broadcasting messages of peace and friend-ship. The messages arrived in every language spo-ken on Earth.

Two days later, transport ships began to arriveplanet side. Every major news station in every citythat received a transport ship was there the day theyarrived. They warned us that their appearance wasquite different from our own, but that we would rec-ognize them. Everyone was shocked to discover thatthe visitors were apes!

Our trust for the visitors grew with the realizationof our apparent distant relationship. We invited theminto our homes. We put them on our television pro-grams. We even let them into the White House tomeet with the President of the United States ofAmerica.

No one remembers when the line was crossed. Noone remembers when they took over. No oneremembers when we tossed our liberty in the gutter.

Today, the Pithus, as they call themselves, controlthe entire planet. Within six months of their arrival,they began inviting our world leaders to visit theirships. One by one, the Pithus used an advancedbrainwashing technique on those leaders. Upon theirreturn home, these leaders began to further thePithus cause.

The brainwashed politicians created new laws to“help” our civil lives. Guns have become harder toacquire. Reproducing now requires long hours inlines, paperwork in triplicate, and a license. Theprices for both owning firearms and reproducing haveescalated three hundred percent. The Pithus are notignorant to the ways for money. The punishment isharsh for those that break these new laws. The Pithustake babies born without permits and raise them incontrolled communes. Life in prison or labor in thefactories plagues the owners of illegal firearms.

Politicians hail the new factories as a means to fixunemployment. The factories have planned citiesbuilt up around them. Advertisements on the televi-sion and in newspapers show people enjoying them-selves and living well. Anyone wishing to work inthese new factories also lives in one of the newcities. Whole families are moving to the ‘burbs towork in the factories of the future.

Slowly, the world is moving towards a one-worldgovernment. The brainwashed world leaders are uti-lizing the United Nations as a tool to bring the citi-zens of the world together. . . to serve the Pithus.

Life for most people continues as it did beforetheir arrival. Retail stores have Christmas sales. Kidsgo to school and then off to college. Televisionbroadcasts survival TV shows where the winnersreceive a free trip to the mother ship of their choice.

Yet, there are those of us who know the truth. Wehave decided to fight back. We leave our mark, aspray-painted green “L,” wherever we strike.

The new factories are producing weapons andmachines for the Pithus war against their enemies.Those families that move away to work in them arenever heard from again. We intend to change allthat, to change everything.

The Enemies of MyEnemy

The Pithus told us an ecological disaster destroyedtheir home planet. They found our planet to be sim-ilar to their own. They told us that they would tradetheir technology for access to knowledge of ourEarth. In truth, they destroyed their planet withinfighting and hatred. The Pithus set out to find newplanets to inhabit. However, they soon discoveredthat the universe was empty of other life. Throughtheir continued scientific endeavors, they discovereda new form of space travel. They discovered thesecret of moving between parallel universes.

With this knowledge, they quickly discovered thatthey were the minority in the parallel universes.Humans were far more common and those apes dis-

L is for Liberty A Terra Primate Apeworld

by Daniel Proctor with additional writing by Derek Stoelting and Jason Vey


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covered were often not evolved. Many of thehumans on other Earths fought against the Pithusfrom the start of their relationship. This led to a pol-icy of killing humans on sight.

The Pithus experimented upon the apes, monkeys,and other primates found on parallel worlds. Overthe course of a few hundred years, the Pithus wereable to discover a means to evolve the degeneratedprimates into fully functional Pithus. They used sim-ilar biotechnology to brainwash our leaders. Nohuman has made it aboard a mother ship andreturned unchanged. Until we can accomplish such amission, we may never know how they are accom-plishing the brainwashing.

Close to a century ago, the Pithus discovered a uni-verse where technologically advanced humans lived.These humans proved to be a match for the Pithus ina fight. Slowly, those humans began to discover thetruth of the Pithus. The information spurred thehumans to strive harder for victory. Over the pastthree decades, they have begun to win the fight.

To further their ends, the Pithus have begun “train-ing” humans to produce weapons and machines ofwar for them. The Pithus hope to conquer this otherrace of humans, and then destroy both them and us.The Pithus fear us. They fear our ability to be whatthey are, only better.

The Pithus have begun to wonder if these otherhumans have not arrived on Earth to help us in ourfight against them. They have begun removinghumans from the upper ranks of the military andmany aspects of the police forces. Brute squadswork the streets of the major cities, putting downany resistance with a heavy hand.

TechnologyThe scope of technology available to Pithus and

Advanced Humans would take an article in itself todescribe. (If you want to see it, write us and we’ll getsomeone on it! –ed.) We recommend giving themlaser or plasma weapons and your standard spaceships . . . whatever meets your needs. Terra Primatehas stats for a flying scooter, laser pistols, laserrifles, and stun rods (see p. 185). If those stats arenot enough for you, check out the Spacefarers andPrairie Folk article in this issue of Eden StudiosPresents for more ideas (see p. 7)!

The ApesThough not strictly a particular Earth ape, the

alien apes most closely resemble gorillas. They aredensely muscled, tall, and fully bipedal, though theyhave grasping feet like Earth gorillas.

Pithus Quality 8-point Quality

Attributes: Pithus add +5 to Strength, +2 toDexterity and +2 to Constitution, for a total Attributecost of nine points.

Qualities and Drawbacks: Pithus are very xeno-phobic, especially towards humans, for whom theyhave Delusion (Prejudice) (-2). They have FastReaction Time (2), but also cannot swim due toNegative Buoyancy (-2).

Natural Attacks: Pithus have an innate bite attackthat inflicts one point of stabbing damage perStrength level, for a cost of one point.

The HumansMost humans in this Apeworld are just like you

and I. They are created using the Character Types inTerra Primate. Physically, humans from parallel uni-verses appear exactly as we do.

The Conquered Humans These characters use the Character Types from

Terra Primate. Particularly good choices of abilitiesinclude the Contacts Quality and the Surveillance,Stealth, and Guns (Handgun) skills. All of these willprove useful to a young Liberty fighter!

The Advanced Humans The advanced humans are from the Terran

Federation, an powerful space and interdimensional-faring organization. These worlds contain not onlyhumans, but also biotechnologically evolved apesfrom the Terran homeworld and other worlds. Theseworlds live in peace with one another, much to thedisgust of the Pithus.

The Terran Federation has just recently discoveredour Earth. They are moving to bring their full mightto our universe to stop the Pithus.

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Advanced Humans 5-point Quality

Advanced Humans gain +2 to Intelligence, +2 toany Computer Skill, and +1 to Running (Distance).They suffer from the Honorable (-1) Drawback andObsession (Destroy Pithus) (-2) Drawback.

Evolved Chimpanzee Quality 8-point Quality

Chimpanzees “evolved” on the TerranFederation’s home world centuries ago. They are fullmembers of the Federation. Pithus consider EvolvedChimpanzees second-class citizens, though notslaves. Apply this Quality to play an EvolvedChimpanzee.

Attributes: Evolved Chimpanzees are physicallystronger, faster, and sturdier than humans. Theyreceive +3 to Strength, +2 to Dexterity, and +1 toConstitution, for a total Attribute cost of six points.

Qualities and Drawbacks: EvolvedChimpanzees have Fast Reaction Time (2) andNegative Buoyancy (-1).

Natural Attacks: They have a natural bite attackthat causes one point of stabbing damage perStrength level, for a cost of one point.

Evolved Gorilla Quality 10-point Quality

Gorillas “evolved” on the Terran Federation’shome world centuries ago. They are full members ofthe Federation. Evolved Gorillas among the Pithusare indistinguishable and use the same Quality.Evolved Gorillas that operate in the TerranFederation use the Pithus package, but without thedrawback of Delusion (Prejudice) (-2).

Evolved Orangutan Quality 6-point Quality

Orangutans also “evolved” on the TerranFederation’s home world centuries ago. Like otherevolved apes, they are full members of theFederation. Evolved Orangutans among the Pithusare second-class citizens. Apply this Quality to playan Evolved Orangutan.

Attributes: Evolved Orangutans are physicallystronger, faster, and sturdier than humans. Theyreceive +2 to Strength, +2 to Dexterity, and +2 toConstitution, for a total Attribute cost of six points.

Qualities and Drawbacks: Evolved Orangutanshave Negative Buoyancy (-1).

Natural Attacks: They have a natural bite attackthat causes one point of stabbing damage perStrength level, for a cost of one point.


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Story Ideas

L for Liberty!In this setting, the Cast Members are native to our

Earth. The basics of the setting include setting up aplace to hide, finding weapons, and fighting thePithus.

Visiting the VisitorsIn this story, the Cast Members decide to infiltrate

a mother ship. They discover that a transport ship isdue to land at a local college to collect students for atrip to the mother ship. The Cast Members must finda way to get on the passenger list. Do they fake cre-dentials, kidnap students, and take their place, orcompletely sabotage the situation by killed thePithus pilots and piloting the transport ship back tothe mother ship? Once on board the mother ship,they can discover the means of brainwashing that thePithus use. They can also discover information aboutthe parallel universes.

Taking the Fight to Them In this story, the Cast Members have decided to

infiltrate and destroy one of the factory communi-ties. They must find a way to sneak into one of thesecontrolled cities. Will they sneak in or sign up forfactory duty? Once inside the city, the Cast Membersmay discover what the factories produce. Will theyinvestigate further to try and discover the reason forthe weapons and machine parts production? Will theCast Members try to go public with the information?How will they escape the heavily guarded city?

Fifth Columnists In this story, the Cast Members are biotechnolog-

ically evolved Pithus who have decided to revoltagainst the pure-breed Pithus. The Cast Membersneed to gather intelligence, allies, and weapons. Ifthey can locate human resistance fighters, the CastMembers may attempt to persuade the humans tojoin forces with the Fifth Columnists! How will theyconvince the Liberty fighters that the Cast Membersare good guys? After all, the evolved apes look andact very similar to Pithus.

Terran Federation In this setting, the Cast Members portray humans

and evolved apes from the Terran Federation. Thebasics of this setting include exploring our Earth,helping to free its humans, and destroying thePithus.

Terran Freedom The Cast Members are a Terran Federation scout

team moving through multiple universes catalogingthem and reporting any possible Pithus activity. Ontheir most recent venture, they came across ourEarth. When the Cast Members report to their supe-riors, they instruct the Cast Members to visit ourEarth to spy on the Pithus. Their superiors wantthem to make contact with the humans and assistthem in fighting for their freedom.

I Spy In this setting, the Cast Members portray evolved

apes. They must infiltrate the Pithus mother ships,gather as much information as possible, and return tothe Terran Federation. Will the spies deviate fromtheir mission to help the native humans? Will theydiscover who is leading the Fifth Columnists andattempt to make contact? Do they risk romanticaffairs to gain access to high-level information?

Too Little, Too Late A highly ranked Terran Federation general has

decided that there is no hope in saving our Earth. Tothat end, he has decided to send ten teams to ourplanet. Each of the ten teams carries with them anuclear device more powerful than anything wehave developed. Each team is to place themselves ina major city and detonate their bombs at a set time.The hope is that the bombs will defeat the Pithus byremoving their sources of raw materials.

The Cast Members work for an opposing generalwho thinks there is still time for hope on Earth. Hesends out his own teams to try to stop the bombteams. The Cast Members must infiltrate a foreignsociety, track down their counterparts, and put a stopto the nefarious plan.

Bibliography V (TV Miniseries) (2001) Published by Warner

Video on DVD.

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LPS 49 Speed 10EPS 29 Essence 15

Qualities/DrawbacksAttractiveness -1 (-1)Hard to Kill 5 (5) Recurring Nightmares (-1)

SkillsBrawling 1Demolitions 2 Dodge 2 Drive (Truck) 3Engineer (Electrical) 3Engineer (Mechanical) 3First Aid 2 Hand Weapon (Club) 2Hand Weapon (Knife) 1Mechanic 4 Notice 3 Stealth 2 Surveillance 3

GearKnife, Pick-up Truck, Safety Glasses,

Steel Toe Boots, Various Tools

PersonalityI remember when those beasts showed up. I

remember how they promised compassion, butdelivered hate. I remember what it was like to befree.

My town government folded in under twenty-four hours. Before anyone realized what had

happened, apes were replacing all of ourpolice. The factory I worked in soon hadape advisors. Moreover, as if that wasn’t

enough, we began constructing parts forweapons.

I kept my head low to avoid theoverseers’ attentions. Slowly, butsurely, I am sneaking out onepiece of every weapon wedesign and build. Once I figureout how to make them, I’ll sellthem to the L fighters.

My children will know whatit means to be free.

Quote“No, no, no. The accelera-

tor rods go in that box there.Here, let me do it for you.”

Human Factory WorkerPre-Heroic


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Qualities/DrawbacksAcute Senses (Sight) (2)Charisma +3 (3) Contacts (Various) 5 (5)Fast Reaction Time*Honorable -1 (-1) Negative Buoyancy*Secret (Spy) (-5) Evolved Gorilla (10)

SkillsBrawling 3 Dodge 2 Drive (Car) 2Electronic Surveillance 4Escapism 3 Guns (Rifle) 3 Guns (Pistol) 2 Hand Weapon (Club) 2Notice 4Research/Investigation 3Surveillance 4 Tracking 2

GearHandgun, Pithus Security Guard

Outfit, Security Baton, Spy Camera,Vocal Recorder, Watch Radio

PersonalityWe discovered Earth 2a78 by accident. When we

figured out what was occurring, we sent a messageback to the Terran Federation, warning them of apotentially new hostile Earth. A few of us stayed on2a78 to keep an eye on the enemy.

I’ve gone deep, hoping to find a way toinfiltrate my way to the top. So far, thePithus don’t suspect me. I fear my ruse maynot last long. It’s against my nature to tor-ture and beat the humans.

I’ve spent most of my time record-ing everything I can. I’ve gained

access to their plansfor South America. Iknow the flight pat-

terns of the transporterships. I have names of

potential turncoats withinthe Pithus society. I even man-

aged to gain the security codes formost of the local jails from my ser-geant.

The rest of my cell is to contact meonce our back up arrives. I hope theyhaven’t been captured or killed. It’sbeen a long time since I’ve heardfrom them.

Quote“Quickly, move! I know I’m an

ape, but you must trust me. Youhumans shouldn’t be here when thesergeant returns from his dinnermeal.”

*includes points gained fromEvolved Gorilla template

Evolved Gorilla SpyHeroic

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Qualities/DrawbacksContacts 3 (3)Fast Reaction Time (2)Hard to Kill 5 (5)Nerves of Steel (3)Reckless (-2)Secret (Liberty Fighter) (-5)Situational Awareness (2)

SkillsDodge 4 Drive (Car) 3 Guns (Assault Rifle) 5Guns (Pistol) 3 Hand Weapon (Knife) 3Martial Arts 5 Notice 4 Stealth 3 Streetwise 3Throwing (Sphere) 2

GearAssault Rifle, 3 Defensive Grenades,

Knife, Leather Jacket, Night OpsClothing, Night Vision Goggles, 2Pistols, Sedan

PersonalityNo ape is going to take my home from me. Who

do they think they are? They invade our planet,steal our women, take our food, and expect us toslave away for them. Not me. I’m taking my planetback from these invaders.

A group of us is holed up outside Albany.We’ve got a line of resources coming fromsome folks living in the downtown district.One of us goes into town each week to pickup supplies. So far, no stinkin’ ape has

caught onto what we’re doing. We alwaysgo in armed, though, just in case.

Last week, we killed an apesecurity team. They’ve been doingsweeps on the other side of town.We figured hitting them therewould be good. They’ll think thatthere’s a Liberty team on that sideof town, while we continue to

operate on this side of town.

Quote“Take no prisoners! Kill all

apes!”

Human Liberty FighterHeroic


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Qualities/DrawbacksGift (5) Hard to Kill 3 (3) Increased Essence Pool (3) Inspiration (5) Recurring Nightmares (-1)

SkillsBrawling 2 Climbing 1 Dodge 2 First Aid 2 Guns (Assault Rifle) 3Guns (Handgun) 3Humanities (Theology) 3Occult 1 Stealth 2 Storytelling 3 Survival 2

Metaphysics Divine Sight (5) Visions (5)

GearAssault Rifle, Bible, Class III Vest

and Helmet, Handgun, MilitaryUniform

PersonalityWe were the first in.

Nobody knew what we were facing, or if theydid, they weren’t telling. God knows, if they’d onlytold us, we’d have been better prepared.

A recon mission in Freedom Falls, Iowa. Iremember wondering why a chaplain wouldbe needed. “Need to know” was all theanswer I received.

A whole platoon gone. One hour. That’s allit took. One hour. I am the last.

But I hear them still. The screams,the accusations; they come to me at

night. I see them as I left them:torn, bloodied and wailing.Constantly. I haven’t slept since Ilost them, but what could I do?

And the day. They show methings that should not be. In myweakened state, I hear theirvoices whispering, disconnect-ed and chaotic. They reveal and

conceal what they know, theymix reality and dream until I

can’t tell whether I’m dreaming ornot.

By night, I feel the heavy pressof their rage, by day their whispers

and pleas for vengeance.

I’m lost Lord.

Help me.

God.

Help us all.

Quote“They say that war is hell, but it’s

nothing. It’s nothing compared tothis!”

Haunted Army ChaplainInspired

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Qualities/DrawbacksArtistic Talent (Singing) (3) Contacts (Other Fans) 2 (2) Delusions (Weird) (-3) Obsession (Elvis) (-2) Photographic Memory (2)

SkillsBeautician 2 Computers 2 Dancing 3 Dodge 2 Drive (Car) 2 First Aid 2 Guns (Handgun) 2 Haggling 2 History 1 Instruction 2 Myth & Legend 4 Notice 2 Play Instrument (Guitar) 3 Research/Investigation 1 Singing 3 Surveillance 2

GearCar, Clippings Album, Elvis

Biography, Elvis T-shirt, Handgun, Mapof Sightings, Walkman (and many, manyElvis CDs)

PersonalityI was there when it started. August 16th,

Graceland. The time and place of the King’s resur-rection.

A crowd of us kept vigil by the graves in theMeditation Garden. The earth began to move and

before we knew it, there He stood, growling Histrademark “uuuh-huuh” deep down in histhroat. He was magnificent. He’d lost a lot ofweight, of course, and looked kind of pale, but

that didn’t matter.

We rushed to Him in our joy, andthat’s when the screaming started.Even as others were being drawn, I

felt a voice in my mind urging me toleave.

I recognize it now, though; thatvoice in my head. I’ve heard it in

countless interviews and songs. Hespeaks to me, guides and protectsme!

I’m not alone. There have alwaysbeen the faithful who never gaveup hope of His return.

But not like this, and not now!

He gives me purpose. He tells methe “risen one” is a fake. It’s not theone we love. It is here to harm us, togather an army of the dead. It mustbe destroyed. I cannot ignore Hisvoice or His calling!

Quote“Only Elvis’ music is supposed to

reach out and touch lives.”

Elvis WorshipperNorm


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Qualities/DrawbacksCruel (-3)Emotional Problems ( L a c k

of Self-Control) (-1)Essence Channeling 3 (6) Gift (5)Secret (ex-Nazi SS Officer) (-3)Zealot (-3)

SkillsBrawling 4 Dodge 2 Drive (Truck) 1 Guns (Handgun) 3 Guns (Rifle) 1 Hand Weapon (Knife) 3Intimidation 4 Language (French) 3 Myth & Legend (Nazi Occult) 2Notice 3 Occult 2Research/Investigation 3Stealth 2

Power Necromancy Skill 4 (8)Death Mastery 3 (9) Death Speech 4 (12)

GearHandgun, Necronomicon, Rifle, SS Dagger

Personality

When the Fuhrer called for all men to rise andtake their place in his new world-empire, you wereamong the first to volunteer. You enlisted early, butdid not stay long. Your violent, explosive temper

kept you from the rapid promotion you feltyou so rightly deserved. Eventually, it took your

entire career from you.

You didn’t have to go home disgraced and dis-honored, however. The SS stepped in, call-

ing you “gifted” and “special.” Theygave you another chance. Training

you in the mystic secrets they had uncovered, youbecame one of the elite soldiers of

the Reich, striking down occult threats challengingthe Fatherland.

Slaying demons and stoppinginsane magicians from summoning creaturesbeyond their control was your life, but as the warwent on, you realized how precious your partnerhad become to you. As soon as the war ended, the

two of you married. You now have ason, gifted with the Sight.

You spend your days continuing to huntdown rogue wizards left over from the

war. You wife insists on accompany-ing you, even going so far as to bringyour son along. You’re not sure what

bothers you more, his presence or his growingpower.

Quote“No enemy, living or dead, Amerikaner or

Russen, shall be allowed to hurt the people of myland.”

Necromancer Monster HunterGifted • Solitaire

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Qualities/DrawbacksAcute Senses (Sight) (2)Attractiveness +2 (2)Contacts (Various Occult) 5 (5)Minority (Female) (-1)Nerves of Steel (3)Obsession (-2)Photographic Memory (2)Recurring Nightmares (-1)Resistance (Pain) 1 (1)Secret (ex-Nazi SS Officer) (-3)Secret (Nephilim) (-3)

SkillsBureaucracy 2 Dodge 2 Guns (Handgun) 2Hand Weapon (Knife) 1Hand Weapon (Sword) 4Language (French) 2Language (Latin) 4Myth and Legend (Nazi Occult) 4 Notice 3 Occult 3Research/Investigation 3Stealth 2

PowerNephilim (24)

GearHandgun, Occult Reference Books, Ritual SS Dagger, Sword

PersonalityWhen you were young, men in black suits came

and took your from you mother. They raised you todo one thing: kill wielders of magic and demons.You learned that you had some strange immunity totheir attacks.

When Germany went to war, the men inblack suits assigned you to work with a pas-sionate and dashing young necromancer.Surviving the terror of war, the two of youfell in love and married. You hoped the end

of the war would free you from thislifestyle. However, your husband

chose to continue the fight againstevil. You discovered that the men inblack suits were no longer in con-

trol and you have even gone so faras to kill a few of them in retribution.

You know what you are now,and why

theywanted

you under their control. Youstill suffer nightmares of the tests theymade you undertake.

Your son is growing very quickly.He is developing Seer Powers at avery young age. Neither your hus-band nor you know how to raise achild properly, let alone a child whois developing these powers. Youhope that you make the right deci-sions for him.

Quote“The oaffaca demons are

known for hiding amongsttrees. I suggest we check

out the forest on the edgeof town.”

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Qualities/DrawbacksGift (5)Emotional Problems (Depression) (-2)Minority (Child) (-1)Old Soul 2 (8)Reckless (-2)Showoff (-2)Status –2 (-2)

SkillsAcrobatics 2 Acting 2 Brawling 1 Climbing 2 Dodge 3 Notice 3 Language (French) 2Myth & Legend (Norse) 2Sleight of Hand 2 Stealth 2 Swimming 1 Throw (Sphere) 1

PowerMindhands Art 2 (4)Mindhands Strength 2 (6) Mindtalk Art 2 (4) Mindtalk Strength 2 (6) Mindrule Art 3 (6) Mindrule Strength 3 (9)

GearBook of Norse Myths, German Primer, Picture of

Family, Pocketful of Stones

Personality

Your parents never have time for you. They arealways too busy hunting down fairy tales. So, youact out the stories in your reading books. You fightoff dragons, elves, wendol, and even Loki himself.Your parents never seem to notice, unless you gethurt. But, you’re tough, just like father.

Your powers confuse you. They seem to turn onand off randomly. Sometimes, when you try to usethem, they don’t work. Other times, they work toowell. Like the time you wanted the cheese theFrench man was eating. You didn’t really expecthim to give it all to you when you told him youwanted a bite.

Sometimes, late at night, you sneak out ofyour room and spy on your parents.They never see you. You’ve heard

them talk about men in black suits andthat your mother is afraid of them. Your

father seems afraid that they willcome and take you away. Youcan’t find a reference to them in

your book of myths. Until you fig-ure out who they are, you plan to be

wary of all men wearing black suits.Maybe they are Americans.

Quote“With a mighty swing of my axe, I shall

kill Grendel and save the kingdom!”

Child PsychicGifted • Solitaire • Weird One

If you loved KNIGHTS OF THE DINNER TABLE...If you can’t get enough of PVP and DORK TOWER...

Then IN THE PIT will make you climb to the rooftops and shout“Eh?”

For over twenty years, gamers have struggled to prove that there is nothing evil, dangerous or odd about our hobby.

Now IN THE PIT is going to ruin everything.Gaming humor may be a dead horse, but by God, we're going to beat it!

NOW AVAILABLE INGAME STORES NOT

AFRAID OF STOCKING IT

In The Pit #1EDN5201

ISBN 1-891153-52-8$2.99

www.in-the-pit.com

From the creative minds of Al Bruno andGeorge Vasilakos, IN THE PIT tells hys-terical tales among the cluttered racksand overpowering stench of theFanboyz game store. From the anticsof an insane group of gamers to the tri-als of wanna-be small game companypublishers to the game room knownonly as “The Pit,” you won’t want tomiss an issue. Story ideas for IN THEPIT are yanked bodily from Mr.Vasilakos’s personal experience own-ing a game store and running EdenStudios. Mr. Bruno’s dark and twist-ed imaginings scurry out from underhis own warped gaming group.Many of these “horror” stories havebeen posted on rpg.net under thepseudonym Ab3. These luridaccounts are brought to visual lifeby newcomer Jimmy Changa. Joinus as Eden Studios brings in a newera of gaming comics.

eden studios presents, vol. 1

Documents

new monsters

unisystem game system

new supplementseries

eden studios views esp

unisystem scifi setting

derek stoeltingediting

derek stoeltingspacefarers

derek stoeltingl