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A Mission for 3–5 Agents of Levels 4–6

A Mission for 3–5 Agents of Levels 4–6

Double Blind

Double Blind

by B.D. Flory

by B.D. Flory

W

elcome back, agents… As you know, the Shop’s defection last year was a major blow to the Archer Foundation, and more specifically, the Company. My predecessor as Control of this organization, Dennis Gray, led the betrayal; worse, the Company is now riddled with Shop moles. Thanks to our compromised security, mounting operations against the Shop in Company territory is difficult at best, explosive at worst. Fortunately, we’ve caught a break. Recently, another of our field teams shut down a Shop operation in San Francisco. The fallout of that incident has afforded us with our first real chance to take the fight to the enemy. Unfortunately, I can’t tell you more than that at this time. Even here, at the Kennel, there’s a chance the enemy has eyes and ears about, and I’m not willing risk tipping our hand before we’re ready to ante up. Within this packet are the details of Operation: TURNABOUT. The security tape is not to be removed until you are en route to your destination. Your pilot will be briefed about your target destination once you are in the air. We’ve got the tiger by the tail agents: for once, we have the initiative. Don’t blow it.

TM

Requires the use of the Spycraft™ Espionage Handbook, published by Alderac Entertainment Group, Inc., and the Dungeons & Dragons ® Player’s Handbook, Third Edition, published by Wizards of the Coast .®

TM

Requires the use of the Spycraft™ Espionage Handbook, published by Alderac Entertainment Group, Inc., and the Dungeons & Dragons ® Player’s Handbook, Third Edition, published by Wizards of the Coast .®

1000-02 © 2002 Alderac Entertainment Group, Inc. All rights reserved.

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How to Use This Product

This serial begins in Los Angeles, near the Marina Del Rey, where the agents must identify and apprehend Peregrine, a former member of the now defunct Eyes of Argus (see the Shadowforce Archer Worldbook, page 152). Unfortunately, the agents must also contend with a Shop strike team sent to eliminate Peregrine before he can jeopardize their schemes. After the search for Peregrine concludes, the action moves to Taipei, Taiwan, where the Shop is conducting an experiment in behavior modification intended to culminate in a fullscale Chinese invasion of Taiwan.

Double Blind is designed for use with the Spycraft d20 espionage rules and the Shadowforce Archer campaign setting. Unlike traditional serials, Double Blind is interactive (that is, the GC and players make choices that affect the ongoing Shadowforce Archer campaign storyline, and upcoming Shadowforce Archer game products). Though this is the second SFA Interactive serial, it’s only part of SFA Interactive Episode #2, which also features numerous multioption plot hooks available through the Shadowforce Archer Threat Center. For more about the SFA Interactive campaign, visit the official website at www.shadowforcearcher.com.

Abbreviations This adventure uses standard Spycraft NPC abbreviations, as follows: Atk Attack Def Defense Fort Fortitude Init Initiative Ref Reflex Spd Speed SV Save v/wp vitality / wound points Will Willpower Ability scores are abbreviated as normal (see the Spycraft rules). To prepare to run this serial, you should read it completely at least once. You may wish to photocopy the map in the center of the book for ease of use as well. The text on the back of the book can be read to your players to introduce them to the serial. After that, you’re ready to begin. Good luck!

Spycraft This module requires the use of the DUNGEONS & DRAGONS® PLAYER’S HANDBOOK, THIRD EDITION, published by Wizards of the Coast,® and Spycraft™ Espionage Handbook, published by Alderac Entertainment Group, Inc. You won’t be able to run this adventure without it. Spycraft, Shadowforce Archer and all related marks are ™ and © 2002 Alderac Entertainment Group, Inc. All rights reserved.

double blind Author: B.D. Flory Art Director: jim pinto Brand Manager: Patrick Kapera Editor: Patrick Kapera Creative Director: Mark Jelfo Graphic Design: Justin Lawler Cover Illustration: Paul H. Way Cartography: Cris Dornaus

GC Introduction With the revelation that Lord Reginald Savage is the enigmatic revolutionary Argus (see the Shadowforce Archer Worldbook, page 153), the self appointed watchdog was forced into hiding. Many of the remaining members of his investigative network, the Eyes of Argus, have since moved on with their lives, though they’re regularly monitored by those still loyal to the cause. Aside form Savage himself, two Eyes are still missing — Jonathan Black, who vanished shortly before Savage was smoked out, and Savage’s man inside the U.S. intelligence community, an informant known only as Peregrine. In the relatively short time that he worked with the Eyes, Peregrine developed a strong sense of mission. While serving as a CIA analyst, he was often removed from the realities of field activity, and this insulation rapidly eroded his idealism. To Peregrine, his work became little more than an abstract exercise. But the Eyes changed all that. Suddenly, he discovered wheels within wheels, and worldwide conspiracies working behind the scenes to manipulate the course of human history. Peregrine was outraged, and saw the Eyes of Argus as a chance to peel back the layers of conspiracy, and expose the men and women who, in his mind, occupied their time by playing games with the future of the world. With the advantage of his CIA security clearance, Peregrine granted the Eyes access to classified material that would have otherwise been out of reach. Otherwise, Peregrine maintained a cautious distance from the Eyes, for fear of exposing himself to prosecution for espionage, or worse, treason. Nonetheless, when the Eyes disbanded, Peregrine was unwilling to give up the cause. He continued to assist the leaderless band of conspiracy chasers for many weeks, providing invaluable intelligence about the many chinks appearing in the Archer Conspiracy’s formidable shell since the Shop break. Then, one morning, he simply disappeared. Peregrine has since kept a low profile, and has virtually dropped off the Archer Foundation’s radar. His disappearance was an annoyance, but of the Eyes, only Savage is yet considered a true threat, thanks to his intimate knowledge of Foundation activities. Peregrine used this anonymity to his advantage, going to ground where he believes he’ll be able to collect much more critical information about the Conspiracy.

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Recently, Peregrine stumbled upon what he believed to be a Foundation operation in Los Angeles, and spent the month prior to this mission gathering intelligence about it. He’s almost ready to go public, and has promised the Los Angeles Times an exclusive, provided he remains a silent informer. Unfortunately for Peregrine, various news organizations worldwide are riddled with Foundation informants, not the least of which is IRIS — the International Reporting and Information Service (see the Archer Foundation Chamber Book, page 34) — which tipped the Lords about Peregrine’s activities. But Peregrine’s planned expose isn’t what prompts this mission — the Lords are more worried about the fact that there’s no record of the Los Angeles operation with any Conspiracy Chamber. Whatever Peregrine’s stumbled across — it isn’t an Archer operation. The Lords want the agents to investigate just what Peregrine’s found — and deal with the errant Eye as well. In reality, Peregrine has discovered evidence of a Shop operation still using resources suspected by the Eyes to be subverted by the U.S. arm of the Archer Conspiracy. This Shop operation has just completed development on a device designed to broadcast extremely low-frequency sound waves intended to pacify civilian populations. The Shop intends to conduct a field test of the device a few days from now, on the island of Taipei. This field test is geared to facilitate a Chinese invasion of the island (One step in a larger scheme at least partially designed by you, the fans — see below). Following their encounters in Los Angeles, the agent team has the opportunity to intervene, preventing this field test and a subsequent Shop attack on Taipei. This forms the climax of this SFA Interactive serial, but just the beginning of your involvement with the design of the Shop threat — visit the Threat Center in Winter 2002 for a list of ways you can help construct the Shop organization from the ground up!

GC Interactive Options Before kicking off this serial, the GC needs to make an important decision regarding the Shop’s motivation. This question has a major impact on the threat’s development, specifically concerning its goals, and how it intends to achieve them. 1. What is the device’s ultimate purpose? a. It’s one facet of a wider program intended to develop behavior modification technology. I. If this option is selected, to what purpose is the Shop developing this technology? • Once the Shop achieves its goal of world domination, behavioral modification is one of the keystones through which it plans to maintain its dominance of a weak, passive population. • The Shop plans to use the technology to both foment wars and dictate the course of these conflicts. b. Though the device’s eventual applications may be wide, it was specifically developed to aid an invasion of Taiwan by mainland China.

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II. If this option is selected, what is the Shop’s interest in a unified China? • It’s a small step toward one united world government. • The Archer Conspiracy (and specifically the Pan Asian Collective) relies heavily on Taiwan’s independence from mainland China. The Shop’s plan is to throw the Conspiracy’s regional activities into chaos. • None, specifically. The Shop hopes that the threat of a Chinese invasion will force the United States to intercede, destabilizing diplomatic relations between the Chinese and American super powers, and forcing the Foundation to commit more resources to maintaining stability in the region. Consequently, the Shop gains more operational latitude in the area. Though the answers to these questions do not directly affect the events of Double Blind, they help to determine the Shop’s true purpose, as well as the organization’s general operational dicta.

Serial Synopsis The clue chain in this serial is relatively direct, though the team may be distracted by the Scene 1 revelation that the research facility near Los Angeles in fact belongs to the Shop. That aside, the agents proceed from the Roadside Inn in Los Angeles (Scene 1) to the nearby Marina Del Rey (Scene 2) to run down area of Taipei (Scene 3). During the first Los Angeles scene, the agents are charged with apprehending Peregrine. In and of itself, this isn’t difficult: the team is provided with his room number, making him easy to locate. But their behavior in this scene greatly influences Peregrine’s attitude toward the agents (and therefore, the Foundation) over the course of the serial, which can help or hinder the agents during later scenes. Further, Peregrine’s loyalties are determined by one of Double Blind’s interactive elements, and may affect the course of the Foundation’s ongoing battle with the Shop in future SFA Interactive episodes. The agents aren’t the only ones looking for the former analyst, either. The Shop dispatches a strike team to silence Peregrine by any means necessary. Though this team arrives ahead of the agents, it’s uncertain of Peregrine’s precise location (specifically, his room number), and keeps the motel under surveillance throughout Scene 1. While it’s possible the agents may spirit away Peregrine without attracting the Shop team’s attention, the odds of getting through the scene without violence are low. Obviously, this triggers the Conspiracy’s prime mandate — to keep suspicion about its activities a secret. This problem is further exacerbated by Peregrine’s lack of cooperation — his resistance alone might be enough to tip off the Shop team, who converge on the agents’ location as soon as the informant’s location is confirmed.

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Interrogating Peregrine after the Scene 1 battle garners clues leading the agents to the home of Dr. Ian Starling, a Shop researcher near the Marina Del Rey — the man chiefly responsible for the pacification sound wave technology. Dr. Starling isn’t easy prey — he leads the agents on a merry chase through the city’s streets, ultimately trying to escape by boat. After the agents curtail his escape, however, the agents can pry the details of the Shop’s ultimate plan from him — and head off to Taipei. The Taipei test area is well guarded by Shop troops, and if the agents have wasted any time earlier in the serial, the test may already be underway. With an (unlikely) early arrival, the agents may infiltrate the area and locate the device before all hell breaks loose; otherwise, they face off against a heavily armed Shop combat team, the fates of hundreds of innocent civilians hanging in the balance. It’s possible the agents’ investigation uncovers the location of the Shop’s L.A. research facility. If the team informs the home office about this, a Conspiracy team sweeps the building, taking prisoner the few Shop guards and technicians who haven’t yet evacuated. Alternately, if the agents follow up after their trip to Taiwan, they find the base deserted, sanitized by Shop cleaners. This serial should run 1–2 standard sessions.

Deitrich’s instructions indicate that Peregrine is to simply vanish — the agents are not to harm him, but simply pick him up and detain him. Company spin doctors will follow up with the Times, ensuring that Peregrine is disregarded as ‘just another crank with a conspiracy theory’. As time is short, the Foundation cannot provide the agents with prepared cover identities, and the team must make do on the fly. Whether they approach Peregrine disguised as law enforcement officer, reporters, or simply choose to extract him by force is left to their discretion.

Troubleshooting Successfully completing this serial relies heavily on the agents’ ability to gather human intelligence. Specifically, if either Peregrine or Dr. Starling is killed or escapes the agents, vital information slips from their grasp. There are, however, a couple shortcuts for the GC in this event. Peregrine documents all his activities (to release to the public in case he’s apprehended or worse). He hasn’t had the opportunity to send his last batch out to allies, and they’re currently located in his motel room (for specifics, see page 7). Similarly, Dr. Starling’s home computer can also reveal the Taipei operation, but if the agents are forced to use this resource, they lose valuable time and arrive after the Shop’s plans are already in motion.

Mission Briefing The file folders provided by Col. Deitrich contain both mission objectives (locate Peregrine and determine what he’s found), as well as all the Eye’s current location — the Los Angeles Roadside Inn, Room 27. Unfortunately, the Foundation is unaware of Peregrine’s true identity, providing only his moniker — the agents must confirm his identity on their own. The folder also contains a signed affidavit Peregrine gave his contact at the L.A. Times. This document threatens to expose part of a global conspiracy pulling the strings behind the scenes for more than 50 years, and mentions the name “Archer” several times. The import should be obvious — the agents must act quickly to protect the Cloak.

Gearing Up This mission is Code: Red. Not only is the Foundation’s Cloak of secrecy in jeopardy, but it’s vital that the agents discover who’s really behind Peregrine’s “conspiracy" as soon as possible. There are no restrictions to gear selection for this mission.

Scene 1: The Roadside Inn – Los Angeles, California Agent Description Read the following aloud to the players when they arrive in this scene. “The Roadside Inn is almost remarkably unremarkable. A dull brown motel in a commercial district on the outskirts of Los Angeles, it’s just one of a series of like establishments scat tered among car dealerships, restaurants, bars, and strip clubs. The L-shaped building brackets a small, asphalt parking lot, the surface of which is in dire need of repaving. A short access road circles around the rear of the building, providing second story guests with parking space close to the stairs.”

GC Description Consult the map on pages 21–22 for an overview of the Roadside Inn, as well as important locations therein. The agents likely either head for the motel office or directly to Peregrine’s room. In the office, they find the motel owner, a surly, overweight man named Gerrold Horstmann. Gerrold’s eyes remain glued to the men’s magazine he’s perusing throughout the agents’ stay. “Rooms are 40 bucks a night or 20 bucks an hour," he grumbles into the pages. The Roadside Inn currently has two vacancies — rooms 18 and 23. If the agents simply question Gerrold about the guest in room 27, he’s less than cooperative (his starting disposition is unfriendly). Agents who display some proof of authority or convince Gerrold they’re the police earn his total attention and cooperation (and a starting disposition of neutral) — though not without complaint. Gerrold’s has a Sense Motive skill bonus of +4, and calls the police the moment he’s alone if the agents arouse his suspicion.

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Ultimately, Gerrold isn’t much use to the team — he insists he doesn’t pry into his guests’ “affairs" (he emphasizes the word “affairs” with a decidedly disgusting chortle), and he’s basically telling the truth. All Gerrold knows is that Peregrine’s been living out of room 27 for the last month, and that he’s never had any guests. Gerrold can provide the agents with one additional piece of information, though inadvertently. The agents aren’t the first to ask around. “A couple of strange fellas in suits asked about the guests earlier tonight," he says. “They weren’t cops though, so I didn’t say nothin’." Despite his cooperative attitude, Gerrold doesn’t turn over his spare key without a search warrant (or a forgery thereof). Gerrold’s Forgery skill bonus is +5. Gerrold’s earlier visitors were Shop agents (see Threats, below), and managed to plant a bug in the motel office. The agents may locate the bug — hidden in the leaves of a tall plastic plant — with a successful Surveillance check (DC 20). If the agents reveal the bug to Gerrold, his comment is telling of his opinions about spies: “Friggin’ feds." If the agents simply knock on Peregrine’s door, there’s no answer (though he is inside). Peregrine doesn’t recognize the agents when he peers through the peephole, and he doesn’t take any chances. Instead, he waits for the agents to give up, then attempts to sneak to his car with his bags and simply move on. Enterprising agents, of course, probably attempt to gain entry to Peregrine’s room in his “absence". This requires a successful Open Lock (DC 20) or Break Object (DC 15) check, and may tip off the Shop cleaner team to their activity (again, see Threats below). Despite posted signs insisting that the motel parking lot’s reserved for patrons only, it’s regularly full of cars driven by those at nearby establishments. The motel’s other guests are impatient with the agents if bothered (their starting dispositions are hostile), and none have any useful information to offer.

wise interrupted, the cleaners take note of everyone in the office at the time and follow them all, assuming they’re linked to their quarry. Agents who attempt to break into Peregrine’s room should make Hide and Move Silently checks opposed by the parking lot team’s Surveillance skill. If the Shop team notices the entry, the parking lot team investigates. At any time, if the Shop teams verify Peregrine’s location or any Shop operatives enter combat, all remaining Shop agents immediately converge on the location. The Shop teams’ primary mission is silencing Peregrine, but they attack the agents as necessary as well. Should Peregrine be killed during any combat, all Shop agents immediately attempt to pull out and return to a nearby safe house. Peregrine flees all violence, taking cover whenever possible. He only attacks if directly threatened, and only if he can reach his target without exposing himself to additional danger. Otherwise, he keeps his head down.

Threats As the agents arrive, the Roadside Inn has been under surveillance by two Shop cleaner teams for almost 48 hours. These teams aren’t sure of its target’s identity, and have planted a bug in the motel office and taken up positions nearby to flush him out. One team is located in a diner across the street, observing the motel through a window; while the second team is in plain sight — a man and a woman smoking in the motel parking lot. From these two positions, the Shop operatives can observe the entrance to every second story motel room. The GC should only allow a Spot or Surveillance check to notice the Shop operatives if the agents specifically request one, and any such check is opposed by a Surveillance check made by the Shop operatives (see page 26 for the operatives’ statistics). The Shop team in the parking lot investigates any suspicious statements made in the office and all noteworthy actions taken within either team’s line of sight. If the agents find and disable the office bug, or the bug’s signal is other-

Security The Roadside Inn doesn’t feature much in the way of security. A simple mechanical lock protects each room (DC 15 to bypass or break down), and the motel office sports a security camera overlooking each floor’s central hallway. The camera, however, is just for show, a hollow facsimile intended to discourage would-be robbers.

Rewards Immediately reward your agents with experience if they accomplished the following tasks during this scene: • • • • • • • • • • •

Arriving in this scene: 25 XP per agent Gaining Dr. Starling’s address from Peregrine’s notes: 50 XP per agent Gaining Dr. Starling’s address from Peregrine: 100 XP per agent Disabling or using the Shop bug to the team’s advantage: 75 XP per agent Killing one or more Shop operatives: 50 XP per agent Capturing one or more Shop operatives: 100 XP per agent Completing the scene without alerting the Shop: 150 XP per agent Convincing one or more Shop operatives to reveal their base: 200 XP per agent* Completing the scene with one or more dead civilians: 0 XP per agent Completing the scene with one or more wounded civilians: 25 XP per agent Completing the scene with no wounded civilians: 100 XP per agent *

Visiting the base is worth no xp, as it defies a direct order.

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Development Peregrine’s attitude toward the agents varies widely based mainly on how the agents behave during this scene, primarily how mindful they are of his safety. Initially, Peregrine’s disposition toward the agents is unfriendly. The agents may attempt to modify this normally per the rules starting on page 270 of the Spycraft Espionage Handbook, applying the following cumulative modifiers. Agent Action Modifier Attacking Peregrine Adversary* Breaking Peregrine’s door down –2 Carelessly injuring Peregrine –2 (e.g. Peregrine is hurt by an agent’s grenade) Picking Peregrine’s door lock –1 Unnecessarily endangering Peregrine –1 (e.g. fire at an adjacent Shop agent) Handcuffing or otherwise restraining Peregrine –1 Lying to Peregrine –1 Endangering civilians –1 (including the use of blast weapons) Guarding Peregrine during combat +2 Attempting to intimidate Peregrine –1 * Peregrine instantly becomes an adversary toward the agents and attempts to flee at the first opportunity, refusing all subsequent offers of explanation and reconciliation. This may result in Peregrine assuming he’s safer with the Shop operatives than with the agents, in which case he seeks (temporary) asylum with them. Peregrine doesn’t attack anyone except in self-defense, and even then only if he believes he’s otherwise in danger of death or serious injury. After all, he’s just an analyst.

Questioning Peregrine Assuming the agents have the chance to speak freely with Peregrine, a successful Diplomacy check (DC 15 + disposition modifiers) convinces him to reveals that his “Foundation" has developed some sort of mind-altering broadcast device, and that it plans to test it “in the next couple of days." Peregrine has no idea where the device will be tested, but knows that a “Dr. Ian Starling" is heading up the research project somewhere in Los Angeles. Only within the last 12 hours, Peregrine has learned Starling’s address — near Marina Del Rey. All this should make the team’s next step pretty obvious, though they need to decide what to do with Peregrine. They have several choices, including taking him along to visit Dr. Starling, turning him over to the Foundation, turning him over to the police, killing him, or releasing him. The first and fourth options aren’t desirable — Peregrine’s not a field agent, and eliminating him is reprehensible, flying in the face of the Archer Pact. The agents’ best option is to simply turn him over to the Company.

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Even if Peregrine escapes the agents, is killed, or is otherwise unavailable to help after the fighting, all is not lost. He keeps a ledger in his room, which the agents may find with a successful Search check (DC 15). All of the aforementioned discoveries are described within, though a successful Cryptography check (DC 15) is required to decipher Peregrine’s personal cipher.

Questioning Captured Shop Agents Should the agents manage to capture one or more Shop agents, they might think to ask them where their safe house or home office is. Surprisingly, the Shop agents know — though they aren’t eager to give this information up to the agents. A successful Intimidate check opposed by the Shop agents’ Will save is required to gain the address of the Shop operatives’ safe house, as well as a research facility in Studio City. As described in the serial synopsis, the agents’ home office demands that the team follow up with the Dr. Starling lead, assuring the agents that the Shop base will be checked out by another team. Should the agents visit the Shop facility anyway, they find it in a state of emergency evacuation, with only 1d12+4 guards and 1d8+2 technicians still on site. Also, they arrive late for Scene 3 (see page 15).

I n t e ractive Options The questions that need to be answered about this scene include… 1) Was Peregrine killed, freed, captured by the Foundation, captured by the Shop, or taken into police custody at the end of the scene? 2) If Peregrine is alive, check his loyalty as described on page 248 of the Spycraft Espionage Handbook, modifying the roll as follows. Peregrine’s Disposition Adversary Hostile Unfriendly Neutral Friendly Helpful Ally

Modifier Loyalty roll is automatically 1. –4 –2 +/–0 +2 +4 Loyalty roll is automatically 20.

3) What happened at your table? Who, if anyone, was killed? What important events occurred? A section of the response sheet will be set aside for you to answer this question in your own words.

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Scene 2: Starling Home – Marina Del Rey, Los Angeles

A critical success with any of these checks reduces the necessary time to only 1 round. A critical failure, however, means that not only does the agent fail to convince the vessel’s owner of his credentials, but is caught in a pointless argument or similarly inconvenienced, wasting and extra 1d2 rounds in the process.

Agent Description Read the following aloud to the players when they reach this scene: Clearly, the Shop treats Dr. Starling quite well, speaking strictly from a financial standpoint. His Pacific Avenue home is built on an expansive property, and an ornate, wrought iron fence surrounds the well-manicured lawn. You have little time to admire the scenery, however, for as you arrive, Starling’s forest green Porsche screeches out of his driveway and screams down the road. He’s been tipped that you’re coming!

GC Description The meat of this scene, as implied by the agent description, is a chase with the agents as the predator and Dr. Starling as the prey. Use the standard sports car template for Dr. Starling’s Porsche. All streets in the immediate area are considered close terrain, and the starting lead is determined using the rules for a prey-initiated chase. What makes this chase unusual is Starling’s destination — he makes for Marina Del Rey at top speed, where he drives the Porsche off the longest pier. The vehicle converts into a speedboat in mid-air and splashes down onto the water, immediately shooting out over deep water (Use the rules for a Proteus package — see page 153 of the Spycraft Espionage Handbook). The first five rounds of pursuit follow Pacific Avenue to Washington Boulevard to Palawan Way, which leads into the Marina, culminating in an elliptical road a little over a kilometer in circumference. Provided the chase hasn’t ended by the end of Round 5, Dr. Starling’s Porche hit the pier at full speed and launches into the air, converting before it lands. From here, the agents must either acquire a vessel or continue their pursuit in a hybrid ground/water chase. The former can be achieved in two ways. The agents can simply hotwire a convenient speedboat (requiring a Mechanics check with a DC of 15 and 1d4 rounds to accomplish), or they can attempt to convince a boat owner that they’re with the police and must commandeer his vehicle. This second option requires a Bluff, Diplomacy, or Intimidate check with the following DC and time requirement. Skill Bluff

DC 16

Intimidate

20

Diplomacy

24

Time 4 rounds (2 to get the keys, 1 to start the boat) 3 rounds (2 to get the keys, 1 to start the boat) 2 rounds (1 to get the keys, 1 to start the boat)

The Sta n dard Marina Chase Full-fledged water pursuits in the marina are handled normally. Dr. Starling’s lead carries over from the ground chase to the water, and he gains 1d4 additional leads each round the agents are stuck at the docks without a way to pursue.

The Hybrid Marina Cha se If the agents elect to pursue Starling on land (or fail to obtain a water vehicle), they must drive along the Marina docks, which are considered tight terrain (the water is considered close terrain). For simplicity’s sake, in this hybrid chase, both predator and prey are allowed to select maneuvers as normal, with the exception of finishing maneuvers — the only option available to the predator is “Steady..." (see page 29). This restriction is lifted if the predator has the Daredevil class ability, in which case the predator may simply launch his ground vehicle out over the water to end the chase. Of course, the GC should be mindful of the logistics involved, and apply modifiers and success and failure conditions accordingly. Even with the Daredevil ability, however, if a predator attempts and fails a finishing maneuver, is attempted and failed, the prey’s bonus to lead is doubled. This represents the predator recouping from the failed attempt (e.g. circling back around after deciding that the launching trajectory toward Dr. Starling’s boat is off). Further, if the predator suffers a critical failure with any finishing maneuver, the chase ends immediately as the predator’s car tumbles into the marina waters (and the vehicle and all occupants suffer normal crashing damage).

Dr. S tarling’s Esca p e ! Since the marina only has one point of access to open waters, Dr. Starling may not attempt finishing maneuvers at all. Instead, after 10 chase rounds, his boat hits open water and the agents may no longer pursue.

Threats Outside chase obstacles (e.g. police, a marathon or bike race, etc.), the agents need not deal with direct threats during this scene. The action is entirely devoted to recovering Dr. Starling.

Rewards Immediately reward your agents with experience if they accomplished the following tasks during this scene: • •

Arriving in this scene: 25 XP per agent Catching Dr. Starling during the water or hybrid chase: 100 XP per agent

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• • •

Catching Dr. Starling before he reaches the marina: 200 XP per agent Discovering the Taipei connection with Dr. Starling’s computer: 50 XP per agent Convincing Dr. Starling to reveal the Shop base: 200 XP per agent* *

This bonus is not cumulative with the same bonus in Scene 1.

Development Questioning Dr. Starling is relatively painless — he folds easily under interrogation (i.e. with a successful Intimidate check with a DC of 15). Bluff and Diplomacy are somewhat less effective (it’s difficult to convince anyone to betray the Shop through mere conversation or trickery) — both these checks are opposed by Starling’s Sense Motive skill. In both cases, the agents suffer a –8 circumstance penalty if they don’t offer Dr. Starling asylum from the Shop. Alternately, the GC may wish to call for skill checks for each question, or groups of questions. This option works particularly well when the scene is roleplayed following the die rolls, the GC feeding information to the agents in pieces through in-character dialogue. Assuming the agents convince Dr. Starling to talk, the GC should use the following as a gauge for his answers. Q: “What does this mind-altering device do?" A: “The Civil Pacification Wave Generator broadcasts extremely low-frequency sound waves designed to disrupt the brain’s fight or flight reflex. Though designed for use on human subjects, the device functions adequately on lower orders of life as well. In the lab, the Wave Generator leaves subjects essentially bereft of their survival instincts, without fear in the face of physical, even potentially lethal, harm." Q: “Why design such a device?" A: “Its usefulness should be self-evident: imagine the military applications alone! Under the Wave Generator’s influence, military forces throw down their arms, civilian populations submit to provisional governments, and occupying forces need not deal with partisan uprisings… In theory, anyway." Q: “In theory?" A: “The Wave Generator has yet to be field tested — though this will be rectified in short order." Q: “How?" A: “As we speak, a cleaner team is preparing a field test." Q: “What sort of field test?" A: “I’m unclear on the precise nature of the operation, though the Wave Generator was shipped to Taipei. I suspect it is to be tested on a civilian population." Q: “Where in Taipei?" A: “Huan Ho Road at Yan Sin Road, I believe. A destitute section of the city."

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Q: “Where exactly is the device?" A: “A Shop safe house, the tallest building in the area. This provides maximum coverage for the device. As a prototype, this version of the Wave Generator lacks the broadcast power to be effective without that advantage." Q: “What about the civilian lives?" A: “That really isn’t my concern. I’m a scientist. The path of progress is paved with conflict, the toll paid in blood and bone." Q: “Are you insane?" A: “Certainly not. You simply lack vision. Your kind — whelps of the weak-minded Archer Conspiracy — have always lacked vision." Q: “Is there a countermeasure to the Generator’s effect?" A: “Of course!" Q: “Tell us what the countermeasures are!" A: “Our personnel are provided with radio headsets that include integral white noise generators to counter the Wave Generator’s effects." If the agents specifically ask Dr. Starling about the location of the Shop facility at which he works (and they succeed with one of the skill checks described on page 13 after a –5 circumstance penalty is applied), the scientist tells the agents where to find the base. This information is unavailable in the files located at his home (see below).

Losing Dr. Starling If the agents fail to capture Dr. Starling, they can find the relevant information by tossing his home. His personal computer holds all of the information described above, mostly in deleted email that can be recovered with a successful Computers check (DC 25). If the agents are forced to take this route, however — or if the agents are delayed in Scene 1, or both — they arrive late in Scene 3 (see page 15). Further, Dr. Starling reports the agents to his superiors, insuring that the Shop is expecting the team when they arrive in Taipei.

I n t e ractive Options The questions that need to be answered about this scene include… 1. Was Dr. Starling captured or killed, or did he escape? 2. Did the agents discover the Shop’s L.A. facility? 3. Whether discovered or not, the Shop’s L.A. facility is… a. A dedicated research facility. b. The nerve center for the Shop’s west coast operations. c. One of countless Shop cells in the United States, each of which operates independently of the rest. Each cell headquarters serves as research facility, operational headquarters for field teams, and so on.

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Scene 3: Taipei, Taiwan

well known for its quality garments and friendly owner. Goods are stacked on tables for sale, arranged in rows. A fitting room takes up the southwest corner of the store.

Agent Description Read the following aloud to the players when the agents arrive in this scene: Despite it’s disheveled and generally run down appearance, this neighborhood of Taipei is alive with activity, the hustle and bustle of daily life. Children play in the wider streets, weaving in and out of vendor stalls and haggling customers, and individual conversations are lost in the clamor of busy open-air markets. Even the side streets are crowded, as pedestrians and bicyclists attempt to avoid the general confusion of the main thoroughfares. Clotheslines, signs, and ramshackle walkways that crisscross the streets overhead, forming a ‘second city’ twenty feet in the air. If the agents were delayed in either previous scene, read the following as well. Suddenly, the staccato rattle of automatic weapons fire rips through the racket of the marketplace. A moment later, more gunfire joins the macabre chorus, and the buzz of countless conversations and arguments erupts into hundreds of terrified screams. As people scatter in panic, you feel an almost imperceptible vibration, gentle and calming. Though the harsh snarling of machine guns continues unabated, the frenzied screams of frightened people wither to murmurs of fear, and finally die altogether. The field test has begun…

GC Description This scene takes place in a poor Taipei neighborhood, where the streets are crowded and buildings are packed tightly together. The Shop safe house is nestled into a "commercial" area of the district, and this is the busiest time of day. 1. Residential Apartments: These single story apartments are cramped and ill furnished. Each features two or three sleeping mats rolled up in a corner, a low table, and a cabinet or two for storing personal effects. 2. Tailor’s Residence: This apartment belongs to a tailor, his wife, and their three children. There are no interior walls, though the couple’s sleeping quarters are separated from the rest of the apartment by a thick curtain. Beyond is what passes for a sitting room, children’s sleeping area, and living room combined. As this neighborhood goes, the apartment is fairly well furnished, featuring a hardwood table, sitting cushions, and mattresses. 3. Tailor Shop: Owned and operated by the occupants of location #2 (all of them — the children are not yet old enough to work), this shop is something of a landmark in the district,

4. Private Home: This home is occupied by the tailor’s son and his wife, and is furnished similarly to the tailor’s own residence. Some of the tailor’s garments are boxed in one corner, ready for his son to bring to market in a different part of the district, where he maintains a street vendor stall. 5. Shop Safe House (Exterior): If the agents search for the “tallest building in the area," as by Dr. Starling described in Scene 2, this three-story structure obviously fits the bill. The local Shop operation is housed in a small building, indistinguishable from its surroundings. Though it looks like any other overcrowded home, a small door leads to location #9. This door is protected by an electronic lock requiring a successful Electronics check (DC 30) to bypass. Inside, the building is merely a shell — a small loft serves as a second story, with one ladder leading down to the ground and another leading through a trap door in the roof. 6. Mission: This building is ostensibly a Catholic mission, staffed only by a British missionary and his wife. In reality, it more often serves as a shelter for those too poor to afford their own homes, and is always exceedingly crowded — including today. 7. Abandoned Building: It’s impossible to tell what purpose this building once served, as it was abandoned long ago. Extensive fire damage is clearly visible across the structure. Though agents inside the building are in no danger — all unstable sections have long since collapsed and settled — those who move across the roof must make a Balance check (DC 20). Failure indicates the roof collapses beneath them — and results in the agent suffering 2d6 damage from the fall (1d6 for the distance fallen, plus another 1d6 when he lands on the debris below). With a successful Tumble check, the damage is reduced to half (rounding down). 8. Restaurant: Despite its limited and generally unappetizing selection, this unnamed restaurant has a steady flow of customers due to the nearby market and its rock-bottom prices. 9. Shop Safe House (Interior): This apparently abandoned building is boarded up and largely ignored by the local population and generally overlooked by squatters and criminals. The few who try to break in find the boards nearly impossible to break — in reality, these are steel plating coated with a thin veneer of wood, and welded in place. Breaking through this barricade — which covers all entrances — requires a successful Break check (DC 30). The barricades each have a hardness of 18 and 75 wounds. The safe house features cramped living quarters, but all the comforts expected of a global criminal organization — a well-stocked armory containing a variety of common ammunition types, 1d6 spare Daewoo DP 51 service pistols, and 1d4 spare NORINCO QBZ-97 assault rifles (see page 26 for these weapons’ statistics). Agents who toss the safe house

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also find one set each of Bundles A, B, and C (see the Spycraft Espionage Handbook, page 106), as well as a cellular video phone, personal computer, cot, and mini-fridge. The safe house is currently unoccupied, though until recently, it was the home of Viper, a Shop henchman in command of the field test, and his minions. By the time the agents arrive in this scene, Viper is on the roof of location #5, preparing to turn on the Wave Generator.

In addition to the gear listed on page 26, the minions in this scene wear Kevlar BDU armor.

Rewards

Threats

Immediately reward your agents with experience if they accomplished the following tasks during this scene:

If the agents arrive before the field test begins, they have the chance to reach the Wave Generator before the slaughter commences. Unfortunately, several obstacles stand in the way. As depicted on the area map on pages 23-24, Viper has set up checkpoints at each intersection surrounding the Shop safe house. Each of these checkpoints is manned by two of his minions, who observe the intersection from nearby rooftops. Though they’re heavily armed, these minions generally go unnoticed by the local populace — there’s simply too much happening on the street level for people to pay much attention to the minions’ nests. The GC should make a secret Spot check for the agents as they pass each checkpoint, opposed by the Shop cleaners’ Hide skills. With success, the agents notice the Shop agents before they’re spotted themselves. Provided the entire team ducks for cover rather than striding brazenly into the open, the agents remain unnoticed. Conversely, if the agents fail the opposed check, the Shop team spots them first. Unless every agent is disguised, the minions notify Viper and the test commences immediately. If every member of the team is in fact disguised, the minions must succeed with a Search check against the agents’ Disguise check result, as described on page 50 of the Spycraft Espionage Handbook, to notice the team and warn Viper. Located on the roof of location #5, Viper and the Wave Generator are well out of sight from anyone on the ground. Any agent who climbs above street level — a task merely requiring a successful Climb check (DC 5) due to the many rickety ladders, piled crates, and the like providing access — should make a Spot check opposed by Viper’s Hide skill. With success, they see the Generator and the Shop henchman atop the three-story building. (Unfortunately, anyone on a roof within line of sight of one of the minion teams is automatically spotted as well.) Agents hoping to take Viper by surprise may sneak into location #5 and ascend the ladder to the rooftop trap door. As the agents ascend the second ladder, they must make a Move Silently roll opposed by Viper’s Listen skill, failure indicating that he hears them coming and begins the test. In the event that the team reaches the rooftop without alerting the Shop henchman, the GC should check for surprise as described on page 228 of the Spycraft Espionage Handbook. During combat, Viper’s uses his first half action to activate the Wave Generator (see page 28 for the effects of this device) and his first free action to radio a command to his minions, ordering they commence the test.

Security The Taipei Shop cell doesn’t intend to remain in the city long enough to warrant security systems.

• • • • • • • • • • •

Arriving in this scene before the test begins: 50 XP per agent Arriving in this scene after the test begins: 25 XP per agent Sneaking past the Shop sentries without notice: 50 XP per agent Sneaking into the Shop safe house without notice: 100 XP per agent Killing one or more Shop minions: 50 XP per agent Capturing one or more Shop minions: 100 XP per agent Killing Viper: 100 XP per agent Capturing Viper: 200 XP per agent Ending the threat with one or more civilian casualties: 50 XP per agent Ending the threat without civilian casualties: 100 XP per agent Preventing Viper from launching the field test: 200 XP per agent

Events Once the field test begins, the Shop minions at each checkpoint drop down to street level and move toward the safe house, methodically taking a 5 ft. bonus step each round and devoting the rest of their actions to attacks against targets as they present themselves. Civilians are easy prey, and anyone who fights back (read: the agents) become priority targets. The field test is scheduled to last one minute (10 rounds), by which time the eight Shop minions are scheduled to join Viper on the roof, and the whole lot of them are airlifted out of the area, along with the Wave Generator. A true count of casualties inflicted in the area is a great deal of trouble to track. We recommend you don’t roll for Shop attacks against NPCs during this scene — instead, simply assume that each round a Shop minion isn’t otherwise occupied while the Wave Generator is active (i.e. each round the minion isn’t combating an agent, unconscious, or dead), the minion kills two civilians. If the Wave Generator is deactivated or destroyed, this number is reduced to one civilian per round, as people start to panic and scatter for cover, or simply flee the scene. Finally, an agent can keep one or more minions distracted from killing civilians by engaging them directly in combat or luring them into a foot chase through the neighborhood.

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Combat during this scene should be confusing and difficult, thanks to the terrain and to the crowds. All firearms attacks suffer the standard –4 circumstance penalty to fire into combat unless the GC determines otherwise. Further, any time an agent suffers an error with a firearms attack roll, the GC may spend one action die to cause the attack to hit a civilian. The GC may either have the agent roll damage normally (each civilian has 6 vitality and 9 wounds) or simply assume the civilian is killed. Similarly, any firearms attack that misses an agent due to the ‘firing into crowds’ penalty hits and kills one civilian.

Foundation — if he can be convinced they’re the good guys. The agents’ behavior during Scene 1 has a great deal of influence on his decision, but the ultimate test comes over the weeks and months following this mission. Especially in light of upcoming SFA Interactive events, Peregrine will have many opportunities to consider his position, and there will be many chances for GCs to bring him back into the action (some potentially scripted, if he survives in the global campaign, most of the GCs’ own design). The most important piece of information to report back through the Threat Center is the result of Peregrine’s loyalty roll, as follows…

Example: An agent’s Defense is 15. A minion rolls a 17 to attack him, but this total is reduced to 13 by the –4 ‘firing into crowds’ modifier. This attack hits and kills one civilian. Attacks against characters located above street level and in areas the GC determines are sparsely occupied are not reduced by the ‘firing into crowds’ penalty, nor do they hit and kill civilians if they miss. One minute (10 rounds) after the field test begins, a helicopter arrives to evacuate the Shop personnel. It hovers over the appointed rendezvous site (location #5), dropping a rope ladder to any Shop personnel on the roof. The helicopter is a modified military model (use the statistics on page 101 of the Soldier/Wheelman Class Guide), armed with one 7.62mm vehicular machine gun (see page 102 of the Soldier/Wheelman Class Guide). The helicopter remains in position until all Shop personnel are aboard (excluding the dead and unconscious) or until it’s reduced to 25 wound points or less, at which point it leaves the area. Viper doesn’t deactivate the Wave Generator until he boards the helicopter, at which point a winch is lowered to lift the bulky device into the vehicle’s cargo bay. See page 28 for a description of the device’s effects on the agents.

Development Following this serial, the GC should determine the following and report all interactive results through the online Threat Center at www.shadowforcearcher.com. 1) Was Cobra captured, killed, or did he escape? 2) How many civilian casualties did the Shop minions inflict? 3) Did the agents secure the Civilian Pacification Wave Generator? If so, it is important to note whether the device was merely deactivated in the course of the scene, or destroyed (see page 28).

Debriefing Reward the agents 500 xp each for successfully completing this mission. This serial provides the agents with a number of opportunities to affect the Foundation’s ongoing struggle against the Shop. First, Peregrine can become a valuable asset to the

Loyalty Result up to 5

6-15

16+

Effect Peregrine eventually decides to help the Conspiracy, and reveals much he’s discovered about the Shop, assuming the organization to be loyal to Archer. Peregrine remains unconvinced of the Conspiracy’s good intentions, and as a sign of good faith from the Lords, he’s released and clandestinely monitored. Peregrine displays open antipathy toward the Archer Conspiracy, threatening that many of the organization’s secrets will be revealed unless he’s released. He’s held in custody until his claims are verified.

A second matter involves the Shop’s field test, the public perception of which depends on the team’s success during Scene 3. If ten or fewer civilians are killed during the test, the Foundation manages to completely cover for the incident. If between 10 and 25 civilians are killed, the Foundation can’t suppress the information, and news reports attribute the deaths to a particularly virulent flu strain made lethal by the poor living conditions in the area. If 25 or more civilians are killed, news reports cover the incident in complete and accurate detail, including eyewitness descriptions of the Shop cleaners and the helicopter. The Foundation has to conduct extensive damage control, and fallout will affect the Cloak (and future SFA Interactive serials) for months to come. Teams who uncover the location of the Shop’s L.A. facility are heartily thanked by Control, and informed that the resulting sweep is the first huge break in the long struggle against the traitors. Though the base is largely evacuated before the Foundation can arrive, advance word from the Company retrieval teams is that the base was actually linked to at least three other Shop cells. Depending on the course of your campaign, it’s quite possible the agents may be assigned to infiltrate, attack, or otherwise interfere with these other cells. The game is once again afoot — and the Archer Conspiracy finally has a few pieces on the board again!

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Ground Level Staircases to Upper Level Doors

Rear Parking Lot

Windows

Lawn Lawn

Parking Lot

Lawn

Upper Level Windows

Bedside Table

Owner’s Rom

Peregrine’s Room Bathroom

Bed

TV Stand

Closet

Roadside Inn Los Angeles, CA 0 5 10

N

20

Scale in Feet

W

E S

* Permission to photocopy pages 21-22 is granted for personal use only.

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Shop Safe Taipei, House and Environs Taiwan 0

Overhead Walkway

5 10

Curtain

N

Clotheslines

Crate

Scale in Feet Stairs

W

Ladder Barrel

S

Vendor Stalls/Carts

Palm Tree

Well

E

Fence Checkpoint

1 1

1

1

10

1

10 2 Kitchen

Loft

9

1

5 Trapdoor to Roof Back Loft

8

1

3

1 4

6

7

10 1

Fitting Room

10

* Permission to photocopy pages 23-24 is granted for personal use only.

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New Henchman

Shop Cleaners: Despite the name, Shop cleaners have little in common with their Conspiracy counterparts. Though both are deployed when it’s vital to remove a possible threat to their respective organizations’ secrecy, Shop cleaners frequently tend to employ “permanent" solutions over safe, well-meaning tactics. Murder is their favorite tool, and they aren’t particularly shy about it. These troops care little whether they leave a mystery or a mangled body, so long as the Shop’s secrets remain safe. Shop cleaners must be capable combatants, as they’re often deployed in situations expected to erupt into smallscale wars (such as Scene 3 of this serial).

Xing Zhi Heng (Viper) Part of the “new breed" of Shop operatives, Xing Zhi Heng never served the Archer Conspiracy. Recruited and trained secretly as the Shop prepared to secede from its parent organization, Zhi Heng is a native of mainland China, born and raised in appalling poverty. When he was only 17, he ran away, and eventually made his way to Hong Kong. Desperate for money and respect, he quickly fell into the Hong Kong underworld, where he distinguished himself serving as a Triad enforcer. On more than one occasion, this led him into conflict with operatives of the Archer Conspiracy, most frequently the Pan-Asian Collective, and it wasn’t long before the Foundation maintained an extensive intelligence file on him. Selected from this file for his skill and ruthlessness, Zhi Heng was an easy mark for Shop recruitment. He was promised two things: financial security and — far more importantly — the chance to help destroy the Archer Foundation, which the Shop claimed secretly manipulated the course of history world wide, and indirectly blamed for the poor living conditions in which Zhi Heng had spent most of his life. Now, Zhi Heng’s entire life is dedicated to two things — combating the Archer Conspiracy and training to combat the Archer Conspiracy. Zhi Heng neither knows nor cares to know why he does what he does. It’s enough for him that he is told to do it. Despite his humble origins, Zhi Heng doesn’t empathize with the victims of his latest assignment. He dragged himself out of poverty by sheer force of will, and he holds only disdain for those who can’t do the same. 6th-level Soldier (Henchman — 12 MP) Size: Medium Vitality/Wounds: 47/14 Initiative: +7 (+5 class, +2 Dex) Speed: 30 ft. Defense: 14 (+2 armor, +2 Dex) Attack: Fist/punch +10 (1d8+8), foot/kick +10 (1d8+6), Daewoo DP 51 +8 (1d10+1, error 1-2, threat 20) Special Attacks: Per class Special Qualities: Per class Saves: Fort +7, Ref +5, Will +3 Abilities: Str 18, Dex 14, Con 14,

Int 10, Wis 12, Cha 12 Skills: Balance +8, Climb +9, Demolitions +2, Driver +5, First Aid +2, Intimidate +9, Jump +8, Spot +6, Survival +2, Swim +5, Tumble +5 Feats: Five-Style Adept, Holding Basics, Kicking Basics, Martial Arts, Punching Basics, Throwing Basics, Weapon Specialization (Unarmed) Gear: Weapons, Kevlar BDU armor Gadgets and Vehicles: Standard belt, shock-tip shoes

Shop Cleaners (minions), 4th level minions (standard minions, squads of 6 – 34 MP). CR 4. SZ M; v/wp: 4d8+4 (26)/12; Init +3 (+3 class, +2 Dex); Def 13 (+1 armor, +2 Dex); Atk: NORINCO QBZ97 +6 (4d4, error 1-2, threat 20); Face 1 square; Reach 1 square; SA None; SQ None; SV Fort +5, Ref +4, Will +2; Str 11, Dex 14, Con 12, Int 14, Wis 12, Cha 10; Skills: Balance +4, Climb +3, Demolitions +2, Driver +6, First Aid +3, Hide + 2, Intimidate +3, Jump +4, Search +2, Spot +6, Surveillance +5, Survival +2, Swim +2, Tumble +5. Feats: Talented (Surveillance). Gear: Weapons, Tuxedo liner.* * The troops encountered during Scene 1 wear tuxedo liners. Both sets of troops have the same Defense statistic.

New Henchman Dr. Ian Starling Ian Starling has always been fascinated with the human mind, and devotes most of his time to studying how it operates. He’s convinced that instinct can (and should) be discarded in favor of reason, and much of his research pursues this ideal. Unfortunately, as a Shop technician, he’s afforded little leeway to pursue his personal passion. During his tenure as part of the Archer Conspiracy, his time was mainly occupied fulfilling requisitions for new and unique gadgets for Archer field teams, and his personal interests weren’t considered appropriate by his superiors. The argument against his research on the grounds that the human mind is not to be toyed with is hypocrisy to him — what of telepathy, which the Foundation studies extensively? So when he was approached to join the traitors shortly before the break, he leapt at the chance. Starling conceived and developed the Civilian Pacification Wave Generator, but he’s quick to point out that what the Shop does with it is not his concern. He’s proud of his creation, believing it to be the first logical step to aid mankind in overcoming millennia-old conditioned responses, and that it represents a triumph of intellect over instinct.

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4th-level Snoop (Henchman – 8 MP) Size: Medium Vitality/Wounds: 22/11 Initiative: +4 (+2 class, +3 Dex) Speed: 30 ft. Defense: 16 (+3 class, +3 Dex) Attack: Fist/punch +2 (1d3 subdual) Special Attacks: Per class Special Qualities: Per class Saves: Fort +1, Ref +5, Will +4 Abilities: Str 10, Dex 16, Con 11, Int 18, Wis 14, Cha 11 Skills: Boating +11, Bureaucracy +5, Computers +11, Concentration +7,

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Cryptography +7, Diplomacy +2, Driver +10, Electronics +11, First Aid +4, Gather Information +3, Knowledge (Psychology) +11, Languages +5, Listen +6, Mechanics +11, Search +6, Sense Motive +9, Spot +6 Feats: Lane Dancer, Talented (Boating) Gear: None. Gadgets and Vehicles: Porsche sports car with Proteus Package Dr. Starling has no minions of his own.

New Foil David Chambers (Peregrine) In 1968, when David Chambers was 9, he’d just finished reading a letter from his brother in Vietnam. Jason Chambers was on leave, and enjoying his time away from the front. “It’s not like in country," he wrote. “It feels almost like the world." An hour later, a pair of soldiers stood at David’s door, and told him his brother was dead. David didn’t understand, but he would. He swore that he would. In the following years, David learned everything he could about Vietnam, and about the Tet Offensive, in which his brother had died. The Vietcong had distracted the United States by launching a tremendous assault in a region called Khesanh, and had succeeded in drawing U.S. attention away from major population centers, leaving them open to attack. Jason was on leave in Saigon. Jason was killed in Saigon. As David learned more about the Offensive, David concluded (correctly) that Tet would not have been nearly so devastating, but for the failure of the U.S. Intelligence apparatus to foresee the operation. His brother and countless others were dead because something, somewhere, was missed. He decided then and there that he wanted to help make sure it never happened again. David got his wish when he was recruited into the CIA directly out of college — not as a field agent, but as an analyst. He put the pieces together, he saw the future, and he made sure that no more 9-year olds opened the door to soldiers with empty words and a letter from a commanding officer. Over time, though, David lost his focus. The job became abstract — nations became nothing more than pieces of a constantly shifting puzzle and armies, soldiers, and spies became nothing more than pieces in a global game that had to be won at all costs. Somewhere along the line, David forgot why he chose intelligence in the first place.

Then Argus found him. The revolutionary touched all the right buttons — he’d lost his own wife because of what he called “the Game," and he’d given up on the system to create a new path. Argus offered David a chance to help him create this new path, a chance to topple the puppet masters from their perch. David jumped at this chance, too, and became a founding member of the Eyes of Argus. 5th-level Snoop (Foil – 5 MP; loyalty 5) Size: Medium Vitality/Wounds: 26/11 Initiative: +4 (+3 class, +1 Dex) Speed: 30 ft. Defense: 15 (+4 class, +1 Dex) Attack: .22 LR pocket pistol +3 (1d6+1) Special Attacks: Per class Special Qualities: Per class Saves: Fort +1, Ref +5, Will +4 Abilities: Str 10, Dex 12, Con 11, Int 19, Wis 16, Cha 14 Skills: Appraise +6, Bureaucracy +8, Computers +11, Concentration +10,

Cryptography +12, Cultures +10, Diplomacy +7, Driver +5, Electronics +9, First Aid +5, Gather Information +8, Hide +4, Languages +6, Listen +10, Mechanics +6, Move Silently +4, Read Lips +7, Search +11, Sense Motive +8, Spot +9, Surveillance +9 Feats: Alertness, Talented (Surveillance) Gear: Weapons, Bundle B (see the Spycraft Espionage Handbook, page 106), Laptop Computer (power rating +3) Gadgets and Vehicles: None

New Gadget Civilian Pacification Wave Generator The Wave Generator’s effect covers the entire area in which Scene 3 takes place, so no agent is beyond its reach unless he leaves the map. That said, Viper and each of the Shop minions in the scene, as well as the pilot and co-pilot of the evac chopper, are protected from the effects by white noise generators built into their radio headsets (which the agents may steal and use themselves during the scene). Unless protected, each agent must make a Will save (DC 10) at the beginning of each round. With failure, the agent suffers a –1 circumstance penalty to every roll made for the duration of the scene. This penalty is cumulative, so an agent who fails three saves — whether they’re consecutive or not — suffers a total circumstance penalty of –3. Any agent who takes a radio headset from a Shop agent is no longer required to make these saves, and any penalty previously incurred is immediately dropped. If the Wave Generator is disabled or deactivated, all penalties are dropped and no further saves are required. Deactivating the device requires a full round action, during which the agent must not be successfully attacked. At the beginning of his initiative count during the following round, the agent may make an Electronics check (DC 25) to deactivate the device. Success indicates the device is shut down for the duration of the scene; it requires several hours to prepare for operation, and therefore cannot be reactivated immediately. Alternately, the agents may simply do enough damage to the Generator to destroy it. The device has a hardness of 5 and 25 wounds.

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New Predator Chase Maneuver

The following text is the property of Wizards of the Coast, Inc. and is Copyright 2000 Wizards of the Coast, Inc (“Wizards”). All Rights Reserved.

“Steady…" (Finishing) Rather than attempting to end the chase by forcing the prey to a halt, the predator pulls alongside the prey and attempts to match his speed as closely as possible. This allows other agents in the predator’s vehicle to leap aboard the prey’s vehicle. While this maneuver presents a great deal less risk to both vehicles, an agent leaping from one vehicle to another during a high-speed chase is in great danger. Lead: 5 lengths or less. Further, “Steady…" is only considered a finishing maneuver if there are no passengers in the prey’s vehicle, in which case the agent who successfully makes the leap may attempt to force the vehicle to a halt. This requires a successful Strength check opposed by the driver’s Strength. In this case, the defending driver suffers a –5 penalty to his Strength check result as he steers the vehicle. If the prey vehicle contains passengers when someone successfully leaps into it, the chase continues as normal as combat likely erupts inside the prey vehicle. If all of the passengers within the prey vehicle are defeated, the chase ends as the agent (or agents) force the driver to a halt. Success: Any agent in the predator’s vehicle (including the driver) may make a Jump check to board the prey’s vehicle. The DC of the jump check is equal to 25 minus the difference between the maneuver checks made this round. If the prey vehicle’s driver attempts this check, the vehicle and any remaining passengers immediately suffer the effects of a failed crash check (though passengers may make a Jump or Tumble check (DC 15) to reduce damage, as normal — see the Spycraft Espionage Handbook). Special: “Steady…" interacts with the various prey maneuvers as detailed below. Treat the following information as an additional column on the master Chase Maneuvers table (see the Spycraft Espionage Handbook, pg. 188 and the Soldier/Wheelman Class Guide, page 62). Chase Maneuver Barnstorm Block Bootleg Reverse Come Around Duck Out Extend Gift Wrap Hairpin Turn Lure Pull Ahead Shake Set Up Stunt Vanish Zig-Zag “That’s Impossible!"

Modifier 0/0 0/–6 0/–4 — — — –6/0 — 0/0 –2/0 –2/0 0/0 — — 0/0 0/0

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Definitions: (a) “Contributors” means the copyright and/or trademark owners who have contributed Open Game Content; (b) “Derivative Material” means copyrighted material including derivative works and translations (including into other computer languages), potation, modification, correction, addition, extension, upgrade, improvement, compilation, abridgment or other form in which an existing work may be recast, transformed or adapted; (c) “Distribute” means to reproduce, license, rent, lease, sell, broadcast, publicly display, transmit or otherwise distribute; (d) “Open Game Content” means the game mechanic and includes the methods, procedures, processes and routines to the extent such content does not embody the Product Identity and is an enhancement over the prior art and any additional content clearly identified as Open Game Content by the Contributor, and means any work covered by this License, including translations and derivative works under copyright law, but specifically excludes Product Identity. (e) “Product Identity” means product and product line names, logos and identifying marks including trade dress; artifacts; creatures characters; stories, storylines, plots, thematic elements, dialogue, incidents, language, artwork, symbols, designs, depictions, likenesses, formats, poses, concepts, themes and graphic, photographic and other visual or audio representations; names and descriptions of characters, spells, enchantments, personalities, teams, personas, likenesses and special abilities; places, locations, environments, creatures, equipment, magical or supernatural abilities or effects, logos, symbols, or graphic designs; and any other trademark or registered trademark clearly identified as Product identity by the owner of the Product Identity, and which specifically excludes the Open Game Content; (f) “Trademark” means the logos, names, mark, sign, motto, designs that are used by a Contributor to identify itself or its products or the associated products contributed to the Open Game License by the Contributor (g) “Use”, “Used” or “Using” means to use, Distribute, copy, edit, format, modify, translate and otherwise create Derivative Material of Open Game Content. (h) “You” or “Your” means the licensee in terms of this agreement. 2. The License: This License applies to any Open Game Content that contains a notice indicating that the Open Game Content may only be Used under and in terms of this License. You must affix such a notice to any Open Game Content that you Use. No terms may be added to or subtracted from this License except as described by the License itself. No other terms or conditions may be applied to any Open Game Content distributed using this License. 3. Offer and Acceptance: By Using the Open Game Content You indicate Your acceptance of the terms of this License. 4. Grant and Consideration: In consideration for agreeing to use this License, the Contributors grant You a perpetual, worldwide, royalty-free, non-exclusive license with the exact terms of this License to Use, the Open Game Content. 5. Representation of Authority to Contribute: If You are contributing original material as Open Game Content, You represent that Your Contributions are Your original creation and/or You have sufficient rights to grant the rights conveyed by this License. 6. Notice of License Copyright: You must update the COPYRIGHT NOTICE portion of this License to include the exact text of the COPYRIGHTNOTICE of any Open Game Content You are copying, modifying or distributing, and You must add the title, the copyright date, and the copyright holder’s name to the COPYRIGHTNOTICE of any original Open Game Content you Distribute. 7. Use of Product Identity: You agree not to Use any Product Identity, including as an indication as to compatibility, except as expressly licensed in another, independent Agreement with the owner of each element of that Product Identity. You agree not to indicate compatibility or co-adaptability with any Trademark in conjunction with a work containing Open Game Content except as expressly licensed in another, independent Agreement with the owner of such Trademark. The use of any Product Identity in Open Game Content does not constitute a challenge to the ownership of that Product Identity. The owner of any Product Identity used in Open Game Content shall retain all rights, title and interest in and to that Product Identity. 8. Identification: If you distribute Open Game Content You must clearly indicate which portions of the work that you are distributing are Open Game Content. 9. Updating the License: Wizards or its designated Agents may publish updated versions of this License. You may use any authorized version of this License to copy, modify and distribute any Open Game Content originally distributed under any version of this License. 10. Copy of this License: You MUST include a copy of this License with every copy of the Open Game Content You Distribute. 11. Use of Contributor Credits: You may not market or advertise the Open Game Content using the name of any Contributor unless You have written permission from the Contributor to do so. 12. Inability to Comply: If it is impossible for You to comply with any of the terms of this License with respect to some or all of the Open Game Content due to statute, judicial order, or governmental regulation then You may not Use any Open Game Material so affected. 13. Termination: This License will terminate automatically if You fail to comply with all terms herein and fail to cure such breach within 30 days of becoming aware of the breach. All sublicenses shall survive the termination of this License. 14. Reformation: If any provision of this License is held to be unenforceable, such provision shall be reformed only to the extent necessary to make it enforceable. 15. COPYRIGHTNOTICES Open Game License v1.0a Copyright 2000, Wizards of the Coast, Inc. System Rules Document Copyright 2000, Wizards of the Coast, Inc.; Authors Jonathan Tweet, Monte Cook, Skip Williams, based on original material by E. Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson. Star Wars roleplaying game, Copyright 2000, Wizards of the Coast and Lucasfilm Ltd.; Authors Andy Collins, Bill Slavicsek, JD Wiker. Spycraft Espionage Handbook, Copyright 2002, Alderac Entertainment Group, Inc.; Authors Patrick Kapera and Kevin Wilson. Shadowforce Archer Worldbook, Copyright 2002, Alderac Entertainment Group, Inc.; Authors Patrick Kapera and Kevin Wilson.