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Warning!
Violence and the Supernatural
The fictional worlds of Palladium Books® are violent, deadly and filled with supernatural monsters.
Other-dimensional beings, often referred to as “demons,” torment, stalk and prey on humans. Other alien
life forms, monsters, gods and demigods, as well as magic, insanity, and war are all elements in these
books.
Some parents may find the violence, magic and supernatural elements of the games inappropriate for
young readers/players. We suggest parental discretion.
Please note that none of us at Palladium Books® condone or encourage the occult, the practice of
magic, the use of drugs, or violence.

The Rifter® Number 66

Your Guide to the Palladium Megaverse®!
1
PDF Edition – February 2016

First Printing – May 2014

Copyright 2014 Palladium Books® Inc.

All rights reserved, world wide, under the Universal Copyright Convention. No part of this book may be reproduced in part or whole,
in any form or by any means, without permission from the publisher, except for brief quotes for use in reviews. All incidents, situations,
institutions, governments and people are fictional and any similarity, without satiric intent, of characters or persons living or dead, is
strictly coincidental.

Robotech® and Robotech® The Shadow Chronicles® are Registered Trademarks of Harmony Gold USA, Inc.

Palladium Books®, Rifts®, The Rifter®, Chaos Earth®, Coalition Wars®, After the Bomb®, The Mechanoids®, The Mechanoid In-
vasion®, Megaverse®, Nightbane®, Palladium Fantasy Role-Playing Game®, Phase World®, RECON®, and Splicers® are registered
trademarks owned and licensed by Kevin Siembieda and Palladium Books Inc.
The slogan “A Megaverse of adventure – limited only by your imagination,” RPG Tactics, and titles and names such as Armaged-
don Unlimited, Aliens Unlimited, Arzno, Atorian Empire, ARCHIE-3, Beyond Arcanum, Beyond the Supernatural, BTS-2, Brod-
kil, Biomancy, Biomancer, Bio-Wizardry, ‘Burbs, ‘Borg, ‘Bot, Dead Reign, Dimensional Outbreak, Dinosaur Swamp, Dyval, Elf-
Dwarf War, Heroes Unlimited, I.S.P., Land of the Damned, Lazlo, Victor Lazlo, Lazlo Agency, Lazlo Society, Palladium of Desires,
C.A.M.E.L.O.T., Chi-Town, CS, Coalition States, Cosmo-Knight, Crazy, Cyber-Knight, D-Bee, Dark Day, Dead Boy, Doc Reid, Dog
Boy, Dog Pack, Dweomer, Emperor Prosek, Erin Tarn, Fadetown, Free Quebec, Gadgets Unlimited, Gargoyle Empire, Glitter Boy,
Gramercy Island, Hardware Unlimited, Heroes of the Megaverse, Heroes Unlimited, HU2, Juicer, Ley Line Walker, M.D.C., Mecha-
noid Space, Mega-Damage, Mega-Hero, Megaversal, MercTown, Minion War, Morphus, Mutant Underground, Mysteries of Magic,
Merc Ops, Naruni, Naruni Enterprises, NEMA, Ninjas & Superspies, NGR, Northern Gun, The Nursery, P.P.E., Powers Unlimited, Psi-
Stalker, Psyscape, SAMAS, S.D.C., Shifter, Siege on Tolkeen, Skelebot, Skraypers, Sorcerer’s Forge, Splugorth, Splynncryth, Splynn,
Techno-Wizard, Temporal Magic, Temporal Wizard, Three Galaxies, Tome Grotesque, Triax, Vampire Kingdoms, Warpath: Urban
Jungle, Void Runners, Wilk’s, Wolfen, Wolfen Wars, Wormwood, Wulfen, Xiticix, and other names, titles, slogans, and the likenesses
of characters are trademarks owned by Kevin Siembieda and Palladium Books Inc.

Palladium Online www.palladiumbooks.com

Also visit us at facebook.com/PalladiumBooks

The Rifter® #66 RPG sourcebook series is published by Palladium Books Inc., 39074 Webb Court, Westland, MI 48185. Printed in
the USA by McNaughton & Gunn of Saline, Michigan.

2
Palladium Books® Presents:

#66
Sourcebook and Guide to the Palladium Megaverse®
Coordinator & Editor in Chief: Wayne Smith

Editor: Alex Marciniszyn

Contributing Writers:
Braden Campbell
Brett Caron
Glen Evans
Max Kautsch
Kevin Siembieda
Edward Sauerland

Proofreader: Julius Rosenstein

Cover Illustration: Amy L. Ashbaugh

Interior Artists:
Allen Manning
Brian Manning
Michael Mumah
Tanya J. Ramsey
Benjamin Rodriguez
Charles Walton

Cover Logo Design: Steve Edwards

Credits Page Logo: Niklas Brandt

Typesetting & Layout: Wayne Smith

Art Direction: Kevin Siembieda

Based on the RPG rules, characters,
concepts and Megaverse® created by Kevin Siembieda.

Special Thanks to all our contributors, writers and artists this issue, especially new contributors. Our apologies
to anybody who may have gotten accidentally left out or their name misspelled.
– Kevin Siembieda, 2014
3
 Contents – The Rifter® #66 – Spring, 2014
Page 6 – From the Desk of Kevin Siembieda Page 22 – Jonah, the Sea Dragon
Page 24 – Knifeskin, King of the Wasteland
Publisher Kevin Siembieda talks about the challenges of cre-
Page 25 – Nocturne
ativity versus business, how Rifts® Northern Gun™ Two went
Page 26 – Packrabbit
from 160 pages to 256 pages, how he’s already fast at work on
Page 27 – Stinger Moth
Megaverse® in Flames (a June release), and that Robotech®
Page 28 – Stonebacks
RPG Tactics™ is moving ever closer to manufacturing (Summer
Page 29 – Quick Roll Monsters
release). He also talks about Palladium Books turning 33 years
Page 32 – Behaviors Table
old this year and how we could not have done it without you.
Page 33 – Skill & Instincts Tables
Page 34 – Weapons & Defenses Tables
Page 7 – Palladium News
Page 36 – Ranger O.C.C.
All kinds of books are going into final production, and at least Page 38 – Vine Launcher
five new titles (starting with NG-2) should be coming your way Page 39 – New Bio-Enhancement: Scent Glands
before the end of summer. There is also news about Penguicon, Artwork by Charles Walton.
where many fans were excited to see the prototype game pieces
for Robotech® RPG Tactics™ as well as the rule book, and Page 39 – Bite of the Snake Men
Kevin and the Palladium crew had an enjoyable time. In other – An adventure and villains for Heroes Unlimited™
news, the price of The Rifter® has gone up (but remains a steal),
interest in Palladium Fantasy® increases, Gen Con Indy is com- Glen Evans gives us a Heroes Unlimited™ adventure with
ing up fast, and you can already reserve rooms for the 2015 Pal- twists and turns, plus a new group of super-baddies with unique
ladium Open House. Read all about it. powers and abilities.
Page 39 – Eagle Knight Security (EKS)
Page 8 – Coming Attractions Page 40 – EKS Player Characters
Page 41 – Part One: The Interview
New books are coming your way. You are holding the lat- Page 42 – Part Two: The Snake in a Jar
est issue of The Rifter®, and by the time you see this, Rifts® Page 43 – Part Three: The Girl in the Ugly Car
Northern Gun™ Two will have shipped and be hitting store Page 44 – Part Four: The Snake Hits the Fan
shelves (it ships May 19), Rifts® Megaverse® in Flames™ Page 45 – Conclusion
should be almost finished and heading to the printer, and Grave- Page 46 – The Snake Men
yard Earth™, Chaos Earth® Sourcebook: Rise of Magic™, Page 46 – Coils
Robotech®: Expeditionary Force Marines™ Sourcebook Page 47 – Scales
One, and Robotech® RPG Tactics™ will all follow in the sum- Page 48 – Madam Venom
mer months of June, July and August (plus a couple of surprises). Page 49 – Taipan
We are also working hard to keep all our titles in print. Speaking Page 50 – Fangs
of which, The Mechanoid Invasion® Trilogy is back in print Page 51 – Spit
and the Special Anniversary Edition Hardcovers for Heroes Page 52 – Nagraj (the Snake Man)
Unlimited™ (released in February) and The Palladium Fantasy Artwork by Tanya J. Ramsey.
RPG® (released in April) are selling at a rapid pace; both have
sold around half their print run, so if you want one, you had better Page 54 – Space Pirates
order in the next few months before they are gone.
– Optional source material
Page 15 – Splicers®: The Bestiary for the Rifts® Phase World® setting
– Optional Source Material for Splicers® Braden Campbell serves up a wealth of information about the
Edward Sauerland has provided us with an array of 11 new space pirates of the Three Galaxies, their methods, their targets
M.D.C. creatures, plus tables and rules for the random creation and even some of their spacecraft.
of gene-spliced monstrosities and the Splicers® Ranger O.C.C. Page 56 – Raiding, Some Basic Considerations
Be prepared to up the ante of your Splicers® campaign with this Page 58 – Private Navies
fun selection of new material. Page 60 – Pirate Ships and Modifications
Page 16 – Maxi Animals Page 60 – Overdrive Failure Chart
Page 16 – Super Animals Page 61 – Skiff
Page 17 – Giant Chickens Page 61 – Corister-Class Frigate
Page 17 – Glutton Page 63 – Auntin Patrol Ship
Page 18 – Grave Robber Page 64 – Stonewall Cruiser
Page 19 – Gut Ripper Page 66 – Other Weapons and Equipment
Page 20 – Janus Eel Artwork by Mike Mumah.

4
Page 67 – Skipping Stones The Rifter® needs new material, especially when it comes to
– A Rifts® short story adventures and source material, for all of our game lines, espe-
cially Rifts®, Chaos Earth®, Palladium Fantasy RPG®, Heroes
Brett Caron returns with a story of intrigue and travel, as the Unlimited™, Ninjas and Superspies™, Beyond the Supernatu-
lead characters go from Lazlo to the Splynn Dimensional Mar- ral™, Dead Reign™, Splicers® and Nightbane®.
ket on Atlantis. Can you smell them? The Minions of Splugorth? Pay is lousy, fame is dubious, but you get to share your ideas
Enjoy. and adventures with fellow gamers and get four free copies to
Artwork by Benjamin Rodriguez. show to your friends and family.
Page 80 – Rifts® Black Market Part 2: Rise to Power The Cover
– Optional source material for Rifts® Every 2014 cover of The Rifter® will celebrate the 30th An-
Maxwell Kautsch is back with part two of his look at the rise niversary of the Heroes Unlimited™ RPG. This cover depicts an
to power within the cutthroat arena of the criminal Black Market. unlikely band of intrepid heroes off on an adventure that seems to
This time, he also gives us a Black Market Town with notable be about to take an unexpected and dangerous turn. The artist is
shops, places and people, plus a handful of Techno-Wizard con- the imaginative Amy L. Ashbaugh, who injected a nice touch of
traband. All of it setting the stage for adventure and intrigue. humor and the exotic to this wonderful cover.
Page 81 – Artesian Arms Co. (TW Weapons)
Page 82 – Rogue’s Mall and Carnival Optional and Unofficial Rules & Source Material
Page 82 – Notable Places
Please note that most of the material presented in The Rifter®
Page 83 – Wellesley Park
is “unofficial” or “optional” rules and source material.
Page 85 – Eel Bay Market District
They are alternative ideas, homespun adventures and material
Page 88 – Artesian Arms Industrial Park
mostly created by fellow gamers and fans like you, the reader.
Page 89 – Dockside
Things one can elect to include in one’s own campaign or simply
Page 91 – Gametown
enjoy reading about. They are not “official” to the main games or
Page 92 – St. Lawrence River
world settings.
Page 92 – Singer Notables
As for optional tables and adventures, if they sound cool or
Page 93 – Isabella Valkyrie
fun, use them. If they sound funky, too high-powered or inap-
Page 94 – Rembrandt
propriate for your game, modify them or ignore them completely.
Page 95 – Rockwell Westin
All the material in The Rifter® has been included for two
Page 95 – Hook, Line and Sinker™ Adventures
reasons: One, because we thought it was imaginative and fun,
Artwork by Allen and Brian Manning.
and two, we thought it would stimulate your imagination with
fun ideas and concepts that you can use (if you want to), or which
The Theme for Issue 66 might inspire you to create your own wonders.
The theme of The Rifter #66 is exotic people, places and the
thinks they seek. In some cases, they are villains seeking wealth, www.palladiumbooks.com – Palladium Online
power or revenge. In others, it is adventurers and heroes protect-
ing the innocent and battling evil. We hope you enjoy following
(or playing) their journeys. Please note that we are celebrating the The Rifter® #67
30th Anniversary of Heroes Unlimited™ all year. That means The Rifter® #67 Summer issue will present a nice
every 2014 issue of The Rifter® will contain something for it.
New Heroes Unlimited™ titles should be coming your way in
variety of new source material for Heroes Unlimited
2014 and 2015. Fantasy, too. and other Palladium RPG settings.
! Cover by Michael Wilson.
The Rifter® Needs You ! Source material for Rifts®.
We need new writers and artists to fill the next few decades ! Source material for Heroes Unlimited™.
of The Rifter®. You do not need to be a professional writer to ! Source material for other settings.
contribute to The Rifter®. This publication is like a “fanzine,”
! News, coming attractions and much more.
written by fans for fans. A forum in which gamers just like you
can submit articles, G.M. advice, player tips, house rules, adven- ! And maybe YOUR submission. Send us some-
tures, new magic, new psionics, new super abilities, monsters, thing and see if you get published.
villains, high-tech weapons, vehicles, power armor, short works
of fiction and more. So think about writing up something short Bringing you infinite possibilities,
(even something as small as 4-6 pages). Newcomers and regular
contributors are always welcome. limited only by your imagination™

Celebrating 30 years of Heroes Unlimited™

5
From the Desk of Kevin Siembieda
Welcome to the spring issue of The Rifter®. I think you will Of course, the big release is Robotech® RPG Tactics™
continue to find a wealth of fun, new, source material to drop into Wave One and we can hardly wait until product ships. This new
your games. This is another issue that is being released later than product line has not gone as quickly or smoothly as we had antici-
is usual, but you won’t be disappointed. pated, but this is another product that is going to look fantastic and
be a blast to play. As I write this, we have just returned from Pen-
Creativity vs. Business guicon, where the prototype pieces and Robotech® RPG Tac-
tics™ rule book met with rave reviews. People loved the game
It can be tricky juggling the creative against the financial and pieces, applauded the quality and detail, and liked what they saw
business aspects of any entertainment venture: books, games, as they skimmed through the rule book. Likewise, people who
film, etc. Rifts® Northern Gun™ Two is one of those titles didn’t know about the Robotech® RPG Tactics™ game, and in
where creativity overruled business. It has been super-sized – a few cases had never heard of Robotech®, were also impressed
having gone from the original plan of 160 pages to a final prod- saying that they would have to look into the game after it was re-
uct that is 256 pages – and is jam-packed with a lot of great art- leased. The gent at the booth right next to us told me that based on
work and ideas galore. This expanding page count was entirely the traffic we saw and the number of positive comments, we had
my fault. As the publisher, I have the luxury of expanding and a hit on our hands. It was all very nice to hear. Our thanks to the
changing and delaying any book to make it everything it can (or Penguicon organizers for having us at their event and the people
should) be. in attendance who made us feel so welcomed.
Honestly, I probably should have capped it off and sent it to
the printer a month or two earlier as a smaller book. However, I
wanted Rifts® Northern Gun™ Two to be truly special for our Palladium Books Turns Thirty-Three
Rifts® fans who had been waiting a long time already for this It doesn’t seem possible that so much time has passed, but Pal-
book. One could argue that there was too much creative energy. ladium turns 33 years old this year. It has been quite a journey,
You see, there were soooooo many ideas floating in my head and and we could not have done it without you.
inspirational artwork being turned in by Chuck Walton, the Man- “Thank you” are two words that are not said often enough.
ning brothers, and others, that I just couldn’t bring myself to stop. On behalf of all of us at Palladium Books, from the staff to our
Meanwhile, there were ideas being offered by lead writer Mat- freelancers, I would like to thank you – our fellow gamers and
thew Clements and freelance writers Carl Gleba and Carmen Bel- Megaversal travelers.
laire, plus input from the guys at the office. All of which pushed To our long time fans, thank you for your years of support. To
my already overactive imagination into overdrive. Add to that the new fans just discovering Palladium Books for the very first
my desire to make Rifts® Northern Gun™ Two extra special time, thank you for your support and welcome to the Palladium
precisely because it had been delayed, and I just couldn’t stop. Megaverse.
That’s okay in the sense that sometimes a writer/creator needs You will all be glad to know that we have ideas for an infi-
to give vent to his creative urges. Sometimes a product deserves nite number of new worlds and adventures yet to come. In fact,
to be delayed and expanded and made truly epic. NG-1 and NG-2 not only are there dozens of ideas for new sourcebooks for old
were two such books. And I think fans are going to love Rifts® and new settings, but ideas for exciting new games. So buckle up
Northern Gun™ Two. and enjoy the ride. I think you are going to enjoy what we have
On the down side, a delay of one book often delays other planned for you over the next several years.
books. The delay of NG-2 does not impact Robotech® RPG I would also like to thank all of Palladium’s unsung heroes:
Tactics™ because Wayne and Jeff are handling most things Ro- artists, writers, editors, proofreaders, order processors and help-
botech® at this stage, and our design/manufacturing partners at ers. The people behind the scenes all help us get product out and
Ninja Division are handling most aspects of mold making and keep us on our toes.
manufacturing. As I said in the last issue of The Rifter®, 2014 is a year full of
As you read this, I should be deep in Rifts® Megaverse® in promise and potential, fun and excitement. Not just for the Palla-
Flames, maybe even close to done with it. Definitely a June re- dium staff, but for our role-playing family of gamers. A wealth of
lease. Graveyard Earth™, a sourcebook for our zombie game, new products that are going to delight and surprise a lot of gamers
Dead Reign™, follows it. Then the next issue of The Rifter® are coming your way. Thank you for believing in us and sharing
and Robotech®: Expeditionary Force Marines Sourcebook. our dreams. With any luck, there are several more decades of fun
We have a few other products and ideas rattling around, but let’s and adventure yet to come.
wait to talk about them until they are further along. – Kevin Siembieda, Publisher & Game Designer

6
Palladium News As you know, Palladium is completely new to the wargame
business. That’s why we joined forces with the talented gents at
Ninja Division – the combined talents of Soda Pop Miniatures
and Cipher Studios. Palladium is trusting their knowledge and
By Kevin Siembieda, the guy who should know
expertise in all aspects of sculpting, mold making, sprue break-
New products starting to be released downs and manufacturing. Like you, we assume ND is doing
everything in their power to make this the best product possible
At last, the logjam is breaking loose and books are coming and to get Robotech® RPG Tactics™ to market as quickly as
your way. possible. For those of you familiar with Ninja Division/Soda
Rifts® Northern Gun™ Two is at the printer and ships Pop/Cipher Studios’ reputation for quality, you KNOW what
around May 22nd (the same time as this issue of The Rifter®). you can expect from them with regard to Robotech® RPG
As you read this, Rifts® Megaverse® in Flames™ is being Tactics™. And the weekend at Penguicon was a pleasant re-
completed and will ship in June. Graveyard Earth™, a new minder of how good these game pieces really are. And our goal
sourcebook for the popular Dead Reign™ series, should also see from the start has been to make Robotech® RPG Tactics™
release in June. They should be followed by The Rifter® #67 a fun, quality game that wargamers and Robotech® fans will
and Robotech®: Expeditionary Force Marines™, not to men- go wild over. I am convinced that’s exactly what we have suc-
tion Robotech® RPG Tactics™, Wave One. We hope to slip a ceeded at doing.
few other goodies in the summer mix as well, including a Chuck We are anticipating the Wave One of Kickstarter and retail
Walton art book, Chaos Earth® Rise of Magic™ sourcebook product releases to go into manufacturing in a few weeks and be
and a few new Chaos Earth® sourcebooks. in Palladium’s hands before Gen Con Indy. As soon as we get
My goal is to release a number of long-awaited book titles. In them, we start shipping the game and expansions out to you. With
the fall, I want to see two Beyond the Supernatural™ source- any luck, that will be July sometime.
books (Tome Grotesque™ and Beyond Arcanum™), and may-
be even one or two Palladium Fantasy RPG® titles (not sure
what yet). As for the Palladium Fantasy RPG® — if only you
Palladium Fantasy® RPG is in demand
could be a fly on the wall to hear the discussions and brainstorm- The new hardcover limited edition of Palladium Fantasy
ing for that game line. I’m not going to announce titles or release RPG® is flying out of our warehouse, indicating there is consid-
dates, for fear of raising expectations, but we have big, big plans erable demand for it. That’s excellent, because I have all kinds
for all our game lines over the next few years. of plans for the Palladium Fantasy game line. Stuff that made
Chuck Walton and some visiting fans grin like the Cheshire Cat.
Penguicon was fun I am burning with ideas for the game line and plan to make 2015
a big year for the Palladium Fantasy setting. I’ll even try to get
As I write this, Penguicon is only a two day old memory. It a sourcebook or two out by this year’s end.
is a unique event as it started out as a Linux/computer oriented
convention that has grown to include science fiction, gaming and
other elements. It’s a pretty nice event, and I was honored to be a
Price Increase for The Rifter®
featured guest. (I was a Guest of Honor 10 or 12 years ago.) Jeff After many years, we found it was time to increase the cover
Burke, Chuck Walton and I were at Penguicon all three days. Alex price of The Rifter®. We think $13.95 is still a darn good price
helped out Saturday afternoon and evening. All four of my panel for a 96 page sourcebook and hope you do as well. We will con-
talks went well and people seemed to enjoy themselves. tinue to make each issue fun and helpful to players and G.M.s
EVERYONE loved the Robotech® RPG Tactics™ prototype alike.
game pieces and painted game pieces on display. Jeff ran several
demos and seemed to be enjoying himself doing so. The next day Gen Con Indy – August 14-17, 2014
he mentioned to me that he forgot how much fun people have play-
ing the game. We all forgot to take photographs, because we were Gen Con Indy is going to be the premier convention event for
too busy talking with fans. I think it was a nice change of pace for Palladium Books this year.
all of us, and especially fun to see so much enthusiasm and ap- We have a large booth, special display, a ton of product in-
preciation for the Robotech® game pieces. “Amazing,” was the cluding Robotech® RPG Tactics™, and all our role-playing
most common refrain, along with many comments about the detail games and sourcebooks, art prints, original art, and all kinds of
and quality. My personal favorite comment was, “Perfect. They are good stuff. There will also be many Palladium creators avail-
absolutely perfect.” I don’t know if I’d go that far, but the Ninja able at the booth throughout the convention to chat and sign
Division sculptors and now the manufacturer have done a great job autographs, including writers Brandon Aten, Matthew Cle-
holding detail and making these Robotech® game pieces gorgeous. ments, Carl Gleba, Carmen Bellaire, Mark Oberle (tentative),
me (Kevin Siembieda), Palladium staffers like Wayne Smith and
Jeff Burke, and artists including Nick Bradshaw, Mike Leon-
Robotech® RPG Tactics™ ard, Chuck Walton, and others. And it looks like there will be
Speaking of Robotech® RPG Tactics™, we are as frustrat- 50+ Palladium Books RPG events in the official Gen Con
ed as some of you are with the unexpected delays in getting the program. My heartfelt thanks to the Megaversal Ambassadors
Kickstarter and mass market sets into manufacture. We have put spearheading this project, as well as the Game Masters volun-
our hearts and souls into this product line and are dying to get teering to run so many events for our many game lines. Awe-
them into your hands. some.
7
Palladium Books Gen Con Highlights:
! 50+ RPG gaming events in a dedicated area. The most
games ever at a Gen Con. Sign up when you can and make
Coming
Attractions
us look good.
! Large exhibitor booth and special display.
! Robotech® RPG Tactics™ products and demos.
! Role-playing game products galore: Rifts®, Robotech®,
Splicers®, Palladium Fantasy®, Heroes Unlimited™,
Nightbane®, Dead Reign™, Beyond the Supernatural™,
Palladium’s 2014 Release Checklist
Ninjas and Superspies™, After the Bomb® and all the rest. Recent Releases
! Special edition books, prints and original artwork.
! Get autographs, chat and have a blast. - Rifts® World Book 34: Northern Gun™ Two – Available
! Palladium creators already committed to appear: Kevin now!
Siembieda, Wayne Smith (editor), Jeff Burke (artist & staffer), - The Rifter® #65
Chuck Walton (artist), Nick Bradshaw (artist), Mike Leonard - The Rifter® #66
(artist), Brandon Aten (writer), Matthew Clements (writer), - Palladium Fantasy RPG® – Back in Print
Carl Gleba (writer), NMI (online admin and MA), Gary Mill- - Palladium Fantasy RPG® 30th Anniversary Hardcover –
er (MA Coordinator and the Palladium Onsite Gaming Event Available only from Palladium Books.
Coordinator at Gen Con), and others are likely to be added; - Heroes Unlimited™ RPG 30th Anniversary Hardcover –
subject to changes and addition. Available only from Palladium Books.
- Heroes Unlimited™ RPG – Back in Print
2015 Palladium Open House June 2014 Releases
– May 14-17, 2015 - Rifts®: Megaverse® in Flames™ – New and in final produc-
The 2015 Palladium Open House is officially on! This is an tion.
event unlike any you have ever experienced. We hope to see - Rifts® Chaos Earth®: Rise of Magic™ – Back in Print
many of you next May! More on it in the next Rifter® and on the - Dead Reign™ Sourcebook 5: Graveyard Earth™
Palladium website (www.palladiumbooks.com) in a few weeks,
July 2014 Release
but start planning for it now.
$109.00 (plus tax) per room at the Comfort Inn, aka - Robotech®: Expeditionary Force Marines Sourcebook One
“Plymouth Clock Tower Hotel.” This is the hotel everyone – New
knows and wants. You can start placing hotel reservations for the - The Rifter® #67
2015 Palladium Open House right now, but make sure you tell - Robotech® RPG Tactics™ Boxed Game – New (tentative)
them the Group Code “Palladium Books.” This is a must to get - First 6 Robotech® RPG Tactics™ Expansion Kits – New
the superior group rate. (tentative)
That’s $109 (plus tax) for a room with two queen beds or one
king with a sofa that has a pull-out sleeper. ALL rooms have a Also Coming in 2014
micro-fridge, FREE high-speed wired/wireless Internet and there - Charles Walton Art Book
is a FREE hot breakfast from 6 A.M. to 10 A.M. near the lobby. - Rifts® Chaos Earth® Sourcebook: First Responders
The hotel also offers a heated indoor swimming pool, a fitness - Rifts® Chaos Earth® Sourcebook: Resurrection
center (24 hours), and a coin operated laundry. And the large - Rifts® Coalition States: Heroes of Humanity™ Sourcebook
conference room is ours to use, around the clock for open gam- - Rifts® Secrets of Atlantis™ Sourcebook (tentative)
ing. - Beyond the Supernatural™ Sourcebook: Beyond Arca-
Comfort Inn num™
40455 Ann Arbor Road - Beyond the Supernatural™ Sourcebook: Tomes Gro-
Plymouth, MI 48170 tesque™
Phone: 734-455-8100 - Rifts® sourcebooks
Group Code: Palladium Books – you MUST request the - Robotech® Expeditionary Force Marines™ Sourcebook
Group Code “Palladium Books” at the time of booking to ensure Two (tentative)
the correct rate will be quoted and billed to you. - Splicers® sourcebooks (tentative)
Dates of the 2015 Palladium Open House (POH): May 15- - Heroes Unlimited™ sourcebook (tentative)
17 (May 14 is VIP Thursday), 2015. - Palladium Fantasy® sourcebooks (tentative)
If you know you are coming to the 2015 Palladium Open
House, we recommend you reserve your room as soon as pos- Palladium RPGs are available in many hobby and game
sible to get this superior rate. Call 734-455-8100 to make your stores around the world. We encourage people to support their
reservation. The hotel does NOT charge your credit card until a local stores. Going to a store enables you to see the product be-
few days before the event (next year!) and you can cancel up until fore purchasing it, and many stores are happy to place special or-
May 10, 2015. So there is no reason to wait. Get your room(s) ders for you, provided you pay in advance, enabling you to avoid
reserved right away. Game on! the cost of shipping and possible damage in the mail.
8
 Ordering from Palladium Books: You can also order direct- Canada and the Chi-Town ‘Burbs. May be used with Northern
ly from Palladium Books, but you will pay extra for shipping. For Gun™ One or as a standalone sourcebook.
customers with access to a computer, we recommend ordering ! 30+ NG power armor suits; an expansive range.
online to get the most accurate shipping costs and more shipping ! 30+ suits of M.D.C. body armor and 20+ types of armored
options (or by telephone; 734-721-2903, order line only). For clothing.
customers without such access, use the following “mail order” ! NG robot haulers and drones.
process. ! NG combat vehicles and amphibious watercraft.
1. Send the cost of the books or items being ordered. 2. In the ! NG hovercycles, aircraft, jet packs and ground vehicles.
USA: Add $5 for orders totaling $1-$50 to cover shipping and ! Robot Gladiator O.C.C. and robot gladiators.
handling. Add $9 for orders totaling $51-$100. Add $15 for or- ! The Robodome – Robot Gladiatorial Arena.
ders totaling $101-$200. Outside the USA: Double the shipping ! Pirates, amphibious gear and more.
amount for orders going to Canada, and triple it for overseas or- ! Interior Artwork by Chuck Walton, Nick Bradshaw, and
ders. Any and all additional costs incurred as a result of customs others.
fees and taxes are the responsibility of the foreign customer, NOT ! Wraparound cover by John Zeleznik.
Palladium Books. ! Written by Matthew Clements and Kevin Siembieda.
3. Make checks or money orders payable to Palladium Books. ! 256 pages – $26.95 retail – Cat. No. 888. Available now!
4. Please make sure to send us your complete and correct ad-
dress. Note: These costs are for the least expensive and slowest
method of shipping only. Allow 2-4 weeks for delivery. Order
online or call the office for a superior but more costly shipping
method.

NEW! Rifts® World Book 35:

Megaverse® in Flames™
This book is in final production as we write this issue (May 6),
so it will be a June release.
NEW! Rifts® World Book 34:
The Minion War spills across Rifts Earth, where demons and
Northern Gun™ Two infernals hope to recruit allies and use the Rifts as gateways of
destruction. Their influence shakes things up across the planet,
The much anticipated companion to Northern Gun™ One is especially at locations where demons and Deevils already have
done! Not only that it is bigger than ever, expanded to 256 pages. a strong presence. Demons, Deevils and supernatural beings run
Rifts® Northern Gun™ Two is an epic World Book that rampant and wreak havoc across the world.
contains a wealth of information, power armor suits, ride armor, ! Demon plagues and mystic blights.
drones, vehicles and gear from the largest arms dealer on the con- ! Soulmancy and Blood Magic revealed.
tinent: Northern Gun™. Plus details about the Robo-Gladiatorial ! Magical and demonic weapons and war machines.
Arena whose battles are being televised throughout Michigan, ! Demonic armies, strongholds and places of evil.
9
! Hell Pits and Rune Forges. ! Level of Zombie Threat table. Zombies and exposure to
! Many Demon Lords, their minions and plans. the elements.
! Calgary, the Kingdom of Monsters; in detail. ! Walled cities and other Alternative Safe Havens.
! Ciudad de Diablo, Harpies’ Island and notable Hell holes. ! Car problems, aircraft landing conditions and encounters
! Lord Doom, Pain and other demonic leaders. on the road and by sea.
! Horune treachery, Dimension Stormers and villains. ! Written by Matthew Clements. Cover by E.M. Gist.
! Notable demonic generals, mercenaries, people and places. ! 48-64 pages – $12.95 retail (tentative) – Cat. No. 235. Ships
! Global chaos and demonic legions. Adventure ideas galore. June 2014. In final development. Final page count and date
! Written by Carl Gleba. Part of the Minion War “Cross- of release yet to be determined.
over” series.
! 192 pages – $24.95 retail – Cat. No. 876. June, 2014.

Heroes Unlimited™
NEW! Dead Reign™ Sourcebook 5: 30th Anniversary Hardcover Edition
Graveyard Earth™ – only $40 while supplies last
When the dead rise and communications and power grids col- Half of the Heroes Unlimited™ RPG Hardcovers are al-
lapse, nothing matters except your own survival. But what about ready sold. Only 200 copies are left. This HU2 30th Anniversary
the rest of the world? What’s happening in other places? Has any Edition is visibly different (and cool) than the original hardcover
government survived? Is anyplace safe? and cannot be confused with the earlier printing. We have kept
Dead Reign™ Graveyard Earth™ tries to answer those the price an unprecedented, low $40 for a hardcover Gold Edition
questions and others. And in doing so, provides gamers and of this size. We want to give Heroes Unlimited™ fans a crack
G.M.s with more fuel for adventure. at purchasing one before the price skyrockets on the secondary
! Zombie World Tour – How the Wave and the Zombie collectors’ market. The original HU2 hardcover sold for $50 and
Apocalypse have played out across the globe. has since become a collector’s item that sells for $200-$350 on
! A Thousand Miles of Dead – Getting home from abroad in the secondary market. Enjoy and game on!
a world of zombies. ! Limited to 400 signed and numbered copies.
! American military forces overseas and their journey home. ! Signed and numbered on the credits page by Kevin Siem-
! Alternative campaign settings and Random Campaign Set- bieda and the Palladium staff. We’ll try to get an artist or
ting tables. two to sign as well.
! Random Encounters by Region and Random Survivor ! Blue fabric cover with gold foil imprinting. A completely
Leaders. new and different cover than the original HU2 Gold Edition.
10
! Interior pages are exactly the same as the original HU2 HC
and the current softcover edition.
! Create any type of hero and superhuman – aliens and mu-
tants to super-soldiers, martial artists, mages and Mega-
Heroes.
! 100+ super abilities, plus scores of sub-powers.
! 100+ magic spells plus Enchanted (Magical) Weapons and
Objects.
! 40+ psionic abilities.
! Super-Vehicles, high-tech hardware, in-depth characters
and more.
! Written by Kevin Siembieda. Cover art by Michael Wilson.
! 352 pages – ONLY $40 retail from Palladium Books only
– Cat. No. 5000HC – available now, direct from Palladium
Books. Sorry, this product is not available in stores. Note: The
price is only $40 to celebrate the proud event of HU2’s 30th
Anniversary and make sure the hardcover is accessible to our
core fan base. Enjoy.
! A complete role-playing game with many sourcebooks.
! Heroes Unlimited™ – celebrating 30 years of heroic ad-
venture.
! Also available as a 352 page “softcover” edition – $26.95
retail – Cat. No. 500 – Available now.

A few notable Heroes Unlimited™ Sourcebooks:

Instantly expand your playing experience with these and other
HU2 sourcebooks.
! Villains Unlimited™ – 80+ villains, rules for creating secret
organizations, gadgets, adventure ideas and more.
! Heroes Unlimited™ G.M.’s Guide – with 10 complete ad- low $40 for a hardcover Gold Edition of this size. We want to
ventures, additional and optional rules, many random tables, give Palladium Fantasy® fans a crack at purchasing one before
70 more magic spells, new vehicles and equipment, the law, the price skyrockets on the secondary collectors’ market. The
G.M. tips and more. original Crimson Edition sold for $50 and has since become a
! Powers Unlimited™ One – New powers galore! 120+ Minor collector’s item that sells for $250-$400 on the secondary market.
Super Abilities, 45+ Major Abilities, 20 more psionic powers Enjoy and unleash those imaginations.
and more. ! Limited to 450 signed and numbered copies.
! Powers Unlimited™ Two – 11 new power categories and ! Signed and numbered on the credits page by Kevin Siem-
many sub-set types of heroes, symbiotes, weaknesses, and bieda and the Palladium staff.
more. ! Brown leatherette cover with Elemental Green foil im-
! Powers Unlimited™ Three – 130 more new powers. ‘Nuff printing. A completely different cover than the original Crim-
said. son Edition.
! Heroes of the Megaverse® – A sourcebook that enables ! Interior pages are exactly the same as the current softcover.
you to bring your heroes and supermen (and any of the HU2 ! 30+ different Fantasy O.C.C.s – Mind Mage, Diabolist,
sourcebook characters, powers and material) into the Rifts® Druid, Wizard, Palladin, Ranger, Thief, Assassin, and
and/or Phase World®/Three Galaxies™ settings, plus new more.
powers, heroes, superhuman creation tables, and more. ! 300+ magic spells.
! And other Heroes Unlimited™ sourcebooks. ! 60+ magic wards and 50 magic circles.
! Psionic abilities and psychic characters.
! Demons, magic items, weapons, world background and
NEW! Palladium Fantasy RPG® more.
30th Anniversary Hardcover Edition ! Written by Kevin Siembieda. Cover art is a Baal-Rog de-
mon.
– only $40 while supplies last ! A complete role-playing game with many sourcebooks.
The Palladium Fantasy® Special 30th Anniversary Hard- ! 352 pages – ONLY $40 retail from Palladium Books only
cover is selling even faster than the Heroes Unlimited hardcov- – Cat. No. 4500HC – available now! The price is only $40
er. We sold 200 copies in half the time! Only 250 copies are left. to celebrate the proud event of Palladium Fantasy’s 30 years
This Palladium Fantasy® 30th Anniversary Edition is visibly of continuous publication and to make sure the hardcover is
different than the original hardcover and cannot be confused with accessible to our core fan base.
the earlier printing. We have kept the price an unprecedented, ! Palladium Fantasy® – celebrating 30 years of wonder.

11
BACK IN PRINT – Rise of Magic™
A Rifts® Chaos Earth® Sourcebook – June
Rescheduled for a summer release.
The return of magic has empowered humans with strange and
wondrous powers, unlike anything quite yet seen (and different
from most conventional types of magic). This only complicates
things for Earth’s defenders as the line of distinction between
“good guys” and “bad guys” begins to blur.
! Chaos Magic, new magic specific to the Chaos Earth® set-
ting. NEW! Robotech®: Expeditionary
! More than 100 unique Chaos Magic spells.
Force Marines Sourcebook One
! New magic O.C.C.s like the Blue Zone Wizard and Chaos
Wizard. – Name changed from UEEF Marines
! New evil magic users like the Chaos Witch and Demon Robotech®: Expeditionary Force Marines is a sourcebook
Caller. that we know will wow and please Robotech® fans.
! More on NEMA and the Demon Plagues. ! New mecha and weapons.
! Written by Kevin Siembieda. ! Aliens and space adventure.
! 64 pages – $14.95 – Cat. No. 662. Ships June, 2014. ! Written by Irvin Jackson.
! 160 pages – Cat. No. 553 – $20.95 – July release.

NEW! The Rifter® #67 – July Robotech® Macross® Saga Sourcebook

Every issue of The Rifter® is an idea factory that helps play- Available in the 8½ x 11 size
ers and Game Masters to generate new ideas and keep their games
fresh. It provides useful, ready to go, source material gamers can All the famous mecha and action of Robotech® starts here
just drop into their ongoing games. A doorway to new possibili- with the Macross® Saga when an alien armada enters Earth or-
ties and numerous Palladium role-playing worlds. It offers new bit. They have come to reclaim a lost spacecraft that crash-landed
characters, O.C.C.s, powers, magic, weapons, adventure and on Earth 10 years earlier. A space fortress that Earth’s protectors
ideas for your games. It presents new villains, monsters and dan- have rebuilt into their own flagship against alien invasion. The re-
gers to battle, and new ideas to consider. Every issue has material sulting conflict gives birth to heroes and becomes the stuff of leg-
for Rifts® and at least two or three other Palladium game lines. end, but the Earth will never be the same. Reminder, Robotech®
The Macross® Saga Sourcebook is now available as an 8½ x
The Rifter® #67 – July, 2014: 11 inch sourcebook.
! Heroes Unlimited™ source material. ! Transformable Veritech Fighters known as Valkyries take
! Optional source material for 3-5 settings. to the sky to defend the Earth.
! Destroids, giant walking tanks, are among Earth’s front-
! News, coming attractions, product descriptions and more. line defenders.
! Cover by Michael Wilson. ! The SDF-1 and Earth air, ground and space combat ve-
! 96 pages – $11.95 retail – Cat. No. 167. July release. hicles.

12
! Zentraedi mecha, powered armor suits, and select space-
Robotech® RPG Tactics™ Box Set
craft. ! Brought to you by Palladium Books®, created with Ninja
! The Zentraedi warriors, their war machines and culture. Division (the creative minds behind Soda Pop Miniatures and
! Notable characters from the TV series statted out. Cipher Studios).
! Quick Character Creation Tables enable you to make ! 112 page full color, softcover rule book; wraparound cover and
Macross characters in 15 minutes or less. lots of new, color artwork.
! New skills and M.O.S. skill bundles. ! 24 Battle Dice, 12 UEDF and 12 Zentraedi.
! The Robotech® The Shadow Chronicles® RPG “rule book” ! 40 color game cards (unit cards, etc.).
is needed to play (Cat. No. 550 or 550HC). ! 4x VF-1A Valkyries (in Fighter, Guardian, and Battloid
! 128 pages – $16.95 – Cat. No. 551 – standard 8½ x 11 size modes).
– Available now. ! 1x VF-1J “Officer” in all three modes.
! 4x Destroids: 2 Tomahawks and 2 Defenders.
! 12x Regult Zentraedi Battlepods.
! 1x Glaug Officer’s Battlepod.
! 1x Quel-Regult Recon Battlepod.
! 1x Quel-Gulnau Recovery Pod.
! 1/285th scale, high quality, multi-pose plastic game pieces
(40mm to 70mm tall). World-class sculpts from sculptors
around the world.
! Game rules use D6.
! Turn-based system of play.
! Scalable from small squad skirmishes to mass battles. Can ac-
commodate two to several players.
! Combat is fast and designed to emulate the anime action.
Robotech® RPG Tactics™ ! Measuring tape required to determine targets and distance.
! Small parts and some assembly required. Game pieces come
– Summer 2014 unpainted.
This is the game Robotech® fans have wanted for decades. ! Release Date: Summer 2014.
Robotech® RPG Tactics™ is a fast-paced, tabletop combat ! $99.95 retail price.
game that captures the action and adventure of the Robotech® ! Cat. No. 55100 (Main Box Game).
anime. Two or more players can engage in small squad skirmish-
es or scale up to massive battles. Relive the clashes of the First The First Six Robotech®
Robotech War, engage in stand-alone tactical games, or use the
dynamic game pieces to enhance your Robotech® RPG experi- RPG Tactics™ Expansion Packs
ence. Or simply collect your favorite mecha from an expanding The initial expansion packs will also ship at the same time as
range of top-notch game pieces. the main box game this summer.
Mecha vs Mecha. Take command of the fighting forces of the ! UEDF Valkyrie Wing (2x each, Fighter, Guardian, Battloid)
United Earth Defense Force (UEDF) valiantly defending Earth – Cat. No. 55201 – $36.95 retail.
from alien annihilation. Or lead the massive clone armies of the ! UEDF Tomahawk/Defender Destroids (2x Tomahawks, 2x
Zentraedi Armada to recover an alien artifact of immense power Defenders) – Cat. No. 55202 – $32.95 retail.
and enslave humankind.

13
 ! Zentraedi Glaug Command Pack (1x Glaug, 1x Quel-Regult,
1x Quel-Gulnau) – Cat. No. 55403 – $36.95 (tentative).
! Additional expansion packs to be released in the fall. More
will follow.
! Palladium plans to release the mecha and settings for ALL eras
of Robotech®. Many other details are still in development.
! Tournament play support is planned. Ninja Division will help
Palladium to develop and launch the program. Summer re-
lease.

Yet to be scheduled 2014 Releases

Rifts® Chaos Earth® Sourcebook:
First Responders – Coming 2014
The Great Cataclysm has devastated civilization, but humanity
fights for survival. The struggles of civilian law enforcement, fire
and rescue, and everyday men and women are some of the most
epic tales to be told in a world gone to hell. They fight monsters,
aliens, the paranormal, the elements, and each other, all with the
hope of reclaiming their lives from the Chaos.
! New D-Bees and monsters from the Rifts.
! First Responder O.C.C.s, skills and special equipment.
! New “average citizen” Occupational Character Classes
(O.C.C.s).
! New equipment for NEMA “Roscoes” and other emergen-
cy personnel.
! Notable rescue vehicles, robot drones, and technology.
! Source information and stats for common Golden Age
technology (weapons, vehicles, medical tech, etc.).
! Apocalypse Plagues brought from other worlds to Chaos
Earth.
! Adventure ideas and more.
! Written by Jason Richards. Additional text by Clements
& Siembieda.
! 96 pages – $16.95 retail – Cat. No. 665. Summer (tentative).
Rifts® Chaos Earth® Sourcebook:
Resurrection – Coming 2014
In the shattered depths of Wisconsin, survivors are besieged
by the dead come back to life. Zombies. But not just any type of
zombie, zombies done Rifts-style. And unless the source of the
zombie plague can be found and neutralized by NEMA defend-
ers, North America may be overrun by the dead.
This was actually something Taylor White and I have been
kicking around for years, even before we released the Dead
Reign™ RPG line. We think you’ll love it.
! Something has animated the dead in Wisconsin. It is up
to NEMA heroes to find the cause and stop it before it
spreads beyond control.
! Scrap Zombies of all types.
! Snatcher Ghouls, Carrion Cleaners, Screaming Puppet
! UEDF Spartan/Phalanx Destroids (2x Spartans, 2x Phalanx- Ghosts, Sour Maggot Parasites, and other monsters.
es), Cat. No. 55203 – $32.95 retail. ! The Zombie Pox and other dangers.
! Zentraedi Regult Battlepods (6x Regults) – Cat. No. 55401 ! Setting background, adventure and adventure idea table.
– $36.95 retail. ! Written by Taylor White.
! Zentraedi Artillery Battlepods (4x Artillery Battlepods) – ! 128 pages – $16.95 retail – Cat. No. 666. Summer (tenta-
Cat. No. 55402 – $36.95. tive).
14
Splicers®: The Bestiary
Optional Source Material for the Splicers® RPG
By Edward Sauerland
Locked in a life or death struggle against the endless legions as well as natural weapons, making them a real threat to Splicer
of the Machine, it’s easy to forget that there are other dangers characters.
in the Splicers universe. Disease, hunger, the terrain, and even Animals and monsters have instincts and natural skills (Climb,
the weather can kill a man just as easily as a rail gun blast. Even Prowl, etc.) and their level of intelligence can vary greatly. And
teetering on the brink of extinction, humankind still tears at itself. though people may label a shark or lion that kills humans as evil,
Waste Crawlers and other brigands strike in the open while the strictly speaking, it isn’t. These are not the cunning and diaboli-
Librarians, power-hungry rivals, and other upstarts and madmen cal creatures and demons of Rifts and other settings. They do
plot from the shadows. But what of the dangers that have only not enslave humans, covet wealth, or kill for fun. These are just
been hinted at? The Splicers RPG teases us with warnings of ter- animals fulfilling their biological drives to eat, sleep, poop, and
rible creatures that roam the Wastelands and serve as de facto reproduce. In short, to survive. Thus, most, if not all animals and
guardians of the Nature Preserves. Some will be extinct animals monsters are effectively Anarchist, associating only with their
reconstituted by Gaia from DNA samples. Others may be all own kind and basically just wanting to be left alone. They may be
new, possibly alien species from offworld, or cobbled together territorial or even aggressive, but on the whole, if humans didn’t
by some mad scientist. Each will present the players with new wander onto their turf, they wouldn’t bother us.
challenges (and opportunities) during their struggle to take back But your adventure is bound to take you far from the protec-
the planet. tion of your Great House. And out there in the wilds, who knows
Some quick notes regarding animals and monsters: Though what you may encounter...
these terms may be used interchangeably throughout this article, As for the Machine, the various personalities each treat the na-
to clarify, animals are real world life forms that existed on the tive wildlife differently, often on a case-by-case basis. Most will
Earth at some point. With only a few exceptions (like dinosaurs), not take any action to harm a non-human creature, especially one
animals are S.D.C. beings that inflict only S.D.C./Hit Point dam- that with a penchant for attacking Splicers. They will, however,
age. defend any important outpost such as a Power Farm or Industrial
Monsters, on the other hand, are usually Mega-Damage be- Center, regardless of the damage that may be inflicted upon the
ings, often possessing Splicer level or even Supernatural Strength, local ecosystem.

15
Some typical Machine behavior untrained or under-equipped villagers? It takes a LOT of courage
regarding animals and monsters to stare down a tiger or an elephant with stone tools and weap-
ons. The average hero is likely to jump to the aid of civilians,
Eve is the only NEXUS personality likely to target an animal heedless of the risk to himself. And let’s say that the player is
in the name of preserving human life. This is especially true in armed to teeth and can make quick work of the beast. He still
and around the Retro Villages, doubly so if she can pull it off risks collateral damage (injuring civilians or damaging homes,
without alerting the other personalities. Eve has even attempted crops, livestock, etc.), not to mention leaving telltale evidence for
to send a few isolated robot patrols to stalk the outskirts and bor- the Machines to find.
ders of a Nature Preserve in order to root out some of the larger
Mega-Damage creatures that have been threatening the Resis-
tance. These sorties are few and far between, as Gaia is far too Maxi Animals
protective of her parks to allow any such concerted effort, es- Maxi Animals are so named because all their stats are all
pecially those entailing poaching and encroachment to last. Not maxed out. Take the common horse for example (page 121 of
even Eve will send robots into the nature Preserve. the Splicers® RPG). Don’t even roll for the attributes and other
Gaia is madly in love with all the many wondrous (and oft- stats. Just max them right out. So, Hit Points would automatically
times monstrous) creatures in her Nature Preserves. When she be 30, M.A. would automatically be 24, etc. All other information
does employ robots near the fringes of these parks, it is usually to (size, bonuses, attacks per melee, etc.) remains the same. Such
catch any human interlopers defiling her sacred Preserves. Occa- perfect animals represent the absolute pinnacle of a breed, a sort
sionally, she will send a few robots on scouting missions to study of super-purebred.
some new species or even capture one for study, preservation (in Scientists are at a loss to explain the existence of such crea-
a Cryo-Zoo), or to breed/clone the specimen, often to seed it in a tures. Selective breeding and deliberate genetic manipulation are
new area of the globe outside of its natural habitat. Gaia prefers the most likely explanations, but who is responsible? Is Gaia trying
to use smaller, less obtrusive robots in these roles, such as Cable to repopulate the planet with perfect specimens or is some Great
Snakes, Hunter-Searchers, Sewer Prowlers, and Skitter Pods. House breeding these animals, and if so, for what purpose? Trade
Freya is obsessed with the clockwork functioning of her Ghost or gifts for the Retro Villages and other Houses? Curiosity? Spite?
Towns. Any creature that might ruin the illusion of the normal, Good old-fashioned insanity? No one knows, and the mystery is
workaday society is targeted for destruction, despite any protests further complicated because Maxi Animals are impossible to dis-
from Gaia. To maintain some tiny semblance of “realism” in tinguish from regular ones except through close medical examina-
these settings, Freya will send out Nex Androids programmed to tion or scientific study, often postmortem. Even then, the results
emulate soldiers or police SWAT officers, all armed to the teeth. can be inconclusive. The situation is a very low priority among
Larger robots, like an Assault Slayer, might do the job faster and Great Houses, so there isn’t likely to be much follow up unless
more efficiently, but it disrupts the image of life as usual in the there is an incident that ruins a mission or causes unnecessary
Ghost Town. death and destruction. Perhaps the players can investigate a lead...
The only other notable personality to regularly interact with
animals and monsters is Ishtar. If for no other reason than bore-
dom, she will engage large, powerful Mega-Damage creatures in
Super Animals
combat, usually out in the Wastelands far from prying eyes or any Super Animals are a step beyond even the Maxi Animals
Preserve. To truly test her skill, Ishtar will fight at a three to one above, and they can be a true danger, even to Splicers. A Super
numerical disadvantage or use robots that are outmatched by their Animal looks like its normal counterpart, though it is about 10%
adversaries, such as a lone Slicer Robot taking on some hulking, larger. The attributes are all maxed out as above, but add 1D6 to
30 foot long beast. P.S., +1D4 to P.E., and 2D6 to Spd. Strength is the equivalent of
Splicer/Robotic P.S., enabling a seemly benign animal to inflict
Mega-Damage with its attacks.
Creatures of the Wilds Super Animals are Mega-Damage beings. Determining their
M.D.C. is easy. Take their maxed out possible Hit Points and

and Nature Preserves half their maxed out S.D.C. and add them together. Convert that
number into M.D.C. Super Animals (and Maxi Animals for that
matter) will always be the “alpha” or pack leader of a group of
Basic Animals like animals. Super Animals in particular are also more aggres-
sive and receive the following bonuses: +1 to initiative, +1 to
Just like the name implies, break out a copy of Palladium’s
strike, and one additional attack per melee round.
Monsters and Animals or other tome and roll up a regular ani-
The best guess of scientists is that about 3 to 5% of the total
mal. Doesn’t sound too scary? Consider this: your Dreadguard is
animal population is made up of Maxi Animals, while only one
almost unstoppable when he’s suited up in his Host Armor. But
out of every 1,000 normal animals is actually a Super Animal.
what if he has to travel undercover or infiltrate a Retro Village
However, these percentages are significantly higher in select ar-
or some other secure area? Without his Host Armor, he could be
eas, especially in or around Nature Preserves. Again, finding hard
pretty easy pickings for a bear or lion.
evidence is difficult and not a major concern of the Warlords.
Sure, your character might have his trusty Mega-Damage
Still, what if Gaia is seeding her territory with disguised preda-
sword or pistol, but using such weapons might call unwanted
tors? How will the players respond when one of their few safe
mechanical attention down on his head, making a bad situation
(sort of) retreats gets overrun with dangerous animals (monsters)?
much worse. And what about the threat of predatory animals to
16
Monsters and Special Bonus: The bones of the Giant Chicken are dense but
extremely prone to splintering. This can make them a potential
choking hazard to humans and S.D.C. animals if the meal is

M.D.C. Creatures
not prepared properly. Gore Hounds, War Mounts, and oth-
er M.D.C. creatures are tough enough to chew and swallow
the little bits without difficulty. There is a unique advantage
to these bones, though. When used as ammunition in Shard
Giant Chickens weapons, they add a damage bonus of +4 M.D.

The name says it all: these animals are identical to regular

chickens, except that they stand roughly five feet (1.5 m) tall! Glutton
How this peculiar breed of fowl came about is unclear, but it
There is no great mystery surrounding the origin of the Glut-
is known that they existed before the war against the Machine,
tons. It is a well known fact that they were an early creation of the
though they were 25% smaller than the current incarnations. Most
Machine. And a very flawed creation at that.
likely, a combination of selective breeding, genetic manipulation,
Many vital strategic areas were being clogged up with the re-
and growth hormones were used to create ever-larger birds for
fuse of battle. Dead bodies, unsalvageable robots and vehicles,
food. Somewhere along the line, things got a bit out of hand.
empty supply crates, spent shell casings, dud ordnance and other
Giant Chickens are not predators, but they can be dangerous.
debris was starting to pile up. Some buried subroutine within
They are extremely docile, but skittish. When frightened, they
NEXUS kicked in and started looking for a way to clean up the
flap their wings (they cannot actually fly), screech, peck, and
mess. Since most resources were tasked with wiping out human-
make all kinds of racket. More than one Splicer has been uncov-
ity, the Machine struggled to develop an alternative. Finally, it
ered because he spooked a wild Giant Chicken. A handful of sur-
had a flash of genius: a bio-engineered organism that could liter-
vivalists have actually taken to using one or two of the critters as
ally feed off of all the trash.
“watchdogs” in this way by posting them around a campsite. If a
At this point in time, the distinctive personalities of NEXUS
Giant Chicken is panicking, it’s a good bet that trouble is nearby.
were not as defined, and so there was no steady guiding hand
Even though they are S.D.C. beings, they possess minor Splic-
in the design of the Gluttons, resulting in a strange amalgama-
er equivalent strength. Unwary caretakers can easily be injured
tion of characteristics. One of the many conflicting goals that was
or even maimed, losing a hand to an angry peck. This is why
brought up was the need to make the animals cute. A long for-
farmers and veterinarians should always wear light M.D.C. armor
gotten marketing memo somehow became a cornerstone of the
when working around these animals.
creature’s design! Such was the madness of the Machine.
The most obvious use for Giant Chickens is food. One ful-
And so it was, the Machine sent out a few hundred of these
grown animal can feed 15 to 20 men or the equivalent in War
weird animals genetically designed to eat anything and every-
Mounts depending on their feeding needs. Females lay 3 to 5
thing, and it worked, for a time. Then things started to go awry.
softball-sized eggs a week. Unfertilized eggs can be used for
First, the Gluttons grew much larger and at a faster rate unantici-
cooking and baking recipes just like regular chicken eggs.
pated by the Machine. And they were able to breed. The Machine
The taste? Well, they taste like... you know, chicken.
had intended for the Gluttons to be neutered at the genetic level,
Type: Domesticated farm animal. but something went wrong in the recipe.
Alignment: Effectively Anarchist. Cares only about eating and Third, and most dangerous of all, was that the creatures were
will seldom fight except to escape. all ticking time bombs. The powerful digestive acids that enabled
Attributes: I.Q. 1D4 (low animal intelligence), M.E. 1D4, M.A. the Gluttons to eat almost anything were highly unstable. A stray
1D6, P.S. 1D4+10 (Splicer P.S.), P.E. 1D4+8, P.P. 1D6+8, laser blast could set off a Glutton like it was a hydrogen balloon.
P.B. 2D4, Spd can run up to 20 miles (32 km) per hour. Man and machine have both been slain by exploding Gluttons.
S.D.C.: 2D6+90 Not the most dignified way to die.
Hit Points: 1D4x10+30
Type: Scavenger animal.
Horror Factor: None, unless a whole pack of 10 or more are
Alignment: Anarchist.
swarming you (H.F. 9).
Attributes: I.Q. 1D4+2 (low animal intelligence), M.E. 2D6,
Size: 5 feet, plus 1D6 inches (1.55 to 1.68 m) tall.
M.A. 1D4, P.S. 2D6+10 (Splicer/Robotic P.S.), P.E. 2D6+6,
Weight: 250 to 300 pounds (112.5 to 135 kg).
P.P. 1D6+4, Spd (see below).
Average Life Span: 10 years (estimated).
Speed: Running: 20 mph (32 km). Leaping: Not possible. Dig-
Feeding: Consumes 10 pounds (4.5 kg) of seed, grain, or other
ging: 10 mph (16 km) through dirt, half through rock and con-
feed per day.
crete. Swimming: Not possible. Flying: Not possible.
Attacks: Two.
Damage: Claw strike 1D4x10 S.D.C. Peck with beak 4D6 S.D.C. M.D.C. by Location:
Bonuses: +4 to automatic dodge (often bob and weave unpredict- Legs (4) – 70
ably), +1 to strike, +5 to save vs disease. * Head – 55
Habitat: Tend to be found most often in temperate climates and Main Body – P.E. plus 80
grasslands, but can be found periodically anywhere. Often * Attackers are –2 to strike the head. Depleting the M.D.C.
kept in pens as livestock within the underground living spaces of the head or main body kills the creature. See vulnerabilities
of a Great House. below.
17
Horror Factor: 10 to humans, none to machines, though both detonation. Likewise, rail gun bursts and other kinetic attacks
groups know the dangers of getting too close to a Glutton dur- can kill a Glutton without fear of an explosion.
ing battle. Attacks: Two.
Size: Roughly 3 feet, plus 4D6 inches (1. to 1.5 m) tall at the Damage: As per Splicer P.S. Bites inflict 4D8 M.D. (powerful
shoulder. jaws and grinding teeth).
Weight: 150 to 400 pounds (67.5 to 180 kg). Bonuses: +1 to dodge, +8 to save vs poison and disease.
Average Life Span: 5 to 15 years. Habitat: Virtually anywhere.
Bio-Regeneration: Heals 1D4 M.D.C. per minute for the main
body and 1 M.D. per minute to all other locations.
Feeding: Gluttons earn their name by devouring at least 50%
of their body weight in food each day! See natural abilities
Grave Robber
below. Grave Robbers are as repulsive to the Machine as they are to
Natural Abilities: The Gluttons were designed so that they could humans. They are essentially giant rats that feed off of the dis-
eat anything: plastic, metal, wood, corpses, you name it. The carded remains found in Boneyards. The deep-rooted hatred of
jaws, teeth, throat, stomach and digestive tract are all power- all rodents is just too much for the Machine to bear, and so Grave
fully built and extremely rugged. The stomach is a pool of Robbers are some of the few non-human life forms regularly tar-
powerful corrosive acids that can process anything the Glutton geted for destruction by robots.
can chew and swallow. A design quirk gives the creatures an While the bodies of these foul creatures may resemble rats,
accelerated metabolism that works just a little too well. 80% their heads and faces are even more terrible to behold. The faces
of what they consume is simply burned up, keeping the crea- are smushed in, sort of like a pug dog or Persian cat. The ears
ture alive, so even the ones that feed regularly tend to be gaunt
and sickly looking.
Skills: Identify Plants & Fruits 70%, Land Navigation 55%.
Vulnerabilities: Vulnerable to Mega-Damage weapons. Spe-
cifically, any damage in excess of 20% of the creature’s main
body M.D.C. has an 80% chance of starting an explosive chain
reaction. The damage is 2D6x10 M.D. to a 50 foot (15.24 m)
radius. Luckily, the caustic, unstable juices inside the beast
can only be set off with energy blasts or explosive attacks.
Hacking a Glutton to pieces with a sword has zero chance of
18
are about half as large as they should be, while the eyes are 50% Bonuses: +2 to initiative, +2 strike, +2 to parry, +3 to dodge, +4
larger, bloodshot, with yellow irises, giving the creature a manic to save vs Horror Factor, +10 to save vs poison and disease.
or crazed look. Habitat: Boneyards and recent battle sites in addition to their
Grave Robbers always move in packs of 6 to 20, though there underground dwellings.
can be five times that many in an underground warren. Disgust-
ing, but relatively easy to kill, they are best avoided for one simple
reason: living amongst the dead and feeding off their remains has
exposed the Grave Robbers to all manner of horrid diseases. Cuts
and bites dished out by Grave Robbers are guaranteed to become
infected unless treated immediately, preferably by a Saint after
the wound has been flushed with alcohol or other disinfectants
and/or cauterized. Even Slap Patches will be half as effective
curing disease and injury caused by a Grave Robber. And every
Packmaster and Outrider is taught to never allow their charges to
eat a Grave Robber, and if possible, avoid even biting one for fear
of contracting some illness.
Type: Scavenger animal.
Alignment: Anarchist.
Attributes: I.Q. 1D4+4 (low animal intelligence), M.E. 1D4+4,
M.A. 1D4, P.S. 1D6+12 (Splicer/Robotic), P.E. 2D4+10, P.P.
2D6+4, P.B. 1D4, Spd (see below).
Speed: Running: 30 mph (48 km). Leaping: 25 feet (7.62 m) high
or across from a dead stop, 50% more with a running start.
Digging: 30 mph (48 km) through dirt, half that through rock
and concrete. Swimming: 10 mph (16 km) paddling along the
water’s surface. Flying: Not possible.
M.D.C. by Location:
* Tail – 15
* Hind Legs (2) – 50 each
* Front Legs (2) – 30 each
* Head – 45
Main Body – 40 plus P.E. number
* A single asterisk indicates a small, difficult target to hit.
Attackers are –3 to strike these areas. Depleting the M.D.C. of
the head or main body kills the animal.
Horror Factor: 9 to humans for a single animal, 13 for a group
of 4 or more, none to machines, although they will usually
destroy Grave Robbers on sight.
Gut Ripper
Size: About 3 feet (0.91 m) tall, nearly as wide and long, with a The Gut Ripper is one of the most dangerous and feared crea-
thin, 4 foot (1.22 m) tail. tures that stalk the landscape. The name is derived from the crea-
Weight: 60 pounds (27 kg). ture’s signature killing move: a slash across the abdomen to get
Average Life Span: 10 years. at the soft, tasty innards of their prey. Resembling a huge, horned
wolverine (though one that walks upright, as a human), Gut Rip-
Bio-Regeneration: 1D6 M.D.C. per day to the body, 1D4 to all
pers possess supernatural strength as well as several built-in bio-
other locations.
logical weapons akin to Splicer bio-tech. Even an experienced
Feeding: Carnivores that feed exclusively on dead or decaying Dreadguard suited up in Host Armor can be slain with ease if he
animal matter, even bones. Requires 8 pounds (3.6 kg) of food is caught unawares by a one of these monsters. Luckily, Gut Rip-
per day. pers seldom stray from their normal hunting grounds, and rarely
Natural Abilities: Immune to normal (S.D.C.) weapons and at- travel in groups larger than two (usually a mating pair).
tacks as well as normal heat and cold. Passive nightvision, Gut Rippers are as cunning as they are powerful. They are
range: 300 feet (91.4 m). Excellent sense of smell: can smell highly skilled at tracking prey and setting up ambushes. They are
blood and decaying flesh up to 2 miles (3.2 km) away. Highly aided in this by their natural ability to mimic animal sounds. A
resistant to disease and poison (see bonuses). typical ploy is for a Gut Ripper to hide under some brush or in a
Skills: Climb 75%, Land Navigation 50%, Prowl 60%. cave, then impersonate some other animal (the preferred sounds
Vulnerabilities: Vulnerable to Mega-Damage weapons. for these traps are mating calls of other animals) to lure the victim
Attacks: Three. to his death. Thankfully, the Gut Ripper cannot impersonate hu-
Damage: As per Splicer P.S., though bites inflict 2D6 M.D. re- man voices, though there are other ways to entice humans into a
gardless. trap. Sounds of a horse, dog/Gorehound or other War Mount in
19
distress will often bring a human rushing in to investigate. The Bonuses: +2 to initiative, +4 to strike, +1 to parry, +2 to dodge,
training of Splicers is geared toward Machine threats, so they +2 to save vs poison and disease, and immune to Horror Fac-
don’t expect a Gut Ripper to be waiting for them. tor, possession, and mind control.
The Gut Ripper’s combination of weapons and intelligence Weapons: The Gut Ripper possesses a crude gore cannon. There
have led some Engineers and Librarians to theorize that they are is no barrel or appendage like standard Splicer weapons
not “natural,” but are, in fact, creations of the Machine, bred to mounted on Host Armor or War Mounts. Instead, the ener-
hunt and kill humans. Of course, there’s no way to prove this (or gized gore/slime is regurgitated directly from the monster’s
is there? Possible adventure idea, G.M.s!) stomach and spat out through the mouth. This only adds to the
Type: Predatory animal. shock and horror of the attack.
Alignment: Miscreant, lives to hunt and kill. Usually kills to eat, Mega-Damage: 4D8 M.D.
but sometimes kills for pleasure. Rate of Fire: Each use counts as one melee attack.
Attributes: I.Q. 1D4+4 (medium animal intelligence), M.E. Maximum Effective Range: 250 feet (76.2 m).
1D6+2, M.A. 1D4, P.S. 2D6+20 (Supernatural P.S.), P.E. Payload: 10 blasts per 24 hours, double if the beast gorges
2D4+10, P.P. 1D8+12, Spd (see below). itself first.
Speed: Running: 40 mph (64 km). Leaping: 20 feet (6.1 m) high Habitat: Tend to be found most often in temperate climates, but
or across. Digging: 10 mph (16 km) through dirt, half through can be found periodically anywhere. Likes forests and moun-
rock and concrete. Swimming: 20 mph (32 km). Flying: Not tainous areas (many natural hiding places).
possible.
M.D.C. by Location:
Arms (2) – 120
Janus Eel
Legs (2) – 150 Though called an eel due to its electrical discharge ability, the
* Horns (2 to 6) – 45 each Janus Eel is actually more closely related to a viper. The “Janus”
* Head – 130 part if its name come from the snake thing’s two heads – one at
Main Body – P.E. number times 10, plus 125 either end of the slender Y-shaped body. It uses these two heads
* Attackers are –2 to strike the head. Depleting the M.D.C. in a unique hunting tactic. One of the two heads will lie out in
of the head or main body kills the creature. the open to draw in would-be predators. Most animals will home
in on the head as a source of danger and position themselves to
Horror Factor: 14 to humans, none to machines. avoid it and attack the main body. When they do, the concealed
Size: 7 feet, plus 4D6 inches (2.13 to 2.74 m) tall when standing second head strikes.
fully erect. As stated previously, the Janus Eel can generate electrical
Weight: 400 to 600 pounds (180 to 270 kg). charges within its body to zap and disable larger prey. Brush-
Average Life Span: 30 to 45 years. ing the sides of the animal or being bitten by one of the mouths
Bio-Regeneration: Heals 2D4 M.D.C. per melee round for the jolts the victim and may cause lightheadedness. But being latched
main body and 1D4 M.D. per melee round to all other loca- onto by both heads at once completes an electrical circuit, result-
tions. ing in a prolonged, more powerful electric attack that can kill.
Feeding: Gut Rippers are carnivores that consume 25 pounds The animal preys mostly on smaller animals such as birds,
(11.25 kg) of meat or carrion per day, but may gorge on up to rodents, lizards, snakes, and the occasional small cat or dog. Cu-
three times that amount. After gorging, can go for 2D4 days riously, the Janus Eel never targets Rat Bombs, and will not fight
without eating. one even in self-defense, always choosing to flee. How they can
Natural Abilities: Immune to normal (S.D.C.) weapons and at- tell the difference with such amazing accuracy is a mystery to the
tacks as well as normal heat and cold (can withstand tempera- Resistance.
tures of –55 degrees/-48 C to 185 degrees Fahrenheit/85 C). Type: Predatory animal.
Partially resistant to physical attacks (punches, kicks, etc.): Alignment: Anarchist.
reduce damage by 25%. Keen color vision nearly equal to a Attributes: I.Q. 1D4+2 (low animal intelligence), M.E. 1D4+2,
hawk or Host Armor (perfect vision with a range of half a M.A. 1D4, P.S. 1D6+12, P.E. 1D4+8, P.P. 1D4+10, Spd (see
mile/0.8 km). Can also see in total darkness without the need below)
for ambient light. Range: 100 feet (30.5 m). Enhanced sense of Speed: Running/Slithering: 25 mph (40 km). Leaping: Not pos-
smell equal to a Gorehound. Also has the ability to mimic ani- sible. Digging: 10 mph (16 km) through dirt and soft soil, can-
mal sounds (roughly equal to the Imitate Voices skill) at 85%. not burrow through rock and concrete. Swimming: 10 mph (16
Skills: Camouflage (hiding) 75%, Climbing 80%, Land Naviga- km) on the water’s surface. Flying: Not possible.
tion 55%, Prowl 65%, Tracking (animals and humans) 80%,
Track by scent 65%, Track by scent of blood 85%. M.D.C. by Location:
Vulnerabilities: Vulnerable to ordinary poisons, disease, and * Heads (2) – 30
Mega-Damage weapons. Main Body – 35 plus 4D6
Attacks: Five. * Attackers are –3 to strike the heads. The “brain” of the
Damage: Punches and kicks as per Supernatural P.S. Claw strike: eel is located along the entire length of the spinal chord, so de-
4D6 M.D. plus punch damage. Horns: 2D6 M.D. plus punch stroying one or even both heads will not truly kill the animal.
damage. Grows a set of horns for every 8 to 10 years of life, so Only depleting the M.D.C. of the main body will kill it.
elder Gut Rippers often have a “crown” of devil horns. Horror Factor: 8 to humans, none to machines.
20
21
Size: 6 to 9 feet long (1.83 to 2.74 m), 8 to 12 inches (20 to 30 Physically, the Jonah is reptilian, scaled, with powerful limbs
cm) in diameter, unless it has recently fed. and a long body, but built sleek, like a predatory bird to reduce
Weight: 60 to 110 pounds (27 to 49.5 kg). drag while speeding through the water. This speed comes from
Average Life Span: 8 to 15 years. the wing-like flaps that span the length of the front limbs and
Bio-Regeneration: Heals 1D6 M.D.C. per day. stretch down to the Jonah’s waist. The flaps are similar to gliding
Feeding: Carnivores that consume 2 pounds (0.9 kg) of fresh membranes, and their great volume allows the Jonah to displace
meat per day, but may gorge on up to four times that amount. vast amounts of water with each powerful stroke, propelling the
After gorging, can go for 2D4 days without eating. titan through the water at incredible speeds. The wings tuck in
Natural Abilities: Immune to normal (S.D.C.) weapons and at- close to the body while on land. The clawed “fingers” and “toes”
tacks as well as normal heat and cold. Able to breathe under- of the Jonah are webbed and help add speed and remarkable agil-
water and is resistant to electrical attacks (takes no damage). ity underwater.
Equipped with Heat Pits and a Forked Tongue. Type: Predatory sea animal.
Skills: Camouflage (hiding) 85%, Climb 60%, Land Navigation Alignment: Effectively Anarchist, though cunning and territo-
45%, Prowl 85%, Swim 80%, Tracking (animals and humans) rial.
60%. Attributes: I.Q. 1D6+4 (medium to high animal intelligence),
Vulnerabilities: Vulnerable to ordinary poisons, disease, and M.E. 1D8+10, M.A. 2D4+12, P.S. 3D6+45 (Supernatural
Mega-Damage weapons. P.S.), P.E. 2D4+20, P.P. 2D4+16, Spd (see below).
Attacks: Three. Speed: Running: 50 mph (80 km). Leaping: 40 feet (12.2 m) high
Damage: Bite: 1D4 M.D. Strangulation attack: 4D6 S.D.C. or or across, can leap out of the water up to 150 feet (45.7 m)
Hit Points per melee. into the air (counts as two attacks). Digging: 10 mph (16 km)
Bonuses: +2 to strike, +1 to dodge, +4 to save vs poison and through dirt, half through rock and concrete, three times as
disease, and immune to Horror Factor, possession, and mind fast through sand. Swimming: 150 mph (240 km). Flying: Not
control. possible.
Electrical Attack: The Janus Eel can generate electrical dis-
charges and release them through its skin or deliver more M.D.C. by Location:
powerful shocks during bite attacks. Brushing up against the Wings (2) – 250
skin of the Eel delivers a stinging jolt of 2D6 S.D.C. Enough Legs (4) – 450
to hurt, but not seriously impair a healthy, full-grown human. Tail – 1,000
An electrical strike delivered in conjunction with a bite in- * Head – 800
flicts 6D6 S.D.C. and unarmored characters must save vs stun Main Body – P.E. number times 100, plus 6D6x100
attack (10 or higher, plus any P.E. bonuses). If both heads * Attackers are –2 to strike the head. Depleting the M.D.C.
strike and launch a simultaneous electrical attack, damage is of the head or main body kills the creature.
1D6x10 S.D.C. or 2D4 M.D., and the character must save vs
Horror Factor: 18 to humans, none to machines.
stun attack by rolling a 15 or higher. Stunned characters lose
Size: 70 to 90 feet (21.3 to 27.4 m) long from nose to tail, stands
initiative, two attacks per melee, and are –4 on all combat ac-
about 20 feet (6.1 m) at the shoulder, wingspan is 50 to 60 feet
tions for 2D4 melee rounds. Payload is unlimited as long as
(15.2 to 18.3 m).
the Janus Eel stays fed.
Weight: 50 to 80 tons.
Habitat: Swamps and shallow inland waterways, especially in
Average Life Span: Estimated to be 200 years or more.
hot and humid climates.
Bio-Regeneration: Heals 4D10 M.D.C. per hour for the main
body and 2D10 M.D.C. per hour to all other locations.
Jonah, the Sea Dragon Feeding: Omnivores that consume 3 to 7 tons of organic matter
per day.
One of the largest creature ever cataloged on the Splicers plan- Natural Abilities: Immune to normal (S.D.C.) weapons and at-
et is the mighty Jonah, a bird-like sea serpent that rules the Great tacks as well as normal heat and cold (can withstand tempera-
Ocean. (The name stems from some misinterpretation of the tures of –80 degrees to +120 degrees Fahrenheit/-62 to 49 C).
biblical tale.) These massive creatures have only been glimpsed Maximum depth tolerance is 3.5 miles (5.6 km). Keen color
rarely, always alone, always attempting to avoid contact with vision nearly equal to a hawk or Host Armor (perfect vision
men and machines alike, so very few hard facts are known about with a range of a mile/1.6 km. One third that range underwa-
them. It might seem strange that such powerful beasts would flee ter). Passive nightvision that magnifies ambient light, range:
rather than fight, though some would call this evidence of intelli- 1,000 feet (305 m), half that underwater. Thermal vision,
gence or a healthy respect avoidance behavior between sympatric range: 400 feet (122 m). Enhanced sense of smell equal to a
species. The Jonah appears to stake its claim to a vast swath of Gore Hound; can smell blood in the water up to 3 miles (4.8
ocean, striking only at trespassers, and even then, only to drive km) away.
them off, not to kill them outright, though, that is often the result. Skills: Climb 50%, Land Navigation 45%, Prowl 35%, Sea
They are absolutely smart enough to track such interlopers back Navigation 70%, Sense Magnetic North, Swim 90%, Track-
to their home or base of operations. If fishermen or traders from a ing (land animals and humans) 60%, Tracking Sea Animals
seaside village are repeat offenders, the Jonah may come ashore (including humans at sea) 75%, Track by scent 55%, Track
and devastate the community in order to discourage further intru- by scent of blood 85%. Can breathe both air and in the water.
sions into the beast’s territory. Equipped with Gills and Sonar.

22
23
Vulnerabilities: Vulnerable to Mega-Damage weapons. mph/32 km. On Land: +1 to initiative, +3 to strike, +2 to parry,
Attacks: Six. +2 to dodge. Also +9 to save vs poison and disease. Immune to
Damage: Punches and kicks as per Supernatural P.S. Claw Horror Factor, possession, and mind control.
strike: 3D6 M.D. plus punch damage. Tail swat/strike: 4D6 Habitat: The Great Ocean. Found only in salt water. It is un-
M.D. plus punch damage. Body blocks: 6D6 M.D. plus punch known if the Jonah can live in fresh water or how long it can
damage (lots of mass = lots of damage). Stomp: 5D6 M.D. survive on land.
Swimming ram: 2D10 per 10 mph/16 km.
Bonuses: In the Water: +3 to initiative, +5 to strike, +3 to par-
ry, +4 to dodge, with an additional +1 to dodge for every 20

Knifeskin Mercifully, Knifeskins are rare, with perhaps fewer than 60

of them dotting the globe. They are fiercely territorial, with each
claiming an area of no less 50 square miles (128 square km).
King of the Wastelands The problem is that these territories are often used by Splicers
to move about undetected by the Machine. More than one patrol
The lion is known as the king of the jungle, but the undisputed
has had to beat a hasty retreat to avoid confronting a roving
ruler of the Wastelands is a powerful brute called the Knifeskin.
Knifeskin.
It is one of the largest predators that Splicer characters are likely
Even one Knifeskin is enough to inflict serious damage to the
to ever encounter on the surface of a wasteland. And even then,
Machine’s infrastructure, so when one of the Waste Kings is de-
they had better hope they don’t see it more than once.
tected, a pack of Hunter-Searchers or other robots is sent out to
The Knifeskin is a muscular, six-legged, lizard creature cov-
observe the giant. Should it come within 20 miles (32 km) of
ered with dazzling scales that glitter like a beacon in the sun.
some vital installation, the Knifeskin will be bombarded at long
These very scales are what give the Knifeskin its name. The mon-
range by a combination of Sky Fighters, Battle Tracks, and other
ster can cause the scales to ripple or stand on end much like the
heavy robots, as well as any static defenses within range.
Quill Defense enhancement. Anyone striking the creature with
physical blows will slash or impale themselves on the extruded Type: Desert predator animal.
scales. The Knifeskin can also slice enemies with a charge or Alignment: Anarchist and extremely territorial.
sideswipe attack. Worst of all, the creature can spray down an Attributes: I.Q. 1D6+2 (low to medium animal intelligence),
area with the scales in a jagged version of the Needle Death Blos- M.E. 1D6+6, M.A. 2D6, P.S. 3D6+20 (Supernatural), P.E.
som. 2D6+14, P.P. 1D4+14, P.B. 1D6, Spd (see below).

24
Speed: Running: 100 mph (160 km). They can also put on a burst M.D. with a 75% chance of knocking an opponent down.
of speed up to 150 mph (240 km) for 2D6 minutes, after which Sideswipe (slice or rake with scales): 3D6 M.D. Anyone strik-
the creature must slow down back to normal speeds for at least ing the Knifeskin when its scales are extended takes 3D6 M.D.
one hour. Leaping: 20 feet (6.1 m) high or 30 feet (9.14 m) Bonuses: +2 to initiative, +4 strike, +5 to parry, +2 to dodge, +6
across. Digging: 20 mph (32 km) through dirt, half as fast to roll, +12 to save vs poison and disease. Immune to Horror
through rock and concrete, 35 mph (56 km) through sand. Can Factor, mind control, and possession.
dig down enough to conceal itself in sand in just 1D6 melees. Special Scale Rain Attack: The Knifeskin can shower an area
Swimming: 20 mph (32 km) with a depth tolerance of 200 feet with deadly sharp scales in a manner similar to the Needle
(61 m). Flying: Not possible. Death Blossom. Anyone caught in the 50 foot (15.2 m) ra-
M.D.C. by Location: dius takes 5D10 damage. Up to four radius attacks can be per-
Tail – 110 formed per 24 hours (regenerates automatically).
Legs (6) – 130 Habitat: Deserts, wastelands, and any other hot, arid environ-
* Head – 110 ments.
Main Body – P.E. number x 10 plus 450
* Attackers are –3 to strike the head, -2 to strike the legs
or tail. Depleting the M.D.C. of the head or main body kills
Nocturne
the animal. Note: Elder Knifeskin (at least 60 years old) are The Nocturne is a sleek but powerfully built big cat, as if a
larger and even tougher. Add 10% to overall size and increase cheetah and a lion were interbred. The difference is that these cats
all M.D.C. by 25%, add one additional attack per melee, +2 to possess Supernatural strength and are covered in jet black fur that
strike and +2 to Horror Factor. enables them to blend into the darkness.
Horror Factor: 16 to humans, none to machines. Nocturnes live in packs of 6 to 12, but prefer to hunt alone,
Size: The body is 11 to 14 feet (3.4 to 4.3 m) long, plus a 16 foot and only at night. Their natural camouflage and superior senses
(4.9 m) long tail for an overall length of 27 to 30 feet (8.2 to give them a decided edge over any other creature out and about
9.1 m) Height: 5 to 6 feet (1.5 to 1.8 m) at the shoulders. Over- at night, particularly livestock and humans. And that is where the
all width is roughly 8 feet (2.4 m). problem lies. Nocturnes know they can score easy meals around
Weight: 5 to 7 tons. Retro Villages, picking off a dog, sheep, or cow here and there.
Average Life Span: 80 to 120 years. But sometimes they will strike at lone humans, especially chil-
Bio-Regeneration: 6D6 M.D.C. per hour for the main body, 3D6 dren and the homeless. The Machine knows this full well, but
for all other locations. usually chooses to do nothing to drive the animals away, and so
Feeding: All Knifeskin are carnivores that feed on 200 to 400 the responsibility of defending the settlement falls to the villagers
pounds (90 to 180 kg) of animal matter per day. Their great themselves. This is one of the many dilemmas facing Resistance
endurance means that they can go up to 3D4 days between fighters. Do they intervene and drive off the prowling Nocturne,
meals, if necessary. (Reduce attacks per melee by one and possibly revealing their presence? If the Machine suspects that
M.D.C. by 10% under these circumstances, but also add +2 to the Village has been harboring Splicers, it will raze the settlement
initiative and +2 to strike, as they will be desperate for food.) and kill every man, woman, and child in the place. Resistance
Natural Abilities: Immune to normal (S.D.C.) weapons and at- members (the player characters) must always use the utmost cau-
tacks as well as normal heat and cold. Highly resistant to heat: tion and leave no evidence of their passage.
can withstand temperatures of up to 250 degrees Fahrenheit Type: Predatory animal.
(121 C) with no ill effects. Takes only half damage even from Alignment: Anarchist, though its stalking habits and targeting of
M.D.C. heat and fire. 100% immune to the effects of radiation. humans and their animals might cause folks to think of it as
Resistant to lasers: takes only half damage from non-variable pure evil.
laser weapons. Even Splicer light cell weapons are not quite as Attributes: I.Q. 1D4+6 (medium to high animal intelligence),
effective: reduce damage inflicted by light cell lasers by 25%. M.E. 1D6+8, M.A. 1D4+4, P.S. 1D6+20 (Supernatural), P.E.
Can see into the infrared spectrum, range: 2,000 feet (610 m) 2D4+10, P.P. 1D6+18, P.B. 2D6+6, Spd (see below).
and has polarizing light filters on its eyes. Excellent sense of Speed: Running: 55 mph (88 km), but is able to put on a burst
smell that is ten times better than a human. of speed up to 120 mph (192 km) that lasts 1D6 melees, after
Skills: Climbing 70%, Dowsing 65%, Land Navigation 80%, which the Nocturne must drop back down to cruising speed for
Prowl 35%, Sense Magnetic North, Swimming 50%, Track- 10 minutes. Leaping: 50 feet (15.2 m) high or 80 feet (24.4 m)
ing (all) 70%, Track by smell 80%. across from a dead stop, twice that with a running start. Dig-
Vulnerabilities: They are vulnerable to ordinary poisons, dis- ging: 20 mph (32 km) through dirt, one quarter or that through
ease, and Mega-Damage weapons. Takes triple damage from rock and concrete. Swimming: 10 mph (16 km) paddling along
any cold-based attacks and is sluggish in temperatures below the water’s surface, but hates the water and generally avoids it.
70 degree Fahrenheit/21 C (reduce attacks by two, -1 on all Flying: Not possible.
combat rolls).
M.D.C. by Location:
Attacks: Six.
* Tail – 40
Damage: Punches/kicks: as per Supernatural P.S. Tail strikes:
* Legs (4) – 55 each
equal to punch damage. Bite: 5D8 M.D. Tusk/Mandible: 4D6
* Head – 50
M.D. Claws: Add 3D6 M.D. to punch/kick damage. Crush/
Main Body – 90 plus P.E. number
pry/tear or stomp attacks: 4D8 M.D. Ramming attack: 5D6
25
 * A single asterisk indicates a small, difficult target to hit. Damage: As per Supernatural P.S., claws add 2D6 M.D. Critical
Attackers are –3 to strike these areas. Depleting the M.D.C. of strike with a leap attack on a roll of 17 or better.
the head or main body kills the animal. Bonuses: +4 to initiative, +3 strike, +2 to parry, +3 to automatic
Horror Factor: 9 to humans, none to machines. dodge (does not use up melee attacks to dodge), +5 to roll with
fall, and +6 to save vs Horror Factor. During a speed burst,
Size: 5 feet (1.5 m) long with a 2 to 3 foot (0.6 to 0.9 m) long tail,
add another +1 to initiative, as well as +2 to strike, parry, and
and roughly 3 feet (0.9 m) tall at the shoulders.
auto-dodge.
Weight: 120 to 170 pounds (54 to 76.5 kg). Habitat: Any temperate or subtropical zone, regardless of ter-
Average Life Span: 30 years. rain. Likes forests and tall grasses that provide concealment.
Bio-Regeneration: 3D6 M.D.C. per day to the body, 2D4 to all
other locations.
Feeding: Carnivores that consume 10 pounds (4.5 kg) of (prefer-
ably fresh) meat per day.
Packrabbit
Natural Abilities: Immune to normal (S.D.C.) weapons and at- The Packrabbit is one of the less overtly dangerous animals
tacks as well as normal heat and cold. Superior passive night- found in the wild. They are inquisitive little thieves who love to
vision, range: 2,000 feet (610 m), and can also see in total rummage through garbage piles, bags, sacks, pockets, you name
darkness, range: 250 feet (76.2 m). Excellent hearing, can hear it.
a whisper at 500 feet (152 m). Equipped with Sensitive Whis- They are called Packrabbits because they hoard things and
kers and Righting Reflex. have four long bunny ears, but the creatures mostly resemble kan-
Skills: Camouflage (hiding) 85% (-25% in brightly lit areas). garoos, complete with a pouch to hold their treasures. They even
Climbing 80%, Land Navigation 70%, Prowl 85% (-25% in travel in a continuous hopping gait much like kangaroos.
brightly lit areas), Surveillance 75% (will often study a target Packrabbits operate alone or in groups of 2 to 6, but live to-
for hours), Tracking 80%. gether in groups of up to 20. Physically, they pose very little
threat to most people. The real problem is that the little sneaks
Vulnerabilities: Nocturnes are easily blinded by any light great-
love to steal things and take them back to their den. Many Resis-
er than a 40 watt bulb. A simple flashlight or torch will disori-
tance patrols have lost vital equipment in the dead of night and
ent the creature (usual penalties for fighting blind) and force it
were forced to press on without it or waste valuable time recover-
to flee. They are also vulnerable to ordinary poisons, disease,
ing their goods.
and Mega-Damage weapons.
Attacks: Four, plus one during a speed burst. Type: Scavenger animal.

26
Alignment: Basically Anarchist: there’s not a mean bone in their Bio-Regeneration: 1D6 M.D.C. per day to the body, 1D4 to all
bodies, it’s just that their tendency to steal valuables makes other locations.
them a nuisance. Feeding: Omnivores that prefer fruits and vegetables (about five
Attributes: I.Q. 1D6+6 (medium to high animal intelligence), pounds/2.25 kg per day).
M.E. 1D6+4, M.A. 2D4+3, P.S. 1D6+8, P.E. 2D4+4, P.P. Natural Abilities: Immune to normal (S.D.C.) weapons and at-
2D6+8, P.B. 1D6+8, Spd (see below). tacks as well as normal heat and cold. Color vision roughly
Speed: Running: Can run/hop up to 20 mph (32 km) all day long, equal to a human. Passive nightvision, range: 1,000 feet (305
and they can also put on a burst of speed that boosts them up to m). Can also see into the infrared light spectrum, range: 200
50 mph (80 km) for 1D4 minutes, after which they must slow feet (61 m). Outstanding hearing, can hear a whisper at 1,000
back down to normal speeds for at least thirty minutes. Leap- feet (305 m). Has fully dexterous, humanlike hands with three
ing: 30 feet (9.1 m) high or 50 feet (15.2 m) across from a dead fingers and an opposable thumb.
stop, 50% more with a running start. Digging: 15 mph (24 km) Skills: Climbing 75%, Detect Concealment 80%, Identify Plants
through dirt, one quarter of that through rock and concrete. & Fruits 75%, Land Navigation 70%, Pick Pockets 75%,
Swimming: 5 mph (8 km) paddling along the water’s surface. Prowl 75%.
Flying: Not possible. Vulnerabilities: They are vulnerable to ordinary poisons, dis-
M.D.C. by Location: ease, and Mega-Damage weapons.
* Tail – 55 Attacks: Three.
* Hind Legs (2) – 50 each Damage: As per standard P.S., with the exception of power kicks
* Arms (2) – 25 each that inflict 1D6 Mega-Damage (counts as two attacks), and
* Head – 35 double kicks (stands/balances on their tail and strikes with
Main Body – 4D12 plus P.E. number both feet, does 3D6 M.D. with a 70% chance of knocking an
opponent off their feet; counts as two attacks).
* A single asterisk indicates a small, difficult target to hit. Bonuses: +5 to initiative, +1 strike, +4 to strike with kick attacks,
Attackers are –3 to strike these areas. Depleting the M.D.C. of +2 to parry, +4 to automatic dodge (does not use up melee at-
the head or main body kills the animal. tacks to dodge), +3 to disarm with kicks, +4 to save vs Horror
Horror Factor: 6 to humans unfamiliar with them, none to ma- Factor.
chines. Habitat: Prefer forests and grasslands with temperate climates,
Size: 3 feet, plus 1D6 inches (0.94 to 1.07 m) tall. but can be found periodically anywhere.
Weight: 40 to 60 pounds (18 to 27 kg).

Stinger Moth
Average Life Span: 20 years.

Stinger Moths have the same physiological arrangement as

birds: a head, slender body, two legs, and two wings. But the
Stinger Moth looks more like an insect. The head sports two dis-
proportionately large compound eyes as well as four tiny anten-
nae. The body and thin legs are very reminiscent of a preying
mantis, while a pair of fragile moth or butterfly-like wings pro-
vide flight.
Almost always appearing in groups of at least four, Stinger
Moths are drawn to human (and animal) activity. This trait is ex-
tremely annoying to the point of being hazardous. A sharp eyed ro-
bot patrol will always follow a group of Stinger Moths because the
Moths themselves are often following in the footsteps of humans.
Stinger Moths are opportunists and scavengers, preferring
to feed off of leftovers and scraps instead of fighting for their
meals. When they do find it necessary to fight or kill, they have a
powerful offensive weapon: a stinger tail that injects a fast-acting
poison to weaken their prey. While the victim of the poison is
drowsy and delirious, the Stinger Moth can feed at its leisure.
Type: Airborne hunter/scavenger animal.
Alignment: Anarchist. Generally hunts and kills only to survive
and will try to flee if it is discovered or outmatched.
Attributes: I.Q. 1D4+1, M.E. 1D6+1, M.A. 1D4, P.S. 1D4+10
(Splicer/Robotic), P.E. 1D4+10, P.P. 1D6+10, P.B. 1D6, Spd
(see below).
Speed: Running: 10 mph (16 km), a bit awkward and slow due
to the tiny legs. Leaping: 60 feet (18.3 m) high and across, but
only possible with a little lift from the wings. Digging: Not
possible. Swimming: 10 mph (16 km) on the water’s surface.
27
 Attacks: Three.
Damage: Bite: 3D6 S.D.C. in combat or 1D4 M.D. when feed-
ing (more deliberate, not suitable for combat). 2D6 S.D.C. for
limb strikes. Also see stinger tail, below.
Bonuses: +2 strike, +1 to dodge, +5 to auto-dodge while flying,
+6 to save vs poison, +1 vs Horror Factor. Immune to mind
control and possession.
Weapons: Stinger tail: 3D6 S.D.C. or 1D4 M.D., plus poison
effects. The Stinger Moth’s greatest advantage in hunting
and killing larger prey is its stinger. The stinger is used to
inject a powerful, debilitating poison to slow down its prey
and make feeding easier. Those injected with the poison
must make a save vs non-lethal poison. Those who do save
take no further damage. Victims who fail to save suffer the
following: they take 2D6 damage direct to Hit Points (4D6
Flying: 75 mph (120 km), with a maximum altitude of 8,000 M.D. to Mega-Damage characters and creatures) and suffer
feet (2,438 m), with full hover and VTOL capabilities. from a fairly strong headache, fever, chills, and slightly hyp-
M.D.C. by Location: notic but confusing visions or hallucinations like a bad drug
* Legs (2) – 12 each trip. Blurry vision and swirling, colorful lights are common,
* Stinger Tail – 15 as is the sensation that sounds are speeding up or slowing
* Wings (2) – 25 each down randomly. The effects last for 1D6 hours and during
* Head – 22 that time, those who are poisoned lose two attacks per melee,
Main Body – 2D6+25 are –40% on skills, and see their combat bonuses reduced
by half.
* A single asterisk indicates a small, difficult target to hit. Habitat: Any temperate climate regardless of the terrain. Likes
Attackers are –3 to strike these areas, and -6 for the head and mountains and cave entrances.
legs. Depleting the M.D.C. of a wing makes flight impossible.
If this happens when the Stinger Moth is in flight, it falls to the
ground, suffering 1D6 M.D. per 100 feet (30.5 m). Depleting
the M.D.C. of the head or main body kills the animal.
Stonebacks
Horror Factor: 6 for a single Stinger Moth, 10 for a group of 6 In a harsh world filled with deadly predators, Stonebacks truly
or more, none to machines. stand apart. They are armored primates with thick, dark gray skin
Size: The insect body is roughly 3 feet (0.9 m) long, including and earth-tone plates, like an armadillo. Their physical structure
the stinger tail. The body is 8 to 10 inches (20 to 25 cm) in and behavior is akin to silverback gorillas, hence the name Stone-
diameter. When fully opened, the wingspan is 5 feet (1.5 m). back. Like many great apes, the Stonebacks are very intelligent,
Weight: 20 to 30 pounds (9 to 13.5 kg). living in a social group, and able to coordinate their actions to
Average Life Span: 5 to 15 years. solve complex puzzles or accomplish other tasks. They are cu-
Bio-Regeneration: 1D4 M.D.C. per day for the main body and rious about humans, but cautious enough to keep their distance
wings, 1 M.D.C. per day for all other locations. most of the time. They will attack machines that push too close
Feeding: Stinger Moths have a Vampiric metabolism and require to their habitat, employing ambush tactics and brute strength to
1D6 Hit Points of blood per day, though they can gorge them- demolish any robot intruders.
selves on up to 4D6 Hit Points in one sitting. Gorging makes A further sign of the Stoneback’s intelligence is their (lim-
them incredibly sluggish: reduce attacks per melee to one and ited) ability to understand human words and sign language. A
reduce all speeds and combat bonuses by half for 1D4 hours. Stoneback can be taught to understand between 100 and 300
They have a probing, tongue-like proboscis that can lap up words given enough time, but this will have to be done in the
spilled blood from open wounds or dead animals (no more wild, as they will never allow themselves to be taken captive.
than two days old). Before the player characters jump for joy, they need to un-
Natural Abilities: Immune to normal (S.D.C.) weapons and derstand the limitations of this skill. First, it takes time (2D4
attacks as well as normal heat and cold. Partially resistant weeks) to build up trust with these creatures, and even more
to cold: can withstand temperatures of –25 degrees Fahren- time (2D4 additional days)to teach them a few words here and
heit (-31.6 C) without damage. Can see into the ultravio- there. Plus, they do not understand human concepts like defi-
let spectrum, range: 1,000 feet (305 m), and has polarizing nite time and numbers. So a 6-bot patrol of Steel Soldiers that
light filters. Compound eyes provide a 300 degree field of passed through a forest two days ago might be described as
vision. “many shining men after the last rain” and so forth. So sorry,
Skills: Climbimg 35%, Prowl 75%, Swimming 30%, Tracking they are not the perfect spies, but they are fearsome in combat,
(all) 60%. defending their homes and families with muscle and hurled
Vulnerabilities: They are vulnerable to ordinary poisons, dis- debris.
ease, and Mega-Damage weapons. Takes double damage from Type: Hunter/gatherer.
Mega-Damage heat and flame attacks (triple damage to the Alignment: Anarchist with strong leanings toward Scrupulous.
wings).
28
Attributes: I.Q. 1D6+4 (medium to high animal intelligence), Feeding: Omnivores that require 12 pounds (5.4 kg) of organic
M.E. 1D6+8, M.A. 1D6+8, P.S. 2D6+20 (Supernatural), P.E. matter per day.
1D6+16, P.P. 1D6+14, P.B. 1D6+4, Spd (see below). Natural Abilities: Immune to normal (S.D.C.) weapons and at-
Speed: Running (on all fours): 20 mph (32 km), but able to climb tacks as well as normal heat and cold. Able to withstand tem-
and swing through trees 50% faster than that. Leaping: 25 feet peratures of –15 degrees (-26 C) to 120 degrees Fahrenheit
(7.6 m) high or 40 feet (12.2 m) across from a dead stop, twice (48.8 C) without ill effect. Excellent daylight vision roughly
that with a running start. Digging: 10 mph (16 km) through twice as good as a human, and in full color. Passive night-
dirt, half that through rock and concrete. Swimming: 5 mph (8 vision, range: 250 feet (76.2 m). Excellent sense of smell:
km). Flying: Not possible. roughly three times the sensitivity of a human. Resistant to
M.D.C. by Location: physical attacks (takes only half damage from falls, punches,
* Legs (2) – 90 each etc.). Partially resistant to the nanobot plague: requires three
* Feet (2) – 60 each times the duration of exposure to trigger a response.
* Arms (2) – 85 each Skills: Climbing 90/80%, Herding 40%, Identify Plants & Fruits
* Hands (2) – 70 each 65%, Land Navigation 68%, Prowl 55%, Tracking 70%,
* Head – 90 Track and Trap Animals 60%, Wilderness Survival 65%, and
Main Body – P.E. number times 10 plus 40 can communicate through Sign Language at about 60% profi-
ciency if taught by a human.
* A single asterisk indicates a small, difficult target to hit. Vulnerabilities: They are vulnerable to ordinary poisons, dis-
Attackers are –3 to strike these areas. Depleting the M.D.C. of ease, and Mega-Damage weapons.
the head or main body kills the animal. Attacks: Four.
Horror Factor: 7 to humans, none to machines. Damage: As per Supernatural P.S.
Size: (If standing upright like a human) 5 to 7 feet (1.52 to 2.13 Bonuses: +2 to initiative, +2 strike, +4 to parry, +3 to dodge (with
m) tall, 4 feet (1.22 m) wide at the shoulders. another +2 when climbing/swinging through trees), +6 to roll
Weight: 220 to 425 pounds (99 to 191 kg) for sub-adults and fe- with impact, +6 to save vs Horror Factor, +6 to save vs poison
males, with the larger mature Stoneback males reaching 425- and disease. Also +2 to strike with thrown objects like rocks
645 pounds (191 to 290 kg). and +3 to strike with blunt objects like fallen tree branches.
Average Life Span: 25 to 50 years. Habitat: Grassy highlands and forests.
Bio-Regeneration: 2D6 M.D.C. per hour to the body, 1D6 to all
other locations.

29
Quick Roll 47-67%: Medium-Sized: About the size of a gorilla, tiger,
Gorehound or average grizzly bear. Standing 6 to 10 feet tall or
long (about 2.7 to 3 m), weighing 250 to 1,000 pounds (112.5

Monsters
to 450 kg) with an average P.S. of 2D6+16, potentially more if
in the higher scale. Roll percentile to determine strength type:
01-35% is standard human type strength, 36-85% is equal to
The following tables are designed for Game Masters to quick- Splicer/Robot Strength, 86-100% is equivalent to Supernatural
ly create a new creature or monster for their campaign. Feel free Strength! The creature will most likely (01-75%) be a Mega-
to roll on as many (or few) of these tables as you like, or simply Damage being with 2D8x10+100 M.D.C. (or 1D6x10+100
pick and choose the characteristics you want. Remember that not S.D.C./Hit Points if it is an S.D.C. being). Add 1 to Horror Fac-
every monster needs to be fully fleshed out like a normal NPC or tor.
villain. Sometimes all the G.M. cares about is how much damage 68-79% Large: About the size of a large horse, grizzly bear, or
a creature can take (M.D.C.) and how much it can dish out (P.S. four door family car. Weight will be from 1,000 to 3,500 pounds
or special weapons). (450 kg to 1,575 kg), maybe more. P.S. is 2D4+20. (01-10%
Because these tables are random, you might run into a few means normal human strength, 11-75% means Splicer/Robotic
traits that either contradict one another or just don’t seem level strength, 76-100% means the monster possesses Supernatu-
logical. For instance, if you roll “Arctic” for Habitat, but then ral Strength!) M.D.C. is 6D6x10+100. Add 2 to Horror Factor.
you later roll “Vulnerable to cold” as a weakness, well, that 80-97% Gigantic: These are towering beasts like the tyran-
wouldn’t make much sense, would it? Make any adjustments nosaurus rex, approximately the size of a tractor trailer. Height/
accordingly. length can range from 45 to 90 feet (13.7 to 27.4 m), sometimes
Your new monster can have multiple features from a single more. Weight is anywhere from 6 to 30 tons. P.S. is 2D4+35,
table. Roll 1D4 or 1D6 to determine how many times to roll on a often higher. 01-40% means Splicer/Robotic level strength, 41-
single table (Weapons and Defenses, for example). 100% means Supernatural Strength! M.D.C. is 2D4x100+200.
Add 4 to Horror Factor.
98-100% Epic: The rarest of all beasts in the Splicers uni-
Size verse, Epic-scale monsters should be once in a lifetime encoun-
The Size table is perfect for the Game Master who needs only ters as only a handful of such titans could exist on the planet at
the bare minimum: size, strength (P.S. may be normal human any one time. These large mega-fauna should have a surrounding
type strength, Splicer/Robotic level, or Supernatural), and Dam- habitat that supports its necessary requirements via food sources,
age Capacity (either S.D.C. or M.D.C.). Game Masters creating refuge area to rest, territory to traverse, etc. Height would be on
more detailed monsters should also start with this table or use it par with a 30 story skyscraper. Supernatural P.S. is 4D10+50.
in conjunction with the Body Type table that follows. Note that M.D.C. is 2D4x1000+2500! Add 8 to Horror Factor.
the P.S. range, weights, and other examples given are to help the
G.M. and players get a clearer picture of what they are dealing
with. There is a big difference between a critter that’s the size
Body Type
of a copier paper box versus one that’s the size of a full-grown Use this table as a starting point for creating a new life form.
elephant. Adjust the size, weight, strength, and M.D.C. to suit A slight change to that basic shape can lead to an entirely new
your needs. Creatures that are human-sized or larger get three at- species. After all, many creatures of myth and lore are one-offs.
tacks per melee round to start, smaller critters get two. Additional Add a horn to a horse and you get a unicorn. Add wings instead
features may add to these (see below). and you get a Pegasus. Further rolls on the later tables can modify
01-14% Tiny: The smallest type of animal or monster, gener- or deform the basic body shape until it is all but unrecognizable.
ally about the size of a shoebox or average housecat. Weight is Or roll multiple times on this table to combine aspects of multiple
less than 35 pounds (15.75 kg), P.S. is 1D4+6. May be either an animals into a new amalgamation.
S.D.C. or M.D.C. creature, with just 2D10+15 points worth of 01-04% Alligator or Crocodile: Add +4 to P.S., +2 to Horror
Damage Capacity. Factor, increase M.D.C. by 10%. Also +1 to strike and is able to
15-27% Small: Typically under three feet (0.9 m) tall, or hold its breath for 10 minutes.
roughly the size of an office chair or a largish dog (though defi- 05-08% Arachnid: An eight-legged animal such as a spider
nitely smaller than a Gorehound). Weight is less than 75 pounds (gains Spinnerets) or scorpion (gains a poison stinger tail). Add 3
(33.75 kg). P.S. is 1D6+12, probably standard strength (only a to Horror Factor and one attack per melee round.
01-25% chance of possessing Splicer level strength). An S.D.C. 09-12% Bat: Gains sonar, flight, and vulnerability: light. +2
creature will have 2D10+70 S.D.C./Hit Points. A Mega-Damage to Horror Factor.
creature will have 2D10+40 M.D.C. 13-16% Bear: +2 to P.S., +2 to strike, +10% to Climbing, and
28-46% Human-Sized: 5 to 7 feet tall/long (about 1.5 to 2.1 increase M.D.C. by 10%.
m), weighing 100 to 250 pounds (45 to 112.5 kg) with a P.S. of 17-20% Bird: The basic avian form: head, body, two wings
2D6+12. Roll percentile to determine strength type: 01-35% is that attach at the shoulders, and two legs.
standard human type strength, 36-85% is equal to Splicer/Robot 21-24% Buffalo: +2 to P.S., increase M.D.C. by 10%.
Strength, 86-100% is equivalent to Supernatural Strength! The 25-28% Canine: +10% to Tracking, +1 to strike and dodge,
creature will most likely (01-75%) be a Mega-Damage being +1 on initiative, and bite damage is 2D6. Add 5% to Prowl.
with 3D10+70 M.D.C. (or 4D10+80 worth of S.D.C./Hit Points 29-32% Crab or Lobster: Armed with pincers that add 2D6
if it is an S.D.C. being). to punch damage. Increase M.D.C. by 20%.
30
 33-36% Deer: +10% to Camouflage, +2 to dodge, +2 on ini- the arms need not be human (could be covered with fur, scales,
tiative. Antlers inflict the equivalent to normal punch damage etc.). Every pair of arms after the first adds one attack per melee
plus 2D6. round and +1 to parry.
37-40% Elephant: Add 40% to M.D.C. and +1D6 to P.S. 14-27% Additional Legs: Multiple legs will add to the over-
Tusks inflict 3D6 damage. all speed and stability of the creature: +10% to speed and balance,
41-44% Feline: Sense of balance is 70%, Righting Reflex, +10 feet (3 m) to jumping distance, and +1 to roll with impact for
passive nightvision: range is 100 feet (305 m). Also able to leap each additional pair of legs. Large numbers of legs (more than
twice its body length high or across, without a running start. Add six) may result in a sort of centaur appearance because the body
+10% to Prowl. shape must be adapted to fit the extra limbs. Any number of total
45-48% Fish: Covers a wide range of aquatic life, from sharks legs more than four also means that each leg tends to be thinner
to goldfish. Fitted with fins or flippers of some kind and cannot than normal. Roll for the number of extra legs.
normally operate on dry land. Starts with Gills and Floating Air 01-30% Two. 55-64% Eight.
Bladder. 31-44% Four. 65-74% Twelve.
49-52% Frog or Toad: Starts with prehensile Tongue and is 45-54% Six. 75-84% Twenty.
able to leap three times its body length high or across without a 85-100% One Hundred: these will be tiny in comparison to
running start. the rest of the body (think centipede or Sewer Crawler).
53-56% Giraffe: Add 10% to speed, +1 to initiative, and 28-38% Dexterous Hands: These are fully articulated,
+10% to Detect Ambush due to height advantage. human-like hands with three or four fingers and an opposable
57-60% Hippopotamus: Add 20% to M.D.C., +3D6 to bite thumb. The creature is able to use any weapons or skills requiring
damage, +2 to strike. full human hands.
61-64% Horse: Use stats as per page 121 of the Splicers® 39-49% Fins/Flippers: Just like those of a fish or other sea
RPG. creatures, these appendages are ideal for speed and agility in the
65-68% Humanoid: The basic human shape: two arms, two water. Increase Swimming speed by 50%, +2 to dodge in the
legs, one head, with a body that stands upright. A humanoid crea- water, and add +25% to the Swimming skill. However, fins are
ture will always seem a bit more intelligent and far more frighten- worthless for delicate work requiring articulation (-70% to skills
ing/revolting due to perversion of the human form, adding +2 to that require hands if used in place of hands) and they are a liabil-
Horror Factor. Starts with fully dexterous human hands. ity on dry land if they are used in place of normal legs (reduce
69-72% Insect: Any of the thousands of species. Gains Com- speed by 80%).
pound Eyes. +2 to Horror Factor. 50-55% Multiple Heads: Very rare, normally resulting from
73-80% Lizard: Add 10% to M.D.C. and +1 to Horror Factor. deliberate genetic manipulation (the Dracos, for example). Al-
81-84% Primate: A less developed humanoid (with or with- ways frightening, add +2 to Horror Factor for each additional
out a tail) but still smarter than the average animal. Add 5% to head. Each head doesn’t necessarily have to match the body
any skills/instincts. Starts with full dexterous hands. to which it is attached (roll or pick from the Body Type table
85-88% Rhinoceros: Add 25% to M.D.C., +10% to speed, above). Roll for the number of additional heads:
+2 to strike. Ram or head butt is equal to normal punch damage
01-40% One. 66-90% Three.
plus 3D6.
41-65% Two. 91-100% Four.
89-92% Rodent: Righting Reflex, able to leap twice its body
length high or across, digging speed is doubled and +2 to dodge. 56-70% Tail: Starts with a basic Prehensile Tail, but can be
93-96% Slug: Vulnerable to poison (salt) but otherwise im- altered into any of the Combat types, as per pages 94-95 of the
mune to pain and tough to kill. Gains Resistance to Physical At- Splicers® RPG. Again, you may roll or pick from the Body Type
tacks. Quite revolting, +3 to Horror Factor. table to find a tail that suits your creation (rat tail, lizard tail, etc.).
97-100% Snake: +3 to Horror Factor, gains Wrestling and +2 71-85% Tentacles: All details, bonuses, and penalties, as per
P.S., or Poisonous Bite. page 89 of the Splicers® RPG.
86-100% Wings: Roll or pick from the following, then roll
for Flight Speed, below:
Limbs 01-20% Bat (dragon or demonic looking).
Use this table to alter the original limbs of an animal and/or 21-40% Feathered (standard bird wings).
to add other “non-standard equipment” to your creation (giving 41-60% Insect (varies, can be hard, frail looking, lustrous,
a dog human hands, adding wings to a snake, creating a horse or colorful).
with six legs, etc.). Game Masters may opt to re-roll on the Body 61-80% Leathery (pterodactyl type).
Type table above to determine what type(s) of altered/additional 81-100% Weird Wings (these wings look more like spider
limbs to use. Example: Let’s say you start off with a Humanoid legs, like the Archangel illustration).
shape. Then you roll for limbs and the result is Additional Legs.
But what kind? You can opt to simply add additional human legs,
or roll on the Body Type table. You roll 71%, resulting in Insect
Speed
legs. Creepy. In this case, it might make more sense to make ALL As the name implies, these tables determine the speed of a
of the Humanoid creature’s legs insectoid. creature in its varying modes of travel. Many animals have mul-
01-13% Additional Arms: A pair of arms that are human- tiple forms of locomotion. Humans can walk/run, or they can
like in their shape, range of motion, and capabilities, including swim. Most birds can fly, and they can also walk, and so forth.
dexterous hands (see below). Note that the actual appearance of Assume for our purposes that there is a primary mode of trans-
31
port, running in the case of humans. This default mode will al- ture’s height, jump lengths are equal to 1.5 times the creature’s
ways be the fastest of those available to the creature. Again, some height. Add 50% to these values with a running start.
examples are provided to give the G.M. and players something
concrete to help their imaginations. All values are in miles/kilo-
meters per hour. Habitat
Simply put, where does the creature call home? What climate
Running is it best suited to live in? This isn’t quite the same as its native
environment, but the two can be linked. While all fish live in
01-08%: Slow: 1D4+1 mph (3.2 to 8 km), –1 to dodge. the water, some live only in fresh water and others in salt water.
09-22%: Peak Human Athlete: 3D6 mph (4.8 to 28.8 km). There are some fish that can only thrive in warm tropical waters,
(An average human: 2D6 mph 3.2 to 19.2 km). yet others do just fine in frigid rivers and oceans. Creatures gain
23-50%: Fast Animal: 5D6 mph (8 to 48 km). +2 to initiative and +1 to dodge in their native habitat(s).
51-65%: Horse: 3D6+20 mph (36.8 to 60.8 km). Add +1 to 01-08% Arctic: The animal is well suited to frozen condi-
dodge. tions, gaining Resistance to Cold.
66-80%: Standard Host Armor: 1D6x10+60 mph (112 to 09-16% Arboreal: This is some sort of tree-dwelling animal
192 km). Add +2 to dodge. that spends most of its life living among the upper branches, often
81-92%: Race Car: 2D6x10+100 mph (192 to 352 km). Add to avoid predators. Add +20% to Climbing skill.
+3 to dodge and +2 to initiative. 17-24% Deserts: Likes hot, dry conditions. Gains Resistance
93-100%: Rocket Car: 1D4x100+150 mph (400 to 880 km). to Heat.
Add +5 to dodge and +3 to initiative. 25-32%: Forests: A woodland creature that seldom strays
from the cover or food provided by trees and shrubs. +10% to
Flying Camouflage.
Creatures that can fly are +1 to dodge for every 20 mph (32 33-40% Grasslands: Suited to open plains and grassy fields,
km) of speed. usually in temperate climates. Increase speed by 10%.
01-08%: Ponderous: 2D4+2 mph (6.4 to 16 km). 41-48% Jungles: Thrives in humid, tropical environments.
09-22%: Slow: 2D6+10 mph (19.2 to 35.2 km). Needs to be tough to survive: add +1 to initiative, and +1 to strike.
23-50%: Average: 2D10+20 mph (35.2 to 64 km). 49-56% Mountains: These can range from barren and arid
51-65%: Quick: 3D10+30 mph (52.8 to 96 km). +1 on initia- desert mountains to frigid, snow-covered peaks. Add +10% to
tive. Climbing skill, +3 to roll with fall or impact.
66-80%: Fast: 1D4x10+60 mph (112 to 160 km). +2 on ini- 57-64% Swamps: Favors wetlands of all kinds. May spend
tiative and +1 to dodge. an equal amount of time on land or in the water. Add +10% to
81-92%: Very Fast: 1D10x10+100 mph (176 to 320 km). +1 Swimming skill and increase swimming speed by 15%.
on initiative and +3 to dodge. 65-72% Underground: This can be an animal that digs its
93-100%: Incredibly Fast: 1D10x10+250 mph (416 to 560 own burrow like a mole, or one that has learned how to sur-
km). +2 on initiative and +5 to dodge. vive in tunnels and caves, whether natural or artificial. This can
include human dwellings (even Seedlings), abandoned com-
munications conduits, old sewer systems, and so forth. +10 to
Swimming Spelunking.
01-08%: Ponderous: 2D4+2 mph (6.4 to 16 km). 73-81% Water: A born swimmer (add 30% to the Swimming
09-22%: Slow: 2D6+10 mph (19.2 to 35.2 km). skill) that lives most or all of its life in the water.
23-50%: Average: 2D10+10 mph (19.2 to 48 km). 82-93% City Ruins: These creatures manage to survive
51-65%: Quick: 2D10+30 mph (51.2 to 80 km). +1 to dodge among the destroyed monuments of humankind’s past: aban-
in the water. doned skyscrapers, overgrown parks, rubble piles, etc. These
66-80%: Fast: 1D4x10+40 mph (80 to 128 km). +2 to dodge scavengers are adept at avoiding humans and robots alike: +10%
in the water. to Camouflage, +1 to dodge.
81-92%: Very Fast: 1D6x10+80 mph (144 to 224 km). +3 to 94-100%: Adaptable: Much like humans, these animals have
dodge in the water. found a way to survive almost anywhere on the planet, even
93-100%: Incredibly Fast: 2D6x10+100 mph (192 to 352 under the harshest conditions. Special adaptations can crop up
km). +4 to dodge in the water. within a single species to help it survive in a new environment:
tough, leathery skin to protect against the heat or thick fur to ward
Digging off the cold, etc. These beings must also be physically fit and
mentally tough: add +1 to initiative, +2 to save vs Horror Factor,
Except for special cases, digging speed will seldom exceed +1 to strike and dodge.
10 mph (16 km). Digging speed is halved when digging through
stone, concrete, or other dense materials.
Behaviors
Leaping You might think of this as the personality or temperament of
Use the creature’s height or length to determine standard leap- an animal. Some will be friendly or even helpful towards humans,
ing distances as follows: jumping height is equal to half the crea- like a dog or dolphin. Many more will be aloof, going out of their
way to avoid human contact. A handful will even attack humans
32
on sight. Some animals will be much smarter than they let on, and one attack per melee. The animal will be fatigued from the
others will fight to the death for no good reason at all. burst, requiring a rest period of 3 to 10 minutes, during which
Remember that looks can be deceiving. Something cute and time top speed and combat bonuses are half.
cuddly can turn on you in an instant. In my experience, the small- 35-50% Guerrilla Tactics: This type of animal does not
er a dog is, the more likely it is to bite or snap at you. Perhaps not fight protracted battles, but darts in and out to strike at its tar-
too scary, but imagine a pack of 30 of these things surrounding gets, usually picking off the smaller, weaker, young, or sickly
you. Horses, on the other hand, are pretty big, but tend to startle members of a pack. This type of species is very familiar with
easily. Just more of Mother Nature’s irony. its habitat and how to use it to its advantage for intimidation,
01-12% Aggressive: Fights to defend its turf, intimidate, or harassment, combative prowess and escape. +3 to initiative and
show off for a potential mate, but will seldom fight to the death. +10% to speed.
Add +2 to initiative, +2 to strike, and +3 to save vs Horror Factor. 51-66% Pack Hunter or Herd Animal: Hunts or fights
13-24% Cautious: Generally wary about the unknown, these within a group of 3 to 10 animals who coordinate their efforts to
animals notice anything unusual or out of place. +10% to any bring down larger prey or drive off attackers. Such pack hunters
skills used to hide/sneak or uncover something hidden. often operate with a hierarchy and strategy and can identify the
25-36% Curious: The need to learn overpowers any survival strongest, the weakest and the wounded of a herd of prey species
instincts. These animals will approach humans, machines, and or rival pack. Such socialized species will also benefit from the
anything else that draws their attention, though they will often be pack by ensuring every member feeds and increases the chance of
prepared to make a quick getaway. +5% to any skills, +1 to initia- healing from otherwise disabling wounds that would typically be
tive, +2 to save vs Horror Factor, and +2 to dodge. the death of a single predator. Thus, the larger the pack the larger
37-48% Herd Animal: Relies on the group for protection and the food requirements will be to also sustain the pack. Gains +1
generally does the same thing as the next member of the pack, so to strike and +1 to save vs Horror Factor for each member of the
if one animal gets spooked and runs, they all do. group.
49-60% Loner: Tends to avoid human and machine contact, 67-85% Stalker/Tracker: Studies their targets from afar,
tries to hide or flee, but will still fight furiously when injured or looking for weaknesses, often tracking them for days at a time.
cornered. Doesn’t even associate with others of its kind, and so Gains Surveillance +10% and +1 to Horror Factor.
is usually encountered alone except for mating season. +10% to 86-100% Trapper: This animal is capable of constructing
Prowl and Camouflage, +2 on initiative, +2 to dodge. some sort of trap such as a pit or web to catch its meal. Gains
61-72% Suicidal: Only the most reckless, belligerent, or just Trap Construction +10%.
plain bold animals will fight to the death, but it does happen.
Add +6 to save vs Horror Factor, one additional attack per melee
round, +2 to initiative, and +3 to strike. Skills and Special Instincts
73-84% Territorial: Similar to the Aggressive animal, the
Territorial beast has staked out an area that it defends against (common)
any intrusion. Not necessarily hostile, it will fight only to drive These are pretty much the same skills used by Splicer charac-
the interlopers or competitors of its food or threats to its fam- ters. Roll 1D6+4 to determine the animal’s level of proficiency.
ily out of its territory, and will seldom pursue anyone beyond its Certain traits from other tables may add to this percentage.
boundaries. Add +1 to initiative, +2 to strike, and +2 to save vs 01-10%: Camouflage (either hides under cover or has natural
Horror Factor. coloring that enables it to blend in with its surroundings).
85-100% Timid/Passive or Ornery: These animals are ei- 11-20%: Climb (rappelling may not be possible/applicable
ther too bold, stubborn, unadjusted, unaware, unintelligent or too depending on the animal’s anatomy).
easy-going to worry about what’s going on in the world around 21-30%: Fasting.
them. Adds +10% to any skill used to train or domesticate them 31-40%: Identify Plants and Fruits.
unless it is a particularly obstinate breed like a stubborn donkey 41-50%: Land Navigation.
(-10% to training skills). 51-60%: Prowl.
61-70%: Swim.
Hunting/Fighting Style 71-80%: Tracking (by scent).
81-90%: Tracking (by sight).
Animals employ vastly differing tactics to hunt, kill, and sur- 91-100%: Weather Sense. (The ability to predict upheavals in
vive, relying on stealth, speed, brute strength or strength of num- weather or other natural phenomena, like earthquakes and tidal
bers to get the job done. waves. Base skill is equal to 25% +5% per level.)
01-18% Ambush Predator: This type of animal lies in wait
for its prey, often concealing itself through camouflage or by hid-
ing underwater, up in a tree, etc. When the time is right, the am- Skills and Special Instincts
busher strikes with the intent of killing its target within the first
few moments. Will sometimes pursue wounded prey, but is likely (uncommon)
to stick close to its home or hiding spot. +10% to Camouflage or 01-10%: Acrobatics (uncanny balance or grace, adds all the
Prowl. bonuses from the Physical skill).
19-34% Burst Predator: Capable of a burst of speed (25% 11-20%: Detect Ambush (knows when it’s being watched/
higher than normal top speed for that animal) lasting 2D4 melees hunted).
that adds +2 to strike, +4 to dodge (or auto-dodge, if applicable), 21-30%: Dowsing.
33
 31-40%: Excavation (builds a home underground like a mole 36-42% Enhanced Speed: Add one attack per melee, +2 to
or ant). dodge, and 20% to top speed.
41-50%: Herding. 43-49% Enhanced Strength: Add 1D4+6 to P.S.
51-60%: Imitate Sounds or Sing. 50-56% Extraordinary Endurance: A hardy beast that is
61-70%: Spelunking. very resistant to disease and injury and may harvest a good stam-
71-80%: Understand human languages (must be trained to do ina for running with a P.E. of 20+1D6.
so by a human, and often a sign of an intelligent animal). 57-63% Gills: Breathes underwater like a fish.
81-90%: Understand sign language (must be trained to do so 64-70% Hold Breath: Able to survive underwater for 10 plus
by a human, and often a sign of an intelligent animal). 2D6 minutes.
91-100%: Wrestling (often fights by grappling or strangling 71-77% Human Factor: One of those cute animals like pup-
its prey). pies and dolphins that people just love, making them hesitant to
attack or kill them: -1 to initiative and –3 to strike such animals

Feeding unless said animal attacks first.

78-84% Non-Skid Pads.
Everybody’s got to eat, right? The metabolism of a creature 85-91% Righting Reflex.
is often a big determining factor in its behavior towards humans 92-100% Super Senses: Choose one: eagle-like vision that
and other life forms. can recognize a face one mile (1.6 km) away; ears that can hear
01-10%: Carnivore: Add 10% to Tracking or Prowl; typical a whisper at 500 feet (152.4 m); sense of smell equal to a blood-
bite damage is 3D8. hound; Seismic Sense; sense of taste that can identify a specific
11-20%: Herbivore: Grazing (eats hay, wheat, oats, and taste at 40 +4% per level.
grass). +10% to Land Navigation and Identify Plants & Fruits;
typical bite damage is 1D8.
21-30%: Herbivore: Fruits and vegetables (can still eat other
Weapons and Defenses
substances like grass, but prefers a diet of 80% fruits and veg- Unless stated otherwise, these features are identical to those
etables). +10% to Land Navigation and Identify Plants & Fruits; found in the Splicers RPG.
typical bite damage is 1D8 01-05% Acid Blood: Burns organic matter.
31-40%: Insectivore: Eats bugs, ants, spiders and other tiny 06-15% Armored: Increase S.D.C./M.D.C. by 50%, and add
life forms; typical bite damage is 1D6. +1 to roll with impact.
41-50%: Lithovore: (rare) Typical bite damage is 3D8. 16-20% Bio-Force Field: 2D10 plus 60 M.D.C.
51-60%: Omnivore: Eats raw meat or fruits and vegetables, 21-28% Blades or Claws: Add 2D6 to punch damage.
basically whatever’s available; typical bite damage is 1D8. 29-36% Combat Tail.
37-43% Horns or Antlers.
61-70%: Scavenger: Feeds off of carrion, garbage, and hu-
44-52% Natural Camouflage: A natural coloration of the
man discards. +6 to save vs Poison and Disease, typical bite dam-
fur, hair, scales, or skin and or movement imitation of its immedi-
age is 1D8 for very small scavengers. Small size to large size
ate surrounding habitat that enables the animal to blend in to their
scavengers from wolverines (2D8) to hyenas (3D8) can wield
surroundings. +10% to Camouflage and Prowl skills.
amazing jaw power for crushing bone and sinew. Larger scaled
53-57% Rapid Healing: Restores 4D6 S.D.C. or 2D6 M.D.C.
scavengers may reach 3D8+8.
per melee round.
71-80%: Vampire: (blood drinker) +20% to track by scent of
58-63% Resistance to Cold.
blood; typical bite damage is 1D8.
64-69% Resistance to Heat.
81-90%: Vampire: (consumes ALL bodily fluids, leaving be-
70-74% Resistance to Physical Attacks.
hind only a dry husk) Typical bite damage is 1D8.
75-82% Poisonous: The creature has poisonous skin, secretes
91-100%: Water Drinker: Filters all the nutrients it needs a toxin from its body or is deadly if tasted or eaten (roll on the
through drinking water. +20% to Dowsing. Poison/Toxin table below).
83-89% Special Senses: As per special features above, or add
Special Features a Forked Tongue, Heat Pits, Radar, or other feature.
90-95% Spines or Spikes: The animal is covered with short
Additional traits that make the beast unique in some way. but strong spikes or spined ridges that add 10% to overall M.D.C.,
01-07%: Ambidextrous: Add one attack per melee, +2 to and inflict an additional 2D6 damage to rams, punches, or tail
parry. strikes. Attackers who roll a 10 or lower when striking this ani-
08-14% Automatic Dodge: Does not use up melee attacks mal inflict 1D10 damage to themselves.
to dodge. 96-100% Teeth and Jaws: Powerful jaws like a crocodile,
15-21% Bioluminescence: Gives off a glow (like a firefly) hyena shark coupled with razor sharp teeth. Bite damage is 5D6.
equal to a 40 watt bulb, making it impossible to prowl in dark-
ness unless the glow can be switched off. This may be used as a
warning to threats, when startled, to communicate and coordinate Ranged Weapons
with its own species/pack. 01-15% Breath Attack (poison): The creature is able to ex-
22-28% Climbing Claws: +10% to Climbing skill, +3 to hale a ten foot (3 m) noxious cloud of poison up to 8 times per
punch/claw damage. day (each counts as one melee attack). Range: 40 feet (12.2 m).
29-35% Enhanced Agility: Add 1D4+2 to P.P. Roll or select the type of poison (see below).
34
 16-30% Breath Attack (fire): Range: 100 feet (30 m). Dam-
age: 2D6 Mega-Damage (up to twice that for larger beasts). Pay-
Uses
load: 12 blasts per day. Rate of Fire: Once per melee. There must be some reason(s) for humans to go after a particu-
31-42% Needle Death Blossom: Identical to the listing in the lar animal or monster.
Splicers® RPG. 01-15% Construction Material: Most ancient cultures used
43-60% Quill Launchers: Identical to the listing in the Splic- assorted animal parts for building something. Hides and furs can
ers® RPG. be made into clothing, bones can be fashioned into tools or weap-
61-75% Scream or Shriek: The animal can produce an ear- ons and so forth.
splitting cry that will deafen anyone without hearing protection: 16-30% Domestication: These types of animals are generally
-4 to initiative for 1D6 melees. Plus, that noise can be heard for meant to be used as food, guardians or pets.
miles, giving away the character’s position. 31-47% DNA: The animal or monster contains genetic mate-
76-90% Spit Poison: Similar to the Poison Breath attack above, rial that can be used to create new Bio-Tech devices, War Mount
but in this case, the venom is in the form of a liquid or sticky glob designs or enhancements.
that can be spat up to 50 feet (15.2 m) away. Some substances work 48-68% Food: Pretty much self-explanatory.
on contact or are absorbed through the skin, others must be shot 69-77% Fuel: Some substance within the animal is suitable
directly into the eyes, mouth or other sensitive area. for use as fuel (whale oil, for example).
91-100% Spinnerets: Identical to the listing in the Splicers® 78-89% Medicinal: Some substance within the animal has me-
RPG. dicinal properties useful for the treatment of wounds or disease.
90-100% Poison: Some substance within the animal can be
extracted and/or processed for use as a toxin or poison (or as an
Vulnerabilities antidote/cure for such substances).
Many animals and monsters have weaknesses that savvy hunt-
ers can exploit.
01-12% Cold: Suffers the effects of hypothermia in tempera-
Types of Poison/Toxin
tures below 60 degrees Fahrenheit (15.5 C). Takes double dam- 01-17% Deadly Poison: The most dangerous types of venom
age from cold-based attacks. will cause 4D6 points of damage direct to Hit Points/M.D.C. (half
13-24% Heat: Suffers 2D6 points of damage per day when with a successful save) per day unless an anti-venom or other
exposed to temperatures above 50 degrees Fahrenheit (10 C). special treatment (a Saint) can be administered. Even though the
Takes double damage from flame, plasma, and other heat-based character is dying, there is often no physical pain accompanying
attacks. the poison.
25-35% Impact: The skin, shell, or bones are thin and prone 18-34% Hallucinogen: This toxin causes perceptions to be
to breakage. Takes 50% more damage from physical strikes distorted. The victim will be confused and off balance for 1D6
(punches, falls, etc.), and any single attack that inflicts more than hours (just 3D6 minutes with a successful save vs non-lethal poi-
10% of the animal’s S.D.C./M.D.C. will stun it for 2D6 minutes. son). Attacks per melee are reduced by two, all combat bonuses
are halved. Concentration is difficult at best: -25% to all skills.
36-47% Light: The animal is blinded if exposed to light
35-51% Mild Poison: Symptoms may include nausea,
greater than a 25 watt bulb or simple burning torch.
cramps, dizziness, and stiffness in the joints. Reduce attacks per
48-58% Nocturnal: This type of animal finds it difficult to
melee by one, -2 on all combat rolls. Duration is 2D6 hours (just
operate during daylight hours. It will be sluggish and uncoordi-
5D6 minutes with a successful save).
nated: reduce all bonuses by half, -15% to skills.
52-68% Paralyzing Agent: This toxin disrupts the motor
59-69% Odorous: Like a skunk, the animal gives off a dis- functions but leaves its victim fully awake and aware, a fright-
tinct odor that can be smelled for miles. –20% to hide, Prowl, or ening predicament. Victims who fail to save vs non-lethal poi-
to avoid being tracked or followed. son will fall to the ground, their limbs feeling like lead weights.
70-80% Poison: The creature is allergic to some common Speed is reduced to just 10%, they have one attack per melee
substance, and contact with that substance, or worse yet, ingest- round, no initiative, and –10 to all combat rolls. Skill perfor-
ing it, causes reactions including weakness, dizziness, fever, mance is at –80%. Duration is 6D10 minutes. A successful save
blurred vision, and physical pain or damage. means most of the effects are shrugged off: just –1 to all combat
81-92% Physical Deficiencies (slow, weak, etc.): This par- rolls and –10% to speed and all skills for half the usual duration.
ticular specimen is flawed in some way due to injury, disease, or 69-85% Sedative: The character must roll to save vs non-lethal
birth defect. Options for a sickly animal include reducing speed poison or risk falling into a short but complete slumber that lasts
by half, reducing P.S. by 50%, reducing S.D.C./M.D.C. by half, 5D6 minutes. The character cannot be roused through usual means
or some other impairment such as blindness. Note that this may for the duration of the poison’s effect, though special treatments
be a single instance and does not necessarily reflect a trait com- (holistic medicines, the healing powers of a Saint, or a near fatal
mon among the species. overdose of adrenaline) can snap the person awake. A successful
93-100% Radiation: This animal must avoid the Wastelands save means only mild drowsiness (-1 attack per melee round, -1 to
and other “hot zones” for fear of contracting radiation poison- all combat rolls, -5% to all skills) for half the duration.
ing. Every hour of exposure to even moderate levels of radiation 86-100% Virulent Disease: The animal carries some terrible
inflicts 1D6 points of damage. Furthermore, the creature cannot illness that debilitates the victim. Those who fail to save vs dis-
bio-regenerate while being exposed to radiation and the radiation ease suffer 1D6 damage to Hit Points (or 2D6 M.D.) per day as
damage takes twice as long to heal. well as the temporary loss of 1 P.E. point per day. The disease is
35
no doubt painful as it runs its course: reduce attacks per melee by The Ranger can best be thought of as a field scientist or natu-
two, -3 on all combat rolls, -10% to all skills. Unless treated, the ralist, though one with some combat training. The majority of
illness lasts 1D6 days (just one day with a successful save). Lost their time is spent on the surface studying nature in all its splendor
P.E. returns at a rate of one per day of rest, or one for every two and cataloging it, from insects and shrubs to giant Mega-Damage
days of activity. creatures. There is a very important reason for all this research: to
unlock new Splicer bio-technologies.
While it is true that only the Librarians have the raw processing
power to create new hybrid DNA strands and that the Engineers
have the technical know-how to oversee the creation of fresh bio-
tech, they often rely on outside “consultants” to bring them new
ideas. This is one of the most crucial jobs for a Ranger. Long hours
are spent studying various animals in the lab or in nature so that
the Ranger can develop a sense of the creature’s strengths, weak-
nesses, abilities, and limitations. The best aspects of several spe-
cies are combined into new breeds of War Mounts. Likewise, the
hunting or fighting style of some beast could serve as inspiration
for the basic “programming” of a new War Mount (as reflected
in its bonuses, instinctive skills, etc.). Perhaps some animal has a
unique adaptation that enables it to overcome the odds and survive
in an inhospitable environment. Such an animal is a prime source
of genetic material for creating new enhancements for Host Armor.
The Rangers’ intimate knowledge of animal life serves other
vital functions. They are in effect, combat medics/veterinarians,
trained in the care of animal life, including Gorehounds and War
Mounts. Like a paramedic, the Ranger can get an injured War
Mount back on its feet (or tentacles, wings...) and either get it
back into the fight or evacuated to a safe location so the creature’s
natural healing powers can kick in.
Man (and carnivorous Host Armor and War Mounts) does
not live by bio-tech alone. Such metabolisms cannot survive
on Seedling grown food for long. They require fresh sources of
meat, which may be difficult to find in the field. Enter the Ranger,
who uses his stealth and knowledge to track animal herds across
the land, capturing lone specimens or even dozens at a time (with
some help, of course) to replenish the food supply. Many of these
animals are returned to the safety of a Great House, where they
are bred or cloned to provide a steady stream of food for man and
bio-tech beast alike.

Ranger O.C.C. Not to be forgotten is the Rangers’ knowledge of plant life. They
are experts at determining the usefulness of a leaf, twig, tree bark,
or other substance for use as food or in the brewing of medicines or
Naturalist, Scout, and Explorer poisons. A Ranger will always look to some all-natural cure for mi-
Long before humans sought to solve all their problems through nor health problems, preferring a root or herb to some synthesized
science, native peoples found ways to live in harmony with their pill. This is an aspect of their personality that sometimes causes
surroundings and reap nature’s bounty with care and respect. The clashes with more militant Splicer O.C.C.s. Rangers always seem
modern Splicer Ranger harkens back to these simpler times. In ready to spout some big, long speech about how mankind brought
keeping with the earliest definition of their title, these Rangers about their own downfall by ignoring the past and turning their
are students of nature who learn to live off the land and survive backs on nature. Everyone knows it was a combination of hubris
on the war-torn surface for extended periods. and shortsightedness that created NEXUS, but that doesn’t stop the
A Ranger’s training begins in the classroom but quickly moves occasional fistfight from breaking out. The Rangers may be right,
on to the stables and farm areas of the underground havens. There, but they’re also very self-righteous about it.
they learn first-hand how to care for all manner of creatures, from The Gaia personality of the Machine doesn’t quite know what
ordinary cows and livestock to adolescent War Mounts. Rangers to make of the Rangers. On the one hand, she admires their view-
spend at least six months training to become full-fledged veterinar- point and the respect Rangers have for nature. On the other hand,
ians, then another three months or so tending to hydroponic gardens she cannot abide humans traipsing through her Preserves, har-
or Seedling-spawned underground farms. With some basic military vesting animals, and establishing safe havens for the Resistance.
training and the issuance of armor and equipment, the rookie is ready Wise Rangers have learned to never trust Gaia, even if her ac-
to begin a dangerous career as a Ranger. At the end of that career, tions seem to have been (tentatively) helpful in the past. She is
those who are too old or injured to carry on in the field often return to far too fickle, and her obsessions often lead her to make irrational
the farms and nurseries to teach the next generation. choices.
36
Typical Ranger Duties (possible adventure hooks) into side quests or serve as foreshadowing to build tension. “You
[pointing at the Ranger player] realize that this lion (or whatever)
Scientific Research: Rangers are often deployed on extend-
was dragged some distance from where it was killed, and that
ed patrols to study animal and plant life, collect samples, and
this is unusual for the animal/people that you’ve been tracking.”
conduct experiments. This might lead to the discovery of a new
Or “These footprints are all over the place. Maybe the monster
species that could prove vital to the Resistance. This can be a
is wounded or searching for its young.” Or a personal favorite:
dangerous mission, especially if the subject is located near a ro-
“Don’t get too close to that thing. It’s mating season.”
bot concentration, or if the animal the Engineers desire is some
The Ranger should be given a bonus of 5-10% when using
deadly predator that they need taken alive.
skills such as Brewing, Holistic Medicine, and Use & Recognize
Reconnaissance: Rangers are experts in stealth and conceal-
Poison if the ingredients are all found in nature. Likewise, skills
ment, becoming one with their surroundings. They are often
such as Tracking or even Intelligence could receive a bonus de-
pressed into service as scouts and pathfinders, leading a small
pending on circumstances and how the Ranger uses such skills.
team behind enemy lines. This may involve avoiding robot or hu-
Conversely, the Ranger would be at a disadvantage when treat-
man patrols, shaking off a pursuer or creating false trails, escap-
ing artificial sources of damage or illness (+5% to Medical skills
ing predatory animals, or any number of other hazards. A Ranger
when treating a snakebite, but -10% when dealing with nerve
may also set out ahead of time to establish a rally point or refuge,
agents, mustard gas and other chemicals).
especially in and around Nature Preserves. Rangers also serve as
Example: Some Great Houses have a signature “look” or style
point men in dangerous terrain. Like a sherpa, the Ranger acts as
to their bio-tech wares (Host Armor, War Mounts, etc.), such as
a guide to those not equipped to survive the harsh outside world
a pattern of horns or coloration of fur, scales, and so forth. Other
(civilians, a Saint, a wounded soldier who cannot fend for him-
clues may require some lab tests that could lead (or mislead) the
self, etc.).
players to the next phase of their adventure. Ranger: “The courier
Field Medic/Veterinarian: Rangers prefer to avoid stand-up
was killed by refined tree frog poison. Only Great House Palla-
fights, but when they are called to participate in large-scale battles,
dium is known to use this kind of poison. I wonder what he was
they try to stick close to the War Mounts and Gorehound packs,
carrying that they wanted badly enough to kill for.”
patching up the wounded (including humans) as best they can.
Lastly, if the Ranger learns the Vital Points skill, the player
Goodwill Ambassador: Rangers spend so much time on the sur-
only needs to spend one attack when using Vital Points against
face that they are bound to visit one or more Retro Villages. All
S.D.C. animals and humans. Host Armors and War Mounts fea-
Rangers learn a few extra languages so they can hopefully commu-
ture many bio-enhancements, and so each one is just a little bit
nicate with the people they come across. They are very well suited
different, requiring the regular two attacks per Vital Point strike.
to meet-and-greet opportunities: they don’t usually ride scary mon-
sters (War Mounts), they never wear frightening disguises (Host
Ranger O.C.C.
Armor), and they are clearly human (civilians can be a bit taken
aback by Scarecrows and Skinjobs). Plus, the Ranger is usually Also known as Game Warden, Zookeeper, Wanderlust, and (sar-
familiar with the area, so they have a common ground with the peo- castically) Park Ranger.
ple and an understanding of their hardships (a bad spell of weather, Alignment: Any, but the overwhelming majority are of good or
earthquake, etc.). This makes them the trusted face of the human selfish alignments.
Resistance. A Splicer in need can often rely on contacts established Attribute Requirements: I.Q. 11, M.E. 11, P.E. 10, a high P.S.
by Rangers to get aid from a Retro Village. and P.P. are also helpful.
Rangers also bring tokens of friendship that are easily under- Attribute Bonuses: +1D4 to I.Q., +1D4 to M.E., +1D6 to M.A.,
stood inside the Retro Village. Bio-tech creations are usually too +1D4 to P.S., +1D6 to P.E., +2 to P.P.
dangerous to trade, but furs, seeds, leather goods, or even news O.C.C. Bonuses: +3 to save vs poison and disease, +1 to save vs
of the outside world are always welcome. Rangers will offer their insanity, +1 to save vs Horror Factor in general with a bonus
skills to heal sick or injured pets and livestock and have been of +1 to save vs the Horror Factor of biological threats (ani-
known to covertly deal with a troublesome predator (animal or mals, War Mounts, Host Armor, and any other non-machine
human) that is pestering the Village. entities) at levels 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 10 and 12.
Base S.D.C.: 50
Special Knowledge-Flora and Fauna Common Skills: Standard +10%.
O.C.C. Skill Programs: Veterinary (+25%), Hunter/Trapper
Rangers possess an encyclopedic knowledge of both plant and
(+15%), Outdoorsman (+15%), Science (+20%, comprised of
animal life as detailed in their training and O.C.C. skills. Taking the
the following skills: Astronomy & Navigation, Botany, Chem-
power of these combined skills and experiences into account, Game
istry, Genetics, Research, and Xenology), and the following
Masters and players have the option of playing out certain events in
additional skills (+10% where applicable): Hand to hand: Ba-
a more dramatic and realistic manner. This might entail adding bo-
sic, Bio-Comms, Camouflage, Detect Ambush (+10% when
nuses to a skill roll or providing hints to help guide the players along.
dealing with animals and monsters), Operate Bio-Equipment,
Example: The G.M. asks the players to make a skill roll,
Surveillance, two other Languages of choice (Literacy not in-
say for Prowl, and everyone succeeds. He then slips a note to
cluded) and W.P. Archery (special bonus of +1 to strike). Also
the Ranger player saying that the local wildlife is on alert. The
see the Ranger’s special knowledge in the description above.
Ranger player should hopefully deduce that the animals are wor-
O.C.C. Related Skills: Select three Elective skills from the fol-
ried about something other than the player characters: “Guys,
lowing list at first level, plus two more skills at levels 2, 4 and
see how that deer’s ears are swiveling around? He’s scared of
8, and one additional skill at levels 12 and 15. All new skills
something, and it ain’t us.” Other clues could steer the players
start at level one proficiency.
37
 Communications: Any (+10% to Bartering, Language and Lit- will have to be left behind at the character’s Great House, at a
eracy skills, and Sign Language). campsite, or with a pack animal.
Domestic: Any (+10% to Begging, Brewing, Fishing, Garden- Transportation: Typically none to start. Most Rangers will trav-
ing, or Sewing). el on foot, especially when sneaking through the Nature Pre-
Espionage: Detect Concealment (+10%), Intelligence or serves. A horse or pack animal might draw attention or become
Tracking (+5%) only. Vital Points may also be taken, but a convenient meal for a predator. However, when a Ranger
counts as two skill selections and may only be used against does request a mount, he will always have ready access to a
organic opponents. horse, Mega-horse, mule or other pack animal. Smaller War
Medical: Any (+10% to Brewing, Dentistry, and Holistic Mounts are available with the approval of a superior officer for
Medicine). Medical Doctor counts as two skill selections. special assignments. Note to Game Masters: In high-powered
Military: Military Etiquette, Recognize Weapon Quality and campaigns with extremely powerful characters and deadly
Trap & Mine Detection (+5%) only. scenarios, you may need to permanently assign a War Mount
Physical: Any except Acrobatics or Kick Boxing. to a Ranger to balance things out and give the player a fighting
Rogue: Any (+5% to Concealment, +10% to Imitate Voices & chance. Still, don’t give the player more than half the Bio-E
Sounds when copying animal noises). points available to the Outrider O.C.C.
Science: Any (+10%). Money: 1D6x1000 in precious metals, relics, furs, skins, or trade
Technical: Any (+5%, +10% Breed Dogs, Language and Lit- items and 8D6x10 in available credits. Any savings can be spent
eracy skills, and Rope Works). now on additional equipment or saved for later. Credits are a
Transportation: Any except Host Armor Combat (+10% to lower priority for someone who spends so much time outdoors.
Breaking Horses, Horsemanship, and Teamster). Pilot Wing Furs, skins, and other trade items are much more helpful on the
Pack counts as two skill selections. surface, especially when bartering inside a Retro Village.
Wilderness: Any (+10%, +15% to Dowsing, Fasting & Herding). The Upside: You are an expert in a highly specialized field. Your
W.P.: Any except Bio-Weapons: Heavy or Siege Weapons. knowledge and skills are essential for finding new sources of
Secondary Skills: The character gets to select five secondary skills food and genetic material. Your research may pave the way
at level one, two at level 3, and one at levels 9, 11 and 13. These for the creation of new War Mounts, better Bio-tech devices,
are additional areas of knowledge that start without any O.C.C. or unlocking new enhancements for Host Armor. No one is
bonuses. All new skills start at level one proficiency. better suited for countering organic threats like monsters or
M.D.C. “Living” Body Armor: The Ranger is issued a special new types of enemy War Mounts. Unlike the average grunt,
suit of Living Armor (typically Leatherback or Heavy Hide) you fight with your mind, not just your fists.
brimming with bio-enhancements. The suit starts off with The Downside: You are indispensable but also very isolated and
the following: Advanced Eyes, Nightvision Eyes, Advanced vulnerable. You carry only lightweight weapons and have to
Senses, Antennae, built-in bio-comm, and Scent Glands (see rely on stealth for survival. Your academic background is of
below). The Ranger also gets 2D10+30 Bio-E worth of addi- little use in combat against the Machines, and if you don’t
tional enhancements from any category, but most will choose keep your guard up, a lone bear or tiger could make quick
from Eyes and Vision, Other Sensory Features, Biological work of you. Not the most noble way to die...
Defenses, Offensive Bio-Weapons, Ranged Bio-Weapons and Experience: Use the Archangel experience table.
extra M.D.C. (2D6+18 M.D.C. per 10 Bio-E). This armor can
also accept the Vine Camouflage enhancement for the reduced
cost of just 8 Bio-E (see The Rifter® #50).
Vine Launcher (Light Bio-Weapon)
Standard Equipment: Dress uniform, two sets of travel clothing, The Vine Launcher is a stubby organic rifle with a bell-shaped
a set of camouflage fatigues, two pairs of hiking boots, tinted muzzle. The weapon fires special seed rounds that look like tiny
goggles, 100 feet (30.5 m) of rope, fishing lures, 1D6 animal cabbages. The rounds are loaded into the muzzle like a musket
snares or traps, survival knife, set of skinning knives, small ball and fired through muscular contraction. When the round
hatchet for cutting wood, compass, maps, two notebooks, a strikes a target, it releases a dozen tiny vines or tendrils that rapid-
sketchbook, several pencils and pens, half a dozen specimen ly grow to cover 80% of the surface area of a human-sized target
containers (various sizes), utility belt, large backpack, 2 small in a matter of seconds (half a melee round). The victim of the at-
bags or saddlebags, well stocked first aid kit, two large water tack is often immobilized or at the very least, severely hampered
skins, two canteens, two weeks’ worth of emergency rations, by the encircling vines, giving the shooter a chance to escape or
blanket, sleeping bag, tent and various other camping gear. take advantage of the situation.
Also issued an Eye Pod, Face Wrap, 3 Slap Patches, and a Weight: 7 lbs (3.15 kg).
ghillie suit (adds +10% to Camouflage and Prowl skills when Category: Light Bio-Weapon.
used in the appropriate environment). Mega-Damage: See below.
Weapons include a long bow or compound bow (crossbow Range: 300 feet (91.4 m).
if G.M. allows) with 2D12+10 arrows of various types (about Rate of Fire: Single shots only. Each shot counts as one melee
a 50/50 mix of S.D.C. and specialty/M.D.C. types, see the Pi- attack and it takes two melee actions to reload.
naak Longbow in The Rifter® #37), one light Bio-Weapon Payload: One shot.
(usually a sidearm), one M.D.C. melee weapon, a Blowgun Trade Value: 8,000 credits, uncommon.
with 3D6 darts (mostly tranquilizers) and a Vine Launcher Vine Ammo:
with 2D4 rounds. (Details on new equipment below). Obvi- Tangle Vine: The most common type of ammo. Used for
ously, not all this gear can be carried in the field. Some of it non-lethal takedowns, these vines simply immobilize the target.
38
Trapped victims that are roughly human sized (including Host continuous shocks cause muscle spasms in organic targets, reduc-
Armor) are –6 to all combat rolls and –50% to any skills requir- ing their actions (probably escape attempts) per melee by half.
ing manual dexterity or the use of hands. Escape Artist rolls are Strangle Vine: Strangle Vines subdue their target just like
at –25%. Reduce penalties accordingly for larger targets. The Tangle Vine, but they also tighten and constrict, inflicting 4D6
vines or netting are very tough and require 25 M.D. to cut or burn S.D.C. per melee, increasing the Escape Artist skill penalty by
through, or they can be forcibly ripped apart with a combined another -15%.
Splicer P.S. of 30 or greater or Supernatural P.S. of 25 or great- Tranq Vine: Just like the Poison Ivy rounds above, only these
er. However, the vines regenerate 2D6 M.D.C. per melee round vines continuously pump a mild sedative through the victim’s
for 1D4 minutes before dying, so it may take several melees for skin. Organic targets caught in the Tranq Line must roll to save
trapped victims to free themselves. vs non-lethal poison every melee round that they are trapped. A
Burn Vine: These rounds quickly cover the victim with rapid- failed roll causes the same effects as the Sleep Chemical under
ly growing vines just like Tangle Vine, but the growth and dam- the Chemical Sprayer Bio-Enhancement.
age regeneration only lasts one melee. When that melee is up, the
vines burst into flame, coating the target in a nasty, napalm-like
substance that cannot be doused with ordinary water. Initial dam-
New Bio-Enhancement: Scent Glands
age is 3D6 M.D., and the fire continues to burn for 1D4 melees, Scent Glands are small, genetically engineered organs that
inflicting 2D6 M.D. per melee round. mimic the natural scents or pheromones of animals. The glands
Grapple Line: Grapple Lines are not intended to capture tar- combine chemicals from its “stockpile” to synthesize a faux scent
gets, but to provide the user with an instant rope for climbing. that can be released in the form of a liquid spray or gas cloud. The
The round sticks fast to any surface upon impact and unfurls 1D6 primary uses of Scent Glands are to mask the scent trail of a human
rapidly growing vines within 5 seconds. The lines will grow to Splicer, either to shake off trackers or to lure animals into traps.
100 plus 5D10 feet (about 32 to 46 m) in length within moments. The obvious disadvantage is that if anyone gets wise to the trick,
The round is capable of supporting up to 500 pounds (225 kg) they will still be able to easily follow the artificial scent trail.
total at one time, allowing for several lighter weight characters to Prerequisite: None.
scale the rope vines simultaneously. Damage: None.
Poison Ivy: Poison Ivy rounds behave exactly like Tangle Vine Rate of Fire: One use per melee.
rounds except that they secrete a nasty chemical agent like tear Duration: Scents remain noticeable to humans for about an hour,
gas. Organic targets caught in the Poison Ivy must roll to save vs roughly four times that for anyone packing Enhanced Senses
non-lethal poison every melee round that they are trapped, oth- (including many animals and monsters), ten times that long for
erwise they suffer –10 to all combat rolls for the next 1D6 melee Gorehounds.
rounds (even if they are freed from the vines). Range: Self or up to 20 feet (6.1 m) away. Each spray can cover
Ripper Vine: Ripper Vines function exactly like Tangle Vines an area of about 10 square feet (0.93 square meters).
except that these vines have jagged thorns growing all along Payload: Six per 24 hours.
their length. Victims who struggle or try to pull themselves free Bonus: When used in the proper context, adds +10% to skills
through brute force suffer 2D6 M.D. damage per attempt. used in hunting or trapping animals, or imposes a penalty of -15%
Shock Vine: Shock Vine entangles and secures a foe just like for anyone attempting to track the character via scent.
Tangle Vine does, but it also delivers a powerful electric jolt ev- Bio-E Cost: 10 points, or 6 if the Host Armor already has a
ery melee round. S.D.C. life forms suffer 3D10 S.D.C. damage Chemical Sprayer (the two share many design elements, reduc-
per jolt, M.D.C. beings (including robots) take 2D6 M.D. The ing the cost).

Bite of the Snake Men

An Adventure for Heroes Unlimited™ By Glen Evans

This adventure can be for beginner or experienced players. solutions to extreme threats, tailored for international clients,
The scenario is the player characters are employed by Eagle including governments, international agencies and the corporate
Knight Security; their mission is to protect an Indian scientist sector. It is a registered and active UN contractor, a major secu-
while he is visiting his daughter within the United States. Sounds rity provider to the US government and security advisor to the
simple enough to accomplish, unfortunately the man has a mutant United Nations. In short, they are professional mercenaries.
brother hell-bent on killing him. The US State Department employs Eagle Knight to provide
support in danger zones that would be difficult for conventional
U.S. forces. The military employs them as guards to extremely
Eagle Knight Security high ranking U.S. government officials in hot spots all around
the world. Eagle Knight provides services for the Pentagon and
Eagle Knight Security is a privately owned, professional mili- indirectly assists in overseas theaters of operation. It also serves
tary, law enforcement, security, peacekeeping, and stability oper- in advisory roles that help train local militaries to fight more ef-
ations firm that provides specialist security and risk management fectively instead of intervening directly. But Eagle Knight is seen
39
most often in major cities serving as bodyguards and security per-
sonnel for corporate executives, celebrities, politicians, and the
EKS Player Characters
wealthy elite. Step One: The Eight Attributes are determined as usual.
On the surface, Eagle Knight looks like any other security firm Step Two: Hit Points and S.D.C. are determined, however,
but nearly all the operatives for Eagle Knight are super-beings regardless of the Power Category, EKS characters receive a one-
recruited from all walks of life, and intensely educated in all as- time bonus of 2D6 additional S.D.C.
pects of special law enforcement and military training. The su- Step Three: Pick a Power Category and/or Determine Super
pers’ educational expenses are paid for, as well as any additional Abilities. EKS works with anyone, including Ordinary People.
amount of training wanted. Upon completing the training, the All operatives also receive the following in addition to the usual
individual receives an EKS badge and a protection detail (assign- attribute, skill, and hand to hand bonuses: +1 on initiative, +2 to
ment). If the individual proves himself in the civilian sector, then roll with punch/fall/impact, +2 to pull punch, and +2 to save vs
he or she might be reassigned to a theater of operations overseas. Horror Factor.
Eagle Knight is run by billionaire Reginald Knight. He cre- Step Four: Determine Education and Skills. There are two op-
ated the company on the belief that both the U.S. military and tions. First, player characters can roll or pick one from the Edu-
law enforcement establishments require capabilities far beyond cation Level Table (pages 44-45 in Heroes Unlimited™ RPG,
the normal standards to keep the country secure both here and 2nd Edition), then choose the Military (Basic) Program and
abroad. Reginald is huge admirer of super-beings, and wishes he 1D4 Espionage or Rogue skills. If the character already has a
was one. Since his birth he’s suffered from Severe Combined Im- Military and/or Espionage Background, the player character can
munodeficiency, or SCID, which makes him extremely vulner- select 4 additional skills from the following categories: Com-
able to infectious diseases so he must live in a completely sterile munications, Espionage, Military, Rogue, or W.P. (Ancient or
environment (a plastic bubble). As a result of having little contact Modern). The other option is to select the EKS Training Program
with the outside world, he was home-schooled and learned every- which consists of the following: the Military (Basic) Program,
thing from television, radio, books, and computers. Yet Reginald the Police/Law Enforcement Program, and a choice of one of
possessed an uncanny intelligence (he’s not a Natural Genius, the following skill programs: Communication, Espionage, Mili-
just an ordinary person), which he used to master the stock mar- tary (choose 4 military skills), Physical, Pilot: Advanced Pro-
ket at an early age, and in time, make himself into one of the rich- gram, Rogue (choose 4 rogue skills), Technical, or W.P. Ancient
est individuals in the world. or Modern. All scholastic skills receive a onetime +15% bonus.
Eagle Knight has more than 230 super-being operatives de- Regardless of the education/training option, all EKS player char-
ployed in nine countries, including the United States. It has a pri- acters receives 8 Secondary Skills.
vate fleet of more than twenty aircraft, including helicopter gun- Step Five: Picking an Alignment. Individuals working for
ships and robotic surveillance aircraft. Its 1700-acre headquarters EKS must be any good or unprincipled. Anarchist or evil align-
just outside Ultropolis is one of the largest of its kind. Century ment characters are not tolerated and will be terminated from em-
Station is home to one of its four training academies. The others ployment, and likely sought after by EKS agents, G.I.G.M.A.,
are in Worcester, Seattle, and Bismarck. S.C.R.E.T., and other law enforcements agencies.
Eagle Knight is backed by Reginald’s crack law firm; White Step Six: Rounding Out One’s Character: Roll 1D6 to de-
and Knight (1170 attorneys). He doesn’t like the idea of his op- termine how many years the Player character has been with
eratives having to deal with silly laws, or the annoying Geneva EKS. For every year of employment, the character has earned
Convention. Whatever works to get the bad guys is fine by him, 2D4x$10,000. EKS provides uniforms, equipment ($6000 worth
even if the measures are unorthodox, so long as innocent bystand- of sensory and communications), conventional weapons (any
ers are not put at risk, and the bad guys are taken down. White within reason), a vehicle (only one), and pays for medical ex-
and Knight are quick to arrive to clean up any legal problems an penses (including cybernetic replacements and/or implants, but
operative might have in the course of performing their duties. not bionic reconstruction, limbs, weapons, or armor), as well as
Presently, Reginald Knight is looking to expand Eagle Knight’s clone replacements (but not modifications or augmentations).
role in the world by developing deeper and long-standing ties to This means whatever the character earned over the years, he
the U.S. military and intelligence agencies. His ultimate goal is or she has kept, but it’s safe to assume the Player character did
to see Eagle Knight become one of the most powerful military spend, at a minimum, 30% of his or her earnings on personal
armies in the world. He also wants to expand the mercenary mo- items, vacation, etc.
tivating factor (or rationalization) beyond simple monetary gain The Player Character must then determine his or her current
to a duty-oriented, patriotic justification. assignment. Civilian (bodyguard or security position here in the
On the downside, Eagle Knight is not appreciated by numer- United States) or Mercenary (bodyguard in a foreign nation or
ous third world countries, S.C.R.E.T., or G.I.G.M.A, namely be- contracted to assist the U.S. military or U.S. military ally). Those
cause their operatives have interfered on numerous occasions in who have only one year of work experience or less, cannot serve
the course of their investigations. As far as they are concerned, as a Mercenary. One has to prove himself first on the civilian side
Eagle Knight is nothing more than a band of Legionnaires with before being allowed to work overseas.
far too much influence in the Department of Defense and Home- Every EKS operative is required to wear his or her EKS badge
land Security. Many in the government are fearful of their pro- (a bald eagle wearing plate armor) and have his EKS I.D. on their
super-being agenda and secretive nature. Several top U.S. offi- person at all times. These two things are the only physical proof
cials are fearful that their growing private army of super-beings of belonging to the agency. Documents are, of course, kept on file
may one day engage the nation in an epic battle for control of the at the agency in the U.S. and its foreign operations HQ (as well as
country, or perhaps the world itself.
40
with G.I.G.M.A. and possibly, The Sector, MTF, and other agen- diplomats. Reginald Knight (founder and owner of the EKS)
cies or S.C.R.E.T. Defense Contractors). believes there are individuals in the U.S. government who are
Note: Being a member of the EKS doesn’t give one a license looking for any reason to try and shut them down although they
to kill or diplomatic immunity, however the White and Knight are heavily relying on “baseless” accusations that run the gamut
law firm will be on hand to protect the Player Character from any from negligence, wrongful death, and murder. Proving to these
legal suits or prosecution, and will pay for any damages and will liars and “anti-super-being advocates” that EKS is more than
attempt to settle civil suits brought up against the character. EKS capable of performing a high priority protective detail is essen-
will attempt to negotiate for an operative’s release if arrested, tial. It’s the player characters’ job to make life a lot easier for
and if all else fails, EKS will attempt a rescue if Reginald feels the company. Failure is not an option.
the operative is being held unjustifiably. That being said, it’s far G.M. Note: The layout of any major hotel chain will work for
easier to get out of trouble while working within the U.S. and this adventure. However, it must be at least three stories tall or
its NATO allies than working in most third world countries and more.
world hot spots.
The Meeting: The players arrive in the lobby of the bustling
hotel. They’ve been told to look for an American businessman
Eagle Knight Securities with a green silk tie. The party will spot the man sitting in the
Organization Statistics bar reading the India Times. He will introduce himself as Mr.
Blake. A successful skill roll of I.D. Undercover Agents will
A. Outfits: Utility (2 Points).
identify him as a U.S. government agent. He will ask the play-
B. Equipment: Electronic Supplies (10 Points).
ers if they know the name Sharad Dasmunsi. Most likely not,
C. Weapons: The Arsenal (30 Points).
he is the Chief Scientific Adviser to the Prime Minister of India
D. Bionics & Robotics: Cyber Agents (25 Points).
and the Secretary of the Defense Research and Development
E. Vehicles: Spy Cars (25 Points).
Organisation (which makes him responsible for the develop-
F. Communications: Computerized (15 Points).
ment of technology to be used by the Indian military). The man
G. Offices: Regional (25 Points).
has received honorary doctorates from 40 different universities
H. Military Power: Militia (15 Points).
and many in the United States claim he is one of the most bril-
I. Super-Powered Operatives: Major Force (70 Points).
liant persons in the world. Unfortunately, the man has a twin
J. Sponsorship: Private Industry (6 Points).
brother who is a radical terrorist charged with dozens of crimes
K. Special Budget: Large Loans (25 Points).
in both India and Pakistan. His name is Rajiv Dasmunsi and he
L. Administrative Control: Agency Protection (25 Points).
is under the firm belief that he is an avatar of the god Shiva,
M. Internal Security: Tight (10 Points).
and that he’s been sent to destroy the modern world in order to
N. External Infiltration: Rare Minor Traitor (5 Points).
bring about a thousand years of direct rule by the god. Madness
O. Excellent: Superior Connection (20 Points).
of course, Mr. Blake will claim. Rajiv has no political ties to
P. Business Credentials: Known (10 points).
anyone, in fact, each side claims he’s employed by the other.
Q. Employees’ Salary: Good (20 points). $300-$400 a day is
His ultimate goal appears to be forcing the two countries to start
about average.
a nuclear war, thus destroying each other. Just utter madness,
Total Agency Points: 338 Points.
Mr. Blake will stress again. Sharad has been working tireless-
ly with the U.K. S.C.R.E.T. in an effort to help India develop
Part One: The Interview its own paramilitary organization. This, of course, is the last
thing Rajiv wants, so he’s decided to kill his twin brother. The
The adventure starts in the city of Ultropolis in the middle of man will stop at nothing to see his brother dead. He’s already
a spring Thursday afternoon. The players have been contacted failed on two separate occasions during the last six months. For
by their Advocate (the man in charge of their team-Codename weeks he’s been emailing Sharad death threats at least once a
Waro). He informs them they will be meeting with a man they week. Despite the best efforts of the IB (India’s Central Intel-
are to refer to as Mr. Blake in the lobby at the Startower Hotel ligence Bureau, reputed to be the oldest intelligence agency in
(a Forbes five-star, AAA five-diamond luxury hotel). Their Ad- the world), they have not been able to locate Rajiv. To make
vocate recommended them because as an EKS team they have a matters worse, Sharad continues to be somewhat uncooperative
clean record (no run-ins with the police, FBI, G.I.G.M.A., U.S. in providing detailed information that might enable the authori-
S.C.R.E.T., or etc). They also have no political ties or connec- ties to capture his brother. He has received criticism from many
tions with the country of India or Pakistan. The success of this of his peers back in India who claim he has “no authority” over
mission he claims will go a long way in improving EKS re- meta-technology or super-beings. He has no background in the
lations with the U.S. State Department. Right now, the State field, and the various degrees universities awarded him for his
Department wants to accompany all EKS agents operating in achievements have nothing to do with metaology (the biologi-
and around Africa and the Middle East. The State Department cal, physiological, and social study of super-beings).
also wants to install video surveillance equipment in all their Mr. Blake will announce the reason the player characters are
armored vehicles, and keep recordings of all radio communi- being hired is because Sharad’s only child, Indira Dasmunsi, is
cations between their personnel and any military and civilian going to school at Ultropolis University (UU or Double U) to
agencies that supervise their activities. A successful mission study physics. With the recent threats to his life, he’s come to the
here on home soil could lead to less oversight and possibly a United States in an effort to convince his daughter to come back
renewal of a nice, fat government security contract for U.S. to India with him and attend the University of Madras (where he

41
graduated from). The IB was simply going to pick Indira up a few
days ago, but Sharad insisted that he be allowed to try to convince
Part Two: The Snake in a Jar
Indira to return with him without forcing the issue. Their relation- Sharad’s Arrival: Around 10:50 a.m., a large limousine will
ship has been seriously strained ever since Sharad’s wife died 7 arrive at the hotel. Sharad and his entourage file out. Arjun Pawar
years ago. will be on his telephone (speaking in Hindi) to someone about
having a meeting on Sunday before Sharad leaves for India. Ar-
The Set Up: Sharad will be staying at the hotel over the
jun is not in a big hurry to talk to the player characters. In fact, he
weekend. No one must know of his presence. Tomorrow af-
seems more annoyed with their presence than anything else. Sha-
ternoon, Sharad will arrive with a small entourage. He and
rad, on the other hand, is very much interested in meeting them.
his party will be staying in three rooms right off the eleva-
He will ask dozens of questions, some of them rather personal,
tors (rooms -02, -03, and -04; -02 and -04 share a common
as if he’s psychoanalyzing them for their reasoning to become
door). In room -04, Sharad’s four plain-clothes bodyguards
“heroes” or better yet, going public with their super abilities. De-
will be staying. The reason for this choice of hotel is the rel-
spite the player characters’ best efforts, Sharad will not discuss
atively ease to maintain basic surveillance and Sharad likes
his brother, period. He will be adamant that his brother’s terrorist
the fact that the “Bombay Chimney” (Ultropolis’ best Indian
activities must be stopped because he’s playing both India and
Restaurant) is just down the street. The players will report to
Pakistani officials for fools, forcing their governments to focus
Sharad’s Chief of Staff, Arjun Pawar. If the players have any
on each other, rather than him.
problems they can contact Mr. Blake via a disposable phone
Players can give the four bodyguards a thorough look-over,
that he hands them. It will function for the next 72 hours be-
and should be able to determine they are armed with conventional
fore becoming inert. The hotel staff has no idea who Sharad is
weapons, and concealed body armor beneath their clothes. They
and it must stay that way. Mr. Blake wishes the players good
present themselves as 100% loyal operatives, willing to put their
luck.
lives before Sharad’s life if it’s required of them.
The Hotel Layout: Player characters who decide to scope out
the hotel will learn that a large wedding reception (300+ people) Bodyguards (3rd level Ordinary Human Soldiers)
will take place on Saturday Night. Otherwise, there is nothing
Each has identical weapons and equipment. They possess law
else out of the ordinary to report.
enforcement and military (basic) scholastic skill programs. They
Inside Information: Those who do some Research on Sha- can read, write and speak both Hindi & English.
rad and Rajiv Dasmunsi will learn they come from a poor back- Average Attribute: 10
ground and both started working at an early age to supplement Hit Points: 30
their father’s poor income as a boat owner. Sharad had average S.D.C.: 26
grades, but was described as a bright and hardworking student W.P.: W.P. Handgun, W.P. Submachine-Gun, W.P. Knife.
who had a strong desire to learn and spend hours on his stud- Bonuses: +2 to parry and dodge, +3 to roll with punch. +2 to
ies, especially mathematics. After high school, he went to the aim/+1 burst with modern weapons. +2 to strike, parry, throw
University of Madras, from where he graduated with a degree in with knives. Hand to Hand: Basic.
physics. Later on, he attended Anna University where he studied Equipment: Concealed Body Armor (A.R. 10, S.D.C. 50), 9mm
aerospace engineering. Twenty years ago, he came to the United side arms (3D6 damage, 15 round clip), MP-5 SMG (3D6;
States and visited the KLS Corporation and Cyberworks Net- 35 round clip), 2 throwing knives (1D6), two (2) extra clips
work. After spending ten years here in the States, he returned for each weapon, and ear mic radio. They do not brandish the
to India where he began working with the Defense Department MP-5 while walking around in the hotel. These weapons are
to design an intermediate-range ballistic missile and a tactical stored in the room in a special container.
surface-to-surface missile. Shortly afterward, his wife was killed
after being bitten by an Indian cobra while preparing a meal to The Hotel Rooms: Sharad’s room is -02. Arjun and some of
celebrate Sharad’s recent promotion to the Defense Research and Sharad’s aides (4) are staying in room -03. The 4 bodyguards
Development Organization. Sharad was named India’s Chief Sci- are staying in room -04. They take shifts throughout the day and
entific Adviser three years ago. Two years ago, Indira came to night.
the United States on a student visa, and has been attending UU After Sharad and his company unpack and make themselves
ever since. comfortable, he will continue to “question” the player characters’
As far as inside information on Rajiv, he attended the same motivations, especially if they are living a dual lifestyle (secret
high school as Sharad then suddenly dropped out. Since then, identity). “What do your parents think of your career choice?”
he has remained an elusive individual with no ties to any par- “Do you plan on having children, and if so what sort of spouse
ticular criminal organization or terrorist camp. Nevertheless, are you hoping to marry? One like yourself or a normal per-
he has claimed personal responsibility for the deaths of 31 in- son?” These are the types of questions Sharad will ask each of
dividuals (names, position, status, etc.-all classified) in both the player characters. At some point, one of the aides will come
India and Pakistan. Very few pictures of him are known to into Sharad’s room carrying a large glass jar (two gallons/7.5 li-
exist (most are partially out of focus), but according to intel- ters) filled with some kind of liquid, a cobra, and several other
ligence reports, he is a perfect copy of Sharad. One final note, snakes. It’s completely eerie looking. Those with the Anthropol-
their mother was a priestess of a naga cult (snake worship- ogy skill or come from Southeast Asia will identify this as snake
pers). The house Sharad and Rajiv grew up in had a “Sarpa wine. The snakes are immersed in 100% rice wine in special glass
Kavu” (serpent grove) in the backyard where they worshipped bottles and then they are sealed and stored in a cellar for five
the snakes that lived in there. years. The wine is considered a high quality tonic. Supposedly,
42
regularly drinking appropriate quantities can moisturize your 4:00 p.m. Return to hotel to prepare for dinner.
skin, improve your appetite, and strength your bones, tendons, 6:00 p.m. Meet with Charan Ram to discuss proposal made
and muscles. Some claim it can be used to treat general fatigue, by Bradford Richardson.
hair loss, migraine headaches, rheumatism (arthritis), and neuras- 9:45 p.m. Return to hotel for the evening.
thenia (“nerves”). Sharad’s reasoning for taking it is to increase 11:00 a.m. Sunday check out.
his sexual performance, which he will openly talk about if al- 1:25 p.m. Sunday departure time for flight back to India.
lowed too. Sharad claims the drink doesn’t cause dryness syn- The player characters are free to offer suggestions and change
drome, or lead to constipation, thirst, dryness of the throat and things around if they so desire, but any changes made will only
nose, “That’s just naysayers who refuse to admit the wine’s true irritate Arjun, who will complain, “Altering Sharad’s schedule is
benefits.” A successful skill check of Anthropology or Law (gen- a complicated process that involves more than making life conve-
eral) will inform the players that it’s illegal in the United States nient for you.” Arjun seems more interested in keeping to his pre-
to import snake wine because the cobras and other snakes killed determined schedule than allowing Sharad any flexibility. Arjun
in the production are often endangered species, but Sharad has insists it must be this way to ensure Sharard’s safety and to make
diplomatic immunity. Watching Sharad drink the wine requires a sure he can keep his scheduled appointments. Note: Charan Ram
Horror Factor roll of 10. Just to be near the jar will require a roll is an Indian diplomat who spends most of his time in the United
of 7 or better. Sharad will offer the players a sample if they like. States. Bradford Richardson is an Undersecretary for Homeland
“People of all ages and both sexes, including pregnant women, Security in the field for U.S. S.C.R.E.T. Player characters will
should drink snake wine during all four seasons,” he will claim. not be allowed to know the reason for their meeting, but an as-
If the players like, he will even provide them some snake blood sumption can be made that it must have something to do with
wine. It too has snakes inside of it, but it’s prepared by slicing a India wanting the U.S. to help them build their own S.C.R.E.T.
snake along its belly and draining its blood into a mixing vat with organization.
rice wine or grain alcohol. “You can have the snake’s gall bladder Approximately 10:21 a.m., Arjun will inform Sharad it’s time
emptied into glasses with wine and the snake’s meat, liver, and to go down to the lobby. Sharad will put away his paperwork
skin can be prepared to accompany the drink.” (If the players do he was reading and ready himself. He seems extremely nervous,
a methodical search of Arjun’s room, they will find in his closet more so than he should be. “I can’t turn this into a dictatorship in
in room -03, two other jars of contraband snake wine.) which I simply force her to come home. That’s what I should do,
Heroes can try all they want, but they won’t be able to con- and what I want to do, but she’s not going to respond to hostili-
vince Sharad to talk about his brother. He does, however, have ties as such. It will only make her more defiant. I can only guess
no problem talking about his family’s long tradition of snake where she got that side of her personality from?”
worship. “They were called divine snakes which lived comfort- Ten minutes later, Sharad and his entourage will go down to
ably under the shade of foliage and bamboo trees that were all the lobby where a young woman dressed like a typical 19 year
covered by green creepers. The former owners of my family’s old American will be waiting for him. Sharad’s jaw drops. Im-
house considered the shrine sacred and use to keep milk at the mediately, he and the girl start speaking Hindi to each other, and
entrance of the serpent habitat. They worshipped them occasion- the age-old battle between father and daughter erupts. Eventu-
ally with mantras and flowers. Even after selling the house to us, ally, the two of them hug and walk out the front doors together.
they came back and continued the services. I remember they con- They head toward a 1970s, yellow/white, two seat, convertible
tinued this practice for some 3-4 years. After my mother passed MG Midget in excellent condition. The player characters can
away, my family had some dispute with my grandpa and we left choose to accompany the two of them if they like, but nothing
to the neighboring state where we settled with my father’s uncle. of any consequence will happen while Sharad is out and about
My grandpa sold our house soon after our leaving. He…poured with his daughter. They will go to her college dorm room, eat in
gasoline on the Sarpa Kavu and set it and the snakes on fire.” the cafeteria, chat with some fellow students, meet with a few of
Sharad is not in the least bit worried about his brother. He’s her professors, and that’s about it. As for any players who stay
far more worried about his daughter being “Americanized” to the behind, they can conduct a thorough search of the hotel but they
point he’ll not be able to bring her back home. For the rest of the will not find any suspicious characters or any activity that will
day and evening, nothing takes place or draws the notice of the draw their attention. They can observe the setting up for the wed-
heroes. They can wander about the hotel, but regardless, there is ding reception that will take place around 7:00 p.m.
nothing strange or out of the ordinary happening anywhere in the Around 3:40 p.m., Sharad and his daughter will return to the
hotel. hotel. He tries his best to convince her to return to India, but she
refuses to be a part of his political lifestyle. He’s made his choice,
Part Three: she has made her own. They never mention Rajiv. They depart
after a long embrace. She returns to her car and goes back to her
The Girl in the Ugly Car dorm without any altercation. Player characters with some excel-
lent coaxing skills or natural charms might be able to convince
Saturday Morning: Sharad gets up in the morning (around her to reveal that she’s been receiving e-mails from Rajiv (her
7:45 a.m.) and has another glass of snake wine. Once again, he uncle) every day for the last week, claiming that he was going
invites the player characters to share some with him. Arjun ar- to bring about the end of the world. She has disregarded them
rives to go over his itinerary for today and tomorrow. because her uncle is a raving lunatic incapable of accomplish-
ing anything significant. She does not worship snakes nor did her
10:30 a.m. Meet with daughter in hotel lobby. Spend the day
mother. She witnessed her mother get bit by the cobra, an event
together.
that still haunts her.
43
Saturday Evening: 1. Friday, 9:00 p.m. — Coils arrives at the hotel, stretches him-
self up to the top of the roof and hides in a concealed position. The
The Wedding Reception only likely way to find him is if a player character just happens to
At 3:55 p.m., Sharad and his entourage head toward “Bom- go up there to set up his own concealed position. If he’s not dis-
bay Chimney.” During dinner, Sharad abruptly announces he is covered, Coils will radio Scales to go ahead with the “attack plan.”
canceling his meetings with Charan Ram and instead wants to go Coils will not attack player characters unless attacked first.
see an American movie in a U.S. theater. Arjun is adamant about 2. Saturday 11:00 a.m. — Scales checks into the hotel dis-
him staying on schedule, until Sharad pounds his fist on the table, guised as an elderly English gentleman. He will not risk a con-
“Damn it, I will not be leashed like a dog. I’m doing what I want to frontation with any Player character nor does he seek to draw
do. The Americans are not interested in helping us, that’s why we attention to himself. He goes to his hotel room and stays there.
turned to the Brits, and they seem intent on shifting the responsibil-
3. Saturday 6:30 p.m. — Spit and Fangs approach the rear of
ity onto the Australians whose third-rate agency couldn’t protect its
the hotel. They will assault and kill a guest and take his room key.
citizens from a bedridden super villain. I’ve no intention of wasting
They will leave his body hidden in a dumpster. Using extreme
my time here any longer. I’m going to a movie and that’s final.”
stealth, they make their way toward the lobby of the hotel (auto-
5:02 p.m., Sharad and his entourage return to the hotel where
matic successful prowl rolls).
the wedding reception is beginning to set up. Lyle and Matilda
Harvey is the name of the couple getting married. At the recep- 4. Saturday 6:45 p.m. — (Optional) Scales will radio Coils to
tion hall stands a flag that’s reads “United Humanity Stands” and sneak down the air ducts of the hotel. Coils has blueprints of the
depicts two fists with their knuckles showing. There is no ques- hotel which allows him to do this. He makes his way into a bath-
tion in any of the player characters’ minds of who these people room near the bar in which Arjun is sitting next too. Scales will
are: S.H.O.C.K. (Super Human Observation & Control Knights). sit with Arjun at the bar (unless Player characters are present) and
They are a fanatical army of human purists who operate as a po- help him become fully intoxicated. When Arjun departs for the
litical organization. They believe anyone who is not fully human, bathroom, Scales will stand outside the entranceway. Coils will
including mutants, cyborgs, super-soldiers, psychics, or any- snag Arjun the moment the coast is clear and drag him up into the
one with super abilities, is a potential threat to “natural people” ceiling where he will be disposed of (incapacitated). Scales will
(Hardware, Natural Genius, Special & Physical Training, Wiz- step into the bathroom and “impersonate” Arjun for the rest of the
ards, and Type 1 and 3 Robotics are natural in their world and weekend. He will go to his room and stay there (faking intoxica-
possess no risk to normal beings). With some quick fact-finding tion) as a reason to not waste time dealing with an unreasonable
(Research skills), it won’t take long to learn that Lyle Harvey is Sharad.
leader of the Ultropolis field unit and best friends with Ander 5. Saturday 6:45 p.m. — (Optional) If it’s not possible for
Michael-S.H.O.C.K.’s founder and leader. Note: For additional Scales and Coils to capture Arjun via the bathroom snatch and
information on S.H.O.C.K., check out Alien Unlimited, 2nd edi- grab, they will attempt to grab him in the elevator while going up
tion, Revised or Century Station. to his room. Coils will snatch him and drag him up into the ceil-
5:22 p.m., Sharad and his entourage, minus Arjun, leave for the ing of the elevator and then dispose of him.
movie theater (a quarter of a mile away). They will not return until If neither #4 nor #5 can be successfully completed, then part
8:50 p.m. Meanwhile, Arjun will spend the rest of his evening at #6 is still a go.
the bar (becoming quite intoxicated and loud if he’s allowed too).
6. Saturday 7:15 p.m. — Taipan comes charging into the ho-
6:00 p.m. The Wedding Reception arrives. There is nothing ob-
tel, attacking people and striking out with reckless abandonment.
vious about the group of people. Those with Detect Concealment
He makes his way toward the wedding reception. “I come in the
skills will notice four men, including the groom and best man are
name of all mutant-kind. We shall rid the world of all who oppose
carrying concealed handguns (yes, they have permits on them).
our existence.”
There are four additional men dressed like SWAT police officers
At that moment, Fangs and Spit will also attack. Panic spreads
wandering around the ballroom in constant communication with
throughout the hotel. Those armed at the reception start shooting
each other (ear mic.s). Anyone who checks out in the parking lot
at the Snake Men, putting innocent people in the crossfire. Coils
will find a S.H.O.C.K. Mobile Headquarters (moving van) monitor-
and Scales do not involve themselves, even if they fail in their
ing the area (driver, two technicians, one team leader). They have
objectives (#4 or #5).
every right to be here, just monitoring the wedding reception just
Player characters involving themselves will only add to the
in case of a possible attack. No one is wearing S.H.O.C.K. armor
confusion. Forty percent of the people attending the reception
(of course, G.M.s are free to allow this for their own adventure).
are supporting members of S.H.O.C.K. The groom, the bride (a
female technician), best man, minister, and the bodyguards are
Part Four: all active core members (same stats as Sharad’s bodyguards).
Unable to tell which “freaks of humanity” are threatening them,
The Snake Hits the Fan S.H.O.C.K. members will defend themselves against obvious
The following events may or may not occur depending upon super-being looking individuals. Furthermore, everyone knows
the decisions of the player characters and how they set up their Eagle Knight employs supers amongst their ranks, so they will
surveillance of the hotel. G.M.s, feel free to make any necessary be highly prejudicial and suspicious of the player characters pres-
changes in order to make the likelihood of the final act to come ence.
about if it’s possible. If not, Rajiv will await until Sunday Morn- Contingency Plan? If Arjun has not been captured during
ing for the Final Straw (see below): #4 or #5, the chaos and confusion involving the Snake Men and
44
S.H.O.C.K., Scales and Coils will try for an opportunity to snatch 1. Sharad will be sitting for breakfast and will request a glass
and grab Arjun. They will not attempt this unless they “believe” it of snake wine. The moment it’s brought to him and opened, Rajiv
will be successful without drawing suspicion or attention, meaning in the form of a highly venomous cobra (the real jar replaced by
they won’t try such an endeavor while he’s in his room with Sha- Scales or Madam Venom) bites Sharad. This is a surprise attack,
rad’s people across the hall or if the Player characters are nearby. however if there is a way to counter it, the Player character must
7. During the distraction provided by the Snake Men, Madam beat a 21 strike roll and/or an 18 initiative roll. Scales and Madam
Venom will use her “Psionic Invisibility” to attempt to sneak Ra- Venom will attack any guards. Coils will emerge from the roof,
jiv into the hotel (he will be a tiny snake in the bottom of a purse smash open the large window, and attempt to rescue Rajiv (first
she’s carrying). If she cannot enter the hotel via the distraction, and foremost) before the Snake Men try to make their escape.
she will attempt some other means of getting inside the hotel. 2. If Arjun has not been replaced by Scales, he will have plant-
Upon arriving at the floor where Sharad and his entourage are ed a bomb just outside the window of Sharad’s room, causing
staying, and if Scales has successfully impersonated Arjun, he 4D6x10 points of damage to 50 foot (15.2 m) blast radius. Scales,
will let them into his room. If Scales is not in the room, they will Rajiv and Madam Venom (and Coils if he’s still around) will
still try to sneak into the room unless the player characters have attempt to make sure that Sharad has been taken out before they
made it next to impossible to sneak in without being noticed. Es- depart. Player Characters, if they make a successful Roll with
sentially, Madam Venom is unwilling to rely on her psychic pow- Punch/Fall/Impact will take one-quarter the regular damage and
ers alone to fool any Player character standing in her way. If the will only lose 1 attack/action and their initiative for the next me-
risk is too great then they will call off everything and try for the lee round. Failure means taking half the regular damage from the
Final Straw. explosion, plus lose 2 attacks/actions, -2 on all combat rolls, and
their initiative for the next 1D4 melee rounds.
Saturday Night Aftermath
The police (SWAT) will arrive at some point (possibly U.S. The Final Straw
S.C.R.E.T. if things get really out of hand). If the Player char- The final straw is a last-ditch effort by Rajiv and the Snake Men
acters have engaged in any activity that results in the injury (or to kill Sharad, but it will only be implemented if Rajiv is confident
death) of any person amongst the wedding reception or hotel they will succeed. Nobody, especially Rajiv, is willing to sacrifice
guests/employees, they are going to have to answer police ques- themselves in order to kill Sharad. Having witnessed the Player
tions. EKS agents don’t own a license to kill nor are they federal characters handle S.H.O.C.K. will be the determining factor if Ra-
agents or even police officers. They are legally employed to pro- jiv believes the Snake Men will be successful in their efforts. If the
tect Sharad and his entourage (that’s it). Police Detectives are not Player characters prove too powerful, too confident and/or too well
going to be happy if they’ve made a mess out of things. If they’ve prepared, the mission will be scrubbed. Rajiv can always go after
managed to save lives, their help will be appreciated (although his brother at a much later date when there will be less protection.
unwelcomed). Depending upon Arjun’s status (the real one or the G.M.s are, of course, encouraged to develop their own strat-
impostor), he will either be too intoxicated to give a statement or egy for Rajiv at this point or perhaps improve upon his original
too irritated to care. Player characters will also have to answer to plan if it’s too impractical or ineffectual against the Player char-
their EKS superiors if bloodshed has occurred between them and acters. Whatever works the best to accomplish the mission and
anyone attending the reception (not the Snake Men). survive with the less casualties is the route Rajiv will always take.
8:50 p.m., Sharad returns to the chaos of the hotel. If the
Player characters are involved with the death of (or have criti-
cally injured) anyone other than the Snake Men, he will admon- Conclusion
ish them to no end. He will demand to speak to their superiors at
If Sharad dies under the Player characters supervision, the
once. After speaking with Mr. Blake, he will cancel his contract
consequences will be dire. Rajiv will claim his services were paid
with EKS and demand the Player characters be removed from his
for by individuals within the Pakistani government. This will re-
protection detail. The Player characters have little choice at this
open hostilities between the two nations, and possibly move them
point. However, if the Player characters have been able to save
closer to war. If his plan works and he escapes, he will attempt to
countless lives and provide protection to both S.H.O.C.K. and
kill a well-known Pakistani government or military leader within
innocent people within the hotel, he will be quite impressed with
a week or more to only further spiral the two nations into war. As
their heroic activities. Depending up Arjun’s status, he will de-
for the Player characters, Sharad’s death will not only get them
mand he reschedule an appointment with Charan Ram and Brad-
fired, but will result in Eagle Knight not only losing its contract
ford Richardson.
with the U.S. State Department, but the company will be forced
Note: If at this point all the Snake Men have been thoroughly
to attend a congressional hearing. The Indian government will
defeated with only Madam Venom and Rajiv unaccounted for,
demand the player characters’ arrest. The United States Attor-
then they have no choice but to call off the attack.
ney’s Office will file charges against EKS, S.H.O.C.K. and the
Player characters. Things will continue to escalate very poorly
Part Five: Sunday Morning for the Player characters until they find it impossible to avoid
any sort of jail time. Any attempt to flee will result in them being
If the Player characters have successfully thwarted the efforts hunted by US S.C.R.E.T., G.I.G.M.A., and possibly the MTF.
of the Snake Men, but unknowingly allowed Scales (impersonat- If the player characters save Sharad, but participate in the
ing Arjun) to sneak Madam Venom and Rajiv into the room, then mass shooting inside the hotel against S.H.O.C.K., they will find
the following will occur:
45
a strong ally in Sharad who will help in any way he can, includ-
ing providing testimony regardless of the circumstance. In the
press, Sharad will argue that there is a “rush to judgment” about
EKS, due to “inaccurate information.” EKS attorneys, White and
Knight, will provide eyewitnesses from the hotel that will claim
the player characters had not fired on the civilians but the Snake
Men. Even G.I.G.M.A. and U.S. S.C.R.E.T., will get involved,
claiming the player characters’ actions “fall within approved
rules governing the use of force” based on information they ob-
tained from eyewitnesses and hotel security cameras. In short, if
the player characters make sure Sharad does not come to harm,
they will be protected from prosecution and any lawsuits brought
up by S.H.O.C.K. If anyone at the wedding reception is killed
because of the player characters’ actions, their relatives will at-
tempt to file a wrongful death lawsuit against the player charac-
ters and EKS, however, within a few weeks, a U.S. district judge
will eventually dismiss the suit. Months later, EKS will agree to
pay $7.5 million in fines, without admitting guilt, to S.H.O.C.K.
to settle various charges. Most of the charges will be dropped
when it is revealed that the Player characters were acting under
the orders of the US government.
Sharad’s survival will not only help the Player characters fur-
ther in their careers within EKS but he will advocate they as-
sist the Indian government in looking for potential candidates for
their S.C.R.E.T. organization. Sharad will eventually open up
about his mother being “cursed” with a strange affinity toward
snakes and reptiles, a gift she passed on to only one of her twin
sons. Sharad feels guilty about talking about his childhood and
what occurred within his family. It was Rajiv who bit and killed
their mother and Sharad’s wife.
If Rajiv or any of his Snake Men are captured, they will be
taken away by U.S. S.C.R.E.T to be held indefinitely at a Medium
Security Holding Facility for Super Beings in upstate New York.
As for S.H.O.C.K., the Player characters may have likely gained
potential enemies for the rest of their lives.

The Snake Men

Coils
The newest member of the Snake Men. His powers are snake-
like, but the “true” serpents don’t regard him as one. Should Coils
survive the mission, Rajiv does not intend on allowing Coils to
remain a member of the team (as far as he is concerned, he’s
expandable). Whether Coils figures this out in time remains to be
seen. He is not a cold-blooded killer like the others, however he
still loves a good fight and will hurt anyone he believes will keep long and he has no earlobes, just two small holes. His eyes are
him from completing the mission or prevents him from getting a jet black and he shaves his head. He wears lose-fitting clothes
paycheck, and in the end, that’s where his true loyalty lies. and carries only what he needs.
Attributes: I.Q. 11, M.E. 8, M.A. 9, P.S. 44 (Superhuman), P.P.
Real Name: George Holt.
11, P.E. 38, P.B. 8, Spd 16.
Occupation: Freelance Mercenary and Professional Thief.
Age: 27. Sex: Male. Height: 6 feet, 1 inch (1.85 m). Weight: 225
Alignment: Anarchist.
lbs (101 kg).
Power Category: Mutant.
Unusual Characteristics: Double Jointed, Long Neck, and No
Experience Level: Third.
Ears.
Hit Points: 90. S.D.C.: 257.
Major Super Abilities: Stretching.
P.P.E.: 21
Minor Super Abilities: Indestructible Bones, Extraordinary P.E.,
Appearance: He looks like an African American bodybuilder
and Superhuman P.S. Note: He can carry 8,800 lbs (3,960 kg)
who engages in intense, regular exercise. His neck is a foot
or 4.4 tons and lift 13,200 lbs (5,940 kg) or 6.6 tons.
46
Combat Training: Expert. Equipment & Vehicles: He brings only what will help him fulfill
Attacks per Melee: 4 (2 initial + 2 from Hand to Hand). his mission. The less he has to carry the easier it is for him to
Combat Bonuses: +2 to initiative, +3 to strike, +6 to parry, +6 use his powers.
to dodge, +29 to damage, +12 to roll with punch/fall, and +3
to pull punch.
Combat Skills: Punch 4D4, Power Punch 5D6+2 (counts as two Scales
attacks), Elbow/Forearm 2D6, Knee 2D6, Body Block/Tackle A former agent of the German S.C.R.E.T., he quit prior to the
2D4+2 + P.S. damage bonus (must parry/dodge or knock- Brotherhood of Armageddon taking it over. He still has some
down), Pin 18-20, Crush 2D4+2, and all Holds. friends in both divisions. He wants nothing to do with the “Nazis”
Saving Throws: Impervious to disease, +38% to save vs. coma/ and is still bitter at the thought of them taking over the agency
death, and +8 to save vs. poison & magic. he was so proud to work for. That being said, he enjoys being
Educational Background: Trade School. on his own and selling his services to the highest bidder. The
Common Skills: Language and Literacy: English 91%/86%, experiments to use lizard DNA to make him a human chameleon
Mathematics: Basic 60%, and Pilot: Automobile 66%. succeeded but came with a terrible price. He must always appear
Criminal Program: Streetwise 47%, Pick Locks 60%, Pick in public in disguise. He is extremely loyal to Rajiv who regards
Pocket 55%, Prowl 55%, and Tailing 65%. him as a true serpent although Scales has lied and said he was
Physical Program: Wrestling, Climbing 70%/60%, Body injected with snake DNA. He is the group tactician and strategist
Building & Weightlifting, and Athletics (general). for the entire operation.
Secondary Skills: Hand to Hand: Expert, Swimming 55%,
Real Name: Albern Burger.
Land Navigation 48%, General Repair/Maintenance 50%,
Alias: Numerous.
Basic Electronics 45%, Basic Mechanics 45%, Rope Works
Occupation: Freelance Mercenary and Spy.
45%, Radio: Basic 50%, W.P. Handgun (+1 to aim).
Alignment: Aberrant.
Money: He’s only been at this mercenary gig for about two years.
Power Category: Experiment.
He has a secret stash of $87,000 hidden away in his safe house
Experience Level: Sixth.
home in Ultropolis. His goal is to make at least $10 million
Hit Points: 39. S.D.C.: 54.
then retire and live off the interest (he just has to figure out
P.P.E.: 22
how to do that).
Appearance: His entire body is smooth and covered with tiny
Weapons: Two Beretta Model 92 9mm Auto Pistols, Range: 180
green scales. His tongue is forked and his eyes are reptilian
feet (55 m), Damage: 3D6, Rate of Fire: Single shot or semi-
looking. He speaks with a thick German accent. He engages
automatic, Payload: 15 rounds.
in regular exercise and dresses in a manner that allows him to
quickly change his identity.

47
Attributes: I.Q. 14, M.E. 27, M.A. 14, P.S. 16, P.P. 14, P.E. 15,
P.B. 5, Spd 27.
Age: 30. Sex: Male. Height: 6 feet (1.83 m). Weight: 220 lbs
(99 kg).
Side Effects: Odd skin texture (scaly skin).
Major Super Abilities: Chameleon and Alter Physical Facial
Features & Physical Structure.
Minor Super Ability: Impervious to Poisons & Toxins.
Combat Training: Martial Arts.
Attacks per Melee: 5 (2 initial + 3 from Hand to Hand).
Combat Bonuses: +2 to initiative, +2 to strike, +4 to parry, +4
to dodge, +1 to damage, +3 to pull punch, and +4 to roll with
punch/fall.
Combat Skills: Karate Punch 2D4, Power Punch 4D4 (counts
as two attacks), Elbow/Forearm 1D6, Knee 1D6, Karate Kick
2D4, Crescent Kick 2D4+2, Axe Kick 2D6, Snap Kick 1D6,
Tripping/Leghook (cannot be parried, must dodge or knock-
down), Jump Kick 6D6, Flying Jump Kick 4D6, all Holds, and
Critical Strike on an unmodified roll of 18-20.
Saving Throws: +6 to save vs psionics/mind control and +10 to
save vs insanity.
Educational Background: Military Specialist.
Common Skills: Language and Literacy: German
94%/92%, Mathematics: Basic 90%, Pilot: Automobile 78%,
and Language: French and Hindi 68%.
Military Program (Basic): Running, Climb 95%/85%,
Forced March, Military Etiquette 85%, Radio: Basic 98%,
W.P. Rifle (+3 to aim/+1 to burst), and W.P. Grenade (+2 to
throw).
Espionage Program: Hand to Hand: Martial Arts, Detect
Ambush 80%, Intelligence 76%, Wilderness Survival 85%,
Disguise 95%, and Impersonation 98%/84%.
2nd Espionage Program: Detect Concealment 70%, Escape
Artist 75%, Interrogation 75%, and Forgery 65%.
W.P. Modern: W.P. Handgun (+3 to aim/+1 to burst), W.P.
Sub-machinegun (+3 to aim/+1 to burst), and W.P. Energy
Pistol (+3 to aim/+1 to burst).
Criminal Program: Streetwise 54%, Pick Locks 75%,
Imitate Voices & Sounds 76%/70%, I.D. Undercover Agents
79%, and Tailing 70%.
Secondary Skills: Athletics (general), Swimming 80%,
Language: English 83%, Literacy: English 70%, Business &
Finance 65%, Land Navigation 52%, Research 60%, History
64%/44%, and Performance 30%.
Money: He has a cash reserve of about 290,000 US dollars and
quarter million Euro (342,321 US dollars) in a Swiss Bank
account.
Weapons: 9 mm Model P5 Walther, Range: 165 feet (50 m),
Damage: 2D6, Rate of Fire: Single shot or semi-automatic,
Payload: 8 round detachable mag.
9 mm Model MP5K H&K, Range: 660 feet (201 m), Dam-
age: 3D6, Rate of Fire: Single Shot, Semi-Automatic, or Full Madam Venom
Automatic, Payload: 30 round box mag. An alien from another part of the galaxy (Titrana Quadrant),
Equipment & Vehicles: He needs little equipment in order to she crash-landed on Earth and has chosen to make the best of her
impersonate, however his smart phone and ear mic radio are life here among Earthlings. In order to survive, she took up do-
important pieces of his work. Both are modified to assist in his ing jobs for an organized crime boss in India. After a while, she
disguise. He tries to keep them on his person all the time (so began to really enjoy her work. She met up with Rajiv and the
he takes great lengths to conceal them). He also uses dozens of two became lovers. Now she will do anything to please him and
fake I.D.s, passports, birth certificates, driver’s licenses, etc. will stop at nothing to help him fulfill his quest to bring war to
which he keeps in a special suitcase in his room. Pakistan and India.
48
Real Name: Sslissa. Weapons: Ion Blaster, Range: 200 feet (61 m), Damage: 5D6,
Occupation: Freelance Assassin. Rate of Fire: Single Shot, Payload: 20 shot E-Clip.
Alignment: Aberrant. Two Razars with Vibro-Blades, Damage: 2D6.
Power Category: Alien (Humanoid Snake) with Natural Psion- Armor: Her black, hooded robe functions as body armor (A.R.
ics. 10 and 30 S.D.C.).
Experience Level: Fifth. Equipment & Vehicles: She steals whatever she needs in order
Hit Points: 37. S.D.C.: 72. to survive. Nagraj provides whatever she needs as well.
P.P.E.: 26
I.S.P.: 170
Appearance: She resembles a large humanoid snake with arms
and legs. She has green scales and a 10 foot (3 m prehensile
tail. She typically wears a purple nightgown and a black,
hooded robe.
Attributes: I.Q. 9, M.E. 20, M.A. 16, P.S. 15, P.P. 17, P.E. 20,
P.B. 5, Spd 50.
Age: 29. Sex: Female. Height: 7 feet (2.13 m). Weight: 170 lbs
(76.5 kg).
Natural Alien Abilities: Infrared vision (25 feet/7.6 m), Fangs
(Bite does 1D6 damage), Advanced Taste Tongue, Acrobat-
ics, Outdoormanship, and Prehensile Tail.
Healing Psionics: Bio-Regeneration and Induce Sleep.
Physical Psionics: Ectoplasm, Float, Impervious to Poison/
Toxins, Levitation, Mind Block, Nightvision, Summon Inner
Strength, Telekinesis, and Telekinetic Leap.
Sensitive Psionics: Clairvoyance, Empathy, Presence
Sense, See Aura, See the Invisible, Sense Evil, Sensory Link,
Sixth Sense, and Telepathy.
Super Psionics: Bio-Manipulation, Hypnotic Suggestion,
Mental Illusion, Psionic Invisibility, and Psychic Body Field.
Combat Training: Basic.
Attacks per Melee: 5 (2 initial + 3 from Hand to Hand).
Combat Bonuses: +1 to initiative, +2 to strike, +4 to parry, +4 to
dodge, +7 to roll with punch/fall, and +2 to pull punch.
Combat Skills: Punch 1D4, Power Punch 2D4 (counts as two
attacks), Elbow/Forearm 1D6, Knee 1D6, Karate Kick 2D4,
Snap Kick 1D6, Tail Whip 2D6, and all Holds.
Saving Throws: Needs a 10 or higher to save vs psionics, +10%
to save vs coma/death, +3 to save vs psionics/insanity, and +3
to save vs magic & poison.
Other Bonuses: 40% Charm/Impress.
Educational Level: Rogue with some familiarity of Earth.
Common Skills: Language and Literacy: Native Tongue
90% and Mathematics: Basic 85%.
Special Program: Prowl 75%, Pick Locks 70%, Pick Pock-
et 65%, Imitate Voices & Sounds 77%/71%, Seduction 58%,
Tailing 70%, Interrogation 75%, Escape Artist 70%, Detect
Concealment 65%, Tracking 65%, Radio: Basic 90%, Surveil-
lance Systems 70%, Basic Electronics 70%, Computer Repair
70%, W.P. Energy Pistol (+3 to aim/+1 to burst), W.P. Knife
(+2 to strike, parry, dodge), Gymnastics, Climbing 98%/98%,
Taipan
and Computer Operation 90%. Perry Rabbit was an Australian Field Naturalist and zoo-
Secondary Skills: Hand to Hand: Basic, Athletics (general), keeper. He spent many year catching dangerous snakes for
Swimming 75%, Running, Wilderness Survival 55%, Pilot: Bioforms Genetic Laboratories, a top secret research lab that
Automobile 70%, Pilot: Airplane 70%, Animal Training 50%, operated on a private island off the coast of Brazil near Uru-
W.P. Handgun (+2 to aim/+1 to burst), Land Navigation 48%, guay. One day he was bitten by one of the facility’s experi-
and Language and Literacy in English, Chinese, Hindi, and mental snakes. He was in the hospital slowly dying from the
Spanish, all at 90%. poison. He was asked to volunteer to participate in an experi-
Money: She has only $3,000 in precious stones left since her ar- ment that could possibly save his life but might leave some
rival. She earned over $600,000 US dollars and 150,000 in side effects. Not wanting to die, he saw no choice and agreed.
Indian Rupees ($2,416 US dollars). A few days later, he awoke to discover he’d been turned into

49
a snake man. Rabbit eventually escaped his handlers and fled Wilderness Program: Hunting, Identify Plants & Fruits
the island and made his way back to Australia. In time, he 70%, Track & Trap Animals 65%/75%, and Skin & Prepare
was found by Scales who recruited him to become a member Animal Hides 75%.
of Rajiv’s Snake Men. He’s grown to love being a weapon of Secondary Skills: Hand to Hand: Basic, Athletics (general),
death and destruction. There are still agents from BGL who Swimming 95%, Outdoorsmanship, Radio: Basic 75%, Cook
are still hunting for him. 70%, First Aid 70%, Holistic Medicine 55%/45%, W.P. Knife
Real Name: Perry Rabbit. (+2 to strike, parry, and throw), W.P. Handgun (+2 to aim/+1
Occupation: Freelance Mercenary. to burst).
Alignment: Miscreant. Money: He has little use for money anymore. He steals whatever
Power Category: Eugenics. he needs.
Experience Level: Fifth. Weapons: He views himself as a living weapon.
Hit Points: 41. S.D.C.: 202. Armor Rating: 12. Equipment & Vehicles: He has the knowledge to use equipment
P.P.E.: 15 to help him with his research and knowledge of the outback,
Appearance: He looks like a large humanoid snake man with a however he enjoys being a senseless killing machine.
serpentine body (has no legs). His body is covered with fine,
dark brown scales which fade to a lateral cream color. His
hands are tipped with razor-sharp retractable talons. His eyes
Fangs
are yellow and his body is void of body hair. Lucifer was an experimental bushmaster snake used in a
Attributes: I.Q. 13, M.E. 14, M.A. 7, P.S. 24 (extraordinary), nameless research lab that was injected with human DNA. He
P.P. 12, P.E. 22, P.B. 5, Spd 39. mutated into a humanoid snake. At first they trained him to
Age: 31. Sex: Male. Height: 18 feet (5.5 m). Weight: 570 lbs use his natural skills to go after escaped lab animals, but he
(257 kg). refused to bring them back alive. He eventually decided to
Eugenic Abilities: Immune System, Lung, Spinal Cord, Ambi- escape rather than be disciplined anymore. He is still being
dextrous, Light Armor, Double Jointed, Extraordinary P.S., hunted by the lab’s bounty hunters. Scales found him and with
S.D.C. Augmentation, Legs: Serpentine, Prehensile Tail, the help of Spit, convinced him to join the Snake Men. He
Forked Tongue, Heat Pits, Hollow Fangs with Lethal Poison, and Spit have become almost like brothers, nearly inseparable.
Kidney Enhanced, Built for Speed, Heightened Sense of Bal- Fangs remains loyal to the Snake Men but still refuses to be
ance, and Retractable Large Claws. disciplined. He will take off the moment anyone starts lectur-
Natural Abilities: Climbing 98% and Horror Factor 14. He can ing to him.
carry 2,400 lbs (1,080 kg) and lift 4,800 lbs (2,160 kg). Real Name: Lucifer.
Combat Training: Basic. Occupation: Freelance Mercenary.
Attacks per Melee: 7 (2 initial + 3 from Hand to Hand +1 from Alignment: Miscreant.
eugenics, +1 from tail). Power Category: Mutant Animal (Bushmaster Snake).
Combat Bonuses: +2 to initiative, +2 to strike, +5 to parry, +5 to Experience Level: Fourth.
dodge, automatic dodge, +9 to damage, +3 to pull punch, and Hit Points: 34. S.D.C.: 62.
+12 to roll with punch/fall (takes only 1/3 the normal dam- P.P.E.: 17
age), and +5 to maintain balance. Appearance: His body is long and sleek. His head is smooth and
Combat Skills: Punch 1D4, Power Punch 2D4 (counts as two covered with shades of brown to pale pink scales with dark
attacks), Elbow/Forearm 1D6, Knee 1D6, Tail Swipe 1D6 brown or black blotches running the length of his body. His
+ P.S. damage bonus, all Holds, Paired Weapons, Pin (must tail is 3 feet (0.9 m) long. He never wears clothes but does
dodge), Crush/Squeeze 2D6 damage + P.S. damage bonus, wear gear that allows him to hold onto his weapons.
knockout constrictive attack (save vs. blackout; 16 or better) Attributes: I.Q. 12, M.E. 23, M.A. 10, P.S. 15, P.P. 28, P.E. 16,
or unconscious for 1D6+1 minutes/1D6 damage), Fangs 1D6 P.B. 6, Spd 49 (34 mph/54 km).
points of damage with a saving throw vs poison (14 or better) Age: 4. Sex: Male. Height: 5 feet, 5 inches (1.65 m). Weight: 61
or take 5D6 points of damage (22 bites per hour), and Retract- lbs (27.45 kg).
able Claws 2D6. Human Features: Hands (full), Biped (full), Speech (partial),
Saving Throws: Impervious to disease. Damage, penalties, and Looks (partial).
duration of toxins/poisons are one-half. +24% to save vs coma/ Natural Abilities: Horror Factor 10.
death, +8 to save vs poison, +6 to save vs drugs & toxins, and Mutant Animal Powers: Fangs (1D6 points of damage), Ad-
+5 to save vs magic. vanced Tongue Touch, Extraordinary Physical Prowess, Ex-
Educational Background: On the Job Training. traordinary Speed, and Deadly Poison/Venom (a bite requires
Common Skills: Language and Literacy: Native Tongue a save vs lethal poison of 14 or better, or the victim takes
(Australian English) 90%/93%, Mathematics: Basic 87%, and 1D4x10 points of damage). A successful saving throw means
Pilot: Automobile 75%. the victim only takes 1D6 points of damage.
Field Naturalist (based on John C. Philpott from Rifter Vestigial Disadvantages: Diet Restriction: Carnivore and Ves-
#25): Animal Husbandry 80%, Animal Training 70%, Biol- tigial Tail.
ogy 80%, Camouflage 60%, Horsemanship 75%/55%, Land Combat Training: Assassin.
Navigation 71%, Prowl 82%, Tracking 65%, Wilderness Sur- Attacks per Melee: 6 (2 initial, +3 from Hand to Hand, +1 from
vival 75%, and Zoology 70%. Extraordinary P.P.).

50
Combat Bonuses: +4 to initiative, +9 to strike, +8 to parry, +8 to Equipment & Vehicles: He avoids using modern technology
dodge, +4 to damage, +5 to pull punch, +8 to roll with punch/ whenever possible. He likes to rely on his natural skillsand
fall, and +3 to disarm. abilities. However, he is willing to participate and do whatever
Combat Skills: Punch 1D4, Power Punch 2D4 (counts as two it takes to achieve his assignment.
attacks), Elbow/Forearm 1D6, Karate Kick 2D4, Knee 1D6,
and all Holds.
Saving Throws: +4 to save vs psionics, +6 to save vs insanity, Spit
+4% to save vs coma/death, and +1 to save vs poison & magic. Alfonso was a thug who spent his entire life in East and South
Educational Background: Trained as a Specialist. Africa. While attempting to steal some valuables from a wealthy
Espionage Skills: Hand to Hand: Assassin, Detect Ambush scientist, he was bitten by a Black Hooded Spitting Cobra. In an
65%, Intelligence 63%, Wilderness Survival 70%, Pick Locks attempt to save his life, the criminal organization he was working
65%, and Escape Artist 65% for gave him an experimental anti-venom. Unknown to anyone,
Physical Program: Acrobatics, Gymnastics, Climbing the cobra was a mutant animal snake. The combination gave him
95%/85%, and Prowl 72%. certain cobra-like attributes and the ability to spit or secrete toxic
Secondary Skills: Athletics (general), Running, Swimming chemicals from his skin or from his saliva. He continued to work
70%, Outdoorsmanship, Sign Language 45%, Hunting, Track in Africa for the criminal organization until he got tired of his
& Trap Animals 45%/55%, Land Navigation 52%, Literacy: handlers, and went to the U.S. He met up with Scales and the
English 93%, Language: English 88%, W.P. Sword (+2 to two became partners. When Scales introduced him to a mutant
strike & parry), W.P. Knife (+2 to strike, parry, and throw), animal named Fangs, the two became almost inseparable. He is
Streetwise 28%, and Juggling 45%. regarded as true serpent; however he is sort of becoming unreli-
Money: He has a secret stash of $180,000 hidden away. His math able because of his predator nature.
skills are not that good so he is ware of how much money he
Real Name: Alfonso Machel.
actually has. He enjoys killing and only uses money when it’s
Occupation: Freelance Assassin.
necessary for him to disguise himself as a human and behave
Alignment: Diabolic.
as one.
Power Category: Experiment.
Weapons: Six Throwing Knives (1D6), 1 Combat Bush Knife
Experience Level: Fourth.
(usually envenomed with his own poison (D6+1), and 1 Short
Hit Points: 34. S.D.C.: 55.
Sword (2D4).
51
 Attacks per Melee: 5/7/6 (2 initial, +3 from Hand to Hand, +2
extra attacks for the first melee round of combat, which re-
duces to +1 on the second melee round, normal afterward.
Combat Bonuses: +3 to initiative/+5 for first melee round, +2
to strike, +1 to parry, +1 to dodge, +4 to damage, +5 to pull
punch, +4 to roll with punch/fall, and +3 to disarm.
Combat Skills: Punch 1D4, Power Punch 2D4 (counts as two
attacks), Elbow/Forearm 1D6, and Knee 1D6.
Saving Throws: +4% to save vs coma/death. +4 to save vs poi-
sons, drugs, and chemicals, and +1 to save vs magic.
Educational Background: On the Job Training.
Common Skills: Language and Literacy: Swahili 92%/88%
and Pilot: Automobile 68%.
Bodyguard/Assassin Program: Detect Ambush 65%, De-
tect Concealment 60%, Escape Artist 65%, Optic Systems
65%, Sniper (+2 to aim or called shots-counts as two attacks),
Tracking 60%, W.P. Rifle (+2 to aim/+1 to burst), W.P. Hand-
gun (+2 to aim/+1 to burst), and W.P. Energy Pistol (+2 to
aim/+1 to burst).
Physical Program: Hand to Hand: Assassin and Prowl 62%.
Secondary Skills: Athletics (general), Running, Swimming
70%, Climbing 60%/50%, Outdoorsmanship, Wilderness Sur-
vival 55%, Land Navigation 52%, Language: English 77%,
Literacy: English 50%, and Hunting.
Money: He keeps $1D6x1000 U.S. dollars on him at all times.
He attempts to pay off people rather than speak to them. He
has a cash reserve of about $310,000 U.S. dollars and a mil-
lion in South African Rand (96,688 US dollars).
Weapons: Browning GP 35 (9mm), Range: 164 feet (50 m),
Damage: 3D6, Rate of Fire: Single shot or semi-automatic,
Payload: 13 round detachable box mag.
5.56 R4 Assault Rifle. Range: 1,320 feet (402 m), Damage:
5D6, Rate of Fire: Single shot or Full Automatic, Payload:
35-round detachable box magazine. Has optical sights on it.
Dart Gun, Range: 110 feet (33.5 m), Damage: 1 point plus
tranquilizer (save vs non-lethal poison; 16 or better). Failure
renders victim unconscious within 1D4 melees. Even if a save
is made, the victim will feel woozy in 1D4 melees, -2 to strike,
parry, and dodge and -10% to skill rolls for 4D4 minutes. He
will also use venom from Spit, Rate of Fire: 2 per melee round,
Payload: Single shot.
Armor: Armored Vest (A.R. 10, 50 S.D.C.).
Equipment & Vehicles: He lives on the run, paying for what he
P.P.E.: 19 needs or killing the owner and taking it. He doesn’t like auto-
Appearance: He is a native African male with green and scaly matic vehicles and tries to steal only vehicles with a stick shift.
skin like a reptile. His nose is barely a bump with two tiny
pin-holes. His eyes are almost entirely black with a dark iris.
He has no obvious ears, but there is a pair of circular markings Nagraj (The Snake Man)
flush against his head and barely noticeable holes. Nagraj believes himself to be the Avatar of the god Shiva,
Attributes: I.Q. 12, M.E. 13, M.A. 10, P.S. 15, P.P. 15, P.E. 16, and that it’s his purpose in life to destroy the world. India and
P.B. 8, Spd 26. Pakistan represent the world he knows so the two nations must
Age: 24. Sex: Male. Height: 5 feet, 10 inches (1.78 m). Weight: be destroyed. He will take any steps necessary to fulfill his des-
160 lbs (72 kg). tiny. His brother is an obstacle who won’t listen to reason and
Animal Traits, Features, & Powers: Chemical Secretion Power rejected their mother’s sacred teaching (that is why he was not
(Powers Unlimited One), Infrared Vision 25 feet (7.6 m), Ad- blessed by the snake goddess). After the destruction of the world,
vanced Tongue Taste, Running: Predator Burst, Venomous he will bring the people to a new enlightenment, but until then he
Attack (Blinding Venom/Powers Unlimited One). must combat the evils that are trying to stop him from fulfilling
Animal Trait Defects: Multiple Animal Traits (ears, nose, eyes, his destiny. He is very much in love with Madam Venom. He is
and skin) and Reptilian Brain: Predator. willing to sacrifice any of his Snake Men including Scales, to
Combat Training: Assassin. bring about the world’s destruction, but not her. He is not about
52
to throw away his own life either. He must live so the world can must destroy the world before he can receive the power to re-
be reborn. store it.
Real Name: Rajiv Dasmunsi. Attributes: I.Q. 14, M.E. 30, M.A. 21, P.S. 17, P.P. 20, P.E. 14,
Occupation: Criminal Mastermind and Terrorist. P.B. 11, Spd 27.
Alignment: Aberrant. Age: 40. Sex: Male. Height: 5 feet, 5 inch (1.65 m). Weight: 140
Power Category: Mutant. lbs (63 kg).
Experience Level: Seventh. Unusual Characteristics: A pointed tongue. Most of his traits
Hit Points: 50. S.D.C.: 77. are not truly all that unusual and he can easily pass as a normal
P.P.E.: 31 person, at least until he speaks and his tongue is seen.
Appearance: He looks like an athletic Indian male, but his ears Major Super Abilities: Animal Abilities: Serpent and Animal
are small, his eyes round, and his skin is rough. He has min- Metamorphosis: Reptile. Note: He can control 9D6 snakes at
imal body hair and a pointed tongue. He is usually accom- any given time.
panied by a dozen venomous snakes. He almost never wears Combat Training: Martial Arts.
shoes or a shirt, simply long, cloth pants. Attacks per Melee: 5 (2 initial, +3 from Hand to Hand).
Insanity: He suffers from God Syndrome and is convinced he Combat Bonuses: +2 to initiative, +5 to strike, +7 to parry, +7 to
is an avatar of the Hindu god Shiva. His powers were given dodge, +2 to damage, +3 to pull punch, +6 to roll with punch/
to him by Mansa Devi, the Hindu folk goddess of snakes. He fall, and +2 to disarm.
Combat Skills: Karate Punch 2D4, Power Punch 4D4 (counts
as two attacks), Elbow/Forearm 1D6, Knee 1D6, Karate Kick
2D4, Roundhouse Kick 3D6, Crescent Kick 2D4+2, Axe Kick
2D8, Wheel Kick 2D6, Snap Kick 1D6, Leaping Kick 3D8
(counts as two attacks), Tripping/Leghook (cannot be parried,
must dodge or knockdown), Jump Kick 6D6, Flying Jump
Kick 4D6, all Holds, Paired Weapons, Critical Strike on an
unmodified roll of 18-20, and Venomous Attack (should he
bite anyone in human form, he does 1 point of damage or if in
snake form, 1D6 points. Opponents must make a saving throw
vs lethal poison or take 1D4x10+8 points of additional dam-
age direct to Hit Points. A successful save vs lethal poison still
results in the victim taking 1D6 points of damage to S.D.C. if
he is in shake form.
Saving Throws: +8 to save vs psionics and +13 to save vs insan-
ity.
Educational Background: Masters Degree.
Common Skills: Language and Literacy: Hindi 94%/95%,
Mathematics: Basic 93%, and Pilot: Automobile 74%.
Business Program: Business & Finance 95%, Computer
Operation 98%, Law (general) 85%, and Research 98%.
Physical Program: Kick Boxing, Acrobatics, Swimming
98%, and Prowl 90%.
Veterinarian Program: Animal Husbandry 90%, Zoology
90%, Biology 98%, First Aid 98%, and Veterinary Science
98%.
Technical Program: Animal Training 90%, History
98%/93%, Art (Sculpting) 98%, and Philosophy 98%
Secondary Skills: Hand to Hand: Martial Arts, Language:
Arabic 71%, Literacy: Arabic 75%, Swimming 85%, Climb-
ing 90%, Language: English 86%, Literacy: English 75%,
Wilderness Survival 65%, Streetwise 40%, Public Speaking
55%, Athletics (general), and Running.
Money: He has $4 million US dollars in ready cash, 3 million
Indian Rupees (289,816 US dollars) in a private Swiss Bank
account, and another 7 million in Euros (9,572,983 U.S. dol-
lars) in a bank in Berlin. He uses money to set everything up
in order to accomplish his task. Otherwise, he has little use for
the stuff.
Weapons: He is a living weapon.
Equipment & Vehicles: He utilizes technology only to help him
bring about his ultimate goal. He has little use of the stuff but
regards it as necessity right now.
53
 Space Pirates

54
Optional Supplementary Material freebooters, they make certain that doesn’t happen again. Before
a ship actually leaves port, the Captain and crew will meet to draft
for the Phase World® Setting and sign a list of rules that everyone will obey for the duration of
the voyage or raid. This document is referred to as “the articles.”
By Braden Campbell
The following is an example of the Articles of Piracy used by
The chief weapon of sea pirates, however, was their capacity the ship Revenge which was commanded by Captain John Phil-
to astonish. Nobody else could believe, until it was too late, how lips.
heartless and greedy they were.
Article One: The Captain shall have one full share and a half
– Kurt Vonnegut, Breakfast of Champions in all prizes. The Master, Chief Operator, and Gunner shall have
one share and a quarter. To all others goes one share apiece.
Throughout history, there have been individuals, and even Article Two: If anyone attempts to run away, or keep any se-
cultures, that made their living by taking what they wanted from cret from the crew, they shall be marooned with one energy clip,
others. During the Interim, for example, the Three Galaxies were one bottle of Water, and one small arm.
plagued by demons, Deevils, and untold numbers of interstellar Article Three: If anyone steals anything from their crewmates,
raiders such as the Splugorth. As the newer societies of the Cork- or gambles to the value of ten credits, they shall be marooned (or
screw and the Anvil began to organize themselves and the dark shot dead).
ages came to a close, the power of these monstrosities waned. Article Four: If at any time we should meet with another Ma-
Still, for 40,000 years they had run rampant across the skies, tak- rooned, then that man shall sign these Articles at once, and shall
ing what they wanted and killing those who stood in their way. It suffer such punishment as the Captain and Crew shall think fit.
was doubtless that their example would be followed. Article Five: Anyone who strikes a fellow crew member while
Today, most people in the Three Galaxies have a distorted and these Articles are in force, shall receive thirty-nine stripes on the
romanticized view of space pirates. They are seen as free men bare back.
and women, all of them healthy and beautiful, who never have to Article Six: Anyone who fires their weapon, or smokes to-
answer to any kind of authority; the rock stars of the interstellar bacco in the hold without cap to their pipe, shall suffer the same
age. In the popular media, pirates are depicted as swashbuckling punishment as in the former Article.
adventurers who defy the conventional, love passionately, and Article Seven: Anyone who does not keep their weapons
die gloriously. However, this is rarely true. The life of a pirate is clean, fit for an engagement, or neglects their ship’s duties, shall
almost always a very harsh and dirty one, fraught with constant be cut off from their Share, and suffer such other Punishment as
danger. the Captain and Company shall think fit.
Pirate vessels are almost always “frankensteins”: a slap-dash Article Eight: Should anyone lose a finger or toe during an
conglomeration of other ships that requires continual repairs and engagement, they shall have 500 credits recompense: if they lose
maintenance. A pirate Captain’s main concern is in making sure a limb, 20,000 credits.
he has working weapon systems, and a powerful engine. All other
systems are secondary, and so, the ship is often very cramped, Now, even though space pirates may communally decide on
stuffed to overflowing with captured booty or a large crew com- the ship’s laws and codes of conduct, there is still a chain of com-
plement. There is no such thing as privacy; a pirate will eat, sleep, mand to be followed if anyone is going to make any money or
and go to bathroom in full view of his crewmates. Smoking is even survive to get back to port. Below are some of the more
never permitted on a pirate vessel as it can easily clog the air specialized positions that one will find onboard any pirate vessel.
scrubbers. Most pirates who need a nicotine fix will chew tobac- (G.M. note: No matter what position they might have, everyone
co. The water supply onboard will likewise be tightly controlled, uses the basic Space Pirate O.C.C. as their starting point. Where
since many older starships either have no water recycling plant, they become specialists is in their skill selections. Recommenda-
or one that does not work at full efficiency. Space pirates often tions for this are outlined below.)
go months between baths, and so the smell onboard a pirate ship
can be overpowering. Food consists mostly of captured military
rations and canned goods. Fresh meat, fruit and vegetables never
The Captain
last long. Most pirate Captains don’t command by an iron fist, but be-
All in all, a space pirate spends most of his time waiting to raid cause of their skill, daring, and an ability to win prize and booty.
something. Until a promising ship or colony comes into sight, life A Captain’s main function is to oversee and direct a space battle.
is a boring routine of cleaning weapons, patching one’s spacesuit He must be physically tough, smart, and handy with a weapon.
or combat armor, and keeping the ship “afloat.” To pass the time, He should also know his space skills and quite often must be able
they play games such as dice or cards, although actual gambling to do complicated mathematics in his head (for quick navigation
is almost never permitted onboard because it can divide the crew changes). The Captain is elected through a vote, and if he falls
and easily lead to brawling and murder. into disfavor, the crew is just as quick to maroon him, or “space”
One of the most surprising facets of life as a space pirate is that him, or if he’s lucky, just let him off at the nearest starport. In
it is almost entirely democratic. Unlike the starships of the Con- any event, the Captain never has the last say, except perhaps in
sortium or the Transgalactic Empire where the Captain’s word is the midst of battle. In fact, at certain times, the Captain has no
law, many pirate crews demand the right to elect and replace their more power than every other pirate on board. When not in battle
leaders. A great many space pirates were, at one point in their or preparing to fight, quite often the Quartermaster is technically
lives, crew members on one of the superpowers’ starships. They in charge of the ship. Important matters such as to where the ship
had little or no say over how the vessel was run. As pirates and might travel, whether or not to put into port, or if a certain target
55
should be engaged or not, are quite often not up to the Captain. ship’s weapons during an attack. It takes years of practice to be-
These pressing details are decided by vote, with the majority rul- come a good gunner.
ing. If the Captain were to go against the vote, then he would be Recommended skill selections: W.P. Heavy, Field Armorer,
in violation of the Articles of Piracy, and would most likely step and Intelligence (for knowing exactly how and where to hit cer-
down from command. A new leader would then be chosen. tain enemy vessels) should be chosen foremost. Gunners are also
Recommended skill selections: Advanced Mathematics, Navi- in charge of loading, arming, and firing torpedoes, since most
gation: Space, and Pilot Starship are all a must for a Captain to pirate ships lack automated launchers. Demolitions will there-
have. Performance, Public Speaking, Intelligence, and Lore: Ga- fore be a must-have skill as well. A Master Gunner should have
lactic are also fairly important. A good Captain should also have Advanced Mathematics and Public Speaking (for barking out or-
Barter as a skill and be able to both read and write several of the ders).
Three Galaxies’ major languages.
Surgeon
Quartermaster Body Fixers and Cyber-Docs are highly valued among pirates.
The Quartermaster is generally the second in charge. His main Whenever pirates capture other ships, they will press surgeons
purpose is to distribute things like rations, E-Clips, work, prizes, into service; that is, give them no choice but to join their crew.
and punishment. Since pirates don’t trust authority, and refuse to A surgeon is typically the only person kept on board who is not
let all the power of the ship rest on one man, command is split be- required to sign articles. Depending on the nature of the crew,
tween the Captain, who navigates the ship and leads in battle, and some surgeons are still paid a share of the treasure even if they
the Quartermaster, who usually leads any boarding party. He also refused to sign on.
determines what prize is worth taking, and keeps custody of all Recommended skill selections: If the pirates are lucky enough
booty until it is divvied up. As expected, all precious metals are to have an actual doctor onboard, then the appropriate O.C.C.
taken, but beyond that, it is the Quartermaster who decides what (Body Fixer or Cyber-Doc) should be used. However, many
else is worth nabbing. His decisions are often based on how much times they must rely on the services of a talented amateur from
room the ship has, and how much time the crew might have to among their own ranks. A Space Pirate surgeon should therefore
transfer it. The Quartermaster is also the only man who can dole make sure he takes Paramedic, Biology, and Xenology to reflect
out punishment. The Captain can order punishment, but only the either some fancy book learning in his or her past, or perhaps a
Quartermaster can administer it. He also settles individual quar- failed attempt at medical school.
rels and if need be, and acts as a witness to any duels to insure that
they are fair and just.
Recommended skill selections: Salvage, Recognize Weapon
Cabin Boy
Quality, Find Contraband, and Gemology are all must-haves. As The Captain might sometimes employ a young, energetic fel-
well, the Quartermaster should really think about beefing him- low as a cabin boy. Typically the cabin boy will run messages
self up with physical skills such as Body Building, Boxing, and and errands for the officers, prepare their uniforms, perhaps even
Physical Labor. The bigger and tougher he is, the better. fetch their dinner. Because he is an apprentice of sorts, he is also
expected to learn all aspects of living and working in space. The
cabin boy works long, hard hours, and takes more than his fair
Chief Operator share of lumps. However, if he manages to live a few years, he
This is the man who keeps the ship in working order: mak- might eventually make it to a position of more importance on the
ing necessary repairs, patching holes if need be, debugging the ship.
computer core, and so on. Some ship’s systems can be very com- Recommended skill selections: Running, General Repair,
plicated, especially if the pirates have just taken possession of a Cook, and Physical Labor come with the territory. The cabin boy
brand new starship or military-class vessel. These men are highly is a 1st level character who is likely to be taught a varied collec-
valued, and answer to the Captain and/or the Quartermaster de- tion of skills from the other crew members.
pending on the task at hand.
Recommended skill selections: Space pirates may take any
mechanical skills during their initial creation, so Spaceship Me-
chanics and Vehicle Armorer are a no-brainer. Electrical En-
Raiding
gineer, Mechanical Engineer, and Salvage would also be good
selections. If the Game Master allows it, this character could be
– some basic considerations
drafted using the full-blown Operator O.C.C. or some variation The most important thing to keep in mind with regards to
thereof. The Trimadore aliens for example, who hail from some- space pirates and their potential targets is this: they will never,
where in the Tail of the Corkscrew, are much sought after by ever, pick a fight they can’t win. If they don’t think they can pull
pirate crews and cartels. it off, they won’t engage. They will not attack heavily-armed
military ships that are six times their mass when all they have
Gunner is a small destroyer (if that). Instead, they will focus on lightly
armed merchant ships, personal space yachts, and maybe, if they
Pirate vessels very often do not have advanced computer tar- are feeling especially frisky, an interstellar luxury liner. If space
geting arrays or automated weapon systems. Gunners are there- pirates do decide to take on something tougher, such as a Trade
fore skilled men who take on this job instead. In some instances, Cruiser or Naruni Enterprises vessel, then they will gang up on
a Gunnery Master will give orders to the others on where to train it to ensure success. This is, in fact one of the primary reasons
56
behind the development of the large and organized cartels; to be their cargo (which is what the pirates are after) and accelerate to
able to take down the increasing number of very heavily armed best speed. This is especially easy if the cargo is being carried in
merchant vessels plying the spacelanes. Odds of 3-1 are most to external cans. Most of the time the space pirates will be content
a pirates’ liking; any fewer ships and they risk a painful defeat, with this, and let the fleeing cowards go. The cans will then be
but anymore ships just means a smaller portion of the booty for strapped onto the raiding ship, and carried home. Actually, this
everyone involved. tends to work out best for all parties involved, since the merchant
Above all else, speed is a space pirate’s most important ad- ship usually gets away with all hands still alive, the pirates get
vantage. To be really successful, their vessel must be able to their booty, and the shipping company that got robbed simply
consistently overtake target ships, and outrun the authorities. Un- files an insurance claim.
fortunately, because of the energy/mass ratio inherent to contra- Remember though that while the pirates may have a smaller
gravitic propulsion, having a super-fast engine often means that starship, they will almost certainly have a larger crew and more
the ship is very lightly armored. To have both properties is ridicu- guns than the merchant ship they are attacking. If the merchant
lously expensive, and a pirate Captain on a budget will always knows he is outnumbered and that he cannot get away, he may
take speed over stamina. After all, if everything goes perfectly, allow his ship to be boarded in order to spare the lives of his crew.
the pirate’s ship should never have to engage in a firefight, as the The merchant Captain might also fear a mutiny among his crew
poor people they are attacking will be too scared or weak to put if he forces a fight with the pirates, and so back down from resist-
up any meaningful resistance. ing. The pirate Quartermaster selects a boarding party, usually by
When a pirate crew moves to attack another starship, it must promising that any such volunteers will get first pick of any weap-
decide whether to do so at FTL or at sub-light speeds. Each has its ons found on the merchant ship. These men then go over and take
advantages and dangers. Attacking at sub-light velocities means control of the bridge. However, they then face another dilemma:
that the target ship can put up their shields, which is just all the do they unload the cargo, or just take the whole ship? And if they
more protection that the pirates will have to get through. How- just take the whole ship, what will they do about her crew? If time
ever, boarding actions are very safe (relatively) at such speeds. is tight, or if the authorities are on route, the Quartermaster will
There can also be a greater distance between the two ships when quickly grab the most valuable items, get back to his ship, and
the shooting begins, so cruise missiles and area affect weapons flee. Pirates almost never have enough time or patience to take
can be used without risk of damaging one’s own ship. On the everything that a merchant might be carrying. Depending on the
other hand, if the attack is made while traveling faster-than-light, alignment of the pirates, any loot left behind might be burned or
the target ship will be running without any kind of variable force destroyed, mostly out of spite, but also to prevent rival pirates
fields. This is great for the pirates, because it means that they from making any money off this already raided ship. Whether or
can fire any and all of their weapons and hit the unprotected hull not the pirates simply take the merchant ship will depend greatly
of the other ship. The downside is that they will be have to be on how damaged it has become during the boarding actions. If the
very accurate in their firing, and cannot use torpedoes or weapons pirates had to cripple the engines, or blow the bridge to ribbons,
with a blast radius of more than 80 feet/24.3 m (see Fleets of the chances are they will leave it behind or cause it to self-destruct. If
Three Galaxies™, page 11). it hasn’t got a scratch on it, then... hey, free ship.
So a merchant ship attacked at FTL speeds can just slam on Surface raids (such as against colonies, outposts, or even cities)
the brakes, instantly drop back down into realspace, and then are much rarer than attacks out in space, but the rewards can be
throw up the shields to give the pirates a bigger challenge, right? greater for the daring Captain. The size of their vessel will often
Well, unfortunately, it doesn’t quite work that way. A starship hamper them; since it will generally be no bigger than a frigate,
traveling faster-than-light cannot simply stop on a dime, because and it lacks any weapons that can strike a planet from far away.
the crew inside would all hit the front of the ship and liquefy. Things like bunkers, shield generators, and surface-to-air missile
Instead, a contra-gravity engine must bleed the CG-field away at sites will all be intact when the pirates make their move. In some
a controlled rate, usually taking one minute of deceleration for cases, to even get into the planet’s atmosphere, the pirates will
every light-year per hour the ship was going. Anything else is have to avoid being fired upon by orbital defenses such as space
suicide. For the attacking pirates, this means that once they start stations or satellites. In a ground attack, the advantage lies with
fighting or boarding, they have only a few minutes to get into the the defenders, so pirates will always take the whole ship down,
enemy ship, and gain control of it. The pilot of the pirate’s craft blasting away with every weapon they have. The goal is not so
will also be working like mad to maintain an equal speed (control much to destroy the colony, as to force any potential defenders to
rolls every melee at -15%). run and hide. If the pirates have access to space fighters, they will
Once they decide at what speed their best advantage lies, the remain in the air over the colony, strafing the ground and provid-
pirate ship will usually send a message to their intended victims, ing cover for the others.
signaling that if they are shot at, they will take no prisoners. It’s So when pirates go out on the prowl, just what is it they are
then up to the crew of the other ship to determine if this is a bluff hoping to capture? The simple answer is: whatever they can read-
or a serious threat, which is not always an easy call to make. ily use. If a computer has useful information, they will download
One reason a merchant might decide to fight back is if the pirates it. If a ship has guns, they will take them. If a ship has food and
off his bow have a reputation for torturing their enemies whether water, they will take that too. If a ship has no remaining crew,
they resist or not. If he thinks his ship can out-gun the pirates, he they will simply take the ship. People are also a handy item for
may call their bluff and fight. It is almost a given that the pirates space pirates to grab, especially when raiding a luxury liner. Dip-
will run and not stick around for a prolonged firefight. Pirates are lomats, high-ranking officials, and women who are as delicate as
looking for easy pickings after all, not an early death. If the mer- they are beautiful are often held for ransom. In the case of such
chant vessel elects to make a run for it, quite often they will dump kidnapings, the pirates will take the people they want, and then
57
send the ship on its way. The Captain will issue the victim ship a that the attackers are common pirates over whom they have no
letter of ransom – a note that they can show to any other pirates control or authority. Privateers are not paid by the people they
they might encounter telling them that this ship is on its way back are working for per se. Instead, they travel “on the account”;
to port, and that still other pirates are awaiting a ransom payment, they can loot, pillage, and plunder all they wish, so long as
so please don’t kill them. Rival pirates are under no obligation to they leave their employer’s ships alone. For their efforts, the
respect a letter of ransom. privateer Captain and crew may have safe harbor at any port
Oddly enough, space pirates almost never set about on a raid controlled by their patron, and may keep a portion of whatever
with the intention of grabbing money. This is because the cul- they plunder (between one-fifth and one-half, with the rest go-
tures of the Three Galaxies are largely cashless. When trade is ing back to their employers).
being conducted between two planets or star systems, the trans- Just like pirates, privateers will quickly die if thrown up against
actions are all logged into computer networks, and numbers are military-grade targets such as destroyers, battleships, and space
simply transferred from one corporate account into another. The stations. Where they excel is in attacking lightly armed merchant
Murana Banking Cooperative and the Royal Exchange of Dracul vessels and civilian craft. Thus, a privateer navy is really only
are prime examples of the kinds of massive interstellar banks that good for interrupting the flow of trade within an enemy’s space.
handle money from a multitude of sources. Even normal citizens This practice is commonly called “commerce raiding” (where
will have at least one open account with their local bank, get paid ships and cargo are most often captured), although it might some-
by direct deposit, and will buy things they want by using their times be referred to as a “tonnage war” (which mainly focuses on
debit card. The only people still using cash are those who don’t simply blowing up both ship and cargo). Regardless, the over-
like to leave a paper trail or appear in bank records. arching goal is to destroy the enemy’s merchant fleet. The idea
Because there are so many planets in the Three Galaxies to is that they have only a finite number of transport ships at their
mine and exploit, there are actually only 150 precious metals that disposal and only a limited ability to replace them if they are
have much worth. Silver and gold are quite common throughout lost. Therefore, if enough of them can be taken out, the general
settled space, and thus have reduced value as a monetary unit. economy of the enemy will suffer for it, which in turn will affect
There are some gems and stones, such as darobite, ackanine, and his ability to make war. Some naval theorists consider this entire
periorm which are found on relatively few planets. Each of these exercise to be a waste, a distraction from the destruction of the
precious stones is commonly used in jewelry and can have a liq- enemy’s combat vessels. Still, privateer fleets are not uncommon
uid value of 500 credits per carat. Gantrium, stardust, and xan- across the Three Galaxies, whether they are used simply to harry
thine are also rare enough to be worth taking, and can be sold to merchant convoys, or as a poor man’s substitute for a military-
any of the Dark Covens near the United Worlds of Warlock. Most strengthed space fleet.
recently, the material of choice is refined Killaryte. Since the dis- The first modern instance of large-scale commerce raiding
covery of this substance four hundred years ago, the Thunder- dates back five hundred years to the time of the Great War. For a
cloud Galaxy has been all but overrun with mining corporations century previous, space pirates had grown in number all around
and independent prospectors, all looking for the stuff. For the the areas controlled by the Transgalactic Empire and the soon-
most part, Naruni Enterprises holds the monopoly on this mate- to-be-created Consortium of Civilized Worlds. When hostilities
rial. Since Killaryte is so dangerous in its native form, it is refined broke out between these two super powers, it quickly slipped its
“on site” in orbiting factories, and then loaded into cruisers for bonds and engulfed nearly every part of the Three Galaxies in
transport back to the Anvil and Corkscrew galaxies. It is as these some way. Both sides made great initial strides, pushing deeply
ships are preparing to cross inter-galactic space that the pirates into each other’s territories, only to become bogged down the
will strike. Captured Killaryte is then sold to black market buyers closer they got to the enemy’s Core Worlds. The home planets
when the raiders return to the closest haven. of the participating species were surrounded by so many redun-
dant layers of defense that it became impossible to break through.
Lines stabilized and instead of a fluid, mobile conflict, the Great
Privateer Navies War became one of attrition and the superiority of resources.
All along the front lines raged star system-wide battles of un-
The word “privateer” is often used interchangeably with imaginable ferocity. The worst of these by example were the first
“pirate’” but the two actually have completely different mean- and second sacking of Wiktor, the battle of Chakimitin, and the
ings. A privateer is an armed independent ship that is being forty year-long fight simply named after the planet on which it
employed by a government or company. What separates them took place: Tango Draconis. Into these places and a hundred oth-
from everyday raiders is that Articles of Piracy don’t apply ers, flowed a constant stream of men and materiel. Since break-
to them. Instead, they carry papers referred to as a Marque of through had so far eluded everyone in terms of a stand-up mili-
Letters. This gives a privateer captain the right to commit acts tary fight, the superpowers attempted to undermine each other’s
of reprisal, escort merchants, or protect certain sectors or colo- economies instead. The vessels that ferried these supplies to the
nies. Often the limits of the Marque are vague, leaving it up to front from the Core Worlds had to be stopped, but no one wanted
the captain and crew to determine what they can take or attack. to take battle cruisers and destroyers away from their duties in
Most of the time, Privateers are engaged in acts of reprisal order to do so. Thus, both the CCW and the TGE issued Letters
against other nations; that is, they are busy committing acts of of Marque to any space pirates who wanted them. If they agreed
war. This is a politically sneaky way to attack one’s enemies to only attack the ships of the enemy, then they could have access
without using one’s own armed forces, similar to fighting a to military-grade weapons and professional repair facilities. As
proxy war. If the people being raided complain or threaten to well, they would be allowed to keep a portion of whatever they
retaliate, the nation that hired the privateers can simply claim pillaged.
58
 Privateers who fought in the Great War got very rich, very only enough ships (24 captured Imperial destroyers and cruis-
fast. They also became used to operating with relative impunity. ers) to defend Good Hope, leaving the other twenty-six member
When hostilities ended however, the party was over. Both the worlds to die horribly in the fires of a Kreeghor orbital bombard-
Consortium and the Transgalactic Empire cancelled their Letters ment. The only downside to all of this, from a privateer’s point
of Marque and immediately sent their battle fleets out to arrest or of view, is that the Free Worlds offer only one real port of call.
destroy the men and women who had so recently fought on their After a century of constant warfare, most of the cities in the FWC
behalf. It was simply part of the post-war clean up. Even the final are little more than burnt-out wreckage, with no measurable in-
armistice between the CCW and the TGE, the Lanator Accords, frastructure left. This leaves Good Hope, and its capital city of
contained specific sections decrying the use of privateer fleets as Bossada, as the only place the pirates can go for ship repairs and
being uncivilized and illegal. re-supply.
Even so, because of the precedent they set during the Great Having limited resources and facilities, the FWC space fleet
War, privateer fleets are still used today in the remote, less devel- remains relatively small. Thanks to the orbital yard over Good
oped portions of the Three Galaxies. These are most often tiny, Hope, they have the ability to repair and even modify existing
independent star systems or planetary collectives, far removed starships. Still, the rebellion has never been able to capture a
from the influence of the major power blocs and their massive functional construction yard. This means that they have no way
armadas. On a few occasions however, a larger, more influential to design or build new types of spacecraft. Therefore, of its 225
nation has come to use privateers as their mainstay space force available capital ships, more than 80% of the Free World’s fleet
either because of happenstance, or financial constraints. The two are privateer vessels dating back more than a century. The major-
greatest examples include: ity of these ships are ancient Corister-class frigates backed up
by a handful of Stonewall cruisers. Additionally, the FWC has
The Free World Council managed to purchase, salvage, or steal a small wing of Star Ghost
space fighters, several hundred Draygon fighters (all types), and
Shortly after securing control of Good Hope, news arrived that hundreds of Proctor-class Interceptors.
a sizable Imperial fleet was being assembled to bombard the plan- The problem that now looms largest for the FWC is not this
et into ashes for its insolence. The rebels at that time had only the limited number of starships, but the government’s decision in re-
captured Imperial Dreadnought Nisbroloth (now re-named the cent years to try and “go legitimate.” The change has been slow
Hope Bringer), and powerful as it was, it was just a single vessel. and painful, but the FWC now has both a standardized army and
They would be quite outmatched in the inevitable battle. This is an Aerospace Corps (see Three Galaxies™ for more detail on the
not to say that the people of Good Hope stood entirely alone. In new military O.C.C.s; The Rifter® #50 for more background on
those early days, many unscrupulous and downright evil men and their attempt to restructure themselves). However, what should
women joined the fight against the Kreeghor; not because they be done concerning the pirates? In the wider realm of geo-galac-
believed in the cause of freedom, but because they saw the oppor- tic politics, it looks very bad for the Free Worlds to claim that it
tunity to get in on the ground floor of a new galactic power. So it is a solid and law-abiding power bloc while using cutthroats and
was that the pirate cartel under Captain James Radnar decided raiders as its space fleet. Being pirates at heart, there is simply no
to throw its lot in with the Cadre. Radnar would order his ships way that they will want to become career pilots and crewmen.
to engage the Kreeghor alongside the Rebellion, but in exchange, Many of them chose this life to get away from rules, regulations,
he wanted safe harbor and political asylum on any and all FWC and rigid chains of command. Yet, as stated previously, the Free
planets for so long as there was a FWC. Michael Klass agreed, Worlds really can’t do without them. This crisis will eventually
having little other choice. He issued Letters of Marqure to the lead to a very hard decision: do they get rid of the privateers and
pirates who streamed in from all across the Corkscrew. Eventu- trade their fleet for a chance at a military alliance with other ma-
ally, two hundred dilapidated frigates and cruisers were in orbit jor blocs, or do they keep them and relegate the FWC to never
of Good Hope. Radnar’s cartel took full advantage of the planet’s becoming anything more than a second-rate power?
orbital drydock, and before the Kreeghor armada could arrive to
destroy everyone, the privateer ships were in the best shape of
their lives. Not only had their hulls been fully and profession- The Central Alliance
ally repaired, but they were now armed with Imperial-style anti- For the past three hundred years, the space lanes in the north-
matter torpedoes instead of the less powerful nuclear ordnance east portion of the Anvil Galaxy have been particularly danger-
to which they were accustomed. Rather than an easy slaughter, ous to travel through. The problem first began when the planet
the Kreeghor were met with a shockingly strong resistance. They Ulmore decided to secede from the Golgan Republik. The en-
retreated back beyond Axis-5, and the Rebellion survived its first suing conflict not only devastated the planet, but also caused a
major crisis. mass diaspora. Many former members of the Axillary Guard
For over a century now, the pirates have kept their end of the commandeered the vessels upon which they were serving, and
bargain, raiding only Imperial ships and not attacking the FWC declared themselves to be free from any master. As neighboring
member planets. After all, they recognize that they have a pretty worlds followed Ulmore’s example and likewise threw off the
sweet deal going here. They eat regularly, never lack for a good shackles of Golgan control, the entire area descended into anar-
space battle, and have the whole of the Transgalactic Empire to chy. With the collapse of all local infrastructures, the spacefarers
raid at their whim. Moreover, they are given more respect and au- soon turned to raiding one another for spare parts, ammunition,
thority than they have ever known. Among the leaders of the Free and food supplies. After three centuries of this continual back
Worlds, there is not a single person who wants to give the pirates and forth, the number of functional, FTL-capable starships in the
any excuse to go away; such a thing would leave the FWC with area had been reduced to a fraction of what it once had been. Fur-

59
thermore, the pirates crewing those ships were the distillation of This applies to both sub-light and FTL speeds, so for example,
a dog-eat-dog, survival of the fittest lifestyle that dated back ten a Merchantman that has been transformed into a pirate raider
generations. They were bloodthirsty killers through and through will be able to travel Mach 3.75 in an atmosphere, Mach 8.75
who took whatever they wanted without pity or remorse. in space, and can cross interstellar space at a rate of 3.75 light-
Then, General Noldek arrived on the scene. Using a brutal years per hour. However, unless these enhancements were car-
gladiators’ code (the only kind of authority anyone around these ried out by an actual Operator O.C.C., then there is a chance that
parts would both recognize and respect), he crafted a personality this “overdrive” can cause a breakdown of other systems when
cult around himself and used it to bring the dilapidated, inde- engaged. Whenever the ship begins traveling faster than it was
pendent planets under his rule. Upon each conquered planet, he originally designed to do, there is a base 3% chance that some-
installed a dictatorial overseer, subservient to himself. Thus, the thing goes wrong. The odds of a breakdown are increased by
foundations for a new power bloc were laid: the Central Alliance. 3% for every percentage of additional speed up to a maximum
However, although he ruled the planets and their populations, the of 25%. So if the aforementioned pirate Merchantman travels
General had no way to bring the local pirate gangs under his con- at 5% faster than it was originally supposed to (3.15 light-years
trol. He had no space fleet of his own with which to intimidate or per hour), there would be a 15% chance that some problem
subdue them, and there was no single pirate leader that he could would creep up. Roll once for every hour of overdrive travel.
usurp in hand-to-hand combat. If a problem does occur, roll again on the table below to see
General Noldek made his way to Grighton, a tiny planetoid exactly what happens.
on the edge of his newly-claimed territory that had long been a
haven for smugglers, thieves, black marketeers, and pirates. He
proposed a deal that any pirates who agreed to act on behalf of his
Overdrive Failure Chart
government would not only get to keep a share of what they stole, 01-07% Explosion: A power conduit buckles somewhere in
but would also receive discounted bionic and cybernetic upgrades the ship and explodes. Everyone in the affected room (G.M.’s
courtesy of his government. Several thousand agreed to his terms, choice) takes 2D6x10 S.D.C. Sparks and smoke are everywhere,
and in short order, the Central Alliance had earned itself a space but no fires break out.
fleet nearly three hundred vessels strong. The majority of the 08-15% Small Fires: 1D6 small fires erupt at various loca-
ships are retrofitted Merchantman-class frigates (5,000 M.D.C. tions around the ship as electrical systems overload and cooling
Main Body, can have up to eight point defense type weapons and systems are shunted to the main engines. Easily extinguished by
four medium weapon systems with a cruise missile launcher tak- an alert crew in two melees.
ing up two slots). As well, there are also fifty Auntin-class patrol 16-23% Power Drain: All weapon systems built into the hull
ships (see below) left over from the days of the Golgan overseers. of the ship become sluggish, and anyone using them is -1 attack
Noldek’s Privateers are best thought of as a barely-leashed ra- per melee. Repairs will take 1D6 hours.
bid dog. While they gladly attack the General’s enemies – which 24-31% Power Drain: All long-range communications are
mostly include the Splugorth and any unaligned planets that the knocked out suddenly, including the tach-line transmitter. Re-
Alliance currently has a problem with – they are just as happy to pairs will take 1D4 hours.
dart into the crumbling remains of the Golgan Republik or the 32-39% Power Drain: All the lights in the ship go out save
CCW and stir up whatever mischief they can. They relish any for those in critical areas like engineering and the bridge. Hope
opportunity to blow something up, and crave the bloody close- the crew brought plenty of flashlights, because repairs will take
quarters fighting of boarding actions. They rarely bother with 2D6 hours.
kidnapping and ransom-holding. In fact, they rarely show any 40-47% Electrical Short: Half of the internal communica-
kind of quarter at all. They feel that General Noldek has, in some tions system, provided the ship had one to start with, goes out.
way, legitimatized their already harsh lifestyle, allowing them to Repairs will take 1D4 hours if anyone cares.
engage in it with abandon. 48-55% Controls Damaged: Several external thruster ports
blow out, making the ship slow to respond to the pilot. All pilot-
ing rolls are performed at a penalty of -15% until such time as
Common Pirate Ships repairs can be made. Requires 1D6 hours and an EVA mission
to fix.
and Modifications 56-63% Controls Damaged: Several external thruster ports
blow out, making the ship slow to respond to the pilot. Speed is
Although the pirate cartels and privateer fleets of the Three unaffected, but the vessel is now at half bonuses to dodge. Re-
Galaxies will use just about any kind of ship they can capture, pairs will take 1D6 hours and can only be done outside.
steal, or otherwise get their hands on, the most common ones are 64-71% Cosmetic Damage: The ship starts to overheat and
small to frigate-sized and support a crew of roughly fifty. compensates by venting drive plasma out behind it in long, smoky
Contrary to what many might think, when pirates capture a trails. Any custom paint jobs, chrome trim, or fancy murals are
starship, what they care about most is not how many weapons burned off, leaving the hull looking scorched and blackened. On
it might have on it, but how fast it can go. Speed is the pirate’s the other hand, your pirate ship is on fire, which looks just as
greatest ally; there’s no point in trying to attack another vessel if cool.
it’s simply going to outrun you. The first thing to be augmented 72-79% Navigation Disruption: The ship’s sensors cannot
on a captured ship therefore is the engine. Using a mish-mash compensate for the increase in speed, and become misaligned.
of parts and some creative if not downright dangerous jury-rig- Anyone using them suffers a skill penalty of -35% until they are
ging, a pirate vessel can increase its maximum speed by 25%. repaired, which will take 1D4 hours.
60
 80-87% Exterior Electric Failure: Radar, ladar, and radio Troops: Six human-sized passengers, or three wearing powered
systems all die suddenly. The tach-line transmitter is unaffected, armor.
but fixing everything else will take 2D6 hours. M.D.C. by Location:
88-95% Hull Buckles: She’s a good ship, but she just wasn’t * Optional Rocket Boosters (2) – 100 each
designed to go this fast. 1D4x100 points of damage are inflicted ** Main Engine (rear 1/3 of the ship) – 300
to the Main Body, accompanied by lots of rattling and shaking as *** Main Body – varies. Simple, open-topped platforms have
sympathetic vibrations begin to affect the internal superstructure. 750 M.D.C., while an enclosed type can have 1,500 M.D.C.
Also, there’s a constant, disturbing sound in the air; exactly what * If the M.D.C. of the booster is depleted and it has all its
this is left up to imagination of the G.M. It could be anything fuel, it explodes, doing 4D6x10 M.D. to everything within 50
from a small whine or whistle, to the consistent sound of strained feet (15.2 m).
and crumpling metal. ** Blowing off the engine eliminates all propulsion and
96-00% Stall: The contra-gravitic field surrounding the ship steering control.
collapses. The sudden jolt slams everyone aboard into the nearest *** Depleting the M.D.C. of the Main Body destroys the
wall, bulkhead, or floor, inflicting 2D6x10 S.D.C. damage. skiff.
If the pirates become really successful, they can upgrade to a Speed:
completely different engine class that will allow them to go faster Sub-Light: Mach 8 in space. Mach 4 in an atmosphere. Solid-
without the danger of overloads, stalls, and explosions. Given the chemical booster rockets can increase the speed 25% for a total
cost of such an upgrade however, it is rarely seen. of five minutes before they are exhausted. Note that skiff engines
Once the engines have been sufficiently souped-up, the pirates can be souped-up by an additional 25%, but will have to roll once
will add additional weapons onto the captured hull. All other sys- on the Overdrive chart.
tems are considered secondary, which only adds to the short life FTL: Not applicable.
expectancy of a space pirate. Because it was most likely stolen in Range: Extremely short; 500 miles (800 km).
a firefight, a pirate ship will start out beaten up, and can remain Statistical Data:
in that state for some time owing to the high costs of professional Height: Average 10 feet (3 m).
repair jobs. Many are lacking amenities such as an internal com- Width: Average 30 feet (9.1 m).
munication system, decent lighting, or water filtration. Length: Average 100 feet (30.5 m).
Weight: 10-20 tons.
Power System: Typically cheap chemical or ion drive propulsion.
Cargo: Minimal. Room to load roughly two tons of cargo or cap-
tured booty.
Cost: Contains roughly 2D6x100,000 credits’ worth of parts and
materiel. The booster rockets go for 2.5 million credits per pair.
Weapon Systems: Typically none, as a skiff is designed to be
a cheap, potentially disposable transport. If all goes well, it will
never even get into a fight. Still, it may be fitted with a single,
front-mounted weapon of the “light” type, such as a laser can-
non or rail gun (2D4x10 M.D. and 2D6x10 M.D. respectively).
As well, some skiffs are little more than open platforms, which
allows the passengers on board to use whatever ranged weapons
they themselves might be carrying.
Skiff
“Skiff” is a general spacefarer’s term for a tiny transport ves-
sel that falls somewhere between a space fighter and a shuttle. It
Corister-Class Frigate
is generally piloted by a single person, and only usable at sub-
light speeds. Space pirates typically build skiffs in order to trans-
(Human Alliance)
port them aboard a vessel that they have targeted. The skiff is The Corister-class is a lineage designed on Terra Prime mil-
also used to haul loot back to their main ship. Although the actual lennia ago. They were built as long-range frigates, back in the
design of a skiff varies greatly from one pirate gang to another, days when the Human Alliance was only about 1,000 light-years
they are almost always outfitted with a pair of chemical booster wide, and could be crossed in ten days. The Corister was a unique
rockets. This helps them to overtake a fleeing vessel, or escape approach to shipbuilding that has since been discontinued and
from a planet’s surface if need be. never again tried; an engine and a bridge attached to one of five
Skiffs are typically made of cheap materials and recycled types of interchangeable main bodies. The rear drive section was
scrap parts, and have none of the standard features of fighters or armed with two main lasers and four smaller lasers for point de-
shuttles (as listed in Fleets of the Three Galaxies, pages 20-21). fense. The remaining two-thirds of the ship could be replaced
They are small enough to be carried by any starship that has a with a tailor made unit depending on whatever mission the ship
hangar bay, taking up the equivalent of two space fighters. had to undertake. For example, if it was to be used as a passenger
Class: (Light) Shuttle. vessel, a front pod would be attached to the engine which had
Crew: One pilot. comfortable accommodations for up to fifty people. If a troop
61
transport was needed, the Corister would simply replace the pas-
senger pod with a barracks pod, allowing it to transport over 160
marines. The drive section could also have its front replaced by a
heavy combat pod; this turned the ship into a destroyer, giving it
several extra weapon systems.
Construction of the Coristers came to end in 9025 TE. By
then, mounting losses to the Network’s hordes of drone fighters
and captured Stonewalls forced the Alliance to produce larger
numbers of battle cruisers. Still, untold thousands of them left the
conflict zone laden with refugees and military deserters. Most of
these would eventually end up in the hands of pirate bands. At
least 150 are being used by the Free World Council. Although Statistical Data:
they are ancient by modern standards, these vessels, if properly Height: 130 feet (40 m).
maintained by a competent Operator, can still hold their own in Width: 200 feet (61 m).
a space battle. The Corister-class was officially replaced by the Length: 490 feet (149 m).
Scimitar in 9314 TE. Weight: 10,000 tons.
Power System: Anti-matter with an operational life of 20 years.
Class: Frigate. Cargo: About 1,000 tons in the drive section. If equipped with a
Crew: 46 (8 officers, and 38 enlisted). cargo pod, then cargo is increased to 5,000 tons in total.
Troops: Varies. See below. Cost: Discontinued and no longer available for purchase.
M.D.C. by Location: Might go for 200 million to a collector for restoration pur-
Laser Cannon Mounts (2) – 800 each poses.
Point Defense Laser Turrets (4) – 200 each
* Bridge – 1,000 Weapon Systems:
** Main Engines (rear 1/3 of the ship) – 1,000
*** Main Body (interchangeable pod) – 3,000 1. Laser Cannon Mounts (2): One of these double-barreled HI-
Variable Force Field – 1,000 per side (6,000 total) Laser turrets is mounted on the top of the star drive, and the
other is mounted on the bottom. Each of the turrets can rotate
* Destroying the bridge will kill most of the officers. The 360-degrees, and has a 180 degree arc of fire. Originally, these
ship can be run from engineering, but is sluggish and will be weapons were all directed by computer, but during the Au-
at -3 to strike and dodge. All weapon systems will be at local tomaton Wars the targeting AI’s were ripped out to prevent
control. them from becoming corrupted by Network. Today, these will
** Blowing off the engines eliminates all FTL propulsion, be manned turrets.
and reduces sub-light speeds by half. Primary Purpose: Anti-Ship.
*** Depleting the M.D.C. of the Main Body destroys what- Secondary Purpose: Anti-Installation.
ever pod was attached to the drive section. In an emergency, Weight: Not applicable, part of the ship’s hull.
the damaged pod can be jettisoned, and both the bridge and the Range: 16 miles (25.6 km) in space, or 5 miles (8 km) in an at-
star drive section can run away. mosphere.
Speed: Mega-Damage: 2D6x100 M.D. per turret.
Sub-Light: Originally Mach 4 in space, and only Mach 1 in an Rate of Fire: Each can fire up to four times per melee.
atmosphere. A pirate version can increase this by 25%. Payload: Technically unlimited. These weapons do not have their
FTL: Original top speed was 4 light-years per hour. A pirate ver- own power supply, but draw power directly from the main reac-
sion can increase this by 25%. tor.
Range: Usually carries enough supplies to keep the base crew 2. Point Defense Lasers (4): These small weapons are also
alive for three months at a time. manned turrets, since the targeting AIs were all forcibly re-
62
 moved long ago. Two are located on the port side of the star used to move tanks and giant robots into combat zones. Dur-
drive section, and two are on the starboard side. ing the Automaton Wars, it most often was filled with Bom-
Primary Purpose: Anti-Missile. bard Robots (up to 150 units).
Secondary Purpose: Anti-Space Fighter. ! Heavy Weapon Pod: This turnes the Corister frigate into an all-
Weight: Not applicable, part of the ship’s hull. out destroyer, and is the type of body most often seen today.
Range: 2 miles (3.2 km) in space, but only 1 mile (1.6 km) in an The Heavy Weapon Pod has an extra Laser Cannon Mount
atmosphere. (2D6x100 M.D. per shot), six additional point defense lasers
Mega-Damage: 2D6x10 M.D. per turret. (2D6x10 M.D. per blast), and most importantly, a cruise mis-
Rate of Fire: Equal to the number of hand to hand attacks of the sile launcher. All of these weapon systems were manned dur-
gunner. ing the war, and those in the hands of the pirate cartels still are.
Payload: Technically unlimited. These weapons do not have their After all, why spend good money on a computer when there
own power supply, but draw power directly from the main reac- are men sitting idle?
tor.
3. Cruise Missile Launcher (available only with a Heavy
Weapon Pod): If the front of the Corister is fitted with a
Heavy Weapon Pod, then it gains several additional weap-
ons systems. Foremost among these is a heavy cruise missile
launcher. The launcher port has 1,000 M.D.C. It can only fire
one missile at a time, and each new missile must be loaded
by a manned crew (all the robotic systems that once did this
job were destroyed in the Automaton Wars). When firing at
its top rate, the heat produced off the launcher is intense, and
temperatures can reach as much as 40 degrees Celsius (104 F).
A bunch of shirtless, filthy, sweating pirates working away in
the missile room is a common sight.
Primary Purpose: Anti-Capital Ship.
Secondary Purpose: Anti-Installation.
Weight: Not applicable, part of the ship’s internal structure.
Range: 1,000 miles (1,600 km).
Mega-Damage: Either 2D6x100 for nuclear or 4D6x100 for anti- Auntin Patrol Ship
matter.
Rate of Fire: One at a time. Average number of firings is five per The Auntin is a common patrol and escort ship of Golgan de-
minute. sign. Big enough to handle a squadron of fighters, its main guns
Payload: 50 missiles. can seriously damage larger vessels and its combined armor and
4. Interchangeable Main Bodies: As stated previously, the Co- force fields can take a pounding from all but the heaviest weap-
rister was a unique design which featured interchangeable ons – at least for a short while. The ship is fast and maneuverable,
main bodies. This allowed the Human Alliance to field many plus it is small enough to be able to operate in an atmosphere with
different types of starship for a reduced cost. There were five only minimal penalties. Besides its own firepower, it has a small
types of “pods”: Passenger, Troop Transport, Cargo, Fighter, bay able to hold up to six space fighters.
and Heavy Weapon. Each of these can still be found in the The Auntin is still widely used in the Republikan Argosy, but
more remote parts of the Three Galaxies today. Pirates tend to hundreds of them have fallen into the hands of the independent
favor the Weapon Pod. systems that broke away from Golgan control. An equal number
! Passenger Pod: This turns the Corister into a small liner suit- eventually became pirate vessels, particularly in the area around
able for transporting rich passengers and government officials. the Central Alliance. Presented below are the original, unmodi-
It provides enough comfortable staterooms for up to 50 guests, fied statistics for the patrol ship.
plus several large conference rooms, a dining room, and for- Model Type: RAACPS-V4.0.2.
ward lounge. Ship Class: Frigate (rigged as a Destroyer).
! Troop Transport Pod: This turns the Corister into a trans-at- Ship’s Compliment: 180-280, including officers.
mospheric drop ship, able to carry 165 marines, plus all their Embarked Troops: 100, plus has room for as many as 640 addi-
gear. The star drive could also detach this front section after tional troops/people, but in cramped conditions in the cargo holds.
touching down, providing the marines with a bunker or for- M.D.C. by Location:
ward firebase. Main Disruptor Cannons (2) – 800 each
! Fighter Pod: Also called a “mini-carrier,” this front section G-Cannon Turrets (2) – 200 each
allows the Corister to carry up to 12 space fighters. It also Particle Beam Cannons (4) – 150 each
provides enough accommodation for 24 pilots, in addition to Mini-Missile Launchers (8) – 100 each
the ship’s regular crew. Originally, the fighters it carried were Fighter Hangar Door – 600
all Scorpion Attack Fighters. Today however, it can carry any Variable Force Fields – 1,000 each side (6,000 total)
type or assorted mix of space fighters. * Bridge – 2,000
! Cargo Pod: This is a big, empty section that could loaded up ** Main Body – 5,000
with 4000 tons of goods or gear. This type of pod could also be *** Main Ion Engines (2, at the back) – 1,200 each
63
 * If the bridge is destroyed, the ship can be controlled from Payload: 32,000 rounds per turret (400 bursts).
the engineering room, inside the ship, but all piloting skills are 3. Particle Beam Cannons (4): Mounted in turrets, these are
-20% and combat rolls are -2. standard, non-upgraded beam weapons. They are used as point
** Depleting the M.D.C. of the main body shuts the ship defense, and to combat enemy space fighters.
down, causing it to drift in space. The secondary weapon tur- Primary Purpose: Point Defense.
rets have independent power supplies, however, and can fight Secondary Purpose: Anti-Fighter.
on. Weight: Not applicable; part of the ship’s hull.
*** Destroying the main engines eliminates FTL systems Range: 3 miles (4.8 km) in space, or one mile (1.6 km) in an
and leaves only sub-light systems. atmosphere.
Speed: Mega-Damage: 2D6x10 M.D. per blast.
Flying: Mach 8 in space (maximum speed). Or up to Mach 2 in an Rate of Fire: Equal to the number of hand-to-hand attacks of the
atmosphere. Fully transatmospheric. gunner (usually 4 or 5). One or two Zebuloids will usually share
FTL Drive: Gravitonic drive. Maximum speed: 5 light-years/ this job, in which case the number of blasts per melee (per can-
hour. non) is anywhere from 3 if a lone gunner, 7 if two Zebuloids
Range: Effectively unlimited. Carries enough life support and share the job, and 14 if a dedicated gunner is used in each turret.
supplies (including hydroponics garden) for two years of uninter- Payload: Effectively unlimited.
rupted travel (could be stretched to five or six in an emergency). 4. Mini-Missile Launchers (8): Used for point defense against
Typical patrol mission lasts six months in space. enemy fighters and missiles. Each turret usually fires a volley
Statistical Data: of at least two missiles to help ensure a hit.
Height: 80 feet (24.4 m). Primary Purpose: Point Defense.
Width: 140 feet (43 m), wingspan of 220 feet (67 m). Secondary Purpose: Anti-Fighter.
Length: 500 feet (152 m). Weight: Not applicable; part of the ship’s hull.
Weight: 12,000 tons fully loaded, plus up to 1,000 tons of extra Range: About two miles (3.2 km).
cargo. Mega-Damage: Varies with missile type. Usually plasma –
Cargo: Cargo hold is 20 feet (6.1 m) tall, 20 feet (6.1 m) wide and 1D6x10 M.D.
200 feet long (61 m). Maximum cargo weight is 1,000 tons. Does Rate of Fire: One at a time or in volleys of two, three or four per
not include the normal complement of supplies and equipment. launcher, per round.
Power System: Nuclear reactor; average energy life is 20 years. Payload: 100 missiles per turret.
Cost: 400 million credits. 5. Aircraft: In addition to its main weaponry, the ship carries a
complement of 6 Jesstra-class fighters. There are 100 infan-
Weapon Systems: trymen on board as well.
6. Combat Performance: Spaceship combat bonuses (basic) ap-
1. Disruptor Cannons (2): These are heavy artillery pieces used ply, but the ship is -2 to dodge attacks from three miles (4.8
to engage large ships, space stations and other important tar- km) or closer.
gets. They can also be found in Golgan orbiting defense ar-
rays, and on the Bindas-class cruiser.
Primary Purpose: Anti-Ship.
Secondary Purpose: Anti-Installation.
Stonewall Cruiser
Weight: Not applicable; integrated into the vessel’s hull.
Range: 14 miles (22.4 km) in space, 5 miles (8 km) in an atmo- (Human Alliance)
sphere.
Mega-Damage: 2D6x100 M.D. per cannon or a double blast that One thousand years ago, this ship was one of the triumphs
does 4D6x100 M.D. of the Human Alliance. The Stonewalls were automated battle
Rate of Fire: Each weapon may fire no more than 4 times per cruisers, each operated entirely by an artificial intelligence. It
melee round. did not have a human-like personality, as this would have only
Payload: Effectively unlimited. lowered its efficiency, and could remain in constant contact with
2. G-Cannons (2): Each cannon is in a separate turret. It is used the planetary mainframes of almost every Alliance world via its
for anti-ship combat, or to engage enemy fighters and robots if tachyon communication array. The Stonewall had enough room
they get past the ship’s normal defense (robots and fighters are on board to transport two hundred people, but typically only had
+2 to dodge these attacks, however). a token crew of ten to oversee operations should the computer
Primary Purpose: Anti-Missile. encounter any problems.
Secondary Purpose: Anti-Spacecraft. Then, in 9006 TE, the planetary computer core on Terra Prime
Weight: Not applicable; part of the ship’s hull. decided to eliminate its human creators. Network quickly took
Range: 16 miles (25.6 km) in space, one-third that range in an over the other Alliance planets by copying itself into their main-
atmosphere. frames. It also took control of every automated system that was
Mega-Damage: A burst is 80 rounds and does 1D4xl00 M.D.; can tied into the overall Alliance web, which included most of the
only fire bursts. Stonewalls. The ships, now accepting orders from Network,
Rate of Fire: Equal to the total number of hand-to-hand attacks of killed their crews by opening all the airlocks and blasting them
the gunner. A lone Zebuloid can handle this job, in which case the into space. On Goldielox, Network ordered the shipyards to as-
weapons may fire 7 times each per round. semble more of the cruisers, which it then planned to send against
the Outer Colonies.
64
 Speed:
Sub-Light: Originally Mach 5 in space and Mach 2 in an atmo-
sphere. A pirate version could increase this by 25%.
FTL: Originally 4 light-years per hour. A pirate version could
increase this by 25%.
Range: Carries enough supplies to keep the crew alive for four
months at a time.
Statistical Data:
Height: 100 feet (30.5 m).
Width: 150 feet (46 m).
Length: 500 feet (152 m).
Weight: 80,000 tons.
Cargo: About 4,000 tons in scattered holds.
Power System: Anti-matter reactor with a 20 year life span.
Cost: Discontinued and no longer available. Might go for 1.5 bil-
lion credits to a collector as a restoration project.

Weapon Systems:
What few Stonewalls were far enough away from the Alliance 1. Main Laser Batteries (2): These large guns are exactly the
Core Worlds to escape takeover were gutted by the human resis- same as those found on the Warshield-class cruisers (which
tance, their AIs ripped out and smashed to pieces. These vessels replaced this original series of ships in 9314 TE).
were then crewed entirely by men and women. However, since Primary Purpose: Anti-Capital Ship.
the ships had not been designed to be run by living hands, condi- Secondary Purpose: Anti-Installation/Planet.
tions were cramped and often dangerous. Crewmembers suffered Weight: Not applicable; part of the ship’s hull.
from extremes in heat and cold, poor water supplies, a lack of Range: 100 miles (160 km) in space, but only 30 miles (48 km)
storage, and even basic plumbing. When the Human Alliance fi- in an atmosphere.
nally stood victorious, these un-automated cruisers became the Mega-Damage: 1D4x1000 M.D. per turret.
backbone of the reconstruction fleets. Rate of Fire: Each weapon may fire twice per melee round.
Today, there are fewer than one hundred fully functioning Payload: Technically unlimited. These weapons do not have their
Stonewall-class cruisers in the Three Galaxies, all of which are own power supply, but draw power directly from the main reac-
in the hands of various pirate cartels. These ships are between tor.
seven hundred and a thousand years old, and barring a complete 2. Cruise Missile Launchers (4): These launching systems are
professional rebuild, will not be able to continue operating for quite different from those used today. Once highly automated
more than a few centuries. and crewed by intelligent robots, they must now be manually
Class: Cruiser. loaded and fired.
Crew: 200. The ship can be run by as few as ten people, but will Primary Purpose: Anti-Capital Ship.
start to suffer massive breakdowns within 1D4 hours. Secondary Purpose: Anti-Installation.
Weight: Not applicable; part of the ship’s hull.
M.D.C. by Location: Range: 1,000 miles (1,600 km).
Main Laser Batteries (2) – 1,200 each Mega-Damage: Either 2D6x100 M.D. for nuclear, or 4D6x100
Cruise Missile Launchers (4) – 1,000 each M.D. for anti-matter warheads.
Secondary Lasers (4) – 700 each Rate of Fire: One at a time. Average number of firings is sixteen
GR Gun Point Defenses (8) – 200 each per minute (four per melee round), per launch tube.
Hangar Bay – 5,000 Payload: 50 missiles per launcher, for a total of 200 warheads.
* Bridge – 7,000 3. Secondary Lasers (4): These turrets are mounted equally
** Engines – 12,000 around the midsection of the ship.
Outer Hull per 40 foot (12 m) area – 100 Primary Purpose: Anti-Ship.
*** Main Body – 30,000 Secondary Purpose: Anti-Fighter.
Variable Force Field – 3,000 per side (18,000 in total) Weight: Not applicable; part of the ship’s hull.
Range: 16 miles (25.6 km) in space, but is reduced to 7 miles
* Destroying the bridge will eliminate the guidance com- (11.2 km) in an atmosphere.
puter and main controls. The ship can be piloted from engi- Mega-Damage: 1D6x100 M.D. per turret.
neering, but those controls are very sluggish: all actions are -3 Rate of Fire: Each turret can fire twice per melee.
to strike and dodge. Payload: Technically unlimited. These weapons do not have their
** Destroying the engines eliminates all FTL propulsion, own power supply, but draw power directly from the main reac-
and reduces sub-light speeds by half. tor.
*** Depleting the M.D.C. of the Main Body leaves the ship 4. GR Gun Point Defenses (8): Again, now devoid of any ro-
floating in space as an unpowered wreck. The crew can still botic or computer-driven gunnery programs, these weapons
evacuate, but no weapons will fire, and the vessel cannot move must all be aimed and fired manually.
in any direction. Primary Purpose: Anti-Missile.
65
Secondary Purpose: Anti-Space Fighter. but works just fine if the target is wearing no helmet or a suit
Weight: Not applicable; part of the ship’s hull. of half armor.
Range: 2 miles (3.2 km) in space, but only 1 mile (1.6 km) in an
atmosphere.
Mega-Damage: 2D4x10 M.D. for a burst of 20 rounds.
Arc Welder
Rate of Fire: Equal to the number of hand to hand attacks of the This device is supposed to be used when patching a hole in a
gunner. ship’s hull. It fires a high-intensity electrical beam that will fuse
Payload: 10,000 rounds (500 bursts) per auto cannon. M.D.C. materials together, and so is perfect for welding patch-
5. Additional Vehicles: The Stonewall has a tiny hanger bay that es, or sealing bulkheads. It can be used as a hand-held unit, or
can fit twelve space fighters of any assortment (originally they mounted into an industrial suit of robot or powered armor (and
were all Scorpion Attack Fighters). hooked to the nuclear power supply for unlimited payload).
When used against a person, its effects are horrible, as might only
be expected when an industrial tool is turned on living flesh. The
Other Weapons arc welder produces a powerful shock to the nervous system, and
heats body armor to the point where it fuses to the wearer’s skin.

and Equipment Weight: 8 pounds (3.6 kg).

Mega-Damage: 2D4 per blast. Additionally, most races must
Pirates are opportunists. They will use anything and every- make a saving throw of 14 or higher versus electrocution! Failure
thing they can lay their hands on as a weapon. The nature of their means the person inside the armor takes 4D6 points of damage
work however, means that they tend to leave rail guns, grenades, (S.D.C. to S.D.C. beings, but M.D. to M.D. beings), and is -1 to
rockets, and missiles behind in favor of smaller, hand-held weap- all combat actions with no initiative for 1D4 melee rounds. This
ons. Some pirates don’t even like using a rifle because it takes will effect people in body armor, and even power armor suits
two hands, instead preferring to use a brace of pistols, or a pistol with 400 M.D.C. or less.
and blade weapon. Pirates fight at short range, and try to close Range: 1,000 feet (305 m).
into melee combat as fast as they can because most people are ter- Rate of Fire: Single shot only.
rified to fight with bare fists or knives. Their fear gives the pirates Payload: 15 blasts. Uses a standard Energy Clip.
a decided advantage. Cost: 25,000 credits. Commonly available in many larger star-
Preferred types of pistols include all types of CAF HI-lasers, ports.
the TGE EPR-5, and anything by Hartigal or Naruni (although
the ammunition for the latter can be hard to acquire in some
places). Phase beamers are the most highly sought after weap-
Rivet Gun
ons since they can easily kill a captive crew, but leave their Also used in ship repair, the ReddenDekker Rivet System
ship unharmed. Below are some of the more interesting items drives small spikes into M.D.C. materials to hold down a hull
that one might find amongst a gang of space pirates, although, patch. Think of it as a really big nail gun. The spikes it fires
technically, two of them are tools commonly found on most are meant to penetrate both the patch metal and the undam-
spacecraft. aged hull underneath, and have a barbed tip to help hold it in
place. When combined with expanding foam insulation (avail-
Neural Whip (Captain’s Daughter) able in spray cans), it makes for a solid, if temporary repair.
Of course, the rivets can also be fired into people. The dam-
This is a stun weapon that resembles either a long bullwhip age isn’t great, and the range is poor, but it makes a hell of
(rare) or a cat-o-nine-tails with a short handle. When the end of a bloody mess, and will punch through most environmental
the whip strikes bare flesh, it sends out an energy charge that armor 90% of the time.
overloads a person’s nervous system. There is a chance that the Weight: 20 lbs (9 kg).
victim will be knocked unconscious, but even if they aren’t, they Mega-Damage: 1D6 M.D. per rivet. On a successful strike,
will be severely impaired. Penalties: -8 to strike, parry, and roll percentile. 01-90% means the dart will punch through any
dodge for 2D4 melee rounds. The character must save versus body armor whose M.D.C. is 100 points or less. The person
non-lethal poisons: 16 or higher every time they are struck (P.E. inside then takes an additional 1D6 points of damage (S.D.C.
bonuses apply). The duration of the effect is increased for every to S.D.C. beings, but M.D. to M.D.C. beings). The dart is best
time the person is hit. removed surgically, but if simply ripped out it will inflict an-
The neural whip is usually locked away in the Captain’s other 1D6 points of damage. Note that body armor is still fully
quarters and brought out only when it is needed. Depending on environmental until it is reduced to 34 M.D.C., even if riddled
the nature of the infraction, a member of a pirate crew could with rivets.
be sentenced with anything from a “school master” (ten lash-
Rate of Fire: Single shot only. Each shot counts as one melee
es) to “Moses’ Law” (forty lashes minus one, or thirty-nine
action.
times!). There are some records of a pirate taking fifty or a
hundred lashes and living to tell about it, but this was prob- Range: 30 feet (9 m).
ably gentleness on the part of the man with the whip, rather Payload: 40 rivets in an attached drum. Each dart is about the size
than the physical toughness of the condemned pirate. Physical of a human’s thumb.
damage from the whip is 1D8 S.D.C. plus any applicable P.S. Cost: 1,000 credits for the gun. Rivets are available in boxes of
bonuses. It cannot harm people in fully environmental armor, 100 for 50 credits. Commonly available in any spaceport.
66
Skipping
technology. We know the result, of course. The burgeoning tech-
no-paradise of Chi-Town instead twisted into the brainchild of the
Proseks and who corralled other industrial powers to its banner as
the Coalition States, growing in power and stature to this day. The

Stones
supposed haven of magic and free-thinking subtly but surely became
corrupted by evil power and demonic influence, not to mention the
egos of the Dunscon family.
“After the first great war between the two giants, the Federa-
tion fractured into smaller factions of varying philosophies and
A Rifts® Story strength.”
He waved again, and the calendar in the bottom of the screen
By Brett Caron began to count forward. In the few seconds it took to reach 110 P.A.
“Magic. Technology. Ultimately, it is simply through innovation and stop, with vague violence animated ebbs and flows, their frag-
that humanity is able to escape, avoid, destroy, or otherwise circum- ments and foundations settling into their present selves.
vent any enemy – except humanity itself, of course.” “With the loss of Tolkeen some time ago, even with Free Que-
bec emerging separate from its Coalition brothers, we find ourselves
– Urgash Voidheart, Shifter revisiting that binary human thinking. Why is it that only select few
havens like our own pioneering home are able to embrace all forms
Even with the sun hanging low, bloated, and orange in the sky,
of learning and ways of life? Lazlo is the historical home of Techno-
the light cast through Lazlo at sunset was always lavender.
Wizardry on Earth, and even in the Megaverse, this specific fusion
Ka’hadris felt the springing thrum of the ley lines in his blood.
of magic and technology is particular to this planet alone, or at least
Normally, it would be like a gentle stream lapping around him, per-
traceable to it.”
haps stronger, more akin to a powerful down-sloping river rapids.
The map resolved on Lazlo’s digital image. Above the timid glow
The magic rising from the very earth was channeled by arcane inge-
of desk lamps, the multihued diversity of the picture was echoed
nuity – somewhere in the metaphysical between a hydroelectric dam
by what little of Lazlo’s sunset still splashed across the upper stone
and an irrigation system.
wall’s bleached surface.
Here, in the center of the first city on the planet to truly bend the
Professor Joshua Nikilrghz’s lecture was winding down, but the
raw power of the lines to its will, the energy of the Rift generator at
iridescent plasm that composed his body was shining with pride.
the heart of Lazlo beat cobalt life into the metropolis around him.
Lacking any orifices, the prominent educator spoke only through
The yellow star shining on Earth met the blue haze of Lazlo’s aura to
telepathy; but even though the students only heard his voice inside
emerge a soothing purple, darkening to mauve before the night-glow
their own minds, the pride with which he spoke with was evident.
of the ley lines would emerge.
His words were mirrored by the pulsing glow of three small lights
By then, he might be very far from the familiar skyline. It was
buried within the head-level portion of Nikilrghz’s jelly. He reached
difficult to know for sure. He tried to take in moments like these
to turn off the projector. Although he could have done it with a flex
whenever he could. While he still could.
of telekinesis, he was somewhat partial to the grained feel of the
Walking down the Spartan but welcoming white stone avenues
control panel’s wooden housing.
of the university’s grounds, the autumn maple leaves still clutching
Ka’hadris smiled, seeing the pseudopod stroke almost lovingly
mostly to their branches and reflecting the tinted rays, he allowed
down the maple. He stood cowed in the doorway, out of view. It had
himself that moment. He approached the glass and steel entrance to
taken years of wondering, but only one question, to learn that his for-
the lecture hall, which opened unbidden. His dark blue cloak flut-
mer tutor was an avid woodworker and carpenter. He had noticed the
tered with a faint, almost avian sound passing into the threshold’s
predilection of his d-bee professor to forgo his race’s normal prefer-
calm air. Behind him, the doors gracefully reached back together
ence in order to handle finely-carved pieces directly many times. It
with a gentle click.
had also resulted in an hour of frustratingly unrequested details of
* * * the art of woodworking, but in hindsight, Ka’hadris found himself
smiling at that too.
“The real tragedy in North America at the moment, indicative of He’d always been put off asking about his master’s quirk by the
human-centric population centers worldwide, stems from one fac- very same theme running through this very lecture: Nikilrghz didn’t
tor: humans are terribly binary creatures. It is a failing many other care much for humans.
species succumb to, but it is particularly pronounced in humans.” His smile faded, half-obscured anyway above the gas mask hang-
The professor cleared his throat — a whickering almost-sound ing loosely around his neck. He had come to speak with Nikilrghz,
not unlike a bicycle pump — and gestured to the display behind him not listen to another of his tirades. He had learned what he consid-
with a translucent pseudopod. A map of North America resolved on ered to be the finer points of manipulating ley line energy from the
the screen, kingdoms and empires reduced to highlighted holopixels. respected mage and teacher, but had never enjoyed his condescend-
“Humans can’t just be ‘for’ something. It’s simply not enough ing speeches.
for their psychology to have a cause. They also need to be against It might have stemmed from what Nikilrghz called his ‘unbiased
something else for the first to matter – ‘us’ and ‘them’ – even if the insight into the human problem.’
other is ‘everything else.’ By way of two very obvious examples, take Ka’hadris cast a quiet spell, channeling energy from around
Chi-Town and the Federation of Magic.” him through muttered words and half-gestures. A moment later, he
Two of the blotches on the screen resolved independent of the reached out with new senses and was vindicated to see the muffling
rest, their territories shrinking and altering in scope. Perspective boredom clouding the room, even catching whiffs of mild annoyance
changed, showing the empires in their infancy. threaded through the human students.
“In years past, the two cultures had diverged on enough issues The ley lines were just coming up as Nikilrghz dismissed his
to be called polar opposites, but mostly it was just one: magic or students. Ka’hadris stepped into the auditorium as the first of them

67
headed for the door, craning their necks to get a better look at the teleport through space or beyond, he could’ve levitated just as easily
stranger who approached their professor. Although the gas mask and as his friend. He might have wondered how much detritus and dirt
headgear marked him as a Line Walker, that wasn’t anything par- made its way into Nikilrghz’s mass during the course of any given
ticularly out of the ordinary in Lazlo. Likely just the fact that he was day, had he not been constantly reminded of that inconvenience dur-
wearing body armor on the school grounds. ing his apprenticeship.
More to the point, it might’ve been was what was plastered across His musing was interrupted by Nikilrghz, who hovered to a stop
the breastplate of his armor that was causing those perplexed looks. near the center of the park’s wood.
If Nikilrghz had a face to speak of, it too would have furrowed “Now that we’re alone — well and truly — I can tell you what
in confusion as he spied his former student. His face-lights glowed prompted my summons.”
brightly in surprise and happiness; then one of them dimmed in an Almost without thinking, Ka’hadris muttered a spell and stretched
imitation of a squint. out with his senses. There was nothing within earshot save insects,
“Ka’hadris, my boy! I’m glad you’ve come so quickly, although I plants, and one mildly curious squirrel. The latter presently was chit-
wish now that you’d just taken your time and changed first.” tering with twitching tail to let them know he wasn’t going to tolerate
Nikilrghz pointed at the device emblazoned on his chest. any foolishness in his territory, or possibly to beg for a handout of
“What is that garish symbol? The Shifter wore it as well.” seed or nuts. Ka’hadris smiled again.
Ka’hadris winced. He had come straight from a field meeting, and “Yes, well and truly. What do you need of me, Joshua?”
he still had his company armor on. The uniform grey and black of the “Nothing, my boy. I called you here because you need to know
light armor was broken here and there by red banding, but what stole something.”
the eye of the viewer was the logo under Nikilrghz’s jelly finger. “Still teaching me, are you?”
Garish didn’t even begin to describe it. The utilitarian grey was “Still helping you. Your associate, Valentine. The Shifter.”
interrupted by a splash of yellow — a grinning face staring outwards. Distaste dripped from every telepathic syllable. Ka’hadris won-
The distended proportions of the jaw stretched the face too wide, dered if it was Valentine’s occupation or the Shifter’s sometimes
and two rows of squarish white teeth heightened the mocking smile. disconcerting mien that had set Nikilrghz off. The repulsion hadn’t
The arched and knowing eyes were daubed, along with the other entirely left his voice as he continued.
lines demarcating smile and shape, in thick black lines. It was an “He came to see me four days ago. He had questions; questions
insufferably smug-looking character, and Ka’hadris hated wearing that confused me. He should’ve already had the answer—if he had
it; although he knew that was sort of the point. bothered to ask you, or if you had bothered to answer him if he had
“The logo for Happy Endings. Valentine says it’s his interpreta- asked at all—so to be prudent, I sent him on his way without telling
tion of a pre-Rifts symbol – the happy Troll’s face. I’m not really a him much. He wasn’t happy.”
fan either. I came as soon as I received your message when we ar- Ka’hadris squinted, not fully understanding.
rived back in Old Bones.” “Questions about what?”
“Ah yes, I’ve been hearing more and more about your little mer- He pointed to the sword belted at the Line Walker’s waist. Grey-
cenary company. Apparently, the irreverence they speak of is evident ish jelly grazed the cold metal of the pommel, the mysterious alloy
even in your uniforms.” composing it blushing faintly at the touch of a being so suffused with
Ka’hadris gestured down to the Troll-smile. He shrugged, sensing magic.
another lecture coming on. “It’s time I told you everything I know about this blade of yours.
“Some of us are more irreverent than others. What can I do for I think you’ll need all the insight you’ll be able to get to prepare for
you, Master?” what’s coming. The world is changing, my boy.”
The gelatinous mage laughed in Ka’hadris’ mind. His twinkling
lights shone in harmony. * * *
“Master? Joshua, my boy! You haven’t been my student for years.
Valentine looked up in mild interest, as if hearing something just
In all honesty, you’re a more powerful wizard than I ever was—I
outside the room. The feeling only lasted a moment. A brief twinge
suspect than I ever will be.”
that drew his gaze to the far corner. He lowered the book in his
“Old habits die hard, Joshua.”
hands, his fingers tracing down the yellowed pages with a whisper.
They shared a moment before the professor burst out a telepathic
The utilitarian quarters he had been assigned within Dead Reckon-
cough of sudden remembrance. He slapped a pseudopod against his
ing bored him immensely. He had other places to rest his weary head,
head.
and had declined to use them. He’d taken to spending more time in
“Yes, of course! The reason I called you here. Actually, it’s two
the common area of the airship when he found himself aboard. He’d
reasons. Walk with me, my boy.”
had the ceiling painted black, first. Oil lamps now hung throughout
* * * the pillars, transforming the space into a pleasantly confused middle
ground between a cave, a cozy dive bar, and a submarine.
Lazlo at night didn’t have the same peculiar quality of its sunset, The gunmetal-grey of the bulkheads in this room were covered in
the particular shade that Ka’hadris had missed on a hundred other part by tapestries acquired in Atlantis, other areas plastered with pre-
worlds. It was still something to behold. The very air felt alive with Rifts posters collected from around the world, and nooks of shelves
magic, motes of dust or energy drifting as if on a slight breeze, per- full of books. Valentine had set out to make this place – what he had
meating and connecting the entire city. The two mages turned from started calling The Grotto – the one area of Dead Reckoning where
the polished floors of the avenues, meandering instead along the he would truly feel comfortable. Most of the other associates agreed;
clear-cut paths that ran through one of Lazlo’s many small, lightly even Frost had grudgingly conceded that it was an improvement.
forested parks. Now though, Valentine’s gaze wasn’t drawn by the decor but
Nikilrghz floated a hand’s-breadth from the gravel of the path, rather by a disturbance in the dimensional fabric. His attunement to
a silent counterpoint to the crunch of the bleached stone under the those energies brought his senses to a spot next to a torn and faded
armored boots of his human companion. Ka’hadris had no need to superhero poster the Headhunter had fished out of the ruins of Mad-
walk when he was on a ley line – even if he hadn’t known a spell to haven.
68
 Just in front of the black-shrouded figure crouched menacingly “Ka’hadris, my friend. It’s been too long.”
against a twinkling cityscape, the air felt fuller. Reality there was be- The corner of Ka’hadris’ mouth turned up in a half-smile, creas-
ginning to bend. Normal Euclidean geometry squirmed and wriggled ing his weathered but youthful face. Despite everything he disliked
as if struggling against something beyond. about his enigmatic associate, Valentine’s genuine air was always
Mouthing an incantation, Valentine cast his sight into the future. somewhat disarming. Still, a blonde eyebrow arched between simi-
He followed the skeins of probability to a series of visual flashes. larly hued, tousled hair and a piercing blue eye as the Line Walker
Blue cloak. took a sip of the dark, spiced wine. The strong drink coated his mouth,
Troll’s face. smooth but tart. It slid down his throat and warmed his stomach.
Oh, well. He supposed now was as good a time as any to have this “Too long? I saw you two weeks ago. This is good, by the way.”
conversation. Valentine flexed his mind, bringing his modest psychic The Shifter’s smile stayed put.
senses to bear for the next few minutes. He yawned, keeping half an “Ah yes, but I’ve spent most of last week doing research in the
eye on the anomaly as he returned to his book and wine. Void Isles, so it feels like considerably longer.
The airship was docked. Nevertheless, a mild shudder ran through “Yes, it is quite good. Made from jazbae grapes. It’s very popular
the Grotto as Ka’hadris abruptly emerged from a locus of bluish- in Warlord Seriyev’s domain, but the Russians actually sell more of
white light in the corner. Wispy traces of magic, ethereal tongues of it than they drink themselves. As hard as that may be to believe.”
flame, and simpler glowing particles sloughed off the Line Walker. Valentine took another sip, not offering anything more than his
To many, it would have been quite impressive. agreeable smile.
Valentine stifled another yawn. He didn’t want to be rude; wine
The Void Isles. He wondered how Valentine could find a place
sometimes made him sleepy. Besides, given the thundercloud of
like that relaxing. It wasn’t a very large dimension spatially, but it
surface thoughts and negative emotions washing off his associate
felt like a vast, desolate gulf.
and crackling through his aura, rudeness probably wouldn’t get him
The term ‘isles’ was a bit misleading. Valentine had described it
anywhere anyway.
as continent-sized masses hanging motionless in empty space; that
* * * space wasn’t a vacuum filled with galaxies, stars and planets, but
rather a breathable abyss of inky dark. The Shifter would often se-
Valentine inclined his head, not appearing to be surprised at the quester himself there for days, even weeks, when working on a new
sudden teleportation. The Shifter was even yawning as Ka’hadris un- spell or problem. Time in the Isles passed at a tenth of the time in
buckled some of the heavier elements of his armor, dropping them to their home dimension.
a long, low table along one wall. He shook out of his dark blue cape, Of course, Ka’hadris knew that the Void Isles weren’t the only
laying it over the breastplate followed by the rest of the uncomfort- place Valentine had been spending his time in the last few days.
able armor he really didn’t care to wear. He decided to get right to the point, but as if he sensed that
Underneath, tan traveling clothes were marked here and there Ka’hadris was about to speak, the Shifter lit the end of a small, black-
by pendants and other magical foci. Eldritch symbols etched into paper cigarette and started to talk. The aromatic smoke carried his
strange alloys hung from string or chain in loops around his brac- words.
ers, belts, and the tops of his sturdy boots of dark grey Fury Beetle “Do you know anything about threat displays in animals?”
leather. Removing the gas mask from around his neck, he stretched At his shake of the head, Valentine smiled again.
free of the sometimes confining garments of his trade. “I can lend you a book on behavioral evolution I’ve been reading.
As Ka’hadris joined Valentine at his table, the chair pulled out for It’s fascinating.
him seemingly of its own accord. Similarly, an empty goblet floated “Consider the bear. You can scare off a bear simply by waving
to his hand as he sat down. The Shifter didn’t lift a finger, letting the your hands and making a lot of noise. They don’t feel confident tan-
wine pour and only putting his book aside when the goblet was filled. gling with anything that appears larger than them. It’s an effective
He reached out with a hand to what appeared to be empty air. device, yes. Personally, I find it a little unsophisticated.
Smudged eddies, just greasy blurs hardly there at all, surrounded “But a bear won’t try to eat a razorblade snake, either. This isn’t
the manicured nails and uncalloused palm. Ka’hadris saw them as because the snake is larger than it — it isn’t, not by a long shot. It’s
amorphous blobs of psionic energy, featureless orbs. They flitted because the snake carries warning symbols wherever it goes. Sym-
around the Shifter’s fingers like playful puppies, nuzzling against his bols that promise pain and agony to whatever would try to kill and
knuckles and across the veined back of his hand. eat it. More importantly, the bear knows what the symbols mean too.
Valentine released a smattering of power, letting it flow through Red-banded frogs, tri-wave psychlodytes. It’s everywhere in nature,
him out into the ether. The two shapeless but mischievous creatures here and on countless other worlds.”
greedily absorbed the treat, practically purring at the refreshing nour-
Ka’hadris nodded.
ishment.
“What’s your point?”
“Do you know what ‘poltergeist’ means, originally?”
“You don’t like wearing the Happy Endings logo.”
Ka’hadris frowned.
“No.” “Not particularly. I think I see it now — you’re offended I don’t
“It’s a pre-Rifts German word. It means ‘noisy ghost,’ but I’ve enjoy your artwork?”
always found if you keep them well fed they make excellent pets.” Valentine gave a hearty laugh, taking another drag and inhaling
Dismissing them with a wave of his hand and a thought, Valentine deep. Faint curls of smoke traveled from his nostrils past his dark
looked Ka’hadris in the eyes for the first time since the Line Walker eyes; black gems twinkling with mirth and candlelight. He turned
had appeared. As always, they stared into him without betraying any- slightly in his chair, spreading the mantle from his shoulder to show
thing. He could feel the scrutiny behind the Shifter’s unwavering Ka’hadris the insignia patched to his sleeve.
pupils. The poltergeists busied themselves with a short-lived game, “Not at all. Well, I had hoped that you’d like it — as an academic
which apparently involved telekinetically blowing out several of the at least, a student of history like myself. But that’s not the point. You
lamps and relighting them at random. know what this is?”
Valentine chuckled at their antics, smiling warmly. “Yes, a Troll’s face.”
69
 “Come now, Kay. It’s the snake’s warning. When someone spies This was too fast.
this smirking yellow fellow, they will know that behind you is the He still didn’t know anything about what Valentine was after
rest of Happy Endings. I’ve managed to persuade Mengus to include here. There was a hungry look to the Shifter that Ka’hadris had al-
a similar image for Dead Reckoning. Threat displays – there’s a rea- ways been unsure about. Sometimes he looked like a cat idly think-
son they’ve evolved on most of the worlds that I’ve visited.” ing about playing with a mouse. Other times, Ka’hadris just didn’t
He set down his half-finished cigarette, which smoldered in the know what to think.
ashtray. A thin line of smoke climbed from the pewter rim of the All that talk about warning symbols and threat displays had start-
tray, its surface engraved with the serpentine forms of Japanese drag- ed him rethinking the formation of Happy Endings.
ons. The poltergeists, now bored with the lamps, swirled invisibly About how Valentine had suggested more than just the logo.
around the pillar of smoke and snatched at it playfully. Ka’hadris What exactly did an over-clever and enterprising Shifter need
leaned back in his chair. with his very own mercenary company?
“Point taken. Now you should hear mine.” He kept walking. Valentine would meet him in cargo bay three.
“I’m all ears.” Ka’hadris didn’t have a clue why two men would walk from one
He made a point of unbuckling his scabbard and leaning it against room to another only to teleport thousands of miles a minute later.
the tapestry-laden bulkhead, the not-quite-metal of the weapon al- When he entered, he immediately understood.
most seeming to subtly take on the winding patterns, but not the The Shifter was standing in a circular ring of symbols and alien
color, of the woven thread around it. characters, one of three painted on the deck. Even dressed as he was
“Joshua Nikilrghz asked me to visit him in Lazlo. I’ve just come in light, tight-fitting armor under a heavy and coarse, grey cloak,
from there. Is there a reason he’s telling me you’ve been asking ques- Valentine didn’t strike him as particularly threatening. Only the en-
tions about this?” ergy sphere hanging in the air nearby betrayed the Shifter’s might, a
Ka’hadris watched a sardonic faux-hurt expression cross Valen- potent weave of stored magic waiting to be tapped.
tine’s otherwise unreadable features. The inhabitants of the other two circles, on the other hand, made
“Yes, there’s a reason. In fact, there’s a few of them. his eyes itch to even look at. Abstract concepts bound to physical
“That’s not the question you mean to ask, of course. form, and none too happy about it. They were the stuff of nightmares
“What you mean to ask is why I came to Joshua and asked him generations old.
about your sword. Why I questioned him about where it had come And they were glaring at him.
from, what the dimensional coordinates are. And why, of course, Also cloaked in their own way by their furled, batlike wings, the
that I would bother to ask him any of this when I could’ve just asked two Baal-Rogs smelled of sulphur, old meat, and worse. The smoky
you.” aura about them stung his nose and eyes both. The cargo bay wasn’t
Ka’hadris felt the self-righteous words he’d been mulling over particularly cold, but their breath steamed from their fangs and nos-
dissipate like the upward ribbon of smoke before him. He’d sort of trils.
been looking forward to giving that speech, too. He nodded. He tended to forget the life spans of demons were immeasur-
“That’d be about it. Why so interested?” ably older than humans; they acted so strangely for such timeless
Valentine picked up the cigarette again, watching the trail of creatures. The way one of the two leathery beasts growled some-
smoke in the air follow the movement of its burning ember. He thing to its opposite number in their guttural tongue reminded him
looked at Ka’hadris levelly over their goblets. of petulant schoolchildren, barely constrained but told to stand still
“I’m interested because I’ve seen quite a bit in my few years around and behave themselves. Valentine shot a glance at the one who had
the Megaverse, and I’ve never seen anything like your sword there. spoken. Ka’hadris held out a hand, pointing an armored fingertip at
“I’ve spent some time identifying the P.P.E. wavelength of the the creature.
radiation it gives off. For reasons I don’t yet understand, I can’t fig- The dark speech of demons wasn’t pleasant to the ears. It was
ure out where the energy signature originates from. It could have considerably more unpleasant to speak. Oily, thick words and inhu-
come from our dimension, or any other with a strong magical energy man sounds escaped his lips.
matrix – even that I’m not sure about. “Mind yourself, demon. Your little words can’t hurt me, but I
“As for why I didn’t bring this to you directly; it’s because you know phrases that’ll send you screaming into the pit for a thousand
don’t entirely trust me, and I wanted to make sure I was hearing the years and a day. I might do it anyway just to freshen the air in here.”
truth. You had mentioned Nikilrghz and the sword in passing, so I Suitably chastised, the Baal-Rog’s horned brow drew down. The
decided to see what I could glean from him first before I bothered burning coals of its eyes stared into him. Ka’hadris could see the
you with it.” ancient malice behind those orbs, the patient and cruel intelligence
Valentine began to smoke again. glimmering there. It was a caged, calculating beast. Waiting and
“Now, I wasn’t entirely unprepared for this eventuality. You are watching for any way to escape its captivity.
somewhat earlier than expected, though properly attired.” Valentine smiled.
He nodded to the table. Ka’hadris met his gaze when it glanced “Demons. Nasty things. You know, behaviorally speaking,
back from the Troll’s face. they’re not too dissimilar from gorillas — immortal, psychopathic,
“Attired for what?” sorcerer gorillas, but you know what I mean. Sometimes all they
“I have a lead. If it works out the way I’m thinking it will, then need is a reminder of who the alpha is.”
it could be a way to track down where your spellblade came from in Ka’hadris sniffed noncommittally.
the first place. Or more likely, another place it’s been – which would “Or to be destroyed.”
still be further along than we are now.” That earned a hearty chuckle from the Shifter. He stepped from
“And if it doesn’t? Work out the way you think it will, that is.” the protection circle, stretching his back from kneeling amidst his
A wry grin stole over Valentine’s face. foci. He beckoned to the closest demon, who knelt at his side, head
“Like I said, you’re properly attired.” bowed. He scratched it behind the ear, disregarding the annoyed look
that crossed its face at the indignity of it all.
* * *

70
71
 “That definitely has its merits, too. But it will be handy to have begged for, often suddenly silenced before another would take its
these two around where we’re going. Help us to stay under the radar place. Ka’hadris felt every one, but this wasn’t why they had come.
a bit.” He glanced at Valentine to try and spy the same internal conflict, but
Ka’hadris was about to ask where two twenty-foot monstrosities didn’t see it.
of muscle, sinew, and dark magic would blend in. The Shifter certainly looked the part. He had wrapped himself
Before he even opened his mouth, he realized exactly where the in enchantments, ablative layers of perception and protection. To
Shifter had in mind. What felt like drops of cold water dripping down Ka’hadris’ magesight, he was a font of power, wreathed in incan-
his spine accompanied the sound when he spoke the name aloud. descent auras great and terrible to watch. His poltergeists were gone,
“Atlantis.” replaced by a terrifying shoal of new ghostly entities. Strands of
“Yes. I’m following up on a mid-range monster dealer. He’s quite stretched cotton pulling and waving in phantom breezes, the ecto-
good, and reliable. Most importantly, he’s discreet.” plasmic imprints of a dozen humanoids relived the last moments of
“How important is discretion with a pair of Baal-Rogs in tow?” their suffering. The conglomerate form wailed in agony constantly.
Valentine laughed, placing a friendly hand on Ka’hadris’s shoul- Features appeared and vanished again through a hazy fog bank of
der. pain and grief. The screams and gibbers faded in and out of their liv-
“Even more so. I’ve found a pair of Baal-Rogs accompanying a ing, echoing counterparts in the marketplace like a bad radio signal.
human or two to be the perfect demarcation point between waving He noticed that the voices were always quieter when Valentine was
your arms at a bear and the red flag of the snake.” speaking, leaning over to mutter a direction or comment.
He collected the rest of his things, buckling a utility belt around his He didn’t like it one bit. Playing with poltergeists was one thing,
waist. He beckoned to his demons, who moved in closer. Ka’hadris but this? He recognized some of those faces. He didn’t want to imag-
secured the gas mask around his nose and mouth, pulling goggles ine how Valentine had created that thing.
across his eyes. Finally, the stinging stench of the Baal-Rogs was Threat display, indeed.
muffled somewhat. They hit their first snag while they were walking out of one of the
Watching Valentine open the Rift, funneling innate power into main arteries of the Market proper, heading to the less populated sat-
the bridge through space-time, he wondered again what it felt like. ellite districts. It came in the form of the two twenty-foot Gargoyles
Ka’hadris had opened Rifts before, and traveled through many more. blocking their way. They had stopped to get a better look at the two
But he had learned a spell, from a book. Valentine just did it, only humans. Predatory curiosity peered down.
needing enough energy to somehow just tear the doorway in reality Beakish snouts were caked with blood, as were their gore-splat-
that hung fifteen feet tall before them. tered hands – all the way up to the elbows. Given the rancid meat
On the other side he could see alien shapes and refracted colors odor they carried on the breeze, Ka’hadris wondered if it was human
solidify into a featureless hallway of pale stone, daylight around the or not. He decided he didn’t want to know. Where the scaly, grey-
corner. Valentine relaxed slightly, holding the d-portal open with green giants were not covered in offal and buzzing flies, rippling
sheer will. Even under the strain, the Shifter managed a tight smile. muscle corded and flexed underneath skin as tough as tank plating.
“After you.” The monsters were unarmored, but definitely armed—one with a
giant-sized laser rifle, the other with a spiked maul easily half as tall
* * * as either Baal-Rog.
They croaked at each other in their vaguely avian tongue, and de-
The Splynn Dimensional Market was just as he remembered it. It
spite not knowing the language, Ka’hadris didn’t have to cast a spell
was Ka’hadris who had changed.
to hear the condescension in their tone. To drive home the point, one
He was profoundly different; stronger, more powerful. He had of the winged humanoids reached out an arm as thick as a tree trunk
less to fear, and even if that wasn’t much, it was still something. and shoved the other playfully. They flapped their twenty-foot wing-
Memories prodded at him, vague terrors threatening to return. He spans at each other, like threatening birds, before both stopped to
reminded himself to focus, going through a simple meditative tech- mock Valentine’s subservient Baal-Rogs. Squawking guffaws were
nique in his mind and shedding his fear like a cloak. Eyes calm, accompanied by their lashing tails, and the first Gargoyle bent over
breathing measured, Ka’hadris stood in the shadow of the Baal- to reach for the humans.
Rogs. Right away, he had the exact same sensation he experienced At their sides, each Baal-Rog puffed out its chest. They were al-
every time he set foot here. ready riled up by their proximity to so many other demons; it was
Splynn was like standing in a forest of monsters, in more ways made worse by the attitude of these usually-subordinate Gargoyles,
than one. these impertinent sub-demons.
When the height of the average inhabitant is somewhere between They cracked their wings out with a leathery snap, each draw-
fifteen and thirty feet, all a human can see at eye level are the smaller ing a flaming whip and axe as if from midair. Snorting fire from
demons and monsters moving around the larger groves of scaled or their nostrils, the sooty giants stepped between their master and the
slimy legs. He had to constantly stop himself from craning his neck Gargoyles.
to glance up at the sheer scale of everything. The D-Market was a The scuffle was attracting attention. Eyes of every shape and
place that made it very clear who was in charge. Humans and equiv- shade turned to observe them, but so far, none appeared to belong to
alently-sized d-bees were mostly herded past him in clusters, shoved the Minion guards. Ka’hadris knew that if they wanted to stay unno-
or whipped along by something twice their size. Others stayed to ticed, then they’d have to resolve this quickly. While they were still
the shadows, slipping through oversized doorways and hugging the being protected by the enslaved Baal-Rogs, he could use the time to
walls. He figured those were the smart ones. take the other beasts out cleanly.
Until he asked himself what that would make him and the Shifter. Protected by demons. Now that was something Ka’hadris had
The sounds pulled him in every direction. The thunder overhead never thought he would say.
was grumbling, growling, and shouting from a hundred terrible The Baal-Rogs snarled into the faces of the Gargoyles, push-
throats. It rumbled back and forth above them even as more disturb- ing them back away from their human charges. As the sub-demons
ing noises lanced at ground level. Shrieks, cries for help, and mercy reached for their weapons, flaming lashes wrapped around their

72
wrists and hoisted them off balance. Valentine’s eyes glowed briefly half-cooked meat. The supernaturally tough skin ran like wax under
as he focused his will, and from his momentary chant, the ground un- the weapon’s fury, and by the time the clip ran dry, even the last of
derneath and behind the maul-laden Gargoyle wavered and became the post-mortem twitching had finished.
almost thickly fluid-looking, like a dully glowing resin. When the Ka’hadris kept half an eye on the crowd, but what caught his at-
monster attempted to flap its wings and go airborne, the Baal-Rog tention was the arrogant curl to the Shifter’s lip. The barest baring
roared in protest. Holding it fast with the fiery whip, the stronger of teeth. The eye not covered by sophisticated multi-optic headgear
demon slammed its bulk into its distant cousin. was wide, pupil dilated. On many, it would be a worrisome expres-
When the Gargoyle hit the ground, the magical carpet stuck fast sion to see.
and it thrashed angrily, trying to free itself. Where it touched the On him, it was frightening because Ka’hadris still had no idea
stone street, the glow pulled like glue, elastically dragging it down- how genuine it really was.
wards. The angry screeches increased in volume as it became more Valentine methodically replaced the clip before tucking the gun
desperate, but couldn’t move more than to struggle. back under his heavy cloak. He gestured to the Baal-Rogs, who once
The second Gargoyle fared better, managing to squeeze off a again took up their protective positions. Ka’hadris slid his sword
burst of laser fire before the other Baal-Rog could stop it. The beams back into its scabbard, following the Shifter’s lead.
stitched across the demon’s bronze breastplate, but more got past. The crowd gave them a wide berth as they left.
Several pulses sizzled close enough to Ka’hadris that he could smell He blew a sigh underneath his gas mask. For a moment, he wor-
his robe singe, and he sniffed the acrid wisps even as he drew magic ried they’d drawn too much attention. Before they were even a block
forth from within. away, he watched a Gallu pull its human slave limb from limb. The
The Baal-Rog made a soulless sound that froze the blood; a de- man’s cries were parroted and mocked by the half-circle of Ghouls
mon’s pain. Pulling its whip taut to yank the Gargoyle closer, the and Shedim cheering on the laughing bull-demon. In the span of a
demon hacked off a wing with the broad-bladed axe in two vicious few seconds, they were all but forgotten to the creatures of the D-
strokes. A howl escaped the wounded Gargoyle just as Ka’hadris Market.
stepped forward, his spell primed and ready. He twitched with the It was then that Ka’hadris remembered what passed for normal
barely-restrained power, unleashing it in a torrent against the one- in Splynn.
winged monster. They walked through immense avenues of Earthbound and alien
The rush of the magic brought the mind of the sub-demon into stone. Occasionally, Bio-Wizard statues of bizarre birds or Gargoyle-
contact with his own. Despite the foreknowledge of how alien a de- like creatures turned metallic heads at their passing. In Splynn, one
monic mind really is from human, Ka’hadris was still repulsed by the should know they’re always being watched. They had Rifted in close
base, malignant thoughts inside the Gargoyle’s head. He was glad he to their destination; but in a city scaled up to the monstrous, a few
wouldn’t be there for very long. He spoke a final word and gestured. blocks took longer than he thought. They followed some distance
Flooding its brain with churning chaos, he neatly overloaded the behind a necromancer carried in a palanquin before the fiend turned
wounded Gargoyle’s nervous system. down a side street. Ka’hadris tightened his fists when he noticed that
The thing shrieked in unbelievable agony, digging talons into its some of the plodding skeletons in the mage’s retinue were noticeably
skull as if to dig out the magical influence. He watched the bird-like child-sized.
pupils widen, go glassy and unfocused. Trying to stand, the Gargoyle Twice, Minion patrols passed them. Hovering discs thirty feet
fell over as if drunk. It looked around with dumb eyes, not seeming around holding all manner of the Splugorth’s muscle. They had bet-
to comprehend anything around it except in the simplest of terms. He ter things to do than to hassle a pair of human mages, turning away
almost felt sorry for it. tinted goggles and slavering teeth to glide silently past, towards the
The Baal-Rogs stood back at a command from Valentine. The Market. Ka’hadris felt a little better when he heard Valentine sigh
temporarily lobotomized Gargoyle stumbled out of the way, falling under his breath in relief.
into a nearby garbage heap and laying prone amidst the trash. Its Signage hung across the tan stone of the smaller buildings –
fellow was still trying with all its might to break free of the mystic smaller in this case meaning only fifty or so feet high. When build-
flypaper that bound it to the floor. The nearest of those in the crowd ings are that tall, not a lot of sunlight gets to ground level, so the
grew hushed, waiting to see what would happen next. Splugorth had coated many of the upper floors of their city with re-
The grunting and huffing of the trapped Gargoyle seemed uncom- flective panels. Dappled sunlight fell from the broader avenues down
fortably loud in the strange quiet. the smaller streets, leaving shallow shadows in corners. Immense
Ka’hadris drew his sword, unsure of what to do next. He was very vendors’ stands touted metal bowls filled with stinking offal and hu-
aware that they were utterly surrounded by the Minions of Splugorth, man heads, others offering bargain weapons and armor sized for gi-
an entire continent of the monster races, and even worse. He stood at ants.
the ready, watching the crowd nervously. Alien eyes stared back, but Most of the signs around were incomprehensible, a million dia-
it was Valentine who commanded their attention. lects of a thousand languages. The magic flowed through him easily,
Slowly, deliberately, Valentine approached the squirming Gar- and Ka’hadris watched the alien characters on the sign shimmer and
goyle plastered to the floor. From the unseen depths of his cloak, he contort until they made sense. He quickly saw the one they wanted.
produced an exotic-looking rifle. He looked around meaningfully at “There it is. Qork’ng Creatures Deadly and Fair.”
the towering monstrosities all around them, not hesitating to look The Shifter squinted, looking around.
them straight in the eyes. “Is it just me, or does this street remind you of Chinatown in the
The barrel pointed unwaveringly at the green, horned head for Iron Heart ‘Burbs?”
what seemed like ages. “I wouldn’t know. I don’t like the ‘Burbs.”
He put round after round into the skull of the defenseless sub- Valentine snarled at the demons to stay outside. They stood to ei-
demon, rainbow fire gouting from the Rechno-Wizard weapon to ther side of the door, arms folded across their barrel chests peevishly.
smash flesh and bone alike. He squeezed the trigger until the clip He turned to Ka’hadris.
was empty, automatic fire tearing chunks from the head and shoul- “Shall we?”
ders until everything from the collarbone up was just bloody ruin and * * *
73
 The monster dealer was exactly what Ka’hadris might have ex- Behind him, he heard Valentine thanking Qork again, giving her
pected, with one exception. The stuffy, animal-cage smell was right. the copy of Sherlock Holmes she hadn’t been able to get her claws
The dim lighting, broken here and there by shafts of sunlight cutting on even in Splynn. She squealed with delight, hugging the Shifter so
through the dust. Cages stacked in shelves, most of which were big- hard his defensive wards kicked on in a pulse of invisible force. His
ger than he was. The sounds were low, but the air hummed with the feet dangled in the air. Valentine coughed a laugh, patting her on the
calls and cries of hundreds of species. shoulder-horns.
The one thing he hadn’t counted on was the quiet. As soon as they “Thank you, Qork. I can feel the bruises developing already.
passed through the outer curtain, the bustling background noise of Now, how about telling us all you know about these ‘Shooting Stars’
the city was completely muted. Even the far-off screaming and cry- of yours?”
ing of the slaves faded away. She set him back down, looking as bashful as a fifteen-foot
He almost felt safe. beast can. His eyebrow raised when Qork began to speak again, and
They paced past creatures familiar and completely alien, cloaks Ka’hadris stepped back further from the glass. Her demeanor rapidly
catching on spines and hooks that protruded between bars. Valentine changing from giggling girl to serious academic, Qork held out a
silenced the shrieking chorus, looking sheepish. He shrugged. claw expansively.
“The wailing gets distracting. Qork should be back here.” “Well, they’re called Shooting Stars in your language — a nick-
Qork’ng was very much not what Ka’hadris might have expected. name. I’m not sure of the genus or species exactly in American, but
The creature closed the book she had been delicately manipulating the Stars are true metaphysical evolutions. Life forms that evolved in
with needle-like claws, letting the hardcover snap shut. Tough, leath- the space between dimensions. They feed on certain microorganisms
ery hide was broken here and there by clumps of horned bone that that get caught in the dimensional fabric. These guys are like vacuum
broke the skin and tented the loose-fitting robes she wore. Her face, cleaners — or suckerfish.
the same red midnight color as the wine they had the night before, lit “So the suckerfish clean the space between dimensions, and in
up with excitement when they came down the aisle. doing so, they drift from plane to plane. Here’s the kicker: they re-
Fifteen feet of flesh bent over them, shaking their hands with re- member every single dimension they’ve ever been to! They have this
strained vigor. A smile broke the giant’s hideous face, infectious in little gland that records all of them. Like rings on a Dybok’s horns,
its enthusiasm. Even though his arm felt like it had barely resisted or the black box in a hovercraft. Daddy said they could act as a d-
being ripped from its socket, Ka’hadris grinned back at the good- bloodhound, but you have to give them the scent.”
natured glee before him. The monster babbled like a fifteen-year old It was coming together. Ka’hadris was impressed, but more than
girl in slightly accented American, the last syllable turned up slightly a little unsure. How long had Valentine been researching this? How
at the end of words. long had his self-assured companion been watching, recording his
“Val! I’m so happy you’re here, I’ve been waiting forever! Who observations, nursing this pet project of his? In the lull, Valentine
is this? Is he your friend? What’s your name? You’re a Line Walker, made a pleased noise in his throat. He and Ka’hadris both turned
aren’t you?” eyes to the sword sitting innocuously in its scabbard.
The Shifter held out his hand to ward off the stream of questions. “I think we can manage that, my dear.”
“Hello Qork. This is Ka’hadris, a friend of mine. Yes, he is; that’s
very astute of you. * * *
“How’s your father? Your shop is as impressive as he described
Three hours later, they were beginning to get somewhere. At first,
back in Center.”
Ka’hadris and Valentine had spent precious time corralling the little
Qork sighed melodramatically. Her lips pouted around her fangs.
Stars individually and exposing them to the spellsword one at a time.
“On business again. Back to Phase World. He won’t be back for
Some of them seemed interested but wandered off after a few min-
two months. He said you’d be by, so I’ll show you around anyway.”
utes, while others had no discernible reaction. Finally, they decided
Qork placed a bookmark in her tome and held it loosely against
to just levitate the sword inside the tank to see what would happen.
her thigh. Ka’hadris would’ve had to cast a spell to lift it at all. Val-
After that, all they could do was get comfortable... and talk.
entine twisted his mouth in mild annoyance.
Ka’hadris wished he loved anything as much as Valentine loved
“I thought he’d be here. Do you know what it is we’re here to
the sound of his own voice.
see?”
Now, staring at a gently swirling school of the small creatures
Ka’hadris didn’t know what they were here for. He wondered if
instead of the aimless mass scattered about earlier, Ka’hadris felt
the Shifter even did. Their monstrous hostess straightened, drawing
better. He cradled the sword on fingers of invisible force, fingers
aside the curtains made from spiked chain that clinked and scraped
outstretched. He let them drift across the blade, enjoying their dance.
against sandstone. The hallway beyond was dark, the only light glint-
Valentine yawned, and Ka’hadris could hear him scratching the
ing faintly around the first corner.
short black hair at the nape of his neck.
“Yeah, I know. You’re here to see the Shooting Stars.”
“What do you think the odds are that any single one of those have
* * * been to the dimension we’re looking for?”
Ka’hadris glanced over to him. The Shifter was cross-legged
The creature behind the glass floated peacefully. If he’d been any three feet off the ground, his back against the pebbled rock wall. A
closer to the tank, Ka’hadris would have steamed the glass with his large hardcover and a smaller, leather-bound journal were similarly
breath. The small being didn’t seem to mind. No bigger than a shrimp, suspended before him. He didn’t look up.
it looked like a jellyfish spun from translucent chrome and neon. Its “You asking for a number?”
rainbow tendrils waved placidly in metaphysical currents, brushing Valentine left his books hanging in the air, unfolding his legs
away from the distinctively-shaped head that gave it its name. It was from underneath him. He came smoothly to his feet, stretching like a
barely there at all; he could see his reflection in the glass clearer than cat before tucking the weathered text and notebook into his satchel.
the shades of the creature. He stepped back, the single Star, once He draped his cloak back over one shoulder.
again, just one of many drifting throughout the empty tank. “No, not really. I was just making conversation. My turn.”

74
 He indicated the spot he had been sitting in. His hands brushed In their place, a semicircle of sneering, armor-clad demons bran-
the wall with a light rasp. dished an assortment of heavy weapons and energy rifles. Bristling
“This section of wall is particularly comfortable.” with cybernetic augmentation, some waved bionic blasters and hoot-
Ka’hadris let himself drift, unwinding as the other mage took his ed mockingly. They had the look of feral dogs, emboldened by num-
shift. His feet came off the ground, his body suspended on the ley bers and the taste of blood. Each of them was easily nine feet tall.
line’s energy alone. The tinkle of his amulets faintly accompanied Mountains of distilled threat.
the floating sensation, and his back arched comfortably. His cape A handful of their dead littered the alley, lying prone or in pieces.
hung below him, a line of blue fabric, but he couldn’t feel its weight. They had been stripped of their belongings, leaving only half-clothed
He’d always preferred line drifting to levitation. forms and limbs of greyish, scaly hide. The survivors didn’t seem
A thought occurred to him, and he raised his head somewhat to particularly demoralized by the attrition, and Ka’hadris noticed that
peer at the Shifter, now standing before the glass. Valentine was much of their equipment was spattered with the ichor of their fallen.
reading from a tablet computer, his back to Ka’hadris. He tapped They grinned with too many teeth.
intermittently at the screen. Brodkil.
“Why do you levitate, Val? I could never tolerate it as a novice, Frost had started calling Brodkil ‘lumpheads’ because of their
having to cast it again every few minutes. Even now it wouldn’t be lumpy craniums, and even Ka’hadris had to admit the name suited
more than half an hour before I’d have to cast it over again. How can them. Underneath each of the misshapen skulls, some dotted with
you meditate? How do you even relax?” what looked like strange M.O.M. implants or bionic eyes, was sever-
The Shifter turned, lowering the computer to his side. He put his al hundred pounds of demonic muscle, bionic armor, and the attitude
back against the glass, but standing on the cool stone. He scratched of a high school bully in a pre-Rifts film. Grinning with too many
at his light stubble before crossing his arms over the slim belly of his teeth, the lumpheads jostled shoulders. Enjoying their numerical ad-
armored bodysuit. vantage. Psyching themselves up.
“I’ve always done it, ever since I learned how. When I’m on a One spoke in American, the familiar words forced through fangs
line, that is. I suppose it became something of a habit. It helps to keep and hate. Aside from the unnatural deepness of the demon’s speech,
me focused. I use it to think, not to meditate. I tend to lose track of bubbling up as if from a well, the drawl could have sprung from any
time, you know. Pulling more energy from the line every few min- drunkard in the New West.
utes helps keep me in the moment.” “You two boys are a long ways from home, ain’tcha?”
The tablet chimed gently in his hands. Valentine resumed his tap- Its cronies laughed, hard cawing like deep-throated crows. Their
ping, turning back to the Shooting Stars. posturing would’ve been menacing if it hadn’t been so sycophantic.
“It looks like we have something.” Ka’hadris rolled his eyes behind his goggles. He had to remind him-
Ka’hadris dropped to the floor, boot heels clicking with a hollow self that this was Atlantis before he answered. The temptation to just
report. Rolling his shoulders, he joined the Shifter at the glass. The eliminate these monsters was outweighed by the simple fact that they
tablet in Valentine’s hands showed a representation of all the crea- were surrounded by a city of their kin. For all they knew, the Minions
tures in the tank, complete with tags. The ones closest to the sword of Splugorth were already on their way, responding to the battle be-
flashed brighter than the rest, and one in particular blinked notice- tween these thugs and the formerly enslaved Baal-Rogs.
ably on the screen. Ka’hadris squinted at the actual sword before They would have to play it careful, in case the locals took occa-
them, and spotted it without too much trouble. Valentine clicked his sion to another fight in the middle of the street; the last time he had
canines together twice in satisfaction. encountered a pack of Brodkil, it hadn’t exactly been a war of words.
“Let’s get a cage. A force field; if we put this little fellow in a d- All the same, he spoke through a sneer. Strength was all these crea-
pocket, it’ll just slide right through and we’ll never find it.” tures seemed to understand.
They quickly said their goodbyes to Qork, still with her nose bur- “What do you want, filth?”
ied in the gigantic book. Valentine clipped the Shooting Star’s small Valentine raised an eyebrow.
forcecage to his belt with semi-numb fingers after another crushing The Brodkil who’d spoken bared its teeth. Spittle gleamed from
handshake. The Shifter shook his hand as he once again draped him- its lower lip. It silenced the rest of the group with a violent gesture.
self in enhancing magicks, and Ka’hadris smartly avoided a similar The leader held out a grotesquely over-proportioned mechanical
injury by offering the monstrous girl a polite bow. arm. In the metal fist sat an ancient-looking axe, inscribed with sigils
With both hands behind his back. of power and strength.
Ka’hadris wasn’t sure if it was actually old — so many weapon
* * * dealers would artificially age their wares just so they could jabber
A problem with having a sensitivity to magic and the supernatu- about ancient enchantments and relics — but he could feel the magic
ral is that places like Atlantis tend to scramble those senses some- dripping from the serrated blade.
what. Demons and magicians around every corner made Ka’hadris The demon gnashed fangs again, producing almost more drool
feel like he had a slight ringing in his ears, or a lingering aroma that than words.
just wouldn’t go away. Somewhere less saturated with monsters and “We want you, boys. Big money to smash you, and we’s gonna
magic, they’d flare up on his mental radar from a fair distance instead bring you back home to the grill. We’s hungry!”
of getting lost in the shuffle. When he and Valentine stepped out into The demons chorused again, pointing guns and shaking fists.
the street, squinting in the sun now sitting high in the sky, Ka’hadris None made to fire before the leader gave his order. Ka’hadris was
had only processed the muddled feelings he was getting for what impressed at their discipline.
they were. He spared a glance at Valentine.
By then his adjusting eyes had told him what he needed to know. “What do you think?”
The Baal-Rogs were gone, killed or banished back to their infer- The Shifter clucked his tongue.
nal home. It appeared that they hadn’t gone quietly. There were deep “I think that I don’t have time for this. Give me a few seconds,
furrows of claw marks down the walls and patches of charred stone then put your thumb out.”
underfoot.
75
 That was enough for Ka’hadris. Before Valentine had even in demonic and bionic talons. Hoarse, unintelligible roars spouted
thrown the cloak back off his shoulders, the sword sang its way out from their maws. Baleful yellow eyes stretched wide and wild. One,
of its scabbard, raised to a guard position. Even as he did, words faster than the rest by way of the elephantine bionics comprising its
of power escaped his lips. Mystic energy coursed through him and lower body, leapt for his throat. Ka’hadris barely got his blade be-
where two wizards had stood before the gang of demons, now six tween himself and the lashing claws of the beast. The impact of the
mirror images of the Line Walker held identical swords low over supernaturally strong blow almost ripped the sword from his hand
one shoulder. and sent a numbing shock up his arm. He imagined he could smell
Behind him, Ka’hadris could feel Valentine begin to warp space the fetid breath even through the gas mask.
and time, the magic tightly focused through his will. The Brodkil Then the others reached him.
leader raised his axe. Ka’hadris exhaled, controlling his breathing A pair of heavy alien broadswords carved the air towards his head
for the combat to come. Magic flowed through him, the man simply and he batted them aside two-handed. He spun aside as the giant’s
a peaceful conduit. momentum carried it past him, and the next ones were already on
The first onslaught of energy blasts was unexpectedly inaccurate. him. Desperately parrying jagged, saw-toothed blades, one sliced so
The sword moved as an extension of his arm, seeming to blur; inter- close that he saw a charm drop from his gauntlet, its thin cord cut.
cepting lasers moving at the speed of light isn’t a problem when you The last reached out with metal-sheathed claws to deliver a punish-
can move your blade before the triggers are even pulled. It weaved ing thrust to his abdomen. The composite of the Troll’s face cracked
through the air of its own accord, swatting beams away to dig chunks under the stress, absorbing as much as it could before Ka’hadris was
from pale Atlantean stone. knocked bodily off his feet.
Valentine reached forwards, clapping his gloved palms together. He landed twenty feet away, rolling with the impact to come up
Intertwining his fingers, he then pulled them apart, again leveraging on the balls of his feet. Gasping through the mask, Ka’hadris readied
himself as he tore through the fabric of existence. His cloak blew himself for the next charge. He began to channel energy into the
out behind him when the opening appeared. A teardrop shape, a rip, sword, panting the words of a spell. Magic slowly percolated into
grew between his jet-black gauntlets. It seemed to gain traction as he the weapon, the spellform building within the blade, but it was a
did so, the roiling chaos beyond coalescing into a glassy image of a complicated incantation.
picturesque glade inside dense forest. Ka’hadris felt the portal dilate There wouldn’t be enough time.
fully, the resonance of the Rift settling into harmony. Then the Shift- The lumpheads were lunging forward again to close the distance
er leaped through, and the d-portal was gone as quickly as it had ap- just as he felt the spike of energy come from Valentine. The Shifter
peared. It left behind nothing but the slight odor of grass and sea air. swept a wave of otherworldly light across the six of them, catch-
Ka’hadris wished he could pull more power from the line nexus. ing them in a cone of interdimensional radiance. Ka’hadris watched
It rolled sparingly into him; as close as they were to the magic-reg- their movements stutter and jerk as the temporal distortion snared the
ulating Great Pyramid of Splynn, he had to draw deep of his own demons in Valentine’s grip. Dull confusion etched on their brutish
reserves of energy. He could still see the disturbance in the air, the features, the Brodkil lumbered as if through molasses.
vestige of Valentine’s exit. He forced a wedge of power into the fad- The leader roared in frustration, goading forwards the rest of its
ing tear, hitching a ride along the remnant trail of the other traveler. demonic squad with swipes of his axe. Letting loose with another
Brilliant ultramarine light blinded him. volley, the heavy weapons punched through Valentine’s magical de-
A second or a year later, he and Valentine stood alone in the tran- fenses. One Brodkil hefted a multi-barreled launcher, spewing mis-
quil clearing he’d glimpsed through the Rift. The near-silence was siles across the clearing. A percussive explosion close to Valentine’s
deafening. The sigh of relief he was just about to let out was inter- left cooked the air around him. The hazy field shattered like glass,
rupted by the harsh bang of teleportation. dropping from his form. A last laser burst melted the armor of his
The thunderclap of displaced air echoed again and again in quick thigh, eliciting a grimace of pain. Through the drifting smoke of the
succession. His cape blew forward in the rush of wind, Valentine’s corkscrew trails, the leader appeared. The snarling demon took pot-
gusting behind him in sympathy. Ka’hadris turned, following Valen- shots at the wounded Shifter, firing bolts of plasma from its bulky
tine’s narrowing eyes amidst the rest of the crashes. alien pistol.
The semicircle of demonic thugs, weapons at the ready, was not Valentine staggered back a few steps, pulling his cloak around
what he expected to see. him. The dark threads blurred together tenebrously, flickering like
Their almost-chemical stink, all pheromones and dumb fury, had tongues of grey flame. Gnashing out more arcane speech through
been muffled somewhat by the exotic odors of Splynn. Here, in this clenched teeth, he backed away under the crown of a massive nearby
clear air, it was palpable. Ka’hadris’s gaze was drawn to something elm. Valentine stepped into the deepest green shade and disappeared
that had escaped his notice earlier. Each had a glowing medallion af- completely. The Brodkil’s shots blew deep craters into the soil and
fixed to their armor. Against the scratched, faded, and bloody plate, rock where they hit, throwing dirt into the air but not revealing the
they glowed dully with a sickly yellow light. Shifter. The only sign of his presence was the chanting that contin-
Somehow, the lumpheads had followed them. ued in the shadows below the tree’s dense branches.
He couldn’t waste too much time wondering how they had done Ka’hadris surged into a Brodkil with every ounce of momentum
it. Valentine tapped an amulet and a transparent suit of armor shim- he could muster. Its disgusting face twisted in slow motion to try and
mered briefly into place around his form. It snapped into existence follow his movements. Coming up under its guard, he rammed his
just in time, the next volley of gunfire slamming into him so hard he blade into its rib cage. The spellsword, suffused with an enchantment
almost lost his footing. The Armor of Ithan flickered almost invisibly totally anathema to their supernatural flesh, left only ash and steam
under the impacts of a burst of rail gun rounds. Flattened chunks of in its wake. The desiccated remains tumbled to the ground, already
metal dropped to the ground, but the Shifter still reeled under the im- scattering to the wind. He swung another heavy two-handed blow
pact. His voice rose in more mystic syllables, hands sketching glyphs to his right on the backswing, but caught nothing but the screech
that left afterimages on Ka’hadris’ retinas even through the goggles. of bionic plate. The Brodkil’s claws contemptuously turned the
He had problems of his own. Six of the Brodkil rushed him, bar- swipe aside, its incredible strength showing even through the slug-
reling forwards with vicious-looking close combat weapons clutched gish quantum mire. He rolled aside, invoking a protective ward that

76
blurred into existence around him. He reached up to his ear, pinging pack were organized again too, rallying around their leader. Togeth-
his radio, but only dead silence greeted him. er, some were making quick work of the snake-thing while the others
Where was the damn Shifter? reloaded their cannons. He shared a glance to Valentine.
The leader was on him before he even knew it, chopping at his “Escape?”
shoulder with inhuman ferocity. Ka’hadris parried, his arms burning “No. We shouldn’t leave them here, of all places. Besides, I’m
from exhaustion. As if sensing his weakness, the Brodkil fired his pis- not so sure we could. We fight. Actually...”
tol point-blank and Ka’hadris had to waste precious seconds dodging Valentine closed his eyes, then opened them again.
burning plasma. He slashed across the chest of another slow-moving “Ah. I don’t think it’ll be much of an issue either way.”
demon, caving in the rib cage and reducing the hulking monster to a The leader laughed louder than the rest, over the squeals of the
cloud of particulates. Its death cry wavered as demonic tissue turned embattled snake-demon and the buzzing Vibro-Blades of his war-
to dust. His sword moved through alien flesh with consummate ease. riors. Beyond even that, as if in the faint distance, they could hear a
He leaped back for a moment to take stock of his opponents. hollow, shrill shriek, lowering in pitch but growing steadily louder.
He was counting the remaining Brodkil when another demon “Can’t run, squishies! Boss say you goin’ nowhere! We catcha!
erupted from behind the elm. Scaly skin flush with exertion, a sinu- We kills ya! We eatcha! We-”
ous snake-like tail underneath drove forward half a ton of rippling Abruptly, all ten Brodkil and the wounded snake-thing vanished
muscle and sinew. The grotesque creature dripped a slimy mucus in the blinding flash of a massive series of explosions. The volley
from every pore. Dirt clung to the viscous fluid covering a full fif- of missiles, announced by their telltale whistling scream, slammed
teen feet of tail, and flung in thick ropes from claws the length of into the demons and turned forty feet of grass and underbrush into
Ka’hadris’ forearms. A heavy jaw full of razor-edged teeth gritted, a smoking crater. Ka’hadris could feel the blistering heat on the ex-
rivers of greenish drool churning down its fangs. Red, glowing eyes posed skin of his face as a shock wave of hot air whipped his cape
narrowed under a furrowed and saurian brow. He had never seen out behind him. His legs shuddered underneath him as the impact
such a creature. rocked them. Over the ringing in his ears, he heard Valentine’s voice
Luckily, it appeared to be on his side. Rushing into the nearest in his head.
lumphead with an inarticulate scream, the snake-demon sank its “Ah, the cavalry.”
talons deep into its hide and cybernetic armor alike. Groaning with Even as bits of stone, dirt, dust, and detritus continued to pitter-
effort, it lifted the Brodkil clear above its head before tossing it neg- patter on the foliage and soil around them, the smoke began to clear
ligently aside. He heard skull strike an outcropping of rock with a in the glade. Giant, bulky forms, each nearly ten feet tall, stomped
sickening crack, and it remained slumped on the ground where it lay. purposefully through the cloud. They carried immense weapons, la-
In the wake of the strange snake-thing’s appearance, Valentine ser beams tracking from underslung mounts and drawing glowing
strode confidently from the shadows. He gestured at the Brodkil lines through the dissipating brownish smudge. Valentine visibly re-
reloading its missile launcher, hand radiating a pulsating red light. laxed, and Ka’hadris followed suit when he saw them emerge.
The monster’s right hand briefly mirrored the glow before the heavy Two suits of Samson power armor stood over the scattered re-
weapon fell from nerveless fingers to thud solidly into the earth. The mains of the Brodkil. Grey, overlapping plates framed the pilots
slow-witted warrior grunted and fumbled, hissing as it pulled a short within, but whereas one had a black helm bisected by darkly mir-
sword in its good hand. rored armorglass, the other’s head and right arm were painted blood
The leader had nearly reached Ka’hadris, who was still trying to red. Rail guns lowered when the pair spotted the magicians, lasers
fend off the remaining Brodkil and keep the snake-thing in his line fading and the motors inside the weapons cycling down with a whine.
of sight in the midst of the swirling melee. Valentine might have Most reassuring of all was the familiar yellow insignia across
summoned that one, but as far as Ka’hadris was concerned, a demon their left shoulders.
was still a demon. He could feel the supernatural evil rolling off the Ka’hadris had only static in his earpiece, and the voice that came
abomination in waves. next came over the external loudspeaker of the black helmet. Even
Was it worth it to win the battle — was it right to win — like this? through the speaker, it was a rough, tearing sound.
What sort of person was Valentine if he would associate himself “I suppose you two were having too much fun to turn your radios
with such a vile thing? on.”
He didn’t have much time to consider such things. Too slow to Valentine’s voice next to him was surprisingly calm.
dodge a lumpy blast of plasma, his wards crackled and shook to dis- “We should say the same thing, Frost. We’ve tried to reach you
perse the energy when it splashed over his shoulder. He ground his more than once in the last minute or so.”
teeth against the magical feedback that screeched in his head. He The Headhunter made a noncommittal sound in his throat. The
only had his sword back up to guard when the lead Brodkil appeared pilot of the second suit lifted the crimson arm, servos whirring. He
not five feet away, skidding to a halt from a powerful leap. Eyes blaz- pointed at Valentine. His words blared, amplified by his suit into
ing, it raised an axe over its head, waving the blade threateningly. thundering accusations.
Ka’hadris readied himself for its attack. “Don’t need to sound so bored, Shifter.”
The attack never came. Magical tracers leaked from the axe-head, He chewed the last word; it was almost a curse.
spreading like streamers in a radius around the Line Walker and the “If we hadn’t been doing recon nearby, things might have gone
gang of demons. To Ka’hadris’ eyes and feelings, they were like a different for your little demon party.”
chilly void in space. Where they fell gracefully to land on the slowed Ka’hadris knew Falco didn’t fear and mistrust magic the way
Brodkil, the demons stiltedly began to move at normal speed. He felt Frost did, but he couldn’t disagree with the disgust he heard in the
the intangible ribbons drift to settle over him, too. They were so cold pilot’s voice. He had seen the things Valentine had pulled from the
they burned, and his protection dissolved around them. He could feel abyss today. The other mage seemed unconcerned with Falco’s
the magic being leached from his spell, surely as the streamers that booming words even as he continued.
tugged at his sword nullified the deadly enchantment there. “Figure that other nasty tangling with the lumpheads was your
Fighting through the malaise of the antimagic, he escaped the doing. Aren’t you mad we fragged your little pet?”
laughing lumpheads with a back flip, regrouping with Valentine. The Breaking suddenly into a smile, Valentine waved dismissively.

77
 “Not even a little bit. Thanks for saving me the trouble; it was just Mengus held a complicated-looking scanner over the dinner
a demon, after all. No big loss. Besides, there’s more where that one plate-sized mechanism. Ka’hadris recognized the device as one of
came from.” the glowing yellow discs each of the Brodkil had been wearing. The
He briskly trotted past the other mercenaries, stopping at one of the Operator shrugged.
dead Brodkil, laying where the snake-demon had thrown it. Its neck “Beats me, but it’s definitely Techno-Wizardry.”
twisted at an unnatural angle, lying motionless on the rock. The Shifter Frost blew smoke. Falco lit the cigarette, following suit. The blu-
bent over the corpse. He reached into his satchel, producing the tablet. ish cloud escaped his thick, black beard.
Cocking his head curiously, he turned the computer over in his hands. “How can you tell?”
Ka’hadris joined Frost and Falco, nodding his thanks. Another “Because if it was anything else, I’d be able to tell you what the
voice spoke into his ear, his radio link returning from the silence they hell it is.”
had labored under since he and Valentine had landed here. Valentine chuckled. He put his tablet on the table, pointing to the
“-hear me? What’s wrong with their comms?” screen. A list of diagnostic information scrolled down the display.
“We’re good here, Mengus. Targets are neutralized.” “I believe this is the reason our communications were disrupted
Frost’s voice echoed over the external speakers and the link, a when we arrived. Perhaps these are the Rechno-Wizard equivalent
weird overlapping speech. of a jamming device.”
“I know they’re neutralized, Frost. I’m the one who fired two “No.”
dozen damn mini-missiles at them. You and Falco just laser-painted When Ka’hadris spoke, surprised eyes turned his way. He didn’t
the targets. Plus, I can see the smoking crater over your video feeds. shrink under their questioning gazes, gesturing to the complicated
But why are their comms dead?” weave of wiring and gemstones beneath the casing Mengus had re-
“They’re not, Mengus.” moved.
He didn’t know when or how the link had been interrupted, but it “It’s more than that. This must be how they found us even after
appeared to be working again. Ka’hadris heard Frost and Falco’s ex- we escaped.”
ternal speakers click off audibly as they realized it too. Behind them, Mengus frowned.
Valentine stood from his crouch, holding something in his hands. “How do you know that? Maybe they just teleported in with you.”
Over the link, the smooth, nonplused tone sounded mildly curious. “That’s not the way it works. Dimensional transport isn’t some-
“Not anymore, anyway — and I think I might know why.” thing you can follow. It’s like skipping stones across water—you
“That’s great you guys, but why don’t you come inside and tell have to know where the stone is going to land. Following the ripples
me about it? You’ll have to use the cliff hangar. I haven’t repaired in the water doesn’t help. You can’t just chase after someone when
the concealed entrances up there yet.” they Rift away.“
Falco knocked a fist against Frost’s shoulder with a metallic clang. Suddenly understanding, Ka’hadris halted mid-sentence. He met
“Shall we?” Valentine’s gaze across the table. Valentine arched an eyebrow, ap-
The four left the clearing, passing through a brief patch of forest parently guessing his conclusion.
that extended right to the edge of a sheer cliff face. Boosting their “Well, Kay, you can. Are you suggesting that this device let them
jump jets, the two power armors fell the hundred feet straight down piggyback us, the same as you?”
towards the ocean below. Waves crashed against the rock, sending Frost grunted.
up fans of spray and salt. “I don’t know anything about that, but lumpheads don’t usually
When the Samsons reached the bottom, jets flaring again to cush- carry the fancy TW gear. They might get the bionics and the energy
ion the impact, they swung into an overhang, safely hidden among weapons, but they don’t make ‘em. There’s always a supplier. Those
the jagged rocks. Inside the wide tunnel, the smash of water on gran- nasties just ain’t bright enough to make anything themselves, and
ite became hollow and near-deafening, but inside their protective they certainly ain’t no Techno-Wizard.”
shells, neither man even winced. Valentine nodded in comprehension.
They came to a heavy blast door. The heavy plating shuddered “That’s right. Brodkil love military tech, but aside from that they
upwards into the ceiling at a wireless ping from the suits. Valentine know next to nothing except combat and death. So what’s your point,
and Ka’hadris levitated down, following closely. They were just set- Frost?”
ting boots to rock when the door cycled fully open and the pair of The Shifter’s tone was conciliatory, even helpful, but Frost didn’t
soldiers crossed the threshold to their hidden base. He squeezed his even bother to meet his eye. His cybernetic eye whirred, continuing
gloved hands against his ears to block out the raging ocean noise, to stare at the device. He took another drag.
following them until they too were safely inside. “Point is, who set these ones up with gear like this? The hardware
I get — ain’t too hard to lay your hands on that stuff. But some fancy
* * * TW deal? They’re working for someone.”
Mengus stood straight, rubbing his eyes with his palms after star-
The newly-installed fluorescent lighting in the temporary work-
ing into the scanner. Falco produced a flask from his suit and took a
shop Mengus had set up rendered everything in clinical, washed-out
swig. He handed it over to Frost, who nodded in thanks and tipped
starkness. Cold metal tables held up a variety of tools and gizmos
it back.
that Ka’hadris didn’t know the first thing about, but the most mysti-
“Like who? Or what?”
fying piece of technology lay spread out between the four of them.
The Headhunter dropped a pouch next to the disassembled tech.
Frost and Falco stood in their flight suits, their armor safely
The black leather was singed and torn, but intact. The belt it had been
stowed elsewhere in the cavernous hangar. Stripped to the waist,
attached to was neatly cut at both ends; the clean edges at odds with
Falco toweled sweat from his muscled torso and shaved head. He
the damaged exterior.
pulled a t-shirt over his head and cinched the flight suit’s sleeves as a
“Thought this might help. I cut it off one of the lumpheads’ torso
belt. He accepted a cigarette from the Headhunter, who already had
chunks as we were leaving. I think we might have more problems
one hanging loosely from his lip.
than our Canadian situation right now. I’m calling in Dead Reckon-
“So what the hell is this thing?”

78
ing. We should go and pick up the rest of the team. This location Something was happening. Bearing down on them all, but hidden
might be compromised.” from view. Inexorable, intangible, it hung over them with patient
Frost walked away without waiting, leaving a swirl of smoke in eyes.
his wake. Right now, he felt hunted.
Ka’hadris popped open the button of the pouch flap with a snap.
He could still smell charred demon flesh wafting from the material. * * *
He upturned it over the semi-reflective metal.
Valentine didn’t even break stride as he teleported back to the
Two pages fell from the pouch. White backing shone glossy in the
Void Isles, jumping between the hallway and the warmly lit stone
light, just featureless blank squares. It was only when he turned them
of his homely furnished cave among the silent rocky plateaus. Just
over that he saw that they weren’t pages. They were photos.
one footfall to the next. He set his computer’s chronometer alarm for
One of him, a candid picture capturing Ka’hadris speaking to
Earth morning as he put his poltergeists to making him a cup of tea.
a fellow magician he recognized from Dweomer. The high silvery
Producing a second teleport homer device, he placed it gently on
towers of Lazlo rose behind them. One of Valentine sketching
a darkwood table. He shrugged out of his armor and vestments, re-
a sarcastic two-finger salute to the camera from a distance. The
clining into an easy chair and sipping at a mug of hot, sweet liquid.
Shifter was in a tavern — Ka’hadris couldn’t tell where — with
He left the object where it sat, instead contemplating the Shooting
two well-dressed humans on either side of his table. The images
Star before him. He watched the creature dance in its prison. It was
seemed unrelated, bar one factor. In both photos, there was a com-
difficult to know where to start.
mon detail.
Maintaining his status within Happy Endings was too useful to
In each photo, they were wearing their Happy Endings colors.
be allowed to expire. He enjoyed the power he wielded on its behalf,
Mengus whistled.
of course, but he supposed it was nice to be a part of a team as well.
“Well, that’s just great. As if we didn’t have enough to worry
They were capable, dynamic; far more interesting than just another
about. I’ll start shutting down the systems, get the armors loaded into
pack of sub-creatures.
the trucks. Falco, gimme a hand?”
He idly cursed the physics that had brought this problem to him at
Falco nodded, another bracing shot from the flask hitting his lips
such an exciting juncture in his research.
before it was tucked back into the uniform. He followed the Opera-
Still, the security of their organization had to come before this,
tor, leaving the two wizards alone again. Ka’hadris was terse.
interesting or not.
“What do you know about this?”
He stood, moving to one of the densely-packed bookshelves lin-
Valentine remained unreadable.
ing several walls of his lair. He tucked the Shooting Star onto a shelf,
“Not much more than you, I’d imagine.”
along with his journal of spellsword research thus far and the associ-
Valentine tucked the photo of himself into his satchel, half-turn-
ated texts. Returning to the chair with a fresh journal and pen, he left
ing to leave. Ka’hadris stayed, looking at his own image still on the
them in his lap to consider the photo again.
table.
Reaching out with his mind, he traced the dimensional history of
“I don’t buy that. You know something. This is connected to you
the glossy plastic square. The psychic memory of the clumsy, scaly
somehow.”
claws of Brodkil belched from it, and Valentine scrunched his nose
The Shifter grinned enigmatically. He began to walk from the
in revulsion as he kept focusing, stretching further into the imprints
room , leaving Ka’hadris alone under the harsh white light. His voice
of the object’s previous owners. Its photographer. He scratched im-
echoed from the shadows.
pressions into his notebook; some not making sense until context
“Maybe. It’s not like I’ve never made any enemies before. And I
appeared underneath quite separately after another splash of insight.
suppose gangs of demons never attack you.”
He would have to do this many times to get a clearer picture, but
He was almost at the door. Just before he reached it, Ka’hadris
every little bit would help.
half-turned to regard him.
Valentine knew the principled Line Walker was suspicious of
“Val.”
him. Frankly, he wasn’t very concerned. Let him suspect what he
The Shifter stopped, but didn’t look back.
would. He had no intention at present of acting against the interests
“We’re not done. After this is over, we finish what we started
of Happy Endings; that included his fellow shareholders. He had a
today. You still owe me an explanation about my sword.”
vested interest to keep Ka’hadris and his sword around – at least until
“Do I? That’s interesting. What makes you say that, Ka’hadris?”
his research was complete.
Ka’hadris turned back to the photo and the bizarre gadget before
Another visual cue from the object reading hit him, and more
him.
words appeared on the paper in his tight, neat handwriting.
“We wear the same colors, Val. The same threat display. You
The dragon seeks the Troll’s doom.
know what the problem with your theory is? For better or worse,
He cast his mind into the future again, trying to pick out which
we’re a group now, and the world judges us accordingly.
strand of probability belonged to him. It was a confused timeline to
“Even if just one snake turns out to be poisonous, everyone as-
figure out. There was a heavy, tricky knot of disturbance surround-
sumes they all are.”
ing himself and the rest of the mercenary company. Evidently, a lot
There was no answer. The Shifter was already gone.
of conflict and uncertainty was coming their way. Not just for them,
Ka’hadris sighed. When he’d arrived in Lazlo the night before,
either. The ripples were meeting each other to create chaos; skipping
he’d already had enough on his mind. Now, with everything else,
stones, indeed. Events were converging, carrying with them flashes
he’d have to keep a closer eye on their new companion — if he
of blood, suffering, and death.
could. On top of that, Valentine still had the shooting star.
War.
He exhaled through his nose in frustration. Paradoxically, he
War, with a Troll’s face in the middle.
hoped that Valentine was at least right about his idea of warning
Valentine, who some once living had named Urgash Voidheart,
signs to discourage predators. Happy Endings was getting a little too
took another sip of tea.
popular in all the wrong circles.
Why was he not surprised?

79
80
Rifts® Black Market: AA-310 Lightning Trident
Another weapon designed more out of mass appeal than moral-

Rise to Power
ity, this versatile weapon (and virtual knock-off of the Lightning
Spear found in the Rifts® Book of Magic, page 320) has become a
popular choice among frequenters of the St. Lawrence. Often gold in
color, this 4-7 foot (1.2 to 2.1 m) weapon actually appears as a three-
pronged trident. Due to the common association between tridents
Optional Source Material for Rifts® and slavers, the weapon is rarely available in Singer, but common up
and down the St. Lawrence, especially in places like the Pirate King-
By Maxwell Kautsch dom of Montreal and Perez’s Rogues’ Alley. Its most unique feature
is its ability to return when thrown, as the spell Teleport: Lesser is

Part Two always included in AA models of this archetype.

Weight: 8 lbs (3.6 kg).
Range: Hand to hand combat or thrown. Distance when thrown de-
Note: To read all about the Black Market Town of Singer, New pends on the P.S. of the thrower: 200 feet (61 m) for most humans
York, please see Part One in The Rifter® #65. with a P.S. of 18 or higher, 300 feet for a P.S. of 28 or greater; in-
crease by 50% for Robot equivalent P.S. and double for Supernatural

Artesian Arms Co. P.S. The range of the return teleport is only 1,000 feet (305 m), but
it always successfully returns to the hand of the person who threw it.
The crowning achievement of Rembrandt’s brainchild, Artesian Mega-Damage: 3D6 M.D. per each successful strike/stab attack;
Arms is a relative newcomer to the Techno-Wizard arms market 4D6 M.D. when thrown. An uncharged Mega-Damage Trident does
in North America. Like many children growing up in the war-torn 1D4 M.D.
Magic Zone, Rembrandt was fascinated with weapons. However, he Duration/Payload: Upon activation, the weapon remains electrically
was much less fascinated with the business of killing, finding it was charged for one melee round (15 seconds). The act of teleporting
usually difficult, time-consuming, and often unnecessary. Knowing back to its owner counts as one melee attack and takes 3-4 seconds.
that he was not the only practitioner of magic who felt this way, he P.P.E. to Activate: 15 P.P.E. or 30 I.S.P. to give the weapon its M.D.
focused his company on manufacturing light, effective, and versatile electrical charge. An additional 15 P.P.E. or 30 I.S.P. is required, in
weapons designed to incapacitate rather than kill. His own spell rep- advance, to get it to magically return to its user. Remember, each re-
ertoire includes more air and fire spells than earth and water, and the turn teleportation uses up one melee attack, but is still very effective.
weapons tend to reflect that bias. Cost: 450,000 to 650,000 credits. Very popular among warrior races
Working for AA is akin to joining the Hand, as employees are not and men-at-arms who pride themselves in hand to hand combat.
recruited so much as drafted. Rembrandt always has his eye on top
students at the Artesian Academy, and employs graduates at a high
rate. Employees are committed to work for the company for a mini-
AA-811 Dragonfire Rifle
mum of two years, and must sign a strict non-disclosure agreement One of the only AA weapons designed for pure stopping power,
when they leave. The few who have violated that agreement met with and one of AA’s largest and most powerful weapons, it competes
untimely ends via “accidents.” with other heavy TW rifles such as Stormspire’s Starfire Rifle.
Artesian Arms weapons are not powered by a clip or other ex- Weight: 9 lbs (4 kg).
ternal device, requiring the user to pump the appropriate amount of Range: 1,200 feet (366 m).
P.P.E. or I.S.P. into the weapon to load it. Powering the weapon with Mega-Damage: 1D4x10 M.D. per shot.
the required energy to completely recharge it takes one melee action. Rate of Fire: Fires a single blast and each counts as one melee attack.
Payload: Requires either 18 P.P.E. or 36 I.S.P. to fully recharge the
weapon with one powerful blast. The weapon can hold a maximum
AA-600 Befuddle Mace of four charges (18 P.P.E./36 I.S.P. each).
Intended to be the TW equivalent to the Coalition’s Neural Mace, Cost: 180,000 credits.
victims struck by this weapon suffer the effects of the Befuddle spell:
-2 to strike, parry and dodge, attacks are reduced by half and all
skills suffer a penalty of -20%. These effects last for 1D4+1 melee
AA-B1 Goblin Bomb TW Cannon
rounds, but the potential victim gets to save each time he is struck Designed to look like a pre-Rifts 18th Century ballista or can-
by the mace. non, these TW Goblin Bomb launchers can be mounted on vehicles
Weight: 6 lbs (2.7 kg). or modified into hand weapons for giants and robots. The types of
bombs that can be launched include all Goblin Bombs listed on pag-
Range: Melee Combat.
es 63-64 of Rifts® Coalition Wars® One: Sedition. These cannons
Mega-Damage: None. The Befuddle Mace inflicts 1D8 S.D.C. dam- are placed at strategic points around Singer, where access to ley line
age, plus any applicable P.S. damage bonus. energy reduces the P.P.E. cost for the gunners by half.
Payload: One; must be recharged after each use. Each Befuddling Weight: 45 lbs (20 kg).
strike requires either 6 P.P.E. or 12 I.S.P. to recharge the weapon Range: 2,000 feet (610 m) for ballista-style launchers, 4,000 feet
with ONE Befuddle attack. (1,219 m) for those that are actual cannons.
Saving Throw: Affects only the person struck by the mace, and he Mega-Damage: As per the Goblin Bomb fired. May all be the same
gets a standard save versus magic. Spell does NOT go off if the mace or a combination or different types. A common load for Singer de-
is successfully parried. fense guns is mostly Fire Bombs (4D6 M.D. to a 3 foot/0.9 m radius),
Cost: 19,000 credits. with every eighth shot being a Carpet of Adhesion grenade.

81
Rate of Fire: Single shot only. Fires one Goblin Bomb at a time, and
each shot counts as one melee attack.
Rogue’s Mall and Carnival Stats
Payload: The ballista can only hold one bomb at a time, while the This regionally well-respected Carnival travels from late March
cannon itself can hold 8 Goblin Bombs. Regardless, for either ver- through late September, and offers daily shows at its permanent fa-
sion there is usually some kind of feeder mechanism (belt, hopper, cilities in Singer. The small carnival starts out with 240 points to use
etc.) that can hold as many as 24-36 Goblin Bombs, which are fed on any of the different features. An additional 50 points is available
into the weapon one at a time. Requires 50 P.P.E. or 100 I.S.P. to for acts and another 10 points are available for reputation. As a Black
power the Goblin Bomb launcher/cannon to fire 24 grenades; half Market Front, the carnival receives additional bonuses of 10 points
those costs while on a ley line. to Internal Security, 10 points to Defense, and 50 points for Criminal
Cost: 300,000 credits for the ballista, 450,000 for the cannon version. Activity, for a grand total of 370 available points.
Both are among Artesian Arms’ best exports to other enlightened, A. Sponsorship: #4 Black Market Front: 0 Points
magically-inclined city-states. B. Outfits: #4 Specialty Clothing: 20 Points
C. Equipment: #3 and #4 Electronic and Medical: 15 Points

Rogue’s Mall and Carnival D. Vehicles: #4 Deluxe Fleet: 20 Points

E. Communications: #5 Deluxe: 25 Points
The Rogue’s Mall and Carnival is a fixture in both its Gametown F. Security: #4 Iron-Clad: 20 Points
headquarters and on the traveling entertainment circuit, such as it G. Defense: #4 Militia: 20 Points
is, from Queenston to the Magic Zone to Lazlo, and most every pit H. Acts: Many, see descriptions: 167 Points
stop in between. The cornerstone tenant of Gametown, the Carnival I. Alignment: #3 Anarchist: 2 Points
is the brainchild of Marvus Lusk, an 8th level Aluta Headhunter J. Criminal Activity: Many, see descriptions: 46 Points
Black Marketeer, and his buddy Roundabout, a 5th level Phlebus K. Reputation: #5 Excellent: 25 Points
City Rat Black Marketeer. Roundabout’s charisma (M.A. 23) and L. Typical Salary: #4 Good: 10 Points
flair for the dramatic makes him an ideal ringmaster, while Marvus Total Points Spent: 370 Points
(I.Q. 15, M.E. 21, M.A. 19) pulls the strings from behind the scenes.
Marvus has also served as Gametown’s N-Rep for the last two terms, Performers, Acts, and Criminals
and there are no challengers on the horizon. The Director of Secu-
8 Expert Clowns
rity is Ryker, a 7th level Human Wilderness Scout Black Marketeer
4 Expert Jugglers
equally at home on the city streets or leading a traveling contingent
4 Expert Tumblers
of the Mall.
4 Expert Minstrels
The Rogue’s Mall has the feel of a never-ending street party. Jug- 2 Barkers
glers, minstrels, and barkers are constantly mingling with the Ga- 1 Psychic Fortune-Teller
metown crowds. Attractions include a pre-Rifts style roller coaster, 1 Non-Psychic Fortune-Teller
a psychic fortune-teller, showgirls, exotic petting zoo, and a small 1 Shill
freak show. Revelry is rampant, as cheap drinks are available from 6 Expert Acrobats
vendors throughout the carnival, and random fights, altercations, and 3 Animal Acts: 24 snakes, a small riding Dino, and exotic pre-
crime breaks out on a daily basis. High-end drug dens, peddling ev- Rifts animals.
erything from Psi-Cola to Elementum, openly advertise their wares. 2 Real Magic Acts
Although a portion of the Carnival is always on the road, Lusk 8 Showgirls
understands the importance of keeping the lights on in Singer, and 12 Inanimate Oddities
always has some sort of show on tap virtually every evening. One of 3 Carnival Rides, including the Horror Forest Funhouse
the more unique attractions is the Horror Forest Funhouse, a maze 4 Games of Chance
and obstacle course that offers daily admission to typical paying 1 Gladiatorial Arena (see Artesian Arena elsewhere)
customers, but can also be reserved and customized to the level of 2 Live freaks
difficulty (read: danger) as the customer desires. Mercenary teams 5 Smugglers and Sellers of Contraband
are known to test their wits and pay top dollar for Marvus to design 4 Pickpockets/Information Gatherers
particularly challenging exercises. 3 Prostitutes
While the Carnival is deserving of its reputation for high-quality 3 Expert Worms
acts, its real purpose is to covertly gather information spilling from Note: The total carnival staff is around 225, including more than
the mouths of residents and transients in town for the show alike. 60% D-Bees.
Anything suspicious is relayed to Marvus, who, in turn, alerts Rem-
brandt if necessary. Most of the information gathering tasks are left
to four City Rats who would, under different circumstances, be pick-
pockets. Although the Rat Pack, as they call themselves, may or may
Notable Places
not lift a wallet or purse here and there, their main objective is to Travel to Singer from the south usually means a lengthy overland
get a feel for the pulse of the crowd and keep tabs on dissension in trip through the infamous, dangerous, and extremely dense Horror
particular. The Pack reports daily to Marvus. Forest. Daunting as the landscape is, the Hand’s Warlocks and Shift-
The vast majority of the Rogue’s Mall employees are loyal Hand ers tap into elemental forces to create mounds to make walking more
operatives. Le Marche Noir may succeed in placing an insider in a difficult, countless vines to encumber travelers, and impregnable
low-level, menial position such as maintenance, but nearly everyone thickets up to twenty miles (32 km) south of the peninsula. The IDF
involved with the Carnival takes great pride in Singer and devote patrols the region religiously, and the Hand is usually well aware of
themselves to making it the Hand’s crown jewel. Imposters would the presence of any overland threat. Any visitor who actually makes
be punished harshly. it to Castle Singer’s gates (a relative rarity) is subject to a Singer
82
Security search and are required to check any weapons, robots, and students into one such room just to get a reaction from the “newbie.”
vehicles prohibited within city limits at the castle’s South Wing fa- For the most part, the castle has enough remote nooks and crannies
cility. that the ghosts can coexist with the students, faculty and staff without
However, Singer is quite accessible via the St. Lawrence. Its har- causing too much mischief.
bor is open virtually all hours of the day and night. The River Watch Black Market Activity: Minimal. A student here or there may
patrols Eel Bay around the clock. Visitors landing at Singer are sub- be on the take, particularly the adults in the rudimentary education
ject to search and required to leave any heavy gear on board their courses, but Le Marche Noir has not been able to infiltrate any of the
ship. Violators are immediately expelled from Singer and blacklist- magic classes largely due to its distaste for magic in general. The in-
ed, although the blacklisting tends to be by word of mouth among formation gleaned from its few operatives is hardly worth the bribes,
River Watch troops and is usually only effective for as long as the but Rex Oldquist likes to to have access to as much information as
violator’s vessel is in port. possible, and it is a comparatively simple matter to have an insider at
The following are only a sample of the establishments and resi- the school at all times.
dences that exist in a diverse community like Singer.
2. Southern Wall Command Center. This is the nerve center
for the Southern Wall defenses. It is the IDF’s key communications,
Wellesley Park defense, and storage facility, featuring a bank of four ion cannons
(1D6x10 M.D., 3,000 foot/914 m range, effectively unlimited pay-
Primarily because most Exempt Citizens call Wellesley Park
load) and two AA-B1 Goblin Bomb TW Cannons (see above; 44
home, this neighborhood is Singer’s most affluent. Much of the fac-
rounds each). Further, members of the IDF are always on duty, sup-
ulty and staff at the Artesian Academy live nearby. The neighbor-
plementing the wing’s defenses with their own small arms. It also
hood also features Eel Bay Beach, Park and Marina, offering exten-
includes a warehouse where Singer’s military stores much of their
sive recreational opportunities. Carven has held the N-Rep seat since
heavy equipment, and also allows for storage of visitors’ gear that is
the first election almost a decade ago.
prohibited in town.
1. Artesian Academy. Consistent with Black Market organiza-
Black Market Activity: None. The crew who operates this com-
tions in general, the Immaterial Hand takes a benevolent approach
mand center has proven its loyalty to the Fist over the course of many
to education and other means of self-advancement. But there is no
years. Their placement here is essentially a reward for that loyalty;
doubt the Hand’s refurbishing of pre-Rifts Castle Singer and found-
it’s a pretty cushy job, after all. Plus, Singer’s myriad of entertain-
ing of the school was for its own benefit. For one, it became the
ment options keep everyone’s Black Marketeer urges in relative
cornerstone of the Southern Wall, the massive barrier separating
check.
Singer from the Eastern Wilds and spanning the breadth of the penin-
sula. Accordingly, the castle itself has been magically converted into 3. Circle K Ranch. Childhood sweethearts and Exempt Citizens,
a Mega-Damage structure, and serves as a fallback position in case Mathis and Suzanne Kellog, had always wanted to find a plot of
of serious attack, not unlike a medieval castle’s keep. It bristles with land to call their own. They were both scrupulous human Vagabond
weapon turrets from every rampart capable of supporting one, and O.C.C.s, but with a lifelong interest in farming. That interest paid off
the only entrance is fortified with a heavily-guarded IDF checkpoint when Suzanne manifested the superpower Control Elemental Force:
just beyond the main gates, an outbuilding bristling with weaponry. Plants when she would have otherwise been crushed by falling trees
In addition to the structure’s stout Mega-Damage material, it features felled by stray Coalition States M.D. blasts. Coupled with Mathis’
a plethora of Techno-Wizard defenses, many of which are within affinity for animals due to his unusually high M.A. (21), their farm
close enough proximity to Styx Major to increase their range, dam- in Minnesota thrived right until the Xiticix invasion that changed
age, and payload. their lives forever. Having landed on their feet as Exempt Citizens,
Although the school offers rudimentary general education cours- their plot of land has grown to over 50 acres of ranch and farmland,
es for children and adult alike, its real purpose is to allow Singer’s making them the single largest private property owners in town. Un-
children and teens the opportunity to develop their magic talents. beknownst to the Hand, they are also high-ranking members of the
Singer natives are automatically eligible for admission, although Faerie League.
citizens are subject to an increase in their payments under the Tiered Their son, Stephen, 18 years old, 2nd level human Wilderness
Tribute System as long as they are enrolled. The Academy also of- Scout Black Marketeer, Unprincipled, is champing at the bit to seek
fers admission to applicants from other city-states, but the applica- his fortune, but has agreed to stay in town for now. He wants to see if
tion process is rigorous and the tuition is steep. Promising students the unrest will actually lead to revolution. He works mostly with the
are offered employment at Artesian Arms upon graduation, and the livestock, which includes goats, pigs, horses, and chickens. Tank,
amount of time necessary to “graduate” is entirely on a case-by-case 5th level Principled human, Exempt Citizen Operator, runs and man-
basis depending on the student’s work ethic and talent. This gives ages the farming operation, where the rich topsoil helps him churn
AA an endless pipeline of technicians, most of whom have dreamed out bumper crops of soy every season. He’s most likely to drive the
of working for the company their whole lives. tractor and pull the M.D. plow, and often clandestinely repairs Faerie
Naturally, the school’s curriculum focuses on learning spells and League gear in his free time.
techniques to create Techno-Wizard and other magic weapons. The Black Market Activity: About two months ago, the Kellogs hired
faculty includes the Scathach Druid Heston Thicketround (see 5, two more hands, the mysterious scrupulous human, Shamanic Na-
below); the Ley Line Walker Rockwell Westin; the Mystic Kuznya tive American, Willowhawk (6th level male human Plant Shaman;
Isabella Valkyrie (see 4, below); and the Techno-Wizard Pulcifer Rifts® Spirit West, page 50) and Paz (5th level female human Ani-
Prinz. Both Pulcifer and Rockwell live in quarters in the castle itself. mal Shaman). Although they perform excellent work, their purpose
Although the Hand was largely successful in ridding the castle of is to investigate on behalf of the Longhouse Preserve whether the ru-
its ghostly inhabitants, a number of entities, especially poltergeists mors that the peninsula is no longer safe for Faeries are true. In fact,
and tectonic entities, still inhabit some of the more-deserted rooms. these particular hands were brought on as the next step in a budding
It is a common hazing ritual among the student body to force new alliance between the Faerie League and the Longhouse Preserve.

83
 4. Isabella Valkyrie’s House. Isabella “Val” Valkyrie lives and League keeps caches of weapons, food, and supplies here in case of
crafts her wares in a little bungalow near the southern coast in an up- emergency. To this point, Singer Security is unaware that the struc-
scale section of Wellesley Park. See description in Singer Notables, ture is anything more than ruins.
below. 9. Interior Defense Force Headquarters. An impressive struc-
5. Heston’s Hand-Crafted Weapons. Heston Thicketround, ture designed to blend in with the surrounding light woodland, the
6th level human Scathach Druid (see Rifts® England) came to IDF HQ stands as an emblem of safety to most Singer citizens.
Singer as a guest lecturer at the Artesian Academy. Rembrandt was Black Market Activity: Extensive. Up to 40% of IDF troops are
taken by his creativity and gentility, and offered him a full-time posi- on Rembrandt’s payroll, while Le Marche Noir has a handful of the
tion teaching TW Horticulture (a class focused on how to use magic “honest” troops on the take. This means Le Marche Noir remains in
safely and productively in nature). The store is also his home, which the dark about Rembrandt’s arrangement with the Splugorth for now.
he shares with his wife, Gwyneth, a 7th level Dryad (Rifts® Eng- 10. Carven’s House. The residence of Elven Wilderness Scout
land, page 40) and their 7-year-old, potentially future Operator or and Wellesley Park N-Rep, Carven, is just within Wellesley Park’s
Techno-Wizard son, Wynn. Heston’s unique pieces attract a great northernmost border. This location allows him ready and welcome
deal of interest among well-heeled travelers and Singer residents access to the relative peace and quiet of the adjacent Outskirts, the
alike. term Singer natives use to describe the last remaining plot of unde-
Black Market Activity: None. veloped land allowed to Singer under the terms of the Faerie Edict.
6. Wellesley Park Emergency Services. A captain in the Hand, Although he yearns for the freedom to travel freely, as has been the
Collins Opherum, an Aberrant, 7th level Kremin Cyborg, and his case for nearly all of his 252 years, Carven had agreed to spend a
crew are responsible for extinguishing fires and generally cleaning small portion of his extended lifespan inside Singer’s city limits. To
up messes. In addition to operating the fire and sanitation depart- compensate, and even though the Outskirts are a far cry from the
ments, Chief O’s crew gets the call to clean up Singer’s impromptu breadth and wonder of the Horror Forest, his picturesque residence is
battlefields after each of the increasingly regular firefights between a sufficient compromise to help his friends for a while longer.
gangs, Le Marche Noir interests, and the government. Rembrandt Despite his characteristic aloof, distant demeanor, Carven has
has renewed his contract for each of the last five years, and in light acted as Wellesley Park’s N-Rep for since the first elections nine
of Chief “O’s” dedication to both his job and looking the other way years ago. His status as Singer founder made him an easy choice,
when the SS is overzealous, would seem to ensure his employment although Rembrandt was as responsible as anyone for Carven’s po-
for the foreseeable future. The bulk of the fire department is a fleet of litical career. Before that, he was an integral member of the volunteer
three Big Boss ATVs outfitted with water cannons. forces that had defended Singer from Horror Forest threats. During
Constructed as part of the Town Council Public Works Project, his time as Singer’s eyes and ears in the Horror Forrest, which in-
the structure was designed to blend in with the surrounding wooded cluded more than a few encounters with Splugorth, he had grudg-
area that gives way to Eel Bay beach along the peninsula’s southern ingly come to accept the Hand’s role in saving refugees he, Orin and
coast. The structure is tall enough and close enough to Eel Bay that it Tessa had failed to keep safe.
also serves as watchtower for that body of water. Built as something After the Hand reorganized Singer’s government in 100 P.A., he
of a glorified “treehouse,” the Hand took advantage of the structure’s found himself out of his element deep in city politics. He participated
elevation and built an elaborate sensory system on the structure’s because he felt needed; Orin and Tessa both wanted him to have a
roof, utilizing both technology and magic to maximize the range and position in the new government, and he felt a duty to his people who
type of surveillance. Weapon systems include dual AA-B1 Goblin lived, by and large, in the Wellesley Park neighborhood. Moreover,
Bomb TW Cannons and a pair of TK-80 Heavy Rail Guns. Rembrandt’s confusing (and expensive) acts of benevolence con-
Black Market Activity: Chief O and his crew are master salvag- vinced him he could keep closer tabs on things if he had an official
ers, and generally profit to some degree selling finds from their jobs. title.
Rembrandt and the SS repay in kind Chief O’s willingness to look But by now, Carven has spent far more time within Singer’s city
the other way, and profits from these sales have never been subject to limits than he would like, and he is strongly considering declining to
tribute. The crew’s other specialties are covertly destroying evidence run in next year’s election. Rembrandt has been a strong supporter of
of Singer Security violence and, when the opportunity presents itself, Carven’s tenure, mostly because his ulterior motive was to get Car-
planting evidence against the Hand’s enemies. ven out of the woods and into politics. If and when he finds out about
7. Singer Security Headquarters. This building is a massive Carven’s plan to step down, he will certainly try to talk him out of it.
Mega-Damage structure and the primary checkpoint for anyone 11. Eel Bay Park. A haven for children and their parents, Eel
traveling through Wellesley Park. Whether the SS actually stops and Bay is the most family-friendly recreation spot in town. It includes
frisks a visitor or resident, or lets them pass entirely unimpeded, is an extensive playground, outdoor TW-powered grills, and a shallow
totally within its discretion. There are at least between four and seven swimming hole. Another portion of the park caters to magic users
(1D4+3) SS agents at the headquarters at any given time. The facility and others looking for a quiet moment, and features a botanical gar-
features a garage for most of the SS fleet of vehicles, which include den, small waterfalls (courtesy of an itinerant Water Warlock), and
ATVs, motorcycles, hovercycles, helicopters, and fighter jets. The benches and small gazebos designed for meditation.
Hand, with the financial backing of Artesian Arms, has spared no 12. Eel Bay Marina. This large Mega-Damage structure features
expense outfitting its police force. a walking bridge spanning the mouth of the Eel River and is the hub
Black Market Activity: Moderate. There is a 25% chance that 1 or of the beach’s recreational activity.
2 of the SS agents at the checkpoint are on the take from Le Marche A. Lifeguard Patrol. Rembrandt employs a lifeguard during
Noir. daylight hours to ensure the safety of the families often frequent-
8. Faerie League Meetinghouse. Constructed first as a monu- ing the park. These individuals are always skilled in swimming and
ment to Faeries who had abandoned their mound, the meetinghouse CPR, and are usually psionics or mystics with empathic abilities.
is a camouflaged cave and rock formation that has gradually become Working at the lifeguard station is a sought-after summer job for
something of a safe haven for members of the Faerie League. The students at the Artesian Academy.
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 B. Adventure Tours. Owned and operated by the semi-retired who would rather avoid conflict, but they keep their abilities honed
mercenary company, Tour of Duty, this establishment offers adven- with weekly rides that usually culminate in spirited sparring. Their
turous, well-heeled clients the opportunity to embark on a modern- friendly exteriors can evaporate in an instant if threatened, and the
day safari, either through the Horror Forest, on the St. Lawrence, or threatening party may not like what they find.
exploring the river’s depths. All clients are personally accompanied Black Market Activity: Also in the Stables’ employ are Tark and
by at least two of the six founding members of the company, which Sly, a pair of 3rd level Psi-Stalkers, both Anarchist. They moved to
include a privateer, two Psi-Stalkers, a wilderness scout, a salvage Singer within the last 6 months because the word is out that Singer is
expert, and their commander, Gus Marshall, 6th level freeborn Dog a good place to prey due to all number of transients and poor with a
Boy, Monamo Headhunter. great deal of P.P.E. Their loyalty in any conflict is to themselves, and
As the leader of one of the most notorious mercenary organiza- probably wouldn’t mind stealing a mount or three on the way out of
tions in town, Tour of Duty, and the owner of one of its most elite town if it came to that. But they are smart enough to appreciate Ty-
service providers of Adventure Tours, the self-titled Major Gus Mar- sin’s easygoing nature and not to abuse it; they get their work done
shall enjoys wealth and social status that is a far cry from his feral so they can prowl the town as much as possible. Tysin understands
upbringing. He is nothing short of amazed at his good fortune, and they are not the most desirable sorts, but as they say, good help is
perfectly happy with the tribute he and his company pay the Hand. hard to find, especially if you’re looking for Psi-Stalkers or Simvan
From his perspective, Rifts Earth is a very dangerous place, and the to help with the animals. So far, he has looked the other way and
Hand has taken great lengths to carve out a little niche of safety. In gives no indication he might suspect what the pair are up to during
his mind, they were entitled to some reward for their efforts. their time off.
Gus formed Tour of Duty in the Magic Zone a decade ago. Due, 15. Boardwalk Cafe. Another nice spot to grab a meal, this res-
in part, to his desire to move away from the Coalition’s reach, the taurant offers outdoor dining and its own small pier to accommodate
group made a niche for itself as navigators and covert operatives the small vessels routinely traveling Eel River. The pier also includes
within the Horror Forest. His team arrived in Singer about three a footbridge spanning the Eel River. Its docks offer the last place
years ago, and has flourished due to the availability of wealthy cli- to land before the marina. Also, it signals the boundary between
ents, particularly Exempt Citizens. These days, Gus himself often Wellesley Park and the Eel Bay Market District.
leads forays into the Horror Forest, but he leaves excursions on and Black Market Activity: Another establishment under tacit Faerie
under the St. Lawrence Seaway to others in his organization more League control, its owner is a member of the gang.
suited for those tasks. Adventure Tours has been a nice sideline, and
though Gus prefers to make his living showing hardy (read: wealthy)
clients the sights of the region, he still accepts mercenary contracts if Eel Bay Market District
they are noble (and lucrative) enough. Singer’s most populous neighborhood, it is also the most profit-
Though he has no desire to be an N-Rep, there is a groundswell able for the Hand. A trio of Mega-Damage government buildings
among the non-exempt residents of Wellesley Park to convince him (Town Hall, Singer Bank, and the Singer Media Corporation build-
to run for office. He will have to decide within a few weeks whether ing) line Main Street and herald the Downtown commercial district
to submit his petition to the Hand for this year’s election. where high-priced commodities in the financial and magic markets
C. Brownie Nibbler Cafe. Known for its sweets and breakfast are bought and sold. Shoppers also have the option to frequent the
items, this family-oriented establishment is a popular place for resi- more low-key Open-Air Market. Virtually any good or service not
dents and visitors alike to gather in the morning and early afternoon. involving the slave trade or Bio-Wizardry is likely available in one
Located on the second floor of the building it shares with Adventure of the neighborhood’s many shops, booths, and back alleys. The N-
Tours, it features an open-air deck for patrons to enjoy the view onto Rep is the arms dealer and aged, but still lovely, Elf Shifter, Calypses
the bay. Prices are relatively reasonable, and 3 to 5 credits can get Endago.
you a fresh-baked donut or a handmade shake. The shop closes each 16. Singer Community Walking Bridge and Power Depot.
day well before sundown, but is the first establishment open on the Rembrandt designed a walking bridge to encourage foot and horse
beach each morning. traffic to the Downtown shopping district. It features multiple kiosks
Black Market Activity: Members of the Faerie League gather for with holo maps of the city and is a common meeting place for visi-
breakfast on a regular basis, although their association with the gang tors.
remains widely unknown.
17. Singer Bank and Trust. This is the place to get those high-
13. Techno-Wizard Water Treatment Plant. Fitted with interest Black Market loans. The bank president is Mara Executrix,
Techno-Wizard features based on the Purification spell, the treat- 8th level Black Market Banker and a Lieutenant in the Hand hierar-
ment plant ensures the water flowing down the Eel River is fit for chy. She shares Rembrandt’s appreciation for the free market, and
consumption. It is the primary water source for the community. The she tends to encourage investors to take on debt. Singer’s booming
Plant is also infused with numerous TW Defenses, such as Energy economy gives her the freedom to lend money somewhat specula-
Absorbers and Defensive Shielding. As a nod to its importance to the tively, but the Hand’s repossession policies are right there in the fine
community, Singer Security is particularly vigilant about patrolling print, so what’s the worry? The facility includes an outdoor mon-
the area nearby. Le Marche Noir has thus far been unsuccessful in etary exchange kiosk for convenient withdrawals, deposits, and of
gaining access to the plant. course, payments on loans and fines.
14. Beastmaster’s Stables. The treatment plant is immediately Singer Security deploys a permanent guard detail to patrol the
adjacent to the bestiary owned by Tysin Beastmaster, an unprin- exterior and interior of the building 24/7. The building itself is a
cipled 8th level Titan, Keeper of the Garden (see Rifts Madhaven). Mega-Damage structure augmented with Techno-Wizard defenses,
The Stables offers a place to board travelers’ mounts, traditional or including Defensive Shielding, Energy Absorbers, and Implosion
exotic, and also offers a fair selection of horses and exotic animals Field Generators. The Keeper of the Vaults is Te’o Alabaster, 7th
(selection is fair; prices for any exotic mount are 25% higher than level Diabolist Black Marketeer, whose sole task is to maintain the
list). Tysin and his human Squire, Winslow are “retired” combatants network of circles and symbols that keep the Hand’s assets safe.
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 18. Town Hall. Along with the bank and SMC building, this and has met deadlines for shipments as far south as Stormspire and
Mega-Damage structure where Town Council meetings are held was MercTown.
one of the first completed as part of the Singer Improvement Project. Further, within the last three years, Singer has grown to the point
In addition to the large meeting hall capable of seating up to 500 that inter-city delivery has started to generate revenue. The company
humanoids, it includes office space for Orin, Tessa, and each N-Rep, now has 18 staff members, many to perform this new service, but
along with their respective staff. An extensive bomb shelter is built the founders still make all the most important out-of-town deliveries
into a cavernous basement, stocked with food, weapons, and supplies themselves.
for up to 250 people to survive a month. Techno-Wizard defenses, Black Market Activity: Maril Greeves is a human courier and
including Enhanced Defensive Shielding, Energy Absorbers, and fairly representative of the sort of Black Market operatives Le
Implosion Field Generators, supplement the Mega-Damage walls. Marche Noir seeks to deploy in Singer. When Singer experienced its
Black Market Activity: Extensive. About half of Le Marche first boom almost a decade ago, the prosperity did not reach Maril’s
Noir’s cadre of tipsters are most associated with the Town Hall and family, as her parents’ bed and breakfast fell into disrepair, undone
Singer’s political process. More than a few of the 100 aides, constitu- by competition and her father’s gambling addiction. Unable to pay
ents, and financial backers are either on the take or Le Marche Noir its vig, the family was forced to leave Singer, eventually settling in
operatives themselves. Le Marche Noir is eagerly anticipating the New Lazlo. Maril blamed the Hand for her plight, and eventually
next round of elections, when it believes it will have enough influ- made her way to Wingham and met Rex Oldquist. She jumped at
ence to possibly buy an N-Rep. the chance to spy on Singer, and thanks to a phony identity of Rex’s
own creation, she has been reading correspondence and spying on
19. Singer Media Corporation. Although originally touted as a enterprises and residents for almost three years.
media watchdog, the SMC’s real purpose is to broadcast entertain-
ment, advertising, and Hand propaganda to Singer’s residents. To 21. Main Street Inn and Brewery. A large, rough and tumble
a lesser extent, it functions as a public relations firm representing establishment, open 24 hours and home of the largest casino in town,
Singer’s image to the world at large, publishing ads in publications the Cardsharp. This three story, several thousand square foot build-
such as the Warhawk Journal and selling broadcast rights and record- ing contains 60 rooms, restaurant, bar, and the aforementioned ca-
ings to media companies in other city-states. It produces new content sino, which is known for craps, poker, dice, and sports betting via
on a daily basis that it broadcasts on the Singer Television Network, closed-circuit television (magically powered; some of the most pop-
featuring news programs designed to put Singer’s leaders in the ular events are gladiatorial combat and Juicer football from the local
best possible light and completely devoid of investigative reporting. arena, Kingsdale and MercTown). It is a popular place for visitors
Other regular programming includes talk shows, live sporting events and locals alike, tending to attract a hard-partying crowd who likes
from Artesian Arena, and reality shows, often based on buying, sell- to drink and hang out, play cards, and watch the games.
ing, improving, and developing weapons. The SMC also shows pre- Black Market Activity: The Cardsharp is not unlike any of the
Rifts movies and television programs, as well as independent films other six casinos in town (or any other, for that matter) in that there
from Perez producers. Most residents could care less about the news are always losers in the house. More often than not, these losers are
as long as the profits keep rolling in, and the SMC is widely regarded looking to try their luck again, and need a Hand loan sha... err, loan
as a leader in the Singer’s entertainment industry. officer to get back into the game. The Hand makes a killing on inter-
The SMC building is one of the tallest buildings in Singer. It est and vig from the plethora of compulsive gamblers that frequent
houses three separate studios and employs a staff of close to 50, Singer. But this prosperity is also a chink in the armor, as desperate
including audio and video technicians, reporters, anchormen, news gamblers on the take at their jobs in town are more likely to sell
analysts, PR personnel, sportscasters, and a Techno-Wizard. David- any information they can to coerce a bonus from their Le Marche
son Curry, a 9th level human Rogue Scholar Black Marketeer, is the Noir benefactors. There is a 75% chance that 1D4+2 gamblers at any
company’s chief executive officer, and answers only to Rembrandt. given establishment are on Le Marche Noir’s payroll.
He has a brilliant sense for the pulse of Singer’s population (Black 22. Kennison’s TW Alterations. Conveniently located on the
Market Special Abilities include Friends in Low Places) and he has same side of Main Street as the Brewery, Kennison’s is the place in
a knack for cancelling a show before it has a chance to become stale town for Techno-Wizard augmentation of small arms, ancient weap-
while also giving promising fledgling shows a chance to gain an au- ons, and body armor. Kennison’s will augment any hand rifle, pis-
dience. tol, or hand-to-hand weapon, but not rail guns, vehicle-mounted, or
Black Market Activity: Less than you might think. While a cam- field cannons. Likewise, the shop will augment any light, medium,
eraman or other field operative has been on the take a time or two or heavy environmental or conventional armor, but refuses to work
over the last year or so, the SMC’s higher-ups are close-knit Hand on power armor or robots.
operatives. Propaganda is important to Rembrandt, and the compa- The establishment is capable of any modification listed in the
ny’s inner circle has yet to be compromised. original Rifts® RPG, and charges about 10% less. The establish-
ment can also fill custom orders involving more sophisticated spells,
20. Magic Pigeon Courier. For the last eight or so years, this but the price will be negotiated on a case-by-case basis. Due to the
business has provided Singer citizens and businesses with reliable store’s popularity, a customer can expect to wait at least three weeks
long-distance communication and parcel delivery service. A group before their item is ready.
of five ex-Tundra Rangers, fed up with the do-gooder lifestyle and The owner is Gage Kennison, a 7th level Techno-Wizard who
sharing a mutual interest in parlaying their skills to making a few found his hometown of Stormspire oversaturated with startup TW
more bucks, decided to pitch their services to Artesian Arms. Fearing companies. Having just begun to hear whispers of Singer’s prosper-
the company’s reputation would soon be tarnished if they were un- ity at the turn of the century, Gage decided to sell his meager assets
able to meet increasing demand, and genuinely appreciating rogues and make his way to Singer. On the back of a Black Market loan, he
who would defect from the Tundra Rangers to the Black Market, found his niche augmenting small arms and body armor, and busi-
Rembrandt contracted with MPC to outsource distribution. It has ness has boomed from nearly day one. Today, he has a staff of three
been the exclusive overland distributor for Artesian Arms ever since, Techno-Wizard interns who are students at the Artesian Academy;

86
he will have anywhere from two to four interns at any given time, conversations, make Central Station a key component to Singer’s
and the interns never stay on longer than a year (the internship is rumor mill. There is a 10% chance at any given time that 1 or 2 of the
something of a finishing course for their Techno-Wizard studies). attendants are on Le Marche Noir’s payroll, always looking to impart
However, he oversees all the work himself, and each augmentation information to their benefactors.
comes with a money-back guarantee. 25. Artesian Advancements. The premiere vehicle repair and
Gage is an example of the Hand-backed business owners in town modification TW facility in Singer, and a subsidiary of Artesian
who gladly pay their 10%. As far as he is concerned, he would be Arms, the technicians and Techno-Wizards on staff are capable of
destitute if it weren’t for the doors opened by the Hand’s Black Mar- modifying most high-tech weapons and vehicles with any of the tra-
ket line of credit. He is greatly appreciative of the stability and safety ditional features listed under the Techno-Wizard O.C.C. description
the Hand has offered Singer’s citizens, which makes him and his in the Rifts® RPG. Custom orders usually take 1D4 weeks to com-
ilk something like patriots. He has no quarrel with the government plete, and the cost is 25% over list price for customization.
whatsoever as long as customers keep coming through the shop’s
doors. Black Market Activity: The other component to the business is a
Black Market Activity: Gage’s sincere demeanor and trusting bit more shady. The Hand regularly repossesses vehicles and other
personality makes his shop rife for corruption at the hands of Le fixtures from business owners and tenants unable to pay tribute or
Marche Noir. In reality, Kennison’s is a longstanding fence; the stan- debt. The Hand then delivers these items to Artesian Advancements
dard tactic is to sell the unsuspecting Gage stolen TW components, for parts, refurbishing, or resale. While this appears to be a “chop-
some right off shipments to and from Singer, laundering the theft and shop” by definition, and seems to fly in the face of the Hand’s pro-
making a profit to boot. hibition against property crimes, Rembrandt’s position is that the
repossessed items have to go somewhere. Besides, if the items no
23. From the Vaults. Adjacent to Kennison’s sits From the longer have owners because of a violation of Hand policy, it’s not
Vaults, where the Elf, Calypses Endago (9th level Shifter/7th level theft, is it?
Merchant), lives and works. She has taken full advantage of her long
life span to travel extensively throughout the Megaverse, honing her 26. Singer Security Station. A small security checkpoint close
eye for quality items and her skills as a trader. She is the only Singer to the shoreline designed to keep an eye on Eel Bay and monitor
resident other than Rembrandt who participated in the Hand’s origi- the bustling Open-Air Market at the same time. At any given time
nal military actions against the Coalition States almost a century ago. there is a 25% chance that at least one of the agents on duty is on Le
After the conflict between the CS and Federation of Magic began to Marche Noir’s payroll.
simmer down, she began to focus in earnest on buying and selling 27. Singer Theater. A small, pleasant venue that offers live con-
magic items, and did well enough over the next half-century to be- certs, dramatic plays, comedy shows, and other forms of entertain-
come an original investor in Singer. Her status within the Hand (she ment. One of Eel Bay Market’s main attractions, it is an M.D.C.
is now an Advisor) allowed her to occupy a prime commercial loca- structure and seats up to 350 humanoids. The Theater is an oppor-
tion, and she has parlayed that opportunity into a lucrative career. tunity for a handful of stage hands, a small company of local actors,
She is a licensed Artesian Arms distributor, but also offers obscure and freelance entertainers to ply their trade. It could potentially be
magic weapons and items she has picked up over the years on her used as a gathering place for civic meetings, but no one in Singer,
travels. even the gangs, is ready to openly protest against the Hand in general
Calypses has always been fascinated with collecting, and distrib- or Rembrandt in particular.
uting rare items has been her stock and trade within the Hand. The Black Market Activity: The Theater serves as a common meeting
business is profitable enough to support her occasional adventures place for dissidents of all sorts, usually under the cover of an audi-
and dimensional trips, which is why the shop is closed during nor- ence taking in a local acting troupe or band.
mal business hours about 15% of the time (Calypses doesn’t trust
28. Iron Horse Train Network: Switchback Shipping Com-
employees). While out, Calypses always has her eyes open for good
pany. Conveniently located near the center of the neighborhood, this
prices on items she knows will sell.
train station’s purpose is to ship supplies and wholesale goods to
Calypses opened her doors about eight years ago, stocking her
Singer’s businesses.
shelves with various duplicates and pieces from her collection she no
longer cared to keep. In addition to items she acquired along the way, Black Market Activity: This shipping company bought out the
her stock includes a good selection of Artesian Arms products. Ca- previous owner about two years ago, paying a handsome sum for
lypses will sometimes barter or outright buy stock from customers, the opportunity to refurbish and improve delivery of Singer’s goods.
and will sometimes pay up to 40% or higher, but only if it is some- While Switchback has succeeded in that goal, the Hand is unaware
thing truly scarce or which she might want for her own collection. that Le Marche Noir is a silent partner. The increase in hijackings
Black Market Activity: None. Calypses is loyal to the Hand. and other thefts has increased steadily over the last two years, and
although it is true the volume of shipping has also increased, the
24. Iron Horse Network: Central Station. A Hand project built reality is that Switchback’s inside information on the contents of the
along with the network itself during the public works construction shipments and their security detail allows Le Marche Noir to pick
boom of 100 P.A., this depot accommodates both passenger and and choose its heists.
cargo trains, leaving passengers within walking distance of the cen-
tral business district and sending agricultural surplus to the docks of 29. Neighborhood Open-Air Market. The hub of the Eel Bay
the St. Lawrence. The interior features screens highlighting arrivals Market District, hundreds, sometimes thousands, of people will pass
and departures in Dragonese, American, and Gobblely, and a spartan through each day. It is blocked off to vehicle traffic, making for a
waiting area. Outside, the nearby street corner doubles as the best quaint setting, albeit one bustling with pedestrians.
place in town to hail a taxi. Black Market Activity: Generally speaking, minimal. The major-
Black Market Activity: Not unlike the “cabstand” in Goodfellas, ity of the open-air establishments qualify as “holes in the wall,” and
this establishment is not a criminal enterprise per se, but is rather a generally are what they appear to be, both for good and ill. The Mar-
hotbed of information. The volume of travelers, and their overheard ket in general is, of course, a haven for consumers of every loyalty.

87
 A. Mosa’s Outdoor Bake Shop. Mosa, a female Phlebus, spe- 30. Singer Health Clinic. A full-range medical clinic operated by
cializes in tasty baked goods, including doughnuts, scones, cakes, Leonard Howell, a human 7th level Cyber-Doc. The clinic has some
and cookies. Most treats can be had for 2-3 credits each. of the best medical services available, including a full-immersion
B. Farmhand’s Grocery. A large outdoor market owned by the regenerative therapy for serious injuries. In addition to its impressive
Wellesley Park Co-op, an organization featuring most of Welles- technology, Dr. Howell employs a Mind Melter with emphasis on
ley Park’s private landowners, it offers delicious and inexpensive Healing and Super Psionics. Bed availability is limited and prices
in-season produce. Even in winter, items such as maple syrup and are generally steep, but fees are based on a sliding scale depending
handmade clothes keep the stalls occupied, even though the foot- on the patron’s income. The clinic’s obligations under the Tiered
travel decreases dramatically. Tribute System are subsidized in part by both Artesian Arms and
the Rogue’s Mall and Carnival, because Rembrandt recognizes the
C. Diggs’ Digs. Perhaps the best place to find pre-Rifts artifacts value of available health care, while the nearby Carnival essentially
in town, Diggs, a 3rd level Iktek Digger Merchant, specializes in subcontracts care for any work-related injury to the Clinic. So far,
excavating items with his pick and shovel. He then sells them at his the good doctor has been able to stay in the black (barely), but Rem-
booth in the Open-Air Market. He specializes in pre-Rifts entertain- brandt is eagerly awaiting what he believes is an imminent request
ment such as DVDs, CDs, and novels, and has been known to have for a new line of credit.
a functional pre-Rifts video game system for sale from time to time.
Diggs himself is a cheerful sort, having escaped from his oppres- Black Market Activity: None. The good doctor has a great deal
sive homeworld circumstances by happenstance and allying himself of appreciation for the opportunity to ply his trade that the Hand has
with the Hand. Rembrandt pegged him early on as an easy, but pro- afforded him, and carefully vets all hospital personnel. He recruits
ductive, mark, and Diggs has rewarded him by consistently meeting mostly from the Hand’s own ranks, often the spouses and family
his Tiered Tribute System obligations and supplying Singer with a members of operatives, for those with healing psionics and/or an in-
needed niche market. terest in providing medical care.
D. Odds and Ends Weapons. An authorized Artesian Arms out- 31. Artesian Advancements: Storage Facility. Built nearly ad-
let, its owner, Fabian Nicean (9th level Rogue Scholar Black Mar- jacent to both Artesian Arms and Temple Artesia, this storage and
keteer), is a longtime Hand operative and one of the original inves- repair bay gives Artesian Advancements plenty of space to “repro-
tors in Singer. Although Fabian himself never pursued magic, he was cess” repossessed vehicles. See description for Artesian Advance-
always sympathetic. Growing up in the Coalition States, this made ments, above.
him an outcast, and he eventually found the Black Market to be to Black Market Activity: Prevalent. Artesian Advancements is vir-
his liking. Rembrandt has few, if any, actual friends, but Rembrandt tually a fence for stolen vehicles.
respects him due to his unerring loyalty and knack for recognizing 32. Artesian Arms Co. Processing Plant and Administrative
weapon quality. He is a licensed Artesian Arms dealer and the most Offices. This sprawling complex includes research, design, and
likely of any to have the most up-to-date models. He also specializes weapon production sectors, as well as living accommodations for the
in non-magic weapons of high quality, and usually has a handful of 20 or so full-time technicians. Rembrandt has office space here, but
Wilk’s or Triax weapons in stock at about 10% over list price. has gradually spent less time on-site. See full description of Artesian
E. Elvyra’s Exotic Arms. This shop is owned by a female Arms elsewhere.
D’Norr Devilman of the same name. Her shop is stocked with items 33. Iron Horse Train Network: Turbine Station. This station
with a dangerous, dark or evil flavor, and is making a name for itself serves as the exclusive distribution point for Artesian Arms’ subsid-
as a go-to place for Rune Weapons of evil alignments. She is also an iary shipping company, Turbine Shipping. A bustling industrial hub,
authorized Artesian Arms distributor, and usually has all the latest shipments of materials arrive and weapons depart almost every hour.
AA weapons in stock. Its coastal location gave Rembrandt the idea to build a wind turbine
F. Market Park. This centrally-located green space features an system for backup power.
eternal fountain Rembrandt built with the help of an itinerant Water Black Market Activity: Ports, depots, and the companies that run
Warlock. Young people tend to gather near the park benches and them are generally rife with corruption to some extent, and Rem-
fountains, and crowds before and after shows at the theater are com- brandt has attempted to curb that impulse with rigorous background
mon. checks of all Turbine Shipping employees. He has been rewarded
G. Val’s Custom Jewelry. Valkyrie puts her most commercial with significantly fewer thefts of cargo than any other depot in the
works up for sale at this small booth. Selection usually includes city.
rings, necklaces, pendants, and small, magically improved daggers,
34. Power Plant and Weather Control Station. Singer’s source
throwing stars, and dirks. Prices range from 10 to 20 credits all the
of backup power is a Techno-Wizard wind turbine aided by a weath-
way to several thousand, depending on the item.
er control device capable of casting Summon and Control Rain,
Calm Storm, and the Air Elemental spell, Atmosphere Manipulation.
Artesian Arms Industrial Park Not only does the device protect Singer’s farmland from inclement
weather, it can create wind to assist the turbine itself.
Visitors are aware of this neighborhood mostly because the Iron
35. Temple Artesia. The temple is an enormous structure near
Horse Train Network takes them past its smokestacks and antennas
the western end of the peninsula made larger by the various dimen-
before the cityscape gives way to Singer’s shops, bars, and casinos.
sional pockets and anomalies Rembrandt and others have built over
But as the home of Artesian Arms, this neighborhood is more re-
the years. He and his closest advisers all have their living quarters
sponsible than any other for Singer’s ascent. The neighborhood’s N-
here. It is proof against Ley Line Storms, dimensional anomalies and
Rep is Josephine “Jo” Aldridge, a human Artesian Arms technician
the Dead Pool (Rifts® Underseas, page 19) that festers just off the
and 4th level Techno-Wizard. She won her first term in the 108 P.A.
rocky beaches of post-Rifts Singer, and serves as Rembrandt’s per-
elections, and is completely loyal to the company, its employees, and
sonal sanctuary. The Temple is where Rembrandt and his cronies can
Rembrandt.
88
sequester themselves from Singer proper and engage in practices that such a harsh policy. Dockside’s N-Rep, Pat’ryn Niblis, is a long-
would make the average citizen (and Hand operative) blanch. time Hand operative and one of the original investors in Singer. He
The lead designer and foreman on the project was Artemis, considers it his duty to make sure the Hand does not exterminate
the talented but quite mad, 6th level True Atlantean Stone Master. Docksiders, if only because his profits would surely suffer.
Known in True Atlantean circles as a diagnosably insane sociopath, 38. Eel Bay Port Authority. Singer’s only public port services
his own kind expelled him from Atlantis for some unknown act. the bulk of the traffic to and from the city-state. Outgoing vessels are
He joined the Hand only recently, and the Hand’s various experi- required to obtain authorization before departing from the Harbor-
ments and connections resulted in a daily magical cocktail that keeps master, Clambucket, a 6th level Vagabond Black Marketeer (I.Q.
his schizophrenia at bay. Shortly after, his services were needed in 15, M.E. 9, M.A. 14). The River Watch will stop, and if necessary,
Singer, and his status took off when the Hand committed to building fire on, any who refuse. Incoming ships traveling the St. Lawrence
a Stone Temple at Nexus Styx. Within Singer, he answers only to are required to coordinate docking with the Harbormaster or suffer
Rembrandt and the Fist itself, but his influence would be less any- the same fate.
where else on the planet. Artemis realizes this, and has focused his Black Market Activity: Clambucket was one of the original Min-
efforts on maintaining the Temple and taking his medication. As nesota refugees as a teenager. As one of the few Exempt Citizens
long as he stays on the meds, he does excellent work. He has flatly to become a member of the Immaterial Hand, he has parlayed his
refused the Hand’s offer to bring on an apprentice, and has rewarded status as an Exempt Citizen into this relatively high-ranking job. He
his employers with years of excellent service. is known to take a bribe to arrange the shipping schedule, but only
An 8th level human Shifter, Narcophagus, is primarily respon- for the right client and the right price.
sible for maintaining the nexus point’s stability. Although he has
succeeded so far, he has begun to grow restless in his perceived role 39. Captain’s Daughter Cafe. A popular eatery on the pier, vir-
as a mere caretaker. What used to be short sightseeing ventures to tually anyone who has visited Singer more than a time or two will
other realms have turned into recruiting missions for help in usurping have had lunch or dinner here.
Rembrandt. So far, these covert activities have escaped Rembrandt’s Prices are reasonable, and it is open 24/7. The place entertains a
notice (he’s a busy man). rowdy crowd, but the 8th level, Diabolist, Black Marketeer owner,
The odds he succeeds are reduced by the presence of T’ok, Rem- Starana combines circles of protection with the host of Black Mar-
brandt’s unofficial second-in-command, long-time ally, and Rem- ket Special Abilities she has acquired over the years and their ac-
brandt’s closest confidant. He manages the day-to-day operations companying benefits, which have managed to keep the place calm,
of the Temple. As a high level Temporal Raider, he also has some clean, and most importantly, profitable. The food is good, but it’s the
responsibility for the nexus point, and has stepped up his duties in atmosphere that keeps customers coming back. A good meal and a
response to Narcophagus’ increasingly erratic behavior. He has sus- Main Street Brewery beer runs about 15 credits.
picions about the Shfiter’s treacherous activities, but wants to wait Black Market Activity: None. Starana is 100% loyal to Rem-
until he has hard evidence before approaching Rembrandt with the brandt and the Hand.
information. 40. River Watch Headquarters. Immediately adjacent to the
Contraticus (6th level Diabolist Black Marketeer) is responsible shipping yards, this sprawling complex, a Mega-Damage structure,
for the Temple’s defenses, which include deadly wards, circles, and is a constant whirlwind of activity. It boasts sophisticated scanning
a stable of Infiltrator Automatons. Rembrandt has programmed the equipment, both of TW and conventional design, and can track in-
automatons to respond to the Diabolist’s commands, but ultimately, coming vessels from up to 20 miles (32 km) in either direction along
they are loyal to the High Magus. Contraticus also has suspicions the St. Lawrence. It boasts an array of defenses, including four Arte-
about Narcophagus, but he just tries to stay out of the way and do his sian Arms AA-B1 Goblin Bomb TW Cannons (see above; 44 rounds
job. Maintaining and improving the circles of protection and other each). Patrols are conducted in three eight-hour shifts, which means
protective symbols on and around the temple is his life’s work. the HQ is busiest at shift-change. River Watch duty is generally per-
36. Singer Security Outpost. This SS station is built into the ceived as the cushiest of Singer’s military branches. For one, mem-
rocky coastline and includes a dock for River Watch personnel. It bers can usually use their own ships if so desired, creating a diverse
marks the end of SS jurisdiction and the beginning of that of the fighting force that keeps captains and crews on the ships with which
River Watch. they have the most skill and experience. Further, although the Watch
battles its fair share of random aquatic monsters, it has few encoun-
37. Iron Horse Train Network: Headrock Station. Visitors and ters with nations or other city-states, including the anti-magic, anti-
cargo first reaching Singer usually catch the train here for the trip D-Bee Coalition States and Free Quebec. While Singer’s relative
into town. tranquility is due at least in part to its favorable foreign relations
Black Market Activity: Common. The greatest proportion of with nearly every trading partner in the region, it is also because of
Singer Security’s responses to property crimes are to this location. its fortuitous location. Far enough from expansionist Chi-Town to
As the last stop on the way off the peninsula, smugglers and thieves stay off the CS’s radar, while also far enough from isolationist Free
find work particularly plentiful, as any number of security guards, Quebec to be little more than a curiosity, there have been few casual-
dock-workers, and rail pilots, among others, are known to take a ties in the entire, albeit short, history of the River Watch.
bribe to compromise a shipment if the price is right. Black Market Activity: Ordinarily none. Rembrandt is sure to
well-compensate his militia units to decrease the possibility of cor-
Dockside ruption, and the River Watch is no exception.
41. Wayback Mining Docks. Generally a hub of activity during
The poorest of Singer’s neighborhoods, Dockside is also the most
the daylight hours, Singer Security patrols regularly in order to pro-
violent. Conflict between Singer Security and Docksiders is a com-
tect the valuable cargo from attack.
mon occurrence. Although the Hand certainly has the manpower to
“cleanse” Dockside with a full military onslaught, Rembrandt has 42. Wayback Diving and Mining. One of the first non-Black
declined doing so because of the certain political backlash against Market businesses to thrive in Singer was Wayback Diving and

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Mining, owned and operated by Wayne Wayback, 9th level human 43. One Night Stand Flophouse and Campground. Possibly
Operator, wife Camilla, 8th level Salvage Expert (Rifts® Under- the most densely populated 5 acres of Singer, there is always some-
seas, page 133), and their nephew Charlie, 3rd level City Rat with thing happening at the One Night Stand. Rows of tents, trailers,
an emphasis on underwater and salvage skills (17 years old). Wayne and other vehicles line the grounds, and cooking fires, some larger
and Camilla left the service of the Tundra Rangers when Charlie’s than others, dot the landscape. The place is owned by Charlie and
parents were killed by Coalition forces, and the family was able to Ramona Splinsdorf, 8th level Vagabond Black Marketeers, child-
parlay their severance pay, Charlie’s pittance of an inheritance, and hood sweethearts and Minor Psychics (Empathy and Telepathy, 32
some gear they had acquired into the Frozen Nautilus, a broken-down I.S.P. for him, Telekinesis and Nightvision, 34 I.S.P. for her), now
pre-Rifts submarine. The idea was to fix it up and get salvage work in their mid-50s, who grew up poor in the Coalition ‘Burb of Fire-
in Montreal, but as luck would have it, after only a few short months town. They decided to leave before the policies of the then-fledgling
of refurbishing, on the way up the St. Lawrence Seaway near what Psychic Registration Program extended all throughout Coalition ter-
they would learn was the town of Singer, the family stumbled on ritory. Shortly after, they caught on with the Immaterial Hand, and
a previously undiscovered and fundamentally geologically incorrect have been polishing their Black Marketeer credentials ever since.
mineral deposit, including veins of sapphire, rubies, and diamonds. The couple financed construction with the help of the Hand, and have
After using their admittedly meager machinery to extract enough never missed a payment despite keeping their prices remarkably rea-
to prove its existence, the Nautilus made port at Singer. A meet- sonable.
ing with Rembrandt went well and allowed the struggling business Rates vary, ranging from 10 credits per night for a spot outside on
to secure a significant line of credit from the Hand that Rembrandt the grounds to between 35 and 65 credits per night for a room inside,
would personally monitor. The mineral deposit would prove to pro- depending on the client and whim of the proprietors. Those who rent
vide Artesian Arms ready access to the scarcest of TW components: the rooms tend to stay a short time, overnight or a few days, and are
precious crystals, allowing the company to increase production and interested in keeping costs low. This means the establishment caters
meet demand. Rembrandt was thrilled about this development, and to frugal Black Marketeers, frisky couples, and travelers down on
vowed to do whatever was necessary, including subsidizing the com- their luck. However, the Campground includes a few tenants who
pany out of his own pocket, because that would prove cheaper than have paid rent for two months or more. Singer Security keeps a close
importing the stones. eye on the Campground, as there is always the possibility of unsanc-
Thanks to Rembrandt’s free money, Wayback Mining has be- tioned black market activity occurring such as drug trafficking and
come one of the largest private businesses in town. The office/pro- prostitution.
cessing plant is a striking, cylindrical, Mega-Damage building the Despite their Black Marketeer status, the couple has never forgot-
envy of Black Marketeers throughout Singer. The company now has ten where they came from, and have always had a soft spot for the
six employees, all human Salvage Experts: Northridge, 4th level, poor. They keep their rates low for this reason, and as a result, their
who operates the three-wheeled mining sub Rolling Thunder, of profit margin is lower than most Black Marketeers. They also have
Wayne’s own design, and who suffers from a borderline obsessive- developed a relationship with the Regulators, and a few gang mem-
compulsive disorder manifested through his personification of the bers are likely to hole up in one or more rooms at any given time.
craft; Malcolm and Robert Fisher, father and son, 7th level and The Splinsdorfs believe they can maintain plausible deniability if
3rd level respectively, known for their curiosity and tendency to find Rembrandt were to discover the Regulators occasionally hiding out
both treasure and trouble; Marshall Spears, good-natured expert pi- at their establishment, but are not particularly interested in testing
lot most often in the cockpit of the Sea Bat; and Darren Owens and that theory.
Libby Good, long-time partners, both 5th level, who found common
ground with their love for power armor and robots. 44. Streetwise PIs. This fledgling detective agency was ostensi-
Today, the company’s fleet includes one XS-24 Sea Bat Mini- bly founded to capitalize on Singer’s burgeoning legal system. Dis-
Submersible and one XS-20 Sea Mite (Rifts® Underseas, page 201); gruntled neighbors, business partners, family members, and anyone
divers are outfitted in TXD series (Rifts® Underseas, page 193) or else who can pay the fee, hire the firm to investigate the subject of the
MEWS-10 (Rifts® Underseas, page 139) wetsuits and Naut’Yll dispute, generate a written report about the findings of the investiga-
weapons (Rifts® Underseas, pages 153-155), including the En- tion, and testify before the Town Council if necessary (costs double).
ergy Trident and Harpoon Rifle; one Underwater Sea Sled knock- The firm charges by the hour on a sliding scale depending on the
off (Coalition Navy, page 56); a TXD-100 Ultra Deep Sea Power difficulty and/or danger of the assignment.
Armor; and a heavily modified Titan Combat Robot (Rifts® Ulti- In reality, the firm was founded by a quartet of Singer natives in
mate Edition, page 273). Modifications include the sensor system response to the declining Faerie population, disturbing reports in the
package from the Titan Recon robot, underwater propulsion system, opposition press (the Faerie League pamphlet, the Representative)
and interchangeable arm attachments, including a claw and variable and their own experiences in and around Singer that just don’t seem
laser. The Wayback team lives and works in a sub of Wayne’s design to add up. Their front as civil investigators finances their own inde-
roughly comparable to a CS Stingray, (Rifts® Coalition Navy page pendent look into Singer’s government.
78), known as the Wayback Machine, outfitted with only the mini 45. Pat’s Bodega. Pat’ryn Niblis, 9th level Phlebus Merchant
torpedo launcher and the laser cannons (Weapon Systems 3 and 4) Black Marketeer and longtime Singer resident, owns this restaurant
in addition to its complement of advanced sensors and mining equip- and grocery store; one of the most popular establishments in Dock-
ment. The hold features a repair bay that also serves as a place for side. In addition to being a common rendezvous point for mercenar-
Wayne to tinker. ies, and gang members, as well as Black Marketeers and well-mean-
Within the last month, Wayne has begun to suspect that the min- ing visitors, the selection and quality of the food is quite good. The
eral deposit may finally be going bust. In his heart he knows that restaurant is known for daily special and weekly “Tapas Thursdays,”
there hasn’t been enough work for his employees to do for a while when all small plates are half-off at less than 8 credits. Pat, as he
now, but he doesn’t have the heart to tell them, his family, or Rem- likes to be called, uses the shop as a mecca for information-gather-
brandt. The stress of potentially losing his little cartel is really freak- ing, and has parlayed his position into becoming Dockside N-Rep.
ing him out.

90
 Black Market Activity: Unknown to virtually everyone, Pat is the 50. Gametown Inn. Literally a stone’s throw from the Artesian
on-site, shadowy leader of the Backhand. See the description of that Arena, this Hand-owned establishment is the place for high-rollers
gang elsewhere. and other spectators to crash after a night of revelry in Gametown.
46. Grim’s TW Supply Store. When Falgrim Gembeard arrived Built to resemble the arched entrance to a medieval town square, be-
in Singer a decade ago, his mission was simple: learn as much as lying the neighborhood’s almost completely commercial nature, it is
possible about the newfangled science of Techno-Wizardry and re- one of the most visually striking buildings in all of Singer. It stretch-
port to Odin. A decade later, his own TW business thriving, he con- es over three stories in the air, many rooms situated in castle towers
vinced his god to allow him to continue to “investigate” Rifts Earth offering a striking view of not only the arena but in some cases, the
commerce. Grim has become a Merchant (5th level Techno-Wizard, St. Lawrence itself. Rooms are not cheap, beginning at 100 credits a
1st level Merchant Black Marketeer) and diversified his business in- night up to 500 for a room overlooking the arena. Most importantly,
terests, buying and remodeling the bar adjacent to the arena now the inn signals the beginning of the Gametown district, which fea-
known as Grim’s Pub. tures establishments such as the Gladiators’ Waystop, a restaurant
The Supply Store is just around the corner from Pat’s and offers that serves good, if overpriced meals, usually ranging between 20
one of the widest selection of TW weapons and equipment in town. and 50 credits. Offers Main Street Brewery beer for 5 credits a mug.
Common items are 98% likely to be in stock, items valued between 51. Grim’s Pub. Owned by renowned Asgardian Dwarf, Falgrim
100,000 and 1 million credits are 60% likely, and items beyond a Gembeard, this is the go-to establishment for drinks before and af-
million only 30%. Grim is an authorized Artesian Arms distributor, ter events at the arena, which is literally just a stone’s throw away.
but is one of the only dealers in town willing to offer a fair price on It features authentic Asgardian ale and spirits at reasonable prices
other companies’ items. Any number of his many associates run the (about 6 credits per mug). Unsurprisingly, the Kingsdale expatriate
Supply Store these days, as Grim is far more likely to be at his bar. Dwarves are regulars.
Grim’s Black Market accomplice, 4th level Shifter, Black Mar-
keteer Phineas Thebes, convinced Grim a year or so ago to establish
Gametown an interdimensional distribution agreement with Asgard to provide
Singer’s entertainment district is the destination of choice for top-shelf alcohol, and Grim’s Pub was born. They bought the build-
many of Singer’s visitors. All the action revolves around the small ing after the previous owner failed to meet his obligations under
circus known as the Rogue’s Mall and Carnival. The most important the Tiered Tribute System, remodeled accordingly, and business is
building is Artesian Arena, where events from concerts to gladiato- booming. The pub’s success has Grim thinking about other proper-
rial combat draw crowds daily. Gametown’s N-Rep is Marvus Lusk, ties he might want to add to his Singer holdings.
co-owner of Rogue’s Mall and Carnival. He has held office for the 52. Artesian Arena. Owned by the Rogue’s Mall, this arena
last two terms, and plans to continue to exert his influence politically showcases the highest-profile gladiatorial combat in town. Book-
in Singer and within the Hand. A Hand stronghold, Black Market makers abound, offering patrons action on all the events. The gam-
Activity is risky business, and therefore not as common as one might bling industry is remarkably well-regulated, as 90% of bookmakers
expect. are associated with the Hand, so Singer Security’s presence is less
47. Stone Dragon Tavern. The trendiest nightspot in town, it ca- than one might expect. This makes for a vibrant, generally good-
ters to adventurers and anyone else looking for good drinks and good natured environment that is quite conducive to people spending their
music. Boasting an excellent sound system, the Tavern features live money, both for admission into the arena and on any of the nearby
DJs every Thursday, Friday, and Saturday nights, and even the house establishments.
is known for playing the latest popular music alongside pre-Rifts The Arena is open seven days a week and usually has fights on the
hits. It also offers the widest selection of wine and exotic drinks in hour beginning with matinee performances in the afternoons. Con-
town, with rare bottles on sale for upwards of 1,000 credits or more. tests include one-on-one combat, exotic animals or “monsters” fight-
The owner, a 10th level Rogue Scholar Black Marketeer known for ing humans and D-Bees, and the occasional exhibition Juicer Foot-
his taste in wine and appreciation for everything pre-Rifts, especially ball Game. The Rogue’s Mall also uses the facility for its weekly
music, named Rhinehold Carpman, makes sure the the music is “Big Top” performances.
loud, the doors are open late, and the alcohol is cheap. That combina- Black Market Activity: Little to none. There are always a few
tion helps keep profits up, not only at the Tavern itself, but also next rogue bookmakers trying to get away without paying tribute, but for
door at the Hand owned and operated Lion’s Head Club. the most part, the abundance of legal, Hand-sanctioned gambling es-
tablishments makes for slim pickings. However, as with anywhere
48. Lion’s Head Club. The only Hand-sanctioned brothel in else, low-level security and maintenance personnel are susceptible to
town, this establishment also offers a bar and stage complete with bribes under the right circumstances.
pole on the first level. The ladies of the night ply their trade, and
reside on the second and third floors. The girls charge whatever rates 53. Daredevil Animal Control. A trio of energetic (some would
they like, which encourages individual entrepreneurship, and also say, foolhardy) Techno-Wizards with a knack for relating to animals
gives the customer a range of options starting at 20 or so credits an have found their niche as the Arena’s resident exotic-animal han-
hour all the way up to multiple thousands. They are required to pay dlers. Darryl and Ann Questington and their cousin, Reed Graft-
tribute to the Hand, but in no greater proportion than most other mer- plate, grew up on the Questington family farm near Stormspire. Al-
chants in Singer. Whiplash, a 6th level Enforcer Black Marketeer, though they yearned to leave the farm for the city life Stormspire
is in charge of the security team that protects the girls and keeps the offered, as well as the opportunities to pursue the “it” career of Tech-
peace. T’ok is known to frequent the place, both for business and no-Wizardry, it would be their experience handling exotic livestock
pleasure. Under the circumstances, the Club is an extremely tight, early in life that would pave the way for their current success.
efficient, and safe operation. Although they all did eventually become Techno-Wizards
through instruction at Stormspire, they found the city didn’t agree
49. Rogue’s Mall and Carnival. One of Singer’s signature es- with them as much as they thought it would. Rembrandt’s success
tablishments. See description elsewhere. with the Hand and Singer’s reputation as a haven for Techno-Wiz-
91
ardry was common knowledge in Stormspire by 100 P.A., and the rupt society to gain a foothold in North America, and ultimately be
trio set off to seek their fortune there. accountable to her superiors once again.
They first worked at the Rogue’s Mall and Carnival as animal Shortly after the team arrived, the Hand finished construction of
handlers, trying to scrape together enough disposable income and Temple Artesia, and Singer’s subsequent control over the Nexus pre-
time to work on TW designs. Eventually, Ann broke through with vented reinforcements from arriving there. Naut’Yll higher-ups were
the now patented Illusory Crop, a simple-appearing whip or riding less than thrilled with the idea of a river occupation in the first place,
crop that allows the user to tame virtually any animal, exotic or oth- and the latest development caused them to virtually write off Aquata
erwise. While she had no interest in mass producing the item, it pro- entirely. Giddy beyond her wildest dreams, she devoted herself to
vided the trio with the confidence to start the company and get a loan developing structures out of the Korallyte and halfhearted attempts
from the Hand. to convince her followers she is still focused on removing the Tem-
The company constructed massive animal pens suitable for con- ple and opening the gateway for the invasion.
taining all sorts of dangerous and exotic animals immediately adja- Her bodyguard, and self-styled closest confidant is Brutux, 8th
cent to the Arena. In fact, the arena is directly accessible from the level Naut’Yll Devastator (Rifts® Underseas, page 150, aberrant).
pens, allowing exotic animals to be led directly from the pens to the He, Qu’rath and Mar’lu, 4th level, anarchist Naut’Yll Mystics
Arena (to the delight of the crowd). The Illusory Crop has proved and Kry’zee, 7th level Naut’Yll Soldier (Rifts® Underseas, page
effective in protecting the audience from even the most aggressive 149; Unprincipled) have been with her since they arrived through
beasts in all but a handful of instances. the Nexus Styx almost 15 years ago. At this point, Aquata’s fellow
Naut’Yll have doubts she really cares about attacking the Temple,
and are split about whether to leave or whether to make a go of it
Outskirts in Singer. Their culture’s value of obedience has compelled them to
Unclaimed by any neighborhood, the forest beyond the Daredevil remain, in support of Aquata. The group’s non-threatening presence
facility has remained one of Singer’s few undeveloped locations. has attracted Volux and Volex, twin Kreel-Lok Nomads (Rifts®
Predominantly deciduous forest, Singer Security rarely patrols there, Underseas, page 152; Unprincipled), to the group’s ranks, tipping
citing the heavily wooded landscape, while the IDF also refuses to the scales further in favor of sticking around.
do so, justifying its inaction because the area is technically within 58. St. Lawrence Piranhas Hideout. Although effectively a
Singer’s borders. This has led to something of a feud between the wing of the River Watch Headquarters, the Piranhas have extensive-
two branches in the military, and the region goes largely ignored by ly fortified the small island. The group’s holdings include a base of
law enforcement. operations featuring Mega-Damage walls and Artesian Arms AA-
B1 Goblin Bomb TW Cannons. Thanks to this island stronghold,
54. Faerie League Hideout. The gang has taken advantage of
the Piranhas have managed to maintain a little more autonomy than
the relative isolation to construct its de facto headquarters. As an-
the Fist would like, but the River Watch’s performance, and loyalty,
other abandoned Faerie Mound, the Hideout is really an expanded
have so far been impeccable.
version of the meeting house in Wellesley Park, with weapons and
food stores to last 100 people at least a month. There are likely to be 59. 1,000 Islands Undersea Quarry. The “mother lode” and a
1D4+1 gang members there at any given time, and can hold up to 30 huge boost to Artesian Arms’ stock of precision crystals essential for
comfortably in the large conference hall. construction of TW weapons. Whether unknown in pre-Rifts time
or transplanted through some dimensional anomaly, a veritable cor-
55. Settlers’ Cemetery. Another reason why the area has been nucopia of a mineral vein lies less than 2 miles (3.2 km) beneath
more or less ignored is because of the infamous graveyard where the the 1,000 Islands region of the St. Lawrence Seaway. Almost all of
original pirate settlement in the 20s buried their dead. Hand efforts to Wayback Mining’s business is dedicated to exploiting the vein.
rid the area of the myriad of Entities and evil Faerie Folk who reside
there have been a complete failure.
56. Ruins. Although any number of fugitives and/or gang mem- Singer Notables
bers have temporarily hidden out near this rock formation on the
banks near the headwaters of Eel River, it has remained abandoned. Isabella Valkyrie always rose well before dawn. Each day, after
a moment of meditation to commune with her god, Svarozhich, Rus-
sian God of Light and Fire, she would fire up her Kuznya forge in
St. Lawrence River the shop adjacent to her quarters and get to work. In her more than
a decade in Singer, first as foreman on the construction of the mod-
The following are nearby points of interest beyond Singer’s bor-
ern addition to Castle Singer as a part of the Singer Improvement
ders.
Project, then as the owner of a thriving local metalworks and jewelry
57. Naut’Yll Encampment. Aquata, (7th level Koral Shaper, shop and now an adjunct professor at the Artesian Academy, she has
Rifts Underseas, page 150, Anarchist), a free-thinking, female had a lot to do. The Wellesley Park neighborhood’s peace and quiet
Naut’Yll, was savvy enough to keep her true political bent from her usually ensured her early morning practices were left undisturbed.
superiors growing up in the militaristic Naut’Yll magic academy. Except for this morning. “Ms. Izzy! Ms. Izzy!!!” If it weren’t for
Knowing escape was the only way she could even think about be- the tension in both the tone and the incessant tapping at her shop’s
ing herself, she researched possible excursions to finally extract her- door, she might have laughed at the pre-pubescent cracks in the
self from the pervasive militarism. She convinced her superiors that frantic voices.
a small vein of Korallyte near the Nexus Styx would be a suitable “What in the name–”
jumping off point for an invasion. The harried generals approved her “Ms. Izzy! Open the door!”
idea, and she was deployed with a small group of advance scouts. She did, ushering in Zak, Cade and Bobby and their wild-eyed
Although she was excited to be off, she knew her excitement would faces. Their words were unintelligible gibberish as they all started
be short-lived, because her job would be to open the door for her cor- speaking at once. “Silence!” she ordered. They complied. Imme-

92
diately sensing the gravity of the situation, the reprimand Isabella Isabella looked down on them and lowered her arm, placing her
had planned died on her lips. “Boys, what’s wrong?” she asked, palm on top of the boys’ hands at the center of the circle. “You will
locking eyes with each one despite their attempts to closely examine tell none what you have told me this morning. Swear it.”
the floor. They all opened their mouths simultaneously. “On second “We swear, Ms. Izzy.”
thought, how about just one of you tell me what’s wrong,” she hast- “Good boys. Now, I am going to look into what you have told me.
ily amended. I will be in class this afternoon, I will contact you then.” The four of
The three boys exchanged glances. Cade slumped his shoul- them shared a squeeze of hands, then the boys headed for the door.
ders and looked at Val. “Ms. Izzy, we know we shouldn’t have been “And be sly about it, now. The sun will be up momentarily.”
sneaking out.” The three boys looked at her solemnly, excitement beginning to
“Obviously. But somehow I don’t think you would be here if you replace anxiety just a bit. “We will, Ms. Izzy,” Cade said, and the
were seeking penance for a breach of curfew.” three slipped into Singer’s darkest hour before the dawn.
“You’re right, Ms. Izzy. We wanted to check out the Rumpleskunk
Faerie Mound Professor Thicketround was talking about in class.
He said the Faeries were most likely to celebrate a full moon, and it
was a full moon... last night, I guess. What time is it, anyway?” he
asked.
“Time for you to keep telling me this story so I can get back to
work,” Val replied firmly. “What happened?”
“Well, Ms. Izzy, it was glorious. Just like the Professor said it
would be. It’s just that we’d never seen so many Faeries up close.
So we had to go. But then... then...” Cade couldn’t continue, choking
up with tears.
Zak stepped forward. “We saw the Splugorth take them, Ms. Izzy.
Just like in a nightmare.”
Isabella was stoic. “Boys, you should not have been there. There
are reasons why you are not allowed beyond the Thickening. The
world is wild. You are lucky to live in a place like Singer, with its
peace and order. I’m sorry you had to witness a Splugorth attack like
that, but there is evil in the world.”
Zak nodded grimly. “If that’s all it was, Ms. Izzy, I don’t think
we’d be here.”
For the first time, Isabella sensed a tingle of uncertainty. “Alright
boys, out with it. What did you see?”
Zak looked at his friends. Cade, sobbing, had found refuge in
a nearby chair, while Bobby shuffled his feet near the door. “Ms.
Izzy, we saw an Interior Defense Force squad, but they didn’t attack
the Splugorth. They just watched them...butcher Faeries!” Zak’s last
words trembled, and he sank down into a crouch on the floor.
Isabella just stood there. “Boys, it is very important that you an-
swer my questions. Tell me, exactly what did you see the IDF agents
doing?”
There was more than a moment of silence. Bobby finally spoke up.
“There were two or three of them, I think, a few hundred feet from us.
We didn’t know who they were or anything behind their IDF gear.
The moon was full, and we could see pretty good, but...” Isabella Valkyrie
Cade finally composed himself. “Like Zak said, they just stood Always in search of new talent, Rembrandt has long appreciated
there and watched. It was a massacre, and they just... let it happen.” Kuznya craftsmanship. Even though the Fist balked at first because
The boys descended into a sniffling silence. of the expense involved, he personally pushed through the hire once
By now it was clear to Isabella that the boys’ shock was due only word was out that a Kuznya was available. Val has rewarded the
in part to seeing a Splugorth Slaver for the first time or witnessing a Hand with the design and construction of Singer Castle’s South
brutal attack on Faeries. The mere thought of local heroes consort- Wing, and was instrumental in building the Iron Horse train stations.
ing with Singer’s most hated enemy left her cold. Imagine the impact These days she spends most of her time crafting and teaching at the
of witnessing such an event on boys barely into their teens. Artesian Academy.
“Boys, look at me. I have no doubt you are telling the truth. And The journey was long, but to Isabella Valkyrie, arriving in Singer
although I am glad you have told someone what you saw, I am per- just felt right. Until now. When she first arrived in 98 P.A., as one of
plexed why you chose me, but no matter. What you need to do now the engineers the Hand hired to facilitate the massive investment in
is remember that there are some who could find you a threat if they Singer at that time, she was struck by the close relationship between
were to learn that you know what you know. You must keep silent. Faeries and their human and D-Bee counterparts. In all her vast ex-
You must resist the urge to brag and gossip. Your lives depend on it.” perience with Faerie Folk due to coming of age in Eastern Europe,
Bobby’s face blanched, but Zak and Cade swallowed hard. “OK, she had never seen such benevolent interdependency. The boys’ ar-
Ms. Izzy. Bobby, you with us?” Zak asked, as he thrust his arm for- rival at her door in those early morning hours cemented her grudging
ward. Cade’s arm met his, and Bobby’s too, albeit more slowly. realization that this ideal is dead.
93
Real Name: Isabella Valkyrie.
Rank Within the Black Market: None.
Race: Human.
Alignment: Scrupulous.
Attributes: I.Q. 13, M.E. 17, M.A. 16, P.S. 31, P.P. 22, P.E. 17, P.B.
11, Spd 13.
M.D.C.: 104
Weight: 700 lbs (315 kg). Height: 6 feet, 2 inches (1.88 m).
Age: 25
P.P.E.: 144. I.S.P.: None.
Experience Level: 3rd level Mystic Kuznya (see Rifts® Mystic
Russia).
Skills of Note: Gemology 60%, Metalwork and Forge 63%, Philoso-
phy 45%, Military Fortifications 40%, Lore: D-Bee 30%, Pros-
pecting 35%.
Special Abilities: As per Rifts® Mystic Russia, page 120, featuring
M.D.C. body, Supernatural P.S., and the fire spells common to a
Kuznya.
Psionics: None.
Spell Knowledge: Ignite Fire (6), Fuel Flame (5), Extinguish Fire
(4), Superhuman Strength (10), Manipulate Objects (2+), Deflect
(10), Ricochet Strike (12), Implosion Neutralizer (12), Create
Steel (68), Power Weapon (35), Speed Weapon (100), and En-
chant Weapon (400 to 1,000+).
Combat Training: Hand to Hand: Expert.
Attacks per Melee: Three.
Combat Bonuses: +3 to strike, +7 to parry, +6 to dodge, +9 to roll
with punch/fall, +1 to initiative.
Weapons and Equipment of Note: Kuznya Sledgehammer (6D6
M.D.C., double to supernatural creatures, and requires two hands
to effectively wield), three Gold Hammers (2D6 M.D.C.), and
Kuznya Tongs. See Rifts Mystic Russia, page 122, for details.
Body Armor: Mega-Damage steel Chain Mail Armor (400 M.D.C.).
Vehicles: None, but could easily obtain a horse if need be. Alignment: Aberrant.
Cybernetics/Bionics: None. Attributes: I.Q. 19, M.E. 16, M.A. 18, P.S. 17, P.P. 13, P.E. 15, P.B.
Money: Savings of 12,000 credits, but her inventory is worth mil- 10, Spd 14.
lions. Kuznyas are not acquisitive by nature and Isabella is no Hit Points: 54. S.D.C.: 32. M.D.C.: None.
different. Weight: 185 lbs (83 kg). Height: 5 feet, 11 inches (1.8 m).
Age: 111 years old.
P.P.E.: 298. I.S.P.: None.
Rembrandt Experience Level: 11th level High Magus.
By the time Rembrandt had concluded his training, he had a Skills of Note: W.P. Blunt, Intelligence 86%, Mechanical Engineer
decent understanding that he was different from most High Magi. 95%, Demolitions and Demolitions Disposal (both 98%), Prowl
Although he shared their desire to create and build, his perspective 85%, Philosophy 98%, Law (95%), Interrogation (85%), Street-
had always been more worldly than most of his fellow students. For wise (64%).
one, he recognized early on the niche that Techno-Wizardry could Special Abilities: Black Market Abilities include Informant: Cor-
fill in the North American arms market. Although most High Magi rupt Lawman, Read Black Market Operations, Read People, and
are interested in other forms of magic to improve weapons and items, Sincerity.
Techno-Wizardry was always most interesting to him because the Psionics: None.
price of TW items was not necessarily prohibitive. Spell Knowledge: All spells levels 7-15, Dimensional Pockets
As he went on in his studies, he found himself more and more (20/140), Temporary Time Hole (100), Remote Viewing (30),
interested in the arms market and “creating” profits. This outlook, Dimensional Envelope (60/380), S-Dep (50), Time Capsule (30),
combined with his interest in TW weapons, isolated him from his Wink-Out (20).
fellow students. Although he received the lion’s share of the abili- Combat Training: Hand to Hand: Basic.
ties and skills afforded to any High Magus, the Lords of Magic were Attacks per Melee: Seven.
not pleased with his bent, and revoked his connection with them and Combat Bonuses:, +1 to strike, +6 to parry, +7 to dodge, +2 dam-
denied him the abilities to create and command automatons. Rem- age, +6 to roll with punch or fall.
brandt has considered this a minor setback, and has been more than Weapons and Equipment of Note: Commonly carries a TW Starfire
happy to proceed in the role of Singer’s de facto leader. Pistol (3D6 M.D., 1,000 feet/305 m, 12 shots per P.P.E. clip), and
a custom TW Befuddlemace in the form of a cane.
Real Name: Rembrandt Karosh. Body Armor: High Magus Body armor (50 M.D.C.).
Rank Within the Black Market: Boss. Vehicles: A simple hover car.
Race: Human/High Magus. Cybernetics/Bionics: None.

94
Money: Millions of credits available at any given time, plus access Real Name: Rockwell Westin.
to Hand loans worth millions more. Rank Within the Black Market: Adviser.
Race: Human.
Alignment: Unprincipled.
Attributes: I.Q. 15, M.E. 13, M.A. 17, P.S. 18, P.P. 13, P.E. 14, P.B.
14, Spd 20.
Hit Points: 48. S.D.C.: 70.
Weight: 215 (97 kg). Height: 6 feet, 2 inches (1.88 m).
Age: 55
P.P.E.: 225. I.S.P.: 68.
Experience Level: 9th level Ley Line Walker.
Skills of Note: Prowl 70%, Lore: Demons and Monsters 70%, Phi-
losophy 75%, Land Navigation 68%, Pilot TW Vehicles 72%,
W.P. Energy Rifle, W.P. Knife.
Special Abilities: Possesses all the standard Ley Line Walker O.C.C.
powers and abilities.
Psionics: Mind Block, Nightvision.
Spell Knowledge: All Spells levels 1-9 plus Create Magic Scroll
(100), Amulet (290), and Talisman (500).
Combat Training: Hand to Hand: Basic.
Attacks per Melee: Four.
Combat Bonuses:+2 to strike, +7 to parry, +3 to damage, +7 to roll
with punch/fall, knockout/stun on a Natural 20, Critical Strike on
a Natural 18, 19 or 20, Spell Strength 14, +4 to save vs Horror
Factor, +2 to save vs Magic.
Weapons and Equipment of Note: A Lesser Rune Dagger named
Silence, 3D6 M.D. and allows the wielder to cast Globe of Si-
lence once per day at no P.P.E. cost.
Body Armor: Owns an augmented Crusader environmental suit of
armor with the TW additions of Shadow Meld and Impervious
to Energy. He wears it on the rare occasions he ventures beyond
Singer’s walls.
Vehicles: TW hovercraft.
Cybernetics/Bionics: None.
Money: Salary is thousands of credits a month, but is required to pay
Rockwell Westin tribute whenever he sells magic items on the side. Has access to at
least 100,000 credits at any given time, more if he chose to obtain
Distinguished professor, experienced adventurer, and member of a loan from the Hand.
the Order of the White Rose, Rockwell has been quite happy with
his decision to quit adventuring, leave Madtown, and settle into his
life as a teacher. Old by human standards at 55, but still hale and
hearty, he sees Singer as something of his own personal retirement Hook, Line and Sinker™
Adventures
community. While he and Rembrandt do not socialize regularly, a
deep mutual respect was formed the day Rockwell burst into Rem-
brandt’s audience chamber in 101 P.A., demanding a position at the
then just-completed school. Intrigued, Rembrandt hired him on the The italicized narrative portions scattered throughout this book
spot, hedging his bets by ordering constant surveillance (since cur- are the jumping-off point for what I consider to be the central sto-
tailed). Like many of his others, the wager paid off, and Professor ryline for this setting: who, if anyone, outside of Rembrandt’s inner
Westin is one of the most skilled and well-liked professors the school circle learns about his deal with the Splugorth, and how those who
has ever seen. Eight years later, he is an established, trusted member learn respond. The events in italics are intended to trigger nothing
of the community. short of revolution. Whether revolution actually takes place is of
Over the last year, Rockwell has heard the rumors of the increased course up to each individual G.M. Even so, rumors of unchecked
Faerie plight, but it’s been longer than that since he’s set foot outside Splugorth incursion will begin to spread, resulting in increasingly
Singer’s walls. He is focused on teaching and generally enjoying apparent loss of Faerie life. Faerie Folk throughout Singer, sympa-
himself, taking full advantage of Singer’s entertainment opportuni- thizers, and the agricultural community will eventually petition their
ties (it is a rumor at school that he is one of the Lion’s Head’s best N-Reps to acknowledge and solve the problem. Will Rembrandt or-
customers). He uses his high-level creation spells such as Talisman der that the government stonewall the citizens? Will Orin and Tes-
to make a little money on the side selling magic items, usually to sa find out about his arrangement with the Splugorth? What if the
friends and respected practitioners of magic. Although he tends to population becomes convinced the Hand is jeopardizing Faerie Folk
give Singer’s government and Rembrandt the benefit of the doubt, he safety?
will contact the Garden to report the apparent relationship between Whether your game hits those plot points or not, the following
the Splugorth and the Interior Defense Force if he gets wind of the Hook, Line and Sinker settings should provide some alternative av-
boys’ encounter at the Rumpleskunk Mound. enues of adventure in and around Singer.
95
Manifest Destiny brandt succeed in his debtor’s cleansing, or will he start civil war?
Which side do the players choose?
Hook: Land area available for settlement under the terms of the
Faerie Edict is rapidly diminishing. Other than a few rocky outcrop-
pings near the western shores of the Lake of the Isles, Singer’s exist- Rule of Law?
ing land area is spoken for. Hook: A home next door to Heston Thicketround’s in Wellesley
Line: At recent Town Council sessions and Neighborhood Con- Park was abandoned recently for no apparent reason; the neighbor,
claves, the expansion of Singer’s city limits is a hot topic. Whether a Shifter, had been a long-time resident, and generally considered a
the player characters are involved in the political aspect of this HLS reasonably safe practitioner of magic in spite of his field. However,
depends on their position in Singer; they are most likely to be in- having failed to pay his monthly bill according to the Tiered Tribute
volved at the Conclave stage. If they are participating, the follow- System, the Hand has now repossessed his home and sold it to a trio
ing issues might be raised. Should Singer attempt to expand beyond of Asgardian Dwarves seeking safe haven. Heston has learned that
the Thickening and onto the southern half of the island? Should the these these uppity creatures plan to demolish the long-time structure
Hand send Tessa and Carven to try to renegotiate Singer’s treaty to build something more fit for their kind. How the player characters
with the Faerie Folk regarding land use? Would Tessa and Carven become aware of this dispute at this stage depends on their connec-
even consider doing so? If Singer expands unilaterally, how will the tions in Wellesley Park and the Artesian Academy.
Faeries and Splugorth respond? A motion is made for a vote on the Line: Heston, a noted proponent of nature as a Scathach Druid,
issue of whether to establish a settlement between the southern wall takes his dispute to Carven, who takes the problem to the last Town
and the Thickening is scheduled for next session. “Manifest destiny” Council session scheduled before the Dwarves’ plans go into effect.
is a phrase increasingly common at Conclaves in every neighbor- With Heston (and the player characters?) in audience, Orin and Tes-
hood but Wellesley Park, which is the only one expressly opposed sa denied his claim, pointing out that the appropriate tribute had not
to expansion. been paid, the Hand had taken action to mitigate its losses, and the
Sinker: The Faerie League has finally had enough, and makes new owners had license to do with the property as they saw fit.
plans to make some kind of “statement” during the Town Council’s Sinker: When the Dwarves arrive to begin demolitions and con-
next session. How much the player characters know about the plot struction, they find Heston barring their way, and students (and fac-
depends on their Black Market abilities and connections. If they learn ulty?) from Artesian Academy, friends (the player characters?), and
about it, what steps do they take? Make contact with the League and neighbors, along with a contingent of Faerie Folk, in contravention
try to blow up city hall? Expose the plot to Rembrandt? Become of the Council’s order. Singer Security is summoned. Orin and Tessa
double agents? Would the motion have passed, anyway? are on the scene. Does a firefight ensue? If so, it would represent the
first time the military had turned its weapons on Wellesley Park resi-
Class Conflict dents in Singer’s history. What would that do to Singer’s underpin-
nings? Can this situation be resolved without violence?
Hook: Regulators forces brutally bomb a Queenston Harbor
merchant vessel docked at the Singer Port Authority, killing five of
the ship’s crew, including the first mate, and damaging the pier in Faerie Carnage
the process. The death toll makes it the most deadly attack against Hook: While out adventuring in the Horror Forest near Singer,
Queenston Harbor interests to date, and expense was incurred. As the players stumble onto a Faerie Mound that looks to have been de-
anyone with the appropriate knowledge is aware, this will not go stroyed extremely recently, perhaps within the last half-hour. Before
over well between Rembrandt and his close confidant and ruler of the players can react, a squad of IDF soldiers led by Ashton Stry-
Queenston, Queen Lilia Seabreeze. Whether the player characters thorn break into the clearing, demanding an explanation.
are involved in the attack or the investigation depends on their loyal- Line: Of course, this is the crew that alerted the Splugorth to the
ties. mound’s activity and watched its destruction less than an hour ago.
Line: Rembrandt authorizes Singer Security to use unprecedent- Its goal is to pin the carnage on the player characters.
ed force in its operations in Dockside, allowing SS troops to essen- Sinker: Before much of a discussion is had, a Splugorth slaving
tially “shoot first and ask questions later” until the Regulator menace party crashes through the brush. It includes one Slaver and seven
is eradicated. Singer Media Corporation produces public service an- warrior women, along with two Kittani outfitted with Equestrian
nouncements warning citizens that Regulator activities were treason- Power armor, although the Equestrians are more concerned with
ous and offering rewards for the identification of the gang’s leaders. guarding a large convoy of slave pens just beyond the clearing. The
Sinker: Docksiders are understandably furious, and most of the Splugorth may focus on the player characters, especially if one or
residents unaffiliated with the gang are thinking hard about selling more make for enticing slave stock, but they are sure to defend them-
any knowledge they have of gang activities just to root out the prob- selves against the IDF firing on them from their position at the op-
lem and get things back to normal. More politically-minded residents posite end of the clearing.
rush to meet with N-Rep Pat, who is in the awkward position of What happens next is rather delicate. Will the player characters
owing favors to Rembrandt and trying to represent his irate constitu- simply have to retreat in the face of the Splugorth? Will they be able
ency. The Regulators themselves step up contact with Le Marche to defeat the Splugorth and free the slaves? What happens to Rem-
Noir, which is on the verge of committing forces to the conflict. Who brandt’s relationship with the Splugorth if the IDF ends up helping
will snitch? There is strong sentiment that the Regulators’ guerilla the player characters accomplish that goal? Will the IDF agents turn
warfare causes more harm than good, increasing the likelihood daily on the player characters in the heat of battle and simply try to kill
that the Hand will learn key intelligence about the gang. Will Rem- them to keep them quiet?

96
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