Pyramid. Monster Hunters

40 Pages·2011·4.108 MB·English

by  Steve Jackson

Stock #37-2631
C
ONTENTS COVER ART INTERIOR ART
BobStevlic GregHyland
MattRiggsby
FROM THE EDITOR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
I T
featuringMurphy’sRules
N HIS
LAST STAND ON MASON DRIVE. . . . . . . . . . 4
byMattRiggsby
I
BLUEPRINTOFFACILITY..............................9 SSUE
FLOORPLANOFFACILITY
(BLACK-AND-WHITEVERSIONOFBLUEPRINT)..........10
FACILITYMAP ....................................11
UNDERGROUNDMAP................................12 Whenyoustareatthehorror,thehorrorstaresatyou...and
that’sagreattimetoshootitintheface.Thismonth’sPyramid
MONSTER HUNTER FIREPOWER
is for those who fight against fearsome foes – especially the
AT THE MOVIES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 high-poweredheroesoftheGURPSMonsterHuntersseries!
byHans-ChristianVortisch Thelinebetweengoodguysandbadguysisblurredatthe
LastStandonMasonDrive.ThisadventureforGURPSMonster
EIDETIC MEMORY: THE HORROR
Hunters–byMattRiggsby(authorofGURPSLocations:The
OUT OF DREAMS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 TowerofOctaviusandothers)–includesstunningmapsofthe
byDavidL.Pulver targetwarehouseandtheundergroundlairithides.
Whywouldamonsterhuntergrababucketofpopcornand
THE NETWORK . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
loaduptheDVDplayer?Research!MonsterHunterFirepower
byJ.EdwardTremlett
attheMovieslooksatthefirearmsandweaponsutilizedbythe
heroesof10monster-hunterfilms.WrittenbyHans-Christian
PULP HUNTERS! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Vortisch (co-author of GURPS High-Tech and GURPS
byChristopherR.Rice
Loadouts: Monster Hunters), this article also includes
RANDOM THOUGHT TABLE: GURPSstatsonmorethan20newweapons!
The worst nightmares find themselves reborn time and
THE OPTIMISM OF
again – especially if they involve a phantom van. In this
A DARKER, DEADLIER WORLD. . . . . . . 36 month’s Eidetic Memory, GURPS Fourth Edition co-author
byStevenMarsh,PyramidEditor David Pulver introduces you to The Horror Out of Dreams, a
supernaturaladventureformodern-dayGURPSheroes.
INSPIRATIONAL FICTION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
Somearebornintogreatness,andothersarecalled–some-
byJason“PK”Levine
times literally! The Network presents a generic modern-set
organization with deep pockets, a tight leash, and powerful
ABOUT GURPS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
allies.Itbeginswithamysteriouspackage,andendswith...
well,that’sopenfordebate.Dotheheroesheedthecall?(Do
theyhaveachoice?)
Before the monster hunters of today could take up arms,
thechampionsofthepastneededtopavetheway.Learnhow
Article Colors
to tweak the templates from GURPS Monster Hunters to
tackletheturmoilofyesteryearwithPulpHunters!
Each article is color-coded to help you find your
If you wanted to drink deeply from the creature-killing
favoritesections.
cauldron from which modern monster-hunting mayhem
PaleBlue:InThisIssue emerged, check out Inspirational Fiction, written by Jason
“PK”Levine–authoroftheGURPSMonsterHuntersseries!
Brown:InEveryIssue(letters,humor,editorial,etc.)
This issue also includes a bit of magical mirth from
DarkBlue:GURPSFeatures
Murphy’s Rules, plus a look at The Optimism of a Darker,
Purple:SystemlessFeatures
DeadlierWorldinthismonth’sRandomThoughtTable.
Green:DistinguishedColumnists Ifyou’reavampire,werewolf,orotherscourgethatwould
make a snack of society, please leave the secrets herein
unlearned. For the rest of you, this jam-packed issue of
Pyramidisawelcomeadditiontoyourarsenal!
Editor-in-Chief(cid:2)STEVEJACKSON GURPSLineEditor(cid:2)SEANPUNCH PageDesign(cid:2)PHILREEDand
ChiefOperatingOfficer(cid:2)PHILIPREED EditorialAssistant(cid:2)JASON“PK”LEVINE JUSTINDEWITT
ArtDirector(cid:2)WILLSCHOONOVER ProductionArtist(cid:2)NIKOLAVRTIS MarketingDirector(cid:2)PAULCHAPMAN
e23Manager(cid:2)STEVENMARSH PrepressChecker(cid:2)MONICASTEPHENS DirectorofSales(cid:2)ROSSJEPSON
P M 2 M 2011
YRAMID AGAZINE AY
F
ROM THE
E
DITOR
S S R Christopher R. Rice, Matt Riggsby, J. Edward Tremlett, and
ECRET CHEMES EVEALED
Hans-ChristianVortisch.ThanksalsotoJason“PK”Levinefor
There were a few weeks between when these words were dispellingthedarknessinahalf-dozenways.
writtenandwhentheissueuploaded,sowehadachancetosee
howtightoursecurityisaroundhere.See,thismonth’sPyramid
wassomethingofasecret.Itdidn’tappearonourWishList,and
we’ve been working “behind the scenes” to make it happen. A
fewhintsweredroppedhereandthere,butwedidn’trevealany-
thingfully(althoughweplannedtoaweekorsobeforeupload).
Why the cloak-and-dagger routine? Well, we thought the
GURPSMonsterHunterswascoolandinterestingenoughthat
wewantedtocelebrateitsreleasehereinPyramid...butwealso G H
BY REG YLAND
knew the magazine release was timed close enough to the
MonsterHuntersreleaseschedulethatwecouldn’texpectmore
thanafewsoulstojoinin.IntruePyramidtradition,we’vealso
tried to include enough ready-to-play goodness for you to use
evenifyou’renotrunningaMonsterHuntersgameyet!
Withthisissue,wewanttoemphasizethatPyramidisaplace
thatcansurpriseyou.Themorewegetyouallbuzzingabout
howinterestingweare,themorewecangrowouraudience–
enablingustobemoreexcitinginthefuture!
So,ifthisisyourfirstissueofPyramid–welcome!Ifyou’re
anoccasionalreaderwhopickedusupagain–welcomeback!
Andifyou’realongtimereader–welcometoyouaswell...
andthankyouforhelpingtomakethisissuepossible.
Regardless,wehopeyou’llletusknowifourlittleexperi-
ment worked. Check out one of the existing discussions at
forums.sjgames.com–orstartyourown!
P.S.
Incaseaglanceatthetableofcontentsdidn’tmakeitclear:
Thisisajam-packedissue.Wedidn’thaveroomforeverything!
We’ve trimmed Odds and Ends for this month, and given
Murphy’sRulesahomehere.
P.P.S.
Specialthankstoeveryonewhohelpedmakethisissuepos-
sible, including harried creators Greg Hyland, David Pulver,
Pyramid,GURPS,MonsterHunters,Warehouse23,andtheall-seeingpyramidareregisteredtrademarksofSteveJacksonGamesIncorporated.e23andthenamesofallproducts
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P M 3 M 2011
YRAMID AGAZINE AY
L S
AST TAND ON
M D
ASON RIVE
M R
BY ATT IGGSBY
In this adventure, monster hunters find a reclusive and They process a variety of waste products (both safe and
moderately powerful vampire. His stronghold – hiding in toxic), and many things they can’t refine, they can safely
plain sight as part of a remote industrial area – will be a packageandshipofftomorespecializedprocessors.Rather
toughnuttocrack,butawell-preparedgroupofhunterscan thandealingdirectlywiththepublic,theyhaulwastesaway
takehimdown,andtheymaygetsomemysticalgoodiesout from nearby municipalities and companies they contract
of it in the bargain. Unfortunately, they’re not the only ones with,gatheringmaterialfrompubliccollectionpointstotake
with their eye on the place. A rogue agency has picked the backtotheircentralfacility.
same time as the heroes have to eliminate the master vam- Investigatorswillhavetolookverycloselytoseethingsthat
pire, and they want to be sure that nobody knows anything don’tmakeanysense.Thenumberofpeoplewhoshowupat
abouttheagencyortheirtargets.Thatmeanskillingthevam- the beginning of a shift doesn’t always match the number of
pires,hisminions,andthehunters.Canthehunterscomplete peoplewholeaveintheend(thoughyou’dhavetocountthe
theirmission?Cantheygetoutalive?Cantheysurvivewith- carpoolers to know that). Employees cycle through the com-
outmakinganunsavoryalliance? panyquickly,andmanyseemtovanishthereafter.Thoughone
wouldexpectafacilityprocessingtoxicwastestobesecure–
simplytokeephazardousmaterialssafelysegregatedfromthe
rest of the environment – it looks a bit too secure. A surpris-
Angel:Weneedyoutodistractthe inglylargeproportionofthecompany’semployeesarearmed
security guards. A comprehensive analysis of the area’s need
vampires.
forrecyclingservicesdoesn’tseemtosupportanaround-the-
Buffy:Right. clock schedule at the plant. Most telling, areas of the facility
areprotectedwithmagicalwardsthatpreventoutsidersfrom
Xander:Whatareyougonnado?
lookingin.Clearly,somethingisup.
Buffy:I’mgonnakillthemall.That
oughtadistract’em. GETTING READY
–Buffy the Vampire Slayer #2.1 Onethingthehuntershaveontheirsideistime.Asuccess-
fulResearchrollsuggeststhatpeoplehavebeendisappearing
in the area for at least five years. Whoever is abducting and
killing people isn’t going anywhere soon. Hunters have the
freedom to make extensive preparations, though the longer
P
RELUDE
they take, the more people die. Indeed, if they’re in the area,
oneofthemmayenduprandomlyencounteringavampire.
Thehunterscatchwindofavampirehiddeninplainsight
Fairly clever researchers can find out a significant amount
ontheoutskirtsofanunremarkableindustrialtown.Hunters
aboutthefacility’slayoutfromexternalsources.Acarefulsearch
pursuingphysicalevidenceofmonstersmaydiscoverthatsev-
ofpublicrecordswillleadthehunterstothearchitectwhobuilt
eral exsanguinated bodies have been found in the area, clear
the facility, and some light breaking-and-entering will turn up
signsofvampires.Moreover,they’refairlytightlyclusteredina
theblueprints(seep.9foracolorversion,andp.10forablack-
singleneighborhood,suggestingthatthey’repartofastation-
and-white one). Similar information (though slightly less
ary nest of vampires rather than roving individuals. Hunters
detailed)canbefoundinenvironmentalimpactstatementsfiled
who are more in touch with underworld “society” may find
by the company with various governmental agencies. From
that this town consumes more than its fair share of mystical
these,thehunterscangetagoodfeelfortheoveralllayoutofthe
artifacts and materials. With some research, the recipient of
facility.However,there’sasignificantexception.There’sabase-
thoseitemscanbenarroweddowntoaspecificaddress.
ment on the blueprints at the southern end of the building,
In any event, the center of the vampire threat can be
undertheexecutivearea.Thisistheareaprotectedfrommagi-
determinedasasinglelocation:2813MasonDrive,homeof
cal surveillance, and if any hunters reach the executive area,
DutchmanRecyclingandProcessing.Tothecasualobserver,
theywon’tfindtheexpectedstairsleadingdownintoit.
Dutchmanisacompanythathandlesawidevarietyofwaste.
P M 4 M 2011
YRAMID AGAZINE AY
However, infiltrating the site is nigh-impossible. By strict Fences,rooftops,andsomelamppostsareequippedwithvideo
company policy, almost no one who isn’t an employee is cameras,givingsecuritypersonnelcomprehensiveandmulti-
allowedpastthefrontdesk.Thosefewwhoare(importantvis- pleoverlappingviewsofthelot.
itors from organizations Dutchman processes material for)
only get as far as the conference rooms. Mail and package 1. Reception Room
deliveries are accepted at the front desk and picked up for
The only part of the facility outsiders can reach with any
internaldistributionfromthere.Ontherareoccasionoutside
ease is the reception room. There are a few reasonably com-
services are required (for example, electrical or plumbing
fortable chairs, end tables with current magazines, and the
repair), the company relies on trusted contractors called out
receptionist’sdesk.Thedoorsbeyondareopenedbykeycards
specifically for that purpose. The company is small enough
orabuttonatthedesk.Thisareaistheonlypartofthebuild-
that if there’s a problem, the receptionist will know about it;
ingthatgetsanynaturallight.
the old “I’m the plumber, and I’ve come to fix the sink” ploy
simplywon’tfly.Breakinginistheoreticallypossible,butthe
2-4. Conference Row
site is well-lit at all times and under constant surveillance.
Hunters can probably get past the side doors with combined Onceinsidethebuilding,ahallwayrunsthelengthofthe
TrapsandLockpickingrolls,butthey’relikelytobegreetedby frontofthebuilding.Mostoftheroomsleadingoffofitopen
asecurityguardontheotherside. on conference rooms (all labeled #2), but it also leads to the
Findingthe“backdoor”(throughtheshorttunnel;seep.6) mail room (#3), the cube farm (see below), and the security
in is an option if they keep the site under surveillance long office(#4),whereatleasttwoguardsconstantlymonitorvideo
enough. Sooner or later, one of the feral vampires will come feeds from all over the facility. The conference rooms are
outinsearchofamorelivelysnack,butalloftheferalvam- equippedwithphones,whiteboards,andoverheadprojectors,
pires would rather die than talk. Unfortunately, the tunnel is butlackmoremodernaudio-visualequipment.
trapped and monitored, so they’ll likely get hurt and end up
collapsingtheirchosenwayin. 5. Cube Farm
Atsomepoint,adirectapproachislikelytobecometheonly
Most of the space in the office building is taken up by a
viableoption.However,thescryingdefenseistheonlymystical
grid of cubicles. Dividers are uniformly 5’ high, just low
defense the facility has. If a spell caster can gather enough
enough for most people to peer over without straining. The
energytoputeveryoneinthebuildingtosleeporbeguilethem
cubiclesarefilledwiththeusualcontents:papers,filingcab-
withillusions,theteamwillencounterlittleresistance.
inets,slightlyout-of-datedesktopcomputers,andsmallper-
sonal items such as motivational posters and pictures of
T F
HE ACILITY family – and, of course, the workers themselves. Men’s and
women’srestroomsareonthesamesideofthecubefarmas
Likesomemore-intelligentmonsters,themastervampireat
theexecutiveoffices(seebelow).
thecenterofthisnestofundead–AdrianVanDyjk–operates
through a front company. In addition to being a fully func-
6. Labs
tional legitimate business, the facility’s many areas of
restricted access and careful environmental filtering make it Thefacilityhasseveralon-sitechemistrylabsforassaytests
easytohidepensforcaptivehumansanddisposeoftrouble- andsimilarpurposes.Eachlabhasarangeofusefulchemicals
somephysicalevidencewithoutcomment.Acertainamountof and extensive chemical equipment; treat as good-quality
solitude helps as well. Though it isn’t isolated in the wilder- equipment(+1)foranyChemistryskillroll.Thelabsarealso
ness,thefacilityisoneofthefewbuildingsstilloperationalin equipped with extensive venting and air-filtering systems to
anindustrialparkthathasseenbetterdays.Thesurrounding preventtheescapeoftoxicfumesintotheatmosphere.
areaseesrelativelylittletrafficduringtheday,andessentially Onelabisunused.Inadditiontotheusualchemicalgear,it
none at all at night after everyone working at nearby busi- containsasetofclimate-controlledsafes.Ifthehunterscanget
nesses has gone home. Location numbers with the descrip- them open without destroying the contents, they’ll find four
tionsrefertotheFacilityMap(p.9). dead-language grimoires. They’re remarkably well-decorated,
with tattooed human-skin bindings and engraved iron clasps
The Lot holdingthemshut.They’repotentiallyquiteusefulaswell,pro-
vidingatleast+4toskill;theGMmaymakeupappropriatespe-
The facility sits on a large and quite open piece of land.
cificritualsforthem.However,they’realsoheavy(11lbs.each)
There’sasizableparkinglotwithlamppostsandafewdeco-
andfragile:DR0,4HP.Therearealso10fetishesmadeofbone,
rativeshrubs,butthegroundoutsideofthefacilityitselfisflat
feathers,skin,andotherorganicmaterials.Eachactsasanarti-
andfeatureless,withthenearestbuildingsatleast200yards
fact providing 2 points of energy (see Monster Hunters 1:
away on the left (a strip of wholesalers’ offices, half vacant)
Champions,p.36)forritualswithinasinglePath(twoeachfor
and right (a depot for HVAC equipment). Anyone can drive
Body,Chance,Crossroads,Energy,andMatter).However,figur-
ontothelotunchallenged,butallgatesanddoorshaveaccess
ingoutjustwhattheydowilltakesomeresearchorconsultation
controlledbyelectronickeycardsandhaveattachedalarms.
withanindexVanDyjkkeepsinhissanctum.
Therearetwoconnectedstructuresonthelot:theofficebuild-
ingandtherecyclingbays.Theofficebuildingisimmediately
7. Executive Offices
offtheparkinglot.Therecyclingbaysareaccessedaroundthe
sideoftheofficebuilding.Thebayshavean8’chainlinkfence Thebackofthebuildingcontainsofficesusedbycompany
aroundthem,toppedwithafootofbarbedwire.Thegateis officers, which have full floor-to-ceiling walls. The offices are
unlockedduringtheday,butaguardisondutyatalltimes. reasonably well-appointed, though by no means luxurious.
P M 5 M 2011
YRAMID AGAZINE AY
For example, the furniture is fairly new and high quality but vampireneeds.Theareaunderthefacilityconsistsofabase-
stillmass-produced,thecarpetisspotlesslycleanandlikewise ment, a half-finished industrial tunnel, and several rough-
newbutverygeneric,andsoon. hewntunnelsheldupwithcoarsebeamsandcrudemasonry.
Thissectionofthebuildingisalsoprotectedfrommagical Theyarelitwithafewbare,low-wattagebulbsdanglingfrom
scrying.Thisisbecausetwoofficescontaintrapdoorsleading bare wires, though Van Dyjk occasionally uses torches, can-
tothepitsbelow.Inthenormalcourseofevents,thedoorsare dles, and oil lamps. Lighting penalties range from -2 near a
coveredbya2”thick,3’by3’slabofreinforcedconcretefaced light source to -9 for darker niches. Location numbers with
withsquaresofcarpetthatblendinseamlesslywiththerestof thedescriptionsrefertotheUndergroundMap(p.12).
thefloor.Thisis,inturn,underthedeskintheroom.Thevam-
piresrarelytakethisrouteinandoutoftheirlair,buttheyhave 9. Short Tunnel
theoccupantsoftheofficesthoroughlyconditionedviaMind
Thevampires’usualexitfromthepitsisthroughatunnel
Control,sobeingnoticedisn’tanissue.
that leads to a grating on the far side of the parking lot. The
tunnelis60yardslongandabout4’indiame-
ter,obliginganyonewhotriestoenterthatway
tocrawl.Itisalsoheavilytrapped,withmulti-
Wall Stats
ple pressure switches, infrared beams, and
Walls are made out of a variety of different materials. Consult the smallbombs(treatasfragmentationgrenades,
tablebelowifsomeonewantstoteardownorshootthroughawall. p.B277) every 10 yards. Even if an intruder
isn’t killed, the tunnel will likely collapse, and
Wall DRorCoverDR HP someoneontheinsidewillhaveplentyoftime
Cubicledividers 0* 0 to make sure the heavy door at the end is
Executiveandbaywalls 8† 54 barredasandlocked.
Otherinteriorwalls 1† 18
10. Pens
*Cubicledividersprovidenomeaningfulprotection.However,iffir-
ing blindly through dividers, roll 3d for each target. On 16+, the shot Although the vampires sometimes feed on
must pass through a small bookcase, metal divider support, or other employees and people in the community, their
moresubstantialitem,whichprovidesDR5cover. regularfoodsourceiskeptinseveralpens.The
†RepeateddamagetoasmallarealowersDR,asexplainedonp.B559. pens,whicharewhatusedtobethebasement
indicated on the blueprints, are large rooms
withan8’-deep,concrete-lineddepressioninthe
floor,coveredwitharustyirongrating.Thegrat-
8. Machine Room ingsarechainedandlockedshut.Theycurrentlyholdatotalof
about20livingpeopledividedoverallbutoneofthepens.
There is a locked room at the far southeast corner of the
The last pen instead contains one of Van Dyjk’s last-ditch
building. This room contains some electrical panels, phone
weapons:asmallhordeof25zombies(seep.8).Ifthefacility
switching boxes, and HVAC equipment. Anyone with a bit of
isbeingoverrun,VanDyjkplanstoreleasethemtospreadcon-
Electronics Repair skill could turn off power to the building
fusionamonganyattackers.
andtheinternalphonesystemhere.
11. Trap Doors
Recycling Bays
Thetrapdoorsfromtheofficesintheexecutivearea(#7
The“factory”sectionisdividedintosevenbaysaroundan
on the Facility Map) to the underground are indicated by
octagonal courtyard/parking area. Each bay is for different
darkened hexes. One is just outside the pens, the other is
kinds of wastes: glass, plastics, metals, and various toxic
about20yardstotheeast.TheGMcanfeelfreetodetermine
wastes(spentbatteries,oldelectronics,usedmotoroil).They
justwhichofficesthosespotslineupwith.
arefilledwithnoisyand,inspots,dangerousmachinery.Most
of the bays have crushers, pressers, or similar machines that
12. Monitor Station
makelargephysicalimpacts,doingfrom5dto8dcror3d(2)
to 5d(2) cut per turn to anyone shoved into them. Anything Theundergroundhasasetofsecuritymonitorsduplicating
that has crushing or shredding capacity also has a conveyor theonesinthesecurityofficeupstairs,plusafewmoremoni-
belt to move items to the business end of the machine at a toring the short tunnel and other areas underground. It also
Move3.Severalbayshaveincineratorsormachinesthatheat hasaswitchthatcandeactivatethetrapsintheshorttunnel.
uptheircontents,doingupto6dburnperturn. Thevampiresdon’tmonitoritconstantly,butthevideocamera
Accesstotheparkingareaisthroughaguardedgateonthe feedsareavailabletothem.
eastside.Twodumptrucksandanunloadedsemiarecurrently
parkedthere.Nonearerunning,butthekeysareinside. 13. Tunnels
This section of the underground is where Van Dyjk’s feral
T U
HE NDERGROUND minions usually spend daylight hours. Niches in the earthen
walls contain wooden coffins standing up on end. The vam-
The recycling company is the front concealing the vam-
piresdon’thavetorestincoffins,butitamusesthemtodoso.
pires’ lair. Though forbidding to mortals, it contains all a
P M 6 M 2011
YRAMID AGAZINE AY
14. Sanctum bestandcompletelycutoffatworst.Ifthingsstarttolookbad
andVanDyjkhasn’tbeentakendownyet,he’llcallthehunters
The sanctum is where Van Dyjk spends most of his time.
atthenearestofficephoneandsuggestatemporarytruce.He
Thechamberisfinishedslightlymoreluxuriouslythantherest
can get everyone out, but he needs cover from the common
oftheunderground.Itcontainsacabinetofcuriossimilarto
threat.Naturally,he’llwanttobugoutimmediatelyifit’snight
thegrimoiresandartifactsinthelabupstairs(twiceasmany
ordelayaslongaspossibleifit’sdaytime.
ofeachtype,butallareinbettershapeandhaveDR1and50%
If the hunters accept the offer, he’ll try to get them out
betterHP)andacomfortablethrone-likechair.
through the hidden escape tunnel in the recycling bays (see
Under,below).He’llkeephissecrets–suchasthevarioushid-
S
IEGE denexplosivesandthelast-ditchzombies–andusethemwith-
outwarningifhefeelsitnecessary.He’llhavenopatiencewith
Not long after the hunters enter the facility, several vans
looting,andhe’llultimatelyregardanyonewhofallsbehindas
pullinandsetupaperimeter50to100yardsawayfromit.The
being as expendable as the employees of his company. If he
vanscontainalargenumberofMIBs(seeEnemies,p.8).The
believes he’s got a good chance of betraying the hunters and
MIBsworkforashadowyagencywhosemissionistosuppress
stillgettingoutalive,hewon’thesitatetodoso,buthishighest
and eliminate the supernatural. This means destroying any
prioritybyfarisleavingwithhisskinintact.
supernaturalthreatsandgettingridofanywitnesses:thevam-
pires,theemployees,thevictims,and–yes–thehunters.
G O
TheMIBstakeuppositionsprovidingasmuchcoveraspos- ETTING UT
sible(whichisn’tsayingalot)andsetupoverlappingkillzones
Once the facility is surrounded, the adventurers are in a
aroundthefacility.Snipersdeploytopositionswheretheycan
very,verystickysituation.
coverthedoors,alongwithaspotterandanextramanforsecu-
rity, watching the backs of the sniper and the spotter; anyone
Over
whostickshisheadoutgetsshotat.Theyhavesufficienttechni-
calcapabilityandofficialauthoritytosealoffthearea(thenom- Theparkingareainthemiddleoftherecyclingbaysisbig
inalpurposeofthefacilityallowsthemtodisseminateastory enough to land a helicopter. Van Dyjk doesn’t have access to
aboutatoxicchemicalspill)andshutoffcell-phoneandexter- one,butifthehuntersdo,it’satleasttheoreticallypossibleto
nalphoneservice,althoughtheyaren’tjammingradiofrequen- bringonein.TheMIBdidn’tthinktocallupairsupport(the
ciesandthefacility’sinternalphonesystemstillworks. bomb-dropping aircraft they’ll eventually have coming in is
Theirplanistomethodicallyclearoutthebuildingbysend- otherwiseunarmed)andtheydon’thaveanti-aircraftweapons
ing in teams of troopers and confirming that they’ve elimi- withthem,soanairbornerescueisn’tabadidea.Nevertheless,
nated the vampires. If they can’t, they’ll just keep the facility theweaponstheMIBdohavecanstillputalotofholesinany
contained.Ineithercase,ahelicopterwithapowerfulincendi- flyingvehicle.TheMIBalsohaveaccesstosurveillancesatel-
arywillbebyinafewhourssothatnotracesareleftbehind. lites and data from nearby airport radar, so if airborne
TheMIBs’leaderwillpretendtonegotiatesafepassageifany- escapeestaketheirtimeaboutfindingaplacetosetdown,they
onetriestocontactthem,butit’sasham;anyoneleavingthe mayendupdiscoveringareceptioncommittee.
facilitywillbeshotdownbeforetheycanreachtheperimeter.
VanDyjkwouldbehappytoletthehuntersandtheMIB Under
killoneanother(andprobablywill,atleastforawhile),and
VanDyjkisn’tstupid.Hedidn’tbuildafortresswithoutan
he regards his minions as expendable. However, he’s also
escaperoute.Asectionoffloorinrecyclingbay5,coveredwith
aware that he’s enormously outclassed, and with hunters
concrete,concealsamanhole.Thoughanormalhumanwould
inside and MIB outside, his escape routes are precarious at
be hard pressed to break through the concrete, it’s an easy
enoughjobforasmallquantityofexplosivesorahighlymoti-
vatedmastervampirewithapick.Themanholedescendsinto
The weapons had atunnel,dugbyminionswhowerelaterconsumed.
Thetunnelfromtherecyclingbaytothestormsewerisjust
evolved, but our orders over2’wideandjustunder6’high,andcompletelyunlit.Italso
hasafewtraps.Thereisatripwireathirdofthewaydownthe
tunnelattachedtoasmallexplosivecharge;treatasafragmen-
remained the same:
tationgrenade(p.B277).Thetrapcanbedisarmedbyflipping
aninconspicuousswitchintherecyclingbay.Two-thirdsofthe
Hunt them down and
waydown,there’sanotherexplosive;thisisanactualfragmen-
tationgrenade.It’sconcealedintheearthensideofthetunnel,
kill them off, one by one.
butVanDyjkknowswhereitis.
The tunnel ends in another manhole, which drops down
– Selene, in intoastormdrain.Themunicipalstormsewerisabout4’in
diameter; anyone escaping through it will have to crawl.
Underworld AlthoughthereareafewoutletsintoditchesoutsidetheMIB
perimeter, Van Dyjk’s destination is another concealed pas-
sagewayabout400yardsaway,whichleadsupintoaspacein
astoragerentalfacility.
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Through at anyone who comes out. However, very confident hunters
whofeelliketheA-Teamcouldgiveitatry.Therecyclingplant
This certainly qualifies for the boldest option, albeit not
hasalotofscrapmetallyingaround,whichcouldbehungon
necessarily the wisest. The MIB have a good perimeter with
a dump truck and/or the tractor half of the tractor-trailer as
veryclearlinesofsighttothebuildingandalotoftimetoaim
improvisedarmor.
E
NEMIES
Thehuntersmustfaceavarietyofpotentialopponents,of across.Theyarenotinfectious,butthatwon’tbeimmediately
wildlyvaryingabilities. apparenttothehunters.
Vampires MIBs
AdrianVanDyjkwasbornin1848.HearrivedinAmerica Manforman,theMIBcontingentisn’tasformidableasthe
withhisparentstwodaysbeforethebeginningoftheCivilWar, huntersarelikelytobe,butthey’restillreasonablywellskilled,
attendedYale;openedalawfirminTrenton,NewJersey;mar- stiffenedbyacoreofhunter-levelleaders,andverywellarmed.
ried an elderlycolleague’s daughter; and “died” threemonths Theyinclude:
laterin1873.Adrianhadamarkedtalentformesmerism,and
•Twocommandos(Champions,p.9).
hehascometouseittobuildupalargegroupofenslavedmin-
•Onetechie(Champions,p.18).
ions. He’s been through a number of front companies in his
•Twowarriors(Champions,p.19).
day,andisquitehappywiththisone,butarguablyhe’sgotten
•Onesage(Champions,p.15).
too comfortable and is over-relying on protective coloration.
•Onewitch(Champions,p.20).
Healsohasafondnessformysticalartifacts.Hehasnomagi-
•OnesupportingspellcasterforeachPC(treatasacultist
calskills;hesimplylikesoccultaccouterments.
caster,TheEnemy,p.31).
Van Dyjk may be treated as a mature or master vampire
•20MIBtroopersforeveryPC.Usethestatsforthecultist
(Monster Hunters 3: The Enemy, p. 11), depending on how
thug(TheEnemy,p.31),buttheyhaveIQ11,Will13,andPer
strong and experienced the party is. He has a clutch of feral
13,andallweaponandunarmedcombatskillsare15.Onein
vampiresunderhim(TheEnemy,p.10);multiplythenumber
every 20 has a sniper rifle, while another one in 20 has a
of PCs in the adventure by 1.5, rounding down. They spend
flamethrower.Theyremainderarearmedwithamixofassault
mostoftheirtimeholedupinthepits.
rifles and automatic shotguns as their primary weapons,
swordsandwoodenstakesforclosecombat,andWPgrenades.
Employees
All of the MIBs wear helmets, night-vision goggles,
Thereare50to250normalhumanemployeesonsiteatany
advanced armor vests, sharp-proof sleeves, and reinforced
givenmoment.Mostofthemhavebeensubjectedtoagreater
boots. They also have radios and bottles of holy water. Any
or lesser extent to hypnosis, brainwashing, and other mind-
givengroupofthemwillhaveavarietyofsupportgearsuchas
altering techniques over the course of months, turning them
flashlightswithUVbulbs,go-bars,firstaidkits,andrope.
intosimple-mindedsleeperagents.
Atleast20oftheemployeesarearmedsecurityguards.Use
thestatsforcultistthugsonTheEnemy,p.31;theyhavepis-
tolsandnightsticks,butnotswords.Theremainderareaver-
agenoncombatantswithstatsbetween8and11andnouseful The vampires only take what
combat skills. However, with a mere verbal command (for
they need to survive. Maybe two
example,thoughtheofficephonesystem),VanDyjkcanhave
an employee open up one of the facility’s hidden weapon or three a month . . . but now
caches–thereareshotgunsandSMGsdistributedinlockedfil-
they will kill for revenge!
ing cabinets around the building – and open up on any
strangers.Suchattacksarelikelytobeineffective;employees
– Top Hat, in Van Helsing
in a post-hypnotic trance are incapable of using any tactics
moresophisticatedthanpointingandshooting,theyarefiring
weaponsatdefault,andtheywillstopfightingifdisarmedor
otherwisesnappedoutoftheirtrance.Nonetheless,thisconsti-
tutes one more threat to keep an eye out for, as well as the A A
BOUT THE UTHOR
potentialmoralquandaryaboutkillinginnocents.
MattRiggsbyonceexploredthehiddensecretsofvanished
Zombies civilizations.Henowworksforacompanythatclaimsitmakes
perfectlyordinarymedicaldevices,butwhoknowswhattheir
Somehow,VanDyjkhasacquiredabatchof25fastzombies
laboratoriesreallyhold?Hisalliesinthestruggleincludeasor-
(The Enemy, p. 14). The zombies follow no orders, but vam-
ceress,hissuspiciouslycharismaticoffspring,andseveraldogs
piresdon’tregisterasedibletothem,sothey’llignoreVanDyjk
onguardagainstallthreats,realandimagined.
and his feral minions and attack any humans they come
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Blueprint of Facility
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Floor Plan of Facility
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